Musings from the Slush Pile

It’s time for the Blog Hop & Follow Friday again! I love this part of the week because  I’m meeting so many awesome bloggers, writers, readers *sigh*. So to all of you hopping with me I’m smiling widely like a doofus and waving frantically as always!!

Blog Hop is hosted over at Crazy-for-Books. These memes were created to help make the web smaller, and introduce us bloggers to one another. We can find sites and meet people and follow those we love! We increase our followers and we get some fun new sites to add to our dashboards too. Its a big win-win and I am thrilled to be taking part again this week.

So the question this week at Crazy for Books is:

“If you were given the chance to spend one day in a fictional world (from a book), which book would it be from and what would that place be?”

I’m pretty embarrassed to tell you how long I’ve sat thinking about this question. I really have no  idea. I’ve read close to 50 books this year, most of which were YA and I never once thought, “Wow, I’d like to live there!” YA isn’t usually about the place and you don’t get a great look at the community. I wouldn’t want to go back to high school for all the money in the world. I suppose if I had to chose somewhere from what I’ve read lately I would say in Janet Evanovich’s Wicked Appetite, which takes place in Salem. I’ve never been to Salem, but she describes it like the super nuttiest small town in America. I do love small town America, so I’ll go with that for my answer – but please know I’m totally NOT satisfied with it

Now, I can’t wait to see what you all came up with. I’m sure I’ll be slapping my head over it. You guys always make me think “Oh! Duh Julie! WHay didn’t I think of that??”

Thanks everyone for stopping by! Leave a comment and tell me if you follow! I always follow back!!!

I LOVE music. Like a lot. I keep a radio going all the time. Pandora runs endlessly. I cannot carry a tune to save my life, but hey the Lord says “make a joyful noise,” right? Well, I do that. Music gets me amped up, gives me ideas and helps me get into character. This has been especially true on my latest endeavor. I’ve recently finished a YA manuscript and gotten in touch with my inner awesome.

The whole idea of music while I write is both amazing, odd and complicated for me. For days I found myself jamming on the couch or setting the laptop aside to get up and shake it when certain songs came on. I don’t know about you, but its nearly impossible for me to write when I’m rockin out on my coffee table, scaring my kids.  Like I said, the whole process took some adjusting on my part.

Music is a great way to melt into your story. It can help you feel your way into a specific region, or location, a culture, or a mind. I’ve even found quite a few new YA authors have music videos with songs written and performed for the MCs. What a jaw-dropping-fabulous concept. Wow. I mean, every manuscript should have a theme song, a trailer, a video, can you even imagine? I want one!! *claps wildly*

I guess I said all that to ask you this…Do you listen to music when you write? What kind? Is it hard to concentrate? And I’d also love to know – what’s the theme song of your current WIP?

Think it over. I’m telling you its a super-fun thing to nail down. Try it, then tell me! I NEED to know!

Writer Wednesday welcomes my dear sweet friend Mimi Barbour! Mimi has blessed my blog once before and I was absolutely delighted when she agreed to stop by again. This time to promote her newest novel, Together Again and to tell us a little bit about how she came to write romance with time travel. *Brilliant* First, let me refresh everyone on Mimi and say “Welcome, welcome, welcome back to Musings!

About Mimi:

I started writing in a serious way in 1999 when, through correspondence, I took a creative writing course. At the time, my husband and I were living in Guinea, West Africa and the schooling choices were limited. Stories cluttered my mind even as a child and by this time in my life they were clamouring to come out. Putting them into words and on paper became the challenge

Once, back in Canada, I started a two-year course on children’s writing, believing this was where I wanted to invest my enthusiasm and energy. I then took another two years, because writing children’s stories is very difficult. After four years I managed to have only one story published in a multi cultural magazine called Skipping Stones. It was a story called ‘Run for Joy’ and I’d based my young protagonist on a child I’d seen in Africa. I called him Keita. I have to admit – I found this writing hard work.

I changed.

Writing my first romance novel switched the hard work into fun, and I’ve not looked back. I love writing about men and women finding each other and falling in love. Along the way, it pleases me to make their travels difficult – spiced up with lots of humor and seasoned with a few tears, but always with endings that are happy.

Hi Julie,

How nice to get to visit with you again. I always like coming to your wonderful site so I can get a chuckle and read great blogs on many of my peers.

How my series The Vicarage Bench first started, and how the idea for spirit/time-travel came to me

Some years back, there was a TV show (1989-1993) called Quantum Leap where the hero, a physicist Sam Beckett (played by handsome (oh yeah!) Scott Bakula), would take over someone else’s body during each episode. Except that he would inhabit them without the other person being present. Well, I loved that show, but I used to wonder what happened to the other guy – you know the one he’d take the place of. And – without any invitation whatsoever I might add.

Move ahead to 2007. My BFF sent me the guidelines for a time-travel writing contest called Through the Garden Gate put on by The Wild Rose Press.  It came to me that if I entered, I could have a character spirit-travel and time-travel at the same time, just like ole Sam used to do. It would make the story more involved and interesting, or so I thought. Then I decided why couldn’t the other person stick around and be part of the conflict? Once I set this premise into play for the first story of the series, I enjoyed it so much that I continued following the same theme, and the rest of the books have been a blast to write.

The plots in these stories are quite involved, but for me, dialogue is much more simple. Quite often, it helps when the characters know what the other is thinking, and adding humor is easier. It’s possible to delve a little deeper into their emotions, and a lot more fun putting them into situations where there’s tension. My only difficulty is making sure they have completely diverse personalities – especially if there’s two women together as in book one of the series called “She’s Me”. A cynical gorgeous model, from 2006, leaps back in time to invade a sweet, chubby librarian from 1963.

A little aside here – Wild Rose wouldn’t let me enter the contest since I’d skirted their rules, but…they did offer me a stand-alone contract. Contest? Contract?? Humm, not such a hard choice!

Together Again by Mimi Barbour

In my newest release “Together Again” I really had fun writing Dani and Troy’s love story. Since it was my first full-length book, there was a lot more room to build the romance and help the characters find each other.

Back Cover Blurb:

Traveling ten years forward in time, Dani Howard’s spirit becomes magically united with reporter, Troy Brennan. He’s everything a girl could want in a man, and during their time together, she falls deeply in love. Though she must return to her own pregnant body, she gains his promise to come to her birthday party in seven days time where they will meet in person and continue their romance.

Troy can’t believe he’s fallen for a sixteen-year-old spirit invader. He’s so infatuated that when renowned author, beautiful Ellie Ward, comes on to him, as attractive as he finds her, he’s honor bound to stay true to his young love—or is he?

Excerpt:

The general store, filled with clothes for younger men, proved to be exactly what Troy wanted. He grabbed a pair of stylish bell-bottomed jeans and a black T-shirt from the overflowing racks and made his way towards one of the changing rooms. As soon as he opened the curtain and saw the mirrored wall he stopped.

“Hold it! Are you still there?” His voice warned of his seriousness. It was a rougher, no-nonsense tone—one she recognized from when he’d used it on the bullying blokes yesterday.

“Uh-huh! Where else would I be?”

“Don’t be cheeky! You can see right now, can’t you?”

“Of course I can. I see out of your eyes, don’t I?”

“Right! Fine.” He closed his eyes, continued into the change room, and stumbled when he stubbed his toe on the wooden chair.

“What in the world are you doing?”

“You’re only sixteen. You shouldn’t be seeing a man undress.” He hadn’t had to worry about her spying in his room, for there wasn’t a full-length mirror. He’d taken care never to look at anything she shouldn’t be seeing. Not an easy task but doable.

“Number one. Just ‘will’ me to leave and you’ll feel me shut down, because I’d respect your privacy. And number two, yours wouldn’t be the first male body I’ve seen anyway.”

“Number one, how about just shutting up instead of shutting down. And number two, what the hel—heck do you mean by not the first male— No, wait. I don’t want to know.”

“At least let me see you after you’re dressed. It’s very difficult carrying on conversations with someone you can only see from the inside.”

“What does it matter?”

“What if I told you I have a crush on you and I want to see what you look like, especially in your knickers?”

The tight jeans were only halfway up. Vertigo and embarrassment collided, engulfing him at the same time. His knee bashed against the chair and his forehead hit the wall. Muffled swear words and babbles that made no sense, except that the surly meanings were explicit, rang out before he spoke to her again.

“Stop that!” He sounded angry.

“Stop what?”

Was she giggling? “Stop saying things like that. You don’t have a crush on me. You don’t even know me.”

“I know you’re extremely kind, that you care about small children and animals, take on burdens even when you don’t want to, and—and you’re ambitious. You have a wonderful, warm chuckle, and—”

“Enough! For God’s sake, my head will swell. Look, sweetie, you’re sixteen—“

“Almost seventeen.”

“And I’m almost thirty. Besides, you should be with a nice guy your own age.”

“I already have.”

“What?” Troy’s eyes popped open — wide, very wide.

****

“Ohh! You’re a smasher, you are.”

He stared into the mirror as if he could see into the soul hidden inside him. The ferocious look on his face warned her not to say another word. Instead she silently continued to view his features. His piercing, multifaceted eyes, brown and green, gold and gorgeous, were daunting.

Again, thank you so much for coming by! I always have tons of fun reading your stories. I’ve learned so much from you and I know others will too. In fact, if you don’t know Mimi yet, look her up…

Find Mimi on the web!

Please know that I love visiting with readers so come and say ‘Hi’ on my website at http://www.mimibarbour.com/ and join my newsletter for a chance to win a free copy of my latest release.

Or follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/Mimibarb

Or on Facebook…

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mimi-Barbour-Fan-Page/203964072966134

Hugs…

Mimi

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed is a Harper Collins YA not to be missed by YA lovers, romance lovers, book lovers, lovers of words, people…just don’t miss it.

In the beginning, Angelini spends a couple of chapters setting up the story, attaching the reader to her MC, Helen, and establishing the tight bonds she shares with her father and friends. While I am usually pining and flipping pages to get to the love interest, with Starcrossed, I wasn’t. I loved Helen from the beginning, and I adored the respectful fun-loving relationships she treasured. To be in her inner circle was pure trust, and I think everyone can appreciate something as unique as that.

And then we meet Lucas. Helen goes from sweet and wall-flowery-mild to raving lunatic. She attacks the most gorgeous boy she’s ever seen right in the middle of her high school hallway. I squirmed all over my couch reading those pages, but to read is to understand and Angelini had me in Helen’s head. I knew why she acted the way she did, and I didn’t blame her. To be in his presence was to want him dead. Dead- like dead by her bare hands- dead. Wow. What an awful love interest, right?

No.

As it turns out, Lucas’ character is one of the most worthy, loyal, honorable characters imaginable. He is perfect for Helen, except they want to kill one another- a lot. The story shifts into super gear as the truth of Helen’s lineage is revealed to her through dreams, and her blooming eh, relationship, with Lucas and his family. But, as the title implies, Helen and Lucas’ path takes a sharp turn when her life is endangered and he risks his to save hers.

Angelini keeps the story moving from dreams and mystery to rage and obstacles, then love. Reading Starcrossed was like reading an infomercial. Everytime I got comfortable with where I believed the story was headed, she through in an action to change it all. I could almost hear “But wait! There’s more!” Over and over I thumbed through pages and chapters to see if these two lovers truly were Starcrossed, or was that too a clever misnomer?

Well, if I told you that, I’d steal your fun.

Starcrossed is an absolute must read, just in time for summer love and star filled nights. Pick it up. Keep it close and Enjoy.

*I was lucky enough to score an ARC copy of this from NetGalley. Thank you Net Galley!!

So, I missed last week because I was in Orlando with my family. It was a warm change from Ohio and I got a ton of writing done, but the reading was awesomepants this week. Since I missed a week, I’ll tell you about last week too. There are only a few…

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out that he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that’s wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one.

When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini – May 2011

Helen Hamilton has always tried to hide how different she is—no easy feat on an island as small as Nantucket, and only getting harder as she finds herself haunted by hallucinations and vivid nightmares.

It’s not until she crosses paths with Lucas Delos at school that Helen’s true heritage is finally revealed. Yet even as Lucas helps her awaken to her startling powers, they can never be together—not unless they can break free from the tragic destiny the Three Fates have in store.

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz – June 2011

What’s a girl to do when meeting The One means she’s cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn’t been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she’s irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can’t stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma’s been having the oddest dreams. Visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter – April 2011

It’s always been just Kate and her mom–and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld–and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy–until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails…

In My Mailbox is a meme from the Story Siren designed to help book lovers unite, meet, greet and follow one another in our quests to find the next most awe inspiring, tear jerking, mesmerizing or just entertaining new tome.

Mailbox Monday is a meme hosted this month at Mari Reads. This is one more incredible way to get to know one another, build your following and find great new sites to add to your dashboard.

What was in your mailbox this week?

Be sure to follow me if you like what you see. I always follow back!!  & I love making new bookish friends!