Miranda Atchley's Blog, page 36

Armchair BEA 2016 Day 2 | The Pretties

It's day two of Armchair BEA 2016. Today it's all about aesthetics; book covers and blog designs. I'll admit; I do love pretty book covers. And I appreciate when bloggers put the effort in to make their blog match their content. But these don't always equal success. Here are my answers to today's questions.
The Books:
How often do you judge a book by its cover? I try not to, but sometimes it can't be helped. I'll admit that there have been times when I picked up a book simply because I thought the cover was pretty. *Ahem, The Selection series.* I can think of some books that in my opinion don't have the prettiest covers, but I can't really think of a book that I would reject simply because the cover isn't very pretty.
How often are you surprised by what you find?I can't really think of a time when I have been surprised because of the cover.

Do you strategize and make sure every book in your series has the same cover design (as far as you are able to) and type?

If it is at all possible. A few years ago, I found The Chronicles of Narnia in a decorated box set at a yard sale for $1. It only had four out of the seven books, but I still bought it because it was so cheap and they were in pretty good shape. When I set out to find the other three, I really wanted them to be in the same editions, partly because I wanted them to all match and fit in the box properly, and partly because those are my favorite editions of the series. Same thing with the Anne of Green Gables series. I adore the Sourcebooks editions of the books because they're beautiful, but I know that the last two books in the series are not available in those editions. I try to not let it bother me when the books in a series do not match, but I prefer it if they do.
How important is it for the visual art on the outside of the book to match or coordinate with the literature art on the inside?I love pretty covers. I really do. I try find the pretty editions of the books that I buy. That said, I won't turn down a book just because the cover is ugly. But I will say that a cover should at least try to match the contents of the book. If the book is about a 1920s flapper, then it shouldn't have a woman in Victorian clothing on the cover. I've seen editions of Anne of Green Gables where Anne has either brown or blonde hair and that does bug me, because the fact that her hair is red is such a big part of the story.

 



The Blog:
As a book blogger, in whatever form that takes, branding is important. Your colors, your fonts, your style of review, all of these things come together to make the "brand" of your blog - something that makes your reviews and posts and websites, all your various content, immediately recognizable to the people looking for you.
 What do you do to create a brand on your site? Well, my blog is called A Real Writer's Life. When I began taking blogging seriously, I wanted it detail what it is really like to be a writer/author. I wanted this blog to be a place where writers could come and find someone to relate to. I also blog about books a lot and I find that fitting because books are a huge part of a real writer's life. If you don't read, you can't write. So I participate in Top Ten Tuesday and I have Book of the Week on Wednesdays. But I also do Favorite Word Friday and try to include posts about writing each week. When I do my lately posts, I'll talk about the music, television shows, and movies I'm liking at the moment, but I try to keep those things at minimum because that isn't what this blog is about.
Do you think about these things?I do think about them, but I want to do more. I don't feel like the aesthetics of my blog reflect what I want them to. I had a textured background for a little while, but it felt like it was taking away from my writing, so I switched back to a plain background, which I'm more comfortable with. Yet I really want to have a new header and some memes created for my blog that reflect more of what it's all about.

So no, simply because a blog is beautiful or book's cover looks nice does not meant that they will be enjoyable. When it comes down to it, your content must either match or succeed the exterior. Yet it cannot hurt to polish the aesthetics.
Thanks for stopping today!
-Miranda Atchley

God's Will Party Post

Hello readers! I have something fun to share with you today. Meghan Gorecki's debut novel, God's Will is turning two! And to celebrate, Meghan is re-releasing her novel.


About The BookKathy Andrews is good at goodbyes. Her mother is sent to a sanatorium, her sister, left behind in Chicago, and her father, forced to roam looking for work. So she holds close to the only one she has left, her brother Danny. When the two go to live with the Marshalls in the sleepy town of Brighton, she doesn't let anyone past hello. Elliott Russell frowns at his aunt and uncle's generosity--even though he and his sister are on the receiving end. He frowns, too, at the uppity city girl with a chip on her shoulder whom he can't get out of his head. When a tragedy rips apart what tenuous existence they manage to forge, will they find the sweetest place to be is in God's will--or will they turn their backs on faith that fails to protect against pain?



About The AuthorMeghan M. Gorecki is an author of inspirational fiction, a blogger, book reviewer and voracious reader. Taking her life a day at a time as God leads, she is pursuing a career in the publishing industry as an editor in training and as a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. A hopeless romantic, history and Marvel nut, she's also a redhead (thanks to a box), who knows way too much trivia about movie musicals and the Civil War. Find her on social media and at her blog, A Northern Belle (www.northernbellemeg.com)
Social Media LinksWebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramPinterest
May 11- June 1, the paperback of God's Will is only $9.99. Just click hereto purchase it.
The actual birthday of God's Will is May 14, and starting Saturday, Meghan will be hosting a giveaway. It lasts through the 21st and one lucky winner will receive an autographed paperback copy of God's Will, a Ghirardelli dark sea salt caramel chocolate bar, assorted teas, a leather string journal, and a handmade vintage charm locket necklace. Just head over to her website on Saturday to enter.
God's Willsounds like a charming book. Congratulations to Meghan on chasing her dreams and re-releasing her beloved novel on its second birthday. Good luck to all those entering the giveaway!

-Miranda Atchley

Armchair BEA 2016 Day 1 | Of Introductions and Such

Until today, I had never heard of Armchair BEA. I saw a few bloggers I follow post about it. It sounded interesting, so I looked into it and decided to participate. Basically Armchair BEA is a way for book bloggers, authors and readers to meet who are unable to attend some of the big book conferences that are taking place at the moment. It starts today and will end on the 16th. Each day participants will answer a set of questions that are book related. It seems like a pretty fun way to talk about books and get to know other book bloggers.
Below are my answers to today's questions, which are mainly introductory questions so we can get to know each other. Enjoy!
1.  What is the name you prefer to use?Miranda Atchley
2.  How long have you been a book blogger?1 year
3.  Have you participated in ABEA before?No, this is my first time. :)
Group 2: 1.  Do you have a favorite book? If you cannot choose a favorite book of all time, pick your favorite book today - just this second. Remember that favorites are allowed to change if something affects you deeply enough.My favorite book of all time is Anne of Green Gables.
2.  What is your favorite genre and why?Historical fiction- I love the classics. It's interesting to read about times gone by and I love reading those lines that made them classics in the first place.
3.  Which day of ABEA are you looking forward to the most?
Saturday's topic, about fictional worlds, sounds pretty interesting.
4.  If you could create a playlist that reflects your bookshelf, what would be the first song you choose? (You can include more than one if you want :D)
Just Like Heaven by The Cure. ;-)
5.  How do you arrange your bookshelves? Is there a rhyme or reason? Or not at all? (#ABEAShelfie)
I organize my books by the author's last name. It's the easiest way for me to find my books. I can't organize them by color, even though I think that looks really pretty.
6.  What book are you most excited for on your TBR? What are you most intimidated by?I'm pretty excited to read The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder by Rachel McMillan. I loved A Singular and Whimsical Problem, and I'm looking forward to reading about Jem and Merinda's new adventures. The books on my TBR that intimidate are the ones by Leo Tolstoy. They're quite long and I'm not sure I can hold out that long for a book, but I'm willing to try.
7.  If you could choose three characters to have lunch with, who would they be and why?1- Anne Shirley2-Jo March3-Emily Starr
Anne is my all-time favorite book character and so I couldn't answer this question without including her. Jo is my second favorite character and I love would to meet her, and Emily is fun and we could talk writing over lunch.
Welcome to A Real Writer's Life everyone! Thank you so much for stopping by. Feel free to comment; I love hearing from readers. You can learn more about me, and my blog, here.
-Miranda Atchley

Book of the Week #44 "Scarlet"

*This post contains spoilers. If you've not read the first book, you might want to read this after you've finished Cinder.*
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Scarlet Benoit lives with her grandmother, Michelle Benoit, on a farm in rural France. Yet as the story begins, her grandmother has been missing for days. Scarlet is frantic; not knowing where her grandmother is or what is happening to her. When she meets Wolf at a local restaurant, she finds that he might have some answers about her grandmother's whereabouts. Yet he's being stingy with his leads and Scarlet is growing increasingly impatient. And truth be told, Wolf might have some secrets of his own. Secrets that could totally alter Scarlet's view of him.Meanwhile, Cinder has escaped prison with fellow inmate Captain Carswell Thorne. The two board his spaceship and fly into space until they figure out a place that's safe for them to land on earth. They happen to land in Rieux, France, where Cinder discovers some secrets from her past.

Scarlet is a feisty character! She has a temper to match her flaming hair and is very defensive, especially when it comes to her Grand-mere. The story is based off of the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood. I have to admit, this wasn't my favorite in this series. I liked it, just not as well as I liked the others. I had mixed feelings about Wolf. One minute, he seemed like a good guy, and then the next he does something crazy. I suppose it isn't entirely his fault, though, considering all that Queen Levana has put him through. In the beginning, I didn't like Thorne; he seemed too superficial. But after reading Cress, I like Thorne.
All in all, Scarlet is a nice, action filled continuation of The Lunar Chronicles. It may not be my absolute favorite, but I appreciate it as a part of the series.

I give this book a 4 out 5.

Top Ten Tuesday: Of The Non-Bookish Variety

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
This week's topic is your top ten favorite websites that aren't book related. I have to admit, it was a little bit hard since most of the websites I use are book related. But before I got into the book community, there were several blogs I read and still read today.
9: TwitterI've become more of Twitter person than a Facebook (which I'm becoming less fond of by the day) person. I can connect with lots of other writers and book bloggers and readers on there. And I love accounts like History Lovers Club, Emergency Kittens, and Earth Pics. It's fun to look at the different photos they share.
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8: Scathingly BrilliantKate Gabrielle's blog is a dream for those of us that love pastel colors. I love the way she has decorated her room. She also does some really pretty and quirky art that is adorable. And her hair is so pretty.
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7: Vintage or TackyOnce upon a time, I was very "into" makeup. As in, I used to watch lots of the tutorials that run rampant on YouTube, and even considered going to Cosmetology school and doing hair/makeup as a side job to writing. I wore crazy eye makeup and colored my hair every shade of the rainbow. These days, I stick with cat eyeliner, mascara, and the occasional neutral eyeshadow and I haven't colored my hair in a year. Though my passion for makeup has burned out quite a bit, from time to time I still enjoy looking at beauty blogs. When I was still obsessed with cosmetics, Vintage or Tacky was among my favorite blogs/YouTubers. Her message of positivity and self-acceptance has always been something I've admired and appreciated. And Cora is just a friendly, personable type of gal; someone you'd love to just hang with sometime.
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6: Goth It YourselfI hate that the term "Goth" has this negative stigma attached to it as though it's either a group of heathen teenagers or a cult, when it's really more just a style, like boho, vintage chic, etc... I may not love all that the Goth style includes, but I do appreciate aspects of it; the more quirky side, I guess you'd say. Black and white stripes, lace, etc... That sort of thing. I really like how Bane restyles things she finds to fit her personal taste. It shows that you can take anything you find and make it yours. And she has the cutest dogs.
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5: People WebsI became familiar with Lindsi's blog through #4 and #3 on this list (Lindsi's husband Mike was in Showbread with Vanessa and Abi's husbands). I loved seeing all the pretty crafts she would make and vintage things. Her blog isn't a book blog, though from time to time she has mentioned her favorite books and we have verysimilar taste. And when she colored her hair pastel pink and purple a few years ago, it was ADORABLE. She doesn't post much anymore, but I still consider People Webs a favorite blog.
Image source (I own the plaid one in the upper left corner. :) )

4: The Velvet BirdI began reading this blog when I was around 15. I knew who Vanessa was because her husband plays bass for the band Showbread, and so I started reading The Velvet Bird. Her blog and blog #3 on my list fed my love for vintage things that had sparked within me at around age 12. I loved seeing all of her pretty handmade vintage inspired clothing, as well as D.I.Y projects and occasional recipes. Like Lindsi, these days Vanessa doesn't blog much, but occasionally when I'm feeling nostalgic, I'll swing by and scan the archives for some of my favorite posts by her. Many of those include posts from early 2011 when she accompanied Showbread on tour, because I went to their stop in Conway, AR. I met the band and Vanessa, and bought one of her handmade necklaces that I still wear from time to time.
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3: Vanilla and LaceI found Abi's blog through Vanessa's blog, though I was already familiar with who she was because her husband is the singer for Showbread (he and Vanessa's husband are brothers). I've enjoyed reading their journey from living in Georgia to moving to Washington state, Abi opening her own online clothing store and the two starting a family as Josh becomes a pastor. Back in the day, it was fun to see the handmade clothing she would post photos of, as well as all the pretty desserts she made, like French macarons and pies on a stick.
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2: The Dainty SquidI think I started reading this blog when I was maybe 16. It's been awhile. What draws me in is Kaylah's ever changing and oh so pretty hair, and her pet photos. It's neat to see her incorporate more travel and scenery posts as her life has changed over the last couple of years. She and I may have very different taste when it comes to things like books or movies, but I can't deny that her hair and pet posts are a treat to read.
1: Pinterest
Yeah, I love Pinterest. I don't know why, but it's just fun collecting pictures of the things you love. Like, writing tips, pretty book covers, ideas for my dream home, humorous memes, or things that just make my heart happy. 

Lately: British Invasion, Pretty Shirts, and Hopes of More Writing

Reading:Winter by Marissa MeyerI've been having a hard time getting into Winter. I think it's partly due to the funk I've been in, but I really want to finish it soon and find out what happens.
Listening:The Like. All the time. Like, every stinkin' day. *Sigh* I love the '60s. And The Smiths. Gah, I love Rushmole Ruffians. Someone take me to England! I've also been on a Weezer kick lately.
Other Things: I ordered this beautiful Anne Shirley inspired t-shirt from Evie Seo's Society 6 shop. I'm so excited for it to get here. I ordered it in the men's style and in purple. If I won the lottery, I'd buy one of everything from her store. (But if you follow me on Twitter, you already knew that ;-) ) I also treated myself to some new books from Amazon that should arrive on Wednesday. I started the sequel to A Castle in the Sky but haven't gotten that much work done on it. I'm hoping I can get back into the swing of things this week. I need to go to the library tomorrow (ours isn't open on Mondays) and rent some books for research.
So there's some things from my life lately. Thanks for stopping by today.

-Miranda Atchley

Happy Mother's Day

To my grandmother:Thank you for asking me to watch Anne of Green Gableswith you when I was 15, feeding a love for times gone by and opening new worlds to me.Thank you for forgiving me for almost squashing your dog when I fell down the stairs.Thank you for bearing with me during my boy-crazy and overly emotional days in my early teens.Thank you for watching British comedies on PBS when I stayed with you on Saturday nights, igniting a wanderlust within me and believing I could someday get to those places on my own.Thank you for telling me I never have to get married if I don't want to, when some other grandmothers would never dare proclaim such.Thank you for telling me to remember how much you loved me after I'd told how bad my day was.Thank you for being the funniest grandmother anyone could ask for.Thank for making me feel loved even when you are no longer in this world.
To my mother:You've been my best friend since the day I was born, even though for the first 15 years of my life I didn't realize that could be possible. You comforted when I was bullied, and have made me see when things really aren't so bad. You always encourage me to be who I was created to be without concern of what others think (though I'm still trying to master that). You've proofread my novels and you were my biggest fan before anyone knew I was going to be an author, before even I knew I'd make a career of scribbles. You make me laugh every single day, and you still comfort me when my days aren't good. You've done everything I could imagine, and so much more. You're the loveliest person I know.
I love the both of you.
Happy Mother's day to all of the wonderful mothers and grandmothers in the world.

-Miranda Atchley

Favorite Word Friday #25 "Wanderlust"

Wanderlust
noun  wan·der·lust \ˈwän-dər-ˌləst\
: a strong desire to travel
Today I'm choosing wanderlust as my favorite word, because it sounds so pretty. This week I read a book that mentioned wanderlust a lot. I love this word. And truth be told, I think I have a bit of the wanderlust in me.
Happy Friday, readers. I hope you've had a great week and have a wonderful weekend. See you Monday with more tales from a real writer's life.
-Miranda Atchley

(Definition taken from the Merriam Webster online dictionary.)

The Blahs and Other Things

So I had grand plans of writing a sequel to A Castle in the Sky at the same pace I had written its predecessor; 50,000 words in one month. I'm still striving for that goal, but this, week I just haven't felt like myself. I'm naturally an anxious person (it runs in my family) and this week I've just been more anxious than usual. I'm trying to work on it, but it's affecting my writing. As in, I just haven't felt like writing. Instead, I've been turning to one of my hobbies to keep my mind preoccupied; painting. I don't paint as much as I would like to; really, I only do it when I'm in a funk like I have been this week. But it is awfully soothing, especially if I play some of my favorite music in the background, or pop one of my Gilmore Girls or Downton Abbey DVDs into the player. I don't consider myself an "artist" and I'm not comfortable enough with my paintings to post them for the world to see, but I like to do it for myself.
In other news, I have something I'm planning for June that would include all of you. More on that later.
Maybe I'll get out of this funk soon. I really hope so, because trust me, it isn't fun. In the meantime I'm going to continue working on it. Pray for me? Thanks.
Until next time....

-Miranda Atchley

Book of the Week #43 "Cinder"

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
In futuristic New Beijing, there lives a cyborg who is the best mechanic in the city. Her name is Linh Cinder, and at the age of eleven, she was adopted by a man and his wife, who had two daughters of their own. Shortly after adopting Cinder, Linh Garan passed from the plague that now runs rampant, and Cinder is now slave to her step-mother, Linh Adri, and step-sisters, Linh Pearl and Linh Peony. She works on droids in a booth at the market to earn money for the household, her best friend, Iko, at her side, who is a droid that wants more than anything to be human. Amidst the plague that continues to claim lives, Prince Kai, son of the Emperor of the Easter Commonwealth, stops by Cinder's booth in hopes that she can fix the droid that has been his assistant most of his life. Expecting a male mechanic, Prince Kai is pleasantly surprised to find a pretty girl working on droids, who keeps her metal cyborg hand hidden beneath her gloves. The two come to know each other and Prince Kai invites Cinder to the ball. Knowing that cyborgs are despised creatures, and afraid of what might happen if anyone finds out, she declines. Yet when someone close to her succumbs to the plague and she is told to warn Prince Kai about Queen Levana's unsavory plans, Cinder must put herself at risk for the better of the world.
I have to admit, I really didn't take these books seriously when I first saw them. I thought they looked too much like the paranormal romance novels that pop up every day it seems, which admittedly is not my cup of tea. But once I actually took the time to find out what they were about, I became more interested. And then I noticed a lot of people whose opinions I respect raving about them. So when my library finally got the whole series in at once, I snatched up all four. And I'm glad I did. These books are really good. It's like Star Wars meets classic fairytales. So neat, right? Cinder's story is based off of Cinderella. Cinder is a very strong character. She's been through so much in her life that your heart really goes out to her, but she isn't the type to throw a pity party. She deals with everything that life throws at her, even if she isn't terribly graceful in the process. She's quite a sarcastic girl and I admire her wit. But without realizing it, she falls in love Prince Kai, yet she tries to hide it. Reading what she thinks of Prince Kai softens her and takes a bit of the edge off of her sarcasm. It really helps to round her out. And I love her friend Iko. She's so sweet and makes you laugh.
This series is jam packed with action, so it really keeps you on your toes and seems to go super-fast. But that's not the only reason you get sucked into these books; new twists pop up all the time. The ending of Cinder totally caught me by surprise. I'm not going to give it away, but I will say that you won't see it coming.
Cinder is a great start to The Lunar Chronicles, a series that fans of fast-paced, action filled Y/A will surely enjoy.

I give this book a 4 out of 5.