Guest Blogger Cassy - Crazy? You Decide

Do you know what would be fun? If I could do this whole blog post with a really thick New York accent. *waves arms dramatically* I think that would be funny and my hubby, I’m sure would not.  My father-in-law has a very thick New York accent, and it’s real. I love it. (Hey, maybe that’s why my hubby doesn’t like my fake one?! )  Earlier this fall, my sweetheart took me and our kids to the east coast to meet his father.  We also got to meet a ton of his relatives that even he didn’t know about. I took a ton away from this vacay--really I did--but my two favorite things about New Yorkers? [Disclaimer: We only got to spend three days there and were with family most of the time. I’m sure there are many other things I will love about NY when we get to go back someday.] Their accent and how loud they are!! I’m a loud person, and I’m very well aware of this fact (it may have been mentioned a time or two on report cards). But with my hubby’s family it was no competition--I was the quiet one! Me! I never thought I’d see the day! Plus, I got to work on my own New York accent.  My hubby is still not a huge fan, my kids LOVE it. My four year old calls it my New York action, and that’s just too awesome to correct!  When I get excited I find myself slipping into it...

Recently, I found myself unable to stop with the NY accent (ya, I was that excited)! Amanda and I got to go the Midnight Madness that is The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn, Part 1!  I so wanted to see the Twihards!! I thought for sure I’d get to see fangs and capes and people dressed like their favorite characters. They all must have gone to a different theatre. We sure saw a lot of t-shirts though and man I would’ve loved being a cashier in Hot Topic that afternoon! We did have a ton of fun, and laughed so hard all night!!

I find it wildly entertaining to see how into books people get! Check any of your favorite authors' blogs or Facebook pages--there are fans out there that have made books and their characters part of their own reality! It’s awesome!

You see, I just found my home in this genre [PNR/UF] of reading barely over a year ago. I’ve always been a reader, mostly John Grisham, Mary Higgins-Clark and the likes. Amanda had tried converting me for years to no avail. But one afternoon I sat down with a book that we like to refer to as the “gateway drug” (Twilight) and I was hooked! I’ll admit it! As soon as I finished the series Amanda handed me a grocery sack full of books and said, “If you liked that you’re gonna love these!”

Inside the sack were Jeaniene Frost’s Nighthuntress Series and Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series.  I loved them and I needed more! I’m a pretty fast reader and in six month’s time I read 120 books!! (That’s why we call it the “gateway drug”-I was on the verge of divorce and my family was preparing to stage an intervention! Just joking...I think!) I use Facebook as a tool to stalk my favorite authors and book blogs. I unfriended everyone I know because I was tired of them posting stupid shit in my news stream and interfering with important author updates. I can’t believe how at home I feel with these book people!

My Mom used to live in the Tri-Cities of Washington State and last year I planned my visit to coincide with the release of Patricia Briggs's River Marked, and the signing that was (I kid you not) two blocks from my Mom’s apartment.  So I spent four and a half hours in line waiting to meet Patty and get her autograph.  It is one of the highlights of my life. I’ve never done anything like that before (oh ya, I’m a newby!).  So my questions for you dear reader: What’s the craziest, most fun thing you’ve ever done in the name of literature? What do I need to have on my bucket list? Don’t hold back, I’m only 31 so I could have anywhere from a day left to like 75 years and I plan on having fun! 

Deep Fried and Covered in Chocolate

Not long ago, I read every single Janet Evanovich book I could get my hands on. My main focus however, was the Stephanie Plum Series. Her books are so much fun! In every book there is a bag of donuts. Her characters…Eat…Donuts! They go to bakeries, buy bags of donuts and eat all of them! Either this is fiction at its finest or I am hanging out with the wrong groups. I know very few women who would actually confess to eating a single donut, let alone a whole bag!

I want to eat donuts a bagful at a time! I love apple fritters and maple bars, sugared donuts, donut holes, cinnamon twists, the ones with chocolate frosting and little sprinkles, Boston Creams that are so full of pudding you need a handful of napkins just to look at them. I love sucking the sweet sugary glaze off my fingertips! Mmmmmmmmm... I wish I could eat a bagful of donuts right now and every morning for breakfast! (Oh, and I don't want to get fat or high cholesterol or feel guilty because of it!)

Amanda has talked about this subject in a couple of blog posts: foods characters eat and how it makes them more relatable to the reader. Amanda’s Darian eats Honey Nut Cheerios and Charley Davidson from Darynda Jones’ series takes in coffee via an IV drip (*wink* no, not literally). In Tracey Garvis-Graves' book ON THE ISLAND, TJ and Anna like to talk about the foods they will eat if they are ever rescued (fountain Cokes with lots of ice, Doritos, Slim Jims…). Seeing, or rather, reading about people’s food habits does make them more relatable. Food is definitely important: too much, too little, when, where… Forget baseball-Eating is America’s favorite past time!

Back to the donuts. Every time I read a Janet Evanovich book I crave donuts!! Do you know what I'm talking about? Do you ever crave foods just because your favorite characters are eating it? 

~Cassy

Rabid Fangirl Reviews ARC of Third Grave Dead Ahead and Does What She Does Best: Talks.

Or: Cassy shares her review of Darynda Jones, Third Grave Dead Ahead

Me:  I won?  I won!! Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God!!! *SQUEEEEEEEEE* (almost pass out) *SQUEEEEEE* (jump up and down hugging my husband, *squeeee* some more)

Husband:  (Can’t help himself, he too is bouncing, smiling and hugging me back) What did you win?

Me: One of Darynda Jones’ ARCs!!

Husband:  (No longer bouncing) So… you won a book?

Me: Not just a book, an Advanced Reading Copy of Third Grave Dead Ahead.

Husband: I thought you won the lottery.

Me:  This is even better!!

Husband: Hmmmm…

*sigh* He will never understand.

I was really, really bummed at the end of Second Grave. Charley and Reyes were separated and Reyes was so angry with Charley and didn’t want to see her.  I wanted to lay down right next to her and have a good cry!!! Amanda reassures me often that these unfinished endings HAVE to happen so that the story can continue. You can’t very well have a series if you tie up all the loose ends.  I Facebooked Darynda anyway, and told her she was on my sh*t list. In my defense, I was quite nice about it and she quickly messaged me back with smiley faces and reassuring words.  The same evening, while I was making dinner, Amanda called me. I answered. “Hey lady!” (caller ID, of course) and she says, loudly and without a hello,

 “You are the only person I know that would tell an award winning author she’s on you sh*t list!”

 “Uh-oh, is that bad? Should I have not done that?”

 “No, are you kidding me? I can’t wait till a reader tells me I’m on their sh*t list!”

Sooooo….I was really looking forward to January and some, dare I say, redemption. You have probably already guessed though, since I won the ARC, that I did NOT have to wait (it’s really not my strong suit anyway).  The problem with reading a book three months before anyone else is that you can’t talk to anyone about it. Thank goodness Amanda and I are friends, I read the book then sent it down the road to her with strict orders to stop anything else she might be doing and read!! I had to talk to someone!

 Four different times Amanda said “I can’t believe _________!” And I’d say “He/she/it/they didn’t!! Keep reading!! Then call me back!!” 

Every time you think you know what’s going to happen-*BZZZZ*, you’re WRONG!! Ha!!  I love Charley! Love, Love, Love Her! While I was reading Third Grave, the phone rang a coupla times and I had to answer it (it makes me feel like I’m still being productive, I guess) and I had to use some of Charley’s lines. (It should probably worry me that they were so easily transferred over into my reality… but it doesn’t.) She’s got great lines and her snarkiness is at an all time high in this third installment of the series. At one point in the story (and this I promise will be my only almost spoiler) Charley wakes up from being unconscious and Cookie is holding her hand and she thinks to herself –That’s silly, Cookie and I rarely hold hands in public. 

 There is so much to love in this book. We know the characters, it’s comfortable and fun and flows so well.  Reyes has tons of face time in this book and let’s be honest, that’s what we all want now, isn't it? Darynda shows sides of Reyes in this book that make me feel all warm and tingly and I’m not talking about s-e-x, but now that I've mentioned it, that makes me all warm and tingly as well! We get to see lots of Ubie and Swopes (Oh, Swopes!) Cookie is huge and Rocket has me feeling a little uneasy, I must say! There was a great scene with a bunch of biker dudes *sigh* and Holy Shnikes wait till you meet Mistress Marigold!! She actually made me nervous in the second book--I was feelin’ all, Charley don’t do it, don’t contact her!!! And then we meet her and Wow-not what I was anticipating! There is something that Mistress Marigold says about the connection between Reyes *swoon* and Charley that’s really got me thinking. Amanda and I have talked about it and I can’t wait for the book to come out so I can hear what the rest of Charley’s followers think.

 Man o’ man, Darynda Jones has really outdone herself! I know that she wrote this book really fast and was a little nervous about it, (Facebook, again) but I really think her books just keep getting better and better.  I can’t wait till January 31^st, I’m sooo stinkin’ excited for all of Charley’s fans and for Darynda!! Uhhh…I just realized I wrote this with the idea you’re already a fan. Amanda has mentioned this series like a hundred times, so really you ought to be! Everybody mark your calendars and if you have yet to meet Charley and the gang: The first book is First Grave on the Right and the second book is Second Grave on the Left. Both books are fabulous, but wait till you get your hands on Third Grave Dead Ahead!

-Cassy

Say Hi to Cassy!

It's happening. My brain is slowly turning to mush. I'm forgetful. Scattered. Trying desperately to schedule myself  before I lose control completely. November is going to be like running the gauntlet for me and to top it all off, my head feels like it's 3 times too big and filled with helium. I'm popping zinc lozenges like they're candy. Damn it, I will NOT get sick! But swooping in to help save my sanity is my friend Cassy. She'll be guest blogging here from time to time. She's an avid reader and not afraid to speak her mind.. And she's pretty kick-ass. So, without further ado, let me introduce you:

Hi, my name is Cassy. *curtseys* Most people know me by my smile and the decibel at which I speak. Since you can’t actually hear or see me you’ll probably know me by the number of exclamation points, asterisks and parentheses I use.

I’m a stay at home mom to two small girls and the wife of a very hardworking man which means I gotta be a hardworking woman (most days). If I ever had a boss that worked me as hard as my family does, I’d quit!! There is no way I’d be getting paid enough!

My best friend is a writer. You may know her, Amanda Bonilla? She writes an awesome sex scene!! Even though that should probably be an awkward sentence for me to write--it isn’t. She also writes an awesome fight scene. Don’t let that fool you, I could still take her! Anyhooo…she’s the reason I’m here…or…maybe the reason I’m here is because her debut book is about to be released and she’s teetering on the precipice of stardom (or insanity) and has too many blog posts to write (for her blog tour). So instead of letting her own blog flounder she’s letting me be her guest blogger (and thus I’m questioning her sanity). I’m not a writer. I’m a reader! BTW: that’s my disclaimer. 

I thought I’d start by telling you a little about myself (because I haven’t already) and since I always enjoy it when people tell me random things about themselves in lists (Hi Tracey!) that is what I’m gonna do for you!!

·         Someday I want to live in a yurt.

·         I have a ten year old Pug named Vinny.

·         I have three sisters and we all sound alike when we laugh.

·         I wish I was a runner.

·         I use the word “dude” a lot.

·         I’ve tried to quit.

·         I hate scary movies.

·         I wish I could wear cute hats all the time.

·          I’ve got a big head and they look weird so I never wear hats.

·         I like hot tea, clean sheets and snuggling.

·         I listen to country music and classic rock.

·         I love painted toenails but hate painted fingernails.

·         I don’t like it when my husband calls me by my name.

·         I’m a morning person.

·         My favorite show is Castle.

·         I clap my hands and jump up and down when I watch it.

·         I’m a Capricorn.

·         Paranormal Romance/Urban fantasy books are my drug of choice.

·         I believe the Twilight series to be a gateway drug.

·         I didn’t know I was a geek until I saw Nathan Fillion (Castle) in an interview and he was being referred to as the “King of Geeks”.

·         I’m OK with that. 

Putting My Ducks in a Row

Last week I blogged at Magic and Mayhem about how a book release is like the ninth month of pregnancy. Between now and the first of the year, I'm going to be hustling about like a nesting mother-to-be. I'm busy in a way that I never thought I would be, and I'm loving every minute of it. But it also means that blogging here, even one day a week, might be too much for a month or so. I have 20 or so blog posts/interviews to finish for my blog tour, the outline for book 3 is due in November, I'll be working on edits for book 2, and I have a novella due by the end of December. Plus, I have to keep plugging along on a zero draft for book 3. Oh, and did I mention Shaedes of Gray will be releasing in less than 45 days?!?!

I'm really proud of how I've stuck to my schedule this summer/fall. I've blogged twice a week (once here and once at Magic and Mayhem). I've maintained my FB page and Twitter, though I have to say, I'm not the most brilliant or witty of tweeters. I'm starting to realize, though, that I need to back off a bit and get some work done. I won't be gone, though. I'll still be blogging here and there, and my blog tour kicks off in mid-November. And I'm going to have guest bloggers! Yep, you heard me. ;) My friend Cassy is going to be popping in now and again with book reviews and whatnot. I'll be posting a little hello snippet from her next week.

Have you kept to a blogging schedule lately? What works for you? What doesn't?