Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 93
April 18, 2012
Book Trailers and all kinds of fun
Okay, so I have literally just spent the entire day looking for and downloading book trailer bits and pieces. I have yet to assemble anything (thank you my trusty little netbook for never working with any program ever). So, my brain is a little fried. This past week, I have also been looking into different options regarding what to do for a trailer. Honestly, I'm not so sure I need one. I mean, in my husband's words: "it's a book, not a movie." I kinda get that. But, then again, everyone does one. And I write for teens, who are on YouTube even more than I am. So that makes things a little necessary.
So, the question then became: do it myself, or have someone else do it? I'm still not sure what the right answer for this is. I mean, I'm not incredible creative like Maggie Stiefvater (have you SEEN her trailers for the Wolves of Mercy Falls series? Holy crap, they are utterly awesome). Nor do I have any friggin' experience doing this kind of thing. But, I also don't have much money. And the money I do have? Well, I'd like to put it toward other promotional tools (because the cost for a book trailer of the non-boring variety is, well, a LOT, and as a post-graduate student, I have very little spare $$ around).
Currently, I'm going to give this thing a shot. We'll see what happens :) I may end up screaming and throwing money at someone to do it for me. (Haha!) My main goal is for it to (a) look slightly professional (ie, not like crap), and (b) it to be interesting (to, ya know, make people want to buy my book, which is the main goal in doing just about everything lately). (Wow that was a lot of parentheses.)
Okay, spill peeps: what's your favorite book trailer ever? Do you enjoy them? Have you thought about what you'll do for yours (or what you did for yours) ahead of time? Inquiring minds wants to know!
So, the question then became: do it myself, or have someone else do it? I'm still not sure what the right answer for this is. I mean, I'm not incredible creative like Maggie Stiefvater (have you SEEN her trailers for the Wolves of Mercy Falls series? Holy crap, they are utterly awesome). Nor do I have any friggin' experience doing this kind of thing. But, I also don't have much money. And the money I do have? Well, I'd like to put it toward other promotional tools (because the cost for a book trailer of the non-boring variety is, well, a LOT, and as a post-graduate student, I have very little spare $$ around).
Currently, I'm going to give this thing a shot. We'll see what happens :) I may end up screaming and throwing money at someone to do it for me. (Haha!) My main goal is for it to (a) look slightly professional (ie, not like crap), and (b) it to be interesting (to, ya know, make people want to buy my book, which is the main goal in doing just about everything lately). (Wow that was a lot of parentheses.)
Okay, spill peeps: what's your favorite book trailer ever? Do you enjoy them? Have you thought about what you'll do for yours (or what you did for yours) ahead of time? Inquiring minds wants to know!
April 16, 2012
After Reading: The Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.
But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?
This book flat out floored me. It's been a while since something just wow'ed me to no end. I mean, I've read a lot of good books lately, but this one was just awesome. I could hardly put it down. The spelling and language did take a bit to get used to (granted, I am a horrible speller, so some of the more creative words made me laugh in memory of making similar mistakes). The concept of Noise was incredibly interesting and done so well--I've read books before with mind-reading and such, but this really showed just what it would be like (and I think I really rather do without, thanks, even if it would make it easier to understand my husband at times...). I will be picking up the next book shortly!
Have you read this one? Did you like it?
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?
This book flat out floored me. It's been a while since something just wow'ed me to no end. I mean, I've read a lot of good books lately, but this one was just awesome. I could hardly put it down. The spelling and language did take a bit to get used to (granted, I am a horrible speller, so some of the more creative words made me laugh in memory of making similar mistakes). The concept of Noise was incredibly interesting and done so well--I've read books before with mind-reading and such, but this really showed just what it would be like (and I think I really rather do without, thanks, even if it would make it easier to understand my husband at times...). I will be picking up the next book shortly!
Have you read this one? Did you like it?
April 15, 2012
Sunday is for Photos x11
Another week of awesomeness! I have a bunch of pics to share this week, so I'm just going to jump right in:
Cherry blossoms! Oh, and us :)
Giant golden lantern at one of the temples we visited.
I am kinda in love with all the dragons here. Another one from the purification baths.
I could handle having this fountain in my backyard.
Every time I look at these giant bells I get a very specific song in my head. I won't infect you with my ear-worm, but it's making me a little batty :)
Silver Temple. Still not sure why it's the silver temple after visiting, but still pretty!
One of my favorite things to play around with on my camera is reflections.
Philosopher's Walk. I felt smarter after walking down it.
The characters on the dippers probably say something inane (I'll have to ask hubby), but it's still pretty!
Fav shot this week. Prayer placards at a shrine.
Cherry Blossoms!
Koto concert at the Kyoto Castle. Say that five times fast!Okay, back to work on blog tour fun. Still have some dates that aren't totally full if you want to join in on the fun!!
Cherry blossoms! Oh, and us :)
Giant golden lantern at one of the temples we visited.
I am kinda in love with all the dragons here. Another one from the purification baths.
I could handle having this fountain in my backyard. 
Every time I look at these giant bells I get a very specific song in my head. I won't infect you with my ear-worm, but it's making me a little batty :)
Silver Temple. Still not sure why it's the silver temple after visiting, but still pretty!
One of my favorite things to play around with on my camera is reflections.
Philosopher's Walk. I felt smarter after walking down it.
The characters on the dippers probably say something inane (I'll have to ask hubby), but it's still pretty!
Fav shot this week. Prayer placards at a shrine.
Cherry Blossoms!
Koto concert at the Kyoto Castle. Say that five times fast!Okay, back to work on blog tour fun. Still have some dates that aren't totally full if you want to join in on the fun!!
April 13, 2012
Friday Five
I feel like I'm been blogging all week, but really, I've been writing guest posts. Sorry for the lack of substantive content here of late! Next week I'll have something a little more fun on here :) Otherwise, do stop in for Sunday Photos, and if you're still thinking about jumping on the blog tour bandwagon, let me know!
Japanese TV is really random. This is coming from someone who has watched a whole lot of Spanish telenovelas, too. The random factor miiight have something to do with the fact that I can't understand it, but after watching their version of The Biggest Loser, I'm still going to have to say that they win in the random category. I do find it infinitely more entertaining though, so maybe there's something to be said for that?? :)I'm starting to put together some ideas for a book trailer. Now, I'm not totally sold on the idea of book trailers in general. I've only seen a couple that have been really interesting. And I have a budget of, like, nothing. So, I'm trying to think of something unique, original, and fun. Hopefully involving a lot of my own photos :) We'll see what I can do. Ideas anyone? I'd love to hear em!The book blog tour set-up is going well! If I still don't have a post to you, well, it's being written. I swear. I need a few more post ideas, actually, which is really the hard part of this!We went and saw the Japanese cherry blossoms all lit up at night this evening. It was spectacular, magical, and I rally hope my photos turn out!I have a little over a month left of this crazy adventure. It feels like it just started! Honestly, how can that be even possible?? Still, it's been awesome, and I hope the last month is just as fun!Okay, there's my random five for the week. Now, back to thinking about book trailers (which makes for fun research on YouTube at least!). Have an awesome weekend everyone!
Japanese TV is really random. This is coming from someone who has watched a whole lot of Spanish telenovelas, too. The random factor miiight have something to do with the fact that I can't understand it, but after watching their version of The Biggest Loser, I'm still going to have to say that they win in the random category. I do find it infinitely more entertaining though, so maybe there's something to be said for that?? :)I'm starting to put together some ideas for a book trailer. Now, I'm not totally sold on the idea of book trailers in general. I've only seen a couple that have been really interesting. And I have a budget of, like, nothing. So, I'm trying to think of something unique, original, and fun. Hopefully involving a lot of my own photos :) We'll see what I can do. Ideas anyone? I'd love to hear em!The book blog tour set-up is going well! If I still don't have a post to you, well, it's being written. I swear. I need a few more post ideas, actually, which is really the hard part of this!We went and saw the Japanese cherry blossoms all lit up at night this evening. It was spectacular, magical, and I rally hope my photos turn out!I have a little over a month left of this crazy adventure. It feels like it just started! Honestly, how can that be even possible?? Still, it's been awesome, and I hope the last month is just as fun!Okay, there's my random five for the week. Now, back to thinking about book trailers (which makes for fun research on YouTube at least!). Have an awesome weekend everyone!
April 12, 2012
After Reading: The Iron Witch
By Karen Mahoney
Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.
When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.Okay, I've been wondering this from the first time I saw this book cover. WHAT IS SHE HOLDING IN HER HAND?? I read the book and I still have no idea. Okay, yeah, a little random, but I can't help wondering. So, yeah, the book: I enjoyed reading this. It was a quick and fun read, and I enjoyed the alchemist twist on things. Certainly something I haven't read a lot about, and it has a ton of fun possibilities to work with. The thing I came away with, however, was the fact that I had more questions at the end than what I started with. I needed there to be Some kind of information, solution, etc. I know there are more books (the Wood Witch is out now), but I just felt like I needed there to be some kind of explanation in some small way of the world, the things going on, well, anything really so that I wasn't left going "huh?" Ah, okay, rant over. I did enjoy reading this, and will probably grab the next one from the library when I'm home.Have you read this one? Did you enjoy it? Can you tell me what she's holding on the front cover??
Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.Okay, I've been wondering this from the first time I saw this book cover. WHAT IS SHE HOLDING IN HER HAND?? I read the book and I still have no idea. Okay, yeah, a little random, but I can't help wondering. So, yeah, the book: I enjoyed reading this. It was a quick and fun read, and I enjoyed the alchemist twist on things. Certainly something I haven't read a lot about, and it has a ton of fun possibilities to work with. The thing I came away with, however, was the fact that I had more questions at the end than what I started with. I needed there to be Some kind of information, solution, etc. I know there are more books (the Wood Witch is out now), but I just felt like I needed there to be some kind of explanation in some small way of the world, the things going on, well, anything really so that I wasn't left going "huh?" Ah, okay, rant over. I did enjoy reading this, and will probably grab the next one from the library when I'm home.Have you read this one? Did you enjoy it? Can you tell me what she's holding on the front cover??
April 10, 2012
Guest Post at Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf
Just a quick post today to say that the awesome Lucy of Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf allowed me to post on her blog. It's a little tidbit on writerly inspiration (and how much time I spent in the principal's office in elementary school). You can check it out here :)
April 9, 2012
Blog Tour Banners
Okay, so as I started to pull together my blog tour info, I realized that all the blog tours I've seen, or been part of, have these awesome sidebar/header banner things. They're so pretty! So I had the awesome Lisa Amowitz (and twitter, & facebook) put something together for me. They turned out so well! I'm including them with the blog posts I'm (slowly) sending out to people. If you want to grab one and show it off, I'll love ya forever :)
Interested in joining in on my blog tour fun? More deets here. A million thanks to everyone who's participating! I'm getting my posts out to people as soon as they're written, but I have lots to write, so please be patient with me :)
Interested in joining in on my blog tour fun? More deets here. A million thanks to everyone who's participating! I'm getting my posts out to people as soon as they're written, but I have lots to write, so please be patient with me :)
April 7, 2012
Sunday is for Photos x9
(Okay, wow, I just really realized how long I've been on this crazy adventure! This is my tenth week of posting pics!)
Hi! This week has been pretty dang busy, but in an awesome way :) I had my big 3-0 birthday (eep!), we found a great apartment in Kyoto Japan (yay!), I have started organizing my blog tour (more info here if you wanna sign up!), and have been visiting all kinds of cool places. For today's selection, I have a few photos of places I've seen this week:
The Castle in Osaka.
The Castle & the Moon. (That sounds like a picture book title, haha!)
The Castle kind of looks like it's on fire in the background. But, I kinda liked this shot.
The dragon at the cleansing pool at one of the shrines we've visited. I so want one of these for my mythical backyard (mythical, as in, it doesn't exist, not as in it'll have mythical creatures in it, just in case you're wondering).
The Golden Temple. It has another name. I'll look it up later. It was hard to spell :)
Throw a coin for good luck (if you can get it into the little cup).
This kind of cracked me up--traditional dress, on the cell phone.
This is the Temple & Shrine closest to our house. Pretty, right?That's all for this week! Hope you enjoyed :)
Hi! This week has been pretty dang busy, but in an awesome way :) I had my big 3-0 birthday (eep!), we found a great apartment in Kyoto Japan (yay!), I have started organizing my blog tour (more info here if you wanna sign up!), and have been visiting all kinds of cool places. For today's selection, I have a few photos of places I've seen this week:
The Castle in Osaka.
The Castle & the Moon. (That sounds like a picture book title, haha!)
The Castle kind of looks like it's on fire in the background. But, I kinda liked this shot. 
The dragon at the cleansing pool at one of the shrines we've visited. I so want one of these for my mythical backyard (mythical, as in, it doesn't exist, not as in it'll have mythical creatures in it, just in case you're wondering).
The Golden Temple. It has another name. I'll look it up later. It was hard to spell :)
Throw a coin for good luck (if you can get it into the little cup).
This kind of cracked me up--traditional dress, on the cell phone. 
This is the Temple & Shrine closest to our house. Pretty, right?That's all for this week! Hope you enjoyed :)
April 5, 2012
After Reading: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1)
By Susan Ee
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.
Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
I picked this one up based on a recommendation and I have to say that I really hope that you do the same! It is flat-out amazing. The world building is incredible, and despite the insane post-apocalyptic scenario, it was totally believable. And Penryn is spot-on. It helps that I've been to the places she describes enough times to really see it in my mind, but that's just the half of it. It's just really well done. Can you tell I'm gushing here? Seriously, go check this one out!
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
I picked this one up based on a recommendation and I have to say that I really hope that you do the same! It is flat-out amazing. The world building is incredible, and despite the insane post-apocalyptic scenario, it was totally believable. And Penryn is spot-on. It helps that I've been to the places she describes enough times to really see it in my mind, but that's just the half of it. It's just really well done. Can you tell I'm gushing here? Seriously, go check this one out!
April 4, 2012
After Reading: Until Next Time: An Angel Chronicles book1
By Amy Lignor[image error] Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1
How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?
Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.
When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.
From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.
I was happy to be asked to take part in the Until Next Time blog tour! The cover of this book totally drew me in, and I'm particular partial to angel books (hmm, wonder why?? :). While reading, I enjoyed Lignor's view of Heaven, especially as she made it seem like an interesting and dynamic place to grow up (because, well, the more classic view of Heaven has always struck me as a little dull...). The story is told in both the earthly world, and in heaven, which I enjoyed. I did find myself confused a bit here and there, as details were revealed and I wasn't quite sure how they fit in. However, overall, this was an engaging read with a fun and unique view of angels, and their role in the world. I'd recommend it to teens who enjoy a fun, clean read!
***If Until Next Time sounds interesting to you, you might want to check out Colors Like Memories. Sign up for my blog tour here :) ***
Amy Lignor's Bio:Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.
Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.
She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.
Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.
Kindle buy link
Nook buy link Smashwords buy link
PDF buy link
The Angel Chronicles web site:
http://www.the-angel-chronicles.com
The Angel Chronicles Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Angel-Chronicles/168932393209654
Until Next Time GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13319888-until-next-time
Amy Lignor's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/alignor
Amy Lignor's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/HelloWritersAmy
Amy Lignor's Website:
http://www.thewritecompanion.com/
Amy Lignor's Blog:
http://hellowriters.wordpress.com/
Amy Lignor's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5222068
Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com
Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176
Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186
![[image error]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QwsEBzK5-gE/T2hXFDphkzI/AAAAAAAAP64/fNQ3NbVZUaM/s1600/cover%20(1).jpg){kind=link}