All posts by Emily

short update

October 16, 2015 Emily 12 Comments

Hi, everybody. Emily here. It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve talked to you guys one-on-one, or at least in general. I’ve been scheduling all the posts that have gone up recently, so I haven’t written any content that’s new, and I’ve been lacking in my comment-answering-skills. Sorry about that, by the way. Life’s been crazy!

On Sunday, my family and I left to stay in South Carolina for a few days. In a nutshell… a post on my mom’s facebook asking for a few donations (enough to fill our minivan) for a day trip to Columbia (which is near my mom’s hometown in S.C.) turned into two churches and our home-school group filling an entire U-Haul truck to take to the flood victims! We know an organization in our area who was able to get the U-Haul for free for us (as a charitable donation), so all we had to do was drive it on over and find a few churches to donate the clothes, food/water, & toys to! My mom’s girlfriend and her family were just outside of the flooding, so we stayed with them until Tuesday.

Other than that, school’s been keeping me busy – along with sewing, writing, piano lessons, and a bible study group I’m apart of! Whew! It’s all starting to catch up to me. Can I just take a looooong nap, please?? With all that’s been going on, you know the drill – life gets in the way, ugh – and that leaves 0 time for reading.

*sigh* Plus there’s that gruesome school-required reading… (just kidding, I don’t hate it as much as I pretend to.) The last two books required to read this year are The Hiding Place and The Witch of Blackbird Pond; both of which I’ve been wanting to read forever, so now I’ll finally get to them.

Aside from that, I’ve got A BAJILLION STACKS of books I need, absolutely must read. Among them are: Divergent (YES I shall finally see what this is all about; I know I’m late), Cinder (a few of you have become infatuated with this book, so here goes) and the other two books in the Matched trilogy. Those are the most popular books in my stack, among manymanymany others.

Oh and one more thing before I forget on my superduperlong mental list: I’m participating in NaNoWriMo! YAAAY! It will be my fourth year; and I’ve only won once so perhaps this year I’ll be lucky! (I have not given up yet!) If you want to see what I’m up to in November, I’ve rebooted my old Wattpad account just for that. Since I have no plans to publish this story, it’s going up there! *Cheers for me finally sharing my writing* And if, maybe-possibly-some-day, I do get this published – you get a sneak peek! You can follow that here. (My username is emily_ellerby; I use the pseudonym Ellerby for my stories there. If you want to look at my old works from two years ago you can… but I wouldn’t recommend it because I wasn’t the best writer back then.) 😉

So THANKS for keeping up with me… with all going on, I’m not sure where blogging fits in the mix, so forgive me if I miss some posts. I’ve just got to get my routine organized, and I’ll try to post whenever I can. 🙂

discussions

supporting authors

October 14, 2015 Emily 8 Comments

I always feel like a loyal, accomplished little bookworm when I buy a book the day it comes out.

Here I am, reporting from somewhere in South Carolina, on my way to buy Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass, which is officially available today – October 13! (EEEP!)

True, I really really REALLY want to read the book… but at this point I’d buy anything Kiera Cass writes just because SHE wrote it. The same goes for Ann M. Martin and Rachel Coker. I love all three ladies’ books and they’ve never failed me once. I trust them. I’ll read anything they write because I love them just about as much as I do their books.

Back in April, I talked about authors appreciating readers. I love it when authors talk about and talk to their readers. I’m a faithful bookworm and I like recognition! But the same definitely goes the other way around, too.

Writers are SUPER HEROES! It’s not easy writing 50k+ words that make sense and sometimes have the power to make you cry, or laugh, or scream. In my eyes, there’s no job that deserves more recognition! Except maybe if you’re in the military. Or the president of the United States. Or, okay, a mom or dad. Because like Kiera Cass says, the day her book came out, she was cleaning up baby Cass’ vomit.

My point is, it’s a tough job and I’m positive authors love attention, and support. If I love a book, I want it on the #1 New York Times bestseller’s list! And one day, if I ever have a published book, I want readers to buy my books! I mean, come on, if you make an A+ on an essay you worked hard on, don’t you want it on the fridge? 😉

I think it’s important to support authors if you love them. Particularly for myself, because I’m always on the lookout for great, clean books – it’s my small part in showing the media (whether it’s for music, movies, or books) that” Hey, this is what I like and I want more of this.” I’m not going to support 50 Shades or Twilight, or music that I don’t appreciate. Supporting authors – as well as musicians, actors, etc. – is my silent voice in promoting clean material.

so what about you? how do you feel about supporting authors?

co-posts

discussion of the selection series // co-post with brooke!

October 12, 2015 Emily 6 Comments

Hi everyone! Exciting day tomorrow… What’s that? What FOR?! Well if you really didn’t know… Kiera Cass’ new book, Happily Ever After, will be published! Whaaaat?! There will be several scenes from other characters’ perspectives in The Selection series (like Celeste, Marlee, Queen Amberly – and we cannot forget the true stars of the books – Aspen and Maxon!) not to mention a map of Illéa and other exciting tidbits!

So, in honor of this new debut, one of my best bookish friends & pen pal, Brooke, will be joining me today to discuss The Selection series! Brooke, where should we start? There’s so much to discuss!

Brooke: Yay! So excited for Happily Ever After. I know. So much to discuss. Well, maybe we can start with my least favorite characters, Aspen and Celeste.

Emily: Okay, let’s! I have to admit, they WERE my least favorite characters while reading the books. But then they both came around. In the bonus epilogue of The One (side note, have you read that?) Aspen is SO cute with Lucy I wanted to cry. And you know Celeste turned out being so sweet to Mer… While reading The Selection and The Elite, I thought I’d never say that!

Brooke: Yeah. My thoughts exactly! Until the One I thoroughly disliked both of them. I hated Aspen and America’s relationship from the first page. But I think Aspen and Lucy are adorable! (I have not read the epilogue). Yes! I’m so excited for Celeste’s POV in Happily Ever After! She has so much room for character growth. However by the end of the One I ended up liking Aspen and Celeste.Emily: Hmm… Well, I have to disagree with you there. At first, I loved Aspen and America! That is, till Maxon came along. *swoon* Aspen is more rugged and confident with America, but with Maxon he was so dorky and awkward at first. It was adorable! As for Celeste, I definitely want to know more about her. Every mean girl in a story has a reason for being that way. Celeste’s reasons are revealed a bit in The One, but she’s such a fun character that my interest is definitely piqued. I feel like she would be fun to write, from Kiera’s perspective – or if I were the writer of Celeste myself. She has that “I’m better than you” air about her right off the bat – it doesn’t help that she is two “castes” (is that correct? Is she a three?) higher than America. What did you think about the world in the book, as far as the setting and time period (some few hundred years in the future) and flowing well with the story?

Brooke: Yeah. I guess I just didn’t like Aspen with America. They didn’t seem like a good fit for me. Disagree to agree! Yeah. Maxon was just so… Cute! He didn’t really know how to deal with girls either (which was ironic since he would be surrounded by girls till the end of the selection). Yeah! Celeste would be such a great perspective to write from. (I have no idea what cast she’s from??!! I’ll look it up in a sec).
I think Kiera did such a great job at coming up with the modern world. (Though at times I wondered where technology was.) It just felt right for this story. I think if she set it in any other time or world it wouldn’t have connected as well with me.
(Lol. Yeah. Feel free to cut some of my stuff if it gets to long). (Celeste is a 2.)

Emily: So Celeste is not two, but three casts higher than America! Good to know. I completely agree. I’m not a sci-fi/futuristic person, so originally I was a little wary about the story being set in the future. However, it still felt very modern except for the countries (apparently China took over the US! Whaaa?) and the technology – or lack thereof- was explained. With the caste system, people couldn’t afford too much technology – and didn’t Gregory Illéa eliminate a good part of it? Or was it banned? Ugh, can’t remember.

Brooke: Lol. I’m pretty much the opposite. I’m a sci-fi/futuristic person but I was wary about the romance.
Yeah. It felt very modern ( I know! I was so surprised!) ugh can’t remember either. I can’t wait to read All the short stories and see all the illustrations! I haven’t read The Prince, The Guard, or The Queen so I can’t wait to finally read those!

Emily: Hey, opposites go great together, right? We make a great bookish duo. 🙂 I eat up the romance. Can I just…. Please have a Maxon for Christmas?! XD You’re in for a treat! I have read The Prince & The Guard (Maxon and Aspen’s scenes) and The Queen (Amberly’s story with Maxon’s father.) I’ll probably re-read them, but I’m also stoked for a Marlee and Celeste party. Marlee and Carter are MORE FANGIRLING! I’d say they’re so cute but I’ve already said that a dozen times in this post! Eep!

Brooke: We make a perfect bookish duo! I’ll see what I can do :). I seriously can’t wait!! I can’t wait to learn more about Marlee and Carter! We never really learn much about their relationship in the Selection…. They are just so adorable though.

Emily: You’d be my favorite person EVER if you got me a Maxon. Just sayin’.
I know! How romantic their story must be. Marlee, who is supposed to be competing for Prince Maxon… Falling in love with the guard instead?! LOVE. I was so not expecting that, but it makes sense. I have a feeling I would like Carter just as much as Maxon. And when they got the caning… And they were still saying “I love you” … OMG THE FEELS. 🙂 I was fixing to track down Kiera Cass and give her a piece of my mind!

That looks like all the time we have for today. 🙁 there’s stil SO MUCH TO SAY! I could talk about the selection series forever. I would love to do a part two to this, though. Maybe after we read Happily Ever After? 😉

Brooke: Yes!! This was so much fun! Thanks for having me :). And hopefully I’ll be back for a part two in a little while.

are you excited for happily ever after? thoughts on anything we discussed from the selection? so excited! can’t wait to hear from you all,

discussions, giveaways

what makes a 5 star book? // plus giveaway winner!

October 9, 2015 Emily 3 Comments

What makes a 5-star book?

It’s a question that’s been stumping me a lot lately, particularly because I’ve been rethinking my rating system recently. I’m terrible at reviewing books – which you have all heard me say before, I’m sure – and I want to give EVERY stinkin’ book I read 5 stars! And so that brings me to the question at hand.

What I can say is this: it most definitely varies from reader to reader. I’ve seen some bloggers/fellow bookworms never even rate a book 5 stars because “there is no perfect book.” I know some who are super hard on books and only give their absolute FAVORITE book 5 stars. But what about me, you ask?

Well I’m glad you brought that up. Because I’m going to tell you either way.

I do give a lot of books 5 stars. And I feel guilty about that, because sometimes certain books may not deserve 5 stars. But then I feel guilty about not giving a book 5 stars, because I think they DO deserve that rating. I’M JUST TERRIBLE AT IT, okay??! All books are amazing and totally rad, in my opinion, if a human took the time to write something that meant something to THEM and someone else with cool characters and everything and I just hate. rating systems. But that is for a whole other post. Lemme get to the point.

For me, a 5-star book isn’t always a perfect book. NO book is 100% perfect. Let’s compare books to humans for a sec. NOTTAONE is perfect. But it’s our imperfections that make us beautiful! (look at me, going all deep on you.)

A 5-star book – from my point of view – is a book that I a) connected on a deep level to the characters and therefore b) will re-read it. And YES, I will still rate books and cringe at the review a tad later because I would give that a book a different rating now… BUT I never, ever change my initial rating. In the 1st grade, I would have given a Junie B. Jones book 5 stars – but probably wouldn’t now.

So there’s my standpoint on it… for now! I’m a very confuzzled person sometimes – especially when it comes to reviewing books – so I’m going to be doing some more thinking on it. Still not sure about changing my rating system to something that fits my style better, but we shall see!

how do you feel about 5-star books? do you like reviewing/rating books? i need your help! let me know!

Annnnnddd… before I forget! Congratulations to the winner of the notebook giveaway – Amanda H.!!! I hope you love it – I’ll be sending an email to you shortly and hopefully getting it to you soon. Thanks everybody for entering!

P.S. I’m sorry I haven’t been approving/answering comments recently – it’s been a busy week and it’s going to be a busy weekend, but I’ll catch you up soon & I’m still reading all your sweet comments! (They make my day, so thanks.) 😉

lists

currently… // lists

October 7, 2015 Emily 4 Comments

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve done a currently list, so here’s what I’ve been up to. 🙂

Currently…

Watching: Growing Pains! I love this show. I’m a big fan of 80’s and 90’s family sitcoms – I love Boy Meets World and Full House! – and Growing Pains has been a favorite, too, but especially recently. Also, my mom just got the first season of The Facts of Life on DVD from Netflix, so I’ll be watching that one too!

Reading: Well, I’ve been re-reading Pride & Prejudice for the past week (it’s Sunday today), but I’m hoping to finish that one up soon. After that, I’ll be started Melanie Dickerson’s newest book, The Golden Braid, which hits shelves in November!! I love Melanie’s books, especially the fairy tale series (which The Golden Braid is in – it’s a Rapunzel retelling) so I’m so happy to have gotten an ARC of it!

Listening to: Taylor Swift. Of course, what else is new?? I’ve been listening to her probably everyday for three solid years. I just can’t get enough of her old songs. Currently especially obsessed with Superman. Other than the usual, I’ve also discovered a song called “Let Her Go” by Passenger. My mom and I heard it on a show we LOVE (Heartland – season 9 comes on Hallmark soooon!!!) and it’s just sooo pretty. Both Superman and Let Her Go are below:

Writing: I’ve started writing lessons again with the wonderful Rachel Coker! Right now I’m writing a novella (currently at about 22,000 words out of the goal of 25 or 30k) which she is critiquing. It’s not my favorite thing that I’ve ever written, but I’m finishing it so that’s something to be proud of.

Loving: Curly hair, new lipstick, sweaters, and CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES! First off, the curly hair: I have naturally frizzy, unbearably… what’s the word… POOFY hair. However, with a spray bottle and a little gel, it is adorably curly and wavy. On the plus side of the frizziness, my hair has no problemo with volume, so it holds curl really well. I’ve been straightening it for a while, but I just re-discovered the curls an love them!

New lipstick: I got some Revlon lipstick from Target the other day and love it. 🙂 It’s a light shade (I can’t go too dark) but I’m just obsessed. Sweaters: It’s finally sweater weather in Georgia!!! YAY! Sweaters (and cats and chocolate and books) are my obsession. Excited is an understatement. And as for the cookies?? My mom got me a box of mix and I made some today and I’m fixing to go get some more because my mouth is watering! YUMMY.

Wanting: This phone case. But I probably won’t be buying that for a while since my sister and I got in a fight… and… let’s just say my mom’s laptop was the victim… SO while I’m paying mom back for that, my wallet is currently empty. In another month or two? Hopefully!!! …… just typed that up and went to look for the link, and the website has stopped selling it!!! NOOOOO. Sigh.

Wearing: Sweaters, like I said, and skirts and REALLY cute shoes! I’ve been fall-shoe-shopping with my mom recently and I am absolutely in LOVE with my new boots and ballet flats. Forget boys, I’m marrying my shoes. No kidding.

so what are you up to currently?? can’t wait to hear!

monthly must-reads

monthly must-reads #2

October 5, 2015 Emily 7 Comments

Hi, everyone! Gosh, is it already time for another edition of Monthly Must-Reads? I’m so excited to be welcoming October and some pretty fall weather, so this month’s theme for MMR is books that will make you FALL in love! (Haha. See the pun there??) These books are perfect for snuggling up inside with some hot chocolate or pumpkin spice coffee – whatever floats your boat in Autumn – and a fluffy blanket. 🙂

For those of you who are new to this, Monthly Must-Reads is a monthly link-up hosted by myself and Trisha @ Bonjour Belle. At the end of every month, Trisha and I will come up with a theme for that month’s post. For the rest of the month, you can join in on your own blog, by listing ten must-read books related to the theme we pick. Then you can add the link to your post at the end of our posts, so everyone who participates can visit and read each other’s must-reads!

#1: needle and thread (main street series #2) by ann m. martin

The cover of this one is obvious for fall! I love The Main Street series by Ann M. Martin, and re-reading these gives me such a nostalgic and cozy feeling. 🙂

#2: cornelia and the audacious escapades of the somerset sisters by lesley m.m. blume

This is one of those cute books made for one sitting and a box of tissues. It takes place in fall – and New York City, nonetheless – so bring along your favorite sweater!

#3: countdown by deborah wiles

I love reading historical fiction in the fall. I can’t exactly explain it – nor why this one ended up on this list (maybe because my teacher read it to my class at school – which has me thinking of fall?) – but it’s a good one.

#4: the felicity books

Yes, I have an American Girl book on my list. Rare, right? But here’s a secret: I love American Girl. Even though my AG dolls just sit on top of my bookshelf staring down at me (it gets a little creepy sometimes, but they look good up there!) I still adore the books. I started reading them when I was seven or eight, and I think that’s what got me into historical fiction. I owe a lot to these books. Out of all the girls, I think Felicity’s books go best with fall. Again, can’t explain it, but I definitely recommend reading these! (Believe me, they’re quick reads!)

#5: waiting for normal by leslie connor

Sort of like Needle & Thread, something about this cover looks fall-ish to me. I think it’s the orange-y light, or the fact that she’s outside…? It’s a bitter-sweet book, and pretty heavy. I read it as part of my school’s reading club in the fourth grade, and went bawling to my mom when I finished. That was the first time I’d read such a sad book in MG, and I was shocked! I think anyone of any age would love this book, though. As C.S. Lewis said, “A children’s story which is only enjoyed by children is a bad children’s story.”

#6: the family tree series by ann m. martin

Here’s another tear-jerker. Even more so than the last one, good lord. I can’t say much about this series except that you will need some tissues and a shoulder to cry on afterwards. But GO READ THEM! (The first one is Better to Wish.) Also, if you happen to be my family/friends reading this, I have all four if you want to borrow them. Because I will LOVE YOU FOREVER if you read these books!!!

#7: dear mr. knightley by katherine reay

What can I say, a sappy, yet classic romance is perfect for any season. Particularly this one, and AGAIN FOR SOME REASON I CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY. Don’t ask me to explain myself, just read these books and come back to me when you do. (Also: today is my mom and dad’s anniversary and I’m feeling romantic today because they are the cutest couple ever and I hope they have many many more anniversaries to come even though they went back to the beach without me! Anyway, love you mommy and daddy! xoxo)

#8: a corner of the universe by ann m. martin

Tears. Tears. TEARS. Also just realized this is the third Ann M. Martin book I’ve got on this list, so apparently she writes good Autumn books, yes?

#9: the last sin eater by francine rivers

My mom just got me to read this in September, and I feel that while you are holed up inside during the fall (and winter) months, it’s a good idea to read a book that has you pondering life and everything about it. Just, you know, close the book for a bit and stare at a wall thinking about spiritual stuff and how indescribable God is and all that. There’s no better time for it than fall.

#10: destiny rewritten by katherine fitzmaurice

Books. On the cover. Lots of books, and a cute little girl whose name is Emily. FALL. PERFECT. FOR FALL. And again, because the main character’s name is Emily and she is surrounded by books on the cover. Hello. Must. Read.

So those are my ten monthly must-reads. I know I said you’d cry a lot, but TRUST ME. Have faith in your trust pal Emily. Don’t worry, I’ll buy the chocolate and tissues if you read the books; I just can’t promise that your heart will ever be the same again. But on the flip side, you will LOVE these books. TRUST!

This is a link-up, which means you can do it too – just list ten books following the theme Trisha and I picked, buuut our linky thingamabob is being annoying and won’t work. So! Instead of adding your link right here below, please leave your link in the comments below so we can all check out our monthly must-reads!

have you read the books on my list? what are YOUR monthly must reads??

stacking the shelves

stacking the shelves #24

October 3, 2015 Emily 1 Comment

Hi everybody! It’s been a busybusybusy week. Though it did get off to a great start – last Monday morning, my dad woke me up by asking me if I wanted to go to IHOP, so the whole family ended up starting the day off right. With sugary, syrupy, pancakes and bacon! 😉 And yesterday my dad and I went to 2nd & Charles, so I picked up four new books to add to the ever-growing. collection.

Aren’t they beautiful??! I’m so excited to own all of them – especially The Romeo & Juliet Code and Ten Rules For Living With My Sister, since I own both of the sequels to these books. Now I own both! I actually haven’t read the sequel to Ten Rules For Living With My Sister, so now that I own the first one maybe I can re-read it and pick the other one back up!

Next is Coffehouse Angel. I heard about this one a looong time ago, I’m not even sure where. Most likely a book blog I’ve lost track of, but anyways it’s been on my *mental* TBR list for ages. It wasn’t until I saw it at the used bookstore last night that I remembered I wanted to read it! As far as I can tell, it’s about a girl who gives a cup of coffee to a homeless guy and it turns out he’s an angel? Maybe something along the lines of a Touched by an Angel episode? Hoping it’s good! And if not, it’s only two bucks down the drain. Boy, do I love used bookstores.

Last is Once Upon a Marigold, which I LOVE. (I also love Twice & Thrice Upon a Marigold.) 🙂 I can’t remember if I read this two or three years ago… but I do remember absolutely falling in love with this adorable fairy tale. I’m planning on re-reading it this fall, and hopefully writing a review for it since I read it pre-book-blogging days. I’m wondering if maybe I can track down a book report I wrote for school on it… I think I read it in fifth or sixth grade so maybe a little digging around underneath my bed will find it, LOL!

That’s about it for today but I’ll talk to you all on Monday with this month’s edition of Monthly Must-Reads that will make you FALL in love! Also be sure to stop by Trisha’s blog Monday to see her list. Until then,

monthly recaps

september 2015 recap

October 2, 2015 Emily 2 Comments

What. My favorite month of the year is over already?! How can that be?! I look forward to September practically all year. *sigh* Well, I suppose October is a fabulous month… and I am excited for more fall-ish weather. Georgia has not gotten the hint lately and I am READY for some sweater weather! Soooo welcome, October!

books read this month

Wellll, this kind of stinks. It wasn’t such a great month book-wise. Last month, I read ten books! And this month, I read… well, I read four. Plus a novella – which was only eleven chapters and I read it in about half an hour, so I discount that. BUT it was a rather busy month, what with birthday festivities (FOURTEEN! WHOO!!) and vacation and recouping after vacation and worrying about my lost cat for three days… so there are my excuses. 😉

I also haven’t written reviews for any of these books and I REALLY NEED TO! A Snicker of Magic, Also Known As, and The Last Sin Eater were sooooo gooood. I did write a review for The Queen – the novella I read – which went up Monday, if you want to check that out.

Meanwhile, I’m re-reading Pride & Prejudice this week, and mom’s letting me write an essay on it for school, so CHEERS FOR CUTE MR. DARCY! I’m at the best part right now. And don’t even get me started on Mr. Bingley. Basically:

And no boy compares to sweet Fitzwilliam Darcy…

highlights on the blog

Audrey guest posted and made a list of books she aims to read and re-read for fall!
I recapped my trip to the beach! (I want to go baaaaack.)
I shared my thoughts on re-reading, which the most fun post to write this month, personally. 🙂
I’M GIVING AWAY A NOTEBOOK! Notebooks are da bomb diggity, so go enter!!

what happened on YOUR blogs

Madi interview Daisy, which was awesome because I got two of my favorite bloggers in one post!
Daisy made some really exciting news and she is a bundle of flailing happiness!
Audrey did a wonderful post asking… are fictional heroines too perfect??
Trisha talked about her feelings on audio books.
Amanda wrote a very thought-provoking post on feminism. LOVE, thank you Amanda for this post!
Heather compared writing to driving.
Bella reviewed Finding Audrey & it is now officially on my TBR!

cool things i did in september

I TURNED FOURTEEN. Now I shall begin the countdown for the day I can officially drive… (my mom crazy.)
I went to the beach, and I had such a blast. Can I just please please please please go back??!
I got a baby yellow-belly slider turtle named Squirt. She’s in a tank with my sister’s two turtles, but she’s usually the one in the farthest corner away from the others, in a hole she dug herself in the pebbles. It has been decided amongst my family that she is me, minus the hole-digging.
I lost my cat! … and then found her again. Three days’ panic attack over, folks. On the plus side, Crazy Maisy is a lot more cuddle-y lately! 😉

so what did you do in august?? what are you excited for in october? can’t wait to hear!

tags & awards

behind the scenes writer’s tag

September 30, 2015 Emily 11 Comments

Hello, everybody! It’s been a while since Katie has tagged me to do this, but finally here it is! You may or may not know, but I love to write – just as much as I do reading. (Even though I don’t write as often as I read… which I really need to change.) I don’t share my writings online very much (I get nervous sharing my writing and I would like to have a book of mine published someday, so I don’t want to put anything out there without knowing what I’ll do with it) but I still love doing writing tags and talking about it! So here goes nothing!

is there a certain snack you like to eat while writing?

I don’t usually eat while writing, because I type or use a pen or pencil and don’t like getting my hands greasy and everything. Pluuuus crumbs and all that. But chocolate always inspires me. Just sayin’.

when do you normally write?

I typically write in the afternoon, after my schoolwork’s out of the way, and before dinner/shower/TV time. 🙂 (I have my routine, and I like to stick to it!) I write the stories I write for fun, the story I send to Rachel Coker for writing lessons, and blog posts! Oh, and I can’t forget journal entries! (I write a LOT, okay?)

where do you write?

I start out my desk… but then everything starts hurting from sitting in the chair so long annnnd I end up in my bed. (I love my bed. It is the comfiest bed in the world, I promise you.) If nobody is in the living room or dining room (we have my favorite arm chair in a corner of the dining room) and it’s pretty quiet I’ll go in there, too.

how often do you write a new novel?

More often than I like! I hate to admit it, but most of the time I’ll start a novel and get about 6-10,000 words in and get another idea in my head and start that! I have a ton of ideas floating around and tiny alter-egos of myself in my head. I just can’t stick to one!

It’s like this in my brain all the time.

do you listen to music while you write?

YES! I use Rainy Cafe a good majority of the time if I’m in the zone and the words are too distracting. But if I’m in the mood for music, I’ll end up listening to the 2005 Pride & Prejudice soundtrack (even if you haven’t seen the movie, the music is BEAUTIFUL – go listen to it!) or the Speak Now album by Taylor Swift. I don’t know. Somehow it just… speaks to me.

Hahahahahaha. I just HAD to.

what do you write on? laptop or paper?

Laptop, usually. I write my ideas for stories in a notebook and I use my diary. But I do love my laptop because I can type faster. And it’s my baby!! LOL. Best Christmas present ever, thanks mom and dad. 😉

is there a special ritual you have before/after you write?

Special ritual? Ummm, not 100% sure what kind of special ritual one would have. Does cracking my knuckles and making sure I’ve got water and used the restroom beforehand count? Yes, I do that. I’m going to be there for a while, right?!

what do you do to get into the mood to write?

PINTEREST. Seriously, it inspires and gets me all hyped up in NO time. If you’re a fellow writer and have not discovered Pinterest as a #1 writing source, GO. NOW. Flock to the all-mighty, beautiful, wonderful thing that is PINTEREST. Here’s one of the boards for one of my WIP’s (Work-In-Progress) I’ve been writing.

what is always near the place you write?

A tall glass of water, like I said. Also a blanket to cuddle up in and a ton of other pages open on the computer!! Pinterest, Goodreads, the blog, the ush.

do you have a reward system for your word count?

Well, I’m copying what Katie said, ’cause she said it pretty perfectly. “Honestly, I’m not sure how I would reward myself. I mean, I already waste enough time on social media, so I don’t want to give myself more time with that. I think the reward is just being done. :p”

is there anything about your writing process that others might not know about?

Sure, tons. Like, for instance, I use WAAAYY too many adjectives. I don’t title any of my stories until I finish them. So I just title the story on my computer the name of the main character. I have several documents named “Emma,” “Catherine,” etc. And I’m also a total panster. Meaning: I don’t plan out any of my stories. I usually have a basis for the story – name of the characters, overall plotline – but most of the time I have no clue what I’m doing. My fingers just roll with it!

Thank you so much for tagging me, Katie! Go check out her blog, everyone, it’s a gold mine. 😉

And I tag….

Audrey @ The Measure of a Book // Amanda @ Scattered Journal Pages // Daisy @ A Bookish Flower

Hope all of you lovely ladies can answer these questions and do the tag on your blogs!

And YOU! Can’t wait to see all of your tags! 😉

i’d love to hear about YOUR writing process! anything and everything, just comment below! 🙂

reviews

the queen by kiera cass // a novella review

September 28, 2015 Emily 5 Comments

Warning: if you haven’t read The Selection series by Kiera Cass, DON’T read this review! (Spoilers!)

Well, hello there. Were you expecting me today? I know this post is late, but I’ve finally approved and answered all of your sweet comments from Friday and here I am! I read this novella by Kiera Cass (finally!) over the weekend and I’m so glad I finally did. You see, there are five books in The Selection series: three of which follow America and Maxon, and the last two (one that hasn’t been published yet) follow their daughter, Eadlyn. There are several novellas that follow different characters in the books, and this one follows Queen Amberly, Maxon’s mother.

{So proud of this picture!}

I love reading books where you follow both the parents’ and the childrens’ stories; you get insider information that the parent and their child don’t have. I get to see why her father turned out this way, or why his child doesn’t like such-in-such. In The Selection series, you meet King Clarkson, Maxon’s father. He is a very abusive and controlling man, and Maxon grows to hate him with all his being. (It’s a very sad relationship.) Yet Queen Amberly, Maxon’s mother and Clarkson’s wife, is so devoted to him. Unconditionally.

I was always confused as to why Amberly submitted so much to Clarkson when he hurt her again and again, both physically and verbally. But in this book, which shows how Amberly met Clarkson and how their relationship and personalities began, I came to a better understanding of why Amberly loved him so much.

Since the book is a novella, it’s essentially a mini-book; only eleven chapters. But I felt that I still had a very good insight into Amberly and Clarkson’s lives when they were younger.

Personally, here are my thoughts on the king and queen: In his own way, I do believe Clarkson loved Amberly. But he did many things wrong. From the get-go, he expected to be submitted to and craved a wife who would be wholly devoted to him, and Amberly definitely fit the bill. It is understandable, however, because of Clarkson’s parents’ failing marriage, and how they both treated each other. Clarkson needed someone who would care for him and follow him willingly, in all circumstances. It made me feel terrible for young Clarkson, yet angry at the same time… but there were moments when even I swooned over him. Kiera did a fabulous job of making me realize why Amberly fell so hard for him.

Speaking of Amberly – basically, she’s “loved” Clarkson for so long, from the time she starts her selection, she feels like she knows him already. He’s like a celebrity in her eyes, since she was a little girl. It’s like Kiera explained it back in May when I got a book signed by her and videoed part of the Q&A. (If you start the video at 0:18, she explains.)

“It doesn’t make sense, does it? ‘Cause Clarkson’s kind of a jerk and Amberly’s amazing! So WHY? Okay, let’s pretend that I hadn’t married Callaway. And that Harry Styles was into short, chubby girls. And he came to my front door… and it turned out that he maybe wasn’t so awesome, but I had adored him for so long, I was like ‘I must be with you.’ She had idolized him for long, she could overlook so many of his flaws. I think in his own way, he genuinely loved her, and there were things that he did wrong. But he thought that she was great.”

Overall; I loved this novella. As short as it was, Kiera did a wonderful job explaining on how things came to be. 4 stars! 🙂

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