Bump in the Night. Also a contest!

I have always said that there are not enough stories about the following:

Girls kicking major ass

YA Horror

Monsters

Some type of combination of YA Horror with monsters and girls that kick ass 

Since there wasn't anything out there like this, I started writing it. I wrote and wrote and just finished it this month. It's called Bump in the Night and the synopsis can be found here.

However, to my excitement, I have come across two other excellent works with a somewhat similar concept. A darker story. Girls kicking ass. Monsters/ Supernatural. I haven't read Spookygirl yet, but I can't wait to! I have read Sweet Venom and cannot wait for the sequel!

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

http://teralynnchilds.com/books/sweet-venom/

Spookygirl by Jill Baguchinsky

Read the pitch here

Also, Jill Baguchinksy is currently running a contest where you can get a copy of her ARC for Spookygirl, as it isn't out yet. You wont want to miss out! Also Jill is a debut author, which is even more exciting, as I love love love success stories and hope that one day I too can have my own. Great work Jill!

Contest!

Jill also has an awesome blog showing her journey to publication! Check it out here!

That said, what other darker YA stories are you into? Are there any ass kicking, monster, supernautral, or horror-esque novels that I am missing? Please, share your knowledge! I'm always looking for a good read.

Haters gonna hate.

I felt the need to wonder aloud why everyone seems so bent out of shape over this whole new cover of J.K. Rowling's next book The Casual Vacancy. 

In case you've missed the bazillion tweets about it and blogs displaying it, here it is again:

Now, my first thought was... Okay. JK Rowling's new book is clearly Gryffindor.

My second thought was... the synopsis doesn't sound that great.

But I don't necessarily hate the cover. I mean, sure it's a little... minimalist, but not bad. I mean, some of my favorite books of all time have very simple covers. For example:

                and

But the lack of color and drama that usually graces the cover of novels doesn't make me hate this new book. 

I mean sure, if I was shopping in a book store, it wouldn't make me necessarily jump to try and read it.

However, it's not like J.K. Rowling has to try and appeal to fans. She already has a fan base. Millions of people will read her new novel whether or not it's good and whether or not the cover is Gryffindor.

Do people hate it because after such a crazy build up of Harry Potter adventuredom, they want to be WOW-ed and reassured again that the author of their favorite childhood protagonist wont let them down?

Or do people want an extravagant cover to make up for the lack of appeal in the novel's description?

Tell me. 

What do you hate about J.K. Rowling's new novel The Casual Vacancy?

Do you like it or hate it? Why?

The Traveling Life

So. I  admit that I have a very romantic perception of the traveling life.

But I also admit that I want to try it.

My best friend Johanna and my fiance Ryan are now in the works to start planning a trip around the country in a VW bus or a caravan.

Below are some of my favorite pictures of said caravans/ VW buses:

from: http://www.topdesignmag.com/awesome-caravan-hotel-concept/

Her name is Constance.

from: http://chunkychooky.blogspot.com/2009/10/pretty-caravan-is-that-oxymoron.html

http://www.viahouse.com/2010/12/extremely-cool-caravan-interior-design-creative-work-from-caravanolic-and-viceversa-interior/

http://www.homeluxurydesign.com/design-architecture/house-model-car-design

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50571298@N00/524268479/in/faves-boo66/

Why, yes. That IS a hammock on the inside.

http://galacticgypsylove.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/a-galactic-gypsy-bus/

http://www.dodgetravcos.com/index.php?p=1_8_Motorhome-History

http://rowhousenest.com/2011/05/28/caravans/

http://carouseldreams-tina.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-little-secretshhh.html

An awesome motorhome / caravan history resource:

http://www.dodgetravcos.com/index.php?p=1_8_Motorhome-History

Cool sites about caravans:

http://www.vintagecaravans.com

Cool Camper photography:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr38/2543394915/in/faves-boo66/

More artistic caravans:

http://www.stuartwilde.com/2012/05/the-hippie-caravan/

Awesome caravan tea stop:

http://greenpoint-capetown.co.za/come-into-my-parlour/

More awesome caravans:

http://rowhousenest.com/2011/05/28/caravans/

More awesome caravans:

http://girl-camping.blogspot.com/2012/06/vintage-trailers-ready-to-party.html

This awesome pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/tina_gates2/favorite-places-spaces/

And this:

http://www.curbly.com/users/capreek/posts/10499-before-after-a-magical-caravan-makeover

And that:

http://mydreamhomeisportable.blogspot.com/

And:

http://getcampie.com/

Reading Reading Reading

So lately, I've been trying to finish reading a specific ARC from an author that I really love.

And for some reason I can't.

It's... boring. It sounds like she wrote her new novel trying to sound like someone else. But she doesn't need to. Her previous writing style was perfect. This is just... weird.

Being that I picked that ARC up on my own accord and no one is waiting for a review, I figured that I would set that one down for now and start reading a different novel that I am excited about.

It's called Sammy Keyes and the Night of the Skulls by Wendelin Van Draanen.

It looks like a fun, Halloween-esque read. We shall see.