For The Love (and Hate) of Words...

Like all authors, words are kind of my life. Big ones, little ones, tongue twisters and giggle inducers. But, like everything else in life, there are good and there are bad. Not all words are created equal. At least, not in my world. There are the ones I love and there are ones I hate. I thought I'd share a few of each.

Love

1.      Cheesecake. I can’t eat cheesecake. Eggs are toxic to me, and since cheesecake is stuffed full of em, that pretty much lands it on a list of epic ways to kill myself. But I love the word. It might be the fact that the first part starts with cheese (because, who here does NOT like cheese!?!), or it might just be the random weirdness that is me. Even money that its a little of both.

2.      Turtle. Nope. Not my favorite animal—they don’t even make it into the top twenty (Sorry, turtles. Much love, just not THAT much love...). But it’s such a fun word. I know you agree. Just say it with me a few times. Turtle-turtle-turtle-turtle. Admit it. You said it, too. (I won't tell)

3.      Awesome. This word is so amazing, that even when you hate it, you find yourself saying it. Over and over and over and over... *cringes*

4.      Psychosomatic. I love the sound of it, the meaning—everything. This is a word that needs more love. Find an excuse. I challenge you to work it into a sentence today.

5.      Cadaver. I’ll admit that this one’s on the creepy side. But definition aside, it kinda rolls off the tongue. Am I right? Say it. Ca-da-ver.

Hate

1.      Auntie. I don’t know why, but every time I hear it, I want to rip my ears off.

2.      Panties. Why? Again, I don’t know. It irritates me to the point that I want to punch a sheep. Okay, not really. I love sheep. They're adorable. They waddle around, all fluffy and stuff. Seriously though, there’s a good possibility I have a deep seeded prejudice against words that end in IE…

3.      Awesome. Yes. It was also on the love list. But there’s something about it… I die a little each time it comes out of my mouth - which is sadly often.

4.      Yawn. Everyone hates this word. It’s okay to come clean. I mean, come on…what other word in the English language makes you *yawn* do something by simply speaking or writing it? Evil. Pure evil.

5.      Pimpin. I have a friend that used to say this. It was like styrofoam getting rubbed in my ear. You exactly know what I’m talking about. That grating, spine chilling sound that makes your hair stand on end and your muscles twitch.

You’re up. Tell me your favorite (and not so favorite) word!

To 2014 and Beyond...

I've never been one for New Year's resolutions. The road to hell, good intentions, blah, blah, blah. But this year, I'm determined to stick to a few. 

Not many, mind you. I've got commitment issues...

After talking to a bunch of friends this weekend, we decided to make a pact. Stick to a few simple guidelines, and we'll have an awesome (and productive) 2014!

1.  Write every day.

 

One or two lines. A paragraph. Edit a page or two. Work on a blurb. Sketch out an outline. Just, do SOMETHING. Chances are, once you start (because, let's face it, that's the hardest part) it will be like flying down an icy hill with no brakes.

2.  Read. 

Duh. Come on. If you're not reading, then how are you writing!? There's inspiration in everything, and what could be more inspirational than feeding your mind with all kinds of fiction? I was guilty of this in 2013. My schedule was insane, and my TBR pile kind of got away from me, but I'm in the process of fixing that right now!

3.  Screw the rules. 

The bad little influence that I am wants to tell you that rules are really just guidelines. Think of them as the guardrail along that crazy drop beside the interstate of life. Well, most of them. I think there's probably a rule about snuggling up to a starving polar bear. That one you should probably take to heart. But the writing ones? Sometimes it's good to break a rule or two. Follow your voice. Be true to your characters. Screw the rules. The world won't end, so stop stressing over it.

4.  Connect with other writers.

 

This is the thing I'm personally most guilty of. I've always been a loner. Super shy in most social situations, and instead of trying to join in, I tend to hover on the fringe, away from all the action. I'm socially awkward and afraid of opening my mouth if fear that something epically stupid will fall out. I'm quirky and strange and sometimes suffer from trucker mouth. But you know what? Who gives a crap? Writers are generally all strange/insecure/colorful/shy/ect. We need to be sticking together, yo! Safety in numbers and all that jazz.

So what about you guys? Any guidelines for 2014?

That time of year again...

The season of falling leaves, hot chocolate, cozy fires, and incoming white stuff. Summer is finally behind us and winter is on the way (yay). To me that means lots of yummy apple and pumpkin flavored goodies and curling up with some awesome reads!

So here’s the scenario. You go to bed one night and when you look out the window, you see the hint of flurries. When you wake up the next morning, you find that those flurries have turned the outside world into a winter wonderland (Not rushing the snow much, am I?). There’s two feet of fluffy snow and it's still falling. The roads are impassable, and there’s plenty of hot chocolate. What do you do all day?

Duh. You read!

We get some pretty wicked storms out here during the winter. So when it snows like crazy, I’m house bound—and happy to be so.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite winter reads.

Bitten - Kelley Armstrong—I could read this book a thousand times. Why? Two words for you. Clayton Danvers. Don’t get me wrong, I love Elena, but Clay is the reason I’ve read this book, like, a million times. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you need to find out.

Anything from the Mediator series - Meg Cabot—Suze and Jessie. A girl and her ghost. Suze is one of my fave YA chickies. She’s smart, sassy, and can roll with the punches. Plus, she deals with the dead with flair! 

Nightlife - Rob Thurman—Cal Leandros remains one of my favorite fictional men. Badass and snarky!

Any one of the Soul Screamer books — Rachel Vincent - This series was amazing. If you haven't started it, this is the perfect season to get cracking!

The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West - Mary Stanton - This was one of the first fantasy books I read as a kid. I will never, ever get tired of revisiting Duchess and Dancer and the gang

Your turn! What books will you curl up with during the first big winter storm?

/LoveHateAngerDevotion - AKA That Thing Called Emotion

The success of a book has a lot of contributing factors. A killer plot. Enticing characters. Cool settings. Unique idea… But one factor, in my opinion, anyway, stands out above the rest.

Emotion.

Anger, joy, sadness, hate—emotions are a large part of what makes people read. At least, that’s the case with me. I want to pick up a book and feel something. I want to fall in love. Be angry when the hero and heroine are thwarted. I want to Snoopy Dance when the bad get gets his due. Who wants to finish a story where you can’t connect with the characters? If I don’t feel some kind of emotion, it’s all over. 

Apathy is the death of a book. 

No truer words have ever been spoken. When the reader isn’t emotionally invested in what happens to the characters, the whole thing becomes pointless. How many times have you put down a book because you just don’t care? It's okay. We've all done it. I’m not just talking about love here, either. Hate is just as good, and sometimes, more powerful. When you're emotionally invested in a book, and you come across an uber-baddie, don't you worry what devious plot he has in store for the hero and heroine? Don’t you find yourself imagining ways to pick him off? 

(Wait—that’s just me? Um… Never mind then.)

This is a huge part of why I write in the young adult genre. The emotions are amped. Everything from a character's first love and heartbreak, to their struggle to find themselves in the world. So many firsts. So many passionate emotions. SO MANY FEELS!

And that's why we read. To feel. To connect. As long as readers feeling something, then I’ve done my job. From cheering your favorites on as they pursue their quest, to screaming in frustration when the bad guy gains the upper hand. A handful of tissues, or the urge to yell at the page. If you walk away feeling, then I’m a happy puppy.

What about you guys? Is there a particular book or fictional character that has evoked a strong emotion?