Chelsea M. Cameron's Blog, page 14
April 19, 2012
Q is for Quirk!
I'm actually posting twice today, because of the Showers of Books Giveaway Hop, so this is post #1.
Today is brought to you by the letter Q and Q stand for quirks. I love quirky people. I am a quirky person. Some would even call me weird, but I think quirky sounds cuter.
I love characters with quirks. I have one in an upcoming book that always orders grilled cheese sandwiches when he eats at restaurants. Because you can never go wrong with a grilled cheese, according to him. I can't wait to explore more of his personality.
Carrie Jone's main character Zara in her Need series is obsessed with phobias. She collects them, memorizes them and clings to them when things get hard. It really ties her personality together and gives a continuity to the book that is really refreshing.
Giving characters quirks makes them human. Even if they aren't. It makes them real.
What are you favorite character quirks?
Today is brought to you by the letter Q and Q stand for quirks. I love quirky people. I am a quirky person. Some would even call me weird, but I think quirky sounds cuter.
I love characters with quirks. I have one in an upcoming book that always orders grilled cheese sandwiches when he eats at restaurants. Because you can never go wrong with a grilled cheese, according to him. I can't wait to explore more of his personality.
Carrie Jone's main character Zara in her Need series is obsessed with phobias. She collects them, memorizes them and clings to them when things get hard. It really ties her personality together and gives a continuity to the book that is really refreshing.
Giving characters quirks makes them human. Even if they aren't. It makes them real.
What are you favorite character quirks?
April 18, 2012
P is for Passion!
Oh yeah baby. Today I'm talking about Passion. With a capital P!
When it comes to Passion, I'm not just talking about love and lust and such. I want to read about characters who are passionate. And not just passionate about that supernatural boy. Why not? Because girls who live or die by whether a boy looks at them are BORING. They don't have any substance. Take the boy away and what do you have? Nothing.
I want to read about characters who are more than just a girl who's in love with a boy. I don't care if they're passionate about collecting stamps. Doesn't matter. Because real people are not just one thing. We all have passions inside of us. Maybe we share them with others, maybe we don't. But we all have them. And characters should have them, too. Make them secretly want to be a singer, or make them really care about their little brother or track, or rainbows or zombies. Now those are people I want to read about :)
When it comes to what I'm passionate about, firstly is writing. I love it so much sometimes I can't stand it. I just started work editing on something I wrote last year and I'm falling in love with it again. *happy sigh* But I love other things. I love cheerleading. So much. One of the reasons I want to make enough money to quit my job is so that I can coach. I love old things. Old movies, old books, antiques. I love tea. I love books. I love my mom. I love the ocean. I love Maine. I love Lobster Tracks ice cream. I love driving....
I love and am passionate about so many other things than writing.
What are you passionate about?
When it comes to Passion, I'm not just talking about love and lust and such. I want to read about characters who are passionate. And not just passionate about that supernatural boy. Why not? Because girls who live or die by whether a boy looks at them are BORING. They don't have any substance. Take the boy away and what do you have? Nothing.
I want to read about characters who are more than just a girl who's in love with a boy. I don't care if they're passionate about collecting stamps. Doesn't matter. Because real people are not just one thing. We all have passions inside of us. Maybe we share them with others, maybe we don't. But we all have them. And characters should have them, too. Make them secretly want to be a singer, or make them really care about their little brother or track, or rainbows or zombies. Now those are people I want to read about :)
When it comes to what I'm passionate about, firstly is writing. I love it so much sometimes I can't stand it. I just started work editing on something I wrote last year and I'm falling in love with it again. *happy sigh* But I love other things. I love cheerleading. So much. One of the reasons I want to make enough money to quit my job is so that I can coach. I love old things. Old movies, old books, antiques. I love tea. I love books. I love my mom. I love the ocean. I love Maine. I love Lobster Tracks ice cream. I love driving....
I love and am passionate about so many other things than writing.
What are you passionate about?
April 17, 2012
O is for Opposites attract...
Today is brought to you by the letter O! I don't know about you, but I love when two characters that are so different get thrown together in a crazy situation and have to get their way out of it. Those are the best kinds of stories. But here's the thing about opposites. They're usually not.
Take Katniss and Peeta. On the surface, they seem like total opposites. But when it comes down to it, they're really the same. They would do anything for their families. To get back to them, to keep them safe. Of course, Peeta considers Katniss part of his family, and would do anything for her. And together? It's magic. (sorry Gale fans)
I love writing about people that seem opposite at first, but really are so alike they don't even realize it. Even when one of them is immortal. Or dead. Or an evil spirit. They're so alike that they could never be with anyone else. They fit like oddly-shaped puzzle pieces. What could get better than that?
Take Katniss and Peeta. On the surface, they seem like total opposites. But when it comes down to it, they're really the same. They would do anything for their families. To get back to them, to keep them safe. Of course, Peeta considers Katniss part of his family, and would do anything for her. And together? It's magic. (sorry Gale fans)
I love writing about people that seem opposite at first, but really are so alike they don't even realize it. Even when one of them is immortal. Or dead. Or an evil spirit. They're so alike that they could never be with anyone else. They fit like oddly-shaped puzzle pieces. What could get better than that?
April 15, 2012
N is for.... Nocturnal!!
Today is brought to you by the letter N! I really love that letter, apparently. Because four of my book's titles begin with N.
I seriously don't know what to say. I released Nightmare yesterday, and it's sitting at #41,363 in the kindle store. That may not be exciting to you, but it is to me. Oh, and Nocturnal? I discounted it to 99 cents and it broke the #10,000 mark for the first time. I sold more books in one day than I had in any previous weeks. I'm about ready to cry with gratitude. Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!!!!!I don't really know what else to say.
But enough about me. It's time to announce the winners for the Eggstravaganza Hop! The first winner is......
*drumroll*
Krysta B!
The second winner is.....
Dorine W!
I'll be sending both of you emails shortly. Congratulations! For the rest of you, I'm going to be doing another hop starting on the 20th and this time there will be an ebook copy and a $10 Amazon gift card up for grabs. So stay tuned for that :)
I seriously don't know what to say. I released Nightmare yesterday, and it's sitting at #41,363 in the kindle store. That may not be exciting to you, but it is to me. Oh, and Nocturnal? I discounted it to 99 cents and it broke the #10,000 mark for the first time. I sold more books in one day than I had in any previous weeks. I'm about ready to cry with gratitude. Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!!!!!I don't really know what else to say.
But enough about me. It's time to announce the winners for the Eggstravaganza Hop! The first winner is......
*drumroll*
Krysta B!
The second winner is.....
Dorine W!
I'll be sending both of you emails shortly. Congratulations! For the rest of you, I'm going to be doing another hop starting on the 20th and this time there will be an ebook copy and a $10 Amazon gift card up for grabs. So stay tuned for that :)
April 14, 2012
M is for MUSIC!
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Today M is for Music! I'm a huge music fan, especially with my writing. My first book had a 70 song playlist. I didn't go quite that nuts with Nocturnal, and I did something a little different. These are the song either mentioned in the book, or played during certain scenes. These are different from the songs that inspired the book. That is a much longer list. But for now, these are the songs of Nocturnal!
And on another note, Nightmare is now available on Amazon! Right here. You can get it. Right now. And Nocturnal has been discounted to 99 cents to celebrate! Get it here. What are you waiting for?
I'm still waiting for Barnes and Noble, so I'll post when that is updated. I'll also post the winners of the Eggstravaganza Hop tomorrow, so stay tuned for that as well. Phew. I think that's everything. I hope that's everything... My brain is melted from all the formatting...
Today M is for Music! I'm a huge music fan, especially with my writing. My first book had a 70 song playlist. I didn't go quite that nuts with Nocturnal, and I did something a little different. These are the song either mentioned in the book, or played during certain scenes. These are different from the songs that inspired the book. That is a much longer list. But for now, these are the songs of Nocturnal!
And on another note, Nightmare is now available on Amazon! Right here. You can get it. Right now. And Nocturnal has been discounted to 99 cents to celebrate! Get it here. What are you waiting for?
I'm still waiting for Barnes and Noble, so I'll post when that is updated. I'll also post the winners of the Eggstravaganza Hop tomorrow, so stay tuned for that as well. Phew. I think that's everything. I hope that's everything... My brain is melted from all the formatting...
April 13, 2012
L is for lemon meringue pie...
Threw you off with that one, didn't I? Thought I was going to say love, didn't you?
Today is brought to you by the letter L, and today L is for Lemon Meringue Pie. Because you know what? Pie solves everything.
There are a few things that always show up in a book by me. One of them is pie. Another is a Taylor Swift reference. Zombies are always mentioned at least once as well. Which is weird because none of these things are related. But they all make sense to me.
So back to pie. For me, pie is like coming home. My mom makes pies for every holiday, including homemade crust. I still haven't found anyone who can top her apple. Unfortunately, I have not inherited her pie skills. I have made a grand total of zero pies and one quiche. And I used a Pillsbury crust. I know, I'm a disgrace.
The thing about pie is that it's a symbol of so much. Of home and comfort and being young. It's also something that takes time and patience and skill to make. You do it with your hands and get dirty and have to read an old recipe card that's all stained and barely legible.
And there's that magical moment when you open the oven and the pie comes out and fills the kitchen with the smell of cinnamon and spices and fresh baked fruit. It's absolute heaven.
What does this have to do with YA? Well, our favorite books are like pie. They feel like coming home. They're comforting and safe. Cozy.
To quote Lady Gaga: "Loving you is cherry pie."
What's your favorite book/pie?
April 12, 2012
K is for... Kissing! (duh)
I had to do it. If we're talking about YA novels, we have to talk about kissing. So today I'm going to share with you Peter and Ava's first kiss from my book, Nocturnal. (BTW, it will be discounted to 99 cents for two weeks to celebrate the release of Nightmare. Shh... don't tell. It's a sekrit)
“Look at me.” I turn my eyes upward and there it is. It's small, barely a lift in the corners of his mouth, but it's there. And it's heartstopping. Damn, he's gorgeous. So freaking gorgeous. And then I'm on those lips like white in rice.
For a second it's like kissing a tree or something, but then he gives and my brain's exploding and my mouth and nose are filled with wintergreen and heat and I want to be consumed by it and nothing else matters at this moment in time.
Peter, Peter, Peter.
“Ava.” He whispers my name, and it's suddenly the sexiest word in the English language. I open my eyes and I'm staring into his. He's smiling. Breathtaking.
“You're smiling.” I helpfully point out.
“I know.”
“It makes me really want to kiss you again.” “I know.” So we kiss again. And again. It's like being in the middle of a blizzard with fireworks thrown in. His lips have that slightly waxy texture, but they're soft and take on the heat of my own lips. He pulls away. I open my eyes and wish his breathing were ragged, his body on fire. Because mine is. I'd kissed boys before, during Spin-the-Bottle sessions and once at a dance I'd been attack-kissed, but that was all washed away by Peter. Maybe he spent all those years of noctalis life practicing kissing. Wouldn't surprise me. I reach for him again. “We should stop. You parents are just up the road.” “Uh huh.” I feel like my brain has temporarily gone on autopilot. “I should go. For now. But I will be back.” “Okay.” He's gone a second later and I'm left sitting on the couch, feeling my lips sizzle.
*fans self* What's your favorite kiss from a YA book?
“Look at me.” I turn my eyes upward and there it is. It's small, barely a lift in the corners of his mouth, but it's there. And it's heartstopping. Damn, he's gorgeous. So freaking gorgeous. And then I'm on those lips like white in rice.
For a second it's like kissing a tree or something, but then he gives and my brain's exploding and my mouth and nose are filled with wintergreen and heat and I want to be consumed by it and nothing else matters at this moment in time.
Peter, Peter, Peter.
“Ava.” He whispers my name, and it's suddenly the sexiest word in the English language. I open my eyes and I'm staring into his. He's smiling. Breathtaking.
“You're smiling.” I helpfully point out.
“I know.”
“It makes me really want to kiss you again.” “I know.” So we kiss again. And again. It's like being in the middle of a blizzard with fireworks thrown in. His lips have that slightly waxy texture, but they're soft and take on the heat of my own lips. He pulls away. I open my eyes and wish his breathing were ragged, his body on fire. Because mine is. I'd kissed boys before, during Spin-the-Bottle sessions and once at a dance I'd been attack-kissed, but that was all washed away by Peter. Maybe he spent all those years of noctalis life practicing kissing. Wouldn't surprise me. I reach for him again. “We should stop. You parents are just up the road.” “Uh huh.” I feel like my brain has temporarily gone on autopilot. “I should go. For now. But I will be back.” “Okay.” He's gone a second later and I'm left sitting on the couch, feeling my lips sizzle.
*fans self* What's your favorite kiss from a YA book?
April 11, 2012
J is for justice...
That sounds kind of epic. Like I'm going to write about something epic. I'm really not. Sorry. :(
What I am going to write about is justice. At the end of a book, or series, there is nothing so satisfying as justice. Harry defeating Voldemort, Bella taking down the Volturi (sort of) with her magical sparkly shielding powers, Scarlet vowing never to go hungry again, and getting her wish.
We have to at least like the main character. To want them to succeed. To have them fight against an obstacle and have them conquer it. Because that's what life is, isn't it? Struggling against something and conquering it and coming out the other side stronger and wiser.
What I am going to write about is justice. At the end of a book, or series, there is nothing so satisfying as justice. Harry defeating Voldemort, Bella taking down the Volturi (sort of) with her magical sparkly shielding powers, Scarlet vowing never to go hungry again, and getting her wish.
We have to at least like the main character. To want them to succeed. To have them fight against an obstacle and have them conquer it. Because that's what life is, isn't it? Struggling against something and conquering it and coming out the other side stronger and wiser.
I is for I fail...
So this post is a day late. Because I fail. I missed my post yesterday, so I'm doing it today.
Sometimes, life happens. I'm almost done with edits, so I'll be ready to publish on Friday night for Saturday's release (SQUEE). But I'm not going to beat myself up about it. So I'm going to do two posts today to make up for it.
Failing is a part of life. I truly believe that you learn far more from failure than you do from success. This is also true of characters in any novel. You have to let them fail. They have to make mistakes and bad choices and take the wrong path. Otherwise you end up with the dreaded Mary Sue. So go ahead, have them fail. Let them fall on their faces and kiss the wrong boy, or have a fight with their parents or underestimate their nemesis. It makes for much more interesting fiction.
Sometimes, life happens. I'm almost done with edits, so I'll be ready to publish on Friday night for Saturday's release (SQUEE). But I'm not going to beat myself up about it. So I'm going to do two posts today to make up for it.
Failing is a part of life. I truly believe that you learn far more from failure than you do from success. This is also true of characters in any novel. You have to let them fail. They have to make mistakes and bad choices and take the wrong path. Otherwise you end up with the dreaded Mary Sue. So go ahead, have them fail. Let them fall on their faces and kiss the wrong boy, or have a fight with their parents or underestimate their nemesis. It makes for much more interesting fiction.
April 9, 2012
H is for Hello...
Today is brought to you by the letter H! I was sitting here, trying to think what began with H that I could write about. Heffalumps didn't work. Neither did Hogwarts. Or Hoopskirts.
So I'm going to write about hellos. The first time you meet someone usually sticks in your mind. You get a visual impression, you see what they're wearing you hear their voice. It gives you an instant judgement of them, good or bad.
This is also true of characters in YA novels. The first time we are introduced to a new character should mean something. We should learn something about both characters from their interaction, something that you wouldn't learn just looking at them.
One of my favorite examples of this is in Kody Keplinger's The DUFF. Bianca, our main girl goes to a club and we're introduced to Wesley, a douche-y rich guy who goes to school with her. He basically comes up to her and says that in order to hook up with one of her hot friends, he's going to be nice to her. Because she's the DUFF. (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). Bianca, justifiably offended, throws her cherry coke in his face. And then kisses him. No one is more surprised by this than she is. This little scene shows us so much about who Bianca is, and who Wesley is. And it shows that their story is going to be really, really interesting. And it is. *sigh* I love that book.
So I'm going to write about hellos. The first time you meet someone usually sticks in your mind. You get a visual impression, you see what they're wearing you hear their voice. It gives you an instant judgement of them, good or bad.
This is also true of characters in YA novels. The first time we are introduced to a new character should mean something. We should learn something about both characters from their interaction, something that you wouldn't learn just looking at them.
One of my favorite examples of this is in Kody Keplinger's The DUFF. Bianca, our main girl goes to a club and we're introduced to Wesley, a douche-y rich guy who goes to school with her. He basically comes up to her and says that in order to hook up with one of her hot friends, he's going to be nice to her. Because she's the DUFF. (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). Bianca, justifiably offended, throws her cherry coke in his face. And then kisses him. No one is more surprised by this than she is. This little scene shows us so much about who Bianca is, and who Wesley is. And it shows that their story is going to be really, really interesting. And it is. *sigh* I love that book.
