Sarah Beth Durst's Blog, page 50
January 18, 2012
My New Muse
"I want to be your muse!" Annie announces.
Annie is a fictional character without a story. She visits me sometimes while I'm trying to write.
"I think I would be an awesome muse," she says. "Whenever you're stuck, I'd sing to you to comfort you. Or perform interpretive dance." She lifts her leg in the air and waves her arms like a deranged chicken.
I try to think of a delicate way to say "no." "I always pictured my muse as more like Tim Gunn," I say. "You know, 'That sentence doesn't speak to me. I'm concerned. Make it work!'"
She pouts. "But I've always wanted to be a muse!"
"Really?" I hate to crush her hopes and dreams. She might be a disruption but she's otherwise harmless. Plus she brings snacks. I can see a bag of yogurt-covered pretzels stuffed in her pocket.
"Actually, no," she said. She hops onto my desk, crinkling the latest print-out of my work-in-progress. "I wanted to be a hero. But it didn't work out."
Despite knowing better, I ask, "What happened?"
She beams at me, hands me a yogurt-covered pretzel, and says, "Well, if you really must know... I was born to be a hero, seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. There were prophecies about me and everything. Some of them even rhymed. One involved an interpretive dance..." She flaps her arms in the air again.
"What were you supposed to do?" I ask.
"Find the Lost Acorn of Eternal Peace."
"So what went wrong?"
She shrugged. "A squirrel ate it."
"Seriously?"
"Would I lie to you?" Annie asks. She points to my computer screen. "You know, that sentence doesn't speak to me. I'm concerned..."
Annie is a fictional character without a story. She visits me sometimes while I'm trying to write.
"I think I would be an awesome muse," she says. "Whenever you're stuck, I'd sing to you to comfort you. Or perform interpretive dance." She lifts her leg in the air and waves her arms like a deranged chicken.
I try to think of a delicate way to say "no." "I always pictured my muse as more like Tim Gunn," I say. "You know, 'That sentence doesn't speak to me. I'm concerned. Make it work!'"
She pouts. "But I've always wanted to be a muse!"
"Really?" I hate to crush her hopes and dreams. She might be a disruption but she's otherwise harmless. Plus she brings snacks. I can see a bag of yogurt-covered pretzels stuffed in her pocket.
"Actually, no," she said. She hops onto my desk, crinkling the latest print-out of my work-in-progress. "I wanted to be a hero. But it didn't work out."
Despite knowing better, I ask, "What happened?"
She beams at me, hands me a yogurt-covered pretzel, and says, "Well, if you really must know... I was born to be a hero, seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. There were prophecies about me and everything. Some of them even rhymed. One involved an interpretive dance..." She flaps her arms in the air again.
"What were you supposed to do?" I ask.
"Find the Lost Acorn of Eternal Peace."
"So what went wrong?"
She shrugged. "A squirrel ate it."
"Seriously?"
"Would I lie to you?" Annie asks. She points to my computer screen. "You know, that sentence doesn't speak to me. I'm concerned..."
January 14, 2012
Annie Tells Me About Squirrels
Annie is a fictional character who visits me sometimes. She lives in a deadly forest with killer squirrels. I made the critical error of asking her about the squirrels. You should never ask an imaginary person to tell you about anything, especially if you are trying to concentrate on writing a chapter that has absolutely nothing to do with rodents, homicidal or otherwise.
So far, after half an hour, all I've written is two sentences of my work-in-progress, and all I've learned is that the squirrels make cute, chittering sounds before they drop out of the trees on their victims' heads. She demonstrated this sound for a solid twenty minutes before I finally convinced her to stop.
"That's why I have antlers," Annie says. "Any killer squirrel that drops on me will find itself impaled." Annie has a pair of deer antlers growing out of the top of her head. She wears her hair in pig tails around them. Very stylish.
"So you're telling me your horns--"
"Antlers," she says primly.
"Your antlers are natural selection to protect against killer squirrels?" I know I shouldn't be encouraging her, but I can't help myself.
"Yep," she says. She crunches on a tortilla chip. "Hey, do you have any salsa? These would go great with salsa. Maybe some guacamole. I loooove avocado."
"I don't have any," I say. "What happens to people without antlers?" I self-consciously touch the top of my own head and imagine it has a squirrel-size bullseye on top.
"Oh, the squirrels horde human heads for the winter."
On that note, she hops off my desk and heads off in search of salsa and guacamole. And I am left with a new fear of squirrels. Luckily, I haven't completed my writing quota for the day, so I won't have to go outside and face the vile creatures. I am safe... at least until she returns.
So far, after half an hour, all I've written is two sentences of my work-in-progress, and all I've learned is that the squirrels make cute, chittering sounds before they drop out of the trees on their victims' heads. She demonstrated this sound for a solid twenty minutes before I finally convinced her to stop.
"That's why I have antlers," Annie says. "Any killer squirrel that drops on me will find itself impaled." Annie has a pair of deer antlers growing out of the top of her head. She wears her hair in pig tails around them. Very stylish.
"So you're telling me your horns--"
"Antlers," she says primly.
"Your antlers are natural selection to protect against killer squirrels?" I know I shouldn't be encouraging her, but I can't help myself.
"Yep," she says. She crunches on a tortilla chip. "Hey, do you have any salsa? These would go great with salsa. Maybe some guacamole. I loooove avocado."
"I don't have any," I say. "What happens to people without antlers?" I self-consciously touch the top of my own head and imagine it has a squirrel-size bullseye on top.
"Oh, the squirrels horde human heads for the winter."
On that note, she hops off my desk and heads off in search of salsa and guacamole. And I am left with a new fear of squirrels. Luckily, I haven't completed my writing quota for the day, so I won't have to go outside and face the vile creatures. I am safe... at least until she returns.
January 11, 2012
A Visit from Annie
Annie is visiting. She's a fictional character, but I haven't written her story yet. This makes her impatient.
She stands behind me and points at the screen. "What's that?"
"Chapter six," I say. I keep typing. I have learned that you can keep the distractions away if you keep your fingers moving over the keyboard. It's the second that you pause that you're tempted to click on the Internet, fetch a snack, clean the linen closet, or talk with an imaginary girl with antlers on her head.
It's slightly more difficult to maintain focus when the imaginary character brings chips.
Crunching in my ear, she squints at the screen. "I don't think that word means what you think it means."
"First drafts are supposed to be rough," I say.
"Then congratulations," she says. "You've succeeded. I've seen white water rapids that run smoother than your prose."
"Thanks," I say. I don't look at her as I type.
"I've seen dirt roads that are smoother."
"Thanks," I say.
"I've seen mountain ranges...
"Got it. Thanks. Can you... Be somewhere else for a while?"
"Nope," she says. She hops up onto my desk. Her antlers scrape the ceiling. Flecks of plaster rain down on my keyboard. "I don't have a 'somewhere else.'"
I pause typing. "Well, where are you from?"
She grins at me, as if aware that she has won. "A forest. A forest of endless night."
"Stupid," I say. "Can't have a forest without sunlight. Chlorophyll."
"Fine." She pouts. "It's a forest where the trees are alive..."
"Trees are alive."
"These talk. And sing. And kill."
"Huh," I say. "Killer trees?"
Annie grins at me. "You don't know the half of it. You think the trees are bad? You should see the squirrels." She holds out a tortilla chip. "Wanna chip?"
I take it. "Tell me about the squirrels..."
She stands behind me and points at the screen. "What's that?"
"Chapter six," I say. I keep typing. I have learned that you can keep the distractions away if you keep your fingers moving over the keyboard. It's the second that you pause that you're tempted to click on the Internet, fetch a snack, clean the linen closet, or talk with an imaginary girl with antlers on her head.
It's slightly more difficult to maintain focus when the imaginary character brings chips.
Crunching in my ear, she squints at the screen. "I don't think that word means what you think it means."
"First drafts are supposed to be rough," I say.
"Then congratulations," she says. "You've succeeded. I've seen white water rapids that run smoother than your prose."
"Thanks," I say. I don't look at her as I type.
"I've seen dirt roads that are smoother."
"Thanks," I say.
"I've seen mountain ranges...
"Got it. Thanks. Can you... Be somewhere else for a while?"
"Nope," she says. She hops up onto my desk. Her antlers scrape the ceiling. Flecks of plaster rain down on my keyboard. "I don't have a 'somewhere else.'"
I pause typing. "Well, where are you from?"
She grins at me, as if aware that she has won. "A forest. A forest of endless night."
"Stupid," I say. "Can't have a forest without sunlight. Chlorophyll."
"Fine." She pouts. "It's a forest where the trees are alive..."
"Trees are alive."
"These talk. And sing. And kill."
"Huh," I say. "Killer trees?"
Annie grins at me. "You don't know the half of it. You think the trees are bad? You should see the squirrels." She holds out a tortilla chip. "Wanna chip?"
I take it. "Tell me about the squirrels..."
January 9, 2012
A Conversation with a Character
A character sits on a chair. She swings her legs back and forth, scuffing the tips of her sneakers on the floor. They squeak like Styrofoam, and I wince. I hate that sound.
"Are you planning to sit there all day?" I ask her.
"Could be," she says. She sticks a lollipop in her mouth. I have no idea where she got the lollipop. "Are you planning to write my story yet?"
"Could be," I say. "Have you developed a personality?"
"Nope. You?"
"Ouch," I say. "Harsh."
She shrugs and looks around my writing room. "This place is a wreck. You should clean it. And your books are not alphabetized."
I look at her suspiciously. "You want me to write, don't you?"
"I want you to write MY story. Not that." She pokes the lollipop at my computer screen.
"But I don't know your story yet," I say.
"That's because you haven't written it yet."
I can't argue with that logic.
She offers me the lollipop. It has some cat fur stuck to it, but it's green apple flavor. So I take it, stick it in my mouth, and start typing.
When I look back, the character's hair has turned brown, and she has antlers. She says her name is Annie...
"Are you planning to sit there all day?" I ask her.
"Could be," she says. She sticks a lollipop in her mouth. I have no idea where she got the lollipop. "Are you planning to write my story yet?"
"Could be," I say. "Have you developed a personality?"
"Nope. You?"
"Ouch," I say. "Harsh."
She shrugs and looks around my writing room. "This place is a wreck. You should clean it. And your books are not alphabetized."
I look at her suspiciously. "You want me to write, don't you?"
"I want you to write MY story. Not that." She pokes the lollipop at my computer screen.
"But I don't know your story yet," I say.
"That's because you haven't written it yet."
I can't argue with that logic.
She offers me the lollipop. It has some cat fur stuck to it, but it's green apple flavor. So I take it, stick it in my mouth, and start typing.
When I look back, the character's hair has turned brown, and she has antlers. She says her name is Annie...
January 2, 2012
Hello 2012!
Happy New Year!!!
I love when the calendar switches to a fresh year! Reminds me of the Anne Shirley quote about tomorrow being fresh with no mistakes in it.
This clip does not include that quote, but it makes me smile. You're welcome.
Of course, I have already broken one New Year's resolution (sorry, exercise bike!). Coincidentally, I broke the very same resolution last year just as quickly. Maybe breaking it will become a new annual tradition. I do love traditions.
Our New Year's Eve tradition is AWESOME. We go to the supermarket in the morning, buy every kind of appetizer we can think of, and eat nothing but hors d'oeuvres from noon to midnight.
But really, the thing that makes it wonderful is simply being together. I think that's the perfect way to start a new year: with people I love. Also, chips and salsa.
And that's what I wish for all of you in 2012: time with the people you love, health, happiness, and all the hors d'oeuvres you wish to eat!
Best wishes for a wonderful year!
I love when the calendar switches to a fresh year! Reminds me of the Anne Shirley quote about tomorrow being fresh with no mistakes in it.
This clip does not include that quote, but it makes me smile. You're welcome.
Of course, I have already broken one New Year's resolution (sorry, exercise bike!). Coincidentally, I broke the very same resolution last year just as quickly. Maybe breaking it will become a new annual tradition. I do love traditions.
Our New Year's Eve tradition is AWESOME. We go to the supermarket in the morning, buy every kind of appetizer we can think of, and eat nothing but hors d'oeuvres from noon to midnight.
But really, the thing that makes it wonderful is simply being together. I think that's the perfect way to start a new year: with people I love. Also, chips and salsa.
And that's what I wish for all of you in 2012: time with the people you love, health, happiness, and all the hors d'oeuvres you wish to eat!
Best wishes for a wonderful year!
December 5, 2011
Drink, Slay, Love in Australia and New Zealand!!!
Some cool news... Drink, Slay, Love is now available in Australia and New Zealand!!! The AUS/NZ edition, published by Allen & Unwin, was released just last week!
I absolutely love the idea of Pearl (my protagonist) going someplace that I have never been. It feels... magical. One of the things that I always say at school visits and other book events is that being a writer is the closest you can get in this world to being a wizard.
I know, I know, that sounds totally cheezy. But I 100% believe it. When you write, you are trying to cast a spell that will take someone out of his/her life and pull him/her into a world that doesn't exist. You're trying to achieve a moment of telepathy, to put a dream from your head into the head of someone you've never met (and may never meet) purely by your choice of words on a page. You're trying to take a stranger on a journey.
I love that Pearl has now journeyed to Australia and New Zealand!
In case you're curious, the cover of the AUS/NZ edition is similar but not identical to the US cover. Check it out:
If you're in Australia or New Zealand, please do keep an eye out for Pearl! I believe you should be able to find her in Angus & Robertson, Dymocks, or whatever your local bookstore is. And if you see her, please say hello for me!
Happy journeying, Pearl!
I absolutely love the idea of Pearl (my protagonist) going someplace that I have never been. It feels... magical. One of the things that I always say at school visits and other book events is that being a writer is the closest you can get in this world to being a wizard.
I know, I know, that sounds totally cheezy. But I 100% believe it. When you write, you are trying to cast a spell that will take someone out of his/her life and pull him/her into a world that doesn't exist. You're trying to achieve a moment of telepathy, to put a dream from your head into the head of someone you've never met (and may never meet) purely by your choice of words on a page. You're trying to take a stranger on a journey.
I love that Pearl has now journeyed to Australia and New Zealand!
In case you're curious, the cover of the AUS/NZ edition is similar but not identical to the US cover. Check it out:
If you're in Australia or New Zealand, please do keep an eye out for Pearl! I believe you should be able to find her in Angus & Robertson, Dymocks, or whatever your local bookstore is. And if you see her, please say hello for me!
Happy journeying, Pearl!
November 13, 2011
Cover Art Reveal: VESSEL
Got the loveliest present from my editor... cover art for VESSEL!
I am so excited to share it with you and to introduce you to my next book, VESSEL, a YA fantasy novel coming in September 2012 from Simon & Schuster / Margaret K. McElderry Books.
In a desert land where serpents made of unbreakable glass fly through the sky and wolves made of only sand hunt within storms, Liyana is destined to be a vessel, to sacrifice herself so that her clan's goddess can inhabit her body... but her goddess never comes.
I was in the parking lot at Dunkin' Donuts when the email with the cover art came in, and I waited for my husband to return with Munchkins so we could open the jpg together. (This was either sweet or cowardly of me. You can judge which.) When he returned, we opened the email... and I nearly swooned. I am absolutely in love with this cover. Look at the way the scarf moves! And the tattoos on her arms! And her fierce expression! And the sand! And the moon! *swoon*
I had a hint that this sort of awesomeness was coming when I ran across a journal entry on Deviant Art by photographer Jaime Ibarra about the cover shoot. There's one photo of the model practicing whooshing the fabric and another of the makeup artist painting on Liyana's tattoos. (The tattoos identify her as her clan's vessel. You really, really don't want a deity to possess the wrong person.)
The photographer is the fantastic Jaime Ibarra. (Visit his website to see more of his stunning work. I especially love the photos in the Movimiento gallery.) According to his Google+ page, the others involved in the shoot were:
Makeup & Styling - Mirabai Wagner
Additional Retouching - Solstice Retouch
Additional Makeup & Whooshing Coach - Jessa Peters
Model - Kristin (BMG Model Management)
The amazing team at Simon & Schuster then did their magic, and the result... Liyana lives!
So, what do you guys think?!?!?!?
I am so excited to share it with you and to introduce you to my next book, VESSEL, a YA fantasy novel coming in September 2012 from Simon & Schuster / Margaret K. McElderry Books.
In a desert land where serpents made of unbreakable glass fly through the sky and wolves made of only sand hunt within storms, Liyana is destined to be a vessel, to sacrifice herself so that her clan's goddess can inhabit her body... but her goddess never comes.
I was in the parking lot at Dunkin' Donuts when the email with the cover art came in, and I waited for my husband to return with Munchkins so we could open the jpg together. (This was either sweet or cowardly of me. You can judge which.) When he returned, we opened the email... and I nearly swooned. I am absolutely in love with this cover. Look at the way the scarf moves! And the tattoos on her arms! And her fierce expression! And the sand! And the moon! *swoon*
I had a hint that this sort of awesomeness was coming when I ran across a journal entry on Deviant Art by photographer Jaime Ibarra about the cover shoot. There's one photo of the model practicing whooshing the fabric and another of the makeup artist painting on Liyana's tattoos. (The tattoos identify her as her clan's vessel. You really, really don't want a deity to possess the wrong person.)
The photographer is the fantastic Jaime Ibarra. (Visit his website to see more of his stunning work. I especially love the photos in the Movimiento gallery.) According to his Google+ page, the others involved in the shoot were:
Makeup & Styling - Mirabai Wagner
Additional Retouching - Solstice Retouch
Additional Makeup & Whooshing Coach - Jessa Peters
Model - Kristin (BMG Model Management)
The amazing team at Simon & Schuster then did their magic, and the result... Liyana lives!
So, what do you guys think?!?!?!?
October 18, 2011
My Novel in Pictures
Imagine that this is a sixteen-year-old vampire girl. Absolutely gorgeous. Absolutely evil.
One night, she's feeling peckish. So she goes to the local ice cream store. Snacks on the ice cream boy.
She finishes and then notices that across the parking lot, between the dumpsters, there's a unicorn...
She mocks the unicorn for its sparkling shininess. When she's bored with that, she turns to go home. And the unicorn stabs her through the heart.
That's where Drink, Slay, Love begins.
This reenactment is courtesy of the Avenging Unicorn play set, a gift from my fantastically awesome agent, Andrea Somberg. It comes with four different horns and three figures to impale, including a mime.
It's entirely possible that this is the best thing anyone has ever given me. I'm thinking of bringing it to my upcoming events.
Speaking of which... here is my schedule for the next two weeks:
On Thursday, Oct 20th, I'll be participating in the Earthsea Group Read at the Center for Fiction in NYC. A slew of writers, actors, and others will be taking turns reading A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin as part of the Big Read honoring Le Guin. It will be streamed live online.
On Saturday, Oct 22nd, at noon, I will be reading and signing at Books of Wonder, a fabulous children's bookstore in NYC, with six other fabulous authors: Alison Goodman, Jeff Hirsch, Jon Skovron, Scott Westerfeld, Maryrose Wood, and Gabrielle Zevin.
On the following Friday through Sunday, Oct 28th through Oct 30th, I will be at the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego, CA. Schedule TBA.
The unicorn and I hope to see you soon!
One night, she's feeling peckish. So she goes to the local ice cream store. Snacks on the ice cream boy.
She finishes and then notices that across the parking lot, between the dumpsters, there's a unicorn...
She mocks the unicorn for its sparkling shininess. When she's bored with that, she turns to go home. And the unicorn stabs her through the heart.
That's where Drink, Slay, Love begins.
This reenactment is courtesy of the Avenging Unicorn play set, a gift from my fantastically awesome agent, Andrea Somberg. It comes with four different horns and three figures to impale, including a mime.
It's entirely possible that this is the best thing anyone has ever given me. I'm thinking of bringing it to my upcoming events.
Speaking of which... here is my schedule for the next two weeks:
On Thursday, Oct 20th, I'll be participating in the Earthsea Group Read at the Center for Fiction in NYC. A slew of writers, actors, and others will be taking turns reading A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin as part of the Big Read honoring Le Guin. It will be streamed live online.
On Saturday, Oct 22nd, at noon, I will be reading and signing at Books of Wonder, a fabulous children's bookstore in NYC, with six other fabulous authors: Alison Goodman, Jeff Hirsch, Jon Skovron, Scott Westerfeld, Maryrose Wood, and Gabrielle Zevin.
On the following Friday through Sunday, Oct 28th through Oct 30th, I will be at the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego, CA. Schedule TBA.
The unicorn and I hope to see you soon!
October 5, 2011
Drink, Slay, Love Playlists
It is a truth universally acknowledged that vampires love music.
Okay, my vampires love music. When Pearl (my vampire "heroine") hops into a stolen car at the start of Drink, Slay, Love, the first thing she does is switch the radio to "Bohemian Rhapsody."
"I can drive," Jadrien offered.
"I'm sixteen," Pearl said. "By human laws, I'm allowed." She flashed him a grin as he climbed into the passenger seat. It occurred to her that she'd never driven with Jadrien in the car. He was in for a treat. She stuck the key into the ignition and turned the car on.
The radio blared to life, country music.
Pearl winced and flipped the station. She stopped on "Bohemian Rhapsody." Smiling, she cranked up the volume. Shifting into drive, she said, "Seat belts."
"I'm immortal," he said. "Why do I need a seat belt?"
Pearl floored the gas, and they whipped through the parking lot. Jadrien grabbed the door and the dashboard to brace himself.
"Cute," Jadrien said.
"Always," she said.
"Do you know how to drive?" he asked.
"Sure," she said. "This one is the gas."
A bunch of people have asked me about the music in Drink, Slay, Love. So in case you're interested, here's the full list of music in the novel, in the order in which it is heard:
"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
"Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds
"Bloodline" by Slayer
"Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones
"Greensleeves" (traditional)
"People Are Strange" by the Doors
"Celebrate" by Kool and the Gang
"Blood Roses" by Tori Amos
"Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus
You can listen to the songs here.
I listened to a longer playlist while I wrote Drink, Slay, Love. (My normal iTunes library just didn't cut it. For instance, "Puff the Magic Dragon" by Peter, Paul, and Mary... not exactly the right mood. So I created a playlist just for working on this novel.) In addition to the songs above, here is my writing playlist, in no particular order since I listened to them on shuffle:
"They" by Jem
"Ramalama (Bang Bang)" by Roisin Murphy
"Walkin' on the Sun" by Smash Mouth
"A Little Less Conversation" by King Junior
"Rockstar" by Nickelback
"Fable (Rave Mix)" by Robert Miles
"Stray Cat Strut" by Stray Cats
"Don't Let Me Get Me" by Pink
"Terra Firma" by Delerium
"Walkaway Joe" by Trisha Yearwood
"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins
"Sweet Sangria" by Tori Amos
"Mesmerizing" by Liz Phair
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall
"All or Nothing" by Athena Cage
"Calling All Angels" by Train
"Pretty Little Thing" by Fink
"Combat Baby" by Metric
"Somebody to Love" by Queen
"Can't Fight the Moonlight" by Leann Rimes
"Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega
"Blood Roses" by Tori Amos
"Mad World" by Adam Lambert
"Not Ready to Make Nice" by Dixie Chicks
"Who Will Save Your Soul" by Jewel
You can listen to these songs here. (Note: the rave version of "Fable" wasn't available on Playlist.com so I included the original version. Ditto with "A Little Less Conversation.")
Enjoy!
Okay, my vampires love music. When Pearl (my vampire "heroine") hops into a stolen car at the start of Drink, Slay, Love, the first thing she does is switch the radio to "Bohemian Rhapsody."
"I can drive," Jadrien offered.
"I'm sixteen," Pearl said. "By human laws, I'm allowed." She flashed him a grin as he climbed into the passenger seat. It occurred to her that she'd never driven with Jadrien in the car. He was in for a treat. She stuck the key into the ignition and turned the car on.
The radio blared to life, country music.
Pearl winced and flipped the station. She stopped on "Bohemian Rhapsody." Smiling, she cranked up the volume. Shifting into drive, she said, "Seat belts."
"I'm immortal," he said. "Why do I need a seat belt?"
Pearl floored the gas, and they whipped through the parking lot. Jadrien grabbed the door and the dashboard to brace himself.
"Cute," Jadrien said.
"Always," she said.
"Do you know how to drive?" he asked.
"Sure," she said. "This one is the gas."
A bunch of people have asked me about the music in Drink, Slay, Love. So in case you're interested, here's the full list of music in the novel, in the order in which it is heard:
"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
"Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds
"Bloodline" by Slayer
"Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones
"Greensleeves" (traditional)
"People Are Strange" by the Doors
"Celebrate" by Kool and the Gang
"Blood Roses" by Tori Amos
"Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus
You can listen to the songs here.
I listened to a longer playlist while I wrote Drink, Slay, Love. (My normal iTunes library just didn't cut it. For instance, "Puff the Magic Dragon" by Peter, Paul, and Mary... not exactly the right mood. So I created a playlist just for working on this novel.) In addition to the songs above, here is my writing playlist, in no particular order since I listened to them on shuffle:
"They" by Jem
"Ramalama (Bang Bang)" by Roisin Murphy
"Walkin' on the Sun" by Smash Mouth
"A Little Less Conversation" by King Junior
"Rockstar" by Nickelback
"Fable (Rave Mix)" by Robert Miles
"Stray Cat Strut" by Stray Cats
"Don't Let Me Get Me" by Pink
"Terra Firma" by Delerium
"Walkaway Joe" by Trisha Yearwood
"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins
"Sweet Sangria" by Tori Amos
"Mesmerizing" by Liz Phair
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall
"All or Nothing" by Athena Cage
"Calling All Angels" by Train
"Pretty Little Thing" by Fink
"Combat Baby" by Metric
"Somebody to Love" by Queen
"Can't Fight the Moonlight" by Leann Rimes
"Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega
"Blood Roses" by Tori Amos
"Mad World" by Adam Lambert
"Not Ready to Make Nice" by Dixie Chicks
"Who Will Save Your Soul" by Jewel
You can listen to these songs here. (Note: the rave version of "Fable" wasn't available on Playlist.com so I included the original version. Ditto with "A Little Less Conversation.")
Enjoy!
October 2, 2011
More Trade Reviews of Drink, Slay, Love
Over the weekend, two lovely new trade reviews of Drink, Slay, Love appeared!!!
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up -- How refreshing to find a stand-alone vampire book with a real twist. Pearl is a typical teen vampire-typical in her world, that is. She is heartless and mostly evil, thinking of humans only as snacks and toys. Then she meets a unicorn, who stakes her with his sparkly horn. When she awakes, she finds that things have changed a bit - for starters, she can now be in sunlight without bursting into flames, and she has started to develop something unthinkable -- a conscience. Timing is bad for Pearl -- her family has just been chosen to host the fealty ceremony for the king of the New England vampires, and she has been nominated to provide the feast in the form of local high school students. The story has plenty of great setups, and Durst does not disappoint in her follow-through. There's catty and dark humor, romance, blood, danger, and, of course, there's the unicorn, whose secrets are revealed. The story transitions easily between the vampire and human world, creating characters, settings, and situations that are quite believable and often funny while still maintaining a respectable level of darkness. Fans of vampire fiction will be pleased to find this one on the shelf. -- Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada
VOYA
Pearl is a typical teen vampire, avoiding sunlight and preparing to become a full-fledged vampire following a ceremonial feast with the vampire king. One night, after enjoying her regular snack of an ice cream shop clerk's blood, something downright...magical occurs. A unicorn appears from behind a Dumpster, piercing her with his horn. Pearl recovers from her injuries, but oddly, she can now endure the effects of sunlight. Her family seizes this opportunity to enroll her in the local high school to lure her new classmates to the vampire king's feast as snacks. As Pearl acclimates to high school life, she becomes less bloodthirsty and more concerned about her new human friends. She joins forces with several erstwhile vampire hunters and a were-unicorn, and finds herself at a defining crossroads as the feast of the vampire king approaches. Offering a nicely skewed twist on the teen vampire genre, this book features a young bloodsucker enduring a crisis of conscience that causes her to be torn between the traditional vampire way of life and that of a normal high schooler. Pearl is an engagingly written, deeply flawed character, and readers will enjoy her sarcasm-fueled search for the unicorn that altered her life. There is a bit of romance and the requisite love triangle of supernatural beasts, but Pearl is a strong female character who does not lose herself to her suitors. This book will likely appeal to young horror fans who enjoy a snarkier, smarter, distinctly less sparkly brand of vampires. Reviewer: Sherrie Williams
And this lovely one came out a little while ago, but I forgot to share it with you:
Publishers Weekly
Having her way with the conventions of the genre, Durst (Enchanted Ivy) crafts a fresh, modern, and humorous twist on the vampire novel. At 16, Pearl adores life as a vampire; everything humans have to offer, from their cars to their blood, is hers for the taking. Out prowling one night, Pearl is staked by a unicorn, discovering soon after that she has a reflection and can bask in the sunlight. Sensing opportunity, Pearl's family sends her to high school so she can line up students as the main course for an important party, but Pearl develops a conscience and -- caught between her friends, family, and that pesky, sparkly unicorn -- tries to find the least bloody way out. Durst's snappy dialogue and vivid prose are entertaining (in the cafeteria, "The noise was nearly deafening, as if several flocks of seagulls were fighting over a whale carcass. It also smelled not unlike a whale carcass"), and the straightforward plot moves at a good clip, scattering enough clues to heighten anticipation without spoiling the fun. Lively characters and a sweet romance are icing on the cake. Ages 14–up. (Sept.)
Yay!!!!!
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up -- How refreshing to find a stand-alone vampire book with a real twist. Pearl is a typical teen vampire-typical in her world, that is. She is heartless and mostly evil, thinking of humans only as snacks and toys. Then she meets a unicorn, who stakes her with his sparkly horn. When she awakes, she finds that things have changed a bit - for starters, she can now be in sunlight without bursting into flames, and she has started to develop something unthinkable -- a conscience. Timing is bad for Pearl -- her family has just been chosen to host the fealty ceremony for the king of the New England vampires, and she has been nominated to provide the feast in the form of local high school students. The story has plenty of great setups, and Durst does not disappoint in her follow-through. There's catty and dark humor, romance, blood, danger, and, of course, there's the unicorn, whose secrets are revealed. The story transitions easily between the vampire and human world, creating characters, settings, and situations that are quite believable and often funny while still maintaining a respectable level of darkness. Fans of vampire fiction will be pleased to find this one on the shelf. -- Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada
VOYA
Pearl is a typical teen vampire, avoiding sunlight and preparing to become a full-fledged vampire following a ceremonial feast with the vampire king. One night, after enjoying her regular snack of an ice cream shop clerk's blood, something downright...magical occurs. A unicorn appears from behind a Dumpster, piercing her with his horn. Pearl recovers from her injuries, but oddly, she can now endure the effects of sunlight. Her family seizes this opportunity to enroll her in the local high school to lure her new classmates to the vampire king's feast as snacks. As Pearl acclimates to high school life, she becomes less bloodthirsty and more concerned about her new human friends. She joins forces with several erstwhile vampire hunters and a were-unicorn, and finds herself at a defining crossroads as the feast of the vampire king approaches. Offering a nicely skewed twist on the teen vampire genre, this book features a young bloodsucker enduring a crisis of conscience that causes her to be torn between the traditional vampire way of life and that of a normal high schooler. Pearl is an engagingly written, deeply flawed character, and readers will enjoy her sarcasm-fueled search for the unicorn that altered her life. There is a bit of romance and the requisite love triangle of supernatural beasts, but Pearl is a strong female character who does not lose herself to her suitors. This book will likely appeal to young horror fans who enjoy a snarkier, smarter, distinctly less sparkly brand of vampires. Reviewer: Sherrie Williams
And this lovely one came out a little while ago, but I forgot to share it with you:
Publishers Weekly
Having her way with the conventions of the genre, Durst (Enchanted Ivy) crafts a fresh, modern, and humorous twist on the vampire novel. At 16, Pearl adores life as a vampire; everything humans have to offer, from their cars to their blood, is hers for the taking. Out prowling one night, Pearl is staked by a unicorn, discovering soon after that she has a reflection and can bask in the sunlight. Sensing opportunity, Pearl's family sends her to high school so she can line up students as the main course for an important party, but Pearl develops a conscience and -- caught between her friends, family, and that pesky, sparkly unicorn -- tries to find the least bloody way out. Durst's snappy dialogue and vivid prose are entertaining (in the cafeteria, "The noise was nearly deafening, as if several flocks of seagulls were fighting over a whale carcass. It also smelled not unlike a whale carcass"), and the straightforward plot moves at a good clip, scattering enough clues to heighten anticipation without spoiling the fun. Lively characters and a sweet romance are icing on the cake. Ages 14–up. (Sept.)
Yay!!!!!
