The Big 10

Okay, I saw this on a literary agent’s Facebook status: name 10 books that have stayed with you. Well, here are my 10. Please, share yours with me. Ooh, by the way, I have a tumblr account now: http://veronicaleighbooks.tumblr.com. Follow me and I’ll follow you.

Now, here are my 10.

1. "I Capture the Castle," by Dodie Smith

2. "The Diary of a Young Girl," by Anne Frank

3. "Pride and Prejudice," by Jane Austen

4. "Sense and Sensibility," by Jane Austen

5. "To Kill A Mockingbird," by Harper Lee

6. "The Help," by Kathryn Stockett

7. "My Brilliant Career," by Miles Franklin

8. "The Hiding Place," by Corrie ten Boom

9. "In My Hands," by Irena Gut Opdyke

10. "Anne of Green Gables," by L.M. Montgomery

Reading Habits Q&A

I stole this from another blog, so feel free to steal this from me.

Do you snack while you read? If so, what is your favorite reading snack?

You bet I do! Chocolate, brownies, ice cream, chips… love my junk food. This answer is also applicable to what I eat while I write.

What is your favorite drink while reading?

Water, root beer, peach mango tea and in the cold weather hot chocolate.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

If I see an error, I have to correct it. It’s rude, I know, but seriously, if someone as simple as I am can find mistakes, then they deserve to be pointed out.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?

Bookmarks and/or laying the book flat open. What kind of sadist dog-ears a book? That is like literary blasphemy.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?

Well, if it’s good and realistic fiction, I like it. But melodrama stuff with one-dimensional characters grates on my nerves. So, I guess I do prefer non-fiction.

Are you the kind of person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

Unless I am on the edge of my seat (which rarely happens anymore), I can stop anywhere and pick it up some other time.  

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?

I don’t like throwing period, so no throwing books. But I have thrown away a couple books when I discovered something disturbing about a certain author.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?

Yes, or I ask some else if they know what it means. Sometimes by the way a sentence is arranged you can figure out what the word means.

What are you currently reading?

Ruth Maier’s diary. She was a contemporary of Anne Frank and Mary Berg. She originally lived in Austria and had to flee to Norway when the Nazis’ persecution grew too harsh. Unfortunately, like Anne Frank, the Nazis invaded the new country she lived in and was sent to Auschwitz where she met her fate.

What is the last book you bought?

“The Lizzie Bennet Diaries,” by Bernie Su. Oh. My. Gosh. Anyone who loved the video diary series or likes a good contemporary adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice,” will love it. It’s hilarious and possibly the only modern version that captures the essence of the original classic.

Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?

I juggle two or three at a time. Usually a couple non-fictions and a novel.

Do you have a favorite time/place to read?

I can usually be found on the living room couch, the front porch or in my bed reading. Basically, any place I can see where I can sit and stick my nose in the book.

Do you prefer series books or stand-alones?

Generally I prefer stand-alone novels that leave a long-lasting impression. Too often sequels depreciate their superior predecessor. Better a stand-alone, life-changing book than a string of mediocre sequels.

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?

“I Capture the Castle,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “My Brilliant Career,” “The Help,” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, author's last name, etc.)

Organize? Uh, that’s not an option. If it fits on the shelf, I’m glad. 

New Issue of Femnista

The latest issue of Femnista is out, featuring stories from the Colonial period. Learn about Marie Antoinette, The Patriot, The Scarlet Pimpernel and so much more! Yours truly wrote about one of the Founding Mothers of America, Abigail Adams. Hopefully the article does her justice.

Anyway, check it out by clicking here.

Still Around

Yeah, I’m still lurking around the web. I’ve just been too busy to update or do any creative posts. My poor little blog has been neglected. Between babysitting, doing projects around the house, learning how to drive and writing, I haven’t had the time to give this blog the attention its due.

Yes, I did say driving. That probably sounds strange to most of you, considering you know I am in my later 20’s. Most people learn in their teens. What can I say? I am a late bloomer. Well, that’s not exactly true. If you knew me ten years ago, you would understand why. My nerves and anxiety was so bad that I could barely leave the house. I still have far to go in regards to driving; its hard teaching this old dog new tricks.

Been juggling three (sometimes four) different writing projects: My YA WIP (and its sequel); a historical romantic novella; and another historical romance. Then I am currently plotting out a future story that I hope to start next year. These ideas come like shooting stars, bright and beautiful; but I have to get them down before they die out on me. Sometimes I get enthusiastic about a certain prospective idea, only to lose interest later on.

I have sent out forty-some-odd queries for my YA WIP. No nibbles, really…until yesterday. One agent requested to see the full manuscript. I imagine it will be rejected, but hey, I may get some feedback. Which is what I’m really looking for. I fear the ending might be a stumbling block. There might be too much of a cliff-hanger. If that’s the case, I know what needs to be done to fix it. But I guess I hope that the agent(s) will like it as it is. (LOL!) Anyway, at least I know my query letter is good.

Can’t think of much else to report. Well, I am involved in this reading program at my local library. I am to read a book a week (which is a cinch) and am entered into a weekly drawing. Fun. 

Quotes on Writing

Whoever said that writing was easy clearly never wrote anything worthwhile. Whenever I get low about my lack of success, I remember that the greats weren’t always great. They too papered their walls with rejection slips. Check out the quotes below, said by those who lived, breathed and dreamt writing! So have a laugh and know that you are in good company.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”- Maya Angelou

“It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.”- Robert Benchley

“Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it.”- Truman Capote

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”- Ernest Hemingway

“Fiction is the truth inside the lie.”- Stephen King

“Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself...It's a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of his divine discontent.”- Harper Lee

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”- Toni Morrison

"People without hope do not write novels. Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay. I'm always highly irritated by people who imply that writing fiction is an escape from reality. It is a plunge into reality and it's very shocking to the system."- Flannery O'Connor

“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.”- George Orwell

“I hate writing, I love having written.”- Dorothy Parker

“Writers are made, not born. To be exact, writers are self-made.” - Ayn Rand

“A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how hard it is to be God.”- Sidney Sheldon

“Write only if you cannot live without writing. Write only what you alone can write.”- Elie Wiesel

My Writing Process

Okay, I stole this from Rachel Pudelek, young adult fantasy author, and adapted this Q & A for my blog. The rest of you may steal this just as I did. :~)

1. What are you working on?
I am currently laboring on a YA Historical novel called, “Hidden Places,” which is set in Poland during WWII.

2. How does your work differ from others in your genre?
Well, much of the young adult fiction out there on the Holocaust is told from a Jewish perspective. For the longest time I thought it might be interesting to tell a story from the POV of a Catholic Polish girl and how she copes with the Nazi occupation.

3. Why do you write what you write?
I don’t know. Most likely out of compulsion. Ever since I read Anne Frank’s diary, I have been obsessed with the Holocaust. I have been writing since I was a kid so it was only natural that I would eventually write about the Holocaust.

4. How does your writing process work?
Uhh, there is a process? I know there is much hair pulling and chocolate nibbling, but a process? Just kiddng.
Usually I read a book or watch a movie and am drawn to a certain person/character. I create a story for this character, secondary characters, situations and scenes. Then comes the research, which includes reading hundreds of books and articles, watching documentaries and movies. Next, I write a freakishly bad first draft. After that there is a two week rest period and then months and months of revision. Then I get it into my head that my WIP is ready and send off a barrage of queries to literary agents. Following hundreds of rejections and two years of addictive labor, I must come to terms with the fact no one wants it, go into a period of intense mourning, set it up on the proverbial shelf and then start all over again with a new project.

“How Sweet the Sound,” by Amy K. Sorrells

A Southern Novel of Second Chances

Description:

From a distance, the Harlans appear to be the perfect Southern family. Wealth and local fame mask the drama and dysfunction swirling through their family line. But as the summer heats up, a flood tide of long hidden secrets surface.

Devastation from a rape followed by the murder of two family members brings three generations of the Harlans together on their pecan plantation in Bay Spring, Alabama. Chief among them is Anniston, who by the time she turned thirteen thought she’d seen it all. But as her heart awakens to the possibility of love, she begins to deal with her loneliness and grief.

This tender coming-of-age tale, inspired by the story of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13, shows how true healing and hope comes only from God. Though our earthly family can wound and disappoint, our heavenly Father brings freedom to those long held captive through His mercy and grace.

About the Author:

Amy K. Sorrells is an author and occasional poet writing words of hope for a hurting world. Winner of the 2012 Women of Faith Writing Contest, and two-time ACFW Genesis Award Semi-Finalist, Amy got her start in journalism writing for medical publications, and enjoyed a three year stint as a weekly op-ed columnist for her town newspaper. When she's not writing or reading, she can be found bare-handed in garden dirt, or covered in paint while up-cycling found treasures. A graduate of DePauw University, Amy lives with her husband, three sons, and a gaggle of golden retrievers in central Indiana. You can visit her website by clicking here.

My Thoughts:

The best thing I can say about “How Sweet the Sound” is “WOW, WOW, WOW!”

To be frank, I rarely read Christian fiction anymore. I am tired of the one-dimensional characters, the cliché dialog and the predictable situations. I was looking for something new to read, and after learning that this book was from the POV of a teen girl in the south and told in the first person, I picked it up. My expectations were low; after a few pages I usually get frustrated and toss whatever book I’m reading back in my library bag.

I was drawn in by the characters, the beautiful descriptions and the meat of the story itself. I don’t want to give anything away, but Anni Harlan was an intriguing protagonist and her narration of the events reminded me of Scout Finch’s narration in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

For the first time in a long time, a book affected me and made me tear up. I felt like I was in the south when reading it and was convinced that the author, Amy K. Sorrells was a southerner. To my surprise, I learned she lives in Indiana, my home state! Kudos to this fellow Hoosier!