My local McDonald's happens to be a pretty cool place to get some writing work done. It's not like your normal-looking McDonald's, but has an atmosphere much like an updated coffee shop, and I've gone there off and on over the years to write. It also helps that they have self-serve fountain drinks, which feeds my caffeine need (and only for a dollar). All a person can chug.
I was sitting at my table, working, and he was sitting at his alone. He had his phone charging, and for the hour and half or so in which he sat there, all he had was a small soda. He kept to himself and I kept to myself. At one point, he came over to me, and I removed my earbuds. He asked if I could watch his things while he ran next door for a minute. I said of course. When he returned a few minutes later, he said that he wanted to thank me and buy me an ice cream cone. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted. After purchasing two vanilla ice cream cones, he handed me one and then proceeded to slide into the seat on the opposite side of my table. I wasn't prepared for conversation, but I'm also not a jerk either, so I left my laptop open, my earbuds on the table, and gave this older gentleman my full attention. He asked if I ever went to Wendover, NV, to which I told him that I didn't. I'm not much of a gambler, though I didn't tell him this. He talked about leaving the next morning on a bus to head to Wendover to take part in the slot machine tournament. He said that the year before he'd won $500, but that he'd gone home early and because you had to be there to win the money, he'd lost out on the cash. "Not this year," he said. "Not this time. I may stay two weeks if I have to." I nodded. "Do you go to Vegas?" he asked me. I told him that we did, some times, when we were traveling through to California we'd stop there for the night. He gave me a look as if I was crazy. "Don't go to Vegas. It's gross." Then he proceeded to tell me all about a short cut that we could take to avoid going into Baker. He spent a lot of time on the details of this shortcut and assured me that though it was out in the middle of nowhere, it would be worth it. He asked what part of California we visited, and I explained about going to Anaheim for my daughter's cheerleading competitions. Again, he gave me another dirty look. "You don't go to Disneyland, do you?" "Sometimes," I said. "But my kids are getting a little old for it now." He told me all about Knott's Berry farm, and that if we get there early, we should make a reservation for the fried chicken first thing, right away, then we were to go do the park. When it's time for dinner, we can avoid the lines for the chicken and go right in. I thanked him for the tip. "Do you like dolphins?" he asked. "Who doesn't?" I said.
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"Old book smell' is generated by the breakdown of cellulose and lignin in paper, which produces organic compounds. Benzaldehyde adds an almond-like scent, vanillin smells of vanilla and ethyl hexanol has a ‘slightly floral’ scent. Ethyl benzene and toluene, which are also produced give off impart odours. These volatile organic compounds are created by reactions known as ‘acid hydrolysis’ and together make up the smell of old books along with other alcohols produced by the reactions." Read more on the science of "old book smell": HERE I run my hands over the old spines and pull a random book from the shelf. Without thought, I raise it to my nose and breathe in the dusty pages before I've even read the title or the author's name.
Those are minor details that I will take into account as I decide whether or not to purchase the second-hand book, but for now, I just want to breathe in the pages, breathe in the possibilities. I love Barnes & Noble, but I could become lost for days without a single regret at such places as The Book Garden in Bountiful or Ken Sanders in Salt Lake City. Even the books at my local thrift store seem to waft over me as soon as I enter the store. Forget the kitchenware, the clothes, the second-hand furniture--I head straight to the books. Today, I walked out of my local thrift store with four "new" books in tow. I don't need any more books. Heaven knows I have plenty of books on my shelves to keep me busy for years to come, but how do I say no? These used books are like orphans in need of a new set of eyes to read them, love them, and give them a home. Every time I walk away with books in my arms, I feel as though I saved them. Saved their stories from being forgotten, the author's hard work gone unnoticed or unappreciated, and given the old book with its split spine and worn pages a new chance at life. The smell excites me. The possibilities of a story unknown excites me. The old books have given me life, and so my book shelves will always have room for one more discarded book. Always.
Book shelves are being replaced with "entertainment centers," as if books alone aren't entertainment enough. I can't tell you how many homes I've walked into, and this is the case. The book shelves are lined with DVDs, video games, and other knick-knacks. Very few books. I write books for teens and young adults. My children and their friends are approximately of this same age group, and I can count on one hand (with fingers left over) of the kids I know who love to read just for the heck of it. Most of the teens I know, including my own children, when I ask what the last book they've read was, give me a strange look. It's as if I'm asking them to tell me about the last time they've eaten 50 pounds of broccoli. "It's summer," they say OR "You want me to read a book? Why? Am I being punished?" My middle child, age 14, spends a GREAT deal of time with his friends at the local library. It sounds impressive, until I mention that they're not there for the books. They use the computers to play Minecraft online together. I can't tell you the last time he's used his library card to check out an actual book. I'm being honest and truthful, and I realize fingers may be pointed in my direction. "The love of reading begins at home." Of course it does! I don't dispute that one bit. My children grew up with bookshelves overstuffed with various books from Dr. Seuss to James Dashner. They chewed on them as babies as I read the sweet nursery rhymes over and over. They sat on my lap as toddlers as we read NO DAVID for the umpteenth time. I LOVE to read, and I definitely wanted to instill that love into my own children. I worked hard at, as I suspect many parents did. It didn't work. My children bought books at school book fairs. My children all had library cards by the time they were five, and we checked out books often. My children watched me reading, and saw my own bookshelves filled with the books I loved and adored. Still, my children could care less about books. To be fair, two of my three children have learning disabilities, and so fighting dyslexia and short attention spans makes reading difficult. But there are many children I know, who do NOT suffer from any learning disability, who simply would rather stare at a blank wall than crack open a book. I asked my 12 year old daughter and her friend why they don't like reading books? Basically, they said that reading is boring. My daughter said, "If a book isn't super interesting in the very beginning, then it's easy for me to set it down and never pick it up again." Her friend didn't have a specific answer as to why she didn't like reading for pleasure, but simply stated that she's rather do something else. A roundup of studies, put together by the nonprofit Common Sense Media, shows a clear decline over time. Nearly half of 17-year-olds say they read for pleasure no more than one or two times a year — if that. (NPR, May 2014). The 12 year old mentioned above are already heading in that direction. One thing that is kind of scary, for me, is that we live in a time in which there are more digital devices to read on than ever before--Kindle, Computer, Tablets, iPods, eReaders--but fewer and fewer kids are using these devices to actually read. Social media sites and online games are the big attraction and it's becoming harder and harder for books to compete against flashing pieces of candy and birds begging to be sling-shot across the screen. Take a look at this picture below (taken from an article written by Jane Friedman) . It's quite telling: How do we change this? Can it EVEN be reversed?
I honestly don't have the answers, and believe me, I REALLY wish I did. I just know something needs to be changed or we will end up with a generation of people glued to their phones and iPODS, who believe in instant and immediate rewards that only clicking from one hyperlink to another can provide. How do we encourage the love of reading? How do YOU encourage the love of reading? ***If you're a teen or young adult, and you LOVE to read, please, PLEASE, take a moment and leave a comment below. All you have to say is I <3 books, and my heart will be filled with so much happieness than you can possibly know*** You know that saying, "Fight or Flight?" What if I happen to be neither. What if I'm more of a stand-still-with-eyes-wide-open-and-do-nothing kind of gal?
I have the reflexes of a snail. Seriously. Okay, maybe the reflexes of a deer in headlights. It's insane and drives my husband absolutely crazy. I can't help it if I'm not quick on my feet and can't make snappy decisions on the fly (do people say 'on the fly' anymore?).
3) Having a social media platform is necessary (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogging, etc...), but I've learned to choose wisely and have fun with it. I don't have to be on every social media site (heaven forbid), but creating a fan base is hard to accomplish if I have no way of letting people know I exist. I enjoy my Facebook Fan Page, and I used to like twitter (not so much anymore), but Instagram seems to be the new big thing and I think I like it.
4) There is no magical marketing button. Marketing is hard. Super hard. What might work one time doesn't always work a second, and sometimes when you think you've got it figured out, you get blindsided again. The only thing I've really learned when it comes to marketing is to keep trying new things. The more creative the better. 5) Sometimes, a book's success it's just a matter of luck and timing. Seriously. The book of mine that sells the best is the one I've marketed the least. Go figure. 6) The more quality books I have in my catalog, the better. I wasted a lot of time trying to promote and sell my very first book and feeling depressed when it didn't sell as many books as I'd hoped when I should've been writing. With each new book release, my back list sells better. Writing more books is the best marketing there is. The best advice I've been given is: Don't worry about the first book. Concentrate on writing the second. Once the second book is published, write the third and so on and so on. 7) No matter how many people edit, proofread, check for grammar and misspelled or missing words, there will ALWAYS be typos. I used to be a snob before I published anything and would stick my nose in the air and be like, "Ah-ha! There should be a comma here. I can't believe this book went to print with a missing comma! " Tisk-tisk. Now, I've been humbled and realize just how difficult it is to produce an error-free book. I try. I try REALLY hard (ask my alpha reader, beta readers, editors, and proofreader). Still, mistakes happen. 8) Every time the same book is read by a different person, the story and experience changes. Book reviews have led me to this truth. I've been called a genius and I've been called an amateur. What one person will deem to be an exceptional treasure another will call poop. Stinky poop. I've learned to write for myself, do the best I possibly can, and allow that to be enough. 9) I no longer read reviews. It's too hard. One negative review can wipe away all the good feelings a dozen good reviews once invoked. Writers are doubtful creatures by nature and negative reviews feed that doubt. I've decided to stop feeding my own doubt monster. Besides, it's impossible to please everyone (see #8). 10) Other authors are not evil. This writing business is not a competition. It isn't them against me or me against them, and I wish EVERYONE would learn this. We're in this together and we need one another. For the most part, authors and writers are kind, generous, helpful, and supportive. I don't know what I would do without my writer/author friends. My success is based solely on my own effort, not anyone else. 11) Plans change. I once had an agent. A literary agent. Yeah, can you believe that? I hardly could believe it myself. Then the publishing world was turned upside down and my literary agent decided that being an agent no longer worked for her and she quit. I had a publisher. I had a publisher for three years, and I wouldn't change that experience for anything, but what once worked well at one time no longer does. Just because it's comfortable doesn't make it right, and my gut said it was time for a change and to try something new. Now, I'm a free agent. I'm on my own, but that doesn't mean my ultimate goals have changed. The plan has changed but my end goal has not. I will write books. I will publish books. 12) Writing is hard. It's not for the weak of heart, that's for sure. Some days writing will come easy and the words will spill out like a torrential flood. You'll feel cool and as if you've got this whole writing process down. Then you hit a wall. No words come. All ideas seem stupid. You watch a lot of Netflix. But it's only temporary. Writing is like riding a roller coaster and at some point, you WILL throw your hands in the air and yell, "Weeeeeeee!" once again. If writing novels was easy, no one (including readers) would appreciate the process at all. Anything worthwhile doesn't come easy. 13) I love to write. I love creating something from nothing and falling in love with my imaginary characters. There is no better feeling than holding a book I sweated over, cried over, and battled the muse to produce. It's the ultimate high for a writer. When that first box of freshly made books arrives on my doorstep, I become like a five year old on Christmas. It's this feeling that keeps me moving forward, writing more stories, and publishing more books.
Children should dress up as zombies for Halloween (check). Family night should include zombie games (check). Food should be zombie related if possible (check) and when you see zombie stuff at the store, you MUST buy it (I totally have this one down). But the one thing I did not expect when I tackled the zombie genre was just how much readers, fans, and friends think of me when they see something. So sweet :) They tag me in photos like these: You've got to have fun with this whole thing. Embrace it. That's what I do. So, if you see anything that you think I would like to see, tag me.
I like it :)
And even in ZIA, The Teenage Zombie & The Undead Diaries (coming this Fall) the mom is not present. Though, there is a pretty cool step-mom, so that has to count for something.
I have another book, in the rough draft stages, where the mother is dead in that book too! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!? I don't know. I have no idea why my characters mothers are all dead or aren't a part of their lives. I do not know why this is a reoccurring theme, I just know that it is. So very strange. Is it because I have issues with my own mother? HECK NO! (I can not stress this enough). My mother is FREAKIN' AWESOME! Seriously. Anyone who knows the amazing woman who birthed me, will know she is a sweet, giving, funny, supportive, and one of the most loving people you'll ever meet. She's an even better grandmother. My kids adore her. They actually like her better than me! She is the only family member of mine who's read ALL my books, and she thinks I'm a genius! (And she would be right, you know?). She also thinks I'm famous (I'm totally not), but she can believe what she likes. Why pop her bubble? So why all the dead moms then? I don't know. Some stories require dead moms, I guess. But I don't want anyone to believe for a minute that my characters relations with their mothers happen to based on my relationship with my own. They're not. No way. No how. Some day, I will have to write a story where the mother actually gets to live. Wouldn't that be a change? I wonder if I'll even know how to write such a story. I do have a pattern going on here, after all :) Do you know of any other authors with multiple novels who tend to write reoccurring themes, whatever they may be? Are you an author that has reoccurring themes in your novels? Am I the only one? I'm curious to find out. Please leave a comment. I would love to hear what you think.
Always.
We all have them--those go-to words that litter our first drafts but also happen to be invisible to the writer's eye. It isn't until someone points them out that we go, "Holy crap! How did I not see this before? I've read this draft a hundred times!" This is where a great beta reader comes in handy. If you don't have a beta reader or two, then get one. I can't express enough how much EVERYONE needs a trusty beta reader. In fact, one of my beta readers has actually been promoted to ALPHA reader because she's that darn awesome. I couldn't imagine writing a book, any book, without her reading it first. She's constantly catching things I miss and causing me to feel foolish. I love her so much. For me, a few repeater words I find myself using over and over are JUST, BUT, and SO. Now, don't get me wrong. There are cases in which these words are needed, so don't go deleting every single one of them from your story. What I'm talking about is EXCESS and UNNECESSARY uses of the words to such a point that they become the only thing the reader sees. That's not good.
In fact, we should busy ourselves writing our second and third books and so on to create a larger fan base and to create a greater success for ourselves verses becoming frustrated and depressed when that first book doesn't sell into the millions as we'd planned. This is the best writing advice I have ever received--keep writing and don't worry about what that first book is doing.
But does that mean we should plan on producing a full-fledged novel every month as the publishing industry seems to deem necessary? Have our attention spans become so depleted that if we don't produce a new novel every month or at least every quarter, we stand to lose our growing fan base? Oh, the stress I feel! Do you feel it? Interview with SCARLETT NIGHT from COURT OF NIGHTFALL (Plus PRIZES!! Who Doesn't Love Prizes?)1/26/2015
I’m the first to admit that I’m a horrible apocalypse survivor, and that I probably should not be left on my own because, as it has been pointed out by my “good friend” Cole, I don’t have a lot of skills. You, on the other hand, seemed to be blessed with many talents. Whereas I am more like a rolly-polly bug, you are a blooming butterfly. (Like my analogy there?). Who do you tribute your strength to? Did you always grow up with confidence or was it something you learned to embrace because you had to?
I learned a lot from both of my parents, who were pretty determined to teach me EVERYTHING. So, from my mom I learned computer and hacking skills. Most useful. From my dad I learned strategy and planning. I didn't learn a lot of physical combat, which would have been nice to have on hand, but I did get a pretty good skill set to keep me from dying. Oh, and I learned to fly an airplane from my dad, obviously. It is our shared love above all else. It's what I miss the most. Flying with him. As far as my confidence goes, I guess it came with learning how to do what I do, you know? All the drills and training growing up kind of required that I be bold and confident and make decisions in critical moments. Would I have this confidence without that training? I'm not sure. I guess I'll never know.
I think one of the things that make us similar and sets us apart from other teenage girls our age is the fact that we actually liked and got along with our parents. I’m sure you’ve had your ups and your downs with your folks just like I have (who kid hasn’t?), but I’m really impressed, if not a little envious, of the kind of relationship you had with your mom and dad. I would love to hear more about them and how they raised you to be as confident as you are. Here’s your time to pay tribute to them. Only if you feel up to it, of course.
I was always closer to my dad. I think because of our shared love of flying. My mom and I were sometimes too much alike and rubbed each other the wrong way, but I still love her, of course. And she taught me so much about computers and hacking (and how not to get caught) that it brought us closer. My house was always a place of learning. My parents always pushed themselves to be better at whatever they did, and that rubbed off on me. Because I was homeschooled my whole life, I never really spent time around other kids, other than Jax, so I never really had anything to compare my life to. It seemed normal enough to me, though the internet and television proved me wrong on that. We read a lot, played chess on rainy nights by the fire, baked cookies, did normal family stuff. (That part is kind of normal, right? If you take out the random emergency drills in the middle of cookie baking?) I knew through it all my parents loved me. It's helped, in the wake of everything, as lies are exposed and truth still eludes me, I hold on to that knowledge. Whatever else, they loved me. I can't let go of that. I think in both of our circumstances, one terrible horrific night forced us to change and become someone we never imagined we could become. Where my change was subtle and took time, yours what quite the metamorphosis. What was your first clue that something about yourself was different? Were you scared at all by it? How have you embraced these changes? I knew when I woke up surrounded by my own blood that something was different. I should have died. I shouldn't have still been alive. And when I grabbed that soldier and made him do those things, just with my mind? It freaked me out. I didn't have time to really think it through in that moment. Too much happened. I'd lost too much and was going numb from the grief. But now that things are settling down, I can look back and see those moments more clearly. It built from there. When I realized the full truth of what I'd become, I felt a mix of awe and fear and panic and… okay, I have to be honest here, some excitement. It's not all bad, even if I'd been raised to believe it was. At the core, though, I've been raised to roll with the punches. To have a mind like water, not concrete. I think that's made it easier for me to embrace the changes, because all of my training has been about embracing the changes and working with what is real and not trying to work from a reality I just wished existed. But is there still some fear and panic? Yes. Most definitely yes.
You obviously have a lot of feelings for Jax, and he is the only person left from your “previous” life, so why not tell him about the changes you have faced? Why not confide in him? What’s keeping you from holding back? It's complicated. Like, REALLY complicated. There was a time I thought I would never keep a secret from Jax. But I also thought he would never keep a secret from me. Turns out you never really know who someone is, even if you've grown up with them your whole life. He kept so much from me, and even now, I know he's holding back. I don't know why. Maybe it's habit. Maybe it's required because of his ranking in the Teutonic Knights. Maybe he thinks he's still protecting me. Whatever it is, my gut instinct is to keep some things hidden from him. I have to protect myself. I'm all I have left. So what did you know before that night your parents were attacked and your life was torn apart? Did you know some of the history beforehand, or was it all a shock to you? How were you able to take in all the changes and all the “newness” that you were suddenly thrown into? I knew that there was once a Nephilim War and they were wiped out. I'd seen videos and heard talk. I knew that Angels were considered myth by some, sacred by others. I of course knew about the Four Orders. Everyone does, though they are so shrouded in mystery that few know what exactly they do or what secrets they hold. But they are the elite, the highest of the high in politics, military and religion. But I knew of these things the way you 'know' what's happening in another country, you know? It's there in your mind as a thing, but it doesn't truly impact your daily life in any concrete way. So finding out my parents were part of the Knights Templar and that I'd been born into this crazy world of mystery and politics was definitely a shock. But finding out the Nephilim were still alive. That nearly killed me. And how about your grandpa? What do you think of him and his sudden appearance in your life? He seems very wise and as though he does love you, but are you being cautious or is he someone you feel you can trust? Right now, I can't trust anyone but myself. I love that I still have blood family here. But I don't know what his motivations are, or why he wants me at Castle V. Until I understand more, I'm being cautious with everyone. In this new world of yours and with all the changes and with everything you’re facing as you’re trying to find your place in it, how do you know you can trust someone? It seems like there is an awful lot of corruption and old school ideas taking place that I would be a bit nervous to take anyone at their word. Are you nervous at all? Very nervous. As I said before, I don't trust anyone right now. I've never lived like this, constantly holding my secrets close to me, questioning the motivates of everyone around me, but I know I have to now if I want to survive. My parents taught me well, even if it all seemed like a game at the time. They taught me to trust my gut, to do what it takes to survive, and to use my head. I won't forget their lessons. When my mother was killed, I know it was hard for me to have faith in anything. I really struggled with her death and I know both my dad and brother did too. I at least had time to process it. You have not, not really. It was as if you were thrown into the deep side of the pool, so you weren’t hardly given time to grieve. What is it that keeps you from losing it and giving in to the pain of such a loss? Survival. I know that my parents both died to save me, and I won't let that sacrifice be in vain. I almost gave in to the despair that night, but then it would have all been for nothing and I can't do that to their memory. So I have to be strong. I have to hold on. I have to do what it takes to find out the truth and avenge them. Until then, I don't have time to grieve. I know your story is just beginning, and I’m excited to see what kind of butt-kicking you are going to do next. So what kinds of things should I be expecting from you? What’s your next move? I'm kind of winging it. But basically, I need to infiltrate the Four Orders and find out the truth about my parents. I guess that means I'm going to school at Castle V. I also need to get the rebels organized and figure out what our objectives are. That means working with Zorin. I have to admit that isn't all bad. I don't trust him, but I'm learning a lot from him about my new powers. And above all, I have to keep my true identity a secret from everyone if I want to survive. And lastly, when are you and Jax going to kiss? Do tell! Ha! I wish I knew. I have a feeling he might not even be my first kiss at this point. Isn't it crazy after all I've done and been through, that I haven't even kissed a boy? My life is nuts.
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