Let it Snow!!! (and winners)

So yesterday I went to find snow. You see, in Arizona you have to go places in order to see a white Christmas. So my best friend and I took a little road trip. And we found snow, lots of it!

The significance of this is that it was the best kind of vacation. I started revisions again and my head is exploding. No, seriously, its a mess. A big messy mess. My mini vacation was only a day and half but it was pure heaven. You know how I know? Because my revisions are rocking. 

Anyone else take vacation (even a mini one) this holiday season? Where did you go? 

Now, I know you all dying to know who won our Holiday Giveaway. Well, here are the winners!

Deann Fox

Pao Parente

Jessica S.

Katharyn

You have 48 hours to reply to your emails or we pick new winners!! I’m off to my revising cave! Have a wonderful New Year everyone!!! 

New Years Resolutions

I hope you all had a great Holiday!  Mine went great!  I got some awesome stuff, including my beautiful new guitar, and I got to spend some much needed time with my family.  Was it just me or did it not feel like it was Christmas this yr?  Maybe it was because of the weather here in MO or maybe because it came and went so fast.  I don't know but part of me is glad it's over but another part of me wishes I still had time.  Any big plans for New Years?

You know how everyone sets new years resolutions and well, most people never stick with them?  Maggie Stiefvater lives by them and tries to succeed in each goal she sets for herself.  I can never recall setting any New Years Resolutions myself but I am seriously considering it this year.  I am thinking about this long and hard because if I am going to set resolutions, I want to make sure I don't put them on the back burner like the rest of America--this honestly isn't a diss to you all.  Alot of the goals I have set for my life I have accomplished but I haven't set any official writing ones.   Since I am all new to this Resolution thing, I don't know if it is taboo to say what goals you are considering.  I know Maggie doesn't say hers until the end of the yr but heck...what can it hurt.  I will only name a few that are topping the list:

• Make more Writing time
• Take this blog seriously and get more involved with promoting it
• Learn more about vlogging and integrate it into my Wednesday posts
• Finish my first draft, edit, and query agents (scary just thinking about that last part)
• Learn guitar for when the writing doesn't flow well

So those are currently on the list.  I am going to try with everything I have to stick with them.  I love making goals so this is just a different kind.  Hope you all have a fun and save New Year and I shall see you again on the other side!  (btw...not the dark side...god I hope not the dark side LOL)

Because I Couldn't Have Said it Any Better...

Have a wonderful Christmas weekend!!!! Happy Holidays!!!

Much love,
Valia

Micro Blogging: It is good for the soul

From Wikipedia: Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size. Microblogs "allow users to exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, individual images, or video links".

As with traditional blogging, microbloggers post about topics ranging from the simple, such as "what I'm doing right now," to the thematic, such as "sports cars." Commercial microblogs also exist, to promote websites, services and/or products, and to promote collaboration within an organization.

My favorite micro blog other than Twitter is Tumblr. I only follow 100 or so people right now and my dashboard is constantly filled with beautiful pictures, smart text, and funny videos at all hours of the day. Writing can be a lesson in lonely, and I think that micro blogs like Twitter and Tumblr have given the writer a way to take a break and come out and play without ever really leaving the writing cave.

Micro blogging is there to help you reach your fan base or build one. To inspire you when your muse is on vacation and to give you a social outlet while you work. It is vastly better than being punch drunk Hemmingway. Tumblr is a free service like blogger but cooler. It has many cheap themes or free themes you can easily install with the click of a button. You can reblog friends, and your fans can reblog stuff about your book and it becomes this huge news outlet and your fans can ask you questions that you can answer publicly and that can then ... be reblogged.

Try to remember to schedule your Twitter/Tumblr time or you will never get anything written. Other than that have fun reblogging!

Yep...I almost forgot it was Wednesday...

*Hits self over the head* Yep...today is Wednesday...not Tuesday.  All of this Christmas stuff has me crazy mixed up.  It's the 21st for god sake!  How did this happen?  I'm still wrapping presents, let alone making some last minute gift decisions. Darn it for me being thoughtful with gifts.  It would be so much easier if I could just say, "hey...her ya go!  A fruit basket!"  (sorry if anyone is doing that as a gift...not hurt feelings intended)

Anyway!  I promise when the holidays are over my blogs will be more productive.  Right now my main focus is what picture frames go with my art photos I am giving to my family.  So for now I leave you with a question...

Have you ever done something you knew could turn out badly but did it anyway as research for your stories?

They love me! They really love me!

I have been bouncing in my chair cheerfully, grinning ear-to-ear for about an hour now. Why? Because I just got the very first full set of comments from one of my beta readers. I was crazy nervous about this, both because letting other people read your stuff is scary but also because this was kind of the make-or-break moment, wasn't it?

The first person to read this close-to-final draft. The point by which I'd done massive amounts of rewriting already, added and deleted characters and changed entire portions of the story, plot points, motivations. If the story still didn't work for my readers, I probably would have panicked.

And there's no guarantee - I may still have to panic, depending on what others say. But for now, it seems I am safe! My beta reader was hugely complimentary and gave me lovely notes, things she loved but also brilliant, succinct ideas on how to tweak the things she didn't - and those tweaks are small and pretty fast and relatively easy, considering the huge labor pains that involved rewriting this novel in the first place.

(Say it with me: If I got through that second draft, I can get through anything.)

Another writer friend - one who is quite busy with her own writing and quickly becoming Quite A Big Deal in her own right - also reached out today and offered to read my query.

I am floored by the outpouring of support from my friends and community. 10 months ago, I did not have a single writer friend. Today, I am so very blessed to be surrounded by some of the most amazing people I've ever met.

I know I've said this before, but it really can't be said enough: Having a community, as writers, is so important. I never would have kept my sanity, let alone gotten as far as I have, if it weren't for writer-friends, the internet on which we hang out, and the Twitter on which we congregate.

Once Upon A Time

       I was having a discussion earlier today with fabulous Leigh Fallon. Halfway through the discussion I realized we were discussing a show, and I was quite into it. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love shows! I love movies. Anything with pretty pictures on the screen, sign me up! But what I find hilarious is how involved I get in these things. 

Stories. They get me every time.

     

       Then I started thinking, why is this show so interesting? What makes me what to go back to it, week after week? Is it the fairy tale aspect? Is it the awesome characters? Or how about the plot line of two worlds? But in truth, it is all of those things and more. Not one of the aspects I mentioned could be as gripping if they were a stand alone fact. 

Someone please bring him back!

That is what I want my writing to be. I want my characters to jump off the pages. I want my story to be so breathtaking that you want to turn to the next page. Most of all, I want something that will stay in your hearts forever like those fairy tales do. Yes, I want a lot of things. Sometimes I feel like those who don’t write don’t really understand how big of an undertaking something like a story truly is. Would you be willing to kill off a beloved character? Seriously, did anyone else NOT see that coming? This is what I’m talking about. Taking risks, pouring your heart into your work, being fearless. This is the kind of a writer I want to be. How about you? 

Much love, 

Valia

So it is Wednesday right?

This is what my head says EVERY Thursday. That it is Wednesday even though I watched American Horror Story last night. Which obviously airs on... Wednesday. So I am sitting here in my Iron Knight pajamas (yes, I haz those) when I get a tweet from one of the Warehouse wives... "Darling, did you forget its Thursday? :-)". You know how wives are, always reminding you of stuff... I don't want to forget anymore and I have a crap ton of commitments, and I have the plague. If I miss next week you will know I was taken in the prime of my life by the black death. Please buy my book postmortem. Speaking of commitments I thought I would give you the schedule of my day:

7am - up to rush husband and kids out of the door.
7:45am- coffee and email.
8:00 am- Facebook and Twitter.
9:00am - Musa Publishing work.
11am-Social media.
12pm- lunch and shooting any videos I need to do for InterrobangYA and such.
1pm- reviews and blog work at Bookalicious
2pm - go get daughter from school.
2:30pm - homework ugh.
3:30pm- revise my book.
5:30pm - cook dinner

Then after that I revise some more, do some more work or just watch TV (American Horror Story) with the husband. Weekends are all filled up with family time and there are tons of other things that happen on any given day. Packages, I start my new agent-y work in January and calling my Mommy. Yes, I call my mommy.

And now I will leave you with the most awesome video I have seen floating around online today. I love the holiday season.

Wednesday's a cheater too...

Hey guys!  I am going to follow right behind Rick and be a cheater as well.  I know, I can't help it.  Currently I am trapped under pounds of wrapping paper and if I scream, please send a rescue team!  Sooo I am going to pass you off onto the Amazing Kristen Lamb's blog post on Taking Your Novel from Good to Great.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS Y'ALL!

This is totally cheating.

But Monday is exhausted and braindead, and also forgot it was Monday.

So let's just all rap together:

The One Where We Give Away Books!

      So in case you didn’t notice, Holidays are here! I know, shocker right? If you’re like me it seems that your days I filled with things to do and by the end of the week you feel as if you have done a whole lot of nothing. I think its the holiday magic. It drains us until we are too weak to even think straight. That’s why we eat so much at Thanksgiving. The fuel is all gone before Christmas hits and then we all eat once more. Its a crazy vicious cycle!

Anyway, what I meant to say was, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays, and whatever else may be on your list this year! And since I’m in such a jolly mood I have some happiness to share with you.

We got Books!!! That’s right oh dearest ones, we, YA Warehouse crew decided to spread some holiday cheer and host our very first giveaway. 

The rules are simple. Fill our the nifty Rafflecopter, spread the word, and make 

sure to do something nice for someone this year! Our gifts include but are not limited to:

• ARC of Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves 
• Witch Eyes by Scott Tracy
• $10 dollar gift card to Amazon/Book Depository
• Swag

        Have a wonderful day!!! 
        Much love, 
        Valia 

Write What You Live

I know the concept isn't too hard to grasp but for a writer it is easier said than actually done.  Most writers--not all writers--like the home body kind of life. I like it sometimes as well.  What's not to like about it?  You get to chill on your couch for hours on end, read, be sheltered from the world, etc but that is just it.  You are sheltered from reality.  Yes certain things are scary but you know what, do them anyway.  Once you do, record everything about the event.  How did you feel?  What was the room like when it happened?  Who was with you?  What did they say or do in reaction?

I'm about to get personal up in here yo'

It's been awhile since I have had a serious relationship.  I got out a super long one a couple years ago and didn't have the heart to give to anyone until I could give it to myself.  I'll admit I was also scared.  I was scared of letting someone in.  Recently the love connections have started to pick up and one in particular has started to interest me.  (now stay with me...this is going somewhere)  I've been writing more in the Classified Novel but it has been hard getting my characters love connection just right.  I know they feel it but the words just weren't matching until the love connections in my life started escalating.  It seems strange until you really think about it.  I truly believe that all good writing has an author behind it who really grasps what the characters are feeling.  Yes, characters have a strong voice and some can do all the work for you, but I believe the best writing comes when you are connected to the subject.

I feel like I have refreshed my Well on love:  I know what I feel when someone brushes the hair out of my eyes, how my cheeks burn when he locks eyes with me, and how much you miss them the second they leave your sight.  Who would have known this would have brought just as much fire to my writing.

Lesson for the week, get out there and do something you wouldn't normally do.  You maybe surprised on how much you will enjoy it and how much valuable info you gain.    

For the World to See

I have returned from my trip, and despite being jetlagged and overtired and hungry at odd hours, I do think I'm making a good deal more sense than I was last week.

Since I got back late Friday night, I have been pretty darn productive. I unpacked, did laundry, cleaned my apartment, went grocery shopping, made new To-Do Lists and tossed old ones, and finished the third draft of the novel. (That last one's not as impressive as it sounds. I only had two chapters left.)

And then, my friends, I sent it off to my group of beta readers.

That's right. A whole group of people! Who are going to read a book. That I wrote.

Ruh roh.

I was talking to a dear writer friend about this stage of the process, and how both exciting and nerve-wracking it is. I mean, you want people to read your stories, right? That's why we write them! But at the same time, it removes all plausible deniability you might have had, from your friends or family or coworkers or casual Facebook acquaintances. You can't be all like "yeah I write sometimes there's this story that maybe someday IDK just give me the vodka".

Now you're all like, "Yeah. I wrote a book. That's a thing that I did. Shit."

There's a lot of reasons that's a good thing. There can be a few drawbacks, though. If your friends are anything like mine a bunch of them will be lining up going, "Oh oh oh when can I read it!" and you want to be all NEVER but then you'd feel bad and also, maybe they'll buy it when it's on shelves someday. But I'm not going to e-mail my book out to all 300 people who send me pleading Facebook messages.

My beta readers are writers - published and non - or book reviewers or avid readers in the genre that I write or, ideally, some combination of the three. The same way a painter would not be expected to make 3,000,000 photocopies of their own work and stick them in just as many envelopes to mail out to their friends, so too should writers not be expected to provide ON DEMAND access to our work.

Like, I want to sell that shit someday, yo. You want to read it, pony up.

But one way or the other, if we're successful, these people are all going to have the ability to read it someday.

And that's pretty cool.

How do you feel about sharing your work with the world? Does the idea excite you? Terrify you? Are you close to having to consider it as a Really For Real-Reals Possibility, or are you not yet to this RIDICULOUSLY TERRIFYING portion of the publishing journey? Please share!

In Which I Fangirl Over a Book!

Hello darlings!
So I had this whole post planned for today, but then lo and behold, a book I'm particularly in love with came out early. 5 days early! So instead of my wondrous amounts of wisdom, ya'll are getting a book review. I know, I must really love this book to sacrifice myself in this way. 

Starting over sucks. 

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. 

And then he opened his mouth. 

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me. 

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.
From Goodreads.com

Well, hello perfection! No seriously, I cannot find a bad thing to say about this book (or any books Jen writes for that matter). But let’s start at the beginning. 

Katy just moved to a new town and her mom keeps pushing her to make friends. So she walks next door, where according to her mom’s still working eyes, a boy hotness will be able to direct her to the nearest store. The door opens and this is where the fun begins. Katy is pulled into a world of obnoxious boy, sweet but hyperactive girl, and a town full of secrets. 

Katy’s character is fabulous. She’s a girl who works at making herself more than she is. She doesn’t take crap from people, even if those people are a gorgeous next door neighbor Daemon. Awe, Daemon, how do I not drool as I write this review? I’m pretty sure just the name sends goosebumps up my arm. He’s definitely a league all of his own. Oh my Holy Franking Superman! Daemon is just so, wait, is this review supposed to be G-rated? But really, I think I tell Jen daily she has ruined any chances for me with “real” boys! 

Obsidian is hot, sexy, funny, and breathtaking beginning to a series. The action is fast paced, the storyline is fabulous, and the relationships are adorable. Every page will leave you wanting more, in every way imaginable. *Snickers* The characters are fresh and exciting. I’ve only mentioned two but every character in this story is a work of art. Jen takes a story that is familiar and moves it to a whole another galaxy. I’m already having anxiety separation! 

Obsidian can be ordered now from Amazon. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone! 

Jennifer's blog: 

http://jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com/

(Follow her, she's fabulous! )

Buy links for Obsidian

http://www.amazon.com/Obsidian-Lux-Novel-Book-One/dp/1937044238/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/obsidian-jennifer-l-armentrout/1033604979

Obsidian on Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12578077-obsidian

Happy reading and much love,
Valia

Thursday forgot it was Thursday

So I give to you a video of me, showcasing what happens when I get excited for an ARC.

Book Clubs are freakin' Amazing!

I was always on the fence about joining a book club but then a few yrs ago I saw The Jane Austin Book Club movie and thought about how freakin' fun that would be to talk books with a group of other like minded peers.  I tend to move around loads so I didn't have time to find a great group.  I know there are some online but for some reason I never considered it.  I recently moved to St. Louis, MO and plan on sticking it out here for awhile so I thought I would give a book club a chance.  There is this great indie bookstore here which houses alot of the author events here in the area.  While on their website, I saw they offered a Young Adult Book Club for Adults.  It was like the heavens opened up!

I was slightly nervous to go because well I didn't read that months book since I just found the site but I decided to attend anyway.  When I got there they had already started...early.  I felt slightly dumb but they were all very welcoming.  I listened in to their conversation of that months book--one of which I won't name.  The night was exactly like I expected: great people discussing great books, laughing, and who wouldn't love to drink wine at a book talk? What I didn't expect...to learn so much about writing!

During the book talk, everyone, ok the 5 people who attended, discussed what they liked and didn't like about the book.   Of course I knew that is the point of book talks, but I didn't think it would give me so much insight as a writer.  Back when I did book talks in High School I didn't listen to them like I was a writer.  This time I caught so much valuable information.  So lesson of the day--err well week from me--is to think like a writer in everything that you do.  You will be surprised how much it can pay off. Please keep me updated on what you learn!!

Shaking Things Up

I am leaving for a work conference tomorrow morning on the other side of the universe country. I am currently running around packing like a madman, scrambling at the last minute because I ALWAYS DO THIS and I had to wait until tonight to get my suitcase repaired, pick up my dry cleaning, declare peace between the Montagues and Capulets and somehow manage to get a full night of sleep and be perky and professional and Ronald Reagan International tomorrow. Ugh.

My life, people. My life.

In the meantime, I'm trying to finish the last three chapters on this draft of my WIP (please, celestial beings, let me be DONE ALREADY) and as such this trip comes at a slightly inconvenient time. But maybe it'll push me. I don't know.

(insert Salt n Peppa's "Push" here)

There is really no coherent string of thought behind this post, besides the fact that it's Monday so I had to grace you all with my crazy ramblings, and also I wanted to say hi. Hi, internet!

I will be back, and hopefully a bit more coherent, on Saturday. Late Friday night, actually, but I promise there will be no coherence involved there. Only jetlag.

What are your plans for this post-holiday week? The (other) holiday season is fast approaching. What are you doing to shake things up?

Thankful - Author's Who Inspired

I don’t know about you but I’m stuffed like a turkey on a Thanksgiving day. Oh, wait. Anyway, now that my small attempt at humor has failed let’s move on to the actual part of the post. 

Thanksgiving. 

Predictable, I know, but I wanted to take a few moment’s and talk about author’s that I am thankful for. The list is beyond long, but there are a few who have shaped my writing, and my life.

Jules Verne. While most of the kids were reading superhero comics (don’t worry, I did as well) I fell in love with the worlds this man created. One of my favorite books of all time is a three story collection of his lesser known works.  The Begum’s Fortune, The Barsac Mission, and Robur the Conqueror.

Agatha Christie. I read pretty much everything by her. Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, and so many others. I loved mystery growing up, acting out my own detective games with friends. 

Carolyn Keene. Yes, I know there’ve been quite a few people writing under the pseudonym of this name but I loved Nancy Drew growing up. So many great mysteries, written with a clear voice that could be understood by those of every age. 

Honestly, I can’t even think of all the books I read as a child. Moby Dick, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Alexander Dumas and many more. I have always been a reader, and now I have the privilege of being a writer. I was a science fiction/mystery junkie, what about you?

What are some of the authors you remember reading as a child who made an impact on your life?

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Valia 

The reason I write....

“The tears I feel today
I'll wait to shed tomorrow.
Though I'll not sleep this night
Nor find surcease from sorrow.
My eyes must keep their sight:
I dare not be tear-blinded.
I must be free to talk
Not choked with grief, clear-minded.
My mouth cannot betray
The anguish that I know.
Yes, I'll keep my tears til later:
But my grief will never go.”
― Anne McCaffrey, Dragonsinger


On this Thanksgiving Day in America, I would like to take a moment to pay homage to the lady who gave me my first real cry from reading a book. The Ship Who Sang is the book that convinced me that some day I wanted to be a writer, and I could only hope to be half as good as Anne McCaffrey. Rest in Peace and thank you for every adventure you gave me.

Where Did YOU Come From?

When I first started writing my novel I only saw the two lead characters.  I saw scenes with them together and seperate but never with anyone else.  As I started writing small scenes that I saw in my head--I didn't know how writing a novel worked, let alone an outline--the character that I thought they were, turned out to be totally different.  Here I thought my female was going to be sad and depressed the whole book but she is strong willed and sassy; far more sassy than I expected her to be.  Then HE came along and I thought he was going to be this typical sweep you off your feet type but no, he can equally be caring and sarcastic.  The two of them together just have this chemistry that I wish I would have with someone.

The more I wrote about these two, the more other characters hopped in to give their two sense on the matter.  The lead female's best friend to be is far more sarcastic than all of them put together.  The things she says even surprises myself.  I like to think it was me who came up with the witty comments but I know it's all her.  Have you ever wrote a character like that?  Someone who says the most interesting things, but you have no idea how you could even come up with someone like that?  That goes for the DARK characters too.  The evil and vile things that they do to others disgust you but it came from some part of you deep down.  Or did it?  Where does it all come from?  Is it out sourced from a blend of movies, games, or real life? I could never pin point it because all of that has such a huge impact on me the way it is now.

Where do you come up with some of these amazing and also the deadly characters in your stories?  

When You Knew

Lots of writers have always wanted to be - or indeed, always have been - writers. In some way or another. They'll talk about how they were born with a Marble notebook and ballpoint pen in hand (which, God bless your mother!) or how they sat daydreaming story ideas in sixth grade or accidentally entered a Poetry.com context when they were 9 and it seemed like a brilliant idea at the time.

I'd always written. I was one of those babies who needed to be delivered via C-section because Five-star binders full of wee toddler stories just weren't designed to pass through certain places, know what I'm saying?

In first and second grade, in my first school back when I still lived in NYC, every year each kid would get a hardcover, totally blank white book. About A4 paper-size, maybe 20-30 pages on the inside. We got to write and draw our own stories as an assignment. I imagine you would respect me a lot less if I told you it was about a distinctly self-insert character who lost his pet hedgehog just before the school show-and-tell fair. But I just accidentally told you anyway, so there's that.

I'd always written. But I never thought of myself as a writer, even though I wrote constantly and weaved stories out of every single thing and took Creative Writing classes in middle school and read like books were oxygen and I was gasping for air. It didn't occur to me that this was A Thing I Could Do, Like For Reals until maybe halfway through high school.

But I should have.

A year or so ago, I was going through a collection of my things that had been boxed up and put in storage when I moved away to college. I'd been far from this storage space ever since and hadn't gone through my belongings there in five years or so. Going through my collections, I found that first hedgehog story from when I was but a wee young lad.

But it wasn't the sad saga of Ricky the Missing Hedgehog that made me realize I was destined to lead the life of a writer whether I liked it or not. It was the inscription I'd written on the inside of the front cover, that read something along the lines of:

(C) 1994 RICHARD LIPMAN. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should know it is stolen property and the author received no payment.

I cracked up when I discovered the wily ways of my 7 year-old self, and immediately showed my mother. We decided I was stuck on the writer's path, pretty much, come hell or high water.

So. When did you know - know for sure - that you were a writer? Share your stories in the comments!

Your subtleties They strangle me I can't explain myself at all

_{title courtesy of It Ends Tonight by All-American Rejects}

So this week has been a little depressing. Anyone else have weeks like this? It happens, and not just in writing world, but in the ‘real’ world as well.

My mind is an abyss of depressing things and that’s been my writing lately. Not only depression, but like crazy gory and insane. Have you seen The Walking Dead show? You know the part in every zombie movie where the hands of the undead reach through the closed doors or windows and your whole body shudders in fear? Yep, that’s me, writing.

But this is not what my post is about. It’s actually about laughter. Ha, you didn’t see that coming huh? I think we as writers, often forget to laugh. Especially during the revising stages. That’s what Im talking about here. Revisions and laughter.

Sometimes, I think, I forget to laugh while I’m revising. I sit there, staring at my pages, screaming “WHY AM I SO HORRIBLE AT THIS?” Right before I start screaming, “NO ONE IS GOING TO READ THIS CRAP!” I’m a failure. I’m a nobody. Why did I write such stupidity?



This is where I need to unwind (which I talked about last Friday) and laugh. A lot. Writing is hard work. It’s WORK. Those who don’t write don’t understand how incredibly hard it can be. But we as writers, sometimes forget how much fun it can be. So here is some fun and laughter for all of you wonderful people out there.













You’re welcome. I accept book and coffee gift cards as offerings of gratitude. *Bows*

Have a wonderful weekend lovelies! Hope your day is filled with laughter!

Much love
Valia

I want my book to be like a Disney movie

I want every book I write to be like a Disney movie. I know that sounds crazy. Trust me for a minute.

What does every Disney movie start with? A character with a huge problem. If my main character has a huge problem, then already I have created depth and hopefully a connection with the reader. If you were writing the story of Paris Hilton’s life it could go two ways.

Paris Hilton is a beautiful heiress who jet sets around the world going to cool parties and hanging out with even cooler people. She once dated Greek royalty, and had her own reality TV show with her best friend who is also considered music royalty.

That’s a pretty boring story, right? What if you changed it up a little bit?

Paris Hilton is an heiress who is constantly in trouble. Most memorably was the incident of her night vision sex tape that was leaked by the man she was engaged with at the time. Paris is known for dressing dogs in ridiculously expensive clothing and was denied adoption for a chihuahua at one point by a reputable breeder.

That is infinitely more interesting.

I know everyone (myself included) is always thinking plot. However, when you start plotting if you think about your characters too and their problems and what they will have to go through to solve them then I think a big part of your main arc can be covered.

Sarwat Chadda once told me, give your character three traits at the beginning of the book, at the end of the book make sure those traits are different. I think that is one of the best pieces of advice I have heard about writing.

Whether you are a outliner or a pantser I think this method will work. We all think about our characters and what they will be like, but maybe instead of deciding if he is more of a BinBons or possibly an RPatz we should be thinking about what they feel, what are their morals? What is the one thing that is most important to them?

Find that one thing, and take it away. Your character will fight to get it back.

So, are you an outliner or a pantser?

Nova On Losing Words

I don’t know about all of you writers out there but I am having a hard time finding the words.  I get like this sometimes and I know my friend does as well.  We had this conversation last night that he was having a hard time finding the words.  Yes I am expressing words as a physical thing—to me they are. They go from your head or universe and then onto the page as a final work of art, producing a physical piece in front of your eyes.

He was describing the last few days that, not having a lack of motivation, but for some reason the words had just went into hiding.  I’ve been feeling like this myself lately.  It isn’t that I don’t want to write.  It is far from that. When I sit down at my lovely new computer with all my notes and outline spread out, it’s like someone shoves my hands into cement.  I would say I rarely have this problem but that would be a lie mostly to me than to you.  Some days I push myself to write, not because I don’t like it, but because what I am writing isn’t the words I see in my head. I know they are better up there but for some reason they just don’t come out. No matter how hard I try, they kick and scream and cling on by their nails to stay there.

Is it because my mind isn’t feeling inspired right now? Or is it because I just have so many other things going on that I need to get rid of from my mind? I’m not sure. I know you just have to push though it because you can always go back to it and fix them another day but it still makes you feel like crap when you know the words are up there.  *shakes brain*




Do any of you ever feel like this? I know it’s normal and sometimes it only lasts a few days but what do you do to jump start yourself again?

The Importance of Unplugging

There is absolutely no science to support what I'm about to say. (Since when has that stopped me?) But honestly, the older I get, and the more time I spend on the computer - for work, for entertainment, for social networking, for a dozen other things - the shorter my attention span becomes. The more anxious, sometimes, I become. And like many folks, sometimes I get internet fatigue.

This is mildly alarming, since the internet and I have been BFFs for quite a long time now and 99 percent of the time, if you tried to take Twitter away from me I would clobber you over the head with a frying pan. But every once in a while, I stare longingly at the "off" button on my wireless connection, wishing I had the willpower to turn it off voluntarily.

That would, of course, never happen.

So I did the next best thing: I went camping this past weekend. Anyone who knows me should probably take pause at that sentence. I do not do the whole communing with Mother Gaia Earth Outdoors Thingy particularly well. I'm pampered and spoiled and my idea of 'unwinding' usually tends to involve more cabana boys bringing me fruity drinks as I lay by the Puerto Rican shoreline and less 'Nature! Nature IN MY FACE!'

But I did it anyway.

It's important, as writers, to stretch outside of our comfort zones every once in a while. Writing what you knows gets old - and uninteresting - pretty quickly if you don't know a whole lot. I've talked a bit about this before on my own blog, the phenomenon that my friend Erin calls "replenishing the well". So that's what I took this weekend to do.

It's not just about finding inspiration in the unusual, or the outside world. Sometimes it's about stepping away from the world you know. I had zero cell phone service for close to 48 hours. No phone calls or e-mails or Twitter. I missed Twitter (though truly, I did not lament the loss of e-mail notifications for just about anything). But I needed it. I needed to take a breath.

I'm refreshed now, despite sleeping on the wooden floor of a poorly-insulated cabin and somewhat freezing my tuchus off the other night, because camping in Virginia in the middle of November is what some people would refer to as 'silly'. I'm refreshed in spite of inhaling the ashes of a giant bonfire all weekend, or having to pee in a batch of what I strongly suspected to be poison sumac, or hiking about a hillside looking for firewood and coming up pathetically empty-handed.

I'm refreshed.

I could do with some more time away from the back-and-forth of everyday life - couldn't we all? - though I think I maxed out my enjoyment of forfeiting my memory foam mattress. But the breathing, the action of stepping back, even if just for a day or two, is always so much better for me than I anticipate going in.

(I tend to project worst-case scenarios. Thinking things such as 'But I will be in the woods in the middle of NOWHERE and someone important will call me - the President, what if it's the President? And I can't ANSWER! And also there are BEARS, and since I did not bring my computer it may resign in protest, dousing itself in gasoline like a Buddhist monk and going up in FLAMES and then the President of the United States will think I'm not returning his calls because I ran off with the Prime Minister of Greece when really, I've just been mauled beyond recognition by a bear. HOW DID ANYONE TALK ME INTO THIS?!')

But none of those fears came true.^* And I'm better for the experience. I have a bit more focus and perspective now, and I mentioned on Twitter last week that I was beginning to get a bit down/discouraged about my writing journey. I feel a bit more confident, or at least calmer now. But the demons of doubt reach everybody once in a while, and it's important to be able to run for the hills.

So when's the last time you took a step back to breathe? Really, truly breathe? And how did it affect you - and your writing?

^{* The President did call, but my secretary got back to him in a timely fashion, I'm assured.}

11-11-11: Secret Weapons

Hi there. It’s Friday and I am here to entertain! Come over here. A little closer. That’s right. Take a seat right there. Very good. Now, let talk about writing.

Okay, so I had this whole thing planned out. My first post. I was going to dazzle. This is it! I’m going to make a great first impression. I brainstormed, I typed it, I edited, and it loved me. There was hugging people! That’s some serious love. But it decided to run away and now I am left with this. *looks at the screen sadly*


_{If I had a dog and a cat, this is definitely what they would say. I'm sure my bird thinks I'm nuts.}

This is how writing is for me. I get this fabulous idea, run to my computer, notebook, or roll of toilet paper and jot down the idea. It’s shiny. It loves me. All is well in the world. Then I sit down to actually write it and everything falls apart.

There is wailing.

There is gashing of teeth.

There is lots of coffee consumption (well, there is always coffee consumption, but that’s besides the point).

The point is we all suck. We really do. No matter how hard we try not to, we will have those days that no matter what words we put to paper they will scream obscenities at us. My characters do. Often. However, the funny thing about that is I can sit down the next day, write down the exact same words and receive presents and cookies from the said characters.

This is exactly what I look like when I dance!

Would you like to know how I deal with those times? I dance. Oh, and eat Hot Cheetos (those are seriously addicting).

Just the fact that I can stand up and bust a move (glee version) can and does refocus me. It’s like my characters enjoy the time away from me and when I come back, they welcome me with open arms.

Since it's 11-11-11 I guess I can wish to have super writing skills and spit out novels faster than the speed of light, but where would be the fun in that?

Now, my question to you darlings is: What’s your secret weapon?

Is there something that you do that helps relieve the tension and bring you back to focus? I’d really love to know I’m not the only weird awesome one out there!

Disclaimer: this post has absolutely nothing to do with a friend who had a bit of a down time tonight. I won’t say who he is but he might possibly be on this blog. Isn’t it funny how someone else’s sad time can inspire greatness? That’s right, greatness I said! Now show me some love people!

I'm so edgy that my edges have edges.

If you are acquainted with me at all online you will know that I pride myself on being openminded and maybe even a little edgy. I’m the kind of mother who lets her children ingest most any type media they choose, because I trust them to choose what they can handle. If they can’t handle it I trust them to stop ingesting it and think of me as their personal poison control center. We can talk about what bothered them.

However, I found myself writing an accidental sex scene a few days ago. I had no idea that my characters were so randy or that they felt that strongly towards one another. I wasn’t really thinking about what I was writing, but when I read back through the text I realized I pulled a classic fade-to-black.

Joel had never imagined her lips could be quite that soft. She broke the kiss and he wanted to cry out to her to continue kissing him. He needed to kiss her.

“Let’s go to bed,” she said.

Joel stood, Chrissy took her hand in his and led him to the bigger bedroom. They sank into the sheets, kissing, touching, free from the bad if only for a little while.

Later, as he fell asleep, he thought he heard Chrissy whisper that she loved him.

I did two things that I despise. I faded to black, and I threw in the love equates sex mindset. I think teens can handle sex, hell a lot of them are probably having sex, so why did I fade to black? I still have no answer to this question.

Also, being a woman of the 21st century I think that women and men can have sex just because sex is awesome. They don’t need to love each other, or spill the fruit of their loins in holy matrimony and produce a mini creature that symbolizes their love for all of time. So why did I equate sex to love?

I am the farthest thing from a prude there is. I am married to a Dutchman and we all know anything goes in Holland. I even read the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. You feel me dog? I don’t understand how or why my subconscious wrote this atrocity of a scene.

So what do you think? Should sex in YA equate with love and be fade to black?

Nova On Fear

I’ve been thinking like a mad woman on what my first post should be.  I believe it sets the whole tone of what you can expect from me.  Then the nerves came.  Those are big shoes to fill—well not really since I only come in at a whoppin’ 5’ 0” so the feet come in miniature size as well.  I didn’t know if I should fill you in about myself but for some reason that just seemed far too upfront.  I want you all to keep coming back and learning more about me, as well as I about you, the longer we go with this.  It’s like a book; you don’t just get all the information handed to you in the first page, you find the pieces as the story unveils.

While stressing out about what to write, fear crept in.  The more I focused on the fear the more and more I thought about it.  I’ve been reading a great book I got last year and finally made my way around to it.  I’ve noticed it has been the most helpful little thing that I have ran across for writing.  “The Art of War For Writers” by James Scott Bell.  Now getting back on topic, I remember reading a section of that book about fear.

“The biggest mental obstacle—in writing, in war, in life itself—is fear.” --James Scott Bell

Fear is everywhere around us: fear of heartache, fear of death, fear of clowns (in my sisters case), etc.  I have found from observing a few of my writer friends, how fear can cripple you.  In this there is: fear of publication, fear of putting the words on paper, fear that the words aren’t good enough, fear of finishing, fear of what if no one buys your book, fear that your second book will be hated, fear of letting someone read your words, etc.  There are different fears for each person.

At some point you are just going to have to tell yourself enough is enough and fight through it.  A few years ago I got in a bad car accident.  I wasn’t injured but mentally I was terrified to drive.  For over three months, I couldn’t even drive myself to the store to buy food.  I didn’t leave the house unless my boyfriend at the time took me.  One day I woke up and said I wasn’t going to let this fear ruin my life.  It may sound like a silly thing, but you understand if you have been through something like that.  Not long after, I ended up moving out to LA on my own to live with a friend I hadn’t seen for years.  Was I nervous?  Yes. Was I completely terrified? YES, but I lived through it.  I faced my fears and I proud I did it.

I have fear in my writing life as much as the next person.  The most of my fears lean towards “Am I good enough?” I don’t know tons about writing since I’m still a newb—gamer slang for being new to something.  But what gets me through the fear is writing through it.  No one is perfect—the words aren’t perfect—and the only way to improve is to keep going.  The fear may not completely go away but you will become more confident in yourself.

While filming a movie in CA, I met a girl on set whose career was making people face their fears.  It was actually quite an interesting job.  She worked for this company that very successful people, including celebs though she couldn’t tell me who, went to for help.  They would go through sessions of facing their fears.  She told me an example of a man who was scared of heights.  They would talk about what bothered him and worked their way up to standing on a chair, in which case, he couldn’t even do.  After he mastered that they branched out more until he got the nerve to jump out of a plane.  The meaning of this story is that sometimes you have to take baby steps before you jump.

I’ll let you all know how the fear changes about my first post.  Now that the words are done, I’m feeling a little better than when I started.  I guess writing it out helped.  Who knew my advice actually worked!

What kind of fears do you all have?  It could be anything in your regular life or your writing life, I would be interested hearing about it.

Welcome to the Jungle

Hello, mes amies, and welcome to the first official post in the YA Warehouse's weekly roster. This post is long, and for that I apologize. I hope you find me as entertaining as the nice men in white coats who bought me this lovely jacket. As you can see in our inaugural post, I am the Prince of Darkness Mondays.

Mondays are a funny thing. They get a bad rap, some might say, but I think it's totally deserved. I mean, at best, you wake up and it's Just Another Frakking Day, and you have to brush your teeth and find your glasses and figure out what you did with your favorite red panties and why there are 13 empty bottles of champagne in your kitchen... and then get ready for work.

At worst, you could wake up on a Monday and have to go straight to the dentist. This was me today, my pretties. And I realized, as I was getting cavities drilled this morning to the ka-ching! sound of my emptying bank account, that dentists are really the most brilliant - and sadistic - scammers of all time. The Nigerian princes of the world could learn a thing or two from the D.D.s.

Think about it. I am paying this dudebro HUNDREDS of DOLLARS, which are like money-units, to stick a drill in my face at 10AM and go digging like the freakin' Spanish colonial gold-miners from Pocahontas. Ostensibly for my own good, and in a building where 'Dr. Longman's House of Pain' appears on not a single sign. How does that work?

But yes, yes, I get it. Teeth are important.

You know what else is important - especially to writers? Community. (Whoah! My transitions, they are smooth and flawless. Don't act like you're not impressed.)

Lots of people talk about this. Probably more than talk about dentistry. Writing is a creative outlet, and like most other creative outlets it is emotionally exhausting, incredibly complex - and highly solitary.

Writing is lonely.

You knew that already, of course, but you might be - like I was - unsure of how to break into the Great Mafia of the Writing Community. Or you may be anxious, because look at all those other writers, who know people and have friends and go to fancy cupcake dinners or on writing retreats or to conferences or start group blogs! I will never be like them!, you wail. I will be alone forever!

'Tis not true, my precious.

Writers conferences and conventions are a great way to meet people, but the time and money required can be prohibitive for lots. The internet is where it's at, and not just for message boards of twitterchats - the internet is where I met my very real, flesh-and-blood group of fellow writers and crit partners, all of whom live in my own backyard and do fun things with me like go to midnight showings of Harry Potter or drink margaritas or have fancy crepes for dinner, or maybe do all of those things at the same time.

A little over six months ago, I had no writing community to speak of. Absolutely none. I had one writer-friend in real life, but she lived quite far away and I hadn't seen her in years. I did not know any writers, or where to find them, or if I'd mesh with them once I did find them, or if they'd be okay with genre writing or YA or or or a hundred other things.

Cue: Twitter.

Twitter can be intimidating - and confusing - at first, and I understand that. We'll address a bit later on how to use it more effectively but right now, I'm just here to say: If you're a writer (particularly an aspiring and/or lonely writer) and you are not currently on Twitter, you should be.

I can't imagine what I would have done, or how I would have kept the last vestiges of my fragile sanity over these last few months, as I've gone through two additional drafts on my own manuscript. (Shush. I can hear you all impugning my claims of sanity, and that is rude.) My writer friends have been my cheerleaders, mentors, given me criticism when I needed it, rooted for me when I needed positive energy, taken me out for cupcakes when I needed diabetes.

You need to have writer friends. You will go nuts if you don't.

I was without a writing community for many years. I was quite unhappy. But you don't have to be.

Yes, the internet is a big place. And yes, it's intimidating - it's a jungle out there! But the advent of technology has allowed us to build a world that is smaller, more layered, easily searchable. It brings people together based on shared loves and interests, can tell you with the click of a button who your neighbors are. Twitter's writing chats, the blogosphere, Absolute Write, Forward Motion, and many other places exist to help WRITERS LIKE YOU connect with other WRITERS. Who are JUST LIKE YOU! But maybe not as neurotic.

So if you ache for community, if you feel like you're going stir-crazy on your own, and if you need writer friends? And if, like me, you ever thought that you didn't know where to look, or were too intimidated to engage: Stop being intimidated! Go on Twitter, and message boards, and comment on blog posts, and let people find you! We're not that scary! We're a friendly bunch, and we have all been lonely at some point.

The water is warm. Come play.

And welcome to the jungle.

Beginnings

Hey everyone!  Welcome to YA Warehouse. There are four of us here, ready to entertain and enlighten you in the ways of the writing world. 

In case you were wondering, I'm Nova Lovette and I'm a YA writer.  I am currently working away on my first novel which I have plans of being a series.  There are many other book ideas floating around in this crazy head of mine, but right now Classified Novel has my full attention.  I am going to be posting on Wednesdays in either blog form or vlogs; which I am still new at but I gotta mix it up somehow!  I hope you all enjoy and stay tuned for all the craziness that awaits you!

In 2001, when Rick was but a wee young lad with the barest sparks of creativity and a bucket full of teenage angst, his English teacher ordered him to write a novel. Dutifully, he started typing - and never looked back.

These days, he lives and works in Virginia, doing something ordinary and respectable to keep a roof over his head and Chinese delivery in his refrigerator. He calls himself "a YA writer" because it sounds more respectable than "Twitter addict", and he has little slips of paper stickered inside his passport allowing him unfettered entry into other sovereign nations, proving that neither border security nor cynicism are anything like they used to be. Rick will be taking over Monday’s, so Monday’s watch out! 

Hi! *waves* I’m Valia and I’ll be taking over Friday’s. I’m a superhero by day and a writer by night.  Sometimes I ramble. Sometimes I do it in vlog form, sometimes I do it in writing form, and I always do it in tired form. I have just completed Book One of the Secret Project and I’m finally taking a breath. Oh wait, it’s NaNoWriMo. Never mind. 

I’m also a photographer, so you probably will be seeing a lot of random pictures.


Yep, random. 













Pam van Hylckama is the internet sensation behind Bookalicio.us, which she's run for 300 years. She blogs for Yahoo! and vlogs every week over at InterrobangYA . She also writes for Guys Lit Wire, San Francisco Book Review, and podcasts for Brain Burps, in addition to being the YA publicist for Musa Publishing.


Her first short story will be released in January 2012 in unCONventional. As you can see, Pam is pretty lazy and has lots of free time, so she figured she should probably do something - thus, she became the Warehouse's Thursday Wife.**


Now, we have a special q&a just for you lovely people so here you go!  (**The lovely Pam is also mysterious in many ways, and answered every question with "I'm sorry, that's classified." You'll just have to wait until next Thursday to learn more about what makes the Warehouse's newest member tick!)

What is your taste in music?

N: My taste in music just depends on my mood at the moment.  I usually have a playlist going while I write, which consists mostly of soft sounding music.  The Civil Wars and Adele have taken over most of my writing playlists.  If that isn't working for me I turn to movie scores/classical style stuff.  I am a big fan of E.S Posthumus and Apocalyptica as well.  Oh and hilarious fact...I love to line dance.  My sister and I used to go every Friday night.  Hey, I'm a country girl! What do you expect?!

R: My taste in music has gotten increasingly bizarre over the past few years. I'm much more ADD about music than I used to be. I'll get hooked on 2 or 3 songs and listen to nothing but those songs for weeks on end. And then I'm over them, and will never listen again.

Those songs, at the moment, are: 

The Fall Out Boy cover of Nightmare Before Christmas's What's This?

Karl Wolf's Africa

and Matt Nathanson's Queen of (K)nots

Perennial favorites are Matt Nathanson, Alanis, and anything a cappella. 

V: My music taste depends on where I am. If I’m in the car, it’s angry girl music or random exercise tunes. If I’m writing, it’s whatever songs my characters love. If I’m at a photo shoot, usually foreign music. If I’m cleaning my house, it’s...ha I’m kidding. I don’t clean. 

Which is your most favorite book ever?

N: It is a toss up between The Giver by Lois Lowry or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.  I am a sucker for those style of books.  Because of that, Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins hold dear places in my heart. 

R: Oh jeez. As a child, the Animorphs series shaped a lot of my identity as a reader, a writer, and my perceptions and interactions with the world - it was a war story, and there were a lot of questions about ethics, a lot of navigating science-fiction plots that had very direct real-world connections. I still love that series more than anything, and re-read it often.

Favorite single book, though, would have to be Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, which I am due for a re-read on, as well.

V: I have to pick just one? I’m so not a good picker. I grew up loving Moby Dick (I was obsessed with that book), I have particular soft spot for Jules Verne’s less known works, I love Jane Austen’s Persuasions, and Agatha Cristie. I read everything by her.  

If given a choice, which animal would you want to be? Why?

N: I think I would want to be some sort of bird.  A hawk maybe or even a Raven.  The thought of soaring high above and looking down on the world below seems thrilling to me.  

R: A velociraptor. And the better question is, Why the hell not?

V: Panther! Hello? Gorgeous and vicious! Booya!

Like sports? What teams?

N: I played tons of sports in school and was a catcher in fast pitch softball, setter in Volleyball, and a Main Base in Cheerleading.  Right now I don't have time to play on any teams because of my weird schedule so I mostly just watch them in passing.  GO CARDS!! 

R: Er, no. Talking to me about sports is like talking to a ballet dancer about quantum mechanics. (Side note: I took a quantum mechanics class in high school. My parents didn't find that D- anywhere near as hilarious as I did.)

V: I have to admit, I’m a sports junky! I’m a serious Green Bay Packers fan, I adore Nascar, and I’ll watch Hockey and Basketball if I’m home.  

What would I find in your fridge right now?

Not much of anything.  I am a terrible food shopper.  I am moments away from heading to Whole Foods though to stock up.  I think all that is in there at the moment are some eggs and Hummus LOL! 

R: Salsa, ketchup, mayonnaise, a few stale hamburger rolls, and a half-finished bottle of wine. I... need to go shopping.

V: Wait, do I have a refrigerator? That’s what that humming sound is! I’m pretty sure there’s some healthy food in there, some milk, oh and definitely meat. Must. Have. Meat. 

If your house was on fire and you had to grab 3 things what would they be?

N: My Linde star ring that was passed down from my Grandpa to my Mom and then to me, the photo of my Grandpa that sits on my desk watching over me, and the backups for my novel. 

R: A few months ago, I would have hemmed and hawed and said something like 'my laptop, my phone, and my wallet', but since we had a pretty big earthquake here while I was at work not too long ago, I realize the actual answer to "What I grab in the event of sudden catastrophe" is: Nothing. When we evacuated, I got up and ran, electronics be damned.

V: My bird, Frederick Austin Fitzwilliam Lind, the only animal allowed to live in the house. Oh and I’d grab my phone, so I can call my firemen buddies and they can come and save all of my books. That’s right, books! I’ve grabbed my bird already!  

Name one thing people don't know about you.

N: I am terrified of closets.  I can't sleep with one open and the darkness inside staring back at me.  *shivers*

R:I generally come across as the sort of fast-walking, fast-talking, high-functioning stereotype of A City Boy, but as a NYC native who's lived in a couple of other big cities in my time (DC and New Delhi, for the curious), most people are surprised to learn that I hate cities. I went to college in a podunk town and I miss the atmosphere daily. I now live in a suburb of approximately 100,000 people and it's still about ten times too crowded for my tastes.

Also, sometimes, under very limited circumstances and with enough booze... I can sort of sing. I'm not going on X Factor any time soon, but I ain't tone deaf.

V: Well, I might be, possibly, completely, and totally terrified of scorpions! The funny thing about that, they follow me EVERYWHERE! No one else get’s attacked by them in my house, just me. All. The. Time.

What is the craziest thing you have ever done? 

N: My friend and I like to do what we call Social Experiments.  It usually involves me doing makeup on my friend and dressing up for the part to see how others would treat us differently.  I once did his makeup like a 70 year old man and he drove around Wal-mart in one of those motorized scooters.  I played his daughter who just ignored his actions while he knocked things off the shelves and cussed about them being out of his products.  Funny enough we were treated differently.  Not a single employee said a word about his attitude or messing up the store.  We seem to learn alot when we do these experiments and most of the time it aids in my writing--his writing as well. 

R: Oh, lord. This list is longer than I'd like to publicly admit. A smattering of examples include: pole-dancing to Britney Spears in a Spanish night club; losing a shoe at the Vatican; trying to break out (yes, OUT) of a hotel room in Nepal; taking 7 classes in one semester that one time in college ; and deciding I wanted to be a writer. Like for real for reals.

V: I’m going to take the fifth on this one. I work for the police department. I’m not allowed to say. :)

Favorite color? food? 

N: My choice in favorite colors changes as often as my music tastes.  Currently I am in this black and red phase which I am blaming on my novel.  You will just have to wait and find out why :P

R: Blue. General Tso's chicken. Clarification: The chicken should, under no circumstances, be blue.

V: Anything bright, for color. Anything delicious, for food. Although, I do love to experiment with different types of food so sometimes it’s not so delicious. 

Tea or Coffee?

N: Both!  I am insanely addicted to them as I write especially.  I recently started to collect my own cast iron tea set. 

R: Iced venti vanilla skim latte with an unholy amount of Sweet-n-Lo's thrown in.

V: Coffee. Coffee. Coffee, and maybe a little more coffee with that. 

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?

N: OMG this is a crazy hard one!  I would have to say a young Christina Ricci, thick Casper, or the awesome Emma Stone.  Emma and I seem to have similar styles of humor so I'm told. 

R: Hm. Someone as devilishly handsome as I, clearly. But who to pick? 

V: I’d play my own role. How fun would be it to star in a movie??? Now, who to pick as a costar, that’s whole another story. *wink, wink*