Guest Post: Nicole Sheldon of The Betrayed Writer



Thank you very much to the lovely Nicole Sheldon of The Betrayed Writer for today's guest post!

~~The Writing Process~~

Struggling writer will write for booze, food.

Yep, that’s me, The Betrayed Writer and that’s actually an ad I consider posting anywhere someone will see it and take pity on my poor soul. I originally started my blog to revolve around my currently-waiting-to-be-found-published-and-make-me-a-star novel but I so quickly became caught up in the joy of discussing books with other like minded brilliant people that shared my reading interests. Bit by bit, my writing’s showcase on the blog kind of fell to the wayside to make room for book reviews, rants, raves and gossips. I didn’t mind, but when my favorite Kitty asked me about the process in which I wrote my first novel I sat there going wait, but what about the recent Shadowfever release!!! I tend to forget I am a writer- the husband doesn’t however when I’m shouting, “Go away! I just have one scene left!”

“What’s your process in writing?” The little Kitty asked me one dreary Seattle January morning.
What did I say? Nothing at first, I actually sat back and had to ponder this question as if considering the cosmos! My favorite question asked to any writer and I could not think up an answer myself. I quickly consider and discard many honest-albeit cheeky answers and decide to settle on the most organic, for I am your typical brooding, sulking writer.

Three years ago I had a series of dreams about a Vampire who had fallen in love with a Slayer and when I woke I wondered, just what exactly would happen when they found out what the other was?
The question, you see, was easier than the answer I quickly discovered. And once I had figured out the basic plot of the story, I had to figure out how to not just write it in a way that does not show case my back woods South Carolina education in daily oral language, but in a way that could make my readers see and feel every single moment as if they were living it.
From this, my process was born. And beaten… and cursed and kicked and smothered.



First, I sit on it. The idea of course, not the Vampire; she bites and not in a fun way.
I was very fortunate with my first book to have a cast of my own schizophrenic voices to show me the story thus saving me half the work of needing to figure it out for myself.
One of my favorite authors of all time says that she can’t control what her characters do. She just writes them doing these things as they happen. I like that, because she’s riding in the same boat of crazy I am.

Second, I open up my favorite writing tool in the world. Wine. Microsoft One Note. I scribble down a rough time line, characters summaries, notes and play lists.
Did I say I’m very musically inspired?

Third, I must find another corkscrew for second bottle of wine. Music is a must for me, without it I am completely unable to write. You see, I’m crippled by a creature I call my Muse. She’s about 5 foot 11 with crazy red hair and gleaming green eyes. She doesn’t speak much, but she’s not exactly quiet either. She communicates her displeasures in my writing with a series of hisses, growls and screams. And when she’s too disgusted to continue, she leaves me. I secretly believe, she runs off with my best friend’s Muse where they share drinks together on some sunny tropical island, laughing, while we beat our heads into the desk trying to find enough ability to eloquate our total impotence to write without them.
Music, soothes my Muse and puts her into a some what malleable state. Once the music is flowing, and the wine, I begin to write.

I wish I had this grand creative process to lend to other inspiring writers such as my younger sister and readers of my blog. But writing for me is just something that is as natural as the beat of my heart and the breath of my chest. And like faulty hearts and poor respiratory systems, my writing is often less than desirable. But when I end up stuck somewhere, I just cross into their world and plop down on a sofa and watch. Writers are the best watchers and sometimes I just need to see it a little closer to get it across clearly.
Just not so close enough that a Vampire decides I smell like dinner.

Guest Post: What Cleopatra Can Teach Us About Love - Stephanie Dray (LRC)


Today we have the lovely Stephanie Dray here to give some insight from Cleopatra on Love! I hope you enjoy reading her post as much as I did ^.^ You should also check out my review of Lily of the Nile and my interview with Stephanie!

~~What Cleopatra Can Teach Us About Love~~
by Stephanie Dray


She was a ruler, a businesswoman, an author and religious icon. But Cleopatra VII of Egypt is primarily remembered for her dramatic love affairs with two of the most powerful men in the ancient world. She is said to have ensnared Julius Caesar in a May-December romance that scandalized Rome and may well have led to his assassination. Later, she set her sights on Mark Antony and during their tumultuous relationship, they quite nearly ruled the world.

In writing Lily of the Nile: A Novel of Cleopatra’s daughter, I spent a great deal of time pondering what sorts of lessons on love Cleopatra may have imparted to her children. Given Cleopatra’s tragic end, I imagined that her daughter would be quite wary of love--that she would see love as a threat to her ambitions...a threat to her very life itself. But then, Selene was a royal hostage, held in a Roman court of intrigue, at the mercy of the very man who destroyed her family.

By contrast, we have the luxury of taking an altogether more lighthearted look at her mother’s legacy! So, here are five things the legendary Queen of the Nile may have advised when it came to love:

Men Like Girls With Moxie.


The most famous tale about Cleopatra is how she had herself smuggled into the palace in a carpet and rolled out at Julius Caesar’s feet. The specifics of this story have come into question. Was it really a carpet or bed linens or a laundry sack of some sort? No one seems to know. But does it really matter? The point is that a very young queen risked her life in a dangerous gambit. Even having survived the perilous journey to slip past enemy soldiers, she had to know that Julius Caesar could have her killed on the spot. After all, she’d chosen the wrong side in the recent civil war; Caesar had no reason to favor her. But she gambled that Caesar would admire her spunk. Her reward? He took her to bed--quite possibly that same night--and would later make her the most powerful woman in the world.


Treat Your Relationship As Something Sacred.


from Turn Back to God

Though she was the mother of Julius Caesar’s son, he couldn’t marry Cleopatra by law, both because she was a foreigner and because Romans were only allowed one wife--he was already married to Calpurnia. However, Caesar and Cleopatra intended to make their love known. To this end, Caesar took the remarkable step of commissioning a golden statue of Cleopatra and placing it in his family temple of Venus Genetrix. Here, Cleopatra was depicted both as a goddess and a member of the Julii. No stronger statement about the sacred nature of their bond could be made. After Caesar was assassinated, Cleopatra built a giant temple in the royal district of Alexandria and celebrated him as a god.


When it Comes to Love, Go Big or Go Home.


from Gifts for Grad Students

When Mark Antony summoned Cleopatra to Tarsus, it was to chastise her for having failed to provide him with ships in his recent battles. Though she was the Queen of Egypt, he was a Roman Triumvir. He demanded that she come to him and explain herself. Her response? A bit of over-the-top stagecraft. A known lover of wine, spectacle and debauchery, Antony was riveted by the sight of Cleopatra’s golden barge as it sailed into the harbor. Cleopatra presented herself as a goddess come to meet a god and all her attendants were costumed as mythological figures. Perfume and rose-petals were the order of the day and when she entertained Antony aboard her ship, lavishly gifting his men with silver plate and other priceless gifts, he was smitten. The lesson? Don’t settle for a subtle seduction. Big romantic gestures create a lasting memories!

Encourage The Ambitions of Those You Love.


from Suggest Soft

Julius Caesar certainly didn’t need Cleopatra to prod him to world domination, but he certainly seemed to welcome her as a cheerleader and financier. That she shared in his visions of a future of empire building probably made her a more compatible lover in every way. Antony, on the other hand, seems to have been ambivalent about his own ambitions. Though Cleopatra is often blamed for his downfall, it’s unclear that Mark Antony wouldn’t have simply faded into obscurity without her. When he lost direction, Cleopatra was always there to stroke his ego and help him find his way. Consider the story of the infamous fishing trip during which Cleopatra played a prank on Antony. When he was frustrated at catching nothing, Cleopatra had her divers attach salted fish to his hook. When Antony pulled up his line and found the dead fish, laughter ensued and she told him, “Leave behind your fishing rod, General; your game is cities, provinces and kingdoms.” The lesson for us? Have a great sense of humor. Also, be your beloved’s greatest fan and encourage him or her to excel at what they do best.

Dance With The One That Brung Ya.


from the movie TAKE THE LEAD from All Movie Photos

Though Cleopatra has a reputation as a great seductress and a manipulative schemer, she seems to have been remarkably loyal. She was first loyal to Pompey. Then Caesar. Then Antony. When her war with Rome was lost, Cleopatra was offered the opportunity to ingratiate herself with her conqueror, perhaps sparing her life and her throne, in exchange for Antony’s head. As Antony had taken refuge in Egypt, he was entirely at her mercy. But she could not kill her lover. In the end they both committed suicide and were buried together to rest eternally side by side.

~~~~~

Stephanie is also sponsoring a literary contest for aspiring young female writers!



~~~~~

A Big Thank You to Stephanie for these tips and tricks that we can learn from Cleopatra! Remember: if you review one of her books (this includes the ones she wrote under the pen name Stephanie Draven), you get 2 extra entries per review ^.^

Book Blog Hop and Follow Friday (Feb 4)

Book Blogger Hop

Welcome from Book Blog Hop hosted by Crazy for Books and Follow Friday hosted by Parajunkee!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!

What are you reading now and why are you reading it?

I'm reading Life as We Knew It right now because a friend recommended it months ago, and I'm finally getting around to reading it. I'm really bad at reading recommended books (from people I trust) right away, but eventually I do read them heh~~


Loving the Reviews Challenge (and giveaway event extravaganza) has started! There are going to be a ton of authors giving away stuff and all you have to do is what you all normally do - review books! Check out the details and sign up and link up! We just added Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray (our guest poster tomorrow) to our prize pool ^.^

Krista D. Ball wrote an excellent post about loving a child as part of the Loving the Reviews Challenge yesterday ^.^

I only had 1 review this past week because of tests and such which was Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.



What book are you currently pushing?

You mean other people only push 1 book at a time?! Ha! HA! It really depends on what the person I'm pushing books on has read... but I push

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Soulless by Gail Carriger

I'm sure there are more that I push heh....

Loving the Reviews Feb 3rd - John Herrick


Head on to Brandi's blog and check out her interview with John Herrick, author of From the Dead!

Remember: if you review one of his books, you get 2 extra entries per review ^.^

Third Sentence Thursday (#10)

Third Sentence Thursday
Grab the Code



Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme for curling up with the third sentences of books.

This week's theme is review the sentence from your current read.

1) Take the book you are reading now and post the third sentence
2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)
3) Post a link to your sentence here or if you don't have a blog, just post it in the comments!
4) Prepare for next week's theme: Third Sentence Review (nothing special folks sorry, busy with tests for one last week!)


"Trade sweater for banana?" -Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

I giggled at this sentence. O don't you wish you knew why a sweater might be a good trade for a banana. ^,..,^

Guest Post: Loving a Child - Krista D. Ball (LRC)

Welcome to our FIRST post for Loving the Reviews ^.^ Today's guest post comes from Krista D. Ball author of Harvest Moon. You should read my review of Harvest Moon and my interview with Krista! She's going to be talking about loving a child.


~~~Loving a Child~~~
By Krista D. Ball


From Seattle Municipal Archives

I have two step-children, both of whom I've known since they were in diapers. I've been told that I'm lucky because they've always known me. They're probably right. However, one thing that really, really gets under my skin is when people say (with great frequency, I might add), that I would discover that I'd love my own biological children more, if I had any.

Which, frankly, really upsets me. Why? Because I'm adopted.

I've come to see love and family as the people who support you and share memories with you, not the people who give you DNA. Apparently, we adopted kids are supposed to have abandonment issues. I never did. I had two parents. I've met both of my biological parents, all of my half-siblings, and I still see my Mom and Dad as the people who raised me.

Don't get me wrong. Meeting my entire biological sphere was quite interesting and I've added lots of great new relationships to my life. But, they aren't my Mom and Dad.

When people tell me that I would love my non-existent biological children more than my step-kids, what they are really telling me is that Mom and Dad loved their "real" children more than they loved me. And as I look at the boys and how I'd give my own life to protect them, how I would give anything for their safety and happiness...I call bullshit. There was not a caste system of love in my family growing up and there isn't one in my household.

I was loved, completely and without limits. How could I not give that love to another child, after having it so graciously given to me?

~~~~~

Thanks again to Krista for this very thoughtful post! Remember: if you review one of her books, you get 2 extra entries per review ^.^

Loving the Reviews Challenge Begins!


Brandi of Blkosiner's Book Blog and Sniffly Kitty of Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books (that's me!) invite you to join us for the Loving the Reviews Challenge (and GIVEAWAY)!

PRIZES YOU CAN WIN
US Only
Signed Copy of


1 Copy Each of


Audiobook


In addition 1 SUPER LUCKY US winner will get the 3 books below! Big thank you to Fiction State of Mind for this special prize ^.^



US & Canada
Signed Copies of


1 Copy of


2 Copies of


International (Includes US & Canada)
1 Copy Each of


Book Depository


E-books (Note: the e-book of Solid is non-US ONLY)


Winners, you say? What do I have to do?
-Link up your reviews and make sure it links back to one of our posts with the banner~~ (It's a pretty cute banner!)
-If you review a book (any book written by the Featured Author) by one of our Featured Authors you will get 2 extra entries PER featured author review for the giveaway (Show our awesome authors some love!)
-If you do not have a blog, never fear. You can post your reviews on Goodreads, just make sure to link back here or to Brandi's post. We will need a direct link to your review (if you need help with that, let me know).

PLEASE NOTE: Reviews you link up must be NEW reviews in the month of February, never posted before.

Featured Authors!!
Authors will be guest posting here and on Brandi's blog! Some will be posting about our theme - Love and we are interviewing others-- it will be loads of fun.

Feb 2nd - Krista D. Ball - Loving a Child
Feb 3rd - John Herrick
Feb 4th - Stephanie Dray
Feb 5th - Suzi Davis
Feb 6th - CC Hunter
Feb 7th - Elizabeth Isaacs
Feb 8th - Maria Geraci
Feb 9th - Kate Kaynak
Feb 10th - Kersten Hamilton
Feb 11th - Angela Morrison
Feb 12th - Bonnie Rozanski
Feb 13th - Kate Hegarty
Feb 14th - Carol Millward
Feb 15th - C Lee McKenzie
Feb 16th - Shelley Workinger
Feb 17th - Jennifer Murgia
Feb 19th - Deborah Reber
Feb 20th - Jennifer Laurens
Feb 21st - Jacquelyn Wheeler
Feb 22nd - Maria V. Snyder
Feb 23rd - Lori Pescatore
Feb 24th - Denise Jaden
Feb 25th - Michelle Gregory
Feb 26th - Heather Tomlinson

In addition Kody Keplinger is also a featured author.

How do I sign up?
FILL OUT THIS FORM BEFORE LINKING!
(only if you haven't filled it out before)

Remember, if you review one of our Featured Authors- you will get extra entries into the giveaway. Simply fill out the form below to claim your extra entries!
Click to Fill Out Featured Author Bonus Entry Form


Link Up Your Reviews!(same linky on both blogs so you only have to link your review once ^.^ EVERY review is worth an entry Featured Author reviews are worth 3 entries)

Teaser Tuesday (Feb 1)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


'So it suited her to treat me as though I was not worthy of the empathy, the considered compassion and generosity, the spirit and humor she bestowed upon her fellow man. I was not worthy." -The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger

Feel free to leave a comment with a link to your own teaser post or just the teaser if you don't have a blog.
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