Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine for bloggers and readers to get excited about upcoming books.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater:

Maggie Stiefvater rocks. If you've read her Wolves of Mercy Falls series, you understand. In her newest novel, The Raven Boys, due to head into our nearest book stores and into our hands on September 18th, "the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before." (Well, at least according to Goodreads.)

Excitement Factor: 8/10

Hidden (Firelight, #3) by Sophie Jordan

Oooohhhhh, dear. If you've read the first two in the series (Firelight can be found here), you know why the 'oooohhhhh'. If you're new to the game, let me give it to you straight: these books rock. They are the only books I have read about dragons (Well, that's a fib. I did read Eragon. The difference is: I didn't like Eragon. I tend to not count it.), and they are the only books I plan on reading in the future about dragons. The thing is, dragons can be cool . . . when you work them the right way. Sophie Jordan knows how to work them. Hidden was released into stores yesterday.   

Excitement Factor: 9/10

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Keep Spreading the News . . .

Happy Thursday!
So something incredibly fantastic happened this week.

But before I get to that incredibly fantastic thing, I just wanted to remind you all that I've also been blogging about my experience here in Italy, so feel free to check it out if you get the chance.

Anyway, in order to receive the ARCs that I've been getting in the mail (you're the best, Kensington!), my darling mother back in the States has been sending each of them over to me in Italy. Of course, being as harebrained as you all know I am, I'm also not always very observant. So this week, as I was reading my lovely advance copy of Dark Frost (Mythos Academy, #3), I noticed something a bit strange. 

Something like the name of my blog being on the back of the book. And a quote. Of something I wrote. 

Here's where you all start shrieking girly shrieks. Or at least where I did. It is only the ARC copy, but I have to say it was the coolest thing ever. As far as I know, it was a first. Just thought I should let you all know, lovelies!

Don't forget to stop by soon for my review of:


Dark Frost (Mythos Academy, #3) by Jennifer Estep


And check out my review of:


Storm (The Elemental Series, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer 

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Fever is Simply Nerdy

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary. 

Anybody who's read Wither knows why I can't wait to get my hands on this one. Anyone who hasn't read Wither . . . What are you doing with your life? Unfortunately, I've been waiting for this one since last year, and being in Italy sort of puts me behind on all things book-related; including getting my hands on new releases. It seems that reading in Italian isn't nearly as easy as speaking, which isn't easy at all. So, ebook is the best way to go. Which I'll be going for pretty soon, once I get through all of the other books I've already purchased in ebook form and have been too swamped with a little something I like to call life to get a move on. 

Back to Fever, though . . . I have to say, this cover is just short of terrible. I absolutely loved Wither's cover, so I was incredibly disappointed with this one. I don't think anyone was impressed, based on the other reviews on GR. Any opinions? What was your impression of the cover? And if you've been lucky enough to read it, did it live up to Wither? 

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Interview with Monica Leonelle

Author Monica Leonelle is doing a blog tour to promote her new novel, Socialpunk, the first novel in a new trilogy, and is making a stop at Simply Nerdy Book Reviews to be interviewed by nobody other than yours truly! I also received an advanced copy of Socialpunk--you can read my review here. 

Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit).

Q: How did you choose the genre you write in? Your first novel, Social Pollination, focused mainly on digital marketing by way of social media, and your next two novels, Silver Smoke and Tin Soldier, were urban fantasy. Socialpunk is dystopian. How did you find yourself going between all of these drastically different genres? Which did you enjoy more? 

A: I consider myself a young adult fiction author. My first book was a career move within the business world. It was great for getting my feet wet with writing and publishing. But young adult fiction is where my heart is.

I don't see fantasy and science fiction as so different. I love both, and there is a lot of crossover between readers, especially since the books are grounded in young adult experiences.

Q: When writing a novel, do you work with an outline, or just write?

A: I 100% believe in detailed plotting. I will outline my entire book by chapter, then by scene, then by paragraph. I think this is essential for writing an addictive book or a "page-turner." It's also essential for writing a ton of words very quickly.

When I edit, I have a list of about 20 things I edit for that pertain to marketing psychology. For example, one of the things I edit for is tension, or whether I'm opening and closing plots in every scene. I think most writers would do better in the marketplace if they edited for marketability. Yes, line editing and beautiful prose can help, but really, The Hunger Games isn't exactly great writing. Yet the books are an international phenomenon. Because it's a great story with lots of marketability.

I'm an editor myself (specializing in the marketability of books) but I also run my book by an editor... it's just the right thing to do. You can't rely on self-editing alone.

I'm really big on creating fascinating hooks. If you are a writer you can find out if your first 1000 words are hooking here: http://proseonfire.com/post/20340477218/prose-on-fire-first-1000-free-email-consultation.

Q: What sort of environment do you write best in? (Do you use a pen and paper? Laptop? Quiet room? Mood music? Dog at your feet? Cat on the desk?)

A: I write on my couch, often with the TV on (right now I'm watching Revenge) and use my laptop, primarily. My dog is typically at my feet, lol. I sometimes (especially when writing fiction) switch to music instead of a TV show.

Q: What are your favorite types of scenes to write? (Romance? Action? Dialogue? Etc.)

A: I used to be best at dialogue, but now I really enjoy writing description. It's funny how your weaknesses can become your strengths as you grow as a writer. Which then makes you strengths your weaknesses, so you start working on those. Dialogue and characterization are my weaknesses right now, but it changes. I work so hard to get better and better. So, right now, I'm loving the descriptive, world-building scenes. I think that shows in Socialpunk.

Q: Is there any particular author or book that influenced you (or your writing) in any way either growing up or as an adult?

A: C.S. Lewis has had a huge influence on my writing, especially for my Seven Halos series. The way he incorporates his Catholic religion into his children's stories is interesting. I really enjoyed the Voyage of the Dawn Treader as well, and the concept will be the basis for a serialized fiction series I'm doing, tentatively titled The Seven Seas.

For the Socialpunk series, I was heavily influenced by Cory Doctorow, Chris Anderson, Seth Godin, and Kevin Kelly, who talk a lot about copyright and other social and tech-related topics.

Q: What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

A: The toughest criticism for me is one you might not expect: that I need an editor! I have an editor and I *am* an editor. So this really irks me. Sometimes it feels like reviewers just jump to the conclusion that if they don't like a book, it must mean the editing wasn't strong enough. There are so many other reasons they might not like the book that primarily revolve around just not being in the target audience for it. And those can't be fixed by "more editing." I see reviewers say this about all books, published traditionally or independently, so I'm trying to learn not to take it personally.

The best compliment for me right now is when people compare my book to The Hunger Games favorably. I just really love that series and of course, it's very hot right now. That makes me feel like I'm on the right track with what I wanted to create. My book still needs a bit of work to get it to that next level, but I'm glad people are finding it addictive so far. I feel that's how books should be, and I strive to do that with every series I create.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Monica!


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Socialpunk (Socialpunk, #1) Excerpt

Socialpunk is the first novel in a new trilogy by Monica Leonelle, a well known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire and shares her writing and social media with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit. If you like what you see in this excerpt, don't forget to check back here next week for my interview with Monica and my review of her novel. 


- - - - - - - - - - 

After playing God for six years with the world he created, he couldn’t control any of his subjects, none at all. Over the years, he had watched them evolve and become the sum of their own choices rather than the sum of his; and for that, he regretted ever giving them life.

A small, blinking red light from just inside his eyelid reminded him of the news they sent him earlier that morning. The company had cancelled his funding and would shut down his project within three months. According to them, the project cost too much and took up too much space, and the inconclusive results couldn’t be published reputably, now or in the future.

Six years of his work, tens of thousands of lives at stake—and he could do nothing to save any of it. He bowed his head, letting his chin rest on the rim of his breakfast smoothie. The smoothie reeked of powder—crushed pills—but he supposed he had better get used to it. He wouldn’t be able to afford the luxury of real food after they canned him.

He closed his eyes and called up the camera view of one of his favorites, number 3281. She fascinated him; he couldn’t deny it. When he had designed her, her pre-teen rebelliousness lit fire in her eyes. A survivor, he’d thought. He’d meant for her to have it all—to grow up, to get married to the love of her life, and to have a beautiful family of her own someday.