tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63068601414642885012024-03-18T21:19:34.400-07:00Literary Girls Writing Groupwriting and book critique group.Mary E Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119298615414367828noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-41597396289447251112013-02-20T14:10:00.001-08:002013-02-20T14:10:48.171-08:00Tawnni's Bookshelf 3Hey look! I'm back! And I've got books! I've got more of my favorite books to share with you and hopefully help you find your next favorite.<br />
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<em>A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs</em>- When cavalry man John Carter falls unconscious in a cave, he wakes up on Mars. After being taken captive by the Tharks, a race of ten foot tall four armed green aliens, he vows to help his fellow prisoner, the lovely Dejah Thoris, escape and return to her home in the city of Helium. Easier said than done.<br />
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<em>Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie</em>- The Orient Express is stopped in its tracks because of a snow drift and within a matter of hours, a passenger is dead. Hercule Poirot steps in to investigate. A brief examination of the facts reveals that the snow drift made it impossible for anyone to leave and that the murderer is still on the train...<br />
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<em>Murder in a Mummy Case by K. K. Beck</em>- When Clarence Brockhurst takes his girlfriend Iris up to his artifact room in the middle of the night, they find the dead body of a young woman in the sarcophagus of Clarence's mummy. The police medical examiner concludes she died of a heart attack, Iris suspects otherwise.<br />
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<em>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne</em>- The question everyone was asking was what was attacking and sinking ships. Many suspect it to be a sea monster, but French naturalist M. Aronnax, his servant Conseil, and Canadian whaler Ned Land learn otherwise when they are thrown overboard during an attack and taken captive by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Now the question is how can they possibly escape <em>The Nautilus</em>?<br />
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<em>The Elusive Pimpernel by Baroness Emuska Orczy</em>- After failing to capture the Scarlet Pimpernel, French agent Chauvelin formulates a plan to bring down his enemy. Shortly after, at a dinner party at the Blakeney Manor, a visiting French actress offends one of Marguerite Blakeney's quests which sparks the arrangement of a duel between Chauvelin and Sir Percy Blakeney to take place in the French town of Boulogne. Knowing it is a clever plan to catch him, Marguerite follows Percy to warn him and discovers a little too late that <em>she</em> is the plan.<br />
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Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-38638056291037446212011-10-05T12:06:00.000-07:002011-10-05T12:25:08.729-07:00Halloween HorrorOctober has arrived. Yes, October, the month of rain and colored leaves; a time when little children prepare costumes and count down the days until the night of sugary ecstasy, and the time of year I wander the aisles in my favorite little bookstore looking for anything that will scare me silly. After all, it wouldn't be October without true Halloween horror.<br /><br /><em>Dracula</em> by Bram Stoker<br /><em>Frankenstein </em>by Mary Shelley<br /><em>The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</em> by Robert Louis Stevenson<br /><em>The Tell-Tale Heart</em> by Edgar Allen Poe<br /><em>Something Wicked This Way Comes</em> by Ray Bradbury<br /><em>The Halloween Tree</em> by Ray Bradbury<br /><em>I Am Not a Serial Killer</em> by Dan Wells<br /><em>Coraline </em>by Neil Gaiman<br /><br />Find something good to read, but beware, the ghosts and ghouls may not just be in your head. Happy Halloween.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-26919358099723686332011-06-21T11:01:00.000-07:002011-06-21T11:02:29.886-07:00Welcome to the InnHey everybody! Check out my new blog for my novel at welcometotheinn.blogspot.comTawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-84983843901939839112011-04-18T08:15:00.000-07:002011-04-18T08:23:15.723-07:00And That Light at the End of the Tunnel Gets BiggerI think I just may have found someone to print my book. While on band tour in San Francisco (though I tell people I joined a gypsy caravan) I found out that the tour director owns a printing company. He said he could print some copies when I had it ready. From there it could be sent to publishers or he could print thousands of copies. I just need to here back from a couple beta readers and I'll make some final adjustments. And an update on the quest, I did finish Les Miserables in under a week. Five and a half days to be exact.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-7590610023085513902011-04-06T13:27:00.000-07:002011-04-06T13:40:26.407-07:00The QuestIt's good to challenge yourself every once in a while and try something outside of your usual reading selections. Which is how the Quest arose. I am trying to read <em>Les Miserables</em> in under a week. To give you a better idea of the caliber of this little literary quest of mine, let me tell you a little about this book. Firstly, it's by Victor Hugo and, while I love his writing, he has a tendency to go on and on and on (and on and on and on...) Secondly, this book is over 1,400 pages long. That's over twice the length of any other book in my collection. And I have to read it in six days or less. Am I crazy? Most likely, but if I wasn't I could never do this.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-40573721516228756652011-03-29T13:57:00.001-07:002011-03-29T13:59:09.788-07:00Some Random For Your Tuesday"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." Oh yeah, well what if someone throws a dictionary at you? What about THAT?Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-73825830239556844092011-03-22T17:05:00.000-07:002011-03-22T17:33:19.608-07:00You Can't Beat the Classics!Goodness, it's been a while, hasn't it? <br /><br />Well, the weather is warming and I can start reading outside again which means it's time to dig out some good books and when it comes to good books, you can't beat the greats. Tip to all, the most sure fire way to seem smarter is to read classic books. Remember, classic does not mean boring. Here are a few of my favorites.<br /><br />Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie- Every element that composes the perfect fantasy land: Indians, mermaids, fairies and pirates. Pirates always make for a good story.<br /><br />And speaking of pirates...<br /><br />Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson- Avast ye landlubbers! Buried treasure awaits any who dare sail the seas with Jim Hawkins, but watch out for scurvy pirates.<br /><br />Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne- An underground sea, creatures that we never knew existed, a strange world, what really is below our feet?<br /><br />Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs- Lions, panthers, and apes, oh my! Tarzan's jungle world is filled with danger and intrigue. Including a certain someone named Jane.<br /><br />The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Eummuska Orczy- I can't talk this book up enough. Romance, adventure, blackmail. It's enough to keep any one's heart racing.<br /><br />Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss- A struggle for survival becomes an island paradise. At least until the pirates invade.<br /><br />And if you're up for it...<br /><br />The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo- A hunchback touched by kindness, a gypsy trying to escape an evil plot, a priest with a plan, and a poor penniless poet caught in the middle.<br /><br />There are far more classic beyond this. I have failed to include Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Alexandre Dumas, or Wilkie Collins. That doesn't mean I don't love them too. So go read some classics. They'll improve your IQ level and save you 15% on your car insurance. Well, maybe not that last one.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-16124502898459065432011-02-09T14:08:00.000-08:002011-02-09T14:23:46.616-08:00Inspiration in Every AspectComing up with ideas is hard sometimes. There's nothing worse that sitting down to write and having a total brain fart. Well guess what? There's a little secret about ideas. There are no ideas, only combining old ones to make something new. So where do ideas come from? The answer: Everywhere.<br /><br />My creative writing teacher said that when we wrote he wanted us to be pirates. He wanted us to plunder and steal ideas from everywhere. Ideas come from everywhere; from what we see, what we do, what we say. You may not notice this, but there are hundreds of ideas just outside your window ripe for harvest. Here are a couple ways to reap the bounty.<br /><br />1. Be observant. Notice things.<br /><br />2. Ask questions. Wonder about everything.<br /><br />3. Ask "what if."<br /><br />4. Read.<br /><br />5. Write ideas down for later use.<br /><br />6. Look at things in a different way.<br /><br />Follow these simple steps and you can become an idea farmer in no time at all. Go on, have fun, go write. Create something awesome. Write on!Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-37938488879516838862011-01-25T15:56:00.000-08:002011-01-25T16:16:56.218-08:00Port of PiratesIt's been a while since I've posted some of my writing. So let's get caught up. Who here likes pirates? This is the first couple paragraphs of a new short story of my called "Port of Pirates."<br /><br /><em>Port Simeon was know to most of the world as the port of pirates. The weak law enforcement was long gone and the town was full of buccaneers, cutthroats, and scalawags. Despite the obvious danger, my longing for the rush of adrenaline pulsing through me veins got the better of me and I had to see the lawless town for myself.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>I could only find one boatman who would ferry me out to Port Simeon. His name was Blue Bill. No last name was given. I met him on the docks in the swamps of Louisiana. He bowed low and gestured me into his rickety old swamp boat. I checked to make sure I still had my pistol, dagger, and sword; the usual things one takes when among pirates. Bill stepped into the boat behind me and pushed off from the dock. A parrot sat on a branch of a nearby tree. As we passed, it eyed us and squawked "dead men tell no tales." I don't believe in omens and I don't think this was the best time to start.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>The swamp was riddled with shacks made from what looked like odds and ends of other houses. Dinghies were tied to porch posts, laden with fishing nets and bottles of cordial. We passed a withered old man rocking back and forth in a creaky old rocking chair. I don't know which made more noise, the creaky wood of the chair or the creaky joints of the old man. He stopped plucking the banjo sitting on his knee to warn us of our path. I thanked him for his concern and urged Blue Bill on.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>We entered the black gaping mouth of a cave. I felt like was was venturing into the belly of the proverbial beast. Darkness closed its grasp on us as we journeyed further into the cave. Bill lit a lamp and the darkness subsided. Well, to a degree. </em><br /><br /><em>A throat cleared behind me</em>. <em>I looked to see it was Blue Bill. He opened his mouth and spoke to me for the first time and most likely the only time.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>"So ye be lookin' for salty ol' pirates, eh?" His voice was slow and calm. "Well ye've come to the right place."</em><br /><br />It's not much, I apologize, but it's just a start. If you want to hear the rest, just say so and I'll post it.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-5001146653619690212011-01-17T11:37:00.001-08:002011-01-17T12:16:20.684-08:00Books for all GenresReading is like a buffet. There are lots of different things to choose from. And while it's okay to like one thing more than others, a buffet is most fun when you try a little of everything. It's never a good thing to restrict yourself to reading just one genre. You could miss out on a lot of really good books. Try some of every genre and you may find that there is something you like you thought you wouldn't. Luckily for picky readers, there's something for every literary pallet.<br /><br />For fantasy fanatics...<br />If you love fantasy novels as much as I do, you need to get some Terry Brooks books today. He's most famous for his Shanara series, but my favorite of his books is the Magic Kingdom of Landover series. There are currently six books and there may or may not be more; it's an older series. The books are about a lawyer who becomes the high lord of the magic kingdom of Landover when he buys it from a department store Christmas catalog. If you are more partial to epic fantasy then by all means check out the Shanara books as well as The Lord of the Rings trilogy. <br /><br />For high adventurers...<br />Nothing beats the adventurous imagination of Jules Verne. I highly recommend Journey to the Center of the Earth. Not to prone to older books? No problem! Dive into the spying world of the Alex Rider series, the chronicles of a teen spy. Or maybe enjoy the swashbuckling tale of the Treasure of Savage Island. Pirates, runaway slaves, and buried treasure make for a good read.<br /><br />For historical fiction buffs...<br />I cannot express my love of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" enough, as well as my love of the sequel "El Dorado." If you've never read them, look into it right away. While you're at it, check out "The Three Musketeers." No book ever goes out of style. Alexandre Dumas is a master of historical fiction an his books are well worth the read. <br /><br />For mystery maniacs...<br />Why it's elementary! The greatest mysteries ever solved are those of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed Sherlock Holmes. The best of which being "The Hound of the Baskervilles." I also would recommend the Mary Russel mysteries by Laurie R. King. They're the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his apprentice, the young, intelligent, and witty Mary Russel. The series currently consists of ten books. Can you solve the mystery first?<br /><br />For romance lovers...<br />Oh goodness. I haven't had much experience with romance novels; I'm usually not attracted to them, but there is one that holds a dear place in my heart. I combines romance with one of my favorite things: pirates. "To Catch a Pirate" by Jade Parker is the tale of young woman set out to reclaim the gold stolen from her father's ship and save him from the gallows, but her plan may be in jeopardy when she finds herself falling for the young pirate captive meant to lead them to the treasure. Yet another timeless romance is "The Princess Bride." There's nothing like sword fighting, poisoned wine, giants, and snobbish princes to create the perfect bedtime romance.<br /><br />Time to whet that appetite. Head out to a local library or bookstore and pick up your four course dinner today.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-48116768973986648642011-01-10T14:17:00.000-08:002011-01-10T14:30:51.233-08:00Goals and Resolutions for 2011The first of the above being to blog more. Sorry about the long wait.<br /><br />2010 was a good year. I did a lot (and boy do I mean a lot) of editing on my novel, I survived another year of high school, I got into the school's literary magazine Pegasus, I scored a job at the Hogle Zoo, became Employee of the Month, went to a teen writer's conference, hung out with authors, went to book signings, got Karen E. Hoover (author of The Sapphire Flute) to critique the first three chapters of my novel, and rode Space Mountain four times. Very good year indeed.<br /><br />As for this year, in my attempt to make it as enjoyable and successful as possible, I hope that by the end of it there will be nice shiny copies of "Castaway Inn" on the shelves of bookstores everywhere. One can hope; we'll see how that goes. That's the goal for this year. And get a 4.0 GPA. That too.<br /><br />Resolutions? Blog more. Don't procrastinate. Practice my drums more. Um... is that it? Is that really it? Ah, well. I'll stick to these for now. Now I know I'm not the only one with resolutions and goals for the new year. What do you hope to accomplish?Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-54612417049274802122010-12-13T15:26:00.000-08:002010-12-13T15:42:49.376-08:00Writer's Block SurvivalIt's any writer's worst nightmare and whoever says they've never had it is lying. It's writer's block; that wall of non-inspiration, the chasm of blank thoughts, and when you're trying to write a first draft of stories, novel, or any type of writing, every writer dreads hitting the block. But fear not my faithful reader, there is a way to defeat the dreaded writer's block.<br /><br />Firstly, the best way to prevent it is to prepare. Have an idea of what you want to happen before you pick up a pencil (or pen or keyboard, whichever you prefer). This will make the writing process go much smoother and writer's block is less likely to occur as you already now what is going to happen. <br /><br />If writer's block still occurs, take a moment to pause. Think about where you are in your writing and think "what if." Using the "what if" method gets your creative mind thinking about different story plots and opens up possibilities. You then have several answers for "what happens next." <br /><br />If the "what if" method fails and you still are starved of inspiration, take a deep, deep, breath. Stop whatever you are doing. Turn off the music, the TV, or whatever else is going on, lean back and just relax for a minute in the silence. Clear your mind. If you really need to, walk away from it for a minute and let your mind focus on something else. That usually allows inspiration to flow more freely.<br /><br />If writer's block still persists, watch a movie and try again in the morning.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-13426730905450309382010-11-15T13:57:00.000-08:002010-11-15T14:15:49.764-08:00Don't Take It PersonallyI learned an important lesson on writing last week. If someone or some people don't like what you write, don't take it personally. About 99.95% of the time, the reason they might not like your writing is simply preference, not the level of writing skill. Different people like different things; just because a couple people don't like doesn't mean others won't either. <br /><br />For example: at the last meeting of my school's writing club (Writer's Guild) a friend of mine and I decided we wanted to have a poem war. We both submitted a poem, anonymously to ensure an unbiased vote, and had them read to the group. Then they voted. My friend's poem won 4 to 1. We talked about it today a little and she said that she was surprised she won because she thought mine was so much better, yet I thought she did better. We're both equally good writers, a vote doesn't make one better than the other.<br /><br />Yeah, so I lost. Who cares? It's all about preference, not skill. Even if you fidn people that don't like your writing, there's always that one that does.<br /><br />Unfortunately, that last 0.05% is skill, but keep practicing and that percentage will vanish.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-88120099660590145602010-11-09T15:00:00.000-08:002010-11-09T15:33:11.973-08:00The Origianl Who-Dun-ItI can pretty much guarantee that most of you have never heard of Wilkie Collin's "The Moonstone" before. That's okay. I hadn't until I saw it on a table in a bookstore. What sets this book apart from others is that this is the original who-dun-it. Literally.<br /><br />"The Moonstone" was first published in 1868, making it the first mystery to be written in the English language as well as the model for mystery novels that were to follow. Think of your cliche mystery novel scenarios: someone is murdered, someone is missing, something valuable has been stolen. Yep, it's all here.<br /><br />"The Moonstone" is the story of a legendary Indian diamond called The Moonstone. The night it is given to a colonel's niece for her birthday, it mysteriously disappears from the drawer she kept it in, the only clue being a smear in the fresh paint on the walls of her bedroom. In one novel there is theft, murder, romance, and death by quicksand. There isn't anything like this anywhere else. <br /><br />I have read a lot of mystery books and none of them have been quite like "The Moonstone." Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" is one of the most famous mystery novel series, but even the cases of the ingenious sleuth do not seem quite as suspenseful as the case of the missing Moonstone. <br /><br />So who stole the diamond? Read for yourself. I'm not telling.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-79530515140866176952010-10-05T17:50:00.000-07:002010-10-05T18:02:52.916-07:00Not Just Summer ReadingI can guarantee you that anytime between June and mid September you can go into any Barnes&Noble or Borders and there will be a table piled high with different books with a sign that says "Summer Reading". Okay. No problem there, but what about the other three seasons? Do people just suddenly stop reading as soon as the weather turns cold and not pick up a book until summer starts again? I thought not.<br /><br />While summer is a great time for reading, it's not the only great time. Autumn is cool and rainy. Rainy days are fantastic reading days. When winter comes around, it brings perfect reading weather with it. On a cold December day there's nothing I like more than curling up with a blanket, a cup of apple cider, a dog, and a good book. The dog is optional. <br /><br />Autumn has just arrived. The weather is already turning cold. The rain has started to come. Time to find a cozy chair, a warm blanket, and that book you've been wanting to read for a while.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-13012367090497096062010-09-21T17:05:00.001-07:002010-09-21T17:34:20.671-07:00Love Your Editors and BetasI can honestly say from experience that writing a novel is easiest the first time. It's mainly just laying out ideas- somewhat organized- on paper. It's most painful the second time. When faced with the mind-twisting pain of editing and rewriting, editors and beta readers are some heavy duty aspirin.<br /><br />Before you start saying that no one has the right to mess with your writing, just let me give my sermon. Editors and betas provide that much needed "outside voice" that provides an opinion of your writing other than what you think of it. They suggest what may need to be changed, adjusted, or just plain deleted.<br /><br />No protesting, I'm not done yet.<br /><br />They also spot grammatical errors and if you hate having to worry about grammar as much as I do, this is a blessing. No one's grammar is perfect and no one knows how to spell every single word in the English language. When an author reads their own writing again, if they don't read carefully they can easily miss misspelled words since their brains know what it is supposed to be and will read it as that.<br /><br />And then there's the all important "eye-opener" factor. What we may see as perfection can be far from it. Before you start prepping the army for retaliation, think about what they say. The best editor is the one that will not tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. This is the reason I'm so thankful for Mary, who upon reading the first chapter of my novel told me that while I had a good hook to keep readers for the next chapter, the start of the chapter was boring and made my character seem boring too. I looked back over my first chapter and rewrote most of it. I'm glad I did. The next time Mary read it she said that it was much better and she found my character much more interesting. Your characters are always interesting, it's just how you write them. Remember, criticism is a ladder disguised as an anchor.<br /><br />So remember, show some love to your editors and beta readers. They don't want to see you fail, that's why they can be harsh, but being harsh means they care. The next time someone tells you something needs improvement, don't just ignore it. Their suggestion may be the factor that gets you published.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-56814661725022952662010-09-13T16:59:00.000-07:002010-09-13T17:15:07.749-07:00Lisa Mangum and the Hourglass Door TrilogyHello again! Sorry I haven't posted lately, but school started and things got hectic again. Not to worry, I still have room in my high school life for books, writing, writing books, and meeting authors. Which brings us to the main story...<br /><br />Saturday the 11th, Lisa Mangum, author of <em>The Hourglass Door</em> and <em>The Golden Spiral</em>, was at Barnes and Noble at Sugar House for a book signing. The signing didn't start until three, but me being the hyper, super-prepared, book lover that I am was there an hour in advance-- that's right, you heard me-- wandering around until she arrived. Lisa was one of the authors that attended my teen writer's conference at the beginnng of the summer. I spent some time talking to her then and I was excited to get to see her again. The coolest part was that she actually remembered me. (She remembered me! Me!!) She asked how my writing was coming and told me about an upcoming writer and reader seminar at UVU. <br />If you've never read <em>The Hourglass Door</em> or <em>The Golden Spiral</em> before, you should really look into it. They're fantastic books. The third in the trilogy, <em>The Forgotten Locket</em>, will come out next summer.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-32447628431457587552010-08-22T19:15:00.001-07:002010-08-22T19:40:46.596-07:00Guess That Character 2.0I was inspired by the post Mary did a couple days ago about reading the blurb about a character with no physical <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">description</span> and then guessing what they looked like so I decided to try it with one of my own characters. I chose to do Philippe <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">because</span> I haven't talked about him too much and it'll be harder to guess what he looks like. (whereas with Del I've given a full description on an earlier post) Give it you best shot. (by the way, this little segment isn't part of my book.)<br /><br />Philippe turned a page of his book, yawning into his hand. He glanced at the dying fire, which was simmering in slowly fading embers. He closed the volume in his lap and set in on the side table. He stretched his legs, curling and uncurling his stiff toes. The calm was broken by a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">nasally</span> snore. He turned. Del was asleep in her hammock. He smiled, stood, and picked up his candlestick. Journeying passed Del to the stairs, he slowly made his way up to the second floor. He gently pushed open the first door he came to. Sophia was curled up under the covers, her breath blowing a tress of hair back and forth. He smiled and shut the door again.<br />Downstairs, he opened the front door and stood watching the new snow drift down from the black sky. He shivered once and shut the door. Blowing out the candle with a soft breath, he reached for the cold doorknob of his private quarters. He turned to the quiet inn.<br />"Good night girls," he whispered. "Sweet dreams."<br />He closed the door and slumber settled in.<br /><br />So? What does Philippe look like? Guess as much as you can or want to. Extra credit for guessing his age. Good luck everyone!Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-62617505204660126262010-07-21T20:09:00.000-07:002010-07-21T20:30:31.705-07:00The Calming Effects of Short StoriesYou know, now that I'm done writing my novel, I've noticed something. I'm bored. My mind is lacking that wonderful exhilaration I get when I write and now that its dulled, the insanity is starting to bubble up again. And its not the good kind of crazy either. I've been trying to find ways to bring the sensation back, but my little sister's chocolate chip cookies and "Home Improvement" reruns aren't helping. They're still nice though. <br />You know what does help? The only cure for lack-of-writing syndrome is more writing. But what do you do if you need to write, but don't want to spend all the time and effort required for a novel? Just need a daily fix of writer high? I have two words for you my friend. Short stories.<br />Short Story writing is becoming a lost art. All writers nowadays seem preoccupied with full fledged novels that they forget the joy and calming effects of just sitting down and writing a short story in an afternoon. It's great for that between books feeling too. It allows a writer to extend the adventures of their characters without the need of a 300 page novel. I've found my own characters, Sophia, Del, and Philippe, live on in short stories like "The Orphanage Trick" and "Del's Somewhat Brilliant Plan." I can also explore the world of Queen Angeline and her shape shifting servant Taiga in "Catacombs Under the Castle" or spend an evening in The Loft with Tara and her friends in "Bohemian Alley." <br />Writing short stories is the perfect cure for whatever ails writers. It relaxes the mind and calms the body, leaving you ready to take on whatever life throws at you. And you don't even need a prescription. Let's see a doctor do that.Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-8908323613375163112010-07-12T17:32:00.000-07:002010-07-13T07:41:24.655-07:00Book Selling Evolution<a href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/2009/05/guyandbooks.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 259px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 190px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/2009/05/guyandbooks.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I've been noticing something. The 21st century is catching up to the noble art of book selling. It's no longer necessary to go to a bookstore and stroll through isles of shelves looking for books. Now all that is required to buy a book is to go online and scroll through Internet pages with images of the covers and summaries, sometimes even using a search feature to find a book instantly. You don't even need a book to read a book anymore. eBooks are becoming more and more common, but they're not actual books. They're screens with pixels.</div><br /><div>Book selling is changing rapidly. The way of computers and electronics may seem all fine and dandy, but it's not the same as traditional book selling. When shopping for books online, it's just not the same as pushing my way through the door of my favorite little bookshop, being greeted by the smell of paper, smiling and waving to the clerk (who knows my face from all the times I've been in there) browsing through the piles of books for what I intentionally came in for and maybe even finding something I wasn't looking for. You can't do that online. Online you can't take a book in your hands, feeling the pages with you fingertips, and flip through letting your eyes lap at stray words. eBooks are not different. With an eBook, you can't feel the warm spine against your hands as you open it, you can't feel the breeze of fluttering pages. They take away the pleasure of a book; of opening a book to find that it smells just like the Brooklyn bookshop described in the story. eBooks just don't have the same life as actual books, the same soul. You may not have known this, but all books smell different. Old books smell different than new books, hardbacks smell different than paperbacks, books about pirates smell different than books about dragons. eBooks... last time I checked technology didn't smell so good.</div><br /><div>How many of you just sniffed some part of your computer?</div><br /><div>See? I told you.</div><br /><div>Books are books, computers are computers. Please leave the two worlds separate. </div>Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-76459683524648194862010-07-08T08:01:00.000-07:002010-07-08T08:35:29.831-07:00Pause the Chaos for Just One Second!I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, life's a little chaotic right now. Between my two jobs and my work on the editing of my novel, I barely have any time to breathe. Luckily, I have found one second of free time, as today is my day off. Time to catch up.<br /><br /><strong><em>Jessica at Jordon</em></strong><br />This was something I meant to post a couple weeks ago, but if I barely had time to breathe, I most certainly was going to have a hard time finding an opportunity to blog. On Friday, June 18th I went to a reading and book signing of "Princess of Glass" at Jordon Landing. As Jessica Day George is one of my all time favorite authors, needless to say I was spastic with excitement for the next few days after finding out about the reading. It died down then flared back up as the date approached. And lasted for several days afterward. It was great to meet my favorite author, to get a few questions answered, and to hear about upcoming projects. I feel "in the loop" now. <br /><br />In other news...<br /><br /><strong><em>Novel Repairs</em></strong><br />Oh, boy. Just for the record, I really hate editing my own stuff with a passion like none other, but I'm just a poor zoo gift shop cashier/janitor and I can't afford to have a professional do it. Luckily for me, my new CD of solo Native American flute is helping to keep me calm and in the zone.d While there are moments I doubt my own abilities when I come across lines I like then, but loath now it also makes me feel better when I read lines that are really good and there's that moment of "Whoa, I wrote that." The good news is that all the editing is done now and the changes are in the computer. I can be happy again! Don't take my ranting of editing the wrong way, doing edits yourself is a good thing because you come across things that you may want to reword or something you forgot to add that you wanted to. To some it all up, that light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer by the minute. To all you writers in progress out there, keep going and you'll accomplish great things. I wish only the best for you.<br /><br />And there you go. You're all caught up. I'll try to post more often in the future. Until then, happy writing!Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-62296546805030934112010-06-14T08:20:00.000-07:002010-06-14T08:43:11.949-07:00Princess of Glass<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzN7-TqQl86OJnz0reqLE-2DFIW5JBn47HAac4iQ83Jr-7dz37LuFJmRbD0M9Rtf5N8o6kpvntTo5IlDyGV_YsP8ohLbXnQDyTtBDKFJz_lvQsEYvdCxuSIdxNJwf-4fecxG2xq72TFmY/s1600/princess+of+glass.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 213px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 303px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzN7-TqQl86OJnz0reqLE-2DFIW5JBn47HAac4iQ83Jr-7dz37LuFJmRbD0M9Rtf5N8o6kpvntTo5IlDyGV_YsP8ohLbXnQDyTtBDKFJz_lvQsEYvdCxuSIdxNJwf-4fecxG2xq72TFmY/s1600/princess+of+glass.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong>Synopsis: Having once been cursed to dance every night with her sisters, Princess Poppy has vowed never again to put on a pair of dancing slippers. Which is why she's reluctant to participate in the royal exchange program that her father and some of the neighboring kings have cooked up. Life in far-off Breton isn't so bad, not when there's money to be won playing cards and a handsome prince promising friendship... and maybe something more. But when a hapless servant named Eleanora enters the picture and sets <em>her</em> sights on the prince, too, which girl will win his heart? And who is behind the magnificent gowns and slippers that penniless Eleanora has been wearing to the balls? Only Princess Poppy can see through the magic that holds the rest of the kingdom in a spell. And having fought against one curse before, she's just the girl to take on another!</strong></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>My Thoughts: It's a new twist on a classic fairy tale. It's romantic, fun, and magical, bound to make every part of you smile. This is one of those books that you are going to stay up into the late hours of the night reading. Yeah, it's that good. Another masterpiece; on a scale from 1 to 10, it's a 15.</em> </div>Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-34479372929284205202010-06-08T11:29:00.000-07:002010-06-08T12:03:39.078-07:00Teen Writer's Conference 2010Hello, hello, hello! I hope your summer has been off to a great start. Mine certainly has. Saturday was the second annual Teen Writer's Conference and I'm so, so, SO glad I got to go. The moment I walked in it was like I had entered a writer sanctuary. 'There were teen writers all around and of course there were books. And authors, lots and lots of authors, Karen E. Hoover ("The Sapphire Flute"), Lisa Mangum ("The Hourglass Door"), Dan Wells ("I Am Not a Serial Killer"), and Julie Wright ("My Not-So-Fairy-Tale Life") just to name a few.<br />I took Karen's morning class about getting ideas and it totally rocked. I will be reviewing her book on her later. During the lunch break I got to hang out with Lisa Mangum and a few other young, aspiring writers in what came to be called "The Circle of Cool." She is sooooo nice and funny and awesome, I'm so excited to read her book (which I will be reviewing as well). And then I had a fan-girl moment when I looked up during my editing to see that it was Bron Bahlmann ("Bone Warriors") I had sat next to. After lunch there were more classes to partake in, including one about preparing to submit to publishers, followed by the question and answer session. And then the most anticipated part of the entire conference-- the announcement of the contest winners. Just like last year they had seven places, but there was a slight change in the scoring scheme and because of that three people tied for first and four tied for second. Unfortunately, I didn't win anything this year. The first place winners all had 87, second place all had 86. I got an 85. I was off by one point. One. Stinking. Point. <br />Don't get confused, I wasn't too disappointed and for one main reason. We got to see our score sheets this year. The judges for the competition were published authors. Down at the bottom of each of the three score sheets was a space for comments. I had comments like: "Awesome! Would love to read this as a book!" "This piece totally rocked. I would DEFINITELY keep reading!" and "Loved the beginning of this piece. I would definitely want to keep reading. Well done!" Published authors, published, in print, go-buy-their-books-at-bookstores authors were saying this about my stuff. How cool is that!!!!! Overall, a very productive day and I can't wait for next year.<br />Be sure to keep an eye out for my review of "Princess of Glass."Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-40180955191991917052010-05-24T14:57:00.000-07:002010-05-24T15:40:05.120-07:00Tawnni's Bookshelf 2Howdy folks! I'm back with more of my favorites to share with you. Let's start things off with an old classic that's very dear to my heart.<br /><br /><em>The Three Musketeers</em> by Alexandre Dumas- D'Artagnan came to Paris to be a Musketeer. While in Paris, he falls in the "three inseparables" Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Together, they attempt to stop the villainous cardinal from advancing his own power.<br /><br /><em>To Catch a Pirate</em> by Jade Parker- After the gold on her father's ship is stolen by the ruthless pirate Crimson Kelly, Annalisa Towsend will stop at nothing to get it back and clear her father's name. When she comes across James Sterling, a castoff pirate from Crimson Kelly's ship, she decides to use him to get the gold back, but can she really trust a pirate?<br /><br /><em>Pillage</em> by Obert Skye- Beck Philips has just moved his with his crazy uncle. Soon after, he finds a hidden conservatory behind his uncle's mansion and a hidden basement containing a record of a family line that learned to raise dragons to pillage towns. Maybe his uncle's not so crazy after all.<br /><br /><em>Dragon Slippers</em> by Jessica Day George- Creel's aunt decided to give her to the local dragon in hopes a handsome prince would rescue her. However, Creel talked her way out of the clutches of one dragon, even getting pair of slippers in the deal. Unfortunately, she finds her way into the lair of another dragon. And what's the deal with everyone being worked up about those slippers? (by the way, if you read this one, you're going to have to read the sequels.)<br /><br /><em>Fly by Night</em> by Frances Hardinge- Mosca had to get out of her little town and Mr. Eponymous Clent is the perfect ticket to do so. It's not long before she realizes that Mr. Clent is not what he says. Now the two of them take off on an adventure to learn the mystery behind a floating school and an illegal printing press.<br /><br /><em>The Secret of Castle Cant</em> by K. P. Bath- Lucy was maidservant to the Baron of Cant's daughter. Outside the castle, the chewing gum rebellion was at hand. Things only seem to worsen after the Baron dies of sickness and some claim that his daughter isn't the actual heir to the barony.<br /><br /><em>Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians</em> by Mark Twain and Lee Nelson- In the novel that Twain never finished and Nelson did, Tom and Huck travel west to rescue two girls that were kidnapped by Indians. During their travels, they encounter the army, a Mormon wagon train, friendly Ute Indians, and trappers in a journey that takes Huck from Missouri all the way to California.<br /><br /><em>The Moor</em> by Laurie R. King- In this more recent addition to my collection, we return to the scene set in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles." There have been recent reports of a ghastly carriage riding along the moor at night with a spectral hound running ahead of it. Now a local is missing. Sherlock Holmes thinks there's something going on. With his trusted partner and wife, Mary Russell, at his side they return to the moor to solve the mystery once and for all.<br /><br />There you are. I've made my recommendations for summer reading. I hope you find one you love. I'm usually the one giving the suggestions, but do you have any suggestions for me? What are some of your favorite books?Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6306860141464288501.post-67738900426574672942010-05-17T16:06:00.000-07:002010-05-17T16:24:35.762-07:00Big Days AheadA couple of big days are coming up for me. Pegasus 2010, my school's literary magazine, comes out this Thursday, featuring two of my poems (<em>The Jester King's Court</em> and <em>Open Eyes</em>). There will be a reading after school that day and I'm super excited. June 5th is the annual Teen Writer's Conference in Ogden. Once again they're doing their writing contest and I'm entered in it. I came in 2nd last year and I'm eager to see how I do this year. <br /><br />As for the editing of my novel, I've moved on to doing little nit picky edits, change a word here, reword a sentence there, add a paragraph over there. Unfortunately, the end of the tunnel is far away, but progress is progress no matter what speed. <br /><br />And one more thing before I forget, Jessica Day George's new book "Princess of Glass" comes out on the 25th, that's only 8 short days away. She's amazing and you will absolutely adore her books. If you haven't read any of them before, there's still time before the 25th. You'll love 'em, I guarantee it. <br /><br />Okay, that's all. Happy Writing!Tawnni Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13198104799117899253noreply@blogger.com0