Monthly Rewind: February (and Some Questions for You Bloggers)

I almost don't know where to start on my Monthly Rewind - February was . . . Intense.

At any rate, it's March (the month of appropriately mad weather for Michigan), which means it's time for the monthly link-up with Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction. Instructions on how to join are here.

You may or may not have noticed that I was pretty absent for most of February. There are a few reasons - 

First, I picked up a second part-time job a couple weeks into the month, and both my time and internet access have become even more limited than normal. That being said, I'm still here! 

Working two jobs has also upped my caffeine intake, and made me seek out coffee from less savory places (like the gas station). I'm normally pretty spoiled because the coffee at the bookstore is amazing. Not so amazing at the gas station. But hey, it's coffee. I think.

Secondly, I've been having an endless amount of annoying problems with Blogger and Google+. They are currently refusing to let me comment on anyone's comments, or even read them when I'm logged into my blog. 

I didn't realize what a goldmine TOP* gifs were . . . until now ^^

Ugh. 

Anyhow, after much deliberation, I'm considering moving my blog to a different platform, or possibly my own domain.

Which leads me to these important questions:
1. Is it worth buying an actual domain name?
2. What blogging platform do you use, and why? Do you like it? Is one better than the others?

Any advice/feedback would be really appreciated! (Oh, and since I can't read your comments - note the contact form on the top right-hand side of the blog- thanks!)

And now that I have that out of the way - February in Review!

On the Blog and Reading fronts, my hectic schedule made hash of things - and I only managed 5 posts :(

-Current mood-

• Beautiful People - Couples Edition - the Writer Link-Up, helped me investigate two of my characters from The Butler Did It and determine if they were in a relationship or not. They still say "no." But you'll have to read it to decide for yourself ;P
• Continuing the inevitable February theme, I posted a list of my Top 10 Favorite Literary Couples. And there was some gorgeous fanart, as the cherry on top.
• Maybe my favorite Top Ten Tuesday ever - The Top 10 Songs that Need to Be Books. They all need to be written already!
• Top Ten Books I Ended Up Liking (In Spite of Myself) I included plenty of reasons, and a few disclaimers. And I totally restrained myself from gushing about Tom Imura.**
• I ACTUALLY FOUND TIME TO WRITE A REVIEW of Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer. 4 stars

My reading count for this month was even worse - I started about 15 books, and finished only two of them! 

The first was Stars Above, and the second was The Guest by
Hwang Sok-yong. I'm not sure if I'll review it or not. It's about the 52 day massacre in the Hwanghae Province of North Korea during the Korean War. It was moving, disturbing, horrifying, and profoundly important if you're looking to understand a little more of the North/South Korean relations, the relationship of Korea with the West (especially the U.S.), and the two huge "foreign guests" of Christianity and Communism. It wasn't light reading, but I was glad I read it. I'm just not sure how to explain it in a review! (A funny place for a writer to be in, let me tell you).

I am also reading through a manuscript for a friend, so that's taken plenty of time and attention. 

And if you're interested, here are some of the books I'm currently reading:

Without You, There is No Us by Suki Kim

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

The Star-Touched Queen (ARC) by Roshani Chokshi

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald

Small Data by Martin Lindstrom

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Also in reading, Intisar Khanani's (novel-length!) follow up to Sunbolt, Memories of Ash, has a release date!! This is easily one of my most anticipated books of 2016. It's out May 30th - so just 3 months to wait!! In the meantime, there will be a cover reveal on March 16th, and it will be up for preorder on that day as well.

Off the Blog:

• I started the second job (at a new local brewery)
• I started yet another novel (I have very bad habits.) More about this in a minute.
• I turned 27
• I made lots of kimchi and discovered kimchi stew (soooo good. And kimchi fried rice is almost better!!)
• I basically did a lot of cooking, now that I think about it . . .
• One of my best friends got engaged and I get to be a bridesmaid (my second time)!
• The only movie I watched was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Because Matt Smith - Eleventh Doctor as MR. COLLINS)***, I watched none of the Oscars, and watched an unhealthy amount of YouTube videos when I should have been sleeping after 12-16 hour work days. 
• And to be honest, if anything else happened in February - I don't remember it. I was probably sleeping. My ability to fall asleep anywhere on anything at anytime just turned into a superpower.

Looking Ahead:

Hopefully I'll finish a few of those books this time around, and have some time for reviews! I'm also thinking of doing a series of editing posts on The Last Coffee Shop - to help me actually edit it, and because it would be fun. Thoughts? My major goal for March is to do at least one edit through.

Oh, and that book idea I mentioned above) - it won't go away. So I started writing it. It's basically a vintage sci-fi + western + Hallyu wave + high fashion novel in the world of TLCS (though not a sequel). The MC's voice is stuck in my head - he's an angry teenage model (yes, that's he) on the run from a truly freaky family situation. He takes refuge at a greasy spoon space diner, which is run by a posse of (former) warrior women who specialize in fried chicken. Because I just can't write anything normal. If you'd like to see a glimpse into it, here's the link to my Pinterest board.

Also, I plan on plugging away at The Butler Did It, and reading everyone else's wonderful posts (I did a lot of reading posts in Feb, but rarely had the energy to comment, lol)

So that's it for me folks. How was your February? Do you have any big plans for March? What are you reading? And please tell me your thoughts on the blog move idea/domain name :) I'll give you all the virtual cake if you do!

Footnotes:

*From BIGBANG. SO MANY GIFSSSS

**Yes, I know he's fake. No, I will not get over it.

***Not as bad as I thought it would be, and Matt Smith was hilarious. 

Beautiful Books #1: NaNoWriMo 2015 edition!

So, Beautiful People is changing tack this month and going into NaNo mode. Normally I'd be featuring my current WIP, The Last Coffee Shop (which was my epic NaNo failure last year). But in the hope that I might actually "win" this year, I'm going to flesh out my NaNo idea along with the theme.

Picture Credit

As always, a big thank you to Skye and Cait for doing this meme. Make sure you check out their respective blogs: Paper Fury (Cait) and Further Up and Further In (Skye). To learn more about Beautiful People, click here.

1. How did you come up with the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

Well, I love butlers/the idea of butlers, and I've always wanted to write a book with one for a protagonist. I also wanted to write something very different from any of my other books. I also wanted to get out of my "writing comfort zone," and challenge myself to write about types of characters/themes I don't normally!

 As for how long . . . just came up with it (on my way to work) a few days ago!

2. Why are you excited to write this novel?

As I said, I haven't written anything like it. And I've found that really weird books tend to keep my interest the longest! And I'm already in love with the characters-which is the only way a book and me happen, anyhow.

3. What is your novel about, and what is the title?

Set in an alternate 19th century, where the continents have never split, and primeval monsters roam the earth. All the nations combined long ago to protect their young people, building a walled continent and letting the youngsters live in relative peace and luxury. But outside the walls, the rest of humanity struggles to survive, and expand westward for more resources. My story centers on a sweet, but naive young lady who makes the (ill-advised) decision to accompany her titled boyfriend behind the walls, disguised as his manservant. But naturally, things don't go as planned when 1. Her bf's scandalous sister comes along, and 2. Ghastly murders, disappearances, and rumors of dastardly deeds.

WHAT KIND OF SUPERHUMAN PERSON HAS A TITLE AT THIS STAGE?

-I've given it the silly working title of "The Butler Did It," because it was the first random thing I thought of.

4. Sum up your characters in one word each. (Feel free to add pictures!)

Apparently, some people put much more prep and thought into NaNo than me. But I will do my best! (Note: All art is properly credited to the artist. I can (tragically) take credit for none of it)

1. Ernestine Grey (MC-also known as Ernest or Ernie) - Impetuous

Make this kid a few years older and BAM! Perfection.

2. Atlantis de Carrefour (her boyfriend*) - Ambiguous

Time Traveler by Seunghee Lee

3. Pasifica "Sif" de Carrefour (his sister) - Overwhelming

vershitel by alice-insain on Deviantart.com

4. Mrs. Klaus (Sif's maid/chaperone) - Sleepy

Basically your average Victorian matron. Or is she??

4. Sydney Smith (the surprisingly young (?) head butler/house manager/servant) - Dubious
I couldn't find exactly what I wanted (guys are hard!) - but an older Haruma Miura with darker/longer hair and some Gallic (French/Spanish in my AU) blood . . . I can see it. (And he's my cool "butler" tribute character!)

^^Haruma Miura, if that wasn't obvious

5. Ronin Kuznetzov (commander of the Siberian Volki squadron) - Scary
A note - I basically picture all of the Volki as a Eurasian fusion of samurai, cage fighters, and survivalists. So this pic could be any of his squad members.

Copyright Christopher Perez. Source

Those are the major players as of now. My NaNo projects tend to mutate. Extravagantly.

5. Which character(s) do you think will be your favorite to write? Tell us about them!

Ernestine, because she's different. I usually avoid the lovelorn ingenues, so this is very against type for me. Of course, Ernestine has hidden depths and all sorts of good qualities. She's a hard worker, and she is an excellent manservant/junior butler. Also, she's very loving, open-hearted, and surprisingly resilient. (Which is good, because the romance goes about as far south as you can imagine . . . *evil laugh*)

Sydney is another character I'm excited to write. I anticipate writing about his passive aggressive relationship with Atlantis, and his master/apprentice/brother relationship with the disguised Ernestine. Is he really fooled by her male disguise though, I wonder? And of course, he's my "cool, mysterious" character. And he's named after Sydney Carton (<3<3<3)

6. What is your protagonist’s goal, and what stands in the way?

To live happily ever after with Atlantis de Carrefour and be acknowledged as his social equal.

Well, their social status (she and her two brothers were raised by the family butler, which is where Ernie got her skills. They are old, old blood, but somewhat out of fashion). The de Carrefours are wild and sensational and very popular. Rich and titled, Atlantis has promised that he'll prove her worth to the world . . . And as far as Ernestine sees, this is the only barrier (Spoilers: she's wrong).

Where is your novel set? (Show us pictures if you have them!)

In the City of Nations (a giant walled nation that is pretty central on The Continent). As I said above, I am visualizing an Earth where the continental separation is minimal. However, I've basically adapted/adopted world cultures, and fused them. The West is untamed and dangerous, but people need room to spread, so they're always trying to build railroads out that way. And did I mention there are primeval monsters?

What is the most important relationship your character has?

Her bond with her adoptive father and her older brothers (though they ran off to join the navy, which she hasn't forgiven them for.
Also, Atlantis, who surprised her by returning her affections after they grew to know each other last season.

How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

She's more self-aware, and she values herself more. She's also stronger and wiser, though undoubtedly scarred by what she experienced. Basically, her arc takes her from "Kind but naive girl," to "older, wiser, stronger, more confident young woman." Her personality doesn't change, and she still has struggles, but this is where I hope she'll end up.

What themes are in your book? How do you want your readers to feel when the story is over?

It's a subverted Cinderella, in a way. So courage in the face of adversity and bad choices, perseverance, owning your own decisions, coming of age, friendship, valuing yourself, that sort of thing. Though I normally focus on "story" than "theme" and hope the themes follow along!

I hope they have a rollicking good time, and like the characters as much as I do. And I want them to feel like they need to read more of my books, you know?!

BONUS! Tell us your 3 best pieces of advice for others trying to write a book in a month.

Weeeelll, considering that I am an epic NaNo-failer, I don't feel qualified for this. But I have finished in a month before, and I don't give up on my NaNo projects, so here goes:

1. Take a few little breaks to read a few chapters of a totally different book, or watch a movie.

2. DON'T EDIT. This will kill your word count.

3. Don't worry about writing a masterpiece. And if the story isn't coming, throw in something crazy and random and keep going. You can always edit/rewrite the minute December rolls around.

So that is my super random (and very last minute) NaNo idea. Would you read it? Any thoughts? Do you like alternate history? (I love it!) Are you doing NaNo, and if so, what are you writing about? Feel free to add me as a buddy!

Footnote:

*Boyfriend is not technically an accurate Victorian term (1909 is the first recorded usage in the romantic sense, I believe). But that is hair-splitting for the purpose of my BP post.

Top 10 Tuesday via Broke and Bookish: Favorite Authors (with gifs)

And it's Tuesday-which means Top 10 Tuesday with the lovely people over at The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, they pick a theme for a top 10 list, and participating bloggers link back. You can find out more here.

This week's top 10-Top 10 Favorite Authors, was excruciating . . .

I know, Emma, I know.

Rather than agonize, grit my teeth, and lament, I decided to list 5 of my favorite "contemporary"* authors and 5 favorite "classic" authors, with two requirements:

1. I have to have read at least 2 books by them
2. I have to have reread at least 1 of their books/plays/whatever

Otherwise, this post might have taken me a couple years of re-reading and soul-searching.

But it all seriousness, this is really hard. So no more stalling, here it is:

 

1. Classic: J. R. R. Tolkien
2. Contemporary: Robin McKinley

I put them together because they are two of my earliest reading/writing influences. My dad read The Hobbit to us when we could hardly read ourselves (Thank you Dad!). Though some of the subtleties in Tolkien’s writing certainly escaped me as a kid, the beauty never did. I 100% blame him for my obsession with elves, my fascination with forests, and my dissatisfaction with so much of modernity.

Likewise, when I first read The Hero and the Crown, I was hooked. McKinley’s lovely use of language, her dreamy worlds, and her truly awesome heroines are still my favorite. As a teenager, I felt like her characters “got” me.

3. Classic: William Shakespeare
4. Contemporary: Neil Gaiman

Ah, Shakespeare; love him or hate him, or doubt he wrote his plays: I don’t care. He is hailed as the greatest writer in the English language for a reason. From made up words, to memorable characters, to owning tropes, Shakespeare was/is one of my biggest influences and rereads. “Good Lord, for alliance! Thus goes every one to the world but I, and I am sunburnt; I may sit in a corner and cry heigh-ho for a husband!” **

Neil Gaiman is properly paired with the Bard, because he is also a brilliant wordsmith and Master of Stories. I can’t exactly remember which book of his I read first, or when I first picked it up, because his characters and worlds have been a part of my reading life for so long. His ability to render character, atmosphere, and worlds with deft, spare prose, has this Dickensian girl gritting her teeth with writer-envy.

5. Classic: Jane Austen
6. Contemporary: Megan Whalen Turner

What can I say about Jane that hasn’t been said? If you don’t think Pride and Prejudice is funny, then read it again. I was a classic tomboy, but Jane had me on pins and needles as I wondered if Darcy and Elizabeth would ever do things right, or if Wentworth would realize he was misjudging Anne, or if Catherine Moreland’s gothic novel fantasies would ruin her shot with Henry. Not only was Jane brilliant and witty, but she made you care about her characters and their relationships. My anti-romance sentiments were forgotten every time I picked up one of her novels.

 

Austen tip #1: When flummoxed in front of someone you like, ask after their parents.

Megan Whalen Turner, if you don’t know, wrote The Queen’s Thief series. Eugenides, thief extraordinaire, and Irene, the strong and grim queen of Attolia, are two of my favorite characters (and couples) in all literature. The push/pull of their relationship, the scheming and court intrigue, the daring thefts, and the real consequences in these books made them impossible to put down. If I dare to skim for a favorite passage, I am always sucked into reading the whole book again. Now that, Ms. Turner, is a gift.

7. Classic: C. S. Lewis
8. Contemporary: Diana Wynne Jones

I actually prefer Lewis’s nonfiction (philosophy and theology) to his fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Chronicles, and they are an integral part of my reading identity. But if I am naming off my favorites, The Four Loves and Till We Have Faces immediately spring to mind. The latter is fiction, being a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, but the former is a slim volume packed with wit and insight on every kind of love. They actually go together quite well. Lewis’ wit, command of both history and mythology, and his affable professor writing voice, are at their best when he is writing about tough subjects like love and pain. In Till We Have Faces, he proved that he could write “serious” fantasy, and with a strong heroine, no less.

Diana Wynne Jones’ books are funny, smart, exciting, and so very English. Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my all-time favorites, and I pick it up whenever I need a good laugh. Sophie is another character I’ve always identified with. Her cleaning mania is pretty unique in YA fiction, I think. Another hilarious (but slightly darker) Jones novel, Dark Lord of Derkholm, is one of the better fantasy parodies out there. And she didn’t just write funny books, as the truly creepy Fire and Hemlock proved.

9. Classic: The Brontés
10. Current: Garth Nix

I am cheating and putting the Bronté sisters together. Not because they are all alike, but because I read their novels around the same time. Wuthering Heights made me furious at half the characters, but the novel is a masterpiece, nonetheless. Jane Eyre, likewise, deserves its place in the pantheon of English literature. Mr. Rochester frustrated me too, but Jane’s spirit and strength of character makes her one of my favorite heroines. And of course, the oft-forgotten Anne Bronté wrote too! The Tenant of Wildfell Hall does not get as much credit as it deserves.

Garth Nix’s Abhorsen series is one of my all-time favorites. Sabriel is one of the coolest heroes ever, and the idea of anti-necromancers was brilliant. I love everything about Sabriel, from Sabriel’s no-nonsense attitude, to the use of bells to command the dead, to the world, to funny, bitter Touchstone and aggravating Mogget. Like every author on this list, Nix has a way with language that pulls you write into his worlds. From the first scene, where Sabriel brings back a pet rabbit from death, I can never put this one down once I start reading.

This is where it got hard: Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Marie Pope, Edgar Allen Poe, Patricia C. Wrede, Ray Bradbury, Agatha Christie, Erik Larson, Matthew Pearl, The Brothers Grimm, Louisa May Alcott, Charles Dickens, D. M. Cornish, Jonathan Maberry, Patricia McKillip and more kept intruding. I could do this list indefinitely . . .

Footnotes: 

*I am defining Contemporary as "actively writing from 1980's and on :)"

** Beatrice, we have all been single at a wedding (I think), made some witty, sarcastic aside, and been taken seriously. Beatrice is my spirit animal.

So, did I pick any of your favorites? Tell me in the comments :)