Guest Post: Lynna Merrill With Unnaturals

Hi all! I know I've been doing a few guest posts lately, but I'm busy working hard on a couple new ideas as well as teaching. So, to keep you up with some awesome author's I know, who you should totally go read, I'd like to welcome Lynna Merrill to the blog! Her book Unnaturals was just published recently, and I've already read it. It's a really good book, especially for fans of dystopian stories.

Unnaturals

In the perfect city of Lucasta life is easy, bountiful, and completely planned for everyone. New fashions and material goods abound. Everyone constantly communicates with hundreds of friends through their computing device, and benevolent corporations watch over people as good parents. To the new generation, hate and prejudice are just a fairy tale, and pain, disease, and cruelty are fading into a distant memory. So is personal choice.

Teenage Meliora feels as if Lucasta is suffocating her. Always an unusual child, she discovers the dark secret of a world where secrets don’t even exist any more. But what can be wrong with a perfect world?

If you'd like to learn more about the book or read an excerpt, you should visit Lynna's website and check it out.

5 Fiction Books I Couldn't Live Without

When I first decided to take writing seriously, I was a grad student earning a degree in Creative Writing. It's not that I was a prestige monger or anything, I just wanted to develop my craft and have a degree that would allow me the opportunity to teach higher education. One of our many assignments was to create a book list. On top of that, we had to create an essay about how certain books influenced my own development and thesis. The following list includes the top five books that have influenced me and made me the writer I am today.

The Hunger Games by suzanne Collins - I know this book has become hugely popular, but before it was, my best friend lent me a copy and said, "You'll hate the writing, but the story is really interesting." It has since turned into one of my favourite books. Even though it is in first person present, which can feel a little awkward, and I loathe Katniss more than any MC I've ever read, I love this book. It's such a great book. For me, great books are all about story. If the story is incredible, the other things just don't matter. This book has a kind of Lord of the Flies plus Battle Royale feel that brings its own uniqueness, which I love.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling - What list wouldn't be complete without Harry Potter? My younger sister was the one to get me into the series. She basically grew up on them. When the first movie came out, I remember watching the scene where Harry lives under the stairs and his cousin runs down them and jumps on them. I thought, "What the heck is this? This is AMAZING." I know it's kind of messed up, but after that, I read the books. To this day, I think Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong - This book came to me randomly one day when the publisher was letting people read them for free online from their website. Once I started reading it, I didn't stop. I sat in front of my computer for five or six hours to read this book, it was that good. It was dark and interesting and the characters were great. I am always interested in stories that blend reality with the paranormal and try to convince readers (or the main character) that they are just crazy and it's not real. Kelley Armstrong is a wonderful story teller. After I finished the book, I had to go out and buy it and the second book, then wait months for the third one to come out.

The Stand by Stephen King - This is probably the second Stephen King book I read as a child (It was the first). Yes, I said "as a child." Sure, I read Goosebumps (LOVE!) and Sweet Valley High or Babysitters Club (LOL), but I mostly read whatever my dad was reading. It was usually Stephen King or Dean Koontz. But to this day, The Stand is my go to reference for successful and interesting post-apocalyptic fiction. This may even be reflected in my Dark Ascension series. The Stand has everything: Action, Love, Survival, Good vs. Evil. It's just an overall awesome book about the struggle between good and evil and survival.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull - This book was a case where I bought the book because of its cover. I mean, the story sounded interesting too, but it was the cover that made me want this book. The illustration is just so cool! But in the end, the book turned out to be something amazing. It had a slight Chronicles of Narnia feel to it and fairly accurate lore of mythical creatures. Fablehaven contributed to my realisation that I wanted to take writing seriously. It's great for any age too.

There were a few other books that didn't quite make the top five but are definitely in my top 10. They include Everything's Eventual (specifically "1408" and "The Road Virus Heads North") by Stephen King, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, and Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (which is one of the most beautiful books I've read that captured a love for books unlike any other), Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and It by Stephen King.

[Reader Response]: What are some of your favourite or most influential books you've read.

5 Books for Writers I Couldn't Live Without

I was putting away some books on a "new" bookshelf we have that's been sitting bare and waiting for about 4 months, easily. All of my favourite books go near the top, while all of the heavy ones sit on the bottom. As I placed several of my books on writing in the second-to-the-top shelf, I thought about which ones really shaped who I am as a writer today. That's where this post came from, I suppose. While many fiction books helped as well, and I may do a follow-up post on that subject, these are the books on writing that helped me become the sort of writer I wanted to be.

The 3AM Epiphany by Brian Kiteley - This is probably one of my absolute favourite prompt/craft books. Even though it's not a book on craft in itself, the prompts within it help develop your abilities anyway. When you want a little inspiration or you want ideas on how to push something forward, this book swoops in and saves the day. It's great for creating background stories or for just coming up with ideas, and it does so in a writerly way rather than a "let's brain storm" sort of way.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers - This book should be required reading by every author. If you want to understand the way you work, or if you want to take self-editing to the next level, this book works great. It helped me find some of my trouble areas, to say the least, and it helped me develop my own editing checklist. I kid you not, this book sits on the side-table next to my bed.

Writing Great Books for Young Adults - This one's a little specific to what I write, but is a good one for anyone interested in writing for the YA crowd. Even though I read a lot of YA, this book can be helpful for those who don't or those who are older than the target audience. Young Adult fiction is a totally different beast than adult fiction and this book is helpful in understanding those differences.

Elements of Fiction Writing - Conflict, Action & Suspense by William Noble - I'll admit, I could do with a little refresher on this one, but it's another one of the most notable books I own. It's especially helpful for scenes that need a lot of action, but don't feel quite up to par.

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass - This is one of those books that even though I bought and read it when I first realised I wanted to start taking writing seriously, it still comes in handy now that I have a couple of books under my belt. More so than that, it will likely still be helpful when I have a hundred books in my repertoire.






You'll notice that I don't have Ursula LeGuin's Steering the Craft or Stephen King's On Writing on my list. Probably two of the most influential books for fiction writers. The reason, I suppose, is that they are not used on a regular basis for me. When I'm stuck on something while working on a book or short story, I don't go to either of these for answers or for inspiration. I go to one (or several) of the above five. So, while I do recommend Steering the Craft and On Writing, they are not books that I couldn't live without.

Give Your Child a Kindle Book

Fill up your Kindle and get your children reading this summer with these 15 books, free on Kindle only on April 19 during the Give Your Child A Kindle Book (or 15 of Them!) Promotion. Save this page, come back on Thursday the 19th, and scroll down the list, which includes picture books, middle grade novels, and young adult books spanning a range of topics from sports, to paranormal, to historical, to educational. Selected books include the Florida Historical Society's Best Children's Book, and books that have been recommended in Best Books for Young Teen Readers Grades 7-10 and in an edition of Children's Book of the Year. The authors have been published by houses such as Scholastic, Dell, HarperCollins, Simon Pulse, Avon, E.P. Dutton, Millbrook, Lerner, and St. Martin's Minotaur. Adult readers will find much to enjoy on this list also. Some of the titles will be free for a couple days, but the entire list is just guaranteed free on the 19th.

We also have two bonus books in multiple e-book formats, compatible with Nook, Sony and more! You'll find the list of novels for older tween and teen readers first, followed by picture books and books for younger readers, and then our two bonus novels.

Please click on the title to follow the Amazon buy links.

NOVELS

Download Dark Before Dawn by Stacy Juba - When teen psychic Dawn Christian gets involved with a fortuneteller mentor and two girls who share her mysterious talents, she finally belongs after years of being a misfit. When she learns her new friends may be tied to freak “accidents” in town, Dawn has an important choice to make – continue developing the talent that makes her special or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her. "A special book that should not be missed.” Fresh Fiction


Download Face-Off by Stacy Juba - Brad’s twin brother T.J. has gotten himself out of the fancy prep school his father picked for him and into the public high school Brad attends. The whole school is rooting for a big double-strength win…not knowing that their twin hockey stars are heating up the ice for a winner takes all face-off. Included in the reference guide Best Books for Young Teen Readers Grades 7-10.


Download Charlie Woodchuck is a Minor Niner by Dalya Moon - It’s 1988, and Charlie Woodchuck is the most minor of niners. At thirteen, she’s the youngest girl at Snowy Cove High School, and so clueless, she wore leg warmers and acid-wash jeans on her first day. Big mistake! Almost as big a mistake as signing up for a boys-only shop class. Doy! Just when she thinks the first week of high school can’t get any more weird, Charlie discovers she may be adopted.


Download Away from Whipplethorn by A.W. Hartoin - Tiny fairies. Huge adventure. Matilda is about to get what she’s always wanted, and it’s a bad thing. Being a babysitter isn’t much of a dream, but Matilda is anything but average. She’s half a centimeter tall, invisible to the human eye, and hearing-impaired. In her life, adventures are in short supply, but there is a emergency list for her first job. The only problem; humans aren’t on the list.


Download The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Dan Elish - Pancakes that turn into trampolines, attacking caramel apples, roller-skating pies, are all a part of The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Dan Elish, a lip-smacking middle grade fantasy with an original musical score by a Broadway veteran embedded alongside the text! After losing to a cheat for the past eleven years, will chef Applefeller finally manage to nab the prize?


Download Practice Cake: A Romantic Comedy by Dalya Moon - There's one thing Maddie Bird (18) finds more tempting than red velvet cake: her coworker, Drew. All it takes is one of his sly winks or a playful hip-check by the cooler, and she's incinerating the cookies. Her boyfriend would not approve. When a reality TV crew descends upon the bakery, her simple summer job gets even more complicated.


Download Savage Cinderella by PJ Sharon - Eighteen-year-old Brinn Hathaway has survived on her own in the Northwest High Country of Georgia since she was left for dead in a shallow grave by the man who kidnapped her as a child. When a young nature photographer, Justin Spencer, catches the wild girl on film and the two form a tentative friendship, Brinn must decide if coming out of hiding is worth the hope - and the danger-that may await her.


Download Ashlyn's Radio by Wilson Doherty (Norah Wilson and Heather Doherty) - When circumstances force 17-year-old Ashlyn Caverhill to move to her grandma's in Maine, she's PO'd. Although it boasts the hot Caden Williams, she thinks Prescott Junction is the deadest place ever. She may be right. Not only does a ghost train roll through at night, but the Caverhill-cursed radio Ashlyn finds foretells that she'll board it! With Caden's help, she must find a way to escape her fate.


Download Captain Morgana Mason by Dorothy Francis - Gramp falls ill. Morgana and her younger brother, Seth take charge of the family's sponging business, using their small boat to hook sponges from the sea and sell them. Housekeeper, Goldie, adds humor and wisdom to the tale. You'll root for Morgana as she seeks her strengths and grapples with the adult world. The Florida Historical Society voted this book as the best Children's Book of its year.


Download Dark Ascension: A Demon Anthology by N.R. Wick - Keep a flashlight handy. This collection of short stories for young adults is sure to draw out whatever's skulking in the shadows. From supernatural entities, to crazed monsters, to disturbing discoveries, evil is lurking 'round every corner. Delve into the dark recesses of this creepy book… if you dare.

FOR YOUNGER READERS:

Download Teddy Bear Town Childrens E-Book Bundle by Stacy Juba - Immerse your child in the gentle world of teddy bears with three picture books in one download. Each story is fully illustrated with simple illustrations of teddy bear families. Includes The Flag Keeper, Victoria Rose and the Big Bad Noise, and Sticker Shoes. The Midwest Book Review on The Flag Keeper: "Excellent educational book filled with information all American children should know."


Download Doctor: Discover Series Picture Book for Kids - Who likes going to the doctor? Who wants their child to grow up to be a doctor? Whether you're looking to alleviate anxiety or plant the suggestion early, DOCTOR features 25 full-color photos of of doctors, nurses and medical equipment. Like other titles in the Kindle Kids Library from Xist Publishing, DOCTOR has been formatted to take advantage of the Kindle, Kindle Fire and Kindle apps for phones, tablets and computers.


Download Einstein The Lazy Kitty by Renae Rae - This 30-page story is inspired by Renae Rae's real-life lazy kitty. Einstein The Lazy Kitty, combines rhythmic writing and colorful illustrations to make this a short, fun book for all ages but it was designed with your toddler and early reader in mind.


Download Time to Get Ready, Bunny! by Brenda Ponnay - It's time to get ready, Bunny! Bunny? BUNNY? In this charming little book, author/illustrator Brenda Ponnay has artfully depicted the morning routine of so many families. Whether your little one would rather stay in bed, play with toys, or try on every outfit in the closet, this book is sure to resonate with parents.


Download Grammar Candy by Katrina Streza - Have you ever wondered what exactly an adjective was? Drawn a blank when your child asked for help with English grammar homework? In GRAMMAR CANDY, the second book by educator Katrina Streza, Danny and Sam are back for another candy-filled learning adventure. This time, they'll turn a grammar lesson into some sweet fun when they visit Mr. Candor's Candy Shop and learn about nouns, pronouns,
adjectives, verbs and more. For candy-loving kids in grades 1-3 (and their parents too)!

BONUS BOOKS: Available in multiple e-book formats compatible with Kindle, Nook, Sony and other e-readers.
The Younger Days by Mike Hays -
In the beginning, Boy Smyth has a dull Missouri farm life and a burning desire to be an outlaw like his hero, Cole Younger. In the end, Boy Smyth has five dead bodies and two burning buildings at his farm and the most feared man in the United States crying outside his front gate. And that desire for the outlaw life? It's purged completely from his system. Download free on April 19 from Muse It Up Publishing.

The Pea Soup Poisonings by Nancy Means Wright - To get into her brother's Spy Club, Zoe must walk a high narrow beam over rusted farm machinery and then discover who poisoned Granny Fairweather's pea soup. She has 5 days to find the culprit. Can she do it? Winner of an Agatha award for Best Children’s/Young Adult Novel. Download free on April 19 from Belgrave House.

The Great INDIE Summer Read Giveaway - International!

So, between June 15th and July 31st, Coffee Mugged is hosting giveaway of epic proportions. There are 100 books to giveaway and they are all by indie authors, including my own Land of No Angels. Yes, you read that right: 100 BOOKS. Awesome right? Most of them are ebooks, but I recall seeing a few print copies in there too. There's nothing cooler than winning free books, right? RIGHT!

Click here is you want a quick peek at the list of books.

The grand prize winner will get 10 books, and many people will win at least one book as long as there are books available. How cool is that? Very! Best of all, the giveaway is open internationally. Also, there are tons of ways to add extra entries, so be sure to keep up with the daily giveaway posts. If you are as excited as I am, then you should hurry and go sign up! Click on the logo at the top of this post or the logo on the sidebar to the right of this post and enter!

New Books! Yaaaaay!

Today Angel and I went for a book run. I love shopping for books more than anything else because there are always so many to choose from, look at, and that I haven't read. It was so difficult to choose the ones that we did and we totally went over our budget. Haha, ah well. Who needs to eat when you can read instead!

I was so very disappointed, thought, because at both books stores we went to they did not have the book I really wanted to get. I've been dying to read Jaclyn Dolamore's Magic Under Glass but both stores were out! Haha, while I suppose that's a great thing in the end because that means they were bought and read by others, but I was still sad.

But anyway, on to the new books! Forgive the less than awesome picture. I had to use the built in webcam on my mac laptop. It took some maneuvering, but I got it to work.

Starting top left we have The Way of Shadows (The Night Angel Trilogy) by Brent Weeks. My sister and father have both read this book and recommended it to me. Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry is next. The cover and title of this book caught my attention first thing because I am a CRAZY zombie fan. I can't get enough zombies. The cover is really what sold me on this one, so I hope the story lives up to it. In the bargain section I came across both Interred with Their Bones by Jennifer Carrell and Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell. These two books are completely out of my realm and I normally would not have picked up the latter at all, but I was feeling quite adventurous today. They were inexpensive and I figured 'What the hell.'

In the lower right, we have Incarceron (Incarceron, Book 1) by Catherine Fisher. How cool is that cover? EPICLY cool, right? Heck yes. Angel insisted we get the next book called Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams because he adores dragons and everything about them. And finally Deadtown (A Deadtown Novel) by Nancy Holzner. Angel is already starting this one and isn't sure how to feel about it. One of the several reasons I picked it up in the first place was because of the Welsh. I was born and lived in Wales and it was a nice change to find a book to connect that part of me with. (Coincidentally, the nice old lady working in the kids book section was Welsh. I wanted to bring her home to me so she would read me stories and help me brush up on my Cymraeg.)

I had the hardest time deciding which to read first, but I gave in and decided it would be Incarceron. I have a thing about keys and gorgeous book covers. Now to go sit by my email inbox and excitedly wait for an email I'm dying for.

2010 Book List and Updates

Since updates are shorter than the rest of this blog post, I will be starting with them. I worked all weekend to learn how to code a wordpress theme in order to build my website. I know XHTML, CSS and a bit of PHP, but wordpress was different for me. I had been struggling with completely customising a theme, but in the end I figured it all out and I'm quite pleased. I still need to add content though, so don't be alarmed if your browse through and find nothing there yet. It should be 100% finished by the end of the week.

As I mentioned in my previous post, one of my 2010 goals is to read at least 2 books per month. I hope to do more since I would like to read as much as possible, and I would also like write some reviews as well. I've compiled a list so far; it's small and in no particular order.


+The Mist by Stephen King
+Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull
+Adam by Ted Dekker^
+Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore*
+Under the Dome by Stephen King^
+The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor*
+The Phoenix Enchained by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory*
+Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
+People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
+Deadtown by Nancy Holzner*
+Incarceron by Catherine Fisher*
+The Hunger Game by Suzanne Collins
+Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld*
+Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox*
+Found: The Missing Book by Margaret Peterson Haddix
+The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
+Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl*
+Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austin and Seth Grahme-Smith*
+The House of Lost Souls by F.G Cottam*
+Once a Witch by Carolyn McCullough*
+The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan*
+Impact by Douglas Preston*
+Cold Black Hearts by Jeff Mariotte*
+Ruined: A Novel by Paula Morris*
+The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan*
+House of Reckoning - by John Saul*
+Hush, Hush - Becca Fizpatrick*
+Midnighters, book 1 - Scott Westerfeld*
+Shutter Island - Dennis Lahane*
+The 39 Clues, book 1 - Rick Riordon*
+The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
+Ash - Malinda Lo
+Eyes Like Stars - Lisa Mantchev*
+I Am Legend - Richard Matheson
+Seeing Red - Frank Beddor*
+The Circle book 1 - Ted Dekker^


If you have any additional suggestions, or if you are a writer who would like me to do a book review of your book, please drop some titles and authors in a comment for me or message me. I will be adding to this list as I go along, and will strike off those I have finished reading.

^Means that I am unsure whether or not I will write a review.
*Means I will for sure write a review.

The New Year and Cha- Cha- Changes

Well, it is finally 2010 and I really hope it's going to be as great as everyone seems to think it is. 2009 wasn't as great of a year as I had hoped, but I made do with what I was given. This year, I have decided to set a few goals, not resolutions. I've learned not to set resolutions for the year because they never end up getting a second thought, but if I make them goals and look at them in a business sort of way, then I feel like I could actually follow them. It helps that I've decided I need some change in my life.

So, I wrote down my goals for 2010 and included reasons why I wanted to accomplish them. I felt that if I reminded myself why I wanted to reach these goals, then I would be more like to actually get to them. I started off with a few main goals, then added sub-goals that I would need to do in order to finish the main goal. I really hope I can stick with it because I know it's just so easy to drown everything out and be lazy.

Without further ado, GOALS FOR 2010!

+Read at least 2 books a month.
+Exercise every day and cut out all the junk.
+Finish writing a novel and make it agent ready.
+Get more involved with other writers.
+Figure out how to make a living from working at home.
+Blog or write an article at least once a week.

These are only some of my goals/sub goals, but they are the most important to me. The goal where I read two books a month was sort of a last minute addition. I've recently started following a large number or writers, editors and publishers on twitter and doing so has inspired me so much. I'm would like at least 1 of the two books a month to be books by people I know or follow on twitter, or by first time published authors. It's a great way to support them.

I'd also like to write an article, book review or a blog post at least once a week. Since I am integrating Scribble Me This into my website as my blog and using Wordpress as a CMS to build my website which allows me to post articles, I think it would be best to update often. I figured that I could write book reviews not only to support authors but also because I'm sure that reading so much will inspire and excite me so much that I will need to share with everyone. I know I could read more than 2 a month, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. I also have to figure out whether or not I should get a library card or if I can afford buying 2 books a month.

Speaking of the new website design, I finished creating the header last night. I love it so much and I learned some new techniques that are fun. So shiny!

So, revamping nrwick.com is what I will be working on the whole weekend along with reading the first book of the year: The Mist by Stephen King. Also, I'm going to be posting again this weekend because I would like to start a book list and mention some authors and books I'm interested in right now among other things like contests and such. I'm off to read for a bit, then get cracking on the website!