Write Stuff: November 2012

Thursday, November 29, 2012

When Revisions Bite Back

(Side note to plug my ongoing giveaway--have you entered yet?)

Okay, so I've mentioned this here and there, but I'm in the middle of revisions for my WIP An Absence of Light. Aaand it's kicking my trash. To top that off, I just received my first round of edits from my editor for Sary book #2, The Chemistry of Fate. Yay. So, I think I will probably be editing until my fingers fall off. Fun image, right? Writers out there, you totally know what I mean :)

While thinking about this this morning I started making my Plan Of Attack and thought I'd share it here, mainly in hopes of hearing your battle strategies on how to go about handling the mass of revisions that may get handed your way.

1. To start, I read through all the comments I have. This will either be from my beta-readers (I love you guys, you have NO idea!), or my editor (who is fantabulous. Yes, that required using a made-up word--appropriate, yes?). I like to have a sense of everything I need to fix before I start.

2. Make a list of the biggest things that are going to need to be changed. I have a notebook to do this in, or my whiteboard, but it needs to be written down somewhere so that I can check it off at some point. I *live* for that check-mark of "done-ness."

3. Go through the whole thing and fix the minor things, misspelled words, horrible turns-of-phrase, and get a sense of where to start. Sometimes I can't help myself and I start in on one of the bigger changes that needs to happen at this point, thought I should probably wait. This also helps to refresh my memory on all the little plot points and things I may have forgotten since I wrote the thing.

4. Start in on the list. I usually tackle the biggest things first, like deleting a character (I'm so sorry Eddy from my WIP--but you had to go. I will miss you in all your awesome hottness, but you weren't working out). I usually try to stick to one or two major things at a time, get those working, then move on. This way I don't end up with a jumbled mess that can't ever be pulled back together (because I've never done that...no never *whistles and looks around all innocent*).

5. Once the main things are done, I go back through looking for places that are too bare, need a pretty word, or better description. Also, I live in fear of paper-thin characters, so I do my best to ensure they're okay at this point too.

6. One last read through to make sure it all makes sense.

7. Usually another round of beta-reading if I can ~~connive~~ convince them to read it again :) Then start the process all over again.

Oh wow I'm tired just thinking about doing all this right now. Again. Thank heavens I love it!

After Reading: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

By: Meradeth Houston on 7:14 AM

(Little note to say that if you haven't entered my giveaway for a book of your choice, what are you waiting for??)

My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.

All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost - and the ghost saw me.

Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? it's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House...before its skeletons come back to haunt me.

I've been meaning to pick up the Darkest Powers series for quite a while now as it's come very highly recommended, so it was a treat to finally get to read them! I did enjoy this first book in the series, though it took a bit for me to get into it. It wasn't until later in this book that things picked up, which I guess is a factor of it being a series, so that's fine. I did enjoy the concern Chloe experienced at really thinking she might be schizophrenic, as that certainly would freak me out--I kind of wish Armstrong would have played on this more. But, learning the truth about Chloe's abilities was certainly interesting. And Lyle House, um, freaky central! Anyhow, I will look forward to the rest of the series, and hope it picks up with the action that this one ended on!

Have you read this series? Thoughts?

Science Sunday: Where were turkeys domesticated in the first place?

By: Meradeth Houston on 8:56 AM

Welcome back to Science Sundays! First things first: have you entered my giveaway for a book of your choice? Just leave a comment at this post, and enter the rafflecopter! Very simple :)

And if you're looking for a lovely, 5* read for this Sunday afternoon, Colors Like Memories is on sale at my publisher's website--50% off! Worth checking out, right? Still want Amazon? It's on sale there too :) (Why yes, that was a shameless plug for my book, but hey, someone's gotta sell it. And buying a copy earns you oodles of entries in my giveaway!)

Okay, science, back to it!

So, today, as many of us indulge in post-thanksgiving turkey leftovers (I need to learn how to make turkey soup!) I got to thinking about where turkeys come from in the first place. My friend, and professor at the University of Washington, Dr. Brian Kemp, and his co-authors (Camilla Spencer) have done a little ancient DNA research into this very topic, so I thought I'd draw on their article and talk about it here!

For those of you who don't know this, turkeys are birds indigenous to the New World, and according to Spencer, Kemp et al were domesticated at least twice in Native American populations. To figure this all out, they looked at mitochondrial DNA in modern and ancient turkey samples and compared the diversity found there, which allowed for figuring things out much more conclusively than the archaeologists studying this had been able to do.

The first domestication of turkey probably took place in Mexico, where there was a huge civilization center with ongoing agriculture in the form of maize (corn), beans, and many other foods. Seriously, Mexico was the place to be! There is a species of turkey in this region that was domesticated, most likely in south-central Mexico.

The other area where domestication took place was in the Southwest of the US. Here we also see a huge cultural area, with farming and all kinds of massive architecture and cultural centers (this is the area where I did my dissertation research and I adore it here!). It's thought (though not known for sure) that the knowledge of turkey domestication was brought into the area, along with some turkeys, and the people decided that they could exploit native turkeys--the Rio Grande/Eastern breed that comes from this region.

The turkey you may have had on your table this past week came from the Mexican domestication event. The turkeys were brought to Europe in the 16th century, spread around over there for a while, then were brought back in the 18th century. Weird how that happens, right?

If you'd like some more information on this fun topic, definitely check out the link to the article above!

So, what's your favorite turkey leftover?

After Reading: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

By: Meradeth Houston on 7:00 AM

(Okay, quick note to say that you should totally go enter my giveaway! Just need a comment to enter!)

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Writer envy (n): a feeling of longing to be able to write as amazingly as another writer. Often induced by incredible language, word use, world building, and characters that practically leap from the pages and sit next to you, whispering, while you read. AKA: the way I always feel after reading one of Maggie's novels :)

At the risk of sounding all fan-girly (and who am I really kidding, I'm totally a fan-girl here) READ THIS BOOK. Seriously. It's amazing, and just so real. Okay, yes, there's magic, but it's the kind that wraps around you slowly, and makes you think that maybe if you just looked hard enough you'd spot it once you put the book down. And the characters. Sigh. Just so wonderful. I have a major crush on Adam at this point and the way his whole situation was portrayed was so strikingly real and painful that it made me remember so many things it hurt... And Noah, ahh, totally didn't see that coming!

And then there was that last line!

Okay, it's hard to find other things to write about without getting majorly spoilery, so I'm going to leave it at this. Have you read The Raven Boys? However are you going to last until the next one comes out?

Interview with S.S. Hampton Sr. Author of BETTER THAN A RABBIT'S FOOT

By: Meradeth Houston on 8:01 AM

I'm incredibly happy to be joined today by fellow MuseItUp author SS Hampton! He has some incredible stories to share with us all, and it's always a pleasure to host another anthropologist :) Just as a quick reminder, please check out my giveaway (just a comment to enter to win a book of your choice!), and if you are interested in being hosted here on my blog, shoot me an email!

Take it away!

(Q) Thanks for stopping by my blog! Let’s start with the basics: where are you from? Is there any place online you’d like to direct us to learn more about you?

Meradeth, thank you for having me. I’m from Muskogee, Oklahoma. As for knowing more about me, well, there is my Facebook – S Hampton Sr.

(Q) I always love hearing about how the idea for a particular book came about. Please fill us in on how you got the idea for “Better Than a Rabbit’s Foot.”

Serving in the Army National Guard, including being mobilized for Federal active duty away from home followed by an overseas deployment, presented a wealth of opportunities. I had infrequent contact with my children while mobilized and deployed. Because I was one of three Mail Clerks in my company I saw up close the happiness when Soldiers received letters and packages from home, particularly when from wives or girlfriends. I felt a sense of happiness when I received a letter or package from kind strangers who took the time to write “TO AN AMERICAN SOLDIER.” I also thought how much better it would be if I did have a loved one who wrote to me. The mission of the artillery battalion that I and other Soldiers from Nevada and Maine served in as volunteers was a SECFOR mission—security force for supply convoys bound for a variety of camps throughout Iraq. Just about everyone had a lucky charm of one sort or another—I wore a Celtic cross on the chain with my “dog tags,” the little metal ID tags that identify your blood type, or simply to identify you, just in case. So among the many ideas and thoughts developed through my deployment, was the story of a Soldier who discovers his own lucky charm.

(Q) Which authors have most influenced your own writing?

The writers who most influenced me are Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Frederick Forsythe, Jean Larteguy, H.P. Lovecraft, and Robert E. Howard. I appreciate the writings of James Michener and Leon Uris. I am also, surprisingly to me, impressed by Steinbeck and Faulkner.

(Q) What do you do for fun other than writing?

I like to paint, though so far I have not discovered any unique talent for it. One can always hope, though. I like to visit with my grandchildren, and meet with fellow Guard Soldiers for lunch or dinner, and a few drinks. Because I live in Las Vegas, once in awhile I like to go by a casino to gamble less than $5.00—I dislike losing money, and Vegas was built on the money of losers—and have a couple of beers.

(Q) If you could describe your ideal writing spot, where would it be? What music would you listen to (if at all)? What treats would you have on hand?

My ideal writing spot would be a carpeted study and plenty of bookcases for hundreds of reference books, a big wooden desk with everything I need at hand, particularly coffee with French Vanilla Creamer, and a pack of cigarettes (I have been advised to give up cigarettes, but decades long habits are difficult to break). A couple of beers substituted for coffee is okay too. The music I like ranges from Blackmore’s Night to Buddha Lounge to Eric Clapton to Enigma to Lady Gaga. My favorite treat is apples with Kraft Caramels.

(Q) Plotter or pantser? Both? Neither?

It depends. Usually I will plot what I am going to write, but sometimes the writing takes on a life of its own, and the plot goes out the window. Sometimes the change is the result of seeing how the work might be better, other times the change is simply because a shift in direction without knowing how it will impact the overall work feels better. It is kind of like a gut feeling. And when I listen, my gut feelings have never failed me.

(Q) Do you have any new projects that you are working on? Care to share?

Well, I am working on a short story presenting my version of a zombie apocalypse. I also have a Cthulhu-based novella in progress that takes place during World War II. And, there is another novella in progress—a haunted German Tiger tank in North Africa during World War II. Though I enjoy writing in a variety of genres, I tend to lean toward horror and the supernatural, usually combined with a military background.

(Q) What kinds of marketing do you think are the most successful in terms of getting your name/book out there? (Curious minds are taking notes!)

At the moment, the only marketing strategy I use is guest blogging followed by a promotion of one of my works. I do not have any figures that can prove or disprove the success of this avenue. I also bought my first SWAG a couple of months ago, bookmarks, so that the editors from one of my publishers could take them to a writers gathering. I do not know if that resulted in any increase in sales either. I also plan on trying different SWAGs during the coming year. And someday soon—I have been saying this for six months—I will have my own website up and running. Also someday soon, I plan on putting up an Author’s page on Goodreads, and Amazon, among others.

(Q) If you'd like to add anything, please do so.

Well, considering the time of the year, I’d like to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving. To those serving on the far frontiers, stay safe, and when you finally return home, “Welcome Home!”

(Q) How about an excerpt to tantalize the readers?

EXCERPT: “People like a happy ending.”
Sergeant Jerry Stanton, an M4 Carbine slung across his chest, glanced at the dark form that trudged alongside him in the hot, early morning darkness. It was all the darker for the dust storm howling across the small camp, a dusty and sandy convoy support center, CSC, a mile south of the Iraqi border. He placed his hand over the tall styrofoam coffee cup from the messhall that was open at all hours to serve those about to head out on a mission. He felt the itchy dust filtering down his back, along his arms, and coating his fingers.
In spite of his short time deployed to Kuwait, he had learned that dust storms were worse than sand storms; they were hot and itchy while the sand storms stung exposed skin and chilled the air. Breakfast was good but tasted flat, more due to the question of whether their mission would be a go or no-go because of the storm that roared out of the midnight darkness hours before.
“What?”
“People like a happy ending,” the soldier repeated. He was a gunner from another gun truck as the squat, venerable M1114 HMMWVs, which were never meant to be combat vehicles, were called. He held up a rabbit foot that spun frantically in the wind and added, “I like a happy ending. Especially now.” They rounded the corner of a small building, actually a renovated mobile home trailer with a covered wooden porch lit by a bare electric bulb. The gunner pointed to a small black flag, suspended from a log overhang, flapping furiously in the wind.
“Oh shit.” Jerry sighed as a cold chill raced through him.
“It’s been there for an hour or so,” the soldier said as he enclosed the rabbit’s foot within both hands and brought it up to his lips as if to kiss it. He glanced at Jerry. “I’m not superstitious, but still, I mean, there’s nothing wrong with having a lucky charm. You know?”
“Yeah.” Jerry nodded as he watched the twisting flag. “I know.”
The soldier looked once more at the black flag and then walked toward the shower and restroom trailers beyond which were the air-conditioned sleeping tents they called home…

BLURB: Sergeant Jerry Stanton is a young soldier serving in the War in Iraq. He is a gunner on a gun truck nicknamed “Lucky Bear,” one of those tireless workhorses that escort supply convoys from camps in Kuwait to destinations scattered throughout the war-torn country. In the early morning hours before a scheduled mission, a dust storm howls across his camp and threatens to bring convoy operations to a halt. Worse, the camp receives word that a gunner from his company was killed by an IED while on a convoy mission. Unlike most soldiers, Jerry doesn’t carry a lucky charm, but upon receiving news of the death of the gunner, he begins to mull over/ponder the merit/virtue of a good luck charm—only, what would work for him? Perhaps mail call will provide the answer.

A bit about this picture, because it's incredibly cool:
It's taken on the steps of Great Ziggurat of Ur, Sumeria (Tallil AFB, Iraq).
Cool, right?

SS Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a divorced grandfather to 13 grandchildren, and a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle (2004-2006) and Iraqi Freedom (2006-2007). He served in the active duty Army (1974-1985), the Army Individual Reserve (1985-1995) (mobilized for the Persian Gulf War), and enlisted in the Army National Guard in October 2004; he was mobilized for active duty for almost three years after his enlistment. He continues to serve in the Guard, where he holds the rank of staff sergeant. He is a published photographer and photojournalist, an aspiring painter, and is studying for a degree in anthropology—hopefully to someday work in underwater archaeology. He has wanted to be a writer since he was 15 years old; his first short story was published in 1992, after which it wasn’t until 2001 that he had another short story published. His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories, and in anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and as stand-alone stories in Horror Bound Magazine, Ruthie’s Club, Lucrezia Magazine, The Harrow, and River Walk Journal, among others. As of December 2011, he became the latest homeless Iraq war veteran in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Thankfulness Giveaway: Win a book of your choice!

By: Meradeth Houston on 6:00 AM

Today is one of those absolutely beautiful days, it's even a little warm, and I'm feeling particularly grateful for my blessings. This past year has certainly brought a lot of them! I've had some awesome opportunities to travel, got a great job, and have an awesome family. And, of course, my little blog here has grown a ton and I'm incredibly grateful for those people who have stopped by, left comments, or just lurked. It's been wonderful! So, in light of that feeling, and because it's Thanksgiving season, I thought I'd do a little giveaway :)

Who wants a book of their choice from The Book Depository? Okay, really, who doesn't want a book of their choice? All that you need to do to enter is leave me a comment telling me what you're most grateful for lately, and enter the rafflecopter. There are plenty of other ways to gain additional entries too, for those of you so inclined. And if I get over a hundred people entered, I will add another item to the giveaway (details on that will be announced if it happens).

This is an international giveaway, in so far as The Book Depository ships to wherever you live. Let's keep the book of your choosing under twenty dollars, too (that new job doesn't pay all that great). Other questions? Drop me a note (email on the sidebar or in the comments).

Something I try to remember...and am pretty lousy at most of the time...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Science Sundays: The Random Nature of Mutations (or why we won't ever turn into the X-men)

By: Meradeth Houston on 11:18 AM

Okay, so for today's Science Sunday post I thought I'd hit on a topic that seems to be regularly misrepresented in general science stuff on TV and in books. Just this week I saw it messed up in a book I was reading (I won't get into which one, but I've already reviewed it here) and in an episode of the X Files (yeah, I love that show and watch reruns all the time, but sometimes Mulder gets a little jacked up when it comes to basic evolutionary theory).

So, here's the low-down: mutations are random. This means new adaptations that are based on the changes that these mutations create are random. And just because we NEED something to happen in order to survive, well, we can't make that happen just because we want it to. Confused? Let me give an example:

Le sigh, this is just dumb....

Say there's a massive change in the environment that happens really fast, such as Climate Change melts all the ice caps and drowns most of the world's landmasses (yeah, there's been a few movies about this). Well, humans would all do a whole lot better if we could breathe under water, right? It might allow our species to survive. We really *need* that mutation that allows us to have access to our vestigial gills. But just because we need it doesn't mean we're ever going to have a mutation occur that's going to allow us to access those bad boys, a la Waterworld.

In reality, the only way humans would survive this kind of situation would be if someone, somewhere had already had this random mutation (or was born with it in time to make use of it) and this random event allowed them to survive, have offspring, and pass along that mutation for gills (something that was probably pretty hard, seeing as how A. they're probably the only one on earth with gills, and B. human "gills" aren't really gills in the sense that work that way, but whatever, it's just an example).

Hopefully that makes sense :)

Just because we need, want, or would find a particular ability totally useful doesn't mean we're going to get it. We are constrained by the random nature of whatever mutations occur in our DNA that produce a different phenotype (or outward expression of the genes or genotype) and the right kind of situation that will allow for selection of that phenotype, so that it becomes more common in the population through natural selection.

There has been some recent research into this using bacteria and mutations that allow them to process types of food that were usually harmful or poisonous to them, and finding ways to survive, but the underlying principle is the same: the mutation that allows for the bacteria to feed off something new is still random and not exactly "induced" by the environment.

If we *were* hypothetically able to induce mutations due to need, you can bet your bucks that someone, somewhere would have figured out how to induce mutations for superpowers (probably through lots of radiation, which in reality would just kill you...). Or, induce mutations to change haircolor or texture, or anything along those lines. Right? I mean, if I really, really needed to fly (and I've give a whole lot of money to be able to do so) I'd find some way to induce that kind of mutation. But that's just not how it works.

Bummer, really.

In reality, most mutations that occur and create changes in our DNA, and then in our phenotype, are usually crappy. They lead to things like cancer and a host of other unpleasant genetic diseases. No fun. So, the next time you hear about genetic mutations, think less about the X-men, and more about cancer.

Next time maybe I'll go into the awesome world of Punctuated Equilibrium, another topic that Mulder clearly needs some schooling on... :)

Thankful Thursdays

By: Meradeth Houston on 6:40 AM

With all the hustle of the week before Thanksgiving (wait, when did there start being hustle this week? Really? But I swear, getting ready for a holiday sometimes is more effort than one might think), yeah, I'm feeling the need to talk a little thankfulness :)

>I'm sooooo grateful for my TA right now. Honestly, I felt terrible handing over a giant stack of grading to her yesterday, but there's no way I could handle that right now.

>I'm happy that I'm starting to learn to just laugh at the random excuses I get from my students who turn in late papers. And I got some crazy ones this week. Really, just laughing is better than tearing my hair out and dwelling on the fact that we're kinda screwed with the next generation. (Okay, I don't really think we're screwed, but I'll admit, teaching sometimes makes me wonder!)

>I'm grateful for my new in-person writing group. We've only met a couple of times now, but it's been really fun and helpful. Plus, it's just nice to talk about writing with other people in person--makes me feel a tad bit less crazy about the characters running around in my head.

>I'm grateful for my heater. Seriously, Missoula is *cold*! Thank heavens for being able to crank up the heat and at least have a few rooms that are warm!

Okay, so what are you grateful for today? :)

And some funnies (because I love the Nerd Girl meme):

Guest Posts and Giveaways!

By: Meradeth Houston on 8:05 AM

Twas the week before Thanksgiving and all was amok, without a paper graded or a bill that had been paid...

Okay, it's not really that bad, but this week has managed to turn into the insanity that is almost-the-end-of-the-semester. If I could just find a way to remind my students that *NO* they can't email me their papers, which is states in the syllabus, paper prompt, and I've announced in class a million times, I might be a tad bit less inclined to go all ninja on them... So, yeah. Here are several items of interest I thought I'd pass along for those willing to join me in the fun here:

I'm looking for authors and other creative types that would like to guest post here on the blog. I love promoting other authors and I do get a good bit of traffic through here, so if you'd like to run a post, and interview, or some other such fun, let me know! Comments are a good way to catch me, and my email's on the sidebar :)

There is a delightful review up on Once Upon a Twilight that is also a GIVEAWAY (yes, that did require all caps). Stop on by--all it takes to enter is a comment! And there are a few fun books up for grabs on the Spectral read-a-thon, too, should you want to go check that out!

Last, but certainly not least, I am going to be doing a Thankful giveaway next week (because it's Thanksgiving and I am feeling all mushy about that--mostly because it's a week off from school, but hey, still free stuff!). I'm going for either an Amazon GC, or a book from the Book Depository. Any preferences either way?

Science Sundays: Cultural Innovation

By: Meradeth Houston on 9:19 AM

Welcome back to Science Sundays! Before I launch into today's topic, I thought I'd note that there's a Giveaway going on over at Once Upon a Twilight--who doesn't like super easy giveaways on a Sunday?

Today I thought I'd talk a little bit about the sources of new cultural innovation. I mean, it doesn't take much looking around to see how diverse human culture is. From person to person, family to family, population to population, we all do lots of things differently when it comes to our culture. (By culture, I mean stuff that we've learned through social learning--either from parents or friends or teachers--that isn't totally encoded for in our genes.)

Some of the reasons why we have so much variability in our cultures is because a lot of different populations have come about in different environments (imagine that! :). Anyhow, differences in clothing and such are a great example--cultures tend to wear more where it's colder (I've officially turned into the kid from A Christmas Story every time I go outside now!), and a little less where it's warmer.

Ummm, just no.

We also have differences based on what is called Cultural Drift--stuff that changes due to chance. Things like styles or fads are good examples: different things become popular for one reason or another in a different region, and suddenly everyone's wearing their boots over their pants and that's the "in" thing. (I honestly scratched my head at the boot-over-pants thing when I first saw it with uggs in Cali, and now I find myself doing it--cultural transmission at work!)

Of course, all the variation the exists in the first place was from someone out there who decided "Hey, I'm going to make something new and cool." So, props to Steve Jobs and the iPod, Thomas Edison and the phonograph (hmm, maybe that should be in reverse order), and Levi for blue jeans :) And of course, all the other inventors out there who had a brilliant idea and created it.

Now, new ideas are awesome, but being human, we like to copy stuff, and no I don't mean downloading illegal movies and songs. I mean, duplicate things. Another source of variation comes from the fact that we're not so great at this all the time--something called imperfect, or error-prone transmission. It works a lot like the game Telephone. We don't always make a perfect replica, and little errors are incorporated, and more and more errors build up, until we have something pretty different. There are lots of examples of this, but my personal favorites are the "Nailed It" memes online :)

(And now you know why I really wrote this post--to get to waste time searching for these!)

Tune in next week as I think I may have actually convinced the resident physicist to write a post for us!

After Reading: Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Last year as college freshman, narrator Cal was infected by exotic goth Morgan with a parasite that caused following girlfriends to become vampire-like ghouls he calls parasite-positives "Peeps". A carrier without symptoms, he hunts his progeny for the centuries old bureaucratic Night Watch. But victims are showing more sanity, pretty human Lacey is pushing his buttons, and her apartment building basement houses fierce hordes of ravening rats, red-eyed cats, and monstrous worms that threaten all. Morgan has the secret to a centuries-old conspiracy and upcoming battle to save the human race.

Have I mentioned that I'm a giant Westerfeld fangirl? No? Because that does bear repeating. I have really enjoyed all of his books I've picked up so far, and Peeps was no exception. I've recently been looking for more male narrated older YA (suggestions anyone?) to compare with my forthcoming release (The Chemistry of Fate is told in part by Tom, a college freshman). Anyhow, this fits the bill for New Adult, male MC, and all kinds of fun. The only thing that kind of left me hanging was that most of the book feels like one big prologue. Like, we end knowing that the end of days is coming, but we don't get to see it. I know The Last Days fills in that next part, but still. Anyhow, overall I loved the voice in this, the world is lots of fun, and I adored the chapters on the parasites (scientist nerd here, in case you haven't noticed). Anyhow, definitely a fun one to snag if you get a chance, and it's a quick, fast paced read too!

Interview with Margo Sorenson, author of TIME OF HONOR

By: Meradeth Houston on 3:00 AM

I'm pleased to bring you all Margo Sorenson today, fellow MuseItUp author, and all around delightful person! Her book sounds awesome, and who doesn't like some time travel? Check out my interview with her, and be sure to leave a comment!

TIME OF HONOR: Fourteen-year-old Connor’s smart mouth gets her in and—luckily—out of trouble on her prep school’s debate team and in the classroom. On a field trip to the U.K., when she is suddenly catapulted into the year 1272, she finds her royal new friends’ lives are threatened by a conspiracy fueled by greed. When William and Maud learn that their father has been murdered on the Crusade, they beg her to help them find who is plotting against them. What does Connor discover about her ability to use words when she tries to save her new friends—and herself?

Available on www.amazon.com and www.museituppublishing.com

(Q) Thanks for stopping by my blog! Let’s start with the basics: where are you from?

Thank you so much for your invitation, Meradeth! Now, I live in California, but I grew up in Spain and Italy as a child and then moved here to the U.S, my “passport country,” living in California, Hawaii, and Minnesota. Your question made me smile, actually, since I’ve been hearing that question all my life in many different countries!

Is there any place online you’d like to direct us to learn more about you? (A blog, facebook, etc.?)

You can visit my website at www.margosorenson.com and follow some of the links on the “interviews/press” tab for some inside info and smiles. I’m also on Twitter as @ipapaverison and tweet about literature, languages, teaching, and supporting fellow writers.

(Q) I always love hearing about how the idea for a particular book came about. Please fill us in on how you got the idea for TIME OF HONOR

Growing up where I saw castles on a daily basis, it was a natural to major in medieval history and, of course, to wish I’d lived back in the middle ages. I am picky about the years, though; give me anything before the Black Plague (1348)! Obviously, the only way I could really live in medieval times was to write myself into right back into the middle ages. I did a lot more research, prompting my dear husband to ask why was I buying back all my old medieval history college textbooks and many more. Knowing the details of daily life is key to trying to make the story come alive. Did they use forks? Spoons? Where did they put their clothes? Daily grooming routines? (That got a little gross!) Then, I because I’d coached and taught high school debate and speech for a number of years and got the biggest kick out of the (as we say in Hawaii) akamai (street smart) debaters, I knew that my heroine needed to be someone who could think on her feet in dangerous situations, and that led directly to her being a Lincoln-Douglas debater, someone who debates value propositions on the fly (ex: Individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need), as opposed to an Oxford debater, who debates policy propositions with a well-rehearsed case (ex: The US should create a nationwide light rail system). Catapult a smart-mouth debater, who thinks she knows it all, back to 1272, face her off against a completely different world view of life, and throw some evil people in to boot, and you’ve got a story – I hope! (This is quite possibly the coolest and most fun answer I've gotten to this question!)

(Q) Which authors have most influenced your own writing?

This could be embarrassing, because people can read these names and think, “WHAT is she thinking? She doesn’t write like that at all!” However, writers who’ve influenced me in many ways – besides writing -- are Doreen Cronin (hilarious one-ups), Harper Lee (tapping into a child’s psyche), Ian McEwen (the blurring of memory), Kazuo Ishiguro (the shock of recognition too late), Ernest Hemingway (evocation of scene), Mo Willems (humor extraordinaire), Sandra Boynton (spare, but perfect), and Donna Leon (Italia and character in their glory; how I wish I’d written these). Yes, that is a wildly-assorted bunch!

(Q) What do you do for fun other than writing?

Other than writing, I love to read (surprise!) for pleasure and to try and keep my horizons broadened, play golf with my dear husband, travel back to countries where I lived to soak up the atmosphere, study languages to try and keep my brain tuned and enjoy the nuances of communication, watch the great American game of baseball, which is full of unwritten stories, and, best of all, visit my grandchildren and be vastly entertained by their takes on the world and their energy.

(Q) If you could describe your ideal writing spot, where would it be?

My ideal writing spot is anywhere in the world where I can use my pencil and notebook. At home, there is a special place in our courtyard shaded by trees and bougainvillea, and inside, there’s always my favorite lounge chair that looks out on the peaceful back yard and the desert mountains in the distance.

What music would you listen to (if at all)? What treats would you have on hand?

No music and no treats for me, because they’re too distracting for my pea-brain; silence is best, so that I can create the world in my head and be present with my characters. I can tune out background noise (I did teach middle and high school!), but, that’s not self-initiated. Listening to music when I’m not writing, however, is inspirational for helping me set the scenes later and getting into the time and place. For example, when I was writing TIME OF HONOR, I listened to a lot of Purcell’s trumpet voluntaries. I felt I was right there in the castle!

(Q) Plotter or pantser? Both? Neither?

I’m a pantser when I’m first coming up with an idea and definitely a plotter once I sort of have the idea in my head. Then, as all you writers know, it’s about being flexible and letting your characters have their own way in the world you’ve created for them, so plotting does change during the writing process. William Faulkner once wrote (paraphrase), “It’s all about the character, really, and once he’s up and walking around, all you have to do is pick up your pencil and paper and run after him, writing down everything he does and says.” Then in revision, it goes back to the plotting again, to make sure everything hangs together – but, pantsing can help with solving some of those problems! It’s really an ebb and flow, and as writers, we need to be able to give ourselves permission to do what feels right for us at the time.

(Q) Do you have any new projects that you are working on? Care to share? (optional if you don't have a WIP to talk about)

Goodness! I always have projects I’m working on. One that tickles me is an adult historical romance (yes, in my favorite time period) that was just acquired by Entangled Publishing, written under my pen name and which should be out n 2013. A few clicks of the mouse will reveal that secret. Writing fiction for adults is a new venture for me, and I’m currently working on revisions for my editor, including adding 5,000 words. Then, on the children’s side, I have a clutch of picture books that I’m revising; that’s a never-ending battle! They’re all under 500 words, so every single word counts – not that they don’t count in any kind of writing! Picture book ideas are always humming in my brain, so keeping that notebook and pencil handy is key.

(Q) What kinds of marketing do you think are the most successful in terms of getting your name/book out there? (Curious minds are taking notes!)

If anyone knows the answer to this, please let me know! First, for me, it’s all about relationships, and my friends are my biggest supporters; they do a super job of spreading the word about my newest words. Next, I try to work on publicity through contacting librarians, teachers, bloggers, and newspapers and magazines (especially the home town and alumni variety) about my book, and I love doing interviews and guest posts for my favorite blogger friends. Niche marketing is also a hoot: the National Forensic League – yes, it’s true, I was a coach for the NFL -- is actually featuring TIME OF HONOR in its alumni newsletter, because of the debate angle. Doing school visits for my other books really helps, thanks to those wonderful librarians, teachers, and principals. Having some free lesson plans available on the website (like for ALOHA FOR CAROL ANN) and even publisher-produced classroom resources can encourage educators to make their choices. I use Twitter and have my website updated for those random searches that land there. Also, I belong to professional organizations that not only are wonderful supporters but are educational, and they will also disseminate information about my books: SCBWI, Children’s Literature Network, the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California (which Eve Bunting – and my mother – began), California Readers, and more. When I read an article in a newspaper that prompts me to think someone – a teacher or a principal -- might want to know about one of my books, a number of which are used in schools, for example, TSUNAMI: DEATH WAVE (if you’re ever on Oahu, be sure and get a personalized tour at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center – it’s great and they really like to have the public see what they’re about) or one of my time-travel adventure-biographies, such as FIGHT IN THE FIELDS: CESAR CHAVEZ, I email them the information. That’s a great way to keep books in print and in demand and in the hands of young readers. People have been wonderful everywhere, and the writing and reading community is stellar!

(Q) If you'd like to add anything, please do so.

Meradeth, again, thank you so much for your invitation to stop by your blog!

(Q) How about an excerpt to tantalize the readers?

I knew my smart mouth was definitely going to get me into big trouble, because it always does. Not that I really care all that much—after all, trouble can be a lot more fun and interesting than just plain old vanilla life. But, what happened to me because of opening my mouth at the wrong time was—well—I still can’t believe I said what I said—and that, well….

It all started on the field trip to Grafford Castle in the UK. No, wait, not exactly. It started, if I really have to be analytical, which is one of my strong points, when my dear mother decided it was a great idea to dump me, her darling and only daughter, in a boarding school. That way, she could travel the world and write, instead of having to drag me along while she tried to get in the culture of whatever God-forsaken corner of the world she landed in. That’s what she is—a travel writer. Everywhere we go, people are always bowing and scraping to her; fluffing her pillows and snapping pictures with their cell phones—all that junk. When you get to be fourteen, like I am, you begin to notice a kid kind of gets in the way of that free-wheeling lifestyle. It really put a cramp in the ol’ lady’s act when she wanted to have an extra glass of Fernet-Granc with the person of the hour and suddenly there was her fourteen-year-old daughter staring at her.

Does this book sound fun? Thanks a million for stopping by today Margo!! You can also learn more about Margo and Time Of Honor by visiting here!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Thanks to the delightful author of Elixir Bound, Katie Carroll, I have been tagged to participate in this blog hop! You really should take a peek at Katie's post too--all sorts of fun things about her next book!

ALSO: there's a giveaway for a copy of Colors Like Memories going on at Fictional Candy here :)

So, here goes nothing:

What is the working title of your book?
>I'm debating about what book to talk about--I kind of have several irons in the fire at the moment :) But, I think I'm going to stick with my forthcoming release for next April: THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
>It's a mash-up of a whole lot of different things, though journaling lies at the heart of things. I've always loved writing in my journal, so that coupled with the world of the Sary from Colors Like Memories all wound together in a giant mess.

What genre does your book fall under?
>YA/New Adult. The characters are in college, so it's in that terrifying territory that's above YA and not really "adult". Because apparently I have a marketing death wish.

What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

This pic really reminds me of them :)

>Hmm, I honestly haven't thought about this! I'm also quite possibly the worst person on earth when it comes to actors names and everything. Ari, the Sary, is really petite and has dark hair. Tom, the mortal guy, is pretty normal looking--tall, brown hair, pensive. Honestly, it's hard to google these kinds of things because I know what they look like in my head, but finding a real person is like a total needle in a haystack...

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
>“They are everywhere, can be anyone, and are always the last person you’d expect.” (Yeah, that kinda needs some work!)

Will you book be self-published or represented by an agency?
>It will be published through the same house as Colors--the awesome MuseItUp Publishing house :)

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
>I first wrote this as a novella, and that took me a couple of months (it was only 30k). Revising the crap out of it and making it into an actual novel-length book? That took about four months or so.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
>I'm going to go with Tempest by Julie Cross and Peeps by Scott Westerfeld. Chemistry of Fate is told in dual POV with Tom and Ari, and set in college. I really need to spend some time digging into more New Adult books!

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
>There were a lot of different things: journaling, the Sary world, and the desire to escape back to their world :)

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
>Okay, I'll admit it, I'm really nervous about the ending. It's *way* different from anything I've ever done, so we'll see if anyone even likes it. Eeep!

So, I'm supposed to tag some people to hand off the blog hop onto, but I'm seriously all kinds of bad at that. Anyone looking to be tagged for next Wednesday?? Pretty Please!

After Reading: Dreamless

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

by Josephine Angelini

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out--a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Oh man, I so love these books. I had to go back and re-read Starcrossed before I read this one, and now I'm really kind of wishing I'd waited a while so I didn't have to wait sooo long for the last book to come out. Because, yeah, they're just awesome, full of great characters, hot guys, and demigods. What's not to love? I can't wait for the last book so I can finally figure out just what Helen's mother has up her sleeve, because whatever it is, it's better be good! Other amazing things about this book? Orion. I kind of adore the name, just in general, and he added an element to this book that kept it from dragging in places where it otherwise might have. Plus, there are just lots of fun other characters to keep things interesting and entertaining. Definitely worth a read!

Have you checked out this series?

Science Sundays: Mitochondrial Eve

By: Meradeth Houston on 10:54 AM

It's that time of the week again! Today I thought I'd delve a little into my own research and talk about mitochondrial DNA and mitochondrial "Eve"--both are quite a bit of fun, if I do say so myself! :)

Okay, let's start off with the basics: what the heck is a mitochondria? Well, it's a small organelle in the cell (possibly incorporated into cells long, long ago in a symbiotic relationship, but that's a whole other story) and is often referred to as the "power house" of the cell. It makes the ATP, or energy, all cells in our bodies run on. Pretty important right? Well, it also has its own little genome--a small circular bit of DNA that it uses for purposes within the organelle. It's this little piece of DNA that I allows us to trace human history through the females of human history.

There are some really unique features about mitochodrial DNA (mtDNA) that I should point out:

It is inherited solely through the matriline, so everyone on earth has the same mtDNA as their mom, but only daughters will pass it along to the next generation (basically because the sperm don't introduce any--or very little--mitochondria to the egg cell in fertilization).

It mutates rapidly. Meaning that changes between mother and daughter's mtDNA happen more often than changes in nuclear DNA. This is mostly harmless (with a few exceptions), but allows for looking at differences between groups that are much more recent, as if there weren't any mutational differences, it would be really hard to tell groups/people apart based on their mtDNA.

There are lots of copies per cell, which is really handy when working with old samples because more mtDNA copies means there's a higher chance of recovering the DNA to analyze it.

There are lots of other interesting things about mtDNA, but I'll leave it at that for now :)

So, with mtDNA, it's possible to trace ancestry. Chances are, if you've sent in a spit-sample to trace your ancestry to one of the many companies that does this, they told you what haplogroup you belong to. These haplogroups, lettered by the alphabet, are a way researchers have broken down the different lineages of mtDNA. I personally belong to haplogroup X (sounds much more mysterious than it really is :), which is found in Native American populations and at low frequency in some Europeans. I'm from the European branch, which I can tell based on the specific haplotype (or sub-haplogroup) I belong to.

How do these haplogroups, or lineages, work? Well, as I mentioned, mtDNA mutates from time to time--meaning that at one of the base-pairs (the A,T,C, or G that makes up all DNA) spontaneously changes into one of the other bases. So, think of it this way: a mother has five daughters, and she passes along her mtDNA to each of them. But due to some random chance event, in one of her daughters, the mtDNA she passes along has a small change in it, so all the daughters and granddaughters from that line now carry a small difference. This mutation that happened splits the lineage, and it's possible that the mother and daughter would be placed in different (though related) haplogroups. It kind of works like a family tree, only with DNA.

Today, when we look at lots and lots of people's different mtDNA's, and the mutations they all have different from one another, it's possible to group them into lineages, and then trace these mutations backwards through time. It's kind of like grouping everyone that has one specific mutation in common because they are all related matrilineally, and then noticing that this group only has one mutational difference from another group, so they must be closely related, and nesting these relationships further back until eventually you get to the original root of the family tree.

In humans, we can do this with all mtDNA to finally reach a single haplogroup that is found in Africa. Sometime a long time ago (based on how fast mtDNA mutates, probably about ~200kya), when modern humans first appeared, there was a small population with the same mtDNA haplotype, and this was passed along to all modern humans that live today. This is often confused with a single person who lived back then, referred to as mitochondrial Eve, though in reality it was probably a small group of people. Still, it's pretty cool that it's possible to trace the matrilineal lineage of all modern humans to one spot and group!

The same thing can be done with the Y-chromosome, which can be traced through the patriline in much the same way, and all male Y-chromosomes go back to a single individual, also in Africa, who lived a little more recently (~150kya).

Have you had your mtDNA or Y-chromosome DNA tested?

Happy November!

By: Meradeth Houston on 8:32 AM

I must confess, I love November. Lots and lots! Why? There are lots of reasons, but the big one is pumpkin pie. Seriously. I love the stuff, and don't feel quite so strange for indulging it in all month long :) (I mean, pumpkin is good for you, right?)

My other favorite thing about this month? NaNoWriMo. I don't participate, but I love watching the web fill up with all kinds of inspirational writing posts and pictures and quotes. It really pushes me to get in some more writing time!

I may not be trying to get a novel on paper this month, but my goal is to rip the crud out of An Absence of Light and get that baby ready for the world! I also finished my other WIP the other night and am quite pleased with how it all came together. Lots and lots of fun to be had there! (Um, I need to contact my beta readers actually--anyone game for that? I know it's a busy month and all!)

And now for my little bit of motivational speaking today: