Win a copy of Variant

Allyson Condie is giving away a copy of Variant, by Robison Wells on her website. You have to comment on her website by midnight Oct. 4th for a chance to win. just click on the link following link: 

http://www.allysoncondie.com/2011/09/variant-by-robison-wells/

Tristi's Challenge

This month I'm doing Tristi's Challenge. My goal is to finish my rewrite of my current WIP. It's a paranormal romance/urban fantasy entitled Mystic Mound, a modern-day Beauty and the Beast tale. You can find the challenge at her blog if you want to join in with your own goal.

http://tristischallenges.blogspot.com/2011/09/hey-gang-october-challenge-time.html

Win an I-pad!

In conjunction with the release of Pumpkin Roll the author, Josi S. Kilpack, and the publisher, Shadow Mountain, are sponsoring a contest for a new iPad. To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog before November 1, 2011. Winners will be announced and notified November 3^rd 2011.

For additional ways to enter, go to www.josiskilpack.com

Book Giveaway!

Elana Johnson, author of YA paranormal romance novel Possession is having a book giveaway on her blog. She's giving away an ARC of Ally Condie's Dystopian novel Crossed, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, and a signed copy of Story of a Girl by Sarah Zarr. If you want to win just blog about your favorite book or link to her contest. clink on the link below to go to her website for more details.

http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/2011/09/bookanista-book-love-rap-style.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MindlessMusings+%28Elana+Johnson%2C+Author%29

One of my favorite books is Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. I love her lyrical language and interpretation of this fairytale. The characters are lovable and the romance is subtle, yet meaningful and satisfying. I recommend this book to anyone who hasn't yet read it. This is one I could read over again and I can't say that about many books.

Book Thief and First Person Omniscient POV

I just finished reading The Book Thief and found the narrative voice very compelling. I wasn't familiar with first person omniscient until I started reading this book and had to look up different points of view online to learn more about it.

Apparently the Lovely Bones is also written in first person omniscient POV and is narrated by a dead person. I have yet to read that one, but it's now on my long list of books to read.

First person omniscient can only be done if you use a narrator who is a dead person or a god or some sort of angel or demon or a person with supernatural powers who can read minds.

I think this type of narration worked well for this book, which deals with serious and difficult subjects like death and abandonment and prejudice. It gives the reader some distance from the pain and anguish and allows more opportunities for foreshadowing.

I also love Markus Zusak's figurative use of language, how he gives inanimate objects human characteristics: Things breathe, eyes staggered, words climbed on him, voices kneaded methodically at the door. Not for light reading, but a great read for depth and understanding of the light and dark sides of human nature. Leaves you wondering and makes you think.  

Creative Blog Award

I won this award for my blog from Deirdra at http://astorybookworld.blogspot.com/. It's perfect for my blog since I write fantasy and love to create. Go to her blog to see more beautiful art work she's created.

Ways to display emotion in your writing

Here are several easy ways to show emotion in your writing that I learned recently and that have helped me:

1. External dialogue—what they say out loud and how they say it

2. Internal dialogue—what they are thinking

3. Physical reactions—jumps, yelps

4. Involuntary reactions —heart beats, tingles

5. State of mind—can't think of nothing else, etc

The more actions and reactions you can include (to a point) the more your reader will be involved with your character.

Focus on one of the seven universal emotions: hate, disgust, fear, happiness, anger, grief, surprise

Emotional responses must be believable: not constant over or under reacting.

If you struggle with showing emotion in your writing, try some of the tips above! Good luck.