WWW Wednesdays (#2)

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly event created by MizB over at Should Be Reading 

To play along, answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
  

What are you currently reading?
Blood of the Demon by Rosalie Lario
Four brothers who are demon/bounty hunters vow to protect and/or kill one woman who holds the key to everything. Oh, and she falls for one of the brothers. Hello? Love it!

                                                    

   

What did you recently finish reading?
A friend let me borrow Writers Workshop of Horror.
It's an awesome book and stocked full of advice from different authors.

What do you think you’ll read next?
I think it will be The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton.
I read a sample on my Kindle, and it sounds amazing so far.

Tagged By Pearson Report - A to Z Challenge Co-Host

Have you ever wondered what would happen if we played TAG out here in Bloggerville?

TAG = The Answer Game.

I ask you the following questions and you answer them on your blog! (a simple copy and paste event - no biggie) 

Then you pose the same questions to your Followers and so on, and so on…

If you play the game...I’ll add your blog to my TAGGED BY PEARSON REPORT Blog List - where everyone will know you are a team player who's kickin' it with me and the A to Z team. Our goal is to see 1,000 participants, on the sign-up list, by March 1st...so here’s your chance to pitch in and show your support by playing TAG.

HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS:

Are you signed up for the A to Z Challenge? 

~ Absolutely!

What is your sign-up number? 

~ My sign up number is #474 - Jackie @ Bouquet of Books

Are you ready? If yes...explain yourself. 

~ When I write, I'm a panster/plotter....  I have a tiny outline going on that I'll write down. It's enough to make me run with it and write away. :)

   So, I figure, why not do the same with this blogfest?!

If you’re not ready...what’s your excuse? 

~ see above

Just copy and paste these questions in your post and have at ‘er! Let’s see what makes you a Blogging from A to Z participant!

Let Pearson Report know when you post your answers and she’ll add you to my TAGGED BY PEARSON REPORT Blog List.

So what are you waiting for...you’ve just been TAGGED!

And a little perk for Pearson Report's Followers of Note - if you participate, she'll enter your sign-up number into a draw basket for an original artistic creation from her daughter, Courtney, a designer in Animation. The piece she has selected is called Life and is a series of four prints - they can be seen HERE

I'm Hearing Voices Blogfest - Emotion Flash Fiction

Cassie and Angie have done a fabulous job of hosting the I'm Hearing Voices Blogfest. While I'm happy I've grown from this experience (which helped my characters grow too) I'm also sad because this is the last challenge. I had so much fun!


Instructions for today's blogpost... Emotion Flash Fiction:
Emotion is the engine of a story. Pick an emotion and in a flash fiction piece of 250 words MAKE us feel it! We want to connect with your character. This will be a challenge in 250 words.


The below excerpt (in blue) will be included in my current YA work in progress. I chose to write about an emotion my MC, Kara, went through after a break-up. This flash fiction challenge was perfect for me because I'd left this part blank in my manuscript, too timid to touch it at the time. This helped me to dive in and embrace it.

I slide Brody’s black T-shirt over my head and breathe in his scent—sunshine after a rainstorm. Intoxicating.

Tears sting my already puffy eyes. My brain knows I should take off the shirt and throw it into the garbage. Or burn it. But my body doesn’t care because the need to be close to him consumes my crushed soul.

My thoughts continue to be invaded by memories—ones that I’m forced to carry around like overflowing bags that threaten to split apart. The way he made me laugh, so honest and carefree. The way he pulled me into his arms, so safe and strong. The way his lips pressed against mine, gentle and soft, then hungry and urgent. Like if our mouths parted from each other, we’d both die from lack of air.

And that’s what it feels like now. I’m smothering without his breath mingling with mine.

I touch my lips, numb from his final kiss. His goodbye kiss. Our last kiss.

I collapse onto my bed and pull my knees to my chest. Taking deep breaths, I attempt to control my sobbing, but it’s pointless. I’m broken.

Pain, brutal and raw as it may be, surges through my veins like water from a dam that’s been destroyed. It’s as if all the scars I've collected throughout my life have been ripped open and placed on display for everyone to see.

People say pain lets you know you’re alive. That’s bullshit.

To me, it lets me know I’m dead. 

Dialogue Introduction - I'm Hearing Voices Blogfest

Cassie Mae, over at Reading, Writing, and Lovin' it! AND Angie, over at Live to Write...Edit when Necessary are hosting I'm Hearing Voices Blogfest . . .


Dialogue Introduction is part two of this fabulous blogfest.
Rules: Have two characters introduce each other using only dialogue — no backstory, no internalization, just dialogue between the two. Max 250 words.


The dialogue is between Kara and Simone - rivals from my current WIP.

“I’m not sure why you bothered to show up. They’re here to learn about me.”

“Considering I’m the main character, I think I have a right to be here.”

“Nice, Kara. Pull the MC card. Sooo typical.”

“Whatever.”

“I see another salsa christening in your future.”

“Don't you dare. I smelled like onions and jalapenos for a week!”

“It’s called a shower. Try it.”

“Very funny, Simone. Anyway, we’re supposed to say something encouraging about each other. Let’s get this over with.”

“What? Who said we have to do that?”

“Hello? Our creator.”

“I did not sign up for some therapy session with you. Dear God, put me out of my misery now.”

“You know something? This isn’t easy for me either, but can you at least try so we can go on our merry way?”

“Fine. You go first.”

“Okay, I think deep down you’re nice, but you get off on being a bitch.”

“Yeah, and how is that a compliment?”

“It’s not, I guess. Damn, this is hard.”

“My turn. You could have a cute figure under those baggy clothes, but I can't tell. And don't get me started on your hair.”

“Wow. We suck at this whole encourage-one-another thing.”

“I got it. That’s what we’re good at—not liking each other.”

“Duh, but I don’t think that was the point of this.”

“Oh well. We tried. Gotta run.”

“See you in school.”

“I can't wait.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Terrified would be more fitting.”

“Crap.”

I'm Hearing Voices Blogfest

Monday was day one of three for I'm Hearing Voices Character Blogfest.

Cassie Mae was awesome enough to open the link again. Yeah, she's a rock star. You can check her blog out - Reading, Writing, and Lovin' it!


RULES:
Have one of your characters answer the following questions (to make this work to your benefit, choose a character who is the hardest for you to write :) Max 250 words (Not including the questions—only the answers).

What is your biggest vulnerability? Do others know this or is it a secret?
What do people believe about you that is false?
What would your best friend say is your fatal flaw? Why?
What would the same friend say is your one redeeming quality? Why?
What do you want most? What will you do to get it?

So, even though I'm a day late to this blogfest, my character begged to do this. I couldn't deny her that, now could I?

ME: Everyone, please meet Olive. She's my MC's best friend in my current YA WIP.

OLIVE: *Waves and puts on some lip gloss.*

ME: Uh, Olive. They can't see you.

OLIVE: Oh, my bad. So, you said you have some questions for me?

ME: Yes, just a few. What's your biggest vulnerability? Do others know this or is it a secret?

OLIVE: I worry what others think of me. I wish I was more like my best friend, Kara. She doesn’t care about the opinions of others. But I do. It’s not a secret, but it’s not like I broadcast my insecurities.

ME: What do people believe about you that is false?

OLIVE: That my parents bought a lake cottage. I started the rumor and now people are planning to have parties this summer at a place that doesn’t exist. Talk about a huge backfire.

ME: What would your best friend say is your fatal flaw? Why?

OLIVE: *Removes a nail file from her humungo purse.* Kara thinks I’m always trying to be someone that I’m not. I’ve told her before that I just want our senior year to be kickass, that’s all. So what if I dress different than I did last year? What’s wrong with that? I happen to like looking nice.

ME: What would the same friend say is your one redeeming quality? Why?

OLIVE: Kara would say that, no matter what, she can count on me. We’ve had this connection of sorts, ever since we were little.

ME: What do you want most? What will you do to get it?

OLIVE: I want to be popular. I mean, it’s not like I get picked on or anything. Well, except by Simone, but she’s just mean. I have friends. It’s just, well, I want to be remembered. As for what I’ll do to get it? Ask me in a few weeks. I have some things in mind. It’s going to be epic. *scratches her head* Hopefully, not an epic fail.

ME: Okay, well that scares me. But thanks for taking time to share with us.

OLIVE: No problem. *waves*


How about you guys? Care to share your character who is giving you trouble?

Adam Levine on after Super Bowl = love

While most people are anxiously waiting for Super Bowl XLVI (Patriots vs. Giants) on Feb. 5, 2012, I’m totally geeked for something else.

The Voice, season 2, premiere is on right after the game.






Let’s be real. It’s a phenomenal show, and I love it, but anyone who knows me, knows that I have a huge crush on the beautiful Adam Levine - the lead singer of Maroon 5.

Yes, it’s shallow of me, but **shrugs** I don’t care.

I first heard Maroon 5’s music during the movie Love Actually. In the scene, these two dudes were driving down the road, talking. In the background, on the radio, a voice sang The Sweetest Goodbye. I desperately wanted the guys in the movie to shut up so I could hear that voice singing.

I found the soundtrack and on the back, saw Maroon 5 was the band playing that song.

A few months later, I was in the kitchen, and I heard that same voice coming out of the TV. I ran into the living room to see This Love video played out on the big screen. I was in crush territory.

One of the best gifts in my entire life (aside from my children and wedding ring) were two tickets for my hubby and I to see a Maroon 5 concert. They were from my co-workers for my birthday. Talk about flippin' awesome! (Some of these pics in this post are from that concert.)

Anyway, The Voice is a reality show with three levels of competition: blind audition, battle phase, & live performance shows. The unique thing about this show are the blind auditions. The coaches (Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, and Adam Levine) choose who they want to coach based solely on voice. They can only hear the artists sing, but can’t see them. Pretty cool concept. If the coach likes what they hear, they spin their chair around and try to convince the artist to choose them as a coach.

If you haven't watched the show before, tune in after the Super Bowl and see what it's about.

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays (#1)

Megan Curd over at Musings of a Write-aholic is doing WWW Wednesdays




To play, just answer these 3 questions . . .

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?



My Answers:

What are you currently reading? - SILENCE by Becca Fitzpatrick


I LOVE the HUSH, HUSH series and became Team Patch as soon as he popped up in the first book.





What did you recently finish reading? - SHATTERED SOULS by Mary Lindsey.

Amazing book! Mary knows how to tell a story - twists and turns that keep you guessing and you can't wait to find out what's next!





What do you think you’ll read next? -
TOUCH by Jus Accardo

I've read the sample on my kindle and it's terrific so far! Can't wait to finish it!








Check out Megan Curd's blog and join in on the fun!

What are your answers to the 3 questions:
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? & What do you think you’ll read next?