Friday Five: Cheap Bastard

That's right, people.  I, Karla/Karlie/LastWord0524, am admitting it here and now on this very blog.  I am a cheap bastard.  **waits while the blogosphere collectively picks their jaws up off the floor**

It's true.  Really.

And, since this just so happens to be a Friday Five posting, I give you:

Five Examples In Which Karla/Karlie/LastWord0524 Is A Cheap Bastard

1. I use coupons...FOR EVERYTHING.  Not just groceries, friends.  Nope.  I troll the newspapers, magazines, internet, and really any place I can think of that will house a coupon or five for any little thing imaginable.  Need my oil changed? I got a coupon for that! Want to go out to eat? Well, sure, but we can only go here or there cuz I have a coupon.  Movies? Oh, snap! I got coupons for both admission and concession.  Yep, friends.  I'm that girl. 
2. I wash and reuse plastic ware.  Not just forks and spoons, either.  Those little trays that Lean Cuisines come in? They're the perfect size for single serving portions, and I've got oodles of them.
3. Unconscious mooching.  Okay, in this instance, I don't actually mean to be, but it has recently come to my attention that my mother has paid for our shared Sam's Club membership for the last three consecutive years.  I'm not sure how that happened, but somehow, every time the membership comes up for renewal, she just happens to be the one there, doing her shopping.  So, she's always paying for it.  Between you and me, minions, I think she pays for the membership just so she can have something to yip at me about.  So really, who am I to spoil her fun?  Right?  See? I'm doing her a favor by mooching the membership off her...you believe that don't you?  Yeah, me neither, but it was worth a shot.
4. I have membership (i.e. discount) cards to all the major bookstores as well as a library card that gets more exercise than me and my dogs combined.  Okay.  So, this one's a throwaway.  I mean, yeah, I do use my library card more than the average bear, but I also happen to buy a helluva lot of books.  But, as I always say, "I ALWAYS have money for books.  ALWAYS.  So what if some weeks all I eat is Ramen noodles?  Books trump damned near everything...and that includes food (for me anyways...my puppies need to eat, you know)."
5. I live by the mantra: Why pay someone else to do something that you can do for yourself?  Case in point:  Currently, a friend of mine is installing a fence at my house.  My dogs will be in heaven once it's complete.  Anywho, after all my preliminary research into the different avenues I could go, I found it would be cheaper and faster for me to make this a DIY project.  In the last week, I've gotten the survey work done, obtained the permit, and coordinated with the utility companies to mark all buried lines.  The final task on my list before my friend begins work was to purchase the materials.  After much comparison shopping, I placed the order.  Lo and behold, they wanted to charge me $150 for delivery.  And, what did I tell them, you ask?  To hell with that! I'll get a truck and take it all home myself.  So, I borrowed one of the company trucks and moseyed on over to the lumber store to pick up the order.  As I watched THREE big burly guys load my truck up, I began to doubt the intelligence of my plan (I was unloading the materials myself, BTW).  Also, you should know that it took them 42 minutes to finish loading.  Now worried that I bit off more than I could chew, I drove on home.  Guess how long it took me to unload said materials, folks.  Go ahead.  Guess.  27 minutes!!!  Now, you tell me.  How is that possible?!?!

Life Lesson Learned:  Being cheap is not always a bad thing...and apparently, you should never send THREE men to do a job that one (very determined) woman can do all by her lonesome in damned near half the time.  Think about that.

ARC Review: MY FAVORITE BAND DOES NOT EXIST

The Book: MY FAVORITE BAND DOES NOT EXIST
The Author: Robert T. Jeschonek
The Genre: YA Fantasy
The Publisher: Clarion Books (Imprint of: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt  Children's Book Group)
Available for Purchase: July 11, 2011

Summary:
Being trapped in a book sounds like fun...unless, of course, you die in Chapter 64.  Just ask Idea Diety.  To most people, FIRESKULL'S REVENANT might be a fun, fantastical read, full of action and plot twists, but for Idea--who believes this book and the person writing it are controlling his life--it's a runaway train of catastrophe, plunging headlong into Chapter 64 and his imminent demise.

Meanwhile, Reacher Mirage, lead singer of the biggest rock band that never was, Youforia, can't figure out who's been leaking news--info that only he should know--of his group on the internet.  Seemingly overnight, his little, secret band becomes a national sensation.  A price is put on his head.  The rock magazine Tuned wants an interview, and they'll go to any lengths to get it...that includes offering up a reward for Reacher.

Now, the two boys, whose lives are inexplicably linked through this one book, are on a collision course that will irrevocably change the world as they know it.

My Take:
If I saw this book on the shelves, I'd snap it right up just by the book cover design and the blurb alone.  I mean, what greater concept can you ask for? ALICE IN WONDERLAND meets SCHOOL OF ROCK** actually describes the premise quite well.  And, the idea that Jeschonek had for this novel--layering Idea's story in with not only Reacher's but that of the FIRESKULL book--is, in my opinion, purely awesome.

But, that is as far as it went for me.  The writing came across a little flat, and at times, irritating.  There were many scenes in the book where the writer told me the conclusions that each character came to instead of just allowing the reader to use her brain and figure it out.  This was a little annoying, not to mention insulting.

Example:  (sorry for the spoiler, but I want to make myself clear as to what I'm talking about)  Idea is going through the Gauntlet of Realities and he encounters his parents.  Earlier, when the reader meets his parents, it's obvious that they are somewhat cold and very distant people.  In the Gauntlet of Realities, however, they are the exact opposite, and just as I'm thinking to myself, "Hey, what a complete turn-around" the writer launches into a monologue about how these loving, touchy-feeling people are so much the opposite of what his parents are normally like.  Gee, buddy.  Thanks for pointing that out.  I wouldn't have guessed it otherwise. 

Sadly, this is not the only time it happens throughout the book.  If it had been, I could overlook it, but this kind of telling happened so frequently, that soon it was all I could focus on. Which is not a good thing, people.

Another issue I had was the disjointed format.  There is a lot of hopping around, back and forth, over, under and sideways between Idea, Reacher, and the book FIRESKULL.  At first, all the jumping around was a little confusing.  Once I got into the rhythm, it wasn't too bad, but there were a few points where I had to stop and re-read a few pages of the previous chapter as I thought I'd missed something important going down. 

Come to find out, there were several blind spots in the book that I can only conclude were an intentional play on Jeschonek's part to have the reader just as off-kilter as Idea and Reacher.  I can respect that.  I really can, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.  I'm just saying.

All in all, even with the issues I had with this book, I would recommend MY FAVORITE BAND DOES NOT EXIST...but only to those who love fantasy above all else...to the point that they can over-look the somewhat flat writing, disjointed formatting, instances of telling to the point of beating me over the head with it, and a few spots of confusion.  After all, this is a great premise...just not executed as well as I would have liked.

**direct quote from the ARC blurb, and I wholeheartedly agree with this description.

In Which I Discover a FORBIDDEN Book...

Friends, I have read a book.  Okay.  So, that in and of itself is probably not a real big shocker.  Well, not at all actually.

What I meant to say was that I have just finished reading a book that dragged me kicking and screaming through an emotional wringer.  Never in all my years of reading (admittedly a lot, considering how ancient I am. gasp! 31) has a book so overwhelmed me with such a variety of emotions.

I was frightened.  I was curious.  I was nervous.  I was more than a little sickened.  And, that all happened before I even pressed the 'Confirm Order' button on Amazon.  But then, I screwed up my courage and charged forward.

And, do you know what?  I'm still not so sure whether I'm glad I did.  Wait.  Yeah, I am....er...no, maybe I'm not. 

Minions, I am severely conflicted because I really don't know what to think, even now as I write this to you.  So, first, I guess I should probably introduce this book that so affected me that I am still reeling from the shock, the sadness, the soul-deep ache that it has forged within me.

The Book:  FORBIDDEN
The Author: Tabitha Suzuma
The Publisher: Definitions (an imprint of Random House Children's Books) 

First off, I must tell you that this book was recommend to me by Bee over at Dreamcatcher's Lair.  If you don't know her, you must hop over sometime and check her out.

The Summary:
Lochan and Maya are brother and sister, who while children themselves have taken on the arduous task of raising their three younger siblings.  At the ages of 12 and 11 respectively, their father left, abandoning them and their mother to travel halfway around the world and start a new family of his own.  Their mother, bitter from being saddled with five children that she never wanted to begin with, begins a downward spiral, losing herself in booze, barhopping, and shacking up with much younger men. 

Our story begins when Lochie and Maya are 17 and 16.  In the years since their father's abandonment, they have stepped up, taking up the roles of mother and father to their sister and two brothers, all the while working hard to keep their own grades up.  Their lives are ruled by caring for the children and maintaining the thin facade of a normal functioning family for the outside world. 

Soon, their affections for each other morph into more than just that of the bond a brother and sister share.  And, they realize that they love each other in a way that is--in the eyes of society--appalling, wrong, sickening, and illegal.

My take:
While reading this book, I vacillated between being sickened, shocked, and outraged to aching for these children and the trials that they faced, their loss of everything: their parents, their shot at a normal life, their childhood, their innocence. From the beginning, it was obvious to me that Lochan and Maya cared for each other greatly and depended on each other for more than for just the emotional support needed to keep their family together.

And, even when their physical love for one another became readily apparent (not until close to halfway through the book), I didn't know whether to root for them to be together or wish that one or both of them would come to their senses.  Really, I still don't.  There were times in this story where I found myself conveniently forgetting that they were brother and sister, and other times, I was distinctly uncomfortable with some very (at least in my mind...especially for YA) explicit sexual encounters.

Then, there was the ending.  GUH.  That's all I can say.  That's all I will say.  I don't want to spoil it for anyone who should be fearless enough to read this book.

All in all, friends, I'd have to say that the books I always highly recommend are the ones that resonate with me long after the last sentence was read.  FORBIDDEN will stay with me, that is for damned sure.  But, I'm still not certain how to feel about it.  It's left me with a hole in my gut, a piece of me cut out and left, bloody and wasted, resting between the pages.  I can't say whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it's my thing.  And, I won't be telling you that you must read this book.  It's just too startling, especially the reactions it evokes within its reader.

Have you ever had that happen with a book, friends?  Please tell me I'm not the only one, here.  Please?

In Which I SPEAK Loudly....

I must have been living under a rock yesterday. That is the only excuse I have for not knowing about the travesty that has been taking place in my own backyard, so to speak. No, I don't live in Missouri, but I happen to be the proud owner of an autographed copy of Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK

For those of you who like me may not know what the situation is, please allow me to shed some light. SPEAK is a literary YA novel that deals with the harsh subject of rape and how one girl comes to terms with what has happened to her. A certain someone has gotten up on his metaphorical soapbox and demanded that SPEAK be placed on the Banned Books List in school. He cites his reasons by terming the rape scenes in SPEAK as soft pornography.

Let's dismiss for the moment that anyone who believes rape (of an under aged teen) is sexually exciting and thus considered pornographic is so far left of center that I wouldn't want him within 200 miles of a school or playground. Let's suspend for a moment that banning a book about said subject matter sends a clear message to young men that hurting a woman is okay and not to be talked about.

Why is there even a Banned Books List?

What you allow your children to read or not to read is one thing. But, telling me--and by extension--my children what is acceptable reading material is WRONG.

We live in a country that is supposed to be free. As such, it is my choice what I choose to read. If I were to see a book out there that deals with something that offends me personally. I would exercise my right to not buy that book. On the same token, if a book was being covered in my child's class that I did not approve of, I would exercise my right to work with the teacher in putting together an alternate lesson plan in order to keep my child from not participating in that portion of the curriculum.

What I would not do however, is stand inside Wal-Mart or Barnes and Noble and shout to one and all not to buy a book that I don't care for. I would not call for summarily banning a book from school libraries. I would not force my opinions on anyone and everyone within shouting distance.

I will simply ask this: How do you feel about censorship? Are you for it or against it? Why or why not? I'd love to hear about it in the comments. I'll be in the corner protecting my copy of SPEAK from raving lunatics intent on eradicating it from existence.

My Journey Through THE PASSAGE...

Before she became the Girl from Nowhere—the One Who Walked In, the First and Last and Only, who lived a thousand years—she was just a little girl in Iowa, named Amy. Amy Harper Bellafonte.

These are perhaps the best opening lines I’ve read in a long time. They instantly brought up all kinds of questions. Who was this Amy? Why was she called the Girl from Nowhere? And above all: How in the hell could she live 1,000 years? And, as all good first lines are wont to do, they made me read on.

SUMMARY:

FBI agent Brad Wolgast has a different kind of job with the US government. He travels the country, hopping from prison to prison with an offer that no death row inmate can refuse: Participate in a government study and have your sentence commuted down to life without parole. What he doesn’t tell them is that most of them will not survive the study, and those who do become something less than human. That’s not Wolgast’s job. He just brings them in.

That is, until his superior orders him to bring in a civilian from Memphis. Amy NLN (no last name). When Wolgast and his partner arrive to collect the civilian, they realize that this Amy NLN is just an orphaned little girl. Wolgast doesn’t want to bring her in. He doesn’t know exactly what is done to these subjects, but he knows it’s nothing good. So, he tries to ditch his partner and run away with Amy, but they are caught. Ultimately, Amy gets delivered to the government.

Then, the unthinkable happens.

The other subjects, The Twelve, break free and unleash upon humanity a virus that will either kill you or make you a monstrous creature that prowls the night, killing any and all living beings and draining them of blood.

Wolgast steals Amy away and takes her deep into the mountains, protecting her from the carnage and chaos that has descended upon the nation. But, for Amy, escaping this horrible night is only the beginning of a much larger journey, one that will span miles and decades, for she is the only one who can finish what never should have begun.

Now that I’ve given you the rundown, you’re probably expecting me to give you the standard Yes, I loved it. Go out and read it yourself. Or No, it was crap. Don’t even waste your time. And then the Let me tell you why.

Wrong. Well, all except for the Let me tell you why part of course.

THE PASSAGE is a novel that you must be committed to reading before you even begin it. It’s a book that you will either love or you will hate. There really is no middle ground here. This is where you’re probably wondering which category I fall into. I will admit that I am decidedly in the love category, but that doesn’t mean that I thought this was a perfect read, far from it actually.

AND…Let me tell you why:

PROS:

Above all else, THE PASSAGE made me think. I am by no means a conspiracy theorist or anything, but the events that led to this pandemic are completely plausible. The doctor who ran the experiment was only trying to find a way for disease to be completely eradicated. Who wouldn’t want to cure Cancer or heart disease or Alzheimer’s? And the government being the government took control of the experiment, thinking more in terms of defense than anything else. Is something like this experiment happening right now? Probably not. Could it though? Maybe…most likely…yeah. See what I mean about making you think…and worry?

Also, the world-building was stellar. I could see it all, from the underground government facility where the subjects were held to the mountain cabin where Wolgast took Amy to the First Colony, a stronghold designed to keep the infected out and the humans safe in the year 92 AV (after virus), to the ruins of Las Vegas and the Haven just outside Desert Wells. It was all so real and described so well without boring me with useless details.

I also loved the use of mixed media in the book. One chapter was comprised of nothing but emails from the doctor who began the whole experiment, which really gave the reader insight as to how this all came about. There were really no two-dimensional characters here, which made it difficult for the reader to be disgusted with some of the “bad guys” as you knew their motives and most of them had the best of intentions, but we all know where the road paved with good intentions will inevitably lead.

CONS:

This is an 800 page book. Yes, I said it. Now, I do not in any way have a word-count prejudice, but it needs to be said for anyone out there that is daunted by a book that thick. Really, you could get a great work out from holding it up!

Although the first lines reeled me in, I have to admit that the first 250 pages were somewhat dry for me. Don’t get me wrong. They were intriguing enough to keep me reading, if only to find out what the subjects were going to do and then the immediate aftermath of the breakout. But, I really didn’t get pulled in to the point that I couldn’t put the book down until Part IV when the story of First Colony began. This was where I really got immersed.

In my opinion, THE PASSAGE would’ve been a much more fast-paced and all around more engrossing read if the novel had just started at page 265 in the year 92 AV with First Colony. I understand why the first three parts were written—so that the reader understood what had happened in the Time Before and how that chain of events directly influenced Peter and his friends in the future—but there is this tiny part of me that would’ve preferred to be just as in the dark as the colonists were. It would have added another layer to the suspense. As it was, the minute Sanjay and the others started having the dreams, I was like, Oh, I know what’s going to happen next! Oh, my god!

But my biggest complaint about THE PASSAGE: It’s book one of a series! And while this first part did conclude, there were still many strings left dangling. Strings that will continue to be an irritation to be me until the next installment comes out. Damn you, Justin Cronin! **shakes fist and glares**

How about all you fun followers? Have you read THE PASSAGE yet? If so, did you like it, and why? If you haven’t read it, is it on your TBR list? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Things I Know to be True and Other Falsehoods...

I am a lurker. I will admit it. I belong to many on-line writing communities, Twitter, Facebook...Hell, I've even been known to blog-stalk many a writer or agent, and quite frequently, I might add. There have been times, I've cut in with a snarky reply/comment, but mostly, I do simply what a lurker does best. I slink back into the shadows and watch and wait.

I lurk.

During the course of my recent lurking endeavors, I've picked some valuable information, gleaning bits of wisdom from blogs and random tweets. Today is the day that I share this sage advice with all my lovelies. I know. I know. You love me. You don't know how you ever lived without me and my blog before. To tell you the truth, I really don't have an answer to that. Just go with it. I am here, and you are glad of it. End of story.

Uh...okay...Ego much, Karla?

So, anywho...Here we go. Don't say I never did anything for you!

1. Not only do agents want to you to follow up on your long-ass boring query letters, but they absolutely love it when you email them--while they are closed to queries--to demand to know if said agent has worked out a publishing deal. I don't know about you fine folks, but I NEVER knew that. It's wonderful news, indeed!
2. Sending a letter to Oprah about your book virtually guarantees you not only an agent but a publishing contract. This no-fail plan has been added to my list of things that I simply must do when I begin querying my next book. It'll work like a charm!
3. In order to get a three-book deal, you must formulate a strict writing routine and stick to it. It helps if you also eat moldy toast. Just ask Tawna Fenske. I have to admit that I am actually going to try this. I went to the store just last night and purchased some day-old rye bread. In a few days, I will be dining on penicillin. Go ahead! You can congratulate me on the deal now. :)
4. Contests are the best thing since sliced--er, moldy--bread! Especially, when you've already been assured of winning...Wait? Elizabeth, you did promise that I'd win, right? RIGHT?!?!?
5. If you demand a $50 million advance for four books, someone will pay it! Wow! Wait just a minute while I change the wording in my query letter to extol the virtues of paying me so much for my novels. Oh, that's only for people like Janet Evanovich? Can someone get me her agent's number? I'm sure if I employ the tactics I learned from #1 and #2, he'll take me on in a heartbeat!
6. When aliens abduct you, they give parting gifts!! Yes, friends. It's true. My dearest blog buddy, Kelly, just got an iPad from said aliens. Hmmm...I hope they didn't do anything to terrible to her...like make her slow dance with them. That would be very traumatic!
7. Geography can be so funny! Just ask Linda Grimes, and she will tell you all about South China ;)

Well, that's it for my pearls of wisdom today, friends. Have I missed any other important tidbits that need to be spread around? Please tell me in the comments!

Voyeuristic Tendencies...

As a writer, I often feel like a Peeping Tom. Seriously. I have this wonderfully quirky set of characters that as time goes on, I get to know rather well...almost like they're my friends. I've laughed with them (and at them), cried with them, been angry for them and with them. In short, I've bonded with them.

And then, it happens.

Your MC has that breakthrough moment of naked, raw emotions that leaves you--and hopefully the reader--reeling. Your character is exposed...sometimes figuratively and/or sometimes literally.

And you feel like such a lecher...a voyeur...a Peeping Tom...or if like me, you write mainly YA, a pedophile.

You're sitting on your perch far removed from the fallout, and admit it, you're enjoying watching them go through Hell...or if they have no clothes on Heaven. What does that say about me? OMG friends! I should be in jail! This is so not good....

Eh...excuse me while I'm getting outfitted for my prison stripes. Will I see any of you in the clink, too?

Addiction to Reality TV Can Be Deadly...

This is where I admit to being one of those people. You know the ones I'm talking about. That girl who watches soap operas and is convinced that the people in her "stories" are not only real but her friends.

Okay. Maybe not that bad, but I do seem to have developed an unhealthy addiction to the Discovery Channel. Actually, that should be channels. Yes, plural, because I really don't know what I'd do without the programs on Discovery Health like Mystery Diagnosis and Anatomy of __insert lethal thing here__.

But nothing, I repeat, NOTHING has me as hooked as Deadliest Catch, a show I only just started watching a few weeks ago.

Now, I will admit that I was a little ambivalent about tuning in at first. In fact, one of my friends has been harassing me to watch it for the better part of three years now, but I always resisted. I mean, come on. I already watched so many documentaries that I'm really surprised I haven't become severely agoraphobic and refused all human contact by now. If you've ever marathoned National Geographic, the Science Channel, and Discovery before, you certainly know what I'm talking about. A girl can only watch so many shows about people getting struck by lightning, eaten by their own pets, tragic aftermaths of natural disasters before she's convinced that the only safe place is hiding in her closet, and even that can be dicey at times.

But, I finally broke...mostly because I was enjoying/suffering from a long bout of writer's block and there was nothing else on TV except for an Iron Chef marathon that was very tempting but I ended up forsaking Bobby Flay and Mario Batali for Capts. Johnathan, Andy, Sig, Phil, Keith, and Wild Bill.

And, I was hooked (ahem, pun intended!). The fishing was fast-paced, the conditions harsh, and the people were witty, wild, and unpredictable. Suffice it to say, I was enthralled by the ties that connected the crews and their captains. The overwhelming sense of family and the unspoken promises of risking their own lives to help any of their brothers, regardless of the circumstances.

Last night, I watched an episode from season three where Capt. Johnathan and the crew of the Time Bandit watched out their starboard side as a crew member of a neighboring vessel fell overboard. They immediately jumped into action and plucked the man out of the frigid waters, saving him from certain death. All the men were visibly shaken by the experience and unashamed of the swell of emotion pouring out of them as the man they saved thanked them profusely.

And then of course, I also watched the newest episode in which Capt Phil was in the hospital after suffering a massive stroke. Now, I know--as does any other fan of the show--that he doesn't make it, but still, I was a mess last night, all the while hoping against hope that he'd come out of it okay. And, it'll be worse next week as they previewed the two-hour final episode of Capt. Phil. I will surely be a blubbering mess. Because even though I've only known him for a short while, I feel as though Capt. Phil is a member of my family. :(

Which brings me to the point of this whole rant. Didn't think I had one, did you? We fall in love with people, whether they are really real or just some character on a television program or in a book. I can't tell you how many times I've read a book and cried over a heroine or hero who fell on hard times...how many times I was happy for them, sad for them, angry at them. We form strong attachments for whatever reason, and then when the end comes calling, as it most assuredly will, you don't want to let go, and you grieve for them.

How about all of you peeps? Is there any character/person in particular that you identify with so much so that you feel for them no matter what happens? I'd love to hear about it in the comments :)

A Series of Unfortunate Waiting....

Last night, I finished up the latest Janet Evanovich book in which bungling bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her spandex-loving side-kick Lula rescue Stephanie's slimy boss/cousin Vinne the pervert (he once had a romantic relationship with duck). Of course, there are other memorable characters...hot cop Morelli, dangerous and sexy Ranger (who I'd probably be stalking if he was real), perpetually stoned Mooner (his name says it all), and the infamous, gun-toting, funeral-crashing Grandma Mazur.

As per usual, the minute I finished the 300+ pages, I was instantly thinking about what kind of sh*tstorm Stephanie and friends might find themselves in next time...and I'll have to wait a whole year to find out! GAH!

Which got me to thinking about series books in general. To be honest, it really didn't take much. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. :)

You see, I love things in series. How can anyone not? I mean, you spend something like three, four, sometimes five hundred pages with a set a characters. You get to know them. At the risk of sounding completely mental, they're like your friends. And, then the book ends, and you're like "I'm glad everything turned out okay, but I want to see them again."

Admit it. You've had these same thoughts. Okay. Don't admit it, but you and I know the truth.

So, when another book involving those same characters comes along, you snatch it right up. You devour the words as if they the only thing that could possibly nourish you. And, just like that, they're gone again...and you are left to wait until the author deigns to throw a few more crumbs your way.

Believe me. I understand. I myself am hooked on several series in addition to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. There's JD Robb's IN DEATH series...Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse and Harper Connelly books...PC & Kristin Cast HON novels....James Patterson's Manhattan Women's Murder Club...only to name a few....

So is it any wonder that I myself have fallen victim to the series virus that plagues us writers? I have written two novels that I love to pieces where the characters keep coming back to me, shouting at me, begging me to give them another story. And, they are tempting in deed. It is taking all my will power to push them off to the side, to say, "Wait, just a little longer." They're getting antsy, and I have to admit that so am I. Soon, I may have to let them loose to tell their stories...very soon.

How about all of you? Do you have any series books that you can't imagine your life without? Or do you have a crapload of story ideas flying around inside your head all revolving around this one MC? I'd love to hear about it in the comments:)