tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45265198615583472512024-03-17T05:14:55.119-04:00Down The Rabbit HoleFall down the rabbit hole and explore movies, books, the life of a writer and the evil workings of three mad cat geniuses all while in the safety of your own home. Any loss of shoes, jewelry, or hats is not my fault so stop bothering me!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.comBlogger1403125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-22808995187379668512014-07-02T16:40:00.002-04:002014-07-02T16:40:40.845-04:00Facing Your (Writing) Fears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I like fantasy books and movies. I like getting lost in worlds I've never been in, meeting characters that can do fantastical things, magic, explosions, a place where people aren't always being watched by the every day things that we are forced into like school and work. I like imaging that just beyond the next tree in long forgotten woods is the entrance to a magical world, that the next store shop is covering up the entrance to a quaint little alley of wizarding supplies, that beyond the next mountain range hides a village of little folk living in the mountain bases. <div>
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So naturally, when I decided to write, I wrote about the own worlds in my head. I made up fantasy stories about ordinary people doing incredible things and about shimmering magic and horses and everything in between.</div>
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But as I start to plot out my next novel, I realize that I've also been hiding behind all of the big fight scenes, the swords and the magic because I've been scared. Scared that I won't measure up when I start writing about the real world.</div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQG_C-TZFNPesg0BTEo7A80so-C11X4vbW_ESLiI3o2VnJelIlF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQG_C-TZFNPesg0BTEo7A80so-C11X4vbW_ESLiI3o2VnJelIlF" /></a>See, the next novel I want to write is a YA contemporary. I have a cast of characters that have been with me for four years and all this time, they've been getting stronger. Plus, I work at a police department so I've been picking up on a lot of things about drug informants and I think it is all so fascinating.</div>
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What I'm saying is I'm going to stretch my legs and try writing out of my comfort zone and I can't wait to see what I discover. I still have more fantasy novel ideas. I'm not at all done with them. But for now, I want to try something new.</div>
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If your struggling or scared of an idea you've had, maybe you should try it too. Anyone have any tips for taking on your writing fears?</div>
Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-24813374951534962452014-06-29T19:21:00.001-04:002014-06-29T19:21:04.994-04:00Discussion: How to Train Your Dragon 2Like most of the world, I feel in love with How To Train Your Dragon in a way I could have never imagined. Everything about that movie was perfection and though I thought it looked like a cool concept, I never expected to love it the way I did.<br />
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So I was more than a little skeptical when I heard there was going to be a sequel. Then I saw the direction they were going. They decided to start this story five years later which made Hiccup a young adult. I'm not sure if it is ever confirmed but I imagined he was around 17. But I got really excited for their character designs and for the fact that they could now tell an entirely new story.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hiccup and Toothless in How To Train Your Dragon</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hiccup and Toothless in How To Train Your Dragon 2</b></span></td></tr>
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And boy did they! I'll get into some spoiler-y plot stuff soon but suffice to say, this movie is wonderful. I'm not going to review it per say, but I wanted to touch on some of the things I loved about it. Again, there will be spoilers ahead.<br />
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1) <b>Hiccup and Astrid's relationship</b><br />
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I love, love, LOVED the portrayal of Hiccup and Astrid's relationship in this movie. From the moment they get on screen together, there is this naturalness with them that feels real and the movie makers left us loads of little clues about this. For instance, Hiccup begins the movie with one braid in his hair but when Astrid sits next to him, she braids another strand which stays there the rest of the movie. We already know that Astrid wears her hair in braids so it feels so natural that she would braid his. He has two braids in his hair for the rest of the movie. Also, when she sits down next to him, he hands her his pen without any comment. You get the feeling that they have a routine, that they know what the other is thinking and I love that. Not to mention, we get to see how much they trust each other.<br />
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2) <b>Hiccup and Toothless</b><br />
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Alright, you knew this one was going to be on there. In the first movie, the link between Hiccup and Toothless was beginning to form but by this movie, it is fully formed. They are one, thinking in unison, understanding each other and it is amazing to watch. I loved seeing how much they each rely on each other, Hiccup because he can move so much faster with Toothless and Toothless because Hiccup helps him fly. The fact that neither are complete without the other is this amazing bond and so much deeper than another boy and his pet story.<br />
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Because Hiccup and Toothless have such a tight bond, I found it really interesting that the movie decided to test them. Having Toothless kill Hiccup's father while under the influence of the alpha dragon, Bewilderbeast, was one of the most interesting things I've seen happen in a kid's movie. That is DARK on a level I never thought I'd witness. I understand that Toothless was being controlled and that this is really his first time dealing with something like that but I was shocked. Having their bond tested in such a visceral way was so sad to watch and I got really upset watching Hiccup shoo Toothless away when Toothless was trying to figure out what was going on.<br />
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I'm not sure I can entirely blame Hiccup for not wanting to figure Toothless for what he did and I could have watched an entire movie of them trying to find their way back to each other. I was satisfied with the ending, that Hiccup's willingness to forgive Toothless and trust him even though the recent past indicated that he shouldn't is what gave Toothless the strength to fight against his very nature but I would have loved to see more on that. Watching them fall back into trusting each other instantly, seeing how Toothless would save Hiccup without any regard for his own life and knowing Hiccup would do the same because without one, there really isn't the other, was so incredible.<br />
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3) <b>The Comedic Relief of Ruffnut</b><br />
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This is a kid's movie after all and it is dealing with some really heavy stuff. It was nice to have Ruffnut coming into her own, noticing boys and providing a little bit of comic relief in the middle of the story. The parts with the boys were really funny but my favorite moment was when Ruffnut and Tuffnut get their dragon back and the head her brother rides on comes over to her and she pushes it away because she only likes her side of the dragon.<br />
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4) <b>Hiccup's Mother</b><br />
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Disregarding the fact that she is exactly Hiccup and what she does for the story, my husband and I couldn't get over the way she was animated. She was so fluid in her movement, part wild animal herself. The moment when they are riding on their dragons together and she walks across all of the dragons, using her staff as a way to cling to one with a horn or when she was on her own and uses that staff to be lowered to the ground is one of the highlights of the entire movie. She was beautiful.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pagetopremiere.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/How-to-Train-Your-Dragon-2.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.pagetopremiere.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/How-to-Train-Your-Dragon-2.jpg.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>5)<b> The Moment Stoick and Valka Reunite</b><br />
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If there was one moment in this film where I held my breath, it was this one. There was something so natural about the dumbfounded way Hiccup's father walked toward his mother, with her apologizing the entire time, and when he reached out and touched her face, it was beautiful. I know this is a small moment in the scheme of things, a great moment embedded in 120 minutes of great moments, but there was something so touching about it. You felt a real longing, a real love, a life they could of have, blossom right on screen.<br />
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6) <b>Hiccup's Inventions</b><br />
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We knew Hiccup thought out side of the Viking ship the first time we met him. His inventions were nothing compared to what we get in this movie. This time around, he has loads of gadgets he's been perfecting over the five years since we've met him and I love that this is something carried over to the next movie. He has never had brute strength on his side and must rely on his brains to keep him alive. His new fire engulfed sword is a wonderful example of that. We even get to see all the neat things it can do in a comical sequence where Hiccup and Astrid are "captured".<br />
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7) <b>The Dragon Animation</b><br />
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Oh. My. God. Watching the dragon interact with human is wonderful but even better than that is watching them interact with each other. I could watch the scene where we first get to see Astrid and Hiccup together a million times because as much as I was focused on Astrid and Hiccup, I was also trying to watch the dragons in the background. They were playing fetch (with an entire tree), smelling each other and playing around. The dragon interactions were just insanely good.<br />
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I could keep going. The plot change up from Hiccup being right in the first movie to his father being right in the second one, the interesting way they fought a war with dragons, the addition of Eret (Son of Eret) learning about how amazing dragons could be in a single scene, and more make this movie INCREDIBLE. If you are a fan of dragons, coming of age stories, Vikings, cats, dogs, wolves, owls, family stories or you know, have eyeballs and a heart, I think you'll like this movie.<br />
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I want to know if you saw it. Did you like it?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-32663243095758465352014-06-24T17:50:00.000-04:002014-06-24T17:50:16.320-04:00Editing: Tips for Cutting Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are anything like me, you write and write and write and when you are halfway done, you look up and realize that your word count is WAY over the limit. And not just by a little. I'm talking like 10k over. I feel like I am the Queen of this land. Then I get new ideas and I have to find places to cut and trim to make the word count in the ballpark of where it needs to be.<br />
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However, with this past manuscript I've been working on, I've realized that I also waste a lot of space with unnecessary words. The problem with this besides bloating the word count is it makes for a passive voice which causes a disconnect with the character. So if you're writing feels dull, try some of these tips to jazz it up!<br />
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1) Cut out as many "to be"s as possible.<br />
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I am terrible about this. Going through my manuscript and cutting out all the unnecessary places I found "was" slashed my word count down a lot. It also makes the writing feel slow because the character seems like they are just telling you what is happening instead of showing.<br />
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<b>Ex: "He was standing in the corner."</b><br />
See how boring that sentence is?<br />
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<b>Better: "He stood in the corner."</b><br />
Now that "was" has been taken out, it feels a little more active. But we can make this even better.<br />
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<b>Best: "He slouched against the wall."</b><br />
This gives us a lot more of a visual as to what the character is doing and it feels a lot more active.<br />
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The dreaded "to be" verb doesn't just strike when characters are involved either. Object get the passive voice treatment as well.<br />
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<b>Ex: "The velvet drapes were hung on either side of the large window."</b><br />
Again, we are being told about the drapes.<br />
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<b>Better: "The velvet drapes hung on either side of the large window."</b><br />
Just taking out the "to be" verb helps the sentence feel a little fresher but again, this is an inactive sentence so lets do better.<br />
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<b>Best: "I run my fingers along the velvet drapes hanging closed against the morning light."</b><br />
Now the character is interacting with the object which makes the object worth being described, we've ditched the boring "to be" verb and spruced the whole sentence up!<br />
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2) Describing items using multiple words.<br />
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This is another one that I am very guilty of. Just cutting multiple adjectives to describe one object helped get my word count under control.<br />
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<b>Ex: "The large, tall and thick oak tree had big leafy branches that spread out high above our heads."</b><br />
Holy moly, Batman! Those are a lot of words to describe a tree when we could get the idea with a lot less.<br />
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<b>Better: "The thick oak tree had leafy branches that spread out high above our heads."</b><br />
Again, this still has a lot of words to describe a tree that probably doesn't have a whole lot of importance.<br />
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<b>Best: "The oak's leafy branches spread out high above our heads."</b><br />
<a href="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs049/1103690441323/img/118.jpg?a=1104281244325" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs049/1103690441323/img/118.jpg?a=1104281244325" height="148" width="200" /></a>See how many words we cut by getting rid of all those unnecessary adjectives? Chances are, the reader is going to understand that the oak tree is "thick" and "big" based on the fact that the branches are high up. Trust the reader to fill in the blanks!<br />
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3) Cut weasel words!<br />
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We all have words that we lean on. The ones we use without even thinking about it. In fact, I wanted to use one of my in this sentence and the one before this. Here are a list of common weasel words to look for and eliminate:<br />
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<li>Just (which was the one I wanted to use)</li>
<li>Then</li>
<li>That</li>
<li>Suddenly</li>
<li>Very</li>
<li>Every</li>
<li>Would</li>
<li>It</li>
<li>See</li>
<li>Seem</li>
<li>Smile</li>
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That's just to name a few. We all have our own weasel words. Identifying them and then eliminating them will really help cut down your word count. I try to savor these words and only use them when they can really help make an impact.<br />
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Take "just" for example:<br />
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<b>Bad Ex: "She just didn't know what to do."</b><br />
This example is super boring and "just" sits there not doing anything for the sentence.<br />
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<b>Better: "It's no big deal really. It's just my entire life."</b><br />
In this sentence, "just" is exaggerating the point and adding a sarcastic or drastic tone. It's making this weasel word count.<br />
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"Then" is another good example that, when used correctly, can really make an impact:<br />
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<b>Bad Ex: "Then we decided to leave."</b><br />
In this example, "then" hangs there all boring. This sentence is telling us nothing. But if "then" is used correctly, it will have an impact!<br />
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<b>Better: "She washed the dishes, scrubbed the floor, folded the laundry, dusted and straightened, anything to keep her mind off the conversation she knew was coming that night.Then, with nothing left to do, she sat on the couch to wait."</b><br />
Alright, so this isn't the strongest example, but "then" does serve to show how much the character is stalling. It is telling us something about the woman.<br />
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<b>Better: "And then the gun went off."</b><br />
Wouldn't you just need to turn the page to keep reading? The nonchalant "then" in this sentence serves to add excitement.<br />
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4) Par down the dialogue tags.<br />
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I tend to add a lot of action at the end of dialogue tags which fluffs my word count. Get rid of those tags and use anything other than "she said/he said" sparingly.<br />
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<b>Ex: "I hate you," she yelled at the top of her lungs, throwing a vase at his head.</b><br />
We get from her action that she is probably yelling and loudly. We don't need to know that she "screamed bloody murder" when her actions show us that.<br />
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<b>Better: "I hate you," she yelled, throwing a vase at his head.</b><br />
We understand that she is yelling and her actions show us just how angry she is.<br />
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Those are my tips for cutting down your word count. There are even more ways but those are the things I'm guilty of. Be removing a lot of these, my character's voice becomes more active and my word count lowers. I hope it helps you and I'd love to hear about anything you've learned over the years!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-81800455936002919232014-06-19T17:17:00.001-04:002014-06-19T17:17:12.780-04:00Etsy Shop Spotlight: FictitiousFragrances<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever wondered what Gryffindor's Tower smells like? What about how The Doctor from Doctor Who or Castiel from Supernatural or Thor from The Avengers smells like? Well, now you can find out and have these scenes and more filling up your house!<br />
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In this week's Etsy shop spotlight, I wanted to feature a really awesome candle maker that is using her powers to make candles for your inner nerd. If candles arn't your thing, she also has roll-on fragrances and lip balm! I ordered three scents for my best friend for her birthday and we both loved the product! Not only did they smell awesome but they were well packaged and even had a cute thank you sticker attached to it. Check out some of my favorite products and stop by the store if you have some time!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/193528910/harry-potter-gift-set-themed-candle?ref=shop_home_active_8">Harry Potter Gift Set ($35)</a></span></div>
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On the Etsy page, it says the listing includes:<br />
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--Two (2) 8 oz. Candles<br />***OR***<br />--Five (5) 3 oz Soy Melts<br />Choice of:<br />-- Ravenclaw Tower<br />-- Gryffindor Tower<br />-- Slytherin Dungeon<br />-- Hufflepuff Basement<br />-- Butterbeer<br />--One (1) .3 oz Roll-on Fragrance<br />Choice of:<br />-- Ravenclaw Tower<br />-- Gryffindor Tower<br />-- Slytherin Dungeon<br />-- Hufflepuff Basement<br />--One (1) .15 oz Lip Product<br />Choice of:<br />-- Pumpkin Pasties (chapstick)<br />-- Amortentia (lip tint)</blockquote>
This is a brand new idea and I absolutely love it! I'll be ordering this pack as a birthday gift to myself very soon. You can also find these fun fragrances and more:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/180955924/the-doctor-doctor-who-inspired-8-oz?ref=shop_home_active_13">The Doctor 8 oz Candle ($13)</a></span></div>
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Scents: Bergamont zest, earl grey tea leaves, sweet herbs</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/178414546/impala-supernatural-inspired-8oz-soy?ref=shop_home_active_16">Impala 8 oz Candle ($13)</a></span></div>
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Scents: Leather, Pine Branches, Bergamont, Oakmoss</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/180269109/mother-of-dragons-game-of-thrones?ref=shop_home_active_7"> Mother of Dragons 8 oz Candle ($13)</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/021/1/9076602/il_570xN.576575392_n8xm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/021/1/9076602/il_570xN.576575392_n8xm.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
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Scents: Dragon's Blood</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/188969432/captain-america-avengers-inspired-8-oz?ref=shop_home_active_16">Captain America 8 oz Candle ($13)</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/031/0/9076602/il_570xN.600134333_h9t2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/031/0/9076602/il_570xN.600134333_h9t2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Scents: Apple, cinnamon, pastry</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/178994605/hyrulian-summer-zelda-inspired-8oz?ref=shop_home_active_12">Hyrulian Summer 8 oz Candle ($13)</a></span></div>
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Scents: Fresh cut grass, Juniper, Jasmine</blockquote>
And if you're like me and need to smell multiple scents, you can always opt for the pick 3 or 4 scents here:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/183055194/choose-any-four-geek-inspired-8oz?ref=shop_home_active_24">Choose any 4 Scents ($45)</a></span></div>
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Or maybe you just want to smell like Belle from Beauty and the Beast? Then you can try this:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/189840974/belle-disney-princess-inspired-3-oz?ref=shop_home_active_23">Belle Disney Princess Inspired 3 oz Perfume Oil ($7)</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/039/0/9076602/il_570xN.603218228_4mwj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/039/0/9076602/il_570xN.603218228_4mwj.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
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Scents: Berries, tea, roses, leather</blockquote>
I always love finding nerdy things on Etsy and these candles pretty much top it from me! I'd love to order a few for my new room.<br />
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Are you interested any of these scents?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-79363707468773864502014-06-17T02:55:00.000-04:002014-06-17T02:55:29.215-04:00Where Were You the Day Dumbledore Died?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://joedag32.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://joedag32.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-book.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
My husband and I have been listening to a podcast during our down time and they happen to be analyzing the Harry Potter movies. As they were going through the sixth movie, I felt my chest tighten because I knew what was coming. Even now, after reading the series twice and watching the movie hundreds of times, I still feel myself growing faint every time I think about Dumbledore's death. This is a death that happened almost ten years ago (wow, I feel old) and I still found myself crying when they played the audio for Dumbledore dying.<br />
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Every time Albus says "Severus, please", not begging for his own life but begging Snape to kill him for Draco's sake, I can't stop the tears from flowing.<br />
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In my lifetime, my parents or other adults would often tell me that there are moments in life that I would remember. You will remember what you where doing when {fill in the blank}. I'm sure they meant historic things and I guess there are a few of those too but the moment Dumbledore died is among them.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2qMuc_Cxlao/TZNIb7ZunCI/AAAAAAAAAJE/r2SQf-DicaY/s1600/harry_potter_and_the_half_blood_prince_albus_dumbledore1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2qMuc_Cxlao/TZNIb7ZunCI/AAAAAAAAAJE/r2SQf-DicaY/s1600/harry_potter_and_the_half_blood_prince_albus_dumbledore1.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a>I had just started working at Books-A-Million at the time and they were in a flurry preparing for the midnight release of <i>Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince</i>. I went from new employee to heading the whole thing when they caught wind that I was a fan. Here I was, 18-years-old in my first job ever and tasked with the huge responsibility to entertain hundreds of folks showing up for the release of the sixth book in the Harry Potter series... I'd never been more excited for anything in my life.<br />
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That week I was tasked with making huge house banners (seriously, these things were eight feet each), helping every "house" plan their activities for the evening and organizing the rules and prizes for the costume contest. Plus, I had to get my costume together because Trelawney wasn't going to magically appear unless I made her. I even learned a few magic tricks for the occasion since I claimed Gryffindor which had kids from 5-10 in it.<br />
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What all this amounts to is that I had to work well past midnight when <i>Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince</i> was released. By the time I got home and showered, it was well into the early morning hours. Not that the late hours stopped me. I read most of the night, completely hooked even though I was scheduled to work at 3 PM the next day. After only a few hours of sleep, I drove to work with the book resting in my front seat mocking me. I parked in the spot I always parked in (three spaces from the front all the way on the right of the parking lot) with twenty minutes to spare and I read. I read as Dumbledore paralyzed Harry and watched in horror as Dumbledore tried to convince Draco that there was still good in him. With three moments to spare, Snape said the irreversible words and Harry was freed from Dumbledore's spell. Dumbledore, the man who had guarded Harry and I through five books, who even Voldemort was scared of, was gone. In a world full of magic and wonder and miracles, there was nothing Harry could do to bring him back.<br />
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With tears streaming down my cheeks, I walked into the bookstore and tried to put on my apron so that I could sign in. I tried to be brave. But I was now walking around in a world where Dumbledore was no longer there to protect me and that killed me. My manager, who happened to find out what happened in the morning since she wasn't a huge fan, let me have a few moments to pull myself together but it was pretty useless. I was already gone.<br />
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We weren't allowed to read behind the counter even when the floor was empty but that night, I happened to be putting up a <i>Half Blood Prince</i> for my entire shift.<br />
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<a href="http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm65/jaMEGATRON/rDV7kyzWPpuxqw19iJ6Qk277o1_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm65/jaMEGATRON/rDV7kyzWPpuxqw19iJ6Qk277o1_1280.png" height="172" width="320" /></a>I remember where I was the day Dumbledore died. I remember grieving with so many of my friends who also found out, discussing it with the customers that came in and just needed someone to talk to, and trying to figure out how the Harry Potter world was ever going to be the same.<br />
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I can't imagine writing a series like that. Of crafting characters and books in such a way that I can devastate the literary world. I think as a writer and as a reader, I'm always searching for that feeling again. Because for me, the day Dumbledore died is a part of my history, not just a writer but as a human being. Harry Potter shaped me, like so many other folks, and to this day it still moves me.<br />
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So I want to know your story. Where were you the day Dumbledore died?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-76111990080697770152014-06-11T16:29:00.002-04:002014-06-13T17:00:55.832-04:00Writing Book RecommendationsI've read a fair share of writing books before I started writing seriously but lately, I find myself obsessively looking up articles on every facet of writing online. I want to get better for my characters, give them interesting plots and expand my horizons but I can't do without help. So I ordered a few books on Amazon which I'd like to share here with you and then, if you have any suggestions, please leave them below.<br />
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When I put out a shout on Twitter, I got recommended:<br />
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<b><u>Writing Irresistible Kidlit</u></b> by Mary Kole</div>
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I ordered it and will be reading through it shortly.<br />
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I also purchased these:<br />
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<b><u>The Thesaurus Book Trio</u></b> by Angela Ackerman and Becca Pugkisi</div>
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I purchased all three of these books and can't wait to dig into them. I've been working a lot on trying to make my characters seem unique and give them interesting details. I hope these books will help with that!</div>
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I'll review them in more depth after I've finished reading. </div>
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I'd love to hear about any books that have helped you with writing!</div>
<br />Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-66206018036421176142014-06-02T16:51:00.000-04:002014-06-02T16:51:04.825-04:00Etsy Shop Spotlight: Heart Felt Design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm always hunting around on Etsy for fun nerdy things and am amazed by the talent and creativity of some many shops I come across. One of my favorite past times is searching for Doctor Who stuff and that is how I came across this next shop.</div>
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Today, I'd like to feature Heart Felt Designs...<br />
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/042/0/6080774/iusb_760x100.13404491_t7vq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="52" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/042/0/6080774/iusb_760x100.13404491_t7vq.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I feel for this shop because I think pillows are a lot more grown up looking for rooms than dolls or stuffed animals (though I have a few of those too). I just think that pillows are a great way to show off your nerdom without needing lots of shelf space. So I wanted to highlight a few awesome products from this shop that I would love to snag:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/004/0/6080774/il_570xN.378565059_kkh1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/004/0/6080774/il_570xN.378565059_kkh1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/108798655/wizard-pillow-harry-potter-hermione?ref=shop_home_active_1">Harry Potter pillows ($30 each)</a></td></tr>
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<blockquote>
Made from top quality fabrics including anti pill fleece, allergen free fiber fill and eco friendly felt. All details are securely stitched on making this item safe for all ages. No fabric glue shortcuts here.</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/038/0/6080774/il_570xN.578476851_9i3x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/038/0/6080774/il_570xN.578476851_9i3x.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/183180278/anna-and-elsa-frozen-pillow-plush?ref=shop_home_active_8">Anna and Elsa from Frozen ($30 each)</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/009/0/6080774/il_570xN.451152849_m23n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/009/0/6080774/il_570xN.451152849_m23n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/125001976/supernatural-pillow-sam-winchester-dean?ref=shop_home_active_5">Supernatural's Dean, Sam and Cas ($30 each)</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/015/0/6080774/il_570xN.451479805_s352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/015/0/6080774/il_570xN.451479805_s352.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/130077206/zelda-legend-of-zelda-plush-pillow-throw?ref=shop_home_active_13">Link and Zelda ($30 each)</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/023/0/6080774/il_570xN.579256396_gwm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/023/0/6080774/il_570xN.579256396_gwm1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/183427558/harry-potter-house-mascot-pillows?ref=shop_home_active_21">Harry Potter house ($35 each)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/039/0/6080774/il_570xN.551934532_cu2h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/039/0/6080774/il_570xN.551934532_cu2h.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/176074397/aang-appa-avatar-the-last-air-bender?ref=shop_home_active_16">Aang and Appa ($30 each)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/038/0/6080774/il_570xN.597689546_dk7b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/038/0/6080774/il_570xN.597689546_dk7b.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/188336679/sloth-plush-pillow-cushion-gift?ref=shop_home_active_18">Sloth pillow ($30)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/043/0/6080774/il_570xN.578260868_mwmn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/043/0/6080774/il_570xN.578260868_mwmn.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/183153056/hedwig-pillow-plush-cushion-owl?ref=shop_home_active_10">Hedwig pillow ($30)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As you can see, most of these in square and rectangular designs and are mostly $30. I think they are so stinking cute and would be perfect additions to my uber classy chairs. I can't have it too grown up in my writing room or it just won't be me.</div>
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What do you guys think of these fun throw pillow designs?</div>
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Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-51496189352401529792014-05-25T12:00:00.000-04:002014-05-25T12:00:00.934-04:00Etsy Shop Spotlight: KGkitten's KornerSo as you saw yesterday, I've been working hard to get our old office into top shape for a new writing room! I have most of the furniture finished at this point but I still need to get fun things on the bookshelves and on the walls. Though I'll be adding some of our papercraft shadowboxes, I also wanted to find some things on Etsy. I wanted to showcase a really cool shop I found... <div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">KGkitten's Korner</span></b></div>
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What drew me to this shop and my item spotlight is this gorgeous Doctor Who Melted Crayon Art which goes for $28-$38 depending on size...</div>
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/033/1/7699853/il_570xN.574515681_1qht.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/033/1/7699853/il_570xN.574515681_1qht.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The item is described as:</div>
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I know I'm not the only one who's had days or moments where I wish the Tardis would appear and take me away. Well this piece was inspired by one of those moments. When you really need an umbrella, The Doctor's got you covered.<br /> <br />*This is a made to order item and pictures are an example of what it will look like.*<br />Melted Crayon on canvas, with a glossy glaze finish.<br />14x18 inches</blockquote>
I think this is a classy way to display fandom because of the simplistic art. Plus, I love how the melted crayons look. I'm planning on ordering the larger canvas this week for my room!<br />
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But if Doctor Who isn't your thing, she also has two other cute versions.<br />
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<b>Melted Crayon Art Girl ($20)</b></div>
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/009/0/7699853/il_570xN.452058768_81ka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/009/0/7699853/il_570xN.452058768_81ka.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Melted Crayon Art Couple ($20)</b></div>
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How do you feel about the melted crayon art style? I think it could translate into a lot of cute fandom things like Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, Peter Pan and more!</div>
Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-60736659455786303402014-05-24T18:16:00.000-04:002014-05-24T18:16:35.407-04:00Writing Room Refresh<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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My house has kind of become a war zone lately with our newest business. Papercraft has claimed our dining room, the room next to the kitchen and our extra bedroom. Chores have begin to slip through the cracks, especially right before convention time, and I've gone a little insane. Because of all this, it has become nearly impossible to write in my own house. </div>
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When I sit down to write, I really need a clear head but how can I get to that space when there are cut paper kits sitting next to me that need to get done and sweeping? So my husband and I agreed that I needed to carve out my own little section in the house for a writing room.</div>
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Over the last few weekends, every moment of my free time has gone toward remodeling our office area into a calming oasis to write. I wanted to chronicle this journey since I am so proud of it!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Bookshelves</u></span></b></div>
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The first thing I knew I was going to need was storage. I have two other bookshelves that are weighed down with books but I knew I wanted something to keep all my other things on. After searching the local thrift shops, I found twin tall bookshelves that were perfect. They costs me $75 for the pair (though since I got the desk with them, the whole thing only cost me $100) but they were pretty ugly. You can see what the looked like on the top left picture.</div>
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My best friend helped me pick out a color to spray paint them and then we decided to try our hand at wallpapering the backs. The top right photo is a picture of me laying the first piece of wall paper and the bottom left are the bookshelves just as my friend finished spray painting them. We brought them into the room, stapled the backs on and completed the first piece for the new writing room.</div>
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It took us about a day to finish sanding, painting and papering the shelves and cost me about $150 total. However, I think they look incredible and I imagine they would retail for a lot more than $150 so I am really pleased.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Desk</u></span></b></div>
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In searching for a desk, it quickly became clear that the type of desk I wanted would need to be made. So after searching thrift stores, I picked up that mess of a thing in the top right and left corners. I really hated the black paint but I thought we could make it work.</div>
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My friend and I decided on a metallic silver for the desk because we thought it would make the room appear brighter. After sanding and spray painting it, we realized that there was a really big split in the front. If I had wanted the desk to face a wall, it wouldn't of mattered but I wanted the desk out. In order to hide the crack, we found some fun printed bird fabric and using spray adhesive, we cut the fabric to fit the desk panels.</div>
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In all, the desk took about half a day to transform. I'm still planning on getting a cute lining for inside the drawers but for now, I am really pleased with it. I wanted something big with lots of storage and this really fits the ticket. </div>
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In a few weeks, I will order this to go on top of the desk exactly as it appears in the picture with a cute vase!:</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Rest</u></span></b></div>
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After snagging a lighting fixture I'd already ordered and purchasing a rug and two chairs, my writing room is mostly complete! I'm still looking for fun decorative things on Etsy to fill the room with my personality but I am so pleased with the way it is coming out. Check out my awesome before and after picture:</div>
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The top left is before, the top right is during and the bottom two are after. Here is a photo of all the fun things around the room including my light fixture:</div>
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And here are two close ups of the room and the desk with the fabric panel on it.</div>
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The only things left to do are to get my computer set up and find a chair for the desk. I want something comfy, compact and stylish so I have a feeling I'll have to do a little looking. There is still some clutter on the other side of the room that we need to ship off but it is only a few sweeps away from being perfect. I am so proud that I was actually able to make this vision come true with a combination of purchasing and re-purposing. The bookshelves and desk have become my favorite parts!<br />
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Do you have a place where you go to read or write?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-32715783211557368572014-05-20T18:03:00.004-04:002014-05-20T18:03:49.832-04:00Some of the Reasons I Write and Read YAHey, I never claimed to be a whiz at titles...<br />
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Lately, I've been thinking about why I write YA. I know it's a question a lot of YA authors are asked for one reason or another and it's something my co-workers and people around me have starting asking me too. And when I explain what my book is about, I get this reaction:<br />
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"Oh, you wrote a book for teens? Isn't that nice."*<br />
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That reaction coupled with the fact that my husband and I have been on a nostalgia kick lately, really has me thinking what drew me to YA so strongly. But I guess to discuss this, I want to reveal when I found YA.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/37/Poison_Study.jpg/200px-Poison_Study.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/37/Poison_Study.jpg/200px-Poison_Study.jpg" /></a>I've been writing ever since I can remember. The first thing I ever actually wrote into completion was a play for my third grade class about the planets. With the help of my classmates, we transformed the classroom into a space station and traveled space for a day. My classmates would read from a script I wrote when we arrived at each planet and I knew as I saw my words come to life that I wanted to be a writer.<br />
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I didn't seriously start writing until I was 15. I began writing this epic fantasy for 4 years that totaled about 400k words. When that book didn't pan out, I was kind of lost. I knew I wanted to write and I loved books like Maria V Snyder's <i>Poison Study</i> series. But I had no idea where to find them. One day I was walking up and down the bookstore aisles, trying to find something with magic and the exuberance I found in the pages of Garth Nix's <i>Abhorsen</i> series when I saw a book that caught my eye from across the store.<br />
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It was like love at first sight, like the powerful, overwhelming stuff I was soon going to be reading about in my books. It was a first.<br />
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That book was <i>A Great and Terrible Beauty</i> by Libba Bray and what was underneath that beautiful cover was even better than I'd hoped for. I found passion, magic, and a hunger I hadn't been able to find in "adult books". What's more, I found the newness of firsts. First loves, first kisses, first parties, first drinks, first friendships. And I was hooked. I'd finally found a section in the bookstore I was passionate about.<br />
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The reason I write YA is because of all the things I mentioned above and one more. It goes back to that nostalgia kick I spoke about.<br />
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I'm going to make a statement: YA is fiction.<br />
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But that doesn't mean all fiction is made up.<br />
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I met and started dating my husband at the same age I started seriously writing. At 15, I knew I had found my soul mate, the person I was meant to be with. But no one would believe me. I saw the look in my parent's and other adult's eyes when I told them I loved Brian, that he was going to be around forever. They didn't believe me because we were young so we couldn't know, right?<br />
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I write YA fiction because I believe in it. I believe that a girl and a guy can see each other across the room at age 15 and know that they are in love, that they are meant to be <i>because</i> I lived it. Those feelings are powerful and hypnotic and I love reliving them. I love knowing that every time I write a good teen romance, I'm proving my parents and those other adults wrong. Even if the leads don't stay together, they have that time together and those feelings are real.<br />
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I write and read young adult fiction because it speaks to me and it makes me remember what it was like to experience firsts with a wild abandonment, unburdened by bills and paychecks and Important Adult Decisions. It allows me to fall in love over and over again for the first time.<br />
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I feel so honored to be part of a community that is so passionate about what they believe in and unabashed to show it. The YA community is one of the most supportive, kind and amazing communities I've ever experienced and I can't wait to continue reading and writing and living more firsts from all different types of protagonists.<br />
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Why do you love YA fiction?<br />
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* It should be said that this isn't always the reaction but I've been getting my fair share of it already.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-83222863993087889822014-05-19T17:53:00.001-04:002014-05-19T17:53:46.381-04:00Query Kombat 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wanted to post a link to this writing contest that I found on <a href="http://michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/2014/05/query-kombat-2014-announcement.html">Michelle4Laughs</a>. I entered the manuscript that I found an agent with in several contest last year and though I ultimately didn't find an agent with those contests, I learned a whole lot about my writing. Contests are also a great place to meet fellow writers and hone in the ever elusive query letter.<br />
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If that isn't enough to convince you, yours truly will be a judge! You can <a href="http://michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/2014/05/meet-query-kombat-2014-judges.html">meet all the judges here</a>.<br />
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I think this contest is going to be really cool because it isn't going to be just one person that will decide which queries are going to go onto the next round. It's going to be multiple people that vote and the winner of each round will advance.<br />
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Also, we'll all be chatting on Twitter with the tag #QueryKombat.<br />
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Here are the basics on how this contest works straight from Michelle4Laughs blog post:<br />
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Query Kombat will host 64 kombatants in a single-elimination, tournament style query-off. Entries will go head to head (one on one) with one another until only ONE entry remains. There will be a total of six rounds in Query Kombat. 64 entries in round one, 32 in round two, 16 in round three, 8 in round four, 4 in round five, and 2 in round six.<br /> <br />As we said, some things have changed. We’re doing away with tournament brackets this year. Instead, Kombats will be matched up based on target audience and genre. We'll continue grouping that way until it's no longer possible. </blockquote>
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If you secure a spot in the tournament, your query and the first 250 words of your manuscript (to the end of a complete sentence) will be pitted against another query and first 250 words. Judges will read each match-up and vote 'Victory' on the best entry. Remember, this is subjective. Considering last year, votes may come down to personal tastes. </blockquote>
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The entry with the most ‘victories’ at the end of the round will advance to the next round until only one champion remains.<br /> <br />One of the biggest changes we’re implementing this year is doing away with the mentor round. Why? Because we're moving up the agent round. Yes! You read correctly. This year the agent round will be held right after the first round. That mean 32 entries will make it into the agent round. 32!.</blockquote>
The submission window opens <b> May 22nd AT NOON and will close at May 23rd at 11:59 or until they received 225 entries. </b><br />
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If you have a completed and polished manuscript, you should definitely consider entering. Not only could an agent see your manuscript but you can get lots of advice on how to make your query stronger.<br />
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Have you ever entered a writing contest before?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-36864761620976590282014-05-14T17:29:00.000-04:002014-05-14T17:29:45.300-04:00The Pros to Beta Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been stuck in the editing cave for the last few weeks. Not only have I been working on my own novel but I've been lucky enough to beta-read one of Katie's (over at <a href="http://one-page-reviews.blogspot.com/">One Page At a Time YA Books</a>) manuscripts as well. I'm a very slow reader so sometimes it's easy for me to become engrossed in my own work and forget to read other things. Going through this other manuscript has reminded me why it is so important to read stuff besides my own words. I thought it might be nice to share a few things I've learned.<br />
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1) Gaining a fresh perspective- I know that a lot of the time, I get stuck in my own head. That means that I only see situations from one side. Naturally this bleeds into my characters and sometimes they react in predictable ways. Instead of looking at a situation from multiple perspectives, I opt for the one I think about first and assume that is the natural reaction.<br />
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Not so.<br />
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Beta reading has helped remind me that people react differently to every situation. Just because I would assume one thing doesn't mean another person would react in a different way and that's good. All my characters have different backgrounds and should see situations in different lights.<br />
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2) Admiring another writer's strengths- I know there are things I'm not great at. We all have flaws when we write and sometimes seeing how someone else handles things we are bad is a great learning experience. I'm not saying to outright copy what that writer is doing but it is interesting to break down how they handle a situation that you are bad at.<br />
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3) Allowing your mind to think about other plots and characters- I find myself daydreaming about this book I'm reading like I would my own work. I think about how I would write certain scenes and where I would take the novel. I play the guessing game and see if I'm correct in figuring out where the plot is going. This gets my mind active and I find that when I return to my own characters and stories, they are richer for it.<br />
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4) Having fun- This kind of goes hand and hand with the last one but I find that I have a lot fun beta reading. I think it is because I get an inside look at how a story takes shape and sometimes I can help make it better. It doesn't hurt that I don't have to do all the work that comes after. =P<br />
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Do have you beta read for someone or are you thinking about it? I haven't done it too much because I'm such a slow reader but I think I need to start doing it more, I'm really enjoying it and I'm learning a lot along the way.<br />
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What are some of the things you learn when you beta?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-44232530802157034262014-05-12T17:13:00.001-04:002014-05-12T17:13:38.986-04:00Etsy Shop Highlight: NiftyNeatI've been working on redoing my library and changing it into a writing room. I want a place where I can walk in, close the door and just write. So I knew I wanted to be surrounded by stuff that will inspire my creativity. I redid some bookshelves that I'll post about in a few days but I wanted to highlight a shop I found on Etsy that I plan on ordering from shortly.<div>
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/044/0/7445477/iusb_760x100.13784159_ix64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="52" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/044/0/7445477/iusb_760x100.13784159_ix64.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The shop is NiftyNeat and I found it because I was looking for something adorable to hang from my ceilings. Then I found these:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/038/0/7445477/il_570xN.591037507_jpxk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/038/0/7445477/il_570xN.591037507_jpxk.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/186599717/book-mobile?ref=shop_home_active_14">Book Mobile 1 </a></td></tr>
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They are made from books and this shop is selling them for a very reasonable $32.00. How cute are these for a library/office? </div>
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Here are a few others from the shop that I love:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/029/0/7445477/il_570xN.590940528_1q9c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/029/0/7445477/il_570xN.590940528_1q9c.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/186595592/book-mobile-with-hearts?ref=shop_home_active_13">Book Mobile with Hearts $35</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/029/0/7445477/il_570xN.590930728_ce1v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/029/0/7445477/il_570xN.590930728_ce1v.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/186598591/book-mobile?ref=shop_home_active_15">Book Mobile 2 $32</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/038/0/7445477/il_570xN.577150603_8ix3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/038/0/7445477/il_570xN.577150603_8ix3.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/182831859/rain-cloud-mobile?ref=shop_home_active_2">Rain Cloud Mobile $35</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/032/2/7445477/il_570xN.590907734_exb9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/032/2/7445477/il_570xN.590907734_exb9.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/186587962/large-raincloud-with-aquamint-raindrops?ref=shop_home_active_18">Rain Cloud Mobile w/ Mint Drops $60</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As I mentioned, I'll be ordering two of these in the near future to hang from my ceiling. I think they are going to look adorable. Would you considering snagging a book mobile or trying to make one yourself?</div>
Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-50602801325381240122014-05-06T20:31:00.002-04:002014-05-06T20:35:21.811-04:00The Amazing Spiderman 2: Gwen Stacy Discussion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.screenslam.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/the_amazing_spider-man_2_set_20130312_1905722864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.screenslam.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/the_amazing_spider-man_2_set_20130312_1905722864.jpg" height="200" width="163" /></a></div>
There are going to be a lot of reviews on The Amazing Spiderman 2 and they're most likely going to tell you that it is a mess. I think this is a pretty accurate description. This movie suffered from trying to fit too many story lines into one movie- Peter discovering his father's role at Oscorp, the intro and rise of the Goblin, Electro and his origins plus his subsequent fall into insanity, Gwen and Peter's relationship and more. Seriously, no wonder most of the plot lines got frayed!<br />
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But I don't want to talk about that because that's not what sparked my interest in this film. What I want to talk about is the treatment of Gwen Stacy. So if you haven't seen this movie and don't want the ending spoiled for you, STOP READING!<br />
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SERIOUSLY, SPOILERS AHEAD!<br />
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Alright, if you get it spoiled now, don't say I didn't warn you!<br />
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I feel like I need to start this out by saying that I have never read the comics. I mean, maybe when I was little on rainy days but nothing that serious. So I didn't know that Gwen was written to die until I watched a comics review a few weeks ago where they predicted that this movie would end in her death.<br />
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Now, in the comment section of a recent <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/review-the-amazing-spider-man-2/">The Mary Sue review</a>, there is a war raging about whether or not Gwen Stacy's death worked or if it was just a cheap ploy to motive Peter's character arc.<br />
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<a href="http://images.moviepilot-cdn.com/the-amazing-spider-man-2-rise-of-electro-review-11f1598c-13d2-4010-9493-8e06a4577edb.jpeg?width=1088&height=558" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.moviepilot-cdn.com/the-amazing-spider-man-2-rise-of-electro-review-11f1598c-13d2-4010-9493-8e06a4577edb.jpeg?width=1088&height=558" height="164" width="320" /></a></div>
The term they are using is "fridging" which refers to "putting women in refrigerators". I wasn't familiar with the term so I looked it up. It's basic definition is the act of killing off a female character to further motivate a male character and boils down to the female only being important because of the role her death plays to the male's point of view.<br />
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Basically, Gwen Stacy in the comics. She is only there to be eye candy and when they wanted to give Parker's character have more motivation, they killed her off so he could deal with the guilt of not being able to save her.<br />
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I do take issue with this trope. I don't have any issue if writer's are striving to change it.<br />
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<a href="https://static.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/51ce6099e4b0d911b4489b79/51ce6191e4b0d911b44988a2/1335389531267/1000w/spider-manpromo4252012.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://static.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/51ce6099e4b0d911b4489b79/51ce6191e4b0d911b44988a2/1335389531267/1000w/spider-manpromo4252012.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
Now, I totally get both sides of this argument. Yes, the movie made Gwen into this pretty cool chick that was a super smart and savvy girl scientist. She made her own decisions--choosing to end things with Peter when he flaked out, choosing to go to Oxford over Peter and finally choosing to go help Peter defeat Electro. But they took away her choice to be involved when the Goblin came and stole her to get back at Peter. Her involvement with that fight wasn't by choice.<br />
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But where I have an issue is that because she doesn't have a choice in that one incident, it somehow negates the fact that she has been her own woman since the beginning. In life, we can't chose how we impact other people, and I get that in fiction, the writer's do, but if Gwen was going to die, isn't it better that Peter, the person who loved her, felt that impact on a personal and professional level? Just like if Peter were the one that ended up dead, she would probably struggle with feelings of remorse. After all, when she was in the tower when they were fighting Electro, she made the decision to pull the switch. What if it had killed Peter and the series went on focusing on how that impacted her? Would we still be having this discussion?<br />
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I feel this is especially important because I really believe the writer's strove to make Gwen Stacy more than a plot device in these movies. They wanted her to be more than the girl who died. They wanted her to be the girl that lived, that Peter could have been happy with, that had a mind of her own, that made her own choices even if that meant walking away from the person she loved and even if it meant putting herself in harm's way. So the fact that she did die when she knew she would be in danger, when she knew that being with Peter was dangerous, when she lived in a city attacked by mutant villains, doesn't mean she was fridged. Her death didn't negate the fact that when she was alive, she lived. It just meant that she made her own choices that lead to her death.<br />
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I think I also have a big problem with this entire idea, especially in modern fiction, because it seems like the only way around this definition is for a female character to chose to die and while that is beautiful, life doesn't always work that way. A lot of us sure as hell wouldn't chose to die in most circumstances. We'd fight to live and we want our characters to fight too. So yes, maybe Gwen's character could have fought a little more but I still don't see how the outcome would have changed. Sometimes even super powers don't make us fast enough.<br />
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I guess I'm taking issue with this entire thing because I write fiction and sometimes, people just have to die, especially when it is right for the story. Heck, even when I create a story, I have a good idea before I even go in to write a single word about the fate of my characters and I know which ones are going to live and which ones need to be sacrificed for the greater good of the storytelling. It doesn't mean those that are going to die are any less than the ones that live unless I'm failing at my job. If I don't make these characters breathe and feel and strive and love before they die, then there is an injustice. That is where the problem lies.<br />
<a href="http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/Emma%20Stone%20The%20Amazing%20Spider-Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/Emma%20Stone%20The%20Amazing%20Spider-Man.jpg" height="320" width="199" /></a><br />
I think Gwen did live. She was unpredictable, strong, smart, funny and forward thinking. She was willing to give up everything to accomplish her goals and she continued to fight against Peter's assessment that his world was too dangerous for her. She reminded him over and over that it was her choice and when he couldn't accept that, she left him.<br />
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She lived.<br />
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And just because she died doesn't make her life onscreen any less. Just because we saw how it affected Peter doesn't cheapen her. It just makes it real. Because if life isn't sloppy, unpredictable and dangerous and if loss doesn't make you think then it loses its beauty.<br />
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Personally, I think Gwen blew the doors off of the refrigerator, stretched her legs and told Peter to go get her a beer. And we'll be thinking about this newer version of her long after we've forgotten which villain belongs to which movie.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-89300323981875084242014-05-02T17:25:00.000-04:002014-05-02T17:25:30.023-04:00It's Girl Meets World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since I seem to be talking about things I loved as a 90's kid, what better to talk about than the new Girl Meets World trailer that Disney just released?<br />
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With it, they've also released a series premiere date which is June 27th!<br />
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Check out the trailer below and then we'll discuss the good ol' days:<br />
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Growing up there was no better couple for me than Cory and Topanga. I mean, come on, they loved each other since they were like 7 (I know in the show they say 3 but we ALL saw the earlier years and we know that Cory just thought Topanga was goofy). When I think about the 90's this is the first show that comes to my mind. I loved watching Cory and Shawn get into trouble when they were little and grow up together, experience firsts of all sorts and go off to college. When the show ended, it truly felt like my childhood did too.<br />
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When I heard they were making a sequel show, I was VERY skeptical. Could they really capture what I loved about the original show? Because that show was magic. By all accounts, it wasn't all that different than the other 90's family sitcom--Full House, Step By Step, Growing Pains--yet, it always <i>felt </i>different to me. Funnier, more gripping and loaded with heart. I found myself caring about each character.<br />
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Then Disney announced that it was bringing Bed Savage (Cory Matthews) and Danielle Fishel (Topanga Lawrence) back and was going to focus on their daughter who will be the same age as Cory when the show originally aired. That was promising. Then all the other old cast members were visiting the set. We started getting photos of them with their younger counterparts and all of a sudden, I found myself believing in it.<br />
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I'm so excited to experience this show again but this time I'll be like Cory and Topanga, watching their daughter like she was mine. It'll be fun to feel like just part of the old gang and seeing new adventures.<br />
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I found these photos from EW of a cast photo in the beginning and one now that just makes me smile:<br />
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I can't stop smiling just looking at them all grown up and I really can't wait to see how the new show is going to work.<br />
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Are you guys as excited as I am?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-6555512953595198292014-04-29T18:07:00.001-04:002014-04-29T18:07:34.014-04:00She is the One Called Sailor Moon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you're a child of the 90's like I am, odds are you've at least heard of Sailor Moon. She was the chick equivalent to Dragonball Z.<br />
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I hardcore loved Sailor Moon growing up. I loved it even though no one else at my school did. None of my friends even knew what I was talking about when I sang the theme song or talked about how cray cray Serena was being. But I still rushed home every school day to catch the latest episode on Toonami.<br />
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The cool news is that they are actually re-booting the show! It's going to premiere July 14th and will air every other week (2 episodes a month) at 6:00 everywhere. They have chosen the same VA for Sailor Moon but the rest of the cast has been changed. No word yet on if they are going to dub it over into English.<br />
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The creators have stated that it will take out some of the filler fluff from the previous anime and stick a little closer to the manga. I haven't read the mange but I'm seriously considering ordering a few and trying them before the show starts. Apparently the manga gets a lot more into the back story of the Sailor Scouts and I am all down for that.<br />
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Since they are rebooting it, they are also redrawing it and have slightly changed the style of the characters. They just released some sketches which you can see here:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Serena (Sailor Moon)</span></div>
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<a href="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailormoon-395x550.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailormoon-395x550.png" height="400" width="286" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ami (Sailor Mercury)</span></div>
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<a href="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailormercury-395x550.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailormercury-395x550.png" height="400" width="286" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Reni (Sailor Mars)</span></div>
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<a href="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailormars-395x550.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailormars-395x550.png" height="400" width="286" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lita (Sailor Jupiter)</span></div>
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<a href="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailorjupiter-395x550.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailorjupiter-395x550.png" height="400" width="286" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mina (Sailor Venus)</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailorvenus-395x550.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static03.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2014/04/sailorvenus-395x550.png" height="400" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All photos from <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/new-sailor-moon-cast/">The Mary Sue</a></td></tr>
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I'm really stoked about the reboot but I'm not loving the redesigns. Their legs have always been really long but they used to have some meat on them. Their boots used to be a little bit thicker suggesting some muscle. These limbs look like they wouldn't be able to hold them up. I'm hoping that when they are drawn for the show that they are slightly more realistic looking. Especially Reni's broken looking leg. They've also shrunk their heads from the original which I do like. It makes them look older and their proportions aren't as off any more. <div>
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I'm excited to see the new places the show is going to go and what they can do with the scouts now that there are so many advances in technology. I probably won't wake my butt up at 6 AM to watch them but this is definitely something I'll DVR and look forward to checking out.</div>
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What do you guys think? Excited to see this show reboot or wish they would leave it alone?</div>
Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-47031201335129659732014-04-28T14:14:00.001-04:002014-04-28T14:14:27.145-04:00The Word Count Worry or AR BookFinderI've been working on edits for my novel the last week and have gotten super stressed over word count. See, since it's a fantasy there are a lot of words. We're talking 92k and climbing with the new scenes I've added in which means I'll be going through and nipping a few other places.<br />
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But being fresh off the query grind (which I've been on for the past 7 years--started in college), I'm hyper aware of what range a YA novel needs to be in. For YA fantasy, most agents suggest 90,000-99,000 which is pretty high considering other genres in YA should be over 80,000. But still, I worry about what my book is going to look like when edits are through.<br />
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I decided to go online and look for other YA books that I love and think are pretty thick to wee what their word count is. I ended up finding this website called <a href="http://www.arbookfind.com/usertype.aspx">AR BookFinder</a> that literally made my week. It is a treasure trove of information about books, including their final word count!44<br />
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When you first go in, it will ask you whether you are a "teacher", "parent", "student" or "librarian". While I feel like I'm two of these things, I ended up choosing "student" since I was going on that site to learn (the other option I considered was librarian since I loan out books).<br />
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So here are some of the word counts I found:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Goodreads</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Shadow and Bone</b> by Leigh Bardugo</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">YA Fantasy</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Word count = 81, 215</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Girl of Fire and Thorns </b>by Rae Carson</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">YA Fantasy</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Word count =102,803</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Poison Study </b>by Maria V Snyder</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">YA Fantasy</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Word count = 98,315</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Shatter Me </b>by Tahereh Mafi</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">YA Dystopian</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Word count = 76,089</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Under the Never Sky </b>by Veronica Rossi</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">YA Dystopian</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Word count = 87,078</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Incarnate </b>by Jodi Meadows</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">YA Fantasy</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Word count = 81,248</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Defiance</b> by CJ Redwine</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">YA Fantasy</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Word count = 96,276</b></span><br />
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So there are some of the titles I looked up to compare my book to. Since I'm writing fantasy, I did quite a few fantasy books but they have a wide database. Ever wanted to know what your novel would compare to in thickness from the books on your shelf? With <a href="http://www.arbookfind.com/usertype.aspx">AR BookFinder</a>, all you have to do is look it up! I am so happy I found this website and could spend hours on there looking up word counts.<br />
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Hope this helps any of you fretting about how big your novel is getting! Or maybe you just want to know more info about your favorite novel. Either way, this site is can definitely help you out!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-48225523116888387542014-04-27T13:43:00.002-04:002014-04-27T13:43:56.240-04:00Babscon 2014 Re-CapI'm sure quite a few of you have wondered where I've been for almost a year. The truth is, I've been obsessing over paper but it's now a different kind. I still write and squeeze in books but my husband and I started a second business which takes up a good chunk of my day everyday.<br />
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We make papercraft and have gotten pretty popular with the Brony crowd (for those of you who don't know bronies are fans of the show My Little Pony). As a result, we've been traveling a lot going to conventions which is totally my kind of thing. We just got back from San Francisco last Monday and I wanted to recap the weekend.<br />
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The convention was April 17th which meant we had to get all of our boxes built by the 12th. This was a rough goal considering we had just completed Megacon back on March 23rd and we wanted to try to make 100 shadowboxes. I'll probably talk about what goes into making them in another post but suffice to say, most boxes take at least 3 hours to make.<br />
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So our boxes were on the way and by Thursday, April 16th, we were too. I got a pretty cool view from the plane on our 8 hour travel day.<br />
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We arrived at the hotel and Thursday was spent running around, familiarizing ourselves with the layout, trying to find the vendor hall where we would be selling our boxes and making a few last minute runs to the crafts store and K-Mart.<br />
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By the time Friday rolled around, we were already tired but we got up and set up our booth in record time. The issue was that the hotel had booked an event in the vendor hall right before we were suppose to open. We ended up getting in 2 hours late and had to scurry to get things out. Regardless, I think our booth looked pretty attractive.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me showing off our booth</td></tr>
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Apparently a lot of other folks thought it looked pretty good because we didn't even have time to set up the actually booth before folks had already bought out several of our designs! During the show, we had a few of the voice actors stop by and we'd made gifts for them so we got to give those away:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter New (VA for Big Mac) with his box</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicole Oliver (VA for Princess Celestia) and her shadowbox</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathy Weseluck (VA of Spike) stopped by the last day</td></tr>
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Tara Strong, the VA for Twilight, came by the last day of the convention and offered to sign something for us. We were actually selling our last Twilight box at that time so we asked her to sign it for a 9 year old girl's birthday present. I bet she's going to have a great one!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurry photo of Tara Strong signing</td></tr>
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We ended up selling out of most of our stock and got quite a few pre-orders which I am busy slaving away over now. The other really cool thing is that our one-of-a-kind charity auction box went for $1,100! We were shocked when the betting got that high and the proceeds went to the San Fran ASPCA and Suicide Hotline.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The awesome guy that bet on our charity auction piece!</td></tr>
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Before I finish up here, I just want to say a few things since I know not everyone is familiar with this crowd. Being part of the YA crowd for a while now, I love the sense of community that it provides. Bronies are the same way. They are generally some of the most supportive, kind and creative people I've ever met. I know there's a stigma attached to them the same way there is a stigma attached to YA that the books are less than literary. And like our crowd, this simply isn't true.<br />
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When we first decided to start going to conventions, I was so shocked to find out that every pony convention going on around the world always hosts charity auctions that raise thousands of dollars for multiple charities every year. Seriously, last year I read a report talking about something like 120k for charities just among the conventions. That's not to mention all the other online causes these folks make. I love the passion there as much as I love the passion I feel around YA folks. =)<br />
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Now I can step off my soapbox and showcase some of the cool cosplays I saw there:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is totally me in a wig I would kill to have as my real hair!</td></tr>
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We also held a class on Friday night where we made little paper fillies with about 30 folks which was tons of fun. Needless to say, by the end of the weekend we were beat. We got to hang out with a ton of really cool vendors and some amazing guests threw a pretty rocking room party on Friday night too!<br />
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It's really hard to explain to the people I work with why I'm always so tired after these things. But when we go, we're on our feet for around 10 hours a day, talking with folks and smiling a whole lot. It zaps the energy out of you. Plus, I was trying to work on edits for the novel during part of that (which was totally not successful).<br />
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We're going to be going to about five more conventions this year so we've still got our plate plenty full. I love it though so I can't wait!<br />
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Do you guys going to conventions, pony or otherwise? What is your favorite? I think mine has been Megacon so far. Got to meet James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Spike) and John Barrowman (Doctor Who' s Captain Jack Harness) there!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-73647845424154080132014-04-15T16:31:00.003-04:002014-04-15T18:19:22.704-04:00An Analysis of Spike and Buffy's Relationship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I found this post that I wrote last year for the Buffy week I was putting together and I think it is a good representation of where I'd like this blog to go. I've always posted about all things that I love and I'd like to do that more. Look for posts on books, writing, television shows, Etsy finds, papercrafting and more coming soon! </div>
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Warning!: This post will make you want to watch the show again if you haven't seen it in a while!</div>
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<b><u>Spike and Buffy</u></b></div>
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As with all fandoms, the age old question is who the lead character should end up with. During Buffy's seven seasons on television we've been there with her through the many heartaches and triumphs as she tackles what it truly means to be a slayer. Some of her highest highs and lowest lows have been because of the men she's let into her life so today, we are going to talk about the final of the three men Buffy fell in love with. <br />
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That's right, we're chatting about Sunnydale's resident bad boy Spike (portrayed by the wonderful James Marsters)! So settle back, grab a turtle neck and let's get started.<br />
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<strong><u>Spike and Buffy: The Beginning</u></strong><br />
When we are first introduced to Spike, he rolls into town as the brand new Big Bad with the psychotic and psychic vampiress Drusilla on his arm in Season 2. He's determined to kill the new Slayer and is pretty sure of himself since he's killed two before Buffy. This tongue-in-cheek dynamic that they establish in Season 2 carries throughout the entire series and keeps Buffy and Spike, as well as the audience, guessing until the very end. Setting up Buffy and Spike as enemies in the beginning might be one of the best things that could have happened for two very strong reasons.<br />
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The first is that it caused a lot of tension between them since they are enemies. When Spike first comes on screen, it's hard to ignore the chemistry he has with Buffy. Now, I'm not exactly convinced that it was <em>sexual </em>chemistry but I thought that these two played off each other well. It sets up a basis of hate that stretches through the seasons and eventually turns into something much more powerful. It gives them passion.</div>
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The second thing is, and this is probably the most important thing about their relationship, they see each other at their worst. As enemies, they don't try to impress each other. There is no "best behavior" with these two. Spike wants to kill Buffy, Buffy wants to kill Spike, and there isn't anything more to it. Most couples don't see the worst of each other until it's too late to fix it but Buffy and Spike start out this way. True that it does get a little bit worse in Season 6 but for the most part, they know each other's darkest sides and can start loving each other knowing all of the other person.<br />
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<strong><u>From Enemies to Reluctant Allies</u></strong><br />
By the end of Season 2, Spike and Buffy establish what will become their relationship for most of the following seasons which is an uneasy alliance. After Spike comes back to Sunnydale and gets a chip implanted into his head, he realizes that the only way he can get his fill of violence is by teaming up with the Scoobies to fight his own kind. During this phase, Spike goes through depressions and bouts of general lack of caring for the safety of everyone including himself.<br />
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But as he continues to be there through the triumphs and trials of the Scooby Gang, he realizes one night that the reason he hangs around all the time is because he craves that witty banter between him and Buffy and that he misses that head of blonde hair when it isn't around. To his utter horror and later Buffy's revulsion, he has developed a crush on her.<br />
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It is Spike's lack of caring that makes the moment he starts to care so much more poignant. Buffy and Spike's relationship up to this point has always been effortless because they truly didn't care about each other at all. When he suddenly realizes that he has somehow developed feelings for her, everything becomes different. Gone are the days of bad behavior because he realizes that if he is ever going to truly have Buffy he is going to have to become better. However, he also knows that he doesn't have it in him to be good which causes an inward struggle.</div>
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<strong><u>Awkwardness to Friendship</u></strong><br />
Thus we enter into my second favorite stage of Buffy and Spike's relationship. Here we spend most of our time chain smoking with Spike outside Buffy's house underneath a large oak tree just to catch a glimpse of her. When they do finally meet, Spike tries to dispute all the things her likes about her by engaging in their witty yet he can't bring himself to actually mean it. This is where we start to see Spike's humor come out in his actions too. Like when he wakes up Buffy and she tries to put on clothes while he peeks or when he snoops around her room.<br />
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He also starts taking interest in the things that Buffy is interested in, namely fighting evil and protecting her friends, and really starts to help the Scooby Gang. It doesn't mean he's necessarily nice to all of them all the time but he does start to try and care for them the way Buffy does. </div>
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Buffy finally takes notice of all his attention and realizes that Spike is putting in all the extra effort for her. At first, she's horrified by the idea. She's had her fill of vampires and Spike is the worst sort. But she gets her first hint that his feelings might be legitimate when he is captured by Glory and tortured to give up the location of the key she is looking for who is actually Buffy's little sister Dawn. Spike refuses, willing to die to keep this information safe. It's in this moment that they go from the awkward phase to building an actual friendship. Buffy doesn't feel the same about Spike as he does about her but she realizes that his feelings are genuine and begins to trust him with Dawn and their duties. Their friendship becomes so strong that Buffy entrusts Spike with Dawn's life at the end of Season 5 and Spike carries on guarding Dawn even after Buffy is gone in memory of that promise. When Buffy comes back, she only tells Spike about being in heaven and in Once More With Feeling, he is the one that begs her to let him help her.<br />
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Their friendship phase is just as essential to their relationship as their hate phase. It's here that we get a sense of what they might be like together. They begin to rely on each other more, Buffy willing to save Spike in a fight and Spike proving that he can handle keeping the things Buffy finds important safe. However, we find out that even though Spike wants to be good, he really can't be that way totally. After all, he has a demon in him and he still doesn't have a soul. Though his feelings for Buffy are true and Buffy can rely on him, we learn soon that she can't trust him.</div>
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<strong><u>Buffy and Spike: Let's Get Physical</u></strong><br />
Buffy comes back broken and this is were we truly see that even though Spike can be relied on, he can't be trusted. Instead of wanting to make Buffy better, he wants to pull her into darkness and force her to embrace her dark side. He sees this as the only way they can be together and in a lot of ways, that's true. Spike tried to be good and that didn't really stick so being bad is a better route.</div>
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Buffy proves that she can embrace her dark side, initiating in an often physically violent relationship wtih Spike. For them, pain is pleasure. Spike enjoys the pain, that Buffy can hold her own against him, and Buffy throws all of her self loathing into their relationship. She takes out all of her anguish on Spike and hates herself afterwards. Though they enjoy a physical connection, like with Riley before Spike, Buffy can't let herself be open with Spike because she knows she can't trust him. <br />
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During this time, we really see how horrible these two can truly be. Buffy goes dark with her hatred of being alive and treats Spike like crap. Spike takes the abuse because it's all a big game to him. Whatever actual feelings he has for her are pushed aside so they can enjoy their physical relationship but it leaves neither of them feeling that satisfied in the end.<br />
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<strong><u>Seeing Red.</u></strong><br />
When she finally commits to living again, she decides to end her relationship with Spike, leading to one of the most intense episodes I've ever seen on television: Seeing Red. A Buffy and Spike relationship analysis can't exist without a discussion on that episode and I could probably do an entire post on the horrific nature of that bathroom scene. <br />
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In case you need a refresher, this is where Spike drops by Buffy's house to beg her to continue sleeping with him. He becomes desperate when she says no, tormented by the fact that he feels so much for her and wants her to "feel it too". He believes that the only way to do this is to force himself on her. Buffy is able to fight him off long enough for him come to his senses but it feels like there is no going back from there.<br />
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Seeing a character like Buffy who has always been portrayed as strong and good and with the ability to take care of herself almost get sexually assaulted by a character that we were supposed to think of as a possible leading man or love interest is enough to make you sick. After watching, I wasn't sure I could ever go back to wanting them together because of the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as Buffy sits there on her bathroom floor in her dis-shoveled robe and cries.<br />
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This is rock bottom for their relationship. After this, their relationship doesn't even exist. All of the secret kisses and touching hands and witty banter and beating the crap out of each other just doesn't matter because you've just witnessed something so horrific. The only thing that is left, the only question that comes to mind is: Is redemption even possible? Well, maybe you ask "why?" as well.*<br />
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<strong><u>Redemption</u></strong><br />
Spike leaves that same night to find a way to get his soul back. After going through some grueling trials that were never supposed to be won, he earns his soul and with it all the awful things he did as a vampire drive him insane. When Buffy finally finds him in the basement of the new Sunnydale High, he has been with The First Evil and his own sins for a very long time. There is this very poignant scene where Buffy follows Spike to a church and through his half ramblings we learn just how mad he has become. He wants to make everything better, the fact that he can't makes him crazy, and her ends up hugging a cross while his flesh sizzles. During his ramblings, Buffy learns that he reclaimed his soul for her and that Spike would rather die than put people in danger now.<br />
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The moment that Buffy learns that Spike now has a soul, everything changes. She still doesn't forgive him for what he did to her but she realizes that he is feeling the full affect of that night in her bathroom along with hundreds of years of other bad things. I think it says a lot about him that he could feel so much remorse as a soulless vampire that he would go get his soul back. I think he partly just felt crazy that she wouldn't love him without it but he knew the gaining a soul would mean facing down years of awful things and he did it anyway.<br />
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As Spike starts to integrate back into the group and readjust to life with a soul, he begins to prove that he is worth a second look. Eventually, he gets kidnapped by The First and refuses to cooperate even though it tortures him relentlessly. All the time he is there he believes that Buffy will come and get him due to the bond they began to develop before he was captured. When Buffy does come to get him, this strengthens their relationship and his faith in Buffy.<br />
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That strength is what finally redeemed his character in my eyes. After suffering endlessly for most of the season, Spike finally gets his groove back, finding a balance between kicking bad guy butt, being his old self and dealing with having a soul again. During a trip out of town for info, Buffy is ousted as leader of all the potential slayers and not even Willow, Xander, Dawn or Giles will back her up. She leaves them and Spike comes back looking for her. He finds out what happens, tells everyone off and goes to find Buffy. When they find each other, he gives the best damn speeches I've ever heard on television:<br />
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<em>I've been alive a bit longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that. I've seen things you couldn't imagine, and done things I'd prefer you didn't. I don't exactly have a reputation for being a thinker; I follow my blood, which doesn't exactly rush in the direction of my brain. So I make a lot of mistakes. A lot of wrong bloody calls. A hundred plus years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of. You. Hey, look at me. I'm not asking you for anything. When I say I love you, it's not because I want you, or because I can't have you - it has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try... I've seen your kindness, and your strength, I've seen the best and the worst of you and I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy. </em>- Spike</blockquote>
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It's sad that, in my opinion, we only get two nights of one of the most real and intense and lovely relationships that has ever been on television. Spike and Buffy just hold each other that first night. But it's what comes after that I think is the true testament of their relationship. Spike confronts Buffy about a conversation she has with Angel and gets her to talk. He tells her that spending that one night with her was the best night of his existence and she opens up to him. Buffy's never been able to talk to her boyfriends. That's one of the main reasons Riley left. I think it is that moment of honesty which tells us the most about these two together. They had the stuff to make it because Buffy was finally ready to let someone in and Spike knew her well enough to know that. </div>
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<strong><u>The Final Picture</u></strong><br />
The truth about these two is that they have seen every side of each other. They've known each other long enough to carve out a meaningful relationship and have each sacrificed to be with each other. Spike is one of those characters that is hard to forget because he completely transformed himself over and over to become what Buffy needed. He's British, rock-n-roll, bad to the bone and sexy as hell but he's also loyal and kind and sweet and attentive. Spike understands Buffy's strength and instead of being intimidated by it, he respects her more for it. He is her match because in the end, he doesn't try to be. <br />
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Spike is not always the best thing for Buffy. In fact, sometimes he is actually the very worst for her because he sought to pull her into darkness. But by season 7, he has literally walked through fire and battled physical and mental demons to prove that he can become a better man. He ripped down every wall to be someone that Buffy deserves by earning his soul and he proved his enduring loyalty to her by sticking by her side when no one else would back her and by walking into that hell pit to die in the last episode.<br />
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I haven't gotten to Spike in the Buffy comics but I'm impatiently waiting for him to show his face and really hoping that they'll get another chance now that they aren't looking at certain death. I'm not looking for forever (though if they did end up forever in the long run, I wouldn't complain). I'm just looking for a chance for them to try. Now that they have both suffered and grown and changed for the better, I'd love for them to get a real shot.<br />
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Because I can, here is a picture of me meeting James Marsters who was just a super cool guy in person:<br />
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And here the Spike and Buffy shadowbox my hubby and I made entirely out of paper:<br />
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What do you guys think about Spike and Buffy? I'd love to know in the comments below.<br />
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*In case this is a question you asked, I did do some research about this episode after I watched it. First of all, if you were horrified (and you had every right to be) know that both actors were too. James Marster even wrote in his contract that he would never do another scene like that again. Secondly, the background for the episode was that it was a concept that a woman came up with. She took one of the most embarrassing things that ever happened to her and purposed it for this episode. Basically, she tried to convince her boyfriend at the time to not leave her by trying to sleep with him one last time so he would see that he really loved her. However, reversing the roles and having a man try to do that to a woman just didn't work on screen.</div>
Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-60771124686910331742014-04-14T17:52:00.000-04:002014-04-14T17:56:59.714-04:00Dusting off the Blog Cuz...I HAVE AN AGENT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some big changes will be coming to this blog. I know I dropped off the face of the earth for a while but I'm back with big new!<br /><br />I HAVE A LITERARY AGENT!!!!<br /><br />I am so proud to announce that I am now represented by Nikki Terpilowski of Holloway Literary for a young adult fantasy novel I wrote!<br /><br />Here's my story about snagging a wonderful agent!<br /><br />I have written six books before the one that landed me an agent. I've been trying to break into the publishing world for over 10 years (I started writing when I was 15 and am now 26).<br /><br />I have been querying my manuscript for over a year, which is long even by publishing standards, but due to other unforeseen circumstances, I still hadn't found the right person to represent me. <br /><br />But they say that when you find the right person, things happen fast. I queried the Holloway Literary on March 12th. The very next week, I got a request for a partial (the first 50 pages). The week after that, I got a request for a full. Then, on April 1st (yeah, that's right, April Fools), I received an offer of representation!<br /><br />This doesn't mean that I have a book coming out. I still have to go through editing and submissions to editors, who might reject me all over again. But this does mean that there is someone in the publishing world who believes me and fell in love with my characters as much as I did! This is the first major hurdle in a long road to publication!<br /><br />So what I want to say is sometimes things don't work out at all like you expect them to. The road to finding an agent is long, treacherous and feels oh-so-lonely sometimes. But if you keep pushing, if you believe in yourself (and have others that believe in you when you can't), your dreams really will come true. The only way you can fail is not to try at all.<br /><br />Here's to wishing that all of your dreams come true too, whatever they are. They can. I promise!<div>
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Big thanks to Katie over at <a href="http://one-page-reviews.blogspot.ca/">One Page at a Time</a> for her continued support and long talks!</div>
Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-14617211486774449252013-07-01T10:00:00.000-04:002013-07-01T10:00:00.631-04:00Precious Blood by Tonya Hurley Giveaway<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Precious Blood</strong> by Tony Hurley Giveaway</span></div>
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Simon and Schuster has contacted me to ask if I wanted to host a giveaway on my blog. Of course I said yes, because I love giving you guys goodies! So I have <strong>2 books to giveaway to 2 lucky US addresses</strong>! Check out a little about info about the book and enter to win below:</div>
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<strong><u>About the Book</u></strong><br />
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What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?<br />
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Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy are three lost girls—each with their own personal demons. These girls meet one night when they all end up in the same hospital…and each wake up with a token from a boy they’ve only just met. Sebastian is gorgeous, mysterious, and has a plan for all of them. As each girl gets wrapped up in finding out just who Sebastian is, they each discover their own strengths, and realize the only way to save themselves is to save each other.<br />
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The story begins in PRECIOUS BLOOD and continues in PASSIONARIES, available 1/7/14.<br />
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<strong><u>About the Author</u></strong><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Kevin Mazur</td></tr>
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Tonya Hurley is the New York Times best-selling author of the highly acclaimed “ghostgirl“ book series; creator, writer and producer of animated and live action hit television series; writer and director of independent films; writer and director of commercials for Playstation, Gameboy and Warner Home Video; and creator of groundbreaking videogames. Her new young adult trilogy, THE BLESSED, begins with Precious Blood.<br />
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<strong><u>Praise for Precious Blood</u></strong><br />
“Our new favorite dark, sexy rock-n-roll thriller.” (SugarScape.com)<br />
“Intriguing premise, fiery dialogue, and digs about celebrity-obsessed culture that moves at the speed of Twitter…” (Publishers Weekly)<br />
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"...Hurley brings her deadpan wit and blackest humor to the first tale in this trilogy about spirituality, sacrifice and supernatural romance." (MTV Hollywood Crush)<br />
<br />So now, make sure you enter to win you're own copy:<br />
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Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-42803716047157587652013-06-04T16:54:00.003-04:002013-06-04T16:54:53.044-04:00Top Ten Tuesday: Books about Traveling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, they post a subject and the goal is to answer the question with your top ten picks. Once you've done it, link back to The Broke and the Bookish and check out what other bloggers have to say!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Top Ten Tuesday: Books about Traveling</u></span></div>
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As I started to think about this topic, I realize that I don't read a lot of books about travel so this one is going to be small.<br />
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1) <strong>Two Way Street</strong> by Lauren Barnholdt- This was such a cute book and I loved that it was told in both perspectives. I hadn't read a roadtrip book before but it made me want to read more!<br />
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2) <strong>Eragon</strong> by Christopher Paolini- This is your typical fantasy quest book that invovled lots of travel over foreign lands but it gave me plenty of time to know the characters and we got to see loads of new places.<br />
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3) <strong>The Naming</strong> by Alison Croggon- This is another series where the main character has to leave home and venture to foreign lands to find herself and solve the riddle that is her life. <br />
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4) <strong>Fire Study</strong> by Maria V Snyder- While the first novel in this series was stationary, in this one poor Yelena is on the move and must journey to a city to solve a murder.<br />
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5) <strong>Under the Never Sky</strong> by Veronica Rossi- Perry and Aria must go through the dangerous world to get answers they seek.<br />
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6) <strong>Eve</strong> by Anna Carey- Set in a post apocalyptic world, Eve must cross through the barren wasteland to figure out a way to save her friends.<br />
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Making this list helped me realize that a lot of my traveling books are eiter dystopian or fantasy.<br />
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What made your list?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-30827475179263446062013-06-01T00:30:00.000-04:002013-06-01T00:30:01.608-04:00Happily Ever Endings: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happily Ever Endings is a synopsis of the ending of a novel that is part of a series. It is so that you can refresh yourself as to what happened in the last book so that you can be ready to read the next in the series!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13533650-the-assassin-s-curse">The Assassin's Curse</a></b> by Cassandra Rose Clarke</span></div>
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<i>Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. </i> </blockquote>
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<i>And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.</i></blockquote>
Click "Read More" to find out what happens at the end of The Assassin's Curse.<br />
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As the river witch, Lelia, promised they make it to the port without any hitches. During that time, Naji tells Ananna that the Mists are after him because he was hired to kill several people which happened to be one of the Mists' most powerful ruler’s children. It cuts that ruler’s ties with their world and made him less powerful. Naji did not know what he was doing at the time and has been paying for it ever since then.<br /> <br />When they get to the port, Ananna dresses like a boy and tries to get them passage on a ship named Ayel’s Revenge which is heading to Qilar. She meets a woman named Marjini who convinces the captain to letAnanna and Naji on the ship even though Marjini knows that Naji is an assassin. Ananna gets along well enough with the crew and proves she was good on her word of being useful on a boat. Marjini decides to teach Ananna how to navigate after borrowing her to go over several routes to avoid sirens. Ananna enlists Naji to teach her mathematics and they grow closer.<br /> <br />One day, a powerful storm begins blowing though the sky is still clear. It drives them off course to the Isles of the Sky and Ananna goes below deck to realize Naji performed blood magic to do it. Marjini reveals that she was in on it and convinces the captain to give them a boat and let them try to make it on the islands for betraying them instead of killing them. Ananna rows them to the island which sits above the water and Naji uses the last of his strength to get them up on the island.<br /> <br />The island is made of magic so that Ananna can’t find anything she needs for them to survive. She finally finds water, Naji wakes up long enough to find berries and they make shelter so Naji can rest. He tells her when wakes up briefly that he is out of magic and needs to heal in order for it to be restored. Their shelter turns into a strange tree when they get water so they start sleeping in palm frond forts every night. Najifinally heals enough to start using magic and finds them a hut with a protection spell on it.<br /> <br />Both of their healing goes faster then and Naji decides to try to catch a fish since he is feeling so much better. He tells Ananna not to go outside and leaves. She goes to the door and sees a figure in the mist but before she can do anything, Naji comes back. The next day, Ananna wakes up to Naji mediating and is really thirsty but he didn’t fill the water jug. She grabs it and goes outside where she is caught by someone from the Mist named Echo. Echo offers her anything she wants to take off the charm and turn Naji over but she refuses and Naji chases Echo off with his sword.<br /> <br />Naji tells Ananna he knows where the wizard’s house is and they find it easy with his spell. The wizard welcomes them in, gives them fresh clothes and Naji tells them how he was cursed. He reveals he was hunting a leader of a tribe and chased him to a tribe up north. He killed some bystanders accidentally and an older lady cursed him. The wizard tells them that Naji’s curse isn’t impossible…he just has to complete three impossible tasks to remove it. He must catch the Princess’ starstones, make life out of an act of violence (which we establish is NOT rape) and must find true love’s kiss. At this, Ananna realizes she is in love with Naji but gets anger when Naji doesn’t even consider her for a kiss.<br /> <br />Naji and she storm out of the wizard’s house and Naji is depressed. They build a fire to get off the island since Ananna believes Marjini will come back for them and Naji tells her the other assassins would come for him but refused to take her by magic off the island. Ananna tells him not to lose hope, that they will cure the curse and let’s herself wonder what the last impossible task, true love’s kiss, will feel like.<div>
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Did I miss anything or do you have a question? If so, let me know in the comments below.<span style="text-align: center;"></span></div>
Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-82766717054356996622013-05-14T17:20:00.001-04:002013-05-14T17:20:34.407-04:00Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subjects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, they post a subject and the goal is to answer the question with your top ten picks. Once you've done it, link back to The Broke and the Bookish and check out what other bloggers have to say! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subjects</span></div>
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At first, I thought I might not be able to participate this week because I don't read a lot of contemporaries which tackle heavy subject matter. But then I took a glance at my shelf and found a few I'd like to share in no particular order.<br />
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1) <strong>The Living Dead Girl</strong> by Elizabeth Scott (Kidnapping/Rape/Child Abuse)- This is one of those books that will live in infamy. I read it once all the way through and was so horrified by what I read, I re-read it again right away. Told in first, second and third person view, you can't help but be drawn in to this awful situation.<br />
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2) <strong>Wintergirls</strong> by Laurie Halse Anderson (Eating Disorder)- I read this quite a long time ago and was horrified by the raw, emotionally destructive character I found between the pages. Both gorgeous and terrifying at the same time, this is one everyone needs to read.<br />
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3) <strong>Breaking Beautiful</strong> by Jennifer Shaw Wolf (Abuse)- I wasn't expecting to really fall for this book. I knew it was going to be a sad, emotional read but what I also found was the hope of new beginnings. It's one of the main reasons a book about relationship abuse still sticks with me.<br />
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4) <strong>Where It Began</strong> by Ann Redisch Stampler (Alcoholism)- All of the characters in this novel are guilty of some crime but alcohol is what ended up running Gabby's life. Watching her fall victim to all of the things people thought about her or wanted her to be was just as awful as learning about the car accident that changed her life. But the subject matter is handled beautifully.<br />
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5) <strong>Hold Sill</strong> by Nina LaCour (Suicide)- This novel really got to me. Combining the written word and drawings from the girl who committed suicide, it's hard not to become invested in Caitlin's plight to come to terms with the fact that her best friend is no longer around. A powerful and touching read.<br />
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6) <strong>13 Reasons Why</strong> by Jay Asher (Suicide)- This is the first contemporary I read in YA and it knocked my socks off. The unique use of the 13 tapes to connect all the little incidents that pushed Hannah toward her decision was just awful and gripping. I couldn't put the novel down.<br />
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7) <strong>The Patron Saint of Butterflies</strong> by Celicia Galante (Cults)- Told in alternate views from Honey, who can see how their religious cult leader is brainwashing everyone, and Agnes, who believes in her faith and their leader, this book is both powerful and horrifying. I've always found cults fascinating and repulsive so I knew this would be a good choice for me.<br />
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8) <strong>Hate List</strong> by Jennifer Brown (School Shootings)- I thought this book had a really unique premise. It's about the girlfriend of a school shooter living with the guilt after a shooting has occurred. Valerie helped her boyfriend make the list he would use to shoot the students at school and she has to live with that. Plus, she is still grieving over the boy she knew, the one that would never be capable of such a crime, while the whole world hates him. Such a touching read.<br />
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9) <strong>How to Say Goodbye in Robot</strong> by Natalie Standiford (Outsider/Friendship/Missing)- Watching Robot Girl and Ghost Boy get to know each other through the radio show and learn to trust each other made me so happy. But when I realized Ghost Boy was serious about disappearing, it broke my heart. Definitely a great read!<br />
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Those are the books that tackle tough issues perfectly! Which ones did you include?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4526519861558347251.post-16191338363562008072013-05-13T19:33:00.003-04:002013-05-13T19:33:56.362-04:00To Cancel or Not to Cancel: The Fate of T.V. Shows I LoveSo the fall t.v. seasons are coming to an end one by one and as each one reaches it's finale, I stay tuned to see if some of my favorite characters will be coming back for another season. Quite a few are staying but I'm reading some sad news too. So stick around with me and see which of your favorite shows are making a return, which are in danger and which shows are getting their last call.<br />
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1) <strong>The Vampire Diaries (The CW)</strong>- I started watching TVD when it first premiered but stopped after the first few episodes. Then I found the first two seasons on Netflix and was hooked. The season four final is fast approaching and good news for all of us, we'll be going back to Mystic Falls later this year for a fifth season of our favorite vampires, werewolves and witches (oh my!). <strong>This one is confirmed</strong> for another season. In fact, it's doing so well, The CW ordered a spin-off series with The Originals staring Klaus!<br />
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2) <strong>Beauty and the Beast (The CW)</strong>- This show debuted this year about the detective Catherine (Beauty) solving crimes with Vincent (the Beast) who has a bit of an angry issue thanks to a government experiment gone wrong. I flipflop with this show. I don't need to watch it every week but I have been keeping up and I'll be interested to see how they are going to shake things up in season 2. This show was on the fence for a little while but<strong> The CW ultimately picked it up</strong>.<br />
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3) <strong>The Carries Diaries (The CW)</strong>- I watched this prequel to Sex in the City every week and definitely got my fix of easy, breezy fun. However, I'd heard that ratings weren't great and this show didn't get picked back up by The CW right away, Luckily, The CW believes in the show as much as I did because they've decided to <strong>renew it for another season</strong>. However, it is unknown just how many episodes have been ordered.<br />
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4) <strong>Cult (The CW)</strong>- I decided to watch Cult because I really liked Matthew Davis and thought the concept sounded really cool. Though I'll admit that they didn't take the time to develop the characters very well, I did enjoy the show and was sad to see when The CW pulled the remaining episodes from air. I do hope they put them out somewhere because this show was a lot of fun. It's just too bad others didn't see it. <strong>Cult has been canceled.</strong><br />
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5) <strong>Supernatural (The CW)</strong>- A few years back, I started watching this show even among the rumors that season 5 would be the last season. However, Supernatural got renewed and is still going strong. The proof? <strong>It got renewed</strong> for a 9th season the same time as TVD.<br />
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6) <strong>Nashville (ABC)</strong>- I didn't mean to start watching Nashville. I told myself "no". But I took an overtime shift at work and my co-worker wanted to watch the first episode. I got hooked. Great music, a fun rivalry and loads of drama has kept me tuning in every week. Lucky for me, <strong>I'll be able to tune in for a season 2</strong>. It's been confirmed!<br />
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7) <strong>Once Upon a Time (ABC)</strong>- If you're anything like me, you were enchanted by Once Upon a Time season 1 and felt season 2 was a little lackluster. I liked the story line better after the second half but I felt like the spliting the family up should have been the second half of the season. However, we are definitely going to get a chance to see what the new world split will mean because <strong>Once Upon a Time has been renewed</strong>.<br />
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8) <strong>Smash (NBC)</strong>- Dueling divas, beautiful voices and fun, broadway music had me from the beginning. I think Smash's second season is even better. They did so much to try and save this show and in the end, it wasn't enough. Sadly, the two hour finale will be Smash's final curtain closing. <strong>Smash has been canceled</strong>.<br />
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9) <strong>Bates Motel (AMC)</strong>- I wasn't sure about this show. I love Freddie Highmore and Max Theriot so I decided to give it a whirl even though I've never seen Psycho and I am so glad I did. Creepy, well acted and so full of suspense, this show is gripping from start to finish. Happy to say the network agrees. The light on Bates Motel will stay on for another season. <strong>The renewal is confirmed!</strong><br />
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Other shows I love coming to an end:<br />
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1) <strong>Dexter (Showtime)</strong>- Dexter really hasn't been canceled. Michael C. Hall and the producers have just decided to end the series on a highnote instead of dragging it on and killing it slowly (after all, Dexter does make his kills pretty kick). So season 8 will be Dexter's final season and I am terrified for the fate of America's Favorite Serial Killer.<br />
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2) <strong>How I Met Your Mother (CBS)</strong>- For years we've been waiting to meet Te'd wife, the mysterious lady that launched 8 seasons. The final season of the show has been announced and hopefully we finally will. Like with Dexter, this show still has good ratings and people still love it. They are just going to go out while people do instead of dragging it along. So prepare for one last season of fun and then get ready to say goodbye to Barney, Ted, Robin and Lily and Marshall (since those last two are one person).<br />
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So there you have the fate of some of my favorite shows. Anything you love that isn't going to be returningAmberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803751424984029342noreply@blogger.com4