tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23005480355439315282024-02-07T20:11:00.090+00:00The Quest for a Literary AgentTessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-70973937978835340482011-05-16T09:14:00.000+00:002011-05-16T09:14:50.872+00:00Theft<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoFsYp9dKFoBywebZx2AqYt8bdKPIlS33sXC-NEOHqqaG1Lj3v_eyr3eH5THS7V14PYXTT443NbqyKBA-rB2oH3EeX2TOyfVNLZlUUu3md3Jr7aYZz9IqaoDswoBjB0I6pm4F98U_xlp2/s1600/thebaroness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoFsYp9dKFoBywebZx2AqYt8bdKPIlS33sXC-NEOHqqaG1Lj3v_eyr3eH5THS7V14PYXTT443NbqyKBA-rB2oH3EeX2TOyfVNLZlUUu3md3Jr7aYZz9IqaoDswoBjB0I6pm4F98U_xlp2/s320/thebaroness.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SpyCatsuit">Image</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Jeeze, you guys. Did you hear about the latest (or maybe it's not so new) Amazon scam? I read from a site I can't link to here because of the +18 content that a person has been lifting whole books and posting them as her own on Amazon. These are mostly self-published books and books published by small e-book companies. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Apparently this "author" has been "publishing" under several different names, but (s)he even has the audacity to use the same blurbs and everything. To steal like this in front of everyone in broad daylight is just unbelievable. I feel so sorry for the real authors. It must be horrible to be so powerless, to see your hard work being treated like this and no one will do anything.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It just plain sucks that people can do this and Amazon refuses to remove it because they say they're not responsible because of some clause they have in their contracts with the authors (saying that the person who is uploading is solely responsible for the content being their own). I personally think that since Amazon is getting a percentage of the sales, they should be held accountable. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You know what? I have only ever ordered online books through Amazon (.com and .co.uk), but I'm not going to buy books from them anymore until they've corrected this injustice. I've found better places to shop at anyway, like <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/">Book Depository</a> who ships free internationally. As for Kindle books, well I've learned to convert PDF files to Kindle format through <a href="http://www.mobipocket.com/en/downloadsoft/productdetailscreator.asp">Mobipocket Creator</a> (it's soooo easy, just a few clicks), so I'll be just fine without Amazon for a while.</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-49676672543178821212011-04-12T12:57:00.000+00:002011-04-12T12:57:59.512+00:00Woah There Stranger!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1Vg4yq3m6Uyf0p9SDV24LYy_lzl3_0ZxkBuv34EWwbUTfKjuN9LcOQg9jzdY3yLX9eOXi_305zS5v9tFLxA_7qLKaM5-UnwXNMLUcZdayLcwkVxjU97ymZFeU-noEsURPm_PDRT0R9Jt/s1600/funny-cute-dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1Vg4yq3m6Uyf0p9SDV24LYy_lzl3_0ZxkBuv34EWwbUTfKjuN9LcOQg9jzdY3yLX9eOXi_305zS5v9tFLxA_7qLKaM5-UnwXNMLUcZdayLcwkVxjU97ymZFeU-noEsURPm_PDRT0R9Jt/s320/funny-cute-dog.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know, I know, it's been aaaaages since I posted, but I've been going through a lot lately. At least school will be out in two weeks, so I should be returning to the blogsphere soon! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've managed to do some writing and my "Secret File" (haven't chosen a name yet) is almost completed. The goal was 50,000 words and I'm only 48 words away from that goal, but I still have two chapters to write so it'll be a little longer. Maybe 55,000 words, which is fine for a romance novel. What I'm so proud of in this manuscript is that it's packed with voice! I've never written something with so much voice before. Yay for progressing ^.^</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But yeah, I'm genre hopping! So far I've been set on YA, but then I finished an MG manuscript, and now I'm into adult romance. I don't know where I land but I suppose there's nothing that forces me to stick to just one genre. There are always pen names ^.^</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was planning on publishing this Secret File on Amazon for $2.99, but my buddy Rachael Harrie has been encouraging me to query. I suppose I have nothing to lose by doing that first. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've also been stuck by a huge decision: to write in English or Icelandic. I always write much more fluently in English and I'd like to publish my work in English, but the Icelandic market is sooooo much easier to break into. So I've come to the decision to try to publish at least one Icelandic and one English book every year (self-publish via Amazon or through a publisher if I get lucky) and a load has been hurled off my shoulder after that decision. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course I'll write a lot more, because writing a first manuscript really doesn't take that long, but I think it's better to be modest to begin with. Besides, not everything I'll write will be publishable (yeah right! No, seriously...). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyone else with such robust ambition? ^.^</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-86605490296150865172011-02-15T08:12:00.000+00:002011-02-15T08:12:04.825+00:00Say Hello!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">My followship (yes, that's a word!) has increased a lot lately and I'm very, very grateful. However, Blogger won't allow me to see everyone's blog page when I click on the little images in the sidebar. So, could the ones I haven't followed back leave a short comment below (just a quick hello) so that I can click your names and repay your kindness!</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-11210912828332796992011-02-13T14:50:00.000+00:002011-02-13T14:50:44.967+00:00The Second Crusade!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3wNEEo_TrLyIJbd573bYob-tcN5rVq5abLT6MGMWc3Yy2n6LzDZR2BYlChFM3FCTDNkA_QrnYwvdDgsHXrcZmHaPEvvSP4SLBxClVBJrb_B26x8_dAv1r9ihQKQ7iZ-xak0R_THGpbdp/s1600/performers-dressed-katrinas-parade-mexico-city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3wNEEo_TrLyIJbd573bYob-tcN5rVq5abLT6MGMWc3Yy2n6LzDZR2BYlChFM3FCTDNkA_QrnYwvdDgsHXrcZmHaPEvvSP4SLBxClVBJrb_B26x8_dAv1r9ihQKQ7iZ-xak0R_THGpbdp/s1600/performers-dressed-katrinas-parade-mexico-city.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">I hope all of you made it onto Rach's list of Crusaders this year (or this part of the year - I think there's another crusade later in the year). Last fall there were 50 Crusaders, but I have it from a reliable source that there are 200 Crusaders this year! Rach sure will have her hands full.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What is the Crusade? It's the <a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/p/writers-platform-building-crusade.html">"Writer's Platform-Building Crusade"</a>, where the purpose is to introduce blogging writers to one another and get them to communicate (and follow each other). There are loads of fun challenges and I made a lot of great buddies in the last Crusade. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately the application time has closed (so sorry for being late with this - I'll post earlier next time to give you heads up!), but I just wanted to congratulate Rach on her success and say to the other Crusaders: Can't wait to get to know you all!</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-61141314971181240152011-02-07T15:02:00.000+00:002011-02-07T15:02:07.527+00:00Trilogy Contest Winners!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCEAmJQhW66R4pzULB5lt6IsyBfLRjbEuhWa6JFu1vwmOfPnBBKrPB3Znqs2NcrNxtFmiInG-9hPOMWfOkoEjOCUj2B3ZZVJiqF11ZBoYPfifM5unacX9UTOY92rq2X5f7vgbMH9t6b1a/s1600/bigprizelogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCEAmJQhW66R4pzULB5lt6IsyBfLRjbEuhWa6JFu1vwmOfPnBBKrPB3Znqs2NcrNxtFmiInG-9hPOMWfOkoEjOCUj2B3ZZVJiqF11ZBoYPfifM5unacX9UTOY92rq2X5f7vgbMH9t6b1a/s320/bigprizelogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://contestempire.blogspot.com/2009/10/big-prize-become-fan-n-win-prizes-31.html">Image Credit</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Winners, Trilogy Contest</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, today’s the day to announce the winners of our Trilogy Contest. Thanks to all who entered, we had a great time and met some really awesome peeps. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a reminder, up for grabs were a total of 12 critiques, 4 each by Marieke, Rach and me:*</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">(1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-AU">query or synopsis (max. 2 pages) critique (winner's choice)</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">(2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-AU">first 300 words critique</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">(3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-AU">first 3 pages critique</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AND</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">(4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-AU">first 30 pages critique</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know you can’t wait to find out the winners.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So...*drumroll*... the winners of the critiques by me (as determined by random.org out of a total 505 entries) are:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-AU">query or synopsis (max. 2 pages) critique (winner's choice) - </span><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><b>Michelle</b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-AU">first 300 words critique - <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">Emy Shin</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-AU">first 3 pages critique - <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">The Weed</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AND</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-AU">first 30 pages critique - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><b>Elena Solodow</b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woot!!!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Congratulations to all the winners. Email me at tessaquin[at]gmail[dot]com to claim your prizes.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, I see you thinking, there are only 4 winners in this post, where are the others???</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good question, I say. You’ll have to pop over to <a href="http://www.mariekenijkamp.com/musings/">Marieke’s Musings</a> and <a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/2011/02/wave-to-my-new-followers-teensy-bit-of.html">Rach Writes</a> to find out the other winners.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good luck!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Unfortunately we didn’t quite get to 50 entrants, but we’ll definitely have some books up for grabs in our next contest as well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;">(Yeah, the above was totally copy-pasted from Rach's site)</span></div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-37162844965395802782011-01-20T18:30:00.000+00:002011-01-20T18:30:13.517+00:00What's Up?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSqX-RPPRoYb1wc5iYrkfjyvvlepuQMnX78fusO_7DsIem7gvC2iZ28nnVI5yRKW5S5lxcnSAYgKJxdm5MYYDnLR-STSna5f9Do6AI9yQeGYoZCajSyuDgXcajpJlE63-wjhyphenhyphenwBqm3UDs/s1600/334_Smart_Asian_baby_writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSqX-RPPRoYb1wc5iYrkfjyvvlepuQMnX78fusO_7DsIem7gvC2iZ28nnVI5yRKW5S5lxcnSAYgKJxdm5MYYDnLR-STSna5f9Do6AI9yQeGYoZCajSyuDgXcajpJlE63-wjhyphenhyphenwBqm3UDs/s320/334_Smart_Asian_baby_writing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://childcareinaustin.com/programhighlights.html">http://childcareinaustin.com/programhighlights.html</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">So, what are you guys doing these days? Working on a manuscript? Trying to get back into gear after Christmas? Just relaxing with a book?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">University has started, so I'm spending a lot of time studying, but with it I'm working on getting an Icelandic book published. I kind of feel out of sorts, though, because I feel that I should be writing (and not waiting for the kid-betas to finish reading). It's just that I'm so excited about this project that I find it hard to put it aside and dive back into my YA novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's not like I've been doing nothing in January, though. I did polish the Icelandic MG manuscript, and I have a schedule I'm sticking to. It's a darn good novel, might I add, so I have a good feeling about this one. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Going back to my YA manuscript looks so daunting. I just need to do what <a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/2010/12/when-revising-your-manuscript-seems-too_14.html">Rachael Harrie</a> advised: Take it in sections. Smaller parts are always more manageable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Is everyone else being super active in their writing? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh! And don't forget to enter the <a href="http://tessyquin.blogspot.com/2011/01/trilogy-contest-tremendous-prizes.html">Trilogy Contest</a> for some awesome prizes! </div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-85363355664919226502011-01-18T10:30:00.000+00:002011-01-18T10:30:53.873+00:00Favourite Food Challenge<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse3hVodkBwux0CS0ov2Df7y1QbkiI4BubZBvCgYe76b3-08vJbfSasWgWO45UdUgLZEQpwlIZ33nPzfe-nqposIIZA3wvwG06VLDbMkkfwtmbeJgg7l4SPfopthvtb1PINCMtIzZrxuu6/s1600/pyramid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse3hVodkBwux0CS0ov2Df7y1QbkiI4BubZBvCgYe76b3-08vJbfSasWgWO45UdUgLZEQpwlIZ33nPzfe-nqposIIZA3wvwG06VLDbMkkfwtmbeJgg7l4SPfopthvtb1PINCMtIzZrxuu6/s320/pyramid.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://doctorbrady.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/">http://doctorbrady.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm taking English Composition this semester, which is academic writing. Only I'm thrilled to learn that we're supposed to use a bit of showing in our texts. For this week, I'm supposed to write a short, descriptive paragraph of <u>how</u> my favourite food tastes like. I'm not allowed to say what it is.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>So! I'm turning this into a challenge. Write a short paragraph to describe <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">HOW</span> your favourite food tastes like, using some or all of your senses.</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i>My favourite food fuses my taste buds with sweet, rich flavour almost before it passes my lips. My mouth waters with the thick, smooth texture as my teeth crunch against the hard surface and my tongue smoothes the shattered fragments, creaming them against the top of my gum.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Okay, so this can be a double-meaning thingy, but I swear it's food. Can you guess what it is? </span></div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-50682779169218482752011-01-14T10:21:00.004+00:002011-01-14T10:23:35.136+00:00Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zuviX2Ais6nUvy4BxnQeIp6NX61uBWOOPwLeuvF4S6Weqmqof47opgBQFIsL3oqNim1JFZldkPLGUiuhjlteTFEQ2bKADEmedywAhBvmDpf0IoljKNHVfRkmBgzV7y5PSadlZHwj2rgb/s1600/amazon_logo11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zuviX2Ais6nUvy4BxnQeIp6NX61uBWOOPwLeuvF4S6Weqmqof47opgBQFIsL3oqNim1JFZldkPLGUiuhjlteTFEQ2bKADEmedywAhBvmDpf0IoljKNHVfRkmBgzV7y5PSadlZHwj2rgb/s320/amazon_logo11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Dudes! Did you know about the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011">Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award</a>? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Pokes Rachael and Marieke who have darn good manuscripts ready.*</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's the excerpt from Amazon's site: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Amazon.com, along with Penguin Group (USA) and CreateSpace, is pleased to announce the fourth annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, the international competition seeking the next popular novel. The competition will once again award <b>two grand prizes</b>: one for General Fiction and one for Young Adult Fiction. Each winner will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $15,000 advance.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">The Breakthrough Novel Award brings together talented writers, reviewers, and publishing experts to find and develop new voices in fiction. If you're an author with an unpublished or previously self-published novel waiting to be discovered, visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html/ref=amb_link_354610382_1?location=http://www.createspace.com/abna&token=56EFF039858480083E0CF879159776EF63ECD0D4&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1PEQG84QAGKVQZSQYBQC&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1282870802&pf_rd_i=332264011" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">CreateSpace</a> to sign up for regular contest updates. <b>Open submissions for manuscripts will begin on January 24, 2011 and run through February 6, 2011.</b></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Isn't that an amazing opportunity? I'm sure the winners won't have any trouble finding an agent after they have a promise of publication already. </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">You'll need to be fast, though, because they stop accepting pitches after 5,000 entries for each of the two categories (so it'll probably be filled up before the end of January). </span></b></span></div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-79814807549327305042011-01-12T12:29:00.003+00:002011-01-12T12:50:32.866+00:00Hunger Games Rant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYIHBMhtyimKSSLkeT81AJpDl2AfTG4-_TGmjS5kGHSkOgE9VkJrrBLeSlGkDl3Ed8M18NlVWgYJRoPn55wBR37bfj2zaLiRzdJ344Xmxe_qH7ByQDX_iZ3Y_yYhkLehhrSA1pDJaBjei/s1600/hunger-games-14-9-10-kc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYIHBMhtyimKSSLkeT81AJpDl2AfTG4-_TGmjS5kGHSkOgE9VkJrrBLeSlGkDl3Ed8M18NlVWgYJRoPn55wBR37bfj2zaLiRzdJ344Xmxe_qH7ByQDX_iZ3Y_yYhkLehhrSA1pDJaBjei/s320/hunger-games-14-9-10-kc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">WARNING: This post contains spoilers of Suzanne Collins' <i>The Hunger Games</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I finished reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Book-1/dp/0439023521?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0439023521" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> last Friday, which means roughly 1400 pages read in five days - not bad for a mother of toddler twins! I was hooked from page one up until I had maybe 10% of book three left, those I read those 10% fast, too. Seriously, I lost one and a half kilos, because I wasn't snacking while reading and it helped me get over my chocolate addiction.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't know where to begin praising these books. The writing is so perfect, the voice, the tense, the action. There was never a dull moment. The first book will always been my favourite, though the others were great as well. It sort of annoyed me in book two that she kept blaming herself for the deaths of people. It's just that Katniss had been so level- and logical minded throughout that it seems like she should have been able to see that those deaths weren't her fault. It was President Snow who put them in the circle and had them fight it out; it was the man in District 11's choice to salute her, which got him killed; it was Coin's plot to put Katniss in a mockingjay suit and have her be a hero of the people. It wasn't even her fault that people started to feel rebellious when she put those poisoned berries in her mouth at the end of book one, because all she was thinking about at the time was to save Peeta. She even reflects on that later, but still she doesn't recognize the fact that none of those deaths were her fault. All Katniss was ever doing when she did those "rebel acts" was saving others or being sincere (in District 11). </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfqAoO3CvwWPGjm8hjRuvYpjZaaZDxJbF3HEcfeSKnz75PBv_G5XGyc-oJExOy9lC3-iDwteGTeJ9AKPKrI7tywv8ZzT5BGhF3_igzBCmszMDC_urc8v3LycBk1zxFj23exMw-rzK2iIz/s1600/Making-A-Stand-the-hunger-game-trilogy-8578976-897-647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfqAoO3CvwWPGjm8hjRuvYpjZaaZDxJbF3HEcfeSKnz75PBv_G5XGyc-oJExOy9lC3-iDwteGTeJ9AKPKrI7tywv8ZzT5BGhF3_igzBCmszMDC_urc8v3LycBk1zxFj23exMw-rzK2iIz/s320/Making-A-Stand-the-hunger-game-trilogy-8578976-897-647.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;">Fan art by http://rohanelf.deviantart.com/</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Which brings me to book three. I was captivated, just like with the other two, but it really annoyed me that she kept blaming herself. It also annoyed me to death that she never gave Gale a chance. Yes, I was aboard the Gale/Katniss ship from the first pages, and I hated how Katniss always dismissed him. There were clues, though, in the second and third books that they wouldn't end up together: his lack of responses when he should have been angry when she kissed Peeta in front of him; his lack of being there when she needed him the most; her general lack of interest. But come on, it would have been perfect to have them end up together. Her reaction to seeing him flogged was a promise that he was the one she loved and would end up with! A promise that wasn't fulfilled. They started in the forest and should have ended in the forest. They had history, they cared for one another, they were both responsible, and he even had a cute nickname for her. I'll explain later how I think the series should have ended.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVfSQp3gozlARHro-S8lWQqwOeAdq2PH3YAX2RmEXT_fcoxxDx5GcoWBqNCLWMsH5lcFQWpitnF0sTF4tAmTmaFaO1UDHRNetbAkdMxz3hMd3w3xlgF92mvpUH_2Dxn_JHVvlMWdCRPDZ/s1600/Hunger_Games__Peeta_VS_Gale_by_apricotteacup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVfSQp3gozlARHro-S8lWQqwOeAdq2PH3YAX2RmEXT_fcoxxDx5GcoWBqNCLWMsH5lcFQWpitnF0sTF4tAmTmaFaO1UDHRNetbAkdMxz3hMd3w3xlgF92mvpUH_2Dxn_JHVvlMWdCRPDZ/s320/Hunger_Games__Peeta_VS_Gale_by_apricotteacup.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;">Fan art by Apricotteacup</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Peeta. Okay, he's the boy with the bread and "pita" is bread (pronounced the same way). Still, I don't like it as a name. But that's not all. I never cared much for him. That utter self-sacrifice act of his is just too fictional. It's human nature to want to survive, but his attitude was somewhere along time lines "nah, you go ahead and live - I don't really mind dying, even though I have family at home who would miss me." The fact that Katniss had never spoken to him before the reaping makes the fact that he's completely in love with her more than a little iffy. He didn't even know her. He just seemed like a weak character, completely useless in both games and not caring, it seemed, that she hurt him over and over by being dismissive and "choosing" Gale in book two. He was hurt at the end of book one, but that was it. He forgave her for everything, before and after.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYsChvwM6-csWSU_asHQ8ygk42_G7JL9ziUd3XZIf6eJKRotnetuJ8aUwYz5zCr6azAwwQzzQn-iqHVwErT0WbVuQJCDoIqVPnVp8h0K6XFgoTNjVEvFOI_l0Q8D7eNN3-y6cx1w8kb4tL/s1600/hungergamesending.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYsChvwM6-csWSU_asHQ8ygk42_G7JL9ziUd3XZIf6eJKRotnetuJ8aUwYz5zCr6azAwwQzzQn-iqHVwErT0WbVuQJCDoIqVPnVp8h0K6XFgoTNjVEvFOI_l0Q8D7eNN3-y6cx1w8kb4tL/s320/hungergamesending.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;">Fan art by <a href="http://empressfunk.deviantart.com/" style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">EmpressFunk</a></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, the ending. The way I see it, there was no need for that last scene of battle where Prim was blown up and Katniss dove into mental breakdown. There was no need to kill President Coin. It seems to have been done just to add a gasp-factor and to make the ending bitter-semisweet, making Katniss choose Peeta just because he was there when Gale had (finally) given up on her for her continuous disrespect of him. Still, if Gale had been there at the end, she could have chosen him. I mean, she didn't know if she loved Peeta or not by the end of the war, so why not?<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RJmG43sJgqWCwFFTRT3cJTTjG-Z0qruHk90YNrLt7NgiUJJnX2Hyy-qwT4KZA6rIzhagOJG0N9oRaa0QV-mh1DixnS2Rr1YkSQzuFYkEDu_bGqfKI-x1ztxDezIe6YRxCxvsR9erKjQu/s1600/hunger_games_by_iluvsnake-d30a0l6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RJmG43sJgqWCwFFTRT3cJTTjG-Z0qruHk90YNrLt7NgiUJJnX2Hyy-qwT4KZA6rIzhagOJG0N9oRaa0QV-mh1DixnS2Rr1YkSQzuFYkEDu_bGqfKI-x1ztxDezIe6YRxCxvsR9erKjQu/s320/hunger_games_by_iluvsnake-d30a0l6.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;">Fan art by ILUVsnake</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Collins probably wrote the killing Prim-scene to show that President Coin was no different from President Snow, but I already had that impression. I think it would have been perfect if Katniss had managed to sneak into the mansion, killed Snow, staged an explosion where she and Gale "died", and then run off with Gale to live in the woods. The two of them could make it there, you know. Katniss wouldn't want to show her face to Panem anymore and she wouldn't have to. The bitter-sweet ending would be that now that Coin has taken over, not much has changed. Prim could have voiced her wishes to work in the Capitol's hospital if they won the war, which is how Katniss would have realized that she wouldn't see much of Prim anyway and she wouldn't have to take care of Prim anymore. This is how I thought it would end, and in my mind, this is the perfect ending. It would even make it possible to create a new series based on this one, if the author cared for it.<br />
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</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJONJ6vfA7_f3sVTidy3RKtuVwOkb4bkUnJvjp21QjHEBrRr-6uWDyuYBXi_j_wsfHVV0cxVfvwvqIYbG7l7-QXZ3H38q4i-_aIyK398WMkBax_UV3y1EvZvsxCsgGbC9gmS1f29whMna/s1600/the_girl_who_was_on_fire_by_kara_lija-d2zov0q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJONJ6vfA7_f3sVTidy3RKtuVwOkb4bkUnJvjp21QjHEBrRr-6uWDyuYBXi_j_wsfHVV0cxVfvwvqIYbG7l7-QXZ3H38q4i-_aIyK398WMkBax_UV3y1EvZvsxCsgGbC9gmS1f29whMna/s320/the_girl_who_was_on_fire_by_kara_lija-d2zov0q.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;">Fan art by Kara-Lija</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And Peeta? Well, wasn't Delly perfect for him? Her taking care of Peeta in District 13 didn't make Katniss jealous (which says a lot - namely that she didn't have those sort of feelings for Peeta), so it seriously looked like that's where that was heading in book three and it looked like the perfect solution to the triangle mess. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hookay, rant over! Even though those were the disappointing issues with the books, the pluses outweigh the minuses by far. I absolutely loved everything else. The districts, the games, the characters, the living in District 12. These series have been placed amongst the top series in my mind. Definitely the best dystopia series I've read. I wonder how Collins came up with the concept. It's just brilliant. Even though the ending and Peeta leave a bitter taste in my mouth, I still give these series as a whole five stars out of five. I borrowed them at the library, but I'm going to invest in a copy of each, since I'll be reading these books over and over - hopefully until I'm in love with Peeta (yeah, right!).<br />
<br />
Oh, and by the way, Finnik dying...what was the point of that?</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-27004835137058802422011-01-05T21:22:00.002+00:002011-01-06T12:56:04.759+00:00Hunger Games and a Contest Reminder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUi9HczVbQLokIdnKGcfqzdYPX7wnf6z_YO9rZcP8BdCIwB5aue9thPZ4CxmM1mV8Ni03C_v-Q-rxBBl3ijA5tgBSTY-F_2ABUOY1w0p7lfSaclySmHmdryTYMbzwikQUzu5bnnSBGo7Gu/s1600/51HX3-IBqlL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUi9HczVbQLokIdnKGcfqzdYPX7wnf6z_YO9rZcP8BdCIwB5aue9thPZ4CxmM1mV8Ni03C_v-Q-rxBBl3ijA5tgBSTY-F_2ABUOY1w0p7lfSaclySmHmdryTYMbzwikQUzu5bnnSBGo7Gu/s1600/51HX3-IBqlL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phew, I just found the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Book-1/dp/0439023521?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hunger Games</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0439023521" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> books at the library and I devoured the first one already. And the half of the next one too, actually. Amazing books with amazing writing. I normally don't like present tense prose, but Suzanne Collins does it so well that I don't even notice it. And honestly, I can't imagine these books written in any other way.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suppose most books are written in either first person, past tense; or third person, past tense (yeah, I also needed to do the maths here when I read over this entry). The first person, present tense is something that's becoming more and more popular. It's good for fast paced, action packed books. It gives the reader the intense feeling that they're right there with the character. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First person with a mix of past and present tense is also something I'm seeing more of. Like Charleine Harris's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sookie-Stackhouse-8-copy-Boxed-Blood/dp/0441018238?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sookie Stackhouse</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0441018238" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> series. She'll write most of it in past tense, but once in a while there'll be something in present tense, like when Sookie is stating a fact about herself. I kind of like this style.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's your favourite to read and your favourite to write?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrM048TKq_EviObw0M5S_NN6pNqU-Tgz0lMv6grY3pZOdhuIfuUiu86ijCRs7XNyWlmcGGqe6hB7oGsHaaoRkUFnAWOazXa03ooSLtGwM4iuwWZ0C2Tu0V3c5mtzdQPhZTiN38hJXzUTvI/s1600/51DvhXVMT5L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrM048TKq_EviObw0M5S_NN6pNqU-Tgz0lMv6grY3pZOdhuIfuUiu86ijCRs7XNyWlmcGGqe6hB7oGsHaaoRkUFnAWOazXa03ooSLtGwM4iuwWZ0C2Tu0V3c5mtzdQPhZTiN38hJXzUTvI/s1600/51DvhXVMT5L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a simplified reminder of the Trilogy Contest:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You fill out <a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dFlHZWhIQl92R25qY2k1dVFaaHAzMUE6MQ#gid=0">this form</a> to take part. You can get additional (for additional work) by filling out <a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDkxRjNua1hzTTBDcWE3Y2FPZ1VnWkE6MQ#gid=0">this form</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The requirements are that you need to follow my blog, <a href="http://www.mariekenijkamp.com/musings/">Marieke's</a>, and <a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/">Rach's</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's international and it's up to you how much work you want to put in the forms - just stating you're a follower to all three is enough to take part, but you can up your chances by blogging, tweeting, etc.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll get the chance to win one of the prizes:</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 x query or synopsis</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(max. 2 pages)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">critiques (winner's choice)</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 x first 300 words critiques</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 x first 3 pages critiques</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">3 x first 30 pages critiques</div></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Across the Universe, by Beth Revis (from Rachael)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mockingbirds, by Daisy Whitney (from Marieke)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unearthly, by Cynthia Hand (from me)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 x Amazon gift certificates of $30 each from the ones who reach 300 followers before the contest ends.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZlSJGZn54tS8J_c02IQ1zSd7wXsieOTvvyOmjhrT2QUm4kesO8JKPhTcOEnOFPmkPimaXWJASVZmVWrTEByrRznGiIjE0YwSW7-8WnwXb106RO6iJBMiTcljSgEs6WhNhWURCyrlXpb5/s1600/51hHjAIBP2L._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZlSJGZn54tS8J_c02IQ1zSd7wXsieOTvvyOmjhrT2QUm4kesO8JKPhTcOEnOFPmkPimaXWJASVZmVWrTEByrRznGiIjE0YwSW7-8WnwXb106RO6iJBMiTcljSgEs6WhNhWURCyrlXpb5/s1600/51hHjAIBP2L._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-41209214953490189132011-01-04T21:36:00.003+00:002011-01-06T12:56:48.273+00:00Trilogy Contest - Tremendous Prizes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFhSHSGbF0AEI7ULw7uMiaM6dTeqfB_C_kEaAFSigL0FzfPb_F0mCWwzhHLNDYQwlG-WY1uWPwc7TiiwiuEUGCQpnnL8A2hmreG2gcERx2HWnO0dRBY6GyxkRmVJGWu9s4JJNKRT3FrRQ/s1600/trilogy+contest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFhSHSGbF0AEI7ULw7uMiaM6dTeqfB_C_kEaAFSigL0FzfPb_F0mCWwzhHLNDYQwlG-WY1uWPwc7TiiwiuEUGCQpnnL8A2hmreG2gcERx2HWnO0dRBY6GyxkRmVJGWu9s4JJNKRT3FrRQ/s1600/trilogy+contest.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">2010 was quite the year for us...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>We started blogging</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>We made character sketches</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>We attended WriteOnCon</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>We outlined (or not)</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>We found each other as critique partners</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>We wrote and wrote and wrote</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>We ripped our WIPs to shreds and glued them back together</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>We blogged more</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>And we wrote</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">And we plotted!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">You've all seen our teasers, the something that's coming from far away to shake up the blogosphere. Now, at long last, something is here. Something x 3.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">We're happy, excited, and thrilled to announce our Trilogy Contest. Your chance to win one of a gigantic stack of amazingly awesome prizes.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">And here they are*:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 x query or synopsis</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(max. 2 pages)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">critiques (winner's choice)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 x first 300 words critiques</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 x first 3 pages critiques</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">AND</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 x first 30 pages critiques</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*For the picture book writers, Rach'll convert any of the above prizes into a picture book critique! And if you win a 30 page critique, she'll critique 3 of your picture book wips instead!!!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Rather have a book? We've thought about that too!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>If more than 50 people enter the Trilogy Contest, we'll share some of our favorites/dying to reads. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">So Marieke will give away a copy of... <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mockingbirds-Daisy-Whitney/dp/0316090530?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Mockingbirds</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316090530" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">I will give away a copy of... <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unearthly-Cynthia-Hand/dp/0061996165?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Unearthly</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061996165" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">And Rach will give away a copy of... <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Across-Universe-Beth-Revis/dp/1595143971/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294318463&sr=1-1">Across The Universe</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002G1K82Q" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">To enter, you need to be a follower of each of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.mariekenijkamp.com/musings/">Marieke</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/">Rach's</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">, and my blogs. You'll also need to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">fill out</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dFlHZWhIQl92R25qY2k1dVFaaHAzMUE6MQ#gid=0">this form</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The Trilogy Contest will end on January 31 and winners will be randomly drawn and announced the following week</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(only one prize per person)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">. We'll be giving extra entries to those who blog, tweet, or otherwise spread the word about the Contest. Just copy your links into the form (Of course, you can pop back anytime and fill out</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDkxRjNua1hzTTBDcWE3Y2FPZ1VnWkE6MQ#gid=0">this <strong>bonus</strong> form</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">to add</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><strong>extra</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">points</span> for additional blogs/tweets etc. But only after you filled in the original form, just so our heads won’t ‘splode with all the extra maths</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><img alt=";)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://www.mariekenijkamp.com/musings/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">'Cause you guys rock, there'll be</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>an additional +10 entries </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">for everyone who's a follower of all our blogs before January 11, so get in quick and follow along if you haven't already. And spread the word so your friends can have a chance as well.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Bet you thought we were finished. Well, we're not!!! We're throwing in a special bonus.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">For each of us that gets to 300 followers, we'll donate a $30 Amazon gift card</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">to a random contest entrant who is also a follower of our blog.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Is that fantastic or what!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">You may have noticed a little Trilogy theme here, more on that later...</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">For now, let the fun begin...</span></span>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-3419752767814361972011-01-02T23:48:00.001+00:002011-01-02T23:51:12.390+00:00Interview: Rachael HarrieI'm back from the holidays - a day late, to be exact, but the whole Christmas/New Year celebration is a big deal over here (it doesn't end until next Thursday). Things should go back to normal within the next days...or I hope they will.<br />
<br />
I took an interview with the famous <a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/">Rachael Harrie</a> before Christmas, but decided to make it my first post of the new year! Who's Rachael Harrie? Remember the Platform-Building Crusade? Well, Rach was the mastermind behind it, rounding up a group of fellow writer-bloggers to befriend and get to know each other. There'll be another crusade in 2011!<br />
<br />
When I first met Rach, she looked like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMf_XEcY0irMgVu3jIQkYgFQg6PvnVWWAbYD2HvRgU-7aRchc58YqbTteQV9Xt8BL5fXLPXVkZ4E7zJg0qmRG2_bTCSiyFfxfLl92XhOtolMlrGXdt_ePA_s239QcWoJKApUElYWTokPN6/s1600/6SbkhB4eRKnpBKnuLGvEUeJ8Yhx76Vo4NQZj3SOurXwns2bMhoiHeroPN5mZab0XT-tqOAwrz2n221WxqDc8_NSSvhQbcxksoSkOQO_y3hg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMf_XEcY0irMgVu3jIQkYgFQg6PvnVWWAbYD2HvRgU-7aRchc58YqbTteQV9Xt8BL5fXLPXVkZ4E7zJg0qmRG2_bTCSiyFfxfLl92XhOtolMlrGXdt_ePA_s239QcWoJKApUElYWTokPN6/s1600/6SbkhB4eRKnpBKnuLGvEUeJ8Yhx76Vo4NQZj3SOurXwns2bMhoiHeroPN5mZab0XT-tqOAwrz2n221WxqDc8_NSSvhQbcxksoSkOQO_y3hg.jpg" /></a></div><br />
But then she looked like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgiHA7P0NimiiV9PBqQmbo2Qv__Cndan8Fc06Zaq4qJ4bl8ax6wZgfYtPBmhy5_PD9G_EXPGa1_H-wdPSGWvwbD0roQA4pxfo2hF0AQlhCRP3c-sqxKxOEbWTqqnTuRgZHe7rTr0Ig2Rb/s1600/Rach+Blog+Photo%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgiHA7P0NimiiV9PBqQmbo2Qv__Cndan8Fc06Zaq4qJ4bl8ax6wZgfYtPBmhy5_PD9G_EXPGa1_H-wdPSGWvwbD0roQA4pxfo2hF0AQlhCRP3c-sqxKxOEbWTqqnTuRgZHe7rTr0Ig2Rb/s1600/Rach+Blog+Photo%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Not much different, right?<br />
<br />
A select few of you would also know her as this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKjDuJEr3GFJROZ8_xNy2-UhMYgDS4KK3n-MYoIdQxpA1_dIKDhyi19gT4WjWLu6Hrl1tol-v4D-QURYzxWX1lun2aibw3j2NusHOLA2vv-vB_shZwVW0yBa4Ys8HCZkqjAM7fLdGGa4E/s1600/596451.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKjDuJEr3GFJROZ8_xNy2-UhMYgDS4KK3n-MYoIdQxpA1_dIKDhyi19gT4WjWLu6Hrl1tol-v4D-QURYzxWX1lun2aibw3j2NusHOLA2vv-vB_shZwVW0yBa4Ys8HCZkqjAM7fLdGGa4E/s1600/596451.gif" /></a></div><br />
(Seriously, that bunny is even named :Rach: in our crit forum)<br />
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Anyway, I asked <s>Pigmy-Puff</s> Rach some (mostly) writing related questions:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Question 1 - If you had a million dollars, what would you spend it on? </span><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Ooh, that's a tough one. I really, really like choc-coated honeycomb (*chortles*). More seriously, I'd probably buy my dream house somewhere near the beach, take a few really good writing courses, upgrade my computer, and buy a room full of books to read when I wasn't writing. Oh, and I'd need a few people to help me around the house, so I could write full-time. Plus a bit of travel here and there. Research purposes, of course! </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">(See? We writers always think about writing when we get questions like these. Marieke did too, in my last interview) </span><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: purple; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Question 2 - What are you working on (genre, age group, main story plot - if it can be revealed)? </span><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">My current WIP is a Young Adult Horror novel titled FROM THE OTHER SIDE. The logline is:</span><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: purple; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When seventeen-year-old Verity is murdered by the boy she loves, she becomes a ghost whose ability to burn her victims seems purpose-made for her mission of vengeance. However, the search for her killer and an increasing body-count stretch Verity’s sanity to the limits, and unless she finds a way to regain control more innocent people will die, including the one person with the power to save her from herself. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">(I'm reading this draft and I can tell you, people, it WILL be published some day soon!) </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: purple; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Question 3 - What do you eat/drink while writing? </span><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">I try not to eat while I'm writing. I find it distracts me and I also tend to eat too much if I'm not paying attention! I usually make myself a cup of tea when I sit down to write, but other than that I just drink water. A bit boring much? </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">(Nah, not boring. When I wrote my first draft of BoB, I ate chocolate each day. I even </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">brought out popcorn for the really exciting parts of the story.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> It didn't do me much good, though having the popcorn might have popped-things up a little . I just drink water today - club soda, mostly) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Is there anything else you'd like to add? </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;">Yep, I hear there’s a massive contest and some awesomely amazing giveaways coming soon. If you want a head start check back on Tuesday, January 4 to find out how you can collect your first points ;)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Really? Well that should be interesting!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><b>Thank you, Rachael for this. <a href="http://www.mariekenijkamp.com/musings/?p=741">Marieke</a> interviewed me and put it up on her blog yesterday. Check it out of you're curious about moi, or Marieke, who is awesome as well (as Rachael! You thought I meant me, right?).</b></span></span>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-84352529571373886182010-12-19T10:31:00.001+00:002010-12-19T16:39:30.952+00:00Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr2h9ZPSmjc3IDLvNMi424lEwXphS2A9Y0o45TDzQr-Nkvt8ZwOk1WXHiEVV7255-d8YeNd8HEhLX-TRTAxjZm-3WtuyK6tdtjlVVsm4T1aTg3F64CzhoQMlfksPkuWtXXiKmlAlmYX6U/s1600/Christmas-2011-New-Year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr2h9ZPSmjc3IDLvNMi424lEwXphS2A9Y0o45TDzQr-Nkvt8ZwOk1WXHiEVV7255-d8YeNd8HEhLX-TRTAxjZm-3WtuyK6tdtjlVVsm4T1aTg3F64CzhoQMlfksPkuWtXXiKmlAlmYX6U/s320/Christmas-2011-New-Year.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://www.crazythemes.com/">http://www.crazythemes.com/</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">80 posts this year! And for only half a year. That's not too bad. A little over a hundred if I include the Bookaways blog, which hasn't been active lately because of my busyness. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Like so many other bloggers, I'm taking the time off until January 1st. 2011. I have two kids to take care of and I'm going to use the spare time for revisions. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My January 1st post will be special. I'll take an interview with Rachael Harrie, and we'll get a little more information on our little secret project, which will be revealed soon after. It's definitely something to stay tuned on.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">So I say to you, my dear friends and fellow writers: Merry Christmas and may the year 2011 bring you agents and publishing contracts :D</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Finally, Luna is hosting a contest where one can win one of her top ten choices of books from 2010. See more info <a href="http://bookaways.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-ten-of-2010.html">here</a>.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLZtDusDeUD7H_a7fK_1SilyaauPjzU6uYCRB2hmrpcUEt0JS800EBM8AFLL1YNuIBxvWK4UHFSqCYBDeoOYgUfi4RefF73yURYq9SwX7P8gBOLeCzFKZA2Yko6t_mQXBNjZnEpEPpPwa/s1600/Santa+Writing+transparent.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLZtDusDeUD7H_a7fK_1SilyaauPjzU6uYCRB2hmrpcUEt0JS800EBM8AFLL1YNuIBxvWK4UHFSqCYBDeoOYgUfi4RefF73yURYq9SwX7P8gBOLeCzFKZA2Yko6t_mQXBNjZnEpEPpPwa/s320/Santa+Writing+transparent.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://santa-sa.net/ask_santa.php">http://santa-sa.net/ask_santa.php</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-91819693499941032512010-12-14T13:40:00.000+00:002010-12-14T13:40:37.204+00:00It's That Time Again<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkhFi_1ZEGYROndjrblwAn11f7ubTCq5jYf7FZ6EGJlux17wOYkMdz55TG6lg7puNxn5dlVAM2Y0M8a_Sf5Yazs8CLcVoHuQChht3qMOzROZG9_PQm0h73nX-Kvjh9W7XQptza61Lgzqe/s1600/funny-pictures-bored-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkhFi_1ZEGYROndjrblwAn11f7ubTCq5jYf7FZ6EGJlux17wOYkMdz55TG6lg7puNxn5dlVAM2Y0M8a_Sf5Yazs8CLcVoHuQChht3qMOzROZG9_PQm0h73nX-Kvjh9W7XQptza61Lgzqe/s320/funny-pictures-bored-cat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://brc-adidas.blogspot.com/">http://brc-adidas.blogspot.com/</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Yup, revision time! Finally I feel that I have enough time to dive into revisions again. I have a list of things to do before Christmas, but if I don't start revisions NOW, it will continue to nag me until I do, and I hate that internal nagging voice of mine. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, I've decided to start with my Icelandic project before I rewrite the first chapter of my English one. I have let the Icelandic MG sit undisturbed for two months now, so I should have very fresh eyes when I look at it today. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have thought about how I'm going to do this. I wondered if I should print it out and read it like that, or if I should just dive straight in and read off my screen, editing as I go. The latter is what I did with my English YA, but I'm going to use the first approach this time (I just re-read Stephen King's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Memoir-Craft-Stephen-King/dp/0684853523?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">On Writing</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0684853523" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> part about revisions). So, I'm just going to read and write comments in a notebook. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What approach do you use when you do your first revision after you've completed a manuscript? Do you let it rest? Do you print it out? Do you have some formula you always follow?</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-24511778578507289702010-12-12T08:50:00.027+00:002010-12-13T11:08:57.207+00:00Something is Coming... (part two)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5nQkYNDwY02J4le3FBQKxc7z7BV-1GDyNstijT1UWFCbQ4yteVpp-Iy-3Y9INhu8y7sCN39hfzT3cPj-vRypj9JdlEV2fCa1rA8SbQlOxaZf4bLfrQBRX4sccPm256rGSTxsjCLo9v2t/s1600/4955870d84b30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5nQkYNDwY02J4le3FBQKxc7z7BV-1GDyNstijT1UWFCbQ4yteVpp-Iy-3Y9INhu8y7sCN39hfzT3cPj-vRypj9JdlEV2fCa1rA8SbQlOxaZf4bLfrQBRX4sccPm256rGSTxsjCLo9v2t/s320/4955870d84b30.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://fbspin.com/post/318675229/a-little-red">http://fbspin.com/post/318675229/a-little-red</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="im" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">Water slushes against the empty docks, inky-black in the dark of night. A lone figure dressed in a trench coat stands near the edge, checking his watch. It's three AM.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He looks up when a pair of heels click toward him. The moon glows <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">gently on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the owner -- a tall woman with thick auburn hair, pencil skirt under a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">thigh-length coat, and red, red lips. She runs her half-hooded eyes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">over </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">him.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="im"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"John Smith?" she asks, her voice sensual and seductive with a slight accent.</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">His eyes dart over the docks. This isn't Joe Stranders. "Who asks?" He takes a step backwards, ready to flee.</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Cho Sanders. You have something for me," she says with a meaningful look.</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Damn. He shouldn't have hired that foreign exchange student for the summer. This wasn't the first time that imbecile mixed up the names. At least he got the location right this time.</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"You have the money?" he asks. He reaches for the cream envelope tucked safely in a pocket of his trench coat.</span></div><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">She starts to answer, but the deep rumbling of thunder cuts her off. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Purple storm clouds race toward them.</span></span></div><div class="im"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The woman throws herself into into the man's arms with a gasp. "Something is coming!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Yes." He breathes deeply, the scent of lavender clouding his brain. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">His </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">eyes remain fixed on the heights above the small village. "Can you </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">feel it?"</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPkCVBRiRZVZbCQtnO4lJVuR4N1QVmwzoK5XdOuxt7GPmpKMrs6QXWNazMSLAImtNoKW_MDJKwG_nDAIr_0iKph1PmYnCteGQcdmomEb23i300aDwRzy5HkkkIscQ6SDTYMR-_8W_qwlX/s1600/huge.13.67319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPkCVBRiRZVZbCQtnO4lJVuR4N1QVmwzoK5XdOuxt7GPmpKMrs6QXWNazMSLAImtNoKW_MDJKwG_nDAIr_0iKph1PmYnCteGQcdmomEb23i300aDwRzy5HkkkIscQ6SDTYMR-_8W_qwlX/s320/huge.13.67319.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://www.illustrationsource.com/stock/">http://www.illustrationsource.com/stock/</a> (exact link broken)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>This was supposed to go up yesterday... I guess I haven't mastered the scheduled posting.</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-50765522074262440702010-12-06T13:05:00.000+00:002010-12-06T13:05:53.176+00:00Matched<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31QMdxXz0CSnRdxgfJDcy7SiUErT5ZdLC6aZL48KGhuuhtWhNrbetr-AYc4DQIUip2uMxCsnFHbGUxxv4eX9X2VN5VSG5XGImk01jqFpVJ78zigm-lv1GzFEq-Kri6XuWB53SMoXNapQV/s1600/41tyNN8Z8eL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31QMdxXz0CSnRdxgfJDcy7SiUErT5ZdLC6aZL48KGhuuhtWhNrbetr-AYc4DQIUip2uMxCsnFHbGUxxv4eX9X2VN5VSG5XGImk01jqFpVJ78zigm-lv1GzFEq-Kri6XuWB53SMoXNapQV/s1600/41tyNN8Z8eL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not an image of my copy...or you'd see a tiny little nibble on the margin.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I only have a hundred pages left of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/0525423648?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Matched</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0525423648" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> today and I don't want it to end! And yet I can't help but turn the pages. I should be studying, but since I'm ahead of schedule, I'm indulging myself. I read some reviews saying that there was too much focus on the Society, but what I love about that is that I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen next. Two hundred and sixty pages in and I haven't figured out the ending, although I believe I have solved one of the tangles. I haven't been so engrossed in a book since Cynthia Hand's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unearthly-Cynthia-Hand/dp/0061996165?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Unearthly</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061996165" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and it was a long time before that when I was so hooked on a book. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forest-Hands-Teeth-Carrie-Ryan/dp/0385736827?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Forest of Hands an Teeth</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385736827" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> in between and started on two galleys from Netgalley (but I'm easily distracted from both, only about three chapters in...). Nearing the ending of Forest of Hands and Teeth, I just wanted the main character to jump over the fence and be eaten by the zombies. Sheesh. But I did read the whole thing, so obviously there was something that kept up my curiosity. I'm not going to invest in the next books in the series though.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What is the last book that sucked you in so hard that you couldn't put it down?</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-53756825851237244102010-12-05T11:28:00.003+00:002010-12-05T11:40:13.004+00:00Interview: Marieke<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85xhO0ByYIcxwnn6ztiVHRrGCBzKSBk8DVUpEb6LiVY2ZvmuSNQt3m8Y_xzcOu8f867au9xzxmiA-k8fsejbFYV72-0xRghTUtikdZI8y81q3uEJAZ2ETcmwLIlOmlUrULgg0o0BnleIU/s1600/Baz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85xhO0ByYIcxwnn6ztiVHRrGCBzKSBk8DVUpEb6LiVY2ZvmuSNQt3m8Y_xzcOu8f867au9xzxmiA-k8fsejbFYV72-0xRghTUtikdZI8y81q3uEJAZ2ETcmwLIlOmlUrULgg0o0BnleIU/s320/Baz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marieke, the one who is plotting with the falcon.</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I took an interview with the Medieval Mastermind: <a href="http://www.mariekenijkamp.com/musings/">Marieke</a> (you know, the girl with the whip?). She's a fellow writer with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">sarcastic humour and lives, according to her, "Somewhere, not far from nowhere." </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Anywho, Marieke has been hosting her "How To" on her blog every other Thursday over the past months, taking interviews with impressive figures, like Elana Johnson (How to write an awesome query letter), Jackson Pearce (How to research a historical novel), and Kathleen Ortiz (How to read slush), just to mention a few.</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #500050;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">1. If you had a million dollars, what would you spend it on?</span></b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So much! *grin* I'd travel around the world, see all the places I've wanted to see, write and write more. I would spend money on my favorite charities too - or at least I hope I would! </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, and one thing more? Buy LOADS of books. And then probably a house to, you know, make a library out of it :P </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>(That's basically what I would do, too. Great masterminds think alike.)</i></span></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><b>2. What are you working on (genre, age group, main story plot - if it can be revealed)?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><b></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">I'm currently revising Loving Adeline - now retitled WICK - my literary YA, with a touch of magical realism. </span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Jaime, my MC, is an aspie. Her world consists of colors and Secret Garden references, but what she really wants is understanding. And to be able to escape the grief that haunts her home after her father died. </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"> <span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;">Things happen, as they always do. I'm not yet going to share the entire plot, because mystery is a good thing. ;) (Also, I want to finish revisions first, just to keep things in the right order.) </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"> <span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;">Let's just say it's a story about grief, love, art, imagination, and - in the end - the choice between understanding the world and living in it. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">(That sounds wonderful and new. I don't believe I have read such a story. I love the Secret Garden and can't wait to read this one.)</span></i></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #500050;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><b>3. What do you eat/drink while writing?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><b></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: 18px;">Coffee! Sugar! Especially when I'm writing late at night, but to be honest I don't have special brain food or drinks. Or maybe I should say it depends on whatever I fancy at that moment. Iced lattes is always a safe choice! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">(It's what I've been saying! I can't write late at night because I don't drink coffee.)</span></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><b>Is there anything else you'd like to add? </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Yes. Something is coming... </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">(Hmmm...)</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Thank you, Marieke, for that. </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>But Marieke isn't the only one being interviewed. Yours truly is being interviewed by cute little <a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/">Rachael Harrie</a>, who is becoming yet another impressive writer on the blogsphere. It will be later today, but I thought I'd mention it now because I'm crawling through day...oh I've lost the count...of exam studying.</b></span></div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-69208680682240035432010-12-03T22:27:00.001+00:002010-12-03T22:27:37.915+00:00Cover Chomp<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-1NEgNCztS3D0pPb8vQVVr5suFmHKDG6bE3fKhIT9apev9PvhyE4BDChGYDPi3cxIomSq8ZROeQFhAmSylAT5armXLRh6KJXX0FWgBv6vKgIU30_Lf2iUUy9UrhR7TzjiDWW22UJtBDX/s1600/34961_10150219409475472_836970471_13628047_4390185_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-1NEgNCztS3D0pPb8vQVVr5suFmHKDG6bE3fKhIT9apev9PvhyE4BDChGYDPi3cxIomSq8ZROeQFhAmSylAT5armXLRh6KJXX0FWgBv6vKgIU30_Lf2iUUy9UrhR7TzjiDWW22UJtBDX/s320/34961_10150219409475472_836970471_13628047_4390185_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The good old days when Beena munched on apples...not books.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Beena, my black hamster just took a chunk out of one of my books! That little rat. I'm not even gonna say which book it was...it's just too horrible. I suppose it was my own fault though. You just shouldn't put your hamster anywhere near your favourite books. Especially those books with the lovely covers...</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-46773744585096205032010-12-02T12:31:00.000+00:002010-12-02T12:31:32.454+00:00Exam Studying, Day 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2FnFsep-jsJTr8DmvNEq7m5V-JkLY8JDMRZm7eRVDZt7O_a8cuuW03lafjMe7zurcW3z0vTT2FU2Ti9sDB9ICF8rGo4J0sJhPWnsU_HmJj6sv12B5GvtPpzUcG0eRE5fKnpLZtjNIQQS/s1600/contented-writer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2FnFsep-jsJTr8DmvNEq7m5V-JkLY8JDMRZm7eRVDZt7O_a8cuuW03lafjMe7zurcW3z0vTT2FU2Ti9sDB9ICF8rGo4J0sJhPWnsU_HmJj6sv12B5GvtPpzUcG0eRE5fKnpLZtjNIQQS/s200/contented-writer.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://institutechildrenslit.net/Writers-First-Aid-blog/2009/07/">http://institutechildrenslit.net/Writers-First-Aid-blog/</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">I did what I could yesterday. My head was pounding after four hours straight of studying (with one potty-break). But I managed a lot. I'm continuing today, and I was fresh enough this morning to finish listening to and taking extensive notes on the lecture. Now I'm re-writing the notes (hey, I'm a writer - it's what we do, right?), and then I'm done for the day. It was a two-hour lecture, packed with important details...on Socrates, pre-Socratic philosophers, Plato, etc. We're studying them in regard to their importance to today's universities and critical thinking. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's so funny how I'm fresh in the morning (even with a runny nose) and like a zombie in the afternoon. The problem with yesterday was that I had errands to run and appointments to attend in the morning, so I didn't start reading until 11 AM. It's the same with writing: I produce so much in the morning, and about half as much in the afternoon. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I read about writers who write when the rest of the household has gone to bed. I kind of feel like a traitor to be fast asleep when all the other creative people are hammering at their keyboards. Maybe it's because I don't drink coffee or any other stimulant substances...except eat chocolate, but that doesn't always wake me up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">What time is best for you to write?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Task for the day: Finish re-writing the notes. Eat. And...bake more cookies! The third sort: chocolate chip.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Currently reading: Lost Voices, by Sarah Porter</b></div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-82991681322752059782010-12-01T11:22:00.000+00:002010-12-01T11:22:44.201+00:00Exam Studying, Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiE5p5oK-GOBKarmea4vaxuMtO5WO0kTsa2q40rXx2zeI4LpY5bp0DUvgUZyBlrF3EKvegfSOcgU6CvyRkwba1QvOzEigIZsGtxeyQyPjqN-3m8VBhvGyBQUl2YMCIt633YV86W8YpQ3nL/s1600/41tyNN8Z8eL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiE5p5oK-GOBKarmea4vaxuMtO5WO0kTsa2q40rXx2zeI4LpY5bp0DUvgUZyBlrF3EKvegfSOcgU6CvyRkwba1QvOzEigIZsGtxeyQyPjqN-3m8VBhvGyBQUl2YMCIt633YV86W8YpQ3nL/s1600/41tyNN8Z8eL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Squeeee! I just got my signed copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/0525423648?ie=UTF8&tag=theque05-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Matched</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theque05-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0525423648" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I can't stop staring at it - it looks sooo pretty. Thank you so, so much, <a href="http://babblingflow.blogspot.com/">Sarah McClung</a>, for sending it. And for the nifty business card! Do all of you writers have business cards? Is that something I should be getting?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, I got through yesterday's reading, AND I baked. I'm baking more later, a different sort. Or I think I am. I feel like I've been dragged through the streets and dumped into the ocean. Yup, I'm sick - and I don't mean in the dude-you're-sick way. I have a terrible head cold, runny nose, soar throat, and the whole deal. I'm still determined to do today's planned reading, even though it will most probably take me longer. </div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-69407770027726852862010-11-30T12:57:00.000+00:002010-11-30T12:57:57.819+00:00Exam Distractions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZPzYHA9NC9Eni2BgH1d0HaVAjx34dRKT8cxDDHjw_DirsQ5bAr25q-Ho9okjCPQggcwHSTjuisc6YA-evc1HjRObDBSP6T6GcUDeGUVCsUKPgK7EMJFs2le6B_pG-xI_ixfTWv9LaPXz/s1600/christmas-cookies-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZPzYHA9NC9Eni2BgH1d0HaVAjx34dRKT8cxDDHjw_DirsQ5bAr25q-Ho9okjCPQggcwHSTjuisc6YA-evc1HjRObDBSP6T6GcUDeGUVCsUKPgK7EMJFs2le6B_pG-xI_ixfTWv9LaPXz/s320/christmas-cookies-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: www.yummy-coffee-and-food.com</span></td></tr>
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Isn't it funny how when you're studying for exams, you suddenly get all interested in writing, housework, blogging, and baking? That's me today!<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I started the morning by organizing my reading. I have eight days to study not-so-much material, but very-heavy-to-read material. We're talking John Stuart Mill-heavy. I organized it so that I do such and such per day, no more and no less. That's what works best for me.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, I'm reading and taking notes on the least heavy subject. I'm about 3/4th through, but it's soooo difficult to get the last 1/4th done. Maybe because I just took a lunch break and lost that trans-like focus I get. All I can think about now is blogging, critiquing, rewriting my first chapter, and baking Christmas cookies. Which I'm totally doing after I've completed my 1/4th. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's so hard to get to it, but it's easy going once I'm there. Since I'm a fairly disciplined person, I will get this done today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I get like this, I organize myself via time. For example, I will start reading again at one PM, take a break at one thirty and such. Unless I'm in a trans...then I just continue. Okay! Enough procrastination. It's almost one PM!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What distracts you when you're studying for exams/trying to complete a project?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Task for the day: Study about DIY, make easier notes from the easy notes, listen to the online lecture, finish my creative writing portfolio, pick up the kids, and bake!</b></div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-1121829990453106032010-11-28T12:41:00.000+00:002010-11-28T12:41:32.800+00:00Something is Coming...<div class="im" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjBbpJhNrTNuDU0a4T9wQaiiGsNhb0MLGROLuK8hQW7GFcYs-G4lCxfVSvBmGdWN0UpLiNN0oiXDOIhV2kTRwKe20SNfErWogzmMQfe2AkuBy66p3ZlX4KytqeZXDS-a76LXduyGzJoyN/s1600/dark-stormy-night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjBbpJhNrTNuDU0a4T9wQaiiGsNhb0MLGROLuK8hQW7GFcYs-G4lCxfVSvBmGdWN0UpLiNN0oiXDOIhV2kTRwKe20SNfErWogzmMQfe2AkuBy66p3ZlX4KytqeZXDS-a76LXduyGzJoyN/s320/dark-stormy-night.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">Image: http://fireflyforest.net/firefly on 15 April 2007</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; line-height: 19px;">It is a dark and stormy night. The wind on the moors is wuthering. A dark stirs in the East. Over the horizon, in the distance, something approaches fast.</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; line-height: 19px;">Can you see it?</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; line-height: 19px;">Something is coming...</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-60977752875582717112010-11-18T20:02:00.000+00:002010-11-18T20:03:31.200+00:00Scariest contract EVER<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA60er8e9kuluERhln-lqqqPz4vF6CMq30x8lgI_A1gPAd_mciv8bwCkGWENjNH58L8S2l3L6touRjhC1AGDvipe1DS_lnRIHMNhqpTtddpSWeAb2eXaHt9Hdm2fgE71ZAybULQkr1UNZy/s1600/Top-20-Scariest-Cartoon-Characters-Number-19-Yosemite-Sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA60er8e9kuluERhln-lqqqPz4vF6CMq30x8lgI_A1gPAd_mciv8bwCkGWENjNH58L8S2l3L6touRjhC1AGDvipe1DS_lnRIHMNhqpTtddpSWeAb2eXaHt9Hdm2fgE71ZAybULQkr1UNZy/s320/Top-20-Scariest-Cartoon-Characters-Number-19-Yosemite-Sam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jeeze, guys. You should check this out:</div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com/2010/11/scariest-ever-contract.html?spref=bl">Ramblings and What Not: Scariest contract EVER</a>: "I saw this over at Glass Cases and had, had to take a look at this. It is a new publication company started by controversial author, James ..."</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-46887847932505324862010-11-17T12:27:00.000+00:002010-11-17T12:27:56.100+00:00Brain Fried!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ua2ZDqD4EYVXg4PuC3CePlqvSA1xIDyUbmcytxtU9By5u8w9kZ2sLigFsjPv_6JGabsupFNGvelDOJriHlz5NIshiduFanLxANgZUYrbmASQV05mdGpmARkQ-sOigAqXt2FzsLCFtz3V/s1600/Fried_egg__sunny_side_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ua2ZDqD4EYVXg4PuC3CePlqvSA1xIDyUbmcytxtU9By5u8w9kZ2sLigFsjPv_6JGabsupFNGvelDOJriHlz5NIshiduFanLxANgZUYrbmASQV05mdGpmARkQ-sOigAqXt2FzsLCFtz3V/s320/Fried_egg__sunny_side_up.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egg image found on so many sites that I don't know which is the original!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">November is often the busiest month for people in school, when all the teachers decide to throw all sorts of essays, projects, and exams to freak out the students and kill a few braincells just before finals. This week, I turned in a very thorough essay in a course on how to write essays (so it had to be perfect - not just because I'm a perfectionist); I've been catching up on my syntax course...of which there is an exam next Tuesday; I have to read 10 short stories and have ready reviews on each before Friday's creative writing class; AND the creative writing portfolio was due by the end of next week, but the teacher was kind enough to push it back three days. I'm only taking 20 units instead of 30 units (75% instead of 100%). I'm so glad I didn't continue with the 30 units! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And they host NaNo in November? What are they thinking?? There's Christmas shopping and preparation for people who aren't in school. That's a huge task as well, which people usually have to do after work, meaning less time to write. Is there an online plea somewhere to have NaNo moved to September or October? I really want to take part next year, but I don't see how I can.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, since I fell behind on the syntax class (that essay really HAD to be perfect - I expect no less than 9 out of 10), I'm watching the online presentations now and taking extensive notes. Which fries my brain like bacon on a barbecue. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So I freaked out a little this morning, but then I took out my organizer and organized what I had to do, and I feel a lot better now. I set myself goals for each day and do nothing more and nothing less. That's how I cope.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">How do you cope with November??</div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300548035543931528.post-26440914478020875482010-11-14T20:30:00.000+00:002010-11-14T20:30:10.687+00:00Belated Ghost Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghw9WXNMjZFE0PeKIKYsb0LD8nlGKnqGj-1ovWtkb2GEjFGomwlQ2DVlWYjrDsqoCGDuUwL0J2TaH5nE2zR6RWoOXp7j7fhUVcDuNLKfc8TxhsfGKJZYynLIAGMdG79FF9SLOLO-GSQgms/s1600/GhostWhisperer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghw9WXNMjZFE0PeKIKYsb0LD8nlGKnqGj-1ovWtkb2GEjFGomwlQ2DVlWYjrDsqoCGDuUwL0J2TaH5nE2zR6RWoOXp7j7fhUVcDuNLKfc8TxhsfGKJZYynLIAGMdG79FF9SLOLO-GSQgms/s320/GhostWhisperer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since my computer was declared dead on Halloween, I was unable to post it on my blog. I was fortunate enough to get my data back and a spunky new computer, so I decided to share the story I had already written. This was for <a href="http://seeingdreamingwriting.blogspot.com/2010/10/boo-fest.html">Quinn's Boo-Fest</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Have I seen a ghost? My cousin says I have. I hardly remember it, which is kind of freaky.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She and I were staying in Bournemouth, England, and shared a studio room with two beds. I was so freaked out by insects, that I insisted we always kept the windows shut, and we planted b-vitamin pills everywhere + we had a mosquito sound repellant and an electricity thingy to keep them away. What can I say? I‘m from Iceland.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Does that have anything to do with the ghost? Absolutely not, but it made the air stuffy in the room that night. My cousin, Thora (yes, female for “Thor”), told me the morning after that I’d freaked out in the night, and she’s not one to make something like this up. Apparently it went something like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The bedcovers lay heavily on my chest as I slept. I dreamt of the wolf in the green hill behind my parents’ house…where there is no actual green hill. Not to mention that there are no wolves in Iceland. Anyway. The wolf just looked at me, as always, and then walked away. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I stirred in my sleep, kicking the covers loose. I turned to the side and my eyes opened a crack. A teenage girl sat on the edge of Thora’s bed. She wore a grey, sleeveless dress; it looked like it was made of wool. Her white shirt underneath shone in the moonlight behind her. She stared straight at me with her moon-like face.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I bolted up in my bed. She just sat there with no particular expression. What was she doing in our room?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Thora,” I whined. My heart thudded against my chest. It couldn’t be a ghost! I didn’t want to see a ghost! I’d always been so afraid to see one! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Thora, Thora, Thora!” I called when she didn’t wake up. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Thora jerked awake and raised herself up. “What is it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“There’s a girl over there!” I said, pointing at the girl, who just sat and watched me. “Go away!” I whined.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“What are you talking about,” Thora said, turning to see. “There’s no one there.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I looked at Thora. She didn’t look scared, she just looked tired, her voice all sleepy. I looked back at the end of her bed to prove her wrong, but the girl was gone. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I don’t remember at what point I fell asleep again. When I woke in the morning, I just barely remembered the girl. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I hardly remember her at all today. In fact, I’d forgotten all about her until I saw her again last night.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Okay, I didn’t see her again last night, but you have to end a story with a punch. I’d really forgotten all about her until my cousin mentioned that I’d seen a ghost when we were talking about ghosts (Icelanders do that a lot). And yes, she’s absolutely sure that I was awake and not sleep-seeing/walking.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Freaky? Absolutely!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I just had to add one more thing. I was such a chicken when it came to finding a photo for this. I scrolled down once when I looked up the word "ghost" and then there were pictures of ghosts from horror movies that I never watch. Ugh. Now I can't get this one picture out of my mind. I ended up x-ing the browser and found an innocent picture of Jennifer Love Hewitt. Enjoy.</span></div>Tessa Quinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12619129838476851241noreply@blogger.com11