Funny Friday 100 Contest Bonanza! CLOSED

You guys, I can't even begin to explain how incredibly special you all have made me feel. I have some amazing awards I need to re-award and thank specific people for and I wanted to say a general thanks now and also that I will be passing them all along asap! So thank you and stay tuned.

(Woman of the night from yesterday's UK Red Carpet.)
 

 I want you all to know there is a lot of buzz and reactions and reviews of Deathly Hallows now that it has been seen in the UK as of yesterday but I WILL NOT be posting anything review like. I will not be reading anyone's reactions or anything like it. I want to be fresh, with my own excitement and not tainted by anyone elses opinions when I see it. I assume a lot of you are the same so, just letting you all know not to worry.  

ON TO FREE JUNK AND STUFF!

So...I like being a puppet master and making you people dance for my dollars. I'm not ashamed to say it. I said it. Dance puppets. DANCE.

In honor of 100 followers I'm giving away stuff. It's not new concept or anything. You all knew it was coming. BUT what you didn't know was the how and the what.

As it is Friday and we must, yes I say MUST, honor the funny, this contest will be all about how funny you can be.

(The lovely Emma Watson from the RCarpet)

So, here it is folks, the rules.

You must come up with the worst book idea ever. A one-liner. That's all! Now, let's see. We can't just let that be it...nope. For each one-line worst idea you comment with gets you a slip of paper in the hat an entry into the generator! 1 idea=1 name. 3 ideas 3x! Simple. Your chances go up with the creativity you possess!

Let's give you an example: 15 year old Tabby Fee wakes up with an eye in her knee.

Need another bad idea?   Brad can't get the girl without proving he has what it takes to fold origami cranes out of queen sized comforters. 
1 more? Casey must recount her entire life as an accountant to a therapist in a 250,000 word novel comprised entirely of flashbacks in riddle form.

Does it say something negative about my writing that I can come up with some shiners there? Ah...whatever.

So. You need motivation to take on this task. Don't do something for nothing, guys. Wait. That is bad advice. Good Samaritans do stuff for nothing and we definitely need more of those...anyway! The prizes:

1st place is a $25.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com(ca), or BaM (your choice)

2nd place $15.00

3rd place $10.00

4th place a pat on the head and an "atta boy"

So hop to it, my friends, for a chance to win $

This contest will conclude DECEMBER (thanks Jen!)2nd. It is open to all! (we will find a way to get $ to whomever) 

 There is a little learning fun for your Funny Friday!

Suck on this! (Because I lurv you guys)

HERE HERE HERE is the site to watch the UK red carpet premiere for Deathly Hallows! LIVE RIGHT NOW! Woot. omg. Woot.

You can watch all the actors arrive and sign autographs and take photos. There are also interviews with the stars as they come down the carpet. It is amazing fun to watch happen.

Yes...I'm supposed to be working but...instead I'm sneaking peeks at it...

That is all :)


Happy Thursday!

Writer Wednesday Novel Idea's

Firstly, you all are going to think I am a weirdo-freak for this but I'm so excited I got my first comment spam!! Yes it was immediately deleted when I saw it BUT I'm still on someone's radar in the internet world to get spam!

On to less nerdy things...not much less but whatever...

Ever had an idea? Of course you have. Most of you that stop by are writers so that is a silly question. Lets skip ahead a few questions and lemme ask you this:

Every been writing away and your story take you somewhere you weren't going in the first place?

This is also a fairly easy question. Yes. Most writers are flexible enough to let the story go where it needs to without trying to strangle it to death. Even plotters know they need a certain amount of leniency for the story to work. Can't control it all the time. (at least I haven't been able to)

So, while I critique others work this month I'm still trying to keep one toe on my own work. Give myself time to ponder my plots and idea. Give myself time to speculate on the direction I have written already and possible places for improvement.

My second novel is in desperate need of TLC. It ended at least 20,000 words sooner than I wanted, needs much much much plot/character development and...oh golly...just so much more before I can even hand over to anyone else to read.It's insane how badly  it looks.

But there is one place I have been stuck on since my best friend/ first reader read it. And so I want to ask you all what you think, though I must be fairly vague.

There is a place in my novel where my heroine is confronted by someone she wronged in the past. She is dealing with what she did back then and has already "vowed" to make things right.

But the fella she harmed then doesn't know that. Frankly I doubt he would care if he did. But he surprises her by waking her up one morning with a baseball bat and she and he go head to head. He basically kicks her butt for a good paragraph or so.

Now, my question to you is: Could she get over the fact that this guy broke into her house and kicked her ass if she needed him to accomplish a task that would set everything right?

More deeply, could she ever become closer than allies with someone who hated her guts enough to attack her?

2 things you need to know: SHE is not technically human. (not a vampire or any blah blah like that but she is more than human) And 2. He considers her a demon so none of that "he hit a girl" stuff can really apply. She ISN'T a demon but she isn't human and she wrecked his childhood by what she did.

If you guys could all weigh in on your opinions for a plausible, believable scenario.

Should I just not have him come after her in a violent way? But if someone had done what she did I can't say I wouldn't come after them, so that part...I donno. This is why I have a problem.

Because I believe it is believable to say that because he doesn't feel like my MC is human let alone the girl factor+what she did would cause anyone to become violent when faced with her.

But I need him to get over it because a. he is the key to the climax. He is the way she can make her life right again. and

b. Because, while I don't believe they can be romantically involved I need him to be close enough to care what happens to her. I think, saying they could ever become romantically involved is too much of a stretch (or is it?) 

HERE is an AMAZING post by Nathan Bransford including excellent writing advice AND Harry Potter. SO...yea, I was stoked! It is great stuff.

Stick it out till Friday and you get a contest sucka's. So drop back by and enter to win some cool stuff!

True Story. Help...

Okay, dudes... I know Halloween is over, and I might should have mentioned this around then, just for atmospheric creepiness, but I honestly forgot until last week! It hadn't bothered me, whatever is going on, since I switched lights. Confused?

Well, allow me to begin with: I have mentioned this a long time ago but it was when I had, like, 5 followers or something so I will start at the beginning.

I don't know if I believe in ghosts. I can't say that I DON'T  but I can't say that I do either. It seems possible in some ways and in others, I'm a skeptic through and through. But none of that changes the fact that even my cats think something is up with this corner of my bedroom.

 This is my room, basically. No...not proportional because I am no architect but it will do to show you what corner I mean and give you a good picture in your mind. ANYWAY.

So when we moved into this house this year I started noticing weird things on my side of the bed. The hubs will go to sleep with a live band in the room, nothing phases him. But I have to get comfy, relax, and drift off which takes time. In the beginning I had one of those touch lamps that had the 3 light settings. Dim, Dimish, Not-as-Dim.

So one night, I'm drifting and he's zonked out as usual. Then I hear something. It's like a thud on the wall by me, next to the big window. To this day, I still donno what it was or wasn't but I woke Shane up to ask if he heard that, because that's what made sense. He's sleeping, so of course I would need to ask if he heard something. I really do realize the sense that makes...He didn't hear a thing, naturally.

When I wake up in the morning the lamp is on the second setting. Now, I very well could have touched it in the night. I have no idea if I did or didn't at that point.

The next time something weird happens I have been asleep for a long while and Shane grumbles to me to turn off my light. Which I know I did before I went to sleep and so I groggily grouch at him to bite me and reach over to turn it off. Then, gosh, minutes or hours(no idea as I am asleep) I see the light flick on. Not the first setting. Not the second. But the third and then the room goes dark again. Then it does it again, going through the whole sequence of settings again and again.

By this time I'm truly awake and sort of frozen. Childhood fears of things under the bed have flashed back and I'm sure the second I reach over to touch the light something is going to grab me and suck me under (the Whinnie the Pooh episode where they went under the bed was TRAUMATIZING to me as a kid... it was, indeed, the cause of the recurring fever nightmare I always had when I was sick. SO SCARY.)  and Shane will just sleep through it all and no one will ever know what happened to me. (I'm really not at all rational at night when something weird is going on)

SO I wake Shane up, just so there will be another witness...or victim, to whatever happens next. And all this time the light is still running through the sequences on its own. Shane looks, says "huh"(he's very helpful) and "just unplug it. It might be a short in the wall. Ill check it out tomorrow" FINE. He has successfully burst my paranormal bubble. I unplug it, and we go back to bed. Him immediately. Me, I take some time to calm back down.

He never checks the outlet. Days go by and I want to read while he's sleeping, so I plug the damn lamp into another wall and read. Then the light goes out. And I wait. and wait. and wait. for it to come back on and start doing its sequential thingy on its own. But this irritating thing just sits. So, I gather my nerve and reach over to turn it back on.

All is fine. I go to bed and wake up in the morning with the light on. To which the whole corner of the room gets one of those "really?!" looks from me.

Nothing happens after this that I am aware of for weeks. Then I'm woken up again by the light running through the settings over and over. Frustrated and tired I rip the cord out of the wall and go back to bed after grouching something about inconsiderate a*holes needing to let me sleep before I go Ghostbusters on their asses.

In the morning I wake up and my cord yanking was actually a cord ripping and flinging the light across the room. So. It's broken. Ha! I say to ghost or gouly. Suck on that. Then realize that I just jeered a ghost...or my imagination for me breaking my own lamp...smart.

Now. Let me say this, ghost or not, I have no idea. BUT I have NEVER EVER EVER come home from work and the light been just...on. I have never gone on errands and come home to the light on. Never been doing laundry and the light start running though the settings. I have never been watching tv and gone to the bathroom to find that lamp on. Never. Didn't do it unless it's been night and we have been in bed.

So I replace it with a real clicky lamp from the living room. The kind with the clicky nob you have to turn. (This was...a month ago or less) And nothing. No weird sounds. Nothing turning that light on. Just a bedroom for weeks! Until last week.

We have our 5 cats that I have mentioned before. A few like to sleep in the bed but mostly always leave at some point in the night and sleep elsewhere. Sometimes, one or two come back in the morning to snuggle with me but not always. Their finicky.

One of our little girls, Dark Girl(Hubs calls her) or Lily, only comes to get pets before I fall asleep then she scampers off  to wherever. But last week, she did her routine, got scratches and pets and jumped down. I reach over to get my contact case and she's sitting on the floor beside the table. STARING at the wall beside the window. Just...sitting and staring. Not moving a muscle. I reach down to pet her and talk to her and she flinches then a few seconds pass before she looks up at me. Then looks back to that same spot. I watch her for a minute or two and then she just gets up and walks out. Like nothing.

Now, the hubs is convinced the light had a short. It was a hand-me-down from a friend who didn't need it anymore. Likely. If I had mentioned the cat, he would have just said she's a cat and cats do weird things for no reason. Also likely.

But...is that all it is, really? Cause I get the willies sometimes over there but it could just be because of my experience and imagination.

What do you think? Do you believe in spirits that linger? Why wouldn't a lingering soul have anything better to do than screw with a lamp and bug my cats?

HERE is an AMAZING post  by author Hannah Moskowitz on Things Not To Worry About in the publishing world. Loved it.

45 years of absolute beautiful brilliance

Guess what, dudes....100 followers! WHAT? You heard me. Phyllis Sweetwater @ The Epitome was my hundredth so YEAY!

Thanks everybody. I can't imagine I'm that interesting but I'm gonna live in my dilusional world of awesome-sauce for today. So whoo! *you can totally picture me doing this>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>*


Thank you guys.


It's spring time in Italy, so says my television, and that is where I want to be as the cold weather has begun to settle in around these parts. I can't promise this won't come up again: I HATE COLD. 

My love for all things Harry Potter is undeniable if you just scroll through just a few of my postings. I adore Harry Potter because the books woke up a long slumbering adoration for fictional literature that I have since stopped trying to stifle and instead embraced. I am easily immersed in the world of hp and will cherish every character as long as I shall live.

But This post isn't about literature love. It is about my childhood love I have carried since I was very small. It was a movie I watched every time I went to my grandparents house--something I looked forward to every time we made the drive, popping in those 2 VHS videos. Made me love musicals, theater, etc.

This movie gives me chills, makes me cry, warms my heart, and makes me smile every time I see it, hear the songs, or see the actors.

And it is now a 45 year old movie! So Happy Birthday to The Sound of Music!

Julie Andrews is a hero of mine. I cried for her in 1997 when she had the surgery that would end her wide range of singing. I love and hold very dear her movies and the memories she is associated with in my life.

I missed the first time the whole 7 children, Julie Andrews, and Christopher Plummer came together again since the movie was filmed on Oprah but someone put the videos online, and so I was able to enjoy every second of that show. I am happy to take a Funny Friday off to post them for you all.











And because I am incapable of leaving you funny-less: This is probably the funniest thing I have seen all week. "Bieber!"



Just in case you wanted it, HERE you can buy your very own Harry Potter Snuggie. That's right. HP SNUGGIE. Wow.


Happy weekend, all!

Writery Wednesday's Cover Lovin'

I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE when a book cover corresponds with the contents in some way. For example: One of the ones I'm reading now, on the cover is the background art. There is a swirly thing in the middle that appears at the heading of each chapter. It's a stupid little thing that entertains me no end.

I just love when something inside the book corresponds well with the cover. If the cover is a metaphor for the theme or a character in the book, I love to figure it out. If there are swirly things all over the book and they appear in the novel itself, love it. Sabriel had those neat little signs at the heading of each chapter that were like the symbols she had to draw throughout the whole book. And how you get to see what Nix is describing when he tells us about the bells. Things like that.

On the opposite side, I HATE when the cover is wrong, doesn't have anything to do with the book, or anything! It is very very hard for me to forgive. It doesn't ruin the whole book or anything but it sure does taint it.

A book I read not too long ago described a male character and man, he was nice sounding! And generally, I overlook when a character doesn't look exactly like I picture. It's normal. BUT I can't overlook when a character is described with, oh lets say, shoulder length blonde shaggy hair, and the cover guy has short cropped, spikey hair. Ehem. Really?

You see the cover every single time you pick up the book. You relate the story you're reading to that cover every time you see it. How can it NOT correspond?

I have big dreams for a beautiful cover for INTO one day. Do you dream of your own covers too? 


< sketch I drew for INTO a while ago.



Do you have cover crushes? Some are amazing! Do you mind when a cover doesn't represent the novel well? Does it matter to you either way?


 Instead of NaNoWriMo this month, it has turned into CriParMo. Which stands for Critique Partner Month. I get the very great privileged to read not for just one writer but 2!! This thrills me.  I love it! I love to read and help and be amazed at amazingly talented people.


So that is how I will be occupying myself this month instead of working on my own stuff. Come end of November beginning of December I will be getting back to my own writing, working in the changes my own crit partner has found for me to make.

January I want to be able to send it off to a new pair of eyes. And hopefully a few months later I can be completely, 100% satisfied with INTO. SO, the tentative absolute finished date for INTO will be March. I only say that here, for you all to read, so I will stick to my plan and hopefully squash my inner procrastinator for a little while.


How's NaNo going for you so far? Are you making your own month instead of Nano this month? Editing, finishing, revising month for you?

I bought my cloak and tickets Monday. Just need a nice, quality mask for my Death Eater get-up to be finished! Unfortunately, I will be alone in my group of two as dressing up. My friend and movie partner wont be joining me. He is very tolerant of my need for dressing up (the Victoria costume for Twilight did nothing to deter him from my company.) but he doesn't participate. Boo.

 They said at the theater, they are selling out pretty quickly. So, I advise if you want to get in for the midnight show, you get the tickets soon!

And finally:


Okay, wait, this is last: So, I'm 1 follower away from having 1-freaking-hundred! I'm...flabbergasted, befuddled, woozlebanked...ok I made that one up but...whatever.

So, I don't say this to be all go me er nuttin' (that's Southern for I went to community college) I say it to wonder, what are you guy's favorite kinds of contests? Easy, mind-numbing just comment and you're in? Or an actual goal to accomplish to get entered?

AND would you rather have a gift card or straight books?

For my 100 contest, I want it to be something fun YOU guys decided on. After all, it is thanks to you I'm giving! So let me know your choices and I'll supply something great for you!


HERE is a post about Character Planning for all you NaNo-ers!

HERE is a great blog post on over-done and cliche novel stuffs by Sara @ Glass Cases(an associate literary agent at Curtis Brown, Ltd.)


Happy Writery Wednesday!

Awards for me, awards for you!

Firstly: This has been brought to my attention thanks to an amazing blogger, Lisa Galek @ Read. Write. Repeat,  who's debt I am now in. What I'm talking about is Leakycon 2011! I have to go. That's all there is to it. HAVE TO GO. Who's in?!?!?!?!
*************************************************************
Upon farther calculations, I don't believe I will be able to budget enough to go! MORTIFIED!!!! But, I suppose having a roof over our heads and food are just two non-negotiable things at this point. Oh, Harry...I have failed! Oh well. Maybe next year!

And there is a small chance you will find me in a death eater ensemble for the midnight showing of HP this month...Would you all still follow me? Or would I sign back on to, like, 3 followers? haha! I LOVE to dress up for movies, you guys!!

I blame him for this Leakycon debacle. If you don't already, I highly suggest following Lord Voldemort@Lord_Voldemort7 on twitter if you're in the mood for hilarity and uncensored evil. I also must credit Lisa Galek for introducing me to him on twitter. She is just a secret treasure box for Harry Potter goodness.

This one took a little while to finally post but here it is! Two more awards have been gifted to me, and I am super, fanastigasmically amazed at the blogging world. You have no idea how touched, pleased, happified I feel every time I log on and read blogs and get comments. It's just...ugh. So nice.

Enough sap, lets get to it!


This one comes from Quinn over at Seeing, Dreaming...writing. An amazing honor to be qualified as an Irresistible Blogger! WoW! But Quinn definitely is too. So check him out pronto!

He didn't think there was a stipulation to accepting this award so I'm going to say there isn't too and just enjoy its prettiness!
I can't not pass it along to blogs I can't seem to stay away from so:

Matthew Rush @The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment
Talli Roland 
Abby Minard @ Above Water
Alex Cavanaugh 
Jennifer Hiller 
Melissa @ Through the Looking Glass





This one comes from amazing author Alex Cavanaugh whos debut novel (just released!) CassaStar is in the Top 5 List of Best Debut Sci-fi Books by New Writers!  How cool is that?! I urge anyone who doesn't know this brilliant author to check him out!

 My five favorite words today are: 

Phantasmagoria - A fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery, as seen in dreams or fever.

Incognito(its fun to say and to do.)

Poppycock(self-explanatory.)

Steak(because nothing bad ever comes from someone mentioning steak.)

and Hell (Because I say it a lot. As in: "Awe...hell..." "what the hell!?" "hell if I know" "who the hell knows")

Passing this one on to:
Andy @ Writing Myself Crazy
Madeleine @ Scribble and Edit
Nicole Zoltack @Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight

And lastly:(this cut off when I watched it mid  sentence, but still worth the watch if you're interested)