Book Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book One The Lightning Thief

Book Title: Percy Jackson & the Olympians/Book One/The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan (http://www.rickriordan.com/)

Pages: 375

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Books

Genre: YA Fantasy/Science Fiction

{Scale Explanation: 1) Meaning awful, 5) Meaning not good, but not bad-equal, 10) Meaning wonderful}

PLOT - 9

CHARACTERS - 8

BEGINNING - 7

ENDING - 8

FLOW - 9

OVERALL - 9

What I liked about this book:  This was a very fun read that had me reading it as often as possible to get it read. I really enjoyed the Greek mythology that is a HUGE part of the book. I have dabbled into that aspect of history a bit and so this book became quite entertaining. Especially how it is that the Greek gods all have many children from many different humans creating heroes. I will enjoy reading this book to my son when he gets older and we start on chapter books, as I know he will enjoy it. I also enjoyed the character of Percy a lot, especially how he finds out all of these things about himself in this first book of the series. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

What I disliked about this book:  The characters weren't fully developed by the end of the novel, but it is the first book in the series, so I'll leave that to the rest of the books, I am sure the characters will be described more as the series goes on. The beginning was a bit tedious but only for the first chapter. It's very interesting after that. Even though the first chapter has a strange occurance in it, it wasn't as good as the rest of the story.

Who I would recommend this book to:  Anyone really, but more specifically, one who likes Greek mythology, adolescents that are troubled only to find out they are destined for greatness, fantasy type novels. This book was targeted for younger teens, probably more like tweens or pre-teens, but as an adult, I still enjoyed it.

What I felt this book was about:  Percy Jackson is a troubled 12 year old that lives in New York City. He has been to six different schools in six years. He doesn't fit in anywhere, he has dyslexia and ADHD. He thinks all he is meant for in life is to be a failure. He hates his stepdad, loves his mother like she is a god, and has a really cool best friend that he has only known for a year named Grover who has a muscular disorder in his legs. He goes with his school on a field trip to a history museum in the city when an incredible event happens, but after the event happens, no one acknowledges that the person he supposedly turned into gold dust ever existed, so he goes on about his business, still a little shaken and distraught over the event. He hears his mythology teacher speaking to his friend Grover about him one day and becomes even more suspicious. Throughout the rest of his school year, he does enough bad things to get kicked out of another school, and at the end of the year, Grover says that he has to go on the same train to the Upper Eastside, but Grover acts very suspicious, so Percy ditches him at the train station. He arrives home, his mother takes him on a trip to Montauk (http://www.montaukmonster.com/ <-funny site by the way!) and disaster strikes yet again. He finds his way to Camp Half Blood for the children of the Gods. There, he finds a way to fit in and finds out who his real father was. Then, he sets out on a quest to return the Lightning Bolt back to Zeus because it was stolen. Percy is the suspect, but Zeus allows him to try to find out who took it and bring it back to him. Percy gets to take Grover and Annabeth with him who prove to be worth the effort. They meet various mythical monsters along the way and avert disaster in every chapter it seems. But I won't tell the ending. (Shakes finger at the reader) That's not how I roll! :)

Favorite quotes from the book:
""He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die!""

""The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles.""



Thank you for reading! Now go and read it! :)

Blog Tag!

To the right, I decided to add a fun picture of my son and I, taken recently. It shows our personalities a bit.

There is a fun game being played lately in the blogosphere. It's a type of 'Tag! You're it!’ I've been tagged, so now it's time to answer some writing related questions. I hope that my answers are sufficient enough for even the pickiest readers. At the end of the questions I will tag three more bloggers, so be sure to check them out, too. Thanks, Anna L. Wells http://www.annalwells.blogspot.com/ for tagging me.

1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?

The last thing I wrote was a few paragraphs for a screenplay that I am writing about my husband and his friends, in the style of dramatic comedy. I wish I still had my very first short story that I ever wrote from 3rd grade entitled, 'Murder at 5pm.' But a few moves demolished any chance of having that story. Lately, the first thing that I have written once I started writing again is a story entitled Portland, it's a YA book with Sci-fi woven into it. I'm about 16 chapters in, but I'm stuck as of now. :(

2. Write poetry?

Haha! My poetry is so obscure and disturbing, my husband won't read it anymore. I don't follow any of the rules of poetry, I just write what surfaces in my mind. Most of my poetry comes from meditation while trying to fall asleep at night.

3. Angsty poetry?

No, I don't think so. It's mainly weird, and very odd. My mother compared it to Jim Morrison once, but  wouldn't give myself near that much credit. She is my mom afterall. :)

4. Favorite genre of writing?

Fiction, because you can take it anywhere, but I dabble in everything other than Non-Fiction. I have used Science Fiction a lot, there's always a romance, except for in one of my screenplays that I am currently writing. I like Fantasy, because you do with it what you please. I like humor and tend to add some humor in everything I write. What's life without laughter?

5. Most annoying character you've ever created?

I would say that a character is annoying if they don't co-operate with me. All of my characters are annoying at some time during the writing process.

6. Best plot you've ever created?

Yikes. I have a story that I am only a chapter in, that I have worked on for almost a year now on development. I don't choose to relinquish the information, but it is very emotional and it involves a younger boy who is inflicted with a rare brain disorder.

7. Coolest plot twist you've ever created?

Well, in my NaNo story, I just went with my hands. They typed and I read what they typed, so they had a mind of their own. I made several people in the story betray the lead characters, then the betrayal was a hoax to get certain things to happen in the story. It was really fun, but very confusing at the same time.

8. How often do you get writer's block?

Very often, but I either push through it or move to a different story or read a book.

9. Write fan fiction?

I've thought about it before, but I have never dabbled with it. A interesting tid bit though: In 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, I used to get with one of my friend and write collaboratives of meeting Prince William of England and falling in love when we got older. That's kind of fan fiction-esque! Hehehe. I was a nerd, I know, oh wait, I still am. Hehehe...

10.Do you type or write by hand?

Type! Writing by hand really hurts my carpal tunnel issue. Yeah, 25 years old and I already have a horrible case of it, but I refuse to get the surgery. I've been trying to strengthen my wrist with grips, but I don't think I'll ever get back to 100%. Although I do keep a small notepad with me if an idea comes up when I'm not around my computer.

11. Do you save everything you write?

Yes, but I have noticed in the year that I have been writing that I don't like the stuff that I started with and I'm going back and changing a lot of it now.

12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?

I don't abandon ideas, they just get typed up and saved to an obscure file, then when the time comes, I look into it more and hopefully develop the story.

13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?

I really like my poetry because I don't hold back and it's like a reflection of my mind, my deepest thoughts. My favorite longer piece of writing would have to be just the Prologue to Portland. I have spent hours and hours on that thing and it's right where I want it.

14. What's everyone else's favorite story you've written?

Well, not very many people have read my stuff, but when I had my stuff posted, everyone seemed to like my humorous rants about living in the California Desert. One person really enjoyed Portland too, but I've taken it all down for major re-construction.

15. Ever written romance or angsty teen?

There is a lot of romance woven through the two novels that I have gotten the furthest with, but that is all I've written as far as that genre goes. Angsty teen, whew! The lead character in Portland becomes an angsty teen after the disaster in the beginning of the story.

16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?

The Pacific Northwest, because that is where I have always dreamed of living. Although, I have a few that go all around the world.

17. How many writing projects are you working on now?

Haha! That's a crazy question. I have several novels, several short stories, several poems, several rants, several ideas being developed, several edits in progress. It will be a feat to actually finish a novel though!

18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?

A lovely E-Certificate for winning a short story contest in the Weekly Short Story Contest group in Goodreads.com, awarded to me by Paige(Tink), the group moderator. Thank you Tink!

19. What are your five favorite words?

"Your Writing Weirds Me Out." Actual quote from my husband. No, my favorite words to use lately have been: obscure, bemused, vague, odd, and face. LOL

20. What character have you created that is most like yourself?

Most of my characters have something about me woven into their structure, but for the most part, I don't base characters off of myself. Maybe sometimes, I add something to the character that I would like to be, that's always my favorite type of resemblance.

21. Where do you get your ideas for your characters?

People watching and deep thinking. That's really all that's to it. Oh, and sometimes I dream a character shell, and when I get to writing, I get more in depth with the character.

22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?

OH Yes! Very often, I always have vivid dreams, just about every night, so I make sure to write anything interesting down.

23. Do you favor happy endings?

Yes, but my favorite novel in the works right now is going to be one of those that makes me cry as I write the ending, since I already have the ending developed, I just need to focus on the beginning and the middle.

24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

Yes, oh god yes! It drives me crazy sometimes. I have to go back several times until it's right, before I can move on even if it's something that I need to type up right away.

25. Does music help you write?

Yes and no. It depends on the atmosphere that I am writing in. Music is a big part of who I am and sometimes, you play just that right song that makes you want to get up and groove. So, I have a hard time sitting down if I am listening to dance music, but slower stuff puts me in a good mood to write, especially Ludwig Van and any other classical.

26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops in your head.

“Thank you darling, I’m so glad I chose to keep you around.” Scarlett was joking now? Jason couldn’t believe what he was hearing, so he answered with the only comeback he could think of at the time.

“You’re face chose to keep me around.” They both laughed as Jason started the car and took off at a dangerous speed.

(From my NaNoWriMo Story for this year. It was a fun thing to do.)

And now the three blogs I will tag are: (be sure to visit their blogs, too)

Kyle Borland at http://www.kgborland23.blogspot.com/

Rita J. Webb at http://www.afantasyfiction.blogspot.com/

Renee Miller-Johnston at http://www.rjmiller.weebly.com./

I don't know if they will respond to it, but maybe. I would like to see the answers for all of these writers, as I really admire their writing.

:)

A Fun Holiday Photo

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Upcoming Book Review: Across the Pond by Storyheart

This was a fun little read that I read a few months ago, but the author is a good friend of mine and so I thought that I should write a review for his book on my blog. I hope to get more people in the know about this marvelous book that I feel is for all ages.

Excerpt from the back of the book:

Finding himself packed off to friends in the USA, fifteen-year-old English-born Fred Squire is not happy.
Then he meets Brittany.
Struggling with his feelings for Brit and the language, Fred is further confused when he meets Brit's flirtatious friend, Angel.
Escaping from a confrontation with Steve Harris, the neighborhood bully, Brit tells Fred her dark secret about Harris, and Fred's world is turned upside down.
Life continure to throw Fred a curveball when he catches a baseball worth a small fortune. Further fun-ins with Harris, a crazy family, barbecue, and a chase through a mall all add to Fred's American adventure.
"Brit and her Brit" know that their young love will be followed by heartache when Fred has to return to England but not before some final twists in the tale.

Visit http://www.across-t-pond.com/ for more information.

Book Review: The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Book Title: The Martian Chronicles

Author: Ray Bradbury (http://www.raybradbury.com/)

Pages: 181

Publisher: Bantam Books/Doubleday
Genre: Science Fiction/Short Story Collective

(Scale Explanation: 1) Meaning awful, 5) Meaning not good, but not bad-equal, 10) Meaning wonderful)

PLOT - 9

CHARACTERS - 8

BEGINNING - 8

ENDING - 8
FLOW - 7

OVERALL - 8

What I liked about this book:  I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though it is quite rough around the edges and slightly choppy at times, and well, some of the chapters strewn together do not completely make sense. Though, it was very eye opening and entertaining. I loved the science fiction aspect of the book and the interestingly dark wit that Ray Bradbury used throughout. I will most likely pick this book up again at sometime during my life, but for sure, I will read more Bradbury books as I obtain them. The man was a mastermind of imagination and I believe that he has received too little credit for all of his genius work. My favorite chapter of the book is a chapter in which he incorporates Edgar Allan Poe's story about the House of Usher. Very detailed and morbidly funny, I enjoyed this chapter the most.

What I disliked about this book:  Obviously from my ratings above, there were issues that I had whilst reading this work of literary art. Though I love it, I had a problem understanding the actions of the characters. Most of the characters weren't very developed, but one can truly appreciate it given the style that this book is written in.I found it quite choppy and it seems to jump from different characters all around. If you are not a fan of quirky and different styles, you won't like this book.

Who I would recommend this book to:  Obviously, as I stated above, I would not recommend this book to anyone that isn't a fan of quirky and untraditional styles. Bradbury just didn't care about following the rules when he wrote this book and possibly his other books that I have yet to venture into. I would recommend to those that are open-minded when it comes to reading and enjoy different styles of writing, anyone that is not faint of heart, there is some violence and Bradbury has described the way blood flows from a body a few times. Other than that, the murder scenarios are quick and to the point, basically, stating "And he was dead." Also, I would recommend to people that like science fiction, this would surely be an enjoying read, and possibly those interested in philosophy, because I have a sneaky suspicion that Bradbury has thrown some philosophical ideas of his own in the text.

What I felt this book was about:  Well, as I have explained above, I felt like Bradbury poured himself all throughout this book. A lover of literature bad-talking those that burnt the books back in a time when fantasy literature was forbidden, the main characters are depressed and often on the brink of insanity, which I believe Bradbury must have passed at some point in his life, but as Cornelia Funke quoted in Inkspell, "So what? All writers are lunatics." So, basically, this book is about the colonization of Mars and what we stupid humans do to the beautiful planet that has survived through the Martians for eons, because they knew how to balance nature and technology. There's not much else to tell as the story has so many sub-stories strewn throughout it, to tell about all of them, would be re-telling the book. Read it!

Favorite excerpts or quotes from the book: 
""Well, what about this name: Edgar Allan Poe?"
Mr. Bigelow shook his head.
"Of course." Stendahl snorted delicately, a combination of dismay and contempt. "How could I expect you to know blessed Mr. Poe? He died a long while ago, before Lincoln. All of his books were burned in the Great Fire. That's thirty years ago-1975."
"Ah," said Mr. Bigelow wisely. "One of those!"
"Yes, one of those, Bigelow. He and Lovecraft and Hawthorne and Ambrose Beirce and all the tales of terror and fantasy and horror and, for that matter, tales of the future were burned. Heartlessly. They passed a law. Oh, it stated very small. In 1950 and '60 it was a grain of sand. They began by controlling books of cartoons and then detective books and, of course, films, one way or another, one group or another, political bias, religious prejudice, union pressures; there was always a minority afraid of something, and a great majority afraid of the dark, afraid of the future, afraid of the past, afraid of the present, afraid of themselves and shadows of themselves."
"I see."" - Page 105


I hope you enjoyed this review. Now, go out and read!!!

Upcoming Book Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book One The Lightning Thief

Well, for this book, I thought it would be a good idea to read it before the movie came out. So, I ordered it a few weeks ago and received it in the mail yesterday. I'm one chapter in and so far, it is a very enjoyable story, with great details. I hope to have this review up in the next few weeks.

Excerpt from the inside cover of the book:

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zues's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Visit http://www.rickriordan.com/ for more information.

Sounds very interesting. Thank you.

Book Review: Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan

Book Title: Proof by Seduction
Author: Courtney Milan (http://www.courtneymilan.com/)
Pages: 345
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Historical Romance

{Scale Explanation: 1) Meaning awful, 5) Meaning not good, but not bad-equal, 10) Meaning wonderful}

PLOT - 10
CHARACTERS - 10
BEGINNING - 10
ENDING - 10
FLOW - 10
OVERALL - 10

Can you tell I loved this book?

What I liked about this book: It was amazing how Courtney was able to bring it all together. I loved the details, the descriptions of what the different characters saw in the other characters eyes at any given time. Eyes can say a lot about a person. I love the witty arguements that the two main characters exchanged often throughout the book. I enjoyed the dilema that learning about themselves brought upon the two main characters and how that affected the multi-faceted lives they lead. And of course, the love scenes were very sensual and very romantic. Oh, and the male leading character reminded me of myself so much.

What I disliked about this book: Absolutely nothing. This book seemed to be everything that I never knew that I would like in a book. This was my first venture into historical romance and I will continue to explore the genre in the future. Especially anything that Courtney Milan writes.

Who I would recommend this book to: Anyone that likes historical romance books, or would like to venture into this genre. Anyone who loves to read a good love story, and anyone that is very scientific as you will relate to the male lead character as I have done.

What I felt the book was about: A love story, clear as that. Of course, there is much deeper things throughout the story than just the love story. Madame Esmeralda is a fortune-teller, but she has only chosen this profession because she refuses to join society int he oonly roles she could ever fill with her social status. She has been consulting Ned Carhart for two years, and they have grown close, just about as family members, but Ned's cousin, the Marquess of Blakely, Gareth Carhart wants to prove Madame Esmeralda a fraud by scientific experiments with her fortune-telling abilities. He wants to prove her a fraud to teach Ned not to be so trusting and to try to make Ned like him. He is a cold man, with no room in his life for love, or friendship. Meeting Madame Esmeralda turns his life upside down in his mind, making him question everything about himself and how he view people and the world. But at the same time, Gareth makes Madame Esmeralda question who she really is and why she has chosen this path for her life. Through all of this, there are witty arguements, interesting conversations and situations, and a few silly humiliating tasks that Madame Esmeralda gives to Lord Blakely. In the end, oh wait, I don't tell anyone the ending. You just have to read it, because you will love it. :)

Favorite excerpts or quotes from the book:
""Fun?" He raised one eyebrow. His tone disparaged the preposterous. Magic? Killer unicorns? Fun?!" - Page 103
That's just my favorite, but there are so many more, but if I put them on here, it will ruin the story for anyone that intends to read it, so read it! :)

Thank you

Upcoming Book Review: The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Hopefully, by tonight or by tomorrow, I'll have my review up for this wonderful science fiction masterpiece by one of the most gifted and strange authors of all time.

Excerpt from back of book:

A skillfull blending of fancy and satire, terror and tenderness, wonder and contempt by the author of THE ILLUSTRATED MAN. A glimpse of things to come-A glance at the past. Here is ay Bradbury's sometimes eerie, sometimes poetic fantasy about the colonization of Mars. The story of familiar people and familiar passions set against the incredible beauties of a new world.

Visit http://www.raybradbury.com/ for more information.

Photos From Snow Storms Past

First Snow of the Season

I'm so giddy about this, but just a few days ago we had our first snow storm of the season. With many more on the way, told by the weather lady in this area, there should be many photos of snow posted to my blog. I've posted a few pictures from last years snow storms.

Excitement Over a Holiday Toy

So, this commercial featuring a race track for Lightning McQueen and Mack from the Disney/Pixar movie Cars, aired a week ago and my son reacted so crazy the first time through, that we rewound it and allowed him to watch it again, video-taped of course.

The First Day of NaNoWriMo Freedom

So, all of the NaNo writer's out there must be feeling some sort of relief at this point. The month of November is over, you have either written a lot of words, or completed a 50,000 word novel, or for those over acheivers out there, a few of my friends included, you have doubled the 50,000 word count and went into 100k territory.

Congratulations!
You have achieved something that most of us only dream about, or think is impossible.
Guess what, we all have a novel inside us and it's just a matter of getting it out, so if you didn't finish with NaNo, keep going, maybe it will take you a few months, a few years, a few weeks, a few more hours, several decades. No matter what, the satisfaction of finishing a novel is within you, so go for it. It's like nothing you've ever felt.

Also, I'd like to tell everyone that now is the time to release that big breath of air you took in on November 1st, relax!
You can now take showers, eat, spend time with your family that's wondering if you died in your room. Re-connect with your brain, and go outside. Winter is the best time of year, enjoy the cool breeze and fall colors that are washing away.
You deserve it.

Just one more month and 2010 will be here.
What are your goals?
Share in the comments section or write them down for yourself, but keep track of them.

My goals are to finish a novel, submit stuff for publishing, even if it is through literary magazine's, complete Scriptfrenzy, Complete NaNo, teach my son everything that I can, lose 50 pounds, read, read, read, write, write, write, and enjoy life.

Hope to see you all around here soon. Maybe a contest is in the works for next year.

:)

NaNoWriMo 2009 Winner

Well, today, I completed the task of completing a 50,000 word novel in the month of November for the NaNoWriMo challenge.

I'm so happy that I was able to do this, but boy am I done with writing for at least a month. I'm off to read, my hands don't want to type anymore. LOL

I'm so proud of everyone that completed the NaNoWriMo challenge and those that participated, even if you didn't complete a novel, you tried and that in itself is a great personal challenge.

Thank you.

NaNoWriMo 2009 Progress

Grand total so far: 35,946.



I am making great progress, my only problem is that I know what I am to write, but I just have to make myself sit down and type. I will do it, I just have to focus.



Congratulations to all of my friends that have already finished their NaNoWriMo novels, or at least have passed the 50,000 word mark:



Ilana Wilson


Jayda Harrison


Brigid Gorry-Hines



If I find out more of my friends have finished, I'll add their names here as well. Such a great accomplishment to accomplish!!!


Great job everyone!

Upcoming Book Review: Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan

Well, I have already read this book, but I am working on the review. Let me tell you this book was amazing. Just wow! Anyway, I received a free advance copy via Visual Bookshelf from Facebook and read the whole book in a matter of hours. Could not put it down. Possibly going to post the review today. Look for it!

Excert from back cover:

She is his last chance at happiness...

Jenny Keeble has never let her humble upbringing stop her. She's made her way in the world as a fortune teller, one who convinces her clients her predictions are correct by telling them what they most want to hear. Business is good... until she meets her match in the form of Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakely, a scientist and sworn bachelor.
He just doesn't know it yet...
Broodingly handsome, Gareth is apalled to discover his cousin has fallen under the spell of 'Madame Esmeralda,' and he vows to prove her a fraud. But his unexpected attraction to the fiery enchantress defies logic. Jenny disrupts every facet of Gareth's calculated plan-until he can't decide whether to ruin her or to claim her for his own. Now, as they engage in a passionate battle of wills, two lonely souls must choose between everything they know... and the boudless possibilities of love.

Visit http://www.courtneymilan.com/ for more information.

A Fun and Exciting Program

Wow, just wow. I had such a blast yesterday on the blog talk radio show hosted by Storyheart. Thirty minutes is just not enough time to get everything out, though it was a very fun chat. If you would like to listen to the show, please visit the websites I have below.

To check out the show, with past guests go to

http://www.blogtalkradio/Across-the-Pond

To check out the show where I was a guest go to

http://www.blogtalkradio/Across-the-Pond/2009/11/09/A-Book-and-a-Chat-Paige-Ray

For an mp3 file of the show visit

http://www.romance2read.com/show-paige.mp3

To visit Storyheart's blogs go to

http://www.acrossthepond-storyheart/blogspot.com

http://www.stpryheart52.wordpress.com/

http://www.storyheart52.livejournal.com/

For Storyheart's Book Website go to

http://www.across-t-pond.com/

For the Amazon.com reviews of Storyheart's book, please visit

http://www.tinyurl.com/o7sokp

For YouTube video's featuring Storyheart visit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2hn1q0DZ34

You can also follow Storyheart on:

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/storyheart

Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/Storyheart52

Thank you and I hope that you can listen. It was such a blast to do and I really enjoyed chatting with Storyheart for the show.

NaNoWriMo 2009 Progress

I feel like a molten ball of fire circling the sun. I have been going like a writing madman. Oh wait, writer's are mad men. LOL JK

Anyway, I wanted to share with all of my fellow NaNo'ers that I have reached 13,046 words as of 1:30am last night.

I hope that I don't slow down, I'm just so excited about actually doing this. I have to finish this challenge, to complete my first novel. I have so many, too many stories/novels that are 36,000 words or less and abruptly stopped and I cannot continue. Hopefully, this will fuel the desire to finish something.

Good luck NaNo'ers. Day 6 is tomorrow and word counts should be at roughly 10,000 to be on track to meet the 50,000 word goal by November 30th.

A Book and a Chat with Paige Ray

A Book and a Chat with Paige Ray

I'm going to be the guest on a blog talk radio show on November 9, 2009 at 6:30pm EST.

Here is the link to the radio show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

The blog talk radio show is hosted by Storyheart, the author of the popular YA novel, Across the Pond. I have posted an image of his book to the left.

Here is the link to his book: http://www.across-t-pond.com/

Here is the link to his blog: http://www.acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/

He has a few other blogs that you can follow if you go to his blog that I have posted.

Also, you can purchase his book from his website and even get an autographed copy for a little extra. You can purchase from Amazon and as of a June 2009 press release from Storyheart's website, you can pick it up at any local bookstore. Bravo, Storyheart!

I am in the process of completing a review for my blog about his book so that I can help get the word out to YA enthusiasts and book reader enthusiasts period that this is a great book to read. I truly enjoyed reading it.

I always have his blog talk radio show widget on the side of my blog for all that want to listen.

I'm so excited and I hope that everyone tunes in.

NaNoWriMo 2009 Progress

I am so happy. I reached 9,004 words last night. I averted much sleep, but I am on a roll. Hopefully, I can get to 20,000 before the end of this week. If I finish this challenge, I will have written my only 50,000 word novel and I will have written my only finished novel. Maybe after NaNo is over, I can get back to my other novel that is a meekly 36,000 words. LOL

Good luck to all of the NaNo writers out there. We are just a few days in and this challenge is great!

NaNoWriMo 2009 Finally Here

WOOHOO!!! 2,764 words so far today.

NaNoWriMo has officially started.

I am so excited. Good luck to all of the participants!

Happy writing!

Our New Pet: Steve The Spider

Against my better judgement, I had agreed to let my husband bring this guy home. If you have any idea what kind of spider, Steve may be, please let me know. I have searched all over the internet with no luck. The video is slightly blurry, but he is brownish tan, kind of yellowish, with a few black spots on his abdomen and a large Y on his abdomen in the center. He is wearing black socks and he is very hairy, like an elderly man hairy. He eats moths like crazy, they are his favorite, but he also likes other spiders. He has shiny black fangs or the appendages that the fangs are attached to and his venom glands behind his fangs are shiny red. I will not hold this thing. He stays in his container, but let me know if you know what type of spider he may be. Thank you.

My Writing on Goodreads.com

Well, I have decided to take down most of my writing from the Goodreads website. It was a choice that I made with regrets. I loved reading the comments that people had posted about my writing. It's the kind of thing that makes you feel like you actually have some talent. But in my ventures to try to get some of my stuff published, I just had to take most of it down. Maybe if I get some things published, I will post links or the actual story on my blog. Whatever is ok legally. I sure do hope that I can get some things published to start building my writer's resume.

Wish me luck!

NaNoWriMo 2009

Oh my goodness!! I am so excited. NaNoWriMo starts in just a few days. This will be my first year participating and I sure hope that I can beat the challenge.

As you can see, I have already made a book cover for my tentative title of my new NaNo novel. We will see how it progresses and what I end up with.

I am so happy that I already have my character bios and my outline ready to go. I just need November 1st to roll around so that I can start writing.

Good luck to everyone that is participating.

My NaNo screen name is: PaigeRay23. Add me if you haven't already.

Goodreads/Writers Review and Short Stories/September 2009 Short Story Contest Winner: Marley with 'Late Nights'

Goodreads Website

Writers Review and Short Stories Group

September 2009 Short Story Contest Winner

Marley with 'Late Nights'

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Romance

Word Count: 923

(September's Genre was *author's choice*, the topic was Night Activities. The word count minimum was 300 words and the maximum was 3000 words.)

Here is a link: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/204775-september-2009

You can view the other participants here as well.

Here is the story:

The door slams shut at 1 in the morning. Every night, he never fails to be on time, he never needs to make up an excuse, and I think he genuinely wants to be here. The city is quiet and he has abandoned it, after all the entire town is his office. He is my man in uniform, even though, I'd rather see him without it. He sneaks out of it and sits down onto the bed next to me and whispers.

"Honey, I'm home." In a joking tone.

"I noticed. Why the whispering, we are the only ones here." I whisper back. The TV illuminates the room. It flashes by on mute.

"It fit the mood. So how was your evening?" He says smiling and taking his shoes off.

"Lonely, it always seems that way. But only a week left of these late night shifts, correct?" I say, grinning at the thought of spending actual time together, instead of just night time chats. We had only gotten married two months ago, and it was already harder than expected.

He winces at this, his face contorted in an irritated way. "Well..." The word trails off as he walks clumsily into the kitchen and brings back a plate of leftover lasagna. He sits on the bed again, and picks at it nervously.

"There's a problem." He says, disappointed. I should have seen this coming.

"Really?" I say, in a slightly pained tone. "And that problem, does it lead to more of these late nights?"

"Yes." The word stumbles out of his mouth.

"And is this another impossible to turn down offer? I mean, is the pay that spectacular?" I say, biting at him. I'm trying not to be angry.

"Relax. I'll turn it down. If it means that much to you. I just thought we could use it. We needed to get back on our feet. I mean, we did want to buy a house. I know that might be looking far ahead, but one day, it will be time to move." He says. I agree in my mind, but no way am I going to show him that.

"You make the decision. Don't go by what I say. You're your own person. I just..." I struggle to find words that sound hopeful, "don't want this to fall apart."

"I understand, and it won't. I personally like the night. Don't you feel like you're the only person around? Like the world is all yours. I mean, we could do anything right now. There are still places to be. In fact, get your coat." He says, putting his clothes back on.

"Are you insane, it's past one!" I mumble as he drags me out of bed, and shuts off the TV. The remote misses the bed, and clatters to the ground. I am skeptical about what he is doing, but laugh at his bad aim, and put on a dress and sandals.

"Yes, quite insane, but you asked for it." He says, leading me out the door.

I slip my coat on as we walk down the stairs; he begins to walk towards the center of town.

"So, what do you want to do first, my dear?" He says, stopping by a bench in the town square. I look at the assortment of bars and closed cafes. I look for a way to torture him. Then I see the perfect outlet for my frustration.

"Karaoke." I say, pointing a bar across the road. "Consider it your punishment for taking more late shifts."

"Does that mean I am taking the job?" He says with a look of slight enthusiasm for winning the fight.

"Depends how good your singing is." I say running before a car. We enter the bar to drunken off-key duets being shoved off the stage.

We flip through a book of songs, bickering over which would be best to perform. Finally deciding on an old Seether song featuring a femal artist. Which, though quite depressing, worked out perfectly, or we thought it did, as the drunks seemed to clap graciously. He bowed in mock grandeur, making a fool of himself, and I followed him off the stage, and to the bar, where we were promptly served a drink.

"Ha, I feel sort of absurd. That was nerve-wracking." He says before downing a drink.

"It's just a house full of crazy people, the one place you don't have to worry about making a fool of yourself. Never be embarassed of things like this, they'll have forgoten how flat your notes were by tomorrow." I say.

"And here I was thinking I was a prodigy, how blunt you are." He responds.

"You are far too old to be a prodigy!" I say, finishing up my drink. "But, I'll take you even though you lack musical talent."

"Speaking of taking, can I take you home now? I think I have proven there are thrills at night. I mean, my stomach is still twisted, and my heart is still pounding, so to me that was thrilling." He says, I nod, and take his hand, pulling him out the door of the shabby bar.

"You better sleep, you have a long day of work tomorrow." I say. "And another late night. What a shame."

"Well, it can't be helped." The walk home is peaceful, it seems as though the world is empty, and we are all alone.

In a way, I like this feeling. I mean, I could do anything at night, couldn't I?

END STORY

Thank you Marley for your wonderful contribution to the monthly short story contest.

Lake Exploration

Hiking at the River

Monthly Short Story Contest

In the Writer's Review group on Goodreads.com, we have a monthly short story contest. The contest for September is going on right now and as of today, we only have one entry. Thank you Lorna for you entry. We would like to have more so that we can vote for a winner. Remember the winner will be placed on my blog here and on the main moderator Kyle's blog for display. Please enter the contest if you are interested.

Here is the link:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/204775-september-2009

The Giraffe Experience: A New Obsession

A New Friend at the Zoo

The Zoo Trip

A Note About Book Reviews

As I read through my book review last night, it ocurred to me that by my description, it may not seem as though I have actually read the book. Please do not be alarmed. I read like a mad man. I just don't like my reviews to give too much information about the book away. I don't want someone to go pick up the book right after they have read my review and already know everything that happens in the book.

So, my reviews might be a little vague, but I just prefer not to give too much valuable information away.

Thank you.

Book Review: Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut

Book Title: Galapagos

Author: Kurt Vonnegut (http://www.vonnegut.com/)

Pages: 295

Publisher: Doubleday
Genre: Fiction

(Scale Explanation: 1) Meaning awful, 5) Meaning not good, but not bad, equal, 10) Meaning wonderful)

PLOT - 9

CHARACTERS - 9

BEGINNING - 7

ENDING - 8

FLOW - 7

OVERALL - 8

What I liked about this book: This book was the starter of my Vonnegut reading crusade. Although the ending wasn't the best ending to a book that I have ever read, it drew me into Vonnegut's writing. The whole way that this book is written creates a different kind of flow than what 'normal' readers would want. It's slightly choppy, yet completely characteristic to Vonnegut's work. He ends up telling you all about his characters at different points of the book, there is no information dump. I liked how you get a few details throughout the book here and there about what has happened to the human race and how he gives you little foreshadowing details about each characters coming actions. I was very intrigued with Vonnegut's writing from reading this book.

What I disliked about this book: The only thing that I would say that disliked about this book was the choppiness, but some people like that, as I have grown to like that by reading other Vonnegut books. He gives choppy writing a sense of organization that I have never seen done by any other author ever to have existed. It's wonderfully organized chaos.

Who I would recommend this book to: Anyone who is a fan of Vonnegut's writing or wants to get a feel for different styles of writing.

What I felt the book was about: Basically, I understood that this book was being written by a man who was a ghost a million years into the future from 1986. The narrator briefly explains his life from time to time so that you get a feel for him, but he also explains each characters lives and what their lives will become as the book proceeds. The narrator has seen what caused the human apocalypse and explains what happened to humanity in the course of that million years that he has been waiting for Heaven to open up and allow him to enter for the last time. Apparently, humanity has taken a turn for the life of a water dweller seeing as how the narrator explains certain aspects of human nature in the end of his term of living as a ghost on earth. The big part of the Galapagos in this book is to say that the group of humans that were set to go on the 'Nature Cruise of the Century,' a tour of the Galapagos islands on a boat, these humans had to escape the chaos that was beginning on the main continent of South America. Unfortunately, they ended up being stranded on one of the Galapagos Islands where they became the founders of the new humans that came to live on the Galapagos Islands. It was a very strange work of fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Favorite/Hated excerpts or quotes from the book: I was unable to choose my favorite before I had to check the book back into the library, but I will update as soon as I get it back.



Thank you!

Book Reviewing Format

I decided to just post a little example of what my book reviews will look like. (A note: I will post the scale with every book review so that you don't have to look back at this post in the future.)

EXAMPLE BOOK REVIEW:

(There will be a photo of the cover of the book with each review.)

Book Title: Blah Blah Blah

Author: Noname Nobody

Pages: 368

Publisher: The Publishing Company
Genre: Fiction

SCALE EXPLANATION: Scale is 1-10: 1) Meaning awful, 5) Meaning not good, but not bad, equal, 10) Meaning wonderful

Rated on:

PLOT - 1-10

CHARACTERS - 1-10

BEGINNING - 1-10

ENDING - 1-10

FLOW - 1-10

OVERALL - 1-10

(A note: Characters rating is based on the actual character personalities and actions throughout the book, how well the author established their characters.)
(A note: Beginning is based on how well the first chapter of the book grabbed attention.)
(A note: Ending is based on how well the last chapter or the actual last page of the book went with the plot, and if it would coerce me to read another book by that author.)


What I liked about the book: blah blah blah blah...

What I disliked about the book: blah blah blah blah...


Who I would recommend it to: blah blah blah blah...

What I felt the book was about: blah blah blah blah...


Favorite/Hated excerpts or quotes from the book: blah blah blah blah...




And that is it. There will be a few new book reviews up this weekend. Hope you enjoy. Thank you!

Writing Progress Updates: September 5, 2009

So, I have been thinking of some things to add to my blog to make it more interesting. The following idea may not be that interesting, but I thought it would be a fun thing to add.

I have decided to start adding my writing progress updates as often as possible to keep me writing. It should be a great way for me to push myself to write more.
I'll go ahead and start with the total that I have written since the beginning of September since it's always great to start something at the beginning of a month. :)


Sept. 1 - Sept. 5, 2009
Word Count: 2,400
From: Worked on development for my NaNoWriMo story, Character bios for a screenplay, editting on Portland, and a short story entitled 'The End of Summer' for Weekly Story Contest group on Goodreads.

Links to Great Stories: Paige(Tink)

Ok, here is another author that I greatly wanted to showcase.

She has the same name as I do so that makes her cool already, but the great thing about Paige(Tink) is that she was the first person that I ever had interactions with on Goodreads. I was reading through some of the writing that was on the website and I saw Paige(Tink), and was interested to see what another Paige would write. So, I read her story, Soulfire, and I messaged her telling her how great I thought the story was and how I enjoyed it greatly. She then invited me to join a group called Write in 2009. Which is a great group, by the way. There are a lot of encouragements in the group. Anyway, Tink also has a Weekly Short Story Contest Group that I am a part of and I actually won a contest recently. YAY! There is great fun in that group as well. Unfortunately, she has taken Soulfire down as she submits it to Publishers, which is great. But she is writing on the second book in the series entitled Heartfire, which I would recommend to anyone. There are also other stories by Paige(Tink) on her profile.

Please visit her writing and let her know what you think.

http://www.goodreads.com/story/list/868779

INTERVIEW

P: Why do you write?

T: I write because it's the one thing that's mine and mine alone, the world I control. With a few words, I can change anything. I can believe in happy endings and I can be cynical. I can be whoever I want to be, and no one's there to judge me or to tell me that I'm not fooling anyone. Writing is also my release, my escape from the real world. I write, therefore, I live.

P: Who is(are) your favorite author(s)?

T: My gosh, so many, J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Rick Riordan, Alyson Noel, Cassandra Clare, P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast, Lisi Harrison, Michael Buckley, on and on and on. I could never pick just one.

P: What do you plan on doing with your life?

T: Well, right now Plan A goes something like, get Soulfire published, finish my trilogy, hopefully be successful, move to Seattle, write as a career, live happily ever after. Will I write more books after this trilogy? I don't know. I just let my fingers fly across the keyboard and go where it takes me.

P: What is your favorite type of writing to write?

T: I like urban fantasy, which is kind of like a blend of realistic fiction and fantasy. It's usually set in modern time, but has something in it that doesn't exist in real life, like say, people with paranormal powers. Or tough chicks who set things on fire. :)

P: What gave you the idea to write Soulfire?

T: I was actually sick when I started Soulfire and when an idea popped into my head, I just started typing. I finished nine chapters in one day, and then all of a sudden, I went Hey! This isn't bad! And then went on from there. My characters are very real to me, and it's hard to believe that they only exist in my mind. The always seem so alive.

Thank you.

NaNoWriMo Coming Up!

Ok, I just wanted to share that NaNoWriMo is coming up and I am extremely excited for it this year. This will be my first year of participation in this event.

Here is the link to the website:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

My screen name on the NaNoWriMo website is: PaigeRay23

Be my friend, the more the merrier.

I sure hope that many people decide to do this endeavor. It seems to be great fun.

Links to Great Stories: Lorna

Ok, here is another excellent writer to showcase.

Her name is Lorna and I just met her in Goodreads about a month or two ago. I know I don't really keep track of time. Anyway, I read some of her work and I was amazed. She is a great writer and I am so thankful that she decided to share her writing with Goodreads so that I was able to read it. Please visit her writing below.

http://www.goodreads.com/story/list/1935279

INTERVIEW:

P: Why do you write?
L: I write simply because it's fun. Hmm...I've just read what I wrote and it's all true, but I think there is something else. I need an escape ALL the time, when I can't read, when I'm doing the shopping, at work, etc. When I'm writing a story, it gives me something to emerse myself in when I need it the most. It's a distraction I can use no matter where I am or what I'm doing. Maybe that's why people think I'm ditzy! It's not because I'm clumbsy or forgetful, it's that I'm inventing, picturing, changing, planning my story!

P: Who is(are) your favorite author(s)?
L: Anne Rice is my absolute favorite. I also admire J.K. Rowling, Joanne Harris, Jane Austen, Gary Kilworth, John Marsden, Jean M. Auel, Douglas Adams, Anne Holme...among others.

P: What do you plan on doing with your life?
L: I am studying to be a copyeditor, and after that I hope to be an editor, maybe with my own business. Then when I'm rich enough (lol), I'd like to open a new and used book shop.

P: What is your favorite type of writing to write?
L: Period, some fantasy. Adventure, mostly.

P: What is Australia like to you?
L: Hot, and unwelcoming. It is a beautiful country, but I don't feel I belong here. Sounds silly, but I miss the country I was born in even though I don't remember it. I want to move back there (Scotland) in the hopes that I will acquire some sense of belonging.

Thank you.

Poetry

Links to Great Stories: Kyle

Ok, yet another showcased author.

Kyle is a writer on Goodreads, like all of the other authors I have met. He is an excellent fantasy writer and he was recently published in an arts magazine out of Davis, California. He is a very nice, easy-going person and I feel as though his writing somewhat refelects that characteristic. Please, check out his writing.

http://www.goodreads.com/story/list/2183713

INTERVIEW:

P: Why do you write?

K: I write because it gives me a creative release. Ideas flow in my head constantly and leaving them there would drive me crazy so they have to go onto the paper.

P: Who is(are) your favorite author(s)?

K: My favorite authors are Maria V. Snyder, James Joyce, Richelle Mead, and Fitzgerald to name a few.

P: What do you plan on doing with your life?

K: I hope to be a writer, but if I can't do that, I want to be a teacher or a pediatric physical therapist, jobs to have before I hopefully become a writer.

P: What type of writing do you like to write"

K: I love Urban Fantasy, but Young Adult is also fun because I think it's good to write a story that other young adults would find interesting. Also, Realistic Fiction is a passion on mine.

P: What is your favorite season?

K: Fall because of the changing of the leaves, and the cool weather is very inspirational, not to mention, that's also when football starts. :)

Thank you.

Links to Great Stories: Davis

Ok, here is another great writer to showcase.

He is on Goodreads, and his writing is fabulous. He is very opinionated and sometimes to the certain type of person a bit over-bearing and overly outspoken, but he is an amazing writer. It is so hard to believe how young he is when you read his writing. It's very inspirational for authors that want to write in another genre or are thinking about trying a new style of writing. Anyway, here is a link to his writing and I hope you enjoy.

http://www.goodreads.com/story/list/2160575

INTERVIEW:

P: Why do you write?

D: I just feels natural. I love language, and playing with it, which writing clearly allows me to do. I've always had an active imagination, so writing fiction allows me to explore that. I'm very outspoken, so through essays, I am able to eloquently express my views. I could prattle on about this question for days.

P: Who is(are) your favorite author(s)?

D: John Steinbeck, David Foster Wallace, and James Joyce are my top three, usually. I'm recently into John Blarth, Pynchon, and some of the other post-modernists. John Updike is a recent love of mine, an idol really. He was so prolific! Mark Twain, of course, the American Bard, as they say. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby is one of the greatest pieces of fiction of all time. Hemingway, grace under pressure, great stuff. Charles Bukowski, the poet from the gutter. Great, raw stuff. He really is very, very, very under-appreciated. Kerouac, On The Road really inspired me to start writing. Of course, the Russians, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Kafka, because he was post-modern when Modernism was just getting started. My guilty pleasure would have to be Pat Conroy. Prince of Tides is an amazing book, everyone should read it.

P: What do you plan on doing with your life?

D: Hopefully, complete an English Ph.D program at a prestigious East coast college. and then write for a living.

P: What is your favorite type of writing to write?

D: It's a tie between the short story, critical essay, and free verse poem. I love all of them.

P: Who is your idol?

D: David Foster Wallace, without a doubt. Steinbeck, Joyce, and Updike(for the sheer volume of work he produced) as well.

Thank you.