What's on the Nightstand #43-#64

Hope you guys had a wonderful holiday! Sorry my blog is late this week, summer has been busy, busy, busy around the Wood house. But that’s not unusual. What is different this year is that we spent nearly the entire month of June hanging out with the family down south. What a great time! All the boys really seemed to enjoy being able to spend some real quality time as cousins. And the precious nephews are growing like weeds!

All that family time meant there wasn’t much left over for working. So I’m spending the first few days of July scrambling to catch up on pages. Last count I had ten to go before I’m caught up. (p.s. that’s amazing, you should be shocked) Mad props go to the hubs and boys for finally understanding that a closed office door means I don’t care what Sponge Bob or that crazy Cajun who catches gators just said, so don’t come in and tell me.

Not working also meant I had lots of time to read. I read many of my old favorites in June but here are a few new ones too. WOW! I just realized how long it's been since I did a nightstand post. (whoopsie!) Sorry guys, revisions tend to push everything else to the periphery. This post will catch us back up though. To save time, I'm going to skip the ones we've already talked about and just hit the new books. :)

Be it a new release or treasured favorite, give a book some love this week. Additionally, thank a librarian for all his/her hard work in the name of books and those who love them.

Till Then,

KD

#44 Cinder by Marrissa Myer - This is a wonderful retelling set in a futuristic world of droids and post-apocalyptic ruin. Myer did a great job with the protagonist. I immediately became invested in her story. A great read that I highly recommend for teens and adults.

#45 White Horse by Alex Adams - This was one of my favorite kind of finds. I stumbled across it at Walmart never having heard a thing about it beforehand. The jacket blurb did it's job well enough for me to take it home. Alex did a wonderful job hooking me into this story. I read it in one day because I HAD to know what happened. That's my favorite kind of read. Highly recommended for Adult readers.

#46 Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward - Let it hence forth be known that I support my fellow Mississippi writers. Why you ask? Because the jacket blurb alone wouldn't have enticed me to pick up this book. I don't usually read reality based fiction. Fantasy and paranormals draw me in quicker. I'm happy to report though, it was well worth the read. What an excellent story! Jesmyn did a wonderful job creating some excellent characters around something so horrible and sad. Not an easy task but she nailed it. Others also agree because this is an award winning story. Excellent read for adults. 

#47 The Death Cure by James Dashner - The third book in the maze runner series. I'll admit this. I was upset with the second book. The cliff hanger was so abrupt and harsh it made me want to pitch the book across the room. I was hooked, invested, panting for those kids and the ending pitched me out on my head! Bravo Mr. Dasher, I love a story that can take me to the edge. Great teen read. 

#48 Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris - Sookie is facing some real hard choices in this book and breaking my heart. It was great to see her go there though and stand strong. I'll be sad to see this series end with the next book but boy it's been a great ride. THANK YOU CHARLAINE! 

#49 Destined by Aprilynn Pike - YA Day bud Aprilynn closed this series with exactly the right amount of everything. I'll miss the characters but the journey was fabulous. Thank you Aprilynn, especially for the letter at the end. 

*are you sensing a theme yet?* I haz a sad because all my series are ending... 

#50 City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare - Guys, if you haven't started reading these books I don't know what you're waiting on! This is one of my favorite series. Best of all, the first book, CITY OF BONES is in pre-production as I type. This will be the next Hunger Games type blockbuster. City of Lost Souls is book number five in the Mortal Instruments series and it doesn't disappoint. I read yesterday that Cassie delivered her next manuscript. What an awesome way to put some bang in your 4th! Congrats Cassie! Don't want to be left out of all the fun do you? SO GET TO READING!   

#51 Oracle's Moon by Thea Harrison - This is the next book in Thea's Elder Races series. Thea has yet to disappoint me with these books. The romance is rich, colorful with just the right amount of flaws. Great read and can't wait for the next one.   

#52 Shine by Jeri Smith Ready - Jeri is another YA Day bud who writes a wonderful story. I paused in my reading to thank her for the near cardiac event she gave me on page six. Her answer sounded gleeful, as all writers do when their work is spot on. Bravo Jeri, I loved these books and look forward to reading more of your work.

#55 Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - This is a fabulous series and isn't that cover to die for gorgeous? The way Lauren uses a concept we all take for granted and turns it against the characters is amazing. This is a wonderful teen series and I'm looking forward to the next book.

#57 A Secret Rage by Charlaine Harris - This photo shows a refreshed cover for this book from 2007. My library carries the original blue and white cover and you can tell many hands have lovingly caressed it's pages in the over twenty years since she first penned the story. While we were at Daddy's Girls Weekend hosted by Carolyn Haines in April, A Secret Rage was recommended to me by NY Times Best Selling Author Dean James who writes cozy mysteries as Miranda James. And he was right (of course) this is a fabulous read. There are some things you can wing as a writer, and some you can't. Violence and how it feels on your person, the bomb it sets off in your life and what it does to you afterwards isn't something you can "sort of" know about and pull off on paper. Charlaine's depth of understanding really shines with these characters who have to face some pretty ugly faces of the old and new south. If you haven't read this story, do.

#62 Revenant by Carolyn Haines - This book is one of my top two favorites of Carolyn's stand alone books. The story took me to a familiar place, Biloxi, MS and then dumped me into a thriller I'm still wrapping my head around. This is a book I would LOVE to see adapted to the screen. If you haven't read Revenant you should, immediately.

#63 Kiss the Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton - Anita Blake has jumped head first into some pretty heavy police work in Laurell's next Vampire Hunter book. The last two chapters had me by the throat, so to speak. *wink* This book set several new threads in motion I wasn't expecting so I'm looking forward to what Laurell has in store for Anita next time.

#64 Bonefire of the Vanities by Carolyn Haines - What a fun experience it was to attend the launch weekend for Carolyn's new Sarah Booth Delaney mystery. My friend An'gel and I spent a spooky weekend in a fabulous antique bed and breakfast with Carolyn and the gang as she signed books until the store sold out, went on a ghost tour and a few other things only the guilty parties are privy to. What happens in Vicksburg stays in Vicksburg, right girls... Bonefire is a sexy, scary read and Carolyn's characters don't fail to bring the funny along too. The first book in the series is THEM BONES so get started if you haven't already.

Hattiesburg, MS YA Day

    Hey guys! Hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far. It’s been a super busy one here. The kids are out of school so that means getting my work done is more challenging than usual. Slowly but surely, despite the extra noise and activities the pages are piling up thank goodness. Work is always there but I’m finding some time for fun things too!

A very special vistor! My doctor, Rebecca
Boyd not only came by to support YA
Day but gave BEATIFUL CREATURES
a new home.

    One of the highlights of the last week was YA Day at Books A Million in Hattiesburg, MS. Over the past six months every event has been different but this one really took things to a whole new level. Inevitably there are down moments when no one is coming into the store. I get nervous and tend to fidget while I wait. But on Saturday, there wasn’t an ounce of down time to catch my breath. Every minute I was either having a conversation about writing, about a particular book or searching for a book. The customers were so interesting to talk to and there were several budding writers who hung around even after making their purchases to talk shop.

This was a fantastic gift bag featuring
a signed copy of EVERNEATH by
Brodi Ashton along with a very cool
Dead Elvises necklace.

    As always, the Books A Million team has been extremely supportive. I’m very thankful for their willingness to participate in YA Day. Special thanks to Tim Jackson manager of the Southaven Books A Million for being the first to take a chance on me and this idea of paying it forward for my writer buds. Tim is on Facebook and please drop him a thank you if you've enjoyed all the fun with YA Day. It wouldn't have been possible without him.

    I’m sad to see the first season of YA Day’s coming to an end but boy has it been a blast! Big thanks go out to all my writing pals who participated with retweets, messages of encouragement and took time out of their hectic writing schedules to send swag. Most of all, thanks for writing great stories to give YA Day a purpose. Jonathan Maberry, Rachel Cain, Colleen Houck, Cassandra Clare, Aprilynn Pike, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Tera Lynn Childs, Bree Despain, Brodi Ashton, Sophie Littlefield, Bekka Black, John Corey Whaley, Becka Fitzpatrick and Jeri Smith Ready . A special thanks to my writer bud, Michelle Ladner who co-hosted with me at the Biloxi Books A Million. YA Day wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without you!

this young lady won The Dark Divine
gift bag complete with a signed copy
of Bree Despain's the Dark Divine and
The Savage Grace nail polish.

    The new season for YA Day starts up again in the fall. Keep an eye out for dates and times because you never know, YA Day might be coming to your town. And as always, give a book some love.<3

Till Then,

KD

   

    

Visiting the Ninja Peas

 The Ninja Pea Blog
On April 27th the Ninja Pea's invited me to visit the pod and talk about how I find balance as a writer mom. In case you missed it, follow the link to the Pod.
Enjoy!
KD


Hop on over and visit the Peas, they have cake!

    

What's on the Nightstand? #30-#42

    The word of the month here is BUSY folks. Honestly, I have no idea how I’ve survived April with my brains intact! On the other hand, busy can be another word for productive and there’s plenty of that going on too.  Speaking of productive, a huge thank you to all who have visited the blog for pushing our numbers past the 5,000 mark! Additionally, a big hello goes to new friends from Jordan, they make the 55^th country collected on the blog. Hmm, that’s a lot of five’s isn’t it? LOL!   
    All this travel, writing and activities also means I’m not as far along on my reading goals for 2012. I do have a few really great ones to share though plus a few of my old favorites I re-read. Here’s the latest Nightstand titles #30-#42.

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Tera Lynn Childs is the award-winning author of the mythology-based Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp, the mermaid tales Forgive My Fins, Fins Are Forever and Just For Fins (July 3, 2012), and a new trilogy about monster-hunting descendants of Medusa

  

The Dark Divine, The Lost Saint and The Savage Grace

                                             by Bree Despain

Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two young sons, and her beloved TiVo. THE DARK DIVINE is Bree's debut novel.

  Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Dragon Bound, Storms Heart, Serpents Kiss by Thea Harrison

Thea Harrison wrote her first book, a romance, when she was nineteen and had sixteen romances published under the name Amanda Carpenter.
She took a break from writing to collect a couple of graduate degrees and a grown child. Her graduate degrees are in Philanthropic Studies and Library Information Science, but her first love has always been writing fiction. She's back with her paranormal Elder Races series. You can check out her website at: www.theaharrison.com, and also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

   Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Laini Taylor is the author of the National Book Award Finalist Lips Touch: Three Times, as well as the novels Blackbringer and Silksinger. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their daughter.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Tahereh Mafi is a girl.
She’s 24. She was born in a small city somewhere in Connecticut and currently resides in Orange County, California, where she drinks too much caffeine and finds the weather to be just a little too perfect for her taste. When unable to find a book, she can be found reading candy wrappers, coupons, and old receipts. 
SHATTER ME is her first novel.
Foreign rights have sold in 20 territories
to-date and film rights have been optioned by 20th Century Fox.

The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark

The Edumacation of Jay Baker is the debut young adult novel of ... none other than Jay Clark. A tennis enthusiast and former teaching pro, Jay's essays and articles have appeared in The Washington Post and Tennis Magazine.
Until recently, Jay resided in Columbus, Ohio, in a condo owned by his sister, paying his post-grad dues at various lame jobs for zero financial gain. He did hold a gym membership during this dead-end tenure, albeit by masquerading as his sister's "husband" on her corporate account. Jay now lives in Virginia with his girlfriend, Caroline Baker, whom he met through a tennis blog (long story). Things are looking up.

    I hope you guys see something here you want to check out. It’s my standing rule to only talk about books I enjoy and I stand by all these as great reads. Writing is a tough, lonely business sometimes. So if you fall in love with a book, drop the author a note and tell them you love it! Trust me, they will appreciate it.

Till Then,

KD

Almost to 5000!

Hey folks! Hope your week is turning out to be fantastic. :) This month is slamming me pretty hard in the work department so I don't have much to pass on. Right now I'm tearing my way through a book about writing in an attempt to fix some of the snafu's in my manuscripts. Writer bud Michelle recommended it to me a few weeks ago. For those out there looking for a good read about structure and such, check it out.

Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schmidt, Ph.D.

On the January 18, 2012 post, I reported that the blog was 10 away from reaching the 4000 mark. Now, just a little over two months later, we're very close to passing the next mile stone and hit the 5000 mark! That's the most growth since I created the blog December 2010. *fireworks* Wooohooo!

That 5000 belongs to you guys so thank you all for visiting!!! I'm enjoying your company every week so much. Pass the address along to your buds and keep those comments coming! Who knows what the next few months have in store for us. :) Cross your fingers that it's something AWESOME!

Till Then,
KD

The Breaking Dawn 1 Premier by guest blogger Kayla Griffith

    Hey there blog friends! Glad you decided to visit. Today's post is extra special because it's written by one of my word war partners and writer bud Mrs. Kayla Griffith who hails from the cold, snowy and cheesey plains of Wisconsin.
    I read the Twilight books in 2009. Seeking more details about the characters, I also discovered one of the fan sites, The Twilight Lexicon . The Lex is run by some really lovely ladies who have dedicated their site to the fans. I've been impressed over the years at their level of professionalism and dedication to Stephanie Meyer's stories. Best of all, The Lex doesn't promote paparazzi behavior, EVER. Now that's a site I can always respect. So once I heard Kayla was going to the BD1 premier, I was dying to hear about her experience. She agreed to blog a little bit about her time with the ladies from the Lexicon. Here's Kayla's story, hope you guys enjoy! 

    This is a blog post about the Breaking Dawn premier, mostly. You see, while the event was a Hollywood premier, the story is about the power of fans, the complexity of online communities, and the strength of kindness.

    I have been blessed to be associated with the Twilight Lexicon for several years. The online community there is incredible, and I’m proud to be a part of such a lovely group of people. This fall, the owners of the Lex invited me to go with them to the Hollywood premier. It was a working holiday of sorts, but, hey, it’s a Hollywood premier, and I’m not about to complain about working at one of those! Besides, I live in Wisconsin, being asked to go to sunny Southern California in November to attend something I feel so passionately about was nothing short of a dream come true.

    And it ended up being everything I’d hoped.

    Here’s the caveat, what I hoped to get out of the premier might be different from what you expect. Still, you might enjoy the tale.

    I’m from Los Angeles, and I don’t have any illusions about what Hollywood is and isn’t. So, instead of going for the glamour and glitz, I went to meet friends who I only really knew as rather odd fandom names on several different sites. I knew them all. I rejoiced when they had children, prayed when they faced hardships, and celebrated their triumphs. That’s the strange power of online communities. I got to meet old friends I’d never seen before. Of all the wonderful things about the premier, that was the best. Other than meeting people who I’d only really known online, I had no idea of what I’d find at the premier, and I was amazed and astounded and disappointed. You may be surprised which aspect of the premier did what.

Gil Birmingham and Kayla

    We went to every event Summit put on and talked with dozens of fans and fan sites, and the women I met constantly amazed me (the men were even more amazing, but in a rather creepy way). I was amazed at how we could all come from different states, occupations, ages, and even countries and yet still be essentially the same. I was amazed at how nice most of them were, even when things got screwed up with the tent city or crossed events. After three days, it felt more like an extended, rather grungy, girl’s night out full of my besties. I will forever treasure getting to know those kind women.

Lori and Jen the Lex Ladies with Kayla

I was astounded at Summit’s reaction to us—astounded in a good way. Yes, there were some screw ups and angry fans, but the representatives from Summit honestly cared about the fans and did whatever they could to make the event as perfect as possible. They bought huge tents to house the fans—tents that cost thousands of dollars—put on concerts and movie nights, and even fed breakfast to the inhabitants of the tent city.

    And they asked how they could make it better.

    That doesn’t usually happen in Hollywood. Fans are a given, something to be dealt with and placated, but not treated as an integral part of the movie industry. But we were treated like guests, as best as a thousand campers can be thought of as guests. And each and every one of those campers got to not only go to the black carpet, but to the premier as well.

Stephanie Meyer

    I met Bill Condon, the director, and found him to be incredibly kind. He was extremely concerned with the fan’s reaction to the movie. He didn’t worry about awards or impressing the Hollywood elite. He talked constantly about bringing the characters to life for the fans. Everything he talked about seemed to relate back to the fans of the Twilight Saga.

    I didn’t talk with “the big three.” In fact, though I was within a dozen feet of them, I barely got a glimpse of Kristen, Rob or Taylor. However, I did get to chat with many other members of the cast, and the ones I talked with really and truly love the fans. When they say that the Twilight fans are the best, they aren’t kidding.

Stephanie Meyer with the Lex Ladies

    Do some fans scare them? You betcha! They scared me, too (more on that below). However, everyone I met, from Melissa Rosenberg to Boo Boo Stewart to the movie’s editor, Virginia Katz, (since I have an art background, editors are kinda my superheroes), truly cared about the fans and what they thought. They cared about staying true to the book, something rather rare in Hollywood at times. The stars seemed almost as devoted to the fans and the fans were to the Saga—but not in that scary, creeper way.

    After being able to watch the proceedings from the Black Carpet, Summit held an after party for the fans and stars. They set up a massive tent that took up the top level of a parking garage. Summit’s amazing after party floored me. The center of the huge tent was decorated like the wedding scene, with flowers hanging down and wooden benches. The rest of the tent resembled Isle Esme. There was music, dancing, and food and drinks for all.

Christopher Heyerdahl (who plays
Marcus) and Kayla

    Again, by the time we got to the party, the “big three” were long gone, but those stars that stayed were gracious and kind and willing to talk, laugh and enjoy their night. And they all asked if we enjoyed the movie. Over and over again, they looked at the fans and asked, “Did you really enjoy it? Not just like it, but love it?” And they were serious. This wasn’t just any gig that they got paid to do. They wanted to make sure the film met our expectations.

    Do you know how adorable a hopeful but uncertain actor can be? Trust me; they’ll melt your heart. I felt like I’d been dropped into some kind of fairy tale by night’s end.

    There was one very disappointing thing about the premier. Anyone who is a part of almost any fandom will know exactly what I’m talking about.  THOSE fans.

    Some of you are nodding and some are looking bewildered. THOSE fans are the women who assume they had the right to be there. They shoved and kicked (really, I got kicked) and cussed when they didn’t get their way. They acted like someone owed them something special simply because they showed up, and they ruined the night for everyone unlucky enough to be nearby.

Rob What's-his-name.
I'm not sure why Kayla wanted
his picture *wink wink*

    I stood with the fan sites in our own little corner of the carpet. There were others there, winners of contests and such. A few of them were young girls, thirteen and younger who’d won the trip of their life. They bubbled with excitement. I and another woman ended up standing straddle behind the girls, arms outstretched and on guard against several of THOSE fans who barged in and tried to push the girls out of the way.

    THOSE fans who were angry no matter what happened because they deserved better. THOSE fans who complained about free food, movies, concerts and tents. The same ones mobbed stars, frightening them away. They lost sight of what was important because all they focused on was the façade Hollywood creates around things.

    For the true fans, so much of the premier revolved around watching the dream of the Saga unfold. Among those of us who understood this, the premier was an event made up of a community of people—people who had the same goals, the same love affair with a love story. To us, kindness mattered.

    There is a huge difference between the fans who loved the book and movie, and those who want a part of the fake glamour Hollywood sells. Fandoms aren’t about glitter and hype. Not that glitter and hype aren’t fun at times, of course, but the real magic of the premier wasn’t in the dresses and reporters. It wasn’t in screaming crowds or fake sets. The magic of the premier is in the kindness and the camaraderie of the fans. It’s in the devotion of the people behind the scenes and behind the camera. It’s in the patience of actors as they spoke with hundreds of fans and strove to make contact with as many people as they could. 

    That’s why this post is and isn’t about the premier. It’s more about where the true magic of novels and the true meaning of the movie. As Stephenie Meyer herself said, “It’s about the love.”

Kayla Griffith is a mom, writer and teacher. Follow her on twitter at @kaylaopenhome and on facebook at Kayla Griffith on Facebook

Coming to Life

    Blog friends, it’s been a REALLY amazing week. On some levels, I’m still mentally processing everything, but on others I’m just so dang thrilled it’s hard to sit still. I know, I know, you want me to stop being irritatingly vague right? Okay, here goes.

    At the end of 2011 I considered taking a theatre class to help me round out my characters, especially my guys. Then I actually priced said classes and scratched that idea. The main reason, aside from the ungodly amount of money, is because I have no interest in being an actor. I wanted to observe how they move and their expressions, not perform. With my male characters being young and male, I wasn’t entirely sure they were well formed, working hard enough or acting naturally within the story. This concern was later confirmed by my friend Michelle after she did a reading for me. My guys needed some work.

    After deciding against a “school” environment, I started searching for different options. I discovered a Master Acting Class taught by Daniel Martine. A local film maker, writer and teacher in Memphis, Daniel and I also share a mutual friend in Carolyn Haines. I emailed Daniel and he asked that we discuss a visit to his class in more detail. During our conversation, I explained what I needed help with. Daniel thought he had an actor close to Hayden’s age. THEN (and this is the very best part) he offered to adapt a few of my problem scenes into screenplay form and have his actors play them out. After my heart moved out of my throat, I eagerly accepted and started preparing which scenes to send.

    Wednesday was the big night. And yes, I was nervous beyond reason. Scripts were all prepared and copied; I had my huge bag of junk (digital camera, research book, video camera and more pens than I’d ever need). Hey, what can I say, everyone has their comfort objects. GPS leading the way, I headed out to downtown Memphis.

    Once everyone arrived, Daniel introduced me around then they got down to serious acting business. First, the guys did an improvisation which was really interesting to watch. Four guys, all different ages making the scene up as they go. It definitely opened my eyes to the process and was a great introduction for someone who knows nothing about acting.

Darius taking it to the next level

Such an ALIVE expression, one of my favs.

    There were several great pieces throughout the evening, an amazing monologue from Lanford Wilson's FENCES performed by Darius Newsome. Another by some of Daniel’s younger students that reminded me so much of my own sons, a new project Marcus and Allison are working on that’s really gritty and fascinating to watch and then Graham, Allison, Daniel and Dorv worked on my scenes.

    My stomach squeezed into a knot watching Daniel set up the scene with the actors. Once they started moving through it I found myself holding my breath. The fantasy world inside my head seemed to tilt on its axis as I tried to mentally organize my thoughts and emotions around my creation being brought into reality. Watching Graham become Hayden linked so many disconnected parts of the story chain inside my head. All three actors morphed into the characters so smoothly. Their joints appeared oiled as they slipped their skin and became someone new. Even the panic of the scene became a gliding movement of their bodies. A subtle raise of eyebrow, combined with the words, pushed forward by Graham’s body movements communicated all Hayden’s stress and fear and brought the words roaring off the page. Amazing, truly I have no other word for the experience than absolutely amazing.

Graham Elwood

    Afterwards, Graham graciously talked me through a few additional scenes that weren’t scripted. A pleasant surprise indeed once I discovered I wasn’t as far off base with Hayden as I’d originally thought.

    Even though I was still buzzing on adrenalin, the curtain eventually dropped on my portion of the class. Stepping out into the night, the breeze brushed against my skin and brought with it the depressing tang of the Mississippi River. Even with the dark and humidity pressing the water's scent into my mind, a new hope zinged through my veins. Never before had I felt so connected to the story and characters.

Dorv, Darius, Marcus, McTyere, Allison
Daniel and Travis

    I can only hope I thanked Daniel and his actors enough times for giving me an opportunity that few writers, especially unpublished writers, ever get. As for my boys, their voices are much clearer to me now and I have these wonderful new friends to thank for that.

    As always, I ask you that you give a book some love this week. Additionally, in honor of my new actor buds, watch a great movie too. Never know ... you just might learn something cool.

Till Then,

KD

If you'd like more information on Daniel's Master Acting Class, visit Master Acting Class on Facebook