Author Liesel K. Hill's Musings on Fantasia...
Showing posts with label Teasers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teasers. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
2 Essential Historical Fiction Character Qualities + Summer Bash Author Party and Teasers
It's completely online, a Facebook event from 6-9 pm tonight, MST. The URL is here: https://www.facebook.com/
Basically it's me and eight other (awesome) authors. We'll each take a 30 minute time slot (my slot is 7-7:30 pm, MST) to run things. We'll ask questions, which our audience will answer. They'll have a chance to ask us questions. And there are tons of great prizes. I'm giving away a bunch of ebooks. I know others are also doing giftcards. And the grand prize we all chipped in for is a Kindle Fire HD. So the prizes are pretty darn awesomesauce!
Other authors include: Allison Rose, A.S. Winchester, Christy Sloat, Emma Raveling, Emm Cole, E.J. Mellow, J.Kowallis, Kirstin Maddock, and Sunshine Somerville.
So stop by at the above URL tonight and ask or answer some questions for a chance at great prizes. We'd love to meet you!
Okay, onward! (Teasers below.)
Character Week
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Today, we'll focus on the Historical Fiction Genre. I write and love historical fiction, but it can be a challenging genre to conquer.
Here's the thing about historical fiction characters: just like every other aspect of the genre, they require a bit of research. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you view things, but if you're big on historical fiction, I'm gonna take a wild guess that you aren't opposed to historical research. :D
So here are a couple of things to remember about your historical fiction characters:
1) They must have the beliefs that people of the time in their circumstances had. If you're writing about the sixties, you need to do some research into the decade to figure out what people knew and believed. Depending on the character, time period, and setting, it might only be subtly different from contemporary beliefs, or it may be vastly different.
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For example: The middle ages was full of monarchists, most of whom believed in Divide Right to Rule. This meant that whoever became king or queen was God's will and that person, because God had directed circumstances to place them on the throne, could do no wrong. Everything they said, did, or thought came directly from God. This was a sincere and powerful belief of most people who lived on earth at that time. It informed every political and religious decision they made. Can you see how characters living in this time would be vastly different from contemporary ones who believe in democracy, choice and accountability, and the will of the people through popular vote?
2) Despite potentially outdated or ignorant beliefs, your characters must still have some over-arching, transcendent belief that makes them likable and/or relatable. Historical fiction is all about the regrets our society, and sometimes the human race as a whole, has about our past. We need to see both hope and struggle from these characters. In fact, this is a an invaluable opportunity to create dichotomy in your character
For example: Someone who is closed-minded in some ways due to his belief in Divine Right Rule, but who the reader also roots for because the character is a genuinely decent and compelling person.
Make sure characters in your historical fiction have both these qualities. I've read histfic where one or both of these were lacking, and it definitely did not make for compelling or memorable characters.
What qualities do you think Historical Fiction characters should have?
Teaser Tuesday
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!
• 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!
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This week's teasers come from Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia. I read book 1 like two years ago and am finally getting around to the sequel. (Yea!)
Another crash. Now I was covered with the fine white dust of her fallen ceiling, broken chunks scattered on the floor around me. That's not what I meant and you know it.
Do I? All I know is that it shouldn't be so hard. Loving someone shouldn't be so hard.
I never cared about that. I felt her fading away, pushing me out of her mind and out of her heart.
What are you reading this week?
Monday, May 4, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Non-Reads + Teasers: Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top 10 Books I Will Probably Never Read
I couldn't think of very many of these. Even if a book is dark, controversial, or I hear people say it's not worth reading for one reason or another, if it's about something I'm interested in, I'll probably have to read it for myself and draw my own opinion one way or the other.
7. Fifty Shades of Gray by E.L. James - I've read excerpts from this. The writing is terrible. The plot is terrible. I think it sends all the wrong messages to and about women and relationships in general. Just no.
6. The Lost Symbol or anything else by Dan Brown - Don't get me wrong, I really liked the DaVinci Code. Brown can definitely write a page turner. The problem is that his main character, Robert Langdon, doesn't undergo any change from the beginning of the book until the end. And the guy isn't particularly heroic to begin with. I also read Angels and Demons and, while it was a pretty good book on it's own, to me it felt like the exact same story as The DaVinci Code, just with names and locations changed. My conclusion: if you've read one Dan Brown novel, you've read them all.
5. Lord of the Flies by William Golding - I've never wanted to read this. The premise just turns me off. I've thought in recent years that I probably should read it, just on principle, so that I can have an authoritative opinion about it. But, honestly, with 700 books on my TBR list, the chances of me picking up this one are pretty much nil.
4. East of Eden by John Steinbeck - For some reason, just the way the cards fell, I read TONZ of Steinbeck in high school. I think East of Eden is the only one of his books I haven't read. The problem is, I'm really not a huge fan. Because of that, I've had my fill of Steinbeck and don't feel any particular need to read this.
3. Anything I haven't yet read by Ernest Hemingway -- I definitely haven't read as much Hemingway as Steinbeck, but my reasons are pretty much the same. Just not a huge fan. (I know, I know, I'm the only English major on the planet that doesn't like either of these dudes. Can't help it. Just how I feel.)
2. Erotica/Genre Romance - Just not my thing in either case. I find that I'm never satisfied with these kinds of stories. I prefer other genres.
1. Anything else by Alice Sebold - Sebold actually has a very engaging writing style. I respect her for that. But I've read two of her books and saw the film version of The Lovely Bones, and I'm pretty much always disappointed with where she goes with her plots. She either sets us up for things that don't pay off, or just goes to really bizarre places that leave a bad taste in my mouth. Just not for me.
That's it for me.
What books will you probably never read?
Teaser Tuesday:
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!
• 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!
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"Uh-huh," she finally responds. "I'm sure you did. Suck-ups do that type of thing. Here's the deal. I avoid you, you avoid me, and when my uncle asks if you helped me today I'll giggle like one of those pathetic girls standing in the hallway and gush about how poor, defenseless me couldn't make it in the big, mean school without big, strong Ryan to help me out."
"You can giggle?" asks Logan.
What are you reading this week?
Monday, March 30, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Recent TBR Adds
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top 10 Books You Recently Added to Your To-Be-Read List
I've actually been trying not to add books to my TBR, so I had to go look at my TBR shelf on Goodreads.com. The last time I added a slew of books was in January of this year. I think I took these from year-end lists. I can't remember why exactly I added each one, other than they seemed good to me at the time so I decided to add them.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Childhood Reads
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top 10 Books From My Childhood that I'd Like to Re-Visit
10. The Chronicles of Prydain (The Black Cauldron) by Lloyd Alexander - I was required to read The Black Cauldron for school and was bitter about it at first. (I wanted to be in the other reading group. :D) But then I was so glad I got to read this. I liked it so much I read the entire Prydain series. It's been decades since I did, though. I really want to revisit them.
9. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - I actually haven't read The Giver. I know, I know. Sacrilege. But this was one of my favorites as a kid. Between school and my personal reading, I think I read this book 3 or 4 times. Just loved it.
8. Hatchet by Gary Paulson - Gary Paulson was big when I was in grade school. I read this in more than one grade, as well as several other of his books, but this was always the quintessential one. I think it gets read to kids a lot because it's about a kid who survives a plane crash and has to survive on his own in the wild, but I'd like to experience it now as an adult.
7. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz - Basically, these were creepy retellings of urban legends. They were popular in my school. There were three or four volumes and they were constantly checked out at the library, so it was hard to get a hold of them. For me, I always wanted to read them, but they always scared the crap out of me and I'd be up all night jumping at shadows. Then my mom would chew me out and make me take it back to the library. But then a few weeks later... Yeah, kids don't learn. :D
6. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - To be fair, I read all of these in college, so it hasn't been long since I last revisited them. I do love them, though, and wouldn't ever be opposed to reading them once again. :D
5. Thunder Rolling in the Mountains/Sing Down the Moon/Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell - I read lots of Scott O'Dell in grade school and always loved his books. Thunder Rolling in the Mountains had an especially big emotional toll on me. I remember sobbing uncontrollably. Like Gary Paulson, I'd like to experience these books as an adult.
4. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - Such a classic. I don't think I need to explain why. But it's been years since I read it. I'd like to read it again. (And I'd like to read the whole series.)
3. King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry - I remember loving this book as a kid. Don't know if it was the story, or because it was about a horse. But I loved it. Read it more than once, I think.
2. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor - This is another one I read several times in school, but I liked the story enough that I read a couple of others in the series. This is one of few on my list that I still remember most of the details about. I'd still like to re-read it, though.
1. The Secret of Nimh by Seymour Reit - I don't remember much about this one except that my dad used to read it out loud to me when I was a kid. Might have been my first chapter book experience. I'd like to re-read it and maybe read it to my niece. :D
What top ten books would you like to revisit from your childhood?
Monday, March 16, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top 10 Books on My Spring TBR List
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10. The Fall by Bethany Griffin
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9. Ruins by Dan Wells
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8. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandre Clare
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7. Beautiful Darkness/Beautiful Chaos/Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia
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6. Dare You To by Katie McGarry
These are books I got for Christmas and I swore I would read them soon rather than waiting a year:
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5. Glow by Kathleen Ryan
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4. AntiGoddess by Kendare Blake
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3. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Two Non-Fiction Books to Help With My Writing Career:
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2. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
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1. Business for Authors by Johanna Penn
What top ten books are on your spring TBR list?
Monday, February 23, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Heroines + Teasers
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!
• 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!
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"...The two armies stood facing each other, tense and alert, each biting their promise between their teeth.
Or their lie.
Akiva realized he'd been expecting this success, because he was unsurprised by it. He was pleased--or a greater word for pleased. Moved. Grateful, to the full reach of his soul. The detente held.
Until it didn't." (pg. 114)
What are you reading this week?
Top Ten Tuesday
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top 10 Favorite Book Heroines from Books, TV or Movies
This is gonna be hard. Not because I can't think of any, but because there are too many awesome ladies out there. How to confine it to ten?
10. Michonne, Carol Peletier and Beth Green of The Walking Dead - I had to give a shout out to the heroines of my favorite TV show. Keep in mind I love these characters in the show, not the comics. (I'm sure they're awesome in the comics too, but I've never read them and I know there are major differences.)
9. Kaylee Kavanaugh of Soul Screamers - I loved this series! Had to love Kaylee! :D
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8. Tris Prior of Divergent - Though like many others, I was a bit underwhelmed with how the trilogy ended, I still loved the journey and I loved Tris!
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7. Hermione Granger of Harry Potter - Yeah, I know we'll see tons of Hermione and Katniss today, but for good reason. They both gotta make my list.
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6. Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games - Ditto #7.
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5. Daenarys Targaryen of A Song of Ice and Fire - Repressed and abused, she still became strong. When she lost everything, she fought back, raised an army, and decided to take back her kingdom. Love her!
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4. Arya Stark of A Song of Ice and Fire - Ever adventurous and brave to a fault, you just can't help but always turn the page to see where her heart will take her.
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3. Aviendha of Wheel of Time - She embodies every good quality of a strong woman. Warrior, courageous, kind, honorable, nurturing (sort of) and, you know, total badass. :D
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2. Egwene al'Vere of Wheel of Time - Down to earth, smart, a leader. The way her story line ends always makes me cry, but I just love her!
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1. Nynaeve al'Meara of Wheel of Time - Perhaps my favorite heroine of all time, I'll always love her character and her story arc.
Who are your favorite heroines?
Monday, February 16, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Problems
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top 10 Book-Related Problems I Have
10. Being able to forgive the faults of fictional characters much more easily than those of real people in my life. --Yup. Totally. Not proud of it, but there it is.
9. Being super annoyed when the back of a book has no blurb, but only has recommendations from other authors and critics. --Especially with extended series, I can't wait to read the blurb for the next installment, so it's annoying when they give me nothing!
8. Finding the perfect reading position--finally--then realizing you have to get up and pee. --Happens at least a couple of times a week. :/
7. Buying a book with an amazing premise but then DNF-ing it because the blurb made it sound so much better than it actually was. -- Doesn't happen often, but but it has happened.
6. Being irritated with an author who doesn't resolve a plot or sub-plot to my satisfaction. --Ditto #7.
5. Having a TBR pile that's 700 books long, 200 of which you own either in print or on your kindle, and never knowing what book to read next. --Yeah, see my goodreads profile if you need proof.
4. Wanting to talk to someone about how your latest read affected your feels, but no one else in your life has read it or cares to. --I always try to get my sister to read my favorite books, not for her benefit but for mine.
3. Trying to justify reasons to write off the 200+ books you bought from Amazon last year on your taxes. Yeah. Me. Totally.
2. Getting chewed out by my family for predicting what will happen in films and TV shows and being right. (Because reading books helps me see how a story is being structured and correctly predict the outcome.) --I've learned to keep my mouth shut when watching TV with the family.
1. Being torn between doing what I know I should do (my own writing and editing) or just crashing on the couch with my current read. --Every day of my freakin' life!
What book-related problems do YOU have?
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Teaser Tuesday: Into the Still Blue
**No Top Ten list for me this week. I had a crazy weekend and didn't get as much time to spend on posts for this week.**
This week's teasers come from Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi. I'm finally finishing the Aria/Perry trilogy. (Yea!)
What are you reading this week?
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!
• 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!
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"When should I tell her then, Molly? Every day brings a new storm. Every hour, our food stores dwindle. Every minute, someone else comes closer to going mad inside this rock. If there is a better time for her to know the truth, I'd like to know what it is." He leaned in, a few of his thick braids falling forward. "War rules, Molly. We do what's needed, when it's needed, and right now that means she needs to know what's happening." (pg. 7)
What are you reading this week?
Monday, February 2, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read Yet + Teasers
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!
• 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!
Yet as I gazed into Queen Lenore's dark, penetrating eyes, I felt enveloped by her grace. This woman, so kind and yet so mournful, trusted me. And I would do anything to make her happy.
"I am yours," I said.
Had I known the sacrifices my service to Queen Lenore would ultimately entail, would my answer have been the same? (pg. 80)
What are you reading this week?
Top Ten Tuesday
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top 10 Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read Yet (All covers courtesy of Goodreads.com unless otherwise linked)
Most of these are classics and/or dystopians I've always meant to read but never gotten around to.
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