Author Anne Tibbets Interviewed by The Book Bubble

A big thanks to The Book Bubble for a fun interview!

Here's the link:http://thebookbubble.blogspot.com/2011/07/author-interview-anne-tibbets.html

The Benefits of Being Challenged

There is nothing I appreciate more in this world than good notes on my work. I know this is going to sound odd, but if someone can give me an intelligent, well-thought out reason why something in my book doesn't work, then I will be 100% grateful. Truly.  Please, for the love of God, help me make it better!

But then there are those kinds of notes that tend to drive me a little nuts. The "I just didn't get it" or the "I got confused" -- do you mean, "this needs clarification"? -- because that's a note I can understand. The fact that you just didn't get something doesn't mean there is anything wrong with what I've written, it just tends to make me think you didn't read it carefully enough or you're just dense.

But GOOD notes I can work with...Ahh, I LOVE those.
- Build up the romance
See how CLEAR a note that is? I GET that! Absolutely, you want more romance, you got it. THAT I can work with.
- Too many unanswered questions
Booyah. Makes perfect sense to me.  In my effort to leave mystery, I've left too much. You want answers? I can give you a couple. I won't give you ALL, but I'll give you a few.  There are exceptions to this rule, like people still to this day ask me why Peter calls Joey "Mina" in The Amulet Chronicles, but I refuse to tell why.  A couple fans have emailed me and guessed correctly, and a few have guessed wrong. That, to me, is a good thing to keep a mystery. But if there are more questions than answers in the whole book? That's a problem, and it can be fixed because the note was specific.
Thank you!
- It's too dark for YA
I wondered the same thing, and this is not the first time I have heard this.
I'm at that point where I have to make a choice.
"Lighten" it, or go adult market.
At the moment, I'm leaning going adult market just because I'm naturally a dark person and I do think this world can be an awful, horrible, terrible place. Sometimes. The question I have to ask myself is, are the writing choices I made when I was writing a YA the same choices I would have made if I had been writing an adult novel?
Tricky, tricky.

Either way, I've got my creative thinking cap on and I'm stewing like a witches brew.
Love good notes.
L-O-V-E them.

Somebody challenge me.
PLEASE!

Author Anne Tibbets Interviewed at Manga Mania Cafe

A big THANK YOU to Manga Mania Cafe for the fun interview!

Here's the Link: http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/?p=5344

Take What You Can Get

Well, it's not writing, but it's something.  I managed to work today and boy, do I feel human again.
I didn't get to write "The Grid," (the sequel to "The Line"), or "The Beast Reign," (sequel to "The Beast Call"), but I was able to put together a little presentation packet for "The Beast Call." I plan to use it to drum up interest in Hollywood.  For all you Muggles out there, it's called a 'Treatment,' and it usually has a synopsis, a character breakdown, a few excerpts (if the treatment is derived from a book), some blurbs from reviews and the author's "vision" for the project, among other things.

Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky.

Either way, it felt good to work again.
I'll take it.

'The Help' Trailer

This was the best book I read last year, and y'all should read it BEFORE the movie comes out...

'The Help' Trailer Via YouTube

A- Review of "The Beast Call" at Ink Scratchers Book Blog

YAY!

Here's the link: http://inkscratchers.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-beast-call-by-anne-tibbets.html

Thanks to the Ink Scratchers Blog for a wonderful review!
XOXO

Kristen Stewart as Snow White

Kristen Stewart announced at ComiCon that she'll be starring in a remake of 'Snow White' entitled 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and that she'll be donning battle armor, and this isn't your mother's Snow White, kids...

YAY!

I like this for three reasons.
1) It'll do wonders for the Fantasy genre - I'm always happy about that
2) It'll give Kristen Stewart a chance to show a greater range of emotion (I hope) because as many of you may or may not know, I was not the biggest fan of her performances in 'Twilight.'
3) It also shows young girls as kick ass strong women who can take care of themselves, and I am way, way, way happy about that.

I hope she kicks some serious ass!

Russell Brand's Blog About Amy Winehouse

I don't normally get all political, or preachy, or anything on this blog.  I mostly whine about stuff, post an occasional review, and write about my writing...But, one of my favorite songs is Back to Black by Amy Winehouse, and a friend of mine forwarded me Russell Brand's blog about her and her death, and the power of addiction - and knowing a few addicts myself, I feel compelled to get a little political and a little preachy.

If you'd like to read Russell's blog, which is so poignant, and perfect, here's the link: http://www.russellbrand.tv/2011/07/for-amy/

Much Love to Everybody,

--Anne

"The Beast Call" 4 Star Review at The Book Bubble Blog

A big thanks to The Book Bubble for taking the time to review "The Beast Call."

Follow this link to check it out: http://thebookbubble.blogspot.com/2011/07/beast-call.html

The REAL Samara/Morinth at ComiCon San Diego, 2011

A good friend of mine was the actress who the Mass Effect 2 characters Samara and Morinth were modeled after.

She's at ComiCon San Diego signing autographs this weekend.

If you go, tell her I said hi!

Фор мы Руссиан френдс: Тхис ис модель Рана мцанеар, ще ис тхе фаце модель фор тхе Мас Эффект 2 чарацтер Самара/Моринтх.  Ые кан финд хер фан пажи он Факебук.

Actual Scene from the Car This Morning

Sister #1: Give me that!
Sister #2: That's mine!
Sister #1: It's mine now!
Sister #2: (whines) Give it back!
Sister #1: Ha. Ha. Too bad!
Sister #2: Moooooommmmmm?  She took my...
Mom: Stop it the both of you! Give it here! It's mine now! My God, you two are driving me nuts!
(Beat)
(Beat)
Sister #2: I like nuts.

Dooms Day

We all knew this day would come.  In fact, a dear friend of mine TOLD me it would, and she was right.  I'm always so deluded when it comes to myself, it's like I KNEW it would come, and yet, I was able to live my life without fear of it, yet, somehow, I am still surprised when it arrives.

I'm rambling.

I'm talking about the day this summer when I am feeling the lack of creativity.  When I HAVE to write something, or I'll burst.  I have a hard time explaining it.

Imagine a giddy, icy feeling in the pit of your stomach.  Imagine you are hungry, but no food you try satisfies it.  Imagine listening to music, but not being in the mood for anything you already own.  Imagine a deep desire to watch a movie, yet everything seems completely stupid and inane to you.  Imagine reading one of the best books EVER written, and being bored because you've read it before.  Imagine this aching restless feeling where nothing is as it should be, and nothing feels right.
This is what happens to me when I don't write.

I have no idea why.

Right about this time is when I am in search of a GOOD book.  Not some mediocre book.  I'm talking "The Thirteenth Tale" or "The Book Thief" good...Still searching.

Right about this time I search iTunes for a GOOD singer, with GOOD meaningful and poetic lyrics with incredible musical talent, usually in a Minor key, and spend a fortune searching for something that doesn't always exist. Still searching...

Right about this time I want to rearrange all the furniture in my house, buy something new, like a painting, or a new chair or table, or even a glass vase, I don't know...Something NEW, to bring something different to my world. Can't...

Right about now I sit down and thrust all that longing, that pent up angst, that thirst for creative stimuli, and I pour my soul into some poor character which ends up suffering because of my emotional state. Can't do that either...

Can't do any of it.
It's killing me.

First off, my house is under construction. So, not only can I not HEAR any music over the thump, thump, thumping of work boots, saws, air compression nail guns and the prattle of workers talking, I can't THINK with all this noise.
Secondly, we are not done with the construction, we are due to start another project shortly after this one is complete, so it's not like I am even SEEING the light at the end of the tunnel, I'm not even half way through.
Thirdly, my kids are home for the summer.  Which is a delight in that I am getting some real quality time with them, we are having some incredible conversations, and I am noticing them actually LOOKING at me when I speak, which is a big deal, but that also means I am on constant "duty" and any reading, music listening, blogging, or WHATEVER, gets interrupted every few minutes to deal with them. Not their fault.  They're kids. Still...
Fourthly (is that even a word?), I am in the midst of a physical crisis in whereas my trick knee has become trick knee(s) (both of them now) and I am due to have an MRI in the next week or so, which also means I'm in a bit of pain, which I am not used to. My knee which bugged me only some of the time is now a constant bother, and I'm already annoyed with how slow I am moving, how painful it is every time I do move, and how very cranky this is making me.  I could take pain pills, but they tend to make me sleepy and that's not a good feeling, and it makes my brain work slower, and I don't like that feeling either.
I'm dumb enough WITHOUT the help of narcotics.
So, where does that leave me?
No where.
It leaves me, on the couch, legs propped up with pillows, barking orders to my kids, crawling up the stairs to check on the workers every now and then, and unable to read, listen, decorate, write, or hardly think.

In the grand scheme of life, I have a wonderful existence. I know this.
I have medical insurance to pay for the doctors to fix my knees and pay for my meds.
I have a house to live in and enough income to fix it up every now and then.
I have enough food to feed my kids and clothe them and give them plenty of toys.
I have an excellent life.

I just can't write.
And it's interesting to me how addicted to it I am.

Jen D. - You said, "You know you go crazy when you don't write!"

I want you to know, I lasted 4 weeks before the crazy caught up to me.

I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?

"The Princess Bride" is one of my favorite movies of all times, so I've seen it often enough to quote it at random.  Most people, having not seen this movie as many times, do not often catch my quotes, and give me odd stares as I embarrass myself...You'd think I'd learn.

I considered quoting it at the beginning of this post, but thought better of it without some sort of explanation.

So Indigo has been commanded by Vicini to kill The Man in Black, but The Man in Black is dangling from a rope off the Cliffs of Insanity, and is taking a bit of time.  Indigo is in a bit of a rush, and asks The Man in Black to speed things up, but The Man in Black is trying to concentrate and asks Indigo to wait.

And here's the quote I was going to give...

Are you ready?

"Aye hayte vaiting..."

He has a thick Spanish accent, hence the spelling...

So if you're ever in conversation with me, and suddenly I start talking in a Spanish accent and say things like, "Vicini, Vicini...He can fuss..." or "Aye hayte vaiting..." Now you know what I'm doing.

Anyways, the whole point of this babble is that I'm vaiting to hear if there's any news on "The Line" in NY and, I realize it's only been two and three quarters veeks, and the publishing industry moves at the pace of molasses, so I'd better get used to it...

BUT...

Aye hayte vaiting.

Anybody want a peanut?

eBook Giveaway at The Jagged Edge Blog!

This is an incredible opportunity!

CLICK THIS

I Hath Not Forgot Thee...

I hath not forgot thee.
'Tis summer, and with that, comes less time of the creative sort, and more of the taxi service and remodeling kind.

Believe me, I'd much rather be writing and blogging, instead of arguing with contractors and shuttling my kids all over town, but this is the summer I've designed for myself, and I should feel lucky we are able to do these improvements to our house and all these classes for our kids, so I'm not complaining, per say...

Just a mild gripe.  A writer's longing.
And a reassurance to my readers.

I'll post should more reviews pop, or interviews occur, and I'm awaiting word on "The Line."  But other than that, I'll be covered in construction dust and spending a fortune in petrol.

Such is life.