My New Obsession: Dr Who

As I've posted before, I'm not a huge fan of TV. I currently love Life Unexpected and a few MTV shows that I won't mention. They're guilty pleasures. This post isn't about TV in general (nor is it about writing...sorry), but one particular show...

Yes, I know they just changed the logo. I don't care. I like this one.

A few months ago, my friend visited from out of town. When we're together we don't do the most exciting things, but love just spending time with each other. Flopped onto the couch, we thought it would be fun to waste the evening away watching something on Netflix instant stream. Flipping through the TV show section, I landed on Doctor Who. I had never watched it , but had heard about it through Nerdfighteria.

Turning to my friend Diana, I said, "So, have you ever watched this before?"
"Just once, and not a whole episode. We can watch it if you want." I knew she would be up for anything, so I found season one, episode one and hit play.

I had no clue what to expect to be honest, but the awesomeness of Dr. Who was not it. We laughed and giggled through 'Rose'. At the end, I was almost afraid to admit I wanted to watch more. Luckily, so did she. My husband came downstairs from time to time, wondering what all the screaming, laughing and utter enjoyment was about as plastic mannequins marched across the TV screen and Aliens swarmed the Doctor and Rose Tyler. We ended up watching two episodes before it was time for dinner.

After that weekend, I figured I would be on my own watching the episodes, but my husband sat down and watched the first two with me. He was hooked. It was like the Doctor was pointing his sonic screwdriver right at us and demanded we fall in love with him.

We have now watched two and a half series' and have to force ourselves not to plow through the remaining episodes. All seasons (even the older ones) are on our Netflix queue waiting to be devoured. I have searched hundreds of Dr Who websites for more information, sucking it up like a sponge. I now own MUSIC ABOUT DR WHO (perfectly named Trock...Time Lord Rock) I have my costume for Halloween planned out (of course Dr Who themed, but I'm not telling you what yet) and my desktop wallpaper is the Doctor (the 10th of course) and the Tardis. Whoa, and I thought I loved Harry Potter (don't get me started). Yes, I have officially hit the deep end and I'm not ashamed of it.

This is my new found love. I haven't liked a show this much since Alias first started (and I think I may even like Dr. Who more, shhh). And for the record, so far David Tennant is my favorite Doctor and Billie Piper (Rose) is my favorite companion. I am in denial there is a new Doctor (Matt Smith as the 11th doctor) and companion (Karen Gillan as Amy Pond).

Are there any YAedge Dr Who fans out there?

New York City Class of 2k10 Tour

Well, I'm on the flip side of a 35 blog tour to promote the launch of UMS. Many thanks to Tami for holding down the fort so well here at YAedge. ;) I met many cool bloggers and supportive YA readers. But it has been a bumpy ride. A production delay with UMS means the books weren't physically ready on the launch date. Not fun. I'm hoping they'll be completed this week. *fingers and butt cheeks crossed!*

In the meantime, I'm starting to wig out about Book Expo and all the cool things the Class of 2k10 has planned. The itty bitty details on the Class of 2k10 NYC tour might change, but here are the appearances so far. We're also solidifying a blogger lunch and once it comes down the pipe, I'll share the info. If any YAedgers are going to BEA - come on out to one (or all!) of these events. And if you know any good karaoke bars in NYC - I'm there. Can't wait!

Monday, May 24:

Teen Author Carnival
Jefferson Market Branch Library
425 Avenue of the Americas and 10th Street
Not a ton of info available about this blogger organized event - yet, but updates will be posted soon.

Tuesday, May 25:

Class of 2k10
Photo shoot in Central Park!

Book Expo America
Jacob K. Javits Center
Look for Class of 2k10 titles at the New Title Showcase pavilion. Also, we'll be hanging out at our publisher booths, autographing areas and attending the "Day of Education" conference.

Books of Wonder
6-8pm
13 members of the Class of 2k10 will introduce their books and be available for questions/signings - and swag giveaways!

Wednesday, May 26:

Book Expo America
Jacob K. Javits Center
Look for Class of 2k10 titles at the New Title Showcase pavilion. Judith Graves (the other "me") will be participating in the "Speed Dating with Children's Authors" event at 10:30am

New York Public Library
Mulberry Street Branch Library
10 Jersey St, NY - Soho)
10:00am
Class of 2k10 Middle Grade and Contemporary authors will participate in a panel discussion, meet with readers and answer any questions you have!

The Voracious Reader Bookstore
1997 Palmer Avenue
4pm
Class of 2k10 authors will do short readings, answer questions, and sign your books! Plus swag giveaways!

Thursday, May 27:

Book Expo America
Jacob K. Javits Center
Look for Class of 2k10 titles at the New Title Showcase pavilion. Also, we'll be hanging out at our publisher booths, autographing areas and various "author stages".

New York Public Library
St. Agnes Branch Library
444 Amsterdam Ave, NY-Upper West Side
4:00pm
Class of 2k10 Young Adult and Paranormal authors will participate in a panel discussion, meet with readers and answer any questions you have!

Life Experiences Contest Winner!

Thank you to all who participated in the Life Experiences contest! It was a very hard to choose the winner as both your stories were good!

The winner is:

Bee!!

Please be sure to email us by Wednesday, April 7th at YAedge AT yahoo DOT com (new winner will be selected if I do not hear back by said date). Please make sure to let me know which book you'd like.

The books up for grabs are:



Eight Grade Bites by Heather Brewer (Paperback)

From Amazon: Thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod really hates junior high. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: His mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he faces a much bigger problem: He’s being hunted by a vampire killer.




I heart you, you haunt me by Lisa Schroeder (paperback)

From Amazon:

Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear hisvoice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she'scrazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.


My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (hardback)

From bn.com: Best friends and unofficial brothers since they were six, ninth-graders T.C. and Augie have got the world figured out. But that all changes when both friends fall in love for the first time. Enter Alé. She's pretty, sassy, and on her way to Harvard. T.C. falls hard, but Alé is playing hard to get. Meanwhile, Augie realizes that he's got a crush on a boy. It's not so clear to him, but to his family and friends, it's totally obvious! Told in alternating perspectives, this is the hilarious and touching story of their most excellent year, where these three friends discover love, themselves, and how a little magic and Mary Poppins can go a long way.


The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty (paperback)

From bn.com: The Ashbury-Brookfield pen pal program is designed to bring together the two rival schools in a spirit of harmony and "the Joy of the Envelope." But when Cassie, Lydia, and Emily send their first letters to Matthew, Charlie, and Sebastian, things don't go quite as planned. What starts out as a simple letter exchange soon leads to secret missions, false alarms, lock picking, mistaken identities, and an all-out war between the schools--not to mention some really excellent kissing.

Using Life Experiences in Your Writing- A Contest!

We've all had that day that is quite unbelievable. The moment that you stop what you're doing and say "This can't really be happening." Stranger than fiction indeed.

I had a moment like this (not really strange mind you, but was a total face palm moment) last weekend and one of the first things Tracy said to me when I told her the story was something like, "you have to find a way to get that into a story." I wanted to share my stupidity, because I thought it would be fun to hear your stories of 'ohmygod, why did I just do that?'

The commenter with the best story will win one of the books below! All you have to do is tell us a short story or moment that was stranger than fiction, or was something you needed to write in one of your stories. The contest will end Tuesday, March 30th at 10pm PT. Good Luck!

Now, for my story!

My husband and I just bought a 1950 Chevy 3100 truck. Now, this truck is currently 60 years old, so there are a few things that are a little different than cars produced today. For example, the starter is on the floor. To start the car, you turn the key to the "on" position and then step on the button to the right of the gas pedal to start the car. Weird, huh?

Anyway, so we got it home and parked. Since it was parked outside, instead of the garage at that moment, we wanted to make sure it was locked. My husband rolled up the window of the passenger side, looked the door (by pushing the door handle down) and then slide out on the right side. We then proceeded to push the handle down on that door and slammed it shut. Perfect, the door was closed and locked!

Not so perfect once we tried to unlock the door with the key. The cars back in the '50s, or at least this one, only has one keyhole on the whole truck, which is located on the passenger side. We slide the key in the lock and turned, hearing a click! Sweet, the door is unlocked again...or so we thought! After a good five minutes of wiggling the key, we solemnly walked to the phone and called the previous owner. "What's the trick?" we asked, hoping he would tell us you have to give it one turn to the left and two to the right, or something fancy like that. Nope, of course not. We aren't THAT lucky. So, the previous owner drove the 15 miles to our house to try to get it open. Again, no such luck. We ended up calling AAA (which we didn't have, but he did!). AAA...not so helpful in the whole opening the door thing. The guy thought it was a cool truck and then proceeded to tell us he had no way into it and all he could do is tow it. An hour later, it was on the tow truck, pulling away.

We owned the truck for two hours tops and had proceeded to already lock ourselves out of it, with the only solution being to tow it to a shop that could pop out a back window to get inside. I'm happy to announce that we now have the truck back, with a new seal on one of the back windows. We learned our lesson, and also you can't lock a 1950 truck door from the inside and then unlock it from the outside.

Now, I must find a way to write the story into a book. Who locks themselves out of their new vehicle less than an hour after owning it? Apparently us!



Can't wait to hear all of your crazy stories! The books to choose from if you are the lucky winner:



Eight Grade Bites by Heather Brewer (Paperback)

From Amazon: Thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod really hates junior high. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: His mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he faces a much bigger problem: He’s being hunted by a vampire killer.




I heart you, you haunt me by Lisa Schroeder (paperback)

From Amazon:

Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear hisvoice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she'scrazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.


My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (hardback)

From bn.com: Best friends and unofficial brothers since they were six, ninth-graders T.C. and Augie have got the world figured out. But that all changes when both friends fall in love for the first time. Enter Alé. She's pretty, sassy, and on her way to Harvard. T.C. falls hard, but Alé is playing hard to get. Meanwhile, Augie realizes that he's got a crush on a boy. It's not so clear to him, but to his family and friends, it's totally obvious! Told in alternating perspectives, this is the hilarious and touching story of their most excellent year, where these three friends discover love, themselves, and how a little magic and Mary Poppins can go a long way.


The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty (paperback)

From bn.com: The Ashbury-Brookfield pen pal program is designed to bring together the two rival schools in a spirit of harmony and "the Joy of the Envelope." But when Cassie, Lydia, and Emily send their first letters to Matthew, Charlie, and Sebastian, things don't go quite as planned. What starts out as a simple letter exchange soon leads to secret missions, false alarms, lock picking, mistaken identities, and an all-out war between the schools--not to mention some really excellent kissing.

When the Sunshine is Calling

I don't know how the weather is where you live, but in Southern California we've had a real treat this week and should continue into the weekend. It has been sunny, blue skies and in the high 70's to low 80's F. The birds are singing and the air smells fresh. The trees and flowers are blooming, especially with all of the rain we've had recently (my allergies aren't very happy about this one). Spring is definitely in the air.

That's great, but how do I concentrate and motivate myself to write when the outside is calling my name? That has been the issue. Here are a few ways to keep your mind on your work, and not on what you could be doing in the great outdoors.

1. Reward yourself. Whether you weakness is swimming, hiking, taking your dog out for a walk or even washing your car, give yourself a goal and if you hit it, do something you love outside. A break is a health way to get a new view of your WIP.
   
2. Write outside. Take your laptop, Alphasmart or even a notebook and pen outside for some rays (just don't forget the suntan lotion and in some cases, the bug spray).
3. Research. Is there a place your book takes place that you can research while enjoying the outdoors? Walk the neighborhood your fictitious characters live or maybe your neighborhood. You never know where you will get ideas.
   
4. Observation. I know we've all done it. Sitting at the next table listening to a group of teens talk about their problems, or watching them walk through the mall. Instead of finding a local teen hideout that's inside, take it outside. Try to find a cafe or restaurant that has outdoor seating. Or a local hangout for teens like a skate park that you can pull up a bench and take a few notes. If you live near the beach, that is a perfect place to people watch.

How do you find a way to work when the sunshine is calling?

Books I'm Excited to Read 2

I thought I would share the list of books I can't wait to read that are on my
TBR list. What books are you looking forward to reading?


Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver- (In stores now)

(From bn.com) What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High, from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12 should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Fortunately, she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan- (In stores now)

(From bn.com) Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She's content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry's mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother's past in order to save herself and the one she loves.



The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting- (Released March 16th)

(From www.kimberlyderting.com) Violet strained to see into the lake below. Multihued light seemed to be radiating up from beneath the water, centered among the reeds, and then diffusing outward as it reached the surface. Violet had never seen anything like it, and she knew that the spectrum of light was defying its very nature by behaving in that way.

It could be only one thing.

There was something dead down there.



The Line by Teri Hall- (Now in stores)

(From bn.com) An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It's said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel's dad died in the last war. It's a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.

Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott- (Released March 16th)

(From www.elizabethwrites.com) Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like you best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...

Knowing When It's Time to Take a Break

For NaNoWrimo 2009, I worked on a fantasy novel I had been kicking around for a few months. I thought I was ready for it. I had my rough synopsis, lore and characters all set. I played around with 1st person and then 3rd, finally deciding 3rd was the best way to go for the story, despite not feeling comfortable with it at the time. I powered through Nano, completing it several days before November 30th. Throughout the month, I didn't have time to really go back and focus on what I was writing. I would quickly look over the last few pages I wrote the day before to get the vibe of where I left off and then would write to get the story and the words down.

As I've mentioned before on the blog, it wasn't the first time I completed NaNoWrimo, and hopefully it won't be the last. In previous years, I was sparked by my marathon of writing, usually picking back up and a hurried pace again in January (how can you not take December off with the holidays after working that hard the month before?) This year was different. I found myself not caring to continue. I was so close to the finish of my first draft, but put it down. I still love the story, but can't figure out where I want to go with it. Instead of working through the issues, I just stopped writing...for two months.

I loved the story and wanted it to work to the point that I let it suck my creativity and passion for writing. I was afraid to go back to it, so I just stopped writing. I now realize that it's okay to put that story aside and work on something else. Sometimes the best medicine is to just take a break and focus attention on a new project. The story will always be there when I'm ready to pick it back up. Despite learning this the hard way, I am now happy to report that I am working on something else that I'm excited about.

How do you work through difficult writing periods?