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Let’s just say it has been a loooooong while since I broke out the role playing games. Ok fine, not that long – I actually went old school a few months ago and replayed Final Fantasy II & III on my PC. In the interests of looking for something new (while waiting for FF Crystal Bearers supposedly on sale December 26, 2009), I decided to give Twilight Princess a try. I am not ashamed (fine, a little ashamed) to say I am now stuck just nine minutes into the game. If you are TP gamer, you know what that means – yes, I’m still in the village chasing after cats, using my hawk to knock down stupid beehives, and trying to find the kid’s mother with the fishing rod!! Ok, I’m calm now. I just did the inexcusable – I googled ‘walkthrough’ and went to Gamespot‘s guide. I’m terrible, aren’t I? If you have any tips, I’ll take them. If not, check back soon – I’m sure I will be stuck somewhere else once I use the cheat and nunchuck my way past the first ten minutes!

I was doing some file housekeeping, and I found the essay that won an award from the Royal Commonwealth Essay Competition, which I wrote in 1989 at 15 years old. The essay topic was to “write a short story in which a grandfather, a tree and a musical instrument are the main elements.” Let’s just say that my love for fantasy started from a very young age! I didn’t make any changes at all, the essay is as is – straight from the mind of a fifteen year old. See that entry here.

What am I doing today? You got it – I am editing, editing, editing.

So what have I learned during this round of editing? The use of the ‘comma’ – I definitely needed an extra pair of eyes for that one. I couldn’t believe how many times I either didn’t use a comma where I needed one or misused it altogether. My advice for aspiring authors – it doesn’t hurt to brush up on the appropriate and correct use of punctuation. This is a critical part of polishing your manuscript.

Think Blade Runner mixed with a little bit of I,Robot and A.I., with a twist of Total Recall and Strange Days, and that’s what I thought Surrogates was going to be. I really, REALLY wanted to love this film. The concept just seemed so cool. Surrogate robots designed to allow paraplegics, or severely ill and disabled people, to live active lifestyles (by linking the robots directly into a person’s neural system). In the film, when the technology goes mainstream, things get complicated. Crime goes down, society becomes more utopic….life is wonderful. Not so much – especially when the inventor of the surrogate technology decides he has created an abomination, and wants to end it all. He develops a weapon with a virus that destroys the surrogates but has a nasty side effect of killing the host human. Still, he is willing to sacrifice over a billion people using surrogates to correct his mistake.

Sounds interesting, right? Like I said, it has so much potential which, unfortunately, was just not realized in the 88 minutes of this film. Even the relationship between Willis and his wife felt superficial, not because of the surrogates, but it just had no depth…no soul, a feeling which extended into most of the film for me. Let’s just say Wall-E got it right – what happens when you sit around in a chair having robots do things for you? Yep, you get fat, you lose bone density, your muscles atrophy. Apart from a brief glimpse of a pallid-looking Radha Mitchell, most of the people using their surrogates seemed pretty unaffected. That took away some of the realism for me.

There’s no way I can ever get back those 88 minutes or my $9. I kind of wished that I had a surrogate watching it for me. As much as I adore Bruce Willis, I am sorry to say that Surrogates was way under par. While the script was a great concept, I just don’t think it was executed as well as it could have been. The cinematic screen effects of the “doll-like” surrogates were pretty good especially in a couple of the action sequences but overall it just fell flat. Willis is a big screen personality with a lot of street/blockbuster cred, and frankly, I expected more.

Sadly, one of the worst of 2009 in my book.

The start of this show needs to stop with the overly predictable “I’m gonna bite your face off Damon.” It’s getting old. We KNOW it’s a vampire show. But on the plus side, no fog!!! I’d give the whole episode a thumbs-up just on that fact alone. Love the football tryouts – vampires are about super-powers, not just neck-biting, blood-sucking gore. We want more! And finally Damon’s getting more interesting – we like the little streak of “humanity” that’s emerging. Sexy, bad-boy with hidden sensitive side? Yes, please!

Vampire Diaries, Thursdays 8pm on the CW

I have to say that Graceling did indeed live up to the hype. I finished it last night at 1am. Let’s just say that it’s been a long while since I’ve foregone sleep for finishing a book, which is always a good sign of a “can’t put down” read.

Graceling is set in a fictional world made up of seven kingdoms ruled by seven kings. Here are there, some people are born “Graced” with certain skills or attributes. Katsa, the heroine, born with one green eye and one blue (the mark of the “Graceling”), is Graced with the skill of killing. Her uncle King Randa abuses her gift as his own ends. When Katsa meets Prince Po in a quest to rescue his grandfather who has been kidnapped in a plot of by the Monsean King, it seems like she has met her match. Also Graced, Po is the only one who can fight Katsa. However his Grace is not fighting, he  can sense people’s thoughts when they are thinking about him which allows him to be a worthy opponent to Katsa. Their blossoming romance is inevitable. Together they race to uncover the plot and save Po’s cousin and his family from the evil Monsean King, Graced with a terrible ability to control people’s minds.

Several people have compared this book to Twilight by Stephenie Meyer but I would only agree in terms of its target audience and to some degree, its romance. The writing was simple, eloquent enough, and flowed well. My overall feel for the novel was for some reason one of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” I absolutely fell in love with Prince Po – what a great character, a perfect foil for the “wildcat” Katsa who is feisty and independent and headstrong. It was great to read a book with a strong female protagonist.  Once a tomboy myself, I identified with Katsa’s Grace and thoroughly enjoyed her ability to pound someone. On the flip side of that, her struggle to come to terms with her Grace as well as the crimes she has committed for her uncle, is poignant and heartfelt. I love that she doesn’t want to get married or do anything that girls are supposed to do – she wants to live on her own terms. Definitely gives you something to think about. Great heroine!

I’d highly recommend this book. Check it out at Amazon.

Nothing is ever perfect, nor is it really ever going to be. That doesn’t mean however, that you can’t get close to perfection. In the case of manuscript perfection, the key is in editing, as in good “improve your manuscript” editing. Prior to agent submission, I did most of my own editing and also had a good dozen people proofread my book. I was also lucky to sign with an agent who believes in my manuscript enough to contribute her own line by line edits. Not all agents will do this – in fact, some may send you to editors (and yes, you’ll need to pay them), in some cases, with no guarantees that they’ll take on your book post-editing (and post ‘you’re-now-out-$500′). That, of course, is your choice. However, it’s my opinion that while a good editor may indeed make your book better, it’s still a “subjective” process as that editor’s vision may not be in line with another editor, publisher, agent, or even yourself. So think wisely. I’d say that if a lot of people are saying “it needs work,” well then you’d probably be better off getting it professionally edited if you have the money, and see where that takes you. Otherwise, you can take a stab yourself as a first step. Here are some books that helped me along the way with the self-editing and writing process.

1) Self-editing for fiction writers – Browne & King

2) How I write – Janet Evanovich

3) The first five pages – Noah Lukeman

4) Bird by bird – Anne Lamott

5) On Writing – Stephen King

I started reading The Strain on Saturday and finished it yesterday. Let me start by saying, these are not my kind of vampires. I tend to lean more toward the dark, sexy, and mysterious type of vampire. So if you’re looking for that kind of vampire story, this book isn’t for you.

While Blade II was one of my favorites of the Blade movies action-wise, I can’t say that I ever liked the “Reaper” vampires – the jaw-opening, tongue/stinger-thrusting monstrosities that were ‘mutated’ vampires in this installment of the series. In The Strain, the vampires are very similar to the Reapers in Blade II (also directed by Guillermo del Toro), with the addition of more back-story (the Masters) and the carriers of the vampire virus, the creepy blood worms.

I found the writing to be fast-paced with hard-hitting and incisive imagery, which I expected given Del Toro’s vision and flair for the dramatic as he demonstrated with Pan’s Labyrinth & Hellboy. Some of the descriptions/feelings were so incredibly well-conveyed that I felt the characters’ responses in my toes.

With its standard vampire fare of coffins, soil, feral minions, and lots of gruesome blood sucking, I’d definitely recommend The Strain to people who’d enjoy more horror-driven vampire fiction. Overall, an exciting read, but would I say it’s my cup of tea….er….blood? Probably not.

The Strain is the first book in a planned trilogy.

First of all, remember this is a process. If I told you it was going to be easy, I’d be lying. I was on the verge of giving up more than once. And even now, I’m still not there yet. Rejection is a part of the process, and a part of your eventual success. Stephen King used to pin his rejections slips by the dozen to the wall in his bedroom. So think of rejections as your battle scars, and by the way, it’s ok to feel terrible…rejection sucks ass, but toughen up – they may sting but they won’t kill you. And you know what they say, if something doesn’t kill you, it only makes you stronger. Dust yourself off and do it again.

Be prepared – most of the time, you’ll receive a form generic “no thanks” response. However some agents will take the time to let you know why they are passing. Take their advice. Robin Rue’s assistant from Writers House told me about the 100,000 word guideline. When I had submitted to her, my novel was 142,000 words – way more than any publisher (far less agent) would consider for a first time author. I listened and edited….and sent more queries out.

It will be hard but don’t get discouraged – the best things in life don’t come easily. Put yourself in the right mindset and stay positive. A former very wise boss once told me, “this is a numbers game, the more you put out there, the greater your chance of getting interest.” For every 10 queries you send out, you may get 2 or 3 back requesting a partial or full. Out of those 3, a fraction of an agent will be interested. A fraction folks….as in a hand or an ear or a toe. So you know what that means? If you want to get an actual “whole” agent, you need to….query, query, query. Increase your chances of success by thorough research and being professional in your query. And most of all, don’t give up.

It will happen.

Not bad, not bad… Only had the fog just once, thank God. If I’d seen it a second time, I swear I would have switched over to Bones on Fox. Vamp special effects with the eyes and black cheek markings were still pretty cool. Good tension between the brothers in both scenes at the house and on the roof. Like the ending – way to take charge with the lines and the kiss, although Stefan’s not technically not a teenager, so he should be so slick. Nice work. Still not too sure about Damon’s over-biting tendencies – yea, he’s a vamp but seems a little too much too soon.

Vampire Diaries airs Thursdays at 8pm EST on the CW.

This literally is the best show on television – no kidding! Sick premiere!!! Olivia Dunham returns in a shocking turn from a parallel dimension. Walter is still as quirky as ever – love the simultaneous autopsy and pudding-making. And way to take charge Peter! Not just the cabana fetch boy anymore…we like it!

Fringe just keeps pushing the envelope of improbability and impossibility. J.J. Abrams is unstoppable…can’t wait for the rest of the season. Get addicted to Fringe science on Fox!

The new uber-long trailer for New Moon premiered at the VMAs last weekend, but if you missed it, you can

see it in HD here. Definitely looks like Summit got a truck-load more money to fund this installment of the Twilight series

so I’m hoping for great things. Not sure if more money will ever help Robert Pattinson’s wooden acting. Wasn’t impressed in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, not impressed here either. He reminds me of Hayden Christensen, both undeniably hot, but let’s face it, neither of them will ever win an Oscar for acting. But hey, if MTV does an award for “Best Hot Silent Vampire,” he’d win it hands down. I’m a big fan of Dakota Fanning so it should be interesting to see how she does in the

role of Jane. And Taylor Lautner looks like he’s ready to bring it – at least his acting is more believable, bringing some balance to the flatness of the other actors. Check back for my review after New Moon drops on November 20th 2009.

I am thrilled to report that my new agent is Marly Rusoff of Marly Rusoff & Associates, Inc. Hurrah!!! I look forward to working with Marly on Bloodspell and hopefully, many, many other books!

People who use “your” when they mean “you’re” drive me absolutely batty. It’s simple grammar folks. The mix-up tends to happen because they are pronounced the same.

YOUR = possessive pronoun typically used to indicate ownership – “that is your book.”

YOU’RE = contraction of “you” and “are” – “you’re a good writer.”

TIP – Insert “you are” if you’re unsure of which to use. So you wouldn’t have “that is you are book” but you would have “you are a good writer.”

Two weeks with bated breath, all for nought. I admit that parts of it were interesting enough like when Maryann gets gored by her bull-god/Sam and then implodes into blackened remains. Cool effects there. EVR was still disappointing as the queen – but boy did I laugh at her saber-tooth vampire impersonation.

For a season finale, I was left curiously unsatisfied.

So here I am on Saturday, first day of “decision weekend drama.” I have a BIG decision to make, re: the best literary agent for me and my soon to be glorious writing career. Last night I couldn’t sleep, not really due to my decision-making stress, but more because I was thinking about karma and wondering if people who suck get will get what’s coming to them. I hope so. Because what goes around, comes around. You know who you are. But I digress. Back to decision making drama. I have my paper out, my pencil is sharpened, and then the dreaded hyper-ventilating, second-guessing happens. What if I choose the wrong one??? Stay tuned.

In this post, I’d like to offer a moment of silence for New York, and those lost but not forgotten.We will never forget.

Someone recently asked about authors who inspired me. I guess that’s a fair question since it’s not really the same as a favorite book, which while enjoyable, may or may not have had any effect upon my own writing. I’ve included some of those authors/titles in an earlier post. Let’s see. I love Tolkien – his ability to envision cosmic settings and translate that vision to his readers is unmatched. I’d also have to say Lee Child. I adore his Reacher books – not only does he usually have a gripping, fast paced plot, but his details are so relevant to everything that is happening, and so well tied in, that they make his stories incredibly plausible. I love L.M. Montgomery, author of the Anne of Green Gables series – I can still read those books as an adult and enjoy them every time. Historical romance, hands down, Judith McNaught. I enjoy Mary Janice Davidson‘s witty dialogue in her Undead Series, especially the first four books. Betsy speaks like I would. Definitely J.K. Rowling – pretty much everything there, especially her ability to tell a continuously evolving story. Growing up, I’d probably have to say Enid Blyton as a child and V.C. Andrews as a teenager. High fantasy, without a doubt, David Eddings.

Vampire Diaries, Episode 1, Pilot Air Date 9/10/09

Pros: 1) Dramatic start to the show. 2) Good looking cast. 3) Passable acting by two main characters. 4) Cool vamp face/makeup.

Cons: 1) One word – fog. Hello? Very dated. We like contemporary vampires, especially for this type of hip vampire show. 2) Terrible acting from secondary cast. 3) Choppy scene changes. 4) Reminiscent of Bram Stoker’s Dracula – reincarnation of Mina.

Episode 2 Air Date: 9/17/09

I now have a total of six offers of representation from six top literary agencies! Oh happy day!

Still, not an enviable position. It’s hard enough to choose between two really good agents, far less six. But hopefully this is a good sign that my novel has a good shot of success in today’s highly competitive young adult urban fantasy market.

Decision to come on Monday 9/14/09.