Tag: documentary

Miscellaneous

#SATurdate: Me Before You, Thief of Lies, Pit Mad, & Bad Bloods Sequel

Shannon A Thompson5 Comments

I’ll be signing books and hosting an author panel at TWO Barnes & Nobles this weekend for #BFest! Come see me today at Oak Park Mall’s B&N in Overland Park, Kansas from noon to 3 PM, or stop by Zona Rosa’s B&N in Kansas City, Missouri from 2 PM to 4 PM tomorrow!

What I’m Writing:

So remember how I finished the mysterious manuscript known as D? Well, I started outlining N, the sequel to D. Granted, since I wrote the original D years ago, I also wrote an outline for a sequel years ago, and I had to go through it to see what was salvageable. Spoiler alert: almost nothing.

I also joined #PitMad this week, which was a lot of fun! I’m actually helping host a writers group on Facebook—Twice the Jennifers—while author Jennifer Anne Davis is out of town, and I recommended that everyone with a completed unpublished manuscript join #PitMad, so I thought I would get in on the fun! I love these contests because you can connect with great people, and I’ve also received priceless advice by participating. Also, if you’re looking for an awesome online writer’s group, you should apply to join Twice the Jennifers! For all of you wondering what D is about…Well, here it is:

As you can see, it’s about a 16-year-old Wing Chun fighter with narcolepsy who portals to a shadowy dreamscape where nightmares are people, princes need saving, and spirits steal our subconscious. I’d compare the overall gothic feel to Splintered by A.G. Howard and the world-building to Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

P.S. D = Dreammare. N = Nighttrance. I’ll call these novels by their titles from now on.

What I’m Publishing:

I FINALLY got my hands on pre-release copies of November Snow, part two of Bad Bloods, which means some of you are already reading it! If you’re interested in reviewing Bad Bloods on your blog, please e-mail me at shannonathompson@aol.com. For those of you already reading, I hope you’re enjoying the duology. If you didn’t see the latest Teaser Tuesday, check out my right side tool bar, but here is the #1lineWed preview. This week’s theme was numbers:

In other exciting news, I’ve spoken to Clean Teen Publishing about the possibility of continuing Bad Bloods. Originally, when I first started off writing Bad Bloods when I was eleven, my plan was to write 12 books—one book for each month of the year—and I wrote a sequel and outlined a third book. Granted, I haven’t rewritten these novels, but I’m considering continuing the Bad Bloods series in the future. But that’s all I can say for now! We will see.

Pre-Order Bad Bloods

November Rain, Part One, releases July 18, 2016

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Goodreads

November Snow, Part Two, releases July 25, 2016

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Goodreads

Visit the Pinterest and Facebook Pages. 

Sign up for the Book Blitz!
Sign up for the Book Blitz!

What I’m Reading:

Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake
Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake

I finished Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica, and I LOVED it. It was an addictive, thrilling, & personal tale of twisted deceit. I recommended it to readers of suspense, mysteries, thrillers, and those who love detailed, personal voices. Read my 5-star review here.

I also started re-reading Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake! I originally read this wonderful novel when it first came out in January, but I just had to read it again! If you haven’t checked out this book, do so. I’ll write a more in-depth review soon, since I didn’t write one the first time, but I love, love, love this story.

What I’m Listening To:

My roaring AC. It is the summer!

What I’m Watching:

Me Before You: I LOVED it. And I cried nearly the whole way through it. Emily Clarke did a FANTASTIC job of Lou without her Game of Thrones character leaking through, and Sam Claflin was perfection (as per usual).

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I also watched the documentary Girl Rising, which is about educating young girls from around the world. Their stories are heartbreaking, honest, and moving. Then, I saw the documentary Code Black, which is about emergency room situations in county hospitals and the health care crisis in America. I recommend both (and they are both on Netflix).

What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:

Since I had extra ingredients left over from s’mores cookies last week, I made literal s’mores this week. Granted, I did this on my gas stove…and dropped a marshmallow onto the flame, so it smells like burnt marshmallows in my house. It could be worse. Wink.

What I’m Wearing:

Work out gear, because I’ve been moving furniture all week. But I got a new bed! Yipee! (Things I never thought I’d be excited about when I was younger.)

What I’m Wanting:

13327458_1056510257729488_2781665878724677783_nSomeone to decide what I should write next. I don’t have a lot of writing time, but between editing Take Me Yesterday, outlining Nighttrance, writing a Bad Bloods sequel, or continuing with the mysterious S, I feel like my creative heart is being pulled in a million directions. So many books, so little time.

What I’m Dreaming Of:

All of my cats were running around the front yard, but so were a bunch of bobcats. I kept chasing the bobcats away, but the bobcats were relentless, and though they never snapped at my cats, I kept feeling like they were trying to eat my cats. It was a definite nightmare for my catlady self.

What Else Is Going On:

Photo from today's B-Fest book signing at Oak Park Mall!
Photo from today’s B-Fest book signing at Oak Park Mall!

I’ll be signing books and hosting an author panel at TWO Barnes & Nobles this weekend for #BFest! Come see me today at Oak Park Mall’s B&N in Overland Park, Kansas from noon to 3 PM, or stop by Zona Rosa’s B&N in Kansas City, Missouri from 2 PM to 4 PM tomorrow!

~SAT

Miscellaneous · Writing Tips

#SATurdate: Captain America, Chunky Monkey, Paperbacks, & Minions

Shannon A Thompson7 Comments

What I’m Writing:

Right now, I’m doing an initial edit of D before I move on from it. As of today, I’m 63,075 words into it, so only 30,000 to go! (Have I mentioned how exhausted I am?) Most importantly, though, I’d like to give another lovely shout out to Author Jonas Lee for helping me this past month! He’s helping me with the project as well, and I really appreciate his input and encouragement. So, thank you, Jonas!

What I’m Publishing:

13221700_3230314315411_6104904338034016177_nI received my author copies of November Rain in the mail! I’m super excited to have November Rain in my hands, and I’m even more excited that ten wonderful bloggers received pre-release eBook copies, too. 😀 I hope you enjoyed this week’s #TeaserTuesday! If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check on my right side tool bar. It will be updated with new teasers every week, along with links to the Wattpad Prequel as it updates.

The #1lineWed preview was “opening lines from any chapter,” so this week’s preview is actually the opening line of Bad Bloods!

Pre-Order Bad Bloods

November Rain, Part One, releases July 18, 2016

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Goodreads

November Snow, Part Two, releases July 25, 2016

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Goodreads

Visit the Pinterest and Facebook Pages.

draft3 What I’m Reading:

13151670_1035003766546804_6180950616842075677_nI finished Emerge by Tobie Easton, and let me tell you guys, this book is SO STINKIN’ CUTE. IF you love mermaids—especially The Little Mermaid—you will LOVE this book. You’ll love the humor (hello fish puns!), you’ll revel in the madness, and I think you’ll fangirl over the romance just as much as I did. Between Lia, Clay, Caspian, and other cast members, Emerge is fresh yet evocative, and highly recommended. You can read my five-star review here. And, oh yeah, #TeamCaspian.

I also started Genesis Girl by Jennifer Bardsley, and it’s great so far! I’m hoping I’ll finish it this coming week.

What I’m Listening To:

I found a mix CD I made back in 2008 and listened to it like crazy this week. My favorite part? Half of it was the soundtrack to Romeo + Juliet (The Claire Danes, Leo DiCaprio version.) I mean, who doesn’t love #1 Crush by Garbage and Lovefool by the Cardigans? 

What I’m Watching:

I saw Captain America: Civil War this week, and while I know I’ve developed a bit of a superhero-hater reputation thanks to my poking fun at Batman V. Superman, I thought Captain America: Civil War was pretty entertaining. Then again, I am a Marvel fan, so I tend to enjoy their movies more. It wasn’t X-Men or Deadpool, but I thought it was good. Spider-Man was probably my favorite part.

Unknown

I also watched Minions thanks to Netflix, and let me tell you, that was probably my favorite movie I saw this week. It was adorable, hilarious, and the ending was spectacular. I’m also in love with Sandra Bullock, so that was a plus. I’m a bit like Bob. Give me a fluffy bear or animal any day, and I am entertained. And a bit of an airhead. So that cracked me up.

Minions_Revision_PROOF

In other news, I watched Special Correspondents—which is about two journalists faking their news reports from NYC—and I really enjoyed that. I also watched the H.H. Holmes documentary on Netflix, because, you know, my obsession with serial killers. All of these movies are recommended.

What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking: 

13174143_1040539485993232_8132323237278539808_nI baked Chunky Monkey Brownies this week, which is basically a banana chocolate brownie (but I made mine dark chocolate). I used this recipe, cutting the sugar and chocolate by half and using dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.

What I’m Wearing:

My Pikachu shirt. I always wear it when I’m really stressed out, and I’ll tell you what, between finishing a novel way too quickly and moving straight into edits, I’m exhausted. I need a little Pikachu pick me up.

What I’m Wanting:

A million paperback copies of November Rain. (Okay. Maybe more like 15.)

What I’m Dreaming Of:

I had a bunch of dreams about D, which means I both loved them and can’t talk about them much. Maybe next week?

What Else Is Going On:

I have family coming into town for almost all of next week, so there probably won’t be that many updates in regards to publishing or writing, but I will try to be around still. In the meantime, Shannon’s on a bit of a vacation. So, see you around!

~SAT

Miscellaneous

#SATurdate: MWG Conference, The Crown, Allergies, and Silicon Valley

Shannon A Thompson4 Comments

Since last Saturday was a Ketchup post, this Saturdate post covers two weeks of information. TWO WEEKS?! Yes. Two weeks.

What I’m Writing:

13177904_1037600996287081_998105092686369145_nOkay! This is CRAZY, but I finished writing D, clocking in at 92,722 words! I’m officially in the editing stages, which is perfect, because this past week, I actually received some AWESOME feedback at the 101st Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference about this particular work, so I’m more excited than ever to keep fine-tuning this project. I mean, it has been in the works for nearly 5 years. That being said, I finally feel like it’s DEFINITELY headed in the right direction, so special thanks goes out to all the panelists behind all the workshops who helped me make a couple major decisions regarding this work. (Then, I can start working on The Tomo Trilogy again, right? Right?) For the record, D is a YA fantasy project I’d like to get off the ground AFTER The Tomo Trilogy, so trust me, I haven’t forgotten you tomo fans. I will get back to it. I will. But for now, I have a few things I’ll be adjusting in D for the coming weeks, so expect to hear more about that novel this month.

What I’m Publishing:

You can officially sign up for Bad Bloods Book Blitz through Xpresso Book Tours! I hope you’ll sign up to support this little author out. (You might also win some awesome prizes while you’re at it!)

BadBloodBlitzBanner-1

As many of you saw, the Bad Bloods book trailer released via YouTube, but in case you missed it, I am posting the video below. (Isn’t it beautiful and dramatic?)

Clean Teen Publishing’s lovely designer Marya also created Bad Bloods business cards and a banner for Penned Con. The first teaser released, too! Along with the next short story in the Bad Bloods Prequel. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, check out Michele’s story today. Who is Michele? Well, in Bad Bloods, she’s the “mother” figure of the Northern Flock, but in the prequel, she’s just a kid. A kid with a gift. And her prequel story actually shows up in November Snow, so reading her story will give you more details when you read the novels this July. Now…for more previews.

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All those lovely goodies discussed above

The #1lineWed preview one week was “pull,” so here is your preview: He pulled me against his chest, and either his, mine, or both of our hearts pounded between us.

The second #1lineWed preview was “pretty,” so here is that preview: Tessa was always there, growing flowers when we needed tomatoes more than pretty things.

Pre-Order Bad Bloods

November Rain, Part One, releases July 18, 2016

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Goodreads

November Snow, Part Two, releases July 25, 2016

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Goodreads

Visit the Pinterest and Facebook Pages.

What I’m Reading:

I finished The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, and of course, I loved it as much as I loved it the first time. I recommended The Raven Cycle to paranormal YA fans and readers who love sass and class. Light romance (with great tension) and beautifully poetic prose. Favorite quote? Solutions were easy, once you knew what was in your way. A magical and frightening tale of secrets and sarcastic heroines. You can read my five-star review by clicking here.

I also finished The Young Elites by Marie Lu. It was a gorgeous, dark, and stunning story of betrayal and magic. Recommended to young adult fantasy readers who enjoy darker elements, Italian Renaissance type settings, and anti-heroes or villains as the protagonist. Also to those of you who love first-person, present tense. Favorite Quote? Beauty and pain go hand in hand. You can read my four-star review by clicking here.

saturdate

And while attending MWG, I got my hands on two Month9Books: Emerge by Tobie Easton and Genesis Girl by Jennifer Bardsley. I’m currently reading Emerge. Granted, I had to put it aside to read The Crown by Kiera Cass, because I’ve been waiting on this finale FOREVER. And yes, I finished The Crown in one night, and you can read my four-star review here.

Despite some pacing issues, I thought The Crown was a lovely ending to The Selection Series. I recommend it to YA readers of romance. Despite being labeled a dystopian, The Selection Series has little to no emphasis on the dystopian elements, especially by the time you get to Eadlyn’s story. Still, I enjoyed it as a fairy tale-princess-prince-finding-a-soul-mate story. It’s cute, it’s fun, and it’s definitely swoon worthy. My favorite quote? Maybe it’s not the first kisses that are supposed to be special. Maybe it’s the last ones.

On top of that, I received a LOVELY gift of 1800’s books directly from Scotland, along with a Thompson crest bookmark. I’m definitely in love.

What I’m Listening To:

What I’m Watching:

Season 3 of Penny Dreadful began, and so did Season 3 of Silicon Valley—two of my favorite TV shows (among the only ones that I watch), so I definitely started those seasons. I also watched the documentary Bridegroom and bawled my little writer eyes out.

What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:

I attempted to bake a rustic peach tart this week, but it came out more like a peach pie than a tart. I also burnt my thumb. Both of my thumbs. But not every baking experience can be perfect…and at least this mistake turned into a pie. I’m not sure mistakes get any better than that.

What I’m Wearing:

I have new sandals! Whew. Now to fight my cats from eating them…

What I’m Wanting:

13062327_1033327780047736_6389651930362409756_nMore time to smell the spring flowers. Despite my allergies… Wait. That just occurred to me. Can’t you tell this is my first time ever dealing with allergies?

What I’m Dreaming Of:

Lowes? I have no idea what I dreamt about, but all I remember is waking up thinking my dreams were sponsored by Lowes. I’m assuming this is because I get all of my paint palettes from there…so in a weird way, my dreams are sponsored by Lowes.

What Else Is Going On:

Allergies. I hate them. I’ve never had them before, but my older brother has, and I’ve constantly given him a hard time about them. I will never give him a hard time ever again. I can barely breathe. It’s terrible.

On a side note though, I managed to control my allergies enough to go to the 101st Annual Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference, and I had a great time! I met some wonderful people, I received some wonderful feedback, and I am marching into the future more hopeful than ever. Attend those conferences, folks! They will make your day.

~SAT

Miscellaneous

#SATurdate: Fortitude, Splintered, The Beat Generation, & Broken Elbows

Shannon A Thompson9 Comments

Sometimes I feel like I get everything done with no issues. Other times I feel like I get nothing done working my butt off. Such is life. I’ll let you choose which one. 😉

What I’m Writing:

As many of you know, I’ve been struggling with Take Me Yesterday, but then, the funniest thing happened. I wrote an entire chapter on the computer, nearly threw my computer at the wall, and then stormed away with my notebook. I figured I’d try writing in down via hand instead of typing it, and voila! It worked beautifully. So that’s my writing tip for all you writers out there! If you feel like you’re having writer’s block, try to switch up your medium. It might be the extra umph you need.

What I’m Publishing:

The final edits went into the formatter! Woot! You all have no idea how exciting that moment is. The moment when editing is finally complete. It’s a breath of fresh air. I’m freeeeeeeeee. (Also, big kudos goes out to the editing team for dealing with my nitpicky, writer’s brain. They are amazing people.) In the meantime, I’m actually working on perfecting my categories and keywords for listings as well. Pretty neat (but also tedious work).

Here is the #1lineWed winning preview. This week’s theme was dark.

He was no longer concerned with me. He was somewhere else entirely, somewhere dark, somehow stuck.

Add Bad Bloods to Goodreads: November Rain and November Snow

Visit the Facebook, Pinterest, and the Extras page.

What I’m Reading:

 readsI started two books, Splintered by A.G. Howard and Wait Till I’m Dead by Allen Ginsberg. I’m loving Splintered so far, and I’m beyond blown away by Allen Ginsberg uncollected collected poems. I studied Ginsberg in college, along with the entire Beat Generation, and I mainly fell in love with Ginsberg and Kerouac, but I had to sell back all my college books when I graduated. I was super bummed out. Still am. This is the beginning of that collection starting again, and it’s particularly monumental because the professor who brought me my love for these writers passed away last year. He would’ve loved to read the unpublished poems they published for the first time.

I finished Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, and boy, let me start off by saying I was totally wrong about this book. Despite having so many people telling me to read it, I didn’t pick it up because it sounded like another Hunger Games. Again. I was wrong. Although the first 100 pages seemed to go in that direction, Sarah J. Maas surprised me at every turn and entertained me to the end. I was SO glad the majority of the novel wasn’t about the competition, but rather magic and mystery and murders and demon worlds. It was a fantastic read, with a capable, sarcastic female assassin as the protagonist. Highly recommended to YA fantasy lovers! You can read my full 5-star review here.

What I’m Listening To:

Myths and Legends podcast. I finished a couple of episodes I’ve been meaning to listen to for a long time. If you want new and old legends, check this podcast out. It’s sure to inspire (or at least educate) you.

What I’m Watching:

I binge-watched Fortitude, which is a psychological thriller that takes place in a town on the north end of the Artic. I freakin’ loved it, but it’s so bizarre. You can never guess what is happening or why, and the imagery is freaky even when nothing is happening.

Is that Dumbledore and Caesar from The Hunger Games? Yes. Yes, it is.
Is that Dumbledore and Caesar from The Hunger Games? Yes. Yes, it is.

Twinsters is The Parent Trap meets real life. Two girls adopted for South Korea realize they are twins separated at birth. The documentary is heart-warming and amazing (and on Netflix right now).

What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:

12541144_969245789789269_998182083334672155_nCookies. Again. I can’t help myself.

What I’m Wearing:

A big ol’ bruise on my elbow. Read the next sections below to find out why.

What I’m Wanting:

Notebook paper! I’m completely out, and it’s a tragedy.

What I’m Dreaming Of:

I owned a bunch of horses, but one of the horses gave me a disease that started eating away at my shoulder. Then, it spread, so I had to get most of my toes on my left foot amputated, and the doctors also took an eye. Strangely enough, no one seemed to notice that my eye was missing, but everyone was SUPER distraught that my toes had been amputated, even though my feet were in shoes and you couldn’t tell. That being said, any time someone picked on me for not having toes, I beat them up.

Don’t ask.

I have no idea why I dreamt this.

What Else Is Going On:

I slipped and basically fractured my elbow. (Legitimately, almost went to the ER over it.) But the funny part is WHY I slipped…There was a beetle. And it scared me. This is why I never leave the house. I can’t handle being in the house, let alone the real world. I’m just too clumsy. I’m a hazard.

~SAT

Author in a Coffee Shop, Episode 3 happened last night! What is Author in a Coffee Shop? Well, it’s just how it sounds. I sit in a coffee shop and tweet out my writer thoughts (and talk to you)! If you missed out, don’t worry. Join me next Friday at 7 PM (CDT) via Twitter’s @AuthorSAT.

Come get your books signed on February 13, from 1-3 PM! I’ll be one of several featured authors at a Barnes & Noble Valentine’s Day Romance Author Event in Wichita, Kansas at Bradley Fair. CTP author Tamara Grantham will be there, as well as NY Times Bestselling and USA Today Bestselling author Candice Gilmer. (I’ll know the other three authors soon!) I’d love to see you! If you haven’t started The Timely Death Trilogy, don’t worry. Minutes Before Sunset, book 1, is free!

Minutes Before Sunset, book 1:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Goodreads

Seconds Before Sunrise: book 2:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Goodreads

Death Before Daylight: book 3:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Goodreads

takefofytseve

You can even read The Timely Death Trilogy on your new Kindle Fire! 

Clean Teen Publishing is giving one away. Enter here.

Giveaway-image

Miscellaneous

#Saturdate The Danish Girl, An Outline, Cat Socks, and Raven Boys

Shannon A Thompson5 Comments

Happy New Year! I know we’re only two days into 2016, but I hope the New Year is already off to a great start. I’m really looking forward to what 2016 brings. This year, so far, I have two book releases planned, a possible signing at B&N, and a signing in St. Louis in the fall. I hope I can add to that as the year progresses! My overall writing goals include working on The Tomo Trilogy and another, brand-new, never-be-seen trilogy I have yet to talk about openly. The first book is written, but in need of a rewrite. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even find a way to get those out sooner to you rather than later. 😉  Either way, I’m looking forward to 2016, and I hope you are too!

What I’m Writing:

I’ve actually been working really hard on Take Me Yesterday, book 2 of The Tomo Trilogy. After reviewing Take Me Tomorrow, I realized some major mistakes throughout the second book, so I’ve been re-outlining to get a better, more precise plot. (This sounds much nicer than it actually is. It involved a lot of self-loathing and staring at the wall and waded up papers and empty pens.) Ironically, I actually sold my very last copy of Take Me Tomorrow, so the world does seem to be telling me I must finish this trilogy next. We will see.

What I’m Publishing:

Whew! I finished the second round of edits for Bad Bloods, so now we have proofreaders going over it. I also sent out a newsletter asking for help during the cover reveal on January 6, so that’s exciting! (I can’t believe that’s happening in less than a week.) The winning #1lineWed preview can be read below. This week’s theme was friendship. (And while my tweet was short, I actually cut out a lot of the scene to fit it on Twitter, so this isn’t exactly what you’ll read in the book. I would give you the full scene, but it might spoil a major section. But, fun fact, Jane—to this day—is one of my favorite characters from any of my works.)

“A political friendship.”

“Friendship should never be political.”

“My dear,” Jane squeezed my hand, “Everything is political.”

Visit the Facebook, Pinterest, and the Extras page.

What I’m Reading:

12402069_958788567501658_8537463732066083469_oI began my first read of 2016! See How They Run by Ally Carter is the second book in the Embassy Row series and highly recommended. (Love her.)

I started and finished The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, so yeah! I’ve started my 2016 Goodreads Reading Challenge. You can read my five-star review by clicking here. I recommend it to fans of mystery books, treasure hunts, the paranormal, humor, and Welsh mythology. Light romance readers will still enjoy the tension.

I finished The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, and I loved it! I gave it four stars, and you can read my review here, but I recommend it to lovers of romance, especially when runaway princesses are involved. This is a VERY light “high” fantasy, but I am looking forward to seeing how the characters grow in the sequel.

What I’m Listening To:

Sights by London Grammar. Listen to it. Listen.

What I’m Watching:

UnknownSo…I went a little crazy this week and watched a lot of movies. (What can I say? Silver AMC passes are great Christmas gifts during the Oscar season.)

The Danish Girl made me an emotional wreck. I highly recommend it. The movie—based on a true story that I also recommend reading (because there are some movie differences)—is brave, immortal, and a depiction of a sort of rare love, a never-ending type. The entire story was heart wrenching.

The Hateful Eight wasn’t my favorite Quentin Tarantino movie, but I will say this: I love that he was brave enough to tackle to taboo of violence against women in film. (Because, to me, that was what the movie was about.) Why? Because, generally, male characters face violence, while female characters only face sexual violence. (Which I’m freakin’ sick of. If I could go the rest of my life without a rape scene in a movie, that would be great. K, thanks.) I was quite relieved to see that Quentin doesn’t follow that “standard.” He sticks by just violence, treating her like any other character, and he also does it in a static form. (The whole movie practically takes place in one room, which is impressive.) The other parts that blew me away were the monologues. His dialogue was on point. But the overall story just wasn’t as exciting for me as his other films. Still recommended, of course.

I rented one. Love, Rosie reminded me of one of my favorite book/movies of all time. (One Day by David Nicholls), except Love, Rosie is the sweet and charming version. So, obviously, I loved this movie. I have the biggest crush on Lily Collins, which is why it’s so surprising I haven’t seen this movie yet, but I’m definitely going to watch it again. Recommended to those who love cheese.

And I managed to sort of binge-watch Making a Murderer. Worth it! It’s an awesome documentary series about a twisted trial.

movies

What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:

I made chocolate chip cookies and chocolate mousse this week. Both of which turned out OKAY, but I’m learning. 😉

What I’m Wearing:

Cat socks. I got brand-new cat socks. This is a big deal.

What I’m Wanting:

enhanced-29836-1449080491-1So…I work at home and write at home and basically never leave my house. It’s natural that I would want all of these items from this list on Buzzfeed: 25 Delightfully Cozy Gifts For Anyone Who Hates Leaving the Home. But the coffee mug is perfection.

What I’m Dreaming Of:

My dad, sister-in-law, my roommate, and me were caught in a storm and had to rent out this creepy old church turned into a bed-and-breakfast. Bogart, my cat, was there, and at one point, he got spooked, so he ran into the bathroom. We were all cracking up…until he came sprinting out of the bathroom and the door slammed shut behind him.

What Else Is Going On:

The cover reveal is THIS Wednesday! Get excited!

~SAT

Miscellaneous

#SATurdate: The BFG, Butterscotch, The Nutcracker, & X-Men Apocalypse

Shannon A Thompson15 Comments

This week flew by for me! Can’t believe we’re approaching 2016 already either. So crazy.

What I’m Writing:

Like last week, I’m working on additions in Take Me Tomorrow, book one of The Tomo Trilogy. I’m 126 pages into it. For original readers, I’m on the chapter No One Was Silent. Out of popular demand, I’ve added some extra info on the Phelps’ Massacre, but I’ve also added some extras myself, like information on the lumberyards, resource trading, why children are involved, and Wheston Phelps himself…which means, yes, there are extra scenes in the new version.

What I’m Publishing:

We’re still working on the covers for Bad Bloods! By accident, we worked on part two’s cover before part one, but I’ll tell you what, it’s awesome!

And the winning #1lineWed preview. This week’s theme was sound: The guy’s voice was as crisp and clear as the sound escaping the soda he popped open. He even took a sip.

Extra info: In Bad Bloods, aspartame plays a HUGE role in bad bloods’ lives. For those of you who don’t know what aspartame is, it’s an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener. It’s found in sodas, for instance, but in 2089, it’s outlawed. (There are many studies connecting aspartame to cancer.) That being said, aspartame—for some reason—affects the bad blood gene, and it works as an enhancer of sorts, so one of the protagonists has an addiction to it, which he gets through illegal Diet Coke. Funny thing is, truth can be stranger than fiction. Pepsi took aspartame out of their sodas this past year and is encouraging laws against it, despite the change not being very popular. Maybe Bad Bloods isn’t so far away from reality. 😉

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What I’m Reading:

decreads2I finished Winterspell by Claire Legrand. The PERFECT dark fairy tale retelling for winter, I gave this dangerous read 5 stars. You can read my full review here, but here is who I recommend it to: Fans of fairy tale retellings, but only to those who enjoy dark and twisted themes, especially with sexual undertones. This book includes a strong heroine, but not a perfect heroine (which, to me, is fantastic), and you’ll love everything if you love epic fantasies with their own world maps to tie everything together. Must love flowery, poetic, and detailed prose.

I’m also reading Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 9 by Naoko Takeuchi. The Dead Moon Circus is my favorite arc. I freakin’ love it.

What I’m Listening To:

Glass Animals. I’ve been obsessed all week. Why? No idea. But it’s been sweet.

What I’m Watching:

Up in the Air: I adore this film, both for Anna Kendrick and the overall feel of the movie. Way to go, George Clooney.

movies

Dark Legacy: This is a JFK assassination (mind-blowing) documentary. Definitely recommended but definitely not for the light-hearted. The photos and videos are very graphic. I’m not saying I agree with the guy’s theory or anything like that, but I do enjoy seeing more information/connections than what is generally explained from traditional sources.

Dark Shadows: Believe it or not, I hadn’t seen this paranormal Johnny Deep movie yet, but now I have. It was wonderful. I enjoyed how kooky it was.

What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:

butterI made Gooey Butterscotch Blondies. NOM! But boy, were those sweet. Super sweet. Dark chocolate chip cookies were also involved this week. I’m insatiable. On top of that, a lovely lady gifted me with new espresso cups for my coffee addiction. I used them within 24 hours. I’m obsessed.

What I’m Wearing:

Fuzzy slippers. There are the bee’s knees.

What I’m Wanting:

The BFG Movie?! Are you serious?! I had no idea this was being made into a movie, let alone that the trailer was already out. I CANNOT wait. This book was one of my favorites as a child. I absolutely fell in love.

And, GUYS, The Legend of Tarzan movie. UGH. I mean, Alexander Skarsgård is one guy, but Christoph Waltz?? Could it get any better? (The answer is no.) I love them. 

AND, AND, the trailer for X-Men Apocalypse dropped too! This is probably the best week ever. You can watch it through IMDB.

What I’m Dreaming Of:

I’m only sharing one ITTY part of one GIANT dream I had, because it was by far the coolest one, but it was SO much longer than this.

Imagine Voldemort taking over the world to fight the Shadowhunters, but add all kinds of mutants from X-Men fighting in-between (not quite sure which side they are on at any point in time). Well, I am one of these in-between mutants. I’m not so much in war as I am trying to get my friends out of the war. So, I sneak into this crazy meeting in an underground party (underneath a grocery store of all things), and everyone here wants to kill me, but I’m disguised. (Of what, I don’t know. I couldn’t actually see me or what I looked like at any point. It was straight through my eyes, which caused this terrible shaky reality video game effect while dreaming.) But I found my friends about the time Voldemort found me, and the entire place erupted into chaos. I helped the youngest of my friends out—two young blondes that looked strangely like Luna Lovegood—and when we got to the parking lot, the building blew sky high, but this mutant kid runs out, and I stop, because I know him. He’s the definition of psychopath. He’s holding a sailing anchor—like the traditional type—and there’s a chain attached to it. It’s practically the size of his torso, but he screams out (for whatever reason), “Looks like you’re going sailing” before he throws the anchor and stabs people onto it, dragging them behind him until he finds his next victim. (And people question why I write so violently?) I managed to pull the anchor out of someone and hold onto it to stop him, but then he drops the chains and laughs, because he knows he can kill other ways. So I try to use his weapon against him, but it’s definitely way too heavy. So…then my cat jumps onto the bed and I wake up in a start and nearly chuck him across the room. I think my cat still hates me.

What Else Is Going On:

So, I don’t normally mention a lot of personal issues like this one, but I haven’t been around a lot on my social media, so I thought I’d say why. I had to get part of my scalp cut off for a skin cancer test. It was in the same place my grandfather had it, so…moving onto the good news: I’m cancer free. So, woot! But it was very stressful and concerning and just overall UGH. I’m also missing a piece of my forehead. But my little bits of hair are already growing back. Expect my face back on Instagram soon.

~SAT

Miscellaneous

#SATurdate: Bad Bloods Blurbs, MockingJay, Steampunk, and more.

Shannon A Thompson5 Comments

This post is going to look SUPER long, but it’s mainly because I’m including the individual blurbs for November Rain and November Snow. (Yes. They are finally ready!)

What I’m Writing:

As many of you say on Instagram, Bogart protected my notes for Take Me Yesterday.

Many of you will be excited to hear that I’m back into Take Me Yesterday, book 2 of The Tomo Trilogy. I hit a snag last time I was writing, and then my energy had to go toward Bad Bloods—which is definitely going to happen again when final edits come around—but for now, I am working on the sequel of Take Me Tomorrow. I’m currently in chapter eight, about 11,500 words in. As many of you saw on my Instagram, Bogart recently protected my notes for Take Me Yesterday by laying on them. That being said, I know I need to refocus my energy soon and go back to Take Me Tomorrow, book one, to make the best book I can before I continue forward with book 2.

What I’m Publishing:

The final back blurbs for each part of Bad Bloods is finally available! You can read them below. And of course, the winning #1lineWed preview is here as well. The theme was hot: She wasn’t smiling, but a warmth radiated from her, as if she could hug people from a distance. ‪

November Rain, Part One

(releases July 18, 2016)

Seventeen-year-old Serena isn’t human. She is a bad blood, and in the city of Vendona, bad bloods are executed. In the last moments before she faces imminent death, a prison guard aids her escape and sparks a revolt. Back on the streets determined to destroy her kind, Serena is spared by a fellow bad blood named Daniel. His past tragedies are as equally mysterious as her connection to them. Unbeknownst to the two, this connection is the key to winning the election for bad bloods’ rights to be seen as human again. But Serena is the only one who can secure Vendona’s vote. Now, Daniel must unite with her before all hope is lost and bad bloods are eradicated, even if it means exposing secrets worse than death itself. United or not, a city will fight, rain will fall, and all will be threatened by star-crossed love and political corruption.

November Snow, Part Two

(eBook releases one week later, with the paperback releasing in November of 2016)

When Daniel and Serena unite, their accidental relationship becomes the catalyst for a twelve-year war to continue. Exposing the twisted past of a corrupt city, Daniel, Serena, and everyone they know will come together to fight. But Serena has another battle. After a political rumor threatens their lives, Serena must leave her family and join the political front against her will. To survive apart, Daniel has to separate his love from his hatred and join forces with his worst memory to secure Vendona’s war. But very few of them will survive to see the last day. Bad blood or human, a city will burn, snow will fall, and all will be united by catastrophic secrets and irrevocable tragedy.

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What I’m Reading: 

booksThe Conjurer’s Riddle by Andrea Cremer: I finished it! I basically could do nothing but read this novel over my weekend. (My weekends are Sunday through Tuesday, by the way.) I am in LOVE with this series, and I am already dying for the third book. It’s brilliant, and you can read why in my review here. On a side note, there is definitely a third book. I tweeted to the lovely author, and she tweeted back! That deserves an extra star.

Clockwork Prince: I was so set on steampunk after reading The Conjurer’s Riddle that I had to continue The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. This is book 2, and to be honest, I should’ve started reading it a LONG time ago, since I read the first one in July, but it’s been on my nightstand, and I’m glad I finally picked it up again. Loved it! In fact, I finished it too. (Told you I read a lot this week.) I actually didn’t like Will very much in the first book, but he’s grown on me a lot more in this one. Same with Jem. And now I think I’m broken. This book definitely deserves 5 stars, and you can read my entire review here. (I NEED the third book now.) Also…Cassandra Clare liked my review of her work. I think I died and went to Heaven.

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Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini: I finished it in the middle of the night after I posted my last Saturdate article. And…I’m not going to lie. I wasn’t a fan. Don’t get me wrong. I think many readers could LOVE this book, but it wasn’t for me. I explained why in my 2.5-star review, but it mainly came down to the voice and characters. The world building is unique, the story is written well, and you’ll probably enjoy it if you love witches, other dimensions, love triangles, and vegan protagonists. Read my full review here.

What I’m Listening To:

Lykke Li, because she’s my Tomo Trilogy star. I’m trying to get back into Sophia’s voice, and Lykke Li was the number one singer I listen to while working on this trilogy.

What I’m Watching:

MV5BNjQzNDI2NTU1Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTAyMDQ5NjE@._V1_SX214_AL_Mockingjay Part 2: I just saw this a few hours ago, but I LOVED it. (I also got mistaken for wearing cosplay to the movie theatre…excuse me for wearing a side braid and boots. This is my usual attire.) That being said, I thought it was awesome. I still think they didn’t need to divide the last book into two movies, but for the readers out there, (spoilers for the rest of the people) I was a little sad to see that they played down Finnick’s sacrificial death a bit. On a positive note, seeing Tigris was PHENOMENAL. I also thought they made the overall tone of the ending much happier and little less, you know, insane, and aside from a few other edits, I still thought it was a great movie for a great book. Can’t believe it’s over. </3

The Yes Men Are Revolting: So this is the best documentary ever. Basically, it follows a group of pranksters (also activists) who focus on bringing attention to political issues currently being ignored by world leaders.

Men, Women, & Children: This is an Adam Sandler movie about how the Internet has affected modern families, and let me tell you, it’s scary how realistic it is (and terribly sad). I thought it was a wonderful movie, but it’s definitely (and intentionally) uncomfortable.

 That Sugar Film: Another documentary I watched this week, but this one is Australian, and it’s about how sugar affects the body of one guy. I know you all see me baking a lot, so I do consume sugar, but I’m actually really weary of what I consume. I rarely drink soda or eat processed foods, for instance, so I find documentaries like this to be interesting. This one was a bit bizarre humor-wise, but had some interesting stats to see.

Fifty Shades of Grey: Yep. That happened. One of my good friends hadn’t seen it yet—and she helped me shop this week—so we rented it and watched it. As controversial as it is to talk about, I’m actually interested in seeing what they’ll do with the sequels (since they recently announced they’ll be filming both sequels back-to-back at the start of 2016). I’m hoping Taylor, the body guard/assistant of Christian Grey, gets more screen time, because his side story was my favorite.

movies

What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:

 Jalapeno cheddar pasta and cheesy potato ham casserole. No pictures this time, but they were both great!

 What I’m Wearing:

 I have new boots! And they’re steampunk boots. I couldn’t quite capture their beauty on Instagram, but the backs have golden spokes on them. They went perfectly with The Conjurer’s Riddle.

What I’m Wanting:

The next book in The Inventor’s Secret series. Come on, Andrea Cremer! I’m addicted. I know you’re the process of writing it, but, but, but…

I would also like Clockwork Princess, book 3 in The Infernal Devices, because my heart needs mending after book 2.

What I’m Dreaming Of:

 Bogart was a BAT! Which is awesome…because bats are my favorite animals. But, yes. Bogart turned into a bat, and he was super tiny too. He even helped me find Kiki—another one of my cats—who was stuck in the wall or something. (If you only knew Kiki, this wouldn’t surprise you.)

I had a little white dog I loved dressing up as Pikachu…and everyone thought I was crazy, but I borrowed my father’s truck and turned that into a Pikachu truck…and then four other Pikachu-themed cars parked next to mine, and it was the best day of my life.

salebWhat Else Is Going On:

The Black Friday Sale for The Timely Death Trilogy has begun! From now until November 30, you can get the first book in the trilogy for free and the second book for only .99¢ on Smashwords. Use the code WS34V at the links below to read more this holiday season.

Minutes Before Sunset

Seconds Before Sunrise

Death Before Daylight

And, of course…

Stay Dark,

~SAT