Write Stuff: March 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Science Sunday: the amazing egg

Happy Spring Holidays everyone! I hope the sun is shining wherever you are :) We've actually been in the 60's here the past few days and I'm loving it. (And, yes, I used to think the 60's was cold...before I moved here.) Today, with lots of people hiding eggs (and hopefully finding them all!), dying eggs, and all that other fun stuff, I thought we'd talk a little about eggs.

Actually, to be honest, I just wanted to share some pictures of amazing pictures of carved eggs. Because I think that's nifty :) So, eggs: the shells are made up of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and are actually quite durable. And they can be dissolved in vinegar--which I'm sure I'll probably do with my kids someday! Random facts you may not know about eggs:

It takes a chicken about 20 hours to form the egg shell before she lays it.
If you scare a chicken, it may lay said egg before the shell is fully formed (ask me how I know this!).
When laid, an egg isn't hard completely, and if it lands on an odd surface, it can harden in an odd shape.
The inside of an egg is sterile. The outside: not so much. Hence, why you shouldn't eat raw eggs.
You can find eggs with multiple yolks (or the yellow part) of an egg. Occasionally you can even get two, or Siamese chicks. (Also, ask me how I know!)
If an egg has gone bad, it will float. Don't eat these!
Eggs come in a wide variety of colors. My personal favorite is the dark green of emu eggs. Bonus: male emu sit on the eggs. (Remind me to post about my hazardous email story sometime...)
It is possible to hollow out an egg by poking small holes at either end and blowing out the yolk and albumin. Trying this with emu eggs is a lot harder than it might seem though :)

*This is what growing up on a farm does to you. Just in case you're wondering.

What I personally think is amazing is when people carve eggshells into such intricate forms. A few of my favorite examples:

Emu egg!

Because I couldn't resist... :)

On another note, I'm starting to put together my blog tour, and if anyone's interested, let me know? Because you know I'll love ya forever!

After Reading: DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT by Laini Taylor

By: Meradeth Houston on 3:00 AM

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream? (Goodreads)

I reviewed the first book in this series, Daughter of Smoke and Bone here.

There are some books that make me stay up all night reading. That make me seriously want to crawl inside them and live there. That have characters so real they leap from the pages and dance around your room. This, to me, is one of those books. I loved it. It ranks up there with some of my favorites by Maggie Steifvater (which, if you've read some of my previous reviews, know is my fan-girl-author-crush-of-all-time, so this is saying something). This book delved much deeper into the world where Karou comes from, and all the intricacies of what goes on there. I loved that! I loved seeing her and Akiva struggle and deal with so much. My heart ached for them. And, honestly, I want Zuzana for my BFF. Please?

I'd settle for some awesome peacock blue hair :)

Now, the crappy part: waiting until the next one comes out. Friggin 'ell--I should have started this series once the last one was already out so I wouldn't be dying to see it!

Have you read this series? Love it, hate it? Tell me your thoughts! & if you're looking for a copy of COLORS LIKE MEMORIES, check this out!

Interview with the Awesome Daisy Carter

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

One of my favorite things about blogging is getting to know so many awesome people, and I have one especially awesome one to introduce here today: Daisy Carter. She has an awesome blog (which you simply must follow! :) and is incredibly supportive of the writing community! She's has a fun interview here today:

Hi, Meradeth! Hi, Meradeth’s readers *waves* Thanks for inviting me over!

I don’t do social media (call me a hermit!). You can find me on my blog, where I talk writing, books, and reading: www.DaisyCarter.com. If you’d like to drop me a line or have something critiqued, my email is DaisyCarterFresh at gmail dot com.

(Q) I think it’s pretty safe to say that most writers love reading. What are some of the books that
influenced you the most? Anything you’d like to recommend? :)

I fell in love with reading and writing at a very young age. I spent hours hidden away in the attic, the back of my closet, and under my bed reading books as a kid. No, reading
wasn’t forbidden in my house! I just loved to literally hide away with a good book. As I got older, I hid away and tried to write my own stories.

The books that influenced me the most as a kid were Judy Blume’s books. My mom read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing aloud to me and my older brother when I was in kindergarten. By the time I hit third grade, I owned most of her younger MG books: It’s
Not The End of the World, Blubber, Just As Long As We’re Together, and (my favorites)
all the Fudge books. I graduated to the harder stuff a year or two later. By sixth grade,
my girl friends and I spent recess reading Tiger Eyes to each other. I was way cool,
obviously. ;)

As for more current recommendations, I cannot say enough about Jandy Nelson’s The
Sky Is Everywhere. This book is, to me, nearly perfect. And I adore Ruta Sepetys’s
newest book, Out of the Easy. I could go on for days about it. I also just finished Gary D.
Schmidt’s Okay For Now, a middle grade that had me laughing out loud and tearing up. It
was phenomenal.

(You're seriously making me want to go back and read some Judy Blume--it's been ages! :)

(Q) What is your favorite part of the writing process? What about it makes you love it?

I really love everything about writing. I also hate a lot of it, some days! First drafts, when
I’ve hit my stride, are great. When I’m struggling to get through Act II, not so much. I
think my favorite part of the process is when I get in the zone and am writing without
thinking, just letting the words and characters take over my brain and my keyboard.
Then, when I go back and read something that really is good - that, with revision, could be
great – that’s a great feeling.

I think what I love most about writing is that from nothing but a pencil and paper, I can
create entire worlds, form people, save the town (or let everything go down in flames). I can relive moments from my own life but change the outcome. I can explore themes or
truths or events that I’m passionate about.

(Q) What’s your biggest pet-peeve when it comes to the writing world? Does anything get under
your skin and itch?

I’m a lefty, so I constantly have ink on the side of my hand. That’s a big one. :)

(Q) If you could meet any writer, living or dead, and pick their brain over coffee/tea/hot-
chocolate, who would it be? What would be your first question?

This one is too hard! I want to meet all the writers. Ever. But if I can only choose one, I
choose Harper Lee. My first question? Definitely, “How many drafts did you write, and
how long did it take?”

Thank you so much for having me over, Meradeth! I had such a great time!

Interview with Lauren Boyd, author of BAKING LOVE & a Giveaway!

By: Meradeth Houston on 5:00 AM

(If you'd like to check out FREE copies of COLORS LIKE MEMORIES, check out this post here!)

I have another author treat today! A fellow MuseItUp author, Lauren Boyd, whose book BAKING LOVE sounds very sweet :) Be sure to check out the GIVEAWAY below!

Three years ago, Kate Sullivan fell in love with her best friend, Eric Wagner. Before she could tell him, he abruptly ended their friendship.

Now Eric has walked into Kate’s bakery and back into her life—but why? Is he here to confess his love for her?

No. He’s here to order his groom’s cake. He’s getting married…to another woman.

Pick up a copy here!

(Q) What is your favorite part of the writing process?

(A) It’s a tie between writing and editing. I enjoy the creativity that comes with writing. It’s especially satisfying to “crack” a part of the story that’s been giving me trouble. I’ve always enjoyed editing, too, so when I don’t feel my creative juices flowing, I switch over and edit the material I’ve written thus far.

(Q) What was your favorite chapter to write in Baking Love?

(A) That would be Chapter Eight, when the main characters go bowling. It was fun to write the banter amongst them and further the sexual tension between Kate and Eric.

(Q) If you could meet any writer, living or dead, and pick their brain over coffee/tea/hot-chocolate, who would it be? What would be your first question?

(A) John Grisham. The Client was the first novel I ever read, and I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Grisham since then. I like how his novels usually have a twist or surprise near the end. I’d ask him how, after all this time, he still manages to come up with such captivating plot lines.

Lauren Boyd writes romance that entertains and provides escape from daily life—and sometimes, you might just learn a thing or two.

Ways to connect with Lauren:

Website: www.laurenboyd.webs.com

Email address: LaurenFBoyd@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/laurenboydauthor

Twitter: @LaurenFBoyd

Google+: Lauren F. Boyd

If a baker offered to make you any kind of cake you wanted, what kind would you choose? Answer with a comment and be entered to win a copy of Baking Love when it releases on May 17!

This will be open until April 1st. Extra entries of followers of Lauren on twitter & facebook, just let me know in the comments. (And, yeah, I do check these things!)

Thanks so much to all who entered! The winner, thanks to random.org was: Susan Flett Swiderski!! Emails to come shortly!

Free Copies of COLORS LIKE MEMORIES!

By: Meradeth Houston on 9:39 AM

Guess what? The release of THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE is less than a month away. (Eep!) I'm trying to gear up for my release, and beginning to think about how to get the word out. I'll be having sign ups for a blog tour in the next week or so (Spring Break is when I'm planning on putting that all together--and I can't wait for the break!).

Until then, I thought I'd try to spread the word some for COLORS LIKE MEMORIES as a way to garner some interest (we'll see how this works, it's a bit of an experiment!). But before I do that:

Thank you SO much to everyone who has read CLM and helped me spread the word so far. Seriously, I love you all and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help!!

So, here's what I'm thinking: I'll offer up some ecopies of Colors to those who can fit it in their reading schedule sometime in the next month. I know that's a lot to ask, as most people have towering TBR piles, but if you can, that would be awesome. All that I ask is that you post a review on Amazon & GoodReads. There are other locations, too, which would be awesome and much appreciated :) Questions? Sing it out in the comments!

A little about Colors:

Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident--sort of.

Julia is a Sary, the soul of a child who died before taking her first breath. Without this 'breath of life,' she and others like her must help those on the verge of suicide. It's a job Julia enjoyed, until the accident that claimed her boyfriend's life--an accident she knows was her fault. If living with the guilt weren't enough, she's now assigned to help a girl dealing with the loss of her mother, something Julia is not exactly the best role model for. If she can't figure out a way to help her, Julia will lose her position in the Sary, something she swore to her boyfriend would never happen. (Amazon)

After Reading: HEARTBEAT by Faith Sullivan

By: Meradeth Houston on 5:00 AM

Katie and Adam are afraid of love.

She carries the scars of a first kiss gone terribly wrong.

He uproots his life to flee the stinging betrayal of an ex.

When trust is no longer an option, all romance is suspect.

As a young paramedic, Adam rescues people for a living but cannot save himself. Katie, just out of high school, struggles with a tortured home life she cannot escape.

Everything changes when Katie hops into the front seat of Adam's ambulance. Overwhelmed by what they are feeling, neither possess the confidence to make the first move. They walk away from each other, full of regret.

To find her, Adam risks his future. To be with him, Katie sacrifices her security.

Little do they know, what little time they do have, is being measured by a heartbeat that is slowly dying out.

I haven't picked up a contemporary romance in ages, but this was one I knew I had to read. First of all, Faith is awesome (check out her blog!) and I adore New Adult. So, this one was a must-read, and I totally think all of you should do the same :) Adam and Katie are very vivid characters, who I can totally see being in my classes. Their romance is sweet and just, well, it warmed my heart. Plus, there was a totally crazy twist at the end I didn't see coming (fair warning!) that left me very close to tears (that's hopefully not too spoiler-ish!).

Also, Faith brings up a topic I wish I saw more of: verbal abuse. We see a lot of physical abuse and sexual abuse in books, but the insidious effects of verbal abuse are just as real and just as horrible. I'm glad she brings them up and points out what they do to Katie. The whole "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" childhood song is full of crap. Words are just as powerful and what we see with Katie is all too real for far too many people.

*Stepping off of soapbox*

So, do tell, have you read this one? How about any other New Adult titles lately?

Cover Reveal: DEATH OF A WATERFALL by Kara Leigh Miller

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Don't you just love a super pretty book cover? I know I do! They often make me spend a lot of money :) It's my treat today to share a particularly awesome one:

Teghan Jacobs didn’t think anything could be worse than learning she’s pregnant by a man she’s been dating less than six months. Boy was she wrong. Her mother, who's drowning in the river of denial, refuses to take a side on the issue. Her overbearing, manipulative father threatens to disown her and cut her off from her trust fund if she doesn’t have an abortion. And she's lying to all of her friends for fear of being ostracized.

Donnie Marks couldn’t be happier. The woman he loves, the woman he fought so hard to be with, is going to have his baby. Life has never been better. But when she shows up in his dorm, sobbing and heartbroken, he learns the horrible truth of what happened. He vows to get revenge on the man who's responsible: Teghan's father.

DEATH OF A WATERFALL is scheduled to be released June 10, 2013 by Rogue Phoenix Press.

DEATH OF A WATERFALL is the first book in THE HAYDEN FALLS SAGA -- an exciting new series from the author of THE GEORGIA CORBINS and THE AURORA ISLAND RESORT SERIES.

You can stay connected with Kara by visiting her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

After Reading: The Stars Fell Sideways by Cassandra Marshall

By: Meradeth Houston on 5:00 AM

Alison Arroway takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. She has to, or she won’t get paid. Alison is a stunt double for pampered teen actress Pomegranate and when the director takes the shoot to Portugal, Alison is anything but thrilled to be rooming with Pom. But getting to hang around teen hearthrob Erik? Now that’s a plus.

Erik invites both girls on a sunset boat trip and Alison manages to have a decent time. Until the storm hits and the boat is shipwrecked on a small island, leaving Erik missing and the boat captain dead.

In the morning light, Alison and Pom find themselves on the lost island of Atlantis. Only one problem: now that the girls know the secret of the island, the Atlanteans don’t want them to leave. They're stuck with corsets, full-skirted dresses, and the strange steam-driven contraptions that are just a way of life for the islanders.

When a plot by the ruthless army Captain to take over the island and declare himself General over all emerges, an underground group promises to return the girls to the mainland if they can help stop him. They'll go through a mountain, literally, to find the Book of Blue, a book that will explain how to make ‘the stars fall sideways' in order to save the day and earn their freedom.

I picked up this book not really knowing what to expect. I mean, Atlantis, Steampunk, shipwrecks, movie stars? Sounds like a ton of stuff to mix together! But Marshall pulls it off really well. I really loved Alison and her ability to get out of so many crazy situations. Also, all the funny movie references cracked me up continually. There was plenty of humor in the book, and it was incredibly fast-paced to keep the pages turning. There were a few points where I went "Seriously, that too??" but for the most part it was a really fun, quick read. Definitely a fun one to pick up for the beach!

Have you read this one?

Interview with Rebeccah Giltrow, author of THE TWELVE DAYS OF KRISTA MAY ROSE

By: Meradeth Houston on 5:00 AM

A delightful interview today with Rebeccah Giltrow! She's the author of THE TWELVE DAYS OF KRISTA MAY ROSE, and is a fellow sticky-note addict :) Be sure to say hello in the comments!

12 Days of Krista May Rose

It's Christmas, times twelve. The traditional song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ inspires this series of poignant, festive tales. Follow Krista May Rose as she experiences ups and downs over her life's Christmases, from her Christmas school play, to an Aussie crimbo barbie, to her hen night, to a trip to the hospital for her sister's ultrasound, to an awkward lunch at the in-laws', to the anniversary of her mother's death.

Accompany Krista on her journey from childhood to old age, stopping off at twelve Christmases throughout her life, and free your emotions along with her as she relates her stories attached to this eventful time of year.

Amazon

(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?

Hello, thank you for having me. I’m from a little town on the east coast of England, called Lowestoft. It’s not the best place in the world, but I love living near the beach so that makes up for it. I’ve got a four year old Lhasa Apso cross Jack Russell dog, so the beach is a great place for us to go on long walks.

I’m a bit of a social networking addict, so you can find me all over the internet. My main base is my blog (http://rebeccahgiltrow.blogspot.co.uk/), but you can also find me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Rebeccah.Giltrow.Writer), Twitter (https://twitter.com/RebeccahGiltrow), YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/beckamj), Linked in (http://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccahgiltrow), about me (http://about.me/rebeccahgiltrow), goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/rebeccah_giltrow), and my Amazon author page (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebeccah-Giltrow/e/B00A9Q3BY2/)

(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 12 Days of Krista May Rose.

I love writing collections of short stories that all have a connection. This book is a collection of twelve short stories; each one is a day in Krista’s life starting off a pre-birth going through childhood, adulthood, and ending in old age.

The idea for this collection came from two places. I belong to Lowestoft Library Writers’ Group (http://lowestoftlibrarywritersgroup.onesuffolk.net/) and we get set pieces of writing homework. A couple of years ago our homework was to write something inspired by the traditional Christmas song, ’12 Days of Christmas’. I wrote a short story which included all the elements of the song, but wasn’t overly happy with the piece.

A little while later there was a series of television programmes called ‘Little Crackers’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Crackers) which were Christmas stories written by comedians. Each programme was only 15 minutes long, but I absolutely loved them. They were all different but they all conjured up memories of Christmases I’d had.

So I combined the two ideas. I took each element of the song (ladies dancing, gold rings, French hens, drummers drumming, etc.) and wrote a story about Christmas for each one. As I said earlier, I like my short stories to be connected, so I decided that each story would be from the perspective of one character, Krista, and they would take the reader on a journey through her life, stopping off at various Christmases. Some are fiction and some are based on my own Christmases.

And even though it’s a Christmas book, it can be read at any time of year, or just dipped in and out of if you want a quick read.

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

I guess I draw bits and pieces from various places; Georges Perec, Phil Terry, Roald Dahl, Raymond Queneau, Italo Calvino, Marcus Zusak.

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

When I’m not writing I like to bake, knit, read, swim, do Pilates, go to the gym, paint, take photos, listen to music, watch horror films, and spend time down at the beach.

(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?

Ooh, that’s a good question. I would love to have my own library room; floor to ceiling bookshelves full of books on every wall. There would be one large window looking out over a peaceful garden. My desk would be in front of that window. I’d have my computer and stacks of Post-it notes (I always write my ideas down on Post-its and stick them all over my desk!). I would definitely have music. I can’t write without music. I get a bit scared if everything is too quiet. When I write, I just put my music player on shuffle and skip the songs I don’t like. So I guess in an ideal world, I’d only have the songs I like so that I didn’t have to waste time skipping any! My playlist would include Sonic Boom Six, Random Hand, Mouthwash, Buck 65, The Faint, The Whip, Example, Urthboy, Hilltop Hoods, Rizzle Kicks, The King Blues, The Cure, V V Brown, The Pipettes, Saul Williams, Metronomy, Scroobius Pip, Ian Brown, JJ72, Ok Go, Imperial Leisure, Goldie Lookin Chain, Tenacious D, Frisky & Mannish, and so many more!!

And as for treats, hmm … Firstly I would need to have my dog in the room with me. She gives me inspiration and she also distracts me by being cute and adorable when I’m struggling with my writing. I would also need an unlimited supply of crisps and pick ‘n’ mix. I graze a lot when I write, and although I know I should eat healthily, I prefer chomping on sweets all the time!

(Q) Plotter or pantser? Both? Neither?

I generally start out with a vague idea for my stories, and when I start writing it just seems to flow. I don’t like to plan too much as I like to be surprised as I write. I often leave the plot to my characters and let them write their own stories. It’s more exciting that way.

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

I am currently writing a sequel to my first full length novel, Lexa Wright’s Dating Sights. It’s untitled and far from finished, but I hope to release it by the end of the year at the latest. The first book is a chic lit romcom, about Lexa who is looking for love, but she wants to meet someone by chance like people do in films. Not only does she want a boyfriend, she also wants to write a book. Her best friend suggests she joins an online dating site, and Lexa meets a man and goes on a date with him. The next day, while walking her dog through the park, she meets another man by chance and goes on a date with him. She likes them both and can’t decide who to choose. I won’t say whether or not she finds love, or if she manages to write a book. You’ll just have to buy the book, and then buy the sequel (once I’ve finished writing it) to find out what happens next!

(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!)

I’m not too sure to be honest. I was told by a fellow author that I needed to build myself a platform. So I established myself on various social networking sites, started a blog, and tried to promote myself that way. Recently I have been doing author interviews (just like this one) in the hope I can reach a wider audience. It’s difficult to know what works for the best, but I guess if you can promote yourself on every possible avenue, it can only work to your advantage.

I also do poetry readings at a local open mic event, and I’m going to be putting some of my books into my local library, in the hope more people will see me/my work. I guess it’s necessary to be patient and persevere, and eventually something good will happen.

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

This comes from the first chapter, ‘Rings’, from 12 Days of Krista May Rose.

It’s Christmas. It’s 1981. I am not yet born and yet I am very much alive. I let my mother know this on a regular basis in a variety of ways. Right now I am wriggling and twisting and making myself comfortable on her bladder. She, not happy by my movement, is clenching her muscles and running up the stairs, letting out a frustrated whine as her fingers forget how to unbutton buttons.

When she returns she sits in the armchair watching my father prepare Christmas dinner. The smell of the meat roasting makes her feel a bit nauseous so she sits at a safe distance from the kitchen; close enough to keep an eye on my father just in case he causes irreversible damage on a similar scale to his exploits eight months ago, but far enough away to avoid vomiting all over the floor.

Sally, our border collie cross Labrador cross retriever cross I don’t know what else, sits at her feet, taking care of us. The low growl from her stomach reverberates through my mother’s feet, up her legs and into her lower torso. I can hear everything. Her tail flaps slowly, not really in any sort of rhythm. She just wants to let us know she’s there.

“She’s changed,” my mother remarks, “all because of you.” She strokes my head and smiles. “She never used to be this calm,” she continues, “especially if there was a chance of food falling onto the floor.”

Science Sunday: Our Closest Primate Relatives, Chimps & Bonobos

By: Meradeth Houston on 12:56 PM

Hi everyone! I've survived most of my midterm-grading fest this week, and only have two more to go :) They're sitting here on my desk, my green grading pen on top, and I pretty much have no interest in plowing through them. Maybe after I write a few blog posts...

Anyhow, I thought I'd delve into some more Apes today! I'm no primatologist, but for my intro to Physical Anthropology class we hit on the study of monkeys and apes so I thought I'd talk a little bit about our closest relatives: the Chimpanzees. This includes both the chimp and its sister specie, the bonobo. They share ~98% of our DNA with us (though, keep in mind, we share something like ~33% of our DNA with dandelions, so it's all relative). They are really interesting species, especially in how their social structure is so vastly different.

The classic chimp is the most robust of the two, and has a larger habitat. There are some physical features that separate it from the bonobo, but I'll avoid getting too technical. What I really want to discuss is the fact that their society is structured around male relationships. Those are the most important, and males are the dominant individuals. The females and their kids congregate with food, but are often alone, and ruled over by the males, especially the top male (dominant male) of the group.

They can also be really violent. The males often patrol the boundaries of their territory, and if they come across any males from other groups, they will hunt him down and kill them. Beating up on other members of their group, including the females, is happens. It's not exactly a society I'd be all that happy living in as a woman :) Don't get me wrong, they can also be very sweet and kind, but they're structured a lot like something out of the dark ages.

Bonobos are the more gracile of the two, with longer limbs and more daring arboreal acrobatics. They also have very strong female relationships, more so than male-male relationships. They have a top female and male in their groups, and the best way for males to gain favor is to groom or do favors for the top female.

The other thing about bonobos is that they really like to get it on. (Imagine talking about this to a classroom full of freshmen--it always leads to everyone being *wide* awake!) There are no concerns for who they're doing it with, with plenty of F-F fun going on. This is how they diffuse tension, gain favor, and get along in general. Really, their society is built around getting along with love not war. Violence is rare and muted. It is so very different and regularly makes me think of the 1960's in terms of the way things work :)

I think I'd much rather be a bonobo! The interesting thing to think about is that we are equally related to both of these species--one with lots of violence and one with lots of loving and little violence. There has been much speculation as to what these species each contributed to us today--is it in our nature to be more violent or more peaceful? We are equally related to both of these species, so its hard to tell, but I think it's fascinating!

Interview with Philip Coleman, author of THE MASTER'S BOOK

By: Meradeth Houston on 5:30 AM

I have another author-treat for you all today: Philip Coleman, author of THE MASTER'S BOOK. Be sure to give him a warm welcome, m'k?

Hi. The book is available for order at MuseItUp Publishing.

(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?

Originally I am from Ireland but I lived in Brussels for a few years, then more recently, in Switzerland. Now, although I still work in Switzerland, I live across the border in France. My Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/philipcolemanauthor. I will shortly have a website with a blog where I will review other authors and write about other things that I hope my audience finds interesting.

(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 The Master’s Book.

I suppose the first thing was that I wanted to write a book set in Brussels from a teenager’s point of view because I lived there when my children were around the same age as Sean and Maeve (the “hero” and his sister). It wasn’t that I modeled those characters on my son and daughter or anything, but this was a particularly happy time, when my children were open to the rich new experiences that a spell in another country can bring (we came from Ireland) and I wanted to portray Brussels through the eyes of a young teenager. Brussels and the rest of Belgium are a funny mixture of the modern and the very old, the beautiful and the ugly, and I wanted to capture that mix. And finally, speaking of mixtures, my children went to an international school where there were many stunningly beautiful children of mixed race parentage. That gave me the idea for Stephanie, the book’s “heroine”.

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

I read a lot, from high-brow to thrillers and everything in between, so I am probably influenced in many ways I don’t even realize. However, one influence that I am very conscious of is that of Philip Pulman and his trilogy His Dark Materials. Thanks to him and the loveable heroine Lyra Belacqua, I am always drawn to create strong female characters – like Stephanie in this case.

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

Eating and drinking – too much of both! I love cooking and throwing dinner parties. I also read a lot and am a big movie fan. I like classical music and opera. And, finally, I do draw and paint, thogh I never seem to have time of late. I force myself to go to the gym, but I live in the mountains so I do have opportunities for scenic walks and I’ve just started learning to ski. And, like Sean and Stephanie, I do swim.

(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?

It’s difficult because if you get too comfortable then you slacken off. And the places where it’s comfortable to curl up with a book aren’t conducive to writing, even on a laptop. Si I would say it has to be at a desk, with a good chair that helps my posture (when I’m working hard at the computer my back muscles tend to seize up). Music? Well, definitely classical, but not vocal music and not passionate or romantic – in other words nothing that screams for your attention. Baroque music, chamber music or soft solo piano pieces are the best. Treats? Depending on the time of day, tea, coffee, or ONE glass of wine – with nome nice cheese to nibble on.

(Q) Plotter or pantser? Both? Neither?

Pantser! I try plotting but when I go to write some unplanned scenes just take off while other planned ones fall flat. So I generally sketch out a rough plan, start writing, then I end up ignoring the plan and having to do a near total re-write.

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

I had roughed out a young adult sci-fi novel when I got the contract for The Master’s Book but I’ve put it to one side to write a sequel to The Master’s Book where Sean and Stephanie get mixed up with fugitives from the Rwandan genocide.

(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!)

Oh dear, I should be taking notes myself. I’m a complete newbie!

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

Unfortunately, you can’t do signings for e-books. However, when my website is up and running, I will be having a promotion for the first few months. Anyone who gets in touch with me to comment on the book and who gives me their snail mail address will get a signed postcard with a print of a drawing (by me) of one of the locations in the book.

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

Okay, here goes:

“So tell me more about this murder.”

What am I to say? I’d love to tell her what I found this morning, but can I trust her?

“There’s not really much more to tell,” I said. “The house was ransacked, but we don’t know what they were looking for.”

“Hmm. So you don’t think there’s still something hidden somewhere in the house?”

She’s near the mark.

“No, I’m sure there isn’t,” I said, trying to hide my surprise.

“Oh, come on.” She poked my shoulder. “You realise you’ve missed a chance to make up a really good story.”

The laugh I gave mustn’t have been very convincing, maybe because I’d fixed my gaze on the floor. She stared hard at me and suddenly gave me a nudge.

“You’re not telling me everything, you sly thing,” she cried. “You did find something. You were trying to keep it a secret, weren’t you?”

Got Green Blogfest!

By: Meradeth Houston on 5:00 AM

Wait, hold up a second, how on earth did it get to be mid-march already? Aren't we at least due a little spring weather? (*looks out window longingly at the dull gray skies*) Well, if no Spring, how about a little hop? The incomparable Mark Koopmans is running this one, and you should definitely go check out his blog!

I thought I'd reminisce a little (really, promise, just a little) about my family's traditions for the holiday. Mainly because I'd love to hear what yours are :)

St. Patrick's Day at my house growing up meant everything was green. My mom dyed the milk, whatever we were having for breakfast, and pretty much anything she could. She also made little green footprints across windows and generally made some kind of ruckus to make us think some mischievous leprechauns invaded our house. There were plenty of gold coins and other treats, too. Funny how I remember the green stuff the most :) Oh, and of course, corned beef and potatoes. We didn't do much cabbage (though that would have gone well with the green-theme!). Good memories!

These are TAME in comparison.
Also, you know when you google ugly socks
some really random stuff comes up!

In high school, my BFF's birthday was St. Patty's day, too, which meant there was always much celebrating, and generally exchanging of the ugliest socks we could find (I honestly have no idea where this tradition started, but we found some doozies!).

How about you? What are your traditions for the day?

National Wormhole Day Blog Hop--where would you go?

By: Meradeth Houston on 6:00 AM

National Wormhole Day Blog Hop: March 14th Albert Einstein’s Birthday. Brought to you by Laura Eno and Luanne Smith at Bards and Prophets. More information here!

What would you do or where would you go if you could traverse a wormhole through space or time just once? One safe round trip passage. Would you go back in time and talk some sense into a younger you? Go five years into the future and bring back the Wall Street Journal? See just how the heck the Great Pyramids of Giza were really built? View what the other side of the universe looks like? Kill Hitler?

Because I'm an anthropologist and work with mostly all people who study the past (yeah, there are plenty of cultural anthropologists around, but they like history too), this is one of those questions that gets thrown around a lot. Just what would you DO if you could? The future does appeal to me a lot, because I'd love to see what I end up doing with my life :) But, really, I'm probably end up going back because there are so many mysteries I'd love to figure out. Would I try to figure out if there was a migration into the desert Southwest from Mexico, like I studied for my dissertation? (Answer: um, probably not.)

No, really, I'd probably like to spend a day or two with Gregor Mendel and talk to him about genetics. I'd love to sit down and tell him that his theories and concepts will change the world. Also, I'd love to drop a copy of Mendel's work on Darwin's desk--would it have taken 40 years to re-discover Mendel if Darwin had found his work? Where would we be if there hadn't been that oversight?

I'm fairly certain this wins me some sort of major-nerd award, but I think it would be a great way to spend a trip to the past!

What about you? Where/when would you go?

Source: tardisadventures.tumblr.com via Meradeth on Pinterest

(What would a time-travel post be without some Doctor references?)

Other participants:

Giveaway Winners!

By: Meradeth Houston on 6:59 AM

Thank you SO MUCH to all those who entered my giveaway! And a million thanks to everyone who helped me spread the love for my cover. I still feel all mushy-happy about that!

The two winners from my giveaway, as chosen by random.org, are:

Lisette Lopez--winner of book of her choice from MuseItUp Publishing
Laura McLendon--winner of a book of her choice from Amazon!

I've emailed both ladies, and hopefully they get back to me shortly. If I don't hear from them by Friday, I'll pick another winner.

And, for a little fun:

Source: someecards.com via Meradeth on Pinterest

I would seriously love to have a wand. Just because I'd never have to clean my house again (wow, is that boring!). What would you do if you could magic anything a-la Harry Potter?

Guest Post on Sequels and Continuity by Katie Carroll, author of ELIXIR BOUND

By: Meradeth Houston on 5:00 AM

I have an awesome treat today! Katie Carroll, one of my writing buddies and major source of keeping-me-sane-in-this-business support, is here to talk about sequels and continuity. She's an editor at MuseItUp, so she knows her stuff! Be sure to drop a comment below!

Sequels and Continuity

by Katie L. Carroll

It seems more and more books these days are part of a series, and the market is definitely there for sequels and companion novels. Many authors are even releasing short stories or novellas in between novels. So how does a writer keep track of all the details so the continuity holds up from book to book?

That’s the very question I’ve been dealing with as I write Elixir Saved, a sequel to my YA fantasy Elixir Bound. Here are some tips and tricks I’ve come up with to keep it all straight.

Lists are a writer’s best friend

Make a list of each character. Be sure to include the character’s full name, age, hair color, eye color, and any other distinguishing physical features. If you want to keep one with personality traits as well, consider making a separate list for these. The idea is to be able to quickly reference the details on these lists, so you want to keep them short and easy to read. You don’t have to limit yourself to character lists either. You can keep a list of details in the settings of your stories (like what color your main character’s bedroom is and what size bed she has). I write fantasy, so I like to keep a list of the different species and creatures in my world. You can pretty much keep a list for any aspect of the series.

Map it out

There’s a lot of travel involved in my story and it’s all to made-up places. One of the first things I did before I even started writing the first book was I made a map of my fantasy world. I included the details of Faway Forest—the main setting of Elixir Bound—but I didn’t stop there. I drew out a map of the entire Great Peninsula. And, boy, has that come in handy while writing Elixir Saved because it covers quite a bit more ground in the Greater Peninsula than Bound did. Maps aren’t just for fantasy, though. Maybe you need to keep track of where all the classrooms are in a school or where different buildings and landmarks are in a town. When trying to maintain continuity for places, maps can definitely be an asset for any genre.

Outlining for non-outliners

I’m a pantser, not a plotter, so generally I don’t outline a plot (unless you count that mess of a plot in my head as an outline) before I draft a story. However, making an outline of a first story in a series is a good reference tool when drafting the second story. Even though it seems like I’ve looked at Elixir Bound ad infinitum, I can still forget its sequence of events at times. Creating a quick plot-point-by-plot-point outline helped me when weaving backstory into Elixir Saved. And trust me, it’s a lot easier to create a plot outline when the plots already set in stone.

Search and find feature

This may be the single most important tool I’ve found in my quest to keep the continuity between books in a series. This is great when there’s a pesky little detail you know has come up before but can’t quite remember where or when. I go into the actual document of my published book (I use the PDF file of book one, but you can use the most recent Word version or any type of document that has a search feature) and search for whatever detail it is I’m looking for. The trick is to be specific with you search word(s). Typing in a character’s name or something like “eyes” is just too broad to work with; you’ll get to many hits. For example, just recently I was trying to remember what type of material a particular dagger sheath was made of, which was pretty easy to find by searching for the word “sheath.” I could have used “dagger,” but sheath was the better choice because dagger shows up a lot more in book one than sheath. This particular tool has saved me precious writing time on many an occasion.

Those are my tricks of the trade when trying to keep continuity in series books. What tips do you have?

Katie L. Carroll is an author, editor, and mother. She began writing after her 16-year-old sister unexpectedly passed away. Writing was a way for Katie to help her sister live on in the pages of a story. Her YA fantasy ELIXIR BOUND is available on the MuseItUp bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online book retailers. Her picture book app THE BEDTIME KNIGHT, illustrated by Erika Baird, is available from MeeGenius. For more about Katie and her books, visit her website at www.katielcarroll.com or find her on Facebook or Goodreads.

Sunday Photos: The Wilds of Montana

By: Meradeth Houston on 1:37 PM

As some of you know this California girl transplanted to Montana recently. This has been, well, a bit of an interesting change :) Still, there's no denying that this place is dang pretty (we'll avoid discussing the snow right now...). Anyhow, I wanted to share a few pictures I've taken so far--mainly because I am not in the mood for Science Sunday (might have something to do with the three midterms I have to give this week...I'll let you be the judge of that). Anyhow, hope you enjoy.

Oh, and The Chemistry of Fate is set here in Montana, so, hey, it kinda makes sense to show off a few pics this week :)

Glacier National Park and the pretty waterfall.

More Glacier, taken with our fish-eye lens to get the effect of the amazing view.

Rocks. Because they were pretty.

More layers on than I honestly care to admit!

Fall here was spectacular, with tons of amazing colors. I love this little river spot and we ate lunch here several times.

Because it's Montana, so I need to show barns. This one is pretty! I've yet to see those round hay-bales though. Maybe this summer?

This is in downtown Missoula and is a little eddy that people regularly surf in. I find this to be incredibly funny.

(I just purchased Lightroom to edit my photos and much time has been spent on that this week. I kinda love how it makes my photos pop! Okay, well, I think they pop a little more at least, lol!)