I've been bad...

Guys, I'm embarrassed.

I just broke my amazing streak of posting every MWF of the year (except for when we were on a cruise in February.)  It was one of my New Year's Resolutions to keep a steady posting schedule for the entire year!

But I guess life finally caught up to me.

Hey, well at least I made it more than half-way through!

Still... I'm a little disappointed with myself.  Oh well.

How have you kept up with your New Year's Resolutions?


--Jess

P.S.
by the way, I'm being interviewed on T.Z. Wallace's blog sometime today, so check it out and comment!

Mozart Under the Stars

First, some news.

I just cut out ten thousand words.

Like, I needed absolutely none of it.  I can't believe I actually wrote it all in the first place!  Besides making almost no sense at all, it was just plain embarrassing to read.  Sometimes I look at my writing and think to myself, "I actually wrote that!?"

So yeah, I'm feeling a little stunned.  I mean, it's not everyday you find ten thousand useless words.

Anyway, I had an awesome weekend!  We went to this amazing concert where we got to sit outside and have a picnic while we listened to the orchestra play Mozart songs.  It was absolutely beautiful!

Me and my siblings :)  Don't worry we're drinking ginger beer.

Concert playing at night.

The theater

We had a really great time, and it was so cool because when it got dark and we looked up at the sky, we could see all these stars and even caught a glimpse of what we thought was a satellite!

What'd you guys do over the weekend?

Happy Monday!

--Jess

Interview with Ashna Banga

Hello everyone!

Today, I'm interviewing Ashna Banga from Journal of a Bookworm!  So, let's get this started, shall we?

Good evening, Ashna!  Thanks so much for agreeing to the interview!  My first question is:


What books have influenced you most?


Umm... this should be a straightforward answer, but the fact is, while reading any book, I try to understand people and their behavior in different situations and thus, feel influenced by them.

Books themselves have been such a positive influence in my life, the best being that you know if something is happening the way it is, there's a reason or an influencing factor behind it and you can't judge without knowing everything.  Though, I feel influenced the most by books with kids as protagonists or that deals with a sensitive issue.

So every book influences you!  That makes sense, because everything that happens to you or anything you read will in some way influence you!  And, I like books with kids as protagonists :)


How long have you been blogging and how has it improved your writing?


Technically, I've been blogging for more than two years, but my book blog is 8 months old.  I'm not working on a book as of yet, but I can definitely say blogging has been an amazing platform for considerable improvement!  I mean, I've had the opportunity to read some amazing blogs, interact with people from all over the globe, with different ways of writing.  I sure write much better now than I did when I initially began blogging.

Besides, I've even developed more as a reader!

Yeah, it's pretty cool that we can talk to so many different writers from all over the world!


When did you start reading?


My parents tell me I started reading ever since I learned how to read, so it started pretty early.  I come from a place where many people are not into too much of reading, so it's kind of great, especially that I love it so much.  I am also blessed with wonderful family and relatives from abroad who gifted books.  I cherish them the most, still! :)

If not for them, I wouldn't have read books when I should have.  In fact, one of them gifted me a Harry Potter boxed set with the first four books when I was 12 and that is when the real passion actually began.

I still have to get around to reading the Harry Potter books.  I read the 4th one and loved it, but I just haven't read the rest!


What do you think constitutes a great book?


Whenever I think of a 'great' book, the first thing that comes to mind is a descriptive aspect.  Any book with a good description of people, places and behaviours can can steal my heart!  If I have a movie-kind-of-story in my head and if, the real movie based on the book matches that, it's awesome for me!

lack of appropriate descriptions when readers don't get what they were looking for, isn't very appealing to me.  Also, I like sensible characters, they can be cribbers, but they should have a human touch to them, not totally made-up.  Something realistic please.

And oh!  I adore happy endings and endings that answer all questions!  I hate abrupt endings where the readers are left wondering...

I have to agree... I like fulfilling endings.  But then, it's nice to have some loose end that leaves readers wanting a sequel!


Is there anything else we should know about you?


Sure!  I love photography, observing people, Calvin and Hobbes, I fantasize about mountaineering (which I'll sure do when I finish with college), and all sorts of adventure sports!  I love eating, but not cooking, just like I love great-looking clothes but not 'shop-till-you-drop' shopping!  And yeah, I'm also very clumsy.  Just don't hand me any fragile object ;)

Thank you, Ashna!  Unfortunately, we're out of time, but it's been so nice having you here!  Stop by again soon and good luck with all your reading and writing!


Have a great weekend everyone!

--Jess

KOMF winners!

Hey everyone!  Today, Kathy and I are announcing the Knights of MicroFiction winner of this month!

So, the lucky winners are...

...

Ashna Banga and Denise Covey

So go head over to their blogs and congratulate them!

Ashna, and Denise, Kathy and I will be contacting you shortly on the details of your interviews.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and we hope to see you again next month!

Have an awesome day!

--Jess

The Sky Darkened - Knights Of MicroFiction

Alrighty, today is July 15th, so that means it's time to post your entry to the Knights of MicroFiction prompt!

The requirements were:

Write a flash fiction in 200 words or less, using the phrase: the sky darkened.

For an added challenge, include a sound that surprises one of your characters and a foul smell.

Mine is (as usual) a part of my Rise series.  This scene doesn't actually take place in the trilogy, but it happens many years before.

So, at exactly 200 words, here it is:

The Sky Darkened

The sky darkened before Dezar Viraak.

The jungles of Adora were dangerous.  But his mission here could not be forsaken.  The first part had been completed.  Now, he just had to look for survivors.

Dezar entered the wooden building, gun in hand.  A smell, like copper and seawater filled his nose.  He knew it all too well.  Blood.

He made his way through the empty building, searching.

A creak in the wooden floorboards made him whip around.  His pulse raced and he aimed the gun at the unopened closet behind him.

“Come out slowly and I won’t shoot,” he warned.  He knew it was a lie.  His mission was to destroy the Resistance base and leave no survivors.  And not once had he failed a mission.

The closet door opened slowly, and a woman stepped into the light.

Her skin was dark, like the soft ground after a rainstorm.  She was dazzling.  The urge to lower his gun fell over him, but he had to complete his mission.  Emperor’s orders.

She hadn’t a weapon in hand, only her beauty and helplessness.

With renewed strength, he aimed and placed his finger on the trigger.

“Get out of here,” he said.  “Run.”

***

Hope you enjoyed!

Also, other people who have posted:

1. Bonnee Crawford
2. Carrie-Anne
3. Ashna Banga
4. Sally
5. DeniseCovey_L_Aussie
6. Roland D. Yeomans
7. JP
8. Esther Jones

Remember, there's still time to join in on the fun!  Just try to post before 11:59pm EST and comment on THIS POST with a link to your entry.  (If you're a little late, though, that's fine.  We'll still include you :)  )

Kathy and I will choose two winners on the 17th, to be interviewed on our blogs.

Have fun and good luck!

--Jess

KOMF Prompt

Yes, it's July 13.

That means it's time for Kathy and I to reveal the Knights of MicroFiction prompt!

The Knights of MicroFiction is a bloghop hosted by me and Kathy on the 15th of every month (except April, because the A-Z Challenge makes things crazy!). We came up with it as a way to meet new friends, help build the blogging community and (hopefully) spark your creativity!

So, the prompt is:

Write a flash fiction in 200 words or less, using the phrase: The sky darkened.

Then for an added challenge, include a sound that surprises one of your characters and a foul smell.

You may post your entry anytime between now and 11:59pm on July 15th Eastern Standard Time.  On the 17th, we'll choose two winners to be featured on our blogs.

Good luck, and have fun!

--Jess

Finally Decided: Indie vs Self Publishing

Okay.

I finally made up my mind.

I'm going to self publish.

Now, I don't want to go into that whole indie/traditional debate.  There are upsides and downsides to both.  But the main reason I decided to go indie is because of time.


I'm only going to be fifteen for a few more months, and I'm sure my 16th year will fly by just as fast.  I want to be a young, published author.  And the younger the better.


But I'm afraid if I spend my time trying to find a company that wants what I write, then (if they actually decide to accept me) make changes their editor wants, then wait who knows how long for it to be released...


Well, let me just say I'm very impatient.


I've been working on From the Ashes for two years now.  I'm done waiting!

And that, my friends, is why I'm going indie.

The decision was very hard to make, I can assure you.  For a long time, I wanted to self pub and then I wanted to go traditional!  My choice has really been back and forth for quite a while, but it's about time I decide.

So, what do you guys think about indie publishing?  Would you rather go traditional?  Tell me your thoughts!

--Jess

It's Monday Again + Book Reviews

First of all... yep, I'm back.  Promise!

So, I read three really good books last week.  I don't think I'll have time for a book review, so the least I can do is give them more publicity.

The first book was Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol.

When "Through the Looking Glass" was published in 1871, readers were as delighted with that book as they were with Lewis Carroll's first masterpiece, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In the topsy-turvy world that lies beyond the looking-glass, Alice meets such fantastical characters as Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Humpty Dumpty, and the Jabberwock.

--Goodreads

My thoughts:

This was a very good book once you get passed all the confusion.  I mean, this story follows about as much of a logical story line as a dream does.  And in a way, that's what made it so interesting!  A very fun read.

The second was Rise from Darkness by Ciara Knight.

Alexander Lorre gives new meaning to the term “tormented teen”. He’s a newly fallen angel, which means he has the self-control of a three-year-old, the hormones of a teenager and the strength of an angel. When he rescues Gaby Moore from drowning, the chemistry between them is undeniable. With a local demon threatening Gaby’s life, he struggles to find a balance between remaining close enough to protect her but distant enough to control his desires.

As danger draws closer, Gaby uncovers shattering secrets that will lead to an ultimate choice. Will she fight alongside her father, an earthbound hunter killing fallen angels and demons, give into the demon blood coursing through her veins and join the demon world, or save the man she loves from both? The first two choices damn her, but the last one could destroy them all.

--Goodreads

Loved this book.  It was so much fun to read and follow Alex and Gaby's struggle.  Overall, it was a wonderful story.

The third book was Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice by John Jackson Miller.

For the ruthless Sith Order, failure is not an option. It is an offense punishable by death-and a fate to which Commander Yaru Korsin will not succumb. But on a crucial run to deliver troops and precious crystals to a combat hotspot in the Sith's war against the Republic, Korsin and the crew of the mining ship Omen are ambushed by a Jedi starfighter. And when the Sith craft crash-lands, torn and crippled, on a desolate alien planet, the hard-bitten captain finds himself at odds with desperate survivors on the brink of mutiny-and his own vengeful half brother, who's bent on seizing command. 

No matter the cost, Korsin vows that it will not be his blood and bones left behind on this unknown world. For the way of the Sith leaves little room for compromise-and none at all for mercy.

--Goodreads

First, I have to say I'm a sucker for Star Wars books.  I can't help that I'm a sci-fi Star Wars nerd!  It's a short story and a pretty quick read, but what I read was pretty good.  I haven't read a Star Wars book I haven't liked yet, and this one definitely didn't change my mind about them.

All of these books were really great, so check them out!

Happy Monday!

--Jess

I'm Back!

Hello my dears!  I'm back!  Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July, and for those who aren't from the U.S. I hope you all had a great week!

Happy Friday and have a nice weekend!

--Jess

P.S.
I'm going back to posting MWF so look out for me on Monday :)