What's Up Wednesday

I am so thrilled to join What's Up Wednesday for the first time! WUW is a weekly blog hop developed by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk to help writers connect with each other. If you'd like to join, too, please drop by Jaime's blog to add your post to the list!

What I'm Reading...

Buy it here

I finished Holly Black's The Coldest Girl in Coldtown a few days ago. It was amazing. It was so crazy good that I had to wait before starting something new, because I just wanted to think about how she pulled it off.

In this market, surely people said No One could sell a vampire book right now. And Holly Black just laughed and said, "Watch me. I'll write the best vampire book you've ever read."

Her characters are believable and flawed. They remind you of people you know. And ultimately this isn't a book about vampires; it's about how people react when they're hurt, and the double-edged swords of revenge and mercy.

After a two day grace period, I started Jonathan Maberry's Fire & Ash, the conclusion to the Rot & Ruin Series. I'm enjoying it so far, and I can't wait to see how he pulls it all together.

What I'm Writing...

The WIP went to beta readers this week. I'm excited and nervous for so many reasons. I can't wait to hear the feedback, and I hope that they agree that it's time to send it out into the world. I know that next step is full of highs and lows, but I'm positive that this book is THE ONE. I also can't wait to get all my research in a row and start drafting my next novel. The drafting is my favorite part, so that might be the most exiting horizon in my immediate future.

What Inspires Me Right Now...

Every morning when I take my kids to school, I pass this abandoned neighborhood. It was slated to start before the recession hit, but no homes were ever built there. This little snapshot reminds me everyday of the next WIP, and I'm loving the thought of building my characters' world. I also felt super creepy stopping to take pictures, but I'm afraid that things might turn around, and they may actually start cleaning things up soon.


What Else I've Been Up To...

Well, my old blogging buddies may have noticed a few changes here on the website. I officially made the switch from my Blogger title Unavoidable Awkwardness to my own domain. (www.ladennison.com) I've also been working on my church's website. I'm learning more about the techie side of things little by little, and I'm hoping I'll be able to put this knowledge to good use here and elsewhere on the Interwebs.


Thanks so much for putting this together, Jaime and Erin! I can't wait to catch up with everyone!

Music for today: Here Comes Your Man by the Pixies

Falling Flat

I recently read a popular book by an award winning author. It was terrible.

I'm choosing not to name the book, because I realize that my opinion is just that. But that experience, the one of having high expectations for a book and having them fall utterly and completely flat, has affected me as both a reader and a writer.

As a reader and book consumer, I feel gipped. The money and time I spent on this book could've gone to an awesome debut book, but this one grabbed my attention because of the hype. Sometimes a great concept just isn't enough. I couldn't relate to any of the characters, the relationships all felt forced and fake, and every problem was solved easily and unbelievably.

As a writer, I wondered if an author reaches a status of success in which editors hold back the red pens. If this had been the author's debut novel, would it have been published at all? Or are my feelings just a matter of subjective taste, like so much of the industry seems to be? Goodreads ratings range from mostly four stars to a hand full with one star; the latter nearly all agreed with my assessment. But I've also found books that I loved with those outlier one star ratings, too.

As I move forward to the next stage with my work-in-progress, I'm trying to take that to heart. This industry is subjective because of widely varying tastes. If I find a few people who love this one, and are willing to take it on, great! And if not, I'll just write better next time with the lessons I've learned.

Music for today: Out of the Black by Royal Blood

Apples to...

We constantly make comparisons. To describe. To explain. To just make sense of the world.

This week, I've wondered if perhaps we doth compareth too much.

Instance #1: I'd finished reading Sarah J. Maas's sequel to Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight. I enjoyed it, and I felt the pacing and character development were stronger than the first. (See? Already comparing, this time apple to apple.) Then I tried to describe the series to a friend. "It's a lot like Kristin Cashore's Bitterblue," I said, because I knew she'd read that series. And suddenly, my enthusiasm for Crown chilled. The similarities struck me, and suddenly Crown didn't feel as fresh. I was thrilled with it when I put it down; why did I have to ruin it by comparing it to something else?

Instance #2: I'm three books in to Jonathan Maberry's Rot and Ruin series, and last night I watched the mid season premier of  The Walking Dead. The husband and I were asking the normal sort of questions, primarily why don't the jawless zombies attack? If the brain controls their movements, wouldn't they still attack, even without arms or jaws? I mentioned how in Maberry's zombie world, it's related to the reflex of the jaw muscles. Of course this brought to mind comparisons between Maberry's main character Benny, who is just a little older than The Walking Dead's Carl. But the more striking contrast between the two is the emphasis on religion in the world of Rot and Ruin. I like how different the two worlds are, but I also wondered if Kirkman will eventually address those same religious issues, and how I will feel about it when he does. Again, comparison left me feeling less connected with both stories, rather than more.

Instance #3: I've just started reading Maggie Stiefvater's The Dream Thieves. Stiefvater's prose is magical, and I read her books in equal parts a writer studying craft and a reader searching to connect with a great story. In only a few chapters, she's weaving these unbelievable metaphors: 

He always said Ronan differently from other words. As if he had meant to say another word entirely -- something like knife or poison or revenge -- and then swapped it out for Ronan's name at the last moment. 

[The leather bands] tasted like gasoline, a flavor that struck Ronan as both sexy and summery.

The Gray Man hated his current rental car. He got the distinct impression it hadn't been handled enough by humans when it was young, and now would never be pleasant to be around.   

...the buildings tired but tidy as library books.

So you see, Stiefvater's vision is amazing. Similes and metaphors grace nearly every page. I'm truly glad that none were left on the cutting room floor, and yet... sometimes they slow down the narrative. It feels wrong to complain about too much of a good thing. But I guess maybe I'd find these descriptions even more precious if they were more rare.

My goal for the rest of the month is to step back and see things as they are, on their own merits.

Music for today: Love is Blindness by Jack White 

Break time is over...

Well, hello 2014. Nice to meet you.

The second half of 2013 chewed me up and spit me out like a stick of Juicy Fruit. In 2014 I am determined to find my way back to the things that make me, well, me. Some health issues have made it difficult to read and write these past few months. I tried listening to audio books, but as a fast reader, I just didn't have the patience. On top of not feeling well physically, it's crushed me emotionally to not be doing the things I love. But by the grace of God, I improved during Christmas and New Year's.

 Ravenous for words, I needed to read before I could start writing again. Michelle Hodkin's The Evolution of Mara Dyer has been sitting in my closet for months, along with Jonathan Maberry's Rot and Ruin.

Hodkin's blend of gripping characters and haunting plot turns were the perfect fuel for my fire. I just can't believe I have to wait six more months for the next in the series! 

 And Maberry's take on the land of zombies in Rot and Ruin wasn't new or different from all the others, but his character growth and relationship development were. He communicates through action more than dialogue, and I connected with his main character, even though I didn't find him likable. That is a hard talent to master.

And now I'm off to dive back into my revisions on the WIP. Here's hoping this wave of energy continues, and if it doesn't, that I'll find the strength to keep reading and writing anyway.

Happy New Year!

Music for today: Revolving Doors by Metric

My Weeping Heart

The stories leading in the media this week both perplex me and fuel my outrage over another story. One you definitely didn't see plastered on CNN's website.

It's about a male teacher being arrested for soliciting a twelve-year-old girl online. Only this time, that child was really an undercover cop. Here's the link, if you're so inclined. Score one for the good guys, right? This time.

The story hits home because this is the county where I went to high school. This coach didn't have his contract renewed last May, for undisclosed reasons. But I bet I have a good idea.

During my high school years, two different male teachers had "affairs" with young female students. Can I say for a fact that these "relationships" took place? No. But I had classes with both of these guys, and I one hundred percent believe it. Both of them were not renewed for undisclosed reasons in the years after I graduated. They both went on to teach at other places. One is now successful in a high profile job. The other is serving a thirty year jail sentence after being found guilty of nine counts of sexual assault on a student.  

I understand that school systems have legal issues to deal with. Charges filed and investigations held. But to suspect someone of rape, and let him move on to his next victim with a pat on the back, is outrageous. To do it over and over again? That's criminal.

We're bombarded by sex every day. And in this sex-centric American culture, the insidious belief has taken hold that a female child can consent to sex with an adult man. Well, guess what? Even when she doesn't say no, he's still a pedophile. Period. I don't care what either of them watched on MTV last night. It's the adult's responsibility to say no.

I spent my teen years convinced that I'd never live to see the other side of twenty.

To people who knew Teen Me, that may seem strange. I am now, and was already then, a Christian. I prided myself on academic success. I filled every day with extra-curriculars. Even my wildest moments were tame in comparison to many of my classmates.  On the outside, I guess I appeared to be constantly preparing for my future. But really, I was certain that I was an adult trapped in a teenage body, that I knew all, and that I'd better fill every moment with the opportunities offered to me, because the clock was constantly ticking down to a certain end.

I used to think that I was unique in that way. But I'm starting to realize that maybe many teen girls feel the same. And that fear and insecurity must make an easy mark for guys on the prowl.

As a former middle school teacher and a reader and writer of young adult lit, these issues are heavy on my heart. I'm not sure if I love YA because it speaks to that perpetual sixteen year old trapped inside me, or because my heart weeps for what it lost by trying so desperately to be an adult when I was still a child. And I never had to deal with rape, or half of what girls today are facing.

As parents, teachers, YA writers, or just plain adults in a struggling society, I hope more of us can find the courage to protect our children. Protect them from predators. Protect them from a world that says their sexuality defines their worth, because it doesn't. Protect them from themselves. Even when it's hard. Even if it means reminding them that they are children, even when that's the last thing they want to hear.


Music for today: Stockholm Syndrome by Muse

Book Review: Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light

 

Today I'm reviewing Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light by Jaimie Engle, an ebook ARC received through Library Thing. Clifton is already available in paperback through the usual channels, and will release in ebook format on September 1, 2013.

 

The summary, adapted from Goodreads:

 

A strange arrow transports young Clifton Chase to Medieval England in 1485. Thrust into adventure, he must evade the king's army, rescue the two princes from their uncle, King Richard III, escape the fierce fires of a Crestback Dragon, outsmart the Mer King, and get the girl, all the while protecting the Arrow of Light. And when Clifton discovers the arrow’s purpose for choosing him, he must decide if he is willing to risk his life for the lives of others.

 

 

The review:

 

Clifton Chase is a middle grades adventure novel that combines historical fiction and fantasy with a religious twist. My favorite parts were the historical elements, from the descriptions of Medieval England to the political intrigue of the War of the Roses. Engle weaves the history into the story in a way that teaches without dumping facts on the reader, with just enough fantasy to keep things interesting. The pacing in the beginning was a little slow for me, and I would have liked a more concrete connection between the modern-day elements and the fantasy world, but this is still a solid middle grades read.

 

4 out of 5 stars.

 

Music for today: Heavy Feet by Local Natives. 

  

Book Review: The Pirate's Wish

The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke is the sequel to The Assassin's Curse, reviewed here. In the interest of remaining spoiler free, I'll keep my summary brief. Pirate Ananna and Assassin Naji are bound together by an impossible curse, which can only be broken by completing three impossible tasks. Less a sequel and more the second half of one story too long to be published in its entirety, The Pirate's Wish follows Ananna and Naji on their journey to break the curse, amidst enemies attacking them on all sides. 

The review:

I loved the first book in this duology. I reviewed it, tweeted about it, and recommended it to dozens of reader friends. I'd been eager for the conclusion ever since I put down the ARC. Clarke builds an amazing relationship between Ananna and Naji, and the first half of this sequel didn't disappoint. She sucked me right back in to their subtle affection and bickering while keeping true to the unique voice and style of her writing. 

But the nature of the story was to slowly reveal how these three impossible tasks were in fact possible, and this is where I had issues with the plotting and pacing. The fantasy genre gives a writer endless possibilities of imagining solutions to problems. But just because an event is plausible inside the rules of the fantasy realm, that doesn't always make it acceptable or satisfying to me as a reader. I have a fine line between wow, that was unexpected but cool and whoa, things just got too crazy for me. Without giving anything away, The Pirate's Wish crossed that line.

Even though the conclusion wasn't quite what I'd hoped, I'll always be a sucker for awesome characters and a steamy romance.

4 out of 5 stars.

Music for today: Love is Blindness by Jack White.