Movies that scare the pants off me

Happy Halloween!!

To celebrate Halloween, I am going to list movies that scared the pants off me throughout the years. I actually tend to be a laugher when it comes to scary movies, so they had to be really good.

  

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street-I chose this picture because, it's not scary to look at, and that cute eighties boy, is Johnny Depp. I have a very vivid memory of the girl turning into a cockroach (which I have an unfortunate history with). All of these movies scared the crap out of me, and Freddie Krueger in the early movies was SUPER scary.

 2. Pet Sematary-I think I actually laughed at my sister most of the time during this one, but it still freaked me out.

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3. Poltergeist-"They're He ere" Nuff said.

  

4.The Shining-Picture says it all. Creepy kids scare the bahjesus out of me.

5. Silence of the Lambs-I don't think I jumped at all, but the whole thing just creeped me out. I think the picture expresses the creep factor pretty well.

5. The Blair Witch Project-I saw this in the theater, and right after it came out. So, I didn't have time to hear anything about. So, yeah, it scared me.

6. Paranormal Activity-Once again, the more my brain thinks something COULD be real, the more freaked out I actually become. So, I've seen the first one, and I'm not seeing any more. I've had some extremely real dreams since I watched this.

So, what scary movies are your favorites? Or, which ones do you never want to see again? 

Tune in tomorrow for a Contest Announcement.

Killer Characters-He'll crow. He'll fight. He'll fly. And then... he'll die

Second star to the right and straight on till morning. You will find one of the most magical places ever created. Who doesn’t want just a little pixie dust, a few happy thoughts to soar off to Never Never Land. But, if you go, you should be warned there’s pirates afoot. 

Captain James Hook.  He doesn’t want your parents, or your booty. What Hook wants is you, the boys, and Wendy too.  He will brave hell and high water (and maybe a crock) to get what he wants. 

 

Throughout the years we have seen Captain Hook in many different adaptations. Some he is silly, and screams like a little girl whilst being chased by a crocodile.

In another he was played by, Dustin Hoffman, where he is sly and cunning, convincing Peter’s son that he doesn’t love him. 

In another he was played by Jason Isaacs, where he is feared and ruthless.

There is one thing I’ve always believed about Captain Hook, his secret wish is to be like Peter Pan: to fly, and have fun, and be a boy again. Which makes me love him.

Yet, he’s still a villain, to be despised. What villain do you know that is equipped to fight at a moment’s notice, has a whole book created just for them, and is the only man Long John Silver ever feared? 

Go to a store; grab a Captain Hook costume for Halloween. There are plenty to choose from, and have a jolly good time.

Please go check out ALL the other Killer Character's on E.R. King's Get Busy Writing. And thanks to Emily and Deana for hosting this. It has been TONS of fun!

Killer Characters-The Girl on Fire.

Today is day 2 of the Killer Characters Blogfest, hosted by E.R. King of Get Busy Writing and Deana Barnhart. I'm supposed to tell you my fav killer protagonist. To read about a ton of other Killer Protagonists, go to Emily's Blog and check out all the other entrees.

Two little words changed the literary world forever-Katniss Everdeen. Now, we have dystopia books everywhere. I read a post by an author arguing that fans didn’t fall in love the overpowering government; they fell in love with Katniss.

So why do we love the girl on fire? She doesn’t have any superpowers, she unwilling became the Mockingjay, and she couldn’t decide between Peeta and Gale. That’s why we love her though. She is real! And when she stepped in to take her sister’s place, our hearts opened up and took her inside. And we cheered for her, until the very last page of Mockingjay.

We also love her girl power! The image of her pulling her bow back, her arrow slicing through the air, sends shivers down my spine.


She’s not sweet and sappy. She does what needs to get done, and even turns quite dark in the last book. But, what would you do, if everything was taken away, or you were made to kill children? I think I might be like Katniss. Dark and twisty! It’s a theme that runs through my characters in this blogfest.

Who would it take to cause a revolution? Who would help turn the tide, and make people want to stand up for themselves? The Girl on Fire!

I wish for Katniss, that her world could have changed. That the sacrifices she made, would have made more of a difference. But, may the odds ever be in your favor.

Who is your favorite Protagonist? Come back on Friday when I share who I think the best baddy out there is.

Grandma Faye-We Love You

Grandma Faye and Me.

Faye Patterson turned 106 last Wednesday, and left this world yesterday. She was greatly loved, by many people. She was my sons’ Great, Great Grandma. My Husband’s Great Grandma and my Mother-In-Law’s Grandma. Most people do not live long enough to receive that letter from the president at 100, but Grandma Faye lived 6 years after that. She hugged my little ones every time they came over, and kissed them on the cheek. She loved all her grandbabies so much.

By the time I was in 8th grade, all of my grandparents passed away. When I moved to Oregon with my husband's family, I suddenly had grandparents again. Grandma Faye treated me like I was one of her own.

One of my favorite memories is a Christmas when I was pregnant with my 4 year old. In my hus

Grandma and my oldest at the Christmas party.

band's family, at Christmas they do an ornament gift exchange. Grandma wanted the nutcracker ornament, and I distinctly remember her great grandkids not showing her any mercy. Another tradition they do, is throwing the wrapping paper at each other, and Grandma was particularly feisty that year, on account on not getting her nutcracker.  It was easy to forget that she was 102. She was having fun with the rest of us.

We will miss your smile, your bright blue eyes, and your sweet laugh. The wonderful Christmas candy you put your love into every year. The blankets you made for my children will be set aside, so they will remember you. I only knew you the last nine years of your life, but I will miss you. Your spunk, is what I will remember the most.

Last year at Christmas. My boys and their cousin with Grandma Faye.

We love you Grandma Faye.

Killer Characters Blogfest- Severus Snape

From the moment Snape’s monotone voice, first speaks Potter’s name, you know their lives will be intertwined forever.

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Snape is total Slytherin: He’s pompous, greedy, and a super talented wizard, maybe even better than Dumbledore.

Underneath he is a lonely misfit. This fuels his need to wield power, which leads him to Voldemort.

Source (Fan Art is awesome!!)

But, Snape has one thing Voldemort never had-LOVE. Which causes his character to become even more delicious.

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One of my favorite scenes is from the movie DH1, (the book didn’t quite capture the shiver factor). Snape lands and flicks his black cloak back, and the gates open. HOLY COW, he is such a bad-ass, and ten times scarier than Voldemort. Why? Because, he was HUMAN.

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When Dumbledore died, tears streamed down my face. Oh, how I loved Dumbledore. I was so sad he left Harry, but he left with everyone believing he was a hero. He left with all his dirty secrets, wrapped up tight.

When Snape died, I bawled my head off. He gave everything for Harry, yet never received his love. I wanted everyone to know-Snape’s a hero! He died with his lovely little secrets, wrapped up tight.

To the end, Snape was dark and twisted. If you sat next to him at dinner, you wouldn’t like him. He embraced the Death Eaters, only to turn away from them for the love of a woman. But, in secret he devoted his life to our beloved Harry Potter. And who would Harry Potter be, without Snape?

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This Blogfest is hosted by E.R. King & Deana Barnhart. They are awesome!!

Monday Is Killer Character Blogfest-I can't wait!

You still have a few more days to join the Killer Characters Blogfest. It's going to be so much fun. Go HERE, to E.R. King's blog to sign up. It's starts Monday.

If you are here, then you see that I changed my template for this blog. Unless, this is the first time you stopped by, well then, HELLO!!

I realized that the flowery background, just didn't represent me very well. I am not that girly, or frilly, or flowery. And you will see next week, that I like things a little Dark and Twisty. Not that this template is Dark and Twisty, but it is dark. I've also heard to keep it simple and not too distracting. So, I hope it falls in that category too. I've always loved black and white photos. And I also like pictures of trees. My decorating style for my house is minimalist. Nothing frilly, and not country AT ALL. Can't do it. So, I hope that the outside skin I am showing, represents me just a little better.

Halloween is so close, and it's time for scary movies. Which I have sworn off for a while. But, we want to do cute Halloween movies with the kids while we bake cookies, and carve pumpkins. Do you have any good suggestions? My kids are young.

Have a great weekend! I'll see you back on Monday, where I lay out the reasons I think Severus Snape is a delicious Supporting Character.

The Help-Trying to see things from a different perspective

I finished reading, The Help, the other night.  I really liked the book, and it made me think. Which I love when a book makes me think, or when it makes me analyze my perspective. When I read, The Help, I wondered who I would have been, if I lived back then. I’ve thought about this before. Would I sit quietly by, while black people were being mistreated? Would I talk bad about them myself? What if I would have been born into a family that owned slaves? Or had a black maid, like in this book. Would I be like Hilly? She is very adamant about keeping everything segregated. Or Elizabeth, who just floats through life doing what is expected of her. Never challenging the way things were. Or would I have had the guts to be like Skeeter, and try to see past the imaginary lines. I hope I could have been like Skeeter. In my imagination, I would have marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. But,  what would the reality have been? I'm glad I don't have to find out.

I was doing my book review on Goodreads, and I wanted to make sure I spelled the characters names correctly so, I googled, The Help. It led me to this site that listed the characters, but also had a link to a blog post about, To Kill a Mockingbird. Which I’ve posted about before, and I feel helped open my eyes to the bigger world as a child. The post was about TKAM being racist. There were tons of comments, and I read all of them.  A lot of them from black Americans who had to sit through class and read this book, and how horrible it made them feel.  I thought of one of my young family members, who is bi-racial, and I wondered how she would feel reading TKAM.  Or how she would feel about reading, The Help.

They really are 2 different books, written by people from completely different eras. Where TKAM is from the little white girl’s perspective, The Help is from 2 of the maids POV and a white girl’s POV.  If you read the Author’s comments in the back, she says that she grew up in Mississippi and had a maid, whom she loved. This is very apparent in the book. She tries to show how in tiny ways, people’s perspectives were changed.  How it wasn’t an overnight thing. That each step someone made to understand people of other races, was important. Aibileen, one of the maids, tells the little girl she takes care of secret stories to help her understand that people of color are no different.  

But, because the author is depicting a certain time period, when negative words were used, the book does contain negative words. If this book were required reading in class, those words would have to be read aloud or skipped. When arguing that it could be a racists book, people point to the fact that once again there is a white savior, and consonants are dropped at the end of words, for the black characters. Am I the best person to judge this? I don’t know. I thought TKAM was an enlightening book, that helped me understand that not only black people, but people who were considered special, like Boo, were equal. Now, I see the book through someone else’s eyes, and I just don’t know. I read a blog written by an African American woman who posed the question, are you going to see the movie, The Help? She received tons of comments. Several people identified themselves as African American, and said they didn’t think it was racist. Well, in my opinion (which is that of a white girl) the book isn’t racists, and the opposite was the author’s intent. Do I think that someone might interpret it that way? Yes. Do I think they’re wrong? No. Everyone sees things differently, because we all have different experiences.

I’ve read that the author struggled with the idea of writing the book. That she didn’t feel like she was qualified to write from a black woman’s POV, but that they just wouldn’t stop talking in her head. I understand how it feels to have characters jabbering away. It’s one of the reasons I have a Male and Female POV in my WIP.  Asher (a Jewish American) wouldn’t stop making his POV very clear to me. The author didn't tackle the subject lightly, or flippantly. The love she had for her maid growing up, shows in the wonderful characters she created. The 2 maids are by far, my favorite characters. They are both written as very intelligent, strong women. I'm glad that she wrote the story from their POV, and not the little girl being taken care for by the maid. Which is who she was, in real life. For me it bridged the gap, and helped you feel their world a little. Did she get everything right? Was it completely accurate? Maybe not, but in fiction, is it ever perfect?

So, now that I've rambled on. Is there a book you love that was shown to you from a different perspective, and it made you rethink how you felt about it? Is there a topic, you are afraid to tackle because it could open a can of worms? Is there a character you just can't see yourself being able to pull off? And last if you've read, The Help, what's your 2 cents?

Campaign Challenge #3-Ashes in the Wind

OK folks, this is the last challenge. It has been tons of fun doing these challenges, and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. The last challenge rules are below. I did several different stories, with a couple different sets of characters, but since I'm still immersed in Avery's story, I ended up doing a scene for her. There are funny words to put in for an extra challenge, but I left them out. Oh, and I didn't quite get the main character being bored. I made one of the other characters bored. Which means I might not win, based on that. But, I really like the story as is. So, oh well. ;0)

Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:

that it’s morning,
that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach
that the MC (main character) is bored
that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting
that something surprising happens.

Ashes in the Wind by Jenny S. Morris

The sun peaks from behind the rocks,

glowing orange through the heavy clouds.

Cold air whips my hair,
my face tingles.
Waves crash, seagulls screech.

I can’t do this.

The faint smell of rotting fish,

wakes me up.
The cold sand,
hard beneath my feet.

I have to do this

A man walks by,

boredom sags through his shoulders
As if he takes this trek every day.

“Are you ready?” Joshua asks.

“No.”

Joshua‘s lips press mine,

coffee lingers between us.

“Here,” Joshua says.

The urn, cold hard and lifeless.  

“I can’t.” I hand it back.

“We can wait,” Joshua says.

I have to do this.

“No, give it to me,” I say.

My fingers grip,

holding what’s left, tightly.

Lid off,

wind whips.
Fingers tremble,
Heart beats.
Soft, hard, fast then slow.

My knees sink.

Waves push against me.
Wanting to engulf me.

Ashes in my hand,

Wind whips.
Taking him away,
into the sky.

“Goodbye, Daddy.”

Tears trickle.

“Isn’t she lovely?”

“Isn’t she wonderful?”
“Isn’t she precious?”
Whispers in the wind.

“Did you hear that?” Joshua asks.

“What?” I ask.

“Music,” Joshua says.

“It’s my dad,” I say.

The sun warms my face,

drying my tears.

I'm #36, if you want to vote for me.

Interview Corner-Author Jolene B. Perry

In my Interview Corner we have the fabulous Jo. OK, it's really Jolene B. Perry, but I like calling her Jo. It means she likes me. She is the first official Author, that we've had in the corner, so I am super excited. Aren't her shoes awesome! I have shoe envy.

We will start off with the Goodreads blurb on Jolene's book.

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The Next Door Boys

The Next Door Boys 

With her body still recovering from last year's cancer treatments, Leigh Tressman is determined to be independent. Despite the interference from her overprotective brother, the ever-expanding line of young men ready to fall in love with her--not to mention the physical frustrations and spiritual dilemmas Leigh discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learWith her body still recovering from last year's cancer treatments, Leigh Tressman is determined to be independent. Despite the interference from her overprotective brother, the ever-expanding line of young men ready to fall in love with her--not to mention the physical frustrations and spiritual dilemmas Leigh discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but comfortable places.(less)

Now for the fun part. Jolene tells us about the story! Not that we don't love hearing about the author, but Jolene is really open and honest on her site. So, if you want to get to know her, just read a few of her posts. ;0)


1. How does it feel, to look down and see your name on a book? Terrifying. I know I should just enjoy it, but it's really, really scary. It's one thing to put myself out there for a critique on a book that everyone knows isn't finished, it is QUITE another to say - Yep! This is it! This is my first book! Also, I've come SO far as a writer since I wrote it, that it's hard on that side of it, too. ALSO - I NEVER expected it to find a readership outside of the LDS market, so that makes me feel even more naked. If that makes sense at all. I've already seen that people who bought it have no idea it's an LDS novel - so I'm sure my reviews will be VERY mixed on this one. If I had known, I might have explained a few things a little more.

I didn't realize it was LDS, as Jessie, form B-Word put it, I was an LDS virgin. But, it didn't throw me off that much.

2. Leigh is a great character. She’s young, and beautiful and SUPER clueless when it comes to boys. Were you clueless about boys growing up?  Yes, I was a bit clueless. Probably just as well because I found enough trouble without thinking that more than my boyfriend (whoever it was at the time) liked me. Did you always know she had cancer? Why did you feel you needed to tell Leigh’s story? This book started out as a comedy. It started out as a book about a girl with a snooping older brother, when the girl just wanted independence. A good friend of mine got cancer, and so it started this idea that Leigh's NEED for independence came from that. Jaron toned down a lot when she had tension from other places. The more I thought about Leigh, the more real she became. She is real to me. The idea that she doesn't actually LIVE anywhere, is sort of odd. And at the same time, it feels odd to say that she lives somewhere. I don't know how to explain. Mostly I'm sure I just sound crazy. I'm used to this. Crazy's a comfortable place for me to be.

I think crazy is comfortable to lots of writers. 

3. I love the places you picked for Leigh to live. Just reading about the temple in Salt Lake, made me want to visit. What made you decide to locate her there?  It's a very Mormon place to live. Also, I put ALL of my books and/or characters in places that I've lived, or have visited a LOT, because I like that touch of reality. I love Salt Lake City. It's a beautiful city. I'll climb on Trax (commuter train) and just ride around downtown.

Going on the Trax sounds fun. I still need to just get on the Max, and do that in downtown Portland.


4. One of the biggest themes in this book is family, was this always a part of the story? Her brother Jaron is the best brother. Did you ever consider making their relationship more strained? Before I sat down to write the story, their relationship was strained. But then I felt like SO many books rely on family relationships that don't work, that aren't functioning. I wanted to find a different source of tension, and show that some family relationships really are amazing - and that the story can be interesting without a family in turmoil - though, Leigh does have a brother who took off, and he does come into play in Leigh's second book.

Family relationships really can be amazing. Yay! Second Leigh book.

5. Now we get to Brian. SWOON!! Did you base him off of anyone in your life? I love how he gets to kinda be a bad boy,yet is actually the total opposite.  He is seriously one of my all time favorite love interests in a book.  Brian is my favorite, too, and I've written a LOT of boys. He's in two other books I've written. He started out as someone I do know, who has most of Brian's tattoos. It was SO weird to write Brian at first (because I kept seeing this person I know), but then he became a man separate from the guy I know, and it felt okay again. Also, my favorite thing about Brian is that even though he's the "bad-boy" in a way, it makes him the best guy. I also love that Leigh is very judgmental, and Brian is the opposite.

I love the whole judgemental flip flop thing too. My BIL has a ton of  face piercings, and some people freak out about it. But, I don't even notice them anymore.

6. What was the hardest thing in the book to write? (Without giving any spoilers away.)  The one that I enjoyed writing a lot (even though it was hard for Leigh) was Leigh and Noah in the restaurant (and Noah's also based on someone I knew. Someone I may or may not have been dating when I realized that I might get the chance at the guy who is now my husband). So, I guess that was the OPPOSITE of answering your question.

Yay, for your hubby winning! He's so supportive. I loved his Goodreads review.

7. Do you have a favorite character in this book?  Brian. Easy. But I do LOVE Leigh, and I love the relationship with her brother. I love all the guys that take an interest in Leigh. I love how "together" Evan was, and I liked how Noah was perfect on paper, perfect. I even liked the poor guy who took her to her high school prom, and two years later is still thinking about her.

Brian's my favorite, too!


8. Is the second book any easier to write? The second book in general?? YES! The first book I wrote, I didn't even set out to write a whole book, so it was a MESS (and still is). When I started Leigh's book, I knew it would be a whole book. (The Next Door Boys is the second book I wrote)

The second Leigh book? Harder to write. I KNEW when I was writing The Next Door Boys that Leigh's story continued. It kept coming to me over and over. She got everything she wanted, and then got sick again. I kept telling myself, I do NOT want to live this. I do not want to write this book. But I had to. Now I just love it.

*Sniffs*


9. Do you have any advice, for family members of people with cancer? Look for anything, ANYTHING that brings a little bit of hope, or love, or a sense of peace. I don't care where you get it from, just find it. I watched three grandparents die from it, kids suffer through it (Leukemia), and a good friend who nearly died of it way too young.

This is great advice!


10. Last question, did you miss Leigh and the gang when you were done? Do you ever go back, and visit them? I missed them so much that I wrote another book with them in it. And then I got this idea for a third LDS book, and as soon as I realized that Leigh could come into it, I wrote her into it. So, Leigh's story continues in a book that is now called "Left to Love" but the title may change, and she plays a big part in another book that is now called "Want To Be" - both are at CFI, and I'm keeping fingers crossed for both :D

We'll all keep our fingers crossed for you. I would love to see Leigh's continuing journey. Or read anything else you write.

Thank you for doing this!,
THANKS FOR ASKING ME!!

I am super excited. Jolene is coming to Portland, and we are crossing our fingers that we are able to hook up while she's here. If we do, hopefully I will fun pics to share. (And I'm going to get my copy of, The Next Door Boys signed! Woohoo!!)

For Jolene's Blog tour she is doing and awesome give away, rules below.

Each comment (not more than one per post ;P) enters you for a chance to win either

1. 35 amazon bucks (for the first name drawn)
2. a copy of Jolene's book (for the second name)

You can find her book on goodreads HERE
You can buy it on amazon HERE
You can check out her blog HERE

Songspiration Thursday-Pretend Friend

Today's story came to me first, then I found the song. I was nature walking with my family, and I kept seeing the coolest patches of trees where I would have totally spent all day as a kid, and just played. Madeline in the story is totally me, but not.  Unfortunately, there was no Bradley in my woods, and I played alone. The story is a little longer, than the others, hope you enjoy.

I looked out the window of our trailer, just in time to catch the first sun beams dance off the early morning fog. A perfect day to explore.

“I’m going for a walk, Momma,” I yelled as I grabbed my coat, and I headed down the back stairs, trying to do up my coat as I went. The zipper stuck, and I had to jam it up, but the bottom teeth kept coming apart.

The leaves crunched under my feet, as I took the well-worn path from my backyard, to the woods beyond. The faint smell of a fire filled my nostrils; Mr. Woodland must be burning leaves down the road. I walked a ways through the trees, until the place where the path ends, and entered my world. I could be anything there.

I hummed a new song I heard on the radio. I mumbled through the words until I got to the chorus, then I belted it out. I watched the birds take flight from the leave-bare trees. My beautiful voice scared them away.

I spotted a broken down pile of logs that looked like they could have been a fort. What if a battle was fought right here, long ago? That is where they would have brought their wounded. The little fort, tucked away among several rotting trees. Away from the path, and away from the battle field.

I walked over, and sat down just outside the entrance where a nurse would be, waiting for her patients. I looked up to survey the area, locating exactly where the battle would be fought. Walking just beyond a mossy, turned-over log, where the cannon would go, was a floppy head of brown hair.

I squinted, the morning sun was higher in the sky, and glared in my face. Bradley. He lived just down the road, and was in Mrs. Shield’s class, right across the hall from mine. I’d seen him at recess, when he played freeze football with the other boys. I stood up, hoping he didn’t see me, as I was pretendin’.

“Madeline, whatcha doin’?” Bradley asked, smiling at me from ear to ear. His expression caused his dimples to peek out at me.

“Walkin’” I replied, brushing the dirt from my jeans.

“Oh,” he said, sounding disappointed. “I thought you were in the fort, playin’.”

I felt my cheeks get hot. “No! I thought I saw a…um, bottle. A coke bottle or somethin’. The sun reflected off it.”

Bradley smiled at me again, with his dimples. “Oh, well maybe I left it there last weekend. I like to pretend it’s a fort that protects me from the cowboys.”

“Don’t make fun of me!” I said, stomping away, back toward home.

“Aw, come on Maddy, I’m not making fun of you. The cowboy’s camp is down past that ridge, over yonder. And I use, this hear fort to protect myself,” Bradley said, then pretended to gallop over to the fort.

Tears pricked my eyes. Bradley’s was one of the nice ones. I didn’t understand why he’s being so mean.

“Bradley Jacobson, I’m going to tell your momma.”

He stopped smiling and walked over to me. “I’m not making fun. Look.” He pulled me over to the fort, and pushed a few branches and dirt out of the way so I can see a bow and arrow, with feathers coming out the end.

“You really play pretend, like I do?” I asked.

“Here, I found these feathers just last week. Down by the crick. They’re from one of those guineas Mr. Woodland’s got,” He said. Then he grabbed one off the ground, stuck it behind my ear, and kissed me on the cheek. His big brown eyes flickered and shone in the sun, tempting me to give in and play.

The sun began to set before we realized the day was gone. I had to get back, to help Momma with supper.

“Maddy? Will you come out here tomorrow?” Bradley asked as he snatched my hand in his. I looked down at our hands, they were dirty and sweaty. We spent most of the day digging a moat around our fort, getting ready for the Alligators to be delivered.

“Only if I get to pick what’s attacking the fort,” I giggled, then tugged my hand away.

“Bye, Madeline Carter. See you tomorrow,” He said as he ran away.

“Bye, Bradley Jacobson,” I yelled, and I ran all the way home thinking up what the forest would transform into tomorrow.

So now tell me, how old were you when you last played pretend? (Playing with your kids doesn't count.) I lived next to these woods, when I was in the 8th grade. LOL. ;0)

Who doesn't think Spys are cool?

I promised some book suggestions, so here they are:



If you know anything about me, you know I secretly wish I were a ninja. Or, in this case a Gallagher Girl.

Cammie the chameleon, goes to a special school for girls. A school where every class, is designed to one day turn her into a super spy. Wowza, I love Ally Carter's style of writing. She is so fun, and entertaining, and makes you want to be a part of Cammie's world. Doesn't everyone wish they had a best friend, who could hack into their potential boyfriend's e-mail?

The friendship aspect of this series, is another thing I love. Liz, Bex, and Macey solve some of the hardest mysteries out there. Including boys! The girls (all but Macey) are very clueless when it comes to boys. And, it makes it so fun! Ally doesn't make the love story, the focus of the books, but she does allow a cute boy to sneak in whenever necessary. 

And, the things the girls must solve, get more complicated with each book, and Ally really ups the ante as her series progresses. By the fourth book, it isn't just boys, and covert ops finals they have to solve. Cammie's life is on the line.

So, for every girl (or even boy) who's ever wanted to scale down the side of a building, hop into a helicopter, while a building blows up because you planted a top secret new bomb, this series is for you!

I really hope they make a movie, I'd love to see the Gallagher Girls in action. My vote would be for a TV series. I need something to replace my spy guy, Chuck.



Creating a Sense of Humor

Wow, I feel like I've been out of the loop. My trip last week, has caused me to totally miss out on the blogging world. But, I hope to get back in the swing of things. I am sad to say, I did not make it to Wordstock over the weekend. I am fighting a nasty cold, and I didn't want to spread my germs to everyone. Sucky, but I will be there next year.

Also, if you haven't heard the news, Shannon Whitney Messenger got a crazy awesome deal, for her trilogy. Her first book, Keeper of the Lost Cities, will be out in fall of 2012. Shannon is one of the reasons, I found the rest of the blogging community. I found out about WriteOnCon, and many other things from her blog. I am really excited to finally hear more details about her book!

I planned on doing a Book Suggestion today for, Jolene Perry's, The Next Door Boys, but she has agreed to do an interview, and add me to her book tour, so the review will have to wait. Let me just say, I gave it 5 stars and, it was awesome!

I whipped out 5,300 words last night, and it felt so amazing. That is a lot for me. I don't get time by myself, at the computer very often. I wasn't by myself yesterday, just determined to write. So, I stuck the headphones on, ignored all the running around and screaming, and wrote. And, I had a breakthrough. WOO HOO!! One of the hardest things for me to create in a character, is their sense of humor.

I typed funny into google images, and got a slew of pictures. This one tickled my fancy, so I grabbed it. But, do you find it funny? What about your mom, does she think it's funny? OK, now ask yourself, does your MC think this is funny? My MC, in WIP2, would think it's stupid. She wouldn't really get it.

So, how do you reflect your characters sense of humor, and not your own in the books? I'm still working on that. But, last night I had a breakthrough. I still don't know the answer to my own question, but I was finally able to feel like a created dialogue that was funny, and entertaining, and completely my characters talking, and not me. It was one of those moments, where your characters reveal a little more to you, and it just blows you away. Oh, I love Avery and Joshua even more now.

Do you have any tips on making your characters funny? How to do it, without making it sound like some 30-something woman is giggling in the background?

From my 4 year old yesterday-"Aw, it's raining on my shadow." (Funny or not funny, LOL)

Vote for David Powers King

All the entries have been posted to Rach Writes for the Platform Builders Campaign challenge #2. Now I have not read them all. I have tried to read everyones that read mine, and other blogs that I follow. I like my entry, but there is one that I LOVE. And, I wanted to make sure everyone shows it the love it is due. Some of the entries have been creative, and interesting, intriguing, and cute. But, David Powers King's entry touched me. Isn't that why we read? I think he did an awesome job, and it's in verse. LOVE IT. So, if you haven't read David's entry, do so right now.  Then, if you like it go to Rach's, and vote for #19.  Voting closes on October 14, 2011.

Also, there is a new blog site called inkPageant, that David and his friend just launched. It looks really awesome! You should check that out as well.

So, I am off to a weekend of: reading, reading and Wordstock. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Get ready, because next week I have Tons of Books Suggestions coming your way.

Inspiration Thursday-Prime Time

There is no story today. I'm sure you are all bummed. I wrote this lovely story, in a notebook, but I have so many I can't find it. Maybe, I should stick to one notebook at a time, then I wouldn't have these problems.

For this week's inspiration we are going to Fall Prime Time!

Here is a list of the new shows that I have checked out, and think are worth taking a gander at.

1.  New Girl: All I have to say is, Zooey Deschanel. She is TOO cute. And I really want to see how many funny situations, she will find herself in.



2. Terra Nova: This is Jurassic Park meets Avatar. But, they did a really smart thing, and centered the story around a family. One with an angsty teenage boy, a beautiful daughter, and attractive parents. They have lots of high tech gadgets to help keep the Dino's out. And yes, there is also hidden agendas, possible big brother aspects, and secret plots underfoot.

3. A Gifted Man: This one totally took me by surprise. I was folding clothes and needed something to watch. So, I looked through my On-Demand stuff and found this one. I really didn't expect to like it. But, they take a d-bag brain surgeon, and they start opening his eyes to humanity. This is done with the help of his dead ex-wife. 

That is all for now folks. My time is precious, as is yours. So, I choose my TV watching very carefully. There are some shows that start later in the season, that I want to check out. Well, and the clock is ticking until Chuck starts again. Which is bitter-sweet, since it's the last season of Nerd Herding and Jeffster goodness.


I am volunteering at Wordstock Festival 2011. I will be there Sunday, October 9th, in the afternoon, if you live in the area and plan to stop by. I have no idea what I'm doing, but hopefully it will include forming full sentences, when I talk to people.


Have you seen any new shows that you feel that I should check out? If you watched the shows I've listed, what was your opinion?

Smart Chicks Kick it Tour & Me Being a Dweeb

I went to my very first book signing on Thursday. I was very excited to show off my wonderful pictures of all the lovely ladies. But, it perfect Jenny style, I didn't take a single decent picture. I suck at the camera, and there were a lot of people.

This was the line up for the night:

First out of all the ladies, I've only read Ally Condie, Beth Revis and Sara Zarr. I really don't know much about the other authors. They were all super fun, and a blast to listen to. I've never been to this Powell's location, so it was cool to see.


Also, in true Jenny fashion, I stood in the back, and didn't ask one question. Everyone else asked great questions. My favorite thing of the night, was when they posed the question: out of any of the authors books list who you would marry, who you would shag, and who you would throw off a cliff. The young ladies in the audience really got into this one. Although for them, "shag" meant kissing. LOL. I was at a little bit of a disadvantage, because I didn't know most of the characters they were talking about. These ladies look like they have a lot of fun together.

I was surprised at how shy Ally Condie was, but I totally see myself being like her with an audience. She was sweet, and wonderful though. She said she put half her husband's characteristics in each of the male love interests in her book. How sweet is that? Sara Zarr and Beth Revis were both funny and entertaining, as were the rest of the women.

So, I sat in my seat and waited to get my books signed. My hubby gave me a nice little budget and I was able to get Matched and Across the Universe. Both I have read, but I feel that supporting the authors you love is really important. While I sat there I notice a really pretty blond lady, that looked familiar a few rows up. After staring at her for an embarrassing amount of time, I realized that it was Lisa Schroeder. She has written: YA, MG and children's books. I LOVE her newest YA book, The Day Before. It's all in verse, and it's lovely. Then, this little girl started jumping around with one of Lisa's books in her hand, and babbling about cupcakes. I just read the book a week ago, and so I ended up having a conversation with a 2nd grader about cupcake recipes ,and why my son was not with me. She was so cute!

To wrap up the night, I turned into a total dweeb, and could barely form a coherent sentence when Beth Revis was signing my book. But, she did complement my dress, and I giggled. Gotta love face to face, social interaction.  I hope I can keep myself together next Sunday. I am volunteering for Wordstock, and there is a possibility I might have to actually form sentences when I'm talking to the authors.

So now to the question. Pick your favorite book. Or books series.

Who would you marry?
Who would you shag?
Who would you throw off a cliff.

I'm picking The Hunger Games- Marry: Peeta, Shag: Cinna, and throw Haymitch off a cliff.

OK, that was fun, I'm doing another: Harry Potter-Marry: Charlie Weasley, Shag: Snape, and throw Bellatrix off a cliff. (Duh, Voldemort can fly. Wouldn't do any good.)

I will stop now. I was going to do Twilight, but I don't know if people will like who I want to throw off a cliff. Sorry, for the long post. I will be out of town for most of the week, so I will have to catch up on blogs later. Have a great week.