Nanowrimo day 1

So today started nation novel writing month 2010. I'm trying once
again to write 50,000 words in 30 days.
This year again it's a young adult novel.
Already the words are dragging out of me. I had planned on posting my
favorite line of the day. Nothing stand out for me right now.
Hmmmm word count 586 words so far in nanowrimo.
The words will flow better tomorrow and I'll have a favorite line to
post.
Later

~ Annie Laurie

Hunger Games

Just discovered Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins WOW!!!! All I can say
is WOW!!!!

~ Annie Laurie

Book Review: L.A. Cinderella by Amanda Berry

Career-driven accountant Natalie Collins wasn't the type to wish for a Hollywood hero to rescue her. She preferred life away from celebrity glitz. Too bad the man who drove her wild was an A-list actor.

With her understated beauty and brains, Natalie was the one person Chase Booker could trust. He could see the strong, sexy woman beneath her shy exterior, and she stirred a blinding passion in him that made it easy to forget that they were from different worlds. But when she was in his arms, their worlds were dangerously close to colliding....




I love how Amanda Berry took our American Royalty, Hollywood Movies Stars, and made a dreamy and also real hero.  She also created a beautiful (not in the Hollywood glamour way, but real world way) heroine.

Natalie is the everyday woman of America, hard working and well grounded.
Chase is every American woman dream guy when they watch the magical silver screen.
Berry does a magical job of colliding the real American world with the glamours Hollywood world.

BTW Love the ending of Chapter 3

Story: 5 stars
Cover: 3 stars.  (The model is not how I picture Natalie, to tall.)
Ending: 5 stars

The Child On The Page

As I say last week I went to Auburn for a writers conference called The Child On The Page.
I learned a great deal there.
Here a list of the writers
Julianna Baggott
Peter Huggins
Peter Campion
Irene Latham
Elizabeth O. Dulemba
Dan Latimer
Rachel Hawkins
Emma Bolden
Judy Troy


And the one agent
Holly Root
This is going to sound crazy but I went just because Holly was there, and I didn't take her workshop "Polish Your Pitch"  The idea intimidated me to much.  Being in her class to polish a pitch for a novel that not even out of the beginning chapters of the first draft, didn't sound like a good idea at the time I signed up for the conference.  But now I WISH I had taking the workshop anyway!  I mean I want to meet her but I only got to say something to her about the cookies at the coffee table set in in the middle of the foyer.  And I didn't realize at the time I was talking to her.  I looked at her name tag after as she deciding which cookies she wanted and then I'm speechless, lol.  Lucky I don't think she noticed lol.
Anyway....
At the panel the next day she and her client Rachel Hawkin had a great conversion with the amazon 11 years old girl who interview them.  Wonderful! Funny! Really wish I took her workshop! lol
ok a few things I learned from the workshops I did take.

From Judy Troy:
Stories are made up of background facts and plot. You become the character through the background facts.
Fiction is not life, its a illusion.  There nothing random about fiction.
Don't make your character a victim.  Don't set her or him up against to many bad things.
Surprise yourself.  End up writing what you didn't know you knew.  Go Deep.  Tell the Truth. 
No tears from the writer, no tears from the reader.  Writers must feel as they are writing.  Go Deep (into your own emotions and memories)

What I learned from Rachel Hawkin.
"Write the **** book."

On the next day, from the panel I learned:

From Julianna Baggott:
"When there's no wind, roll."  talking about inspiration, and the lack of.
From Peter Huggins
"Leave yourself behind."
Judy Troy also said something about this in her workshop the day before.  It's something I need to work on and just let my characters tell thier stories.

I really really had a great, wonderful, fun time and hope to make it to next year conference, The Haunting Muse.

~Annie

Back to old story

I have decide to put Daughters of Wisdom on hold and work instead of my first draft of Keep Faith.

Daughters of Wisdom has changed into something different, more small scale then the idea before and I believe a better story.  I need to let it brew in my head for a short time.
So...
I have decided to give Keep Faith another try.
The thing about Keep Faith is I realized when reading the first draft I had more of a trigry then a single title.
So I'm going to try to work on the "first book"
Now I have to go work on it.  Talk to y'all later.
~Annie

Auburn Writers Conference

Hi, I'm going to Auburn, Alabama for The Child On The Page Conference this weekend.  Its their first one!  I'm so excited! Rachel Hawkins will be there and Holly Root! 

writing-getting back in the seat and hands on keyboard.

I'm back sorry I haven't updated in a long time.  I started back to work at school and the board hired me for full time! So I don't have as many free hours in the day anymore.  Plus I got sick, but I'm better now.  So now I need a plan to write for two hours everyday.  And I plan to write from 6 pm. to 8 pm everyday. This is another attempt at Project Nora.

I also need to post my reviews for

When writing allow yourself to be bad

When writing allow yourself to be bad - the wrost writer you can be. lol  (note to self)
I have to remind myself over and over to allow myself to writing badly.  When I write first I have to get the thoughts out, or I never make it to the end.  If I look back and try to fix my story - like editing sentences- I will go back and fix a scene when from whatever reason I can''t move forward a story and the night before God reviled what wrong, often a scene before need ajustments. but I can't go back and fix every sentences as I write.  I mean I tried that on my first story - well second story-  well third story-

yes as I write I remembering the few first storiesI wrote and then THE story I wrote- that I really spent years trying to write but never never got pass the 1st or 2nd chapter because I would go back and rewrite every pargraph and make it perfect- this destoryed the story in my head. DESTORYED IT! Now I just write try to get to the scene in my head and then move to the next scene in my head and so on and so on. 

Yes, I have finished a 1st draft have I ever wrote a story I really like hmmm no not yet.  I'm still learning

and here Maureen Johnson who I think said it best.





what writing advice have you learned over the years?

~Annie

Project Nora

So I finally fixed chapter 5 and then made some adjustment to chapter 6. Now I have a beginning of chapter 7... will see where it head tomorrow. 
~Annie

Project Nora (dont remember what #day)

The last few days I have been stuck.  Then I realized I needed to change a part in ch.5.  So today i stared at it and had no clue how to change it.

I need Marjorie to agree with her gandmother, in order to do that, Grandmother need to be a "nicer" person.... I need to brainstrom ideas for a nicer Granny Rose.

~Annie

Project Nora day 6

Today I think I wrote for a total of 30 minutes. I think I need to just write through this chapter and come back to it later and see if I have anything interesting to add or if it not as bad as i think lol.
But I did write something.

~Annie

Project Nora day 5

Today I stuggled to get the words out.  But I did write some.
I don't really know how Marjorie going to make friends and enemies at school lol
Plus first day at a new school is a hard experince.
I been through a few, as I'm sure many of you have. lol

a twitter pitch for my story

If right now I was to twitter pitch my story I would tweet:
After her daddy made a deal with the beast (her mother's estranged family) a teen girl made a small decision that might have cost lives.

But my story not ready as you can see from my Project Nora posts.
and plus my pitch could change as i finish the rest of the story.

~Annie

Project Nora day 4

Still going strong!  I'm writing and right now that all that matter - getting the bones down!  I'll worry about everything else later  (I really hope what I'm writing is workable and fixable.)  Like I said I'm not worrying about it!!!!! (note to self)
Anyway I'm somewhere in the middle of chapter 6, its the first day at a new school chapter the place where friends and enemies are made!

~Annie

quotes, writers' humor and stuff!

Hi I have found a cool website Romance Yardsale.
Where you will find stuff to buy with quotes about writer's humor or just some famous writing quotes on them.  They even have 2 funny quotes about the Twilight series.  You can buy, t-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, mugs and a number of other stuff with your favorite quote on the site.

Fun, fun go check it out! Here another link  
oh and my favorite is
What do you mean I need a plot?

Project Nora Day 3

I had another good day of writing for the two hours. 9:00-11:00am
I finished chapter 5 and wrote one sentence in chapter 6.  I'm moving along in my story finally!  I started early since I wish to take zumba class at the Y at 12, with the class and weight machines I didn't get out until almost 2. 

Project Nora Day 2

Project Nora Day 2 yeah I skipped sunday.  I did get about 15 minutes of writing done but it was not a good day for me.

Today I wrote from 7:45 -9:30 not quite the whole two hours.  I went shopping with Mama and she told me she pick me up at 10 but it turn out to be more like 9:45 lol.
I finished chapter 4 and started chapter 5.  Marjorie about to face a fate she doesn't want.

~Annie

3 Things you don't know about me.


1. I have an hearing loss. (but I can hear voices just not birds and other high pitch sounds. It is a little bit more then that but hearing loss is really hard to explain)
2. My favorite pet is dogs, but I grow up with dogs, cats, fish, birds, and one bunny.
3. Best subject in school English (Reading) but not until after 3rd grade. Before then I hated reading! (all that reading out loud and stumbling over words. [It worse when I'm nerves even to this day, I stumble over words when I'm nerves.] (is that spelled right, it looks to me like I'm spelling the body part not the emotion.)

I added a few pages to my blog this is what under my about me so far.
there nothing under books at the moment.  I still need to learn more about my story before I can explain it.
 
~Annie

Project Nora (Day one [for me])

So today is my first day of Project Nora.
I think for the first day I did pretty good.  Hard to focus at first and the last 15 minutes. lol.
Yeah I wanted coffee at first which is a bad habit I have, drinking coffee while I write.  I gave in and made a coffee. Anyway I'm still in chapter four but it turning into my longest chapter.  This is good!  I need some long chapters.  I'm not going to give a number on my words.  Like I said before I'm not counting until Aug. 31.  It feel good to write without the presure of a word count, to just have a set time to write.
I think I wrote more then I have in a while! Yay!
So maybe I'm on my way to be like Nora Robert and have a lot of books written lol (I have write first before I can publish) 
Thank You Amanda!  Here a link to Amanda's blog for more information.
~Annie

Hey Teen Writers!

Are you a teenager wishing for a publishing deal?  Well here your chance!
I found this exciting information throught twitter but thought I share it also on here.
Publishers Weekly is looking for teen writers ages 13 - 18.  They want to publish your work!  Very very cool! ( I really really hope that doesn't show my age) Wish they had decided to do this when I was a teenager, but now it offer to you!
Here the link: Publishers Weekly

~Annie (who hope to write for teens but is no longer a teenager lol)

Project Nora

ok so to find out how Project Nora started you need to head over to Amanda Berry's blog.  This is her idea and so I'll let her explain.
So starting tomorrow, to late to start today, I'm going to write from 10-12 (noon) central time.  And only writing is allowed during this time.

I will write today I just know I don't have 2 hours togather to write.  I'm going to the YMCA in a few minutes.  I finally got into that good habit so i need to keep it up and then later today there a cookout at my church.  But i plan to write in the between time of getting home from the gym and heading to church.  That the Goal!

and sometime I will post my review from Shiver.

~Annie

I finished reading Shiver

I finished reading Shiver by Maggie Steifvater.  I realized Linger (book two of Grace and Sam's story) is out, but I'm on a buy no books limit right now until I read a good number of books already in my To Read Pile.  Books like my blog/internet friend Amanda Berry's. L.A. Cinderella (Silhouette Special Edition) 
I'm going to post my review for Shiver later, I hope today.
I also hope I read L.A. Cinderella and post a review for L.A. Cinderella on monday or at the latest the first of next week.

Rules and writing (not about the rules of writing)

blah I need to stop reading about the rules of writing and write! All I see when I search rules and editors and agents's advice is what is not in my story and I stop writing (I'm not saying the block thing, I hate it so negitive!)
I have a good story I know I do, lol I just need to write, write write!  Put the seat of my pants in the seat of the chair! (at the other computer, not this computer the one connected tohte internet!)

~Annie

not going to measure my life in numbers

So I noticed a habit of mine.  I like to have number goals.  My weight, (not bad, but I don't want to grow any bigger), money (who doesn't), and my word count (& self declared deadline)
So I have decided a few things.
1. Not standing on a scale for a month to see how going to the Y has helped with this "bad" number.
2. I'm still saving (and sending) lol
3. Until Aug 31 I'm not adding up my words in my novel or updating the word count bar on the sideline of this blog.
I'm going to work hard and trust God in all I do.

So this is the goal, wish me luck or say God Bless.
God Bless you.
Happy reading and writing,
~Annie

P.S. My word count for today....wait I'm not doing that until Aug 31.
Dear Reader,
What are some of your unusual (nothing to weird please) habits?

Write, write!

ok so I wrote for an hour today.  I was aiming for 2 hours, but I don't know here Marjorie and Luke are headed next so I need to daydream and brainstrom alittle.
So in chapter 4 I learned Luke doesn't like people wasting his time, and Marjorie never back down from a challenge, even an unspoken one.

So far I'm in the middle of chapter 4.

~Annie

Ahhh moment in story

So I have reach 2,405 words in story.
Marjorie Fisher just found out why her daddy brought them to the close gate community of Glam. It didn't look good for her.

~Annie

Writerly Snack & My Rough Draft (Story)

I got this quiz off of Myra McEntire's blog

Here are my result:

(As you can see something freaky is going on with my font. So I tried to make this post readable. If you can't read it please please let me know. Thanks)

Annie's Result: Popcorn and Pretzels on quiz: What Kind of Writerly Snack Are You? Who: Hipsters and Rebels When: When you’re spending more time perusing Cracked or Huffington than writing that thing you’re supposed to be writing. Or searching for the newest band on the scene so you can be the first to discover – then dump – them. Why: Just. Need. To. Munch. Brewer’s yeast, sea salt caramel and spicy red pepper popcorn for the tragically hip and deluded. Pretzels because they’re cheap and less common than chips. Plain popcorn eaters may see their way out, thx. Quiz Maker Take this quiz & get your result

What Kind of Writerly Snack Are You? » Quiz Maker

Wow scary. It's true I go looking for something else to do other then write. I think I'm scare I'm wasting my time. I mean when I look back over my story (big mistake) and I see are the mistakes (what missing [like i need more details) and I worry that my characters are not alive and beliveable)

Here the thing i KNOW I'M NOT WASTING MY TIME. I love creating the story and its part of who I am creating stories. I still have a lot to learn about writing them down. The only way to do that is to write and learn from my mistakes.

Also I have to remind myself what I'm looking over is my very very rough first draft or as I like to call it my long outline lol.

BTW

I plan to write today and I plan to post about the experience (at least post my word count. lol)

~Annie

2010 Summer of Road Work

I don't know how the roads are in your area but here they're messed up by road work. I try to avoid it but just keep running into more of it. (Well really I have found ways around it [the long way]) I head to Florence, Alabama from my house I run into just down the street from my house, and when I head to work in Tuscumbia, I run into it either in Sheffield or Muscle Shoals (yes that how the city spelled it name [I think it was suppose to be Mussle Shoals).
Really I like that they are fixing up the roads around here really I do. just wish I didn't run into it in every direction I go.

At coffee shop

Well I'm at Rivertown Coffee in Florence, Alabama (trying to download songs [a soundtrack for my new old story] from iTunes)

Yeah still working on Keep Faith.

But under a new title. Daughters of Wisdom.

So far I only have one hundred and something words written.

Book review – Leaving Gee’s Bend

Leaving Gee's Bend

Here’s a story about a little piece of land in Alabama, Gee’s Bend, now called Boykin, Alabama.

It has a slow beginning, but once the main character, Ludelphia Bennett started her journey to Camden in order to save her mama, the pace picked up and story grabbed my interest. At that point I was on the adventure with Lu.

My favorite part is the chapter The Witches of Gee’s Bend.

The ending is worth the slow beginning.

Cover Art: 5 stars

Beginning: 3 stars

Ending: 5 stars

Now I’m wondering what’s next for Irene Latham…another historical? Maybe something contemporary? Whatever she writes next it’s on my reading list.

randomness

I have a new writer hero! Nancy Mehl!

Wish she update her blog more often!

I Really.... Really can't wait for Amanda Berry's L.A. Cinderella to come out. Just a few more days until June 1st!

Also hope that I can get the movie Leap Year on tuesday from Netflix. I'm hoping if I mail Gilmore Girls season 3 disk 3 on Monday, Netflix will get GG on Tuesday and mail me Leap Year on that day! I hope! *cross fingers and pray* Oh I hope this work. LOL!

Ok that enough exclamation marks

2010 YA and MS Debut Novels review contest

Hi,
The Story Siren is having an 2010 YA and MS Debut novels contest. Everyone is to review novels only written by Debut Authors in YA and MS. Anyway for more information click Ms. Story Siren's name above. Here my list so far

1.The Iron King (Harlequin Teen)
2. The Cinderella Society
3. Leaving Gee's Bend (The Review)
4. Sea
5. Faithful
6. Princess For Hire (The Review)
7. Tagged
8. Nice and Mean
Will add to more to list later
Edited on July 7, 2010
Edited and links added on July 3, 2010 
Edited on June 11, 2010
Edited on May 22, 2010
So anyone have any suggestion for a debut novel in Teens or Middle School I can review this year?

Princess For Hire Review

Princess For Hire

From inside cover:

When a flawlessly dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and wants to know, like, now if you like to become a substutute princess, do you

a) run

b) faint

c) say yes!

For Desi Bascomb, who's been longing for a bit of glamour in her Idaho life, the choice a definite c)-that is, once she can stop pinching herself. As her new agent, Meredith, explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula "Royal Rouge," she can tranform temporarity into the exact look-a-like of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more then wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you preform a ceremonial dance you don't know? Or when a princess's conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off - and you'r sure she would want you to change his mind?

In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl's dream of glamour transforms into something bigger : the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

Review: I enjoyed the book Princess For Hire.

Sorry I forgot to write a review right after I finish reading it.

First the fairy Godmother Meredith is not your disney bubbly fairy godmother, not at all. In fact you have to wonder about the bubbly fairy godmother once you meet one in this story.

Desi, the heroine is a teenager in need of a friend or two, she wish to make a different in the world. Her way of course!

I want one of her self design t-shirt!

This book is an awsome must-read full of magical moments!

I can't wait for the next book! I hate that I have to wait a whole year!

I give this book 4 1/2 stars.

I give the cover 5 stars.

so what books have you read lately?

Until next time,

Annie

P.S. happy reading and writing!

the winner?

Since no one commented on the Princess to Hire post, no one won. This make me sad. Ok maybe another time. Well I'm going to go the bookstore to buy a copy. Will tell you later what I think.

Annie

a little about me

Hi, thought I share a little about me.

Name: Annie Gray

Email: AnnieLGray(at)gmail.com

Genres: Teen and Tween – Contemporary Fantasy, Adults - Christian Contemporary

I love zinnia. How they can be so many different colors and shapes, oh I just love it! Can’t wait to plant them and see them grow this summer!

My books:
-On the Wings of the Dawn: A in the Future Teen Fantasy, (Work in Progress)
-The Truth About Angels and Demons: A Contemporary Teen Fantasy (Idea)
-Sky Princess: (working title) A Tween Fantasy (Idea)
-No title: An Adult Christian Contemporary (idea)

Book in Spotlight: Princess for Hire

Princess for Hire

By Lindsey Leavitt

When a flawlessly dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and wants to know, like, now if you’d like to become a substitute princess, do you

a) run
b) faint
c) say Yes!

For Desi Bascomb, who’s been longing for

When a flawlessly dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and wants to know, like, now if you’d like to become a substitute princess, do you

a) run
b) faint
c) say Yes!

For Desi Bascomb, who’s been longing for a bit of glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C–that is, once she can stop pinching herself. As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula “Royal Rouge,” she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don’t know? Or when a princess’s conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off–and you know she would want you to change his mind?

In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl’s dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

a bit of glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C–that is, once she can stop pinching herself. As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula “Royal Rouge,” she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don’t know? Or when a princess’s conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off–and you know she would want you to change his mind?

In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl’s dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

I have not read this book yet but once I do I will review it.

Now in honor of Princess for Hire's release and the fact that its author lives in Alabama. And us Southern girls must stick together, even if the author is really from Las Vegas and now live in Alabama, I believe she's a southern girl at heart, anyway, I will give out a free copy of the book. To win this free book, really brought by me, you need to post in comment a simple hi and your name. And then I will put all names from the comments in a hat and draw the lucky winner at 2:30 friday afternoon.

~Annie

About this Blog

Hello,

Welcome to my blog.

This is the place where I planned to talk about the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair also known as writing, and share a little bit about what going on in my life.

I plan to talk about the people who have put their pants in their seats and finished and published novels.

I plan to spotlight books l love in the genes of tween, teens, romance, Christian books and others. (There will be a large variety of books)

I hope to give away some books, so be on the look out!

I plan to share what going on in my own writing. I’m still in the trying to finish that first book stage. So I hope you will join me on this journey and share about your own, even if yours journey has nothing to do with writing!

So what would you like to read about on my blog? Do you have any books you love? I’d love to know!