Crush, Crushed, Crushing

I've always wondered what it would be like to run into a former crush. Apparently, fate doesn't realize that "wonder" doesn't equal "want."

Background Rundown: My crush asked me out; I stupidly said yes like a foolish crush-blind girl with foggy-brain syndrome. During the course of the date--pretty early on, actually--he started asking me when we were going to have sex, whether I would do things to him right there and then, etc.

A little shocked by his bluntness, I soon realized I was on a date with Sex-Only Guy. SOG didn't give a hoot about the person; he just wanted to "bang." He didn't know about my V-card, but he quickly figured out that I'm not a wham-bam kind-of girl, much to his dismay.

According to him, he thought I was "a naughty girl in good girl clothes."

At the time, he said he would take me out again IF I'd "eff" him. I told him that's not going to happen; he said it was a shame and he's going to have to "regrettably" let me go.

And that's how a crush crushes. (Not that I want a guy like that...it's just a little disappointing when your crush turns out to be nothing like you expected or hoped).

Fast forward: The random run-in turned into, well, more of the same. After showcasing his ability to masterfully craft urban dictionary lingo into a compliment on my appearance, he asked if I was still "...the good girl or would I be willing to go around the corner."

Nothing changes.

I thereafter confirmed my good-girl status, to which he shook his head and groaned, "Shame."

Me: "You said that before, as I recall."

SOG: "Why not go wild? If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure I'd want you more than once."

Me: "Well that doesn't in any way make me feel like a can of beer or anything."

SOG, laughing: "Some women are like beer--you can't stop at one. It's a compliment."

Me: "And when you hit the end of the six pack, it's onto the next." He laughingly agreed and liked my sauciness. "Yeah, I'm not into to being a beer can."

SOG: "All right, all right, I'm not getting anywhere. It is too bad, though. You should probably give some thought to how things work...there's a reason you are still single."

Me, working to control my temper: "Really? Enlighten me."

SOG: "Men want Pamela, not Audrey."

I knew instantly what he meant--he talked quite a bit using movie/celebrity references. Men want the blonde-bombshell-sex-symbol-type like Pamela Anderson, not Audrey Hepburn.

SOG: "You're the Audrey."

Me: "That much I got, oddly enough." After a brief pause, I had a thought.  "But, here's the thing some men don't understand--the Audrey's can be every bit the Pamela...they just save their Pammy moves for the Harrison Ford's or the Sean Connery's, rather than waste them on the Charlie Sheen's."

I was quite proud of that little comeback, especially considering Charlie Sheen is one of his idols. [Note: Recent Charlie Sheen news had him partying for two days, where one of his special guests was a blonde porn star--undoubtedly the ideal scenario for SOG].

So, men want Pamela's, not Audrey's, according to Charlie, er, SOG. What do you think? Should this be a crushing revelation to the Audrey's of the world, or just a crappy concept formed in the mind of an egotistical prick? Personally, I prefer the latter.

Maybe we Audrey's should modify our image by re-naming ourselves Undercover Pamela's or Saucy Audrey's. Hmm. Maybe not.

Author Interview: Eilis O'Neal

Eilis O'Neal is the author of False Princess (review), released this year by EgmontUSA. She is answering a few questions about writing and her novel.

Describe your novel in a couple sentences including the following words: extraordinary, fat, raging, pleasant, purple, and love

The False Princess is the story of a girl who goes from extraordinary, very pleasant circumstances to humble, not-so-pleasant ones. Sinda has been raised to think she's the princess of Thorvaldor, but finds out just after her 16th birthday that she isn't. She's just a stand-in for the real princess, and, more than that, she's not needed anymore. After being kicked out of the palace, she also finds that she has magic raging inside her, love complications with her best friend, and a big fat mystery that only she may be able to solve and that has implications for all of Thorvaldor. Also, the cover background is a lovely purple.


Will we see a sequel to The False Princess?  If not, are you working on any other projects?

I'm still interested in the world of Thorvaldor, so maybe someday, though probably with a secondary character as the main character. At the moment, though, I'm working on an unrelated YA fantasy novel.

Sinda goes through some amazing character development as The False Princess progresses. How much of Sinda’s journey can you relate to? What do you hope readers will gain from reading about Sinda’s experiences?

I can relate to a lot of it, actually. In many ways, Sinda is very like me as a teenager. I was shy and felt awkward about some aspects of myself, just like Sinda does. As I got older, though, I became a lot more comfortable with myself, and happy about myself as a person. In that way, Sinda's journey mirrors some of my own experiences--though she's lucky enough to get to that point a little earlier than I did! But that's what I'd like people to take away from the book. That you have to learn how to like yourself, and to be proud of who you are, regardless of what other people think you should be.

Whatever happened to Sinda’s aunt? Does Sinda stay in contact with her? 

Originally, when I was doing my rough outline for TFP, there was a scene in which Sinda went back to Treb and Varil had to help her at a key moment.  As I actually wrote the book, though, that part didn't fit, and so it fell away. It fell away partially for plot reasons, but also because I didn't think Sinda was ready to go back and try to have a relationship with her aunt. It takes until the tail-end of the book for Sinda to really accept who she is, and before that, I don't think she could interact with Varil in a way that would be meaningful. In my mind, though, she probably does try to get to know Varil better after the end of the book, though that may be a year or more down the line.

You have published several short stories, with The False Princess being your first novel.   What prompted you to make the jump into writing a novel?

I've actually been writing novels--or at least trying to--since I was 12. I tried to write my first then, though I only got about 20 pages into it. I finished a novel for the first time at 15--a very Mary Jane-ish summer romance about a girl and a guy with a motorcycle. And there were two finished fantasy novels between that and TFP. While all those were good practice, none of them was good enough to be published. TFP was the first novel I wrote that really gelled. So I've wanted to publish a novel for a long time--it just took a while to get good enough to make it happen.

In The False Princess, Sinda discovers that she not, in fact, the princess, and is forced to live a common life after 16 years of being royalty.  How would you react in a similar situation? What about if you found out that you were the lost/hidden princess? 

I'm not sure I would react as well as Sinda did, especially at the age of 16. I had a hard time breaking rules then, and I might have been more timid about forging my own path. I think I would have done better if I'd found out that I really was a princess. I've always been good at taking on more responsibility, and there would be a lot of that. Honestly, though, either would be a bit tough on me, even now. I have a hard time with change--I even got nervous picking out new paint for the bathroom recently!

Thanks for stopping by Eilis!

---

Author Bio:
I’m a writer of fantasy and the Managing Editor of the literary magazine Nimrod International Journal. I started writing at the age of three (though the story was only four sentences long). My short fantasy has been published in various print and online journals, and you can find links to some of my stories here. I was born, raised in, and currently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Power of Touch

One technique I think JKR uses excessively well is to employ the power of human touch to SHOW emotion rather than to tell. Throughout her stories, JKR utilizes words conveying touch between her characters to express the heights and depths of what her people are feeling. You can guarantee, in a high-intensity scene, there's going to be a lot more touching going on.

Study these examples, noting the bolded action, to see how in crucial, emotionally charged scenes, the physical act of touch is used to great effect:

“Where are we?” he [Harry] said.
Cedric shook his head. He got up, pulled Harry to his feet, and they looked around.

2 pages later

And then, before Harry's mind had accepted what he was seeing, before he could feel anything but numb disbelief, he felt himself being pulled to his feet.
(p. 636 & 638 GOF)

This example above has a mirrored effect: the paralleled wording contrasts the touch of loyalty between Harry and his former competitor seconds before Harry is betrayed by Wormtail. Harry has gone from being the loyal friend to being betrayed by his father's former friend, and must now fight for his life.

Then a pair of hands seized him roughly and turned him over.
“Harry! Harry!”...
Harry let go of the cup, but he clutched Cedric to him even more tightly. He raised his free hand and seized Dumbledore's wrist, while Dumbledore's face swam in and out of focus.
p. 671 GOF

With touching words such as “seized” and “clutched,” the power of Dumbledore's fear and Harry's mounting anxiety are powerfully conveyed. The reader can feel the emotions, rather than being simply told that Dumbledore was afraid and Harry was traumatized.

“RUN!” Harry yelled, and as the shelves swayed precariously and more glass spheres began to pour from above, he seized a handful of Hermione's robes and dragged her forward…”
p. 787, OotP

It touches the reader's heart, the force with which Harry protects Hermione. It also fueled a lot of Harry/Hermione shippers, but we won't go there. ;-)

Harry seized him and helped him back to his seat....
And pulling Dumbledore's uninjured arm around his shoulders, Harry guided his headmaster back around the lake, bearing most of his weight....
“I am not worried, Harry,” said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. “I am with you.”...
“When did it appear?” asked Dumbledore, and his hand clenched painfully upon Harry's shoulder as he struggled to his feet.
p. 577-581, HBP

How satisfying is it for the reader to see, to feel, Harry taking care of his mentor. Here, Harry becomes the strong one, and this is actively conveyed through numerous “touching” verbs.

And just so we don't think that the power of touch resides only with our hero and his friends, this from HBP:

...Snape had burst into the room, his face livid. Pushing Harry roughly aside, he knelt over Malfoy, drew his wand and traced it over the deep wounds Harry's curse had made, muttering an incantation that sounded almost like song. The flow of blood seemed to ease; Snape wiped the residue from Malfoy's face and repeated his spell. Now the wounds seemed to be knitting...
...When Snape had performed his counter-curse for the third time, he half-lifted Malfoy into a standing position...
...“There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid even that...come...”
 He supported Malfoy across the bathroom, turning at the door to say in a voice of cold fury, “And you, Potter...you wait here for me.”
(HBP, p. 489 Bloomsbury, p. 523 Scholastic).

"Pushing," "knelt," "traced," "wiped," "lifted," and "supported." The power of human touch, of healing...in Snape's hands.

Look for places where you can weave more touch, in all its varied forms, into your story. Especially consider scenes of climax and passion. And don't limit touch to your hero and his friends, after all, not all touches are good.

Touch is elemental, archetypal even. It transcends centuries and cultures, and the sexes. It has the power to convey emotions as far ranging as love from hate and trust from betrayal. It's a powerful tool in your arsenal. Use it well.

Snape picture credit 
Graveyard picture credit

The Blog Blonde Is At It Again!

I'm trying to update my blog--add stuff, change stuff, and basically just try a bunch of technical things I haven't a clue about. Sooooo, bear with me--the blog may look a little unfinished while I stumble along through the process.

And, um, why is my blog getting a lot of traffic from people looking for info. on Troy Aikman's sexuality? Really?

Watching Winter X Games--those guys and gals can really throw down. Shaun White tonight!!!! If you haven't seen him, you are missing out on something special--the guy is phenomenal.

Do you twitter? I've often thought about it, but...I dunno...what am I gonna say? 2:30--slipped on ice, fell on bum; 3:30--bit sore, craving soda; 5:00--certain songs make my hormones rage something furious (example Robin Thicke's music...seriously); 7:00--the static electricity is really bugging me...feel like have Beetlejuice hair.

Anyway, I'm rambling...mainly because I'm putting off having to figure out the technical-blog-stuff.

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

Reading Room Review: January 30

I'm so glad that January is almost over. It is my least favorite month by far, and I am not sad at all that it's only got a couple days left.

This week I got two books for review:

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper (already read it, it's fantastic, and solidifies my love for historical fiction)
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa (Haven't read any of the series, but I have been meaning to. I've heard a lot of great buzz about it.)

Two more small announcements. If you haven't filled out the Reader Survey, please do. I've got some awesome prizes up for grabs.

And last announcement is this: I'm writing a book.  I had serious doubts about putting that out into the universe, but I thought that you all may be interested in knowing about it. I'm not going to give a whole lot of details about it since the plot is pretty fluid right now. But, it is a YA Fantasy/Fairy Tale retelling, and I love it very much. I'm co-authoring it with my friend Julie. I will probably ask for some beta-readers towards the middle to end of the Summer. If you want to be one, either email me, or wait for the post in which I beg for them.

Thank you all for your awesome support. Happy reading!

Local Author Signings Page

Thanks to some fantastic reader feedback, I have an exciting new feature for those of you who live in the Utah area.  I have created a page with listings of the Young Adult author signings and appearances in the area.


I am working on adding this page to my menu bar. However, for some reason I am having some trouble doing it, so I've called in the expertise of my fantastic blog designer. Until then, you can check out the page at this link. Update: You can now see the link in the menu bar.

My hope is to keep this page updated often.  If you know of signings in the area that aren't listed, please send me an email with the information or a link to a website with information, and I'll get it on there.

If you don't live in the Utah area and want to know about signings, you can head over to Bookish Events where Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner has information about book tours all over the country.

Ask HTMiLy (6): Progress Bars

Making a Progress Bar

Did you join a reading challenge this year? One great way to visually keep track of how you are doing on your challenge is to create a progress bar.  You can see mine on the left-hand sidebar.

1. Create an HTML Gadget: If you are using Blogger, it's as simple as going to Design-Add a Gadget-HTML.
2. Insert the following code:

<center><a href="http://theladybugreads.blogspot.com/2010/12/2011-e-book-reading-challenge.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtev8AlweogQ7lgtokPH6JrPoFoJmJdkHItpI_vJNwtx-kaix7SooeOkQrOtgkYlEIB-VhF09SsdXt3fMuX2tt0YLhqxGwjkHRXNI93DaJT0uYnchBD-wM1GVRbWQ18QuntecwRLx_uM/s1600/EBookReadingChallenge-small.jpg" /></a></center><br />

<div style="width: 190px; height: 15px; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(254, 243, 210); border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div style="width: 8%; height: 15px; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(106, 71, 42); font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;">
</div></div>1 / 12 books. 8% done!<br />
<br />

Now, here's how the code breaks down:

<center><a href="http://theladybugreads.blogspot.com/2010/12/2011-e-book-reading-challenge.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtev8AlweogQ7lgtokPH6JrPoFoJmJdkHItpI_vJNwtx-kaix7SooeOkQrOtgkYlEIB-VhF09SsdXt3fMuX2tt0YLhqxGwjkHRXNI93DaJT0uYnchBD-wM1GVRbWQ18QuntecwRLx_uM/s1600/EBookReadingChallenge-small.jpg" /></a></center><br />

<div style="width: 190px; height: 15px; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(254, 243, 210); border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div style="width: 8%; height: 15px; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(106, 71, 42); font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;">
</div></div>1 / 12 books. 8% done!<br />
<br />

Link to the challenge sign-up or information page

Link to the challenge button image

Changes the colored portion of the progress bar

Text below the progress bar

Once you are done, it should look like this:

1 / 12 books. 8% done!

If you want to add more progress bars for different challenges, then just continue copying, pasting, and editing the code.

And if you want to get really fancy, you can combine with the instructions on making a scrolling button bar, and make a scrolling progress bar!

I'm Funny!!! It's Award Time!

The LOL Award: My sleepless day was totally made yesterday when the wonderful PencilGirl left me a wonderful award on her blog. On top of that, she thinks I'm kinda funny! Yay!!! I'm convinced humor is the cure-all for dealing with jackholes.

 Rules: 1. Thank and link to the blogger who gave you this award (see above); 2. Pass this award to seven fellow bloggers who make you giggle: Sandra; Aunt of 14; Simple Dude; Rebekah; Alessandra; Yvonne; Drew; Jewels;
The Mad Fat Girl

3. Reveal 7 unknown things about yourself.

a. My eyes appear to change color from their normal blue. If I cry or have watery eyes, they look aqua; if I wear green, they look very green.

b. I used to have the biggest crush on Zack Morris (Saved By The Bell).

c. French Music/Latin Music: Love both. Sometimes, I just put on a salsa beat and cut loose; other times, I chill to some relaxing French music.

d.  My favorite Broadway show is Phantom of the Opera. The music caught my ear when I was about seven years old--loved it ever since. Every time I hear That's All I Ask Of You, I cry.

e.  I'm a total believer in jinxing your teams. When I was in high school, I, on occasion, would make "Go Cowboys" signs for game day. Every time I made the sign, they lost (which wasn't often because they won the Super Bowl in those days). So, to this day, I refuse to make signs, hang banners, or wear anything related to my Cowboys on game day. In fact, this holds true across the board. If the Cowboys are playing, I wear a Texas Longhorns shirt; when the Longhorns are playing, I wear an LSU shirt; when LSU plays, I wear a Cowboys shirt, etc. Works pretty well unless your team is just total rubbish for a season, then it doesn't really matter. I love my teams too much to risk jinxing them.

f.  My favorite flower is the daisy--they remind me of a smiling sunshine. I just love them...and pink roses.

g. I can't stand for my feet or hands to hang off the edge of my bed. Dunno why. Maybe it goes back to when I was little and believed the monster dwelling under the bed would grab them. ;)

Tomorrow's the big day! Guest blogger over at Jewel's blog!!!!! :)

Drought by Pam Bachorz: Review

Drought
By: Pam Bachorz

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Published: January 25, 2011; EgmontUSA
Source: ARC received from publisher
Challenges: 2011 Debut Author Challenge

author website | author twitter | author blog

---

Summary (from Goodreads): Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood.

So she stays.

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s ever known?

My Review: I think I've written this review about five times. I can not get my finger on how I felt about this book. I think what it comes down to is that I saw the potential in this book, and I felt like the longer it went on, the more my interest in the book slipped through my fingers. Let me explain why.

When you are reading a book, the first half of the book is about creating questions in your reader's mind. However, by reading a book, I trust that my questions will be answered, whether or not I like the answers.  When they aren't answered, I feel quite let down. I am not very good at creating my own endings or conclusions.

I wanted to know why Ruby and her congregation live so long. Also, has Darwin lived that long? How long have they been in captivity? Why didn't Otto return? Did he actually ever live? What do the Elders and others gain from remaining in captivity? And why is Ruby's blood special?

Oh dear, the suspense in this novel was great. The whole time I thought how great the ending was going to be, and that I was going to be taken in a new and exciting direction. And then the book ended. It was like waking up in the middle of a great dream. All I want to know is HOW IT'S GOING TO END.

So, here's the deal. All of the things that I didn't like aside, the book had it's good moments. I especially loved the descriptions of Ruby being with Ford and discovering the great things in the world.  Which is why I'm posting it here on the blog, and giving it 3 stars. If you can suspend your belief and just go with the story, you'll probably like it.

My Rating:

Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: None

Guest Blogger News!

I just wanted to make sure y'all know that this coming Thursday, I will be the guest blogger on http://www.jewelsturning30.com/. 

I can't wait! I've been stressing, but that's so me. Writing for Jewels has been an absolute joy. I hope y'all will check it out...and I sure hope y'all like the post. :)

PLUS, I have an award to give out!! Yay! I'm working on the award post now and will publish it tomorrow (had hoped to have it posted today, but time just got away from me).

Oh, and the news stirring up Dallas fans: Troy Aikman is getting a divorce. Didn't expect to see those headlines while searching for Dallas Cowboys news. I truly hope things will work out in the best possible way for them all.

Now That Devil-Nose Is Open For Business...

...I can smell again, which, of course, means a 3 a.m. panic when what smelled like something burning reached my nostrils. I was utterly terrified. I ran everywhere, trying to find the source of the smell, but I found absolutely nothing. Could it have been someone's fireplace? I dunno. It was freaky. Really, really freaky. I didn't sleep at all--just sat up watching tv, trying to do some work, while acting as watcher for the house.

So, because my brain is totally scattered right now, this post will be totally random.

1. Soda confession: Yeah. I had the soda. It tasted so darn good. It was like liquid candy. I'm back on the water now. Reckon one soda isn't too bad. Strangely, the water tastes better than it did prior to the soda. Go figure.

2. As a Dallas Cowboys fan, gotta tell ya, not thrilled over the Super Bowl this year. Personally, if the Cowboys couldn't be in it, I would have liked to see the Jets and Atlanta/Saints/Bears battle it out in Cowboys' Stadium. Instead, we have two teams that have impacted my Cowboys in very, very negative ways over the years. Anyone heard of the Ice Bowl? Yeah. I wasn't even born yet, but I think I started hearing that story when I was in the womb. Super Bowl. Sigh.

3. Say Yes To The Dress and The Single Sandwich: While channel surfing, I stumbled across that TLC show, Say Yes To The Dress, and it reminded me of something I saw last fall/early winter. Imagine being a single woman watching a show about other women getting married and shopping for dresses.  Now, imagine the show going to a commercial break. What kind of commercial would you expect? Some random diet commercial, maybe? How about one of those jewelry commercials? They would fit the theme right?

Now, imagine suddenly hearing the original version of All By Myself as the camera focuses in on a lonely sandwich on a plate. Oh, I'm not kidding. Weddings--marriage--wedding gowns...and a commercial that blares All By Myself while featuring food.

What marketing/advertising genius came up with that little gem? What idiot thought it would be a good idea to air an ad featuring THAT song during a show about wedding dresses? Seriously. Absolute idiot.

4. Delusional people: I don't get them. We're talking people who think they are seriously famous when all they are known for is getting drunk and acting trashy. Suppose it doesn't help that they are awarded with book deals, spokesperson gigs, etc. Really, I don't get it. It's scary to hear how many delusional folks are in this world.

5.  Wasn't: For the first time, I didn't play his game. In the past, I oftentimes unwittingly played, hoping it would lead to a solid friendship, at the very least. Since retiring from the game, I have to admit...I feel great. It's like a huge weight has been lifted and I can breathe again.

Uh, yeah, so my brain just kinda stopped thinking. Clearly, the lack of sleep and serious stress from last night/early this morning is catching up with me.

I'll just leave you with a good, upbeat Monday-kind-of song. Groove a little--feel happy.

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal: Review

The False Princess
By: Eilis O'Neal

Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Published: January 25, 2011; EgmontUSA
Source: ARC received from publisher

Author Website | Author Twitter | Author Blog

---

Summary (from Goodreads): Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.

My Review: I have something to confess. For some reason I've always been a little bit apprehensive about declaring my love for fantasy. I really love stories about princess and dragons and court intrigue.  But, I'm ready to say now, I LOVE FANTASY.

And, I really loved this book. Sinda started out as a character that was weak, flawed, and quite two-dimensional. By the end of the book she was lively, strong, and very in control. It was one of the best transformations in a character that I've seen in awhile.  I really enjoyed reading through her progression.

Another absolute plus to this book was the romance. I don't need to tell you all that I am a sucker for the best friend romance. It really gets me every time. Thus, I absolutely fell for Keirnan hook, line and sinker. I was rooting for them to get past their shyness and misunderstandings and realize that they are PERFECT for each other.

Sinda's wizard tutor, Philantha, reminded me a lot of Irys in Magic Study. She's kind of an outcast, has her own ways of doing magic, and doesn't really care what others think. I absolutely adored her.

I had a pretty good idea of where the story was going the entire time. Which was actually quite nice. It was kind of like floating down a lazy river. The plot just flowed, curved in all the right places, and ended up very nicely.

The only complaint that I had was that I felt like a few loose ends needed to be tied up. First, Sinda's aunt just kind of disappeared. It seemed like the only use that she had was that she gave some background on Sinda. Which, was helpful, but I really would have liked to have gotten to know her better.

I think this is one of those books that I am going to be recommending a lot this year. It was very well-written, and I can't wait to see more from Eilis O'Neal.

My Rating:


Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild; references
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Violence: Mild

Reading Room Review

Bloggiesta Wrap-Up and Changes

I've made some minor changes to some things around the blog this weekend. You may or may not notice it, but I wanted to bring a few things to your attention.

• Starting this week, the format of reviews is changing.  I am going to begin including the publisher information and page count.  Also, I will have links to each author's twitter, website, and/or facebook page.  This will allow you to connect more with authors that you are interested in.
• As well as adding new information to reviews, I will be changing a little of the way they look. I am hoping the new changes will make them more aesthetically pleasing.
• I've been able to get my email inbox situation under control.  I plan to reply more to your comments whenever I'm able.  If you are using a blogger account, I suggest you enable your email so that I can reply directly to your comments. (link to tutorial on Housewife Eclectic). If your email is enabled, there is a very good chance you'll get a reply from me on your fantastic comments.
• A look back at my history of posts revealed that I am becoming quite stale in my content (at least in my opinion). So, in the coming months, I will be adding more discussion posts, author interviews, and guest posts. In fact, if you are interested in doing a guest post, send me an email.
• Want to see a full list of what I did (and didn't) accomplish? Check out my first bloggiesta post.

In My Mailbox

Okay, I haven't done one of these forever, and if I listed all the books that I've acquired since November, this would be the longest post ever. So, I'm sticking to the books that I've received in the last couple weeks.

For Review:

Vesper by Jeff Sampson

Enclave by Ann Aguirre (I was so happy when I got a pitch for this one. I've been on the lookout for it since I first heard about it a year ago. It had a different name and title back then. Can't wait to dive into it.)

From Paperback Swap:

Gone by Michael Grant (This book really looks fantastic, but I think the page count is freaking me out. It's a massive book, even in paperback.)

From Library Book Sale:

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Who didn't want to be a frontier girl after reading these books?)

Tangled by Carolyn Mackler

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale (The only book of hers that I haven't read).

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer

Dragon's Milk by Susan Fletcher

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Purchased:

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (I HAD to have the shiny cover) 

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (I immediately switched the cover to the blueprint one. My husband approved)

If you've made it this far in this post, bravo. Sorry it was kind of dry, but I figured I may as well get it all over with in one post rather than dragging it out through several.  Thank you as always for reading. You guys rock!

Please, May I Have A Soda?! Soda Poll....

Can't sleep, thanks to my nose. Apparently it's not done singing kumbaya with the Kleenex and Vick's VapoRub. It's just revolting, really.

Been thinking (nuthin' else to do): Since I'm feeling a little cruddy...and my shower door enjoyed making me nervously squirm in the nude...and an ice dam decided to spring a drip right near the toilet...and my Mavs lost...do you think maybe I could have a soda?

I've been BFF's with the goody-goody water for a while now; I'm craving the imperfectly perfect soda.

What do y'all think? Soda or no soda? *sniff, cough, gag, whine*

Doing the Bloggiesta

It's bloggiesta time again! I've got a fantastic laundry list of items that need to be completed. (And laundry, but I'm not counting that for this particular challenge.)

Want to join in the fun? Head on over to Maw Books and sign up!

1. Update Reviews on Goodreads
2. Update Reviews on Amazon
3. Clean up email inbox
4. Fix tags
5. Add Book Blogger Confidential to menu bar
6. Go through blog roll and clean up
7. Update review policy, about me page, and advertising page
8. Write 10 reviews
9. Write blogger confidential posts
10. Write 2 discussion posts
11. Organize bookshelves
12. Update Review by Title page
13. Update Review by Author page
14. Create local author signing calendar, page or something
15. Change blogger accounts from old email to new one.

Icy Thrones, Stubborn Showers, and One Mavs Loss

It all started with the Mavs loss last night. Something about that loss unleashed a series of rather unfortunate events.

First, a sinus attack decided to kidnap my nose's sanity and will not let go. Seriously, where does it all come from? How can one little nose produce that much havoc? I look like Rudolph. I swear, the dang thing is glowing. Hurts like heck, too--raw little s.o.b.

Somewhere between "I want to rip off my nose" and wanting to shove Kleenex in both nostrils, I got up to use the restroom--my water intake has been significant. Upon entering the bathroom, I heard an unsettling sound.

Drip, drip, drip.

Crap. A leak.

Where?

Drip, drip, drip.

Where are you, you little brat?

I couldn't find it, so I decided to go about usual bathroom business.

Drip, drip....ARGH!

I discovered the ice-cold devil-drip while in a rather compromising position, which I had to endure until I could get in a more appropriate stance to investigate.

Found the leak. Outside my bathroom window was a grouping of massive icicles, which means...ice dam. Wonderful. **Note: All fixed now...the guys came by and knocked down the icicles--it hasn't dripped since. So, here's hoping.**

Shower time: Ever been stuck in the shower...literally? I can now add this to my list of unwanted experiences. After showering, I pushed on the door, only to find it stuck. IT WOULD NOT OPEN. I didn't know what to do. I was quite literally stuck, in my birthday suit, in the shower. After unsuccessfully attempting to shoulder-slam the shower door (I don't recommend it), I stood, poised to karate kick the stupid thing down.

Just as I was about land the kick, the door popped open; it shocked the crud outta me...so much so, in fact, that I stupidly stumbled over the step, flew out of the shower, lost my footing, and rammed into the counter. Dang door. I'm thinking I won't close it all the way from now on.

Mavs, I really need you to win.

Happy Friday!

Reader Survey and Giveaway!

I've been blogging since June 2009 and have loved getting to know all of you. I really want to provide content for you that is interesting and helpful.

In order to bring you content that you want to read, please fill out this readership survey and let me know your thoughts.

I'm going to make it worth your time... Promise.


If you complete the survey, you will be entered to win a prize pack of YA novels. (Prize pack available for US readers only. So sorry guys!)

Up for grabs we have...

Drought by Pam Bachorz (ARC)
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (ARC)
Across the Universe by Beth Revis (ARC)
The Jumbee by Pamela Keyes (Hardcover)
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford (ARC)

So, thanks in advance for your answers!

Click Here to Fill Out the Survey!

A Virgin's Tale About Her Dallas Mavericks

Last night, I nervously watched my Dallas Mavericks break a depressing losing streak against none other than the Los Angeles Lakers. HUGE win...a win of massive proportions...we're talking enormous. Think you get it. Three words: Welcome Back, Dirk.

Anyway, after watching the game, I couldn't help but think about the ONE time I could have actually seen them play.

I was in professional school. The bigwigs my friend interned for had a private box at the American Airlines Center where the Mavs play. One evening, she called and asked if I would like to go to the game later that night.

ACTUALLY SEE MY MAVERICKS PLAY!!!  Could this be real?! Could one of my dreams ACTUALLY come true?

Hyperventilating ensued...before the second shoe dropped. There's always a second shoe when it comes to dreams, isn't there?

The conversation went a little something like this:

Friend: "Um, there's something you should know about tonight. My bosses are entertaining some really important business associates from Chicago."

Me: "Okay..."

Friend: "Well, they asked me to invite one of my friends...a 'pretty one.'"

Me, more than a little uncomfortable: "Uh-huh..."

Friend: "They kind-of want us to entertain the men coming in."

Me: "Exactly what do they mean by 'entertain?'"

Friend: "Oh, nothing like that. Just talk to them, maybe flirt a little."

A conditional dream come true--how could I not predict something like this? I felt completely deflated. When I watch my teams play, I'm there to support and cheer for MY TEAM, not be some guy's little barbie doll who will bat her eyes and giggle like a moron at everything he says.

I had a choice: Go and be someone I'm not or go and be who I am, potentially risking any opportunity my friend may have at a job offer.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't go watch my Mavericks just to not watch my Mavericks. And I knew what would happen--I'd go, WATCH the game, which means barely making an effort to "entertain" the men, and end up hurting her chances for a job offer.

Me, with a heavy heart: "You know, I wish I could go, but I really need to work on this paper."

Friend: "Are you sure? We'd still have fun!"

Me: "Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, I'm afraid I wouldn't show very well for you--I would probably come off rude because I would want to watch the game and wouldn't be as sociable as they would like.  You know me and sports."

She went to the game; I stayed home and watched on television...and worked on my paper. Thrilling. As I recall, I saw more of the game on television than she did actually being there.

The one time I could have seen them play and my dang principles had go and get in the way.  I just couldn't see myself flirting it up, being someone I'm not. I've never done things just to get things I may want. So, I reckon, I can be proud of that...still...it hurts to know I was THAT close to seeing my Mavs and Mark Cuban--love how much he loves the Mavs. I mean, how many opportunities like that actually fall in your lap?

I'm watching them battle Chicago right now...from my recliner...while researching.  The lack of change in my life is glaring.

Maybe one day I'll have another chance...for now, it's all about cheering Dallas to a win. GO MAVERICKS!

 

UPDATE: Mavs lost, but they played a great game.