My first non-fiction read in years ... and my first attempt at Mexican rice

For the past, oh, ten years or so, I've dedicated my sparse reading time to middle-grade and young adult novels. I had BIG PLANS this Christmas break. Finish ENDLESSLY and CINDER and read a partial and a full manuscript from two very dear friends.

But then I got distracted. By the first non-fiction I've read in years.

BLIND DESCENT is terrifying because it's true. Because the suffering and the deaths, the darkness ... real. Real. Real. Real. It doesn't scare me in the same way that a fictional ghost or zombie story may. Maybe because the scary parts of BLIND DESCENT ... the blow is softened by how human the story is. Humans are relatable - their drive and passion and suffering - even if you have no interest in exploring what appears to be Hell.

Anyway, there you have it. Oh, and here's a Mexican rice recipe! The first time I've ever made it and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cup medium to long-grain rice 
• 1 small-medium onion (I used half a red onion and half a sweet onion because I had some leftover, but I think sweet or yellow would work best) 
• 2-4 garlic cloves (minced) ( measurement depending on how much you love garlic)
• 2T olive oil 
• 1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste
• chicken broth - how much will vary depending on your rice so read the cooking instructions and replace how much water is needed with chicken broth 
• pinch of oregano (Mexican oregano is the best if you can find it) 
• salt

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet until it shimmers slightly. Then, brown the rice, garlic, and onion until the rice is toasted (light brown) and the onions are soft (4-5 minutes).



Throw everything into a rice cooker if you have it (or not, cook the rice per the package's instructions). Add the chicken broth, tomato paste, and oregano. Add a couple pinches of salt. When the rice is done, you can always add more later to taste.




I use "Better than Bouillon" chicken base so I can control the quantity of stock I make 


This is what it looks like all combined ... 


This is my rice cooker. It's Japanese -- easy to use and awesome. I highly recommend it. It "sings" to you when the rice is done. Japan invents the *best* things!

Fluff the rice when it's done and serve with diced avocado (a must in my house). You can also make it "supreme" and add a dollap (I love this word!) of light sour cream (or Greek yogurt, it basically tastes the same) and some cilantro.

My 2012 YA Picks

I noticed that food has taken over my blog. When I first started this blog, it was all about writing. But then, my writing wasn't really going anywhere, so I started writing about food as well. My writing is still not going anywhere, but I only have myself to blame. I can tell you that one of my new year's resolutions is to finish my current manuscript, but it won't really matter unless I actually write it and not just ... write a resolution about writing. Anyway, to compensate, I wanted to share my top YA reads of 2012:

1. INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows



Why I loved this book: Jodi's world-building is utterly masterful. She's created a world where a thousand souls have been re-incarnated over and over again. Intriguing, yes? Where nobody is new -- until someone is. Ana's alienation is palpable and is only soothed by an eventual - as in not instantaneous, thank goodness -romance with one of the best male leads in YA today. Just remember that I fell in love with Sam first.

2. RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater



Why I loved this book: The boys. The boys. The boys. Oh, and Blue's family. But mainly, the boys. I told a friend that my husband was easy to pick. But to pick your favorite Raven Boy? Not possible.

3. EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton



Why I loved this book: Modern re-telling of Persephone and Hades?? YES, please! This book sucked me in and I couldn't stop reading. Every title starts with how much time Nikki has left which made me read faster. The writing's pacing was spot-on.

"... six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists."

Bonus: Jack is one of the sweetest YA ex-boyfriends in existence.

4. INSURGENT by Veronica Roth



Why I loved this book: Sequels are hard to write. Rarely are they better than the first book in a series. I have to admit that DIVERGENT didn't really pull me in until the last 100 pages. But INSURGENT? One of the best YAs I've read so far. It's thrilling and surprising and kick-ass. So, if you're like me and didn't fall in love with DIVERGENT, read it anyway just for INSURGENT. It's a complex, fantastically written book.

1-11-11 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Release Day!!

I was LUCKY enough to tag along on the ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Arc train (where it got passed from Authoress to Jodi Meadows to me and then to Corinne Duyvis) so I got a sneak-peek of what all the confetti was about.

Today, you can go to your local bookstore and see for yourself.

It's a BIG DEAL. I mean, just look at this site. This isn't just a YA book launch. This is THE book launch. And all I have to say is:

1. THANK GOODNESS someone did a YA that brings to mind the "final frontier-ness" of Star Trek and the doomed romance of ROMEO AND JULIET.

2. Congratulations, Beth!!!!

Book deal! Book deal! JODI MEADOWS' Book deal!

I've been not-so-silently squeeing for the past few days and am now finally able to SHOUT IT FROM THE BLOGOSPHERE ROOFTOPS!!

The wildly talented Jodi Meadows has a book deal. ERIN INCARNATE (the first in her NEWSOUL Trilogy) went to auction. Yes, auction.

Dreams DO come true. She's proof that hard work and perseverance pays off.

Read about her incredible story:

* on her blog

* on author Robin McKinley's blog

* Authoress' blog

I'll let you know when you can pre-order the book ;-)

Jodes, I'm incredibly proud, excited, and in awe of you. I can't wait to see what happens NEXT!! Thank you for always being there for me. I hope you know that I'm there for you every step of the way!!!!

What are you reading?

One of my best friends, Jodi Meadows, asked the following on her blog:

1. What are you reading and what do you think of it so far?
2. What is your plan for the week?
3. What's your favorite shape of pasta?

Since I wrote up a huge comment, I thought I might as well post it here. As you can see ... I have trouble finishing books. There are just too many shiny ones to buy! and when they come in the mail, I get so excited, I have to start reading it RIGHT AWAY! that is, until another one comes in the mail!

1. I am currently reading ... (yes, all at the same time ...)

AS YOU WISH: this book *feels* more MG than YA to me.

CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY (2nd in the Gallagher Girls series): James Bond meets Baby-sitters Club without the babysitting. The girls are strong, the adults are interesting, and the spy twist is super fun!

BLUE MOON (2nd in the Immortals series): I *liked* the first one so I decided to continue ...

BOY TOY: Not too dark. More like gray. Still, it's a hard book to read. Definitely not a light, summer-y book I bring to the pool ...

THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER: I bring this one to the pool with me, but am not far enough into it to make an opinion. I think it's a summer romance ...

FRAGILE ETERNITY: Really love Marr's dark take on faeries. This 3rd book is fae-court-politics heavy.

HUSH, HUSH: I have to admit, I bought it because of the cover.

GOING BOVINE: Genius. I'm only a few chapters in ...

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE: repeat after self: *you will not watch the movie until you finish the book* ... my best friend loved it, her fiance loved it, everyone loves it ... thus, I'm reading it.

IF I STAY: One of my favorite 2009 books! I have about 1/3rd left ...

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES: Really diggin' it so far. The setting is sultry and a character in itself. After reading so many YA novels from a female POV, Ethan's voice is refreshing.

EI: *swoon* The incredible, incredible, unique, incredible premise, the world-building, the relationships, Sam ... I could go on and on ... *squee*

EA: *falls* An exciting sequel!! It features one of my favorite characters of the series!! I want to say more, but I don't want to accidentally spoil anything.

2. This week, I am working toward my 4th of July vacation! Then, I plan on eating chicken wings and watching the World Cup, having Jodi+writing time, watching LIE TO ME (my new television addiction), going to see ECLIPSE with my girl friends, lying by the pool, and drinking champagne!

3. I like spaghetti noodles and shells - yes!

P.S. If you don't mind, I'd love to hear what you have to say in MY comments :-)

Happy Birthday Beverly Cleary (and book trailers!)

I can't name a favorite.

DEAR MR. HENSHAW

RAMONA AND HER FATHER

SOCKS

STRIDER

Beverly Cleary turned 94 and I wanted to wish her a very Happy

Birthday. Her bright and colorful characters touched my elementary school heart and I can't wait to share her books with all the kids in my life.

Now, on to some beautiful book trailers!

ERIN INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows

SEA by Heidi R. Kling

and I couldn't end this post without a yummy picture. It's raining so this hit the spot: Texas-style chili with all the fixin's. It's made with beer and you can totally taste it. Beer's the secret to great chili, IMO. That and chocolate.

Last but not least, a contest!

To celebrate the fact that her book ALL THESE LIVES will be published, Sarah with a Chance is holding a fantastic contest:

1 Lucky Winner will receive a critique of their first 30-40 pages by the fabulous Suzie Townsend + a pack of Twizzlers + a copy of Hex Hall

3 Lucky Winners will receive a query letter critique by one of these three agent extraordinaires: Kathleen Ortiz, Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, or Colleen Lindsay (One agent will be randomly assigned to each winner.)

1 Winner will receive a writer's survival guide consisting of Twizzlers, a copy of Silver Phoenix and When You Reach Me, and a cute notebook and pen so you're never tempted to do this

1 Lucky winner will score a lunch date with THE Janet Reid and THE Suzie Townsend. Um, yeah, that's not a typo. (I'm tempted to enter myself. Would it be so wrong?) Unfortunately, this is not a free trip to NYC. BUT if you live in the NYC area, or whenever you're visiting NYC? You. Janet. Suzie. LUNCH.

Enter on her blog here.

The Beth Revis Book Deal Celebration! *confetti*

I read a bit of Beth Revis' book on Authoress' blog and loved it. I can't wait to read it once it's published! To celebrate her amazing book deal, Beth is having a HUGE contest on her blog.

Look at all the fun stuff you can you win!

PRIZE PACK FOR WRITERS:

-A critique of your query letter and first three chapters
-A copy of Elana Johnson's super-amazing e-book, From the Query to the Call
-A HUGE bag of chocolate-covered expresso beans from my fav coffee shop, Village Coffee (cause we all know writers need chocolate and coffee)
-A copy of the Working Writer Day Planner, full of tons of helpful info for writers
-A really pretty journal
-Flag-it Post-it Notes that you can use to highlight and mark-up your manuscript as you revise
-A Laini's Ladies (the Muse of Writing one, of course!)
-A "Rolla" style notebook--it's like a binder and notebook in one, with the ablity to add, remove, and move around pages. I thought this would be perfect for organizing editing notes, or to take to a conference
-A sekkrit surprise
-A book-shaped locket. One of the themes in my novel, Across the Universe, is that of leaving home and standing on your own two feet (hence the original title that some of you probably remember: Long Way Home). The locket is shaped like a book with a bird's nest stamped on the front, and a bird flies away from the chain. This was custom made for me by The Enchanted Locket on etsy, and you and I will be the only two people with the original design!

Free books make my heart pit-pat

Elana Johnson (of the awesome QueryTracker blog) is having a fantabulous giveaway.

You can win a SIGNED copy of:

THE NAUGHTY LIST by Suzanne Young

BLEEDING VIOLET by Dia Reeves

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS by Michelle Zink

HUSH HUSH by Becca Ritzpatrick

GONE by Lisa McMann

CAPTIVATE by Carie Jones

THE SECRET YEAR by Jennifer R. Hubbard

*swoon*

Details on her blog.

Want to win a humongous crit by an agent instead? The SHOOTING STARS are also having a contest. Go here to learn more.

Both contests end March 14th!

What I learned from publishing today (via Twitter)!

- One of my favorite authors, Maggie Stiefvater, shares her early, "bad" writing and comments on whether or not YA lit is going down the toliet

- BOY TOY author Barry Lyga tells us how he writes and shows us a sneak peek of his new book ARCHVILLAIN!

- Compare YOUR novel beginning with the ones agent Mary Kole likes

- The Editorial Role: An Agent's View

- Tension = Tight Writing

- Agent Spotlight: FinePrint Literary's Suzie Townsend

- Teen Fiction Cafe's Anniversary Party - special post by EVERMORE's Aylson Noel

- You know how some blu-ray movies come bundled with a standard copy and a version you can watch on your computer? Now, books will come bundled up, too! Barnes and Noble announces that it will bundle print books and e-books together - how cool is that? It's a revolution, folks!

The Publishing World Tweets!

Every morning, I go through my Twitter feed and scan through my delicious pot of agent-ly, writer-ly, book-ly, publish-ly news and go click-happy on links. Since I have a nice little collection going on here, I thought I'd share "what I learned from twitter today" with you. The links range from writing advice to contests to book announcements. Click and enjoy!

- Synopsis contest

- 1000 word crit fun on Authoress' blog

- A new book for you to love: FORGET-HER-NOTS

- Weather contest - win a crit!

- Will you buy ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS based on her cover?

- BEFORE I FALL - couldn't resist the premise so I added it to my Amazon wishlist! Let me know if you feel the same way :-)

On congratulating Jodi and woo-ing

Write every single day. Write for ten years. Write more than a million words. Don't give up.

One of my bestest e-friends, Jodi Meadows, has just nabbed the agent of her dreams. Honestly, this couldn't have happened to a more deserving and talented writer. I'm incredibly thrilled for her and I really, really can't wait for all of you to read ERIN INCARNATE. I am so in love with this unique world and the characters that she's created. Just you wait - you're gonna be blown away by the genius that is her premise.

To me, Jodi embodies the mature writer so it was pure joy "watching" her write EI. I am very lucky she's so open to sharing her craft and I feel like I've learned a lot. *snugs* and CONGRATULATIONS, Jodi!

In other news, I am charging through the final chapters of FRIENDS WITH DEATH. I have noticed that once I cross a certain threshold on a manuscript, my mind starts to wander and these random, glorious, shiny ideas pop out of nowhere and try to woo me away from my work in progress. Does that happen to you? If so, how do you tell them to STOP! WAIT! TAKE A NUMBER!

I have to admit, I succumbed for a day or two and jotted down the exciting first lines and bits of ideas and conversation, but no more! Until the words "The End" grace FRIENDS WITH DEATH's pretty, white face, I will not begin a new story. Nope. Nuh uh. No.

Please feel free to berate me on my own blog if you suspect I'm working on anything else.

GIANT LINGER GIVEAWAY!!

SHIVER was, hands-down, my favorite book last year. I adore Maggie Stiefvater's lyrical prose and admired how real Sam and Grace's relationship was even though he's a wolf and she's a human. The twist on the werewolf mythology was refreshing and kept me guessing as well.

I'm beyond fangirl-squee that SHIVER is going to be made into a movie and am celebrating this awesome news by trying my pants off to win a copy of LINGER.

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

2010 Resolution - Blog More

It's January 28th.

This is my first blog post of 2010.

So far, I'm failing my "Blog More" resolution.

Fixing that now!

WRITING: I am thisclose to finishing my WIP. I have an agent who already wants to see the full and another agent waiting on my revisions for THE UNICORN TAMER. So what does that mean? Tons of squee! and kicking-of-butt-in-gear. Thank goodness for the venerable Jodi Meadows who commands the cutest army there ever was. I seem to write better when she's on 3rd shift (i.e. up in the middle of the night).

BOOKS: I am currently reading Stephen King's ON WRITING and I highly recommend it. You don't even have to be an aspiring author. ON WRITING was written in a very conversational tone and it's intimate, inspiring, and down-right funny. Did you know he used to do laundry for a living? AND, he threw away CARRIE. Like, wrote it, hated it, and THREW IT AWAY!! His wife was the one who fished it out of the garbage and told him to finish it. The rest is history (i.e. he sold it, made a kazillion dollars, and became a household name).

HELPFUL WRITING RELATED LINKS:

- Ten Words You Need to Stop Misspelling (with comics!)

- The incredible and sweet (I know she's incredible and sweet because I got to meet her in person!) LK Madigan writes about productive writing retreats and achieving that one perfect sentence

- 2 New Ways to Get Feedback on Your Work

- Amazon publishing original manuscripts!

- 3 books I want to win! but will not hesitate to buy them either because they're made of awesome

Kelly Gay Interview & Giveaway

Head on over to Susan Adrian's blog for an interview and giveaway with the sweet and awesome Kelly Gay! I can't wait to read her book!

Interview & Giveaway with Author Kelly Gay!

Hi all! It is a giveaway FESTIVAL here. So let's dive in to an interview with Enchanting Urban Fantasy Author Kelly Gay, who stopped by to tell us about her debut novel (on shelves now!), THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS. We're also giving away a signed copy!

Susan: Hi Kelly! First, congratulations on the release of your first book! How's it feel so far?

Kelly: Thanks Susan! And thanks for having me on your blog! My book being ‘out there’ in the world feels awesome, scary, exciting, surreal… you name it. A book debut fits that whole rollercoaster analogy incredibly well.

Susan: I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy yet (I will, ASAP!), so could you tell us a bit about the story?

Kelly: Sure. The book is set in Atlanta about a decade after the discovery of heaven-like Elysia and hellish Charbydon, two alternate dimensions, which are home to beings that inspired our myths of angels, demons, gods, and monsters. Now they live among us, and it’s Charlie Madigan’s job to police the off-world sector and keep the peace, but when a new off-world drug is released, an ancient threat emerges, and her ex-husband makes a terrible bargain to win her back, there’s nothing in heaven, or hell, for that matter, that Charlie won’t do to set things right.

Read the rest here ...

Win a copy of LINGER!

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas is LINGER. The elves don't even have to build me one in your shop. You can win it here:

http://karinlibrarian.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/win-an-autographed-copy-of-linger-by-maggie-stiefvater/

See, I made it easy for you.

xoxo,

Christine

My dream book looks like ...

Scott Westerfeld's LEVIATHAN! The Steampunkish illustrations are exactly what I've imagined THE UNICORN TAMER to look like. Hopefully someday ... *crosses fingers*

Today I came on to drool over bookshelves. In the last month or two, I've bought:

* GRACELING by Kristin Cashore
* GOING BOVINE by Libby Bray
* BOY TOY by Barry Lyga
* THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by Sarah Dessen
* SWEETHEARTS by Sara Zarr
* HUSH, HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick
* ON WRITING by Stepehn King

and they are all currently lying on my floor because I am out of shelf space. It'll take some re-arranging before I can buy a new bookshelf, but it's still fun to look!

Neil Gaiman shows his shelves:


Popping colors:


Floating bookshelves:


Unique shapes:

Tree:

Fancy e-books

Publishing veteran resurfaces with e-book venture

Former HarperCollins honcho Jane Friedman steps into the future, launching Open Road Integrated Media to publish e-books drawn from known and amateur authors.

Super interesting read here.

AS YOU WISH Debuts Today!!

I don't remember how I stumbled upon Jackson's Pearce's blog, but I did, just about a year ago. I follow her antics daily. She's funny, brilliant, charismatic, and makes the best darn paper puppets ever:



Her first book, AS YOU WISH, is out today! Please help her celebrate by buying the book!

Read about Jackson's journey to publication here and DON'T STOP WRITING!!

My Favorite Book This Year

thus far ...

is Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER. It was lyrical, lovely, and sad.

The talented Ms. Stiefvater has created an animated storyboard trailer for her other novel, BALLAD.



Go forth and read, watch, and dream.

Catching Up

Yikes! Been almost a month since I've posted.

So ... I live in California, but the S.O. wants to live in Colorado someday so over the 4th of July holiday, we traversed to the Rocky Mountains to do some 'sploring to determine if it'll be a good fit. We went to Boulder (not what I pictured) and Denver (cool, clean city), the Red Rocks (this is a place where stories are born), and Table Mountain (I want to live near here). The best part of the trip was a surprise visit to the little town of Granby where we relaxed in a cabin (and played Apples to Apples in over-the-top Asian accents) and went boating with two of our best friends (who are part of the reason for the "wanting to move to Colorado" idea).

Anywho, I am way behind in life.

* I've been reading a lot more than usual - research to better my Young Adult writing skillz. So far, I've devoured the following books: I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You, Evermore, Wings, Wicked Lovely, and Fairy Tale

* I'm in the middle of Silver Phoenix, Fragile Eternity, and Don't Judge a Spy by Her Cover

* I just bought Blue Moon and The Graveyard Book

* I want to do reviews for everything I read (need to get off my butt and actually do them)!

* I won a 5-page critique with Kelly Sonnack (Andrea Brown Agency) through Cynthea Liu's auction

* I did a test run with the Online Writing Workshop for SF/Fantasy writers - in less than a month, I received 3 thorough critiques! When I have the time, I'm going to sign up for a permanent membership and return the favor to those who critiqued my work, but I'm super busy/behind right now ... I suggest you try it, though, if you're looking for solid feedback!

* I'm holding on to my promise of finish FRIENDS WITH DEATH before fiddling with THE UNICORN TAMER

* I currently have 1 full and 1 partial out