Meet Victoria Scott

Day two of my Pre-game Show for The Collector is here! Welcome back. I'll be your host for this post. Yes, I am indeed your normal host. I'm in a weird announcer mood today though and y'all will be reaping the benefits. I can sense y'all's enthusiasm. It's wonderful. Onward!

Meet Victoria Scott

She has such a nice face. I like her. 

The Details:
YA author repped by Laurie McLean of the Larsen-Pomada literary agency.
Member of Writer's League of Texas
Member of Team Shiver

Characteristics of Note:
Doesn't drink coffee. *checks the list again* *gasps* Yep. It's true. She doesn't drink coffee and readily admits that on her author page. Well...more for me!! Muahahaha!
Afraid of monkeys. That I can agree with. It's the fingers. I don't like their fingers. No idea why. Moving on...
Carries around water like a human camel. Minus the hump. I wish I was as conscious about my own hydration, but sadly, I do not drink enough H20. 
More interesting facts about the delightful Victoria Scott can be found on her author site. It's a pretty cool place so I recommend going over yonder and seeing what's what.

Find Victoria:
Website
Victoria Scott-Author
The Twitter
@VictoriaScottYA
Facebook
Victoria Scott Author Page

Scott's first book, The Collector (A Dante Walker novel), is set to be published in March of 2013. It features darkly handsome Dante Walker, known as The Collector, and his tale of soul-collecting, bad-boy fun. The cover will be revealed tomorrow (June 1) on a wide-selection of blogs that volunteered to participate in the cover reveal event, including this one.

I hope you'll all show Victoria and Dante some love by Tweeting about the event tomorrow (hashtags #DanteFever #DanteisMine #DanteWalker), taking one of the lovely teaser badges down below and sharing them on your bloggy blog, reblogging about The Collector, or ALL OF THE ABOVE!

Also, her short story Four Houses is available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. It's going to be the next download on my Nook. And because I'm so nice, I will buy the first three people who comment on this post a copy of the digital book. Just leave your email addresses so I'll know who to send them to! (If you don't want a copy of Four Houses, please let me know so I can give it to the next person who does want it. Thank you!)

This is my favorite...

Until next time...

Pre-gaming THE COLLECTOR

I'm so excited to get to participate in this cover reveal! I found out about it through Twitter and I know it's going to be super fun! Victoria Scott's debut novel gives me chills just looking at the cover...and as soon as you see it you'll understand why. Muahaha!

Dante Walker is a bad boy. Actually, he's the ultimate bad boy. And that's what makes him such a good Collector. A collector of souls, that is.

In preparation for the cover reveal on June 1st, please follow this link to watch the teaser trailer posted by Entangled Teen on the book website. It's...shivery.

And then show back up on Friday to see the cover! I'm going to have the countdown to the publication date on my sidebar as well.

Until next time...(keep hold of your soul!)

Dark Goddess (It's Not Chocolate. Sorry.)

So, I actually finished Dark Goddess about a week ago, I think, but I just haven't been able to corral myself into writing a review. I don't know what's wrong with me. *gives self stern look* But I've managed to do it today!

Dark Goddess is book two by Sarwat Chadda (his blog) about the Templar squire, Billi SanGreal. Billi is a teenage girl in an order of men whose holy purpose in life is to destroy the unholy forces of evil. Sounds great, right?

In book one, The Devil's Kiss, Billi must face a fallen angel and the loss of someone very dear to her.

Dark Goddess picks up in the aftermath of that trial and thrusts Billi into the frozen wastes of Russia to stop an ancient force bent on destroying humanity. With the help of fellow Templars and the lost heir to the throne of Russia (a descendent of Anastasia), Billi fights a battle not only for her world, but for her very soul.

Dark and dangerous paths lead Billi on her fast-paced journey, and Dark Goddess does not disappoint as a second novel. In fact, I think I quite prefer it over The Devil's Kiss, but perhaps that's just the ravages of time on my memory again.

Anyway, I can finally cross this review off my list and move on to the next book in the Queue Up for Review!

Until next time....

Cinder Book Trailer

I told y'all I was going to do something video-y for Cinder, and here it is. A book trailer. Actually, it's more of a teaser trailer, but whatevs. I had fun making it. I hope y'all enjoy it!




Until next time...

Burnt to Cinders

courtesy Goodreads.com

It seems like only yesterday I was announcing that Cinder was the next book on the queue for a review. Wait a second...it was only yesterday! I seem to have regained my ability to read a book in a mere two hours and let me tell y'all, it was quite the read. Please direct your attention to the Goodreads summary below.

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .  

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Whew. What a summary. When I bought the book a few months ago (I know, I know), I saw the cover and thought to myself, "Gee, that looks like something I'd like." Shame on me for not making time right then to read it because Cinder is probably one of the best books I've read in a while, and I don't say that lightly.

Marissa Meyer, author extraordinaire, has created a vibrant world with a story that hijacks your brain and takes it for a joy ride. In all honesty, I'm a sucker for retellings of fairy tales, but I've never seen Cinderella's story taken in such an awesome direction. This Cinder is tough, street smart, and far more interesting than the original. Sorry Bros Grimm. And Walt. This day was bound to come eventually.

Plus, how can you resist the added twist of a race living on the moon with an evil queen bent on conquering and enslaving earth? Ummm, mixing science fiction with fairy tales has got to be the best cross-pollination in literary history.

I'm only sad it didn't last longer. That said, I can't wait until the next book is released. It's going to continue Cinder's story and introduce us to Scarlet, aka Little Red Riding Hood. Appropriately enough, this second installment in the Lunar Chronicles will be titled Scarlet. Sadly, Scarlet will not be published until next February.

However, it won't hurt y'all any to get a jump start on its release by reading Cinder. In fact, I highly recommend y'all do. Immediately. I totally would post the book trailer that the publisher made for this book, but...it stinks so I didn't want to subject y'all to that. I'm going to be posting a video reaction to Cinder later today on my YouTube channel as well. In fact, I think I may just make a better book trailer. Hmmmm....I guess y'all will just have to wait and see what I decide.

Until next time...

Back in Action

That's right. You read that title correctly. I'm back and reading up a storm. And with such activities come the arrival of new video reactions to said novels. To wet your whistles I have whipped up a double look at D.M. Cornish's Lamplighter and Factotum.

I think the video rather speaks for itself, so I won't drone on unnecessarily. It feels great to be back though and I hope y'all are doing well in your various and sundry locations.

Until next time...

The Last Monday

This is it, folks. The last full week of classes for this semester.

That's really all I have to say, which is quite unlike me. However, considering most of my time is taken up with writing papers (I'm sick of it by the way), it's not that unusual I suppose.

Words, words, words. I love them and yet at this moment I sort of despise them. Although I'm looking forward to next week when things will be a lot slower on the class and work front.

Summer. That is one word that I can't help but cherish.

Well, in order to make this post worth reading, I've embedded a book trailer for The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross, which I really want to read when I get time. Soon.

It appears to be steampunk with an interesting paranormal twist, but I can't be sure. I haven't even picked up a copy yet, but thank the Internet for YouTube, right? I've provided y'all with the Goodreads link so check it out if you get a chance. And if you've already read it, would you kindly let me know how it is?



Until next time...

The End Approacheth

And by end, I mean of either my sanity or the semester. Those two eventualities may even happen concomitantly. Oh great Google. I'm talking rhetorically. *slaps self*

It's been a back and forth battle this semester to stay consistent in my posts. Not Enough Time won a lot of those skirmishes. Too Tired to Think claimed its fair share. Too Busy Writing Papers snatched a victory here and there.

But now it's almost over. At least for a few months. However, I still have two weeks left of utter torture and despair.

So bear with me folks. Much like the Doctor, my blogging parade is still being impeded by the downpour of my classes. (Yay! Metaphors!) I'd like to keep typing a list of all of the things I have to do before summer starts but I don't want to spread the pain.

You're welcome.

Until next time...

RTW: A Thousand Words

Welcome to our 125th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, since this week's topic is a short one, you can include your answer in the comments.


It's been a while since we had an inspirational photos post, and we always love those. So...

This Week's Topic:

What images inspire/ represent your WIP or favorite book?

Out of habit, I am always accruing images of inspirational things, places, people, sights, etc. Just yesterday I was trolling the Internets looking at pretty things on Nat Geo's site. Lovely images. 

This is my favorite. 

It makes me feel a sense of wonder at nature and wildlife. It's a feeling that I try to convey in one of my WIPs. It's a profound sense of the connection between nature and man, or the lack of connection thereof. There's a certain mysticism about the natural world that cannot be penetrated or fully understood by man, but we try all the same. It's that search for belonging in the natural order of things that I find so fascinating. This stag and his posture of utter serenity speak volumes to me and I just want to capture it so I can recall that feeling again and again. 

It's almost selfish in a way. Yet, I can't help wanting to hoard the feelings inside of me. 

I am haunted by this image in much the same way as the previous one; however, this picture evokes more of an otherworldly quality. I want to dive into those leaves and relive past lives. I want to wander in those trees and hear the ghosts of our pasts. In that forest, there is no time. It doesn't exist. This timelessness is what I want to convey in my WIP about nature. Seasons may change, but images like this stay with you forever. 

I hope y'all are having a lovely Spring. I know I, for one, am looking forward to Summer. I've been planning out my class schedule for Fall and I'm already tired. But I'm on the home stretch! Only two more semesters of classes, an Honors Thesis, and one semester of student teaching, and then I'm done!!! *excited dance*

Until next time...

Double the Versatility

When my parents told me I could be anything, I'm not sure they meant a blogger, but it's moments like this when my wonderful bloggy friends share lovely things with me that I say to my parents, "Ha! The Internet thinks I'm versatile!"

And then I get to see the confused expressions on their faces. Double the pleasure and now double the versatility because Lora Palmer has just graced me with the Versatile Blogger award, which I already have in my possession. 

This time it looks different though so it's almost like receiving it for the first time again! That doesn't happen very often in my experience. Unless you count deja vu and I do. So...actually it happens quite a lot in my experience. 

Anyway, since I've already received this delightful award before, I'm going to abscond from the passing it along to 15 more people (plus I'm running low on time) so I'm just going to say a large THANK YOU to Lora and give seven random facts about myself. I hope no one is upset with this. 

(If you feel like you deserve this award and I've just cheated you out of a shiny addition to your blog sidebar, please feel free to petition me for the right to award it to you. I think that would be fun and I could probably be persuaded to go back at another time and hand it out to 15 bloggers. I just can't right now.)

1. I've been called Snow White-esque twice in the past week. Each time it happened I looked around for the dwarves. They must be invisible to only me. 

2. I just watched Hot Fuzz for the first time last night. I almost died from ALL THE LAUGHTER.

3. I have a stuffed dragon's head sitting on the top shelf of my desk. His name is Sunny. Because he's yellow. 

4. I've gone through almost two boxes of fruit pops this week. I think I may be addicted. 

5. I still haven't seen The Hunger Games movie. I think I'm scared. Or just too lazy to go to the theater. 

6. It has taken me ten minutes to think of something else to say about myself that is random and facty. Success is in the eye of the beholder. And I feel successful. Day made. 

7. I bruise worse than a banana. Seriously. I woke up this morning with two new bruises on my knee. I swear they weren't there when I went to bed. I think I may fight crime in my sleep. 

Until next time...

RTW: Best Book of March

Welcome to our 123rd Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, since this week's topic is a short one, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic:

What was the best book you read in March?

Due to the complete lack of time to read books for "fun," I'm going to say that the best book I've read this month is...

image from goodreads.com

Silas Marner by George Eliot. 

It's not a very long novel but it's certainly the best book I've read this month, including Great Expectations. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Dickens' novel (my favorite is Tale of Two Cities) but Pip annoys me. 

The main character, Silas Marner, is repeatedly oppressed by outside forces and he gets to the point where he becomes a figure that people distrust, but throughout the narrative we see how things work out for the better and how Silas goes through a transformation into a respected member of society. Love, redemption, satisfaction, and faith play important thematic roles in the novel. It's thoroughly heartwarming, as it was no doubt meant to be. 

Silas Marner employs the wry touch characteristic of Eliot's works, and as a piece of literature, it's decidedly tinted with the attributes of a fable. I've always been a fan of fables and fairytales so reading this book was a nice break from the other Victorian readings that I've been doing lately. Realism is fine in small quantities, but sometimes it's nice to read something that puts a smile on your face simply because it's sweet. 

If you haven't read Silas Marner or anything else by George Eliot, I highly recommend that you do. Or at least read Silas Marner. It's not very long. There are some dragging, dull moments but the ending is worth the time spent skipping those spots. (Haha!)

Well, here's to hoping that next month I'll have a YA book to mention and discuss!

Until next time...

Returning from the Near-Dead

OH boy. Turns out that in addition to my overall overwhelmed state the past month, I've also had a sinus infection. It explains so much. Being the Type A person that I am, I couldn't understand why I was so tired, why I ran a fever every day, or why--gross warning--the snot just wouldn't stop.

However, I'm here to tell y'all the problems are now resolved. You're reading the words of a college student no longer plagued by the illness blues. I swear, I wish Z-paks came for everything in life, especially troublesome projects and early classes. I'd never lose a wink of sleep then!

The same can be said for writing. (Yes, I am pulling this lesson application out of thin air, but roll with it. I am.) There are always going to be days, weeks, or even months when we are not hitting the mark. We're going to lack energy and feel like what we're writing is guano. Sometimes we'll know the reason and sometimes we won't; it's just the luck of the draw.

But the important thing to remember is that there is light at the end of that tunnel. No matter how bad it gets or how much rejection you face or how many people tell you that what you're writing is no good, there is a Z-pak for that. Or whatever you want to call it. Silver lining. Pot of gold. Hot bath at the end of the longest day of your life. Those sort of images.

Now, I know it's hard to find those good things when you're being pushed down by the weight of a thousand elephants, but you have to have faith that one day those elephants will get tired of sitting on you and move on to other shoulders. If that makes any sense.

The solution for your issues won't always be as easy as a six day run of strong antibiotics, but I'm betting that it exists out there somewhere. All you have to do is look.

Until next time...

RTW: Hot Stuff Coming Thru

Welcome to our 122nd Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, since this week's topic is a short one, you can include your answer in the comments either here on my blog or back on the prompt post at YA Highway. It doesn't matter where

This Week's Topic: 

A long-awaited kiss, a surprise ending, a character's sudden decision… these are the moments that make us smile, gasp, and LOVE a book for the rest of our lives.

What is your favorite literary moment?

Making this decision was not easy. I've been blessed to have the opportunity to read many books in my life and there are countless memorable moments to go along with them. 

I can still remember the first time I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and the magical feeling I got when Harry is finally allowed to read his letter. It's not a big moment in the grand scheme of the series, but it's important to me because it emphasizes the spectacular journey that Harry will soon embark on. Looking back as a long time Potter fan, I take away so much more from that moment than I did perhaps the first few times I read it. 

And then you can't forget the memorable scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as Molly Weasley takes on Bellatrix Lestrange with a "Not my daughter, you b*tch!" That's one instance of raw feeling that continues to catch me off guard and fill me with a sense of thrill just imagining Mrs. Weasley finally ridding the world of the depravity of Bellatrix Lestrange. The doting mother versus the deadly widow. Poetry in fiction. 

I promise not all of my favorite literary moments are from Harry Potter novels, but a good deal of them are. That's just the way the cookie crumbles. 

Until next time...

Lucky 7 Meme from Super Duper

Well, despite having no time, I couldn't pass up this cute little blog meme when Donelle Lacy tagged me. It just sounded so fun!

What is it?

Rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your WIP.
2. Count down to the 7th line.
3. Copy the next 7 lines and paste them into your post.
4. Tag 7 others to participate.
5. Let those writers know they've been tagged. (Otherwise they wouldn't participate, right? haha)

It seems easy enough and I was curious to see what the excerpt would be from my WIP Super Duper. What follows is what I found on page 77. I hope y'all aren't too confused.

But this time around, I thought that perhaps I should make a plan. Just in case. It wouldn’t hurt in the long run. Deciding on having a plan was the easy part; actually making a plan left me dumbstruck. I had nothing, zero, nada, zilch. My planner hadn’t even made it to step one yet. Things weren’t off to a promising start.
            Mr. Smith never told me when I was going on a mission until the day of, so planning an escape had to include the contingency of his presence and the destination of my mission. Of course, I never knew where I was being sent in the first place, so I suppose the destination was another thing I couldn’t count on. 

And there you have it folks! A piece of Super Duper! It's all first person narrative from the perspective of a teenage girl with super powers. That's all I'm gonna say. If you want to know more, I think I have more on the blog somewhere. Probably one of those tabs at the top.

Anyway, I need to tag some people so here I go!

1. Colin Smith
2. Kelsey Sutton
3. Alicia Gregoire
4. Sophia Chang
5. Silent Pages
6. Tracey Neithercott
7. Cindy Thomas

Until next time...

RTW: Memoirlicious

Welcome to our 118th Road Trip Wednesday! 

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic. 


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments. 

 This Week's Topic: 

NAME THIS LIFE: What would your memoir be called?

Consider this an update. 

Not to seem vain or overly enthusiastic about talking about moi, but I've actually given this a bit of thought. It's one of my greatest inner anguishes that Where the Wild Things Are has already been used with great success. That title perfectly sums up the purest essence of Bailey.

Because we all know that I have infinite wild things inside of me just waiting to burst onto the scene and cause all kinds of havoc with the civilian population. It's no wonder I drink coffee; I have to keep them busy.

However, since that title already graces the shelves of stores everywhere, I have a few more titles that may just serve in some capacity.

The Girl with the Deathly Hallows Tattoo

I had to make this. 

World War B
Bailey Hammond and the Empty Coffee Pot (this will be in series form and subsequent books will grow exponentially)
Sleeping Late for Dummies!
One Star Wars Bandaid at a Time
It's a Dill Pickle Chip Kinda Life
The War of the Minds
One Pen, Two Pen, Green Pen, Blue Pen


As y'all can see, I'm all over the place. I'm actually pretty partial to the first one and the third option. Yep. They're alright.

Until next time...

Go On...Without Me

See that groundhog? (Or is it a gopher?) Yeah. That's me.

I'm finally surfacing from the massive stacks of papers I've been writing, and let me tell you, I swear today was the first day in two weeks that the sun has shone on my face. I was almost blinded. I felt like Saul on that road as the light came down and turned him into Paul.

Good times.

I'm sure y'all may have noticed my absence from the blogosphere lately, and I feel like I must apologize for neglecting y'all. It's been a weird two weeks. I haven't liked not having time to do bloggy things. I've missed, like, two RTW's for goodness sake! That's horrible. I'm horrified.

However, I'm hoping that the sunshine will return and invigorate me, thus turning me into a blogging machine, the likes of which I've only dreamed of becoming.

That's the plan anyway. I hope everyone is doing well and haven't already started planning my funeral and drawing lots for delivering my eulogy. I'm not dead yet folks. I walk a fine line.

Until next time...

RTW: Words, words, words

Welcome to our 117th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic:

What words do you absolutely hate? Which ones do you adore?

I have a confession to make. 

I was a spelling bee kid. From fifth to seventh grade, I spent months out of the year studying large stacks of word packets and books. Each night before I went to bed, my Dad would call out ten pages of words to me, quizzing me on the definitions, usage, and origins of each word. 

Life was simpler back then. I word-dropped like crazy. Once, I even read the entire Webster's dictionary. For fun. 

Those days are long past me, but I still get a thrill from discovering new words and using them in conversation or when I'm writing. Thankfully, as an English major, I get to use my words a lot. 

A few of my favorite words are: 

Adroitly

Malaprop

Ginormous

Nincompoop

Imbecile

Beatific

Alacrity 

Opportune

Magnanimous

Keen

Felicitous

Dimwad (that's one I made up)

Incomprehensible

Indecent

Indelible

Poignant

Astute

Aaaaand the list goes on and on. Sometimes my favorite words are ones that I've made up on the spot. I know I'm not the only one who does that. It's fun. 

Due to the reading I've been doing for my ancient rhetoric class, I've been collecting words like crazy. Or like a crazy person. Whichever. The definition doesn't matter at this point.

I can't say that I hate any words explicitly, but I do have a distaste for certain words, especially if they start with the letter t. Why the letter t, I have no idea; it's just been an issue that I've had for as long as I can remember.

Words I dislike rather strongly:
Titillating
Taxes
Solemn
Purge
A bunch of cussin' words (Although I am rather fond of the s-word.)
Retarded
Toilet
Punctual
Digit

I'm sure there are more, but this is all I can think of at the moment. As soon as I post this I'll probably be hit with a deluge of words that irk the living daylights out of me.

What are y'all's favorite words? Least favorite? First words? Last words? (Haha, just kidding!)

Until next time...

That Little Thing Called Monday

Hello fellow Mondayers! Wow, that salutation took a lot out of me. Unfortunately it's only Monday, which I think we're all pretty aware of, and I'm already running on empty as far as energy is concerned. I'm just now recovering from a horrible cold (I can taste food again!) and the weather has decided for some inexplicable reason to act according to the season. Instead of balmy lows of 50 and highs of 70, last night the weather took a plummeting dive into the below 30's. Not cool.

Please, sir. Can I have just
one more piece of pizza?

So, this morning I froze on my bike ride to class. Thank goodness my parents talked me into bringing my "thick" jacket back with me to school over the weekend, or else I may have been one more casualty of the below freezing temps. If I could feel pity for the squirrels, I would feel horrible that they had to be outside hunting for nuts and granola bars to steal from unsuspecting students. As it is, I do not feel anything for squirrels other than the ever present enmity that rises within me whenever I see one.

I've been meaning to write a book review for Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi, but alas, I haven't even finished it yet, so it really wouldn't be much of a review, now would it? *face palm*

I feel like this is turning into a housekeeping post since I really don't have anything to talk about. Unless y'all want to hear about my 21st birthday? It was fun. I had pina coladas and pizza, and my entire family came over to celebrate. That's pretty much it. What were y'all expecting?

Oh wait.

I hit all PERFECTs. Just saying. I know that dance.
I dance it in my dreams. Or in my head on the way to class.
Or even in class, in my head. 

My friend does have a video on her phone of me dancing to "Apache (Jump on It)" during a Just Dance mini-competition. Not to brag, but I'm pretty good. With that song. Only. For reals.




But that's all that happened. I went to bed at a fairly early hour.

But then I woke up the next morning with a sore throat and a fever. Yes. I got sick the day after my birthday. Some may say I'm lucky that my body resisted for one more day. Being sick ON your birthday isn't fun. However, I still resent having been sick at all. I'm not fun when I can't talk without coughing or when my head is stopped up.

Thankfully, I'm feeling better. Five days of antibiotics have made a difference. Well, now that I've managed to ramble for a few paragraphs, I'm going to go take a nice nap before I get started on all of my work.

Until next time...

RTW: No Samesies Allowed?

Welcome to our 116th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic:

What SNI (Super New Idea) were you psyched to work on, but discovered it was too close to something already done?

Honestly, I can't say that I've ever had this problem before, at least not in the way of me knowing it. I typically try not to make things like other things (and this involves a lot of "outside the brain" thinking), but I suppose if I did have to draw any lines of similarity between something of my own and something that had already been written, then it would probably be my story about demons. 

It's influenced by Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters, but only protagonist-wise. The demons are entirely different and I also have a different backstory for how demons were created and how they interact with humans. There are angels involved as well, but not in the same way as in Clare's books. 

The similarities end there. My story isn't nearly as romance based as City of Bones and the rest of that series. I'm still working on it though, so the incidental samesies haven't discouraged me at all. I've found that having some things the same doesn't necessarily mean my ideas should be scrapped simply because that territory has already been covered. 

You can always bring something new to the table. That's what's so great about creativity and imagination. Those traits rise to the occasion and allow us to expand what is known into the unknown regions. It's the only way we can grow. 

We wouldn't have Harry Potter if it weren't for J. K. Rowling's persistence in writing Harry's story despite a lack of encouragement.

Besides, the success of a book is dependent on multiple things: the author, the editor, the publisher, and the readers. And then you have the booksellers and the reviewers. Even if your idea is somewhat similar to another previously published and possibly very successful book, that does not mean your idea won't be just as successful. Who knows, your book may just hit a better chord in the minds of readers. 

And what are the odds that your idea is going to be exactly the same as another one anyway? It's nearly improbable. There's always going to be some variation. And if that happens naturally, just imagine what you can accomplish if you put your mind toward developing differences. Radical idea, right? 

Until next time...

RTW: Best of January

Welcome to our 115th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic: 

What was the best book you read in January?

I'm keeping it short and sweet today because I don't have much time; I know y'all understand. I think I've already posted once about all these things i've done by Gabrielle Zevin, but I don't believe I ever went into much detail about why I enjoyed reading this book. And I won't really do that in this post, haha! 

Just to give y'all a little background information, Goodreads' description is the following:

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family. 

Engrossing and suspenseful, All These Things I've Done is an utterly unique, unputdownable read that blends both the familiar and the fantastic.

It's all of that and then some. The prose is engaging, the MC is tough but relatable, and the plot does not disappoint. Plus, it's interesting to read about a future world where chocolate and coffee are no-no's. That's just plain inconceivable to someone who has survived off of both of those things more than once during finals week.

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week and a great RTW!

Until next time...