Friday Favourites - Eye Candy

I think I speak for many authors when the idea of seeing their book turned into a movie would be a total dream come true.

For me that would be the ultimate. I see my stories as movies in my head all the time. I love watching the action sequences play out and I love finding actors that look a little like my characters do.

So today I thought I'd do a tribute to all the male leads out there and talk about eye candy. Who do you like to watch on screen? And if you're a writer, who do imagine playing the roles of your, oh so dreamy, male love interests.

I'm going to start with Eli, Mica's love interest in Forbidden Territory. To me he looks like a young version of Tom Welling - you know when he first hit the scene as Superman. Ahhhhh :)

Another actor that I love watching on screen and am hoping to write into a story eventually is Taylor Lautner. I really loved him in Abduction. He was so athletic and gorgeous.

Now - I could go on forever on this post, there is a lot of beauty out there, but I'm going to finish with Penn Badgley. I just watched Easy A the other night (LOVE that movie) and the more I work on Betwixt, the more I picture this guy as my Dale :)


So - who do you like watching on screen? Who do you like writing into your stories, just so you can see them move around your imaginary world?

Friday Favourites - Facebook and a Competition

Has facebook taken over our lives or what? A few years ago if someone had said to me I'd have a social media page that I check constantly - all day long - with little notes from my friends on it, I would have laughed.. Yeah right!

As it is, I have several pages that I look after (as Admin) as well as my personal page. I've even got my mum to set up a FB account!!

Have you read any books that mention facebook yet? I'm sure the books will be coming before long. As an author it is definitely something that you can't not think about, as everyone seems to be on facebook these days.

Some of the pages out there are amazing. Others I find overwhelming with constant posts that clog up my feed. In saying that, I think these pages are a powerful marketing tool and I really enjoy using them.

Do you have a favourite Facebook Page? What do you like about it?

Today Melissa and I are thrilled to announce the Facebook page for our new book series about Mica and Lexy!! To celebrate the announcement of our new page we are running a little competition over the weekend: When we get to 30 likes we will randomly select a LIKER to win something from our prize box. Then another prize when we get 40 likes and so on, every 10 likes until we run out of prizes. This is an international competition so everyone is welcome to play!

Our prize box contains: ARC (advanced release copies) of our ebook Forbidden Territory, Melissa Pearl's Time Spirit Trilogy (one copy of each ebook) and bone carving necklaces like the ones Mica and Lexy wear in the book.

We will be using our FB page to let you know about book releases, new books that we are writing and other writing bits and pieces here and there. Spread the word, the more the merrier!

Here it is: http://www.facebook.com/MicaLexySeries
Good luck!!!

Friday Favourites - Characters You've Created

This one is for all the writers out there, whether you're published or not. Actually - it really is for anyone with a good imagination :)

One of the coolest things about writing is getting to create these people and bring them to life on the page. I was asked at one of my school visits last week how close I got to my characters. Was I sad when the book finished because it was like saying goodbye to a friend?

The answer was a very quick, YES!

Although imaginary, these characters become real people. We get to know them so well. You think for them, move for them, react for them... in some ways you leave a small piece of yourself inside each one of them.

So - my question for you today is: who is the best character you've created? Why do you like them so much?

For me - the first one that pops to mind is Gabe Hunter from the Time Spirit Trilogy. I love him so much. He is like the ultimate father figure. He's cool, he's relaxed, yet strong and decisive when he needs to be. I can picture him so clearly in my head - the way he moves, the sound of his laughter - he just... rocks!

Another character I really love is Mica Latham from Forbidden Territory. I find her really funny. She's say things and does things that I would never dream of. I think that's why I like her so much - she is the me I was never brave enough to be at high school.

Now it's your turn - who do you love?

Friday Favourites ~ Jewellery

I'm not a BIG jewellery person, but I do wear a few things daily, in fact I probably never take them off: watch, wedding rings, earring studs and my twisted maori carving pendant from my bestie. I do have about 20 different pendants, mostly very cheap and from countries I've visited, but they only really come out for special occasions.

When I'm writing though I'm not sure I always remember that my characters probably wear jewellery too and should be mentioned. Like sucking on their pendant (which I constantly do) or something. Perhaps another character fiddles with their watch or is constantly beeping the buttons.

At the same time it's important that the jewellery suits your character and fits with the story. No point making a list of all your characters jewellery if it has no bearing on the story.

Can you remember any books that have important jewellery or if it's even mentioned?
The only one that jumps to mind for me right now is the Twilight books where Jake gives Bella that little carved wolf and does she wear it on a bracelet?

Have a great weekend
ZG

Friday Favourites - Fight scenes

Before I get started with FF this week, I just want to say... Cooks Beach was AWESOME!! There is nothing cooler than hanging out with your bestie non-stop for 4 days. Love it :)

Now ironically, I'm going to talk about fight scenes... something that never happens between me and my bestie, but something I really love reading or watching on screen.

Am I crazy?

I just love a good fight scene. Do you?

There's something so exciting about being caught up in a fight, whether it's physical or verbal, on the pages or on the screen. Your emotions are stretched to their limit. You are either heart broken or elated... and it's those moments in a story that have you hooked.

For me, there is something so alluring about two people battling it out... especially if it's a guy fighting to save his girl. Yeah, yeah, I know - I'm a romantic sap!!

But come on - you can't pass up the moment in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves when Robin catapults himself over a castle wall and runs through the hallways shouting "Marion!" only to battle it out to the death with the Sheriff in order to save her life. (Okay - hands up if you think that sentence is too long!) But you get the idea - it's cool!

Or what about that moment in Twilight when Edward arrives in the ballet studio just in time to save Bella.

Or that moment when Ren finally gets to punch the crap out of Chuck in Footloose.

It's those times you want to throw your hands in the air and cheer. It's those moments when true character is revealed. When everything is put on the line and the MC finally finds what they need to fight it out and win the thing they crave the most.

What kind of fights do you enjoy?
Do you enjoy them? If so - what is it that makes them so enticing?

Friday Favourites ~ hair styles

I have long hair. I grew it long when I was 15, after years of my mum cutting it short and not letting me grow it. I guess you could say I rebelled!! And I haven't been able to cut it short since. Recently it was so long it almost reached my butt, but I got my brother (a hairdresser) to give me a new style and now it's layered, which is great as it suits my hair curly and straight (I love my straightener).

Anyway I do tend to get stuck in a rut with my hairstyle. I don't really follow trends, I just like it long. When it comes to the characters I write, I always give them long hair too. I seem to have a 'thing' about short hair (I still blame mum and my childhood). I wear braids a lot, throw my hair in a ponytail or messy knot but hardly ever wear it down (my children tend to pull on it).

What I was wondering today was, does a character's hair say much about who they are?

When I watch movies, I find it unrealistic that females have their hair down and styled through the whole movie when that SO doesn't happen in real life. We girls put our hair up to get it out of our faces (or out of the way of grubby baby hands), we don't have it dangling down while we clean the toilet etc... etc... so I'm thinking it's probably good to be aware of that while we are writing so our characters are real, not movie characters!

After saying all that, what is your fave hairstyle or what hairstyle would you love to have ?
I have messy curls that aren't tight and springy or loose and gorgeous, did I mention I love to use my straightener!! But if I had more time (and skill) I'd love those loose big curls that hang perfectly around the face and shoulders!

Friday Favourites - Setting

I have finally found the time to start working on Betwixt. It's taken a while, but I'm ready to get into it now. So over the last couple of days, I've been working on my research. As I was scrolling through information and pictures of the setting (Big Bear Lake, CA - GORGEOUS!!!), I started thinking about my favourite settings for books.

I am a total mountain, chick. I don't know what it is, but I LOVE the mountains. When I think through my database of stories, quite a few of them are set in the mountains or at least an area with lots of trees. Forbidden Territory is an example of this.

I think trees and forest create such an awesome setting, because they bring with it an element of danger and surprise. So many more things can go wrong when nature is added into the mix.

My next favourite setting is small town. I love small town. You can have so much fun adding in quirky characters and bringing the reader into an environment where they can get to know the place as well as the MC does.

So, how about you? Where do you like stories to be set? Do you have a favourite book that you're read, or written, where the setting brought the story to life?

Friday Favourites - Guys Who Can Kick Some Butt

As part of the YA Indie Carnival this week, I had to post about who would be a good competitor in the Hunger Games - either from your own writing or books you've read. It was a really fun post to compose and it got me thinking.

A little while ago a did a post about girls who could kick butt. Now it's time to talk about the guys.

Who is your favourite guy from a book you've read or a movie you've seen that can really kick some butt?

Firstly I'd have to choose Dom, from the Time Spirit Trilogy. He is a strong, powerful character who can knock a guy flat with one punch. I really do love Dom :)

I also really like John Smith from I Am Number Four. Admittedly he is an alien, but he's pretty awesome.

I cannot ignore some of the characters in Twilight. Jasper is my favourite fighter. I really love his backstory and the way he trains the others. Very cool.




So - what do you think?
Who have I missed?

Friday Favourites - Family

Most characters in YA books come from some sort of family - whether they are close knit or ships passing in the night. I actually quite like it when the character has siblings or a close relationship with at least one of their parents. I like to see what the parents are like and the kind of home the character comes from... it helps  me understand the character's make up - why the behave the way they do sometimes.

So - who are your favourite YA families from books you've read or movies you've seen?

I really love the Cullens. I think Alice is awesome... in fact she's probably my favourite character from the series, along with Jasper. Their close knit family makes the books so much better.

Another favourite is the Weasley family from Harry Potter. They are so cool. The twins are so much fun and Ginny is just super sweet. Ron's parents are awesome. I love the way they take Harry under their wing.

So who do you like?

Which families do you think make the story so much stronger?

Friday Favourites - Scene

As a writer, I have particular scenes that I just love writing. You may be surprised, but I actually love writing a really good argument. It's probably because I am so useless in reality. I get all tongue-tied and flustered. I can never think of the right thing to say and always walk away feeling defeated. Hours later I come up with a myriad of things I could have retorted with, but it's always too late.

However in fiction, I have much more control over how the argument plays out. Sure - one character will often walk away defeated, but I can say which character that is :)

There's something so vibrant and passionate about a heated discourse. Emotions flare, nasty things are said, conflict abounds - so much fun :) And the best part is that after the storm (sometimes WAY after the storm) there is that peaceful, sweet scene where things are resolved.

So - some of my favourite scenes to write are arguments. (Let's be honest, I actually love writing every kind of scene, but arguments are super fun.)

My favourite scenes to read are normally action sequences - the tense, fast-paced kind, or the scenes where someone is rescued. I also love a decent romantic scene - sweet words are spoken, passionate kisses follow in their wake - you know the ones.

What are your favourite scenes to read or write?

Friday Favourites - Trailers

I have been thinking a lot about movie and book trailers lately. Last week on my YA Indie Carnival post, I discussed whether or not book trailers were a good or bad thing. I've also just put together a book trailer for Pure Blood (Book #3 in the Time Spirit Trilogy).

Personally, I LOVE trailers for both movies and books. Usually once a week I'll log on to Apple Trailers and down load a bunch of goodies.

What is it about trailers that are so inspiring?
I often feel goosebumps popping over my skin if it's a really good one.

Take the Hunger Games trailers for example. Now those are awesome!!

Have you seen any trailers recently that have made you desperate to see the movie or read the book?
Off the top of your head, what's your favourite YA trailer?

Because I've just talked about Hunger Games, I'm gonna go with that.
And for your viewing pleasure...

Friday Favourites - Girls Who Can Kick A Little Butt

I don't know what it is, but there is something so ultra cool about a girl who can kick some butt. I love watching movies or reading a book where the girl is physically very capable and doesn't need a guy to rescue her.

I guess that's why I wrote Gemma the way I did... and man, was it fun! I love the way she can take care of herself. Because I'm totally biased, I'd say she was my fav.

However there are many girls out there to be celebrated. So I'd also like to include...

Katniss from the Hunger Games series. She is awesome and I can't wait to see her on screen later this year. Excitement!!!

I also quite like Cammie Morgan from "I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You". Her friend, Rebecca Baxter, can be pretty fierce too. Lots of fun :)

And I feel like I can't ignore the one and only, Hermione Granger. Now there is a girl who knows how to cast a decent spell.

So - who are your favourite kick ass girls?

Friday Favourites - Book Titles

Well Brenda and I have FINALLY come up with a title for our YA Action/Thriller/Romance. Look out for Forbidden Territory coming later in the year.

As we discussed different titles we had to think about what we liked. We needed something that would hint at the essence of the book, something that would look good on the cover and both of us like titles that are short and sharp. So Forbidden Territory was our final choice.

I thought it would be a good topic for this week's Friday Favourites.

Brenda likes Twilight and I understand why. There is a certain sense of mystery and elegance to it. It sounds great.

I like so many, but the first one that popped into my head was Uncommon Criminal. As soon as I heard it, it got me thinking. Who's the criminal? What makes them so uncommon? What kind of criminal is uncommon? What do they do to make them so special?
Two little words and it immediately evoked four questions. To me, that's a good title.

What are your favourite titles and what do you like about them?

Are there any books out there, that you've heard the title and just thought - I have to read that!

Friday Favourites - Characters

Brenda Howson and I are getting together in a few days to have a big chat about our co-authored book. I'm SUPER excited. We are getting it ready for release later in the year and have some final edits and tweaks to do. We are so close to finishing!

I LOVE the characters in this book. I write the character of Mica and Brenda writes as Lexy. As we've worked on this project (between babies and life in general), I have totally fallen in love with these two girls. When it comes to personality, they are polar opposites, yet best friends. They share everything together and have lived through many ups and downs... but their biggest challenge is yet to come.

I can't wait for everyone to meet them.

All my excitement has got me thinking...

Which characters have you fallen in love with over the years? Which characters have you read or watched on screen and been so taken with that you almost think they're real? If you're a writer, have you ever written a character that you know will stay with you forever?

Would LOVE to hear your thoughts!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic Friday :)

Friday Favourites - Series

Having just launched the second book in the Time Spirit Trilogy (Black Blood), I thought it would be appropriate to choose favourite series as my Friday Favourite for the week.

What is your favourite YA series?

Again - hard to choose one, right? So just pick the first one that comes to mind.

Mine?

Hmmm - that is tough.
I guess the first one that pops to mind is Twilight. I really did enjoy that series.

How about you?

Friday Favourites - What's Your Favourite Book Cover of 2011?

I am eagerly awaiting the completion of the cover for Black Blood. I was hoping to reveal it today, but I'd rather take the time to get it perfect than show you something that wasn't quite right... so I'm sorry, you'll just have to wait a little longer.

In the meantime, let's talk covers and let's talk favourites.

What is your favourite book cover from 2011? Here - I'll even give you the link to the Goodreads Best YA Covers 2011. You may have other covers in mind, but it will give you a start.

Now it was very hard to choose, because there are so many gorgeous covers out there, but here's my pick...

I don't know what it is about this cover, but it makes me want to read the book. I love the image, the emotion portrayed, the font for the title, the cool design in the corners. It just totally works for me!

How about you? What's your favourite YA book cover from 2011?

Friday Favourites - The Kiss

It's my favourite time of the week again :) And this time, I want to find out what your favourite kiss scene is in a book or a movie.

Do you like those slow, a ton of anticipation kisses like Bella and Edward's first in Twilight?

Or are you more of a girl talking, boy kissing her through the prattle like Patrick and Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You?

I have two favourite kiss scenes that come to mind, both from movies.

The first is technically not a YA, but I'm going to share it anyway, because it just totally rocks.. the best kiss ever, in my humble opinion is the one from The Notebook - you know, the one in the rain. Happy sigh.

My second favourite kiss of all time is a YA and can be none other than the baseball mound, melt my heart, extra happy sigh kiss from Never Been Kissed. I always rewind and watch it again, every time I see that movie. I love it.

Can you tell I'm a romantic?

So what's your favourite kiss scene?

Friday Favourites

Okay - it's that time of the week again :)

So - last week was all about the reading... this week is all about the watching.

What's your favourite YA movie?

I know, I know - another impossible question. How do you narrow it down to just one? So I'll make it easier on you. What was the last YA movie you watched and loved.

Now I haven't seen the latest Twilight yet (hey - I have two kids and I've been sick - gimme a break!), so my answer is...

Easy A.

Funny movie, EXCELLENT script, great acting, awesome characters and some good life lessons. Definitely worth a watch.

Friday Favourites

Time to start up a regular slot, which you will find every Friday.

Today I am going to start with a simple, yet incredibly hard one....

What's your favourite YA book?

If you're anything like me, that is an impossible question to answer. There are WAY too many to choose from. So I'll make it a little easier... if you have too many, just pick the first YA book that pops into your head.

Mine?

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles.