FROST Blurb!!

Hello, everyone! Happy Monday!

Last week I revealed the cover for my upcoming fantasy, Frost. Today I'm unveiling the blurb:

In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could end up dead--and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and failure just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest--a young stranger named Gabe--Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.

But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle the farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but every move she makes puts her in more danger. 

Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?

Frost is a YA fantasy with dystopian, sci fi, and suspense elements.

NOW. I have one more bit of information! The official release date is April 3rd. If any of you guys are interested in helping me celebrate the launch week on your blog with a chapter excerpt, author interview, cover/links post, or some other Frost-related thing around April 3rd, shoot me an email at kellisonwrites(AT)gmail(DOT)com! I'd LOVE to have some help getting the word out come April!


**If you're a book blogger interested in reviewing Frost, feel free to contact me about review copies. I'm already contacting some reviewers now--but if you want to make sure you hear from me, shoot me an email!**

I Am A Dork

SPOILER ALERT: This post spoils a 60-year-old movie, ya'll ;-) So be forewarned.

So, this might be news to some of you guys, but... I am kind of a dork.

Case in point--I was hanging out with these people who are all about 25% cooler than me, and they were teasing our mutual friend because he was irritated over an article spoiling the plot point of a movie that is at least ten years old (but he's never gotten around to seeing yet).

I joined in the fun.

See, I like to think I'm like Lorelai Gilmore or something, snapping out these pithy pop culture references a mile a minute. But when I try to do that, usually this happens:

If life ever needed a hashtag, it's now. #fail

I have also accidentally referred to David Bowie as Jim Bowie, as in the Alamo guy.

I know it in my head, but it just comes out wrong.

Do you ever have any dorky moments of #fail?

PS ~ Captain Nemo looked over my shoulder while I was writing this, saw the first picture, and said, "Hon, it's ROSEBUD."

Me: "Yes, I know..." *sigh*

Coming Soon: FROST!

I have a new book coming soon!

FROST will be released April 3rd!

Book description and other details coming soon! EDIT: Read the blurb here!

Something NEW is coming...!

Something new is coming this April...

Here's one hint: YA fantasy with a hint of dystopian/steampunk.

:)

Okay, here's another hint. It's set in a place like this:

(from here)

I won't give any more information out yet, but stay tuned!!! Title, cover reveal, and blurb to come...

Love This Quote

“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.”

~Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

I Think My Family Is Tired of This Speech

Every time I hear someone say that the book is always better than the movie, I have to bite my tongue to keep from saying this:

Romeo + Jane Eyre = Major Literary Shenanigans, People!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

It's Valentine's Day, the day we come together as a culture with our significant others, friends, or family to celebrate love, romance, red and pink balloons, and all the other glitzy lures of this Hallmark holiday. (Or, if you're cheap frugal like Captain Nemo and me, you might be celebrating Valentine's Day on WEDNESDAY because that is when all the chocolate is on sale and the restaurants are less crowded).

Anyway, in honor of all this February 14th lovefestery, I thought I'd play a little game. I saw this idea on BookRiot a month or so ago, and then again yesterday someone brought up the subject on KindleBoards. It's...

Fictional Character Mashups, baby!

It's pretty simple. Take a character, any character, and pair them with another character from a completely different book. Explain your reasoning about why you think they'd make a good match. You aren't limited to the same time period or genre, either. It's fun!

I thought I'd pick some literary characters and play match-maker! I've even included obnoxious helpful shipper names for you guys!
 
Sydney Carton (A Tale of Two Cities) and Emma Woodhouse (Emma), AKA Symma

Symma!

Sydney Carton was one of my first literary crushes. He is handsome, brilliant, clever, caustic, and desperately in need of love. I wept like a baby at the end of ATOTC when I read it in high school, and I think it's high time Sydney found some love. He loved Lucie, but I never really cared for her--she was a little too much "conventional sweetness and happy homemaking" for my taste. I think he needs a woman with a little fire, someone as sharp and clever as he is, someone who will appreciate his intelligence while also inspiring a little gentleness in him. Emma is clever and snarky while still being a bit of a "girly girl," which I have a feeling Sydney likes given his attraction to Lucie. I think they could really enjoy each other's company.

Alternate option: Elizabeth Bennet, AKA Syzabeth (those Austen ladies... what can I say?)


Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) and Valek (Poison Study), AKA Katlek 

Who (besides Peeta and Gale) do you think would make a good match for this fearless heroine? She's tough as nails and capable of taking care of herself, but I think she needs someone who could be a good partner for her, equal to her strength and skills. She also probably needs someone who can deal with the fact that she's been through so much, plus gracefully handle her celebrity status. I think Valek fits well because he is clever and ruthless like her, but her fierce love for her family would probably soften him a little. Since Valek was a former assassin, Katniss won't have to take care of him in dangerous situations, and as the right-hand man for the Commander of Ixia, he won't be star-struck by her fame, either. Win-win situation.

Romeo (Romeo and Juliet) and Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre), AKA Jomeo

Okay, this might seem like an odd pairing. But I've always felt that Juliet was disappointingly passive. Rather than run away with her new husband that she's secretly married, she stays with her family while he is banished and then FAKES HER OWN DEATH rather than fess up to to her 'rents that she's been, well, previously claimed. I can't say that I really blame the girl, given her age, the time, and the circumstances, but... I think Romeo might have benefited from a slightly more stalwart lady. And Jane is pretty spunky in a way that doesn't completely defy all convention, AKA she's clever, so she'd be totally sneaky about it too. I can totally see her climbing down that balcony to Romeo and running off with him under the cover of night.

Harry Potter (Harry Potter) and Katarina Bishop (Heist Society), AKA Karry

Okay, I know what you're thinking. This list is getting more and more ridiculous. But admit it. Harry falling for a muggle would really throw a wrench into things. Would it even work? I confess I'd really love to find out. And Kat is no ordinary muggle, either. She's a brilliant thief--practically magical. She's smart, spunky, and cool during a crisis. And if you're dating the Boy Who Lived, that last quality is a MUST.

Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables) and Huck Finn (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), AKA Hanne (with an "e")

Shut up, people. They would be AMAZING together. She's totally the spunky dreamer, and he's the scruffy bad-boy who would probably find himself simultaneously repelled and fascinated by her. It WORKS.

TEAM HANNE WITH AN E.

Somebody needs to make me a .gif with that, STAT.


Happy Valentine's Day, folks!


--------------------
 PS


(upon reading the draft of this post)

Captain Nemo: I think you've used the word "spunky" to describe every girl on this list.

Me: Duh. That's because SPUNKY LADIES ARE THE BEST!!