An Award And Giveaway!

Thank to all of you for sticking with me through my NaNo trials and tribulations. I read a fantastic NaNo-inspired post by Aimee Bender, one of my favorite authors, and wanted to link to it here. I am finally getting over this virus and hope to be back to full writing strength soon.

A special thanks to Quinn for awarding me the Beautiful Blogger award. If you haven't visited his wonderful site, you should. There is always something interesting going on over there.

I would also like to encourage you to join Rachael Harrie's Inaugural Writers' Platform Building Crusade if you haven't already. I've met so many terrific writers and discovered some really great blogs through her efforts. Thanks, Rach!

One of my fellow Crusaders is having a giveaway on her blog, Marieke's Musings, along with a great interview with Jackson Pearce on researching historical novels.

Last, but certainly not least, my follower giveaway! This was supposed to be a 100 follower giveaway, but life interrupted. Now, I'm closing in on 150 followers and wish I could afford to give something to every single one of you, because it humbles me that you take time out of your lives to visit my little blog.

When I started thinking about prizes, I'll admit I had a hard time. I have quite a few international followers and didn't want to leave them out by just offering books that I couldn't afford to ship to them. So the winner, if international, will receive a $30.00 Amazon gift certificate and if stateside will get their choice of either the gift certificate or all of the following fantabulous ARCs, 

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

and  

The Particular Sadness Of Lemon Cake by the aforementioned Aimee Bender

To enter, just be a follower (+2 for old followers, +1 for new ones) and leave a comment on this post. You can also gain extra entries by doing the following:

• +5 for blogging about this giveaway (leave a link to the post with your comment).
• +2 for tweeting or mentioning the giveaway on facebook or myspace (just leave a link with your comment).

Just comment and let me know how many entries you have. The giveaway will close Friday, November 19th at midnight EST. I'll announce the winner, chosen by random.org, on Saturday, November 20th.

Thanks again!

Updates and Apologies

I felt like such a slacker when I realized I'd only posted once to the blog last week. NaNo has kept me busy. Although I'm a little bit behind where I would like to be, I did manage to pass 10,000 words over the weekend. And I must say I'm having fun not editing. I never thought I would utter those words, but I read a terrific article by Stephen King that really hit home with me. One of his suggestions on writing successfully was this:

Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule. You think you might have misspelled a word? O.K., so here is your choice: either look it up in the dictionary, thereby making sure you have it right - and breaking your train of thought and the writer's trance in the bargain - or just spell it phonetically and correct it later. Why not? Did you think it was going to go somewhere? And if you need to know the largest city in Brazil and you find you don't have it in your head, why not write in Miami, or Cleveland? You can check it ... but later. When you sit down to write, write. Don't do anything else except go to the bathroom, and only do that if it absolutely cannot be put off.

I've followed his advice while writing this week and let me tell you it's fantastic and freeing and lots of other wonderful adjectives that I will not use a thesaurus to look up right now.  You can read the entire article here, and I encourage you to do so.

I also finished reading Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and all I can say is WOW. Please read this book if you haven't already and tell everyone you know to read it also.

I passed it along to my teenage son. It is so powerfully written and Ms. Anderson really nailed the teen voice.

My fantabulous follower giveaway will be revealed this week so stay tuned for that, and for my fellow NaNoers, in the words of  Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, "Never give up, never surrender!"

Book Review - Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

From Goodreads:

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

 

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

 

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

 

I’m almost ashamed to say it, but this book was my first official taste of Steampunk. I know, I know, I’m behind the times.

 

Clockwork Angel is actually a prequel to the Mortal Instruments series (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass).  I’ve heard they are faster paced than this one and I’ve already added them to my extensive TBR pile. However, I loved this book and I didn’t find the pace too slow.

 

I found the characters vibrant and strong willed. Even Tessa was spunky considering the historical time period. Will and Jem had such a great rapport with each other and the love triangle between the three of them kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who Tessa would choose.

 

I also found the Steampunk genre fantastically inventive and Cassandra Clare described old London so vividly that it seemed like an additional character in the story.

 
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an intriguing read.

NaNoWriMo Prep

As some of you know, I've signed up for NaNoWriMo this year for the first time. A NaNo virgin, of sorts. Now that there is less than a week left, I'm beginning to panic. I have a great protag for my YA Paranormal, and I know her motivation, but a plot on how to get her to the end of the book? Basically nonexistent.  I've been researching plot over the last few days and I ran across this list of thirty-six types:

1. Supplication (in which the Supplicant must beg something from an authority)
2. Deliverance
3. Crime pursued by vengeance
4. Vengeance taken for kindred upon kindred
5. Pursuit
6. Disaster
7. Falling prey to cruelty of misfortune
8. Revolt
9. Daring Enterprise
10. Abduction
11. The enigma (temptation or a riddle)
12. Obtaining
13. Enmity of kinsmen
14. Rivalry of kinsmen
15. Murderous Adultery
16. Madness
17. Fatal imprudence
18. Involuntary crimes of love
19. Slaying of a kinsmen unrecognized
20. Self-sacrificing for an ideal
21. Self-sacrificing for kindred
22. All sacrificed for passion
23. Necessity of sacrificing loved ones
24. Rivalry of superior and inferior
25. Adultery
26. Voluntary crimes of love
27. Discovery of the dishonor of a loved one
28. Obstacles to love
29. An enemy loved
30. Ambition
31. Conflict with a God
32. Mistaken jealousy
33. Erroneous judgement
34. Remorse
35. Recovery of a lost one
36. Loss of loved ones

Now, most of the novels I've read contain multiple items on this list, but it does give me a lot to think about for my own story.

On the other hand, I read a fantastic article by Kristi Jenkins of The Editorial Department about plot being...well...not so important. So maybe I'm not in such bad shape after all.

Either way, I have lots of writer friends to support me along the way. I've even joined a Facebook group (nanowrimowarriors@groups.facebook.com) started by the amazing Lia Keyes. There are plenty of great links, information and inspiration to go around, so join us if you get the chance. And if you are participating in NaNo this year, buddy me!

I will try to keep the blog churning during the month of November, but I fear posts will be a bit sporadic (unless by some miracle I manage a 10,000 word day). I will also be running an awesome follower giveaway sometime in the next couple of weeks so keep an eye out!

YASpooktacular: Tales From Under The Grave Is Here!

What is the YA Spooktacular? Stories! We have compiled TWO spooky YA stories by some of your favorite authors, debut authors and aspiring writers. You will get to trick-or-treat to other blogs and follow the story of your choice--or even both stories! At the end of the stories, you will have a chance to enter to win a grand prize pack! (We will even have a Book Depository gift card for international participants to win!)

The rules are pretty simple:  

• You must comment on EVERY post in a story to be eligible to win the grand prize pack. 
• You MAY enter for both stories.
• The forms are a must to be entered.
• Winners will be selected at random.

We're so pumped about this event. We hope that you are too! Follow the hashtag on Twitter #YAspooktacular for access to some behind the scenes fun. The last part of each story will be posted on the 28th. The prize packs will go up on the 29th and the contest closes on the 31st. Basically, clear your calendar.


Now, cozy up to the screen with your favorite beverage and read Story #2, Part 4. Oh, and that noise you hear in the other room? It's probably nothing.

The words were on repeat inside Sami’s head when she walked into the house.They were the same words that the man said to the dead librarian. Dead librarian...why was she having these weird dreams—and how had she gotten to the library anyway?

Everything was frazzled. The woman, the dreams, Dylan. Up until today she was convinced he didn’t know she was alive, let alone know her name. And the darkness of his eyes reminded her of the man’s eyes in her dream. They were identical. 

Sami was halfway up the stairs to her bedroom when she heard voices in the kitchen and the smell of sugar cookies floating in the air. She had forgotten about her little sister's Halloween slumber party. It was all Gabby could talk about for the last two weeks. If Sami's head wasn't preoccupied with dead librarians and Dylan, she would have noticed all the orange and black streamers and balloons that decorated the house when she entered. 

Sami's mom was in the kitchen with Gabby, baking cookies for the slumber party. After her fight with Rosie, Sami decided she wasn't going to Alex Cooper's party; instead she would stay home and help her mom entertain a bunch of sever-year-olds. Now, she wasn't in the mood for either.

"Where did you wander off to?" her mom asked. She had orange frosting smeared across her beige apron and flour in her chestnut colored hair making it look gray.

Drawing the book closer to her chest, Sami said, "The library."

"On a Friday afternoon?"

"Yeah. I have a project due on Monday," Sami lied.

"Well wash up and grab an apron. We've got plenty of cookies that still need decorating," her mom said.

She made a face and leaned against the wall. She could stay here and babysit or she could go to the party. She already had a costume--and Dylan Harris was expecting her, but Sami hated disappointing Gabby. Maybe she could do both. 
 

"About the sleepover--"

"You're not bailing on me, are you?" her mom asked, looking up from a half-frosted pumpkin cookie.

Sami looked away. "Remember that party I told you about?" Sami asked.

Her mom nodded as she made tiny triangle eyes on one of the pumpkin cookies. She smiled lightly. "Can I get an hour out of you?" Sami nodded and sat the book on the table to help her mother.

Later in her room, Sami opened her closet and pulled out her costume for tonight's party. Before the falling out with Rosie, they were going to Alex's party as twin witches. They had spend weeks making their dresses together. Rosie designed them and Sami stitched them together. She didn't have time to get a new costume for tonight. But she was proud of the dress she created. Sami was going as one of the witches. She hoped Rosie wouldn't be there or at least had decided on a new costume. 

Sami pulled the dress down and disappeared into the bathroom.

This portion of the story was written by the talented Danielle Tauscher. You can visit her at her blog  http://danielletauscher.blogspot.com/ or on Twitter @StoryByDt.

Make sure to visit Claire at YA Bookie Monster for the next installment, and don't forget to leave a comment on this post to be entered for the grand prize.

If you missed the beginning of Story Two you can find it here.

And don't forget to check out story one!

 

My Haunted Hometown - The Culbertson Mansion

Behind every man now alive stand 30 ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living.

                                                         ARTHUR C. CLARKE, 2001: A Space Odyssey

The Culbertson Mansion in New Albany, Indiana, was the home of William Culbertson, once the richest man in the state. Built in 1867 at a cost of $120,000, this French Second Empire-style mansion has 25 rooms within 20,000 square feet, and was completed in November 1869.

Features within the three-story edifice include frescoed ceilings, a carved rosewood and mahogany staircase, marble fireplaces, fabric wallpaper and crystal chandeliers. The tin roof was imported from Scotland.

The house has seen many owners and changes since Culbertson and his family roamed the hallways. At the time of his death, William Culbertson willed the home to his third wife who sold it at auction in 1899 for $7,100. During the past century it has belonged to the American Legion and would have been torn down to make way for a gas station if the local historical society hadn't intervened in the late 1960's.

In 1985, the carriage house behind the mansion was opened as a haunted attraction during the month of October. It has raised nearly $600,000 since, with all the proceeds going to a restoration fund. The first floor of the mansion is completely finished and the second floor is well on its way.

Every year, the kids and I head over to the main house for ghost stories. For the admission price of two dollars, we get to trek by candlelight up the long winding staircase to the highest room in the home. There we hear about all the odd happenings that have taken place in the mansion including a small stuffed doll that moves from bed to bed in the children's room, and Misty, the ghost cat, that has been seen walking up and down the main staircase when the moon is full.

There have been inexplicable noises -- footsteps, murmurs, and door slamming -- and sightings of a ghost dubbed the "lady in gray".

The creaky floorboards and the wind whistling through the lone attic window always add to the experience. Every year as we're making our was back down the steps, I tell the kids to watch out for the cat. I've never seen Misty, but I figure it's good to be prepared.

My Haunted Hometown - The Seelbach Hotel

The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always -- take any form -- drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!

                                                                              Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

The Seelbach Hotel, located in Louisville, Kentucky, was opened in 1905 with an original cost of approximately $990,000. The rich and infamous have visited the hotel over the years, including Al Capone and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who even featured the hotel in his novel The Great Gatsby as the location of Tom and Daisy Buchanan's wedding. "The Hustler," starring Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman featured scenes shot in the old Seelbach billiard room (now the Oakroom, the hotel's 5-diamond restaurant).

But perhaps the most famous resident of the hotel is Patricia Wilson, also known as the lady in blue. In 1936, Wilson, age 24, had moved to Louisville from Oklahoma with her husband. Four years later, they were separated. Trying to work things out, the couple agreed to meet at the Seelbach for a romantic weekend, only Patricia's husband never showed. He was killed in a car accident on the way to their rendezvous. Patricia was devastated by the loss. Later that day, her body was found at the bottom of a service elevator shaft in the hotel. No one seems to know whether it was an accident or if she deliberately jumped.

In 1987, different staff members reported seeing Patricia Wilson on both the Mezzanine Level and the eighth floor. In both cases, a woman in a blue dress with long black hair was seen walking into the elevator, despite the fact that its doors were closed.

In April 2004, a couple on their honeymoon awoke to find their room freezing cold and the overpowering scent of a woman's perfume in the air. Others have reported disembodied footsteps in the hallway and electrical objects turning off and on.

For over 100 years, the Seelbach has been a place for the weary traveler as well as the unexplained.

I've been there several times including my senior prom, but have yet to experience the lady in blue. While it's thrilling to think about, I would probably be terrified in reality. I'll stick to watching Ghost Hunters.