In Which Kat Kennedy Guest Posts About Co-Blogging. And Crap.

Y'all know Cuddlebuggery, yes? If you don't then you need to check out the blog. It's super awesome. But that's not the point today--the point is that one of the bloggers from Cuddlebuggery was cool enough to write a guest post for me to post and for all you lovely people to read and enjoy and OMG YAY AMIRITE?

You may or may not know Kat Kennedy, and you may or may not have seen her around. But really, you HAVE probably seen her around. That chick is everywhere. But anyway, here's her guest post on co-blogging and those type of shenanigans. Oh, and crap. Did I mention that she mentions crap?

~~~

Have you guys ever received an email from Jessica Baker?  Most hilarious thing ever. Her random use of all caps is a magical thing that everyone should witness at least once.  But anyway, onto the work part.  I offered to guest post here for Jessica because she’s fabulous. I asked her to think of what she wanted me to talk about.  Here are the options I received:

a)      Encyclopaedias

b)      Having a blog partner

c)       Being snarky

And

d)      Crap

Out of all those options, I think I’m going to go with b) Having a blog partner.

Having a blog partner is a wonderful thing.  For real, Steph is the best person ever. She lets me rant on the blog with almost free reign, she handles authors and blog tours that I’m too lazy to do, she keeps the blog working and she is my soul twin.

For real, I met Steph only shortly before we started the blog together.  So it wasn’t like we were friends before we made the agreement to be blog buddies.  We were random acquaintances who teamed up to fight evil, or something like that.  But, what started as a business agreement, quickly became one of the deepest, most important relationships (apart from partners, parents, children etc).  She’s my twin, and we are now life buddies.  We message each other first thing in the morning, all through the day, and say goodnight to each other before we go to sleep. 

Being so deeply in love, as Steph and I are, is obviously an ideal that not everyone can achieve.  We’re living the dream here, guys.  However, we did make some very conscious decisions before we started our love affair/bloggermance, and during our initial relationship, that I think were helpful.

1)      We were very clear about boundaries and expectations

Steph and talked very clearly and exchanged numerous emails. We made agreements on the style of our blog, what our direction, niche and style was going to be.  Most of these things we stuck to, or negotiated over time.  Others, like our agreement that we’d be casual and only post when we felt like it was tossed out the window when we both realized we were complete workaholics.  The important thing is to have a plan about how you’re going to operate your blog, what it’s going to look like, and what should happen to it should one of you decide to quit.

2)      Bond Your Pants Off

Steph and I love each other.  We are both in similar situations in life – we both have young kids of similar age, similar backgrounds and life stories.  So we’re less blogging buddies and more like two people just doing life together.  We bonded our pants off (literally.  If we end up in bed together one day, it will be a surprise to no one), but we also respected each other’s differences and focus on all the things that bring us together.

3)      Let Go of the Control

Having a blog partner, a partner FOR LIFE, is all about letting go of control, collaborating and accepting that compromise is the spice of life.  I can’t tell you how many times Steph and I have disagreed on bloggery things.  But the blog is always better when we both relinquish control, and chill. A coblogger is not someone who joins your blog and does all the work for you.  A coblogger is someone to build a blog with.  Steph and I have had a long struggle.  She wants us to experiment with memes, I’m violently opposed.  It is the only argument about the blog we’ve continually had for the almost-two-years we’ve been working on the blog.  But everything else we’ve found a compromise on, or just plain given in to each other out of respect.

So there you go, that’s my recipe for a good blogger relationship.  I don’t know how helpful I am.  Steph and I are this amazing team, and I can’t honestly say it’s because of anything we did.  We just fell in love with each other.  It was an automatic chemistry, but one I’ll never regret.

So there you go.  Love you, Steph!  My honey pumpkin!

Thanks, Jess, for having me on the blog!

~~~

 

BOOM. That's it. Great, right? I found it amusing. Then again, I find everything Kat says amusing. Informative, too, of course, but mostly amusing.

 

Thank you so much to Kat for taking the time to write a guest post for me! And you. But mostly me.

 

So...do YOU have anything to say? Any opinions? What do you think? TELL ME. Seriously, I'd like to know.

Oh, and, fun fact: I linked to Cuddlebuggery and Kat's Twitter up at the top of this post. Clickety-click and join in on the randomness that IS Kat Kennedy.

 

♥Jessica(:

Read Me Dead by Emerald Barnes Blog Tour (Guest Post!)

 

~Guest Post~

 

Have you ever gotten your manuscript back with a comment on it from either your editor, a trusted friend, or beta reader that said, “I hate your main character”? 

I have.  More times than I can count.

So, you poured your heart and soul into creating that character.  She’s part of you.  She’s your baby.  She’s apparently hated.  You want to lash out and scream, “Quit hating my baby!  She didn’t do anything to you.” 

What do you do when your beloved main character is hated?  Do you rewrite her?  Do you dare give in to what the masses want? 

I didn’t.  My main character is tormented by the thought of a murderer coming after her.  Alex in Read Me Dead is terrified.  So she doesn’t run around with a bow and arrow killing people.  It doesn’t mean she isn’t still worthy of main character status.

Take Bella Swan for instance.  You all know her.  You all have either read the book, watched the movie or heard something about her.  She’s not a hero, but she’s believable. 

In her situation, wouldn’t you complain about things too? 

If you’re a female, you know how you felt during middle grade and high school.  Most girls don’t feel pretty enough and most girls stay embarrassed over something.  Heck, I cried A LOT during high school.  Emotions run high.  Why not have a character like that? 

Don’t get me wrong.  I love a kick butt main character.  I love to live through the eyes of someone who isn’t terrified to pull the trigger and fight back, but I was never like that as a teen.  I was the girl who hid away and didn’t stand up for herself.  Eventually, I learned not to be like that, and if your main character has a moment like that in your book, I don’t see what is wrong with have a protagonist who isn’t kick butt. 

She’s relatable.  She may not have too many witty comments, and she may hide away and cry.  Don’t change her.  Let her learn through the novel to become stronger.  Isn’t that what young adults do?  They learn as they grow?  Even Bella Swan got better during the series. 

You don’t have to conform to the whole “Your main character sucks.  She should have a backbone,” comment.  She can learn to grow a backbone.  She can be completely whiney, but as long as there is a defining moment for her to shine, I think you’re good to keep going with her the way she is. 

What do you think?  

 

~About the Book~

 

Read Me Dead by Emerald Barnes

 

Description from Goodreads:

Alexia Wheaton’s problems go beyond picking a dress and a date for homecoming.

For seven years, Alex has lived with a painful memory - her parents' horrific murder. As the sole witness, she has kept quiet to protect herself, but when the local newspaper reveals her secret, Alex is plagued with fear that her parents' murderer will soon find her - and silence her forever.

Alex is catapulted into a race against time to save her own life and bring her parents' murderer to justice.

 

"Read Me Dead" by Emerald Barnes on Ganxy

 

♥Jessica(:

Earth Angel by E. Van Lowe Blog Tour (Guest Post & Giveaway!)

Welcome to my stop on the Earth Angel blog tour! To check out the full schedule for this tour, click HERE!

 

~~~

 

Guest Post:

Damned Internet

I’ve noticed something strange lately.  I don’t read as many books as I used to.  I used to love to curl up in bed or on the sofa and devour a good book.  But lately I can’t seem to stay focused.  I know why. It’s that damned internet.  It keeps calling me.  It’s like that old Twilight Zone episode where a guy goes to Las Vegas for the first time and discovers slot machines.  You know the one I’m talking about? He goes back to his room and tries to go to bed but he hears his name being called in a loud whisper.  “Franklin.”  The slot machines are calling.

That’s how I feel.  The internet is calling and I must heed the call: email, Twitter, Facebook, my blog.  I must check them.  I MUST CHECK THEM!

Last evening, I sat in the living room, book in hand and began to read:  “Franklin.”  (I know that’s not my name but it has an ominous ring to it).  A few nights ago I lay in bed, picked up my book and began to read: “Franklin.”   I realize I had just checked my email ten minutes ago so I continued reading… “Franklin!”  But when was the last time I checked my Facebook page?  An entire hour ago.  It’s important that I find out what Barbara Jensen had for lunch, so I stop reading and I check.

I’ve been reading the current book I’m on for nearly a month now.  Yes, it’s interesting.  No, it’s not as long as War And Peace.  But I can’t get through it. Am I alone in this? Do any of you out there have this problem?  That damned internet is destroying my life.  Someone has to shut it down.  It’s dangerous…  Excuse me?  What was that?

“Franklin.”

Time to sign off.  I have to check my Twitter stream.

Aside from being addicted to the internet, I am the author of the books of The Falling Angels Saga; when you’re through updating your Facebook status, I hope you’ll check them out. 

 

~~~

Giveaway:

 

There's a tour-wide giveaway for e-copies of Boyfriend From Hell (Book 1) and Earth Angel (Book 2)! It is INTERNATIONAL, and all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win! WOOT!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

~~~

 

About the Book:

 

Earth Angel by E. Van Lowe

Release Date: December 8, 2011

Publisher: White Whisker Books

Series: Falling Angels #2

Buy It: Amazon | B&N

 

Description from Goodreads:

Just because Megan Barnett recently defeated Satan, has a fantastic new best friend, and has won the love of deliciously
handsome, Guy Matson, doesn’t mean her troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan doesn’t realize it, but in her possession is a powerful weapon, a weapon sought after by both angels and demons and everything in between. They will do ANYTHING to get it.

In E. Van Lowe’s humorous, romantic and thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From Hell, Megan winds up in a gripping life or death battle to save herself, the boy she loves, and all of mankind from unthinkable evil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

~~~

 

About the Author:

 

E Van Lowe was born in the Bronx a long time ago, back in the days when children were supposed to be seen and not heard. Fortunately for E, his parents allowed him to speak freely. Unfortunately for his parents and older brother, E had a lot to say. He was speaking quite freely until one day, while his mother was trying to watch her “stories” (which is code for soap operas), she suggested that instead of speaking freely, he write all his important thoughts down. E wrote down many important thoughts, such as: crayons melt when you leave them on the radiator, or toy soldiers melt when you drop them in the muffin batter before mom puts it in the oven. His brother thought he was weird, but E was only ten years old at the time. What did he expect, Shakespeare? E liked writing things down so much, he decided that when he grew up, he was going to become a professional writer.

E has gone on to write for many award winning TV shows including: The Cosby Show, and Even Stevens. He also co-wrote the Academy Award nominated short film, Cadillac Dreams. Never Slow Dance With A Zombie was his first teen novel. Boyfriend From Hell is the first in the Falling Angels Saga. The second novel in the saga, Earth Angel, will be coming out soon. It seems E still has lots of important, and weird, thoughts to share with readers.

Website│Blog│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

 

♥Jessica(:

Guest Post: Molly Ringle ♥ Boys in Love (GIVEAWAY!)

Hello, my lovely followers! Today, the author Molly Ringle was gracious enough to stop by the blog and tell us a bit of her thoughts about...

Wait for it...

BOYS IN LOVE.

Yes. Boys in love. This should be interesting, if you've read any of the books that I've read this past year... ;)

And now, for Molly's post!

Let's be honest, ladies. When we find ourselves hopelessly attracted to a womanizer, or a snarky, too-cool-for-love type, our daydreams and hopes are fueled by one proposition: the idea that we can change him. Yes, after falling in love with us, he will start respecting women! (Or us, at least.) He will realize his flaws and cast them away! He will apologize, repeatedly! Ideally while feeding us chocolate cake and strawberries, and massaging our feet.

Okay, so it's unrealistic. Love does change and improve people, but usually it's more of a compromise: we'll overlook his condescending remarks if he overlooks our temper, and the relationship can proceed. But love transforming a young man is sure popular in literature, along with happily-ever-after endings, because we readers can't help enjoying such scenarios.

As a writer, I use the theme of guys reforming their flaws for love all the time. In order for readers to feel satisfied, a protagonist usually has to have an "arc"--that is, must change from the start of a book to the end. And since I like to dwell upon romance, I'm happy to make love the reason for the change. Love changes my female protagonists too, but again, let's be honest: it's the beguiling boys we're interested in when we read those YA romances.

In both of my novels so far that could be classed as YA (Relatively Honest and What Scotland Taught Me), I write about attractive young men who start out the book with notable flaws. Daniel Revelstoke in Relatively Honest is something of a player: he knows how to charm girls, but quickly drops them after having gotten his fill of adoration. He's never been in love--that is, not until he meets Julie. Though she's off limits for a couple of seriously good reasons, he builds up an inferno of a crush on her, and soon finds himself not even wanting to be a womanizer anymore, just a boyfriend. Her boyfriend. If there's any way the universe will allow it. *Dreamy sigh*. Yeah, that's pretty much the effect we'd all like to have upon a Casanova. (In fact, in the movie Casanova with Heath Ledger, the same thing happened.)

In What Scotland Taught Me, I deal with two young men who each brandish their own form of snarkiness as their defense against the world, which irritates their would-be girlfriends. Gil, a Scotsman, is an indie-music lover, fond of so-ugly-they're-hip clothes and immature banter, all of which acts as armor to hide his heartache. And Laurence is a well-behaved super-smartie preparing to launch into scientific university studies, who excels at pushing his friends' buttons by calling things a little too directly as he sees them. Both Laurence and Gil learn tact and tenderness after getting entangled in close affections with their young lady friends, and end up proving they're made of excellent boyfriend material. Again, *dreamy sigh*.

I suppose I ought to put a disclaimer on such stories: "This is fiction. In real life, don't expect to change a guy this thoroughly." Then again, to judge from true stories my friends and readers have told me, sometimes events do happen that are even more extraordinary than the ones I've written. Might as well keep hoping you'll cause that lovely guy to amend his ways. And while you're at it, consider improving yours too. What better reason to fix your flaws than love?

 

*slow clap* YES. I agree. That question at the end? Ohmygoodness, yes!

 

*clears throat* Okay. Moving on...thank you so much to Molly for stopping by with that post! I love the topic. Truly, I do.  Now...

 

GIVEAWAY!

 

To enter to win a free ebook copy of either What Scotland Taught Me or Relatively Honest (winner's choice), comment below. Winner will be chosen at random in one week.

 

Molly's site: http://www.mollyringle.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MollyRingle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mollyringle

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2905269.Molly_Ringle

Blog: http://lemonlye.livejournal.com/

 

You saw it. Comment below to enter! Let us know what you thought of that wonderful post! Yes, since it is an ecopy it IS international. ;)

 

♥Jessica(: