In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week was a light week for books, I just got two from Paperback Swap.

Dead Until Dark Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1 by Charlaine Harris. I'm excited to read this book since so many people are into the series and True Blood. I'm not as into vampires as I once was, but this series sounds intriguing. I also got The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson. I've never read any of Maureen's books, so I can't wait to read this one!

That's what's in my mailbox, what's in yours?

On My Wishlist: July 30th

On My Wish list is a weekly feature ran by Book Chick City. To learn more about this meme, get the details here.

I haven't done On My Wishlist in a few weeks, mainly because I've gotten so many books over the last few weeks that I hadn't really thought about what books I'd wanted! I recently revamped my wish list that I share with my friends and family, so I figured it was time to delve back into this meme.

Wicked Game-Jeri Smith- Ready

Newbie marketing intern Ciara Griffin lands a job at WMMP, a station threatened with being sold to Skyware, a giant communications conglomerate, unless ad revenue picks up. A former con artist with a canny way with people, Ciara soon learns that the DJs are undead and specialists in the musical eras in which they were turned into vampires. One of them, Shane McAllister (turned in 1995), is really hot and dangerously tempting. In order to attract more listeners, Ciara promotes a new marketing strategy and the Sherwood, Md., station becomes 94.3 WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock and Roll, exploiting the fang factor (which no listener takes seriously) for profit. It works, until an ancient vampire cult wants to pull the plug. Also playing in is The Control, an equally ancient paramilitary group created to protect good vampires and kill bad ones. Smith-Ready's musical references are spot on, as is her take on corporate radio's creeping airwave hegemony. Add in the irrepressible Ciara, who grew up in a family of grifters, and the results rock.
(Amazon)

Since I loved Shade and since I'm trying to make more of an effort to pepper in some adult books back onto my YA packed book shelf, I figured this book would be a good addition.

Lady Lazarus-Michelle Lang

With the romance of Twilight, the suspense of The Dresden Files, and the delicious thrills of True Blood, the enthralling saga of Magdalena Lazarus unfolds. Descended from the legendary witch of Ein Dor, she alone holds the power to summon the angel Raziel and stop Hitler and his supernatural minions from unleashing total war in Europe. The Nazis have fighters more fearsome than soldiers, weapons more terrifying than missiles, and allies that even they are afraid of SS werewolves; the demon Asmodel who possesses a willing Adolf Hitler, and other supernatural creatures all are literally hell-bent on preventing Magda from possessing the Book of Raziel, a magical text with the power to turn the tide against Hitler’s vast war machine.

Magda, young and rebellious, grew up in the cosmopolitan city of Budapest, unaware of her family’s heritage. When her mother dies, Magda--ready or not--is the Lazarus, who must face the evil that holds Europe in an iron grip. Unready to assume the mantle of her ancient birthright, but knowing that she must fight, she sets out across Europe searching for the Book. Magda is desperate enough to endanger her soul by summoning the avenging angel Raziel.  When she sees him in the glory of his celestial presence, her heart is utterly, completely lost…
(Amazon)

The first paragraph of this description nearly put me off, as I detest all the comparisons to popular novels or TV series. I don't need a book to be like something else for me to like it! I'm glad I kept reading because this one sounds right up my alley. Paranormal meets WII? Yes, please!

 Flip this Zombie (Living with the Dead)-Jesse Petersen

I'm not including a synopsis with this one, because it's spoilery for the first book in The Living with The Dead series, which I just finished a few days ago. The first book doesn't come out until September, and Flip this Zombie doesn't hit shelves until January, 2011.


What's on your wish list this week?

Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 2)-Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: July, 2010
Source: Around The World Tours
Author Website

Sam, who spent most of his life as a werewolf, has undergone an unlikely cure and no longer transitions between fur and skin as the temperature changes from cold to hot. This should be a happy time for Sam and true-love Grace, but just as he begins to trust his new human life, Grace feels her humanity slipping away. Sam's focus is split between worry for Grace and his role as caretaker of the werewolf pack, which for the first time in years includes new members. Stiefvater continues what she started in Shiver (2009), and readers will definitely want to read it before diving into this equally appealing sequel. As in the opener, this story's tension stems from watching sympathetic characters cope with what appears to be a hopeless situation. Although this was resolved to a point by the first book's ending, this follow-up flips that resolution on its head and sets up a situation that leaves readers hanging in anticipation for the next installment.
(Amazon)

I've tried to keep this review spoiler-free, but there is at least one mild spoiler below. If you haven't read Linger and are sensitive to that sort of thing, I would advise skipping my review. 




Maggie Stiefvater is another of those authors that I admire. How she has time to write, compose music, make her own book trailers, work on art projects, reply to tweets, e-mails, Facebook comments, and raise a family is beyond me. I wouldn't be surprised if she was one of those people who needed a minimum amount of sleep. Just writing that paragraph exhausted me.

Having said that, I would also have to say that Linger was not my favorite book of the year. I read a review somewhere of Shiver where the reviewer said that they would have been happy with Shiver being a stand-alone novel. I think I feel the same-at least where Grace & Sam are concerned.

The addition of Cole and Isabel's expanded role in this book was appealing on a few different levels, but for the sake of space, I'll say that it expanded the story and enabled you to see if from several vantage points. Usually I detest more than two view points, but with Linger, it worked. I felt Grace & Sam kind of well, joyless, so I enjoyed reading Cole and Isabel's portions the most. Not that I fault Sam and Grace. After all that they went through in Shiver, I was kind of hoping they'd get a break this go 'round, but unfortunately not. There are some sweet scenes between them, but ultimately, a bumpy road lies ahead of them.

There was also the sticking point of Grace's parents. I had issues with them in Shiver-mostly for being inept. In Linger, they decide that they don't like Grace & Sam's relationship and decide to make up for their lack of parenting for most of Grace's life by being overprotective douche hats. Grace actually sums it up pretty well. They felt like they can treat Grace as a roommate as long as her behavior is acceptable, but now that she's gotten herself a boyfriend and they don't approve of the relationship, they're finally pulling their heads from their butts and acting like parents. It all felt a wee bit melodramatic to me if I'm to be honest. 

Now let's talk about the best part of the book-Cole. I found him to be the perfect bad boy. I am growing a bit weary of bad boys in general. In  a few books I've read this year, there have been bad boys that aren't just bad-they're assholes, and there is a huge difference here. A boy that is mysterious, reads Camus and is a bit aloof  is a bad boy.  A guy that belittles your intelligence and  peers into your bathroom window and watches you take a shower is some variation of scary or gross, and should be avoided at all costs. Cole is the good kind of bad boy.

Maggie's lyrical prose is back in force, there were many passages that as a writer, I found incredibly inspiring.

 I enjoyed Linger, and I love Maggie's writing, but as I said at the start, this was just not my favorite of her books.

Opinions Wanted: Writer Organizations

I have a quick question for the writers: do any of you belong to any professional organizations? I'm contemplating joining SCBWI, but I'm curious to see if any of you belong to it, or to any other organizations, and what your thoughts are about them.

I'd appreciate any insight, but specifically I'm looking for info about:

• Conferences-if the org has them, have you been? What were your thoughts?
• Value for the money-do the services match up with what you're paying?
• Camaraderie-have you connected with any of your fellow writers?

Thanks to anyone that takes a moment to share their opinions!

Big Honkin' Contest Winners!

I have to say that I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of entries I received for this contest! It got about four times the response I expected it to. As always, every person that entered has entry numbers assigned to them. The more times you entered, the more numbers that fall within your entry range. I use random.org to pick my winners.

The First Prize winner is:

Okapi!

The Second Prize winner is:

Kris! 

and lastly, The Third Prize winner is:

Noemi! 

All winners have been e-mailed. Thanks so much to all that entered, and if you didn't win, don't fret, I will have some more contests upcoming throughout the remainder of the summer and Fall!

Review: Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Wildthorn-Jane Eagland
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: 9/6/10
Source: We Love YA Tours
Author Info

They strip her naked, of everything—undo her whalebone corset, hook by hook. Locked away in Wildthorn Hall—a madhouse—they take her identity. She is now called Lucy Childs. She has no one; she has nothing. But, she is still seventeen—still Louisa Cosgrove, isn't she? Who has done this unthinkable deed? Louisa must free herself, in more ways than one, and muster up the courage to be her true self, all the while solving her own twisted mystery and falling into an unconventional love . .
(Amazon)


I knew from reading the description that Wildthorn would not be an easy book to read. Louisa feels like a modern woman trapped in a time where women were expected to make social calls and run a household. If you desire a life that is more more than what is expected of you, eyebrows begin to raise. She is willful and her behavior leads to betrayal-and she ends up at Wildthorn Hall, a mental institution.

Louisa is told everything about herself is false-even her name. She is Lucy Childs. When she tries to say otherwise, the attendants merely think she is mad. As a twenty-first century woman, it's beyond frustrating to read what's happening to Louisa, and frankly, that anyone would have the right to lock a woman up against her will. I'd heard of this sort of thing before, women being tossed into mental institutions because their husbands couldn't be bothered with their behavior, or for mild medical conditions. It's distressing to say the least.

Louisa is not what I'd call a reliable narrator, and at more than one point during reading I wondered if she really was going around the bend. Not that I would blame her, as her open heart often lands her into heaps of trouble. That said, it's hard not to feel empathy for Louisa, and that's what kept me reading, I had to hope that she would get past this horrible experience to realize her dreams. Wildthorn is historical fiction in the vein of one of my all-time favorite authors, Sarah Waters.

Without giving too much away, I will say that I didn't feel that the blurb on the front of the book "Treachery locks her away. Love is the key" is accurate. If you were to pick this book up looking for an old fashioned historical romance, I think you'd probably be disappointed. I guess I feel like not every book has to have a love story. There are whispers of romance in Wildthorn, but I would consider this book more about a girl's struggle for her freedom versus a historical romance.

 If you love historical fiction, you should pick Wildthorn when it hits shelves in September.

In My Mailbox (7)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event held by Kristi at The Story Siren.

I think I had a pretty good week!

I won Heist Society by Ally Carter from the lovely Melina at Reading Vaction, Wildthorn by Jane Eagland arrived thanks to We Love YA tours, Linger by Maggie Stiefvater arrived thanks to Around The World Tours and lastly, I purchased Stolen by Lucy Christopher.

What's in your mailbox?

Backing It All Up

As a writer, there are few things more horrifying than a computer crash. I've had this happen to me twice and it is not fun. The last time this happened it was a hard drive crash the week before my wedding. Luckily they were able to save a lot of my work-but not all of it. I recently had some computer issues, which brought up that old fearful feeling again. A computer crash is horrible, but less so when you have all your important files backed up.

Before I started writing, I was a lackadaisical backer-upper. I had an external hard drive and I'd back it up when I felt like it. After this last crash, I installed Mozy. 

I like that Mozy is remote, I don't have to worry about losing the external hard drive (or the power cord to it, like I did in one move) or it dying (which happened to my mother recently). I'm not going to lie-it does take some time for Mozy to do its thing when you install it, but I like that I can specify what I want to back-up by file type, but you need to go through and edit the configuration once you get it to make sure all  the file types are being backed up. For instance, I write with Open Office, which are .odt files. Guess what-it wasn't backing them up! Eek! Luckily, I figured that out before I started writing my current novel.

Mozy doesn't back-up program files, (as you should either have discs for your programs, or can download them) so if there are files within those program files that you need (like your Itunes library file) you can right click it and add it to your back-up. Smart mozy knows when a change has been made to the file, or when you add new files of that type and backs it up. This recent scare prompted me to create a list of programs I'd need to download again if I crashed or needed to buy a new computer. I saved it in my e-mail so I can access remotely or on a new computer. 

The only downside to Mozy is that sometimes a back-up can take awhile if the servers are busy. I try to initiate my back-ups right after I've finished the changes I'm going to make to my novel, which is usually in the mid-afternoon. When I try to back up later in the evening, the servers can occasionally run slow. 

Because I'm a paranoid writer, I also back-up using Google documents. You can upload files directly to Google, but I prefer to just cut & paste as I revise or write, that way I can ensure that everything stays the way it should be, as formatting can tend to get a bit wonky.

I guess you could call me over prepared? This wouldn't surprise anyone that knows me in real life, but what can I say, I'm hyper-organized. Writers: what is your back-up system?

Review: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red-Jackson Pearce
Publisher: Little Brown
Publication Date: June, 2010
Source: Purchased
Author Website

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?
(IndieBound description)


Jackson Pearce is one of those authors that I heard about right as I entered the YA blogosphere last year. I have followed her blog and all of her videos on You Tube for months now. I've learned a lot from her posts, and laughed along the way. I'd heard Jackson talk about Sisters Red for months now, so naturally it went on my wish list for when I had a bit of extra cash.

I identified with Sisters Red because I am the younger of a pair of sisters. When we were younger, we were close. As adults, not so much. We get along, but do a lot of communicating through our mother. It's just been that way for years, I don't really question it. It has made me slightly jealous as I've regarded other sisterly relationships, even fictional ones. Scarlett and Rosie start off the story as close as two sisters can be, they consider themselves two halves of the same person. But throughout the story their relationship begins to fracture, mostly due to Rosie sinking into her own skin. She feels a debt to Scarlett for saving her life, so she falls into hunting the Fenris that killed their grandmother and scarred Scarlett. Rosie is a wonderful hunter, but it's not her reason for breathing-not the way it is for Scarlett.

Then there's Silas-the childhood friend of the girls. Silas complicates the relationship between the sisters because of their individual relationships with him. To Scarlett, he is her hunting partner. To Rosie, she's discovering that he could be more than that.  Together, they hunt, and the fight scenes in Sisters Red are fantastic. I  adore girls who kick butt, and Rosie and Scarlett do in spades.

Another aspect of this book I enjoyed were the big, bad wolves. I'm frankly a little sick of emoting werewolves, and I'd be lying if I didn't like to see a return to wolves as the villain, not the hero. The end of the book was a wee bit predictable, but that's my only complaint.

I zipped through Sisters Red like a shot, and I also found that my sweet little girl loved it too, she sat on the book every time it was on the bed, and once when I tried to move it from under her, she held on for as long as she could!

The Sadie seal of approval!

Finished Books: Stay or Go?

I was raised by two book lovers. As I was growing up, I never wanted for a book to read, I simply had to go into my mother's bedroom or into one of the bookcases throughout the house. There was a point where it seemed like there wasn't a shelf in our house that wasn't crammed full. Now that I'm an adult and I have a home of my own, I love having a book-filled home, but my attitudes towards which books should stay once I've finished with them has changed.

I've been selling books on amazon.com for a couple years now. It's a great way to earn a bit of extra cash. I also pass books on to used bookstores. That said, not every book I read leaves the house. I keep the books that mean something to me, that I enjoyed reading, or may read again. To give you an idea, here's my shelf of most of the books I've read & kept so far this year:

Not that many, eh? I guess I've reached the point in my life where I don't hold on to things that don't have a greater meaning to me. If a book was good, or only okay, there's not really a place for it on my shelf. I freely admit that this attitude could have come from the fact that I moved three times in three years, but hey, I like simplifying my life.

My desire to add to my collection of books has been with me since I was a little girl cramming Babysitters Club books into my bookcase, so it's not going away any time soon. If I didn't purge books, I would have no room for new ones and they would take over my house! Perhaps when I have a bigger home I'll change my viewpoint on this, but we'll just have to wait and see!

So, am I in the minority here? Do you keep every book you've read, or do you sell, donate or pass them on to others?

Review: How to Grow Up & Rule The World by Vordak The Incomprehensible

Vordak the Incomprehensible: How to Grow Up and Rule the World
 Publisher: Egmont USA
Publication Date: 8/24/10
Source: ALA
Author Website

Slip on your acid-free gloves, make sure you have a duplicate copy of How to Grow Up and Rule the World (just in case something should happen to this one) and try to follow along as the incomparable, superior-in-all-ways Vordak the Incomprehensible teaches you a thing or two about villainy.  Now you, too, can try (and fail) to attain Vordak's level of infamy.

From selecting the most dastardly name, to choosing the ideal henchmen, to engaging in witty repartee with disgustingly chipper superheroes, experienced supervillain Vordak the Incomprehensible guides readers step-by-step toward the ultimate goal of world domination (from his parents' basement in Trenton, New Jersey). 
With chapter titles like "Bringing Out the Evil" and "Building a Top-Notch Evil Organization," numerous bold illustrations, and detailed quizzes to assess your level of dastardliness, this book provides everything necessary to rise above the masses, and then rub your ascent in their faces.

In return for this wealth of knowledge, Vordak requests nothing more than an honored place in the evil regime of he who achieves control of the world. (And, of course, the opportunity to assume command, should things not work out.)
(Amazon description)


I freely admit I don't read a lot of middle grade and young readers books, but I make an exception every now and again. I first heard of Vordak when (literary agent) Janet Reid began tweeting him. Then I saw a video of Vordak from BEA and I knew I had to have this book. As luck would have it, as I was at ALA, standing in line to meet Ally Condie & Andrea Cremer, who should walk by but his Incomprehensibleness himself. He stopped right in front of me, stuck out his hand and introduced himself. He charmed everyone in line. I gleefully grabbed a copy of the book and my husband and I started flipping through it on the metro ride home.

This book is hilarious. Seriously, even the acknowledgments will make you laugh. I would assume this book is geared towards young boys, who will no doubt enjoy it fully, but I don't feel like they're the only ones that will. Personally, I found myself chuckling because Vordak reminds me of Simon from Simon & Hecubus, if Simon was a super villain, of course:



Oh, he's evil, but a wee bit bumbling and oh yeah-likable, even if he doesn't want to appear to be. I wouldn't recommend reading this book in public, especially if you're like me and have a laugh that makes people turn around and stare at you.  There are tips for coming up with your evil name (I'm Tarmar the Impatient), how to fashion an evil costume, courses in minions and weaponry, all complete with wonderful and often hilarious illustrations.

This book is 8+-and some of the vocabulary is what I would consider advanced for the age, but then I thought about it. I was the type of kid who would badger my parents when I was reading something and didn't know what the word was. After five or ten times, my parents would get annoyed. Could this be Vordak's purpose? It would be small slice of evil if it were!

To sum up:  I highly enjoyed Vordak, and if you have a keen sense of humor, you probably will too. This book would be a great gift for the young person in your life-or anyone currently floundering in their own plans for world domination.

The Eternal Ones Winner!

We have a winner of my ARC of The Eternal Ones! The winner is:

Jen!

She had multiple entries in the contest and the winning number fell within the range. 

Congrats to Jen and thanks to all that entered! It's not too late to enter The Big Honkin' Contest and I also have a big contest planned for August, so keep an eye out for that!

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event held by Kristi at The Story Siren.
This week I received my prizes from the Armchair BEA competition. It was a nice size envelope chock-full of books from Pam at bookalicio.us.

Fallen by Lauren Kate, Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog, Ill Wind (Weather Warden, Book 1) & Heat Stroke (Weather Warden, Book 2) by Rachel Caine and lastly Neverwhere: A Novel by Neil Gaiman.

I think I had a good week book-wise, but what's in your mailbox?

Sharing Books With Your Loved Ones

I am one of those people that tells everyone when I love something. I have been known to bother my friends to get them to watch my favorite TV show (which, for the record is the oh-so amazing The IT Crowd) or in my cooler years, listen to that latest indie band. Books tend to be more subjective, but I have a few friends and family members that share my love of books, so when I read a really great book, I want to shout it from the mountain tops! Er, okay, I live in central Virginia, so there aren't really mountains per se, but you get my drift.

That said, I pick my choices wisely. There are certain people I'll pass nearly any book along to. My mother is the first. I'm ashamed to admit that my mom has been reading children's literature for years now, and when she would recommend a book to me, I'd think to myself, "It's a children's book! Sure, I read Harry Potter, but that's different."

Oh, innocent Tara. How you were wrong. It's because of my mother that I read The Mysterious Benedict Society, Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy-I could go on, but I'll be here all day. I've returned the favor by telling my mom of great books I've read and loved. She and my father came down for a visit shortly after ALA, when all the books were still on my floor. I brought her into my room and we bonded over the books, she hadn't heard of a lot of the new YA releases, but she had me type up a list of the books I thought she'd like the best.

I also have a former co-worker that I keep in touch with who I can share just about every book recommendation with. She favors paranormal romance, but also reads a lot of YA. She most notably introduced me to LJ Smith and The Vampire Diaries.

Then are the folks who are a harder sell. The people who may not read that much, or only read specific genres. My husband falls into this category. He loves hard sci-fi and that makes up most of what he reads. I knew he would love The Hunger Games, so I started pestering him to read it. He pushed me off for awhile, but once he finished up that library book he'd renewed twice because it was in such small type it took him forever to read it, I pushed The Hunger Games into his hands. He read both The Hunger Games & Catching Fire within a week and a half-which is fast for him because he generally just reads before bed. I loved being able to share these books I loved so much with someone I love, and I'm already thinking of which books I can spring on him next.

How do you pass books on to your loved ones? Do you hard sell, or let them discover in their own time?

Photo from the the oh-so wonderful Bookshelf Porn. I LOVE the idea of secret libraries. Have you seen Holly Black's? :drool:

Review: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

The Eternal Ones-Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: 8/10/10
Source: ALA
Website

Haven Moore can't control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. Then an impossible group of coincidences forces her to flee from her small Tennessee town to New York, to discover who she is, and who she had been.
(Borders.com description)


This book was one of those I asked for at ALA, and it was a hard choice because Penguin has a lot of great books coming out in the Fall and I didn't want to say "One of each, please!"

I really enjoyed The Eternal Ones, but I guess I'll start with what I didn't enjoy first. This is a big book at over four hundred pages, and I felt that seventy-five pages could have easily been trimmed out of it (and who knows, maybe it will be by publication time). There are some scenes that seemed repetitive and in a couple parts I felt the book dragged a bit.

Other than those small complaints, I really loved The Eternal Ones. It's a different sort of tale, lovers who seek each other out every lifetime. Haven thinks she's going crazy when she starts having visions, and so does the rest of her small town. When it seems like she's going to be condemned to either hell by the locals or to a mental institution by her eccentric grandmother, she flees to New York to seek out her love of a lifetime, Ethan, who is now Iain Morrow, international playboy.

When Iain and Haven find each other, they immediately begin an intense love affair, but it is not the perfect love that Haven imagined. When she's introduced to the Ouroboros Society, her life takes a mysterious turn that has her questioning whether Iain is her eternal love, and if she can really trust him. This is one doozy of a love story, but I love that Haven just doesn't fall blindly into love with Iain. She doubts their love because of seeds planted in her mind by others, some trustworthy and looking out for her best interests, others not so much. Only Haven can decide if Iain really is her eternal love, or a trickster trying to get at her for the benefit of the Society. She is a strong, Southern woman and I really loved that about her. She was full of sassy come backs like 'Have you lost your damn mind?' and I identified with the sassy element to her personality.

I devoured The Eternal Ones-it was an easy read and left me guessing, eager to turn to the next page to find out what would happen to Haven.

So you read that entire review, huh? Well, guess what, I'm giving away my ARC of The Eternal Ones. This is a quick & easy contest, rules & entry form below!

-You must be 13 or older.
-You must be a US resident.
-This contest is only open until Saturday the 17th. Winners will be announced on the 18th.

Setting Realistic Revision Goals

I am officially in week two of Positive Tension revisions. Week one went by pretty swimmingly. I had my chapter notes to go by, and surprisingly plot bunnies were mating at my feet, so I added some bits to the story that I am ridiculously proud of.

This week? Not so much. Yesterday it took me about two hours to edit one chapter and I gave up editing after that and resorted to making chapter notes. Last week I'd ambitiously set a goal for myself of revising ten chapters per week. This week I'm scratching my head and wondering what particular brand of crazy pill I was taking. I tend to put unrealistic pressure on me to achieve my writing goals. I don't necessarily think that revising ten chapters a week is unattainable. I'm starting to down Advil like candy, so I'm thinking that just because it's attainable doesn't mean that I should do it.


Like most, I have some chapters that need a lot of work, and others that need less. The nine chapters I edited last week needed a lot of work. The ten or so I have ahead of me need a lot of work too, but then I have another ten that need smaller revisions, more line edits than story issues. So, I'm rethinking my goals. I'm going to set the bar at six chapters a week. I think that's an attainable goal-and one I might even surpass some weeks. I think I need to do this to save my sanity, because I have a lot of self-guilt when I don't meet a goal I've set for myself. So six chapters? Totally doable. I'll be happy when I reach the goal, and give myself a reward (like more time for reading or vegging in front of the TV) on those weeks I surpass it.

Writers: do you set revision goals for yourself or do you go with the flow?

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

The Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1)-Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: 8/31/10
Source: ALA
Author Website

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. 
(Amazon description)


I guess I should admit two things straight away:  first: I had REALLY high expectations for this book. Second  is that I had to wonder a bit if this was was a re-hash of The Mortal Instruments. That thought popped into my mind last year when I read a blog post of Cassandra's talking about the series, and when I was looking at people's thoughts on The Infernal Devices, it turns out that I wasn't the only one. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to read the series regardless, but I guess that The Mortal Instruments series caught me by surprise. It was one of those books when I was only reading a smattering of YA, I saw City of Bones at BJ's, thought the cover was beautiful, liked the synopsis and bought it, and was happily surprised.

To address the first issue, the book lived up to those expectations for the most part. As for the second issue, I don't think this book was a re-telling of The Mortal Instruments, they are two very different tales, but I did feel that there was a bit of similarity between some characters in the two books-the  most notable being Will. He seemed like Jace without the sense of humor-well, most of the time. I like my bad boys humorous, which is why I really loved Jace as a character. I could get why Clary liked him. As for Will? Meh. I don't know. He can be nice, but I'd say he's a jerk 95% of the time. That being said, in this universe it would make sense if there was a bit of similarity between characters seeing that some of those familiar Shadowhunter surnames are present here. Lord knows I can guess my bad temper has trickled down to me from my wily Sicilian great grandfather.

But I digress. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, Victorian England is one of my favorite time periods, so I enjoyed that aspect of the book, along with hints of steampunk finery. While I did feel that some of the humor from The Mortal Instruments series was missing from this book, that's not to say that all the characters are dour sourpusses. I really liked Tessa, she's a Victorian lady, but she's not content to just sit around and drink tea. I also really loved Jem, there was a bit of mystery about him that I found intriguing. Everyone's favorite warlock, Magnus Bane, is also present, so that was a real treat.

Unfortunately I really can't get into too much more detail about what I liked about this book without giving away too much, and I like to keep my reviews spoiler free. I really enjoyed Clockwork Angel, and even if it didn't live up to The Mortal Instruments for me, this is only the first book, so I'm thinking that by the time all of the books come out I might have changed my mind!

Did you see that I'm giving away my ARC of Clockwork Angel? Go here to enter!

In My Mailbox (5)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event held by Kristi at The Story Siren.

I got some good stuff this week, mainly because this was the last week for awhile that I'll have some extra cash to buy books. I have three shelves of to be read books, so it's high time for a break from book buying!

I got: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, Sea by Heidi R. Kling, and A Different Day, A Different Destiny (The Snipesville Chronicles, Book 2) by Annette Laing.

Not pictured? I also pre-ordered Mockingjay. I took a chance and only ordered one copy, even though I know my husband and I will be fighting over it.

What's in your mailbox?