In a comment posted on my last entry,Vomit Day#2 , Drake asked if I had any positive Valentine's Day stories.
Answer: No. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
Exception: I don't count my parents; they have ALWAYS tried to do something sweet for me on that wretched day, and I dearly love them for it. Likewise, I don't count the days when we were little ones and Teacher practically made everybody give everybody else one of those little single sheet cartoon-y Valentine's.
No, I'm strictly talking about the boy-girl, man-woman Vomit Day experiences. For me, if they weren't flat out terrible, they were nonexistent.
Even when I tried a silent protest by wearing thick black eyeliner, a black top, tight dark jeans, and dark nails on that ungodly day, I had people say, "Ooooh, what a pretty look on you!" or "Do you have a hot date tonight?" So not the ideal reaction. I'm protesting people!!! How is this unclear?
I've never gotten flowers, whether via an e-flower or in the flesh; I've never gotten a Valentine's card; I've never gotten a cute little Valentine's cuddly-something. Nothing. You know who got those things? You guessed it. The girls who were a sure thing or the seriously mean girls--we're talking MEAN with rotten intentions. I've never understood it.
Confession: I'm a hopeless romantic, so I WANT to like Valentine's Day, I really do. Even though it's totally over-commercialized and terribly cliche, I would love to know what it's like to have just one good memory for that day.
Until then....I will hate it with a burning passion that's stronger than a million suns.
Angelfire Character Art
One of the fantastic new releases this month is Angelfire
by Courtney Moulton. Today I've got some fantastic character art done by Courtney herself.
This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.
When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.
A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.
While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.
by Courtney Moulton. Today I've got some fantastic character art done by Courtney herself. |  |
About Angelfire:
:This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.
When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.
A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.
While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.
Don't forget to leave a comment on posts this month to be entered to win Delirium
by Lauren Oliver. Details on the comment contest here.
by Lauren Oliver. Details on the comment contest here.Vomit Day #2: Not A Top 10
If my first Vomit Day story was humiliating, then this one should rank fairly high on the pathetic scale.
The week leading up to Vomit Day during my sophomore year in high school was an exciting one. A friend of mine decided to set me up with this truly gorgeous senior. After pointing me out to him in the hall, he relayed his interest, and the road to my first decent Vomit Day was well underway.
He got my number from her, saying he would call me on Valentine's Day, and if things went well, he would ask me to a movie that night.
Wow! A date on Vomit Day with Adonis-senior-guy! Finally, a high school dream date coming true! And on my least favorite day of the year!!!!
February 14th: I turned my ringer on high, spent hours picking out my outfit (just in case said Vomit Day conversation turned into a date), and waited...and waited...and waited...
RING! RING!
Me: "Hello?"
Friend: "Aw, you answered the phone so sweetly! Has he called yet?"
Me: "No, not yet."
Friend: "Well, he will, just hang tight."
Not long after Friend called, my mom and dad knocked on my bedroom door with my Valentine's Day gift in hand. They gave me a CD...a soundtrack, to be more specific. I immediately placed it in my stereo and listened. Read on to find out which one...trust me when say this CD was the metaphorical dagger.
By 10:00 p.m., I knew he wasn't going to call. To this day, I can see myself sitting in my bed, staring at my carefully planned outfit all laid out, listening to my Valentine's CD from mom and dad, with my little pink phone by my side. Sad.
By 11:30 p.m., I was crying...while listening to...drum roll please...
The Bodyguard Soundtrack. You know, the one with I Will Always Love You---a favorite of manic depressives back in the day.
Yep. I was stood up/shafted/ditched on Valentine's Day, while listening to Whitney Houston belt one of the most depressing songs of all time, second only to All By Myself.
Oh, but there's more to this story! If I thought I couldn't feel any worse about myself, I was about to learn otherwise.
Turns out Adonis-senior-guy asked around about me prior to calling. He found out my name wasn't on the list of top ten sophomore sluts.
I believe his exact words to Friend were, "She just doesn't have the right name."
In fact, after a little digging, Friend found out that this guy "needed some kind of sex" on the first date, so he would never take a chance on a "good girl."
Bottom Line: He ditched me because my name wasn't on a list of sluts. It didn't matter that he thought I was cute; it didn't matter about my personality. He didn't care. He needed sex, and I didn't have the right name.
It's so pathetic, it's actually amusing. I mean, who gets stood up on Vomit Day for not having the right name?
Ugh, I hate you, Vomit Day.
The week leading up to Vomit Day during my sophomore year in high school was an exciting one. A friend of mine decided to set me up with this truly gorgeous senior. After pointing me out to him in the hall, he relayed his interest, and the road to my first decent Vomit Day was well underway.
He got my number from her, saying he would call me on Valentine's Day, and if things went well, he would ask me to a movie that night.
Wow! A date on Vomit Day with Adonis-senior-guy! Finally, a high school dream date coming true! And on my least favorite day of the year!!!!
February 14th: I turned my ringer on high, spent hours picking out my outfit (just in case said Vomit Day conversation turned into a date), and waited...and waited...and waited...
RING! RING!
Me: "Hello?"
Friend: "Aw, you answered the phone so sweetly! Has he called yet?"
Me: "No, not yet."
Friend: "Well, he will, just hang tight."
Not long after Friend called, my mom and dad knocked on my bedroom door with my Valentine's Day gift in hand. They gave me a CD...a soundtrack, to be more specific. I immediately placed it in my stereo and listened. Read on to find out which one...trust me when say this CD was the metaphorical dagger.
By 10:00 p.m., I knew he wasn't going to call. To this day, I can see myself sitting in my bed, staring at my carefully planned outfit all laid out, listening to my Valentine's CD from mom and dad, with my little pink phone by my side. Sad.
By 11:30 p.m., I was crying...while listening to...drum roll please...
The Bodyguard Soundtrack. You know, the one with I Will Always Love You---a favorite of manic depressives back in the day.
Yep. I was stood up/shafted/ditched on Valentine's Day, while listening to Whitney Houston belt one of the most depressing songs of all time, second only to All By Myself.
Oh, but there's more to this story! If I thought I couldn't feel any worse about myself, I was about to learn otherwise.
Turns out Adonis-senior-guy asked around about me prior to calling. He found out my name wasn't on the list of top ten sophomore sluts.
I believe his exact words to Friend were, "She just doesn't have the right name."
In fact, after a little digging, Friend found out that this guy "needed some kind of sex" on the first date, so he would never take a chance on a "good girl."
Bottom Line: He ditched me because my name wasn't on a list of sluts. It didn't matter that he thought I was cute; it didn't matter about my personality. He didn't care. He needed sex, and I didn't have the right name.
It's so pathetic, it's actually amusing. I mean, who gets stood up on Vomit Day for not having the right name?
Ugh, I hate you, Vomit Day.
Announcing: Monthly Commenter Contest
As I was reading through the reader survey that so many of you graciously filled out, I noticed that you would like to see more giveaways. However, for those of you that don't want your inbox/reader clogged with a million posts about different contests that you may not be interested in, and to promote the general community, I'm introducing:
The Monthly Commenter Contest
This is how it will work:
Each month I will pick a random commenter from one of the posts within the last month to win a featured book. Each thoughtful comment you leave on a post during the month will count as a contest entry. However, the following types of comments will NOT be eligible:
Only comments on posts from the current month will be eligible. Sorry, you can't comment on every post from the last 2 years. Well, actually, you can, but it won't be a contest entry.
All of these contests are open internationally unless I specify otherwise. So, comment away!
Please make sure that when you comment, that I have an email address or something that lets me identify who you are. Anonymous comments will not be eligible, obviously. But, if you have a blogger account linked or your website, make sure your contact information is either in your blogger profile or on your blog. If I can't get a hold of you, I'll pick another comment.
This month's featured title that will be up for grabs is...
Each month's featured book will either be a new release or a signed book by either a local author or one that has been through the area.
Comment period ends at midnight on the last day of the month. Have any questions? Leave them in the comments or email me.
The Monthly Commenter Contest
This is how it will work:
Each month I will pick a random commenter from one of the posts within the last month to win a featured book. Each thoughtful comment you leave on a post during the month will count as a contest entry. However, the following types of comments will NOT be eligible:
- Great post! I'll definitely add it to my TBR pile.
- Hey! I'm your newest follower, would you check out my blog and follow me back?
- Love your site (although I do appreciate the sentiments)
- Generic, one or two word comments.
Only comments on posts from the current month will be eligible. Sorry, you can't comment on every post from the last 2 years. Well, actually, you can, but it won't be a contest entry.
All of these contests are open internationally unless I specify otherwise. So, comment away!
Please make sure that when you comment, that I have an email address or something that lets me identify who you are. Anonymous comments will not be eligible, obviously. But, if you have a blogger account linked or your website, make sure your contact information is either in your blogger profile or on your blog. If I can't get a hold of you, I'll pick another comment.
This month's featured title that will be up for grabs is...
by Lauren Oliver
Comment period ends at midnight on the last day of the month. Have any questions? Leave them in the comments or email me.
Humor in Crisis
One thing I love about JKR's writing is her deft hand with humor. Even in a serious, high-stakes scene, she's likely to insert some light banter, which helps to bring the action fully alive and reflect the reality of the characters involved. Take, for example, any scene that Fred or George are in -- as we looked at in an earlier post, Those Tricky Twins and that Peevish Peeves, their role as tricksters is to invert the status quo, to upset the apple cart and make the reader see things from a different perspective. Their primary tool for handling this is a wicked sense of humor, which crops up at even the most inopportune times.
We see the twins up to their tricks in the delightful scene of "The Seven Potters" in Deathly Hallows, when Harry escapes Privet Drive for the last, and most dangerous, time. Of the thirteen witches and wizards gathered to escort Harry to safety, led by the uber-serious Mad-Eye Moody, all are somber and focused on the danger they are about to face. All except Fred and George.
Mad-Eye's plan is for six of Harry's friends (plus Mundungus) to drink Polyjuice and become Harry. Thus Voldemort and his Death Eaters will not know which Harry to follow as they flee in seven separate directions. When Harry protests the risk those who will be impersonating him must take, Fred responds:
And when Bill assures Fleur that she will be riding with him on a Thestral:
JKR always keeps humor flowing through her novels, no matter how dark. Thus, the absence of it from the most serious, high-stakes scenes make them all that much darker.
Humor is a difficult spell to cast as it performs differently for everyone involved. Humor is subjective. But when it works best, it is because the author has been true to her voice, the characters are speaking out of their reality, and the humor bursts forth from intrinsic action of the novel. In other words, to someone who hasn't read the story, they probably won't get it, because the humor is very much based on the details of your story. Read the quoted lines above -- if you've never read Harry Potter, you probably won't understand where the humor is in each of those bits.
So, how have you used humor in your stories, especially in a scene of tension or crisis?
Seven Potters image credit
Harry as Fleur image credit
We see the twins up to their tricks in the delightful scene of "The Seven Potters" in Deathly Hallows, when Harry escapes Privet Drive for the last, and most dangerous, time. Of the thirteen witches and wizards gathered to escort Harry to safety, led by the uber-serious Mad-Eye Moody, all are somber and focused on the danger they are about to face. All except Fred and George.
Mad-Eye's plan is for six of Harry's friends (plus Mundungus) to drink Polyjuice and become Harry. Thus Voldemort and his Death Eaters will not know which Harry to follow as they flee in seven separate directions. When Harry protests the risk those who will be impersonating him must take, Fred responds:
"Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry," said Fred earnestly. "Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."When Harry refuses to give-up the hairs they will need for the potion:
"Well, that's that plan scuppered," said George. "Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."Then, once everyone's gulped down their Polyjuice, and Fred and George are transformed into Harry:
"Yeah, thirteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance," said Fred.
"Fred and George turned to each other and said together, "Wow -- we're identical!"As Harry watches his six doppelgangers change clothes to match his:
"I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle.
He felt like asking them to show a little more respect for his privacy as they all began stripping off with impunity, clearly much more at ease with displaying his body than they would have been with their own.Even Fleur gets into the act:
"Bah," said Fleur, checking herself in the microwave door, "Bill, don't look at me -- I'm 'ideous."
And when Bill assures Fleur that she will be riding with him on a Thestral:
This light-heartedness works well here because even though the group is about to face tremendous danger, they haven't faced it yet. No one has yet died. The banter is a way to relieve tension, show the reality of the characters involved, and amuse the reader. It all comes together for a wonderfully entertaining scene.Fleur walked over to stand beside him, giving him a soppy, slavish look that Harry hoped with all his heart would never appear on his face again.
JKR always keeps humor flowing through her novels, no matter how dark. Thus, the absence of it from the most serious, high-stakes scenes make them all that much darker.
Humor is a difficult spell to cast as it performs differently for everyone involved. Humor is subjective. But when it works best, it is because the author has been true to her voice, the characters are speaking out of their reality, and the humor bursts forth from intrinsic action of the novel. In other words, to someone who hasn't read the story, they probably won't get it, because the humor is very much based on the details of your story. Read the quoted lines above -- if you've never read Harry Potter, you probably won't understand where the humor is in each of those bits.
So, how have you used humor in your stories, especially in a scene of tension or crisis?
Seven Potters image credit
Harry as Fleur image credit
Dallas Mavericks WIN!!!
WOW! If you missed the Celtics-Mavs game, you missed a fantastic back-and-forth battle. Thanks to Jason Kidd's 3 point shot with 2.5 seconds to go, Dallas was able to regain the lead and get their 7th straight win.
My throat totally hurts from yelling, "SHOOT THE BALLLLLLLLLLLLLL..." and I love it! It's the best kind of sore throat to have!!!!!
Way to go MAVS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My throat totally hurts from yelling, "SHOOT THE BALLLLLLLLLLLLLL..." and I love it! It's the best kind of sore throat to have!!!!!
Way to go MAVS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The LOL Award, Part Two
We have another LOL award to give out!! Thank you so much, J. Day for my second LOL Award. If you haven't visited her blog, please do--she is fantastic!!!
Rather than select a few fellow bloggers to receive this award, I'm changing the rules and passing it to EVERYONE! Go on, grab the LOL Award and do what you like with it. Honestly, all of you bring the smiles, making it an impossible task to narrow it down to a mere 7...plus, I really don't like leaving anyone out--I know, I know, I'm a softy. Truly, I think everyone deserves it. :)
So, now I have to reveal 7 previously unknown factoids about myself (this is getting kinda tough, actually):
1. I'm a huge fan of the t.v. show Dallas. My mama introduced me to J.R., Bobby, and the whole Ewing clan at a pretty young age, and I've loved it ever since. The theme song is truly one of the best in television history...at least to me. *blushes*
2. I tend to collect pens. Wherever I travel, I have to get a pen representing the area.
3. Williamsburg is one of my favorite places to visit. It's so beautiful there. The guys in costume have absolutely nothing to do with it. ;)
4. My very favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast. I love the whole theme of seeing past the surface to the beauty of the soul.
5. Haunted houses scare the living daylights out of me. When I was in third grade, our school had a haunted house, which I thought would be fun. After all, we're little kids--how scary could it be? Well, one bloody, headless dude offering me a bowl of eyeballs and Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street jumping out of nowhere officially did it for me and haunted houses. It was a little too much for a young child. Still, I love the idea of haunted houses...I'd probably still go to one.
6. Sometimes, I like to listen to instrumental music. Several of my very favorite soundtracks include: Sabrina, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Pride & Prejudice. The music is so calming.
7. Fifth grade: One of my classmates threw a huge Halloween party at her house (actually, it was more like a mansion). Everyone had to dress in costume for the party. It was pretty common knowledge that the coveted costume awards would be given to her personal friends. My best friend grumbled, wishing one of us would win something; I just wished I could win something for my mom, who did an amazing job on my kitty cat costume. But, I didn't know the girl very well, so I figured there was little chance of me winning anything. Then, shockingly, I heard my name called for "the big award," Cutest. Think that was the only time I won anything...and it still remains one of my fondest memories--because I could take that award and show it to my mama. :)
So, now I have to reveal 7 previously unknown factoids about myself (this is getting kinda tough, actually):
1. I'm a huge fan of the t.v. show Dallas. My mama introduced me to J.R., Bobby, and the whole Ewing clan at a pretty young age, and I've loved it ever since. The theme song is truly one of the best in television history...at least to me. *blushes*
2. I tend to collect pens. Wherever I travel, I have to get a pen representing the area.
3. Williamsburg is one of my favorite places to visit. It's so beautiful there. The guys in costume have absolutely nothing to do with it. ;)
4. My very favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast. I love the whole theme of seeing past the surface to the beauty of the soul.
5. Haunted houses scare the living daylights out of me. When I was in third grade, our school had a haunted house, which I thought would be fun. After all, we're little kids--how scary could it be? Well, one bloody, headless dude offering me a bowl of eyeballs and Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street jumping out of nowhere officially did it for me and haunted houses. It was a little too much for a young child. Still, I love the idea of haunted houses...I'd probably still go to one.
6. Sometimes, I like to listen to instrumental music. Several of my very favorite soundtracks include: Sabrina, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Pride & Prejudice. The music is so calming.
7. Fifth grade: One of my classmates threw a huge Halloween party at her house (actually, it was more like a mansion). Everyone had to dress in costume for the party. It was pretty common knowledge that the coveted costume awards would be given to her personal friends. My best friend grumbled, wishing one of us would win something; I just wished I could win something for my mom, who did an amazing job on my kitty cat costume. But, I didn't know the girl very well, so I figured there was little chance of me winning anything. Then, shockingly, I heard my name called for "the big award," Cutest. Think that was the only time I won anything...and it still remains one of my fondest memories--because I could take that award and show it to my mama. :)
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