My First In My Mailbox…

The lighting is wacked.
My voice sounds girly.
And I said a name or two wrong.
Now that we have the mistakes out of the way here ya go:

Tell me what you think!

This Will Be Our Year…

Ok. I ran out of creative juice for Titles…but I have some ideas! So I’m balanced out on creativity here!
I
dea 1: This wasn’t my ‘idea’ per say but, like on Alyson Noel’s blog, the song I’m listening to at the moment will be the title for the post! Cool, right?

Idea 2: A lot of authors, I’ve noticed, have music when they write. I have music for when I read. Every song has at least one perfect song match whether it was on the author’s playlist or not. So, from now on, I will choose 1-3 comments and pick the perfect song for that book listed in that comment…
I totally just made this up so I’m not sure how it will work. Bare with me!
Rules:
*Just name a couple of books and if I’ve read it I will give you the perfect song match! Now remember the ‘perfect song match’ is in my opinion…if you don’t agree that’s fine!
*Have a better song choice? Put it in the comments! I will most likely post the suggestion on the post you commented on!
*This applies for every single post I do, UNLESS it’s a contest post. Don’t do it then.

Example:
Oh Magnificent Lauren! Please choose a song for:
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater or
City of Bones by Cassie Clare or
etc.

I will choose 1 to 3 book choices and pick a song.
I hope this makes sense…
If it doesn’t just put some of your favorite books in the comments!!!

Oh. You are probably wondering why I haven’t posted my IMM. Well…my computer is stupid. I will have to either get a better camera device or…something.

P.S.
First one to comment get’s Bookmark signed by Lisa Schroeder!
(1 time deal. I like my bookmarks…)

(I made the first comment so really whoever commenst 2nd wins…)

Hello!
Here are the last of the Interviews!
If you didn’t see yours on here tell me because it could have gotten lost in the spam world! Sadly, I am not accepting any more interviews…(unless your an author)

Today I bring you: NinjaFanpire!
Blog: http://ninjafanpire.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NinjaFanpire

1. What made you start blogging?
I think it’s because I wanted to talk about my life, but then I just sort of….dropped off the planet with that.

2. What is the purpose of your blog?
Nowadays I simply use it to make posts about contests that are going on around the internet.

3. What’s one of your favourite books?
Oh gosh….Well, I like the Twilight series, but let’s pick something different. I really like the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, and I couldn’t pick a favorite out of them.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?
Cookies? I’d….I’d probably go with scones rather then cookies. Those books…..I don’t think they had cookies! O_O

5. What you favourite cookie?
I like frosting.

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)
I have a puppeh!

7. What their fav cookie?
Anything she can get her paws on!

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?
Bran Hambric, which comes out 9-9-09.

Next is…

1. What made you start blogging?

It all started back last October, when I read the Twilight Saga. I literally fed my kids cereal for a week while I devoured it, and I’ve had Twilight on the brain ever since. Plus, I’m a writer. So obviously, blogging was the natural progression…

2. What is the purpose of your blog?

To feed my addiction. And suck others in as well, so I can pretend I’m normal.

3. What’s one of your favourite books?

Breaking Dawn

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?

Smores (kind of a cookie, right?) smooth and cold chocolate on the outside (Edward), gooey and hot marshmallow on the inside (Jacob) all wrapped up with something pretty plain (Bella)

5. What you favourite cookie?

Scotch shortbread

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)

2 dogs- Sebastian (boxer/bullmastiff), Bandit (pug), 2 cats- Baxter (orange tabby) and Melanie (grey and white and super snotty)

7. What their fav cookie?

Anything that drops on the floor

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

My websites:

url: http://www.twilightmoonlighter.com

http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu93/pillow_biters/tmheader-1.jpg

url: http://www.examiner.com/x-13198-Twilight-Parents-Examiner
banner: http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu93/pillow_biters/Untitled-1-1-1.jpg

!
-Kim

Tomorrow I’ll have my first IMM!!!!!
Me. On camera.
Need I say more? This week there will be a lot of book reviews and a tiny contest! Stay tuned!
Plus there will be an interview from me on another blog…look out for that too…

Why…

This blog has been lonely for a couple of days only because I’m sick.
I hate being sick,personally.
But I am.
Will be back with A LOT of stuff when I feel better.
Thanks,
Lauren/WonderGirl12

Would You Like A Side Of Cookies With That Interview? #7

Okay. Here’s the last author interview! Tomorrow I will post more blogger but for now…I give you…Lisa Shroeder
She’s wrote: I heart You, You Haunt Me, Far From You, and her upcoming book: Chasing Brooklyn!

Here’s her website: http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com/teens.html
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lisa_schroeder

1. What made you start writing?

Well, if you want to know the truth, I had a second grade son who couldn’t find anything he liked to read so I thought, hey, I bet I can write a book he’d like! It can’t be that hard, I thought. HA!!!

My very first project was this chapter book about a kid who found a magic box that let him turn into any animal he wanted to be. I think it was pretty bad. But it got me into the kidlit world, and I started learning what it takes to publish a story, find an agent, all that good stuff.

2. What is your favourite thing about being an author? (writing, fans, autographing?)

I think it would have to be getting those wonderful e-mails from readers letting me know one of my books has touched them or helped them or something. But I also love doing events and meeting people, and some days, I do love the actual writing. It is a pretty cool job overall, I have to say.

3. What’s one of your favourite books? (Doesn’t have to be the fav book just one of them)

I have so many. But today I’m going to say WHAT YOUR MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW by Sonya Sones. I love Sonya’s books and she has been a role model for me, since I also write in verse.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?

Chocolate chip, because thinking about it makes me all warm and gooey, just like a delicious chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven.

5. What is your favourite cookie?

Monster cookies. My grandma made these great cookies with peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chips, and M&Ms when I was growing up and they were a favorite of mine and my brother. She passed away a few years ago, and every time I make the cookies, I think of her.

6.Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers? (Pets)

I have one tiger, a black and white one, named Sparkles. She is beautiful. And I have one werewolf named Stormy, who is gray like a little storm cloud. I take Stormy on a walk almost every night, and it’s one of my most favorite parts of the day.

7. What’s your advice for aspiring authors?

I seem to get asked a lot about how I come up with ideas for my books. I use a journal to write down things I like – words, colors, names, places. Sometimes just free journaling things you like will lead you to write about something. Like FAR FROM YOU is a book about a girl and her family stuck in a blizzard. I had always wanted to do something with angels, and so that’s how the seed of the story started.

I think that’s the way to think about it. First you need a few seeds – tiny ideas that you then grow into a bigger story idea. Is there something you are passionate about – horses, running, a type of food, etc. That item can be a part of the story. Then you have to figure out what the character has to do with that item, and start to form a character.

So I guess my advice would be – play in your journal. Have fun. Write down random things, doodle, whatever – and hopefully some seeds will be planted until you have a story and can go to the computer and start writing!

And remember that the first draft will not be very good. It’s okay. The real book is written during the revision process. The first draft is just to get the story down and to start to get to know who the characters are.

Thanks so much for having me – and now, cookies for everyone.

Wait, I know, since I can’t give cookies to readers, who about bookmarks? The first five people to comment get ten signed bookmarks for my next YA novel, CHASING BROOKLYN, coming in January, 2010, for you and your friends. Leave your e-mail address in your comment, and I’ll get in touch with you for your mailing address.

Lisa

You heard her! First 5 comments get 10(!!!) signed Chasing Brooklyn bookmarks!!!
Thanks Lisa!

Would You Like A Side Of Cookies With That Interview? #6

Today I give you…
Katie Alender, author of Bad Girls Don’t Die!!!
Her Website: http://katiealender.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KatieAlender

1. What made you start writing?
As a little girl, my third grade teacher made me start writing. As an adult, what made me decide to write books is that, after going to film school, I started thinking so much about story. I felt I had a lot of stories I wanted to tell, but it takes a lot of time and money to make a movie. So instead, I started writing my stories down, which made me realize that writing books is like being both the screenwriter AND the director–because you get to decide what’s said, who says it, and how it affects the characters, and I was hooked!

2. What is your favorite thing about being an author? (Writing, fans, autographing?)
My favorite thing, aside from the freedom of the schedule, is probably the sense that there are strangers out there reading something I wrote, and maybe it’s affecting them the way books affected me when I was a teen. Even just to make someone’s afternoon pass pleasantly is a great privilege.

3. What’s one of your favorite books? (Doesn’t have to be the favorite book just one of them.)
Hmm… one of my favorite books is “On Writing” by Stephen King. It makes me feel so motivated–that book inspired me to finish the first draft of “Bad Girls Don’t Die.” It’s written in such an amazing, conversational tone, too.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?
Of my book, or of “On Writing”? Let’s see. My book is a classic chocolate chip cookie, because it’s a “classic” (please understand I use that word loosely) ghost/haunted house story. “On Writing” is like a beautifully decorated Christmas cookie that makes you want to run home and make your own beautifully decorated cookies.

5. What’s your favorite cookie?

Has to be either my stepmother’s butterscotch brownies, although it’s been about ten years since I had some, or Oreo cookies dunked in milk until the millisecond before they disintegrate completely–it’s an art.

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers? (Pets)
You could describe my dog Winston as a fairy princess werewolf. 😉 He’s not the world’s toughest dog. There’s a chance he’s actually half Muppet.

Winston!!! ————————————————–>
What do you mean I can’t have him?!

7. What’s your advice for aspiring authors?
I don’t want to just say “read”, because everyone has heard that before. I would say, work on your point of view. Figure out why you like what you like (and why you don’t like what you don’t like). What are the stories, themes, and characters that really speak to you? Because what you like to read will be the fodder for your own writing. Also, take a few writing classes, but remember that no one teacher (or even multiple teachers) is a judge of whether you’ll succeed as a writer or not–whether they tell you you’re the best thing ever or even discourage you from writing. Keep writing!

Thanks SO much Katie for letting me interview you. And for letting me have Winston…er…we’ll work that out later! 😀
(Kidding!)

Check back tomorrow for Lisa Shroeder and a special contest…

Would You Like A Side Of Cookies With That Interview? #5

Wow. The week is almost over and I still have a lot of interviews left!
Tomorrow I’ll have Katie Alender, author of Bad Girls Don’t Die! You have to check it out! (I have a special picture for this post…)

Today we have: Kristen from Bookworming in the 21st Century!
Her URL is at the end of interview but here’s her twitter page: http://twitter.com/bookgoil

1. What made you start blogging?
I blame Emma from Booking Through 365, who I knew from goodreads.com. She had posted something in one of the groups there about her blog and I was like “I want to start a book blog”. Being the beginning of the summer, I figured I’d have enough time to pour into it. And here I am now. A few months in and LOVING it. 🙂

2. What is the purpose of your blog?
I’m here to share the love of reading. I can never get enough of books and my to-be-read pile is a growing monstrosity. I mainly read and review YA books, with a random adult book thrown into the mix.

3. What’s one of your favorite books?
Gah! One? *sigh* Ummm Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens is my all-time favorite adventure story.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?
Snickerdoodles, because they’re a kick in the mouth at times.

5. What you favourite cookie?
Chocolate chip 🙂

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)
Can I count my fiance? Otherwise, no.

7. What their fav cookie?
His favorite cookie is peanut butter.

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?
Rapture of the Deep by L.A. Meyer (A Bloody Jack Adventure). Comes out at the end of the month! Dying to read it!

Kristen
http://www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/

Next is: Shell from
Her blog site: http://hockeyvampiress.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Hockeyvampiress

1. What made you start blogging?
I started blogging because I wanted to vent about things in my life, my hockey team and the decision to keep an injured goalie in during the crisis race to playoffs, the books and authors I read and a way to post a link for extra contests ballots for many of the author giveaways.

2. What is the purpose of your blog?
I just rant about the things in my life for that week or day. I eventually want to have contests and maybe guest authors for interviews etc.

3. What’s one of your favourite books?
One of my favorite books is Shiloh Walker’s Hunter’s Edge…. I love this series and it is one of my faves. Hunter’s Edge deals with a young couple that was torn apart when a vampire attacked the young girl and her boyfriend defended her only to wake up to him gone from her life. When the rogue vampire comes back years later to attack the girl again her former boyfriend must come to her aid and reveal his true nature.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?
The cookie that reminds me of this book is a special vampire cookie…. two thin sugar cookies with cherry pie filling in between…. sprinkled with icing sugar and baked. They look like blood ooozing out from the cookie…

5. What you favourite cookie?
My fave cookie is a big fat oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie…..

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)
Right now we have 2 kitteh and 1 dog. The dog is 12 years old and is a border collie and blue tick hound mix…. black and white colouring and her name is Winnie. The cats are both brother manx cats. Eeyore is a fluffy tabby with a crooked 3 inch tail that wags like a dog. His brother Bear has short black hair with just a little stub tail…. they fight all the time and Bear pulls his own hair out during the summer so he kinda looks like an Egyptian hairless on the back end.

7. What their fav cookie?
Winnie will eat any kind of cookie…. the cats not so much but they do enjoy Doritos and popcorn

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?
Oooh that is a hard one…. I read so many but the next installment of Jeri Smith-Ready’s WVMP series is one… gotta wait till next May I think for that one, Bone Magic from Yasmine Galenorn is in January, Divine Misdemeanors from Laurell K Hamilton, and of course the next Hunters book by Shiloh Walker Hunters Need will be on the list too.

Check back this weekend for an awesome pic from Katie Alender and a suprise contest from Lisa Schroeder, author of I Heart You, You Haunt Me!!!

Would You Like A Side Of Cookies With That Interview? #4

Here are today’s interview!

I bring you Sarah!
Blog Site: http://geekdomprincess.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CelestialAxis

1. What made you start blogging?
I’m really bored at work, hehe. No really, I just love to write and the Internet is a great place to self-publish. I’ve made lots of new friends via Twitter and they have similar interests to me, so I have a built-in audience.

2. What is the purpose of your blog?
My first blog is about geeky things; video games, D&D, etc. My second one is about my wedding and planning it.

3. What’s one of your favourite books?
Oh my…any Harry Potter one? I guess I’d have to say “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” if I had to pick just one.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?
Pumpkin cookies, if there are such a thing, because they have all kinds of pumpkin goodies in Harry Potter books, like pumpkin pasties. Mmmm.

5. What you favourite cookie?
Peanut butter.

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)
I have three kitties, one is 7 and the other two are kittens.

7. What their fav cookie?
They won’t eat anything other than catfood. 😉

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?
The last book in the “Eragon” series, which I don’t even know the title for yet. I thought “Brisingr” was the last one and was horrified to discover I had to wait another year or so to finish the series!

Next is…Kim
Blog Site: http://andanythingbookish.blogspot.com

1. What made you start blogging?

I started blogging because my mind is always jampacked with thoughts after I finish the last page of a book for days. Maybe it’s because I think too much…yeah that’s it. I think WAY too much, particularly at night. Before I know it, my thoughts of not just books, but everything, progress into stress, and then gray hair! :O

No, I am not in my thirties; I’m only 14. It’s not genetics either, but my mom has found some gray roots in my hair and a few strands spread around.

Anyway, back on topic. Gray hair has nothing to do with blogging or cookies! I started my blog because I knew in order to get rid of those thoughts, I would have to let it out. Preferably, to people. People are awesome.

Stress over. Cue the cookies. And the likelihood that my throat will get clogged up with chocolately goodness.

2. What is the purpose of your blog?

After I read a book, I always want to read another one to feed my addiction. If my mind is still filled with this book, how can I enjoy another? I blog about it. It’s like eating cookies. If you’re always thinking of how great this chocolate chip cookie is, you will not be able to drool over how good this other one is. More importantly, you always want to eat every kind of cookie that exists. How would you do that if you’re too busy eating chocolate chip ones? I know. Bad comparison.

3. What’s one of your favourite books?

How could you ask this question? *gasp* This is like asking me if I like warm, soft chocolate chips cookies, or one with a thin, crispy edge. I refuse to choose.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?

Anything with chocolate! I’m in love with chocolate just like I’m in love with books.

5. What you favourite cookie?

I really like those giant and soft, chocolate chip cookies with nuts. The ones that leave your naughty taste buds demanding more.

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)

Sadly, I own no magical creatures or nifty breeds of cats. If I had a choice though, I would choose a unicorn. Scratch that, I would choose a flying panda!

7. What their fav cookie?

Can pandas eat cookies? If they can, I’ll probably bake cookies with some smushed bamboo in them. I don’t think they’ll be yummy for me, though. In additoni, they’ll turn out burnt with my baking skills, and my panda will hate me so much it’ll want to kill me, but I’ll run to it with an enormous hug. Cue the awws.

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?

I seriously can not wait for the release of the last book from The Hunger Games Trilogy. I know the second one just released, but I’m dying to know how it ends, who dies…and most importantly… if Prim’s goat survived. No, what I really want to find out is if my theories of the next book are true.

If you don’t mind, I want to add another question 🙂

9. Compare cookies with books.

I think books are like cookies in that they need a lot of preparation. Authors need to get those aspects/ingredients just right. Some books are okay, while others are amazing–it goes the same way with cookies. If an author did really good with his or her book, you’d want more–just like when you like a cookie so much, you’ll want to eat more. I really believe that you can eat up a book if it’s incredibly well written.

Would You Like A Side Of Cookies With That Interview? #3

Hello. Hello!
Later this week there will be interview from, of course, the fabulous bloggers, Lisa Shroeder, and Katie Alender!
Sorry about the font mess up. Ignore it.
Today we have: Briana!

1. What made you start blogging?

While surfing the internet one day, I somehow stumbled upon a book reviewing blog. Then I came across some of bigger ones, like The Story Siren, and I was amazed that I hadn’t heard of a book blog until then. I (obviously) love to read and recommend books to people, and I saw it as an opportunity to get involved with books even more and share opinions with people who have similar interests. I’ve had my blog for about 5 months now, and I really wish I would have discovered this sooner.

2. What is the purpose of your blog?

To have a place to share my opinions of books I’ve read and have discussions about them with people who are actually interested. Also, to hopefully spread the word about books that I absolutely love and that deserve more recognition than I think they’re getting.

3. What’s one of your favourite books?

One? You mean I have to CHOOSE?

I’d have to say Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters. It was such an amazing story that I think a lot of gay teens can relate to.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?

Hmm. Sugar cookie. Because there were doughnuts in the book, and that’s the cookie that most reminds me of a doughnut, for some reason.

5. What you favourite cookie?

Any kind of soft, chewy cookie with peanut butter and/or dark chocolate. YUM.

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)

No, but I do have a pet gecko.. He’s pretty vicious. And he does backflips. 😛

7. What their fav cookie?

A cricket cookie, of course. 😀

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?

Rage: A Love Story by Julie Anne Peters. By the time this is posted, it probably will have been released already.. Didn’t realize it was coming out so soon until I just looked, ha. But yes, Julie Anne Peters is one of my absolute favorite authors and I can’t wait to read this one.

Her blog site:

http://whatbrireads.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/whatbrireads

Next we have: Ashley!!!

1. What made you start blogging? Books, of course! Well really this super awesome site called Bookdiva’s did. They contacted me about reviewing for them and suddenly things just exploded from there! Like one minute I was spending tons of money on books and the next minute a Meg Cabot book had arrived in the mail. I would blame Airhead for my start 😉

2. What is the purpose of your blog? I want others to love reading. When someone tells me they dont like books I nearly have an anxiety attack. Come on people, who doesnt like books?! I want people to see that just becuase the books we are forced to endure at school suck not all books do. Woah, I’m Sappy 🙂

3. What’s one of your favourite books? It’s sad that my response to this question has been the same since 3rd grade, haha. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume. I was an advanced reader and way mature for my age. Keep that in mind before buying this book for your 8 year old sister!

4. What cookie reminds you of this book? Thumbprint Cookies! I’m not sure why. Maybe because both of them are unique and not popular when they should be.

5. What you favourite cookie? You know the kind at the store that is sugar with pink frosting and sprinkles? The kind that is like 500 calories a cookie? Well thats my favorite. Buy me a box and they are gone in a minute flat. So is my size zero waistline though too… The price you pay for ultimate deliciousness.

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets) Well I do have a black lab who thinks she is wild. I would group her with the werewolf family. She is protective of me, her toys (especially Little Woofers the victoria secret dog) and my family. She doesnt bite though…

7. What their fav cookie?

She just stole my peanut butter cookie so I’m gonna go with that kind. Seriously I set it down for 2 seconds and now… well its gone.

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?

Why oh why must you torture me with this question?! I am waiting on so many books right now, its crazy!

Blog site: http://booksaremylove.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/stargirlreads

Would You Like A Side Of Cookies With That Interview? #2

Hello guys and gals!
I am very excited to say that this week I’ll have three(maybe more) author interviews here!
Including: Michael Grant (GONE), Lisa Schroeder( I Heart You, You Haunt Me), and Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die)!!!

Today there will be two interviews including : Michael Grant, author of GONE and HUNGER, plus Leslie from That Chick That Reads blog site!

First off: Michael Grant!
He is the author of GONE and HUNGER!

1. What made you start writing?

Not “what” but “who.” My wife (Katherine “K.A.” Applegate) literally made me start writing. She said, “Look, I have too many books to write, you write some.” At that point she was ghostwriting for Sweet Valley Twins books and Disney spin-off books and that sort of thing. We were broke so she said yes anytime someone asked her to write something. I had never even considered writing kidlit until then.

2. What is your favourite thing about being an author? (writing, fans, autographing?)

It’s a great job. I have a very blue collar, working-stiff approach. I’ve always been a hard worker — I had a full time job at 16 after I dropped out of school. I worked retail, I waited tables, I cleaned homes and offices. So I know what real work is like. I know what it’s like to have a very small paycheck and very big bills. So I’m glad to have this job where I work 4 hours a day and earn a good living.

3. What’s one of your favourite books? (Doesn’t have to be the fav book just one of them)

I am a big fan of the Patrick O’Brian series of books about life in the Royal Navy circa 1812. He’s a terrific writer, deeply knowledgeable, has a wonderfully deft touch with character and dialogue and humor. They say he’s Jane Austen for guys.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?

Like a Lorna Doone. Because there’s nothing overtly exciting about a Lorna Doone, you don’t necessarily crave them. They aren’t a showy cookie. But they’re strangely satisfying and addicting. You open a box and suddenly you’re like, “Oh my God, I just ate four pounds of Lorna Doones!”

5. What is your favourite cookie?

I have a recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies in a chocolate dough. I think it may have originated with Neiman Marcus stores. It’s a long recipe, lots of work, totally worth it. You eat them and you start thinking, “Why don’t I just go sit on the beach with these cookies for the next five years or so?”

6.Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers? (Pets)

My daughter has a kitty, Lightning, who doesn’t like me. We also have a big yellow Lab named Goofy who is a complete idiot in all things except begging for or stealing food where he is the Einstein of dogs. Then there’s the Pug who I cordially hate because he’s a peeing, yapping, bug-eyed little monster.

7. What’s your advice for aspiring authors?

Everyone says “read a lot” which is true. I have a different suggestion: write a lot.

Look, if you want to make a living as a writer you have to have 1) some talent, 2) an ear, 3) perseverance, 4) a cast-iron ego.

If you write something and read it back you should start to hear where you screwed up. Go read a scary scene by Stephen King, then try to write one yourself. Compare the two and if you have an ear (#2 in my list) you’ll hear the difference. Read some witty banter by Meg Cabot, then try to write some. Read yours back and you’ll hear the difference. Hearing when and why and where your own writing sucks is the beginning of learning the craft.

After some time doing this you may start to think, “Hmmm, my writing is actually better than that guy’s.” And it may well be.

Now I bring you The Chick That Reads!
Here blog site: http://thatchickthatreads.blogspot.com/
Her Twitter: http://twitter.com/leslielv08

1. What made you start blogging?

I’ve had the idea going around in my head for the last couple of months and while I was in my first year of college, I really didn’t know what I wanted to major in. I ended up choosing to major in English Literature and hope to review books =) so I thought having a blog about books and interacting with people who like books as much as I do would be a great start toward that career!

2. What is the purpose of your blog?

I review diffrent books, mostly YA. I also participate in different blog meme’s and also I do a contest here and there. It’s just for fun and I abs love to hear from people and what they think about the books and stuff so at the end of every post I usually include some kind of crazy question to make bloggers think.

3. What’s one of your favourite books?

Oh this one is tough. I’d have to say, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. It has the hot mysterious kind of guy with the troubled past, the girl who had some sort of tragedy and then of coarse it’s about breaking free. It just reminds me about my life and it’s just one of those books that you can really think that it happened to someone.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?

Man i’d have to say chocolate chip cookies because that’s really all I ate while reading this novel believe it or not. =)

5. What you favourite cookie?

umm hmm that one is tough too! I’d probably have to go with peanut butter cookies. Don’t ask me why because all I know is that they are really goood!

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)

Haha I have my little lion lol well he’s actually a Cat named Lucky! Abs adorable! He’s the fattest cat (only in my eyes) and he’s the biggest lap cat there is.

7. What their fav cookie?

Lol umm I don’t really know… haha I don’t think I’m allowed to feed him any cookies 😉

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?

OMG there are a ton of them! More recently I guess I can not wait until the next Blue Bloods book and also the next House of Night book being released in October! 😀

Would You Like A Side Of Cookies With That Interview?

Are you ready?
These are the first 2 interviews for the week!
Each day I’ll post 1 or more. Today I’m posting 2!

Starting of with Senfaye!
Her blog is here !
Her Twitter is here.

1. What made you start blogging?
Well, I started blogging because a lot of my friends weren’t avid readers, and I wanted to reach out to people who are. And, because I always like to discuss and talk about books with other people! 😀

2. What is the purpose of your blog?

The purpose of my blog is to encourage people to read, discuss books, and to of course review books. 🙂

3. What’s one of your favourite books?
Umm, this is the hardest question for me, because I realllllly don’t have a favorite book. I read so much, that, if I had to pick just one it would take me forever to decide!

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?
I dunno.. because I sorta suck, and didn’t pick a favorite book.

5. What you favourite cookie?
My favorite cookies are chocolate chip cookies. YUM.

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)
I have two werewolves, a big werewolf. And my little werewolf!

7. What their fav cookie?

Their favorite cookies have to be… some kind of liver cookies and lamb cookies, it is a tie between those two. Haha!

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?
I would have to say… Obsidian Eyes (Working Title) by Jennifer Draeger!!!!!!

Thanks for having me!

Next is Zoealea!
Her blog is here!
And her Twitter is here!

1. What made you start blogging?
After I read Harry Potter in the summer of 2006, I fell in love with reading. I would read any book I could get my hands on. So, being the nerd/geek I am. After I would read books I liked, I would talk about them non-stop. After awhile my parents started getting really annoyed with me talking about books 24/7. While all this was happening, I was also reading and finding book blogs that I liked a lot. So, since I already loved writing and reading, and my parents were annoyed with me talking about books all the time, I decided that starting a blog would be my literature outlet. Of course, I still talk about books 24/7. So, the blog didn’t help much with that.

2. What is the purpose of your blog?
When I made my blog, the purpose of having it was to get my opinion out there. Since then, the purpose is generally the same. But I also like to inform people of books and YA News. For example, when I review a book I really loved and people leave me a comment saying that they are going to read the book. It makes me really happy, because though there is a lot of people in the world, just the thought that someone is going to read a book because of what I thought is totally surreal.

3. What’s one of your favourite books?
Paper Towns by John Green is a remarkable book, in my opinion.

4. What cookie reminds you of this book?
Snickerdoodles. These are awesome cookies! Like Margo in Paper Towns, Snickerdoodles are wildly mis-imagened. They are also really yummy, which many people don’t know!

5. What you favourite cookie?
Oh, gosh. I don’t know! Cookies are sooo yummy. I like the oatmeal ones from Costco. Those are AMAZING.

6. Have any werewolves, faeries, tigers. (Pets)
Well, let me tell you. I have an extensive amount of pets (all exist in my mind). I have 5 faeries (maybe more) who hang around my bookshelves and talk to me (I am not insane, I promise). I have numerous werewolves that LOVE to hang out in my yard. They keep me company at night, and are awesome amusement for late-night tweeting. There are probably more mythical creatures that I have, but they are currently hiding…. Oh! And I have about 14 fish in a pond in my backyard, I got to name one and my dad named the rest. They keep me company when I read outside.

7. What their fav cookie?
The faeries enjoy sugar cookies (they eat them like crazy.) The werewolves like Peanut Butter Cookies. I don’t really know what kind the fish like to eat. Next time I go outside, I shall ask them.

8. What book can you NOT wait to be released?
Sea by Heidi R. Kling. Heidi is a really nice and awesome person. I can’t wait to read her book. It is coming out June 10, 2010.

Thanks girls for letting me force…I mean interview you!
Check back tomorrow for more!!

Blogging and Cookies!

Okay, this is a short post.

All next week ( Sep. 7-13) I will be having various bloggers interviewed on here. The theme is blogging and cookies. Yes, silly but we need to be silly sometimes! Hopefully I will be able to force…I mean convince… an author to be interviewed on here! So look back every day for a new interview from the best bloggers!

Avid reader? Author? New blogger? Old blogger?
Want to be interviewed on here? Just email me- readergirl321@aol.com

The Ulitimate Book Review!

Isn’t that name catchy?
Hello! Long time no post?
I know. I know.
Shame on me for not posting sooner but in result you’ll get 3 wonderful book reviews for 3 marvelous books! And some new…if you read until the end!
Oh, and since this is a 3 book review I’m going to give no more than 3 Pros and maybe some Cons!
Okay, let’s get started!

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters- One good… One evil… Who will prevail? Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents’ deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets. Lia and Alice don’t know whom they can trust. They just know they can’t trust each other. From Amazon

I’ve actually had this book waiting for me on my shelf for a couple of week but boy was I missing something those weeks!
This marvelous book takes place in the 19th Century ( my favorite century!) and is in the POV of Lia!

Pros:
* You always had a creepy feeling while reading this book. You just want to know what happens so bad!
* Beautiful writing! Flowing and sharp! Plus, I love how they talked back then. So elegant!
* Great story plot! You open this book thinking it’s to original but it’s NOT!
I recommend this to everybody!

Next is…..Meridian by Amber Kizer!
Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.

Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate’s tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home—and Meridian’s body explodes in pain.

Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she’s a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt’s house in Revelation, Colorado. It’s there that she learns that she is a Fenestra—the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.

Now, this book was not as up to my expectations as I hoped it would be. With angels becoming a growing topic in the YA World I think you have to enter this subject carefully but I found this book rather dull and predictable. Don’t hold this against me! Only my opinion! You might love it.
Pros:
* I loved the main character, Meridian! She was spunky and she had a lot of character.
* I liked the history Kizer gave the reader concerning the other character such as her aunt. Very interesting to read.
Cons:
* Kind of boring in a way. I read it in a very short amount of time but I think that’s only because I was waiting for something to happen to change my opinion of this book.

That’s only me! Hopefully you’ll like it!

Last but not least…..Another Faust by Daniel & Dina Nayeri!
One night, in cities all across Europe, five children vanish — only to appear, years later, at an exclusive New York party with a strange and elegant governess. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust teenagers to the city’s most prestigious high school, where they soar to suspicious heights with the help of their benefactor’s extraordinary “gifts.” But as the students claw their way up — reading minds, erasing scenes, stopping time, stealing power, seducing with artificial beauty — they start to suffer the side effects of their own addictions. And as they make further deals with the devil, they uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins. At once chilling and wickedly satirical, this contemporary reimagining of the Faustian bargain is a compelling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.

This book was truly a fun read! I always like to read about a group of kids with a set of powers and how they use them and this was just that! With the narration weaving in and out not unlike Nancy Werlin’s Impossible ( Another Faust was more in a movie-like way that was exciting to read) this book is a book to put on your list!
Pros:
*Narration! I loved how when they were in gatherings the writing would switch from character, sometimes being only one sentence.
*The characters! Yes, the teens had an ability of sorts but they were all terribly flawed (in a good way!). These character were the power the were given. Beauty, knowledge, time, athletics.
* Every single thing fit into place with every situation whether you see it coming or not!

Cons:
* The ending was kind of rushed and empty, leaving you hanging.

So, do you agree? Disagree?
Tell me.
And coming up will be a review of The Hollow by Jessica Verday!
Plus, Suzzane Collin’s Catching Fire!
Also, I will be receiving a copy of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick!!!! It comes out October 13th but I’ll give you an early review! 😉