Confessions of a Writer Tag

This tag is brilliant. Thank you for coming up with this, Nicolette Elzie of A Little Bookish, A Little Writerly!! 

So what is it, you ask? A fantastic 20-question tag to help us get to know more about other writers in the blogdom! Woot. You can check out her post and the guidelines here. 

Breeanna Pierce kindly nominated/tagged me (thank you ^^!), and I'm excited to share with everyone! :)

1) When did you first start writing? Was being a writer something you always aspired to be?

I started writing when I was really young, but it wasn't prose—it was poetry! Looking back now, it doesn't really surprise me; I love poetry. Sadly, I don't think I'm going to go the publication route with it. Poetry is a difficult market to break into! :sulks in corner: 

In a way, I did always want to be a writer, but I wasn't sure what kind: singer/songwriter? Author? Poet? At the time I was only certain I wanted to change the world. When I received an award for creative writing in fifth grade and was acknowledged again by my L.A. teacher in sixth grade I realized hey, maybe creative writing is my thing. Of course I still dreamed of being a singer/songwriter (I mean, hey, who doesn't?! >.>). 

Another shift in my thinking occurred in ninth grade, when I suddenly decided that I wanted to write Fantasy. Awkward truth: I have NO IDEA where I got this idea from. Yeah, I liked reading—a lot. Maybe it was Harry Potter (*_*), or Eragon (pssh, I could've written this!) that spurred me on, but I don't have a specific, piercing—or, apparently, memorable—experience that awoke the desire to write a novel. I was kind of like Luffy from One Piece: I've decided! And that was that. 

Luffy: We're going to be nakama! Zoro: It doesn't work that way! Luffy: Nakama, nakama~

So I started penning what is now SPHERES...except, as you likely suspected, it SUCKED. (SO. BAD.) I went through a phase where I questioned whether or not it was worth reviving after I trashed it, and a couple years later, I started re-envisioning the series. Pretty much the only thing that survived was the characters and the world, and even those have evolved drastically since that time.  

2) What genre do you write?

I still pen lyrics and poetry (check out my stuff from April's Poem a Day challenge here! Yes, this is a shameless plug ;-), but as a novelist I spend most of my time in YA Fantasy. I intend to branch into MG Fantasy after making some headway. I also hope to write some children's books....and I have an idea for a NA book...yeah, I'm pretty much all over the place haha.

3) Can you tell us a little about your current work in progress? When did you start working on this project?

Oh boy. And you thought I was verbose with the first question....Ehh, I'm really sorry lol ^_^' 

It's called SPHERES, and it's an 8-book YA SF/F series that features a GoT-style POV shift in each book. If that hurts your brain or just fails to compute: there are 8 main characters in the series, and each of the main characters is featured as a protagonist in their own installment of the series. 

I'm currently working on the first book, Whispers and Murmurs, which is Nikaiya's story.  

Whispers and Murmurs is written in a stream-of-consciousness style similar to Mafi's Shatter Me series. (If you must know, it's really more of a combination of Shatter Me, Atlantia, and Chime....) 

Protagonist: newly-17-yr-old Nikaiya, a clever, selfish girl fated to become Kiran (queen) of a small island country known as Erevfaüna–a role she's loathe to play because she has no interest in politics and considers herself unworthy of the honor. Add the fact that she's taller than every man around, has reflective eyes (kind of like Riddick) that tend to leave people either starstruck or anxious, and possesses all the grace of a dead starfish, and she concludes everyone else must share her sentiments: she is unfit to be Kiran. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a choice; she's sole heir to the Light of Stars. She can't remain Karun forever.

To complicate matters, Nikaiya isn't "normal"; she can breathe underwater, hear things ordinary people can't, and has no trouble seeing in the dark–a secret she's kept hidden from everyone around her (or so she thinks) because, let's face it, she's already odd enough and would prefer to avoid drawing any more attention to herself…but because the pull toward the sea has become much stronger lately, she fears her secret will be exposed. As if that isn't worrisome enough, on the day the story opens, she experiences three separate, yet clearly connected, mfirenar (dreams that are like visions)–all of which feature a creature of myth: a monstrous irekarn (sea dragon). 

Later that same day, her parents reveal the truth: she's adopted (which she figured) and is a Seabreather like her birth parents (which she, well, didn't, because she had no idea such a thing existed). According to the Arken (king) and Kiran, Nikaiya was placed in their care to protect and hide her from those seeking to destroy her; apparently she's the supposed catalyst of the Prophecy of the Spheres, which makes her the prime target of a particular group of Seabreathers. 

RIPPER The Morphid Chronicles #2 BY Ingrid Seymour *Cover Reveal*

I am honored (and very, very excited!) to show you the cover of the sequel to KEEPER, my first taste of Ingrid Seymour's phenomenal writing and world-building. I've been waiting--eh, somewhat patiently lol--for the second installment, and it's almost here....!

Ok, ok. Enough gushing. But before I reveal the **gorgeous** cover, here are some deets about the book:

BOOK TITLE: Ripper (The Morphid Chronicles #2)
AUTHOR: Ingrid Seymour
GENRE: YA Urban Fantasy

SYNOPSIS

Against all odds, Greg and Samantha seemed to have cheated Fate when they escaped Regent Danata. Miraculously, the two Morphids remain bound together, attempting to lead a normal, "human" life, even as fear of the evil woman's revenge clouds their days.

As Sam and Greg struggle to grow their relationship, she is haunted by memories of Ashby, her Morphid soul mate, and burning questions of the identity of her real parents. As if that wasn't enough, her untried Morphid instincts fill her with doubt and indecision, taking her once simple life in directions she never could have imagined.

When Greg's Keeper sense foretells danger, however, they abandon all dreams of normalcy and find no other choice but to flee. Armed with nothing but their Morphid skills, Sam sets their course toward New York City, a place that calls to her deeper instincts. As her Keeper, Greg must follow but knows danger awaits.

Thus begins a quest that will test their bond and may spell the end of all they hold dear. It's only a matter of time before Regent Danata and chaos storm into their lives again.

If this synopsis doesn't call out to you, that's ok; but I still highly recommend you read Ripper when it becomes available!! Once you read Keeper, you'll understand why I'm so adamant :)

Are you ready for the Reveal???!!

...

...

So pretteh *_*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Ingrid Seymour is the author of IGNITE THE SHADOWS (Harper Voyager, April 23rd, 2015). When she’s not writing books, she spends her time working as a software engineer, cooking exotic recipes, hanging out with her family and working out. She writes young adult and new adult fiction in a variety of genres, including Sci-Fi, urban fantasy, romance, paranormal and horror.

Her favorite outings involve a trip to the library or bookstore where she immediately gravitates toward the YA section. She’s an avid reader and fangirl of many amazing books. She is a dreamer and a fighter who believes perseverance and hard work can make dreams come true.

Keeper:

| Goodreads | Amazon | 

Ignite The Shadows:

| Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

YASH Fall 2015 *Young Adult Scavenger Hunt*

It's the most wonderful time of the fall~~! 

YASH is back! 

Yes, I am that excited...and if you love YA books, you will be too (if you aren't already)! 

The main questions: What is this epic Hunt all about? How can I jump into the fray?

Well, dear reader, the Hunt is all about books, books, sweet giveaways, books, juicy never-before-seen exclusive content, books, more books, and fantastic authors. (And MOAR books :D!) There are 8 stellar teams participating this fall: blue, gold, green, orange, pink, purple, red, and teal. I've included the graphics below from the official scavenger blog so you can check out which authors are on each team and what books are up for grabs.

And how is easy: just hop through the author blogs! 

All the authors on a team share their favorite number on their posts; you simply add all those numbers together and enter it into that team's rafflecopter. If the number is correct, you'll be entered for a chance to win every, yes, EVERY, book pictured for that team. You can enter for as many or as few teams as your book-loving heart desires (:

Of course you can also hunt down specific authors and enter various giveaways (some authors will feature their own), check out the exclusive content, and express your gratitude by commenting on their blogs. This is one of my favorite parts of the Hunt.

**Please let them know how much you love them and how much you love YASH!** 

To get started--and for more information--visit the official YA Scavenger Hunt page.  You can allow follow the Hunt on Twitter (#YASH) @YAScavengerHunt. Spread the word!!

The Teams:

Massive fangirling happening now. I'm stoked that two of my absolute favorite authors, Jessica Khoury and A.G. Howard, are participating this fall!! *squeals*

It's a tough choice, but if I had to pick just one team to enter, I think I'd enter Green. And if I had to choose one book, I'd pick The Forbidden Wish. 

What about you? What Team(s) will you enter? And if you had to choose just one book from this delicious collection, what would it be??

We Never Asked for Wings Vanessa Diffenbaugh *Review*

*I received an e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review. Thank you so much!!*

Where to begin...? 

This novel is so brilliant it's practically beaming. I knew Diffenbaugh had the gift within the first few pages of her debut, The Language of Flowers, and concluded that if she ever wrote anything else, I had to read it. I was not disappointed. We Never Asked for Wings is stunning. It is poignant, rich, and masterful, yet delightfully accessible. This is one story you do not want to miss. 

Once again, Diffenbaugh's prose is simple, yet striking; melodic and lyrical, her craft draws out and illuminates the beauty and complexity of humanity, and inbues the story with an evocative ability to dance. The rawness and realism is so succinctly portrayed as to be mesmerizing. And oh, the symbolism. 

The symbolism is wondrous, absolutely breathtaking. The title alone still brings tears to my eyes. The words “we never asked for wings” convey a sincere and transparent depth of meaning beyond what I could have anticipated despite my high expectations. Diffenbaugh captures wabisabi, painting a profound, heartwrenching picture of possibility through lives and journeys which reflect our own and demand introspective action. She asked me, “Are you flying, or at least trying to fly?” 

And ultimately, my answer was found to be, “What do we have but to try—even if we don't soar immediately, even if we fall at times, even if we are wounded? We must get back up. I must try.” 

We Never Asked for Wings also wows with its cast. The characters are just so tangible—like they truly exist. And in a way, they do. They are my neighbors; the voyagers I never considered as carefully and empathetically as I should have; the mother I judged for her failures because, in my finiteness and lack of wisdom, I failed to perceive her heart. Excuse me while I use up all of my tissues—again. These characters will break your heart (in a good way). 

I empathized with Letty's struggle to overcome her fears and beliefs about her own inability. The more I saw her perceptions about herself, the more I loved her. We, as human beings, are very different and walk different paths, but we have all have crippling fears keeping us from pursuing dreams of grandeur. We all stumble and bend, crack and crumble...and we come to a point where we are confronted with truths we may not be ready to accept (it's ok to redefine success. It's ok to have not obtained, and to not be able to attain, perfection), and where we must choose: fear or life?

This is not to say I never became frustrated with Letty, or that I never suffered disappointment. Trust me. There was plenty of yelling, sighing, and eye-rolling! But isn't that what makes a character believable? We get angry with our loved ones. We become frustrated when they don't choose what we understand to be best (:D). Yet we embrace them when they are hurting, and genuinely ache for them all the same. We Never Asked for Wings is a treasure trove of life lessons. 

In addition to a knockout cast and phenomenal prose, the plot is thought-provoking and gripping, and there are more than a few good twists. Of course it's captivating and sustains interest, but it covers bold territory. I meandered through it, allowed it to soak in. Unlike The Language of Flowers, which I devoured first and pondered later, I felt compelled to chew bits at a time to ponder and process before moving forward. 

Overall

We Never Asked For Wings is well worth the read; you're looking at another best seller for sure. Get your tissue box ready. 

| Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

| IndieBound |

About the Author

www.RandyTunnell.com

Vanessa Diffenbaugh was born in San Francisco and raised in Chico, California. After graduating from Stanford University, she worked in the non-profit sector, teaching art and technology to youth in low-income communities. Following the success of her debut novel, The Language of Flowers, she co-founded Camellia Network, a non-profit whose mission is to connect every youth aging out of foster care to the critical resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive in adulthood. She currently lives in Monterey, CA, with her husband and four children.

| Facebook | Twitter @VDiffenbaugh | 

| Instagram @vanessadiffenbaugh |

| Website |

Finally back from my unexpected summer break! Woohoo

Hey all--Summer has come and past and now it is officially Autumn and Whispers and Murmurs has yet to be completed. *Sigh* 

I'm slow. So very, painfully slow. 

But hey, self-encouragement: Franny Billingsley, brilliant author of Chime, my favorite YA book of all time, expressed in her bio that it takes her a very long time to pen a novel (upwards of 7 years, I think, for Chime, which is a masterpiece). I've been working seriously on SPHERES for nearly 3 years. Granted, I had little to no clue what I was actually doing the first, so it was more of a learning curve, and I was also waylaid much of the time by PTSD. I remember taking the first 6 or so months out of college doing absolutely nothing aside from working at the Daycare and daydreaming and, well, being a recluse. 

You think I'm kidding. Nope. I didn't speak with anyone online or otherwise except one or two very close friends during that time. I might've even neglected those. Thankfully they understood that I still cared about them; I just needed a break from the stress of social interaction :). 

When stress piled high this summer, I realized maintaining the blog was simply not conducive to my health...which sounds ridiculous, but is actually true. I was overwhelmed by many things--mostly medical--and was attempting to finish the WIP. I'm still pretty devastated about not finishing Whispers and Murmurs. I'm also still sick. And as usual, I pile too much on my expectations list and am unable to complete the overly ambitious list because 1) um, it's OVERAMBITIOUS, and 2) I just feel crappy a lot :/. 

But I digress. The point is, I've been out of commission for the summer because of various reasons, and it's been disappointing, to say the least...but I'm back on track and ready to post some reviews, talk about YASH, writing, books, devotional time/journeying, etc. 

So if you've been following my blog, and/or if you take the time to read this, thank you! It means a lot. 

Cheers!

Date With a Rockstar Sarah Gagnon *Blog Tour Review & Giveaway*

Title: Date With a Rockstar

Author: Sarah Gagnon

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary

Synopsis

Only one girl will win the cash prize...and a chance at love with Jeremy Bane.

Monet isn’t just another lust-struck teenager trying to win the heart of Rock God Jeremy Bane--she needs the prize money from his new reality show to cure her illness. 

Monet has Fluxem, a contagious disease that's spread through saliva. It's completely curable if you have enough money, which she and her single mother don't. Now that she's on the show, Monet has to work harder to keep her Fluxem hidden. She only has to keep the secret long enough to woo Jeremy Bane so he picks her as the winner. She doesn't even care about the love part; the prize alone will change her life.

But the real Jeremy Bane is nothing like she imagined. Monet finds herself fighting against feelings that make her want to give in to her attraction and Jeremy's attempts for a kiss. The further she goes in the competition, the more impossible it becomes to resist him--and when the producers turn the tables and start digging up dirt on the contestants, Monet fears her secret will be revealed before she's ready and ruin everything.

The only way to win Jeremy's heart is to tell him the truth, but confessing her disease could cost her the competition, the prize money, and him.

| Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | 

| Kobo | IndieBound | Book Depository |

**Review**

I'm thrilled to be reviewing Date With a Rockstar today :). Big thanks to Sarah Gagnon and Spencer Hill Press! 

*I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest and fair review* 

Date with a Rockstar is the fun, somewhat silly read that I tend to miss out on because such novels tend to have a little too much romance and not enough plot for my taste, but this novel, though both fun and somewhat silly, set itself apart from the very beginning with a lovable protagonist and a fantastic didn't-see-that-coming premise. I really enjoyed it! Yes, there was a good bit of romance, but the subplots and Monet's goal—not to mention some stellar secrets and backstory tidbits—made for a complex and riveting story. 

Great Protagonist
One of the reasons I found Monet so relatable was her lack of money. Maybe that's judgmental, but it did lessen her chances—at least in her mind—to succeed, and added a dimension of rawness and realism to her story. Then, of course, there was the illness...which was tragic and worrisome, yet fascinating. Monet's hobbies also drew me in (art? I love art).  I thoroughly enjoyed having a down-to-earth, determined, and intelligent protagonist.

Killer World
I could rave for a page about how cool the world-building was, but I'll spare you that lengthy monologue. It was unexpectedly good. That sounds insulting, so I'll qualify: I was under the impression that this was not a novel that would be exploring the world outside of the typical setting...and that the setting would be typical...because the main storyline revolves around winning this competition—winning the rock star. I'm so glad I was wrong. 

Gagnon added a nice big slice of futuristic fantasy-esque material to her settings. It was like finding a bunch of easter eggs in a Nancy Drew game (win. So much win) because fantasy is my GENRE. You know how people say someone is their homeboy? Fantasy my homeslice. (Don't judge me.) In other words, I felt like I'd won the jackpot without even playing. 

And there's more: Gagnon's finesse in the area of world-building is impressive, but what really blew me away was her ability to weave backstory and setting details into the story so subtly and creatively. Skyrim sneak level? 100—and Legendary. Brilliant. 

Sadly, as with most novels, there were some things I didn't love about Date With a Rockstar:

Jeremy Bane, Rock god? ...Really?

...If you know me, you already know why I have a problem with this. If you don't, here's my attempt at an uber short explanation: he's just a guy. Nothing particularly special about him other than the fact that, like hundreds of other guys, he can play some instruments and jam out on a stage. I don't appreciate or condone encouraging girls to look up to rockers--male or female--as anything more than human...because they aren't. 

And I know, I know--it's a terminology thing. "That's just what people say." My unforgiving opinion: Gagnon's a writer. Finding something better to say is part of her job description as an artist, and judging from her novel, she's more than capable of rising to the challenge.

Happily ever after? 
The ending and all loose ends were wrapped up nicely. A little too conveniently, really. Still, despite the fact that the ending wasn't as believable as I would've liked, it was still a solid, fulfilling, and desirable ending that left me feeling a tad warmer and fuzzier than before I began the journey alongside Monet. 

Mother dearest
I actually empathized with Monet's mother and resonated with her until around the 85-90% mark, at which point I was stunned by how unrealistic her response was to everything that had happened. It was the one thing that I just could not buy into. My disappointment was compounded by the above-described coziness of the ending as a whole. 

The romance. 

Ehhh, it was ok. Yeah, it was a cutesy love story and there were all the thrills you'd expect in any good romance—past love interest appearance, confessions/dirty secrets, angst—but sometimes the whole bachelor-thing really turned me off toward Jeremy. It made it harder to accept the romance as legitimate. (Probably didn't help that I have PTSD and trust issues with men lol.) The cattiness was also fairly obnoxious, though in fairness to Gagnon, I can't say that was unexpected.

Most bothersome? There was a scene or two near the end of the novel that was, in my opinion, not delivered in the best taste. Nothing raunchy, of course—this novel's clean with the exception of a few choice words sprinkled throughout—but it's the principle of the matter that bothered me. From Monet's pov, I get it; it wasn't unrealistic. But as an adult and a writer? I disagreed with the presentation and felt that Gagnon should've stepped up and discouraged the not-so-fantastic choices. 

Overall, I found Date With a Rockstar heartwarming, entertaining, and intriguing, and recommend it—especially to fans of romance. I was very impressed and will be on the lookout for Sarah Gagnon's work in the future :)!

Final Verdict: 

About the Author

Sarah Gagnon grew up in the frigid woods of Maine amidst snow and animal skins and has now moved back home. As a small child she wrote ship-wrecked romances all while being stared down by a taxidermied duck.

She has a BFA in photography and a minor in writing from the University of Southern Maine. She's the mother of two tiny, feral children and two ill-behaved dogs. For fun she’s taken up construction and interior design. Her first project: moving into a dilapidated farmhouse with her computer-genius husband. 

| Twitter @fancypantssarah | Facebook |

| Website |

Giveaway time! 

One winner will receive a Date With a Rockstar Tee and a finished copy of the book!

Must be 13+ to enter.

US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway