Guest Post by Hannah Rials, author of Ascension

Hi guys! Today I have a guest post for you all by Hannah Rials, author of Ascension. She will be sharing how to make some cocktails inspired by two of her favorite books, Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo!  I love Leigh's books so I was super excited to learn how to make these, and I hope you guys are too!

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So here’s the backstory. I’m obsessed with the Grisha universe that Leigh Bardugo created. One of my dear friends, also a wonderful pastor, is obsessed with these books too. We obsess over them together.

            

A few months ago, we decided that there isn’t enough paraphernalia inspired by the Grishaverse and the Six of Crows duology. I came to the idea of creating cocktails while I was writing a research paper analyzing the Ravkan language. In an interview with Bardugo, she said that the drink “kvas,” which everyone drinks in the books, is actually a real Russian drink, however it’s not very strong. She still felt that the word itself was evocative of “vodka,” and that’s what she pictured. So then I started thinking about vodka-based drinks inspired by Bardugo’s world. And this is what our combined minds came up with:

The Sun Summoner (inspired by Alina from Shadow and Bone)

1.5 oz lemon vodka

¾ oz. lemon juice

¼ oz. simple syrup

A dash of triple sec

Club Soda (enough to give it a burst on your taste buds)

Super fine sugar

While making your drink, place your glass in the freezer.

Pour all ingredients into a shaker and shake. it. up.

Dip the rim of your glass in lemon juice and sugar, then pour and enjoy!

The Ketterdam **Warning: Danger** (inspired by Six of Crows)

4 oz. Blackberry liquor

3 oz. Cranberry Vodka

2 oz. Merlot of your choice

1 tbls brown sugar

Blackberries (a plentitude)

½ Lemon

Muddle fresh blackberries , ½ lemon, and brown sugar in the bottom of the shaker.

Pour in the rest of your ingredients and shake super well.

Add fresh blackberries into your drink and enjoy, but drink carefully.

We tried to embody the essence of the worlds Bardugo created. For instance, The Sun Summoner, is sweet, bitter, but with a burst from the club soda, just like Alina. The Ketterdam is dark and dangerous, sweet and a little bitter. Adjust the recipes to your preference and enjoyyyyyy!

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So what do you think? Would you give these a try? Out of the two, I think I would enjoy the Ketterdam the most...I love black cherry! 

About Ascension:

Life is supposed to be perfect after Cheyenne Lane's Ascension ceremony, but it turns out awakening her vampire half only complicates things more. Burdened with a patronizing family and constant surveillance by the Vampire Council, Cheyenne welcomes a summer vacation to the magical city of New Orleans. But Cheyenne quickly realizes that she can't escape her problems, no matter where she goes. After seventeen years of fearing exposing her secret to humans, Cheyenne's world is rocked when she starts to fall for a witch named Eli. When he shows Cheyenne how complex the world really is, she must accept that everything she thought she knew about being a Deuxsang is a lie. As if all this isn't problem enough, Cheyenne finds herself the pawn of a conspiracy hatched by those who should be protecting her. Her whole life Cheyenne is told what to believe and who to trust. Now, she's forced to choose for herself who and what is right. No matter which choice she makes, it will cost her everything.

Buy Links: 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

About Hannah Rials: 

As Maryville native and current college student at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Hannah Rials began writing her first novel at age twelve. Eight years later, the result is her newly published YA novel Ascension; a modern day teenage romance filled with "double-blooded" vampires and revenge-seeking witches. Published by Aletha Press of Maryville, TN, Ascension is Rial’s first novel.

When not attending college and spending time with her family, Rials keeps busy by playing with her beloved Corgi Buddy, leading a creative writing group, and cultivating her writing skills.

Author Links: 

Twitter | Website | Facebook | Goodreads Profile

Blog Tour: Paper Hearts by Ali Novak (Guest Post & Giveaway!)

Today, I have the amazing opportunity to be part of the blog tour for Ali Novak's Paper Hearts, the second book in the the Heartbreakers Chronicles Series. Ali will be discussing the differences between Wattpad and traditional publishing! As someone who doesn't know much about Wattpad, I found this incredibly interesting, and I hope you guys do too! And stay tuned until the end of the post - there's a giveaway for ONE paperback copy (US only!)!

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When I was fifteen years old I wrote my first full-length novel, My Life with the Walter Boys. I was so proud of the accomplishment that I wanted to share my story with the world. But the thought of publishing my book never crossed my mind, because what publishing house would pick up the rough draft manuscript of a teenager? So I did what any millennial would do and googled how to share it. That’s how I discovered Wattpad.

I know a lot of you are probably wondering… what the heck is Wattpad? Let me explain. Wattpad is the world’s largest online reading and writing community. To date, there are more than 375 million stories uploaded to the website/app, all of which can be read for free. Yes, you read that correctly—375 million stories for FREE! And on average, there are sixty million monthly users who spend fifteen billion minutes per month using the app. That’s a whole lot of reading!

After working up the courage, I made an account and decided to unleash my story onto the dark, magical place that is the internet. I started posting My Life with the Walter Boys to the website in 2010, and that decision single-handedly changed my life. My story became an instant hit, and since then, it’s been read more than sixty-five million times. It was this success that grabbed the attention of my now publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, and in 2014, a heavily edited, revised version of the story was published.

Oftentimes, when people learn that I got my start on Wattpad, they ask me what it’s like transitioning from writing on app for fun to writing under contract as a job. The distinctions are endless, but here are the top two difference between writing a book on and off Wattpad:

1. First and foremost, writing on Wattpad is a social activity.

There are so many ways for readers to interact with me as the author: they can send me a private message, chat with me in the forums (which are called the clubs), and leave a note for me on my message board. But the most important way a reader can communicate with an author on Wattpad is by posting a comment on my story. Not only can readers comment on each chapter, they can comment on individual paragraphs and sentences. The first chapter of my story The Heartbreak Chronicles, which is only two thousand words of content, has over ten thousand comments.

As an author, I find this interaction invaluable. When I don’t want to write or am suffering from writer’s block, I turn to my readers comments for motivation. All it takes is reading a few supportive comments to inspire me again. Also, readers on Wattpad influence my stories. Although I map out my novels before I start writing, my outlines are never set in stone. The reason for this is because Wattpad readers are like detectives—they love trying to figure out what will happen later in the story. If one of my readers guesses my climax or plot twist before it happens, I scrap the idea to keep the story surprising.

In comparison, writing a book offline and under contract is a very solitary experience. Sure, you can ask your editor and authors friends for feedback, but it’s not the same as getting the opinion of 300 thousand readers.

2. The second main difference between writing a book online versus offline is that Wattpad stories are serialized.

The formula for a successful traditional novel doesn’t always translate to Wattpad stories. I often compare writing on Wattpad to writing for a suspenseful TV show. Each chapter I post has to have a cliffhanger in order to keep readers coming back for more. Although this creates unnecessary drama, which would be frowned upon in a traditional book, Wattpad readers love it!

Additionally, Wattpad stories tend to have higher chapters counts with less content per chapter, typically around two thousand words. For example, the Wattpad version of my story The Heartbreakers has forty-seven chapters plus and epilogue. On the other hand, the published version has twenty-four chapters plus an epilogue even though both stories are roughly the same word count. There are two reasons for this. First, the more chapters you post, the more reads you gain. Higher read counts leads to more visibility for your story. Second, readers expect content on a regular basis. It’s a lot easier to put out a two thousand word chapter every week versus a five thousand word one, which is the average length of the chapters in my published novels.

Of course, these are only two of the main differences between writing a book online versus off. To discover more, you’ll have to check out Wattpad yourself!

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About Paper Hearts: 

“I’m sorry,” he said, slowly untying the ribbon that held his mask in place. “It’s just—I didn’t want you to think of me any differently.”

Somehow I kept my mouth from falling open. I knew his face, but my mind couldn’t accept that he was the person looking down at me.

“My real name is Alec.”

Felicity has her entire future planned. Ever since her older sister ran away, she’s had the full weight of her mother’s expectations on her shoulders. So she works hard to get straight As and save for college.

Except sometimes the best things in life are unplanned—like when Felicity meets a handsome, masked stranger while she is volunteering at a charity masquerade ball. She never thought he’d flirt with her. And she certainly never thought he’d turn out to be a member of the world-famous Heartbreakers band, Alec.

Then Felicity uncovers a shocking family secret. Suddenly, she, Alec, and her two best friends are off on a road trip to find Felicity’s missing sister. And she’s about to discover that unexpected turns have a peculiar way of landing her right where she needs to be.

About the Author: 

Ali Novak writes contemporary young adult romance and is a recent graduate of the University of Madison Wisconsin's creative writing program. She wrote her first full length novel, My Life with the Walter Boys, at the age of fifteen. Since posting the story online, it has received more than 33 million reads and is now published by Sourcebooks Fire.

Buy Links: 

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Chapters | Indiebound

Author Links:

Twitter/Website/Facebook/Instagram/Wattpad  

Giveaway: 

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire, I have one paperback copy of Paper Hearts up for grabs. In order to enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below! 

US mailing Addresses Only!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Lisa Orchard, author of the Super Spies series

Today, I'm happy to have Lisa Orchard here to talk about her writing process. So without a further ado...

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Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you. I’m Lisa Orchard the bestselling author of the Super Spies Mystery/Thriller Series. I’m a guest of Lauren’s today and I’m here to talk about my writing process.

I have to confess, I’m a seat of my pants writer. I feel better already! (Big Sigh) I’ve finally admitted it! I can’t plot. It destroys the creative process for me. I’ve tried it and once I got the outline down I felt like I couldn’t deviate from it. It was like a rule that couldn’t be broken and the writing turned into an unwelcome chore.

So, what I do is I get an idea and start fleshing out the characters. Once I get them on solid footing I start writing. But I must say, before I start and while I’m fleshing out my characters, I’m thinking about my story. What I want to say and how I want to say it.

I know how I want to begin and I know how I want the story to end. However, in the middle I let my characters run the show. For example, in my Super Spies series, Sarah is the main character and what I’ll do is put her in situations and see how she reacts. This is what makes the writing so much fun for me. Because I don’t even know how we’re going to get to the end. But it’s amazing how the story just takes on a life of its own.

Since I am a seat of my pants writer, I don’t have a problem making major changes in my story. For example, in “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer,” I wrote the first story in first person. Then when an agent rejected the story, I asked her what she didn’t like and she said she felt it would be better written in third person. So what did I do? I rewrote it and it got accepted for publication very quickly.

If I were a plotter I don’t think I could have made that change. It would have broken that outline rule, you know? Weird, I know but we writers all have our quirks.

The only drawback I can see from being a seat of my pants writer is; there is a lot of editing that happens before I even submit the story for publication. Although, this part doesn’t bother me because I love watching my manuscript grow from a rough draft to a polished product. I love going through the scenes and making them stronger and more descriptive. I enjoy this part just as much as I enjoy the actual writing. 

Thanks for stopping by today and reading my post. I’m excited about my series and my new coming of age novel. There are three books in the series and their covers and blurbs are below. Check them out and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you.

The age range that seems to love my books are anywhere from 8-16, so if you know of anyone in that age group mention my books to them especially if they’re looking for something to keep them occupied for the rest of the summer. 

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Thanks so much stopping by, Lisa! :) 

About The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer (Book 1):

In a small town in Michigan, fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle’s with her sister, Lacey. She’s not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman and what's worse? One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death.

Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own investigation. The Super Spies can’t understand why anyone would want to murder the “Cat Lady” until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt to bring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling in the investigation. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it’s up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer.

Or die trying...

Links:

Facebook * Twitter * Website * Amazon * BN

Guest Post by Lois Metzger, author of a Trick of Light

Today, I'm happy to have Lois Metzger stop by to talk about her inspiration for a A Trick of Light.

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Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

It's a question writers often get asked. Some find it hard to answer, because ideas can float around in your head for a while, or several different entirely unrelated things may have to combine to create a story.

In the case of my new young-adult novel, "A Trick of the Light" (HarperCollins), I know exactly where I got the idea, and also when.

On Wednesday, August 4, 2004, I read an article in the New York Daily News called "Not For Girls Only."

The article began: "Sue Roberts couldn't stop fuming after watching a 'Dr. Phil' show on eating disorders. The two-part series features several girls with bulimia and anorexia. 'What about the boys?' she remembers asking herself, then furiously writing an e-mail to the talk-show host."

Sue Roberts' 16-year-old son, Justin, the article said, "almost starved himself to death after several doctor's visits missed important signs." Justin was "a straight-A student who wanted to be perfect in every way." At 13, a coach happened to tell Justin that he could "shave a few seconds off his mile time if he lost some weight." Then, around the same time, a tall thin boy, a classmate of Justin's, looked over at Justin, called him fat and laughed. "Maybe I am," Justin thought, and decided to stop eating, pretty much just like that.

At first, Justin's parents complimented him on how good he looked, how disciplined he was. Then they noticed he was dropping weight too rapidly, that his personality had changed. "We were all walking on eggshells because he would blow up about little things," his mother said.

Within four months, Justin, five feet tall and originally 130 pounds, went down to 82 pounds. The article explained: "His lips, fingertips and nails looked bluish. He wore baggy sweatshirts to hide his frail body, but he couldn't conceal the malnourishment evident in his sunken eyes and hollow cheeks."

Justin's mother couldn't prove to her insurance company that her son needed hospitalization, so finally she had him admitted on her own. "His condition was worse than she thought," the article went on. "His heart rate was 42 beats per minute. He had zero body fat. His body temperature was 92, and there were patches of hair growing on his stomach and neck. It was his body's way of trying to keep him warm. He was days away from death."

During his brief hospital stay, Justin "saw an emaciated girl walking in the hallway, talking to herself." He decided: "I really don't want to be like that." He began eating and he recovered fully. In less than a year, he grew four inches. Talking of his present state, he could say: "I'm more outgoing, more confident. I'm happy now."

I got a strange feeling while reading this article. Kind of an other-worldly, floating, almost surreal sensation. I've written only three previous novels, and the same thing happened before I began writing the other books, too. In each case I knew immediately that here was a story that wouldn't leave me alone.

So it's not really accurate to say this is where I got the idea for "A Trick of the Light." This is where the idea was getting me.

I got in touch with the writer of the excellent article I'd been reading, Julie Patel, then a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News (she now she writes for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida). She put me in touch with Sue Roberts and Justin. They were extremely helpful in giving me more details about the journey of recovery, and referred me to a doctor at Stanford University, James Lock, author of two ground-breaking books on eating disorders. Dr. Lock gave me the names of some doctors and families in NYC so I could meet and interview them. I stayed in contact with Sue Roberts; I'm very glad to say she wrote me recently that Justin, now a young man, remains happy and healthy.

The 15-year-old boy in my book, Mike Welles, has much in common with Justin. He, too, develops an eating disorder rather quickly, and loses weight alarmingly fast. A doctor misleadingly tells Mike he is fine, insisting that anorexia only affects girls. As the disease progresses, Mike's vital signs are similar to Justin's. Mike, too, encounters a girl at a hospital, who freaks him out because she's talking to herself. Mike doesn't recover as fast as Justin did, but he does take significant steps toward recovery.

Julie Patel's article emphasizes that eating disorders among men and boys are on the rise (this was almost ten years ago, and the problem has only gotten worse). Ten percent of people with eating disorders are male, and currently there are ten million people in the U.S. with eating disorders, which means at least a million boys and men (and many people say the figure is much higher). Their disease still gets missed by doctors who think only women and girls can get eating disorders, and many hospitals and eating-disorders clinics still only admit girls and women. Then, as now, eating disorders have the highest death rate of any psychological disorder, estimated between five and 20 percent.

I didn't realize, when the idea got hold of me, where it would lead -- right to the heart of a struggle against a disease that too often ends in tragedy.

© 2013 Lois Metzger, author of A Trick of the Light

About the Book:

Mike Welles had everything under control. But that was before. Now things are rough at home, and they’re getting confusing at school. He’s losing his sense of direction, and he feels like he’s a mess.

Then there’s a voice in his head. A friend, who’s trying to help him get control again. More than that—the voice can guide him to become faster and stronger than he was before, to rid his life of everything that’s holding him back. To figure out who he is again. If only Mike will listen.

Telling a story of a rarely recognized segment of eating disorder sufferers—young men—A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger is a book for fans of the complex characters and emotional truths in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls and Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.

About the Author:

Lois Metzger, author of A Trick of the Light, was born in Queens and has always written for young adults. She is the author of three previous novels and two nonfiction books about the Holocaust, and she has edited five anthologies. Her short stories have appeared in collections all over the world. Her writing has also appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, and Harper's Bazaar. She lives in Greenwich Village with her husband and son. For more information please visit http://www.loismetzger.com, and follow the author on Facebook

Guest Post: Olivia Cooper, author of Shadow

Devouring a Book by Olivia Cooper

Pot roast. Cinnamon rolls. Butterscotch pudding. Am I making you hungry? Although my books are thrillers (and not cookbooks), I love involving food in the story. I personally love to cook and bake (and eat!) and I’ve always been told to write about what you know.

Some of my favorite books have involved food somehow. I’m not talking about books where food is an important part of the main storyline. I’m talking about books that are about something else altogether, but take the time to describe the food in detail. One series that always leaves my mouth watering is the Comissario Brunetti mysteries by Donna Leon. The stories take place in Venice and, although it’s about a detective who solves gruesome mysteries, great time is spent describing the meals he eats. I love reading about the Italian food in these books – in my mind, it’s what makes the series so great.

Another great book that highlights food is A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. If you’ve never read it, it’s about Hemingway’s adventures in Paris with his first wife and son. In the book, he spends time describing the Parisian food they eat at picnics and cafes. The food is one of the most memorable parts of the book, in my opinion.

Many people have commented to me that they love how I’ve involved food in my latest book, Shadow. I think reading about food is something that people can immediately relate to. It affects their senses. Every time I read a Brunetti mystery, I get hungry as I’m reading the food descriptions and it makes it easier to picture what Venice is like, even though I’ve never been there. It certainly makes me want to go there!

Hopefully your next book is entertaining…and appetizing as well.

About Shadow:

Angelina Hathaway was a baby when her mother gave her up for adoption. Now eighteen years old, she meets Guillermo - a handsome, arrogant boy who was sent from Europe to tell her that she’s inherited a vast fortune from her birth parents along with an explosive secret about her lineage that will change her forever. 

Unfortunately, there are people who know her secret and will stop at nothing to control her for their own purposes, or even kill her. In order to escape, she must decide between those she can trust and those she can’t…before it’s too late.

About the Author:

Olivia Cooper lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, goat, five chickens and two cats. She enjoys reading, hiking and baking. She's written for various magazines, newspapers and radio. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communication.

Olivia is currently offering the book for free on Amazon Kindle from August 5th - August 9th! You can click HERE to take advantage of the deal. 

Guest Post by Helena Sorensen, author of Shiloh

Today, I'm happy to welcome Helena Sorensen, author of the new YA book Shiloh, to Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf. She's here today to talk about writing a book. So without a further ado..

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Writing a book is really horrid. During the writing process, when people ask you what you “do,” you’re forced to tell them that you are working on a novel. They attempt a supportive nod, but they’re squinting at you, concentrating hard, clearly trying to find a point of contact now that they’ve discovered how strange and delusional you are. Even friends and family are skeptical. Your “novel” is something akin to an imaginary friend. Those closest to you will mention it/him/her from time to time, out of compassion and a desire to understand this nebulous activity that consumes so much of your time and mental energy.

And then one day, suddenly, your book is available on Amazon. And it’s a real, tangible thing, and you’re no longer getting furtive glances at family reunions. And it’s wonderful, for about half an hour, until it’s horrid again. At this point, you and your book cannot be avoided. They are part of public record, part of your family’s collective history. Your friends are no longer associated with you alone. Your book has entered the circle. You might as well have joined a pyramid scheme. Your book becomes the elephant in the room. Everyone tiptoes around its existence and its presence, and ultimately people just start avoiding you.

If any of you has ever wondered why writers are a little off, well, there you are. Writers weren’t born awkward and neurotic and brooding. No, their books made them that way. And when you hear people speaking in glowing terms about “communities of writers,” you’ll know I’ve told you the truth. Those writers needed communities because their families and friends have moved across the country and failed to share their forwarding addresses. Sitting alone in front of the fire on Christmas morning, cradling your book and humming carols to yourself isn’t particularly glamorous. It’s horrid. Writing a book is horrid.

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About the Book:

In a world of perpetual darkness, a boy is born who wields remarkable power over fire. Amos is no more than seven when he kills a Shadow Wolf and becomes a legend in Shiloh. He would be destined for great things were it not for the stories his father tells about a world beyond the Shadow and a time before the Shadow. Only madmen hold to such tales, and in Shiloh, they have always come to bad ends.

Amos is fearless. He walks with easy confidence, certain that the Shadow cannot touch him. Even his family is in awe of him. His father marvels at his skill with the bow, his mother thanks the gods that he has all the courage she lacks, and his sister, Phebe, worships him for saving her from an attack of the Shadow Cats.

On a trip to the village of Emmerich, Amos rescues the Magistrate’s son, Simeon, from the village bullies. Simeon, fair-skinned and pale-eyed like other Dreamers in Shiloh’s history, becomes Amos’s constant companion and dearest friend. Simeon becomes a part of Amos’s family, listening to fireside stories told in a way he’s never heard them before and learning to wield a bow and arrow.

The year the boys turn twelve, they are itching to prove themselves. An impetuous plan to steal a beautiful lantern goes miserably awry, and the lantern’s owner prophesies that Amos will be devoured by the Shadow. For the first time, a seed of fear is planted in Amos’s mind, and when his father is killed by a Shadow Wolf on the last day of the Great Hunt, the fear takes hold. If so great and brave a man as his father could fall to the Shadow, what hope has he?

Website * Goodreads * Amazon * Facebook * Twitter

Blog Tour: Deadly to Love by Mia Hoddell (Guest Post)

As part of Mia Hoddell's blog tour for Deadly to Love, I have a guest post by Mia. So without a further ado...

Getting inside a character’s mind

I know this may sound like a weird thing to write about as the characters in my books are figments of my imagination. I mean, I created them so I should already know everything about them right? Well that’s not always the case. I still find myself being surprised by what I have made my characters do in some of my books or how I have accidentally developed them further than I wanted.

When I start a novel, especially the first in a series like Deadly to Love, one of the first things I do is plan the characters. There are a few steps I go through to not only develop and create my characters but also to help me learn who they are and get inside their minds while writing. Here’s the basic process and the order I normally follow, however there are always odd characters who like to cause me trouble so it may vary slightly at times.

1. Profiles - The first characters I create are obviously the leads, for example Kai and Rea in Deadly to Love. I have a standard character profile form which I will fill out for everyone in the book and I will normally end up with three pages on each individual. This profile will include everything from their looks, personality, age, height, birthday, likes, dislikes, their backstory, motives and anything that is important to who they are or why they would do something. I find that by doing this it is easier to try and keep the character consistent throughout the book as when stuck in certain situations I would know how they would react due to the amount of details I have on them. It’s also helpful if I forget small details like birthdays.

2. Sketches - Next I may do a few sketches of the most important characters to help solidify my image of them. However, usually I use this more with the supernatural/paranormal characters as they are the ones who will have the most differences, for example I did this for The Elementals to help with their initial creation.

3. Relationships - After that I will work on the relationships in the book. I will plan out who is going to fall in love with who, which characters are related and develop the friendship groups. This is however subject to change as I write the story but by planning out the connections between the characters I find it easier to include them and develop their reactions to certain things.

4. Names - Lastly, although this stage does appear at random times depending on the character, I will find names for each individual. Normally there is always one character that is the hardest to name though. In Deadly to Love everyone but Kai seemed to name themselves, yet nothing seemed to fit for him. I had initially named him Richie and written half the book with that name just so I could get on with the story but it just didn’t seem right. I searched through numerous baby name sites as well, but still couldn’t find anything. It was only when I was hungry and went to get something from the fridge did I find a name. I spent 2hrs by the fridge as I noticed the alphabet magnets and started to rearrange them. That was how eventually named Kai. I’m not sure why but it is always a male lead that I have trouble naming, everyone else seems to fall in place.

After this process I find it easy to put the characters into my novels as I know them inside out. However there are certain people (it happened in Deadly to Love with Alanah) that end up transforming into someone different as the story moves on. This always surprises me when it happens accidentally but it’s just how the writing unfolds naturally. To find out which characters change though, you will have to read Deadly to Love (Elemental Killers #1).

Thanks to Lauren for hosting me on her amazing blog and remember to check out Deadly to Love and the rest of the tour stops here: http://miahoddell.blogspot.co.uk/p/tour-schedule.html!

~~~

Thanks for stopping by, Mia!

About the Book:

There is a love that is so dangerous, so powerful, so intoxicating that it embraces your heart and smothers your mind until it leaves you defenceless.

Serena knew that but still, it didn't stop her. His name was Kai. He was the most beautiful, irresistible man she had ever encountered. Their attraction was too compelling to fight and she knew she would go to the end of the world beside him. That is love.

However behind the allure was hidden a deadly secret – a secret that threatened her fragile life... But secrets best left unsaid never remain hidden forever. When Kai reveals his true identity, she is exposed to a frightening world she had no idea existed. Controlled by powerful Elemental forces her life is placed in mortal danger.

Unbeknown to them, their lives have been entwined from the beginning and it leads her to discover an even greater secret about who she really is. As the pieces begin to unravel and death becomes a reality, Serena is forced to decide what is more important...her love or life.

About the Author:

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and her preferred genre is Young Adult, Paranormal Romance. Before 2009, Mia wouldn't even pick up a book and was more interested in sports. However she finally found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of both reading and writing. Mia began with poems and after getting two published in separate anthologies she moved on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series The Wanderer Trilogy and from there other ideas have emerged which she hopes to turn into novels as well. Elemental Killers is her second series and book two will be out soon.

Author Links: 

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Blog Tour: Operation Oleander (Giveaway and Guest Post!)

Today, I'm happy to welcome Valerie O. Patterson to Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf as part of her blog tour for Operation Oleander, her new Young Adult novel. So without a further ado, here's some words from Valerie...

Lauren

Thank you for the chance to guest post. You’re a person after my own heart—book obsessed. I love the quote attributed to Erasmus: “When I get a little money, I buy books. Any left over, I buy food and clothes.” As a child, I saved all my allowance for the book sales at school. I’d circle books in the catalog and pencil in my order. Then I’d have to go over four or five times to whittle down my “must have” list to what I had enough money to buy. (I still have to do that!)

In addition to reading anything and anywhere, I wrote poems and stories. In school. On the bus. At home after lights out. I still carry notebooks with me at all times. And I haunt office supply stores for the “perfect” pencils and pens. I’d be embarrassed if I did an inventory of the number of pens and pencils in my supply box.

I’ve appended photos of the cover of my collection of Halloween poems I wrote in elementary school, along with one sample (see below). Groan! :) Nowadays, I take sample books I wrote to school visits in hopes of encouraging students to follow their creative passions.

In OPERATION OLEANDER Jess follows her heart to gather school supplies for an orphanage in Afghanistan. That is her creative passion. When tragedy strikes, she faces criticism at home and within her community. She must chart her own path to carry out what she believes is right—even knowing that there are no guarantees of success.

Our lives and dreams are a journey. I hope you and your readers find their creative passion along with the way, as I did with writing. Here are the top items that feed by passion—literally and figuratively!

Top 5 

My Top 5 Snacks when Writing 

Popcorn 

Bubblegum 

Jawbreakers 

Shredded wheat bits 

Carrot sticks with hummus 

My Top 5 Teas to Sip While Writing 

Assam 

Yunnan 

Star of India 

Awake 

Awake and green tea together 

My Top 5 Albums for Writing Fantasy 

Watermark, Enya 

The Book of Secrets, Loreena McKennitt 

Pachelbel Canon 

Rachmaninoff Vespers 

A Winter’s Solstice, Windham Hill 

What I’m Reading This Month 

City of a Thousand Dolls, Miriam Foster 

What Came from the Stars, Gary Schmidt 

The Language of Fiction, Brian Shawyer 

Something Like Normal, Trish Doller 

The Things a Brother Knows, Dana Reinhardt 

Top 5 Children’s Writers Who Inspire Me 

Laurie Halse Anderson 

Judy Blume 

Ashley Bryan 

Katherine Paterson 

Gary Schmidt

click to see larger version 

More about the Author:

Valerie O. Patterson grew up near a military base on the Gulf Coast of Florida. She often draws inspiration for her writing from that place of her childhood. Ms. Patterson holds an MFA in Children’s Literature from Hollins University. Her first novel for teens, The Other Side of Blue, was published by Clarion/HMH in 2009. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Mystery Writers of America, the Children’s Literature Association, and the Authors Guild. An attorney by day, she lives with her husband in Leesburg, Virginia. For more information about her life and work, visit her website: http://www.valerieopatterson.com/.

More about the Book:

What do you do when something you intended for good goes terribly wrong? In the summer before ninth grade, thirteen-year-old Jess Westmark organizes her friends on Ft. Spencer Army base in Florida to collect school supplies for an orphanage in Afghanistan where their parents are serving in the US Army. The orphanage’s association with Americans, however, draws it under attack. The explosion shatters lives in Kabul—and across the world in Florida. Reeling from the impact, Jess struggles to respond. Her actions not only have implications for her own family and the strained relationship with her best friend, whose life has forever been changed by the attack, but also for her growing sense of responsibility to others—even strangers continents away.

I also have one copy of Operation Oleander to giveaway! To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter giveaway below.

Official Giveaway Rules:

~Must be 13 years or older
~Must have a US mailing address

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Suzanne van Rooyen, author of Obscura Burning

Today, I'm happy to welcome Suzanne van Rooyen, author of the newly released Obscura Burning, to Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf. She's here to talk a little about her book. So without a further ado...

Playing with Fire

A boy walked through a desert littered with withering cactus. He had scarred arms and a face left marbled by what could only have been the result of a fire. He was sad and angry and kept staring into the sun. That was my first glimpse of Kyle Wolfe, main character and narrator of the book that would become Obscura Burning. The original premise of the story had nothing to do with fire. It was all about quantum physics and rifts in the theoretical multiverse. Kyle, however, refused to stick to the story line. He was a darker, far more complex character than I ever intended to write. The theme of fire became more prevalent and it took me a little while to realise why.

As a kid, I knew a boy who was frequently in trouble for starting fires. These fires were usually small and never resulted in injury, but the damage to property – particularly when he started setting fire to public rubbish bins – became more than a little problematic. I don't remember exactly what happened. All I knew at the time was that he was in trouble, that he had 'issues' and that his parents were getting him help. Perhaps it was that vague memory from my childhood, which contributed to Kyle's love affair with flames.

Once I knew this would be an integral part of my character, I did a lot of reading on the subject and found out all about juvenile fire starters. For many, setting fires ends at the curiosity stage and never develops into a serious problem. Sadly, starting fires is often representative of bigger psychological issues, such as physical or sexual abuse. If left ignored and untreated, fire starting can become a pathological behaviour, escalating well beyond mere vandalism.

Despite the wealth of information online about problem fire starters, this is still a largely misunderstood aspect of adolescence, too often brushed aside as a phase or ignored as mere 'acting out' when it could be representative of Borderline Psychotic or Impulsive Neurotic personality disorders. If anyone would like to know more about this troubling behaviour, I suggest heading over to the American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org where you can learn more about the various types of fire starting and how to help those who might be heading down this dangerous path.

As for Kyle and what happens when he plays with fire, you'll just have to read Obscura Burning to find out!

~~~

Thanks for stopping by, Suzanne!

About the Book:

The world's going to end in fire…and it's all Kyle's fault.

Kyle Wolfe's world is about to crash and burn. Just weeks away from graduation, a fire kills Kyle's two best friends and leaves him permanently scarred. A fire that Kyle accidentally set the night he cheated on his boyfriend Danny with their female friend, Shira. That same day, a strange new planet, Obscura, appears in the sky. And suddenly Kyle's friends aren't all that dead anymore.

Each time Kyle goes to sleep, he awakens to two different realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is still alive, but Shira is dead. In the other, it's Shira who's alive...and now they're friends with benefits. Shifting between realities is slowly killing him, and he's not the only one dying. The world is dying with him. He's pretty sure Obscura has something to do with it, but with his parents' marriage imploding and realities shifting each time he closes his eyes, Kyle has problems enough without being the one in charge of saving the world...

About the Author:

Suzanne grew up in the urban sprawl of Johannesburg, South Africa where she studied music and penned a few angsty poems. After a brief stint in Australia, Suzanne settled in Finland where she completed a Master's degree in music and started writing in earnest.

Suzanne now spends her days as a freelance writer, author and part-time dance teacher. Her short stories have been published by Niteblade Magazine, Cast of Wonders, and Earthbound Fiction amongst others. When not writing she attempts to play guitar, reads a lot of fantasy, and entertains her shiba inu, Lego.

Author Links:

Facebook * Website* Goodreads * Twitter

Book Links:

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Kobo * OmniLit * The Book Depository

Blog Tour: The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe (Guest Post)

Today, I'm happy to welcome Megan Crewe, author of the Fallen Word trilogy and the YA standalone Give Up the Ghost, to Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf. I've been a big fan of Megan's since the release of her first book, and with her newest one (The Lives We Lost), I'm happy to say that this is still very much true. Anyhow, here's her thoughts on writing sequels, specifically involving the Fallen Word Trilogy.

~~~

Writing the second book in my trilogy was actually a big first for me: the first time I've ever written a sequel. You might not think that should make much of a difference--that it's just more story with the same characters--but in many ways it does. And the biggest difference I encountered was in considering you, the readers.

I think every author tries to take into consideration how readers will relate to and be affected by a book while they're writing it, wanting as many people as possible to enjoy the story. Certainly that's the case for me. It's always challenging, because there's no way of knowing for sure how people will respond. And when the book in question is a sequel, the challenge becomes twice as complicated. So it's a good thing that I enjoy being challenged by my work!

First, I had to take into account that readers would be coming to THE LIVES WE LOST from a wide range of places. Some of you might have just finished reading THE WAY WE FALL and have the events and character dynamics fresh in your minds. Some might have read the first book months ago, and remember things more vaguely. And some might be picking up the book without having read the one before, diving in with no pre-knowledge whatsoever.

When writing a first book or a standalone novel, I can assume that everyone is starting the story from approximately the same place, and that you won't know anything about the backstory and characters until I tell you. With the sequel, I had to find a balance between avoiding confusing new readers and avoiding boring the readers who remember the previous book quite well. I ended up thinking of it as including little reminders, the same way I might add brief reminders within the same book about events that had happened in earlier chapters but not been mentioned for a while.

What was more intimidating was knowing that the readers who had read THE WAY WE FALL would be coming to THE LIVES WE LOST with all sorts of expectations and hopes. Again, with a first book or a standalone, I know readers may make some assumptions based on what you've heard about the book, but those are probably pretty general, and you're not likely to be really invested in the events turning out any specific way. With the sequel, I'm guessing most of you who pick it up are doing so because you already read and liked the first book. So of course you'll have ideas about which way things might go and which ways you *want* them to go.

Unfortunately I can't give every reader what they want, because some readers want the story to go in completely opposite directions! The best I could do was tell the story that felt most powerful and right to me, though I did try to make sure that every major question that's come up would be answered one way or another (if not in this book, then in book 3). After that, I can only hope that even those who didn't get the outcome they wanted will find the story satisfying all the same.

Thankfully, even though existing series readers makes writing a sequel more challenging, it also makes it more rewarding. It's amazing to know that I have readers who loved THE WAY WE FALL and are eagerly looking forward to continuing this journey with my characters. I think I've written the best possible book I could for the story I wanted to tell. Now it's in your hands.

Enjoy! And thank you so much for your support!

~~~

The Way We Fall (Book #1):

It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you're dead.

When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike. As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island’s dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

Poignant and dizzying, The Way We Fall is the heart-wrenching story of one girl's bravery and unbeatable spirit as she challenges not just her fears, but her sense of what makes life worth living.

The Lives We Lost (Book #2):

First, the virus took Kaelyn’s friends. Then, her family. Now it’s taken away her home.

But she can't look back—the life she once had is gone forever.

A deadly virus has destroyed Kaelyn’s small island community and spread beyond the quarantine. No one is safe. But when Kaelyn finds samples of a vaccine in her father's abandoned lab, she knows there must be someone, somewhere, who can replicate it. As Kaelyn and her friends head to the mainland, they encounter a world beyond recognition. It’s not only the “friendly flu” that’s a killer—there are people who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the vaccine. How much will Kaelyn risk for an unproven cure, when the search could either destroy those she loves or save the human race?

Megan Crewe's second volume in the Fallen World trilogy is an action-packed journey that explores the resilience of friendship, the ache of lost love, and Kaelyn’s enduring hope in the face of the sacrifices she must make to stay alive.

Links:

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