Check out Upcoming book A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper

I can't wait for this book, and it comes out later this month!

You can buy the book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. Be sure to check out what is sure to be an incredibly funny and touching romance! Learn more about the book on Goodreads.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Indiebound

Molly Harper Giveaway!

Be sure to check out this awesome giveaway from Molly Harper! It's for swag that goes with her Half Moon Hollow series (which, if you haven't read, is hilarious and all sorts of wonderful). Check it out!

Click here to go to the giveaway!

Win Creatura from Author Nely Cab

Check out this awesome contest for a signed copy of Nely Cab's book Creatura! I've already entered to win; are you going to do the same?

Click here to go to Nely's site and enter!

Happy Birthday, Nely Cab!

Celebrate Nely Cab's Birthday with her by going here and entering to win her giveaway!

Another James Marsters Dream

I just woke up from yet another James Marsters dream. In it, a bunch of volunteers (including myself) were helping him clear out a storage room somewhere. Most of the items in the room belonged to James, but I found a hidden door to another room which contained a bunch of stuff that belonged to my family and had disappeared many years ago when we moved. James saw the stuff that belonged to my family, and he was excited over a couple of the finds (some DVDs of shows that are no longer on the air).

Of course, some of the stuff he wanted I had no use for. I looked at it, then grabbed it and followed James out to the main room. However, I did not stop there. Instead, I went out to several other rooms, desperately searching for my backpack and other items that belonged to me. It took a while, and along with my backpack, I found a couple other things I thought James would enjoy more than I would. I hurried back to the room where he was working.

I must have been gone longer than I thought because when I got back, James was the only one in the room, and he was cataloguing things that had been found. I walked over to him and patiently waited for his attention. Once it was given to me, I told James he could have some of the DVD sets I’d found. He was thrilled! James then asked what I wanted in return, and I told him I’d love to have lunch with him if that could ever be worked out. He pulled up his calendar, and asked me if Sept. 24th was good. I told him it was, and he told me that in order for our lunch to work, I’d have to meet him at the Metropolitan Opera House.

I gaped at him in shock, then asked exactly where that was. James didn’t reply; he just said that he had an early concert, and if I met him around 2, after the first show was done, he’d take me out to lunch. Of course I agreed to the arrangement, but I did ask how we’d find each other after his show. He told me that he’d give my name to the backstage security so that I could go inside and meet him there.

It suddenly dawned on me that this was really happening, so I walked a few feet closer to James and gave him a big hug. He winced and warned me to be careful of his ribs, so I loosened my grip a little and told him that I believe hugs are a great healer. He told me he agreed and then wrapped his arms around me too.

It was really nice to wake up with a huge smile on my face and the sensation of being hugged still surrounding me.

Molly Harper ARC Contest at Bitten By Books!

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Comic-Con 2012: Preview Night Edition

Due to a rather miraculous set of events, I actually made it to San Diego Comic-Con International for my fifth consecutive year, and it started on the perfect note. This year, I have a ‘professional’ pass, which is pretty cool. However, that’s not really where this year’s story begins.

My 2012 Comic-Con story actually begins a couple of weeks ago. My lovely godmother took me to a meeting for another convention, San Diego Comic Fest, which she’s working for. At the meeting (which was a couple of weeks ago), I participated in the meeting and offered up my perspective on several topics, which lead to me talking with some of the people involved and agreeing to help out myself. In fact, I’ll be helping to run Comic Fest’s table here at Comic-Con for a least a couple of days. (In case you’re wondering, Comic Fest is a loving tribute to Comic-Con and its beginnings. It’s the place to be if you want to see how Comic-Con began.) So, to quickly recap, I went to a meeting for another convention and agreed to help publicize their awesome event (in October). In exchange, I was granted a pass for Comic-Con. Now, I get to be here and have an awesome time.

Anyways, my friend Shanea and I came down to San Diego on Tuesday night to get settled in and prep for getting our badges. After checking into our hotel, we met up with other friends for dinner at The Spaghetti Factory. Dinner was delicious, and I had a great time. Afterwards, Shanea and I went back to our hotel and made sure our paperwork was in order to pick up our passes on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, we arrived at the San Diego Convention Center around noon to pick up our passes. We had to get in the professional line and wait for about 45 minutes before we both got our passes. From there, we drank coffee (yes, we paid for overpriced Frappuchinos from the convention center's Starbucks), hung out and had to fight with Comic-Con security over patiently sitting inside, quietly waiting for the exhibition floor to open instead of going outside and standing in line for the exhibition floor. There were extenuating circumstances; my friend is disabled and cannot stand in line for that long. The security people were incredibly rude and yelled at us and other patrons with disability passes and made us wait outside. It was highly uncool, and during the hours we waited (a few of those were outside by smokers, which about killed my lungs), Shanea and I chatted about last year’s Comic-Con and how we hoped to have an easier time of it this year.

Anyways, once we made it inside and went straight back to the bench we’d been sitting at previously, the same issues with security came up again, but this time one of the lovely folks running Comic-Con’s disabled services went and reamed out the security guard in front of his boss. It was wonderful, as they stopped harassing us (mostly) at that point.

By now, the doors would soon be open, and a beautiful woman and her husband joined us. I noticed her taking a video on her phone, so I watched curiously, and once she was done, I noticed the same security guard starting to eye her and her husband, so I warned her to watch out for the douchey security guard. As easily as that, the two of us started chatting, and she introduced herself. To my surprise, the woman was Nicki Hunter! She’s an absolutely lovely woman, and we chatted about the videos she was making (they’re for her youtube page, so check her out). We ended up working together to dash to Entertainment Earth’s booth for some of Comic-Con’s exclusives as soon as the exhibition floor opened. While waiting in the 20 minute line at the booth, we continued to chat over which exclusives we’d be purchasing. Nicki even took a video with me in it! I felt so cool!

Nicki and her husband eventually took off with their treasures, and I made my way to meet up with my friends so we could see how well all of us did with our treasures. (I made out like a bandit, so I’m really happy. A few select people *cough*my mom*cough* will be getting lovely surprised when I see them next.)

After comparing prizes with my friends, I went over to Sherrilyn Kenyon’s booth to say hello to everyone there. That’s a tradition, as Sherri is the reason I started attending Comic-Con five years ago. It was lovely to say hi to everyone there, and I ended up picking up an awesome bookmark to go with all my other purchases.

I also chased down the lovely Anne Elizabeth and she and I chatted for a while too! I haven't seen her in a couple of years, so it was lovely to catch up and share stories about what's gone on in my life and how her career as an author has progressed.

This is where the excitement ended at the convention center, as Shanea and I both wanted to drop our stuff off at our hotel and get dinner. We did so, and made our way to The Cheesecake Factory in honor of our love of The Big Bang Theory. We had a late meal and brought our desserts back with us.

This was the perfect way to begin Comic-Con. I’m going to have SO much fun here!

Fruits of a LONG Search

WAY back in 2000/2001, I saw a show on PBS called Mythquest. I quickly fell in love with it, only to find that after the one season I watched, the show vanished. Since then, I've spent time searching for the show on DVD or rerun. As it's now 2012, that time adds up to YEARS of failed searches. The other day, I found ONE video that was for Mythquest on the internet.

I share with you all the fruits of my search.

Your Smile for the Day

Just a quick still from a movie in which one of my favorite men is in drag. Had to share the smile. :)

Having Fun at Barbara Vey's Blogiversary

This year marks the 5th anniversary of Barbara Vey's blog, Beyond Her Book, and I've been partying (online) all week, even with a fever, a migraine, and other unpleasant maladies. However, in a surprise twist, two of the participants in this party are getting married in about an hour! I just went "shopping" and found the perfect dress for the occasion!

Let me know what you think! ;)

A Letter to My 16 Year Old Self

UPDATE: My letter to myself has been posted on the Dear Me website!

My 23rd birthday just came and went, and one of the presents I received was a copy of Dear Me: A Letter to My 16 Year Old Self. It's a fantastic book, full of letters from celebrities to themselves when they were 16. Among my favorite letters were those by Hugh Jackman, Alan Rickman, and James Marsters. I loved the book so much, I've decided to write my own letter to myself, even though I was 16 less than a decade ago.

Dear Isis (yes, the pseudonym sticks, and quite well at that),

I know how difficult life is for you right now. High school sucks, you're a bit depressed, and overall, you feel that life is just passing you by. Trust me; that isn't the case. Though you feel like you're getting nowhere and have no idea what you want to do once you graduate from high school in two years, you WILL find your way.

Ignore the lack of dates and focus instead on your creativity. It will serve you well. Trust me; after all I am you, just 7 years older (and wiser).

In your personal life, things are pretty good right now. I know that your lack of real friends is upsetting right now, but I promise this will change. You'll discover some of your friends are true; but others you think are friends will turn out to be merely acquaintances. There is so much relief in knowing who your friends really are.

As for school, I know you take Theatre Arts to fill that creative void, but Mr. Whelan is not the be-all, end-all of theatre. Ask mom and dad to take you to more shows, and hang out by the stage door post-shows instead. There you'll find support from others like yourself who will encourage you rather than tear you down. Be prepared, sweetie; Mr. Whelan is going to say something awful to you that will cause you to lose faith in yourself. Don't let it happen, and let his words flow right off your back. Instead, take what he says with a grain of salt and you'll realize what you TRULY wish to do with your life. In fact, if I were you, I'd start looking at everything going on around you, especially since so much happens that you're currently ignoring and/or complaining about. Paying attention and opening your eyes will allow you to ask some amazing people really cool questions that also help lead you to your path.

Here's another big hint; start looking at making friends with the authors you read obsessively. You will discover that using social media to promote them (and yourself) will benefit you in the long run. You'll also have amazing new friends, even if you haven't met them in person (yet).

I know this all sounds vague, but you need to experience this for yourself so that you grow as a person. You're already wonderful, but you're not expressing yourself enough. Stop being afraid of failure and others' reactions. Let yourself live and experience new things!

Much love,

Your 23 year old self

PS - Be more cooperative and help with chores around the house. It'll save you a TON of grief!

Awesome Contest I Found

On a book blog I follow, there'a a HUGE contest going on. The prize is a MacBook Air and an Apple TV. Be sure to check it out! There's still 9 days left to enter!

http://www.sparklingreviews.com/2012/01/13in-macbook-air-and-apple-tv-giveaway.html

Ringer Personality Quiz

I'm a HUGE fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar's new show Ringer, and BuddyTV.com has a personality quiz. This was my result:

Which 'Ringer' Character Are You?

More on Ringer. Created by BuddyTV

So cool, especially since the show revolves around Bridget and her twin Siobhan.

Just Love This

Currently, my favorite actor is James Marsters, best known to most people as Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I found this GIF of him, so I decided to post it here so I can appreciate how gorgeous he is. :)

One Hour Draft

I was REALLY bored today, so I did a one hour writing sprint, and this draft was the result. It's completely unedited at the moment, so please excuse any and all mistakes you find. :)





And slowly the girl wakes up, stretches her arms, arches her back. Pulls herself out of bed, looks over at her sleeping lover, smiles lightly. Continues rolling her body around, stretching out the kinks from the night before. Sits down at her desk, starts writing in her journal about a night from her childhood, brought on because of a dream. She remembers hands soothing her everywhere, unidentified faces and voices calling her terms of royalty, then their sudden silence when another enters the room. Her father, alongside the man who is now her lover.

The brush of a pair of lips on her unadorned back, paired with the weight of another body sitting beside her on the massage bed. Her father gives a grunt of approval, leaves the room. Now there’s a warm arm curling around her, a whisper in her ear asking if she wishes to go out to an open air market.

The noise of her lover sitting up on the bed throws her out of the memories of a dream in a world long gone. She looks over to her lover, sees him as he was in another lifetime, hair long and straight and dark, not light brown, short, and curly. Sees eyes that are dark grey, potent as stars in the black night sky rather than a brown/green hazel blend.

She smiles, offers a good morning as her lover walks to the bathroom for his morning piss and a shower. Contemplating breakfast, she gets up from her desk, journal long since forgotten.

Looks in the kitchen; sees nothing of interest to eat even though lots of food is available. Realizes what she thought was the shower running is actually rain.

Jumps when thunder pops and the few lights on all flicker ominously. Maybe it really is only a day to snuggle up and watch movies in front of the fireplace. Sounds appealing, but not as much as usual.

There’s a lull in the rain; she hears her lover humming a familiar song as he finishes his post-shower bathroom ritual.

She turns back towards the fridge determined to make something edible—eggs—as her stomach rumbles. Opens the fridge again, grabbing for the eggs and butter. Sets them on the counter. Gets a pan from the cabinet it’s kept in. Unbeknownst to her, she starts humming a song: a lullaby. Lover calls her name, walks into her line of vision still adjusting his shower towel around his slim hips. She smiles, asks him if he can grab her some chocolate, a pan, and milk. Today feels like a day for fresh eggs and hot cocoa.

She loves the way his eyes light up so that she can see the little boy within as he hurries to fulfil her request. Continues prepping to cook, only to realize that she’s thinking about seeing him with a child, their child, with the same sort of morning routine.

Mentions this to her lover as he helps set up the cocoa while she scrambles the eggs to cook. He replies to her comment, lightly teasing about her being a homebody in training. A grin breaks across her face; he’s okay with the idea of a child.

Eggs are being poured into the butter-greased pan, milk has been poured into another pan, beginning to warm. Her lover wraps his arm around her waist, gives her a peck on the cheek. Tells her how much he loves her, how happy he is to have found her in this lifetime. She asks what of their past lives he remembers as the eggs finish cooking and chocolate pieces are added to the warming milk.

He asks if she wants the tales of their times as members of the royal class, the upper class, or the poor class. She stirs the cocoa, adds a bit of vanilla extract to it, and checks how the chocolate is melting. Tells him to get the mini marshmallows, pretending that his question didn’t direct her memories to a life that ended in her death during the childbirth of a stillborn baby and his capture by royal guards after being falsely identified as a highwayman while she took her last breaths.

He notices how she’s stilled, grips her arm; he caught the tail end of her painful reminiscing. Tears fill her eyes; his match as he grabs the spoon she’s been stirring with from her. He’s already plated the eggs.

She says something; she’s not entirely sure what, only knows the feeling of his comfort to take away her pain. There’s a suggestion of creating a child together as soon as she’s really ready. She rolls the the idea in her thoughts, sees a baby’s face in the cocoa as her lover continues to stir it. She is still wrapped up in his arm. Unsure of how that is possible. Detangles herself; grabs cinnamon from the spice rack in front of her, adds a small amount to the cocoa. Tells her lover to keep stirring, then stops him for a moment so she can taste it. Cocoa’s ready.

Her lover mugs the cocoa for them, then drops marshmallows into both cups. She grabs eating utensils, napkins, and their breakfast plates. Hastily puts it on the dining room table in seats beside each other rather than their typical spots across from each other.

He pulls her chair out for her, seats himself only after she’s settled. Both dig into their food, a bit wary of speaking and bringing more sad memories into being.

She stares pensively into her cocoa, mentions something about how medicine is better now than it was, how pregnancies are easier when watched by trained medics. Safer to try for a baby now than it used to be. He looks up at her; his eggs fall off his fork. His eyes are warm and happy. Puts his fork down, grabs her hand, rubbing the top of her palm with his thumb. Tells her how happy the decision to try for a child makes him.

Everything but him is forgotten; the clanging of her fork hitting her plate takes place on another plane. She gets out of her seat and settles into his lap. She snuggles in, his arms and hands run up and down her back. She takes his face in her hands, tells him of her love. Pulls his face down and kisses him deeply.

He picks her up, brings her to the couch. Snuggles her into him before covering them with a blanket. A child will come soon, for now they are happy to just be together.

'Elemental Reality' by Cesya MaRae Cuono — A Review

I came into 'Elemental Reality' with no idea what to think of it. However, once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! What a phenomenal book! From the first page to the last, I wanted to know more about Callie and everything she's going through. I loved seeing her reactions to gaining her powers as well as falling in love with Oli (her soul mate/next door neighbor). They're such an adorable couple and their UST had me turning on the fans in my room to cool off!

A lot happens in Elemental Reality, especially since it's the introductory book to a series. After we meet Callie and her friends and family, the plot is slowly revealed. It's Callie's birthday and she's somewhat depressed, since on her birthday many years previously, her mother left the family for no apparent reason. We soon learn that all is not as it seems, and Callie's mother left to protect her two daughters. We also learn that Callie is more than human and has special powers. Quickly after learning about her powers and the truth of her mother's disappearance, Callie goes out to try and save her mother with the help of her family and several new friends, and discovers that she has some powerful new enemies...

Overall, I really enjoyed 'Elemental Reality' and could not put it down! However, I don't like where the book left off and really wish the cliff-hanger hadn't been such a harsh tone to end on. It was jarring and discomfiting to have a somewhat nice ending suddenly turn into something very dark. I feel like that was done in the style of a television show and didn't work in the medium of text.

I really enjoyed seeing Callie come into her powers, as well as her awkward first attempts to use them. It's made ever better by her two best friends who are there for her throughout the entire book. I also really loved seeing how Callie met Oli (short for Oliver) and seeing their relationship begin and strengthen. Not many writers pull off the building relationship as well as Cesya did!

As I stated above, the only thing that threw me as a reader was the jarring end to the story. It felt awkward and uncomfortable.

However, this was such an excellent read and I was so involved with this story, I easily and confidently have to give 'Elemental Reality' 5 stars. It's a fantastic story!

Writers Li.P.P.: 47 Things You Should Never Apologize For

I really just had to share this, since I deeply agree with it. :)

Writers Li.P.P.: 47 Things You Should Never Apologize For

The Beginning of a New Journey

I really haven't updated this blog at all this year because my life has been so crazy. However, now that my semester is over, I'll be backdating and adding some new stuff. :)

Anyways, I'm about to begin the journey of a lifetime. I'm currently on a plane that's taking me to Washington, DC so that tomorrow I can get on a flight and go to Israel. This is my first time going out of the country like this. (Of course, I've been to a couple touristy areas in Mexico and Canada, but this is totally different.)

I will be offline the entire time I'm gone. However, I'll be keeping a daily journal, and when I get back, I'll type them all up and post them here, along with tons of pictures, etc.

For the time being, I'm just going to enjoy the anticipation of going around the world and experiencing so many new things.

I can't wait to share when I get back! :)

A New Dream

I had a somewhat strange dream today. And I swear I've had it before. It started off with me in a large room. The walls were white, the lighting basic, and there were at least twenty-something people in there with me. One of them was a guy I called "my Peter Pan." I called him that since I was myself in my dream, and it was a running joke between us.

Everyone there had a pretty bare bed, a small mattress, a white pillow, and light gray sheets and comforters. I laid on mine at an angle, my head to the right side of the mattress as I talked with my boyfriend (whose name I can't remember). As we chatted, many of the other coeds in the room walked out for food, though he and I each stayed on our respective mattresses, about five "beds" apart.

I know that not long after that, he went off to war, and I worried and worried about him.

The next thing I remember is going to what felt like an airport hangar that had been turned into a parking garage. My father was driving the car I was in (his Maxima), and I went over to my group of girlfriends as we all waited anxiously to find out if our lovers were home safe or not.

Slowly, each one came out, and I got more and more nervous because my boyfriend didn't come out, and at the end, I was the only one alone. I stood there in some sort of shock as the commanding officer just stood there, watching everyone together and totally ignoring me. When I'd had enough, I walked back to the car to find him sitting in the back seat, stuff already stowed in the trunk. I remember my sister being there too. She had her clarinet music (instrument nowhere in sight), and she put the music in the trunk before going off with a friend of her own.

I sat in the car as we headed up and out of the lot, not saying a word about how hurt and scared I'd been that I'd lost my boyfriend. He didn't say a word either, and I was somehow both grateful and worried about that as my dad continued to drive.

After that, we were somehow at a restaurant with about eight other people. We were all sitting together with our respective dates, and my boyfriend was sitting in the corner, next to the wall, with me sitting on his left, another guy sitting next to me, his girlfriend across from him, two guys across from my boyfriend, and another couple of girls sitting on the girl's other side to complete the table. Here, the walls were cold to the touch and appeared to be metal. People kept getting up to "grab more food," even though we'd already eaten and our plates were still on the table.

At one point, my boyfriend was talking with the two guys across from us (one of them was Kevin McHale), and then the girl sitting a couple seats over joined in the conversation and asked my boyfriend if he didn't like people touching him now. He gave an affirmative reply and mentioned he needed a tissue. I grabbed a small tissue bag (the ones you can buy at the store to stick in your purse) and joked about him being Monk, but with less issues. He smiled lightly and accepted the tissues, before joking back that since I'd used one, he couldn't use them.

For a good while, we weren't very touchy-feely, but I was beyond comforted to have him sitting next to me again, so I kept looking over at him and smiling lightly. He would smile back at me each time.

Somehow, the topic of conversation had moved on, and the guys across from my boyfriend were talking about how they'd hooked me and my boyfriend up. I got really upset with them, and said that we'd have gotten together without them, as I'd already liked my boyfriend and I was pretty sure he'd liked me. (Even as I said this, I looked over at him and my heartbeat got a lot faster. It was a good, loving feeling.) This time, though, we'd upset my boyfriend. He looked down and made a not-so-nice comment about me and my needing to be with him or committing suicide.

I was really hurt and upset that he'd say such a thing, so I instantly defended myself, even though my voice was weak and shaking, saying that I knew someone who'd committed suicide, and I would NEVER hurt someone like that. I was too attached to living.

By this point, the meal was over. So my boyfriend started clearing the table, trying to gain control of his own emotions. I watched silently for a bit before helping him.

After we'd put the dishes away, I walked back while he paid the bill for everyone. I just stood there numbly (the seats were now gone) until he got back and pulled me gently into his arms, just being a source of comfort, not saying a word. He rocked me back and forth, rubbing a hand down my back and telling me that someday in our future he planned to marry me.

It was sweet, loving, and perfect. I just wish my mom hadn't woken me up, as I'd have liked to see where this dream went, since it went farther than the last version of it did. The two weird things, though, were that the dream ended with me hearing David Bowie's "Let's Dance" as everything faded out, and that the SECOND I woke up, I could no longer remember my boyfriend's or face name at all!

Vampire Queen Anne Rice is a Fan of True Blood's Bill Compton!

This was originally going to be posted on truebloodnet.com, but was turned down as too polarizing. Since I did write the article, I was given permission by the admin of the site to post that article here, so hopefully I can do it justice in this setting. And with that said, here's the article!

Hello, my fellow Truebies! Thanks to the awesome AdoreBill, I discovered that the ORIGINAL Queen of Vampires, the lovely Anne Rice, has commented on who her favorite True Blood character is on her Facebook Page, which Anne has linked to directly from her official website. This is what she said:

Guys, enough about Eric on True Blood. Georgie Pendragon, you are right: "Bill is the man!" I assure you that Lestat, Armand and Louis are fans of Bill Compton. Eric is a disgrace. He's cruel and one dimensional. Bad press for vampires who are such tragic and conflicted heroes. Forget about Eric.

As for all you Eric, fans, I know you may see him differently, but you are really comparing apples and oranges, as you always seem to use the books in your defense, even when we are actually discussing True Blood, which is very different from the books!

Please don't take this the wrong way, as this is obviously Anne's opinion, and one that I and other Bill fans hope that Alan Ball continues to see. After all, Alan has said that Bill is the character that brought him to the Southern Vampire Mystery series, and caused us all to get our beloved show True Blood!

(Image Source: HBO, Inc.)