Cafe Chit Chat: John Ford

John is the awesome author of The Morgue and Me [Click HERE for review]. John is also a law school graduee, by attending both Standford and the University of Michigan Law School.

Now onto the interview...

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Wdebo: Can you describe a typical day?

John Ford: The typical day, as it’s supposed to happen, is this: work out at the gym, work the “day job,” write for three hours, have dinner or meet up with friends, bed. This happens about 3% of the time. I’m taking a month-long break between “day jobs,” and here’s how today went. Write for two hours Put together that IKEA entertainment center that I’ve been meaning to get to for three months now Get a gift for my friends one-year old baby Try to writeGet distracted by reading a friend’s screenplayDeal with reservations for fall travelEmail friend with comments on screenplayTonight: pub trivia with friends

W: How did you come up with your idea for The Morgue and Me?

J: I wanted to write a traditional-feeling detective novel with a young main character. All of the usual occupations you might see—cop, private investigator, etc.--were out of bounds to an 18 year-old, so I just started thinking about how a kid might stumble across a serious crime. A part-time job at the morgue seemed perfect. I really built the mystery around that setting and character.

W: Are any of the characters based on someone you know?

J: Can I plead the fifth? Actually, seriously, none of the characters are based on real people. Though, I suppose, there’s a little bit of me in all of them—which is a very scary thought.

W: What is your favorite thing to do (apart from writing)?

J: I love to go running. It’s a bit like writing—a solitary activity that can sometimes feel like torture, and often takes the wind out of you. But when you’re in the groove, there’s nothing like it.

W: What's your favorite color?

J: Blue. Light blue. (Imagine me saying this like “Bond, James Bond.”)

W: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?

J: I suppose it’d be cheating to bring a power-boat, map, and plentiful supplies of food and gasoline?

Okay . . . running shoes, a good falafel sandwich, a fountain pen, a bathrobe from the Ritz-Carlton, and a copy of The Great Gatsby.

W: Who is your favorite superhero and why?

J: Either Aquaman, because I used to be a swimmer, or The Green Lantern, because the name is so cool. (Though, actually, the Green Lantern is a whole group of superheroes, so Aquaman it is.)

W: Who are some authors you look up to?

J: Nancy Werlin and Ned Vizinni are two YA authors I admire greatly.

W: Do you have a new project you are working on? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?

J: Yes, and no. Not to be all mysterious or anything, but it’s not quite finished enough for me to go off blabbing about it. I’ll say this: it’s a thriller-type book that, at the moment, I feel very good about.

W: I know a lot of my blog readers are writers. Do you have any tips to share to aspiring authors?

J: Read, read, and read—you soak up so much about writing that way, without even knowing it. The other thing I would say is to be careful about drawing from your own life too much. Make sure what you’re writing about is just as interesting to other people as it is to you.

W: What is your FAVORITE book in the world, the one that you think everyone should read before they die?

J: Too hard! I said that I’d take The Great Gatsby with me to the island, so I guess I’m going with that. I read Stephen King’s The Stand when I was in high school and it floored me. Back then, I would have picked that one.

W: What is one thing that not many people know about you?

J: I hardly ever return my library books on time. Sorry, Cleveland Park Library! For the record, though, I do pay all my late fees.

W: Do you enjoy watching movies if so, do you have a movie you absolutely cannot stop watching?

J: I absolutely love movies. I have a thing for movies that take you on a head trip, like Memento or Being John Malcovich, but those aren’t to everyone’s taste so don’t necessarily take that as a recommendation.

W: Finally, do you have anything else you want to say?

J: I think you know all my secrets now, so I’m good. Thanks so much for having me!

W: Thanks for letting me interview you!

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Check out John's Goodreads page HERE

Remember, if you comment on this post you recieve TWO extra entrees for the GIANT blogoversery bash contest HERE. Where one of the prizes you can win is a signed hardback copy of The Morgue and Me. Check it out!!

Wdebo :)

In My Mailbox (13)

So, it's been a while huh? Lol, so here is my IMM this week.

I "stole" this from the Story Siren. [Want to join in? Click HERE.]

So, I FINALLY got the Little, Brown Package I had been waiting for, for a month in the mail on Thursday! Yeah! And I also got a package for my "purchase" at Random Buzzers...The first two books in the Inheritance series (Yes, I feel like I'm the only person left, my age, who hasn't read Eragon yet...bahahaha)...take a look...

The Recieved:

Ash By: Malinda Lo (ARC/September 1, 2009)

[From B.O.B] "Pushed into indentured servitude for her stepmother in the City to pay off her father's debts, Ash is consumed with grief. She misses her family and her happy life at the edge of the Wood where old magic used to linger in the air like fairy breat. Her only joy comes from the brief, stolen walks in the woods with the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean. Ash's single, unspoken hope is that someday he might steal her away, as fairies are said to do.

But on the night that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, from Kaisa she learns the art of the hunt, how to ride and track. Their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, but it grows and changes, and with it, Ash reawakens her capacity for love-and her desire to live.

Entrancing and romantic, Ash is an empowering retelling of cinderella about choosing life and love over solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepes grief."

I read this already, and you can find my review HERE!

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd By: Various Authors

[From Amazon]: Acclaimed authors Holly Black (Ironside)and Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof) have united in geekdom to edit short stories from some of the best selling and most promising geeks in young adult literature: M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Tracy Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr.

With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley, Geektastic covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers. Whether you're a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, Geektastic will help you get your geek on!

Currently Reading, it's actually pretty funny and cute...I just found out, though, I might be a nerd, but I am defidently NOT geek material...all this Star Wars/Trek/etc is so confusing.

Prophecy of the Sisters By: Michelle Zink

[From Amazon]:

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-

One good...

One evil...

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.

YEAH!!! I am soo excited for this one :) The cover is shiny (but the stone angels are kinda scary).

The Hate List By: Jennifer Brown (ARC/September 1, 2009)

[From Amazon]: Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

It looks awesome!

Fade to Blue By: Sean Beaudoin (ARC/August 1, 2009)

[From Amazon] Sophie Blue started wearing a black skirt and Midnight Noir lipstick on her last birthday. It was also the day her father disappeared. Or spontaneously combusted. Which is sort of bad timing, since a Popsicle truck with tinted windows has started circling the house.

Kenny Fade is a basketball god. His sneakers cost more than his Jeep. He's the guy all the ladies (and their mommas) want. Bad.

Sophie Blue and Kenny Fade don't have a thing in common. Aside from being reasonably sure they're losing their minds.

Acclaimed author Sean Beaudoin's wildly innovative novel combines uproarious humor with enough plot twists to fill a tube sock. Part thriller, part darkly comic philosophical discussion, and accompanied by a comic book interstitial, Fade to Blue is a whip-smart romp that keeps readers guessing until the last paragraph.

Sounds intense...haha...and it has comics in it I think!!

And then I also got an Eragon and Eldest, paperback versions. (Too lazy to put out the covers and summaries...but I'm sure most of you know what it's about)

So, what did you recieve this week?

Wdebo :)

Ash By: Malinda Lo

Title: Ash
Author: Malinda Lo
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 272
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Geared Towards: Older Teens/Fairy Tale Readers
Extra Info: This book is Malinda's debut novel.

"As the room came into light, it was as if their world had shifted: three place settings, three chairs, three plates. There had never really been a place for her, after all."

Summary (From Amazon): In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

Wdebo's Review: Ash was such an addicting read. It has this naive voice that is found in most fairy tales, but this dark lyrical writing found in the Brother's Grimm. With this combination, this book became one of my favorite debut novels of 2009. And having it be about fairy tales, didn't hurt either.

The voice was just amazing, like I said above, it had this naive-ness about it. However, that aspect of the story also annoyed me, even though Ash was like 18 she still sounded like she was 12, it just seemed like the characters never aged. But through the naive-ness there was darkness that spun the words together.

In the novel, all the references to fairies just made me feel like I was reading Tithe again, but there is just something wonderful about fairy books. I also love all of the fairy tales in the story, they were short, cautionary tales but they just leave this frightening, exciting feeling in your body like after reading a Brother's Grimm story.

I found the character, Sidhean, the fairy that Ash meets, my favorite to read about. He was dark and dangerous, and the whole, you belong to me, is creepy but still quite sexy.

The cover is just wonderfuly awesome, when I first saw it on the computer though, since the screen was so small, I thought it was a crumpled piece of paper, but when I got the actual cover I was like Holy Crap it's a girl. I don't like the grass, it's very synthetic, I think a plain back background would have looked a lot better. (A-)

All in all, an amazing, must-read book, that shows us that you are never too old to read fairy tales. And Malinda Lo is defidently an author I am dying to read more from.

Grade: A

Wdebo :)

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Other Books You May Enjoy:

Tithe [Read Review HERE]
Wonderous Strange [Read Review HERE]

Cafe Chit Chat: Julie Schumacher

Welcome to another post for my blogoversery bash!! This is an interview with Julie Schumacher, the author of Black Box [Click HERE for review].

Julie's first published story Reunion was part of The Best American Short Stories 1983, she works at the University of Minnesota as the Professor of English and Creative Writing.

Now for the interview....

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Wdebo: Can you describe a typical day?

Julie Schumacher: I try to write in the mornings, before I go to work. If I can get a couple of hours of productive writing in, that's a success. I've never written full-time, because I have two kids and I teach at the University of Minnesota. I try to reserve evenings for reading -- mainly novels and short stories.

W: How do you come up with the ideas for your stories, mainly Black Box?

J: Ideas are everywhere, all the time: we just aren't used to recognizing them as ideas. We think we're day-dreaming, when in reality we're sifting ideas through our heads all day long. The trick is to catch hold of the themes and ideas that come back to you, over and over like recurring dreams, and then give them shape and polish them so that they have meaning and are appealing to others, as well as yourself.

W: Could you give a short summary of Black Box, for those readers who might not be familiar with it?

J: Black Box is about two sisters, Elena and Dora. Dora, the older sister, suffers from depression; Elena, the younger, doesn't think that anything is terribly wrong until Dora is hospitalized. She tries to hang on to the sister and to the relationship she once knew, and she tries to help -- but Dora gets worse. Elena seems to have no one to talk to about what has happened to her family -- until she meets Jimmy Zenk, a quirky loner who offers her frightening information about the hospital where Dora is being treated.

W: Are any of your characters based on anyone you know?

J: All my characters, I think, are some version of me. As a day-dreamer, I like to imagine myself in a lot of different scenarios and situations, and to imagine how I would react. That said, I do know a number of people who have suffered from severe depression, and their experiences helped inspire me to write the book.

W: What is your favorite thing to do (apart from writing)?

J: Reading. Hands down. I am one of those wackos who hates television and cell phones and computers. I still write all of my books by hand, with a ball-point pen

W: What's your favorite color?

J: Blue. Which seems appropriate to a person who has written a book about depression.

W: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?

J: Well, if this were an island well equipped with food and water and a comfortable house and clothing (so I didn't have to bring those), I suppose I'd bring a combination of favorite books and family and friends. Something to read and someone to talk to -- those are the necessities in my life.

W: Who are some authors you look up to?

J: Lots and lots of authors. Too many to name -- many of them dead (Jane Austen and George Eliot for starters), and many of them alive. I keep books of quotations/favorite passages from novels that I love, and I re-read them a lot. They inspire me as a writer, and they also help me maintain a sense of who I am and who I was.

W: Do you have a new project you are working on? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?

J: I'm superstitious about revealing too much about what I'm working on -- writers tend to be nervous about these things. But I'm working on a few projects: a novel and a book of short stories, among others.

W: As an only child I am curious, what is it like being the youngest of five children?

J: I loved growing up in a big family. There was always conversation, always someone to talk to or pester, always something to do. I grew up hearing family stories at the dinner table, and playing games: solitaire, ping-pong, kick-the-can, cribbage, soccer, tennis, caroms, bridge, hide-and-seek, hearts, field hockey, lacrosse... you name it. A family is a sort of universe unto itself.

W: What is your FAVORITE book in the world, the one that you think everyone should read before they die?

J: Middlemarch, by George Eliot. It's very long: it's best to read it when you have a fair amount of time.

W: Finally, do you have anything else that you would like to say?

J: Yes. I think everyone should turn off the TV and the computer and read a good book.

W: Thanks for letting me interview you!

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Remember to check out Julie's site HERE!

And also remember that when you comment on this post you recieve TWO extra entrees for my GIANT blogoversery bash contest HERE, where you also have a chance to win a copy of Black Box.

Wdebo :)

Character Post: Rumer Xiong

Today's guest post is from Rumer Xiong, one of the main characters of Rumer & Qix. Just saying hi from the 3014.

Check it out!!

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Hi Wdebo! Hello 21st century. My name is Rumer Xiong and I’m writing to you with my animet, Qix, from Nanjing, China. It’s the 31st century here and I’ve had a lot of trouble getting back through the time barrier 1000 years to reach you in 2009. The good news is, if you’re reading this, it means we finally got our message through. Success!

It’s the year 3014 here. I’m sixteen and work as an apprentice reporter at the world’s biggest media company, the Global Quotidien. We call it the GQ for short. Qix is my unofficial assistant because animets like her are mostly toys for little kids and apprentices aren’t supposed to bring them to work. No one knows that I bring Qix in with me because she’s very small and I sneak her into the office every day in my shoulder bag.

I’m posting this message because our world is in total chaos and I think you might be able to help. There’s devastation everywhere and we are definitely in trouble. No one knows what to do. Everything’s crumbling around us and people are disappearing all over the place. According to some research I’m doing, it looks like the problem may have started about 500 years ago. That’s when the last of the plants and animals became extinct and were replaced with perfect replicas. Scientists figured out how to make fake trees, artificial animals, faux flowers, synthetic food, artificial air, water and even computer-generated weather.

For us, these synthetic versions of once real things are all we know. There have never been any problems with them and everything has been fine until a few months ago when, out of the blue, crazy things started happening here. People all over the planet began sending stories to us at the GQ about seeing things like real grass and real butterflies. No one believed them, of course. These things have been extinct for 500 years. My boss at the GQ called them lunatics and refused to include their stories in our publications. Now thousands of reports are flooding across the news grid claiming sightings of things like entire oak groves erupting through the ground destroying all the buildings on the surface in their way. I’m trying to find out more about what’s going on, but people today don’t know anything about oak trees or real grass or butterflies. No one has seen anything like this in their lifetimes. I think nature is trying to make a comeback.

I’ve heard about a woman named MoNa through postings on the indie network who says we’re suffocating the planet. They say she’s behind the destruction of all the man-made things and the disappearance of so many people. Some say MoNa is really Mother Nature, but I don’t know. Whoever she is, we don’t know where she is or how to talk to her. We don’t know anything about her creations. We have so many questions. Like what do you feed a giant tree? Is grass supposed to keep growing? Where do you get a spare part if a butterfly’s wing breaks? How do you get in touch with MoNa? If you have any ideas please post them here. The future needs you now.

Thank you so much!!

xoxo, Rumer and Qix
Apprentice Reporter
The Global Quotidian
http://www.rumerandqix.com/

P.S. Qix’s has a question about animets. That’s what we call the intelligent artificial pets we have that can talk and do lot’s of helpful things. Qix wants to know if you have any animets? What kinds of things can yours do? She is really good at flying upside down.

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Awesome! You guys ready for the challenge?

Remember to check out the site!!

And remember, when you comment on this post you recieve TWO extra entrees into the GIANT blogoversery contest HERE, where one of your prizes is a copy of Rumor & Qix. What are you waiting for? Join NOW!

Wdebo :)

Cafe Chit Chat: Micol Ostow

Today, TEBC is hosting an author interview with Micol Ostow, the author of the GoldenGirls series. [Includes GoldenGirl (Click for review HERE) and Fashionista (Came out yesterday-Click for review HERE)]

Enjoy...

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Wdebo: Can you give us a brief overview of Fashionista?

Micol Ostow: Fashionista is the second book in the Bradford Novels series, and it's told from the point of view of Madison Takahashi, a budding fashion designer and one of Bradford Prep's elite. It picks up just where GoldenGirl left off, which dedicated readers will know is right around the time that Mads may or may not have been mackin' on someone else's boyfriend. Scandal!

W: Hope everyone can read it! Can you describe a typical day?

M: A typical day is very, very boring. No one will ever make a competitive reality show about freelance novelists, that's for sure.

Obviously my schedule is more flexible than people with office jobs, but I do treat my writing as a full-time job. I'm up pretty early and take care of things like emails and errands. I usually go to the gym. The coffee tends to kick in around 11, and between 11 and 6 are when I get most of my writing done.

I do teach a writing workshop once a week, and teaching days are hectic, especially if I'm still finishing up reading the workshop submissions. And any time I have a school visit or anything like that, all bets are off. But those days can also be the most fun.

W: Oh, that would be cool if you could visit my school :) Haha. How do you come up with the ideas for your books?

M: That is a very good question! I wish I had a very good answer for you. The answer, really, is: all over. Sometimes it's a phrase that caught me, and I work backward from there. For instance, the project I'm working on now, tentatively titled Does This Dogsled Make My Butt Look Big, was something that came out of a casual email between myself and my editor. We were talking about the glut of plus-sized modeling stories that were in the media at the time, and I said it would be funny to write a book called Does This Runway Make My Butt Look Big...and things evolved from there.

Other stories, like 30 Guys In 30 Days, came from conversations friends and I actually had. I had a friend just out of college who had broken up with a long term boyfriend who had challenged herself to talk to at least one new guy a day, just to get her dating skills back up and running. I don't even know if she really went through with it, but it was a great idea for a book. Or so I thought.

So Punk Rock is very heavily based on my own experiences in Jewish day school (and my brother's experience in a band), and Gettin' Lucky was a blatant attempt to cash in on the poker craze. Popular Vote came about because my editor at Scholastic thought it would be fun to publish some chick lit to tie into election fever.

So really, all over. Like I say.

W: Wow, it's soo cool to learn more about where ideas come from. Are any of your characters based on someone you know?

M: Yes and no. It's kind of impossible to write a character who doesn't have SOME of one's own characteristics, I think. For instance, Emily from Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa grapples with meeting her Latino family for the first time, which is something I've experienced first-hand. But the fun thing about fiction is that you get to take "true" stories and make them better by making stuff up! I can say with certainty that despite certain similarities, Emily is definitely not me.

W: So true, I like adding some "true" things into the stuff that I write. What is your favorite thing to do (apart from writing)?

M: Reading. Followed closely by relaxing, spending time with my friends, and playing with my dog. I'm pretty low-key.

W: Yeah for dogs!!! I love playing with my dog too! What's your favorite color?

M: I seem to own and wear a lot of blues and purples, so do with that information what you will.

W: Bahaha I wear a lot of blue too! If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?

M:
1. sunscreen
2. books
3. dvds/something to watch them on
4. my yoga mat
5. my boyfriend and dog

Okay, I know that's technically more than five things. Sorry!

W: Haha it's ok, and I would totally bring my dog too. Who are some authors you look up to?

M: So many! I've had the great opportunity to work with and meet many writers through my line of work (writing/editing/teaching). They've all been incredibly supportive and I've learned something from all of them.

Just a few off the top of my head:

AIMEE FRIEDMAN: is an amazing editor who still finds time to write breathtaking stories. Her work gets better and better.

NOVA REN SUMA: has been writing for over a decade but is new to the YA scene and one to watch. She has great insights and is fantastic with pep talks.

NATALIE STANDIFORD: can flip from commercial fluff to serious fiction on a dime. I'm so envious.

LOUISE HAWES: was my adviser during my last semester at grad school and her guidance truly altered the course of my writing career. I'm in tremendous debt to her.

People I don't know whose writing blows me away: Ellen Hopkins, MT Anderson, Gabrielle Zevin.

I'm leaving out a million zillion billion people here.

W: I really need to read some of Aimee's books. Do you have a new project you are working on? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?

M: The above-mentioned Dogsled, which is about a wallflower type who moves from Miami to Alaska with her celebrity-shrink father and retired telenovela-star mother, embarks on a GPS-driven scavenger hunt across the tundra, and in the process learns to incorporate a bit more color into her waiting-in-the-wings lifestyle.

W: Sounds exciting can't wait for it! Do you have any pets? And so, what kind do you have?

M: Miss Bridget Jones Ostow, aka the cutest French Bulldog in the whole wide world. You can read more about her on my website.

W: Aw :) What is your favorite book of the moment?

M: Currently reading Clay by David Almond, and loving it. Just finished The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han and loved that, too. I'm a big reader.

W: I really need to read Jenny's book! Do you enjoy watching movies if so, do you have a movie you absolutely cannot stop watching?

M: I love movies--probably why I'm marrying a film producer! (www.noahharlan.com). Favorites include: Heathers, Clueless, Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Shaun of the Dead. I think that probably tells you all you need to know about my personality.

W: Cool! Finally, do you have anything else that you would like to say?

M: Thanks for having me, and check out So Punk Rock, available now, and Fashionista, coming 8/25 [Wdebo's Note: This interview was given before today, so Fashionista has already come out yesterday] ! And visit me at www.micolostow.com!

W: Thanks for letting me interview you!!

~~~~~~~

Remember to comment here where you can get TWO extra entrees into the contest HERE, where you have to chance to win a copy of GoldenGirl, Fashionista, or So Punk Rock.

Wdebo :)

Cafe Chit Chat: Jess C. Scott + Character Post: Jade & Novan

Hello! Welcome to the next Blogoversery Bash post!! Today's author is Jess C Scott the author of the book, Eyeleash...Check it out!

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Wdebo: Can you describe a typical day?

Jess: I always have breakfast (cereal + milk = good meal for any time of the day). I need some level of physical activity too, or I just go nuts. I spend a lot of time reading and/or writing. I will soon be continuing my tertiary education. I foresee having to brush up on my time management skills.

W: How did you come up for the idea for EyeLeash?

J: In the second chapter, there's a scene where the two lead characters exchange a certain kind of "look". That happened to me in real life, and I suppose it set things off for the rest of EyeLeash (both the real-life experience, and whatever I mixed and matched to result in the final blog novel itself).

W: Could you give a short summary of EyeLeash?

J: No problem -- I've been using this summary since 2007!

Jade Ashton is a sassy virgin. In her private blog, she vents about "fitting in" a world where superficiality reigns supreme.

Suddenly all logic flies out the window when she meets Novan: the former geek, who's morphed into a delicious songwriter-musician.

They decide to be "friends-with-benefits". But it's Novan--with his poems and riddling passages on his own blog--that backs out.

EyeLeash captures self-discovery in the 2000s, and showcases the colorful, intricate drama in two youths' relentless search for themselves--and what's really in their hearts.

W: Are any of your characters based on anyone you know?

J: The lead guy character in EyeLeash is roughly based on someone I know -- physically they share quite a few similarities, but the real guy is slightly more...psycho. As for the characters in my second book (a short story collection) -- most of them are completely fictitious. I derive equal enjoyment from both basing characters on actual figures, and letting them come to life (of their own accord) in the story.

W: What is your favorite thing to do (apart from writing)?

J: I seriously like to have a good night's rest. I like going on long, aimless walks...zoning out to music (rock, classical, dance)...drawing (can get very tiring though)...and spending time with pets/animals. I like to bake and indulge in good food too.

W: What's your favorite color?

J: I'm not Onch, so I'm not going to say that my favorite color is "rainbow" -- however, I do have a problem picking one out of the million available colors.I might go with midnight purple (for the allure and mystery), or red (for the passion, vibrancy, and energy).

W: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?

J: 1. SPF 45 Sunblock & Moisturizer 2. Water bottle (SIGG bottle, preferably) 3. The maximum amount of paper and pen I'm allowed to have (for the duration of the stranded island course!) 4. Swiss Army Knife 5. A small pot/tin to boil water, and/or cook various "stuff" in...

W: Who are some authors you look up to?

J: They are mostly classic authors -- I'm a bit of an old soul in this department, which is quite ironic, because my writing tends to be contemporary. Some of the writers that I look up to include Vladimir Nabokov (utterly wicked style), Roald Dahl (also very stylish -- both his works for children and adults!), Anais Nin, D. H. Lawrence (OMG), Leo Tolstoy, Sylvia Plath, Vivian Vande Velde, and I cannot leave out my top two favorites -- Edgar Allan Poe and Oscar Wilde.

W: Do you have a new project you are working on? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?

J: There's usually something or other that I'm working on. I'm working on a less-radical-than-my-debut-blog-novel YA series -- I will give more details later ;). But here's a very short excerpt (from my first draft):

“Are you wearing cologne?” I ask. I want to know what brand of fragrance it is. I might even buy a scent that I think would complement his well.

He doesn’t hide a smile. “Kenzo Pour Homme. Do you like it?”

“Yes. It’s not too...overpowering.”

“Ah, that gets annoying sometimes,” he says, which makes me so glad I’ve never been one of those sorts. “How about you, which brands do you like?”

Oh shoot. What do I say?

“Chanel,” I reply. Because there’s a huge billboard advertisement of Chanel No. 5 by the side of the escalator we’re traveling on.

W: I heard you lived in Singapore for your first twenty years (that means you were born there right? haha sounds stupid, sorry!), how different is it from Maine (where you currently reside)?

J: Not a silly question at all -- yes, I was born there. It is quite starkly different from Maine. Singapore's an urban city (and there aren't four seasons there -- it's mainly hot, or rainy); Maine has a lot of wild countryside (with very nice summers, and very cold winters)...the differences are quite extreme. But eh, perhaps I'm someone who finds balance amidst extremities.

W: What is your FAVORITE book in the world, the one that you think everyone should read before they die?

J: Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina -- if I had to pick just ONE book, that's the one I think everyone should read before they die. The human experience is captured in such a wonderfully captivating and realistic way -- I remember feeling my life had changed, when I finished the novel. It is not a book to be casually flipped through; I spent 3 months reading it.

PS: Shout-out for Edgar Allan Poe's and Oscar Wilde's collected works too (I cannot ever leave those two out!). And Anais Nin and D. H. Lawrence if you like something more provocative. Vivian Vande Velde's Dragon's Bait, a fantastic fantasy compact-sized novel. George Orwell's 1984 for an eye-opening "the future is here" read. I know I've ended up listing more than one book, but it's only so that each person can make their individual selection from my personal recommendations...

W: Finally, do you have anything else that you would like to say?

J: Don't be afraid to be who you are. We are constantly bombarded by the mass media on what we should do/what we should be like/how to wear our hair/how to dress -- a unique self-identity is something that the outside world cannot influence (or brainwash). Knowing what you're about will give you direction and meaning in life, along with the drive and focus to live your dreams.

Thanks Jess!

To learn more about Jess check out her Wordpress HERE!

~~~~~~

Now, we have a real treat as Jess writes an IM between two characters, Jade and Novan from her book Eyeleash, talking about what? My blogoversery! Yeah, I feel special...Check it out!!

~~~~~~

Conversation started on [21 Aug 2009, 7:37PM]

¤Jade¤: hey, first time i’m hearing of this word

¤Jade¤: “blogoversary”!

[novan]: oh yea

[novan]: there’s also monthsaries, vlogversaries, twitterversaries...

[novan]: ur blogversary?

¤Jade¤: not yet. mine’s wayyy eaerlier. 2 Jan

[novan]: oh right. how cld I forget... ROFL

¤Jade¤: this blog run by Wdebo

¤Jade¤: have u seen her blog?

¤Jade¤: http://theelectricalbookcafe.blogspot.com/

[novan]: wow funky name

[novan]: icic. k tnx for the link J

¤Jade¤: omg Super Junior! tt 13-member boy band u told me abt?

[novan]: yea

[novan]: largest boy band in the world

[novan]: u shld check this guy out too

[novan]: se7en... watch this MV - www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeyMLGMN_vA

[novan]: tt’s some slick dance moves, man

¤Jade¤: ZOMG, super hot

[novan]: haha

[novan]: very talented dancer and singer too

[novan]: wow, i don’t know how many hours ive spent on youtube

¤-Jade-¤: yep

¤-Jade-¤: u watch one video

¤-Jade-¤: before u know it, 3 hours have passed!!

[novan]: yea oh btw... im looking @ the txc museum’s website

[novan]: theres some dinosaur bones exhibit thing going on

[novan]: wanna get up close w dinosaur bones 2nite?

¤-Jade-¤: hey why not

¤-Jade-¤: tho i feel like watching a movie

¤-Jade-¤: n throwing popcorn at the screen...

¤-Jade-¤: ok that was random

[novan]: well maybe we cld do both J

[novan]: wow i rem us throwing popcorn the other time

[novan]: coz the show was SO BORING

¤Jade¤: YESSS!! boredom shld be illegal

[novan]: indeed

[novan]: hey uhm, i think we gtg soon...

[novan]: the museum closes at 10pm i think

¤Jade¤: ok

¤Jade¤: just gonna send Wdebo a gift first!

¤-Jade-¤ sends: “hyde_reading.jpg”

¤Jade¤: tt’s what i’m sending her

[novan]: ooh, cool

[novan]: love the simple lines on that

[novan]: hyde rocks man!

¤Jade¤: yeah, got tired with fashion illustration

¤Jade¤: so tried smth new with this one

¤Jade¤: anything to say to her?

[novan]: Wdebo?

[novan]: hm, i dunno her very well

[novan]: what does she like

[novan]: ?

¤Jade¤: describes herself as a “Taiwanese drama addict”

[novan]: ah ok

[novan]: erm

[novan]: off the top of my head...

¤Jade¤: she likes C-pop too

[novan]: alrighty. lets see. a haiku poem?... smth short + sweet¤Jade¤: finish it in 2 mins :P

[novan]: k

¤Jade¤: writing now>?

¤Jade¤: 1 min more...

¤Jade¤: zzzrrrreeppoooooooooo

¤Jade¤: oh ur back!

[novan]: YEA

[novan]: u can send her this

[novan]: [Taiwanese dramas:] <-- that’s the title, n also 1st line

[novan]: [Taiwanese dramas:] / Addictive as C-pop is / Ever infectious.

[novan]: not my best, but decent for 2 mins

¤Jade¤: i’m sure she wldn’t mind ;)

[novan]: k, cya l8r i guess?

[novan]: wish her a happy blogoversary too

¤Jade¤: sure thing!

[novan]: J

~ Conversation ended on [21 Aug 2009, 8:02PM] ~

----------

EyeLeash is Jess’s debut blog/IM novel.
Her website is http://www.jesscscott.com/.

~~~~~~~~~

Awesome!!! Bahaha such a great guest post...Love your haiku Novan :)

Thanks so much Jess for all you did!!

Hope everyone can check out Eyeleash.

Remember, if you comment on this post you get TWO extra entrees into the contest HERE, and don't forget to join in! Where one of the prizes is one of four Eyeleash bookmarks and an e-book copy of Eyeleash.

Wdebo :)

Character Post: Faith Crosse from Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Since so many readers of Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side e-mail to vent about how much they despise Faith Crosse, I thought it would be fun to give everybody a glimpse into Faith’s world. Following is how I imagine Faith’s life in the aftermath of the book.
Happy reading – and happy “blogoversary!”
~Beth

~~~~~~~~~~~

SPOILER ALERT:
If you haven’t read the book yet – first off, this “chapter” won’t make any sense – but it will also give away a plot twist or two!
Read the book first!

Lu-ci-us… Lu-ci-us… Lu-ci-us…

I hadn’t even noticed that I was again repeating his name like a mantra as I drummed my fingernails against the arm rest of my teak lounge chair, and when I realized what I was doing –thinking about him – my fingers clenched, nails scraping against the wood.

DAMMIT. Not again. NEVER again.

Licking my lips – too hot, suddenly – I shifted in the chair, feeling the sweat trickle down my spine, tracing a path from the string that held my bikini top in place all the way down to the string that essentially served as the bottom.

My tan would cover nearly my entire body. Not that I had anybody to show the tiny, tempting patches of creamy white skin that were covered by the suit.

Eyes closed behind my mirrored sunglasses, I felt a smile of approval start to play on my lips as I pictured myself stretched out by my family’s pool, my blond hair glistening in the sun.

Of course, I could have guys lined up to peek at those secret, fair places that my bathing suit concealed. Old men, young men, that perverted math teacher who used to get red and flustered every time I would lean over his desk and ask for help, just to screw with his head. And my idiotic ex-boyfriend, Ethan Strausser, would probably pay – his entire salary from his humiliating, minimum-wage summer job as a ride operator at a theme park – to see me again, even for a minute.

My lips pursed, my smile vanishing in tandem with the sun that ducked behind the shifting clouds.

But I didn’t want Ethan anymore. He had served his purpose, first to establish my dominance at school – who else would Faith Crosse date but the most popular boy? – and then in my plot to revenge myself against Lucius Vladescu.

Ethan had been jealous and almost too ready to believe that Lucius was a monster who needed to be destroyed in a lonely barn by an angry mob.

What a simpleton Ethan was, compared to Lucius. Smart, sexy, savage Lucius…
Tilting back my head, I reached up and traced the side of my throat with my slick fingertips, feeling the two small scars that had sealed Lucius’s fate on that cold, winter night.

I had inflicted the wounds myself, alone in my bathroom, barely flinching as the point of the metal nail file had gone deep into my flesh.

I’d had the idea on the spur of the moment, while soaking in the tub, and I hadn’t wanted to risk even running to the kitchen for a knife, for fear that I’d lose my nerve. I’d just climbed out of the water and bubbles, snatched the file from a drawer under the sink, and stood naked and dripping in front of the steam-clouded mirror, doing what I’d needed to do, not even thinking about what might happen if I’d gone too deep or struck my jugular.

I would even say that I’d been eager – had a need to satisfy – and the rush had been amazing as the hot blood had coursed out of the two wounds, trickling down my neck, mingling with the warm droplets of bathwater, and staining the pure white towel that I’d finally grabbed to stop the flow when I’d started to get unsteady on my feet from the loss.

In that moment, as I’d stood shaking with excitement and weakness and the promise of vengeance, I’d finally understood what I’d been yearning for on those nights when Lucius and I had been together, and his mouth had grazed the very spot that I’d just pierced.

That sensation… That’s what I had longed for, without even understanding what I’d needed.
That feeling, and Lucius, himself. A vampire…

I’d thought I was making up that monster story to punish Lucius for rejecting me – Faith Crosse! – but it had been true.

All along, it had been true.

That strange pressure I’d felt against my throat when we’d been alone up in his apartment, in the dark… That pressure that I’d come to crave so badly, in a way that was never really satisfied… That had been Lucius’s fangs, barely concealed and scarcely controlled.

My fingers clenched again and I dropped my hand back to the arm rest, raking my nails against the wood, purposely ruining my Malibu Pink manicure, which had cost my stepmother sixty dollars just the day before.

Lucius Vladescu could have given me everything. Could have fulfilled all my desires. We could have – SHOULD HAVE – been together forever.

But he’d chosen Jessica Packwood.

I didn’t even speak her name aloud, and still my mouth tasted sour. Or was that bitter?

I’d thought removing Lucius from this earth would be enough… but it didn’t change the fact that he’d wanted her. I hadn’t counted on how that would sting even after he was gone.

I reached out blindly, and when my fingers met the icy, sweating tumbler of iced tea on the table at my side, I lifted the glass and held it to my lips, drinking deeply. I needed to quench my thirst not just for cold liquid, but for something else. Something I couldn’t name, but which would extinguish this unbearable disappointment, like water could put out fire. I couldn’t endure second place one minute longer. I would go crazy...

Opening my eyes, I slammed the glass back down on the table, so hard that it cracked and nearly cut my fingers, spilling more blood.

Or would I always be in second place?

I’d heard rumors that Jessica had gone to Romania to find Lucius. That he was somehow alive and living in a castle. And I knew enough about rumors – I’d started enough rumors – to know that they often held at least a grain of truth.

I could certainly believe that Lucius was a prince, as surely as I believed he was a vampire.

Was it also possible that he had somehow survived that night in Jake’s barn?

I closed my eyes again and squeezed the arms of the chair, mind starting to race. Was there a chance that the stories about vampires were true… that Lucius knew the secret to eternal life? I had felt his strangely cool skin, and the way his heart beat so slowly, even when we were…

“Faith!”

My stepmother’s squeaky, girlish voice came from the screened veranda, and I gritted my teeth, angry to have my thoughts interrupted. “What?” I snapped, not removing my sunglasses. Not even opening my eyes. “What do you want?”

“I’m just worried, sweetie, that you’ll get melanoma laying out there in the sun all day,” the big-chested bimbo who’d married my father on the rebound had the nerve to suggest. “Or worse yet, you’ll wrinkle your pretty face before you’re thirty!”

I didn’t bother to answer her, and after awhile I heard the screen door slap shut as she went back inside to hide her own chemically peeled skin in the climate-controlled mansion that my father had bought for her.

Reaching to release the back of the chair so I could lie flat, I rolled over onto my stomach and unlaced my top, baring even more skin to the punishing sun.

Screw turning thirty. I was eighteen and my thirtieth birthday seemed like it was a million years away. And as for cancer – I’d beat that, too, if I had to. I would never lose again.

I turned my face to the side and folded my arms under my bronzed cheek, and soon my fingers found that familiar spot on my throat, like they always did when I needed to soothe myself. Remind myself who I was.

Someone who got what she wanted.

The girl who always took first place, at any cost.

The back of my index finger stroked the scars, over and over again, repeating the motion the same way I too often repeated my former boyfriend’s name.

Lu-ci-us… Lu-ci-us…

What if you really are alive?

~~~~~~

Thanks so much Beth!! So great to hear from Faith's point of view (even though I still hate her :P ).

For those who have yet to experience the darkly-amazing magic of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side check out my review HERE!

Thanks bunches and remember to join my contest!!

Wdebo :)

Ten Things I Hate About Me By: Randa Abdel-Fattah

Title: Ten Things I Hate About Me

Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah

HARDBACK

Amount of Pages: 297

Publisher: Orchard Books

Release Date: January 1, 2009

Genre: YA/Growing Up

Geared Towards: Teens,

Extra Info: Randa is also the author of Does My Head Look Big In This? [Read Review HERE].

"At school I'm Aussie-blonde Jamie -- one of the crowd. At home I'm Muslim Jamilah -- driven mad by my Stone Age dad. I should win an Oscar for my acting skills. But I can't keep it up for much longer..."

Summary (From Goodreads): Jamie just wants to fit in. She doesn't want to be seen as a stereotypical Muslim girl, so she does everything possible to hide that part of herself. Even if it means pushing her friends away because she's afraid to let them know her dad forbids her from hanging out with boys or that she secretly loves to play the darabuka (Arabic drums).

But when the cutest boy in school asks her out and her friends start to wonder about Jamie's life outside of school, her secrets threaten to explode. Can Jamie figure out how to be both Jamie and Jamilah before she loses everything?

Wdebo's Review: I thought this book was cute and a great, light read, but not really my favorite book in the world, I liked Does My Head Look Big In This? a lot more.

It annoyed me a lot about how hard Jamie would work to try to hide her Muslim/Lebonese background, she dyed her hair yellow AND has in blue contacts? Even though, she does learn in the end that you have to be true to yourself, but still, in her school being popular means hanging out with a bunch of racist bastards and their bimbo girlfriends...woo how much fun! *Swings arms in sarcastic manner*. On the plus side though, Jamie is a very witty narrator always finding ways to crack a joke here and there which was nice to lighten the mood.

I did enjoy the plot/story, the only other book I've read about Muslim/Lebonese culture/heritage/life/etc is Randa's other book, so yeah, I think more people should write about Muslim/Lebonese people, same as writing more about ASIAN people!!! There were sad scenes, and tearful parts thrown with the comedic parts...which were nice...it's always good to have some heart.

I really like Timothy, even though he seems a bit eh, but he was sweet and didn't give a damn about Jamie's background, just her person.

I don't like the cover that much, yes the purple is pretty/soft, but it just seems childish...and how can anyone NOT see that Jamie is Lebonese, even with her blond hair/blond eyes?!!! I mean, are the popular people racist AND stupid??!!

All in all, a pretty good/sweet read, that many people are sure to enjoy.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

Book To Movie: Watchmen By: Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

Title: Watchmen

Author: Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

PAPERBACK

Amount of Pages: 416

Publisher: DC Comics

Release Date: April 1, 1995 (Original came out in the 80's or so)

Genre: Graphic Novel

Geared Towards: Adults

Extra Info: This novel is VERY GRAPHIC-FYI

More Info: Alan Moore is also the author of V For Vendetta

"Who Watches the Watchmen?"

Summary (From Amazon Review): The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling; rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the finepace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it keeps its crown as the best the genre has yet produced.

Wdebo's Review: I have never liked to read comcis before, instead I enjoy the company of shojo more, but when I saw the trailer for Watchmen the movie and how many people where obsessing over it, I knew I had to get it when I saw it on my library's shelves. I read it in just one sitting and I loved it :) Though there were some lagging parts in the middle.

The story was like this twisted reality (when you minus the "superheroes" of course), except I still don't understand are they all humans who work out a lot and use martial arts or people with powers or aliens? (I just kno that, that blue dude-Doctor Manhattan (?) has radiation, but I apart from that, IDK, but I know that Raschach is human). And the art was ubber gory, and I thought 100 Girls was gory, bahaha I was so wrong. The story is really dark so the blood fits in there, but seriously, there is way more drawn blood then there should be, some guy gets his neck slit and all of a sudden there's a volcano of blood coming out? You don't get that much bloodloss, that's wat annoys me about comics, when they have an overexagerated amount of blood.

My favorite character? Defidently, Raschach. But I don't know why I like him so much, he's mentally challenged and scary and likes to hurt people, bahaha but after learning about his childhood I started to really like him. Except most people don't turn into a human-race murdering maniac when they have a troubled childhood, take Dave Pelzer the author of A Child Called It, he had a...to put it gently had a "harsh childhood," but he was able to turn that around by writing his memoir and creating a foundation for other children that were in his position.

The cover, scares me (blood...yeah) but it does capture the essence of the book, and smily faces are just never going to look the same to me again.

All in all, an amazing comic book, that I think everyone (who is mature enough) should read.

Grade: A-

My Take On The Movie: So, I watched the movie last night, and I defidently have to say, that the movie was not as good as the GN. Yes, it was cool and all and I really loved the beginning credits as it flashes through history and the history of the minutemen/watchmen. But after that it seems to get slowly more boring and more boring. The fight scenes were pretty cool except there was one, elbow splitting one that made me and my friend spit out...it was WAY gross.

But of course, all of Roaschach's parts were AWESOME...cuz that's just how he is :) Except Roaschach didn't talk in a monotone, which annoyed me, his voice just sounded husky but not very monotone-y. But it was cool, but the moving displays of the ink blots on his mask were very distracting. Except there was ENOUGH Roaschach scenes...god...he's suppose to be the "main" character.

They had interesting music for diferent scenes, like in the very beginning when The Comedian gets killed there is this really happy, happy song...and then in one of the more mature scenes, there was the Hallelujah song from Shrek playing...*cries* they corrupted that song for me lol. And also another fight scene or so they had BALLET music playing...BALLET XO.

All in all, this was a pretty decent movie...I just think those who haven't read the GN might have enjoyed it more then me. I still think the Graphic Novel is 1000000000 times better.

Grade of the Movie: B+

Wdebo :)

Giant Contest: Happy Birthday Electrical Book Cafe :)

-CLOSED-

So, last week was my birthday, this week it's my blog's birthday. Woohoo! *throws leftover confetti up into the air*.

So, TEBC is offically one years old :) Yeah...Here are some good memories from it...

My First Review was on The Queen of Babble [Check it out HERE], now that I read it, I've seen how my reviews have grown....*Smiles up happily*

My First TDrama Review, also on the same day, was on Smiling Pasta...Bahaha one of my favs!!

The First Book I recieved was Perfect Chemistry [Click HERE for review]. I nearly died when I saw that email bahaha.

My First Follower was Kayla from Midnight Twilight [Visit her site HERE], she was my inspiration for my book blog, and helped me out in the beginning stages of The Electrical Book Cafe.

My First Contest...not long ago, I must add... was for Twenty Boy Summer.

My First Author Interview was with Linda Joy Singleton [Check out interview HERE] the author of The Seer's series and the Dead Girl Series.

My First Tuesday's Taiwanese Superstar was Show Luo. [Click HERE to see the post]. Back then I knew nothing about him, I just thought he was cute and overly funny.

So, starting on Monday I will be hosting several guest posts/author interviews, check back everyday to see if your favorite author has been featured!! :)

*****************

So, now for the actual contest....

I've got some authors signed up to donate some awesome stuff (Yay! Thanks guys!) and here is the prize bucket...

1-A Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side T-Shirt
3-How to Buy a Love of Reading postcards
1-How to Buy a Love of Reading [Click HERE for Review]
1-Signed copy of Madapple [Click HERE for Review]
1-E-book copy of Eyeleash
4-Eyeleash promo postcards

1-Fan Packet for The Seer & Dead Girl readers (Includes: Autographed book plates, Color Postcard Listing Books, Short Story from TEEN Magazine, and more!)

1- Copy of Rumor & Qix
1-Signed copy of The Morgue and Me [Click HERE for Review]
1-Signed copy of Black Box [Click HERE for Review]
1-Copy of GoldenGirl [Click HERE for Review]
1-Copy of Fashionista [Click HERE for Review]
1-Copy of So Punk Rock

So, all you have to do to join is Comment!

For extra Entrees, here:

+1 Becoming a Follower
+2 Already being a follower
+1 Adding me to your blogroll (Or if you already have, that's great too!)
+1 Adding this contest to your sidebar/blogging about it/Tweeting it...etc etc (Every entree you do = 1, please only a max of 5)
+2 Commenting on any guest post/author interview/character post during the blogoversery bash, just come back here and comment!

So, that's a total of 15 entrees if you do everything!
Please include Contact Info!! I'm still not sure if all the authors can send internationally, but check back to see!!

Contest ends: September 21st [That should give you a month to get your entrees together =] ]

Good luck everyone!!

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips (10)

Hope you enjoy!!!

These clips are from the 2008-08-07 show featuring Evan Yo [You remember him from when I posted that vid about him playing guitar/singing to Complicated. Well, he's amazing in the clip if you haven't watched it HERE]

Anyways, Evan is hella talented...he knows so many instruments (Not as much as Leehom...but then again who does lol?)

So, here is a clip of him playing violin. (Which I quit...FYI lol) He is amazing...and how he could suddenly change from playing classical to Chinese classical to Show's Yi Zhi Du Xiu (One Man Show) pretty AWESOME!!! And he doesn't even miss a beat. [Click HERE to see Yi Zhi Du Xiu MV] Xiao Gui is adorably cute...and Xiao Zhu, bahaha, he makes me laugh...when he hears his song his ears just perk up and he starts dancing to it!!



And he plays the Chinese flute too!!! Here is a clip of him playing Guan Dong Zhu one of Xiao Gui's song from when he was in the band, Cosmo (Wan Zi). His dance is way cute!



And Xiao Zhu's rendition of playing the flute. XD He loves to act WAY too much~lo



There you go...hope you guys have a great week!!

Hope you enjoy and please comment!!

Wdebo :)

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

Brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine~

This week's book is...

Catching Fire By: Suzanne Collins

Summary (From Amazon): Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Why I Want to Read This: Do I even need to explain??!! It's the sequal to The Hunger Games [Read my review HERE]. It looks so good, and everyone's saying how it's better then the first, and I want Peeta and Katniss together!!!

Release Date: September 1, 2009

Now for the drama I'm waiting for... [No picture]

Skip Beat!

Other names: Extravagant Challenge

Starring: Ariel Lin [Click HERE for TTS] and Jerry Yan

Summary (From Manga Synopsis from DramaWiki): Sixteen-year-old Mogami Kyoki sacraficed her life to support her boyfriend, Sho, so he could become a successful singer. One day, Sho breaks up with Kyoko, leaving her with nothing, and Kyoko vows revenge. She decides to delve into the entertainment world and become even more successful then Sho to get back at him. Kyoko therein meets Ren, another actor in her agency, who helps motivate her to become a top entertainer.

Why I Want To Watch This: I always wanted to read the manga, and it has Ariel and Jerry in it, so that's always a plus. Also, the plot line sounds really good.

This drama is getting put off because the director is filming ISWAK 3, SQUEEL, I can't wait!! [Click HERE for review of ISWAK].

Release Date: ?

So, what are you waiting for?

Wdebo :)