Matched - Book Review

Ever since I’ve read Lowry’s The Giver and Collins’ The Hunger Games, I’ve been desiring to read dystopian/uptopian novels in the new millennium of YA lit. After hearing so many positive reviews of Matched from my friends (who are also avid YA readers), I decided to give Condie’s book a try. The author introduces us to another “perfect” uptopia. It shares the same likeness in The Giver, in Jonas’s Community. No one goes hungry, no one is homeless, and even love and death is controlled. With a premise like that, I’m sure it would entice a dystopian or Hunger Games fan, with a smooth pace and twists and turns in-between. The story moves at an incredibly slow pace. If anything, I would think the story would’ve moved a lot more smoothly. While Condie bypasses that nuisance of “insta-love” that keeps popping up in YA fiction, I found myself annoyed with the character development and the protagonist, Cassia Reyes. Her tentativeness in the book is understandable, however she is much too ambivalent to what/who she wants at times, with the resonance of Oliver’s Lena from Delirium.

“In the Society, students around the age of seventeen are paired to their significant other. Being paired with her childhood friend Xander, seventeen-year-old Cassia did not expect to see Ky’s face show up on the port screen. And, slowly, the two become closer and Cassia inevitably falls in love with him.”

From the moment I began reading, I was a bit iffy about this book. The writing is bland, tasteless. Condie tries to sound almost lyrical with the writing, though at times I feel as if the ending of chapters is abrupt and doesn’t flow as the narrative should’ve. I do enjoy the concept of Matched, mainly because of The Giver. Though the setting and characters don’t across as unique or original because of Lowry’s dystopian, the similarities of the book cannot be ignored from the story-line. Instead of making their own unique dystopia, many of the things are taken from The Giver.
The forming of Condie’s dystopia probably took place prior to the narrative, though there are many things left unexplained. Why do they have the Hundred Committee? Why did they get rid of all the artwork and poetry? What makes it so dangerous to hold onto a poem from the past?

Matched isn’t a story I would recommend to anyone (and this is coming from a fourteen-year-old). For those who are dystopian fans at heart will probably learn to love this story and see past its impurities and clumsy writing. Those who enjoy romance may like this story, despite of its slow movement. Of course, this is just my opinion. Everyone has a different taste and books and writing.

Erasmus

Recently, I decided that I should try and "revamp" So Beautifully Lovely. Many of the blog posts and pages are a bit scattered and disorganized. Lately, I've been babbling a lot of my projects . . . Many people have expressed interest in the world of Erasmus (originally titled The Prestige), so here's a "teaser" from a very rough blurb.

Young alchemist prodigy Erasmus Pennington has been living in hiding from the Shadows for as long as he could remember. Watched by these powerful dark creatures from afar, it was only a matter of time before Erasmus is beckoned to this imminent world of magic. Opened to this universe with new eyes, he finds himself crossing a perilous path that no dared to follow. Trapped under the avian curse that turns him into a feathered raven at twilight, Erasmus becomes determined to break the enchantment inflicted on him as he grows older. The Shadows have summoned him to do dangerous bidding around the world, collecting wyvern’s teeth. Chance has the alchemist meeting the inventor’s beautiful daughter “Gossamer”, a realistic automaton who wants nothing more but to feel beautiful, to be a human. Singing the same melody, the lullaby which haunts her, Erasmus soon discovers that Gossamer is under a curse as well. Travelling endless underground passageways beneath the Land of Alden, the two promise each other to help to break their curses.

Beautiful Darkness - Book Review

Here's a little short review on one of my fave book series, The Caster Chronices (a.k.a., Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness).

Last month, I finished Beautiful Darkness, the second installment to the Caster Chronicles Saga. Hot on the heels of becoming amongst the other up and coming YA novels to hit the big screen, I have to admit that Beautiful Darkness is much, much more enjoyable than the first book. Stohl and Garcia clearly showed chemistry in their writing collabing and research. The first book, Beautiful Creatures, was shamelessly choppy and is filled with unevenly written scenes. Beautiful Creatures was everything done in books before: guy/girl falls in love with paranormal creature/being, guy/girl does everything to be with him/her, followed by unexpected twists in-between. I have not really read any books with witches and true magic since the Harry Potter series. Beautiful Darkness gives a reader fulfillment and leaves all the unanswered questions in Book 1 answered with a few unexpected twists in between. Lena Duchannes and Ethan Carter Wate are one of my favorite couples in YA literature, and BD was thrilling! I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, Beautiful Chaos...

Long time, no post.

When was the last time I posted? Um, I don't know. It's been a while. I haven't been around much due to power outages in my state, but that is no excuse for not making a blog post in such a long time frame. If you read my post, I'm in love . . . and past entries then you know I have quite a few ideas in my head. And guess what month it is? Yup, it's that time of year! NaNoWriMo! For the novices, it's a hyphenated version of National Writer's Month which occurs every November. What's your NaNo this year? Share thoughts in the comments.

I'm in love . . .

In this new London era of futuristic innovations and anachronistic technology man once thought to be impossible, a determined inventor intricately constructs a replica automaton of his late daughter Amelia, in order to redeem himself from the void his life has become. Surprisingly, Amelia is personified with her own emotions and gestures, having the heart of a human being. Because of this, Amelia couldn’t help but feel attracted to the mysterious Brent, a boy trying to fend on his own on the London streets. Unsure what to make of these new feelings, the young automaton seeks help from her “father” inventor who wants for her to be broadcasted to all of London as the turnout of the century to our world’s history. However, Amelia refuses and wishes to be with her love, Brent—even though he is completely oblivious to her existence, refusing to let go of her hope that someday they’ll be together. Brent has been raised by the shadows, and with his dark energy he has been controlling machinery like Amelia, dancing automatons on his marionette strings. Other angry shadows of the night are taking over the souls of innocent commoners in seek of power. When this marionette finally breaks away from the puppet’s strings, there’s no going back. 

Dark shadows of the night are taking over our world.

Brent, a boy raised by the shadows, wants nothing more but to break away from them and to stop their murders of mortals.

Amelia is an automaton, but is trapped under an irreversible curse which Brent created. And only he can break. If only he knew how to break the spell.

PRESTIGE is a new take of paranormal romance, steampunk, and forbidden love. It may be my possible NaNoWriMo this year! Woot, woot!

Thoughts?

Opinions?

Dislikes? Likes?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

Bad, bad blogger.

Jeez. I haven't posted a post in forevs! School certainly knows how to keep you on your post. Soon I will come out with new reviews of the latest books! Promise. :)

angeltiger626's Yours Truly...

*does my happy dance*
Are you looking for a short, poignant, tenderhearted read? Well look no further. Angeltiger's letter (based on a true story, I have to mention) has only been posted on Inkpop for LESS THAN A WEEK and is already ranked number 8 in short stories, and is already being recognized by top trendsetters and critics alike. We all agree that Yours Truly is relatable read, especially for the raving YA readers and teens! Even if you are a reluctant reader, I'm sure female adolescents especially will enjoy this. I know I surely did (I put this on my pick list!) The beautiful characterizations of how Angel feels nearly flows off the page, streaming endlessly off the pages in order to create the perfect letter. It's already top five bound, and is still holding strong at a number 8 ranking. I can't even say how much I am in love with this... now that you heard what I have to say... leave your thoughts in comments. READ the critically acclaimed letter by Inkpop writer, Angeltiger626! :) Please.

Always is a promise only few of us can keep.

Always is a promise that only a few of us can keep. In my upcoming short story Always, seventeen-yeaold Josh is still trying to cope over the loss of his girlfriend, Peyton. She killed herself a year ago, leaving alone a note for him leaving Josh asking why. But he soon realizes, even when she's gone, that maybe their romance wasn't so fairy-tale perfect after all. Soon turning off the help from friends even family, Josh's spiraling depression and desperation for love grows into an obsession for self-perception within himself. When his feelings for the new girl in town grows into an inexplicable connection of attraction, Josh isn't quite sure if he could open himself up to a relationship again. However, the two realize that they may have more in common than they might think... and despite of their differences, the two must learn the hardest part of all is letting go.

EXCERPT:

If you’re reading this this I must be dead. I’ve started and stopped this letter over and over again always writing it in my head.

Josh, I love you. I will always love you and I’m sorry I just couldn’t do it anymore. The thought of waking up one more day and pretending that everything was alright was unbearable. Truth is things haven’t been okay in a long time.

All I ever wanted was to be free. To be free from life, to be free from the world, to be free from all my burdens.

And I am Josh, I’m free now.

– Peyton

He knelt beside the gravestone, his feet sinking into the soft patches of snow.

The emptiness of Peyton’s voice replays in his mind, unable to stop; like a broken record, he could still hear her whispering ever so softly, desperate. And I am Josh, I’m free now.

Could this have been his fault? Could he have stopped it? That, he wasn’t so sure. But he was sure that Peyton was gone, and no matter how many times he whispered “sorry”, or how many tears he cried, she would never come back. This time she was truly gone forever.

            And he was left alone; with nothing more than the fading voice of the girl he once loved, and a single note to give comfort.

There are just some days you can’t forget.

The day you finally had your training wheels taken off your bike.

The day you finally had your first kiss with the girl you’ve been dreaming of.

            And there was June 15^th; a day that he was afraid would never leave.

*          *         *

Isabel Davis, author of top picks project Anywhere but Here has been a big encouragement and help to me starting it. Thank you.

Listen to the song that inspired it all.

Leave your thoughts and opinions in comments. I want to know what you all think.

Taking Every Step's "Breathing's a Melody"

Taking Every Step, or as I know him as Anthony, is a critically-acclaimed poet on the website—knowing how the master the imagery and romance perfectly. Truly, it is a shame that he doesn't get more recognition for his work, he's one of my favorite poets. Honestly. And today, September 1st, he debuts with his song, Breathing's a Melody. Breathing's a Melody is a love song written for a special girl he loves, and I couldn't agree more that when you love something, it's best to show self-expression through writing it. I nearly devoured every stanza, every little line of this poem, the rich poetry flowing off the page. It's worth the September pick, and if you can, take a look.
Click here to read the critically-acclaimed song on Inkpop.

This can't be happening. -.-

School. Ugh, I start school tomorrow. And many of have you endured my whining and complaining that the first day of school is in fact on my birthday. Therefore, I won't get to swaps for all you Inkpoppers, I'll blog less often for all those blogspotters, and I won't be able to get to covers as much for all those...cover-wanters (?) And as you can see I am not happy about this at all. But I'm not going to tell you my sob story of why I hate this school so much, and why I don't even want to go. Ugh. Oh well. I'm just going to have to deal with it and find the time to write somewhere in-between, which will be though. For now, I am trying to get Photoshop installed onto my computer so I can make even more...awesomer covers! XD

Beautiful Nightmare...

Bleh. I honestly don't want to spend time in my blog babbling about Beautiful Nightmare once again, but I'm anxious. Excited. Filled with emotions. I only have this to say to you Inkpoppers: You. Guys. Are. So. Awesome. Standing at 40 critiques, 26 picks, and now currently ranked number 28 in short stories... I am eager to say that the book outline of my upcoming dark paranormal romance, Beautiful Nightmare has finally broke into the 20s! Which is so friggin awesome. The support has been awesome. Everyone's been awesome, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed to be ranked at least number 15 next month. I have Inkpoppers who have been swapping for it, telling people about it, and everything -- even more amazing. Seriously. I'm so overjoyed, and I never thought I would get this far with it. I would love to have Beautiful Nightmare published someday, and since I know the HarperCollins editors are seeking outlines, I was hoping one would be willing to develop one with me. I started promoting Beautiful Nightmare back in late June/early July, and Inkpoppers have been so encouraging. I can't thank you all enough; the ones who read the outline, the ones who read the excerpt, the ones who critiqued them both, the ones who helped me decide which path the story should go, the people who have been supporting me with it, the ones who showed even a silver of interest for my story... Thank you. The soul-catchers and Darkness of the Underworld may envy you deeply (Beautiful Nightmare reference there), but may the Everfall Heavens look down upon you. Heh-heh. Click here to read the outline.

Who said she was afraid of the big bad wolf?

Yes, I am planning to write another re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood. As I saw the novel Red Riding Hood slump over with rotten reviews for the book and the movie, I decided to take the time to write my own version of it with my own twist. What would happen with Red was the wolf? Was if Red was a theft? What if she was caught in a love triangle? What if the grandmother died when she was ill? And why does Red wear a red cloak all the time? Ha-ha, I plan for all those questions to be answered in my upcoming short story.
Sixteen-year-old orphaned Rose ("Red") is one of the most prominent thieve in the land, and is considered a defect of society as some believe she is a changeling. But when her grandmother falls suddenly ill, she is forced to go on a journey to go and find the cure. Of course, hunter Vincent tags along with their journey -- which isn't safe since Red is a werewolf, losing all control at night. Red soon falls in love with Vincent on her pilgrimage, but not without an obstacle in the way. Peter, the one who is more than aware of Red's dark secret, leaving Rose to chose between her love-at-first-sight and the one who could save her from herself. Who will Red chose? And will Red find the cure for her grandmother before its too late? Just a bit of a nutshell of the short story (eh, the draft is pretty rough). Certainly this is a different, more dark retelling of the tale. I somewhat stretched it out longer than it needs to be with more inner depth and plot, however I retain the same themes of the original: the the consequences of love and the dangers of men (not that men are dangerous, anyways; strangers in general). I loved Little Red Riding Hood as a child thanks to movies like Hoodwinked and many other re-tellings, and I thought it's my turn to tell the story.

Paranormalcy - Book Review

Kiersten White's Paranormalcy has taken the world of a paranormal to a whole different level, with a "kick-butt" heroine in the supernatural field, unforgettable (and not to mention lighthearted) characters, and the hilarity of universal pop culture we all seem to divulge into. The story-line follows sixteen-year-old Evelyn "Evie", an orphaned girl who sought out for a family. When demonstrating her skills of the supernatural, Evie was successfully taken into the IPCA as she can see through paranormal "glamours". But when you're falling for a shape-shifter like Lend, your best friend is mermaid Lish, and your ex is a fey named Reth -- it's a bit hard to find normal. Especially when the paranormals are starting to disappear for no apparent reason. As a dark prophecy shadows over Evie's life, she will have to gain perception of who she is (supernaturally, of course) and why things like this are happening, all threatening the one thing she loves.
Paranormalcy is certainly a different take on the world of supernatural. At moments, I couldn't help but splutter out a few sheepish laughs at the ridiculing of pop culture (vampires, especially).
Paranormalcy, however, falls flat with the overuse of Raquel's nuisance of italicized sighs, the undeveloped characters (especially the romantic interest), and the not so descriptive descriptions. Especially in the beginning, I found myself confound with all the things going on -- especially in the setting. I have to give White props for yanking the reader in right from the beginning: with Evie capturing a not-so-tough vamp named Steve. However, you can't help but get lost in the plot. When (*spoiler alert*) Lish dies, I didn't give a silver of sympathy for the mermaid since she made very little appearances throughout the book, especially considering the fact that she is her best friend. I just found her underdeveloped, with all the "bleeps" being tossed around like it's nothing (but now I can't help but do the same now to restrain myself from cursing). But you can't help but feel for the mermaid since she's trapped in an aquarium all the time, which is filled with pollution. The most developed, interesting character I found was Reth. Despite the fact that he's a bit stalkerish for a faerie, a little on the dark side, he seems like my type. He's probably my favorite character, and lacks in little, if any, stereotypes like Evie (who reminds me of some sort of a valley-girl in a chick-flick). Lend is so two-dimensional. Sure, he's trapped in the containment center most of the book -- but he doesn't seem that developed to me, and lacks in the emotional depth needed for a romantic interest to have.

As you can see, Paranormalcy didn't do it for me. But the humor and pop culture is enough to keep be tuned into once again for another pointless sequel, Supernaturally and the comeback of the upcoming third book in the trilogy, Endlessly.

HELP?! MY SLEEP DEPRIVED BRAIN IS IN NEED OF SUGGESTIONS!!

...for my short story. Geeks in Love is slowly coming to an end, and I already have an ideal what my next project will be. However I need title suggestions. My brain is coming short to ideas at this moment, and I'm tired. So what is it about? It takes place in the 1960s, the story beginning with the love story of Lilly and Aiden. Lilly, however, has autism. She is used to people ridiculing her, and tolerates the physical abuse from her father. Aiden is a confused boy who can't understand why people make fun of her, or why she is even so different. So when he stands up for her, he knows his life will never be the same. The story-line follows their many adventures together as friends and soon as high school sweethearts, as Aiden must learn to embrace their differences in order to make their relationship work. If you're a fan of Stargirl, Forest Gump, and everlasting romances, then you'll probably want to read it when it debuts on Inkpop. However I am not making the notification list yet. Can you readers and bloggers give me suggestions for the title, or the working title at the very least? :( I need some help. And if you give me a suggestion that I LOVE you can expect a serious prize in return. I'm seeking sentimental titles, ones that'll be memorable. Remember this does fall into the romance genre for short stories! Shh... I can't tell you what the prize will be though. Heh. It'll ruin the surprise. XD

Oh and as regards to the image, that is how I imagined Lilly and Aiden to be when they're little. :D

You Inkies are awesome!

I am happy. I mean, BN's book outline is ranked number 44! That's the highest ranking I had with any of my projects, and I'm happy. I am trying to aim for a top five ranking for September, and I might post BN by December so I can still have time to promote it and swap and free read and such! Goodness! The support from you Inkpoppers has been amazing. Otherwise, I would've never even bothered writing it. Gavin (oh, my silly, silly little Gavin as Alana would sing), mwah! Cause I love him, even though you're fictional. You're still adorable. I can't wait for September! August was kinda a teaser, but September is when I'm seriously going to start doing promo. Seriously. I'll be open to swaps again in September officially, so I'll be dishing out swaps like crazy to get up there. To at least number 10 by the end of this month so I'll be top five bound for September... Grr... I'm starting to ramble. A lot. I tend to do that. I just wanted to thank everyone for their amazing support, everyone who helped with me develop a little bit with the story, anyone who bothered reading the excerpts, the ones who helped me critiqued really crappy first drafts, and everyone who asked to be on my notification list! And as Alana would also say, "You mortals are...strange, beautiful." Which is also her weird way of saying you guys are awesome!!!!!!!!! AHHH!!!!!

J.D. Montgomery's Knight's End...

J.D. Montgomery's Knight's End is already top five bound and is standing a ranking 10 and with 135 picks on Inkpop, J.D. Montgomery is seriously deserving of that spot after swapping like crazy! I think we all agree she needs a break, and I can't wait to see this in the top picks -- and, someday published, even. It is finished at 52,000 words -- which a-ma-zing! Goodness! This is not your average fairy tale, if you can even call it a fairy tale in a first place. Hot on the heels of other September top pick bound projects such as Hello, Honeybee and SuperHero -- it really won't be any surprise if this Inkpopper makes it. Knight's End has only been with us for a little more than two months, but this Inkpopper  -- along with their masterful prose -- is already making their mark.
Click here to read J.D. Montgomery's critically-acclaimed Knight's End on Inkpop.

Chelsea Lauren's Little Red Hearts. . .

Chelsea Lauren's bittersweet, tender tale of faded love is one of the most heartfelt short stories I've read on Inkpop. Lauren's glittering gem, Little Red Hearts, has only been on Inkpop for at least two months -- but is already taking a ranking of 8 as of August 15th! Amazing. Chelsea's been an Inkpopper for little more than a year, and is already leaving a permanent mark on Inkpop territory. With now 65 top picks, and after being nominated several times unanimously by other Inkpoppers as one of the best romance short stories on Inkpop, LRH is already making its way to the leader-boards. It really is a sweet, unforgettable tale -- one of my favorites on the website. Regardless if you're a romance fan or not, Chelsea Lauren's heartfelt short story is a sweet read for anyone -- and everyone -- to enjoy.

Click here to read Chelsea Lauren's Little Red Hearts!

Another day, another short story...

Yes, unfortunately (or fortunately?) I have began writing another short story. So, as always, I am more than willing to share an excerpt with all of you bloggers and readers. This will be posted on Inkpop, guys!! But only as Work in Progress since this is a very rough draft of it. 

“

Let me go!”

“Oh shut up.”

“You think I’m happy about being kidnapped? Do you think I wanted this to happen?”

“No—of course not.” My voice came out bitter, drily humorous. Honestly, I wasn’t too enthralled by my own plan, either. My endeavor of kidnapping this beauty didn’t seem to be effective, neither was it really thought out. And judging by her skepticism displayed on that pretty face of hers, this damsel was more than demanding to know what I was going to do with her. Which was understandable.

“How many girls have you kidnapped in the middle of the night, huh?” Her demeaning, nagging voice would penetrate anyone’s ears. I was guessing, judging by her underdeveloped features, she had to be sixteen at the very least. No older than that.

“Hm?” she awaited my answer, hands on her petite little hips. “Well, tell me. How many girls have you kidnapped? And give me their names.”

“Actually,” I muttered to myself. “You’re the first.”

“Oh,” my kidnappee said, flattered. She faked a sweet, but rather tense, small smile. “I’m your first victim. Surprise, surprise. Am I special, or something?”

In the darkness, I could hardly make out her appearance. Hm. Light hair—blonde, full lips, pale, and cunning blue eyes. Very, very sexy. Perfect. “Don’t worry,” I reassured her. “I don’t do murder. It’s gross. Blood, gore…who’s into that stuff anyways?” I laughed, but after a moment my chuckle began to falter into silence. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

She arched a brow, suddenly growing interest. “That’s what they all say.”

“Huh, funny, isn’t it? Do you always seem to attract mysterious men in the middle of the night?”

“No,” I replied bluntly. “You’re the first actually.”

“Good.” Scrutinizing my surroundings, I couldn’t help but notice that not only did I find the most perfect victim—but the perfect setting. Dark, deathly silent. This was nearly a mirror of a horror film in the making. Even more…delicious.

Quickly my eyes darted across the sinful wields, checking for any sign of life. Besides that nuisance of a chirping cricket, I heard nothing but the constant yammering of the beautiful girl.

I found it odd that she didn’t take off already, frightened. Strange, even. Wasn’t she the damsel in distress here? Wouldn’t she have gone to get help already? And worst of all: what if she wasn’t even afraid of me?

I blinked in surprise.

“Look, creeper, as soon as I get my hands on my cell pho—”

Then I knew why she hadn’t gotten help, why she never ran away from me in the first place. Not only was she lost, but she didn’t have a cell phone as well. Otherwise, she would’ve ran away long before I even found her. Wouldn’t she?

“You don’t have it, do you?” I asked, raising a brow. “Ha-ha, it’s alright. I never even gotten to the dirty work yet, girl. Not yet, not yet…”

Her eyes widened with fear. Suddenly, I became aware of the twinge of seductiveness which crept in my voice. That definitely wasn’t my intention here. Getting some fear from my victim would be nice, though the last thing I wanted was for her to think I was some sort of rapist.

“No, no!” I was quick to oppose my words before the girl could snarkily snap back at me. “That’s not what I meant. God, I swear I’m not going to hurt you. I mean…” I paused. “I’m not going to say anything else. Not a single word.” I didn’t want to say something I’d probably regret later on.

The girl shook her head. “Who are you? Better yet, what are you? A vampire, hm?” Oh, she’s got to be kidding me. A vampire? In contrast, we were both sickly pale and nocturnal—though I wouldn’t go on that level and say I was some living, blood-thirsty corpse. Disgusting.

“A vampire?” I rocked on the heels of my feet, casually, keeping my hands in my pockets. “Really?”

“Mm. You’re cute enough to pass for one.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” I sighed, apathetically. “Now, if you can please go into my car.”

She gave me a slight roll of the eyes. “Um, no. I want you to bring me home. And the last thing you want is me to scream.”

I blinked in surprise. “Is that a threat, miss?”

“No.” She inched closer towards me, breaking the distance between us. At last. The moment I have been waiting for. The moment where our gaze would meet…

“It’s a promise.”

“You think I’m afraid of some sixteen-year-old girl?” I asked, coolly. “I’ve seen worse than that. Way worse. Nothing scares me.” Not anymore.

“Sixteen?” Again, she rolled her eyes. “What makes you think I’m sixteen?” Inadvertently she shoved, sending me staggering. “I’m seventeen for Pete’s sake!” Not as if there isn’t much of a difference. I was close enough.

“Stop it!” I snapped at her. Thoughtlessly, I clasped my hand onto her wrist, firm. Still, desperate, I drawn her to closer to me—pulling the girl into my convulsive embrace. “If you’d bother to listen to me, and stop complaining… you’d know that I’m not necessarily here to kidnap you.” The girl desperately squirmed, trying to wriggle free from my grip. “You should really stop fighting it.”

Out of whimsy, my hand ran through the ends of her glorious blonde hair. Impulsively, I cupped my hand over her mouth, restraining the beauty from letting that scream she so badly wanted to let out.

“Please,” there was a trace of hysteria in my voice.

Yes, I was afraid; I was becoming hysterical for this girl to come along with me. She belonged with me. Why must she fight the truth?

            The girl said something beneath my cupped hand, but her speech came out muffled, barely even perceptible.

            “Hm? What did you say?”

            I couldn’t risk letting her go. Not so easily, of course. Not without a price.

“Right,” I mumbled. “You said nothing at all. Now please, let me escort you to my truck. I promise—” I winked at her. “—I’ll never hurt you, love.”

            The girl’s eyes spilled over with tears.

            “I won’t hurt you…If you promise me one thing.” I added.

            In her anxious plea, she nodded. Yes—even more perfect.

            “Stay with me. Three days. Two nights. That’s all I’ll ever ask for… to fulfill our days of testimony.” Soothingly, I wiped her tear. “I could never let a pretty thing like you run away.”

            Slowly, gradually I removed my hand from her mouth. Immediately, I regretted it.

“Or else?” Her voice was just as shrewd as she was minutes ago, despite the fact she was still crying.

            My eyes narrowed. “Or else what?”

            “Or else—what are you going to do to me if I don’t want to be with you for three days and two nights? Huh?” she asked, matter-of-fact. I didn’t like the tone she was striking here. Not at all.

            “Look,” I lowered into a whisper. “I have my ways.”

            “What ways—?” I clamped my hand over her mouth again, just to be sure.

            “Shh,” I hissed. “Get in the car now. Someone might hear us.” Though, I doubted it. “Please. I’m begging you, here.” I held out my hand, blatantly expecting her to grab it. Tentatively, knowing that her life very well depended on it, she intertwined her fingers in mine. It felt more than good to know she had some, if any, trust in me—perhaps my charm and suave won her over.

            “You can beg all you want,” she squeezed at my hand. “I just want you to take me home, and that’s that.”

            “Feisty,” I snickered. “Aren’t you?”

            Still hesitant, the girl opened the door to my old truck. I think she was surprised that I didn’t toss her body into the trunk.

            When she didn’t bother answering me I added, “Don’t worry. I like ‘em feisty.”

            She grunted in reply, jumping into the passenger seat of my Ford.

            I jumped into the car as well, anxious to rev up the engine and drive. I think Coven would be more than happy that I found the girl we’ve been seeking.

            As I took the fast route down the gravel parkway, I even tried to start conversation with her. Bad move. “So,” I began, not taking my eyes off the dashboard. “What’s your name?”

            “What’s yours?”

            “I believe I asked first, ma’am.”

            “Delilah. My last name right now isn’t important. Yours?”

            “Damien,” I growled.

            “That’s it?”

            “Yes,” I muttered, annoyed. “That’s it. For now.”

            “Interesting,” Delilah wore that same fake smile of amusement from earlier. I could see through every little one of those fake joyous grins and pitiful frowns. It was more than obvious that she was afraid.

            “Yes,” I mumbled. “Very.”

            “How old are you?”

            “What?” I snarled through my clenched teeth. What did it matter to how old I was? Not that age mattered to me, anyways. At least, not anymore. “Why do you care?”

            “Funny, I told you how old I was,” Delilah scoffed. “You can’t tell me? You seem to tell everything else.”

            “Twenty,” I murmured.

            “What was that?”

            “I’m twenty-years-old, okay? There. I’m not much older than you either.” Before she could say anything else, I held up my hand to silence her. “And before you say anything else, I’m not so thrilled about taking you in, either. The job’s fun but the pay’s not so hot.”

            Her brows furrowed together. “What?”

            “Nothing.”

With writing as sharp as a piece of shattered glass...

Critically acclaimed Inkpop author alli_cat has been greatly praised for being brave enough to even venture into the topic of abusive relationships; a powerful, strong concept that many writers tend to stray away from in our society. Despite the fact that Shattered Glass has only been with us on Inkpop for nearly a month, it has already shot from no ranking at all to Number 3 in short stories, running hot along the trail of other notable short writing top-fivers: Apologies on Napkins and To Keep the World Turning. Yet alli_cat manages to not only keep the reader interested with captivating characters and a likable, recognize YA voice -- but intricately tackling great emotion in astonishingly little prose.

Click here to read Shattered Glass

INKPOP, HARPER COLLINS... BOOK IDEAS? *happy dance*

Shot taken by Alex (enchantedANGEL)

Beautiful Nightmare Excerpt 3#

It was a dark and stormy nightmare.

The crescendo of thunder boomed in my ears, followed by the slight rumble of diminutive thunder.

I found myself in a lifeless snowy world, and as it rained the snow came to follow—creating the perfect elixir for slushy sleet beneath my feet.

It was as if I stepped into a beautiful still-life painting, one Picasso might’ve considered mirroring if he was still alive.

And, like an idiot I was, I stood breathlessly glowering at the peak of the horizon. Waiting, almost. But for what?

“Strange,” I muttered to myself. “This is just all too…creepy.” Even for a nightmare. I must remind myself that I’m dreaming. This isn’t reality. I am not in real life. I am in my own little world. Aren’t I? Yet, here I was; standing in several feet of slush, somehow feeling everything in this dream.

It is just all too surreal, I thought bitterly to myself.

Perhaps, on some level, I was dreaming this nightmarish, dark world. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it. There were no paranormal occurrences, nothing “supernatural” about it either.

            So why was I afraid? All I had to do to end this madness was pinch myself, and hopefully I’d flutter back into reality, comforted by the warmth of my blankets. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

“Silly, little Gavin.”

The rush of feet shuffling of detritus roused my senses.

“Gavin, baby, don’t be afraid of me.”

I took into a sharp breath, blinking in surprise that whatever this thing was knew my name. Was that even possible? Then again, I am dreaming. Anything is possible.

Geeks In Love Excerpt 2#

“Why do you even hang out with him?”

            I blinked in surprise. “What do you mean, Josh?”

            “He’s such a dweeb,” Josh laughed. “What girl would even be caught dead with him? Oh right. Only a fat ass like you would want to go out with that.”

            I began to swat my pillow at him, but my childish attempt to have my brother out of my room was pathetic. Funny, it worked when we were younger. “Oh, really? When’s the last time you ever had a girlfriend? Yeah, right. Never.”

            “Actually, I have one. Sarah. Man, she’s smokin’ hot, too.” Hm. Her name seemed familiar. Wasn’t Sarah the head cheerleader? Wasn’t she the one who always had her arms linked up with Davie, who ironically enough, was the captian of the varsity football team? (Ah, the exilir for the perfect cliché romance.) Now, Josh had to be lying. Someone as sleazy, and as disgusting as my brother would never really be able to live up to the ridiculous expectations of that floozy.

            “You’re lying,” I said smugly. Though my smug appraisial wasn’t nearly as devious as that little smirk spreading across Josh’s face.

            “How so? How am I suddenly a liar? Are you lying about Emeril?” He raised a brow with sudden interest.

            I frowned. Why would he think I’d be lying about my first boyfriend? Of course, he’d lie about having a girlfriend (which is typical of him)—but I wouldn’t. Plus, out of all the times he saw me awkwardly holding Em’s hand, shamelessly blowing him kisses, and hugging him—he had the nerve to ask me I was lying? “Why would I be lying about him? Don’t you always complain how you always see us together?”

            “Um…who wouldn’t notice?”

            “Notice what, booger?”

            Josh grunted in reply. “Apparently, you’re not understand what I mean. I don’t think you noticed, Ella, but people stare.”

            I shrugged, beginning to rock on the heels of my shoe, carelessly. “And? Think I care?”

            I couldn’t help but bitterly glower at Josh, as his arm rested on my shoulder. “Look…sis, I care about you in all, but covincing yourself you like this dude is ridiculous. I don’t think you noticed how…weird you two look together.”

            That made me wonder what Emeril and I looked to not only us—but other people. Maybe we were a little…different, but I wouldn’t think people would even bother gawking at the Invisible Girl and the Loner. Or did they? I’ve been so consumed in Emeril that I never even took the time to pay attention to what other people thought of me and him together. Perhaps a stout, bovine girl like myself compared to someone as gaunt and tall like Emeril made us look very different in contrast.

            “B-but…” I was barely able to choke out the words.

            “I’m just sayin’ sis. You’ve been dating for…five months now? It’s practically the end of the school year, basically. And you can’t convince yourself you guys are ‘geeks in love’ forever. Eventually it’s all going to have to end right?”

It all ends here.

Ahh, okay you’re probably sick of me talking about it. But guys, I’m running out of things to blog about.

If you read the book outline then you know I had an ideal of the conclusion for BN. But oh my goodness the BIG idea for the actual ending hit me like a ton of bricks! I have to post it out of my anxiousness! 

For all you Death fans, Fidel is not only a skilled soul-catcher but a masterful shape-shifter. He can shift into any form he chooses, even Gavin. So what's the ideal for the ending? Fidel shape-shifts into Gavin's Aunt Mae. Therefore, he was able to go to Gavin's school and pick him up as he is Guardian (not a Guardian angel, his human-mortal caretaker ha-ha). Apparently, Aunt Mae's been kidnapped (though it's not clear at the ending what really happened to her true form, but everyone knows that Death has his ways) by the Darkness. Since Fidel gained permission to take him home, the two sit in his Aunt's Chevrolet. Fidel, subtly shape-shifts back into his true form as a demonic being (honestly, he's a bit creepy; he only turns into a human so people wouldn't think so...inferior of him as Fidel would say) and Gavin knows there's no escaping this one. Death's finally caught up with him. Alana comes into distance and bangs on the window of the car, telling her father to leave Gavin alone. Alana is in tears, and she doesn't want anything bad to happen to him. Because she knows Fidel will hurt him. Or worse, kill him. Gavin, thanks to the dark magic of Fidel, takes away his ability to speak so he wouldn't scream. Alana, in tears, promises she'd do anything to stop this. Anything. Fidel gladly obliges. Of course, everything with Death there's a catch. So what does he want in return for sparing this boy's life? Alana's soul!

Therefore the story shall end with a cliffhanger, and the ending ties into the sequel ("Beautiful Inception"?) Oh my goodness, I love that ending! Hehe, it's better than the other ideas for the endings I came up with. But I never even started writing it. Beautiful Inception is an idea for the sequel's working title. God, if you don't know what Beautiful Nightmare is then that was probably confusing. I even confused myself. Again, I just wanted something to blog about! If you have questions about the conclusion of Beautiful Nightmare then I can gladly answer them in the comments. 

Beautiful Nightmare... The Trailer?

I believe you heard me correct. The trailer! See it above. 

Thank you alli_cat for the amazing for my upcoming book, BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE.

BA's New Look!

Well, if you haven't noticed...there's a new header. And I love it! :) I thought I should just let you guys know; you didn't type in the wrong web address! Picnik is so, so helpful!

Geeks In Love

Mm. Geeks. So guess what guys? I'm sorta halfway finished with GEEKS IN LOVE! WOO! I am officially in love with this couple, Emeril and Ella. The awesomest nerds ever and the cutest couple. So guess what it's time for? Yes, exclusive info. Long pitches and excerpts. Yep. You heard me right. GIL is coming at the end of the month and I can tell you -- it's really the most refreshing story I wrote. Quite a breather from all that paranormalness I've been writing.


Short pitch: Your first date is something you'd want to remember. Their blunder of a first date is probably better off left forgotten.
Long pitch (draft): In a first date filled with untimely embraces, awkward silences, accidental blunders, and mortifying discussions—all Jane really wanted that night was to get her first kiss. But instead she gets an unforgettable evening of utter humiliation.

* * *

From the moment Emeril and Jane laid eyes on each other they knew they were meant to be. Jane had been a pudgy, stout shamelessly nerdy sixteen-year-old girl. Emeril was considered a “dolt”, and was never the brightest of fellows; yet this techie manages to maintain straight A’s. Budding a romantic relationship, the last thing Jane wanted was to have her heart broken; suddenly growing wary of the consequences of falling in love. 

So what happens when you take a shy geeky girl and an unconventional dolt and put them together in a fancy restaurant? The perfect elixir for a two-bit, and not to mention corruptive first date.

EXCERPT:

          I’ve been waiting far, far too long to asked on a date by Emeril. Sure, we’ve been going out for five months—but does that matter anymore? Because all of our encounters just consisted of a few quick pecks on the cheek, a hug, an awkward silence, and an untimely departure. I’m afraid I’m going nowhere with this boy, whose apparently too blind to see I wanted something different for a change.

          I mean, I thought falling in love would be different. At least on television they make love seem so easy. Sure, the guy might break the girl’s heart (sometimes vise versa), the guy wants her back after realizing she’s “the one” (whatever that’s supposed to mean), the broken hearts mends, and the couple always get back together in the end to live “happily-ever-after”. What a load of clichéd crap.

          Then again, I was sixteen. Falling in love was considered the “teenage dream”. Hey, what girl wouldn’t want to be given free compliments and two-bit dinners from a guy you hardly even know? Not to mention, all that endearing affection you’d get from him. Unlucky for me, Emeril was never that type of guy.

          For high school, like any other girl, I had only two things in mind: my first kiss and prom. As embarrassing as this was, I never had my first kiss. A boyfriend especially. And if that wasn’t enough, I was always reminded of the fact that I was single thanks to those happy-go-lucky couples striding hand-in-hand through the hallways. And the mere thought of that girl—who could very well be me interlacing my fingers in his—made me gag. Sure, you promise you’ll have his heart forever—but how long does forever even last in high school? Four years at the very least. And in a blink of an eye you’re departing for college. Then what? Forever seemed to be nothing more than a sprinkled deception of the true meaning behind the word: temporary. Keeping that in mind through my high school years, I promised myself I’d never—never—let a boy have a key to my heart. Never.

          Emeril and I, before we started dating, were on speaking terms. I guess, in a sense, you could say we were…friends, even. Outcasts attract to other outcasts, it seemed. And he was kinda cute I have to admit. So, maybe he was a little too tall for my taste. Mm, maybe a little…too skinny as well. And not to mention, geeky. Though, I can’t really complain, since on some level I was considered “geeky” as well.

          But the last thing I wanted was to be his…girlfriend. The thought of it even made me shiver. Just because he was my partner in science third period, didn’t give him the right to ask me out. Period. But me being me, I said yes to him anyways. I guess I was just that kind of girl.

Inkpoppers! LET'S START A MOVEMENT!

Yes. I am starting a society/movement on Inkpop.
flyingword's Spirited Heart has been deleted for the THIRD time and lost all of its picks after making it to the top five for poetry not once but TWICE. Avonlea's poem LIFE was deleted again, as well! ARE YOU KIDDING INKPOP?! So this action inspired me to the start Inkpop's Freedom of Speech Movement. We need to stop these anonymous deletions. It's not cool. At all. Inkpoppers should have the entitlement to read what they want to read, and if you find that offensive then why bother reading it? Seriously. JOIN THE MOVEMENT INKIES!  Become a member and have a logo to express your pride!!!! JOIN THE PETITION TO GET SPIRITED HEART AND LIFE BACK ON INKPOP!!!! GIVE THESE INKPOPPERS ENCOURAGEMENT!!!!!! JOIN NOWWWWWWW!!!!!!
Click here to direct to Inkpop's freedom of speech movement. Now.