Sunday, June 5, 2011

Undeleted this blog because I'm bored and want to play with it. Someday I'll decide which blog to keep. For now I guess I'm okay taking care of four. :D

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Wow! I haven't been on this blog in a long, long time!

I haven't actually abandoned blogging. I've been updating the other blog way more. But even that one hasn't had much life since I've been on a trip, and well, both my blogs are dead right now. But I felt like updating this one.

I visited Blogger after about a week and found out I have 3 more followers than I did last time, so that helps. That might have something to do with my decision to blog again.

I'm getting a treatment on my hands. I guess it's between some kind of arthritis, and the very beginning of the carpal tunnel getting sore, but anyway it's not as advanced as I thought it was. For a few days I'll be doing this treatment. Part of the treatment is to dip my hands in wax so I feel like a candle. :D But it works because I really do feel better. Not perfect yet, but there's still a few days left. I'm confident this'll make some kind of difference.

I gave up inkpop swapping for Lent, and it's pretty much the only thing I gave up for Lent that I actually could stick with. I've been kind of going up and down between spots 9 and 12. I think tonight I'll be in the top 10, number 6. That means The Wishing Well is going to be a top pick on...May?

I keep starting new stories that never make it past a couple chapters. I sometimes wonder if I'll be able to finish a book at all this year, or if I'll just spend it editing and promoting what I already wrote. I guess we'll see.

My faith blog is dead. I could update it more but I have this problem with not being able to update it for various reasons. Looking for inspiration here!! >.< Actually...I have lots I could blog about.
I need to work on it. *pulls up document to draft a decent blog post* Maybe I'll have better luck with long blog posts than short ones.

I'm out of things to say now.
HUGS! :)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

INKPOP MUST-READS – Nightland

nightlandNightland
by Kelly Moton
Book: Paranormal, Horror, Romance
“Welcome to Nightland, the place where all of your dreams come from. It isn’t as pleasant as your visions have made it. Far from pleasant.”
Berlin is a daydreamer, never focusing on the real world. With her most
recent dreams, she is in a world filled with the supernatural. The beings are life-like, as if they are, in fact, real.
She is soon told of things that she can’t comprehend. Should she believe what is happening, or write it off as a dream? Admitting that Nightland is real would mean she must join it and do everything she is told.
a NIGHTLAND novel

Right now I’m too busy obsessing over the sheer genius of this story to write a nice, structured, professional review. It’s one of the best stories I’ve seen on here—ever. So instead of trying to put together a lengthy description of what I liked most and why, I’ll share on here the commentary that was going on in my head as I read it:
This. Is. SUCH a cool book.
The first chapter pulls you in with the lovely description. I can see the character already. And it's intense--SO intense.
REALLY THIS IS AMAZING!!!
*stops obsessing and keeps reading* :D :D
*reaches the end of chapter three and is convinced this is one of the best stories she's ever read on inkpop* *keeps reading*
That was actually my second comment, as I became more obsessive. My first comment, where I asked for permission to blog about this, was a bit more formal but I was fangirling like crazy deep inside:

Wow, the first chapter is almost perfect. There were a few places where punctuation was missing, but no typos, nothing to really interrupt the flow. I liked this a lot. Your talent is obvious and I'm reading on when I get the chance.

The characters are well-introduced, and none of this is an info dump. Your voice is easy to read, and I could picture everything you described. Honestly I have nothing to critique. I'm picking this when I have a spot, and coming back later for more.
I tried to write another review that made sense, for my blog…but then I just got too obsessed and gave up. So instead you get the OMG COMMENTARY I shared earlier in this blog post. :D

So I kept reading. I haven’t finished reading it yet, but I’m working on it. You should read it, too. Honestly. She has an awesome writing style, and she’s spinning a story that has me clinging to the computer screen. It’s so different, in a good way. My imagination can get away and this is a breath of fresh air. I’m just in such a fangirl mode right now.
I love the paranormal. Nightland is one of the best paranormal books I’ve seen on inkpop yet. I know this review didn’t sound too professional. I’ll keep reading and not care. Trust me, this book is worth the read. Go read it now!

Friday, February 4, 2011

INKPOP MUST-READS – Shadowland

untitled

by elizabethmichaels
Book: Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Horror
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." But I had every reason to be afraid...
...for the evil was real. And it was waiting for me.
No one willingly goes to Shadow Valley. When fifteen-year-old Ever Grace finds herself there, wondering what happened, she can think of only one thing…how to escape.
But escape, she finds, is not so easy. There are lots of reasons to stay. First there’s the promise of finding the father who vanished from their lives years ago. If she leaves, he will be forever lost. But is he really alive or is it all just a trick?
Then there’s Ethan, the infinitely handsome, slightly older boy who seems too good to be true. Does he really care about her or is Ethan just a means of seduction, something to bind her to a place she’s so desperate to leave?
When an evil infects the town and people begin to die, she knows her only chance for survival is to escape, but every attempt only uncovers another of the town‘s terrible, shocking secrets. And with every discovery, the mystery of where she is and why only deepens.
With time running out, Ever must find the truth among the lies. Just what is Shadow Valley and more importantly, can anyone survive?

I remember reading this a few weeks back because it was under the What’s New section, and I enjoyed it back then. I read three chapters because it’s got a hook, an awesome one, and commented and picked. Then later the author asked me to swap for it but since I’d already read and picked it, I figured I could read more chapters to make it count. I’m sure glad I did because this book does not disappoint as you read farther in! As of yet I’ve found nothing to critique…at all. Which is definitely a first!
I don’t just like it because of the title—I know some of my friends are aware of my obsession with any story shadow-related!—although it is a pretty cool title. The writing is engrossing and there are twists that, wow, I never saw coming. I haven’t quite finished reading yet, but I definitely plan to, and I insist that you give this story a read! You won’t be disappointed! I’ve never seen anything like it—clever, well-written, and you’re at the edge of your seat the whole time. It’s one of my favorite stories on inkpop, ever. So read it.
I would be more specific with the awesomeness of this story, but I don't want to spoil anything. I feel it would shatter the mystery. Just go read it and you'll see why I'm rambling! ♥
6/5 stars!!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

First draft of my formal description of AUTUMN OF SECRETS!

So on inkpop I was prompted to write a formal description of my novel, as if I were writing it to an agent. This is only the first rough draft, and I know I'll be changing it several times. BUT I need your help!! Will someone please comment on this post for feedback?! I'm starting to think that, to get any form of reaction at all on either of my blogs, I've got to say something controversial or get published or something. It didn't used to be that way. WHERE HAS EVERYONE GONE? Dx ;-;

[/end moping session]

So here goes!

Autumn of Secrets follows the story of a teenage girl named Olivia who, after her parents' divorce, is whisked away by her mother to live in a small town in Maine--one that nobody has heard of before, and she doesn't think has any family ties with them. The first week that they live there, she realizes there's something seriously wrong with this neighborhood--and the wishing well down the street. Maybe her mother has been hiding something. Everyone else on Casaway sure is.


Then a neighbor named Ian finally tells her about the wishing well, and how it has a cycle in granting wishes--perfectly, then oddly, then tragically. The frightening truth sinks in, that the reason these kids haven't told Olivia anything is because they are waiting for her to make the tragic wish, thus clearing the way for the other two. Suddenly she can't trust anybody, not even her mother, who still won't say a word about her motives for the move.

But she's become friends with them all, despite their secrecy. How much longer will Olivia be able to handle the truth--that she's being used as a sacrifice, watched like prey, and has been from the moment she came?

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Wendy's Writing Adventures!: Interview with "Autumn of Secrets" Author, Mariell...

My good friend Wendy asked to interview me for her new blog, and I accepted! It was a ton of fun. Follow her blog, it's going to be awesome!

Wendy's Writing Adventures!: Interview with "Autumn of Secrets" Author, Mariell...: "Hey everyone! Tonight I had the awesome opportunity to chat with 'Autumn of Secrets' author, Mariella Hunt! She's made the extraordinary ..."

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

INKPOP MUST-READS – The House of Departed Minds

I’m back with another INKPOP MUST-READ!
departedminds
The House of Departed Minds
by Jonty
Book: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery
Right and Wrong do not exist within these walls...
When Gabriel Spencer makes a stand against the horrific treatment of the mentally ill in America, in the year 1812, he is punished for doing the right thing by being thrown into the dark world of The House of Departed Minds. The house exists as an asylum for those who are considered to be outcasts from society.
Trapped within and having lost his life, Gabriel knows he needs to escape to save himself and the other good people like him. But hidden in the asylum he finds dark secrets, a whole new perspective of right and wrong... and the love of his life. He soon learns that sometimes doing the right thing isn't as simple or easy as it seems.
 
When I started reading this story I really had not expected something like this. But honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it before. The plot is so unique, and the characters, wow.
I love how the setting is so easy to melt into. You’re a part of this historical fiction. The description is amazing, full of action. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time. It was absolutely believable and wow.
The pacing is very near perfect. I haven’t caught any filler chapters yet, and as far as I can tell, all the scenes are crucial to the story. I’m absolutely hooked on it and I’m most certainly on the update list.
The main character is not your usual main character. Of course he’s got a goal, he wants to do the right thing, there’s always obstacles. But despite all this, he's not a mary-sue, he's very much a unique and admirable character. His goals are different, I really liked him from the first chapter. I rooted for him immediately because he came off as a really noble person. He's not the rash kind of character that's marching fearlessly into a difficult cause completely certain of success. He knows it's going to be hard but he does it anyway, despite the moments of doubt. He's very human, yet awesome all the same.
I’m not going to say ‘wow’ again. I’m going to go and finish reading. I recommend this story to fans of historical fiction all the way—and to just about everyone, really. This was a rare treat, especially on inkpop, and I’m glad I found it!

Monday, January 31, 2011

OxKrisTeeAuhOx: Imma about to go all Kung FU PANDA on ALEX PETTYFE...

Best. Blog. Post. Rant. EVER. READ IT. AND I HOPE ALEX PETTYFER SEES IT. XD

OxKrisTeeAuhOx: Imma about to go all Kung FU PANDA on ALEX PETTYFE...: "Hmmmmmm glad I caught ya'lls attention. :D Ya heard me, and if Alex by any SLIGHT chance you see this, watch it boy. *squints the wat..."

Sunday, January 30, 2011

I NEED TO...

  • Finish I Am Number Four and begin City of Glass.
  • Finish God's Battalions and begin Evidence for Christianity.
  • FINISH EDITING AUTUMN OF SECRETS!!! Ugh.
  • Finish reading some stories on inkpop and write a few reviews and get ready to interview some of my writer friends :)
  • Organize this blog...it's about to get more use than ever!!
  • Figure out Twitter.
  • Come up with more things to write on my faith blog.
  • Give The Shadow a quick proofread.
  • Figure out a way to get more followers on my blog...Twitter might help...
  • Sort out books that are coming to Peru with me.
  • Select a nice journal, to take on my challenge I came up with to read the Bible more and take notes as I go. It can't be my faith blog because my journal entries are likely to be weird and hard to understand. It has to be a journal.
  • Take some pictures of random things because I feel like it.
  • Work on commenting on friends' blogs!
  • Do chores.
  • And more.
This'll be fun.
ON I GO!
*dash*

Thursday, January 27, 2011

INKPOP MUST-READS - Forsaken Angel


I've only read the first chapter so far but it's incredibly well-written and the characters are very awesome! This project is worth the read :) I'll blog more about it when I finish reading!

Forsaken Angel

by untouchable_124
Book: Adventure, Mystery, Romance, Humor

Two people. Two secrets. One fate.

Since 1945, Germany has been desolate and abandoned, due to extreme radioactivity from the nuclear bombing that ended the war in Europe. The country has been isolated for decades, until the scientists who have been studying the environment announce that the radioactive levels are low.

When Dodgeville High student, Mary Blair, ends up joining others on the study program to Germany, a twist of fate permanently entwines her life with that of Will Gold, a sarcastic, mysterious boy with a secret he isn't willing to share. At first, it seems as if their situation is just a fluke, but it soon becomes apparent that that's not the case. The stakes are raised and their existence becomes the ultimate race for survival, but winning might be impossible.

After all...Will Gold isn't the only one with a secret.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

I started a faith-related blog!

It was a somewhat daunting task for me at first. I mean, I can barely write about myself, so how much can I say about faith? And yet, once I actually sat down to write my first blog post, I found I couldn't stop. I had so much to say, I have so much to say, and it's more interesting to write about my beliefs than it is to ramble on here about myself--especially while I can't write. I made it a separate blog, so here is the link. I'll also link to it on my sidebar. I'm going to have fun with this, and while there's the risk of saying the wrong thing, I don't really care. I'm not afraid. I feel like I'm not only using my writing for my own enjoyment, but now I'm also helping spread the Word. You can follow the other blog if you're interested, but if you're not, I totally understand--no worries.

I'm reading Wicked Lovely, and thoroughly enjoying it.
I have two chapters left to edit for Autumn of Secrets, and then I'm hurrying to proofread The Shadow before I put it up.

See? That's about all I can say about myself. :P I really need to get another hobby I can ramble about...like maybe try art again. Maybe some other time.

Hope you're having a good day! :)

Saturday, January 15, 2011

I haven’t written a thing since November.

Yup, that’s right. It’s the longest I’ve ever gone without writing something. It’s because of the Carpal Tunnel syndrome, and my hands are killing me, driving me absolutely nuts. I can read…I can jot ideas into my journal…but I can’t look forward to finishing Fall of the Falcon in a week, like I might have been able to do at around this time last year.

Remember when I used to say that being unable to write is like having breathing complications, and how I hoped I would never have to go through such thing? Well, ha ha, I’m going through it now. :-( I used to be the Queen of Speed when it came to writing (a title given to me by Cherise that I enjoyed very much.) Now, when I finally get back to writing, I will no longer be able to write 100k in a month. Overusing my hands was a great mistake, and I urge you not to do the same. Not if you want to keep writing, and avoid teetering on the edge of insanity. If you’re writing 100k per month and getting caught up in it, I strongly advise you to slow down and think about what this will do to you in the future…I wish I had done that, and I wish someone had warned me. I’d heard of Carpal Tunnel syndrome before, but never paid much attention to it. I was the confident speed-typer, nothing could stop me—not even an injury that comes with overuse of your hands!! Well…now I can’t write much at all. So I was brought back down to earth, and have realized that I really ought to have taken better care of myself. Please don’t be as careless as I was, even if you love writing—especially if you love writing, because then you’ll get those ‘breathing complications.’

My amazing mom :) has been taking care of me, and she knows a good hand doctor in Peru that we’re going to see when we visit down there this year. Hopefully he can speed up the treatment. When I finally feel better, I’ll stop abusing of my writing ability and no longer write for quantity—only quality. This might mean becoming the slowest writer in the world, but I honestly don’t care, as long as I can write.
Meanwhile, I’ve been reading a lot on inkpop, and catching up on my theology. I’ve probably got a hundred books on history and the Bible and the Church that I have put ‘in line’ for reading for years;  expect me to be very well-educated when I’m finally ‘back in the business…’ Already God is showing me other things He wants me to use my writing for, so sometimes I wonder if He purposefully put my fiction writing to a halt, if only temporarily. I might have mistakenly made writing more important than Him. **shifty eyes** I’ve found myself encountering Him in so many new ways since I’ve started reading about these things, and I can’t wait to carry out some of these projects He’s told me about.

I’m still on inkpop, trying to promote Autumn of Secrets. It’s teetering between spots 23 and 26, and I can’t seem to secure a rank right now. I still have to edit the last six chapters, and I’m doing a great job procrastinating. But also,  having hand pains is a good excuse for not editing. **grins** I’ll be putting up four chapters of The Shadow on Valentine’s Day, so that it can make the top 5 and I’ll build a following for it; this will look very good in query letters. I’ve realized, though, that it needs a round or two of proofreading before it goes up. Good thing there’s still some ways to go before Valentine’s Day.

I’m still planning the end of Fall of the Falcon, and coming up with a sequel to Autumn of Secrets. I love index cards and outlines, and thank goodness I can still write by hand and it doesn’t bother me that much. I’ve been keeping a diary and writing in it daily. I’m still reading Pure by Rebecca St. James and doing the daily exercises. I’ve been reading the theological works of Scott Hahn, including Hail, Holy Queen and The Lamb’s Supper. I take notes as I read, so I go slowly. Tonight I’ll take a picture of my theology bookshelf and you’ll see my reading list. :D I have like, half the religion section from Barnes and Noble. Looks like it’s finally time to read them!!

I also have a few YA books to read. I’m especially excited to read I Am Number Four, but first I need to finish Incarceron…it’s taking forever because I’m slow with fiction lately…

Please follow me on Goodreads! Scroll all the way down to see my virtual bookshelf, and add me as a friend. :)

Other things I can think of that you may or may not care about:
-I love the Mortal Instruments books, even though some people don’t. I’m on the second book so far and am enjoying it greatly.
-I got a nice cover for my nook (Barnes and Noble eBook reader) and a booklight.
-I make my own sticky notes because I hate writing in my theology books to take notes on a certain page.
-I’m becoming obsessed with Sugarland. One of my new favorite bands. Also, listen to Natalie Walker. Gorgeous stuff.

That’s about it for now! I just felt like updating tonight. :) Until next time (whenever that is)--
~Mariella

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Happy New Year!!

On Valentine's Day, I will put up the first 10k (and only 10k) of The Shadow. (10k out of 104k isn't really giving much away. *grins* So I'm not that worried.) I did a ton of debating before making this decision (weeks worth of debating, and I asked tons of people for advice,) but realized that having it make the top 5 will be beneficial for this book. I'm looking forward to that, and trying to get a lot of promotion done before it's out.
Meanwhile, I'm almost done rewriting Autumn of Secrets for probably the last time...I might proofread it, but the plot is staying as it is. I'll be writing the sequel slowly since my hands have been bothering me a lot lately, and I'll be putting it up chapter by chapter, so there'll be an update list for it. I'm making it so it can be a stand-alone, that way it won't be too confusing for new readers.
 
I've finally finished typing up what I handwrote of Fall of the Falcon, and I've reached a block as far as inspiration goes. I've been writing down significant scenes on index cards as I come up with them. Once no more scenes come to me, I'll arrange them and fill in the blanks with smaller scenes.
 
I've been struggling with hand pains that might be Carpal Tunnel syndrome. It's got me more depressed than I've ever been before, because I can't write. I can read, and edit a little, but I just can't write like I used to. That's why I'll be taking my time with the sequel to Autumn of Secrets, and I'm not that crazy about finishing Fall of the Falcon in a week (like I might have been able to do last year at around this time.) I'm praying really hard that it gets better, because I'm not going to stop writing. There's just no way.
 
Remember how I adored Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare? (Maybe not...it's probably the old blog that I had my fangirlish post up on.) Well, I finally started reading City of Bones and am more of a fangirl than ever. I totally want to be a Shadowhunter. I think I'll be devouring this series fast.
 
For Christmas I got a nook, a Barnes and Noble eBook reader. There's some books on there for free, and others that you can get for an incredibly low price. The time I can't spend writing I have been using to read (not to mention all the reading I do on inkpop for swaps.) Seeing as I have internet access and can get to inkpop on it as well, I love my nook; I think it's gonna be my sidekick.
 
I hope you're having a good new year so far! I sure am. :)

Trailer for The Wishing Well

(The trailer still has the title Autumn of Secrets, but that's the only thing that changed--the plot is the same!)


Thanks to Nickname for making this trailer!