Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Review: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Title: Glitch
Author: Heather Anastasiu
Source: NetGalley ARC
Genre: Science Fiction
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

.
In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

My initial thoughts on the synopsis were YAY for more dystopias! Then as I was reading it, I wasn’t too sure what to make of it. It started out slightly boring, Zoe was a bit dull, but it might have been just because she was confused at what was happening to her with the glitching. Then it suddenly picked up and I got sucked in trying to understand the composition of this society and the cracks in its walls.

The point where it picks up, it seems to go a little bit fast, almost too fast. Zoe meets Adrien and HELLO insta-love. As much as I wanted to hate it, I couldn’t. Why? Because I’m a hopeless romantic and sometimes you just want to see it happen. And this time, when I saw it, I was pleased (even if it was too soon).

After all that jazz, then things head into a new direction due to a slight change of plans. Zoe finds herself without the short term memory of Adrien and back at square one. I found myself more intrigued, wanting to see if she can find her way back to him, despite the obstacles in her way, including a fellow friend and glitcher, Max. They all work on orchestrating a way to safely escape, since time is short before their society, the Community, discovers the glitching.

When I reached the end of the book, I have to say I was surprised at how much I liked it, considering the boring start. Glitch was worth it to me. I grew to love the characters (or love to hate them), and I still stand by liking the insta-love. And the kissing? Magnificent, simply magnificent. The journey throughout made me captivated enough to want more. I’m not really sure in which direction the next book will go, but I am interested in where Heather Anastasiu plans on taking me next.


My Rating:

Very Good: Stay up late

Monday, July 30, 2012

The Journey of Self-Publishing #9: Contacting Book Bloggers


Thoughts At One In The Morning is proud to present a blog post series for unpublished writers on the self-publishing world. I have asked four indie authors to share with you the different steps they have taken on their journey. They will discuss the writing process itself, the steps in between, and publishing itself. Please join us every week for a new topic on the journey to becoming an indie author!

Our Indie Author panel:
Marie Landry, author of Blue Sky Days
You can find her on her blog Ramblings Of A Daydreamer.

A.M. Hargrove, author of The Guardians Of The Vesteron series
You can find her on her blog A.M. Hargrove.

Avery Sawyer, author of Notes To Self
You can find her on her website The Teashop Girls.

Michelle Flick, author of The Owens Legacy: Revelations
You can find her on her blog Oh! For the LOVE of BOOKS!

~*~

This week on The Journey of Self-Publishing:

~Contacting Book Bloggers~

Did you contact book bloggers to review your book? 

A.M. Hargrove: In the beginning, like I said, I was totally naive to Goodreads so I Googled bloggers and sent tons of emails.  I also found them on Twitter and contacted them that way.   Then I became wise and saw that Goodreads is filled with bloggers and R2Rs and such.  But I keep a running list of everyone that's done an R&R and everyone I've asked to do one so I don't approach the same person twice. There are so many, it's easy to make that mistake. Again, I wish I had joined Goodreads a long time ago and made connections for beta readers and reviewers/bloggers before I ever wrote Survival.

Marie Landry: I did, but before I did that, I put out an ‘all-call’ on my blog, telling people that I would soon have ARCs available, and that if anyone was interested in reviewing the book, I’d send them a copy. I got quite a few reviewers that way, and it saved me a lot of time and energy. I’ve also been involved in review promotions through Facebook and Goodreads where people have a certain amount of time to review the book in exchange for a free copy.

Avery Sawyer: Yes. This is important to do. I spend many, many hours emailing book bloggers.

How many approached you first?

Marie Landry: Maybe a dozen, give or take. That’s not a lot to some people, but I saw it as a dozen people I didn’t have to contact and wait to hear from.

Avery Sawyer: Only a small handful.

How many reviewers did you contact to read your book prior to publishing?

Marie Landry: I honestly have no idea. I kept track at one point, but then lost count because I was contacting people in more ways than just email. I sent out dozens of emails, posted on Facebook and Twitter asking if people wanted ARCs, and I also got quite a few reviewers when I made the announcement about the blog tour.

Avery Sawyer: I contacted reviewers after publishing. I’d say I’ve contacted several hundred. And with good results…this is a worthy marketing exercise.

What do you say in your emails to book bloggers/reviewers?

Marie Landry: First, I always personalize the emails. As a book blogger myself, there’s nothing I hate more than some generic message that’s sent out to dozens of other people, when it only takes a minute to add the person’s name, and say something about how you like their blog, or you enjoy their reviews, or something you noticed you have in common (for instance, when an author emails me a request and tells me U2 is their favorite band, too, I know they’ve really read my blog and not just skimmed it). I introduce myself, tell them a bit about the book, include the synopsis, the book cover, the trailer, where I can be found online, and what formats the book is available in.

Avery Sawyer: I introduce myself, give a one or two line description of my book and a link to its Amazon page and ask if they’d like to receive a copy for review. I’m brief and friendly.

Is there anything you would do differently?

Avery Sawyer: Nope. I love book bloggers SO MUCH. You guys are the greatest.

~*~

Thank you for the great advice on contacting book bloggers!

Join us next week when our Indie Author panel will tell us about Book Blog Tours and how to go about planning one.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Review: Under The Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

Title: Under The Greenwood Tree
Author: Thomas Hardy
Source: Purchased
Genre: Classic
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

...
One of the most popular of Hardy's novels, Under the Greenwood Tree is a delightful and humorous depiction of life in an early Victorian rural community. The story delicately balances the concerns of the Mellstock parish choir with a romance between the village schoolmistress and a member of the choir. Hardy thought well enough of the tale to place it among his Novels of Character and Environment, a group which is held to include his most characteristic work.

~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I saw the movie of Under The Greenwood Tree before I read the book. I figured that since I enjoyed the movie, I should check out the book. It should be worthwhile, right? Hmm… not exactly.

Let me explain. The writing wasn’t horrible, there were a lot of lovely descriptions of places and scenery. Made it feel more real. But the dialogue… oh, the dialogue… most of it was written as it was spoken back then. Choppy words, shortened words. Some of it was tolerable because I could imagine it as I heard it while watching the movie, but most of the time I was just frustrated with it. I would come across certain words, then do a double take and think, “Wait, what word is that supposed to be?”

Also, the story line was a bit different than the movie. The basic premise was similar, three possible suitors for Fancy, but the way it progressed was not the same. To be honest, if I read the book first, I probably wouldn’t have watched the movie. Maybe it was just that the scenarios made more sense back then. It was just too bizarre for me. Fancy wasn’t the same, she seemed less strong in the book than the movie. Like she could hardly stand on her own two feet or even think for herself. By the time I reached the end of the book, all I could think was, “THAT is how it ends? Okaaaayyy…”

It was nice, though, to read Under The Greenwood Tree for the sake of knowing the movie’s origin. Thomas Hardy can write quite nicely in a narrative. Despite those two things, I suggest seeing the movie instead of reading the book. The story line is much easier to follow and makes more sense. Plus, I adore the actors and actresses in the movie, especially the guy who plays Dick Dewy. Swoon.


My Rating:

It's Okay: It can wait until tomorrow

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Update Thursday #69

Welcome to Update Thursday, my own personal meme of sorts where I post an update of the goings on at my blog, with reading, with writing, and beyond. Feel free to borrow the idea from me for your own bookish musings.



~*~

On the Blog this week:


~*~

Reading...

Books I finished this week:



577 of 1026 E.E. Cummings poems finished (-0- this week)

~*~
 
Writing...

~ If Only We ~ 30,010 ~
~ Before We Knew ~ 11, 449 ~
~ Whatever This Is ~ outlining ~
~ Under Enchanted Skies ~ 1,550/plotting ~
~ Beyond The Horizon ~ plotting ~
~ So I Thought ~ plotting ~
~ Hold Your Breath ~ plotting ~

So... nothing word count wise to report. I've actually been thinking lately that I haven't been too focused on my writing at all. It kind of makes me a little mad at myself. I made a goal to get published by the end of the year and what do I do? Not dedicate time to writing. I was doing good for a little while there, but I hit a wall because I didn't have much back story or character background developed. You don't realize how important it is to have solid definitions of those things until your story reaches a point where they become necessary to move the plot along.

Last night, I dedicated a few hours to writing. I spent some time writing on paper certain details for the first few chapters. Then I got on the computer and started typing. I didn't gain anything for my word count total because I was starting over on my first two chapters. I sat down and added in more details to the back story and had to tweak the mention of it in the beginning. I also started the chapter differently, reworked what I needed to include, took out what I didn't need to include... and it feels better.

I think reading well written books has been helping me. I'm reading more as a writer in search of the right way to tell a story. It's making all the difference.

SO... I am telling all of you that I am not giving up on my goal. I am determined to reach it. How determined? I am spending the rest of the summer (now until August 31st) dedicated to getting as much done with my novel as possible. I may not finish, but I am going to get as close as I possibly can.

~*~

Otherwise...

One of my coworkers quit, so I'm going to be working an extra day here and there in the coming weeks. It won't mess up my schedule too much. I am pretty well ahead on blog posts and my online sale listings. I do need to go through all my postings for pictures that need to be removed/changed (that's going to be quite a task, I wish I could get it all done in one sitting, but that won't happen). I'll still be able to focus on my writing. I probably won't be able to keep up with a lot of my internet surfing, so don't worry if I'm not around commenting on here or visiting other blogs. I'll still be here. I'll still be keeping you all updated on the latest. ^_^


Until next time!

~Jessica

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Important Information All Book Bloggers Should Know!

Disclaimer: The following is not being shared to make you paranoid, just to inform you of some of the things I have just learned and find relevant to a number of my followers. Take a look at it and you can do with this knowledge as you please. I just felt obligated to share and provide some thoughts on how I plan to proceed. Thanks for reading!


I was scrolling through Google Reader and came across this post about pictures on your blog on Angela's Anxious Life. As I started to read the bullet points she shared from another article, I immediately had to pull said article up. What I read come as a shock to me.

Here's the breakdown (as I see it):

If you use a picture without having permission from the originator, regardless of whether you list the source of the picture and didn't claim it was your own work, YOU COULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND SUED.

It's no joke. The blogger on the original article WAS sued. It's not something to be taken lightly. Sure, considering all things it is possible you may not have this happen to you... BUT it doesn't mean that it could NEVER happen.

Which is why I am working on a massive project of removing all pictures on my blog that are not my own and replacing them with either creative commons pictures OR my own. Also, I am strongly considering deleting my Pinterest account. I remember reading this article talking about the legal ramifications of being held liable if you pin a picture you don't have permission to pin. Pinterest in their Terms of Service clearly state under their disclaimer (#9) that you are held responsible for anything you pin.

Like I said, it may not ever become an issue. The bottom line for me is the following:

I do not want to do something illegal period AND I cannot afford to pay legal fees and compensation for use of a picture to the copyright owner.

I just wanted to share this with my followers, as it is something you may not be aware of. Take a look at all the articles I list below (which includes one on finding photos for your blog). It was a real eye opener for me and I hope it helps my fellow bloggers out as well!

~Jessica

Learn more:

Review: Heat Wave by Richard Castle

Title: Heat Wave
Author: Richard Castle
Source: Purchased
Genre: Mystery/Crime
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

.
A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. PulitzerPrize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.

~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Well, everyone who knows me knows why I read this one. I love the show Castle. LOVE IT. So when I found out they actually published Nikki Heat books in conjunction with the television series, I scrambled to get my hands on a copy of the first one. I had no idea exactly how the book would be. Whether it would have a thread like the show or be completely in its own category. I heard snippets about it on the show, so I had a feeling it would be like the show.

So, of course, there’s Nikki Heat, being followed by a reporter, Jamison Rook. A set up similar to the premise of the show. There’s a murder of a prominent man, Matthew Starr, with several possible suspects close to him, including his wife, Kimberly. As we learn more about him, his wife, his friends and colleagues, a picture starts to develop as to where his life was when he died, and the reason why he was murdered. Although the whole point of a murder mystery should be the story surrounding the murder, I was more focused on the relationship between Heat and Rook.

With good reason… I love the chemistry on the show Castle (between Beckett and Castle), and seeing that chemistry play out on the pages of a book, OH YEAH. It was awesome. There are a lot of quips and quick wit bouncing back and forth between them, and also the other detectives, Raley and Ochoa (in other words, Ryan and Esposito). I noticed some parallels from the lines in the book to the show, but it didn’t bother me. I mean, the whole point of the show Castle is that he gets his inspiration from what he experiences, right? So, it is going to expressed through his novel.

Since Heat Wave was almost exactly like watching Castle, I thought the book was made of pure awesome. That’s right PURE AWESOME. The mystery intrigued me, and kept me wanting to find out more, and find out why, and find out who. I think a subconscious part of me knew who it was, but I pushed it aside more than once. Shows what I know! But the best part of the story was Nikki Heat and Jamison Rook. I loved the way they were together. Do I recommend this? YES. YES I DO. Especially for those who love the show Castle. You will absolutely adore Heat Wave.


My Rating:

Exceptional: Stay up until at least 1 AM

Monday, July 23, 2012

The Journey of Self-Publishing #8: Establishing Yourself Online



Thoughts At One In The Morning is proud to present a blog post series for unpublished writers on the self-publishing world. I have asked four indie authors to share with you the different steps they have taken on their journey. They will discuss the writing process itself, the steps in between, and publishing itself. Please join us every week for a new topic on the journey to becoming an indie author!

Our Indie Author panel:
Marie Landry, author of Blue Sky Days
You can find her on her blog Ramblings Of A Daydreamer.

A.M. Hargrove, author of The Guardians Of The Vesteron series
You can find her on her blog A.M. Hargrove.

Avery Sawyer, author of Notes To Self
You can find her on her website The Teashop Girls.

Michelle Flick, author of The Owens Legacy: Revelations
You can find her on her blog Oh! For the LOVE of BOOKS!.
~*~ 
 
This week on The Journey of Self-Publishing: 

~Establishing Yourself Online~

How do I establish myself online?

Avery Sawyer: It takes time. Set up a Twitter account and a Facebook page and start following people and making some noise. It helps if you’re naturally witty or able to link to cool/funny/interesting things online. Be generous. Retweet and Share other people’s good news and begin to establish friendly, reciprocal relationships.

Michelle Flick: Blogging, commenting on everyone's page, Goodreads, a Facebook page dedicated to you as an author, and Twitter. Social networking takes time - you have to be dedicated to it - every week.

A.M. Hargrove: Here's what I think is the most important thing to do in order of importance: 1. Goodreads (have I said this enough? LOL) 2. Twitter (5 tweets per day with 1 of them being promotional. Help your fellow authors here too…it will come back 100-fold.) 3. Website/blog. I hired a web designer for a basic site and I use Blogger for my blog. 4. Facebook.

Marie Landry: First, start a blog. Whether it’s a book blog, a blog about writing, or a blog about anything and everything, if I could tell you to do one thing, it would be start a blog and add original, quality content on a regular basis. I’d also recommend setting up a page on Facebook, a Twitter account, and joining Goodreads. Get your name and face out there, make friends, make connections, let people know they can expect great things from you.


What social media do you use?

Avery Sawyer: I use Twitter, Facebook, Blogger (not much), Goodreads, and LibraryThing. I have a Facebook page for Notes to Self, but it doesn’t get much action. I use Twitter the most, following closely by Facebook. I am online all day. I use social networking a ton. Fortunately, I don’t mind it.

Michelle Flick: Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

A.M. Hargrove: Goodreads, Twitter, Blog, and Facebook.

Marie Landry: I’m everywhere. I have two Facebook pages - one for my writing in general, and one for Blue Sky Days. I’m on Twitter, Goodreads, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, you name it. I also have three (yes, three) blogs - a book blog (Ramblings of a Daydreamer), an author blog (Marie Landry, Author), and an everything blog (Lost and Found - Reflections of a Daydreamer).

Which one do you use the most?

Avery Sawyer:  I set up a website for Planet Explorers, but I’m beginning to think the Planet Explorers Facebook page is probably a better tool to connect with my readers.

Michelle Flick: Blogger is the one I use the most. I am branching out to Facebook more. I use Goodreads pretty steadily. Self-promotion is the key to success - well so I think. But if you aren't willing to promote your book because you believe in it, why would anyone buy it?

A.M. Hargrove: I spend almost 100% of my time divided between Goodreads and Twitter.  Any more than that and it takes away my time from writing as they both can become addicting and time-consuming!

Marie Landry: Definitely my blog, and specifically my book blog. It was where I got my start - where I started to make friends and contacts, and where I really found my voice. I owe a lot to the book blogging community. Other than that, I’m on Facebook and Twitter quite a bit, too.

Did you have a professional design your site? 

Avery Sawyer: Nope.

Marie Landry: No, I designed them all myself. Another way a background in design comes in handy! There are some incredible designers out there - recently, a lot of bloggers have started offering their services, and they’re just as good as any ‘professionals’ I’ve seen, and the money usually goes back into the blog through giveaways and promotions. Book bloggers helping book bloggers - one of the many reasons I love our little community.

Is there anything you would do differently?

Avery Sawyer: I would hire a pro if I could afford it.

~*~

Thank you for the great advice on establishing yourself online!

Join us next week when our Indie Author panel will discuss how to Contact Book Bloggers and how important it is in promoting your novel.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Review: Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

Title: Perfect
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Source: Purchased
Genre: Young Adult
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they'd rather be. For four high-school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there.

Cara's parents' unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body—no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run—on the field and off—Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes that to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he'll be living a life his ancestors would never have understood.

Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What would you give up to be perfect?

A riveting and startling companion to the bestselling Impulse, Ellen Hopkins's Perfect exposes the harsh truths about what it takes to grow up and grow into our own skins, our own selves.

~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Being the Ellen Hopkins novel (and poetry) lover I am, I had to pick this one up. Especially since it’s a companion to my favorite of her books, Impulse. I remember reading that one until, yep, one in the morning. I spent the trip back from NC reading Perfect. And I couldn’t put it down.

That’s exactly the effect her novels have when you read them. You’re so compelled to continue until you finish. I knew I had to wait until vacation to read it, otherwise I’d focus all my attention on this one instead of the ones I was obligated to finish first. It really was an amazing novel; it captured the heart behind the façade people show. All of the characters she created were believable and all the stories she developed were unimaginable. It’s hard to talk in too much detail about the story lines or characters, otherwise I’d be giving away a lot of the connections through the story.

I will say this, every last character in this book is very real. The things they think and feel and do, are all real things that could have and probably have happened. All of them are similar in the sense of their connection through the desire or expectation of being perfect, but they are unique in their own way as well. The views of the ones forcing the perfection, it still amazes me that there are people like that out there. But, that’s why Ellen Hopkins chose to write this novel--because there are those people out there. And those people hurt the ones they love because of those high expectations.

This book, as I mentioned, is a companion novel to Impulse. It could definitely stand on its own for sure--but once you read one, you ruin the ending of the other. Each trace along the same path and involved and intertwines together in a few places. There was a lot of similarity between the two novels, but they do have their different premises.

I don’t think I’ve picked up an Ellen Hopkins book that I didn’t love. Although I’m not a fan of unhappy endings or sad stories, there’s always a twinge that comes with each of her novels and for some reason, I'm fine with it. Not that all of them end on a sad note, some do, some just have that element throughout. But that’s what makes her stand out from the rest. She’s not afraid to hit you hard with an emotional roller-coaster. You start to think deeply on the topics she raises. And Perfect was no exception. I would recommend reading this one, but as far as which one you should read first, in my opinion, it should be Impulse. Even if you read Perfect first, I don’t care! Just read something by Ellen Hopkins at least once. You’ll never regret it.


My Rating:

Exceptional: Stay up until at least 1 AM

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Update Thursday #68

Welcome to Update Thursday, my own personal meme of sorts where I post an update of the goings on at my blog, with reading, with writing, and beyond. Feel free to borrow the idea from me for your own bookish musings.



~*~

On the Blog this week:

  • The indie author panel tackles Book Trailers in the seventh installment of my blog post series, The Journey of Self Publishing.
  • My review of The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee.
  • See the pictures from my Zoo Trip last month!
  • Don't forget to fill out my blog survey. I want to know what you think of my blog and what kind of things you like and don't like on blogs. ^_^

~*~

Reading...

Books I finished this week:

*looks around* ~none~ *oops*

Books I'm reading now (and some still):


577 of 1026 E.E. Cummings poems finished (30 this week)

~*~
 
Writing...

~ If Only We ~ 30,010 ~
~ Before We Knew ~ 11, 449 ~
~ Whatever This Is ~ outlining ~
~ Under Enchanted Skies ~ 1,550/plotting ~
~ Beyond The Horizon ~ plotting ~
~ So I Thought ~ plotting ~
~ Hold Your Breath ~ plotting ~

Well! Didn't do a thing. I wanted to, but I had more pressing things to do. (See below in Otherwise) One thing that DID just happen is I won a five page critique from an author. Score! So I'll be getting some feedback on my writing. Maybe that will boost my enthusiasm a bit.

I was just reading this article on YA Highway and it seems to sum up how I feel at this point of my novel. Mostly the 'somewhere in the middle things get difficult' part. I am enjoying writing, but it's gotten harder with the little things I need to include to get the story to progress. Hence the index cards and calendar from last week. I've got scene ideas to include as filler (not like wasteful scenes that do nothing for the story, but those tiny scenes that fill in the blanks so that you don't have your story skip a whole week to get to the next important scene), but using them to fill in almost seems... like a speed bump? All I really have to do is rewrite it out better, maybe even cut part of it down. But, it's frustrating nonetheless.

~*~

Otherwise...

It's been a busy week since my last update, mostly trying to get caught up on everything. My long "To Do" list is still long. And my room is still a mess. And I have online sales and listings to take care of. I'm hoping to get half of the stuff on that list crossed off by tomorrow night. INCLUDING finishing a book AND something to do with my writing, probably writing on the index cards. So... I'm gonna sign off and take care of this list!


Until next time!

~Jessica

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Review: The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

Title: The Unquiet
Author: Jeannine Garsee
Source: NetGalley ARC
Genre: Young Adult
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists.

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself?

~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

My expectations were a bit different than what I was served. This is not a bad thing! With as many books I look into on Goodreads, sometimes I forget exactly what a book will be about. All I remembered was the first part of the synopsis, the bipolar disorder and her grandmother and Ohio. The rest seemed to escape my memory when I began to read this. So I suppose it was a nice surprise, the whole ghost story.

The development of Rinn is, at first, a bit… rocky? However, the ghost aspect brings out more about her--draws you to her and draws you into the story more. When she divulges her past to Nate, her love interest, my first thought was, “Really? So soon?” And so straightforward. If I were him, I probably would have run. Not that I would have a problem with her past if she were someone I knew, it was just WAY too soon to admit it. As the plot progressed along, I became absorbed. Rinn’s battle of trying to appear sane while figuring out what was happening kept me on the edge of my seat.

The best part? At one point, Nate asks her if she’s listening to Pink Floyd, but she tells him it’s David Gilmour. In real life, my brother loves them. I’ve heard plenty of them both. When an author brings up something relatively obscure (or at least not as well known by the current generation), I have to give them kudos. And a high five. The song “There’s No Way Out Of Here” was quite pertinent in setting the scene.

The Unquiet was a wild and creepy and sometimes scary ride. Jeannine Garsee gracefully spun this tale, constructing the plot in a way that kept you on your toes. In the end, I didn’t mind the quickened relationship. I went over it in my head and it felt more like crushing at first than insta-love, which is realistic. Although insta-love type situations are overdone, this one is not too bad. All in all, there was a lot to this story that made it appealing. Like a creepy story with a little bit of romance? This is it.


My Rating:

Very Good: Stay up late

Monday, July 16, 2012

The Journey of Self-Publishing #7: Book Trailers


Thoughts At One In The Morning is proud to present a blog post series for unpublished writers on the self-publishing world. I have asked four indie authors to share with you the different steps they have taken on their journey. They will discuss the writing process itself, the steps in between, and publishing itself. Please join us every week for a new topic on the journey to becoming an indie author!

Our Indie Author panel:
Marie Landry, author of Blue Sky Days
You can find her on her blog Ramblings Of A Daydreamer.

A.M. Hargrove, author of The Guardians Of The Vesteron series
You can find her on her blog A.M. Hargrove.

Avery Sawyer, author of Notes To Self
You can find her on her website The Teashop Girls.

Michelle Flick, author of The Owens Legacy: Revelations
You can find her on her blog Oh! For the LOVE of BOOKS!.
~*~

This week on The Journey of Self-Publishing:

~First Drafts and Revisions~

Did you make a book trailer?

Marie Landry: I did. I knew it wasn’t necessary, and that a lot of people really don’t care about them, but it was something I wanted to do - I wanted the ‘whole experience’, and the trailer seemed like part of that.

Michelle Flick:  No - I haven't but I haven't crossed it off my list.

A.M. Hargrove: No book trailers yet. When I get to the point where I think they'll make a big difference, then I'll consider it.

How do I make a book trailer?

Marie Landry: Windows Movie Maker is a great place to start, but it can take a while to figure out how to use it. There are other ‘movie maker’ programs, but I honestly don’t know much about them. For me, I basically created the trailer in Photoshop and Animation Shop, then moved it over to Windows Movie Maker to piece it all together and add the music. Kind of a roundabout way of doing it, but it’s what worked for me since I was familiar with design and animation.

Where do I find the pictures?

Marie Landry: You can buy images on the same sites I mentioned for cover design (Dreamstime, Shutterstock, and iStockPhoto.), you can use your own photos, or you can search for free creative commons photos on Google, Flickr, and other photo sharing sites. Again, just make sure to read the fine print about image usage. I did all three - a few of the pictures were my own, some were creative commons, and the rest I bought.

Where do I find the music/sounds?

Marie Landry: Search for ‘Royalty Free Music’ on Google. There are tons of sites that you can either buy the rights to use the song, or simply give credit for using the song. I got my music from DanoSongs.com - he had a great selection, and you can choose to use the song for free with credit, or donate $10. A lot of the other sites I came across wanted a minimum of $25 per song.

~*~


Thank you for the great advice on book trailers!

Join us next week when our Indie Author panel will discuss in more detail Establishing Yourself Online, where you should be and how to go about it in promotion of your novel.

Friday, July 13, 2012

On My Mind: Zoo Pictures, Including LEMURS!!! (4)

As promised... zoo pictures!  I suppose I don't need to say too much about them... These were all taken at my zoo, The Toledo Zoo. I've gone there for years upon years, so I've seen most of these lovely animals since I was a youngster. And now they've got my favorite animal in the world--LEMURS--so I had to get a membership and plan on going there a few times just to watch them later this year. ^_^

Without further adieu... the pictures... ENJOY!

~*~

LEMURS!!!

Mom with baby!
This is the daddy, he came up to the window to say hi to us.
This picture won the prize for the day--the babies were running around like crazy.

Looking right at me.
Family :)
The baby just looks SO CUTE!!!

OTHER ANIMALS

Two baby tigers that are almost adult size, the one was cleaning the other, so cute!
One of the nicer close-ups I got of the penguins.
I think they were anticipating food, or staying cool in their cave.
I think this was the baby we saw last year, he's grown SO MUCH!
New baby with mom. CUTIE!
Giraffe--my mom told me back in the day you could actually touch them!
His tongue is sticking out. :P
Couldn't get a good shot of the Cheetah, but check out the chipmunk stuffing his cheeks!
Epic duck shot.

FLOWERS
~There's a whole section of just flowers and I couldn't help but take a few shots.~


And finally... me, being me

It's a bee!!!


Hope you enjoyed the little trek through my zoo trip!

~Jessica