Tag Archives: Chosen

Contest Winners!

By Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Last week, Shana Silver and I held a contest to win an ARC of MATCHED plus several other ARCs.

Here are some of my favorite responses when the entrants were asked to match up a boy from my list with a boy from Shana’s list.

Nathalie says:

Cameron Morgan with Humbert Humbert because…I think he’d really like her.

Authorwithin says:

Bella from Twilight and Scrooge. He’s a controlling miser and apparently Bella likes to be submissive. She took care of her father and would have no problem serving good old Ebenezer. Plus, she’s used to cold men so Eb’s cold shoulder wouldn’t bother her. A perfect match.

Besides, Scrooge’s fiance, Belle, left him so replacing her with Bella whose name is only one letter away seems appropriate. =D

Jen Hayley says:

I’d like to team up Katniss and Voldemort, just to see what would happen!

Beth says:

I’m going to say Zoey Redbird and James from Twilight because Zoey needs another bad boy vampire boyfriend. Plus, he’ll chase her down if she tries to stray too much.

Writertessa says:

Cameron Morgan from Gallagher Girls and Voldemort!!! Not because I hate Cameron but because she and her spy-girl network can keep Voldemort in line :)

Dara says:

Hermione and George Wickham from Pride and Prejudice. I think her logical nature and no-nonsense attitude would straighten out the cad. She’d keep him in line. And I think he’d introduce her to her wild side a little more :P Plus their both Brits–that’s gotta be a plus, right? LOL.

Spav says:

I would match Rose from Vampire Academy and James from Twilight because Rose would be able to kick his ass when he steps out of line and she could also try to make him a better “vampire”.

Kelley says:

I was going to go with Hermione and The Grinch because, just like Cindy Loo Hoo, Hermione would melt that grumpsters heart in no time, but then I realized Bella really needs someone to whip her annoyingness into shape. So, I’m settling with Bella and Voldemort. There’s no way her all-powerful shield will be able to protect anyone from Voldemort’s evil.

Emily says:

Katniss and Scrooge, because the story of Katniss’ depressing childhood will soften his heart without having to go through all that pesky ghosts of Christmas past stuff. Plus, with their combined (significant) financial resources, Katniss can help so many more people in need.

Secret_Ivy says:

I match Voldemort and Bella from Twilight because Bella can love any kind of monster if he has the right heart. Who knows? Does Voldemort have heart??? LOL

THE VERDICT?

Looks like Bella and Katniss are going to have to battle it out to see which one gets Scrooge and which one lives (happily?) ever after with Voldy. Bella can shield Katniss’s attacks but we all know Katniss has a way with breaking down invisible shields. I’d love to see how this plays out.

And now for the winners. Drumroll please…

1st place goes to:

Dara

(who posted on my blog)

Second place goes to:

writertessa

(who posted on Shana’s blog)

Third place goes to:

secret_ivy

(who posted on Shana’s blog)

Prizes available:

Matched, The Duff, Nightshade, and The Map Thief are all ADVANCED READER COPIES

Losing Faith is signed by the other

Chosen is a regular book

HOW THIS WORKS:

1st place winner will choose first, then the 2nd place winner will choose from the remaining books, and 3rd place will get whichever is left. If the winners could email me at shanasilver at gmail dot com with their address and then rank the books from 1-6 with 1 being the one you want most, I’ll figure out who gets what and send it off! Since the books are possibly coming from different locations (since some are Chandler’s, some are mine), they might not all arrive in the same package.

SOME OTHER AWESOME CONTESTS YOU MIGHT WANT TO ENTER:

MATCHED Contest!

By Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments
When? January 17-January 24 

What? Matched Contest
Where? The combined blogs of Shana Silver and Chandler Craig
How? All you have to do is pick a “Girl” from Chandler’s list (below) and a “Boy” from the Shana’s list and tell us why the two characters should be matched for life. Leave your message in the comments and we’ll pick on January 25th.

 

1st Place: Choice of 3 books
2nd Place: Choice of 2 books
3rd Place: Choice of 1 book
1st place winner will choose first, then the 2nd place winner will choose from the remaining books, and 3rd place will get whichever is left.
Prizes available:
-ARC of MATCHED by Ally Condie
-ARC of THE DUFF by Kody Keplinger
-ARC of NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer
-Signed finished copy of LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden
-ARC of THE MAP THIEF
-Copy of CHOSEN by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one… until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow — between perfection and passion.

 

“Girls”

Bella from Twilight
Hermione from Harry Potter
Aislinn from Wicked Lovely
Katsa from Graceling
Clary Fray from Mortal Instruments
Cameron Morgan from Gallagher Girls
Mary from Forest of Hands and Teeth
Zoey Redbird from House of Night
Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy
Viola Cohen from As You Wish
Gemma Doyle from A Great and Terrible Beauty
Charlotte Doyle from The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Chloe Saunders from the Darkest Powers trilogy
Tally Youngblood from Uglies
Ever Bloom from Evermore
Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
Ruby Oliver from The Boyfriend List
Stargirl from Stargirl
Kiki Strike from Kiki Strike

And remember, if you love us, tweet it. If you really love us, blog it!

Virtual Book Drive

By Posted in For Kicks, Uncategorized Tagged , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

 

 

So this has been a super fun week in publishing. No denying that. Posts from Nathan Bransford and Moonrat, while informative, have left me wanting to tear my hair out a bit. Their silver lining? Publishing isn’t going to wither away completely. Great. Their advice? Buy new books.

Sure, you might feel that, as an individual, you don’t have much to offer. To which my response is not “See a therapist” but “Buy a book!”

I promise you can skip the chinese takeout this weekend and go out and purchase one book. Because as much fun as nibbling at your nailbeds whilst mulling over the future of your publishing career might be, proactivity is almost always more satisfying. (I’m very grassrootsy today)

Give book stores your vote of confidence today (or any time in the next two weeks). Go buy a book and slow down returns to the publisher.

 

First, click the poll and tell me how many books you plan to buy. Second, feel free to add the poll above to your blog and to ask people to buy books. If you have a book out that you’d wouldn’t mind people checking out provide a link to amazon in the comments section. If you have decided to ask others to buy books, link to your blog in the comments section.

 

I will add any links I get to my sidebar.

 

Today, I bought the first House of Night book, Marked, for  a friend, and Nate bought Chosen, the third book in the series for himself.

 

Get out there and buy those books!

A Question from The Peanut Gallery

By Posted in For Kicks, Uncategorized, Writing: The Process Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

I had a young person leave a question in the comments section on my post about the House of Night series. I think it’s a great one to consider for young readers forming opinions about how and what to read. But I also think it’s a great question for authors of young adult fiction to keep in mind.

Nicole said:

“Although Twilight is my fav book of all times!!! I’m getting sick of obsessing over it… but im not ready to give up my love for vampires so I think im going to read this series [House of Night]. I have a question though does the book talk alot about gods and godesses and make fun of other religions (when I say other i mostly mean Christanity)? Because im a strong Christian and I don’t want to be reading a book that makes fun of my beliefs…”

Nicole, that’s a great question. As a strong Christian myself, I can see where someone might feel that House of Night makes fun of religion. However, I believe what PC and Kristin Cast are looking down on is intolerance. As Christians, we know that it’s wrong to judge others or to think ourselves holier or better than the people around us. We know that we should love our neighbor as ourselves and that to cast someone out and deem them evil would be hypocritcal to our faith. And yet, it’s undeniable that people in all different religions have at times misconstrued their faith in order to assert power over another group of people.

Also, remember that this is fiction. And in The House of Night world, a mysterious vampire goddess truly does exist. Now, do we know that to be false in our world? Yes. But when we dive into a novel, we suspend our disbelief.

Since, another goddess who, in fact, is good exists in House of Night, it is wrong in the book, for another sect of people to satanize the vampires’ goddess.

So while the group that is satirized in the series is Christian, it is their intolerance, not their belief system that is “made fun of.”

It’s great that you are protective of your beliefs. I think we all are and developing the skill of being a critical reader, I think, will take you a long way. When you read a book, fiction or non, it’s always valuable to think: What is the exact message the author is trying to send? Do I agree or disagree?

I think you’re trying to do just that.

 

 

(**The House of Night series is written by P.C. and Kristin Cast and includes the books Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, and the newly released, Untamed.**)

 

 

Status: Gluing my butt to chair in hopes of writing lots starting…now!

Topical Tuesday: Move Over Miss Snark

By Posted in Topical Tuesday Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 8 Comments

If I were a literary agent I’d wear six inch stilettos, don a sexy pair of designer glasses, and keep my Amazon Kindle peeking out of my hot pink Kate Spade at all times.

I’d keep a blog that kept thousands of writers hanging on my every last word, even if just mentioning the song playing on my iPod right now.

My form rejection would be at least two paragraphs because that’s how long it takes to explain what subjective means to a writer. I’d use the greeting, “Dear Author.”

The submission guidelines on my website–if I decided to have one–would be cryptic and would involve a riddle.

And I’d represent juvenile fiction. Whether that included picture books and children’s literature, you’d have to figure out yourself. But it wouldn’t.

It would include only YA and middle grade and, more specifically, only urban fantasy, high fantasy, science fiction, and dark, edgy contemporary. If you thought Wicked Lovely was dark and edgy, you’d be wrong and I’d send you a rejection stating that I just wasn’t  “enthusiastic” enough about your project. Because, you see, if I were a literary agent, I wouldn’t have a lot of enthusiasm to throw around.

 

So, what would YOU represent if you were a literary agent?

 

To read Jay’s take on this week’s Topical Tuesday, click here.

For more of my Topical Tuesday posts try Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda–The Book I Wish I Wrote and Back That Thang Up.

 

Also, don’t forget to check out yesterday’s post so that you can participate in the blog scavenger hunt for a chance to win Andrew Davidson’s The Gargoyle!

 

Status: I got a real life writing job! A job, I tell you! Writing for a role playing video game. They’d pay me and everything. But guess what? I don’t think I can take it. With law school fast approaching I need to save myself for opportunities that I can’t live without. And if something else unbelievable came up, I wouldn’t be able to take it if I wrote for the video game.

Also, if SCOUT found a home, I’d be in big trouble. Anyway, it’s nice to feel wanted.

I finished Chosen, the third book in the House of Night series. It was sooo good! But now I’m stuck waiting for the next installment, which comes out later this fall. Oh well. I’ll get more writing done!

On today’s agenda? Writing and submissions.

Preteens know how to Partaaaaay

By Posted in For Kicks Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Since it *was* the event of the decade and all, I wanted to give y’all a little rundown of the Breaking Dawn Release Party held this past Friday night.

Nate and I showed up at the Bethesda Barnes and Noble around 10:15 PM on Friday after having stuffed our faces with sushi and milkshakes. (In case you’re wondering–not a good combo.)

Anyway, the Twilight/Breaking Dawn release party can best be described with one sentence:

It was SOOOOOOOO cute.

Seriously, Nate and I were by far the oldest people there who weren’t parents chaperoning their children. The place was hoppin’ with preteen prom-goers, the theme being Gothic Prom.

I’ll admit I was skeptical. I mean, Twilight has come nowhere close to enjoying the popularity Harry Potter once did. I laughed at Barnes and Noble when I read their advertisement stipulating that people should show up around 9 in order to ensure a wristband and a spot in line. Ok, so that part was probably unnecessary. But, we showed up at 10:15 and received wristband #526, which ended up being unfortunate when we got to wait in a long line for the book.

But the actual party part was fairly well done, I thought. Girls and guys–but mainly girls–dressed up in prom attire with a vampire twist. There were dance instructors giving complimentary salsa lessons and a face painting booth where you could get either “bitten” or slashed by a werewolf.

The most fun we had was listening to the book discussion. There was a big table and around it a swarm of girls literally yelling at each other every time the “moderator” finished throwing out some food for thought. I mean, these girls were heated! There was team Jacob, team Edward–things were about to get ugly when two leading girls on opposing sides decided that they hated each other, but also loved each other and asked to exchange email addresses so that they could continue chatting about books. How cool is that?

Finally, there were trivia questions that fans completed in a quiz form. Lots of cries of “This is so easy! These questions are a joke!” while Nate and I sat there wondering if we’d read the same book. The costume party was a hit, but I kept feeling sad for all the non-winners.

The night ended with everyone buying the book. No surprise there. But I think everyone left in a festive mood and sold on the whole midnight release party thing.

 
Haven’t purchased Breaking Dawn yet? Click here: Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)
 

Status: Shipped more boxes! It’s like it will never end! I’m reading Chosen, the third book in the House of Night series, before I start The Gargoyle next week. (Special announcement in the next post about how to win ARCs.)

Tomorrow, I’ll work on SCOUT…a lot. And take Sterling Marie to the vet.

Book Review: House of Night Series (Marked and Betrayed)

By Posted in book reviews Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 124 Comments

For those of you who were more than a little disappointed by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, I think I’ve found the answer. You can still have your insanely attractive vampires, teen girl narrator, and a splash of romance (Ok, so Twilight has more a tidal wave than a splash.) 

But, you can exchange the overpowering portion of teen angst, monotonous description, and Bella tunnel vision for a kickass heroine, a hilarious group of friends/sidekicks, and a healthy dose of action.

The House of Night series takes place in a world where vampires are no secret. Select teenagers are “marked” during their adolescence with a giant crescent tattoo in the middle of their forehead. If marked, a teenager must go live at the House of Night, a chain of boarding schools that train fledgling vampires and help them make it through The Change.

Marked begins when Zoey Redbird is chosen to become a vampire and follows her through her time at The House of Night in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

You might think that after Harry Potter and the Gallagher Girls series, the boarding school premise is old hat. But P.C. and Kristin Cast douse it with religion and a matriarchical structure that has Girl Power written all over it and the device comes out shiny new. Plus, let’s be serious–who doesn’t love a good boarding school book?

And, if you were sick of Bella doting on Edward and thinking about him 24 hours a day, you’ll be happy to learn that Zoey Redbird is quite the opposite with her boyfriend(s)–especially in Betrayed.

Finally, one of the things that folks find a bit tedious about Twilight is the tunnel vision. There isn’t a whole lot of character development beyond Bella and Edward. In House of Night, Zoey wants friends and finds excellent ones. And, while I love the Twilight books, I think that that is a better message to be sending young girls.

 

For my review of Twilight check here. If you want something different, read my review of Wicked Lovely. 

To purchase Marked click here: Marked (House of Night, Book 1) and for Betrayed click here: Betrayed (House of Night, Book 2)

Status: Packing. Going away party tonight!!!!! I’m so excited, but I have so much to get done before then. I better get moving.

Point of View’s a Point of Contention

By Posted in Writing: The Process Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 8 Comments

When writing a novel–or anything for that matter–one of the most pivotal decisions an author makes is choosing the point of view from which the story will be told.

I write Young Adult fiction, but the same holds true for other genres as well. Right now, first person point of view is “hot.” It seems that industry professionals have decided that writing in first person adds voice and spark and a closeness to character unachievable through third person.

I’ll agree that it is easier to find a voice while writing in first person. After all, you’re using your main character’s pattern of speech. This works especially well in YA because the narrator is usually the age of the reader and clear “teenspeak” can add both biting wit and humorous perspective.

But, is it the most natural?

I have long been an advocate of third person (preferably limited) even as it has become increasingly passe. Third person written in the past tense is the natural way to tell a story.

Even when first person is correctly “framed” (I’ll explain that later), the description given by the narrator is still often unrealistic. How someone’s elbow is bent, the narrator’s body position. These are all odd things for a person to tell regarding their own story.

I’m currently writing in first person and I am enjoying it–a lot. It’s fun to write from your character’s perspective. But, I’m constantly plagued by the question of why my character is telling the story. That’s what framing is. I’ll give you two examples. In The Confessions of Nat Turner the story is told by Nat who is in the process of confessing his crimes along with his motives to an attorney prior to his execution. Framing.

In The Immoralist, the main character is telling about how he has changed to his three friends who are, in turn, judging him.

Another common device is using a main character who is a writer and therefore it is natural that he or she would be describing in flowery detail the events that have passed.

However, even in something as fabulous as Nat’s tale, I’m thinking, Why would he relate every snippet of dialogue ever? Really. Why?

I don’t have anything against first person. I promise, I don’t. I’m only pointing out that it is a less natural way of storytelling and conversely, that third person is the most comfortable way to be told a story. Therefore, it’s the most comfortable for the reader.

And there is no reason that third person cannot remain extremely close to the characters. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr provides an excellent example. Wicked Lovely is written in third person limited with alternating perspectives. Melissa does a fabulous job and at many points, the reader forgets that the author has written the book in third person. That’s how close the narrative is. With third person, we can still be tied to the character’s thoughts.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is another example of a recent YA novel written in third.

While I may not always follow this myself, my opinion is that unless there is a compelling reason to write in first, stick to third. 

 

What do y’all think? Feel free to disagree.

 

For other posts on the process of writing read: The Squee and 7 Ways to Beat the Block

 

Status: I just finished Betrayed by P.C. and Kristin Cast. This is my second novel this week. Two books! And it’s Wednesday!! I think something must be wrong with me. No wonder, I’m having trouble getting things done. I’m going to try to snag the next House of Night book, Chosen, asap. But, in the meantime, I plan to read Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr and then Eclipse once Nate is done.

My SCOUT query is 2 for 2! I am incredibly excited about the latest request and the agent seems enthusiastic, too. Keep your fingers crossed, guys!