Alyssa Hubbard's Blog, page 11

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Published on June 15, 2015 04:00

What I’ve Read: Ico Castle in the Mist by Miyuki Miyabe

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As I’ve written before, Ico is one of my favorite video games of all time. Video games and books have taught me so much about myself and about writing, it would be foolish to try to separate one from the other. When I discovered that an author had been given the rights to write a book based on the story and world of Ico, you can imagine my excitement. My favorite video game in book form? What is there not to love?

Well, let me tell you, this book is nostalgia goodness. I felt like I was playing the game again. A lot of the puzzles showed up in here, and even the descriptions of the castle mimicked a lot of the stages of the video game. The lore she layered onto this world is an absolute treat for anyone who has played the game and wants to strengthen their immersion while playing.

For those who don’t know the general premise:

Ico Castle in the Mist (and Ico the video game) follows a young boy, born with horns, as he traverses the mysterious castle he has seemingly been sacrificed to. There, he meets a girl by the name of Yorda who is unable to speak to him. She has been trapped here in a giant metal bird cage, and, once freed, she is too weak to travel alone. Ico must take Yorda by the hand and lead her through the castle to save both himself and her. Fighting off shadow creatures with horns much like his and solving strange puzzles, Ico learns the secrets of the castle and of Yorda, all while trying to find his way home.

Will people enjoy this who have played it or who are playing it?

Absolutely.

Can people who have never played the game still enjoy it?

… meh? Is that a good answer? It’s hard for me to say since I have played the game. So, I read it from the perspective of a gamer playing a game. This isn’t like reading a walk-through, but it’s got a few moments where it feels like I should be playing while reading. There were moments where I thought the author might be playing as she was writing certain scenes. Those sections would probably drag to those who haven’t played the game. While it helped me immerse myself in the world again, and it tickled my giddy, nostalgic self, the stage descriptions and puzzles may seem trivial and unnecessary to newcomers.

I think you could enjoy it if you like high fantasy writing without the high fantasy elements. Otherwise, you may get bored.

Even so, this is definitely one that goes on my “favorites” shelf.

Worth the Purchase? Most definitely.

What do you think? Based on this description, would you read it? Have you read it? Have you played the game? Let me know, and comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

Want to review my books? Click here!

These posts are for book discussion and to express my overly-fangirly nature over certain books and series. Though I already have an extensive library with plenty of reading material, I’m always looking out for new or interesting titles. Not only is this for me, but for other writers! Often times, writers forget they started off as readers. Support your fellow authors and read!

WARNING: SELF-PROMO IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS

It will be considered spam and deleted immediately. However, if you would like me to buy and read your book, I’ll gladly take recommendations on this page. Fill out the contact sheet with a link to your book, and I will get to reading! While I will read most recommendations, I won’t review them all. If the book in question would probably get less than three stars, I’ll simply keep the review to myself and either email the author directly (if they themselves sent me a contact sheet), or just not discuss the book at all. I want to recommend books that I will read, and that I think others will enjoy. No need to embarrass or completely wreck someone in the name of reviewing.

Thank you for your understanding.

Filed under: What I've Read

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Published on June 08, 2015 06:00

My Birthday Giveaway (21 years in the making)!

Howdy y’all!

Today just so happens to be my 21st birthday, and rather than drown myself in legal alcohol purchases, I have decided to give a gift to YOU… er, well, FIVE of you, that is.

My book The Mind, the Body, a horror short story collection, came out last year in October. I purchased five author copies, signed them, and have started a Goodreads giveaway. Anyone living in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia can enter for FREE to receive one of the five copies. All you have to do is make a Goodreads account and enter here: CLICK ME!

And while you’re there, add me as a friend (if you want to become a fan, that’s cool, but I’d much rather make ya my friend, ya know?).

Help me celebrate my birthday by making this the best birthday book giveaway in all my 21 years on this Earth (this is my first birthday giveaway, but who’s counting?). Enter, share, and let’s have fun!

Don’t have time to enter today? That’s okay! The giveaway ends March 27th, so you have plenty of time! Just make sure you enter by then, or you will miss your chance at FREE BOOKS!

Finally, thank you all so much for the emails and the posts, wishing me a happy birthday. I can’t thank you all enough for all the kind words and well wishes. You make my heart full.

Thanks for reading and/or entering!

-Lissy

Filed under: Personal Posts

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Published on March 19, 2015 09:39

2 embarrassing reasons why life as an author ISN’T glamorous.

Very rarely do I find things embarrassing. The most embarrassing things are the funniest. So, for the sake of laughter, I share with you two reasons (experiences) that show you why life as a writer (or my life in general) IS NOT glamorous. At all. Not even a little bit.

So, as a full-time student, part-time retail associate, and whenever-time writer, I often find myself creating time where I probably shouldn’t. For example, after a particularly long day of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in class and 5:30 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. at work, I found myself filled to the brim with weary inspiration. The moment I stepped through the door, I was already forming what had to be the novel of this generation (it actually ended up being a jumbled up pile of word vomit, but who was judging).It was at this time, approximately 11:10 p.m., I began crafting my masterpiece. I didn’t get done until approximately 2:00 a.m., which gave me about 3 hours of sleep before I had to wake up for my turnaround shift. I quite literally crawled from my desk to my bed and passed out without fuss. Didn’t change clothes. Didn’t shower. Nothing. As you can imagine, I was a sight (and a smell) to behold the next morning.Bleary and monstrous looking, I grumbled and tumbled out of bed into a fresh pile of clothing I had neglected to hang up the day before. Still half-asleep, I happened to find a fresh pair of khakis and my work polo. Without much thought, I slid both on and went on about my way. I’ll spare you the details on the rest of my “morning beauty routine.”

I arrived at work, we opened the store, and I went on about my business, putting out freight and assisting cashiers. One of my cashiers, however, asked why I wasn’t picking up the store phone. It was then I realized I had forgotten to even pick it up that morning. So, I rushed back to my station to pick it up.

However, when I went to slide it into my pocket, I realized I had no pockets. Huh. Well, that’s weird. I had just bought those pants not even two days before, and I swore they had, had pockets in them. I stopped, and I assessed myself. I placed my hands at the front of my pants where my pockets should have been, then dragged them around to my back side where my pockets actually were. With a little more feeling around, I also discovered my zipper was back there, too.

Just then, my manager walked in. The same one that helped me open the store this morning and probably had seen my pants for the last 2 hours that I had been at work, yet hadn’t said anything. So, I straight up asked him,

“*InsertManagerNameHere* Why didn’t you tell me I had my pants on backwards?”

He gave me a shrug, then said, “I figured you were trying to make a fashion statement.”

A fashion statement, indeed.
This story happened long before the first one, but it involves the same manager. However, he didn’t just assume I was making a fashion statement. Perhaps this incident actually led to his action in the first story, or rather the lack thereof. Even worse, maybe now he just assumes I make these kinds of mistakes.As per usual, I had just gotten out of class at 3:00 p.m. and was heading to work for my closing shift. On days where I went to school, then worked, I tended to just wear my uniform to class. I wasn’t there to impress anybody (and I’m still not). So, I didn’t care if people saw me in uniform, and I was just too lazy to change clothes in the middle of the day. Especially since I’d only be wearing them for a few hours anyway.Well, when I got to work, my manager was standing at the door, just surveying the front end. Then, I walked by. There was a noticeable side glance, then a second take, and finally a flat out stare. Sure, I thought it was a bit strange, but it was just another day of work. Plus, I figured if it were that big of a deal, he would’ve said something. However, he didn’t say anything until I had already gotten on the register and checked out two or three people. Then he came up and asked,

“Alyssa? Do you have a defective shirt?”

I gave him a look, and rather than just look at my darn shirt, I asked,

“Why?”

He pointed.

“Your tag is on the outside.”

Then I looked, and behold. Rather than wearing my pants backwards for a few hours, I wore my shirt inside out to school and to work for an entire day. Yet, they still promoted me a few months later. I think they keep me for the lulz.

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Want to be a beta reader? Click here to fill out the contact sheet, and let me know!

Want to guest post? Want to trade posts?

Same goes to you! Don’t be shy!

Want to check out some books?

CLICK HERE

Filed under: Personal Posts

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Published on March 16, 2015 01:00

“Remember why you started writing in the first place.”

An aspiring author just emailed me with a question,

“Hello, I’m an aspiring writer and I was wondering if you have a piece of writing advice for getting through rough patches. ”

I’m still not sure if I gave her the answer she wanted, but I wanted to share my response here… in case anyone else needs the reminder. I know I do.

“My best advice would be to remember why you started writing in the first place. Remember that it wasn’t always a job, but just something you loved to do because you could. I’m not sure if that’s exactly what you were looking for, but maybe that can inspire you to keep going. If not, please feel free to email me again. I’d love to help in anyway I can!”

It wasn’t always a job or something strenuous and tiring. It was, at one time, something you just loved to do. You can’t forget that, even when it does feel very much like a job. Writing was and will always be an extension of yourself. Enjoy it for what it is, not for what will come out of it (that’s just a bonus).

And same goes for you. You can always email me through my About page. I’m always up to talk shop or just to cheer y’all on. Don’t be shy.

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Filed under: Writing and Marketing Tips, Writing Tips

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Published on March 10, 2015 15:43

The Rain, It Pours ch. 4 – A Forest of Drizzling Rain Fanfic

Next Chapter >

While she was pleased to find him avidly searching the racks upon racks of clothing, she found his choices a bit drab. Especially with her vibrant assortment of clothes. So far he had picked up a black turtleneck, black slacks, and even a pair of dreadful black leather gloves. He said he was going for a sophisticated style.

It looked more like something a serial killer would wear.

Plus, she was pretty sure she had seen that exact get up, minus the gloves, before. In fact, she was pretty sure he was wearing it now, though she would never point it out to him. No, she was far too happy watching him, concentrated, as he shuffled through rack after rack of black on black clothes.

But there were only so many racks of black, and every once in a while she caught him wiping at his forehead – nervous sweating. It was time to move on to something a little more out of his comfort zone.

Not wanting to spook him anymore than he already was, she cleared her throat as she approached. Even so, he spun around to face her, dropping all of his treasures to the floor in a heap. Shiori winced, watching as his face crumpled and reddened in embarrassment. She quickly knelt down and began collecting his lost wardrobe, trying her best to move on.

“You’ve gotten a good bit here, but,” and she held up the gloves for emphasis, wagging them in Suga’s direction, “how about I show you a few tricks?”

Suga was still blushing, but a smile did eventually find its way to his lips.

Shiori felt a slight tug at the corner of her lips, an involuntary reaction. It felt good, whatever this was. It felt good to smile with Suga again.

Once his sad pile had been collected and left on a display table, Shiori was coaxing him toward a much more colorful section of the men’s department. But there he remained, staring forlorn at his smudge of a wardrobe.

She held out her hand toward him, grumbling to get his attention. It wasn’t until he met her eyes that she spoke.

“Come on. You need some color.”

He swallowed and shifted his gaze to the world of color behind Shiori. He dabbed at his forehead again, then met her gaze once more.

“Alright… but none of that.” He motioned toward a particularly bright rack with different hues and shades of coral.

Shiori couldn’t hold back a snort as she tugged a shirt off the rack. She held it up as if it might be something she was considering.

“I don’t know. Salmon would probably be a good fit, too.”

Just as quickly as the words left her mouth, all the color drained from Suga’s face.

“… fish?”

Another snort tore from her throat before she had a chance to cover her mouth. She hung the shirt back up and shook her head.

“You’re too gullible Suga. It’s just a joke.”

Suga deflated with a sigh, wiping at his forehead one more time before following Shiori into a world of color and “fashion.”

She started with blues, offering him option after option, though all being met with a wrinkled grimace or blank indifference. Positive. Just had to stay positive.

She plucked a turtleneck off the rack, a deep royal blue, the closest to black she could find, and held it up to him. He looked at it, tilted his head to the left, then tilted his head to the right – physically and mentally mulling it over, before smiling.

“I think I can handle color.”

Success. It took everything she had not to dance. Sure, what he chose wasn’t necessarily the most dynamic, but it was different. It showed change, and she would take any little bit she could get.

So, she thrust the article into his hands, demanding, “Change. Now.”

Before he maybe-possibly changed his mind. In the meantime she got him a pair of jeans. No more slacks. Yes, they were more professional, but she really needed him to focus on personable first. If he could prove to be personable, then that would prove he could host the museum. She had a plan, and this was all part of it.

Suga found the nearest fitting room, and when came out, Shiori couldn’t help the purr of approval which left her throat.

The blue sweater, while not an extremely diverse choice, gave him a little more color in his cheeks – something that was always washed out. The jeans, though, made the biggest difference. They were a black wash, putting him in his comfort zone, but the fit was so much better than the standard slacks he always wore that he actually had a figure. A lean, relaxed one, one which anybody would want.

He looked so much more casual. Even his mannerisms, once stiff and awkward, were much more natural and calm. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes trained on Shiori, watching her reaction.

“Well… what do you think?”

What did she think? There were many things she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him he was handsome, that she couldn’t wait to show him off, but all she could manage was light blush with a thumbs up.

The way Suga brightened, someone else might have thought that little motion meant the world to him. Maybe it did, but Shiori would never know, as Suga was already heading toward the counter to purchase his outfit before she had the chance to ask.

Shiori followed close behind, already putting together the next part of her plan.

Once the outfit had been paid for, Shiori and Suga were heading out the door and back toward the smaller shops and restaurants. They were almost back at the mansion by the time Shiori stopped, Suga stumbling to stop beside her.

She peered at the entrance of the Mountain Bar and Tavern. During the day it was a quiet restaurant for all the passerby, but once evening arrived, it lit up with the locals getting off work and the young people ready to drink and party. It was the closest thing to a club this little village had.

Suga’s face scrunched up in obvious distaste.

“What are we doing here?”

Shiori looked up to study his face, a smug grin already finding its way across hers, just as the neon lights of the bar came to life.

“We’re going to find you a date, Suga.”

To be continued…

Next Chapter >

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Want updates for my fanfiction only? Click here to follow my FanFiction.Net account!

Want to be a beta reader? Click here to fill out the contact sheet, and let me know!

Want to guest post? Want to trade posts?

Same goes to you! Don’t be shy!

Want to check out some books?

CLICK HERE

Filed under: FanFic, The Forest of Drizzling Rain

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Published on February 16, 2015 01:00

3 things you need to do when your hobby begins to feel like a job.

It’s been a long, long, long time since I’ve actually stopped and enjoyed the process of writing. I went through a short phase where I just kept telling myself, “It’s okay, it won’t be long until I can write again,” and that was enough for me. Then it got to the point where I would put things ahead of writing time. I had to prepare for my promotion, then I had to train once I received the promotion, then I had school, then I had tests… Those things do take priority, but even during down time, when none of those things had any hold on me, I still found myself saying, “It’s okay, it won’t be long until I can write again.”

I had become the one person I always blogged about, trying to avoid. I became the writer who talks about writing, but never actually does.

Sure, yes, I do have a lot going on right now. Senior year is right in front of me, and a new job with more responsibilities on top of that eats up a lot of time… Not to mention squeezing in cuddle time with the boyfriend, which I must say I do desperately need during the week. But I have never considered writing a burden or a chore. It never felt that way to me, and even though I have made it out to seem that way, it still doesn’t.

I just miss the time when it was just all for fun, and back when I could sit there and write for hours upon hours, much like how I used to read – another hobby which has met the same terrible fate as writing. Now, life takes so much precedence, I find everything to be tiring. Everything is work, now, even when what I’m doing is supposed to relax me after work.

Writing used to be my life, then reality seeped in and tainted my brain with all of this adult gobbildy-goop.

But, as always, one thing has helped to remedy my terrible predicament: a list. I’ve discovered a few tactics to fight against the adult gobbildy-goop, and while I still haven’t mastered it, I’m getting better. Onward to the list!

You have to become double-brained.

Unfortunately, this is the hardest thing to accomplish, and it certainly sounds that way. You have to separate the work brain from the writing brain. Or, in my case, I have to separate the Work Brain, the School Brain, the Writer Brain, and the Intern Brain. In most cases, I’m sure it’ll be more like triple-brained, or quadruple-brained, but double-brained just sounds cooler. The best way I have found to achieve this is to utilize every second of downtime to decompress. Leave a pause between each brain so you can start fresh. This is easier said than done, especially with all of the wonderful social media to sink hours and hours in. You need time to just turn off for a little while. Have a few moments to yourself with no distraction in any shape or form. This way, you won’t lose your precious down time doing something unproductive both mentally and physically.

If you can’t find down time, don’t stop moving.

As I disclaimed earlier, I still have yet to master this list, especially with the first point. I have a terrible social media addiction. 99% of the time I’m glued to YouTube or FaceBook, just scrolling or passively watching something, not being actively engaged with anything that is happening on my little iPhone screen. So, until I get my media addiction under control, the only real way I’ve found to stay motivated is to ride the high, so to speak. If I just got done with a paper, I immediately move on to one of my personal projects. I “ride the high.” Granted, I do occasionally burn out because I forget I need to stop, but keeping the productive fire alive is one of the best ways to find a renewed spark with your own work. Do what you have to at work or school in the best way you can, then carry that motivation home with you. Do your homework, then move right into your own project.

You have to accept that being good at something requires hard work.

It’s just the way the world works. If I ever want to be a serious author (make money doing what I love), I have to work for it. I need to treat it like a job, like it’s something that just has to be done because it has to be done. Sometimes we have to think of things like they are work if we ever want to get better. Otherwise, my writing will always be “just a hobby.” And even if you don’t necessarily want your hobby to become your means of financial stability, you want to be good, right? Then you have to work for it. Some people have that natural, raw ability, but those are the exceptions. Not the rule.

It’s okay to slack off sometimes, but when you’re making excuses just to avoid doing what you love because it feels too hard… then you’re avoiding progress. There’s a reason it feels like too much work. If it’s not worth fighting for, then is it really worth doing at all?

Let me know, and comment below! Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Want to be a beta reader? Click here to fill out the contact sheet, and let me know!

Want to guest post? Want to trade posts?

Same goes to you! Don’t be shy!

Want to check out some books?

CLICK HERE

Filed under: Personal Posts, Writing and Marketing Tips, Writing Tips

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Published on February 09, 2015 01:00

I’ve Lost Her – An Ib Fanfic Read Out Loud

I finally made a YouTube video. It’s been years. Years and years since I was on the YouTubez, but I’m back with read-out-loud versions of my fanfiction work. I may put some original work on there, but for the time being, it’s solely fanfiction. Please watch, and enjoy!

Thanks for reading (and watching)!

-Lissy

Want updates for my fanfiction only? Click here to follow my FanFiction.Net account!

Want to be a beta reader? Click here to fill out the contact sheet, and let me know!

Want to guest post? Want to trade posts?

Same goes to you! Don’t be shy!

Want to check out some books?

CLICK HERE

Filed under: FanFic, Ib, YouTube Read-Out-Loud

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Published on January 19, 2015 01:00

The Rain, It Pours ch. 3 – A Forest of Drizzling Rain Fanfic

Next Chapter >

First thing was first.

She had to get him out of the museum, which, after taking her vow of silence, was much harder than she had anticipated. She tried leading by example, going to her bedroom, putting her hair up, dabbing on a thin layer of makeup, and even switching into public worthy attire, but when she came back to the living room, there Suga sat. He was reclined on the couch, nose buried deep in a book. Shiori couldn’t make out the title, but by the way Suga’s long, slender hands grasped the full length of the spine, it seemed like something short – nothing too time consuming.

It was just like Suga to be reading when the roof over his head was questionably unsound. She shook her head in disapproval, and did her best not to grumble along with the motion, but couldn’t help finding the sight a bit comforting. He was just so comfortable there. She couldn’t imagine anyone else sitting there, with that book, with that smooth face and focused eyes.

Yet, there was a strong possibility there would be someone else. She had to make sure that wouldn’t happen.

So, she marched over to the perfect, little scene and stopped right in front of him, arms crossed. He peered up at her from behind his book. He nodded towards her, then motioned toward her outfit. She shook her head, refusing to respond. It would take much more than an inquiry about her clothes to get her to speak, even if he looked adorable behind a book.

He sighed, then closed his eyes, as if in meditation. Then, finally, opened his mouth.

“The… outfit?”

Shiori couldn’t hold back the smile. She nodded in approval before motioning for the door. Suga followed her motions, but the moment his eyes lighted on the door, he was already shaking his head in refusal.

“… No… where…? Why?”

She shook her head. There wouldn’t be answers, not until they were out the door anyway. This was proving to be a successful tactic, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit smug about it. He opened his mouth again, brows cinched together, preparing for another refusal, but Shiori wouldn’t give him the chance. She plucked the book from his grip, leaving his hand to flail in shock between them. She gripped it in both of her’s to then tug him up from the couch. Suga’s mouth hurriedly tried to form words, but all he could manage were uncomfortable, shocked sounds.

It didn’t take much to drag him to the door, but once there, he managed to regain some form of consciousness. He gripped the door frame and all her efforts came to a halt. Shiori peered back at him, her outside in the lingering mist of rain, him standing firm on the inside. His teeth were clenched, holding back words she was sure he had been forming since she had yanked him up from the couch.

“Why… why are you doing this?”

Shiori thought hard about it, not sure how to answer. The moist air clung to her skin, hot and sticky. It wouldn’t be long before it would start raining again. If they left quick enough, they could be the rain. She was sure of it. Finally, she muttered.

“I want to help you.”

Suga pursed his lips. Shiori could barely make out the way his teeth chewed and worked on his lips as he mulled over her statement. Finally, he dropped his hand from the door frame and stepped out into the mist with her. She couldn’t hold back a small smile as she turned to keep walking, him close behind, hand-in-hand through the mist.

She gave him the choice. Did he want the small shops, with specialty items rather than full racks of every part of an ensemble, or the little department store. The full-sized store was a bit farther away, but it would have more people, and more opportunities to interact, to work on social skills. Plus, if he chose the small shops, that would require them walking through the impending rain to get from shop to shop, just to make sure they had everything to prepare for his interview. Still, the village shops were familiar, and she was sure he would choose them, but, much to her surprise, he walked past all of them.

She was proud, if not a little worried, too. She couldn’t help gazing up at him, wondering how long it had been since he went outside of the village – or even outside of the museum. Her heart ached.

They had just made it to the department store by the time the rain started pouring again, breaking through the hot mist and cooling everything back down to an almost frosty fall day. She shivered from the unfamiliar temperature. For a moment, Suga’s hand seemed to grip her’s tighter, but she couldn’t be sure if it was just her imagination. Shiori didn’t think on it much more as they walked through the doors to enter the lobby of the store. People milled about aimlessly, not really looking at anything, as they waited for the rain to let up. Children were squealing at their parent’s feet, and parents were grimacing in response. It was all so familiar to Shiori, much like her old home in the city. Suga, on the other hand, tensed, awkwardly stiff as he moved about the people.

Shiori, once the one dragging, was now being dragged through the throng. She watched Suga’s muscles tense in his back, rigid and straight, as he tried to find some clear space for them to stand – maybe even just to breathe. He led her all the way to the kitchen ware before the people began to clear and were replaced by shelf after shelf of pots and pans. It was then Suga stopped, took in a deep breathe, and relaxed. It was strange how comfortable he was around so many inanimate objects.

“This… was not such a good idea.” He breathed, dabbing the sweat from his forehead.

Shiori shook her head, not in disagreement, but rather because she had known it herself, and she was already regretting it. While she wanted him to break out of his shell, she didn’t want to give him anxiety attacks. She wanted to help, not hurt.

“You’re right.” She wilted. “Maybe we should head back to the museum.”

Suga’s eyes met her’s, and they held that gaze for a long time, both mulling over what the other might possibly be mulling over. Finally, Suga tugged at her hand.

“There are shirts… over here.”

Shiori smile, a small, proud smile. Maybe there was a chance after all.

To be continued…

Next Chapter >

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

Want updates for my fanfiction only? Click here to follow my FanFiction.Net account!

Want to be a beta reader? Click here to fill out the contact sheet, and let me know!

Want to guest post? Want to trade posts?

Same goes to you! Don’t be shy!

Want to check out some books?

CLICK HERE

Filed under: FanFic, The Forest of Drizzling Rain