Cover Reveal for MY SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY

It's my pleasure to reveal the gorgeous cover of Rachel Harris' debut novel, from Entangled Publishing. Don't miss the trailer link or teaser excerpt below. This one will fly off the shelves. Congratulations, Rachel!

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family's trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever? 

Author website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

(YouTube trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYacoZNjz_A) 

  

Never-Before-Seen Excerpt from MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY: 

“I thought I'd teach you a dance from where I come from,” I tell him. “One that's much easier than that multi-step mess inside.” 

I place my left hand on Lorenzo's shoulder and slip my right one into his. I pause to listen to the music floating over the tinkling voices and bubbling fountain, and begin counting the three-beat tempo. “One, two, three. One, two, three.” 

I stand still, only my head moving, slowly nodding with my words so he can hear the rhythm. 

When his head begins subtly bobbing with mine, I show him how to add his feet. He takes a tentative step forward with his left while I step back with my right, then we side step, close, and repeat the steps with our other feet, all while I lightly whisper the beat count. 

The breeze picks up, blowing my skirt and skimming my veil across the back of my neck. Chills run down my spine, but the warmth coursing through my veins from being in his arms provides a delicious contradiction. 

Lorenzo continues nervously darting his eyes to our feet, but he is dancing. As he relaxes into the movement, his shoulders rising and falling with the steps, the confidence he always seems to exude creeps back on his face, and he tightens the hold around me. Our faces are kissably close, our lips a hairs breadth away from touching. I stare into the chocolate depths of his eyes and the rest of the ball fades away. The only music guiding our steps is my light whisper and the erratic rhythm of our breathing. Time slows. Lorenzo grins. 

“I think you got it,” I say breathlessly, running my hand along the soft fabric of his shoulder, feeling the rock-hard muscles underneath. 

My body curls inward, pressing against his. The proper form for the waltz is a straight spine and shoulders back, but if there was ever a time to break the rules, this is it.

Rachel Harris

As a teen, I threw raging parties that shook my parents' walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels.

As an adult, I read and write obsessively, rehash said embarrassing fodder, and dream up characters who become my imaginary friends.

When I'm not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find me homeschooling my two beautiful princesses, hanging out with my amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate.

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is my first novel. I did have my own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn't televised. 

The Bachelorette Season 8, Episode 1 "Goosebumps"



Emily Maynard, not exactly as shown.



Twenty-six-year-old blond bombshell, Emily Maynard, tells the story about her fiance dying in a plane crash, then finding out a week later that she was pregnant. With Emily's voice over talking about how Ricki (now six) is her whole life, we're treated to regular everyday scenes of Emily and her cute blond daughter.

You know, stuff like making chocolate chip pancakes on the granite counter top in the immaculate kitchen surrounded by stainless steel appliances. And then leaving their mansion to go driving in the spotless SUV—pretty typical single mom story so far.

But things aren't perfect. Emily says after she puts little Ricki to bed, she gets really lonely. Even a copy of 50 Shades of Grey on the bedside table can't heal her broken heart.

At this point I'm wondering why she hasn't married. She's gorgeous AND rich! Considering America's divorce rate, there must be at least one descent single dad at the PTA meetings.

Oh, wait *holds up hand* never mind...I see.

Emily was on The Bachelor and made it to the final round. The show ended with the guy proposing as she cried. True love on reality TV...what could possibly go wrong?

Apparently dating someone on a show is different than dating in real life. And when you kiss without the cameras in your face, I guess the magic gets lost. Emily and that bachelor didn't get married after all.

But don't worry, Emily decided to get right back on that horse. Literally. She's riding a horse. Holy crap! Does she have stables too?

Quick! Where's the stable boy? There's always a hot stable boy.

Emily says going on The Bachelorette is a big risk because she might get her heart broken again. Really? Here's a list of things I think are a big risk:

Skydiving

Eating at Taco Bell

NOT making a list for Santa

Giving out raisins for Halloween

Going to Wal-Mart after midnight

Wearing white after Labor Day

Emily thinks she'll find her soul mate and a caring father for Ricki. Sure, why not? It worked out so well the last show. *rolls eyes*

And the fellas are already in love!
photo credit, brothersguideforguys.com

It's time to meet the suckers, sorry...I mean guys. Cue the video montage of each guy at work/home talking about how much they already love Emily.

One guy wrote a song with just one lyric—her name over and over again.

Another talked about his head injury. He also has a bulldog—a big, sloppy bulldog.

Then there's the skateboard kid with the Rick Astley hair. I hope there's a skateboard park in Emily's gated community.

Arie, a race car driver, acknowledges that since Emily's first fiance was also a racer, his occupation might turn her off. But he said he's willing to take that risk. What risk? All he has to do is put on a suit. It's not like they're making him eat at Taco Bell.

Even though the guys are a diverse and eclectic group, they still have one thing in common—looking for true love with a hot blond who has her own mansion.

We go into Emily's bathroom as Ricki watches her mom get ready for her big date with twenty-five guys. It looks more like the cosmetic department at Bergdorf Goodman. I think Ricki will have some image issues as she grows up.

Once she reaches the official Bachelorette mansion, Emily sits down and talks with the host about how nervous she is. “How do you prepare for The Bachelorette?” she laughs.

I'm guessing the same way she prepared for The Bachelor. Dress? Check. Make-up? Check. Heels? Check...

Emily looks perfect. No, I mean really perfect. This chick would make Barbie jealous. She waits in the elegant foyer for her potential soul mate.

The guys start to arrive and the embarrassing chit chat begins. The first guy doesn't even bother nodding or gesturing for her hand, he goes right into hug mode. What is he thinking? Doesn't he know how long she took to do her hair and make-up!

Next is Joe, showing off his huge perfect smile while dancing out of the car like he's a game show host. Survey says...cue the music intro. 

So far every guy has drooled over her body, tackled her in an awkward hug, and then moved on. One guy finally does something new. He goes on one knee and kisses her hand. I liked that, but then he ruined it by telling her his life story.

BORING. Move on.

Unlike me, Emily is quite charming and is very courteous to all these losers. Especially the guy who came with his own boombox—I also hate his green shirt. She asked again for his name, and I'm guessing it's so she makes sure NOT to give him a rose.

Charlie, the head injury guy with the bulldog at home, ended up being super sweet. He was followed by 'Prince Chamring' carrying a glass slipper on a pillow. He believes in true love and fairy tales. I was waiting for him to say, “because true love's kiss breaks any curse.”

Sorry, wrong ABC show.

The next guy wears a disguise pretending to be his Grandmother, singing his praises to Emily. She laughs but all I can picture is this. *rubs arms to smooth out goosebumps* I didn't like his green shirt either. AND he didn't even have a tie.

Hey fellas, here are some tips from your Aunt Bethany.

When you're meeting a girl you're hoping to impress make sure NOT to do the following:

1. Do NOT look at her boobs while complimenting her.

2. Do NOT crush her with a massive bear hug, thereby squishing her face into your armpit.

All I'm going to say about the next guy is this—LEAVE THE FRICKIN' EGG AT HOME. I thought Norman Bates was weird. If this was Elementary School the others would beat this 'Mother Goose' up and give him a wedgie.

Ryan is next. I hate his hair, but I melted a bit when he held up a note that said “You're so beautiful. I'm so nervous.” Nicely done, Ryan.

Soon a helicopter shows up and the guys hanging out by the fire pit have already declared they will hate this hot shot. I love seeing guys get catty.

Mr. Hot Shot, not exactly as shown.
photo credit, jlawrencekenny.wordpress.com

His name is Kaylen, but I'll call him Mr. Hot Shot. He walks in the room and the band plays this. I like the one armed hug he gave Emily, and the swell cleft in his chin.

Once Emily has greeted all of the 'hopefuls' she joins the party by the fire pit and says, “Golly I'm nervous!” I would be, too. She doesn't even have pepper spray.

And if you thought the hug-fest was tiring, now she has to endure the speed dating about to take place. One guy even shows her pictures of his six kids. Six!

Another gives her bobble head dolls that look just like them. Ew. Holy creep alert. But....she LOVES it!

Meanwhile Mother Goose *honk* waits for his turn while sitting on the love seat (nest)...with his egg.

Yawn. This needs to speed up. Emily should have put a bit of spinach in her teeth as a test.

Hey fellas, here's another tip from Aunt Bethany.

If your dream girl has something in her teeth, take her aside, then lean close and whisper, “This is a bit awkward but there's something in your teeth...which I find totally cute, but I know I'm not lucky enough to have you all to myself tonight.”

Girls, if a guy ever does this, he's a keeper.

The guys by the fire pit are getting nervous as they talk about not having any alone time with Emily. Mr. Hot Shot gets extra points by telling her he was raised by a single mom.

And Arie, the race car driver, is relieved to hear Emily talk about her love of car racing.

Finally, it's time for the 'first impression rose' which allows the lucky recipient to skip the next elimination round. She gives it to the single dad who brought a letter from his son. He's also cute, so that helps.

Emily begins the rose ceremony. I'm impressed she remembers everyone's name.

What happens if she calls out the wrong name? What if a guy sneaked in his own rose and secretly pins it on? Are there two guys with the same name? Am I asking too many questions?

Jeff, the skateboarder with the Rick Astley hair, gets to stay.

So does Joe. *Family Feud theme* Survey says...you're safe!

There's a lot of pausing and building up of the music as Emily looks at their faces. I wonder if she's choosing as she goes along?

Oh no! The boombox guy?!!?? Geez, I hate that green shirt.

Soon, only one rose is left on the table. But since no one can count, the host comes out and announces to the room full of adults staring at the table with only one rose, that yes, your suspicions are confirmed...there is only one rose left.

Thank you, Captain Obvious. Now go back behind the curtain.

And the last rose goes to...Mother Goose!?!? *honk*

If I was one of the guys who didn't get chosen, I'd crack that egg over his head.

As the 'unwanted' file out of the mansion, the single dad with six kids gives us a nice Hallmark moment about never finding love again and he turns away from the camera, overcome with devastation. I'm voting him for as the next Bachelor!

The tension between Mr. Hot Shot and boombox guy promise for some tension filled scenes. I can't wait.

Cheers!

How To Secretly Work On Your Novel While At Your Day Job

For writers, nothing is worse than leaving your laptop to go to your day job—you know, the place where you actually get paid. But don't let resentment cloud your ambitions. There's a way to keep the creative juices flowing even when away from your computer. Here are a few ways to secretly work on your novel while at your day job.

1. A two hour meeting in the board room?

Excellent! Take a few pens and keep your notepad on your lap, just under the table and out of sight. Throughout the meeting, glance up from your writing and make eye contact with the speaker, nod, and then write for the next five minutes. Keep repeating this process until the meeting is over. At the end of the session everyone else is weary and yawning, but you my friend have a spring in your step because you totally nailed the word count for that chapter.

"And then...and then...and then..."
photo credit, taitegallery.net

2. A co-worker talks non-stop?

Embrace her enthusiasm! The office gossip is worth her weight in gold. Listen to her...no REALLY listen. Memorize all her turns of phrase and quirky slang. Notice the gestures she uses when telling something especially juicy compared to how she greets the boss. BAM!! You just met your MC's neighbour/sister-in-law/horrible blind date. This gum snapping, pen clicking, bucket mouth is going to give your book loads of color.

3. An annoying co-worker?

Bonus! Make a list of his most annoying traits. Does he say, “TGIF” EVERY Friday? Does he ALWAYS hit the elevator button even though it's already lit up? Does he call you by a nickname that makes no sense? BINGO! Take this stuff and give it to your antagonist's sidekick.

4. Is your plot stuck at a crossroads, unsure which way to go?

No worries! The answer is close at hand. Go to the guy no one talks to. You know who I mean, he's the quiet guy who smells like cabbage and still lives with his parents. He's the guy you know has weird stuff hidden under his bed. Seek him out and tell him your characters problem, but pretend they're real people. Don't even ask for advice, just wait and listen. It's the still waters that run deep. WHAM! He might give you the freaky twist no one saw coming.

5. Are you a stay at home parent?

Lucky dog! Kids are hilarious because their imaginations are untethered by logic. Listen not for the slang, but for the reasoning. Case in point, here's a conversation between my eight year old son and his friend sitting in our backyard as they chewed bubblegum.

“Okay,” my son's friend started. “You're in a boat and you're surrounded by sharks...what do you do?”

Chewing noise then, “Hit it with the oar.”

“There's no oars.”

“Take off the engine and hit it—“

“—there's no engine.”

A bubble pops followed by a long pause. “I'd let him close enough to bit me, then I'd punch him in the eye like a thousand times.”

Me? I would have stayed in the boat. But how boring is that? I never would have made a character dive in and start a fist fight with a shark—I will now though.

See? There's inspiration everywhere, you just have to be open to the opportunities. As one of my co-workers said, “You can never quit working here, the material is endless. There's so much sh** happening each shift, it's like a new chapter every day.

Yup, I couldn't agree more.

So listen, I need to find something to blog about for Mondays since Once Upon A Time is finished for the summer. My Monday blogs are purely fluff and I'd like to stick with something that's popular and not too heavy. I have a few ideas, but I'm going to let you guys decide. Just leave a vote in the comments section.

Which would you like to read on my blog?

50 Shades of Grey (yes, that one)

The Bachelorette (I've never watched one full episode...ever)

Any other suggestions???

Cheers!

Once Upon A Time, Episode 22 "A Land Without Magic" or "A Land With A Bit of Magic When It's Convenient"

Prince Charming struggles to break out of the Evil Queen's castle. He slumps to the dungeon floor, whispering Snow White's name. “I'll always find you,” he says.

He'll find her all right! After he wakes up from his coma he'll ask her out on a date, and then he'll decide to go back to his wife, and then he'll ask her out again and have an affair with her. Then he'll turn his back on her and ignore her, and then he'll want to get back together. But yeah...he'll find her.

The Queen's masked guards show up and escort him to his execution—since Snow White is permanently sleeping from the apple, the Queen has no more use for him. All seems lost until Prince Charming busts a few karate moves, but before you can say Jackie Chan, two more guards block his escape. One raises a bow and shoots his arrow, killing the other guard!

Who is this mysterious rescuer? The guard lifts his mask and it's...SCHMEXY! *Hugs TV*

Dear ABC,

He does scruffy/sexy so well. Note the arrow.
photo credit, tumblr.com

Thank you! I see you got my letters. I'll stop writing now.

Schmexy, in all his super Schmexy awesomeness, tells Prince Charming how he helped Snow White escape—although he left out the part about originally making the deal to kill her to save his wolves.

Ahem...Schmexy confesses he cannot leave the castle as he gave his heart to the Evil Queen, and is forced to be her prisoner forever. “Please don't let my sacrifice be in vain,” he says, and he urges Prince Charming to find Snow White speedy quick.

Henry is rushed into Emergency, strapped to a stretcher and unresponsive. Emma thrusts a plastic baggie of apple popover into Dr. Whale's face—the only Doctor in town. But he refutes her theory about Henry being poisoned since he's showing no signs of neural toxicity.

Wow! Amazing five second diagnosis, Dr. Whale.

Emma dumps Henry's backpack looking for any clues to what may have caused his sudden blackout. The storybook falls out and she touches it. Emma's eyes open wide and we're treated to a seizure inducing rate of fairytale land flashbacks. Ta-da! Emma suddenly believes.

What the heck? Like why now, and not all the other times she's touched the book?

Dear ABC,

Whatever.

I think this song by Carly Rae Jepsen sums up the moment nicely.

Before you came into my life, I missed you so bad. I missed you so, so bad.

Yeah, it doesn't make any sense in this story either.

Emma does her best impersonation of Jack Nicholson from The Shining and goes super crazy when the Mayor runs in to see Henry. Cat fight! How many times have these two punched it up? It's like The Bachelor.

Soon the supply closet is a mess. Emma demands answers from the Mayor. She confesses the apple was supposed to put Emma in a coma. She cries that she has no idea how to wake Henry up. The apple was the last bit of magic, and magic in this world is unpredictable.

Which is interesting because I thought NO MAGIC EXISTS IN THIS WORLD! Hello, that's actually the title of this episode.

*Rubs temples to fight off headache*

Now that everything is out in the open, the Mayor confides only person can help Henry now. The only OTHER person who knows about magic—Mr. Gold.

Um...isn't Jefferson magic? *Reaches for Tylenol*

The Evil Queen is very upset with Schmexy for letting Prince Charming get away. She tosses him up against the wall like she's auditioning for the part of Christian Grey. Except her version would be called 50 Shades of Black Dresses.

Prince Charming stumbles through the woods, running in circles. He realizes he's lost his mother's ring (she said it would help him find his true love) Rumpelstiltskin pops up from behind a log with the ring. Before Prince Charming can lunge toward him, Rumpelstiltskin puts a charm on the ring so that it will glow brightly the closer he gets to Snow White.

A sword fight ensues which is a handy trick the writers like to use to eat up air time without having to write any dialogue. Rumpelstiltskin wins the duel and tells Prince Charming his bravery, grace and gallantry is pointless. The only way out of the Infinite Forest is by magic.

David confronts Mary Margaret outside the Animal Shelter, trying to apologize. He says he tries to make the right decisions but everything gets messed up anyway. David still sucks at apologizing. This is a situation where bravery, grace and gallantry would be very useful. He tells her he's leaving Storybrooke unless she can give him a reason to stay. Mary Margaret lets out a long tired sigh and gets into her car, completely ignoring his teary face.

Rumpelstiltskin shows Prince Charming a vial with a few drops of sparkly, purple goo, and tells him it's a potion for true love—it's the only magic powerful enough to break any curse.

He locks it inside a huge Faberge egg and tosses it to Prince Charming. His task to win back his mother's ring is to keep the potion safe by putting it inside the belly of the beast.

Does he mean Ruby? And why does he need Prince Charming to do this? Can't he just use magic?



Mr. Gold, not exactly as shown.
photo credit, dailymail.co.uk



The Mayor and Emma visit Mr. Gold desperate for a way to save Henry. And now that Emma is a believer, Mr. Gold tells her matter of fact about the love potion made from both Prince Charming and Snow White's hair. He says only Emma can retrieve the potion because she's the product of their magic.

Yes, he actually said that—she's the product of their magic. Barry White should be singing this with a soft saxophone playing in the background.

Mr. Gold hands over Prince Charming's sword and tells Emma she has to use it to get the potion out of the belly of the beast.

Holy crap! Emma has to slice open Ruby?

Emma returns to Henry's bedside clutching the storybook, and vows to save him. I'm thinking it would be smart to open the book to get a few hints about the beast she has to slay.

After Emma leaves, the Mayor slinks in and apologizes to Henry. Jefferson (another hot guy cameo?! Thank you, ABC!) comes out of the shadows and demands the Mayor give him back his daughter. Remember the deal they made last episode?

But she says the deal is null and void because Emma didn't eat the apple. SNAP! Jefferson is furious and storms away.

Emma visits August's bedroom and finally sees his wood. Sorry, I couldn't help it. That's for you, Lexade. He gasps for her to break the curse. Emma begs for his help, but the grain reaches his face, and he shuts down into total puppet mode.

Emma meets the Mayor outside the abandoned shop they always walk by in the street scenes. Emma holds Prince Charming's sword and watches as the Mayor moves a few false walls to reveal an old steel elevator. The Queen hints she punished someone and trapped her in another form—and that's who's at the bottom.

Maleficient and her silly headpiece.
photo credit, twitter.com

Prince Charming charges into an abandoned castle, clutching the Faberge egg, and is met by Maleficent. She was a witch the Evil Queen fought with a super long time ago. Remeber? The Evil Queen threatened to kill her unicorn if she didn't hand over a dark curse. Somewhere in this castle is Sleeping Beauty, me thinks.

Prince Charming demands the whereabouts of the beast that guards the castle and in a page straight out of Be Careful What You Ask For, Maleficent turns into a fire breathing dragon.

Emma reaches the bottom of the shaft and searches the rocky catacombs. She stops to inspect something that looks like the glass coffin Snow White was showcased in. Before she can confirm my suspicions that Sleeping Beauty is inside, a huge eye opens up. Dragon time.

Prince Charming battles with the dragon, clutching the huge egg. What is this? The Triwizard Tournament! *Ten points for Harry Potter reference*

Like family tag-team, the scene switches back and forth with Emma and Prince Charming battling the dragon in different times. Prince Charming decides to ride the dragon like he's trying to escape Gringotts (ten more points!) He sees a space behind the ear flap and shoves it in. He escapes from the castle by jumping through a stained glass window and safely lands in the lake.

Emma gives up the sword and tries shooting at the beast, but the bullets are useless, and because she's a girl she falls down. *Rolls eyes*

Mary Margaret reads the storybook to Henry about how Prince Charming woke Snow White with true love's kiss—say it with me, "the kiss more powerful than magic."

Henry's heart rate stops and there is a frenzy of people in white rushing around. In all the confusion someone slips past the special secret code door, and down the stairs to the creepy basement. We see that it's Jefferson and he goes straight for Belle's cell. He lets her out and instructs her to find Mr. Gold and make sure to tell him that Regina locked her up.

Rumpelstiltskin gives Prince Charming the enchanted ring as promised, and decides to throw in a makeover, just 'cause he's so into fashion that way.

Emma rolls away from the dragon and grabs the sword. She throws it straight at it's belly and makes a perfect hit. The dragon explodes in a burst of fire. Emma squints through the haze and sees the Faberge egg nestled in a mound of ash.

Prince Charming finds the dwarfs surrounding a glass coffin. Thinking Snow White has died, he lifts off the lid, wanting to say good-bye. He gives her a kiss...and well you know the rest. She wakes up and a seismic wave of color washes over Fairytale land.

They walk along the lake shore with majestic mountains in the background. Canada brings out the romantic in every one. Prince Charming puts the ring on her finger and proposes. Snow White mentions the pesky problem of both their parents who are trying to kill them, but she has a solution and tells him it's time to take back the kingdom. *High fives TV*

Emma is in the elevator with the egg. When it jerks to a stop she looks up and sees Mr. Gold smiling down at her. He says the Mayor abandoned her. She can't climb and hold the egg, so she tosses it up to him, but when Emma reaches the top, she finds the Mayor gagged and tied.

Before they can plot revenge, their phones ring. They race to the hospital and find out they're too late. Dr. Whale and the Head Nun tell them Henry has died. Emma slowly approaches the bed as the Nurse takes off his oxygen mask.

Mr. Gold opens the egg and takes out the vial containing the tiny bit of purple. He hears a voice and turns to see Belle. She gives him the message about Regina, but he can't speak. He finally touches her and realizes the Mayor has been lying to him the whole time.

Really? How shocking that he can't trust her!

I command thee to rise!
photo credit, seat42f.com 

Back at the hospital cellos play in the corner as Emma leans over Henry. She cries and whispers that she loves him. Cue true love's kiss.

Henry wakes from the dead!

*cough* Saw it coming *cough*

A rainbow wave washes over Storybrooke, hitting every character, including David who almost made it to the town limits in his pickup truck. Everyone gets that weird 'deja vu' look on their face.

The Mayor makes a last ditch attempt to win Henry's heart, and then makes a run for it, since the whole town hates her. She hides in her house and cries into a pillow.

David and Mary Margaret find each other AGAIN, and finally remember their real past.

Mr. Gold and Belle walk through the forest. She stops and calls him Rumpelstiltskin and they share true love's hug. Before the celebration gets out of hand, he tells her there's something he must do first. He shows her the magic well that will return, that which you have lost. He drops in the vial.

But instead of Bellfire emerging (which was my guess), a purple fog oozes over the sides and engulfs them both.

Henry and the others watch the huge purple cloud envelope the town. Everyone looks frightened...except for the Mayor.

Mr. Gold is bringing back the magic. He holds Belle close and tells her magic is power.

And the Mayor smiles because she knows. GAME ON.

But remember everyone, magic comes with a price. I'm guessing the town will go splitsville with some siding with Rumpelstiltskin, and some siding with the Evil Queen. Prepare for outrageous costumes, everyone.

We have to wait until the fall before we know what happens next. However, over the summer I'll be composing my thesis for ABC. I've already started with a few questions.

If true love's kiss can break any curse, everyone in Storybrooke should be safe as long as Snow White and Prince Charming keep making out on a regular basis.

Is the reason we never saw Sleeping Beauty because she's been trapped underground with Maleficent?

Again Rumpelstiltskin chose magic over his son. I thought he made peace with that two episodes ago? Why change his mind?

What do you think will happen next?

Are You A Cover Girl, Too?

I'm a total cover girl. Not the kind that poses in front of a blowing fan while a voice behind a huge camera lens shouts things like, "Yeah, give me more attitude...NO! Only the eyes! Stop dancing!"

Well, at least that's what I imagine my photo shoot would sound like.

No, I'm talking about book covers. I'll admit, once I bought a book because of the pretty stuff on the front. It turned out to be disappointing. Although it ended up on the NYT's best seller list, so what do I know? I eventually gave it to someone, but I decided to keep the dust jacket ;)

I come by my book buying philosophy honestly, though. When I was in grade two my mom bought me a book because she thought the girl on the cover looked like me.

I still fondly remember that story, so I guess she knew what she was doing.

By Bernice Thurman Hunter
photo credit amazon.com

Me, age seven. Good times in plaid.

  


These days, I tend to go for the covers that are simple but striking. I've noticed that in most cases the cover has nothing to do with the story. It's usually an image that will catch your eye and make you pick up the book off the shelf, which I guess is the whole point.

My favorite cover this year, hands down, is CINDER by Marissa Meyer.

photo credit, usatodabooks.com

I love the black, white and red (worked for Twilight), especially the hardware under the sheer stocking...very unexpected. Also, the calligraphy style font of the title is perfect. This is the kind of  cover that you will recognize immediately and not confuse with any other book.

What are some of your favorite covers? Post your picks in the comments and read what others think.

Next Monday I'll be blogging the season finale of Once Upon A Time.

Cheers!

Once Upon A Time, Episode 21 “An Apple Red As Blood” or “A Plot As Holey As Swiss Cheese”

She has a plan, and a recipe...
photo credit, buzzfocus.com

Emma shows up at the Mayor's front door with a posse of townspeople. Even Henry is screaming for blood. They tie her to an apple tree as she pleads for her life saying she only wanted to win for once...just like the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Emma takes a sword and does her best Shogun impersonation, slashing her in half. The Mayor bolts upright in bed, still shaking from her dream. She checks on Henry, but his lumpy form under the covers is sound asleep.

Actually, Henry is in Emma's little yellow bug happy as a clam. But once he realizes Emma is taking him away from Storybrooke that very night, he grabs the wheel and makes the car go off the road. She freaks out that he could have killed them, but he argues back that heroes don't run.

King James is upset that Prince Charming didn't marry Midas' daughter and has sentenced him to death. The Prince says he's willing to die for true love. As the blade of the guillotine drops, it turns to water. The Evil Queen struts in wearing one of her usual Halloween Hooker inspired outfits—not that there's anything wrong with that.

Seriously, this should be her theme song. 

The Evil Queen propositions King James to trade Prince Charming for all the wealth he can handle. King James eagerly accepts and asks why the Prince is so important to her. She grins and says he is a means of destroying Snow White.

She's a brick---house...

The Mayor discovers that her apple tree is dying. She pays Mr. Gold a visit alarming him to the fact the curse must be weakening. Mr. Gold shrugs in a super cool way, 'cause he's so cool and all. He does a quick recap of the rules, reminding us that the curse was meant to keep Snow White and Prince Charming apart and warns the Mayor that if Emma is killed, the curse will be broken.

The Mayor realizes that if she wants to keep the curse intact, Emma has to live. But this news totally bums her out because she hates Snow White and Emma equally, and can't decide who she wants to hurt more. Decisions...decisions.

It's so tough to be the only bad guy, isn't it?

The Mayor wants to strike a new deal with Mr. Gold, hoping to kill Emma and keep the curse intact, but he tells her she has nothing to barter with and watches her storm out of the shop.

If the Mayor was smart she'd drop a few hints about Belle actually being alive and hidden in Storybrooke. I'm sure that would get Mr. Gold's attention.

At school, the Mayor puts a white rabbit sticker on Paige's bike. Remember Paige? Her father is the Mad Hatter.

Emma gets an earful from Mary Margaret for trying to leave without saying good bye. She tells Emma it doesn't matter what she does or doesn't want to do—she has to do what's best for Henry. And kidnapping him and leaving the town without a Sheriff is NOT the best thing for Henry.

I love it when Mary Margaret shows some spine.

Granny, Snow White, and the dwarfs hide in the forest staking out King James' castle. Red returns from her disguised-as-a-wolf eaves dropping mission, and tells them she overheard that Prince Charming is still alive, but the Evil Queen is inside the castle as well.

The Evil Queen visits Prince Charming in the dungeon.

She's a brick----house. Mighty might, and she's lettin' all hang out...

She promises she has no intention of killing his true love. Then she holds up an apple and cackles in an I've-got-a-plan-so-evil-it-will-make-me-a-legend kind of laugh.

She's a brick----house. The lady's stacked and that's a fact, ain't holding nothing back.



Jefferson, almost as cute as Schmexy
photo credit, tumblr.com



The Mayor meets with Jefferson. Remember Jefferson? Yes, that's right, the Mad Hatter who disappeared after jumping out of a second story window.

I guess he's still alive. *rolls eyes*

The Mayor lays out another set of rules for us since his sudden appearance seems too convenient. Anywho, she reminds him that he'll never get Paige back if they don't work together. She brings out his magic hat and asks him to make it work.

Dear ABC,

The Blue Fairy said nothing magical can happen in Storybrooke because magic doesn't exist there.

The Mayor ignores me and tells Jefferson there's enough magic left in the hat for him to return to fairytale land.

Well, it worked for Frosty The Snowman.

She pushes harder telling him that it's the only way either of them can keep their children. She promises to “wake up” Paige so that she'll remember who she really is—his daughter. But Jefferson says he doesn't want her to remember their true life and be forced to live in Storybrooke. The only way he'll agree to help the Mayor is if she writes them a new life for this world. They make a deal.

Outside the castle Snow White listens as Red howls in the distance at the full moon, which is pretty convenient I must say.

Up in the clouds the Blue Fairy adjusts her bustier and commands her winged troop like she's re-enacting Braveheart.

Dear ABC,

Where were the fairies for all the other battles? Why is everyone rescuing Prince Charming but when the black curse rolled into town everyone took off?

Snow White, not exactly as shown
photo credit, myspace.com

Snow White does a battle cry and takes out a whole court yard full of palace guards like she's Xena Warrior Princess. The dwarfs and their pick axes make a dent as well, but soon more guards show up and surround them. Wow! What are they going to do? It seems like all hope is lost.

From the dark clouds above, the buzz of killer bees grows louder. Suddenly, war hungry fairies swoop in and set off a series of fireworks that makes the castle guards fall asleep. Hooray for convenient plot twits!

Henry visits August and sees how he's slowly turning back into Pinocchio. Henry sounds surprised that the curse is real.

Um...wasn't that the whole point of finding Emma in the first place, and Operation Cobra, and everything in this series.

Dear ABC,

Please find enclosed my receipts for Tylenol migraine.

August confesses he's dying and that he's decided to give up on Operation Cobra and Emma “the non-believer.” Instead he's spending his only time left with Geppetto in his little garage/workshop. Henry feels helpless since everyone is giving up.

When the puppet stops caring, you know it's all over.

Dr. Hopper meets Emma at the pub/diner/laundromat and tells her she doesn't have enough evidence to convince the court to win custody of Henry. He strongly suggests she end her war with the Mayor for Henry's sake.

Snow White finds Prince Charming trapped in a mirror. He tells her the Evil Queen has locked him inside her castle. They talk a bit about never being together and how there seems to be a power keeping them apart...blah, blah, blah. The Evil Queen's image replaces Charming's and she asks Snow White for a meeting to discuss a truce.

The Mayor takes Jefferson to her underground vault of hearts. She tells him it's the only magical place in this world since it's full of things from fairytale land. Huh? What about Mr. Gold's shop?

Jefferson puts the hat on the floor but it remains still, unable to create a vortex to fairytale land. There's obviously not enough magic in the room. Wow! What are they going to do? It seems like all hope is lost.

Oh, wait...never mind. The Mayor pulls out a ring with Daniel's face glowing inside. She drops it in the hat, but it's still not enough to make a portal. However, Jefferson declares that it is enough to create a small opening to pull an object through.

I really hope she's thinking about Schmexy. Unfortunately, she decides to go for the apple.

Snow White finds the Evil Queen at the stables where Daniel used to work...and make out with her. They take a tour of the old homestead and stop by Daniel's grave.

Snow White is confused, she thought Daniel ran away. The Evil Queen says her mother murdered him when she found out they were in love. She blames Snow White for telling her mother their secret plan to elope, and that his murder is her fault.

Double standard! The Evil Queen cut out her own father's heart. And if I'm not mistaken, turned her creepy mother into some weird elephant thing. *sigh*

The Evil Queen holds up the poisoned apple, promising not death but a permanent coma for anyone who eats it willingly. Snow White knows Prince Charming's life is in her hands. She takes a bit to save his useless butt.

How does she know the Evil Queen just won't kill him anyway? Why doesn't she do the Xena thing again?

Back in the Mayor's underground, magical lair, the poisoned apple passes through the hat and into her hands. Before you can say Rachel Ray, she's in the kitchen whipping up pastry.

Emma arrives looking sheepish, and wants to talk about burying the hatchet. She promises to leave town in exchange for allowing visits with Henry. The oven timer goes off and Emma follows the Mayor into the kitchen. They chat more about Henry and then she offers Emma an apple turnover for the road. You know, because they're such pals and everything.

Red, the dwarfs, and Granny find Snow White in her apple coma and assume she's dead. Red declares that Snow White sacrificed herself for true love. How do they know she didn't have an aneurysm or something?

The Mayor visits Mr. Gold and brags about her poison apple plan. He looks surprised as she explains she sacrificed the last bit of magic left in Storybrooke (her ring). Mr. Gold reminds her (and us) that all magic comes at a price—usually knuts, sickles and galleons. But the Mayor only grins back and says that this time, she's won.

She's a brick----house...

Emma meets Henry at Mary Margaret's apartment and she drops the bomb about making a deal with the Mayor to leave Storybrooke. Henry freaks and tells her she can't trust the Mayor. Thank you, Voice Of Reason. Finally!

He tries to change her mind and says this is the dark moment before she realizes she has to fight back. Hey! Henry has been studying the finer points of plot structure.

Henry, AGAIN, tells Emma that she's the only one who can stop the curse. He gives her a big hug and catches a glance at the apple turnover on the counter. He tells Emma the Mayor never had any intention of making a deal, she only has plans to kill her. And since she's such a non-believer, Henry has no choice but to sacrifice himself for true love. He takes a bite, and then collapses to the floor.

Predictions for the FINAL EPISODE...

David will do or say something totally un-charming and make Mary Margaret cry.

August will cut his leg on a saw in the workshop but Geppetto will sand it down nice and smooth so it hardly shows.

Mr. Gold will have tea in the chipped cup and wish the Mayor wasn't always giving him such bad news.

Emma will sort of...kind of...finally believe and will try to awaken Henry from his coma with the magic of true love's kiss, because he's the thing she loves the most. The camera will pan in close to his face, he'll open his eyes and then the credits will roll...just like Avatar. 

What do you think will happen? Will we ever see Schmexy again? And where the heck is Sleeping Beauty in all this?

Cheers!

Why Bother Writing If I'm Never Going To Be Published?

I asked myself this question out loud in my empty kitchen the other morning while scraping the hardened bits of scrambled egg from the frying pan.

Are we there yet?
photo credit, de.fotolia.com

Being on submission is thrilling, but it's also quite boring and depressing at times. They say the road to publication is different for everyone.

I confess I've begun to feel like I'm stuck on a banana seat bike puffing out, I think I can. I think I can. I think I can... as I watch everyone else is fly past me in a Ferrari. It seems to happen to other people much faster and always overnight.



I flipped back through my mental calendar and did the calculation. I started writing three years ago, during March break of 2009. No, way. Really? That long? The math was like a school yard bully, thumbing his nose at me.

I dropped the scraper and stared out the kitchen window. Three years. If it was meant to be, it shouldn't take this long, I reasoned. If it was meant to be, it should be effortless. The answer was like a punch to my gut.

Why am I subjecting myself to rejections from strangers whose opinions can ruin a lovely sunny day? Why? WHY did I ever start writing?

I wiped my hands dry and slumped in front of my computer. I checked my e-mail folder for NIGHT SHIFT. I went to the first draft and the date was confirmed. Yup, three years. I began reading the first chapter. I hadn't seen this version for awhile. I cringed. Ew...so bad. I used up two pages describing the Confectionery.

Then I clicked on an e-mail dated a week after I finished that first draft. It was from one of my close friends. She'd read the first chapter and wanted more. After I had sent her the whole thing, she asked, “What happens next?”

Only a writer knows how amazing it feels to have someone ask you that question.

Gradually, I added two more friends to the weekly chapter e-mail deliveries. With their encouragement the series grew. By the fourth book, the story had became theirs as well. I'll always remember one of my friends congratulating me, “You wrote four books! FOUR!”

“But they're not real books,” I had said. She shot me a look, and then uncorked the wine.

Reading those three-year-old e-mails gave me my answer. I started writing NIGHT SHIFT because I had this story in my head and I wanted to see where it would go. I kept writing because I loved how it felt for other people to know the characters and care what happened to them. And I continue to write because it is a wonderful and powerful thing to create brand new characters and share their stories.

I now realize that as long as I'm sharing it doesn't matter if the book is hardcover or a stack of looseleaf, hole punched and tied with red yarn.

Taking the scenic route.
photo credit, travelzone.com

Writing is a journey. And while pedalling up hill is tough when everyone else is already celebrating at the finish line, I'll rest on my banana seat and enjoy the view.

So...why bother writing?

Because I can.

Why do you write? What inspires you?

Next Monday I'll be blogging the SEASON FINALE of Once Upon A Time. Eek!!!

Cheers!