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Last Saturday for some odd reason I decided to try the Twilight series.  Ok what is the Twilight series?  I didn’t know either and I’m a huge latecomer to the Twilight insanity.  I mean I kept seeing these books everywhere but never picked them up.  They are in the YA genre of fiction and that turned me off.  I also tend to shy away from anything mainstream on a big level.  But I bought a used copy of the First in what will be Four books in this series.

Twilight.

That was it.  I was hooked.  Bell and Edward…what a sweet love story.  Also, while I giggle at some of the passages in this book were fall out funny and loopy to me, Belle is a character I can get to know and care about and that is always the thing that captures me.  I read through Twilight in mere hours and drove myself to Target the next morning to buy the next in the series, New Moon.  I finished New Moon within a matter of two evenings after work.  (I stayed up last night until 2 a.m. engrossed in New Moon).  I have the 3^rd book in the series sitting on my nightstand at home…waiting for my return after work.  I honestly can tell you I wish I could leave work early to go read that stupid ass book.  And that never happens to me.

During the height of the Harry Potter craze…I didn’t care to read it.  When they released Harry Potter #5 I tried in earnest to read the first novel.  Twice I tried and twice I failed.  I don’t like Harry and more importantly I never cared about Harry.  Not even a little freaking bit.

But this Twilight series?  OMG…where have I been?  I found out on Monday after googling and finding more information that the last book in the series comes out on Friday night at midnight. It was precisely at that point that I decided to read 1 thru 3 in their entirety so that I can sit like a looney tune in the bookstore waiting for midnight for my ever-loving fanfuckntastic copy of Breaking Dawn.  This is said to be the last book in the series but I hope that Stephenie Meyer, much like that dolt that wrote the Harry books..what was her stupid name? (yah see how much I don’t care?!) will change her mind and want more big checks. 

It should be said that she did not earn in any way as much as that Harry author did but…the big boys in Publishing overlooked her and are now shaking their heads and crying in their publishing beers about that oversight.  There is a cult following for this series of books.  Heck you can buy Edward and Bella merchandise out the wazoo.  I even want to buy a coffee cup…and I’ve never experienced this reading phenomenon before personally but I would totally wear a Edward t-shirt.  I detest Danielle Steele, Patterson, etc. etc.  All the big guys in the book world because for me they suck.  There are so many great authors out there with much to write about and Stephenie Meyer could be a better writer, seriously it’s not her writing skills that are so awesome…it’s her imagination that cannot be topped.  I resisted the hype….and then stopped just long enough to fall in over my head.  I can’t believe this is me saying this but that shiz is some good shishnit.

So…tonight I dig past the first chapter in the third novel Eclipse….I have until Friday at midnight and would like to be completed on Thursday if at all possible….Another 640 pages to go basically….

I love this so much I cannot even find words…

I entered a writing contest. 

This one—> Support your response to the question, “Is marriage still necessary?” in 500 words or less. Put “Contest” in the subject line and email me! 

WHY? I am seeking discussion on the topic of my fourth novel, which examines the institution of marriage. In response to both the Defense of Marriage Act and several reports that marriage is “obsolete in Western culture,” the novel explores the meaning marriage has to several characters—a woman going through a divorce, her gay brother attempting to adopt a child with his partner, her parents about to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary, and her pregnant teenaged daughter soured on the idea of marriage entirely. The working title (which keeps changing) is Marriage Advice from the Church of St. Equine. I won 2^nd place in the contest! My prize is my choice of any two of Katrina Kittle’s titles signed to me or anyone I wish.

I won 2nd place in the contest! My prize is my choice of any two of Katrina Kittle’s titles signed to me or anyone I wish.My winning piece can be found here 

Winning 2^nd place on this topic made me especially happy.  I love my husband, truly I do.  Writing (the non-academic type) has taken a back burner for me and I have missed it greatly.  Many of my co-workers encourage me to pursue it because as they tell me I am “articulate, creative, inspiring”.  Being a full time college student and a full time employee has made it difficult for me to engage in writing for joy.  It’s nice to know I still have some talent…enough to win a contest.

Also check out Katrina’s novels, I’ve read “The Kindness of Strangers” and it’s wonderful.  She’s also inspiring because she’s following her dreams.  Her blog is great stuff too.  

Please feel free to leave a comment with your answer to “Is marriage still necessary?” 

Truly the only author that I pimp…mostly because of a few things.  First and foremost because he has a way of using words to make his stories come alive.  I love his skill with description.  Secondly, he never once has asked me to write a review or assist him.  Not once.  (other authors have…)  Lastly because if you read anything he writes you will automatically read everything he’s written like a crack junkie finding an old and favorite crack pipe. I’m sure Tod would not appreciate me comparing him to crack, but as an avid reader constantly looking for the next literary orgasm. I can tell you that Tod Goldberg never leaves me feeling frigid as a reader.

Please go to Tod’s blog and check out an excerpt to his latest novel.  It’s only $6.99 and somehow that feels like shoplifting to me…but it’s legal. I read the excerpt and now I’m mentally jumping around the room wanting more. If you’re new to Tod…good luck not becoming addicted to his blog.

According to amazon we will have to wait an entire month.

from michelle 

1. Who’s your all-time favorite author, and why? S.E. Hinton  she wrote just a handful of books but her characters feel like real people to me.  Ponyboy..who could forget him?  Tex…wasn’t he my brother?

2. Who was your first favorite author, and why? Do you still consider him or her among your favorites?

My first favorite author and the female literary goddess I admire…of course Judy Blume.  Oddly not for Are you there god it’s me Margaret but rather because of her book, Its not the end of the world.  It was a book about divorce and while my parents didn’t divorce until I was an adult..they should have divorced when I was 11.  So I got it. 

3. Who’s the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors, and why?

Its impossible to pick any one. In fact it’s impossible for me to state a favorite.  I really just love great novels where the author writes about the characters so that I feel I can truly know them and be a part of them for awhile.

4. If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth? Are there any you’d add on a moment of further reflection?

Tod Goldberg, Willy Vlautin.  Outside of those two, no one else comes to mind.  I tend to remember titles of novels more so than author’s names.  I tend to not like mainstream author’s as much as the rest of the world. I tend to gravitate towards story lines not taglines or author names.  Most of what I read never gets read by anyone else I know.

5. Tagged:

Rules: Link to me, post the rules somewhere in your meme, answer the questions, tag six people in your post, let the tagees know they’ve been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog, let the tagger know your entry is posted.