HUNGER PAINS by Harvard Lampoon

12 Feb

Check out the book trailer for HUNGER PAINS by Harvard Lampoon, the creators of NIGHTLIGHT, a TWILIGHT parody.

My fav lines: “I volunteer as tribute…No, wait, I’m just kidding. Psyche!” and “You know I’m going to kill you next week.”

All I gotta say, is they need to make this movie. Hilarious! And now, the book’s synopsis:

WINNING MEANS WEALTH, FAME, AND A LIFE OF THERAPY LOSING MEANS DEATH, BUT ALSO FAME! THIS IS THE HUNGER PAINS

When Kantkiss Neverclean replaces her sister as a contestant on the Hunger Games—the second-highest-rated reality TV show in Peaceland, behind Extreme Home Makeover—she has no idea what to expect. Having lived her entire life in the telemarketing district’s worst neighborhood, the Crack, Kantkiss feels unprepared to fight to the death while simultaneously winking and looking adorable for the cameras. But when her survival rests on choosing between the dreamy hunk from home, Carol Handsomestein, or the doughy klutz, Pita Malarkey, Kantkiss discovers that the toughest conflicts may not be found on the battlefield but in her own heart . . . which is unfortunately on a battlefield.

The book is out now. This is one for reading aloud on road trips with friends.

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Happy Pub Date, Julianna!

8 Feb

A good friend of mine, Julianna Baggott, is celebrating the pub date of her latest novel, PURE, a dystopian thriller which reviewers are calling a “post-apocalyptic thrill ride.” Julianna is the author of several books including the N.E. Bode series for children, THE ANYBODIES. In addition to being incredibly talented and driven, Julianna is one of the nicest people to know in real life.

With her husband Dave’s permission, I’m reposting an email he sent to her this morning congratulating her on all her hard work. It seems fitting for the Valentine’s season:

Dear Julianna,

Although you figured it out on Monday, I wanted to surprise you on Pub Day with a shower of friends and more support for Pure. All the loving, caring, sharing (is this a Journey song?) of these folks is a testament to your generosity. But the comments they most often make are filled with wonder as to how you do it. I work with you every day. I watch you in the morning, at lunch, in the afternoon, at night, with more wonder than any of the friends who admire you from afar. I’ve been with you for almost every second for the last 20 years, and I’m constantly staggered by your energy, the depth of your imagination, and maybe most importantly, your ability to “harden not your heart,” after “suffering the slings and arrows” of this publishing life.

It’s fair to say that I didn’t know what I was signing on for, that first time I told you I loved you.

I had no idea it would be this good.

You are mine. I am yours.

Happy Pub Day!
David Scott

I’m so lucky to know Dave and Julianna and their family. They are wonderful people and a fabulous team!

And for any of those looking to beef up their manuscript, Julianna and I share a secret weapon, Heather Whitaker, freelance editor extraordinaire.

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Green Anole

2 Feb

I’m introducing a new category to my posts: Free Art. These are my original photographs that I’m giving to you! You can select the image to make it bigger, right-click and it’s yours to use as a screen saver or a love note to your beloved. Enjoy.

 

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Write Dreams

27 Jan

There is a great auction going on right now for YA and MG books as well as manuscript critiques through Write Dreams. I participated in my first ARC giveaway with them and the ladies who are running it are fantastic. They’ve committed their time and energy to raise funds for Donna’s Dream House, which provides free holiday experiences for children and teenagers with life-threatening illnesses and their families, and for recently bereaved siblings and their families. Donna’s Dream House suffered a fire shortly before the new year and is in dire need of funds to rebuild.

So hop over and check out all their loot. And bid high. It’s for a great cause

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LEGEND by Marie Lu

10 Jan

What a great book to start the New Year! Here is my abbreviated synopsis while being mindful to not reveal any spoilers…

In the Republic of America, the West Coast is battling the Colonies for control over precious, few resources, including vaccinations to inoculate citizens from the Plague.

15-year-old Day is a modern-day Robin Hood, an outcast of the Republic, who commits acts of vandalism and theft in order to send a message to the corrupt government as well as sustain his family and community.

June is a groomed prodigy of the Republic, the first-ever to accomplish a perfect score on her trials, and the youngest to complete her intensive military training.

When Day’s failed attempt to steal a much-needed medicine negatively impacts June’s older brother, Metias, June vows to bring this notorious criminal to justice.

Told in a first-person split POV, LEGEND grabbed hold of me on the first page and never let go. The action in this story is well-balanced with real character motivations and fully-formed backstory. The world building is well drawn with vibrant visuals, from the modern-day slums of LA, to the skizz fights in the streets, to the military complex where June trains and works. The tension between June and Day was compelling throughout the story.

LEGEND answers the important questions posed at the beginning of the book while leaving a lot of room for expansion in the second and third novels. Speaking from a writer’s perspective, trilogies are hard. It’s difficult plotting just one book on its own, but having the sight to see a trilogy to its end and working toward the ultimate climax from the first page of book one is an incredible feat. I feel confident that Marie Lu knows where her characters are headed and I’m so looking forward to this fall when LEGEND 2 appears on the bookshelves.

And, bonus, there are rumors that LEGEND might get made into a movie!

If you’re interested in seeing how this talented, young author came up with the concept for LEGEND as well as her journey to publication, check out Marie Lu’s very awesome interview on Literary Rambles.

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The End

21 Dec

I recently got my 1P from my publisher. When Emma (my editor’s lovely editorial assistant) sent me the email to tell me it was on its way, I was super excited. Yay! My 1P. I love getting treats in the mail from my publisher. Then I had to email her back to ask her what the heck a 1P was. She was very gracious in her explanation, attributing my ignorance to publishing house jargon.

Me With My 1P!

So, for those of you who, like me, are new to the Biz, 1P=1st pass, which is your manuscript laid out as it will appear in book form minus the binding, somewhere after copyediting but before ARCs. (ARC=Advanced Readers’ Copies, formerly known as galleys.)

Seeing the 1P that will someday soon be my book is pretty awesome. My initial thoughts were:

     1. Wow, this is a big, heavy package. I wonder how much it cost to ship it.

     2. I can’t believe they made 288 pages out of this thing. Trees, I’m sorry.

     3. Nice fonts!

     4. Ack, my acknowledgements. I forgot someone! *hurriedly adds her in.*

     5. So, I guess this means this whole book thing is really happening.

Then I got to work with all the technical changes, which began with a first read for typos (there weren’t many). Then I passed my 1P to the two ladies in my critique group, who furthered the inspection with other suggestions for word changes, transposing sentence order, and sharpening up the dialogue. Little stuff, right?

By the time we were through, I’d flagged nearly every page. I sent it back to Emma (on deadline) and crossed my fingers the changes weren’t too extensive, which brings me to the point of this post.

When is it ever good enough?

This response varies highly with the individual, but for me, the answer is August 14, 2012. That’d be my pub date, or publication date. Because if I had my way, I’d be scrutinizing every line until then, deleting words only to re-add them. This is not even to say that my writing is exceptionally pretty, I can obsess over whether to use the word “cool” or “fresh” in describing a leaf of lettuce. After 5 years and 5+ rewrites (not revisions, but rewrites), it’s still not perfect, but I can say with all honesty that I did the best I could.

Still, there is something deeply unsettling about The End.

But, while publication is a small death, it is also the birth of the book that will go on to a life of its own outside of the writer’s small sphere of control. Exciting? Yes. Nauseating? Most def.

But I have a coping mechanism. I learned it from my time on the boat when I was plagued by motion sickness (vomit, stumble, vomit, stumble…) Here is the advice the boat’s captain gave me: sit outside in the fresh air, take deep breaths and keep your eyes on the horizon.

So, when navigating an ocean that is one day turbulent and the next day, dead calm, I’m doing just that–taking deep breaths and keeping my eyes on the horizon.

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What the Buttercup?

21 Dec

Here is my article from Forever Young Adult, reposted here.

An actor I think could maybe, possibly pull off Buttercup. He's an unknown but is getting a lot of buzz on the blogsphere.

In the midst of Katniss’ full-body wax , Gale’s bedroom eyes, Cato’s massacre of a defenseless Contempo mannequin and Seneca Crane’s full frontal Brazilian, it’s possible to forget about the less flashy characters who made Hunger Games the masterpiece that it is. But, tributes, I am here to remind you, that before there was a PeeNis or a KatAle, before Effie’s restraining order against Haymitch, even before the Greasy Sae vs. District 13 Health Department scandal, there was a lone survivor, a humble foot soldier of the revolution, with a chewed-off ear and eyes the color of rotting squash. That’s right.

Buttercup Everdeen.

In Hunger Games, while Katniss was off fighting in the arena, Buttercup was doing what he does best—trapping mice and eating lizards. He did this without comment or complaint, without fanfare or glory, without sponsors or parachutes, without the help of a lovesick baker or a hive of venomous tracker jackers. For Buttercup, survival didn’t win you any special privileges; it didn’t guarantee you a mate in life, or fortune and fame; it didn’t earn you the attention of a blood-drinking psychopath. It allowed you to live another day. Period. Truckers truck and Buttercups prevail.

In Catching Fire, when Katniss and the Everdeen family high-tailed it out of the Seam, Buttercup stayed true to his roots. He didn’t sell out to the glitz and glamour of Victory Village with its climate control and chlorinated municipal water. He knew all along that there was no such thing as a free ride. He didn’t trust President Snow or his blood-money “gifts.” Buttercup smelled a rat because smelling rats is Buttercup’s J-O-B.

In Mockingjay, Gale was quick to take credit for the rescue of .oo1% of District 12’s population. But was it an accident that the entirety of Peeta’s family didn’t survive? Buttercup was there. He saw it all. It must have been another accident that found Buttercup so conveniently left outside during the bomb raid of District 13.

Coincidence?

But Buttercup prevailed. And went on to entertain an entire bunker of stir-crazy civilians, allowing for the single best scene of normalcy and innocent fun in the trilogy. Can anyone say, Academy Award?

And at the end of it all, when Gale shipped off to District 4, when Katniss’ mother decided never to return to District 12 again. When all of those whom Katniss held most dear were gone, who, like a cat, came back?

Buttercup.

If Katniss has nine lives, then Buttercup has ten.

If Gale can trap a rabbit in a snare, then Buttercup can trap two rabbits with his bare paws with a patch over one eye and a peg leg from a cat fight in District 2 over a feline who really wasn’t worth it and ended up giving him a strange rash, but damn she sure did look pretty after a few pints.

Peeta can bake croissants, but have you ever tried Buttercup’s catnip soufflé?

So, Lionsgate, you can imagine my disappointment when you never publicized who would be playing the role of Buttercup in the movie adaptation. My frustration was further exacerbated when his sweet, snarly mug was not featured prominently in the movie trailer. I can only hope that the rumors aren’t true.

You didn’t…kill Buttercup?

Because Buttercup won’t die. Remember the haunting on the set of Three Men and a Baby? That was because the family’s beloved dog, Rudolph, was not featured in the film. And Rudolph was a golden retriever who lived inside the house. Buttercup is a rat-eviscerating, bomb-dodging, assassination-plot-uncovering, bada$$ kitty.

You may try your Hollywood revisionist history on the HG movie, but in the hearts and minds of us fans, Buttercup will live forever. For-Ehh-Ver.

And all you tributes out there, who love that rascally rogue as I do, raise your glasses, because Buttercup Everdeen, this one’s for you.

Team Buttercup For-eva!!!

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I Have Arrived!

13 Dec

I have a Smarty Pants post on my fav blog, Forever Young Adult entitled What the Buttercup? Check me out!

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Hunger Games Trailer, More Please

14 Nov

I’ve just watched the Hunger Games trailer for the 12th time and I feel compelled to blog about it. But before I do, I need to give a little background about my book-to-movie philosophy.

I Love Them.

The only thing I love more than books, is movies, and if more movies were as good of stories as books (generally), then I wouldn’t have to read any more. I’m kidding (mostly) but seriously, if filmmakers take a book I love and make a movie out of it, I’m super psyched. A lot of people complain about the way a character looks or who’s playing who or how scenes were cut or abbreviated, but for me, I go into the movie knowing all of the backstory, so other than huge plot game changers, I am on board. Because it’s not a book anymore, it’s a movie and movies are a whole nother animal.

I will further say that I believe that movies can sometimes be BETTER than the books, because of pared down scenes/better dialogue/clearer character motivations and enhancements to plot (not to mention special effects and the visual/auditory thrill of a movie).

HUNGER GAMES is my favorite book and I’ve read it (with II and III) several times now. It was so important to me that my husband read it (he is a non-fiction type), that I read it OUT LOUD to him. That’s how much I love, love, love the HUNGER GAMES.

So, what do I think about the trailer?

I loved it.

I think it’s going to be the BEST MOVIE EVER. As I was watching it on repeat, I kept noticing the little details:

Effie Trinket’s hand in the glass bowl and the way she twirls her wrist with that extra flourish before drawing Prim’s name.

The look exchanged between Peeta and Katniss on the stage at the Reaping.

Peeta’s face as they are first arriving by train to the Capitol.

Rue peeking from behind the wall in the training station.

Katniss running to the cornucopia.

The haunting music and percussion.

And all of this is BEFORE the games even start. The trailer was 2:35 long and it felt like 10 seconds. What I am going to do until March 23? I’ll have to keep watching this stinking trailer!

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Bippity Boppity Boo: Using Big Magic in Writing

10 Nov

This is a reposting from an article I wrote for Literary Rambles a few weeks ago. Enjoy!

I recently read ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine as a guide for the story I’m writing for my daughter. It’s my first foray into fairyland and I’m nervous. To prepare myself, I’ve been pondering the use of magic in storytelling and how to make the make-believe believable. Here are some guidelines that I’ve come across:

1. Introduce magic early on. In the first chapter, there should be a hint of the supernatural. It’s not cool to get halfway through a book and discover that your main character is really a mummy without several big hints along the way. It works against a reader’s suspended disbelief. In EE, Ella is cursed by a fairy as an infant and it’s introduced in the very first paragraph. Straight away, the reader knows what kind of story this is going to be and can adjust their expectations accordingly.

2. Don’t give your character a superpower and not have them use it. Reading minds, flying, starting fires, talking to animals. If your character has special abilities, the reader wants to see them. They’re special. Even better, is if the ability is both a curse and a blessing. Give the character a little struggle and internal conflict—perhaps they lose something each time they use their magic or perhaps they have to make a trade/self-sacrifice for it. High stakes=good tension.

3. Lay out the rules for magic and then stick to them. In EE, Ella is cursed with obedience. The rule is, she has to follow a direct order. The book maintains that rule throughout the book—every time Ella is given a direct order, no matter how ridiculous or dangerous, she must follow it. If the rule were to change halfway through the story (without explanation), the reader would balk. Like in playing a game, you can’t change the rules in the middle.

4. Give your magic a purpose. Use it to propel the plot forward, add tension, and conflict. Make it cool and different. Make it necessary to the story.

5. Rinse and repeat for magical creatures. Make them believable, give them a set of rules and make them integral to the story.

6. Don’t overwhelm your story with magic. Don’t get so caught up in your fantasy world that you let it take over your plot. For instance, big action movies that seemed designed around special effects. Your magic should serve the story, not eat it alive.

There’s my recipe for Big Magic soup. Got any ingredients you’d like to add?

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