What the New Year will Bring

This happens every year. I blog a lot during the spring and summer months, then taper off come fall, and winter holiday is a dead zone. This year has been especially busy for me. And emotional. But changes are coming in 2011.

Come January, I'm going to be diving into the last (I've said it before so don't believe me) revisions of AD. The query letter is going to get written and critiqued, and come hell or high water, I'm querying this book. Hopefully sometime before the crazy winter season.

Having decided school is really not my slice of pie, I need to find a job. Doing what, I don't know. I have until roughly May-June to figure it out and start making money that I can use to pay bills. Student loans don't pay themselves off, after all.

I would promise blogs on a semi-regular basis, but I don't like making promises I can't, or don't intend, to keep. So, I'll just say I'll drop in from time to time. Probably rant and rave about the revising and querying process. Nothing new there. I probably won't be keeping up a to-read list. It's gotten pretty ridiculous and the upkeep of the list is annoying and time consuming. Instead, I'll probably just make a list of books I have read.

That's pretty much it. There's personal goals I'll be making for the new year, of course. Things like "live a healthier lifestyle," "get in better shape," "be more social," etc.

Don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to a new year, and all the wonderful craziness that it will undoubtably bring.

To-Read List 2010 November Update

*creeps in* Hi everyone. It's November. Been writing a Nation Novel Writing Month novel. Making a list of interesting blog topics that I'll start on in the new year. Probably.

In the mean time, enjoy the growing list and the fact that I haven't done all that much reading this month. =)

The List (in no particular order)

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson

Hero of the Ages - Brandon Sanderson

Well of Eternity - Richard A. Knaak

Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Champion - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris

From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris

Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon

Voyager - Diana Gabaldon

Magic in the Blood - Devon Monk

Magic in the Shadows - Devon Monk

Dragon Bones - Patricia Briggs

Dragon Blood - Patricia Briggs

Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs

Small Gods - Terry Pratchett

Lords and Ladies - Terry Pratchett

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

Frostebite - Richelle Mead

Blood Promise - Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

City of Ashses - Cassandra Clare

City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

Enders Game - Orson Scott Card (borrowed from brother, don't actually own)

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Justice - Jacqueline Carey (Don't actually own this one. Don't know how that happened.)

Banewrecker - Jacqueline Carey

Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson

Glass Houses - Rachel Caine

The Dead Girls' Dance - Rachel Caine

Midnight Alley - Rachel Caine

Feast of Fools - Rachel Caine

Lord of Misrule - Rachel Caine

Carpe Corpus - Rachel Caine

Firestorm - Rachel Caine

Thin Air - Rachel Caine

A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin

The Gunslinger - Stephen King

Prince of Dogs - Kate Elliott

The Burning Stone - Kate Elliott

The Last Wish - Andrzej Sapkowski

Genesis of Shannara - Terry Brooks

Children of Chaos - Dave Duncan

In the Realm of the Wolf - David Gemmell

Hero in the Shadows - David Gemmel

The Becoming - Jeanne C. Stein

The Scent of Shadows - Vicki Pettersson

Dragonfly - Frederic S. Durbin

Personal Demon - Kelley Armstrong

No Humans Involved - Kelley Armstrong

Broken - Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong

The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Thorne of Jade - Naomi Novik

Black Powder War - Naomi Novik

Empire of Ivory - Naomi Novik

Night World Vol. 3 - L.J. Smith

The Secret Circle - L.J. Smith

The Night of the Solstice - L.J. Smith

Heart of Valor

The Hunter - L.J. Smith

The Chase - L.J. Smith

The Kill - L.J. Smith

Changes - Jim Butcher

Beauty - Robin McKinley

Spindle's End - Robin McKinley

Tithe - Holly Black

Valiant - Holly Black

Ironside - Holly Black

White Cat - Holly Black

Vamped - Lucienne Diver

Speak of the Devil - Jenna Black

The Dust of 100 Dogs - A.S. King

Bullet - Laurell K. Hamilton

Graceling - Kristin Cashore

Black Magic Sanction - Kim Harrison

Something from the Nightside - Simon R. Green

A Devil in the Details - K.A. Stewart

Red Hot Fury - Kasey MacKenzie

The Switch - Lynsay Sands

Silver Phoenix - Cindy Pon

Lament - Maggie Stiefvater

Ballad - Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater

Dark Angels - Karleen Koen

Through a Glass Darkly - Karleen Koen

Now Face to Face - Karleen Koen

Leviathan - Scott Westerfield

Soulless - Gail Carriger

Changeless - Gail Carriger

Blameless - Gail Carriger

Personal Demons - Stacia Kane

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Boneshaker - Cherie Priest

Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman

Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman

Midnight Daughter - Karen Chance

Mob Rules - Cameron Haley

Devil in a Red Kilt - Elizabeth Williams

City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

Rose Daughter - Robin McKinley

Side Jobs - Jim Butcher

Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones

Masques - Patricia Briggs

Fade Out - Rachel Caine

Kiss of Death - Rachel Caine

The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie

Before They Are Hanged - Joe Abercrombie

The Last Argument of Kings - Joe Abercrombie

Don't Skimp the Revisions

Maybe eventually I'll have an idea for a blog post that doesn't deal with revising, but that's where I'm at. Still. Been there for a long time. It's the trick of making that first book really stand out, really shine. It's taken three versions to get there, but I'm nearly done.

That's not what I wanted to talk about though. I mean, it is. Sort of.

I remember very clearly the first time I finished writing a novel. I only vaguely remember the first time I tried to revise a novel. I don't think I got very far into the process before I tossed it to the side in lieu of a new, more interesting project. That's not to say I've never finished revising a book before. I have. Several times, actually.

I've learned a lot from all the revising I've done. Especially in this last year. I've seen some things recently that have made me appreciate all the work I've done.

Mostly, it's that revising isn't easy, and there are no short cuts. Not if you want your book to be the best it can. Between draft one and draft two, I cut 47,000 words. That's not including the 20k something I cut when I first started the first draft, and it doesn't include the 23k cut from the third draft, which I'm barely passed the half-way mark on working on.

I'm not saying you have to cut an entire novel's length of work out to make your book good. I have, because despite the massive amounts of writing I've done in the last four years, there's still a lot I have to learn about writing a good novel.

What I'm trying to prove is that I haven't taken any short cuts. I haven't said "Oh, well, this is good enough, I'll just leave it in." Nope. If it doesn't work pretty damn close to perfectly, out it goes. Of course, a little change made in the beginning can effect huge changes later in the manuscript.

So far, it's been my experience that there are not "little changes." They might start out as little, but revising has this domino effect. One change starts off a whole chain of other changes to be made, which can branch off into other changes. Part of the key to successful revising is reigning in that domino effect and working the changes without disrupting the whole damn story.

Which I've had a hard time learning, but I'm getting there.

Revising can be daunting (heaven knows how long I've put off working on this chapter because of the changes I have to make, and the changes the changes will make, and remember the dominos!), but it's worth it to take your time. Your book will be better for it.

To-Read List 2010 October Update

Been awhile since my last blog post. School is an evil brain draining, time consuming monster of absolute evil.

Surprisingly, I have found time to read.

The List (in no particular order)

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson

Hero of the Ages - Brandon Sanderson

Well of Eternity - Richard A. Knaak

Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Champion - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris

From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris

Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon

Voyager - Diana Gabaldon

Magic in the Blood - Devon Monk

Magic in the Shadows - Devon Monk

Dragon Bones - Patricia Briggs

Dragon Blood - Patricia Briggs

Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs

Small Gods - Terry Pratchett

Lords and Ladies - Terry Pratchett

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

Frostebite - Richelle Mead

Blood Promise - Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

City of Ashses - Cassandra Clare

City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

Enders Game - Orson Scott Card (borrowed from brother, don't actually own)

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Justice - Jacqueline Carey (Don't actually own this one. Don't know how that happened.)

Banewrecker - Jacqueline Carey

Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson

Glass Houses - Rachel Caine

The Dead Girls' Dance - Rachel Caine

Midnight Alley - Rachel Caine

Feast of Fools - Rachel Caine

Lord of Misrule - Rachel Caine

Carpe Corpus - Rachel Caine

Firestorm - Rachel Caine

Thin Air - Rachel Caine

A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin

The Gunslinger - Stephen King

Prince of Dogs - Kate Elliott

The Burning Stone - Kate Elliott

The Last Wish - Andrzej Sapkowski

Genesis of Shannara - Terry Brooks

Children of Chaos - Dave Duncan

In the Realm of the Wolf - David Gemmell

Hero in the Shadows - David Gemmel

The Becoming - Jeanne C. Stein

The Scent of Shadows - Vicki Pettersson

Dragonfly - Frederic S. Durbin

Personal Demon - Kelley Armstrong

No Humans Involved - Kelley Armstrong

Broken - Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong

The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Thorne of Jade - Naomi Novik

Black Powder War - Naomi Novik

Empire of Ivory - Naomi Novik

Night World Vol. 3 - L.J. Smith

The Secret Circle - L.J. Smith

The Night of the Solstice - L.J. Smith

Heart of Valor

The Hunter - L.J. Smith

The Chase - L.J. Smith

The Kill - L.J. Smith

Changes - Jim Butcher

Beauty - Robin McKinley

Spindle's End - Robin McKinley

Tithe - Holly Black

Valiant - Holly Black

Ironside - Holly Black

White Cat - Holly Black

Vamped - Lucienne Diver

Speak of the Devil - Jenna Black

The Dust of 100 Dogs - A.S. King

Bullet - Laurell K. Hamilton

Graceling - Kristin Cashore

Black Magic Sanction - Kim Harrison

Something from the Nightside - Simon R. Green

A Devil in the Details - K.A. Stewart

Red Hot Fury - Kasey MacKenzie

The Switch - Lynsay Sands

Silver Phoenix - Cindy Pon

Lament - Maggie Stiefvater

Ballad - Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater

Dark Angels - Karleen Koen

Leviathan - Scott Westerfield

Soulless - Gail Carriger

Changeless - Gail Carriger

Blameless - Gail Carriger

Personal Demons - Stacia Kane

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Boneshaker - Cherie Priest

Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman

Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman

Midnight Daughter - Karen Chance

Mob Rules - Cameron Haley

Devil in a Red Kilt - Elizabeth Williams

City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

Rose Daughter - Robin McKinley

Side Jobs - Jim Butcher

Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones

Masques - Patricia Briggs

Fade Out - Rachel Caine

Kiss of Death - Rachel Caine

Editing: Paper vs. Computer

Editing is an important part of the writing process. A huge, time consuming part. I might spend two or three months writing, but I've spent four months revising and editing so far, and I've still got at least a month left to go. Part of it is that you only write the story once. You edit it a lot more than once.

Or least I do.

The question of whether to edit on the computer or on paper is one I think about a lot. I'm an old hand at writing, but when it comes time to figure out how to go about things after the book is written, that I'm still working on learning. I've done two revisions of this book now, one on paper, one on computer. Here's what I noticed about each.

Computer: It's easier to cut and rearrange things. If there's restructuring that needs to be done, doing it on the computer is much faster (for me) than slogging through paper, flipping through makes making notes all over the place about what should go where when it comes time to put everything back in the computer.

Paper: Grammar and punctuation errors are easier to spot. I've no idea why, but this is the case for me. I might catch some things on the computer, but I always see more on paper.

Computer: Outlining. Not something I do pre-writing, but after I have a first draft, it's good to have a road map to scribble notes and plans on. Scrivener makes outlining really super easy, and it takes 10 seconds to write a short little synopsis for each chapter after I finish writing it. There's currently no easy way to print out the short synopsis, but that's all right. Cut and paste into a word document works well enough.

Paper: Reading like a reader. There's just something about having a paper copy that puts my mind in a different state from when I'm working on the computer. Sentence structure, flow. A lot of little things that make a big difference are just easier to spot with a hard copy. It comes from years and years of reading hundreds of books. Reading is different than writing, and that hard copy flicks a switch in the brain so that I see the words on the page differently.

(Weird, I know. I'm just telling it like I see it. It might not be true for everyone.)

In the end, I end up doing revisions and editing on both the computer and on paper.

What do you prefer to use when you're editing and/or revising? Paper, computer, or a combination of both?

Troubles with a Change of Cast

I've been working with Jacky, trying to get her first book the best it possibly can be, for six years. That's a long time, if you think about it. In that time, I've written seven other books. (All complete trash. I'm a slow learner.) Only three of those books were not Jacky related.

It's not that I intentionally made Jacky the only character making a major play for publication. Every time I try to work on something new, I'd get another idea to make AD better. Or for the next book, or a short story.

After finishing the second draft of AD (version 3), I made a very firm decision to take a break from Jacky. I need something new to clear my head. Hopefully when I return for round three of edits, I'll be going over it with a clear mind. It needs some work, I already have ideas on the things that need a bit of tweaking, but it's solid. No more rewrites, damnit.

To keep my mind off Jacky, I picked up a WIP I started a year or so ago, but never took anywhere because all I had was a title, some characters, and a bit of world building to go off of. I've been having struggles with it. The plot is coming together (more or less), but the character voices aren't the strong things that the cast of AD have. Add mystery (something I've never written before) and the weak character voices makes writing this book a damn challenge.

But challenge is good. Doing something so different is good. For one, I'm learning how to write a different kind of story. (Though, honestly, it freaks me out that FBL doesn't have much action in it. It's more character/mystery driven than AD.) For another, writing new things broadens the horizons, makes you look at things in a different light. Learning to come at a story from a different angle will be great for when I edit AD, because I'll probably (hopefully) see things in a different light, and be able to work a little more suspense and thrill into it all.

That being said, I need to get cracking on FBL, because I want to have the first draft finished before I start round three editing on AD.

A Writer's Guide to Abbreviations

As I've submerged myself deeper into the massive world of writers, I've come across a surprising number of abbreviations. A lot of these I hadn't heard of until I asked the wonderful peeps at the Absolute Write forums for some of their favorite abbreviations. (Thanks for the help everyone!)

The list is (attempting to be) in alphabetical order, and will be an ongoing project. If you have writerly abbreviations you'd like to see on the list, drop a comment!

EF - Epic Fantasy

FMC - Female Main Character

HEA - Happily Ever After

HFN - Happily For Now

LI - Love Interest

MC - Main Character

MMC - Male Main Character

MG - Middle Grade

POV - Point of View

RST - Resolved Sexual Tension

SNI - Shiny New Idea

UF - Urban Fantasy

UST - Unresolved Sexual Tension

WIP - Work in Progress

YA - Young Adult

Falling Out of Love with a WIP

AD (also known as THE Project) has been on hold while I wait for beta readers to go over it and give me back their wonderful comments. To keep myself to diving straight into the next round of revisions before I get feedback, I've been working on FAERIE BAD LUCK.

I've been having issues. A lot of them. But I think they all are linked back to one central problem.

I'm really not in love with this story, or the characters, or anything.

A large part of the problem is that I'm probably too in love with Jacky and co. They've been with me the longest. We've worked together the hardest. We've grown up together, in a writer-character relationship that I don't have with any other characters. This is proving to be problematic because none of the other possible characters and SNIs floating around in my head are as appealing as Jacky and co.

Maybe the problem here isn't that I fell out of love with FBL, but that I was never in love with it to begin with.

And it shows.

My question for you (not that any of you ever seem inclined to answer them, tsk tsk): What makes you fall in love with a new WIP?

To-Read List 2010 August Update

Man. Half way through August before it occurs to me to do an update of this thing. It's been a slow month for reading.

The impending doom of school has sapped me of all will. Need to shake it off and get on with life. Sitting around moping cannot be good for a girl's health.

The List (in no particular order)

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson

Hero of the Ages - Brandon Sanderson

Well of Eternity - Richard A. Knaak

Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Champion - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris

From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris

Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon

Voyager - Diana Gabaldon

Magic in the Blood - Devon Monk

Magic in the Shadows - Devon Monk

Dragon Bones - Patricia Briggs

Dragon Blood - Patricia Briggs

Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs

Small Gods - Terry Pratchett

Lords and Ladies - Terry Pratchett

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

Frostebite - Richelle Mead

Blood Promise - Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

City of Ashses - Cassandra Clare

City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

Enders Game - Orson Scott Card (borrowed from brother, don't actually own)

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Justice - Jacqueline Carey (Don't actually own this one. Don't know how that happened.)

Banewrecker - Jacqueline Carey

Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson

Glass Houses - Rachel Caine

The Dead Girls' Dance - Rachel Caine

Midnight Alley - Rachel Caine

Feast of Fools - Rachel Caine

Lord of Misrule - Rachel Caine

Carpe Corpus - Rachel Caine

Firestorm - Rachel Caine

Thin Air - Rachel Caine

A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin

The Gunslinger - Stephen King

Prince of Dogs - Kate Elliott

The Burning Stone - Kate Elliott

The Last Wish - Andrzej Sapkowski

Genesis of Shannara - Terry Brooks

Children of Chaos - Dave Duncan

In the Realm of the Wolf - David Gemmell

Hero in the Shadows - David Gemmel

The Becoming - Jeanne C. Stein

The Scent of Shadows - Vicki Pettersson

Dragonfly - Frederic S. Durbin

Personal Demon - Kelley Armstrong

No Humans Involved - Kelley Armstrong

Broken - Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong

The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Thorne of Jade - Naomi Novik

Night World Vol. 3 - L.J. Smith

The Secret Circle - L.J. Smith

The Night of the Solstice - L.J. Smith

The Hunter - L.J. Smith

The Chase - L.J. Smith

The Kill - L.J. Smith

Changes - Jim Butcher

Beauty - Robin McKinley

Spindle's End - Robin McKinley

Tithe - Holly Black

Valiant - Holly Black

Ironside - Holly Black

White Cat - Holly Black

Vamped - Lucienne Diver

Speak of the Devil - Jenna Black

The Dust of 100 Dogs - A.S. King

Helpless - MJ Pearson

Bullet - Laurell K. Hamilton

Graceling - Kristin Cashore

Black Magic Sanction - Kim Harrison

Something from the Nightside - Simon R. Green

A Devil in the Details - K.A. Stewart

Red Hot Fury - Kasey MacKenzie

The Switch - Lynsay Sands

Silver Phoenix - Cindy Pon

Lament - Maggie Stiefvater

Ballad - Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater

Dark Angels - Karleen Koen

Leviathan - Scott Westerfield

Soulless - Gail Carriger

Personal Demons - Stacia Kane

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Boneshaker - Cherie Priest

Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman

Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman

Midnight Daughter - Karen Chance

Mob Rules - Cameron Haley

Devil in a Red Kilt - Elizabeth Williams

Rose Daughter - Robin McKinley

Dealing With Doubt

I've probably blogged about this before. But it's something that writers have to deal with. All the time. No matter what.

Doubt.

There's so many different kings of doubt, too. While writing, after, writing, before writing. Same for revising and publication. That's right, you heard me. I said publication. I'm not there yet, but I know some awesome folks who are, and the doubt doesn't stop just because they've gotten a book out there. If anything else, publication ADDS to the pool that doubt pulls from to bring us down.

I wish there were some magical doubt-be-gone. If there is, someone send me the link cause I'd like to get me some.

In the mean time, here's some of the ways I cope when doubt is niggling at me.

1) Look at how far you've come. Writing is a long, often tedious road. But it's one that had landmarks along the way. I keep everything. Every. Thing. Notes jotted down on movie stubs, napkins, files with bits and scraps I wrote that one time when I couldn't see the screen I was crying so hard and I've no idea what I was trying to say but I wrote something.

Sometimes it helps to pull the old pieces out and laugh at them. Laugh at the horrible prose, the poor characterization, and lack of a coherent plot. And maybe be surprised by a tiny gem hiding in all the shit. Then go and look at something written last week, or this week, and there's such a marked difference. My God, the prose isn't all that bad, that character has quirks, and wonder of wonders, the plot actually works. Okay, so maybe it's not perfect, but I've come such a long way.

2) Commiserate with people that understand. There are dozens of social networks for writers out on the interwebs. Find a community that works for you, make friends, and share with them. Writers are spread everywhere, over every genre, and chances are there will be someone that's been in the same boat you're sinking in. Most of the writers I've met are more than glad to share their hard learned wisdom, and pull another writer out of the pits of doubt. We all want to succeed, and we want to see each other succeed too.

Just be sure to share in all the ups as well as the downs. No body like a constant Debby-Downer.

3) Take a step back. Get a hobby. Go outside (gasp! Yes! The horrible outside with the sunlight and bugs and PEOPLE.) Find something you enjoy doing that gets you out of the office, or away from the computer. Something other than reading. Writing and reading are intertwined, and while one can often feed the other, sometimes reading can cause the doubt bogging down the creative mind.

Spend a day shopping, or go to the movies. Take your best friend out for drinks, or go get your hair done. Get your mind off writing, and come back to it in a day or two when you're feeling refreshed. Chances are you'll see things in a new light (hopefully a better one) and the doubt won't be so loud.

I'm sure there are a lot of other ways to deal with doubt. What do you do when doubt starts prodding you in the back of the head?

Book Review: Silver Phoenix

Let me start by saying Silver Phoenix is a charming story. It's filled with exotic creatures and people. And demons. Set in a land similar to China, it's a unique YA novel. It could be that I've been reading too much YA urban fantasy, but I can honestly say I've never read a YA that's struck me as so fantastical.

Ai Ling is a young unmarried woman who sets off to find her father, gone missing during his trip to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams. (I love that name. It fills my head with flowering trees and ponds and streams with those delicate Asian bridges. Just from the name!) On the road, she meets Chen Yong, a young man in search of his birth parents, as well as demons, goddesses, monsters, dragons, laughter and tragedy. The imagery is vivid and compelling, creating places I've never even dreamed out here in the working world.

I'm very used to reading books with strong women protagonists, and Ai Ling certainly doesn't start that way. Even while her fears annoyed me, I admired her determination to push on anywayt. I'll admit that it was an interesting journey for me as a reader, watching Ai Ling go from timid mouse to bold phoenix. (Har har. Couldn't resist.)

This is a wonderful tale of finding strength and courage, and breaking out of social norms. I highly recommend Silver Phoenix to everyone, no matter their age. There's something in this one for everyone.

Sadly, I don't think you'll find this one in most book stores. So go online and order it.

Hi Cindy! *waves*

Why Endings Suck

The end of a book is nearly as important as the beginning. The start of a good novel pulls the read in, entices them to read more. It's the hook line and sinker.

Ends are the dessert. The stuff that fills you up but leaves you hungry for more.

Ending are hard to write. Really hard. I've rewritten the last quarter of this draft three, maybe four times, trying to get everything right. Because it's the black moment, the finally battle, the resolution and that tasty bit that makes a reader want the next book.

They suck the life out of you! Mentally, emotionally, and creatively. They're like the writing version of vampires. Only less sparkly. Though granted, there are a lot of sparkly endings out there, and if that works for your book, then go for it. I mean the actual writing.

When your ending sucks everything you have in you and demands more, and you feel like ripping your hair out, banging your head against the wall, or taking up hard liquor, take a deep breath and give it more. I love telling people that nothing in life worth having is ever easy. A great ending is defiantly worth having, and it's not easy.

Don't give up, though. Dessert is the best part. For you and the reader.

Disclaimer: This post was written after a long day of working on the ending of a novel. The writer cannot be blamed for any or all confusion this post might cause.

Unnecessary Violence

I'm working on the second draft of ANGELIC DEMON. I'm in the last 20,000 words. The home stretch. It's where all the villain motivations are revealed, Jacky saves the day, and I (hopefully) give enough closure for the book to stand alone, while leaving enough tasty tidbits that I could continue the series.

I've been there for over a week. Here's why:

What I had originally planned involved a lot of violence. A lot. To be perfectly honest, I'm not great with the writing blood and gore and doing horrible things to my characters. I've rewritten this chapter three times now, and it still doesn't feel right.

Then I realized why.

1) My villain didn't have any motivation for being a villain. Um, oops. This is a big no, no. Villains have to have a reason. The best villain advice I've ever been given is "Villains are the heroes of their own stories."

I put the writing on hold until I got the motivation figured out. It took me a while, and there are still a lot of wrinkles that need to be ironed out, but I got the over-all big picture. Just by doing that one thing, a whole new aspect of my villain's personality came out. Zomg, he actually started to feel like a person in my head.

2) Unnecessary violence isn't a good thing. When my villain was just a villain because I needed one, without drive or direction, the violence worked. It was some of the hardest stuff I'd ever written, but it was good. It also didn't work. At. All. There wasn't any reason behind it, except to make my bad good look really bad, and that's not good enough.

3) The end doesn't justify the means. Now that my villain had fresh motivation, violence--enough a little dose of it--just didn't fit right. Why on earth would the villain start with violence when persuasion could get him what he wants just as easily, and without the mess. There will be plenty of coercing violence later, but it should be later, not right up front.

All this taught me that I need to pay more attention to all my villains. You can't stick them in the book just because you need the additional conflict. If you do that, I can almost guarantee headaches and heartaches will abound.

Remember: Villains are people too, and like all people, they have thoughts, feelings, and something that drives them. If they don't, then they're just a crutch for your plot to lean on, and not a very sturdy one at that.

So Many Types of Tension

Back in May, at the Backspace Writer's Conference, someone (I'd have to do some digging to figure out who, exactly) said "Every chapter should ratchet the tension up a notch." Which got me to think, as it was meant to do, about the different types of tension I use in each chapter.

The list (I'm really fond of lists, have you noticed?) started off fairly simply. Action, Romance, Character. Also pretty self-explanatory.

Then I added one for Romance/Action, because there was a chapter that had both, and it felt important to point out. Later, there came a chapter that didn't have action, or romance. I suppose I could have labeled it as character, but that didn't feel quite right. It was a big reveal moment. Okay then. Reveal got added to the list, and after talking with some Purgies over on Absolute Write, Complication, and Black Moment were also added to the list.

And today, I came across another chapter that didn't really fit into any other tension type. It got labeled Buildup. Buildup of what? Well, in this case, it's the build of tension and suspense to lead into the horrible thing that happened to one of the supporting characters.

I'm amazed by how many different types of "tension" is used in a novel. And I'm sure different people have different tension types.

Here's my question for you. If you went through and labeled each of your chapters according to the type of tension it uses to build up the over all tension of the story, what would your list look like?

July's To-Read List

I find it strange that I tend to read more when I'm writing than any other time. There's something relaxing about reading a great book at the end of a long writing day. I guess it servers as a reminder for what I'm working for, and is tangible proof that it is possible to get published.

Slowly, but very surely, the stack--and box--of books I have that need to read is being whittled away. Eventually, I'm going to have to start boxing the books I have read, because the shelf where they're stacked is getting pretty stuffed, and the pile has started to spread to my sister's book case. (Whoops.)

So the list grows, but more books are crosses off the list than added to it (for the most part.) It's been fun, watching it change.

The List (in no particular order)

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson

Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson

Well of Eternity - Richard A. Knaak

Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Champion - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris

From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris

Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon

Voyager - Diana Gabaldon

Magic in the Blood - Devon Monk

Magic in the Shadows - Devon Monk

Dragon Bones - Patricia Briggs

Dragon Blood - Patricia Briggs

Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs

Small Gods - Terry Pratchett

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

City of Ashses - Cassandra Clare (borrowed)

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

Enders Game - Orson Scott Card (borrowed from brother, don't actually own)

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Feast of Souls - C.S. Friedman

Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Justice - Jacqueline Carey (Don't actually own this one. Don't know how that happened.)

Kushiel's Mercy - Jacqueline Carey

Banewrecker - Jacqueline Carey

Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson

Glass Houses - Rachel Caine

The Dead Girls' Dance - Rachel Caine

Midnight Alley - Rachel Caine

Feast of Fools - Rachel Caine

Lord of Misrule - Rachel Caine

Carpe Corpus - Rachel Caine

Firestorm - Rachel Caine

Thin Air - Rachel Caine

A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin

The Gunslinger - Stephen King

Prince of Dogs - Kate Elliott

The Burning Stone - Kate Elliott

The Last Wish - Andrzej Sapkowski

Genesis of Shannara - Terry Brooks

Children of Chaos - Dave Duncan

In the Realm of the Wolf - David Gemmell

Hero in the Shadows - David Gemmel

The Becoming - Jeanne C. Stein

The Scent of Shadows - Vicki Pettersson

Dragonfly - Frederic S. Durbin

Personal Demon - Kelley Armstrong

No Humans Involved - Kelley Armstrong

Broken - Kelley Armstrong

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Night World Vol. 3 - L.J. Smith

The Secret Circle - L.J. Smith

The Night of the Solstice - L.J. Smith

The Hunter - L.J. Smith

The Chase - L.J. Smith

The Kill - L.J. Smith

Changes - Jim Butcher

Beauty - Robin McKinley

Spindle's End - Robin McKinley

Tithe - Holly Black

Valiant - Holly Black

Ironside - Holly Black

Vamped - Lucienne Diver

Speak of the Devil - Jenna Black

The Dust of 100 Dogs - A.S. King

Helpless - MJ Pearson

Bullet - Laurell K. Hamilton

Graceline - Kristin Cashore

Black Magic Sanction - Kim Harrison

Something from the Nightside - Simon R. Green

A Devil in the Details - K.A. Stewart

Red Hot Fury - Kasey MacKenzie

The Switch - Lynsay Sands

Silver Phoenix - Cindy Pon

Book Review: A Devil in the Details

Jesse James Dawson fights the good fight for lost souls. Literally. He's a champion that fights demons to win back souls of those who lost them in a bargain.

Jesse is such a smart ass. I love his quips, and snarky personality. Mostly, I love the fact that he has a family. Mom, brother, wife and daughter. A lot of main characters in urban fantasy seem to have a big lack of familial relations. (Usually. There's more than just this one exception.)

She does such a wonder job painting pictures of her characters. Axel, especially, holds a place in my heart. (Erm... just not one big enough for him to get to my soul.) Despite being a little slower paced, with more attention to character relations, the story moved really well.

I want more backstory. There's so many tantalizing glimpses of it. Hopefully we'll get more as more books unravel.

It was a quick read, and fully entertaining. There were some great twists and turns, and I'm gnashing my teeth. Ms Stewart, I daresay your ending is enough to drive a reader nuts. If I stalk you until the release of the next book, you've no one to blame but yourself. (And I get to say this because I (kinda sorta) know her. No real creepy stalking involved, I promise.)

Ms Stewart is one awesome lady, by the way. I'm glad I got to know her before her feet were set firmly on the road to fame. Good luck and happy writing, fellow purgie!

Um, No.

"Epic fiction fantasy."

Much redundant redundancy?

*headdesk*

Book Review: Graceling

Man, so much love for this book, I don't even know where to begin. The characters, the writing, the world? Of course, every rose has it's ugly thorns, and Graceling had some of those, too.

Lets get the ugly out of the way first. There wasn't much of it, I promise.

I had two problems with this book. One a big one, the other little enough that it only irked me. The little one was her love for starting sentences with conjunctions. Now, I'll all for the occasional sentence starting with "but" or "and" but she used them far too frequently for my tastes. This is a personal thing, of course. I felt like there some places where it was used that would have been stronger if she'd left off the "and" and started with the "he/she" that usually followed.

The big problem was her villain. He was evil enough, I guess, but he was evil for the sake of being evil. The catalyst happened not for any sinister plot, but because the villain wanted to torture someone to make people do what he wanted them to do. Even his Grace (kind of a heightened natural ability, like charming people to believe your lies, swimming really well, all sorts of things) server no other purpose than to make people do what he wanted the to do. And he had no reason. There was no motivation. No personality or sympathetic characteristic. He's a villain to hate, but not because he's evil. It's because he's flat, uninteresting. Evil for the sake of evil does not a villain make.

Now the good things, which far outweigh the bad.

The characters. Oh, how I love the characters. Katsa, the hero of the piece, struggles to break free of the uncle, her king, that uses her deadly Grace for striking fear into the people that cross him. Usually by ordering her maim them, or kill them. She gets tired of it all, though. Of being a savage creature, little more than a trained dog. Po, a prince also Graced, helps her free herself by helping her come to the simple realization that her uncle is a bully and really had no power over her.

Along with Po and Katsa, there's a whole slew of supporting cast. Kristin Cashore does a marvelous job of making the supporting characters rich and interesting, despite the fact that some of them have very limited screen time.

All these wonderful characters (excepting the villain, who's still flat and boring, remember) are set in a wonderful world, where people can have two different eye colors. Those that do are Graced. There's such a wide range of graces. No two are exactly the same. In Lienid, the home of Prince Po, Graced are respected, and free to do as they please, while in Middluns (and I think other kingdoms) where Katsa's born, Graced are giving to the kings, and the kings are then free do with them as they please. It's not that the Graces are magic. Magic has become so common in fantasy that it's not really magical anymore. The Graces, by their simplicity and uniqueness, seem magical.

Last, but not at all least, the writing. Except for the plethora of sentences started with conjunctions, the writing is beautiful. The story it's self is character driven, and Kristin Cashore does a wonderful job of describing this unique world without bogging the reader down in details.

I highly recommend Graceling. It's certainly going to be one of those books I read again and again, because I love the characters to no end. I felt almost cheated when the book ended, because I wasn't ready to give up traveling with Katsa and Po. If you haven't added it to your to-read list, go do it now. Right now. Why are you still reading this? Go! Go! Graceling by Kristin Cashore must be added to your reading lists. the demons compel you!

Little Thief

Last night, in the middle of an Ice Crown raid (I play World of Warcraft. I think this fact is established somewhere) my mom came into the office and told me in a very excited whisper that there was a raccoon in our garden.

Now, I'm sure there some folks that live in the mountains or out in the country that are snorting and rolling your eyes, and saying "a raccoon? Big whoop-di-doo. The only good 'coon is a dead 'coon." Well, guess what. It's the first raccoon I've ever seen that's not roadkill. And it was a little one, too. Not a baby, but still really small. He was about the size of a 8 weeks old lab puppy.

So, without further ado, our little visiting thief!

He's a cute little bugger ain't he? I took this photos from about four feet away, and he was totally unperturbed by my mom and I stand right there chattering away. She walked within two feet of his little hiding spot beneath the rose bush to get to the car (she'd been leaving to run errands when she spotted him.) The slamming of the car door didn't bother him, and the roar of the Skylark's engine was barely cause to lift his head.

He was down right cozy in that flowerbed. It's our smallest, with a giant rock by the corner of the porch (just a cement strip really, not much of a porch at all) with a rock boarder. The rose bush is to the left (in the photo) and the things growing up on the right are snapdragons. It made the perfect little raccoon nest.

He was munching on something. I suspect he enjoyed some of our escargot.

It's All in the Details

Every once in a while, I'll pick up a book that has a really interesting blurb on the back, take it home and start reading it, only to discover that within 10 pages, I want to hurl the thing across the room and rant at whoever will listen (and those who aren't) about the horrors of bad writing.

Fortunately, I know a great used book store where I can take the offending novel and get credit for later purchases.

The offender in this case is a YA novel. I like reading YA. It's fast, easy, and usually character driven with a nice splash of romance and a healthy dose of action. Because it's so fast (in this case this also means short. YA books tend to be in the 60,000 word range) the author has to compact things. Like writing a short story, every sentence needs to do something. Impart emotion, scenery, motion, plot, dialogue, convey underlying tension, and a dozen other things.

It's true what they say. It's all in the details.

In the course of my writing carrier, I've seen a lot of "show, don't tell." You read enough, you begin to see the difference.

Showing: The man stopped, the bulk of his shoulders filling the doorway. His eyes were deep set, hidden in the shadow of his overhanging brow, and when he spoke, the small hairs rose on the back of my neck.

Telling: The man in the doorway was threatening.

Okay, maybe not the best example, but you see where I'm going with this, right? A reader doesn't need to be told the man is threatening. It's all conveyed through the details. He's a big guy, right? Big people tend to be more threatening than small people (which makes showing small people as threatening without telling a fun challenge). Eyes are the windows to a person's soul, and throwing them into shadow hides a great deal from the protagonist. You know the protagonist feels something about the big guy in the doorway, especially when he speaks. And it's certainly not a warm fuzzy feeling.

I've read a lot of masterful YA. I've also ready my fair share where the author beats the readers over the head with details. They'll set up the emotions and tensions in a seen, and then ruin with a line like in the example.

Please, don't do this. Kids are not stupid. Teenagers don't want to be treated like dumb kids by people older than them. You don't need to dumb YA down because the target audience is younger. The first novel I read was Terry Brooks's The Sword of Shanara. It's an 800+ page monstrosity of a book, it took me three months to read it (the first time), and except for some words I had to look up, I understood it. Maybe there were some subtle details I didn't see, or fully understand, but I followed the main story, and I didn't need to have things pointed out to me with yard stick.

Think of Garfield. Or go watch Disney movies. They have a masterful blend of subtle adult humor mixed in with the story. Kids are innocent enough not to catch those subtle hints, and if they do catch them, it's because they're old enough to enjoy them.

Details are so important, and it's hard to find balance between too little, too much, and just enough. Don't make it harder on yourself (and your readers) by clubbing us over the head with things we've already picked up on by the wonderful subtleties in the writing.

Book Review: DragonFly in Amber

I loved the first Outlander book (by that name). I enjoyed this one, too, but I must admit, I set it aside when I was around half-way through. Nothing to do with the writing, really. You know it's going to be a sad one when you start the book, and I was in school trying to cope with depression. Sad book had not been a good thing to read.

DRAGONFLY IN AMBER was brilliant, though. It continues the story of Claire, a woman from the 1940's who travels through a stone circle in Scotland back to the 1700's, and the man she's forced to marry, Jamie Fraser.

Historical fiction isn't one of my favorite genres, I gotta admit. I respect anyone with the patience to do the research it'd take to create a cast and story like what Gabaldon has assembled for her books, and Gabaldon is a master of the craft. You love the characters, even the ones you really hate, and her recreation of the the time period transports you back with Claire.

If you haven't yet, go pick up OUTLANDER, the start of Claire and Jamie's story together. It's a fabulous read, even for those like me, that aren't really big history buffs.

The History of Jacky's First Book As OS Version Upgrades

Jacky Version 1.0 (dubbed CHOSEN) was started in the fall of 2004, just as I was starting college. Through that first year away from home, I wrote 26 chapters, and then it was set aside because life developments demanded my full attention.

CHOSEN did no see the light of day again until 2007, when Version 1.0 was taken out, judged worthless drivel, and tossed to the side. A near complete rewrite saw Version 1.2 completed that year, along with several other Jacky Books that have since been sent to the junk pile to await possible recycling. Version 1.3 never saw completion, as Version 1.2 and Book 2 were decided to be better as a single unit. Thus Version 2.0, called DEALING WITH DEMONS, came into being in 2009.

Version 2.2 came quick on Version 2.0's heels, and Version 2.3 was in progress when the work being done on Book 2 (Version 2.0) brought to light a strange realization. Jacky's story didn't actually start until Book 2 (previously Book 3 Version 1.0). So, why not cut out DEALING WITH DEMONS which merely served as a prelude. An entire book's length of prelude.

DwD and Book 2 Version 2.0 were sent to the recycling heap, where they were pulled apart, and key components were withdrawn and set aside for later use. Book 1 has seen the names HUNTED, and DEMON MAY LIE, and finally settled on ANGELIC DEMON, a name previously associated with Book 2 Version 2.0. Now AD Version 3.2 is well under way. The developmental version went well, and 3.2 is going to be sporting some big changes that will help maintain plot consistency, and delve more deeply into characterization.

That was fun. Now to make more progress on AD Version 3.2.

Writing is like Assembling Furniture

This idea struck me near midnight, after I'd spent the entire day beating my head against a wall working on the second draft of ANGELIC DEMON.

Writing is just like assembling furniture.

The first bookcase I ever assembled was one of those massive five shelves things. I'd been pretty sure putting a bookcase together couldn't be hard. There's the top. bottom, sides, and the back is a thin veneer that you nail on. Not hard, right?

Oh no, of course not.

There were nuts, and nails, and little metal things that mystified me, and round plastic things that were more mystifying than the metal things. I followed the instructions, but it still took me two tries to get every pieced together. I think I gouged a chunk of wood out with my screw driver at one point, trying to twist one of those damn little plastic twisty-things. But I got it figure out. The thing even stands pretty level.

Revising this book has been something of the same way. I have a rough instruction guide (read outline) that I follow, but last night, I hit a point where I was left turning the instructions upside down and scratching my head. Things hadn't fit together the way they were supposed to, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out where I'd gone wrong. In other words, that bookcase I'd assembled had an obvious lean to it, and the shelves wouldn't stay where they were supposed to.

I stepped back, stared at it, tipped my head this way and that. I squinted at it and titled my head this way, to see if maybe it could be overlooked, but no. I had to tear the whole thing down and start again. Not the whole book, thank goodness. Just the three chapters I'd been agonizing over all week.

But it was worth it. I found out that Slot A wasn't a good fit for Writing D, and Writing F should actually come after Writing E, and Writing E needed to be moved into Slot A and bound to Writing D, leaving me to fill the hole in Slot C left by the removal of Writing F, and Writing E just needs to be twisted more so that it fits better.

See! Building instructions! Some assembly required.

Warning: Writer's Block Lane is a Dead End

Once again, I find myself digging my heels in. I've had a blank document page open all day yesterday, and it was waiting for me today. Normally having a blank page on my computer irks me enough to get my ass into gear and start writing. Yesterday (and today seems to be following the same trend) I just stared at it. There's nothing I've done that could get me to write.

Oh, I've hit the wall hard. The problem is I don't even know why.

It could be the characters. But I switched the casting around a bit and was really excited to bring back a character I haven't written with for four years. His personality works better for what I'm planning, anyway. I still didn't write anything. I decided not to do some renaming, which made me feel better because I like the names my characters have. Nope. Nothing. Na-da.

What the hell is my problem?

Maybe it's not this chapter that's the problem at all. Maybe I did such a good job with the last chapter that I have no clue how to keep things going, how to match it and surpass it. Maybe what I have planned isn't what needs to happen here. Maybe my characters are resisting because they see something I haven't, but can't speak loudly enough for me to hear them through the block that's gotten built between us. I don't know, and that's the biggest problem.

So let me ask you this: What's the worst writer's block you've ever encountered, and how to get you get around it? I feel like I'm shooting fish in the barrel... and missing every mark.

Book Review: Dragon Bones

First, it makes me sad that this is not actually the cover of the book I own, but it's the same book. Gotta love re-prints, right?

Patricia Briggs is a master. Just a fucking brilliant master of the craft. When you think epic fantasy, you don't typically think of a 300 page book that's capable of standing on it's own. (Fortunately Dragon Bones doesn't. I'm going to start diving into Dragon Blood tonight, and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.) Briggs pulls it off, though.

For being so short, for fantasy that is, Briggs does an excellent job of creating a rich vivid world with characters that make you truly care what happens to them. Even the villain of the piece is sympathetic and almost likable, except for the whole being a greedy, crazy son-of-a-bitch. Ward is one of the great heroes I've read, and has such a wonderful personality. It's his ability to play lumbering oaf that makes him so lovable, though. Not many heroes will pretend to be stupid to save themselves.

Dragon Bones is two thumbs up, five stars, and a book I'm going to be rereading.

I also highly recommend Patricia Briggs's Moon Called and all the other Mercy Thompson books. If you're looking for a flexible, fabulous story teller, Briggs is it.

Revisions with an 80% Chance of Rewrites

June seems to be the month of blogging for me. Which is fine. Except for when I'm using it to procrastinate. Like I am right at this minute...

But, here's the thing. I'm mostly likely to blog when I'm talking myself through my hesitation to do something. Today, that something is reading over stuff I (re)wrote yesterday. Just to check for spelling and word use errors, cause I'm prone to mixing words and letters around. Or my head will be thinking one thing while my fingers type something else.

Yesterday, this wasn't a problem, because the stuff I'd written was pretty new. I added nearly a whole new scene to the end of chapter two, and going over that was fun. So far, I've rewritten chapter four completely, and I'm not finished with it yet. Partly because I didn't finish rewriting it yesterday. My problem is this: I should probably go over what I wrote yesterday to make sure it works, but I don't want to. Not because I'm not finished with the chapter yet, but because this was the chapter that wouldn't die. I wrote and rewrote this chapter three times the first go around. If I have to rewrite it another three, I'm going to start screaming and pulling hair out.

Therein lies the fear. That it's not going to be going the way I want it to, and I'm going to have to scratch it and start over. Again.

I'm trying to decide which will be worse. Going over it and hating it and scrapping it and starting over, or keep on writing, only to go back and discover I hate it and rewrite more of it.

Stupid. The latter is worse. So very much worse.

See. Now I'm ready to tackle this sucker, and you got a chance to see how I talk myself around the barrier of procrastination. How neat is that?

Book Review: Bullet

Laurell K. Hamilton is one of those prolific authors who has a bazillion books under her belt, not including anthologies. Bullet is the nineteenth book in the Anita Vampire, Vampire Hunter novels.

The beginning was slow for me, but maybe that's because I've just come back for a conference where "action in the first chapter!" "plot catalyst in the first two pages!" was pounded into my head, and Bullet didn't start with action or a plot catalyst. But, it's LKH, this is her nineteenth book in the series, and I think it works well for her.

She works so well, with such a huge cast of characters. The cast keeps growing, though, and it's getting to the point where it's hard for me to remember names for supporting cast unless I go back and re-read a large chunk of the series. Which I don't mind doing, really. I love the first eight books (they're the best in the whole series, if you ask me), but eighteen is a bit much to chew through when a new book has been released, and I want to read it, and read it right now.

The other downside of Bullet, for me at least, was the time she took to describe all the character's wardrobe right before some big bit of metaphysics was about to happen, or there was going to be action, political kow-towing, or any other bit of action that drives any book forward. When you have one or two characters to dress, it's not a problem. When you have eight or so in the same room, being dressed in detail, it gets to be a bit much and really slows down the pacing. There were parts I was tempted to skim through, just because I wanted to get to the action. I'm of the mind that unless the characters are buck naked, I'm going to assumed their dressed in something, and I'd rather see that description come through as it's relevant, rather than have it dumped all on my head at once. Because frankly? I'm going to forget what they're wearing as soon as that first fist is thrown.

The thing that really worked for me was that LKH brought back her super evil villain. I'd been horribly disappointed by the previous book (Skin Trade) when this evil villain was taken care of quickly, with no battle of epic proportions, which what I think the villain deserves. But! Lo and behold, Anita's not out of the woods yet. That's a big "Woot!" from me.

Bullet. Really liked it, and I'm certainly going to pick up the next book when it's released. After nineteen books, there's a certain obligation to keep reading to find out how things will end. For me, for right now, it's not an obligation. I want to keep reading, because I love the characters, and care what happens to them.

Book Review: Magic in the Blood

Devon Monk's Magic in the Blood is the second in her Allie Beckstrom series, the first being Magic to the Bone.

It's been a while since I've written a review about anything, so bear with me while I ramble.

I love Allie. She's strong willed, independent, and she has to deal with a huge load of emotional and physical shit. Pain and often a loss of memories, because you can't use magic without paying a price.

Magic in the Blood held a slower pace than her first book. Less action, but more character driven. It didn't disappoint, though. The whole thing was riveting, spelling binding, and kept me hungry for more. (If there is a more cliched review line, I'll eat my foot, but it's still true.) There was mystery and mayhem, and a great supporting cast with old characters, and new.

I can hardly wait to run out and buy the next book in the series.

Hrrgh. I think I'm going to have to practice writing reviews or something. Guess I'll just have to write more, eh?

A Contest over at Ink in all Forms

Wow. Three posts in one day. Could be I'm procrastinating. Actually, that's probably exactly what I'm doing.

But this procrastination is worth it!

Laura Fitzgerald, the author of Ink in all Forms, is hosting a contest. A really awesome super cool contest. Where you can win a dozen (that's twelve, 12!) YA books in the form of hard cover and ARCs. Twelve free books? You bet I'm entering.

So, pop over to her blog, check out the contest rules, and good luck to all!

Here's the link, just in case: http://inkinallforms.blogspot.com/2010/05/kick-off-contest-ya-giveaway.html

Book Reviews: Yes, No?

A question for readers, or just random people dropping by because they thought this was a sight about summoning demons and how to control them (Sorry to disappoint!) I have this huge list of books I own that I want to read, right? I keep striking titles off the list, but I haven't really said much about the books I've read. Whether I liked them, hated them, couldn't finish them. No, kidding. I've finished reading everything crossed off, I promise.

So my question to you: Should I start trying to type up quick book reviews for all the books I read? Would that be something you find interesting, or would you rather read the reviews on Amazon or Barnes and Noble?

Fell free to put your vote in the comments section. I couldn't figure out how to embed a poll into the body of this particular blog, but it's there over on the sidebar. So, feel free to put in a word, or add a vote. Or do both. That'd be awesome too.

June's To-Read List Update

Back from the conference. Have a lot of work ahead of me, and a lot of great new books to read by authors I met at said conference. In the next week or so, I'm going to blog about my New York experience, things I learned at the conference about writing, and thing I learned about the city in general.

But today, my book list!

The List (in no particular order)

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson

Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson

Well of Eternity - Richard A. Knaak

Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Champion - Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris

From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris

Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon

Voyager - Diana Gabaldon

Magic in the Blood - Devon Monk

Dragon Bones - Patricia Briggs

Dragon Blood - Patricia Briggs

Small Gods - Terry Pratchett

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

City of Ashses - Cassandra Clare (borrowed)

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

Enders Game - Orson Scott Card (borrowed from brother, don't actually own)

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Feast of Souls - C.S. Friedman

Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Justice - Jacqueline Carey (Don't actually own this one. Don't know how that happened.)

Kushiel's Mercy - Jacqueline Carey

Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson

Glass Houses - Rachel Caine

The Dead Girls' Dance - Rachel Caine

Midnight Alley - Rachel Caine

Feast of Fools - Rachel Caine

Lord of Misrule - Rachel Caine

Carpe Corpus - Rachel Caine

A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin

Firestorm - Rachel Caine

Thin Air - Rachel Caine

The Gunslinger - Stephen King

Prince of Dogs - Kate Elliott

The Burning Stone - Kate Elliott

Banewrecker - Jacqueline Carey

The Last Wish - Andrzej Sapkowski

Genesis of Shannara - Terry Brooks

Children of Chaos - Dave Duncan

In the Realm of the Wolf - David Gemmell

Hero in the Shadows - David Gemmel

The Becoming - Jeanne C. Stein

The Scent of Shadows - Vicki Pettersson

Dragonfly - Frederic S. Durbin

Love Bites - Lynsay Sands

Personal Demon - Kelley Armstrong

No Humans Involved - Kelley Armstrong

Broken - Kelley Armstrong

Inda - Sherwood Smith

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik

Night World Vol. 3 - L.J. Smith

The Secret Circle - L.J. Smith

The Hunter - L.J. Smith

The Chase - L.J. Smith

The Kill - L.J. Smith

Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs

Changes - Jim Butcher

Beauty - Robin McKinley

Spindle's End - Robin McKinley

Tithe - Holly Black

Valiant - Holly Black

Ironside - Holly Black

Vamped - Lucienne Diver

Speak of the Devil - Jenna Black

The Dust of 100 Dogs - A.S. King

Helpless - MJ Pearson

Survival Games - J.E. Taylor

Bullet - Laurell K. Hamilton

The big problem with book lists is they always seem to get longer. I suppose I could simply stop buying more books, but that'd be like trying to stop breathing. It's second nature and crucial for survival.