Jacqueline E. Smith's Blog, page 47
February 17, 2014
Kindred Spirits
Last night, I had dinner with two of my former coworkers from the summer camp where I worked for three summers. I love these ladies. Kat, who is my age, is my ultra nerdy fangirl friend. We could talk for hours about our intense and slightly unhealthy love for Harry Potter, Tolkien, Sherlock, you get it. Terri, who is a little older (but you’d never know it), is a magical free spirit who sees beauty and life where others don’t even bother to look. She also recently opened up her own Reiki practice: http://www.healingtouchreiki7.com/blo....
I have to be honest here, and I don’t want to sound like a victim because I certainly don’t consider myself one, but it’s so refreshing to be around people like Kat and Terri. The real world, as I’ve come to discover, is chock-full of nay-sayers and dream-doubters who will tell you outright that what you want out of life is stupid. I’m pretty good at not letting it get me down, but it does get annoying. I’ve been told I’m unfit for anything in the real world (which, granted, is probably true), and that I’m wasting my time. I’m constantly reminded that I’m a little, for lack of a better word, offbeat. Now, it has gotten a lot better since I A) earned my Master’s degree and B) published Cemetery Tours, and the people who really and truly matter, my family and best friends, have always supported me. I’m fully aware of just how fortunate I am to have them.
Still, it is always nice to know that there are others out there who think like I do. That’s why I love having people like Kat and Terri in my life. They’re both positive, encouraging, dreamers, and adventurers. They really are wonderful influences on me and constant reminders that it is just fine to be myself. If we all lived life exactly the same way, my gosh, that would be awful! We’d all get so bored!
I know this post is a little choppier than usual. It’s more like a summary of a few of the conversations that we had last night, and at first, I wasn’t sure I was going to write it. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s artists who pity themselves. I do not pity myself in the least. I love my life and I love what I’ve chosen and the last thing I want to do is sound like I’m complaining. But the thing is, I know I’m not the only one who gets the doubters and the nay-sayers. And in the end, I thought, you know, maybe putting it out there will encourage or inspire someone else, or at least let them know that they’re not alone. It doesn’t just apply to writers or artists or the free spirits of the world. Anyone can say anything and there will always be someone out there waiting to tear them down, for one reason or another. I’m not sure why. In my experience, it’s always better to lift someone up than to hope they fall. After all, you never know what one person might accomplish.
What finally sold me on the idea of sharing this was something that my mom posted on Facebook this morning. She is probably my sister’s and my most avid supporter, and she’s taken some flack for it. Friends and coworkers of hers have given her grief for supporting her artsy daughters, and I feel terrible that she’s had to endure that. I’m just hoping that one day, my sister and I are able to prove them wrong, and to have made enough money to completely refurnish her house.
Anyway, this is what she posted:
That’s all for today. I need to go catch up on the sequel. Finished Chapter 26!!
February 15, 2014
The Middle
I love the song “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World. I first heard it at an amusement park while waiting to ride the Batman ride. You know, the one where your feet dangle and you go on all those crazy loops and twists and turns. Every time I ride it, I think, “Oh my God, what am I doing?! Am I crazy?!” But then I actually ride it and remember how much I love it and that it’s actually one of the most awesome roller coasters ever.
Anyway, the song is really great, especially for those of us who are still in the process of really finding out place in the world.
“It just takes some time, little girl, you’re in the middle of the ride. Everything, everything will be just fine. Everything, everything will be alright.”
It’s a very encouraging song, especially for anyone in between where they’ve been and where they hope to go.
I’m only a few chapters away from being done with the first draft of my new manuscript, the sequel to Cemetery Tours. For a while now, I’ve been a little worried that maybe it won’t be as good, or that people won’t like it as much as they do the first one. What if people don’t like the plot? Or what if I’ve ruined their favorite character? I never thought about any of these things until I got close to finishing the sequel.
Writing this one hasn’t been the same as writing the first one. With the first one, I went back and fourth, started it about four or five separate times, renamed characters, changed the plot, took out entire chapters and went back to rewrite them. With this one, I’ve worked straight through, start to finish, maybe taking out and rewriting a paragraph here or there, but overall, it’s been a pretty straightforward process. That might just be a sequel thing. I know the characters, I knew what I wanted out of this one before I knew what I wanted out of the first, and I’ve known all along how this one was going to play out. Honestly, I wrote the first book just so I could write this one. But still, the fears persisted that it just wouldn’t be as good, especially since I felt like I haven’t corrected as much on this one.
The other night, however, I decided to scroll back and reread a few chapters. I am happy to report that I like them just as much as I like Cemetery Tours. I’ve come to learn that sometimes, when you’re writing a chapter or a scene, you often think to yourself, “Wow, I really just kind of blew that off. That was not my best effort. I just pulled all of that out of the air.” But then you go back, read what you wrote, and think, “Hey, that was actually pretty okay.” That’s pretty much the entire book for me. I know I will find things to change when I go back and do the first official read through (with the glitter markers for editing and what not), but overall, I am very happy and I finally think that readers will enjoy it just as much as they did Cemetery Tours. At least, I hope they will!
I’m really looking forward to finishing the manuscript, not only because I’m ready to get back into the publishing process, but because I’m really looking forward to starting something new. I love Cemetery Tours and my characters, and I know I will write more books about them, but I have other ideas that I’m really excited about and that I want to get started on. Right now, I’m totally committed to the sequel and that’s a good thing, but other stories in my head are getting antsy. They want to be written too!
Speaking of stories, my friend and I went to see Winter’s Tale last night. It was really a beautiful movie, and I’d love to read the book. I’d actually never heard of it until the movie was announced, but the book sounds amazing. I’ll admit, it wasn’t what I expected, but I really liked it. I’m very grateful that I got to see the entire thing, because my friend and I got lost twice on our way to the theater. She and her family recently moved about forty five minutes away, and neither of us knows the area very well. We ended up making a loop, and we arrived at the theater about ten minutes after the movie was supposed to start. Fortunately, we only missed a few of the previews. And the sunset was also really pretty, so you know, getting lost can sometimes be a good thing.
That’s one thing about living in Texas. It doesn’t matter if you live in a big city, you’re never more than half an hour away from the typical, small country town scenery that most people envision when they think of Texas. I love that. However, it also means that you take one wrong turn and you’re suddenly on this small country road with no lights, no signs, and a lot of creepy old houses. Or cows. All I can say is thank God for the GPS, because it is so easy to get lost on those roads.
In other news, Cemetery Tours has shown up in the “What are you reading” section of the UK’s The Guardian! Check it out!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
February 14, 2014
To My Future Valentine
I have no idea when you’ll get a chance to read this. In fact, I don’t even know who you are. We haven’t met, you see, and if we have, well, I guess we’re both in for a surprise.
As you probably know, today is Valentine’s Day. I’m celebrating it by going out for a single girls’ movie and dinner date with my friend, Kember. I have no idea what you’re doing. You might be spending tonight with another girl. Or maybe you’re at home, reading a book and drinking a nice glass of wine. Or you could be at a sports bar with the guys, watching the big game (I have no idea what’s on right now), drinking beer, and eating buffalo wings.
I don’t know when you and I will get to celebrate our first Valentine’s day together, but for the time being, I see no reason why little thing like being a total stranger should prevent me from writing you my own version of a love letter.
There’s a lot I don’t know about you. I’ve imagined you, of course. I’ve wondered how we met, where we went on our first date, but more than anything, I’ve wondered about how we’ll be together.
I hope we’re best friends. I hope that we can tell each other everything. I hope we trust each other enough to enjoy our time apart and to let each other do our own thing. I hope you have something in your life that you love as much as I love writing. I hope we make each other laugh, and that you find my numerous quirks and eccentricities charming and not completely embarrassing and annoying. For example, I hope you don’t mind that I don’t like talking on the telephone for more than a few minutes, or that I’m not good at just sitting around and watching movies, unless it’s a movie I haven’t seen. I hope you don’t mind I sometimes write sitting on a blanket on the floor at 3 in the morning.
I don’t really put a lot of thought into my appearance, my bedroom is a disaster zone, and most of my dinners are sandwiches or microwave meals, but I’m pretty sure that for you, I want to look my absolute best and hopefully I try to keep things at least a little tidy. Who knows? I might even enjoy cooking with you. I always love baking desserts for Christmas and parties, and not to brag or anything, but my magic cookie bars are pretty much to die for. That is, if you’re not allergic to coconut or dairy or nuts or chocolate. I don’t want them to actually kill you.
I learned a long time ago that it’s not a good idea to make a list of things that you hope for in a partner, because one day, you find someone, they turn out to be exactly what you thought you were looking for and then you realize that they’re not the right person for you at all. What works on paper doesn’t always work out in life. There are a few things that I’m hoping for, but I’m not going to bother listing them out. I’m assuming that if you’re reading this, then you’ve already passed the test.
As far as I go, you don’t have to get me anything fancy. I don’t wear a lot of jewelry and I rarely appreciate going out to eat at really expensive restaurants the way they’re supposed to be appreciated (I’m a really picky eater). I’d much rather drive up to the lake and go kayaking, or grab a bite to eat at Corner Bakery before spending an evening browsing the local Barnes and Noble. Or bowling! I love bowling.
To whomever you are, I hope you have a wonderful Valentines Day.
Until we meet.
Love,
Your Future Valentine
February 13, 2014
The Wind Chime House
One of the coolest dreams I ever had was about a brick house on a hill. It was around dusk and I was seeking refuge, from what I don’t remember. I just knew it would be the perfect place to seek shelter.
It was a very modern house with large windows of every shape and a red shingled roof. Inside, immediately to the right was a large spiraling staircase that stretched for several stories. There, in the center of the staircase hung the first wind chime. It was the largest wind chime in the house, at least fifty or sixty feet. Silver chimes hung in a circle and in the center of the chimes hung a stunning crystal the size of a bowling ball that cast rainbows on every wall.
To the left of the staircase was the living area. A fireplace and mantle sat across the room, facing the front wall. Statues of faeries, dragons, and other mythical creatures sat on the mantle beneath a giant ceramic clock. The tiles of the clock were mostly several shades of yellow that formed a Celtic sun with blue and green background designs. Several wind chimes, ranging in size from a few inches to several feet long, hung from the ceiling. The one I remember the most hung right next to the window. It’s longest scarlet chimes were at least four feet long. Another wind chime was made of purple and silver spirals. Bronze butterflies made up the chimes of another. Sunbeams poured through the open windows, casting a faint glow on everything it touched, and even though there was no wind, the chimes sang in perfect pitch. Everywhere I turned, wind chimes of every size, shape, and color.
I can only guess my mind modeled the Wind Chime House after this wind chime building at Scarborough Faire. One day, I’d really like to write a story about it.
I love my dreams. Well, most of them. Some of them are actually really disturbing, but ones like The Wind Chime House make it all worth it. One of my goals in life is to master the art of lucid dreaming. Although I’m not there yet, I’ve gotten better at saving myself from unpleasant situations. Several of my nightmares involve a highway that is hundreds of thousands of feet in the air and I always end up driving off of it. It’s usually about that time when I think to myself, “I don’t want to be here anymore,” and the dream changes. Last night, I had an extraordinarily creepy dream, even for me. I dreamt that my entire arm was covered in spiders and they were biting me over and over again. Now, I’m not scared of spiders (usually), but there were so many of them and they were so gross and they kept biting me and it actually really hurt, so I thought to myself, “Okay, time to go back,” and I immediately transported to a different dream. However, my arm and hand were still bright red and stinging from all the spider bites. How weird and how cool is that? That we can feel pain from something that isn’t even there?
I’ve managed to lucid dream a couple of times. Apparently, I’m not very ambitious, because every time I figure out that I’m dreaming and that I can literally do anything, all I ever want to do is fly. I fly everywhere. I even once stopped to gloat at a little kid in my dream that I could fly and she couldn’t. Wow, way to be a jerk, dream self. The one time I ever did anything other than fly was plan out a romantic date night with Ben Barnes (aka Prince Caspian from Narnia), but the moment he showed up, I sent him away to change shirts and I woke up before he came back!
WHAT THE HECK, BRAIN?! Why would you DO that?! You get Ben Barnes, you KEEP HIM! You don’t just dismiss him because he’s wearing the wrong shirt!!!
I was so mad when I woke up from that one. It was also the last time I effectively lucid dreamed. I’m hoping that the fact that I can somewhat control the bad stuff in my dreams means I’m getting closer to achieving overall lucidness.
There have also been moments in dreams where my dream self will remember dreams that I’d had months earlier, that my conscious self had forgotten. Those are weird. My most recent one I had, I was at this train-themed amusement part with my best friend. We were on the train that you had to take to get there and I was showing her around and telling her about the trip that my high school class and I had taken on that same train to that same amusement park. I’d had that dream about my class at least six months or so earlier and I hadn’t thought about it or remembered it until I woke up the next morning. It’s almost like existing in two separate worlds. My conscious self remembers what goes on during the day, my dream self remembers what goes on at night.
I’ve also had dreams where, honestly, I don’t know what I’m thinking. Well actually yes, I know exactly what I’m thinking, and it pretty much just proves what a truly um… terrible and paranoid individual I am. I think I’ve already shared the stories of whenever I dream about zombies, I lock myself away in the safest room and leave everyone else (including my blind friend) to fend for themselves.
I’ve also had dreams where I’m about to undergo surgery to have one of my legs amputated. Oddly enough, I never care that I’m about to lose a leg. I do care, however, that I have to be put under anesthesia and if there is one thing I hate in this world, it is going under anesthesia. I’ve only been under once and it was like waking up from being hit by a truck. It was the worst feeling ever. I couldn’t focus on anything, everything had a fuzzy white boarder around it, and I had nausea radiating to my kneecaps. I. Do. Not. Like. Anesthesia. As it turns out, my dream self hates it just as much as my conscious self because it’s all I can talk about to my doctors.
“Now, are you sure you gave me the anti-nausea stuff? Because I hate anesthesia. I always feel so sick after. Remember, I want that medicine. Please, please don’t forget it. Will you just like, inject it into my IV or something? Can you give me a high dose? I really don’t want to be nauseated.”
Seriously, I might actually be a crazy person.
There are a few of my more disturbing dreams (AKA the ones involving bodies and moldy caskets and demonic cemeteries) that I’ve actually incorporated into Cemetery Tours and its sequel. I’ll probably write a post about them someday, because they’re actually pretty good and really creepy.
However, I really wanted to end this post on a bright and happy note. Now, I know leg amputations aren’t exactly bright and happy. That’s why I’m including some more photography, of flowers that remind me of my prettier, more lighthearted dreams.
Enjoy, everyone! Talk to you tomorrow.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
All photographs Copyright Jacqueline E. Smith EXCEPT the one of Ben Barnes. Sadly, I do not know him.
February 12, 2014
Beautiful, Sunny Day
It’s still cold, but I can’t even tell you all how wonderful it was having the sun out all day! It was energizing and rejuvenating and I loved it. I really have been running around singing “Soak up the Sun” all day, which is part of the reason I posted the music video earlier. I especially love the lyrics, “I’m gonna tell everyone to lighten up.”
You know, a lot of people seem stressed today. We’re stressed about the weather (ME), we’re stressed about money, we’re stressed about relationships, we’re stressed about everything! To be honest, I’m not really sure where I’m going with this. I don’t have any sort of grand essay planned out. I’m actually sort of distracted because I’m watching the Grammy’s Tribute to the Beatles. I love the Beatles. Seriously, is there anyone in this world who doesn’t? This might make me sound like a terrible person, but I think one of the reasons things didn’t work out with my first boyfriend was because I realized I didn’t love him as much as I loved the Beatles.
Anyway, yeah, I’ve decided that the people of the world need to stop being so uptight and just enjoy life. I’ll try to be more profound later. I’m too busy enjoying the Beatles to be deep.
If I had a time machine, let me tell you, Id’ be in the front row of like, every one of their concerts. The early ones, at least. As you can see, I really love 1964 style Beatles.
Since I should probably say something about my book, or at least reading and writing, I FINALLY finished my friends’ book last night!! It was good, different. I thought it was going to be a book about a young adult finding acceptance and his place in the world and true friends and all that, but in the end, it turned out to be about… Mythical creatures? I mean, you know me. I love fantasy and mythical creatures and magic, but I really didn’t see that one coming. He told me that he’s going to rework it so it doesn’t seem so far out of left field, and I agree that that’s the best thing for the story. Still, I really enjoyed the book and the characters. I’ll keep you all updated as he goes through the publishing process. He’s really excited about it and I’m really excited for him.
I’ve also been doing up a little more reading on marketing as I put the finishing touches on the new manuscript. One of these sites suggested making “Quote Photos.” Take a photograph and add a quote from your book, or maybe even a quote from a review, and then post it on various social media sites to see if that generates any buzz about your book. Well, since I was sort of stuck inside yesterday, I decided to try.
I guess all I can really say is now I understand why my graphic designer 86ed all of my ideas for a book cover on the spot.
For the record, the bride is my grandma. Isn’t she beautiful?
Finally, one last thing I just had to share before I sign off…
It’s almost Valentine’s day! One of my sister’s friends posted this on her Facebook wall, and I just had to share it. I thought it was just too funny.
Good night, all! I hope you’re all warm and content with at least one good book that you haven’t read yet.
February 11, 2014
Bad YA Fiction
The other day, I was browsing my WordPress feed and I happened across this blog post: http://racheliliffe.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/throne-of-glass-hardcore-mary-sue-part-i/. As a writer, bad reviews are something to be avoided at all costs. But as a reader?
I love them. I love reading bad reviews.
Note: “Bad Reviews” does not mean that the review was poorly written. ”Bad Reviews” means the reviewer absolutely hated the book and does not even attempt to sugarcoat it.
So, when I stumbled upon this review of Throne of Glass (which I’d never heard of but if this review is any indication, that’s probably a good thing), I read the entire thing and laughed all the way through. Then, I decided to be an ultra-creeper and I read her review of the book on GoodReads. There, I learned that she actively seeks out bad YA books in order to review them. Oh my gosh. She’s a genius.
Reading her review (which was just as humorous thought not quite as long as the blog posts), I got to thinking about bad YA fiction. I’ve read a few such books in my day, the latest of which, I fortunately got for free on Amazon. It looked so good, too! It was about mermaids! But I hated, like absolutely loathed the female protagonist. She was actually the worst.
My initial reaction to bad books has usually been to chuck them across the room and write a scathing review as to why no one should read such garbage and why whomever agreed to publish it should be punched in the face, but then I usually decide that I don’t want to waste any more time or energy on something that I hated so much. That’s what happened when I attempted to read 50 Shades of Grey. I was going to write an analytical essay on what worked and what didn’t, but I only made it to chapter 9 before I actually did toss it across the room. God, those first 9 chapters were awful. I actually hated myself for a while.
Sorry to those of you who enjoyed the book. Feel free to insult a book that I like in the comments section. Harry Potter and The Hunger Games would hurt the most, but I also really love Meg Cabot, Nicholas Sparks, and Shakespeare.
Anyway, after reading these reviews, instead of viewing bad YA romance novels as the enemy, I started thinking, “You know… I bet they are actually really fun to write…”
That expanded to, “So, if I were going to write a bad YA book, what would it need?”
Here’s what I came up with.
1. A Flawed to Perfection Female Protagonist
In my reading experience, it is the female protagonist (at least in the YA romance genre) that makes or breaks a novel. She is the most important character, as the story is more often than not told from her perspective, first or third person. The bad YA female protagonist must be several things in order to make sure the reader just totally and completely hates her guts.
For one thing, she must be beautiful, but in a unique and special snowflake way. More than likely, she herself will not think she is beautiful and spend a greater portion of the narrative complaining about how plain and unattractive she is, despite the fact that every single male character in the series loses his mind lusting after her. She might have a really rare eye or hair color. You know, Bella’s eyes weren’t just brown… they were warm and chocolatey and totally unique brown. Right.
For another thing, she must be intelligent, but incredibly shy and awkward about it, like being smart is something to be ashamed of. Chances are she loves reading boring literature that no one actually enjoys reading. In fact, she might be the only one in her high school/kingdom/coven who enjoys reading at all, because you know, only special female protagonists enjoy a good book. Everyone else in the story is just stupid. She also has incredibly amazing and mind-blowing powers that she probably doesn’t know about until someone points it out to her and tells her just how awesomely special and unique she is. She also probably has a name that no one would ever actually name their kid, like Raelynna or Sapling.
In spite of all of these qualities that anyone else would consider a blessing, our bad YA female protagonist is a whiner and usually totally unappreciative of the people in her life who are not her love interest. She complains about them constantly in her head. Maybe they’re just too mundane or too superficial for her and her deep and angsty profoundness. Whatever the reason, she feels so alone and isolated because no one understands her … expect the hot and broody love interest. Who is really hot.
2. A Hot and Broody Love Interest
Even though this guy is really hot, he is somehow a misfit and doesn’t fit in and he probably spends a lot of time thinking deep thoughts about how much life sucks, even though it probably doesn’t suck at all for him. He’s never known what true happiness is like… until our female protagonist comes along. They might get off to a rocky start and might even spend a few chapters simultaneously hating each other and wondering why they can’t get the other out of their minds and maybe it means something deep like it’s somehow destiny and they’re meant to be together forever.
Both the love interest and the female protagonist probably come with some friends or family members. These side characters are often the only likable characters in the story, but of course, the book can’t be about them, because they’re not dark and broody and come on, people might actually understand them, and who wants to read a book like that?
Physically, this guy is hot. I mean the epitome of male perfection. He has a perfect body, deep, dark and brooding eyes, because you know, he’s deep, dark, and brooding. Those eyes can see straight through to the inner depths of our female protagonist’s special sparkling soul.
Angst.
3. An Equally Hot Secondary Love Interest Who Just Isn’t as Good as the First
This poor guy. Despite being really hot and totally just head over heals in love with our plain and boring as a stick female protagonist, he’s just not that special connection to her inner being that the love interest is. Yeah, he’s a good guy and he makes her laugh and actually talks to her and cares about her as a person, but come on, who wants that when you can have someone who will sit around and brood with you about how much life sucks for people as unique and special as you? Despite actually being a good guy, the female protagonist will probably spend most of her interactions with this guy thinking about what a great guy he really is, but pitying him because he’s Just Not The One. This, in turn, makes him sounds really pathetic in the narrative and readers start seeing this guy as a wounded creature as opposed to a guy who would probably make a much better boyfriend than the first guy, but whatever. Our female protagonist will probably end up snogging him at one point anyway though, because that wouldn’t be fair to her to have to commit to only one hot guy. She is only human, after all. Well, maybe. If we’re talking fantasy or paranormal, which we more than likely are, she’s probably some super special half-human half-mystical being and the only one in the world as powerful and dangerous and beautiful and what not.
Bradley James… I actually really love this guy.
4. A Colorful Cast of Supporting Characters who Actually a Lot More Likable Than the Protagonists
Seriously, these characters are awesome. They have lives, they have hobbies, they have friends, but they’re all so ordinary and mundane and not-angsty, why would anyone want to read about them when they could read about how torn our female protagonist is over which hot guy she loves more? (Hint: It’s the hot, broody guy).
These side characters also happen to think our female protagonist is just the bees knees, like seriously, the coolest person they have ever had the honor and privilege to meet. Except for all the girls who are just totally jealous of her and who are mean to her, but they’re the bad guys, so there.
Couldn’t resist.
5. An Antagonist Who Really Isn’t That Big a Deal
Minor things like villains and plots only serve to take away from the true meaning of the book… and that is the most important thing in our female protagonist’s life is deciding which hot love interest she loves more. I mean, yeah, there has to be some sort of bad guy, but of course, he or she is no match for our perfect female protagonist who can use her ancient special snowflake powers to be the one person in the world who actually stands a chance at conquering this deep and oppressing evil which still isn’t quite as important as making out with the hot and broody love interest, but you know, what is?
I actually love Hades. He’s my favorite Disney Villain. I kind of wish he’d won because frankly, Zeus sucks as a ruler, but that’s a whole other blog post.
I think one day, when I have a little bit of spare time, I might try to write a book like this. If I do it right, it will be the worst book ever and it will break the record for one star reviews on GoodReads and Amazon. I think that sounds like a pretty worthy goal, totally deserving of my time and effort.
However, I still prefer nice reviews for Cemetery Tours, but only if you feel they are truly deserved.
Have a great day, all!
February 10, 2014
One Day More
I just read on the Weather Channel that although we (as in all of North Texas) are under a freezing rain advisory until tomorrow at 6 PM (yay), the following days should be all sun and highs in the upper sixties!
I can not even begin to tell you how much I hope that that’s true. With Texas weather, you can never really know. I’ve seen days where Texas decided we needed tornadoes in December. No, Texas. No one ever needs tornadoes. Especially in December.
However, I would be lying if I said I didn’t prefer thunderstorms to whatever the heck we’ve had for the past week. It’s been gray and foggy and drizzly and COLD every single day, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, it’s getting to me. I’m not sure I’d go all the way to say I have Seasonal Affective Disorder, but it did used to bring me down a lot. Now, I’m older (and on anti-anxiety medication), so maybe that’s helping a little.
But even if it’s not affecting me mentally, it’s starting to get to me physically. I’ve had almost no energy this past week, and although I’ve been keeping up with the new book, somehow forcing myself to punch out words on this blog has been a nightmare! That’s not to say I don’t love you! I do! That’s why I want to keep writing here as often as I can!
There have been times in the last few days I honestly thought I was getting sick, and part of me almost wanted to. That at least would have explained the no energy, the overall feeling of yuckiness, Last week, I was convinced I was getting sick because of how achey I felt and because of all the pressure in my sinuses. But you know what? I think I’m as healthy as a horse. I really think it’s just the weather. I got a text from my best friend yesterday. She’s an accountant and she’s right in the middle of busy season. She told me the all the stress combined with the weather was about to put her over the edge. Now, being an author is not NEARLY as stressful as being an accountant (not yet, at least…), but I could totally empathize. I told her I wasn’t sad or stressed, but I just felt sick.
I guess thinking about it, it could be a mental thing. Just because it’s not affecting my mood, doesn’t mean my brain can’t send out some weird signal to the rest of my body saying, “Okay, you’re not sad or grouchy. But you need to react to this weather somehow. I know. I’ll make you feel like crap.” The brain is a really fascinating thing.
And now for some other things that have been on my mind recently but I haven’t mentioned because I’ve been too busy griping about how cold and gray it is even though we actually really don’t have it all that bad down here.
1) I really wish people of the world would STOP posting their injuries on Facebook. It’s gross. I’m sorry you busted up your knee skiing and I’m sorry you were stupid and you accidentally sliced your finger open on a wine bottle, but I really do not need to see pictures. Just stop. Please, stop.
2) You know what musical I really hate? Annie. Seriously, it is the worst musical ever. The Disney remake is only tolerable because of it’s adult cast (Kathy Bates, Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, Kristen Chenowith). The reason I’m bringing this up is because for some reason, people around the office where I work have decided they need to start singing “The sun’ll come out… tomorrow…” like, pretty much every day since the cold and gray first started. It’s not bad enough that I have to endure this awful weather, now I have to suck it up while you sing one of the most annoying songs in musical theater history?
3) I mentioned before that my sister and I had a pretty good chuckle over JK Rowling announcing that she regrets Ron and Hermione ending up together. I guess the reason it was funny to us was because we never really cared all that much about if they got together or no. To be honest, I was still too sad after JK killed off all my favorite characters to care about who got married in the end. Still, I knew a lot of people were really upset about it. A few of my friends, in fact, were just beside themselves. I really didn’t get it. Then, completely out of the blue, my sister texts me, “Oh my gosh. Do you know what I just say on Twitter? Someone just wrote, ‘For those of you who don’t understand why we’re all upset about Ron and Hermione, imagine what it would be like if Suzanne Collins suddenly said she regretted having Katniss and Peeta end up together?’” Oh boy, that did it. That would not be funny at all. I think I’d be heartbroken. I wouldn’t know what to believe in anymore. I love Katniss and Peeta!!! So, to all you Ron and Hermione fans out there, I, as an Everlark fan, apologize from the bottom of my heart. I can’t imagine what that might feel like. The good news is that they’re still canon and unless JK wants to write us more books, there’s nothing she can do about it.
Honestly though, I want more books about the Four Founders or the Marauders or the Weasleys. Or all of the above.
4) This made me laugh a lot:
Just the fact that someone created a character actually called Gary the Grammar Cactus… I’m sorry, I cracked up.
5) 93 people have either reviewed or marked Cemetery Tours as to-read on GoodReads! My goal for the end of February is to get that number up to 100! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
6) I finished Chapter 25 of the sequel last night. I’m loving it, guys. I really hope readers love it also. Cemetery Tours is 28 chapters long, but I know that the sequel will be a little longer. However, the sequel is just at 60,000 words and CT was something like 78,000. We’ll see, though.
Again, stay warm. Find a good book. Light a fire.
Seance
I connected with English author Tinsley Collins over GoodReads. He saw that I had written a ghost story and wondered if I might be interested in doing a review exchange. I gladly accepted, being a big reader (and obviously, a huge paranormal fan). Also, when you’re in the independent author business, you never turn down a chance for a good review! Even if it isn’t a positive review, as long as it’s well thought out and constructive, it’s a good review.
Mr. Collins wrote me a very good and positive review for Cemetery Tours, and I was very happy to reciprocate. His book, Seance, is awesome. I enjoyed it so much that I will be buying a copy for my own collection (I have a section in my personal library for authors that I know/fellow indie authors) on Friday as soon as I get my next paycheck. The main story takes place in a little London-based bookshop. Although I have never been to London, I am very much in love with the idea of the city, so it was easy for me to imagine and enjoy not only the story, but the scene and the characters as well. I imagined Theo as sort of a Tom Hiddleston, and honestly, who doesn’t love Tom Hiddleston? The story kept me guessing and engaged right up until the very shocking end. I think I actually gasped out loud.
I’ve never considered myself a very good “reviewer,” just because I ramble and I don’t think I’m very good at formal writing. I’m much more of a conversationalist writer. But, for what it’s worth, here is the review that I posted on Amazon and intend to post on GoodReads when it goes up.
“At first glance, Seance was right up my alley: a young man working in a London based old and rare book store meets a shy young woman asking if he had any books on ghosts, spiritualism, or seances. London, ghosts, and romance? I’m already sold.
But it turns out that Seance, the second novel by author Tinsley Collins, is so much more than your typical paranormal romance. Yes, it tells the story of the skeptical and offbeat Theo, who, despite his quiet charm, has never fully found his place in the world or with people, and his strange connection with the equally awkward and timid Lucy, an avid believer in the paranormal. But it also follows the journal of Mary Bulstrode and her life as a new bride in the late 1800s.
These two lonely souls, set a century apart, connect in a beautiful and poignant way that will leave readers breathless, haunted, and eagerly absorbing ever riveting detail, from first encounter to heart-stopping last goodbye. Seance has it all, ladies and gentleman; true love, deep mystery, eccentric and profound characters, ruthless murder, and lost souls, desperately seeking comfort, peace, and simply, someone to hold.“
It has a pretty neat cover also. Check it out.
I think the coolest thing about it is that Mr. Collins’ daughter designed it! Isn’t it awesome?
If you’d like to order Seance, you can find it here:
or here:
or here:
http://thebookshop.co/the-seance/
Happy Monday, everyone! We’re expecting snow… again.
February 9, 2014
Sunday Updates
Despite the gray and the fog and the general sense of Yuck in the air, it’s actually been a fairly productive weekend. I finished reading Seance by Tinsley Collins. It was awesome! I’ll post my formal review of it tomorrow, along with pictures and links. I definitely plan on buying a copy for myself once I get paid on Friday. I’m also (finally) almost done reading my friends’ book. I realized the reason it’s taken me a little longer to read it is because I’ve been going through and editing, making side notes, and honestly, reading is just so much more when you don’t do that.
Also on the book front, Cemetery Tours got another great review… 
… bringing the total review count on Amazon up to 25!!
I also got a new shipment of books in.
As usual, Midnight thought they were for her.
But they’re not. Neither are the last three books in the Percy Jackson series.
I wanted to buy the third one on Friday, but I went to Target and they didn’t have it! It was like the third Harry Potter book all over again! So, I went to Barnes and Noble and decided to just buy the rest of them while I saw them. There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a series and not being able to finish!
Finally, one last picture before I sign off for the night… I was at church this morning and guess what they’re selling?
Neat!
Talk to you all tomorrow. Sleep tight and stay warm!
