Freda's Voice

The Friday 56

2012-01-26T23:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Week 60 with me!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.

It's that simple.

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And now Jenna was dead. And this Sara soon would be.

(Taken from Page 156, since 56 is blank.)

#9: The Disappearing Spoon - Sam Kean

2012-01-26T19:27:00.000-05:00

The Periodic Table is one of man's crowning scientific achievements. But it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.
We learn that Marie Curie used to provoke jealousy in colleagues' wives when she'd invite them into closets to see her glow-in-the-dark experiments. And that Lewis and Clark swallowed mercury capsules across the country and their campsites are still detectable by the poison in the ground. Why did Gandhi hate iodine? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium? And why did tellurium lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?
From the Big Bang to the end of time, it's all in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON.

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (July 12, 2010)
ISBN: 9780316051644

My Opinion:
I don't know what I expected from this book when I first requested to review it, but I felt like I was lost through most of it.
Yeah, it had stories about scientists and the elements they created or found, but for the most part, it was such a scientific novel I was bored and felt like I was in school again.
Again, while I like to learn, I didn't want a lesson in the periodic table.
So this wasn't for me, but maybe the science lover in you would feel different. It is highly interesting in that respect.

1.5/5

Recommend? No.

~I received a copy from Hachette Book Group. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Get to Know Author Bill Campbell

2012-01-26T12:22:00.000-05:00

Hello readers! I hope you are all doing great.
Today we have author, Bill Campbell, joining us to talk about his new book, Koontown Killing Kaper, and answer a few questions for us. So please check it out, and leave comments or questions for Bill.

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It’s a hip-hop satire. All the rappers in Koontown are being murdered, and the police think that it might be vampire crack babies are doing the killing. Stymied, they reach out to ex-supermodel/ex-homicide detective/private detective, Genevieve “Jon Vee” Noire, to solve the case. Basically, I wanted to take different negative portrayals and stereotypes promulgated by popular culture and study them, eviscerate them, to make as much fun of them as is humanly possible. It’s basically as though one combined The Boondocks with The Family Guy, if Aaron McGruder and Seth McFarlane didn’t have to deal with TV censors.
Interestingly enough, readers have found the book either hysterical, offensive, or hysterically offensive. Some have told me they couldn’t put the book done. While others have said they became physically ill and couldn’t put the book back up.
As a satirist, who could ask for anything more?

Who or what inspires your writing?

Good question. I don’t know. What doesn’t? I’d almost have to say everything around me. People are funny. What we say, how we act, what we believe. I always want to examine my fellow humans—and sometimes make fun of them. As well as myself. But what really inspires me would probably be good writing and good music. When I come across a really good writer, I don’t want to be able to write like them, but they make me want to be better. As far as music goes, if I listen to, say, a Coltrane solo, I want desperately to be able to express those kinds of emotions with the written world. If I ever come close, I could definitely hold my head up with pride.

When did you know you would be a writer?

My mother used to make industrial films for Westinghouse—these high-quality productions touting the virtues of circuit breakers and nuclear missiles. Once, when I was 9, she took me out of school for two weeks and took me to Hollywood so I could see the process. I can’t quite remember exactly what happened during that entire trip, but it must have been monumental. I came back wanting to be called “Bill” instead of “Billy” and I wanted to become a writer. Hollywood is one powerful place.

How long did it take you to write your first novel?

I had a rough outline for Sunshine Patriots sitting around for months. Then a weird confluence of events happened: I was laid off from my job, a freak electrical storm knocked out our television, and my girlfriend at the time (my wife now) went away to Tanzania for three weeks. I had absolutely nothing else to do. I wrote the novel then.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Authenticity, probably. It’s so easy to fall into common tropes and pat scenarios—to basically “sitcom” it up. So, I think the hardest part for me is to not fall into routine when I’m writing. I’m not trying to be unique necessarily—to come up with something that nobody else has done before. I don’t even think that’s possible. But I definitely don’t want to be pat. I don’t want the reader to be like, “Oh yeah, I saw that coming.” So, for me, I always want the characters to be as “real” as possible and for everything they go through to make sense. I don’t mind happy endings, but I don’t want the ending to be happy or sad simply because that’s what I wanted to happen all along. I want it to be whatever it turns out to be because it makes sense. I had to change the endings of my first two novels, Sunshine Patriots and My Booty Novel in their second drafts for just that reason.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I usually end up smoking too much while I’m writing, but that’s not a ritual. It’s an addiction.

Have you written anything else?

Aside from Koontown Killing Kaper, I’ve written two other novels, Sunshine Patriots and My Booty Novel, and a collection of essays, Pop Culture: Politics, Puns, and “Poohbutt” from a Liberal Stay-at-Home Dad. Sunshine Patriots is an experimental, science fiction satire where I really wanted to examine the role of the hero in our culture and the true meaning of patriotism. My Booty Novel is a lot more light-hearted. It’s about a 32-year-old writer who gets dumped by his fiancee after his first book tour and has to jump back into the dating scene while writing a second novel, which everyone thinks should be a “booty novel.”

Any advice to aspiring writers?

I don’t remember who said it, but I once read that writers are the product of what they read. So, I guess the only advice I could give is Read!!! Read voraciously, read everything. I actually read books for a living, and sometimes it is painfully obvious when I come across a writer who’s not much of a reader.

Who are your favorite Authors?

Too many to mention. But, since you asked, I’ll mention a few: Toni Morrison, Ishmael Reed, Ralph Ellison, Kurt Vonnegut, Anais Nin, Joseph Heller, Richard Wright, Junichiro Tanizaki, Milan Kundera, Franz Kafka, Octavia Butler, Samuel R. Delany, Chinua Achebe.

What are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?

When I was a junior in high school, I came across the Black Poets anthology edited by Dudley Randall. As I said, I’d wanted to be a writer since I was nine, but that book told me what kind of writer I wanted to be. In college, Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah really opened my eyes. Evan S. Connell’s The Diary of a Rapist also blew me away. I couldn’t believe that an author would go to such a dark place. That and Tanizaki’s The Key made me want to write an epistolary novel. I came close with My Booty Novel, which is written as a collection of blog posts. Octavia Butler’s Wildseed and all of Delany’s early works convinced me that I wanted to become a science fiction writer (which I kinda am). After living in the Czech Republic for a year, I became obsessed with Kafka and Kundera, which was soon replaced by Nin.

Ishmael Reed’s Mumbo Jumbo has probably been my biggest influence, though. It made me want to be a satirist (which I, also, kinda am). You can pretty much draw a straight line from Invisible Man to Mumbo Jumbo, The Life and Loves of Mr. Jiveass Nigger, and Negrophobia to Koontown.

Of books I’ve read in the last few years, though, I’d say that Lawrence Hill’s Someone Knows My Name, Jennifer Egan’s The Keep, and Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore really wanted me to up my game, and Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun reminded me why I wanted to become a writer in the first place.

What are you currently reading?

Mat Johnson’s Pym. I’m loving it so far.

How do readers find out more about you?

Well, I’m on Goodreads, of course:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/485442.Bill_Campbell

I also have a podcast, which is mostly good music and the occasional rant, called The Bill Campbell: Misanthrope Show:

billcampbell.podomatic.com

Then there’s the Koontown website

www.koontown.com

And, of course, there’s always Twitter:

@bcampbellauthor

Theme Thursdays: Very

2012-01-25T23:14:00.000-05:00

READING BETWEEN THE PAGES

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Scientists have discovered neutron-starved forms of holmium (element sixty-seven) that give birth to a deformed, wobbly "football nucleus." As you might have guessed from Goeppert-Mayer's model (or from ever having watched somebody fumble during a football game), the holmium footballs aren't very steady.

#8: Liesl & Po - Lauren Oliver

2012-01-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

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Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.
That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable
Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (October 4, 2011)
ISBN: 9780062014511

Author Bio:
Lauren Oliver was previously an editorial assistant at a publishing company in New York. A graduate of the University of Chicago and the MFA Program at New York University, she is now a full-time writer. She divides her time between Brooklyn, New York, and anywhere her friends will let her crash on their sofas. She enjoys reading, writing, cooking, running, dancing, and yes, long walks on the beach (or, more practically, along New York City streets). Please visit her on the web at www.laurenoliverbooks.com.

If you want to read this book for free, you can online at HarperCollins Children's Books. It is available until January 31st.

My Opinion:
Ironically in the very last chapter, it is mentioned to be "Opposites Day". Well, it actually is "Opposites Day" while I am writing this review. Weird, right?!
This book is so much fun to read. Whether you're a kid or an adult, you will fall in love with the characters, and feel a need to read as the story progresses with much action, adventure and mystery.
I flew through this story, I really just couldn't get enough. And as I sit here now, thinking about it, I feel bad it didn't keep going.
People are really going to love this magical adventure, I promise you that!

5/5

Recommend? YES!

~I acquired a copy. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

#7: Busted - Glenn Gamble

2012-01-25T10:27:00.000-05:00

BUSTED is a prequel to the Jim Money Stories that dates back to Jim Money's college days when he was an up-and-coming distance runner on scholarship at Southern Illinois University. Balancing school and 10-mile runs with running his illegal gambling operation, Jim Money and his friends Frank and Steve must grow up fast, or else his next race will be out of Carbondale, Illinois and possibly to a prison sentence, or the grave.
Will Jim and his friends find a way to keep his gambling operation alive while keeping themselves off the police and the NCAA officials' radar? Let's see what rouge Officer Seal and his cohorts have to say about that.

Kindle Edition: 156 KB
Publisher: 60 Minutes with Glenn Publications (November 17, 2011)
ASIN: B0069HL8KY

My Review of Bon Appetit is HERE

My Opinion:
I loved Bon Appetit, so I had to read this one.
You do learn a lot about Jim, the main character of both, and why he is as ferocious as he can be. A cruel life can sometimes make a person do cruel things. Doesn't make them necessarily bad people, they just have bad tendencies when pushed up against a wall.
Looking forward to reading more from Glenn Gamble.

3.5/5

Recommend? Only if you have read one of Glenn's other books.

~I acquired a copy for Kindle. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Get to Know Author Michael Abayomi

2012-01-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

Please give a warm welcome to Michael Abayomi, author of The Mediator and others. He's joining us for a few questions and let us know about his latest book.

The Mediator is the story of a young lawyer’s fight against injustice in a highly-corrupt, dystopian society. Just think John Grisham meets Philip K. Dick, and you’ll have an idea of what to expect. It is the first book in my current series, Neuro, which centers on a technology that allows the human mind to be interfaced with a computer.

Who or what inspires your writing?

Several things actually. I basically draw inspiration from everything around me. I remember seeing a TV commercial once, and thinking, wow, this could work as a concept for a science-fiction thriller. And thus, The Host was born. One very big influence on my writing was reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; it basically taught me everything I love about books and writing today. Of recent, I find I am inspired by stuff I come across in the Bible, which is being reflected in my current work-in-progress, Guardians and the Lost Paradise.

When did you know you would be a writer?

Truth be told, I can’t pinpoint the exact moment. I have always been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I used to come up with elaborate tales on the fly. This would sometimes wow my friends, but always seemed to annoy my siblings, who felt I talked too much. But I guess putting the wraps on my first completed book was what truly convinced me I’d like to keep doing this. I’d like to keep writing.

How long did it take you to write your first novel?

The first book I ever tried to write was one called Nowhere Near Home, which I started all the way in 1998, and still consider a work-in-progress till this very day (now tentatively titled Proxy). Since then, I have written six other books. My first completed book (The Host) took me about six months to write.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

For me, it would have to be setting aside the time. Time management has always been an issue for me. I had to give up watching TV some years back, when I realized how much time was being guzzled up doing just that. Right now, I am a freelance website developer, so I basically work whenever I need to. But living in a third-world country (namely Nigeria) has its own drawbacks, like frequent electricity blackouts. It is such obstacles that make finishing a book that much more rewarding though.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Aside from closing the door and sitting in front of the computer? Nope. None.

Have you written anything else?

Yes. My current series, Neuro, comprises of three books:

The Mediator

The Host

The Second Rebellion

Each book is independent of the other, but is set in the same universe, with recurring characters, and would be better enjoyed in chronological order (as listed above).

Any advice to aspiring writers?

Keep writing until your fingers bleed. And then, just when it seems you can’t take it anymore, you write some more. Trust me. You’ll be rewarded for your effort by a deep sense of fulfillment.

Who are your favorite Authors?

For now, it’s J. K. Rowling, Michael Crichton, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, Nicholas Evans, Dan Brown and Stephenie Meyer (for being an all round rock star I guess).

What are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, the Foundation novels by Isaac Asimov, The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice etc.

What are you currently reading?

Divergent by Veronica Roth. I all but missed that one until I saw it was voted the Best Book for 2011 by people on Goodreads.

How do readers find out more about you?

I can be reached through the following means:

My Blog: http://michaelabayomi.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mikeabayomi

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/michaelabayomi

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5373592.Michael_Abayomi

Google+: https://plus.google.com/100302067876475075555

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/michaelabayomi

E-mail: michaelabayomi@gmail.com

Teaser

2012-01-23T21:39:00.000-05:00

SHOULD BE READING

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It was all fine and well to pretend to be invisible for one minute, or two. But Liesl was not invisible, unlike her ghostly friends, and as soon as she sat down in a comfortable seat in one of the very first cars, resting the heavy wooden box beside her, people began to give her strange looks.

Giveaway: Girl Land - Caitlin Flanagan

2012-01-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

Caitlin Flanagan's essays about marriage, sex, and families have sparked national debates. Now she turns her attention to girls: the biological and cultural milestones for girls today, and how they shape a girl's sense of herself.
The transition from girl to woman is an experience that has changed radically over the generations: everything from how a girl learns about her period to how she expects to be treated by boys and men. Girls today observe these passages very differently, and yet the landmarks themselves have remained remarkably constant-proof, Flanagan believes, of their significance. In a world where protections of girls' privacy and personal freedom seem to disappear every day, the ultimate challenge modern parents face is finding a way to defend both.

Thanks to Anna, and Hachette Book Group, I have 3 copies up for grabs!
Fill in the Rafflecopter form to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Diamond Candles Wants You!

2012-01-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

Are you a blogger?
Do you like jewelry, specifically rings?
If you said yes, then you may want to read on and learn how you may have a chance at getting a Diamond Candle, with a ring inside.

Diamond Candles is looking for bloggers to review their products. If you are interested, take time to fill in the form found HERE.
Good luck to all who apply, including myself!

#6: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove - Lauren Kate

2012-01-21T19:01:00.000-05:00

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Natalie Hargrove dreams of becoming Palmetto Princess. The catch? Her boyfriend, Mike King, is in serious risk of losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie's nemesis, Justin Balmer. And let's just say Natalie and Justin share a history so shady it could cause flowers to wither.
So Natalie convinces Mike to help her play a naughty little prank on Justin... one that goes terribly, terribly wrong.
Blackmail and buried desire, dark secrets and even darker deeds cause Natalie to unravel. She never should have messed with fate. Because. it turns out, fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.

Paperback: 235 pages
Publisher: Razorbill; 1 edition (June 14, 2011)
ISBN: 9781595145178

Author Bio:
Lauren Kate (www.laurenkatebooks.net) is the author of The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove and the internationally bestselling Fallen novels, which include the #1 New York Times bestsellers Fallen and Torment. Her books have been translated into 30 languages and have been featured on Jeopardy! She lives in Laurel Canyon, California.

My Opinion:
This story was fantastic!
It left me thinking that I just got a lesson in how cruel karma can really be.
I didn't expect such a surprise ending and honestly, the times I thought I had it all figured out, turns out I was way off the mark.
A page turner for sure!

5/5

Recommend? YES!!!

~I received a copy from Penguin Canada. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Quote It Saturday

2012-01-21T10:41:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Quote It!
Please feel free to grab the button and create your own post.
Add as many quotes as you wish, from whom ever you wish. It can even be lyrics to a song.
Just tell us who it is. Anonymous welcome too.
And please leave your link.

* An ounce of don't-say-it is worth a pound of didn't-mean-it.
~ L.M. Boyd, (1927–2007,an American newspaper columnist.)

* Reading is fundamental. Fund-a-mental.
~ Eddie Griffin, (1968-present, an American actor and comedian.)

* True friends are those who really know you but love you anyway.
~ Edna Buchanan, (1939-present, an American journalist and author.)

Read for Free: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

2012-01-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

Browse Inside Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver, Illustrated by Kei Acedera

Right now you can read Liesl & Po for FREE!!! Yup, 100% free!

The Friday 56

2012-01-19T22:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Week 59 with me!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.

It's that simple.

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"Bye-bye butt feathers," she called, sounding oblivious. "Anything else out there worth stuffing myself into for Baxter's benefit?"

#5: Jabberwocky - Daniel Coleman

2012-01-19T20:22:00.000-05:00

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“One, two! One, two! and through and through the vorpal blade went snicker-snack!” Blood pounded in Tjaden’s ears as he breathed in the acrid odor, and his sword didn’t falter. Not after the convoluted road that had led him to set out alone to find and slay the manxome Jabberwocky. But the secrets he’d learned about the Jabberwocky’s sorrowful past made it a sour victory.
How different would the situation be if the girl he loved wasn’t at risk? Why didn’t anyone tell him the dark secrets surrounding the Tumtum tree?
Jabberwocky, is the untold story inspired by Lewis Carroll’s epic poem. Meet the characters and creatures that inhabit the world long before Alice ever fell down the rabbit’s hole.
While staying true to every detail of Lewis Carroll’s masterpiece, Jabberwocky provides twists that will keep you turning pages. You might know how it ends, but you won’t believe how it happens.

Kindle Edition: 249 KB
Print Length: 144 pages
ASIN: B004UB7SR8

My Opinion:
This was a great tale with elements of Alice in Wonderland incorporated into fantasy. I really loved the battles that happened in the book, loads of action.
For just a little story it packs quite a big punch!
I can't wait to read Hatter.

5/5

Recommend? To Alice and fantasy fans, yes!

~I acquired a copy for Kindle. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Theme Thursdays: Come

2012-01-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

READING BETWEEN THE PAGES

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"So, Mikie," Phillip Jr. said, using the nickname I hated as he buttered a sweet potato biscuit. "Justin Balmer's old lady came in for a consultation today."
Have I mentioned what an infamous bore Phillip Jr. usually was? Suddenly he had my undivided attention.

#4: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs

2012-01-18T14:54:00.000-05:00

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A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books; Book Club edition (June 7, 2011)
ISBN: 9781594744761

My Opinion:
Over 900 people on Amazon pressed the like button on this book, and I was one of them.
This story has so many wonderful elements, from the writing itself and how the author used words to take you away, to the plot and how deep it takes you and makes you read until you eat every word and photo up.
Yep, that is exactly what this story did to me.
I kept telling the hubster, peculiar indeed, but in such a cool way. I totally expect he is going to read it now. It's not like I have stopped talking about it.
Anyway, pay the coin and get a copy. It is totally worth it!

5/5

Recommend? Do you really need to ask? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

~I won my copy. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Get to Know Author Victoria Foyt

2012-01-17T19:05:00.000-05:00

Good evening readers!
I have a treat for you all, author Victoria Foyt stopped in to answers a few questions and tell us about her book, Revealing Eden. Check it out!

Please tell readers about your current book...
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Revealing Eden (Save The Pearls art One) is a unique pastiche of genres, fantasy, adventure, and romance, which really interweaves my own fears and dreams.
I started with my deep concern about the loss of our natural environment and how that might change existing social paradigms. In Eden’s future world, the earth is so overheated that her white race, the Pearls, have nearly died off. Those with darker skin, Coals, are better able to resist The Heat, and therefore, dominate society. Today, Eden might be considered gorgeous, but in the future, she’s considered ugly and is doomed unless she can find a mate before she turns 18, which is nearly middle aged.
Here, I tapped into my feelings about race and beauty, which began with an incident in elementary school. One day, as I stood at the front of the school waiting for my mother, a boy leaned out of the window of a departing bus and hurled a racial slur at me. It wasn’t even about my race! But it stung all the same. With my wildly curly hair and prominent features, I didn’t look like the majority of blond, blue-eyed girls, and I guess that frightened him. Perhaps because of that moment, or maybe because I looked different, I never felt beautiful. I focused on developing my mind and told myself I didn’t care about looks. Years later, when I starred in several indie films, I was flabbergasted to read reviews that praised my beauty. To this day, I never have understood why appearance often matters more than character or intelligence.
Lastly, I had come to a point in my life where I wasn’t sure I believed in true love anymore. I’d been burned and decided love was a hoax. When Eden unwittingly compromises her father’s secret biological experiment, perhaps mankind’s only hope, she’s cast out—into the last patch of rainforest and into the arms of a powerful beast-man she believes is her enemy, despite her overwhelming attraction to him. To survive, Eden must change—but only if she can redefine her ideas of beauty—and of love. Fortunately, in writing her story, I also found a way to open my heart, and find love.

Who or what inspires your writing?
A burning question usually inspires me, what if…? In Revealing Eden (Save The Pearls Part One), the question that haunted me was this: what if global warming turned today’s prevailing beauty standards upside down? In the story, because Caucasians have less melanin in their skin to protect them from the sun’s burning rays, they are branded as inferior Pearls. Dark-skinned people, or Coals, have more resistance to the Heat, and therefore, now rule society. Eden Newman, a lithe blue-eyed blonde, would be considered gorgeous in our day, while in the future she has to beg for a mate or suffer an early death. The direction in which this “what if” question took me greatly surprised me, as it often does. Finally, forced to discover her inner beauty, Eden opens her heart to true love.

When did you know you would be a writer?
As a young girl, I was always writing, whether it was long letters to pen pals and relatives, or diaries and journals. I couldn’t not write. In college, I studied foreign languages, which deepened my love of words and prose. Later, I had the opportunity to write screenplays, which helped hone my use of dialogue, location and story structure. As an actress, my understanding of character grew by leaps and bounds. I always knew I should write a novel, but it wasn’t until I suffered some health issues and began to evaluate my life that I had a stunning realization of my heart’s desire. I began at once to write my first novel and haven’t stopped since.

How long did it take you to write your first novel?
The first draft of my first novel, The Virtual Life of Lexie Diamond, flew onto the page in a matter of three months. Then, of course, it took me several years to edit and shape it. Even after HarperCollins bought it, it needed more work. By the time I began Revealing Eden (Save The Pearls Part One), my skills had improved considerably, and it took about two years to finish, which included considerable research. Along the way, I’ve learned to savor the process, rather than keep my eye on the finish line. And in doing so, I write better, and have more fun!

What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Editing, editing, and even more editing. I grow anxious to move on to another story once I’ve finished the first draft because I have so many to tell. And yet, over the years, I have come to value the necessity of editing. Often, in the last stages, I will suddenly realize that some key element needs elaboration or more detail. Once I have reached the last draft and have seen the manuscript bloom, I’m grateful for the patience I found to edit. I might even have a little fun in the process.

Do you have any writing rituals?
The timeworn cliché of a slovenly, drunken writer is 180 degrees opposite from my approach. For me, being a writer requires an almost athletic discipline: clean body, sharp mind, and an open heart. At breakfast, I usually read a few newspapers because invariably, I’ll find something to use in my writing, either at present or in the future. Around 8:30 a.m., I climb the stairs to our guesthouse with a big mug of coffee in hand. I’ll meditate for about fifteen minutes to clear my mind of outside distractions; my writing computer is offline to keep them at bay. I usually set a goal of how many pages I hope to write or edit, depending on where I am in the story. I’ll usually quit by 1:30 p.m. to attend to business and family. Later in the day, I try to exercise because sitting for so long is hard on the body. And yet, those hours of writing go by in a happy blink!

Have you written any thing else?
My debut novel, The Virtual Life of Lexie Diamond, was a coming of age, supernatural mystery, published by HarperCollins. Lexie, the protagonist, is a real computer geek whose only friend is her computer, which she dubs, Ajna-Mac. When a tragic accident rocks her world, she must learn to navigate the so-called “real world.” In the process, she discovers more magic online than she thought possible, and begins to trust her instincts with the help of an unlikely friend. Lexie is very dear to me, and I simply loved writing her story, which TeensReadToo gave a 5 star, must read review. Before I turned to writing fiction full time, I was involved in filmmaking. I co-wrote several critically-acclaimed indie films, including Babyfever, Last Summer In the Hamptons, Going Shopping, and Déjà vu, (in all of which I played the female lead), as well as Festival in Cannes.

Any advice to aspiring writers?
First, read a lot, particularly, good books. Each book I read is like a mini-course in writing. I may be terribly involved in the story, but on another deeper level I pay attention to the writer’s use of voice, language, character and plot. I always find some delightful gem to add to my treasure chest of writing tools. When I finish a book, whether I liked it or not, I analyze which aspects worked, why the writer made certain choices, and what approach I might have taken. I have great admiration for all authors and deeply appreciate their gifts.
Secondly, I’ll pass on the best advice I ever received when I began to write my first novel. J.D. Salinger’s ex-wife, Claire Douglas, told me: “Kill the inner critic by answering it.” She showed me how to overcome the negative onslaught, you know, that insidious, destructive voice that repeats in your head: “Who are you to write a novel? This material stinks! You’re wasting your time.” She suggested I write down such jabs and then add my response, as if literally interviewing this horrible critic. At first my answers were tentative, my voice shaky. As I persevered, my confidence grew until eventually, the creative-sucking voice lost its power and slunk away into the darkness. Now if it ever rears its ugly head, I simply laugh. I’ve discovered that the joy of writing is found in the process and not in the end result. If you stay focused in the moment you won’t have the time or interest to worry about what someone might think of your material. And voila, you just might finish your novel!

Who are your favorite Authors?
The list of writers whom I admire and who have influenced me is long and varied. I have always been an enthusiastic reader of all kinds of books from romances by Jane Austen, and mysteries by Raymond Chandler, to biting social commentary such as Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger or Lois Lowry’s The Giver. As a teenager, I devoured Ernest Hemingway’s books, and have recently reread many of them. His direct prose and elegant storytelling definitely set the bar. On the other end of the spectrum, I adore Isabel Allende’s Lush, more feminine prose and quixotic stories.

What are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?
I can still remember the thrill at age fourteen or fifteen, of reading Dostoyevsky’s classic thriller, Crime and Punishment. Like an iron filing quivering against a magnet, I could not put it down. The intricate portrait of Raskolnikov, and the logical, step-by-step progression of his crime and punishment, riveted me to the page. Around the same period, Margaret Mitchell’s sweeping, historical romance, Gone With The Wind, equally stunned me. I cared so deeply for those star-crossed lovers, Scarlett and Rhett, that by the end, I felt bereft of their company, as if two dear friends had left me. I could go on and on about the deep impact various books have made upon my life, but those were two vivid experiences that I’ll never forget.

What are you currently reading?
I’m delighted to read the fiftieth-anniversary edition of the classic book, Gift from the Sea, a non-fiction work by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It’s a gem of a book about the shifting shapes of relationships and marriage, told in parable to various shells. I’m a sucker for shells, and a huge admirer of Lindbergh, who lived a full, adventurous life as a pioneering aviator, mother of five, and successful writer. I’m sure I can learn a few things from such a daring, accomplished woman.

How do readers find out more about you?
I love hearing from readers! You can connect with me at VictoriaFoyt.com.
And please, visit http://www.facebook.com/SaveThePearls or Eden Newman’s interactive site: www.SaveThePearls.com. Thanks to all of you who have uploaded your amazing mating videos!
LINKS:
GoodReads
Book site
Publisher site
Author site
Eden’s Blog
Apocalypse World blog
Purchase the book
Book trailers
Save the Pearls YouTube channel

By the way, I’m furiously working on the Save The Pearls trilogy. Expect to see, Save The Pearls Part Two Adapting Eden next year.
Thanks for the interview! I wish you a very good New Year full of good books, flights of imagination, peace and happiness!

Teaser

2012-01-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

SHOULD BE READING

There were a few more acts after Fiona and Hugh left the stage but by then the kids were getting antsy, and soon we dispersed to spend the rest of the day in summery bliss: lazing in the sun sipping limeade, playing croquet; tending to gardens that, thanks to Fiona, hardly needed tending; discussing our options for lunch. I wanted to ask Miss Peregrine more about my grandfather--a subject I avoided with Emma, who turned morose at any mention of his name--but the headmistress had gone to conduct a lesson in the study for the younger kids.

JoJo Wants You to Stop Texting & Driving

2012-01-15T17:12:00.000-05:00

JoJo , Cambio and AT&T Join Together to Tell Fans ‘It Can Wait’ to Stop Texting While Driving

According to Car and Driver , texting while driving is more dangerous than driving under the influence* and those who send text messages while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a crash**. Music sensation JoJo and Cambio, the online destination for teens and young adults, have teamed up with AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign to help combat this epidemic.

Throughout the month of January, Cambio will release three videos about the risks of texting and driving narrated by the twenty-one- year-old-platinum-selling songstress, JoJo, through Cambio Impact — Cambio’s new social causes platform. In these compelling vignettes, JoJo reminds her peers that text messages can and should wait until after driving. The first video is available to watch HERE.

JoJo and Cambio encourage their collective fan base to take AT&T’s “It Can Wait” pledge to not text and drive on Facebook. To help drive pledges, JoJo has agreed to do a Cambio Live Chat with her fans when the total number of pledges exceeds 50,000. To take the pledge, visit https://apps.facebook.com/itcanwait/.

JoJo is available for phone interviews to discuss this important issue this week. Please contact us directly if you are interested.

Cambio Impact, with JoJo as its exclusive launch partner, is an extension of Huffington Post Impact and AOL Impact that will reach and engage today’s millennial around causes that are important to them.

About JoJo
JoJo released her platinum self-titled debut album in 2004 at the age of 13 and its follow up, the gold-certified The High Road, in 2006 at age 15. She was the youngest artist ever to reach #1 at the Top 40 radio chart wither debut single “Leave (Get Out).” She was also the youngest (13 years old) solo artist to receive a MTV Video Music Award Nomination. Last fall JoJo released a mix tape through RapUp.com that had over 400,000 downloads and most recently she had the internet buzzing with her remix of Drake’s “Marvin’s Room.” JoJo’s new single “Disaster,” off her forthcoming full length Jumping Trains, is available now. Jumping Trains will be released April 2012 on Blackground-Interscope/Streamline Records. Collectively JoJo has sold over three million albums worldwide. Connect with JoJo on Twitter and Facebook

About Cambio
Cambio is an interactive online entertainment experience, connecting teens and young adults to their favorite celebrities and professionally-produced original content programs. This groundbreaking destination fuses information, social interaction, exclusive video and compelling entertainment content together to bring our passionate audience from fans to friends. Cambio is a joint venture between AOL, Jonas Group and MGX Lab. For more information, visit www.cambio.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Connect with Cambio on Twitter and Facebook

About AT&T’s “It Can Wait” Campaign
“It Can Wait” is AT&T’s growing movement to encourage teens and young drivers to pledge to stay safe behind the wheel by not texting while driving. AT&T will honor those taking the pledge by contributing to non-profit organizations focused on youth safety. JoJo joins celebrities like Rachel Zoe, Katie Cassidy, Jesse McCartney, Brandon Mychal Smith and Joey Lawrence who have also supported the ‘It Can Wait’ movement. For more information on the ‘It Can Wait’ campaign, please visit AT&T’s Facebook Page or the official ‘It Can Wait’ website.

*http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q2/texting_while_driving_how_dangerous_is_it_-feature

** Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (http://www.vtti.vt.edu/PDF/7-22-09-VTTI-Press_Release_Cell_phones_and_Driver_Distraction.pdf)

Quote It Saturday

2012-01-14T00:41:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Quote It!
Please feel free to grab the button and create your own post.
Add as many quotes as you wish, from whom ever you wish. It can even be lyrics to a song.
Just tell us who it is. Anonymous welcome too.
And please leave your link.

* Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.
~ C.S. Lewis, (1898–1963, was a novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland.)

* At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.
~ Plato, (424/423BC–348/347BC, Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens.)

* Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship - never.
~ Charles Caleb Colton, (1780–1832, an English cleric, writer and collector.)

Giveaway: American Dervish - Ayad Akhtar

2012-01-13T18:16:00.000-05:00

Hayat Shah is a young American in love for the first time. His normal life of school, baseball, and video games had previously been distinguished only by his Pakistani heritage and by the frequent chill between his parents, who fight over things he is too young to understand. Then Mina arrives, and everything changes.

Mina is Hayat's mother's oldest friend from Pakistan. She is independent, beautiful and intelligent, and arrives on the Shah's doorstep when her disastrous marriage in Pakistan disintegrates. Even Hayat's skeptical father can't deny the liveliness and happiness that accompanies Mina into their home. Her deep spirituality brings the family's Muslim faith to life in a way that resonates with Hayat as nothing has before. Studying the Quran by Mina's side and basking in the glow of her attention, he feels an entirely new purpose mingled with a growing infatuation for his teacher.

When Mina meets and begins dating a man, Hayat is confused by his feelings of betrayal. His growing passions, both spiritual and romantic, force him to question all that he has come to believe is true. Just as Mina finds happiness, Hayat is compelled to act -- with devastating consequences for all those he loves most.

American Dervish is a brilliantly written, nuanced, and emotionally forceful look inside the interplay of religion and modern life. Ayad Akhtar was raised in the Midwest himself, and through Hayat Shah he shows readers vividly the powerful forces at work on young men and women growing up Muslim in America. This is an intimate, personal first novel that will stay with readers long after they turn the last page.

Thanks to Anna and Hachette Book Group, I have 2 copies up for grabs. Just fill in the Rafflecopter form to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Friday 56

2012-01-12T20:34:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Week 58 with me!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.

It's that simple.

But then four months later he had woken up in a pool of his own shit and blood and saw death beside him sitting in a wicker chair. So he had lain back into his pillow and sighing said, "Okay, you win."

Theme Thursdays: Know

2012-01-12T12:02:00.000-05:00

READING BETWEEN PAGES

Maybe this may seem strange, but if you ever met my grandfather you would not have believed it of him. He was a man who was so temperate his perpetual state was placid. It was helped by his drinking surely, but never did his manner or nature ever to those scales except for three times in his life. Once was when his mother died, once was now in a car parked outside Sunrise Wood and the last time would be in his kitchen in the spring of 1968. But at the time Anne-Marie knew nothing of this. What she did know was that she had said something which, without even realizing it, had flipped a switch in the man beside her that for a moment he ceased to exist. She hadn't even seen it coming; there had been no warning. One minute they were talking, the next, the back of his knuckles had slammed against her teeth. So she went over in her mind what she could have said to set him off.

Pauly Shore Wants You On TV

2012-01-11T23:36:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! Pauly Shore is kicking off 2012 with a bang!

Pauly has partnered with Youtoo TV, the new Social TV network that let’s ANYONE be on national TV with just a few clicks.

Pauly is inviting everyone to shoot and upload a hilarious 30-second video to Youtoo.com; and then watch their video, called a “Peoplemercial,” air on the national cable network just like a normal TV commercial – new and different right?

Pauly is covering the cost of all Peoplemercials uploaded through January 30th, and will select the winner of the funniest Peoplemercial to receive a free trip to LA to hang with him for the day and see what the VIP “Paulywood” life is all about. Donations will also be made to the ASPCA for every video uploaded, since it’s a charity close to Pauly’s heart.

Please check out this video, and see the release below for more info: http://www.youtoo.com/pauly