Camryn Morrell

The Accidental Bride (2011)

2011-10-17T09:23:00.012+08:00

The Accidental Bride
By Camryn Morrell

It was the worst kind of torture. Inaalok si Ella ni Xavier Alejandro, ang lalaking minamahal niya mula pa sa pagkabata, ng kasal—pero sa papel lang.

Pinag-isipan niya for the millionth time ang pros and cons ng magiging desisyon. Kung papayag siyang magpakasal dito, mabibigyan siya ng pagkakataong makasama ito nang matagal at baka mahulog ang loob nito sa kanya. Unfortunately, ang operative word sa sentence na iyon ay ‘baka’. Ngunit hindi maalis sa isip niya na iyon na ang tsansa niya para mapaibig ang binata.

So she grabbed the opportunity. Di bale nang hindi pa ito madly in love sa kanya. Darating din sila sa puntong iyon....

Acknowledgment
To Danielle Parian who has never left my side through all the crap I've gone through and who has even offered to help me find a job. Thanks for everything, Manang.

Extra Info

I mentioned in a previous post that I choose a theme song for every novel I start, and I listen to that theme song over and over again while writing. My theme song for this book is I Never Dreamed Someone Like You Could Love Someone Like Me by Kate Irving. The song is too literal for my taste, but I think it perfectly captures the relationship between Ella and Xander. She's been in love with him as long as she can remember, and, well, he's always been a bit oblivious.
This is the most serious and 'dramatic' novel I've ever written, so far. I had a hard time holding back on all the silly moments.

I give writing advice... Yes, really, I do.

2011-06-07T23:37:00.000+08:00

I was recently invited to post on a Facebook group for tagalog romance writers/readers/lovers in general. Here's what I said:

There are so many veteran writers in this group who have really made a huge impact on the romance writing industry, and I'm technically still a newbie, so I'm a little shy about posting tips or advice. At the moment, though, my only advice is to be yourself. I think we've all gone through phases where we tried to imitate writers we loved, and that’s awesome practice for beginners. For me, however, the best way to truly make a name in the writing industry, aside from persevering, is to hone your own writing voice, to create your own “brand.” When you sound original on paper and a reader falls in love with your words, you’re the only one who can provide that special flavor. That’s all I can think of for now.

I just can't believe someone asked for writing advice. FROM ME. *Starts jumping up and down.* This feeling almost beats the first time I saw His Secondhand Heart at National Bookstore. Cripes, I feel like a real writer now.

I feel like I'm really getting back into the swings of things writing-wise. I listened to some new songs and read a really good book. Nothing like that "just read a good book" feeling to get the creative juices flowing.

Reel Love (2011)

2011-06-02T16:44:00.007+08:00

Reel Love
Camryn Morrell

Si Grace Hernandez ang klase ng babae na nililigawan nang matagal at pinapakasalan. Siya naman, si Dave Silverio ay ni hindi marunong manligaw. She deserved someone normal. Isang lalaki na may ordinaryong trabaho sa isang opisina o sa kung saan; iyong simple lang. At malayo sa deskripsyong iyon ang buhay niya bilang isang sikat na matinee idol. Kaya kahit baligtarin pa niya ang mundo, hindi magiging siya ang lalaking iyon.

Pero si Grace ang gumaganap sa role ng girlfriend niya sa harap ng publiko. At mas nahihirapan na yata si Dave dahil masyado siyang nadadala sa play-acting nila, na ayaw na niyang isipin kung ano ang tunay na sila kapag wala nang camera na nakasunod sa kanila....

Acknowledgment
This novel is dedicated to my USA Publications family. I only spent a year with you guys, but it has been one of the most wonderful years of my life.

Extra Info

The original title was supposed to be His Saving Grace, but I like Reel Love more. It's more fitting for the premise.
I choose a "theme song" for every novel I write, and Reel Love's theme song is Smile by Uncle Kracker. I couldn't stop listening to the song while writing.

I'm Alive (The Millionth Edition)

2011-04-13T01:52:00.004+08:00

Wow.

I haven't touched this blog in months. I am one lazy writer.

To be honest, though, I got so busy with school that writing became a secondary priority for a while. The good news is I graduate last April 2. I am officially a college graduate. Isn't that cool? :P

Here are some photos from my graduation:

I'm really excited to begin this new chapter of my life, entering the workforce and all that jazz.

Decisions, Decisions

2010-12-11T13:13:00.005+08:00

It’s been almost a month since my last post. Suffice to say I’ve been super busy with school. I’m currently snacking on Pringles, and lazily breezing through Roald Dahl's short story collection entitled The Umbrella Man and Other Stories. I'm actually considering changing my thesis subject from magical realism in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude to Dahl's penchant for twist endings in his short stories.

Decisions, decisions.

However, I should be working on the first chapter or, at the very least, the outline of my fifth novel. I'm stuck, though. Just winging it and freewriting sounds like a good way to begin, but I'm very hesitant about the method. I don't want to end up with ten pages I'll never use.

Again, decisions, decisions.

Bleh. I should stop procrastinating and start writing.

Kera's Story

2010-11-16T16:50:00.005+08:00

I've been working on Tyler's story for more than eight months, and I still haven't finished it. Somehow, I think there's something wrong with the story, or maybe I'm not just ready to write it. The story is set in Tagaytay, and I'm really scared that I might get something about the setting wrong since I've only been to the place twice. Also, the characters are being really stubborn--yes, I use my characters as an excuse for my laziness. As a result, I've decided to put it away and start working on a new manuscript instead.

My friend Kera asked me to write a story using her and her crush's name, and ideas started zipping around my brain the second she mentioned "her" story. Currently, her story is still in the planning stage, but I'm really excited to get started on it. I want to finish it before the year ends.

Kera's story might just be the project I need to zap me out of my writer's block.

To get started, I need to pick a theme song for her story. I'm leaning toward Michael Buble's Haven't Met You Yet, but I just might ask Kera what her theme song for her crush is. LOL. I'm guessing it's something by Juris.

Dianne, my other friend, also asked me to write a story for her, but she doesn't have a male love interest at the moment so she'll have to wait... I have a feeling she'll hunt me down with a steak knife if I pair her up with a guy named Van. Hahahaha.

NANO 2010 Update #1

2010-11-08T21:12:00.002+08:00

I'm still working on my romance novel which is tentatively titled Keeping the Distance. I might post it on FictionPress after (if?!?) I finish it, so you guys can read it for free if you have the time.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to write even a single page today, because I'm too tired. I spent the whole day at school, trying to enroll for the second semester--it's my last year in college. I spent three hours standing in line, and I still have to go back tomorrow. *Sighs.*

Here's my current word count:

18877 / 50000 words. 38% done!

NANO 2010

2010-11-07T20:30:00.003+08:00

No, I haven't disappeared from the face of the earth. I merely joined NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where crazy individuals like myself try to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

So, yes, my fingers have been busily tapping away.

Sayonara, and I'll update whether I succeed or fail.

How Meteor Garden Ruined My Life

2010-10-20T16:16:00.000+08:00

Meteor Garden ruined my life.

When I was a high school freshman, I became addicted to the Taiwanese television series Meteor Garden. It’s about a poor girl named Shan Cai who goes to an exclusive school attended by scions and heirs from all over the country. She can only attend the school because her parents work their asses off to send her there, and she simply can’t wait to get the whole thing over with.

But then she stumbles upon F4, four of the richest and most good-looking boys in school. At first, she falls for Hua Ze Lei—the silent well-read one—but then Dao Ming Shi is the one who truly captures her heart. He’s brash, arrogant, and completely lovable.

Basically, MeteorGarden is like Cinderella with four Prince Charmings instead of one.

My twelve-year-old self ate it all up. I dreamed about finding someone who’d run after a goddamn bus just because I’m on it and he can’t live without me. Well, yeah, he can, but he doesn’t want to. I dreamed about finding someone who would jump in the way of a moving vehicle just because I don’t want to be with him anymore, who would fight for me despite his elitist mother’s threats.

The scene that cemented my love for Dao Ming Shi was the one where he begged Shan Cai to get back together with him after she made out with Hua Ze Lei, his best friend. Or when he asked her to stay when they were standing in the rain and her bags were all packed. Or the time he gave her a shooting star necklace. Jesus, that scene got me every time.

I was a stupid twelve-year-old, and I’m still stupid at nineteen. No one has ever measured up to Dao Ming Shi, and I doubt anyone ever will. He had his flaws, but they made him even more amazing. They made him seem real. And he beat people up for Shan Cai and he was played by Jerry Yan, damn it. No girl can resist that.

Now, seven years later, I still watch scenes from MeteorGarden on Youtube, and dream about finding someone even a little like Dao Ming Shi. I’m not holding my breath, but I can’t help it.

Euphoria #2

2010-10-16T20:03:00.003+08:00

Save Forever for Me has finally arrived at local bookstores!

Yippee!

I went to the mall last Friday with my friend Dianne, and, surprisingly, the book was already in the shelves. She immediately bought a copy and made me sign it in the middle of the bookstore. Slightly embarrassing, but completely heartwarming at the same time. So, thanks, Dianne, for your unbridled support!

Also, I found out today that Taylor Song has a rendition of my all-time favorite Christmas song Last Christmas (originally by Wham!). I don’t know why, but listening to Taylor Swift never fails to lift me out of a horrific mood.

Male Feelings

2010-10-03T12:33:00.004+08:00

(technically Alex Pettyfer has nothing to do with this post, but...)

I was blog hopping last night, and I came across a guest post on Fiction Groupie’s blog about writing from a male point-of-view. The post was mainly about tackling a teenage boy’s point-of-view, but a lot of the points it made could be applied to adult male points-of-view as well.

Here’s the link to the post entitled Creating an Authentic Teen Guy’s Voice.

The post made me think of a lot of things. In my published novels, His Secondhand Heart and Save Forever for Me, and the other two lined up for publication, the story was told from the points-of-view of both the hero and the heroine. I’ve come to realize that my male main characters tend to overanalyze things, and actually talked about their feelings. *Insert shudder here.*

I hope to rectify that mistake in my next manuscript, and create an authentic guy’s voice. As much as I hate to admit it, guys don't overanalyze their feelings. They prefer action, and avoid talking about feelings as much as possible. They want to talk about what they think, not what they feel.

Now I'm off to interview unsuspecting guy friends about their relationships.

Sayonara.

Save Forever for Me: The Inspiration

2010-09-30T12:28:00.004+08:00

I'm obviously becoming more and more forgetful. A couple of days ago, I posted that my second tagalog romance novel, Save Forever for Me, had been released. I babbled on about it, but somehow I forgot to mention the main inspiration for the novel.

It's a song.

To be specific, it's Nina's version of Saving Forever for You.

I loved it, and listened to it over and over while writing Save Forever for Me. I even culled the title from the song. The song, basically, captures the way Warren and Lia, my main characters, feel about each other.

Here it is:

I've never been so sure

About anything before

But this loving feeling

Gonna be a feeling I feel forever more

Looking in your eyes

Tomorrow's all I see

Long as there's forever, baby

I will always be

Saving forever for you, oh oh oh

You are the only one

I'll ever give forever to

Love for a lifetime won't do, oh oh oh

Wanna always stay together

So I'm saving forever for you

You'll be my world

As long as there's a world turning 'round

And you'll be my heaven

Baby, till the heavens all come falling down

Look inside my heart [Oh, yeah]

Love is all you'll see

Loving you forever,

Living just to be

Saving forever for you, oh oh oh

You are the only one

I'll ever give forever to

Love for a lifetime won't do, oh oh oh

[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/saving-forever-for-you-lyrics-nina.html ]

Wanna always stay together

So I'm saving forever for you

Forever I'll be loving you

Long as time passes by

I'll be there beside you, ho

Through it all, I'll be standing by you

Saving forever for you, oh oh oh

You are the only one

I'll ever give forever to

Love for a lifetime won't do, oh oh oh

Wanna always stay together

So I'm saving forever, saving forever for you

Saving forever for you (Hooâ€¦oohâ€¦oohâ€¦)

You are the only one

I'll ever give forever to (You are the only one)

Love for a lifetime won't do, (oh oh oh)

Wanna always stay together

So I'm saving forever for you, for you

Saving forever

Saving forever for you

Saving forever, (Saving forever)

Saving forever for you

Saving forever, (Saving forever)

Saving forever for you

Saving forever, (Saving forever)

Saving forever for you..

...thoughts on romance

2010-09-29T11:42:00.001+08:00

Romance has always been my first love.

Since I was little, I’ve wished for the fantasy of falling head over heels for someone, and then, magically, finding out that they feel the exact same way. I wanted the fireworks, the sweet one-liners that could make my day, and the little musings that could be shared only by two people in love. Maybe I cultivated the fantasy because of the endless stream of romantic comedies I inhaled or being raised in the generation of boybands—hot guys singing about you being their only one could turn anyone into a blabbering romantic.

Admittedly, I’ve become a bit more cynical over the years, and romance soon sank to the bottom of my list of priorities. After getting burned a couple of times, the idea of finding that perfect person for me turned more than a little sour, but a part of me has always kept hoping.

And that part, I guess, is responsible for all the romance novels I’ve been writing. Making two people fall in love is never easy, but it’s quite an amazing job.

Six Months to Go

2010-09-28T10:16:00.003+08:00

I'm currently working on my report for my Poetry class later. I need to report on W.H. Auden's Musee des Beaux Arts and T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Poetry and I have always had a bit of a love-hate relationship. I like reading it, but I can't write a decent poem to save my life. I'm actually looking forward to Fiction, Western Visayan Literature, and English Literature next semester, especially to Fiction.

I don't understand, though, why English Literature deserves to be a subject. Of course, there are a lot of English writers who made great contributions to the world of literature, but we had European Literature last year and we just glossed over all the other European writers. We studied James Joyce, Gunter Grass, etc, but Dumas never even came up in the discussion.

And what about South American Literature? Gabriel Garcia Marquez pioneered magical realism, and we never even discussed him. I think a subject that tackles literature from South America should really be included in our curriculum.

Well, whatever, I guess I'm just sourgraping because I'm graduating soon, and I feel like I still have a ton of writers to study.

Save Forever for Me (2010)

2010-09-27T21:22:00.011+08:00

Save Forever for Me

Camryn Morrell

Hindi makapaniwala si Lia sa ginawa niya: Nilayasan niya ang ama at tinakasan ang kasal niya sa lalaking pinili nito para sa kanya. Okay na sana dahil sa wakas ay nakalaya siya mula sa manipulasyon ng papa niya, kung bakit naman si Warren Alcantara pa ang kailangang makasama niya sa bahay na pagtataguan niya gayong puwede namang ang ina na lang nito. Pero dahil wala siyang gaanong choice at siya ang nakikituloy lang sa pamamahay nito, minabuti niyang pagtiisan ang company ng lalaking reincarnation yata ni Hitler. And then he did what Lia thought was the worst—he denied falling for her, matapos niyang umamin na mahal na niya ito….

Acknowledgement

Thanks to my mother who tries to understand my obsession with writing, and why I have to be wrenched away from my computer.

I would also like to thank my various college friends, namely Kera, Dianne, Edgelyn, Jeffrey, and Elaine. Thank you for taking the time to buy my books, and actually forcing me to sign them in public.

My heartfelt thanks also go to Nang Danielle, Ma'am Arlene and Sir Elsed for promoting my work! Literature majors stick together, yeah?

Of course, I thank everyone who bought copies of my first novel, His Secondhand Heart. God bless you all.

Extra Info:

While writing, I imagined Alfred Vargas as Warren Alcantara and Anne Curtis as Lia Olivares.
As of this writing, the story of Warren's friend, Dave Silverio, has been accepted for publication. So, please stay tuned for that one.

At the Beginning

2010-07-31T17:53:00.001+08:00

Hi. It’s been a long time.

I want to say that I’ve been busy with my writing, but I’d be lying if I did. I haven’t completed a manuscript in four months, and I’m panicking. This is not good. I should grab a microphone or something and scream mayday at the top of my lungs.

On the other hand, I’m learning how to write news articles, feature articles, and articles. Newswriting seems so easy when I read news articles, but it’s actually pretty goddamn hard.

Especially for fiction writers. See, in writing fiction, you start off by giving the reader tiny, unimportant details and reveal the really important stuff in the end.

Writing news is an entirely different ball game. You have to place all the important stuff at the beginning, and use as few words as possible.

So, yeah. I feel like I’m in writing kindergarten right about now.

What A Day

2010-07-09T23:20:00.002+08:00

Originally, I thought today was going to be a majorly shitty day. So, to compensate, I took a picture of something beautiful (ignore the crappy quality). :)

But then…

Things looked up right after lunchtime. I received good news about something I was really nervous about. I celebrated by buying myself a Pepsi (I’m a miser, I know).

Things got even better after school. I went to Robinson’s and found this:

See, I’m a student by day and a tagalog romance novelist by night. The picture above features my first book on a shelf at National Bookstore. Sorry if it’s a little blurry. I had to take a photo before anybody noticed. LOL.

So, yeah.

His Secondhand Heart (2010)

2010-06-14T15:35:00.007+08:00

His Secondhand Heart
Camryn Morrell

Hindi puwedeng basta na lamang kalimutan ni Devin ang motto niya: Smart people stay single. Sa loob ng dalawang taon, matapos ang isang matinding heartache mula sa one great love niya, iyon na ang definition niya sa relationships: isang malaking sakit ng ulo. Pangako niya sa sarili, hindi na siya muling papayag na kontrolin ng isang babae ang emosyon niya. Pero mukhang kailangan niyang bawiin ang mga ipangako sa sarili nang makilala niya si Vivienne. He thought she was one of a kind. Hindi niya maitanggi na masaya siya kapag kasama ito—ecstatic pa nga, actually. And he was in big trouble.

Ang hindi niya lang maintindihan, parang excited pa siya sa pagkakataong ito, na magpakatanga at sumugal sa pag-ibig….

Acknowledgement

This book is dedicated to the people who helped me on my quest to get published. To Ms. Elise Estrella, a fellow MSV writer, for answering all my questions about formatting and submitting a manuscript.

To my Engineering friends for inspiring me to write this story. I might not be one of you anymore, but I'm still here if you need advice or a shoulder to cry on. :)

Extra Info:

It took me eight months to write His Secondhand Heart.
This is the first Tagalog romance novel I’ve ever written and the first piece of writing I ever got paid for.

Books, Books, and More Books

2010-06-12T16:13:00.010+08:00

After summer classes ended, I had an entire week to myself and I used it to at least diminish the books on my to-be-read pile.

The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan

To be honest, I wasn't really looking forward to reading this series. Yes, I was intrigued by the premise since the series revolves around the Greek gods and modern-day demi-gods. However, I saw the movie (Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief) first, and it was really predictable. I could tell who the villain was halfway through the movie, but the books were totally different.

All five books in the series were action-packed, funny, and suspenseful. Percy Jackson is also a very likable character, and so are his friends, especially Grover and Annabeth. They all go through the same issues that kids today experience, like growing up with one parent or feeling like an outsider.

I also liked how the gods were portrayed. Riordan managed to stay true to the thousand-year-old myths while managing to make his take fresh.

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

"...Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?'
Jace said, "Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself."
..."At least," she said, "you don't have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland."
Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting."
— Cassandra Clare (City of Bones)

"I am a man" he told her,"and men do not consume pink beverages. Get thee gone woman, and bring me something brown"
-Jace Wayland"
— Cassandra Clare (City of Glass)

I heard a lot of good things about this series before actually reading it. When I finally started on the first book, I wasn't disappointed. Cassandra Clare created a fabulous world I'd love to escape to, especially since it's filled with hot Shadowhunters--humans with angel blood who were created to rid the earth of demons.

This series has a lot of surprises in store for the reader. It twisted my emotions and it twisted it some more until I couldn't stop reading. It makes you hope, smashes said hope, and makes you start hoping again. Basically, the Mortal Instruments series is an awesome rollercoaster ride, one I enjoyed immensely.

The thing I liked most about this series was the romance between Clary and Jace, the two main characters. Once you start reading, I think you'll understand why.

I'm really looking forward to reading the fourth book in the series.

My First Book is Almost Out! Yay!

2010-06-07T20:06:00.003+08:00

I just wanted to share this, since I'm really excited. :)

My recent e-mail exchange with Miss Apple, one of Bookware's editors:

Hello po, Miss Apple.

Gusto ko lang po sanang itanong kung anong buwan ire-release 'yong first novel ko (His Second Heart).

Thanks po, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Her reply:

Nasa printer na po yung book ninyo. Anytime this week po ang labas niyon.

Apple

:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Post-college

2010-06-06T21:03:00.002+08:00

I’m about to embark on my last year of college, and it amazes me that, until now, I still don’t know what to do with my life.

When classes open again, I’m sure I’ll be surrounded by people who have goals and know how to achieve them. I, on the other hand, have no idea what to do with myself after graduation.

Maybe that’s why I’m so listless. I feel like a ship without a mast. I’m just sailing through life without ambitions or goals to drive me.

I’m sure of one thing, though. I want to write, but will that keep me alive in today’s economy?

Sometimes, I feel like I was born in the wrong country with the wrong skills and dreams.

Backing Up Files

2010-06-02T20:53:00.007+08:00

(via deviantart)

I've come across a ton of blogs during my brief stint as a blogger. Most of the entries tackle topics about the craft itself like characterization, plot, and even purple prose. However, once in a while, I encounter a blog post about the importance of backing up files.

Yes, of course, every writer should consider having multiple copies of manuscripts a golden rule. I believed it, too. I memorized it, even.

It just never occurred to me that my computer would crash less than a month later. Only then did I realize the importance of so-called back ups.

See, I've been working on my fifth romance novel for about three months. I usually finish one every month, but this novel was harder to write. It was the first time I ever tried to incorporate research into my writing. Before, I just went and made things up. I had to make sure that I got every little detail right this time, because I was writing about an actual place.

So, three months of hard work on a manuscript...

Then, my computer crashed.

I would've freaked out if I didn't have a back up copy. I got my computer fixed and breathed a giant sigh of relief.

I ended up asking myself: What if I lost the entire manuscript?

Music and Writing

2010-05-30T16:29:00.002+08:00

(via deviantart)

For me, music and writing have always gone hand in hand.

Whenever I think of a plot line, I automatically start looking for a theme song or maybe even an entire soundtrack. Using windows media player, I repeat the song or songs over and over while I'm writing.

I don't know why I do that, but I've never actually finished a manuscript without picking at least a theme song for it. For my first manuscript, I chose Bluer than Bluer by Regine Velasquez. For the second, I picked Saving Forever for You by Nina, Smile by Uncle Cracker for the third, and I Never Dreamed Someone Like You Could Love Someone Like Me for the fourth.

I'm also really fussy about the songs. It really has to "go together" with the story of my characters, and the message of the song needs to be similar to the theme of my novel. For example, I picked Smile by Uncle Cracker because the song is about being crazy in love with someone. Well, my characters from my third novel, Dave and Grace, drove each other crazy and ended up being crazy in love with each other.

Also, having a theme song has saved my manuscripts from being deleted more than once. Having a song to listen to while writing gave me ideas for scenes and even helped me internalize the emotions of the characters.

What about you? Does music help in your writing or do you prefer silence?

Cosmopolitan Magazine and Romance

2010-05-28T19:54:00.003+08:00

I love reading Cosmopolitan magazine, even the two-year-old issues with passé fashion spreads.

Why?

Well, aside from the rather educational articles on, um, male and female relations (LOL, sorry if I can't help being immature), the magazine is a gold mine of ideas for romance writers. Practically every page contains an idea for a romance novel.

For example, I have a 2008 issue that contains an article entitled Get A Boyfriend ASAP. I don't know about you, but the article screamed idea the second I laid eyes on the title. I immediately thought of a heroine who's pretty decent, but she can't find the right guy. The entire article itself gave me a lot of ideas for her "boyfriend search."

There was also a section that asked real working girls whether they'd date a younger man or not. Bingo. Another story idea.

Also, the magazine is geared toward women in their 20s, the age bracket of most female characters in romance novels. So, basically it tackles topics that my characters will probably encounter about their careers, relationships, and families.

So, yeah, Cosmopolitan will definitely help me come up with fun, fearless heroines from now.

Posting Regularly: A Breeze Or A Challenge?

2010-05-27T16:23:00.006+08:00

(via deviantart)

I've always had a problem with being consistent. Personally, I think it's one of my greatest flaws. For example, I had a goldfish when I was seven, and I always forgot to feed it. Well, I soon found it floating in my aquarium with Xs over its eyes. My mother said it died of hunger.

She really didn't need to point that out.

Anyway, so if I forgot to feed my pet goldfish (a living, breathing creature), why should posting regularly on my blog be any different?

I find it so hard to do something regularly. Yes, I eat, breathe, and sleep regularly, but that's about it. I become a super-student for a couple of days, and that quickly gets old. I become a fan of a particular musical genre, but then that particular genre soon disappears from my mp3 player.

Okay, so, by now, I think you get my point.

Over the past couple of years, I think I've started about twenty blogs, and they all died slow dwindling deaths. This one is actually a record-breaker since I managed to post every month (that's a big achievement for me) since I started it.

According to every blog-writing article I ever came across, posting regularly is one of the golden commandments a blogger should follow.

And I find it really difficult. So, thank God I managed to post today.

What about you? Do you have trouble posting regularly on your blog?

The Big Block

2010-05-26T11:48:00.001+08:00

(via deviantart)

As a writer, I think it's a part of my job description to worry about writer's block. I've never actually believed in it. Personally, I believe that a writer shouldn't wait for inspiration to strike. You should just jump right in and inspiration will come sooner or later.

But the thing is I haven't written a word in two months, and I'm asking myself if I've finally been struck by writer's block.

All the symptoms are there. I want to write but the words just won't come out. All I do is stare at the blinking cursor on my screen, wishing I could come up with something.

I don't know. Maybe it's fear. Maybe I'm scared about where my writing is going, or I'm just being hugely insecure again, asking myself if I'm even good enough to call myself a writer.

Or maybe I'm just being lazy.

Okay, so after I post this, I'm going to battle that blinking cursor again, and I'm going to make sure I win. This time, at least.

Being A Tagalog Romance Writer

2010-05-25T15:26:00.001+08:00

Some people think that being a Tagalog romance writer is easy.

Unfortunately, I used to be one of them. When I first tried to write a Tagalog romance novel, I thought: "How hard can it be? Two people fall in love and live happily ever after. The end."

As I plodded along on the first chapter of my romance novel, I realized that writing a Tagalog romance novel is actually VERY DIFFICULT. It's hard to make two characters fall in love, especially if they don't want to. You have to force them to be together and the catch? The characters actually have to like each other or have some sort of connection before they're able to say the three magic words.

Yes, readers expect a happy ending but the characters have to work hard for it. If the characters' conflict wasn't resolved or there was no conflict at all, readers will most likely feel cheated.

Also, there's a long way to go between the first word of your novel and "The End." Aside from the characters, the plot, the conflict, and the ending, finishing your manuscript is the main thing you should worry about. According to Nora Roberts, a bad page is easier to fix than a blank page. I completely agree with her. The same can be said with a rough draft and an unfinished manuscript.

Basically, don't sweat the small stuff. Your manuscript won't be perfect but you can fix it later. It took me eight months to finish my first Tagalog romance novel. It sucked but I was glad it was finished.

I've written more novels, and I think I've improved. At least, I hope so. What are you waiting for? Grab a pen or open a new word document. Get started now.

Mamma Mia!

2010-05-23T16:07:00.001+08:00

I haven't written anything new lately, and I'm still stuck on Manuscript #5.

On the bright side...

I can't get the songs from Mamma Mia out of my head! I saw the movie yesterday, and I'm absolutely in love with it.

My main thoughts:

Pierce Brosnan will always be HOT.
Colin Firth... *Sigh.*
Meryl Streep is a goddess. I loved her in the Devil Wears Prada, but I never knew that she could sing.
Lastly, kudos to Amanda Seyfried for being so adorable. I first saw her on Mean Girls a couple of years ago. She played a dumb blond, but, hey, look at Lindsay Lohan now. *Cough* Coke whore. *Cough.*

Sorry if my main thoughts are barely coherent. LOL. :)

And here's Meryl Streep's rendition of Mamma Mia:

I'm Alive! (Again...)

2010-05-20T21:58:00.000+08:00

I've been really busy these past couple of days with summer school.

Now, that sounds like another excuse...

But I've really been busy taking in all that stuff about ionic bonds, electrons, protons, cations, and all that chem stuff I have no interest in whatsoever.

I'm still stuck at Manuscript #5. I hope to finish it after the craziness that happens to be summer school is over.

Cheers y'all.

I'm Alive

2010-04-24T11:34:00.001+08:00

So, I haven't posted anything in a while. I want to say I was really busy, but that would be an excuse. I was just really lazy.

Here are a few updates:

I celebrated my 19th birthday a couple of days ago.
As Camryn Morrell, my fourth Tagalog romance novel was accepted. I'm still working on the fifth one.
As Darlyn Herradura, my flash fiction piece entitled Monsieur Reinhardt's Miniature was published by MicroHorror. You can read it here.

That's basically all for now. :)

The Ugly Truth

2010-04-11T21:03:00.000+08:00

I saw The Ugly Truth starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler a couple of nights ago, and I loved it.

Gerard Butler's character, Mike Chadway, was crass and a bit of a pervert, but when Katherine Heigl's character fell in love with him, I wasn't surprised. In fact, despite the presence of a prettier and more, shall we say, polished male lead, I was rooting for Mike Chadway the whole time.

When the movie ended, I sat up and wondered, "How the hell did The Ugly Truth make me start rooting for someone like Mike Chadway?"

I couldn't believe it, especially since his rival (in the movie) looked like this:

Isn't he pretty?

For me, Mike Chadway was a different kind of romantic hero. He's not the kind of guy you'll fall in love with at first sight, but stick around and you'll surely love him.

In a movie where I was already expecting a happy ending, it was a breath of fresh air.

Romance, as a genre, is already a bit predictable. The readers (or audience) already expect a happy ending. The challenge is how to make it new, and to search for that kind of hero who's not too perfect but just right.

Like Mike Chadway, for example.

I've been asking myself the past couple of days how I could make my heroes refreshing. It seems like it's all been done before. There was even an article about the different hero archetypes (the alpha, the bad boy, the lost soul, etc).

What about you? How can you come up with a new kind of romantic hero?

Helping With Words

2010-04-09T20:03:00.000+08:00

In high school, my classmates used to call me the "walking dictionary." Every time they didn't know what a word meant, they asked me.

So, as a result, I've always been smug about my vocabulary. Well, that is until I stumbled on www.freerice.com.

The premise of the website is that they give you a word, and you have to pick the correct definition from three choices. Each time you get a right answer, a company or organization sponsors ten grains of rice through the World Food Programme.

Sounds simple, right?

Well, not exactly. The game completely annihilated me.

The first word you have to define is always easy, but they get harder with each level. Here are some of the insane words I encountered:

Appel - stomp.

Bahuvrihi - compound noun.

Balister - a crossbow.

Curtilage - enclosed area of land adjacent to a dwelling house.

Gadwall - a duck.

Pantofles - slippers.

Seel - to sew up the eyes.

Soave - white Italian wine.

Subvene - support monetarily.

Tsuris - an effort that is inconvenient or trouble.

I've been speaking English my whole life, but being faced with these words reminded me that I don't know everything about the language. It is always evolving, and, as writers, we must evolve with it.

Have you encountered these words? Will you ever use them in your writing?

The Brilliance that is Harry Potter

2010-04-07T21:42:00.001+08:00

Harry Potter illuminated my world as a kid, mostly during elementary school right after my parents split up. It provided me an escape filled with people more miserable than me who had the means to solve their problems (magic and Hogwarts, dude!).

I memorized all the spells and even made my own wand from a barbecue stick (okay, somewhat embarrassing, maybe I should delete that part).

Wow. I just realized I was totally obsessed with Harry Potter.

But, anyway, the bottom line is that the Harry Potter series made me feel good about being a kid again, despite my problems and feelings of loneliness at the time.

The series even led me to become friends with other Harry Potter fanatics, most of which are still my friends until now (I was nine when I started reading the series and I'm about to turn nineteen).

When I finished reading the seventh and final book in the series, I felt like I lost a friend. I mean, like a billion other kids, I grew up with Harry Potter. I waited in line at the bookstore each time the next book came out, and begged my mother and any relative who would listen to buy it for me.

No book has ever made me feel that way. Ever again.

Update 8:15 PM:

I just saw this video on YouTube. It turns out some fans made A Very Potter Musical, and it features this laugh-out-loud feel-good song (gee, I love dashes, don't I?):

Wannabe Writers #1

2010-04-04T16:32:00.000+08:00

Wannabe Writers is a weekly meme hosted by Sarah at Confessions of the Unpublished. I love the idea of the meme, and this is my first time to participate in it.

Where I am in the writing process:

Since I started my yet untitled YA fantasy last March 27, I've reached a word count of 8,167 words out of 40,000-50,000.

My current problems:

I keep wondering if what I'm writing is good enough or if it's total crap. If it's good enough, then I want to keep on going. If it's total crap, I want to delete the whole thing and start over again. But how exactly do I do that? I have no sure way of knowing, so all I can do is keep on adding more words. I can worry about making sense later.

My questions this week: How do you know when you're good enough?

Like I said before, I have no sure way of knowing if I'm good enough. I guess all I can do is ignore my insecurities, and just keep going.

I might not be good enough now, but I have to keep in mind that I will be someday. As long as I keep writing, reading, and living, I'll continue to be a better writer. As long as I learn from my mistakes and forge on, I'm giving myself a chance at success.

Tagged: Fill in the Blanks

2010-04-01T21:19:00.000+08:00

Rebecca from Rebecca Knight: Writer in Progress recently tagged me. I had to complete the following sentences:

I like hot chocolate.

I like Sterling Knight.

I like Taylor Lautner.

I like Sterling Knight and Taylor Lautner. (Okay, I'm cheating here.)

I like watching fantasy flicks.

I like putting a book down with a really goofy I-just-read-an-amazing-book grin on my face.

I like reading blog posts from other writers. Their take on different aspects of the craft are always interesting.

I like blogs with outfit posts.

I like staying up late and reading Scott Westerfeld novels.

I like playing with my dog Ice.

I like walking on cracks just to prove I won't break my mother's back. (I'm kind of crazy that way)

I like doodling on my notebooks while pretending to listen to my teachers.

I love John Hughes' movies, and colorful shirts.

Today was a relaxing day spent reading The Secret Hour.

I hate snooty people who think they're always right.

I hate Jamie Kennedy. I don't know why. I just find him really, really annoying.

I hate rainy days with nothing good to read.

I hate mullets.

I hate being interrupted while reading a really, really good book.

I hate people who judge someone before they get to know them.

I hate giving speeches in front of people.

I hate chores. Yeah.

I (secretly) like Avril Lavigne's songs. They're so catchy. Don't tell anyone.

I love being swallowed up in the world of my current work-in-progress.

According to the rules, I have tag three people. So, I'm tagging you, you, and you. Hahahaha.

The Deal With White Space

2010-03-28T18:50:00.001+08:00

My current work-in-progress has taught me a lot about white space.

I took a lot at some of my finished manuscripts, and I couldn't help but cringe. Words upon words were stuffed into single pages without room to breath (figuratively speaking).

They looked so intimidating, and they made me want to find something else to read.

White space makes a manuscript look more friendly and approachable. It might add more to your overall page count but it's actually worth it. More pages with fewer words are easier to read from a psychological point of view compared to a lot of words in a few pages.

Meg Cabot once said on her blog that readers will thank you for plenty of white space by buying your books. I think she's right.

Imagine a paragraph that looks like this:

Blah. Blah. I'm going to keep on talking so this paragraph will look really long. Blah. Blah. Blah. So, is it long enough yet? I guess not. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. So, yeah, I'll keep on typing. Is this paragraph annoying yet? If it is, then good. I'm trying to make a point. Haha. Okay, I'm babbling. I'll shut up now. Back to regular programming. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Taylor Lautner is so hot. I just had to put that in here. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Is this paragraph suffocating you? Not yet? I'll keep on going then. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Get my point? See how daunting that paragraph is? Aren't your fingers just itching to press the enter button? I know I am.

What's the Big Idea?

2010-03-27T10:53:00.001+08:00

I have this idea for a YA fantasy...

...and it scares the crap out of me.

I don't know if it's just me or if this has happened to other writers, but I like my idea A LOT. I feel like this idea can bring my writing to a whole new level and push me out of my comfort zone.

It's in a setting I'm familiar with and a ton of characters I can't wait to get to know. Also, this is the most important aspect for me, it's all about Filipinos. Yeah! I love my culture and I guess I've been writing about other nationalities way too much. Since it's set in my native country and features the people I love, I think this story--whatever it'll turn out to be--is going to have more heart.

That's why I'm scared of writing it. I don't want to screw it up.

I guess I don't have enough faith in myself as a writer YET (I'm trying to be positive by thinking of yet as the operative word). So, to convince myself that I can handle my BIG IDEA and hopefully to convince other writers as well, I made this list:

Remind yourself that you're a fabulous writer.
You are! Just believe it. :)

Remind yourself why you HAVE and LOVE to write.
Why do you write? It's not likely that you'll get rich by writing (only a few have manage to do that) but you love it anyway. So, profit is definitely not your main motivation. You want to be heard and the only way to achieve that is by...

Just start that novel/short story/whatever the hell it is already!
Just type the first sentence that comes into your mind. You can always change it later. What's important is that you've started. Now, all you have to do is finish it.

What about you? Have you ever been intimidated by A BIG IDEA?

Finally!

2010-03-25T22:13:00.000+08:00

I finally finished revising Manuscript #4. It's a good thing that I didn't delete it when I felt the urge to do so. I hated it with a burning passion a couple of weeks ago. Now, I actually kind of like the outcome.

I think that's the cool thing about the revision process. I don't know about other writers but I only tackle my rough drafts about three weeks after I finish them. That way it feels like the whole thing was written by someone else. I feel like I'm settling into the story and meeting my characters all over again. I can spot the flaws (typos, OOCs, etc) better and view the whole thing with a critical eye.

Not to toot my own horn or anything but...

I was entertained when I read Manuscript #4. A lot.

*Insert big grin right here.*

So, I sent it off to my publisher a couple of minutes ago. I hope it gets approved. *Crosses fingers.*

The Magic of John Hughes

2010-03-24T18:06:00.001+08:00

I've been watching a lot of John Hughes movies like Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, and The Breakfast Club lately. Sixteen Candles is next on the list.

I think John Hughes completely ruined teen movies for me.

Don't get me wrong. His movies are amazing. The characters resemble people I go to school with, and I can relate to their experiences. Also, the dialogue in his movies sound so real.

But maybe his movies are too amazing.

I used to think that 10 Things I Hate About You was completely brilliant, but it doesn't even compare to Pretty in Pink. Ditto for Get Over It. I saw that movie when I was about twelve or thirteen and I thought it was the best movie ever.

I've come to realize that the teen movies that have been coming out lately don't reach the standard that John Hughes' movies set. They're too clichéd, and the twists and added special effects don't make them any better. I mean, where's the witty dialogue and the geeky boy we could all fall for?

In Ten Words #1

2010-03-22T22:44:00.000+08:00

Public Transportation in Ten Words:

Getting stuck in public transportation with someone who has B.O.

Book Review: Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James

2010-03-19T18:55:00.000+08:00

Summary (Source: www.juliejamesbooks.com):

WHEN IT COMES TO THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION . . .
Payton Kendall and J.D. Jameson are lawyers who know the meaning of objection. A feminist to the bone, Payton has fought hard to succeed in a profession dominated by men. Born wealthy, privileged, and cocky, J.D. has fought hard to ignore her. Face to face, they’re perfectly civil. They have to be. For eight years they’ve kept a safe distance and tolerated each other as co-workers for one reason only: to make partner at the firm.
. . . THERE ARE NO RULES.
But all bets are off when they’re asked to join forces on a major case. At first apprehensive, they begin to appreciate each other’s dedication to the law—and the sparks between them quickly turn into attraction. But the increasingly hot connection doesn’t last long when they discover that only one of them will be named partner. Now it’s an all out war. And the battle between the sexes is bound to make these lawyers hot under the collar . . .

What I Think (The Reader Me):

Lately, I've been so busy that I end up putting a lot of books down. It's not that I don't like the said books. It's just that they didn't really catch my attention, and I ended up thinking that I had better things to do.

Practice Makes Perfect is definitely not one of those books.

I couldn't put it down. It made me laugh out loud and I cared about the characters' relationship. The sexual tension between Payton and J.D. just sizzled and made them leap out of the pages. They hate each other on the surface but the readers knows that there's a lot more going on underneath.

This was also a battle-of-the-sexes kind of book. Payton and J.D. are both after the same thing and only one of them can get it. Payton is strong and sassy without being annoying. J.D. is also very masculine without being a chauvinist. The characters are just right. I think Julie James resolved the conflict between them in the end quite nicely. She didn't cop-out and the ending was just right, albeit a bit predictable.

What I Think (The Writer Me):

I learned a lot about creating sexual tension from this book. Julie James is a master at it. My spine was already tingling and the characters hadn't even kissed yet. That's saying a lot.

The book also kind of reminded me of a movie, something along the lines of The Proposal or Laws of Attraction (except a whole lot better). I visited Julie James's website and learned that she wrote scripts before she started writing novels, so I guess that explains the whole movie-ish feeling.

Obsessive-compulsive freak that I am, I also checked out her blog. I saw her post on who she'd cast as Payton and J.D. She said that she pictured someone like Sarah Michelle Gellar as Payton and Ryan Reynolds as J.D. I completely agree with her choices.

I Loathe You

2010-03-17T21:35:00.000+08:00

I'm really, really tired at the moment.

I had two exams today--Ethics and Afro-Asian Literature--and I had to answer nearly twenty essay questions. My brain has literally been drained.

Anyway, I'm still revising Manuscript #4. I planned on submitting it to my publisher on the nineteenth, but I'm having doubts.

I completely hate it.

I don't know if it's the book itself or if the revision process is taking its toll on me. I want to delete every word. Better yet, I just want to delete the whole thing to make it go away. I don't know. Maybe I'll feel better about it or like it a little more in the next couple of days. At the moment, though, I just want it to disappear.

Manuscript #5 update:

3547 / 20000 words. 18% done!

Research-Friendly

2010-03-14T13:27:00.000+08:00

Most writers are either plotters (use outlines) or pantsers. I'm actually somewhere in between. When I'm not sure I can sell a project, I take my time with it and just let the characters take me where they want to go. When I want to set a deadline for a writing project, I use outlines.

And that's what this post is about.

Usually, I don't have a specific location for my work-in-progress. As a result, outlines are harder to compose. I have no idea where the characters are supposed to go or what they're going to do next. It's up to me to come up with ideas for the plot.

For my current work-in-progress, I decided to try something new. I've been trying to integrate research into my fiction for a while now, and this is the first time that I'm really going to give it a short. My current manuscript is set in Tagaytay. I've been there before but that was nearly five years ago. I don't remember much anymore.

I've discovered that research actually makes coming up with an outline easier. While jumping from one website to another, I've discovered a lot of places. For example, there are a lot of tourist spots that can serve as romantic backdrops. I also learned that horseback riding is a popular activity for tourists in Tagaytay, and there are also cool ecotrails. These are things that my hero and heroine can do together while they're getting to know each other or--more accurately--falling in love. My research materials are giving me tons of ideas for scenes. I've become a big fan of research.

However, all this research scares me. Information on the Internet can be unreliable. Therefore, I have to verify information by checking out various sources. Also, including all that information into my manuscript is also a risk for me. What if I get something wrong like the name and feel of a place or the culture of the people?

When doubts like that start creeping up on me, I tell myself to breathe and that I'm working on the rough draft. The revision process will give me a chance to edit and correct everything later.

What about you? From your point of view, does research really help move the plot forward?

On a different note, I finished Manuscript #4 yesterday. I'll start editing some time soon. :)

20041 / 20041 words. 100% done!

MS #3

2010-03-11T21:12:00.000+08:00

Yay!

I got news yesterday that my third manuscript, tentatively titled His Saving Grace, has been accepted for publication. :) Unfortunately, I had to restrain myself upon hearing the news because I was at school. I had a big smile on my face the whole day. I only told two friends, and they can't wait to read it. Thanks, guys.

Anyway, I have to keep this short since I have a European Literature exam tomorrow. I haven't even touched my notes yet. The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus will be included in our exam, and it's making my head hurt.

Location, Location

2010-03-10T22:24:00.000+08:00

(Santorini)

Only two more chapters to go and I'll be finished with my current WIP.

I think I'm getting antsy. I really want to move on to something else now. I like my characters and this work-in-progress is really a challenge for me. With my past three romance novellas, the characters started hating each other and then they eventually fell in love. I've never actually written a romance wherein the characters are friends/have a platonic relationship which develops into love. This novella is my first foray into that arena, and I'm not sure if I managed it. At least, I stretched my wings as a writer even in a little way.

My next project will be set in an entirely different location. I'm trying to choose between Santorini and Tagaytay. I want to go to Santorini someday and the research is interesting. However, I love Tagaytay too. I think the story will be more realistic since I've actually been there. Also, the research will be easier.

So, I guess I might pick Tagaytay after all...

Originally, I wanted to set a story in Baguio but a couple of my fellow writers from MSV have used that location in some of their recent books. I guess I want to take my readers somewhere new.

500 Words A Day

2010-03-08T20:07:00.000+08:00

I've signed up for Inkygirl's 500 Words A Day Challenge. I think 500 words a day is a nice pace for me. The cool thing about it is that those 500 words don't have to be in my current WIP. I can even count the words in this blog post and add them to my total. The important thing is that you get those 500 words done. The only catch is if you write more than 500 words today, those extra words don't count for the next day.

According to Inkygirl, here are the rules:

Try to write 500 words a day, at least six days a week.

As long as you are sincerely and consistently TRYING to write 1000 words a day, then you can post the badge on your blog or website. If life occasionally gets in the way, that’s ok — as long as you promise yourself to get back on the wagon as soon as you can. If you sometimes don’t reach 500 words, that’s also ok — but try again the next day.

The badge has to link back to the 500 Words A Day Challenge page.

What about you? Have you joined any writing challenges lately? What do you think about them in general? Are they helpful?

Scary, Creepy Research

2010-03-06T23:14:00.001+08:00

(image from deviantart.com)

Research scares me.

I'm not saying that as a student but as a writer. I'm ashamed to admit this, but I've never written anything that forced me to come out of my comfort zone. I choose settings I'm already familiar with, and populate my work with the kind of people I usually hang out with. I never bothered to figure out how someone truly different from me ticks. Yes, I write in two languages, but, if you translate my work, you'll realize I still write the same kind of thing.

I've decided to remedy the situation.

I'm going to stretch my wings.

Really.

Lately, a story has been calling out to me. It's demanding to be set in Santorini, Greece, a place I've never even stepped foot on. I know nothing about the culture and the people there. Nada. Zero. Zilch. That's what scares me. What if I get something wrong? What if I place this particular inn here and it's located three streets away? What if one of my characters who supposedly grew up in the place breaks one of its most well-known traditions?

I think it's very arrogant of me to try writing about a place I've never set foot on, but I'm going to try anyway.

I'm going to forget all my fears and write about Santorini. Maybe I'll get to go there someday. In the meantime, pictures from the Internet will have to do.

The Curse of Being Nearsighted

2010-03-04T21:24:00.001+08:00

Writers are supposed to be more observant than “average” people, or at least they’re expected to be.

The thing is… I’m not observant at all. I don’t notice little details like the hole in my Debate professor’s shirt, the white hairs on my twenty-year-old classmate’s head, or the prints on the cafeteria lady’s blouse. I don’t notice stuff like that. I can make them up, but usually with great difficulty.

These little details make a piece of writing come alive. They suck the reader in and make him forget that he’s reading. They form pictures and create a stronger impression in the reader’s mind.

It’s hard admitting this but description is my greatest weakness as a writer. I blame it on my myopic eyes (I don’t wear glasses—it’s a nerd thing), but I sound like I’m making excuses for my lame observation skills.

Lately, I’ve been trying to remedy it. I try to add little details to my work. I hope to see some improvement soon. I also intend to wear my glasses everyday as soon as I get new ones. I’m convinced that there are a lot of interesting details in the world that can help my writing shine. I just have to see them.

WIP Update:

9004 / 21000 words. 43% done!

Through My Myopic Eyes

2010-03-03T22:34:00.000+08:00

I've been jumping from one writer's blog to another lately. Some of them were funny, some were serious, while all were definitely inspiring in one way or another. Aside from getting published, most of their entries tackled different elements in writing like plot, characters, settings, and a ton of other issues involving writing.

I just started my blog, and I'm simply flailing around. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. I haven't found my own "blogging" voice yet. Also, I have no idea what I want to say.

All I know is that I want to write about writing.

That's it.

But how?

And will anyone even bother to listen to me?

My questions scare and excite me at the same time.

In the meantime, here's the prologue of my current WIP. I want to know what you think. It's only a rough draft, so please be kind. :)

Prologue

Through my myopic eyes, the world looks like a painting. The sky is a gigantic blue smudge with white cottony clouds. Do you remember that game kids play when they try to find things in the clouds? You know, they point out a particular cloud that looks like an elephant or maybe a pig or a cartoon character.

I do that a lot. I lie on the grass, take off my glasses, and stare at the clouds. The clouds stare back at me, and I blink a couple of times. Things are more interesting when I don't do that, when I don't have my glasses on and everything is a bit blurry and beautiful at the same time. I can feel the wind on my face, and my arms are tickled by blades of grass. The whole field is silent and I end up wishing I could hear crickets instead of the sound of my own breathing.

As I stare up at the sky, I realize that this is my favorite time of the day. The afternoon is ending. The sun isn't too bright and hot, but its still warm and the breeze is cool. Just perfect.

The clouds end up looking like cotton candy, and I just want to break off a piece and start chewing. I sometimes ask myself what flavor the clouds would be since they're white. I can't really think of anything that fits, so I just settle with vanilla. Vanilla cotton candy. That sounds nice.

The trees are the best part. When I don't have my glasses and am practically as blind as a bat, trees that are usually ordinary-looking end up looking like something from a fantasy world. They look like various shades of watercolor green dabbed into a canvas, darkly beautiful and more detailed than anything else. The leaves aren't individual leaves. They all end up looking like a part of a whole. When they start swaying to the wind, it becomes a fantastic view, like a painting come to life.

Sometimes, when I get lucky, I see trees with flowers on them, usually red or yellow. When I was a kid, I made up a story about them, the trees with flowers. I imagined that if a flower fell from one of the trees, you could make a wish and it'd come true in three days. It was stupid, but I was only five and crazy over Astroboy. I don't really know what the trees with flowers are called, but I think they're still beautiful anyway.

Sometimes, I dream of the trees with flowers, but then I soon hear a splash. My dream turns out to be a nightmare.

The Write Way

2010-03-02T22:03:00.000+08:00

I want to write about writing, but I really don't know where to start. What can I say that hasn't been said by a thousand more gifted writers before me?

I guess I should start at the beginning. I started writing when I was in the third grade. I wrote in a ton of notebooks I bought from the school bookstore. Most of my stories were based on fairy tales. I tried combining some of them, writing something between short stories and novels. I never finished any though. I also started writing in a diary around that time. I used to write stupid details about my day, like how I noticed my crush was eating a grape-flavored Popsicle. My 3rd grade diary is a pretty funny read. For me, at least.

I also read anything I could get my hands on. I started with the Nancy Drew series and moved on to the Hardy Boys. When I reached the fourth grade, I discovered Beverly Clearly and fell in love with her books. Dear, Mr. Henshaw became my favorite. It's about a boy whose parents just got divorced (my parents were getting divorced around the time I discovered the book), and writing helped him cope. It really helped me understand that sometimes two people aren't meant to be together. We can't force them even if they're our parents.

So, this entry has been really interesting for me. It made me think of how I was as a child, and the things I experienced. I mean, every single thing I thought and went through helped shape who I am today.

Totally Crappy Day

2010-03-01T20:31:00.000+08:00

I don't know. This day seemed really weird. I felt betrayed, angry, and everything else in between. I guess I learned something valuable today. Sometimes, you can't trust people even if they think they're your friends. They might not value you in the same way.

About Me

2010-02-28T21:49:00.000+08:00

Well, hello there. I'm Camryn Morrell, a tagalog romance writer from the Philippines. This is my first post. I've maintained a ton of other blogs before but none of them lasted very long. So, this one is my foray into blogging as a "writer." I hope I'll be able to keep this up.

For more information, please check out my website: http://camrynmorrell.inz.cc/

Penname: Camryn Morrell/Laraine Glass

Real Name: Darlyn

I am a college student majoring in Literature. I can’t live without my cell phone (it can‘t go any further than 10 inches away from me), my laptop (I don‘t know how I‘ll survive if it gets broken), the Internet (I‘m a stalker-in-the-making), my friends (they‘re more valuable than my cell phone and lap top put together. Watch as my nose starts to grow longer. LOL), and I really, really can’t survive without books. I can survive without TV and movies (well, maybe just crappy movies), but not books, never books.

Obsessions

Writing, Reading (I can’t breath without a book at least fifteen inches away), Web design, and Asian Dramas.

Favorite Books

Stephen King and Meg Cabot are two of my favorite authors–though I believe the former is leagues ahead of the latter. Stephen King’s book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is my favorite book of all time. Isabel Allende’s Eva Luna is pretty good too. She’s from Latin America, and I was amazed by the similarity between the culture of the Philippines and that of Latin America. I know I shouldn’t be surprised since both areas were colonized by the Spanish, but it’s just amazing since Latin America is halfway across the world.

Let’s not forget the classics. Jane Austen most definitely has to be in this list. Among her works, I like Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Persuasion best. Jane Eyre was also fantastic, and this might sound totally out of place but I also love The Count of Monte Cristo.

Favorite Movies

I like 80’s movies like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, and I’m a sucker for romantic comedies like 27 Dresses, Notting Hill, Clueless, and My Best Friend’s Wedding. Tim Burton movies are also among my favorites, the Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are awesome.

Favorite Bands

I like music by Snow Patrol and Fall Out Boy, and I think Sugar We’re Going Down is pure genius. In the local scene, I like the bands Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, Imago, and Moonstar88. Don’t get me wrong though. I like sappy music as much as the next lovesick teenager. I like practically everything by Taylor Swift and Liz Phair.

Booking Through Thursdays (1)

2009-11-26T19:43:00.000+08:00

What books and authors are you particularly thankful for this year?

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog - There are very few books that can make me cry, and this one wrenched tears out of me. I know, that sounds completely cheesy. Haha. The ending of this book was just heartbreaking yet fitting at the same time.

Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan - This book tells the story of four single black women in the 90s, and I enjoyed reading every page. All the characters were so real, and you couldn't help but relate to one of the women at one time or another.

“The ones that are good for us, we find dull and boring, and then we pick the assholes, the ones who won’t cooperate, the ones who offer us the most challenge and get our blood flowing and shit. Those are the m********kers we fall in love with.”
- Waiting to Exhale, pg 324.

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti - This YA book just reached out to me. It's told from the points-of-view of two different characters (male and female), and I simply connected to both of them. This is the first YA novel without fantasy elements that I thoroughly enjoyed.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch - This novel (which was also made into a movie) was simply beautiful. The prose is a lot like poetry and it conjures up beautiful images in the mind of the reader. The characters are also gripping and real. This is one book I'll read over and over.

"In a perverse way, I was glad for the stitches, glad it would show, that there would be scars. What was the point in just being hurt on the inside? It should bloody well show."
— Janet Fitch (White Oleander)

What books are you thankful for this year? :)

Waiting on Wednesday: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

2009-11-25T20:56:00.000+08:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: July 2010

Continues the story of the wolves of Mercy Falls. . .

It's about after. What happens after you discover there are werewolves in the wood, after you've fallen in love for the first time, after you've lost what you think you can't live without, after you've become someone you can't live with.

I'm currently reading Shiver, and I absolutely love it. I know I shouldn't read the summary for Linger because it'll spoil the ending for Shiver, but I couldn't help myself. LOL. I can't wait to read the sequel. I hope it won't disappoint. :)

2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

2009-11-24T10:18:00.000+08:00

Ack! I'm joining my first ever reading challenge which is hosted by J. Kaye. I decided to go with The Mini YA Reading Challenge (12 YA novels), since this is the first time I'm doing something like this.

If you're interested, here are the guidelines:

1. Audio, eBooks, paper all count.
2. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
3. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

The Sign Up Page

There are so many interesting YA books out. I'm sure picking out twelve books to read won't be difficult. :)

Review: Swoon by Nina Malkin

2009-11-22T15:47:00.000+08:00

Swoon by Nina Malkin

Release Date: 2009

Summary:

Sin is coming... Prepare to Swoon.

Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing ever happens in Swoon, Connecticut...until Dice's perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree, and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge. And while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She's intensely drawn to him—but not at all crazy about the havoc he's wreaking. Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent—and irresistible—adversary, before the whole town succumbs to Sin's will. Only trouble is, she's in love with him. What do you do when the boy of your dreams is too bad to be true?

Review:

I started reading Swoon thinking that I was going to be entertained. I was completely wrong. Not only did it entertain me, it completely blew me away. My first reaction was: OMG! Is this still YA?!?!?! I mean, I've never read anything remotely like it before.

The characters all deviate from the standard YA molds they're supposed to fit into. First of all, Sin, the male protagonist, defines bad. Imagine a delicious-looking teenage boy driving a sleepy town mad with lust. That's how charismatic (I don't think that's the right word) he is. I mean, I've read about characters who are supposed to be bad before. Basically, they were just the Backstreet Boys with eyeliner and dark clothes, but Sin is different.

Dice, the protagonist, is also quite different from other YA heroines. She knows she's different and she embraces it. I've seen the I'm-different-so-I-want-to-fit-in act so many times that Dice was like a breath of fresh air.

The other characters were quite well-developed. There wasn't a character that was just plopped in. Every single character helped move the plot forward, and that's why I like Swoon so much. The plot was also unpredictable. Every time you think you know what's going to happen next, the author swoops down and totally surprises you.

Basically, Swoon is different from all the other YA novels I've read, but in a totally good way. From the plot to the writer's voice, it was just so fresh and different.

However, I don't think Swoon should be read by younger readers, since Swoon is more sensual than the typical YA novel. Also, I did like the writing voice but it got a little confusing at times. I know the author tried to convey how typical teens talk, but it didn't make sense in some scenes.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

Thinking Friday: The New Moon Effect

2009-11-20T23:31:00.000+08:00

Since everyone has been so excited about the premiere of New Moon, I decided to do a post on it and introduce a feature as well. So, here's my idea: Thinking Friday. Basically, I'll talk about a YA book-related topic and expound my thoughts on it. I really want to know what you think about my feature. It's okay if you want to swipe it as long as you link back to me. :)

So, on to the post and discussion.

Since Stephenie Meyer spawned Twilight and the three other books that followed, there have been a ton of mixed reactions. People either hate the Twilight series with a burning passion or are completely obsessed with it. It made me wonder. What is it about the Twilight series that arouses such passionate (cough. violent. cough) reactions in people?

I think it's mainly the plot and the characters. Bella is a teenage girl who doesn't think she's good-looking, but the male population seems to disagree with her. I mean, duh, three mortal boys, a vampire, a werewolf and possibly other creatures all want to be with her. She's practically living every teenage girl's dream. She moves to a new town, becomes totally popular, and snags the perfect boyfriend. The only problem is he's a vampire, but who cares about that, right?

Wrong.

Most people (cough. feminists. cough) want a heroine who's strong and doesn't need a guy in order to breathe. Bella can physically breathe without Edward but she NEEDS him. He's like the Yin to her Yang. Can't you people see that? *Insert hysterical laughter here. Gawd, I don't even know what I'm talking about.*

I agree that heroines of today need to be strong positive examples for teenage girls, but let's get real here. I'm not saying females are the weaker sex but girls do give up a lot to be with guys. Sometimes, we even put our lives on hold just for them. We choose them over our friends, and, if we convince ourselves that we really love him, we even change for him. I know, the facts sound really crappy. I guess the bottom line is: Girls can relate to the things Bella's going through, despite all the fantasy elements in the Twilight series.

Oh-kay. I know I'm going to get pelted with tomatoes for what I said, but listen to me first. I just want to share something a very wise friend of mine told me: Only make a fool of yourself for a guy who's willing to make a fool of himself for you. I know it sounds insane, but, when you get the gist, it's actually good advice.

Now, let's move on to the 6 things I'm really looking forward to in New Moon, namely Jacob's abs (Why do I feel like a pedophile whenever I drool over him? LOL):

Review: When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

2009-11-19T18:09:00.000+08:00

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

Release Date: 2008

Summary:

At the start of senior year, Sara wants two things: to get into her first-choice college and to find true love. Tobey also wants two things: to win Battle of the Bands and to make Sara fall in love with him.

Dave, the boy Sara was hoping would realize she exists, moves in on Sara first. But Tobey is impossible for Sara to ignore. He gets the little things that matter to her and, most importantly, he feels like something real. Can a slacker rock star wannabe win the heart of a pretty class brain like Sara?

Hilariously and movingly told through Tobey's and Sara's authentic voices, Susane Colasanti's debut novel sizzles in its portrayal of two teens searching for the one.

Reviews:

From page one, this novel just felt real to me. Yes, the story is far from original, but Susane Colasanti managed to make something old into something completely unique. Also, I thought the characters were stereotyped--like the hot nerd, the ignorant jock, or the diamond-in-the-rough slacker--but Colasanti managed to breathe life into them. By the first chapter, I felt like I was reading about real people my age, and I liked it.

When It Happens is told from the two different point-of-views of the main characters, Sara and Tobey. Sara is your typical nerd who just wants to fit in, but there are little details about her that set her apart from the rest of the nerdy pack in YA novels.

And Tobey? How do I even begin to describe him? Well, let me start off by saying I want my own Tobey. On the surface, he's a slacker who dreams of being a rock star. Yes, I know it sounds completely clichéd but Colasanti's writing made him real for me. He's just like any other teenage boy who thinks about sex 99.5 % of the time, but he's also looking for something real, something that's going to last.

The only thing I didn't like about this novel was that Tobey and Sara both kept going on and on about their special "connection" and how they just clicked. They said it so many times it almost got stuck in my head. They didn't have to do that, though. Readers can see their connection. The author didn't have to remind us every five minutes or so. Doing that made their so-called connection seem fake.

And the ending? I love where the author left the characters. It felt like all the pieces of the puzzle were about to fall into the right place.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

2009-11-18T22:51:00.000+08:00

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Release Date: 2009

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Review:

I can only think of one word to describe Hush, Hush: Sizzle.

It sizzled with mystery, romance, and, last but not the least, Patch. I think it's safe to assume he's the fallen angel on the spectacular cover. Also, it's quite safe to state that he's ten times sexier than Edward Cullen.

Okay, I have to stop gushing about Patch and get to the review. This book gripped me as soon as I started reading. When you finish the prologue, you already have a ton of questions in your head. It also has everything I look for in a novel. A super-hot hero? Check! A mystery that sucks you in? Check! An ending that answers most questions yet leaves you wanting more? Check!

And the heroine? I'm not so sure about Nora Grey yet. She's supposed to be this brilliant straight-A student, but some of her choices seemed rather, well, stupid. But I guess that's the whole point of being a damsel in distress. If you're not in trouble, then the hot fallen angel won't be able to rescue you.

Speaking of the hot fallen angel, I like how the relationship between Patch and Nora developed. We really see how they begin to like each other. It didn't feel forced or rushed.

As much as I liked Hush, Hush, there was one thing that irked me about it until I wanted to hurl it against the wall, namely Nora's best friend Vee Sky. How do I even begin to describe her? She pissed me off practically every time she showed up. She's self-centered and cares more about hot guys than her best friend. There's a scene in the book where Nora gets harassed by a guy, and it feels like Vee takes the guy's side. I wanted to slap her. I mean, if somebody harassed me, my best friend would go ape on his ass in a minimum of five seconds.

Also, I don't think the blurb on the back cover really captured the essence of the book. Hush, Hush is a great book, but the back cover sets the readers up for different expectations. It makes you think that the book is about a battle between immortals and the fallen when the focus is really on Patch and Nora.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Extra Thoughts:
Is it just me or does Hush, Hush need to be made into a movie? I swear, some Hollywood producer needs to snag the movie rights soon.

Review: Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

2009-11-17T17:31:00.000+08:00

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog
Release Date: 2009
Summary:
Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future.

Review:
I know I'm probably going to get pelted with tomatoes for what I'm about to say (or type?), but I have to be honest. I wasn't sucked in the first time I read the premise of Fairy Tale. Yes, it's very unique and fresh and all that other jazz, but only one thought formed in my mind.

I thought the premise was very, very gay. I mean, come on, a football player who discovers he's a fairy prince. Uh-huh. Originally, I thought, "This Cam kid is so going to get beaten up once his friends find out."

But I was wrong. Fairy Tale managed to change my mind by page 2. The book was like a breath of fresh air. The writing is snappy and there's nary a dull moment in the entire book. Even with all its fantasy elements, teenage readers, I for one, couldn't help but relate to it. The book reminds us what a roller coaster ride being a teenager can be, and that we can never tell what the future has in store for us.

Let me start by saying that Morgan, the protagonist, isn't another Bella Swan. Imagine expecting to spend the rest of your life with that person you consider your soul mate, and finding out that he's about to leave you forever. Yes, I know, heart-wrenchingly sad, right? Morgan manages to cope with all this, and doesn't only think about herself. She can still see, cheesy as it may sound, the light at the end of the tunnel.

I wasn't that impressed with the supporting characters though. They all fit into tiny molds, and lack the details that make them real for readers. Cam is the perfect boyfriend while Pip, the boy from the fairy world called Otherworld, is the freaky nerd.

There were also moments in the book, especially near the end, where the events felt rushed and a little out of place. Also, there are time when the characters' actions seem a little implausible.

And the ending?

I still haven't figured out whether I like it or not, but it does seem appropriate. When you close the book, you feel satisfied with how the author left the characters.

Overall, I give this book an 8.5.

Quote from the Book:
"We've been together since forever. He might be able to go on without me," I sob, "but I know I can't do it. I can't be without him. He says I'm brave, but the truth is, I'm not. Without him, I'm not."
- Morgan from Fairy Tale

Again, I'm probably going to get pelted with tomatoes for choosing this quote. It makes Morgan look weak, but this quote just tugged at my heartstrings. If you're a girl and you've lost someone you loved so much, then you might get my point.

In My Mailbox (1)

2009-11-16T19:21:00.000+08:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, and this is the first time my blog is participating in something like this. Yay, so excited. So, let's get started.

Borrowed:
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm.

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.

Bought:
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns . . .

Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.

Or not.

Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from the crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to—perhaps most dangerously of all—her growing attraction to a handsome art student . . . an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
In 1937, Shanghai is the Paris of Asia, full of great wealth and glamour, home to millionaires and beggars, gangsters and gamblers, patriots and revolutionaries, artists and warlords. Twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister May are having the time of their lives, thanks to the financial security and material comforts provided by their father’s prosperous rickshaw business. Though both wave off authority and traditions, they couldn’t be more different. Pearl is a Dragon sign, strong and stubborn, while May is a true Sheep, adorable and placid. Both are beautiful, modern, and living the carefree life ... until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth, and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides.

As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them through the villages of south China, in and out of the clutch of brutal soldiers, and across the Pacific to the foreign shores of America. In Los Angeles, they begin a fresh chapter, trying to find love with their stranger husbands, brushing against the seduction of Hollywood, and striving to embrace American life, even as they fight against discrimination, brave Communist witch hunts, and find themselves hemmed in by Chinatown’s old ways and rules.

At its heart, Shanghai Girls is a story of sisters: Pearl and May are inseparable best friends, who share hopes, dreams, and a deep connection. But like sisters everywhere, they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. They love each other but they also know exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other sister the most. Along the way there are terrible sacrifices, impossible choices and one devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel by Lisa See hold fast to who they are – Shanghai girls.

Splendor: A Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen
A spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.

Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty—but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.

In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York's most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city's oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: Will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?

I can't wait to start reading them (right after I finish Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman). What did you get?

Review: Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

2009-11-15T19:31:00.000+08:00

Release Date: 2002
Summary:
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her psychiatrist, a dead-ringer for Santa and a lunatic in the bargain. Suddenly, at age twelve, Augusten Burroughs found himself living in a dilapidated Victorian in perfect squalor. The doctor's bizarre family, a few patients, and a pedophile living in the backyard shed completed the tableau. Here, there were no rules, there was no school. The Christmas tree stayed up until summer, and Valium was eaten like Pez. And when things got dull, there was always the vintage electroshock therapy machine under the stairs... RUNNING WITH SCISSORS is at turns foul and harrowing, compelling and maniacally funny. But above all, it chronicles an ordinary boy's survival under the most extraordinary circumstances.

Review:
If you have anything against homosexuals, oral sex, smokers, drugs, and shrinks, then this book clearly isn't for you.

Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, let me start by saying this book was totally hilarious. I don't mean hilarious in the I-giggled-mildly-sense but in the I-was-chortling-so-loud-by-myself-people-started-to-think-I-was-insane way.

First of all, Augusten Burrough's personality just shines through the pages. You can see his transformation from a boy who loves all things shiny into a I-want-to-be-a-professional-cosmetologist teenager. You can't help but feel sorry for him due to all the horrible things he's going through. First of all, his father doesn't want him, his mother is gradually going insane, and she gave him away to her shrink (who might be crazier than his mother). However, you sort of want to stick around and read about his hilarious adventures.

We can also see his growing relationships with the members of the Finch family, Dr. Finch (who told him to OD so he could get out of school), Hope (who killed her own cat), and Natalie (the person who introduced him to the shock therapy machine). They all sort of blend together to form a family that defines dysfunctional.

Although the book is pretty funny throughout, it can get pretty depressing at times. There's a darkness somewhere underneath all that humor. It tells us that life can be really hard, and that a person can only take so much. The book also asks the ultimate question: Is blood really thicker than water? Also, the book features one of literature's oldest themes: What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.

Augusten Burroughs has also developed a writing style that is truly his. For some reason, his writing style reminds me of peanut butter, the thick rich kind without peanut bits.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I don't think it's for the faint of heart. If you want to read something that makes you feel all fuzzy inside, then Running With Scissors isn't for you.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

2009-11-15T17:10:00.000+08:00

Release Date: 2005
Summary:
Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets:

Secrets from her mother:
I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur.
Sammy the goldfish in my parents’ kitchen is not the same goldfish that Mum gave me to look after when she and Dad were in Egypt.

Secrets from her boyfriend:
I weigh one hundred and twenty-eight pounds. Not one eighteen, like Connor thinks.
I’ve always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken.

From her colleagues:
When Artemis really annoys me, I feed her plant orange juice. (Which is pretty much every day.) It was me who jammed the copier that time. In fact, all the times.

Secrets she wouldn’t share with anyone in the world:
My G-string is hurting me.
I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is.

Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.

But come Monday morning, Emma’s office is abuzz about the arrival of Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO. Suddenly Emma is face-to-face with the stranger from
the plane, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her. Things couldn’t possibly get worse—Until they do.

Review:
First of all, I was really excited to get my hands on this book. Sophie Kinsella is like chick lit royalty, and the premise reminded me of Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble (I adore Meg Cabot), and it sounded really interesting. Single twenty-something girl blabs all her secrets to this guy on a plane who turns out to be her boss. Of course, I expect them to fall in love somewhere along the way. Also, I previously read Kinsella's other book Remember Me? (which I completely enjoyed). So, I guess I was setting myself up for disappointment (I really have to stop using parentheses).

Anyway, the book turned out to be pretty fast-paced at the beginning. It just jumps right in the middle of a particularly important event in the life of Emma Corrigan, the heroine. She's representing the company in a deal that could possibly land her a promotion. I won't tell you what happens during the meeting, but let's just say she meets Mr. Deliciously Mysterious Stranger on the plane soon after. That was the part I was looking forward to.

Sophie Kinsella always manages to create these amazing heroes that never fail to make readers swoon. Jack, the hero, is always slightly disheveled, a multimillionaire, and he GETS i.e. understands Emma (well, most of the time anyway).

Okay, I got a little sidetracked. Back to Emma. As a fictional character, Emma is pretty fleshed out. There are a ton of details about her that make her completely human, and the readers' hearts go out to her. However, I can't say the same for the other characters, except Jack maybe although he seems a little to similar to Jon (the hero from Kinsella's Remember Me?). Emma's friends, flatmates, colleagues, and family members didn't come across as real people to me. They were basically paper-thin stereotypes, and they pale in comparison to Emma's details and quirks.

Somehow, I think the book should have ended sooner than it did. It got a little draggy in the end. A lot of things that weren't supposed to happen happened, and I felt like they were just plopped in to make the book a little longer. There were also moments in the book that I think were supposed to make me feel all fuzzy inside, but fell flat.

Overall, I give this book a 7 out of 10. I got a couple of laughs out of it, and I couldn't help but feel for Emma. But that was it. The other characters were fun but they weren't that believable. If you want a light and funny read, then this could be one of your options.