RTW: A character as my guide

Road Trip Wednesday is a Blog Carnival where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing-or-reading related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic

This weeks question -  If you could visit any country with a fictional character as your guide, who would you pick and where would you go?

I'm actually finding this quite a difficult question to answer. Not because I don't know which character or which country, but because there are so many possible places and characters I could choose!

The first one I would choose would be going to the countryside of the UK with Draco Malfoy as my guide. I think deep down he's got a bit of a soft spot and as we found at the end of the series, he's not as evil as he once thought he was. He could show me around the world behind the world. He could show me the magical world! I think that'd be pretty awesome!

Secondly I'd like to go to Chicago, USA and have Four (from Divergent) show me around the factioned society of the futuristic society. Although a guy who throws knives at the girl he likes doesn't do much for me, I think he'd be a pretty interesting guy to get to know and have as a guide around this treacherous place.

Lastly I'd like Jace from Mortal Instruments to take me to The City of Glass and show me around, then him and I could travel Europe together and I think that'd be pretty awesome!

There is one other... there's a character in the book I'm writing at the moment.. his name is Archie and he lives in a place like no other. I'd love to meet Archie and be taken around the place he lives, to learn more about it and to really get inside his head. I think that'd be pretty cool. 

What about you? Who would you choose and where would you go?

RTW: Best Book of January

Road Trip Wednesday is a 'Blog Carnival' where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing or reading related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hope from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic :)

This week's question is talking about the best book of January.

To be honest with you, it's a hard one to answer! I've read some really fabulous books lately. I read On the Jellicoe Road, which is an old one by Melina Marchetta which although I found it a bit hard to get into I ended up really loving it. I finally read The Book Thief which despite being hugely depressing was a great book, and of course Please Ignore Vera Dietz which was very well done. 

The best book though? Well I have a tie. My absolute favourite was The Fault in our Stars. I have since told everyone to read this book. My FH, my mum, both my sisters, my auntie and a number of my friends have all gotten stuck into this book and loved it just as much.

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It's written by John Green and is narrated by Hazel Lancaster, a sixteen-year-old cancer patient who's life changes dramatically when she meets fellow cancer sufferer Augustus "Gus" Waters. The story follows Hazel, as she fights with cancer and her parents while navigating this mysterious new relationship with Gus.

The story is beautifully and honestly told, it's funny, it's heartbreaking and it's most certainly a memorable read. I'd highly recommend this one.

The second book that I would recommend is JK Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy.

Now, this book has been subject to huge debate. It's not Harry Potter. Absolutely not. There is no ounce of a magical world within these pages at all. So if you see JK Rowling and expect Harry Potter, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. 

It is true this book does take a long time to set the scene. It's a little slow and very busy body, but I feel all of this is quite interesting. Seeing the different characters, the different voices of the novels and really getting inside their heads - the meek, the power hungry, the nasty, the manipulative, the scared... they're all there. I remember mentioning to my FH while I read this that it was interesting getting inside each characters head because you could quite clearly relate those characters to people in your own life.

The book is very well written. The climax near the end comes out of no where and is so completely surprising and heart breaking. I really found the book very real and relatable.

It is a black comedy, and some of it is pretty dark. It's not YA, I should mention that, but the other thing is that it's very British. The humour is British and that is perhaps why some have disliked it so much. It's certainly not for everyone but I do urge people to give it a try. I was very hesitant to read it after seeing a number of negative reviews but my friend pushed me into it and I'm so glad she did. It was worth it. 

If you've read either of these books I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on them? Otherwise, what was your best January book? 

RTW: A Dramatic Roadtrip

Road Trip Wednesday is a 'Blog Carnival' where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This weeks topic:  In celebration of the release of Kristin Halbrook's NOBODY BUT US (hooray!!) we're asking: Zoe and Will set off on the road to seek a better life and encounter loads of drama on the way. What's the most dramatic road trip you've ever been on?

It's been a long time since I last participated in RTW and it's almost fitting that this is the topic in which I make my return. 

The reason I have been away (and I have talked a little about this in the last few months) is that I was on a nine week road trip with my significant other across the USA. While I have done a lot of other road trips, I have to say this most recent one was easily the most dramatic.

It wasn't dramatic in that we had issues a long the road, we didn't miss flights, get food poisoning, get mugged or anything like that, but it was dramatic in that we had limited funds, a tight schedule and so much to remember - where we were staying, where we were going next, what time our bus or flight was, and that it was a nine week road trip!

Before we left I wrote out a 65 page guide. Each location we were visiting had a section which included maps of the transit systems, directions from the airport or bus stop to our accommodation, the details of our accommodation, supermarkets close by and restaurants that can deal with my gluten and onion allergy, a list of attractions for each destination complete with the price, address, directions and opening hours and then finally details of our departure.

It was crazy organised and that's the only reason the road trip went so smoothly!

It was an amazing experience though, and we were able to see so much of the amazing USA!

So that's my crazy dramatic last few months! Here's some pictures :D

With Jessica Khoury, the author of Origin

RTW: Our Inspiration

Another Wednesday, another Road Trip! Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week we're all sharing our most inspiring and/or motivational video, book, or quote on writing!

When I was 11 I collected motivational quotes. I'm not entirely sure why, I just loved them so much. I had folders and books full of the things. Not all of them stuck with me, but there is one in particular that I've never forgotten. It's not specifically about writing, but in general I think it's a great approach to life.

"Always aim for the Moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."

Of course there are a number of variations of this particular quote but I love it so much. I feel it can certainly be applied to writing, and any other aspect of your life. In general I use them as words to live by. 

To me, this quote is saying to aim as high as possible, always believe you can achieve, and never think any dream is too small. To that end I've always never thought of dreams as merely dreams, I think of them more as something that can be obtained if I work hard enough. Of course it's not always easy, not at all, but if you want something bad enough I believe you can get it. 

The other quote I really love, which can be applied to writing or again, life in general, is by the amazing Dr Seuss. 

'Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.'

It's true! Those who matter don't mind!

As for videos... again, they don't necessarily motivate or inspire me in terms of writing, but more in terms of life which consequently motivates and inspires my writing. The best place for inspirational videos is, of course, YouTube. You can find some real gems in there. 

There are heaps that I love, so I can't add them all here so I'm just going to show you one of my favourites.

This boy is such an inspiration. If he can build a windmill, I can ... write a book, climb a mountain, get a new job etc etc. This guy goes to show that if you want something, and you work at it, you can make miracles!

In terms of inspirational books, I talked recently about some non-fiction books that really inspire me.

Elissa Wall's story, document in A Stolen Innocence and Kay Bratt's story from Stolen Tears, inspired me to stand up for those who don't have a voice in this world. It motivated me to get out there and learn about other cultures and to do something worthwhile with my life. They're both brilliant books, I highly recommend them!

So they're mine! What are yours?

RTW: Best Book of October

Roadtrip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway.

This week we're talking about the Best Book of October

Unfortunately I don't have one. I haven't been reading as many books lately because I'm STILL going on the Pretty Little Liars series. I'm up to the last book that's been published... so that's been taking up all my  reading time.

I did however read two other books during the month of October - unfortunately I didn't like either of them.

The first was The Clan of the Cave Bear. I know, I should have liked it because it's a classic and whatnot but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it was the writing style or the way the story was told.... I can't put my finger on what I didn't like exactly...

I wanted to like it, and I wish I'd liked it. In fact I was determined to finish it so I actually skim read most of the chapters and read the last five with full concentration. To be fair, the concept of the book I really liked, and the story was really intriguing but it just wasn't my kind of book.

The other book I read was Titanic 2012. I don't even know what to say about this book other than that I thought it was terrible. For one, I found it really disrespected the lives of those lost in the sinking but suggesting it was an ancient curse that possessed people on the ship to cause the sinking in the first place. Then, there were many historical facts that the author got wrong. Half the book is set in 1912 and the other half in 2012. Both time periods see's people on both the Titanic, and a Titanic exploration ship that are trying to stop the curse from wrecking havoc. This book is the only book this year that I've put down and walked away from.

Clearly I'm in need of some recs. Anyone got anything good?

RTW: Happy Halloween!

Road Trip Wednesday is a 'Blog Carnival' where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This week we're talking about Halloween! What is your favorite scary book or movie?

I'm an utter and total wimp. I'm just going to put it out there. When I was a teenager I loved scary movies. I'd watch them all with eager anticipation. Then something changed. I think I can pinpoint the exact time. It was about three years ago when I'd first started dating my FH and we went to see the first Paranormal Activity. I don't even know why I went. I was scared out of my mind. I spent the whole film curled up in a ball on the seat gripping the hands of my FH on one side and my little sister on the other. 

After the film I took the shortcut home which involved driving up a very windy and deserted road, in the rain, after midnight where you could see nothing but the dense bush and the very stunning but very creepy building of the Auckland Museum. I was convinced something was going to jump out at me any second. Later that night after my man and I had been asleep for a few hours, he awoke to find me standing beside the bed with my eyes open, staring out the window - very similar to one of the scenes in Paranormal Activity. I was dead asleep, despite my eyes being open. He woke me up, I freaked myself out and then got back into bed and fell asleep. Since then I have avoided scary movies like the plague. They just seem to haunt me well past the time the film is over!

So I can't say that I have a favourite scary movie; although I do have somewhat of an obsession for the Pretty Little Liars TV show, which at times can get very scary! Although I do love myself a little bit of Hocus Pocus and The Witches!

In terms of books - does Goosebumps count?! After I read a good portion of the Babysitter's Club books I started reading Goosebumps even though I thought they were really 'boys books'. I liked the ones that had alternate endings, where you chose what to do next. I'm sure Harry Potter could be pretty scary too. In fact, any book with a really evil and conniving protagonist I will probably find scary!

Sorry for being so fail on the scary books and movies front - it may be Halloween but... I really am a wimp!!

Happy Halloween!

RTW: From Page to Screen...

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered.
 

 

The topic this week is: What is it that makes some books seem ideal for a film translation?

 

 

This is an interesting topic for me because as I said in my post earlier this week I am a big supporter of books into films. This means, whenever I read a book I love, I'll frequently say "holy moly, that would make a GREAT movie."

So I have a few books I've read over the past year or so that I would really love to see put on the big screen, some are in the YA genre, and some are more adult novels. 

So, here's my list!

The first one was Divergent. When I was reading the book I couldn't stop saying how much I loved it and how great it would be on the screen. After I finished the novel, as I do when I finish a story I love, I googled everything about it and read Veronica Roth's blog in it's entirety. It was there that I discovered that the film rights had been sold and there was a very good chance of the film being made in the near future. (For those up with the play, it's now really moving along- there's a director and the actress who may play Tris is in final negotiations.)

For those who don't know Divergent, it's about a young girl, Tris, who's dystopian Chicago society is divided into five factions. Each faction is dedicated to a particular virtue of which the factions members must devote their life to. One each member of society reaches the age of 16 they must decide whether to remain with the faction they have grown up with, or choose another faction all together.

The second one I could imagine being made into a film is Hourglass by Myra McEntire. Again, this is actually another (amazing) book which has had the film rights sold (to Twentieth Century Fox of all places!) I guess I wasn't the only one who thought this novel would translate beautifully into film!

 Hourglass is a time travel based book which follows a 17-year-old girl who can see 'rip's'. That is, apparitions of people from the past appearing right in front of her in the current day. Naturally she thinks she's going crazy, but it turns out there's a lot more to it that she could possibly imagine. Things that could change her present, future....even her past... in extremely terrifying ways.

The third is Skylark. While I wasn't wild about the writing of this book, I really liked the premise and I'm convinced that it could work really well on screen. I can even imagine all the scenes so clearly and I know it'd be very do-able so that'd be cool!

Skylark is a novel I read primarily because part of the premise was very similar to my WIP at the time. Turns out, of course, that the actual story of Skylark was so incredibly different from my story than you could ever imagine. Once I started reading, I wanted to know more. It follows a young girl, Lark, who has never been outside her domed city. The city's dome is powered by the magic (or resource) harvested by the children of the dome. Once you're harvested you become an adult. Lark has been waiting for years to finally be chosen for harvesting, however once it's her turn, the last thing she imagined was to become the city's power supply rather than just another citizen of the city. Consequently she then has to plan an escape and discover the horrors of life outside the dome. This story was full of twists and turns I never expected, so I'd really love to see it on the big screen!

Although it's an old book, I'd really love to see The Giver made into a film as well, and maybe its sequels could be included in there somehow! That could be awesome! The Giver is, of course, one of the classic dystopian novels about a young boy who is content with his plain, black and white life. It is only when he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory that he begins to understand his world isn't quite what it seems and there are some dark and complex secrets right underneath the surface.

Aside from solid YA novels ...

I've talked about this book time and time again, but really, I love it so much. The Tea Rose. Although this book is so hefty it might be better as a mini-series. Oh, how I would love to see this on the screen! I'd love to be the one to put this on the screen! I have all the plans in my head, if only I could make it a reality!
 Read my review on The Tea Rose here.

Another would be 'A Grown Up Kind of Pretty' which is a relatively new book this year. It's not the typical book I read, but something about the cover and the premise made me pick it up and read it. Of course it hooked me in. I think it could translate quite well to the screen.

A Grown Up Kind of Pretty is a saga about three generations of women. Fifteen year old Mosey is terrified she's going to wind up pregnant at fifteen just like her mother and grandmother before her. Mosey's world is turned upside down when a small grave is unearthed in the backyard. Liza, Mosey's stroke-ravaged mother is haunted by her past and the choices she made as a teenager; and Jenny - or Big - Mosey's kind-hearted and strong grandmother who's love binds the women together and who will stop at nothing to defend the family's future.

There are so many more I could list. Any book I truly love I can typically imagine turning into a film, but at the moment these are my top picks! That's not to say that if they're made into films, they'll do the book justice. In my head I can see exactly how each of these books could be made into films, yet your ideas are probably very different from mine which is exactly why so many people are disappointed in seeing their favourite books made into films. As I said in my last post, I just accept it and enjoy it for what it is. I find it the best way to go!

What books do you think would translate well into film?

RTW: NaNoWriMo ... Oh how I wish!

Another hump day which means another Road Trip Wednesday - one of my weekly highlights!

Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway! The lovely ladies at YA Highway post a topic and everyone writes their answers to the questions on their blog before hopping all over the place to check out all the other answers. It's fun!

This week's question.... Are you doing NaNoWriMo, or have you ever? Does having a deadline inspire you?

The short answer is no. To be honest I only recently found out about this. I'm sorry, I've been living in a cave and should really hold my head in shame.

The longer answer.... I really, really want to do it. It would be such a great experience and would be so much fun! Unfortunately my American work visa expires in November and I'm then taking off with my significant other on a two month road trip across America! (I'm bound for St Louis, Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Montgomery, New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Vegas, San Francisco, Vancouver, Seattle, Long Beach, Anaheim, San Diego, Los Angeles!) So I'm going to be on the road without a computer for a good part of November, December and January. I'll be in full on tourist mode and will be beyond exhausted.... so unfortunately the prospect of entering NaNoWriMo isn't even a possibility this year. I will be spending countless hours on buses and a few airplanes here and there so will be getting plenty of reading done!

Next year however, I will hopefully have finished my WIP (which has been in the planning phases for the last six months but I'm holding off writing it until I'm back in New Zealand in January and can give my full devotion to the book), and I'll have plenty of peaceful me time that can be devoted to NaNoWriMo. I'm looking forward to it already! I must confess, I have spent a lot of time pouring through the website wishing I could sign up, but I must be patient! Patience, they say, is a virtue.

Just to give you something pretty to look at, this is the view from the balcony of my little piece of paradise, my writing retreat in New Zealand. If I'm lucky and work doesn't get in the way too much, I'll spend my NaNo month up there next year, pumping out a story!

As for the part about the deadline - I love deadlines. I find it hard if I don't have an initial idea, but a deadline really puts my a into g and gets things moving. I often set deadlines for myself, which is why I haven't started writing my WIP yet beyond doing full on plot, setting and character breakdowns. One I start writing I'll be able to put a deadline on myself and work towards that. Without a deadline I'm known to flounder a bit like a fish out of water.

What about you... are you doing NaNo? Have you done it before? I want to hear all about your NaNo experiences! What do you think about deadlines? Do they help you or hinder your creative process?

The Writing Community

Warning - I'm not witty at the best of times but this post rates 98% on the sappy factor.

This post isn't particularly about writing per se, but I wanted to write a post that talked about the online writing community in general.

I haven't been blogging for very long, it's really only been a couple of months since I started this blog and I still haven't told any of my friends or family about it yet. Mostly when I start a new blog, I tell people I know about it and get everyone to follow me, but my writing.... at the moment it's something I don't feel ready to share just yet. It's like it's my "dirty little secret" - just kidding ... but not really. One day I'll definitely tell them my blog exists, but it's almost like I need to prove to myself that I can really make a go at being a writer first.

There are very few people who I have told that I'm writing, and even fewer know about the plot of my WIP. A couple of people who have known me for a long time laughed when I told them I was writing a book.  I'd never really talked about my desire to write to them in the past, and because I'm not one of those authors who has been walking around with a notepad and pen since I was old enough to stand up, people didn't believe me when I said I wanted to be a writer. I have to say, it was quite disheartening to see people who know me so well laugh at the prospect of me working on a novel. It got to the point where I was embarrassed to tell people that I wanted to spend the next year focusing on my writing because I didn't want them to think I was a hopeless dreamer.

It is true that any desire I had to write had been kept under wraps most of my life. I didn't talk about it much, any writing that I did was channeled into other mediums like blogs, magazine articles, reviews, newspaper articles, school essays and the occasional short story here and there... I always loved writing, particularly creative writing, I just didn't figure there was any point in pursuing it because, quite frankly, I thought I was rubbish. I channeled all my energy into performance - singing, dance and drama - until I decided I was rubbish at them as well!

It wasn't until I was stuck in a horrible, dead end job which was going no where that I decided I really wanted a job that would let me write. I remember a conversation to my mother where I literally just whined about how all I wanted to do was write. My mum then mentioned something about me writing a novel. I'd never even considered the possibility of writing a book. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it sooner because writing a novel would really be a combination of everything I love. I really try and make a conscious effort to focus on the things that make me happy in life, by doing what I love to do. This mentality gave me the final push to just go ahead and give it a try. While I have lived with this mentality for quite some time, I recently saw this video, which is quite inspiring, which might better help explain my 'seize the day' and 'do what you love' frame of mind.

Anyway, the whole point of this post was to talk about the writing community. When I started this blog I had no readers (I still don't think I have any regular readers, but it's nice to know my blog gets viewed by eyes other than my own from time to time)! After I started this blog I discovered a whole new part of cyberspace within the 'online writing community'. While I started reading a lot of other blogs written both by individuals and groups, one of my favourite places to check into regularly quickly became YA Highway. Aside from the great posts that are put up every few days, I love their weekly blog hop. Being able to discover new blogs and writers, and seeing everyone's answers to the weekly questions is my favourite part of the week. It is when the more personalized answers come out that the writing community has really given me 'warm fuzzies'. The questions that talk about aspects of our book or our future plans has always really surprised me. I certainly wasn't expecting the writing community to be so incredibly, unquestioningly supportive and lovely. It's really blown me away, and the comments I get on this blog really make me smile.

I'm kind of a 'blog noob' and can't always figure out how to follow people... in fact I've only just figured out how to schedule posts and imbed YouTube videos (oh the shame), but I'm working on figuring it out (I get the ones that say 'google connect' but after that I'm stumped... help?!) because all the other writers blogs I've been reading on here have really impressed me and I've learned so much from this community.

**update - I've FINALLY figured out how to put the 'followers' section in there. I always wondered why it was never showing up.... and here I was thinking I was tech savvy!**

So I just wanted to write a quick (well I intended it to be quick but it's actually rather long) post about how thankful I am to the writing community for being your amazing selves, for the lovely post comments (I will never, ever stop loving the awesome blog post comments) and for being all around awesome. The support I receive from others in the writing community really encourages me to be proud about my writing, to not want to keep it a secret, and encourages me to keep going. It fuels my love and passion for the written word and it inspires me to reach higher than I ever thought possible. I'm excited about talking more to all the amazing writers on here, learning from them and supporting them in their own endeavors.

RTW: Looking forward to the future

Another Wednesday, another Road Trip! Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week we're talking about what we hope to be writing in one year, two years...five years..

I've started this post a number of times and really struggled with what to write.

A year from now I would love to be in the near-final stages of editing my current WIP and writing the follow up to this story- that would be ideal. I originally wanted to make my current WIP a stand alone, however from where I'm standing now, my main character's story seems to be so far from over. I don't know if it will end up as a trilogy, but I'm very against writing a book when there is no story there just to make it into a trilogy. In my mind at the moment, it seems like the story will be told after two books, and I wouldn't want to force the story just to make it into three.... but you never know what will happen!

Three years from now I would love to have my current series done and be writing more challenging stories, perhaps a historical piece (I have a few ideas for this) or an epic saga or some form... I would love to set a story in the late 1800's, either in New York or London I think. That's as far as I've got on that one though, not sure about characters or plots as of yet!

In five years, I just hope to be able to be writing something I'm passionate about. A story that gets me really excited that I can't wait to share with the world. There is one in particular I think about.... I want to make my Grandad's life into a book. He died when I was 12, however a few years before he died he wrote an autobiography on one of those really old original computers and got a number of copies bound for his friends and family. There were a few sections of the book I particularly found interesting when I was young, particularly his adventures during World War Two (even as a seven year old I was fascinated with the war). It wasn't until last year that I read the whole book in its entirety and wow, he was a really spectacular man who lived a very full and interesting life. It really is the type of story you'd see in a film or a book... and I would love to tell the world his story. I need to do him justice though, so I need to wait until I'm 100% ready before I tackle it and figure out a good way to make it into a novel. I just wish I was alive so I could probe him for more (luckily my Dad remembers a good portion of the parts after he was born so I can question him for more information!)

Ultimately I want to make sure my full time work doesn't get in the way of my writing and to be sure I don't lose my love for the craft. I would love to get to the point where I don't need a full time job, where I can just spend my days writing stories and immersing myself inside these worlds I create inside my head. That would be the ultimate.

Who knows what will happen, but it's good to dream! When it comes down to it, if I'm writing, and have stories kicking around in my head, I'll be happy. What do you think you'll be doing?

RTW: How our writing changes with the seasons

Wow, the week just flew by! I didn't even get a chance to write any other posts since last Wednesday! Not only that but I almost forgot to post today's RTW! I'll have to remedy all that this week! So, this weeks RTW topic is talking about the seasons and how our writing (place, time, inspiration, etc) changes with the seasons?

As I write this I look out the window at the trees down the street which are slowly changing colour into that gorgeous shade of orange and yellow that can really only be associated with fall (or autumn as I call it back home). The sky is a misty deep grey colour and the rain is pouring down. It's what we would probably call 'miserable'. Because lets face it, it is kind of miserable to have to leave the house on a day like this. Lucky for me (or unlucky really), I'm sick today and had to stay home from work, so I sit here cuddled up under the blanket (although it's not really that cold), watching the rain come down outside.

Like so many people, my mood really does change with the seasons. In the summer I feel a kind of freedom. The weight on my shoulders from the winter has lifted and I feel much happier. The neighbourhoods come alive, people seem much friendlier and the atmosphere completely changes - especially in New York! In the winter it's cold and dreary and you have to wear a gazillion layers and that includes hats, scarves and gloves (not something we need to do back in New Zealand). People have shorter tempers, everyone is in a hurry (more so than usual) to get to where they're going because it's too cold to stay outside for long, and if you count the frowns on the faces you pass you'll be well over 200 by the time you get to your destination.

In that respect, my writing changes a lot with the seasons. In the spring and summer the settings I talk about are very magestic, they're inspired by the summer - long grass, tulips, daffodils, blue skies, scorching sun, lakes and beaches, endless and carefree days. I get inspired by the people I see flocking to the parks, by the smell of the barbeques, by the hot and sticky nights. My storyline, scenes and characters may form from the Independence day fireworks, the Mermaid Parade at Coney Island which kicks off the summer, or the mass exodus from the city as everyone heads to the Hamptons. Often when I think of the American summer, I get transported back to the 50's, 60's and 70's. Not that I was alive then, but just because I can imagine these carefree, small town American summers.... OR I will think of the New Zealand summers, the traditional 'Kiwi Bach' or the camping holidays by the beach.

In the fall and winter I'm inspired in a different way. The gloomy dark skies will give me ideas for dark stories and events, for bad characters or for horrible and painful scenes. On a day light today when I can almost see down to the park from my window, the scene is almost magical. So I may get inspiration for something beautiful, something mystical or mysterious. It may build on the material I already have or it may spark and idea that takes me in a totally different direction. The winter seasons also transports me to different times and places, specifically the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, to London, Venice or sometimes back home to New Zealand.

Even if I don't realise it, the weather, the seasons and the atmosphere the seasons bring to the city have an impact on my writing and my thought process. I have never really thought of the impact it has before, so it's interesting to really pick through how it inspires our writing.

To read more answers to this topic, be sure to head over to YA Highway

RTW: Best Book of September

Almost at the end of September? No way, Say it ain't so! And it's Wednesday, which means Road Trip Wednesday! If you're new to RTW, it's a blog hop hosted by YA Highway and is one of my favourite times of each week!
 
 This week the topic is - What is the best book you read in September

I haven't had a lot of variety in my reading this month. In fact for most of the month I've really been reading a long running series - The Pretty Little Liars books. (I'm only up to book 5 of 12 or something crazy.) I'm obsessed with the TV show, kind of sad really, but it's addictive, and this was my way of getting through the hiatus - reading the series. Quite interesting being able to compare the books to the show, the book is more like a dramatic soap opera than the show (although the show does come close at times....)! So that's been filling up my September, however there was one book that was released at the start of the month that I read in a few short days.

Origin, by Jessica Khoury, is a book that I'd been waiting for for quite a number of months. I'd read Jessica's blog, I'd read the preview in the Penguin Breathless Reads and I entered the competitions to win Arcs - I was so looking forward to reading it, and my wait paid off.

The setting of the novel was by far a stand out feature. It's set in the middle of the lush Amazon rainforest, and the descriptions of this setting really transported me into Pia's world. When I couldn't sleep my mind would take me to the rainforest. It almost had a calming effect!

I loved the fact the main character had a pet jaguar. I was insanely jealous but thought that was a super cool touch. I also liked that the story had essentially two different 'worlds'. Two different cultures, lifestyles....however you want to describe it. I liked being able to recognise the stark contrast in Pia's world with the male character, Eio's world.

There are a number of twists in the book that unless you're super alert you really won't see coming. It'll have you sitting on the edge of your seat, desperate to find out what happens next. The beginning is a little slow, BUT don't stop reading, I promise you, it's worth it. It's a really original story, with some characters you'll love, and some you'll hate. Definitely give it a try!

So that would be my best book in September, but now I'm keen to hear yours. As soon as this Pretty Little Liars series is out of the way I'll be pushing forward onto lots more so would love your suggestions!

RTW: Retelling of a fable

Another Wednesday, another Road Trip! Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!
 
 This week the topic is - Name a fable or story you'd like to see a retelling of. If you're feeling creative, come up with a premise of your own!

I had a lot of trouble answering this weeks question as there are a number of stories I'd love to see retold.

The first one would be The Princess and the Tin Box. Just because it's not very well known, it's a great little fable and it'd be interesting to see how this story could be turned around. Since this story was originally told, the values of society has shifted dramatically. I'd love to see this story retold from a modern perspective and retaining the original message while adding in more currently relevant messaging.

The second would be The Emperors New Clothes, simply because when I was 12 I acted in a production of this story, except it was an original script with a few interesting spins in it. I'd also love to set this story in the Victorian era, with the main characters being a mischievous girl and boy who are causing trouble around the palace. Perhaps the swindlers aren't actually swindlers, perhaps they're legitimate clothes tailors and it is the young duo who cause all the ruckus that the "swindlers" get blamed for. Hmm that sounds a bit too much like a children's story... it'd certainly need a lot of work to create a brand new story while still remaining true to the original!

The final story I'd love to see retold would be The Princess and The Pea. This has long been a favourite story of mine, and again is another tale I performed on stage, this time when I was around 14. My family always teased that I was the princess as if there was anything in or on my bed (food, jewellery, lego etc), I'd feel it and wouldn't be able to sleep until it was gone. This is such a classic old tale it'd be interesting to see how it could be retold. I'd love to see this one set not in the present day, but either in the last century or even in the future. It's nice to mix it up a bit!

There's so much potential! The old fables and fairytales we've grown up with are so great to look back on and reflect, I really love pouring over books which retell the stories to see how it's been done, and to fall in love with the plot all over again!

RTW: Books from school

Another Wednesday, another Road Trip! Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's RTW comes as the kids of America are heading back to school. So the question - What's your favorite book that you had to read for a class?

This is a tricky one because I did read some amazing books at school. Some classic, some contemporary, some plays like Hamlet, some that I should've loved but found really hard to read like Wuthering Heights and some that I recommended to everyone, like The Tomorrow Series. 

The other reason this is a tricky question, as although it's only been seven years since I left high school, it still feel like a really long time, and I'm having trouble remembering some of the books from the earlier years. However there are some that stick out.

The first is one I would consider to be one of the best books I've ever read. I should say I hated it with a passion when I had to read it. Oh how I hated it. It's long and it's very serious.... it's almost painful. But it was worth the slog. The book is called One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

 

The book is literally that. One day in this man's life. This man, Ivan Denisovich is a prisoner of a Soviet labour camp in the 1950s and the book describes an ordinary day. It's a tough read, because it's pretty close to the truth but it's very moving and insightful. The author of the book was imprisoned in a labour camp from 1945 to 1953 for writing a derogatory comment in letters to friends about the conduct of the war by Joseph Stalin, so obviously had first hand experiences of the hardships. This is one of the best books I read at school simply because of the impact it had on me. Almost ten years later and I still list it as one of the best books I've ever read....

The next book I loved was The Secret Life of Bees

In New Zealand, we don't get taught a lot of American history in school. We may brush over a few aspects like the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and we may talk briefly about the Civil War or the Revolution, but we don't really study American history. In one of my classes as a 14 year old, we did, however, study the Civil Rights movement. I am a history geek, you may be able to tell. I became obsessed with learning all about the Civil Rights Movement and so enjoyed this book a lot, which we had to read as a way of getting a feel for the segregation and atmosphere of the time. Anyway, to put it simply, it's a great coming of age story about a young girl who finds herself living among a group of African American women and helping them run their honey business.  It's a great book.

Other books I feel deserve a mention - Mister Pip, The Halfmen of O series (love love love), The Handmaid's Tale (another that I only appreciated later), The Whale Rider - All these are New Zealand books! Oh also To Kill a Mockingbird and The Lovely Bones.

I'm sure there are heaps more but these were definitely some that left a lasting impression! What are yours?

 

RTW: Best Book of August...

Wednesday already? Holy moly, the weeks are flying by! So for those who don't know, Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's question...

Best book in August?

I can't believe it's nearing the end of August. Time is really flying! Feels like just yesterday I was writing about the best book of July!

This questions was a no brainer for me. While I've read a couple of interesting books this month, the one that has really captured me is Hourglass by Myra McEntire. 

I'd heard a few good things about this book in the past and when I came across it while looking for some new books for my kindle, I thought I might as well give it a try. I couldn't put it down. In fact, I got grumpy when I reached my subway stop on the way to work and had to stop reading! 

I found the book to be well written, captivating and it wasn't infuriating as some novels are with their love stories and ways of presenting the conflict. You are given enough information to be satisfied while still wanting more yet you're not left totally in the dark feeling frustrated by the whole situation.

Here's the plot

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

There's a nice mix of romance, suspense, intrigue, drama, heartbreak, comedy and each chapter leaves you wanting more. It's obviously not a completely novel idea but the way it's presented is very original. I also love the fact it's set in Tennessee... I haven't read many books set there! It's cool. There are some time travel/ability style elements in it and sometimes I find hard to fully grasp the concept of time travel and how everything fits on the time and space continuum but it was really well done. Well written and captivating.

Now I'm on to the next book in the series and it's just as addictive. In fact I've started road reading again (three points if you know the book I got that term from!). When you live in NYC road reading is really not a smart idea. sigh.....

RTW: My Love List

Another week, another Road Trip Wednesday! I love Wednesdays for this reason! It's a weekly blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's post is inspired by Stephanie Perkins' post about a novel's "Love List".

What is your novel's Love List?

The love list is such a great idea. Mine is still very short, I've only been working on this current novel a couple of weeks, so I'm still just learning about my world, and learning about my characters. Regardless, there are a few things I love, or love to hate within my novel and these have made up my list

Silver-blue hair
Long eyelashes
Moss Covered Rocks
The waterfall
Flax bushes
Community love
Hidden house
Learning a new language
Empathy
The colour green
Sterile labratory
Good eyesight!
Boy with a big heart
The strong extended family
The power of love
The friendship that extends to all ages

RTW: Let's talk sports...

Gotta love Road Trip Wednesday! It's a weekly blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's post...

In honor of the end of the Olympics, share your favorite sports book

I'm kind of a fail New Zealander. We're a sports mad country. We're all about our rugby, and we follow the cricket and netball, we're pretty good at the old sailing and scored the America's Cup more than once.... we're brought up in the outdoors, we participate in the Saturday morning sports and we're encouraged to "Take a kid to Footy" during the winter. It was the 'cool thing to do'.

Now I do enjoy watching a bit of sports here and there. I got right on into the Olympics. The Opening Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony - just wow. Blew my mind. The gymnastics too, I love watching the gymnastics. Unfortunately that was about it. Mainly because I don't have a TV and also because America plays everything on a 5 hour tape delay, and they only show events that America is competing in. I really wanted to root for New Zealand you see...

Anyway, back to the question at hand... as I was saying, I'm not big on sports, and so when I read I typically don't read sporting related books. I read one once when I was 12. It was for school. It was a New Zealand book called Alex, about a teenage swimmer trying to get to the Olympics (fitting really). It was a good book from memory, but that's the only book that sticks out specifically about sports. But it's not a favourite book for me and I can't actually remember what happens in it...

SO I'm going to have to get a little creative here.....

I pick two. The first is Harry Potter. Now I can almost see you're face twisting and your mind whirring, saying 'that's not about sports.' Well think a little harder. Of course there is the Voldemort hunting and Horcrux hunting sport in the Deathly Hallows book.... then of course there's Quidditch! Now that's a pretty exciting sport! Flying around on broomsticks, trying to get the quaffle through the hoop with one particular team member desperately searching for a flying tiny golden ball. Doesn't get much better than that!

The second is The Hunger Games. It's a sport, right? For the people in the Capitol at least. Teenagers running around trying to kill the other opponents. Well okay, it's a pretty shocking sport, but it's a book about some form of sport, or game, nonetheless.

I'm really sorry, blog hoppers! That's the best I can do! I shall plan to redeem myself next week and in the meantime, if you have any recommendations of sports books that are simply great, do tell! It's obviously an area I'm lacking in!

RTW: My Summer Soundtrack!

Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's question...

What music has been your summer soundtrack?

My summer soundtrack has been a very strange mix of songs. 

 

I started by compiling a YouTube playlist of somewhat ‘teeny bopper pop’ songs, I should be ashamed to admit it…. But I’m really not..!

I started with Carly Rae Jepson’s hit song ‘Call Me Maybe’ and followed it by Justin Bieber’s ‘Boyfriend’ (okay, we all have to admit, he’s getting older, and so are his songs. Come on now!)

I also love One Direction – I have a group of 16 year olds I know from my hometown on my Facebook and Twitter pages… now they obsess over 1D. They are the type that repeatedly tweet the band members, they photoshop themselves into pictures of Harry… some of them have even changed their last name on Facebook to ‘Styles’ – a little creepy, right?!

Anyway, once their obsessing took over my timeline, I checked them out and really love ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ and ‘One Thing’. Sticking with the teeny bopper theme – Demi Lovato’s ‘Give Your Heart a Break’ and Selena Gomez’s ‘Hit the Lights’.

There's a few songs that I've loved for almost a year now and don't show any signs of dropping off my playlist - Christina Perri's 'Jar of Hearts', LP's 'Into the Wild' (Made famous by Citibank's commercial!), and Jessica Mauboy's 'The Scariest Part'. All great songs!

This could easily be me....

I've also been introduced to Lana Del Ray by my roommate who has impeccable taste in music. I love her songs 'Diet Mountain Dew' and 'Video Games'. It took me a long time to come around to actually listening to her, but I really love her music. I think she's going to speed up my list of favourite artists in no time.

My roommate also introduced me to Sufjan Stevens, and I'm totally in love with his song 'Chicago'. He has a lot of talent. Beautiful music, great for writing to.

Aside from those song you all quite likely know, there’s a few songs that have come out of New Zealand recently that you may not have heard before. Some of them are truly great, summer feel good songs.

The first one I want to introduce you to is called ‘Everything’s going to be alright’ by The Babysitters Circus. It’s very much a summer feel good song that just makes everything seem light-hearted, happy and bouncy. The music video was filmed as flash mob on the waterfront in Auckland, New Zealand.

The other song I love is called ‘Love, Oh Love’ by the band Paper Plane. The lead singer, Nathan King, was once in a famous New Zealand band called Zed. A few of his songs from both his solo career and Zed are also in my playlist. Paper Plane is his new venture, and this song is simply such a great happy summer song that I could truly play on repeat!

On the opposite end of the spectrum I’ve also been playing a lot of Ludovico Einaudi’s music this summer. His stuff really helps get my creative juices flowing. I can’t write to songs that I know the words to – it’s like the music pushing on into my mind and screams until I sing-along. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata are favourites to write to as well. 

Finally, I went to an off-Broadway show recently and in the weeks before seeing the show I was playing the soundtrack a lot. The show is called Songs for a New World. It was basically a musical performance and the songs were so beautiful. The melodies and lyrics really stuck in my brain and actually helped significantly inspire my latest WIP. My FH is in the film industry (or trying to be) and also said the music helped inspire some storylines for his screenplay.

Here is the link to my playlist. I tried to make it on playlist.com but I failed, so YouTube it is!  I tend to mash all these songs together and play them as much as I can - when I bike around Brooklyn, when I'm at the gym, when I'm writing, working, making food... it's great!

So that’s my summer soundtrack – what’s yours?

RTW: The best book of July

Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's question...

What was the best book you read in July?

This is a really tricky one because I've been reading some truly incredible books lately of all different styles and genres. 

I think I'm going to have to choose Veronica Roth's Divergent.

 

I hadn't heard of this book until I stumbled upon it on Amazon, but it's a YA dystopian style novel (right up my alley). It's set in futuristic Chicago and followed 16 year old Beatrice, or Tris as she becomes known, as she chooses her place in society. Her world has been divided into four factions based on human virtues.

Abnegation is for the selfless; the people who do not concern themselves with their own wellbeing but will always put everyone else first. Dauntless is for the brave, those who strive to conquer their fears and are not afraid to take risks. Erudite is for the intelligent, if Hermione Granger lived in this world, I’m sure this is where she’d belong – “books and cleverness” as she’d say – those who value education and learning will be found in Erudite (pretty sure I'd be Erudite). Amity is for the peaceful; those who seek calm and tranquility. Amity is where you’ll find people who will go above and beyond to keep the peace. Candor is for the honest – You will not find a candor that can lie; they are consistently truthful and will always speak their mind.

Each year, the teenagers who have recently turned sixteen will undergo their tests to determine which faction they are most likely to fit into, then, at the choosing ceremony, they will make their choice. Some will abandon their families and choose another faction, while others are destined to remain in the faction they have always known. Tris’ decision puts in motion a sequence of events that will have you on the edge of your seat. The highly competitive initiation into her chosen faction, a potential romance with a mysterious boy, a growing conflict within her seemingly perfect society and a secret which if revealed could mean death pushes the story forward making it a true dystopian page turner.

The reason I chose this book as the best I've read in July is because I spent an entire weekend reading book one and two of the series. I barely emerged, all I did was read. I literally turned into a hermit. Then, when I was done, I recommended it to my friends, I talked to my FH (future husband) about it - in fact I wouldn't shut up about it. I wanted to be inside this world, to know Tris, to meet Four, to experience what they're experiencing.

If a book does that to you, firstly - kudos to the author, they've written a very compelling book; and secondly - you know it has resonated with you more than any of the other books you've read lately simply because you didn't bother to talk about the others.

Therefore, Divergent was the best book I read in July. It's also right up there alongside the best books I've read this year, and that's saying something!

What's the best book you've read this July?

RTW: A reincarnation...

Over at YA Highway they do a little thing called "Road Trip Wednesday" -each week a writing- or reading-related question is posted to be answered by the masses, then everyone can jump around to everyone else's blogs to see what's been said. Like a carnival. Or speed dating. Anyway, since I've started this new blog I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon....

This weeks question - 

If you could be reincarnated as any fictional character, which would it be?

 

I’ve had a lot of trouble picking exactly who I would want to be reincarnated as. My first thought when I sat down to write this blog was Hermione. 

Of course she’s not a classic literary character, but I grew up with her. She’s strong, very intelligent, she doesn’t generally have to use violence (aside from a few spells) to complete her mission and she is fiercely loyal. Then of course there is the fact that she has a wand and can do magic.   

While Hermione is who I initially thought of, I realised there is one character in particular who when reading the novel I truly felt that I wanted to be her… or at least be friends with her!

Fiona from The Tea Rose is quite probably my favourite female protagonist of all time. Fi is so very good, she’s been through so much and she continues to rise above, learn from her history and become an incredibly strong woman. 

I think the other part of Fi that I love is that she never forgets where she’s come from - throughout all three books, she never forgets where she grew up and she consistently wants to do what she can to help. She will never let anyone change her and for that becomes a role model, both in and out of the book.

It wouldn’t be an easy reincarnation, that’s for sure. I’d be setting myself up for starvation, indescribable grief, the very strong chance of being murdered, a lot of fear and so much heartache. However, I’d also be learning a lot, experiencing this time period which is so different to our own, yet in some ways very much the same, and I would get to help change the lives of others in need.

Fi is definitely who I’d want to become, very closely followed by Hermione. Failing that I'd just go right ahead and be reincarnated as The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

 

Who would you chose?