Friday Loves: The Hunger Games

Since the last Mockingjay movie is coming out, I kinda wanted to reread the series, but decided to pass, mainly because I'm doing a Harry Potter reread right now and have no time. But I decided to do a rewatch of the movies in prep for when I see Mockingjay Part 2 this weekend.

I gotta say, as far as books-to-movies go, the Hunger Games movies are some of the best. In fact, I almost prefer the movies to the books (don't tell anyone I said that), although there are some really great lines in the books, mostly said by Peeta. 

The actors are all phenomenal, and I can't wait to see the series wrap up on the big screen. 

Are you looking forward to Mockingjay Part 2?

Wednesday Writes: Er, Not Really

I finished up revisions on COLLIDE and sent it off to my wonderful CPs. Now I'm thinking of book 3 and what I will possible write about. Even though SWAY and COLLIDE aren't an actual series, they are both retellings of classics, and a couple of characters from SWAY make a brief appearance in COLLIDE. I want to continue with that theme for book 3 (three books total sounds right), but at this point I have no idea what classic I want to retell.

I did PERSUASION in the first place because I love that book, LOVED the movie version, and felt like it would make a great modern day story. NORTH & SOUTH is also a favorite, and even though it was a lot harder to put that story in a modern setting, I loved writing every minute of it. But what to do next? 

I don't want to pick just any random classic. The story has to be one that I really FEEL, even if I don't love it. And it has to translate to modern times. I thought at first about doing a Dickens, so I watched GREAT EXPECTATIONS and then NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, both faves of mine. The problem with Dickens, or maybe the great thing about Dickens, is that his stories are so much more than love stories, and to cut out those other elements would seem untrue. (I already feel like I did this a bit with COLLIDE/NORTH&SOUTH.) 

So I put it to Facebook, asking for people's fave classic love stories. GONE WITH THE WIND was the top, but to be honest, I don't even want to touch that. Also, that book isn't really a romance to me, probably because of the end, which I've never liked anyway. (Sorry, GWTW fans.)

I don't want to do something obvious and overdone, like PRIDE & PREJUDICE, ROMEO & JULIET, or JANE EYRE. As much as I love Jane Austen, I don't want to do another of hers either. 

So where does that leave me??? Well, I have a few ideas, nothing concrete yet. My writing time right now is being taken up by watching movie adaptations of classic romances to find the one that really sings. Hopefully this won't take longer than this week so I can start writing next week, or at the latest, the beginning of December. 

Any classic romance recommendations for me?

Monday Reads: HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

I'm still reading my way through Harry Potter. I read PRISONER OF AZKABAN this week, and I loved it as much as I did the first time. PoA is one of my favorites, though I'm not sure why. One of the reasons could be it was the book that really hooked me. While I liked the first two a lot, I think PoA really swept me up into the world and the fandom. Also, as a kid I wanted to write a story about wizards who can change into animals and this book does that but in a really fun yet unexpected way. Plus I LOVE the Marauder's Map. It still disappoints me when I watch the movie that Lupin never explains to Harry who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are.

Anyway, I'm on GOBLET OF FIRE right now, and my oldest daughter is also rereading her way through- she's on book 5. We're also watching the movies as we go. I'm fast getting sucked into the Harry Potter world. I was thinking about why I love the books so much and there are probably a lot of reasons, but world building is a huge one. JK Rowling does such a great job building a world that is magical yet feels so real, feels like it could actually exist out there somewhere. Makes me feel like I might still get my letter for Hogwarts one day... One can always dream, right?

LEST WE FORGET

In lieu of a writing post today, I want to briefly express my gratitude for those who have fought for my wonderful country, and those who have fought for freedom all around the world. In my opinion, no one says it better than John McRae:

I know I post this song every year, but I love it so much. I don't just listen to it on Remembrance Day, it's in my regular playlist and it brings tears to my eyes every time.

Please take two minutes at 11am this morning to remember the sacrifices of so many.

Monday Reads: MORE THAN MAGIC and HARRY POTTER

It was a great reading week! (Which I LOVE.) 

I read MORE THAN MAGIC, a fellow Samhain book by Donna June Cooper. Here's the premise:

DEA agent Nick McKennitt is sure magic exists—a dangerous drug called Smoky Mountain Magic that’s wreaking havoc on the streets of Atlanta. He’s also sure that locating and eliminating the source could mean his death.

When he arrives undercover on Woodruff Mountain, the beautiful owner’s anxious attempts to scare him off tell him something’s afoot, and it’s not her secret patch of a rare, ancient species of ginseng.

As her dream of seeking medicinal plants in the Amazon fades into the distance, Grace Woodruff struggles to come to terms with an inherited magical gift she didn’t want, and searches desperately for the meaning behind her late grandfather’s final, cryptic message. 

The last thing she needs underfoot is a handsome, enigmatic writer recovering from a recent illness. Until an accidental touch unleashes a stunning mystical force and Grace senses the wrath of a malicious blight at the heart of the mountain. Now she must choose between her need to hide her gift from the world…and her desire to save Nick’s life.

This book was excellent. There were secrets from the start that I wanted the answers to. The world-building was excellent- grounded in our world with just a hint of magic and some science mixed in. I loved the love story between Grace and Nick- even though the book only took place over a few days, the love story had a slow build which I loved. I read the book in two nights because it was a definite page-turner.

I'm also doing a Harry Potter reread. Last week I read THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE and THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. I LOVE LOVE LOVE being back in the world of Harry Potter. It feels like being back with an old friend again, and I'm quickly slipping into fangirldom. That's what Harry Potter does to me. 

Friday Loves: THEN COMES WINTER

This past spring I wrote a short story called BECOMING FANNY and entered it into a Jane Austen-themed holiday romance anthology contest. I ended up being chosen as First Runner-Up, which means BECOMING FANNY will be featured in the anthology coming out before Christmas!

This past Tuesday was the cover reveal for THEN COMES WINTER, the title of the anthology, and I think it's really adorable. The cover kinda fits with my personal story, and I love how there's Jane Austen writing below the picture (taken from EMMA).

The authors and editor of the anthology will be hosting a weeklong Facebook party from November 16th-20th to celebrate the launch, with tons of giveaways and swag, including an advanced e-copy of my book SWAY! Come check us out if you get the chance.

BECOMING FANNY is MANSFIELD PARK meets HOLIDAY INN.Blair McTavish loves quizzes. But when she does“Which Jane Austen Heroine Are You?” and gets Fanny Price, she’s disappointed. Blair wants to be Elizabeth Bennet, not Fanny. After all, Fanny wouldn’t leave her dysfunctional family over Christmas to perform in a musical with complete strangers.

But every time Blair tries to be more like Elizabeth, things go horribly wrong. If Blair doesn’t figure out who she really is, this Christmas will be rotten, just like all the rest. Or maybe, if she can learn to be happy with herself, it may just be the best Christmas ever.

Wednesday Writes: Some Editor Love

Last January, I had a HUGE decision to make: which publishing contract out of three should I accept?

I took this decision very seriously, and it was super hard to make. Like most decisions, I had no idea what the final outcome would be so I had to do a lot of research, and then go with my gut.

One of the things that made this decision slightly easier, was that my editor from Samhain contacted me directly. He was the one to offer. He told me up front what his editing style is like, and we had very brief email chitchats back and forth before I made my decision. From that little intro alone, I knew this was someone I could work with, and that was one of the reasons I went with Samhain Publishing.

Not that I wasn't super super nervous to get that first editing letter. I'd heard of twenty-page long epistles detailing everything wrong about an author's manuscript, and I was dying worrying I'd get one of these. Not that I wasn't ready to roll up my sleeves, but still... nerves. My edits weren't quite so long *phew*, and they were spot on. I think I agreed with almost everything my editor said, and not because I was trying to be easygoing. He was just right. It was so easy to work with him and I count myself lucky that I had such a talented editor look over my work and make it better. The best thing about him though, was that he really brought the funny to this manuscript. Out of six unpublished works, this was by far my most serious, and my most quiet. I did have a few lighter moments, but I'm not gonna lie, it's a kinda angsty book, in an adult way. So I love that my editor helped me create some laugh out loud moments.

To Noah Chinn, I'm grateful to have you as my editor, and I hope I don't drive you too crazy. ;)

CHEERS!

Monday Reads: SEDUCING CINDERELLA

Confession: I don't really read romance.

I know, I know, I WRITE romance. And you should ALWAYS DEFINITELY read the genre you write in. Before you accuse me of not practicing what I preach, here's the thing: I don't really read romance, as in category. As in, the really racy rated R kind. I don't write that type of romance either. I'm not knocking it, it's just not my jam. Before SEDUCING CINDERELLA, I think I'd only read one other romance novel- a Victorian one. The reason I picked it up in the first place is because my male MC in COLLIDE is a fighter, and Reid from SC is an MMA fighter.

So did I like SEDUCING CINDERELLA (by Gina L. Maxwell)? Yes. It was a great story with great characters. Reid was hot and sexy and sweet, and Lucie was the typical You-Don't-Know-You're-Beautiful kind of girl, but it didn't feel formulaic. There was plenty or racy to go around, so if you like that, then definitely check out this book.

I love romance in books. It's almost a must for me (I say almost because I've read a few really amazing books that had no romance storyline in them). I love to write romance. But for me the fun is the flirting, the will they/won't they, the push and pull. The almost kisses. It reminds me of this meme I saw on Pinterest a few weeks ago that made me laugh, it was so true for me:

What about you? Chippendales or top hats and cravats? LOL

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Instead of yesterday's FRIDAY LOVES post, I'm here today- Saturday October 31st- to wish everyone a happy Halloween! I love Halloween- the costumes and the candy and the fun (not creepy) decorations. So I hope everyone has a fun and safe night!

Wednesday Writes: Stressin'

I'm more than halfway through my revision/second-POV-adding of COLLIDE and most days I'm feeling really good about it. It's not there yet, obvs- once I'm done I'll have to go back to the beginning and read it through to make sure the dual POV works and the chapters are in the right place, then I'll send it to CPs. But I think it's going well.

Until... I'll get these crazy moments of total unworthiness. Like, maybe I'm screwing up this retelling SO BAD that everyone is going to hate it. Someone said recently that they're really excited for this book and I was all

I've searched Goodreads and Google and haven't found any other NORTH & SOUTH retellings. There are some continuation stories, or retelling in that time period, and I believe there might be some on fanfiction sites, but no modern day published books. (If there are, please tell me, I'd love to read one.) So this leaves me feeling the pressure. People love this story, what if I screw it up?! Of course, I know I'm not going to meet everyone's expectations, that'll never happen no matter what. But still, I'm stressin'.

For anyone who thinks writing retellings is easy, hahahahaha. They're SO not. Anyway, there's nothing for it but to press forward with the book and make it the best I can make it and hopefully that ends up being enough. 

Monday Reads: Beautiful Disaster and The Guardian, A Sword, & Stilettos

I read two interesting books this week. The first, BEAUTIFUL DISASTER by Jamie McGuire. This book definitely had it's moments.

I was into the relationship for the first half- the whole, will they/won't they totally drew me in and I loved it. Once the two main characters got together though, I was kinda wondering where it would go, which I shouldn't have. Because hello, the title is a dead giveaway. And their relationship was definitely a disaster, but not necessarily all that beautiful in my view. For me, the book itself was good, but their relationship was so toxic it became hard to read sometimes. I felt the book was very real, and the dialogue was right on. This wasn't a book that wasted time with a lot of prose or description. The characters did a lot of sneering and face-touching which pulled me out of the story every time, but otherwise, it was a super fast read. My own personal feelings toward the book aren't 100% though since I just didn't care for their relationship. Totally a personal opinion and nothing more.

Then I read THE GUARDIAN, A SWORD, & STILETTOS by Kristin D. Van Risseghem. This was a fun book, another fast read, with not a lot of wasting time on unnecessary things. It felt sort of like MORTAL INSTRUMENTS meets HUSH, HUSH to me- a lot of angels and demons and even a werewolf and a faerie or two. This is a series, so it didn't wrap up the main plotline, but it had a satisfying ending nonetheless.

And now I'm fully read-ed out, so I think I'm going to go watch some stuff and start a new book, SEDUCING CINDERELLA, tomorrow.

Friday Loves: Making A Playlist

It's no secret that I love to make playlists for my WIPs. My playlist for COLLIDE (my NORTH & SOUTH retelling) is pretty small so far. It's really hard to find a song about a girl who's just not into a guy. Seriously. Sure there's, "Oops, I Did it Again," and my recent fave, "Ex's & Oh's" by Elle King, but neither really convey they point, in my view. Those are both about playing with a guy/guys and COLLIDE deals more with a girl who's not interested even though the guy likes her. If anyone knows a song by a female that's basically, DUDE, I DON'T LIKE YOU, please let me know.

But here's a few songs I've found that do go well.

"Song of the Caged Bird" by Lindsay Stirling. I actually mention this song in the book as one my MC dances to.

"Hero/Heroine" by Boys Like Girls. This would totally be a song from my male MC's POV.

"Pocket Full of Dreams" by Hedley. Especially when they change the chorus near the end of the song.

"Unbreakable" by Jamie Scott. Oh yes, this song. LOVE.

Wednesday Writes: The Journey

I'm still working on my NORTH & SOUTH retelling, which I've tentatively titled COLLIDE. It's going pretty good, although I'm still struggling with finding the voice of my male MC. Ergh.

I've been thinking lately about my writing journey. So far, it hasn't turned out like I thought it would. That's not a bad thing. One of the reasons I love to read "How I Got My Agent" stories is because they're always different. No one gets an agent the same way and no one's writing journey is the same.

I thought writing the book in the first place was the hard part. Hahahahahaha. I thought that once I did, I'd revise it once, then send it to a handful of literary agents, one of whom (or maybe all) would love it, and then sell it right away in a multi-book deal. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Needless to say, my writing journey has been NOTHING like that. I don't as yet have an agent. But I do have a book coming out soon, plus a short story in a collection, and I'm excited about that. You can't put expectations on your writing. You shouldn't assume things will happen for you the same way they did for that girl in your writer's group or your facebook group or wherever you heard her story. Every journey is different. For me, it's helped me to be patient, and just roll with it. Take what's coming and also lean into what's working. No matter what your journey looks like, have patience, take a breath in the low moments, and enjoy every second of the peaks.

Monday Reads: THE ROYAL WE, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY

I didn't post last Monday because it was Canadian Thanksgiving, so this week I've got three books to talk about.

First I read THE ROYAL WE by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. This is totally Will and Kate fanfiction, but I loved it. It was fun to read and feel like I was part of a world I will never be part of. Even though it was fiction, they built the world of the royals so well, it felt real, and with so many similarities between the story and Will and Kate's journey, I felt like I was reading about them (which I wasn't, I know). I only have two minor complaints. One, the book felt long. I don't know where they could've cut it, and I don't think I was ever bored, but it still felt long, which isn't something you want your readers to feel. The other thing, which some people will laugh at me for, but these characters did not stop drinking. Like seriously, find something else to do. It made for a lot of hijinks and funny moments, but there were multiple times where I was like, SERIOUSLY STOP DRINKING. This is coming from a girl who doesn't drink, so there you go.

Then I read THE WRATH AND THE DAWN by Renee Adieh. This book sucked me in from the start. I loved the story, although I was a little disturbed by how Shazi fell for Khalid. I wish I had written this post right after I finished reading it because my thoughts were much clearer then than they are now. But that feeling hasn't left me. As much as I loved their complicated story and was totally drawn in, it was still a little off to see her fall for him. I mean yes, he had reasons for having all those girls killed, and he felt horrible, but still- he killed her best friend. All those times she was hating herself for falling for him, I was feeling the same thing. The book was good though- the world building in particular was excellent. A minor complaint I had was all the eye and hair descriptions. I'm guilty of the eye thing myself, but I found myself rolling my eyes at her "waving tresses" and his "tiger eyes" mentioned every other page. Just saying. I'll definitely pick up the second book though.

Last, I read SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY by Julie Murphy. Yeah. I have a lot to say about this book but I'll keep it brief. Again, this book sucked me in, but when I wasn't reading it, I didn't want to pick it back up (I did anyway). Why? Because I could not stand the main character Alice. Yes, she had cancer, but she was not a nice person, she treated everyone like crap, and especially Harvey, who was such a good guy but he would just lie down and take it. It drove me crazy. Yet I still kept reading, which is a testament I think to how good the writing and the story itself was. It was very honest, and I liked that. I just couldn't stand Alice. It made me think of unlikeable characters and the whole discussion about unlikeable female characters. I started to think if I'd read any male unlikeable characters and if I liked them anyway, but couldn't think of any. I agree that we should be able to have unlikeable female characters as well as males, because why not? But they aren't really my thing. Like unreliable narrators, I'm just not a fan. Anyway, the book is good and deals with cancer in a very real, honest, and not sappy way. Although I felt the end a little too... easy after everything that had happened. I don't want to give spoilers so you'll just have to read it yourself.

Whew, that was a long post, but an interesting couple of weeks of reading. If you've read any of these books, how did you feel about them? 

Friday Loves: NORTH & SOUTH

I may have done this one before, but I can't help myself. Especially since the WIP I'm working on right now is a NORTH & SOUTH retelling. I watched the four-part movie this past week to get those inspo juices flowing, so of course I have the whole thing fresh in my mind.

I bought an Elizabeth Gaskell boxed set of movies for my mom once, it was something she'd asked for. I'd never heard of Elizabeth Gaskell or her books. When I took a look at the movies, the one I really wanted to watch was WIVES & DAUGHTERS. It seemed like totally my thing, and it was. I loved it. I've gotta admit I turned up my nose a bit at NORTH & SOUTH based on the movie blurb. I wasn't really into strikes and industrial revolutions and what-not. I wanted the love stories, a la Jane Austen.

I don't know what convinced me to finally watch NORTH & SOUTH. It was probably the mere fact that I'd already watched WIVES & DAUGHTERS and CRANFORD (my mom's fave) and that left just one. I can't remember. But I fell in love from part one (or more likely the part where Margaret witnesses Mr. Thornton beating up one of his workers). It's been a favorite of mine ever since.

After writing SWAY, my PERSUASION retelling, I toyed with the idea of retelling all of Austen's works, but finally kiboshed that idea. Like my love for the movie, I can't really remember when I suddenly decided to write a retelling of this story, but I did. I seem to have a memory fail about lots of things N&S because I can't even remember when I wrote my first draft. (I think I started it during NaNo, but I feel like I didn't finish it until January?) I read the book for the first time last October so it must have been around then sometime.

Anyway, I'm excited about this WIP and where it's going, even though writing the male POV (Mr. Thornton's) is harder than I thought it would be. And I'm always excited about the movie version- it is excellent! I want to start it again from the beginning, even though I finished watching it just last night. If you're a fan of Austen, or period dramas of any kind, definitely check out NORTH & SOUTH. And to convince you...

*swoon*

Wednesday Writes: Finding Voice

I've been working away at my NA retelling. I'm changing the entire setting from a fictional city to Las Vegas, and I'm adding in a second POV of the LI. This past week I also wrote a back cover blurb and a synopsis, the latter sucking somewhat fiercely since my 2nd POV isn't completely written, the book hasn't gone to CP's yet, and I have a feeling some things will change. I'm still super nervous about this 2nd POV because I just haven't found this guy's voice yet. He's kind of a tough guy- foster homes then living on the streets- and he likes to fight, so it's been hard for me trying to figure out what he'd sound like, especially since I don't use cussing in my books. It makes things tricky, to say the least.

I've kinda kept this book under wraps so far, but I feel safe to say now that this is a retelling of Elizabeth Gaskell's NORTH & SOUTH, or should I say, inspired by it, since it's a very LOOSE retelling. I love that story like crazy and I'm excited about this book and hope hope hope it ends up being great.

What are you working on this week? 

Friday Loves: A Perfect Moment

I've been in an off mood this week, who knows why. Today, after finishing my house cleaning, I really didn't want to exercise, but it was a nice day outside so I decided to put my earbuds in and take a walk. About halfway through, I realized. This was a perfect moment. The sky was blue and the sun was shining, the weather was actually pretty nice for October in Alberta, crisp leaves were laying all around my feet, and I had a great song blasting in my ears (just the way I like my music).

It was a perfect moment, and I noticed, and I took a breath. Then, as I kept walking, I started to list the things I was thankful for. Well-timed since Canadian Thanksgiving is this Monday. But not just because of that- this is something I've been trying to do when things get me down. And it worked. Listing all of the great things about my life didn't make me forget about the negatives, but it made them seem a bit less negative (and some even a little silly).

So as I go into the Thanksgiving weekend, I want to get it in writing all the things I'm thankful for/loving right now. It'll be nice to have for those days when I forget.

My incredibly wonderful, good, smart, talented, funny, and sweet kids.

My smart and patient husband.

My dream coming true- AKA: my first book coming out in just a couple of months, and a short story, too.

Nice weather in October.

Getting to take a walk.

Getting to stay home and write.

My NA retelling that I reread these past few days and the fact that it's pretty good and not total suckage.

My family, who I won't get to see this Thanksgiving.

All the things I have that I don't have to want and that make life easier (like my dishwasher)

Good books to read.

Good music to blast.

I could go on but another thing I'm thankful for is sleep, and right now I need to get some. So Happy Thanksgiving from me to you. And notice those perfect moments when they come along, and stop. And take a breath. And enjoy them.

Wednesday Writes: Interruptions

My poor poor NA manuscript. I think I wrote the first draft without any interruptions, but every time I try to revise, I get interrupted with something else. I've read through fifteen chapters so far, taking notes on each, but then I had to quit because I received the digital copy of SWAY from my publisher which I had to read through and look for errors. MAN was it hard not to tweak stuff. I'm such a nitpicker- it never ends. (I refrained because I wasn't allowed, which is probably a good thing.) A day after I received my first round of edits from my other editor for my short story BECOMING FANNY. Both of these were due ASAP so my NA WIP had to be put aside for a bit. Again.

Just a bit though because I got both done and I can go back to it today. YAY! I have to say, I don't do well with jumping from project to project. I much prefer to focus on one until the work I need to do is done, then I can put it aside and work on something else. But it's okay, I'm learning to adapt and these different edits and deadlines have been good for me. I am happy to go back to my NA WIP though and hopefully I'll get these revisions done by Christmas. Like I said, deadlines are good. 

Monday Reads: THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME

It only took me three days to read THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME by Jennifer E. Smith. I enjoyed this book. The two characters were different and interesting (although the female MC was the shy girl who no one notices and I felt like, oh it's this girl again). I loved how the setting changed to different spots in the world. I loved how it felt very real. It wasn't a THIS ROMANCE WILL WORK OUT NO MATTER WHAT kind of thing that's super unbelievable. The two MCs were apart, and they did what teenagers apart would do. Even the ending, while happy and satisfying, wasn't a roll your eyes never gonna happen kind of thing. It was honest and true, yet still hopeful. The thing that really stands out to me with the two books I've read by Jennifer E. Smith (the other one being THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT)- they're not sappy. They're not over the top lovey, or I will die if I don't have this boy kind of books. They're very real, and I like that. Check this book out if you like that too.

After I finished that book, I started THE ROYAL WE, which is a very Will and Kate kind of book. I'm enjoying it so far, but I've been busy with lots of other stuff and haven't had a lot of reading time.

What are you reading this week?

Friday Loves: TIME

WHAT DO I LOVE?

TIME!

WHAT DO I NOT HAVE?

TIME!

So says the girl whose kids are in all-day school. But suddenly, I have twenty-bazillion things on my to-do list and no time to do them. 

So adios, have a great weekend, and hopefully by next week this elusive thing called time will have reappeared...