Greetings! Don't mind the werepuppies; they don't bite. Stay away from the faeries, though; they may look friendly, but they can be tricky. That pooka, however, is fine.
I'm Karen Kincy, a novelist-in-progress. My debut novel, Other, will be out from Flux on July 1, 2010, with the sequel, Bloodborn, following soon after. Please check out my spiffy website at karenkincy.com, for more about me and my novels.
I'm Karen Kincy, a novelist-in-progress. My debut novel, Other, will be out from Flux on July 1, 2010, with the sequel, Bloodborn, following soon after. Please check out my spiffy website at karenkincy.com, for more about me and my novels.
Originally published at Karen Kincy. You can comment here or there.
You may have already heard of the 2010 Debut Author Challenge by The Story Siren. If not, definitely check it out! More info, snatched from Kristi:
What will be happening during the challenge?
This year I’ve planned ways to get more “interactive” participation.
- I’ll have a post every month were participants can enter links to their reviews to gain entries for some fantastic prizes.
- I’ll be spotlighting authors, with interviews and guest posts throughout the month. If you comment on any of these posts you will also gain you an entry into the monthly prize packs!
- I’ll be featuring a list of 2010 debut novels each month, for their releases.
- And of course I’ll be posting reviews of my own for the challenge. If you comment on any of these you can also gain an extra entry into the monthly prize packs!
I’m seeing my debut Other on quite a few lists so far… from Tattooed Books to Mindful Musings to Black and Blue Ink, to name a few. Thanks so much, guys!
Things I'm thankful for, limited to the online world of literature, and in no particular order, with tongue-in-cheek:
- Editor B, for his humor and amazing input on all sorts of things, and for putting up with my quirky jokes.
- Agent S, for being fabulously professional and savvy at all times, and for using exclamation marks in emails.
- Jackie Dolamore, for replying to my first curious email, being a great penpal for many years, and letting me read Magic Under Glass.
- Jackson Pearce, for being another writing confidante back when I was just a noob, and for letting me read As You Wish.
- Marj Watkins, for being one of my first critique buddies ever, from Critters, and for letting me read Rotaida and the Runestone.
- Robin Prehn, for her unfailing optimism and kindness in the online world.
- Karen Mahoney and Chandra Rooney, for general awesomeness, and for reading my fortune and being scarily accurate.
- The Tenners, for containing so many badass 2010 debut authors, and for such supportiveness.
- Book bloggers, for their enthusiasm and help. You guys, combined, may be more excited about Other than I am. Really.
- And, uh, Twitter, for possessing a black-hole-like ability to suck up all my stray bits of free time.
- Etc.! Even if you're not on this list, you know who you are.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
Dying to know more about how the cover for Other came to be? Want to read the first five pages, never before released in all their glory? (ahem) Well, now's your chance! Get thee over to LiyanaLand! and read!
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
Now that I have my cover for Other, I've made a countdown widget for you to post and share. Have at it!
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
I'm so excited that I can finally share my gorgeous cover for OTHER. Thanks so much to the wonderful art department at Flux!
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
So, I went to a Star Trek themed Halloween party last night. And this is what I looked like:
Bonus points if you can actually tell me what I am. People on the bus made a lot of strange comments, including, "Are you an Oompa-Loompa?" and "Are you asparagus?" Um, no. Do you remember the original Star Trek, perhaps? Also, note to self: never, ever, go for this much green again. It gets all over everything.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
I’m currently taking a year-long class called Dark Romantics, so the foggy forests and vivid colors of leaves make a great backdrop. Of course, I couldn’t resist shirking homework and taking out my trusty camera.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
Today's preliminary Flux author chat went swimmingly! The next chat is scheduled for this Tuesday (October 27) at 4 pm PST, and is open only to Flux authors, at this point. If you're a fellow Fluxian and would like to join, please send me a message. We're considering hosting another, later Flux chat that's open to all readers, writers, and interested parties. To be determined!
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
I know there are a lot of new Flux authors right now, many of whom have worked with the fantabulous Editor B. I know Karen "Kaz" Mahoney just sold to Flux, as did Mandy Hubbard. Yay! Who else out there is part of the Flux phenomenon? I'd love to get together via email or an online chat room (with book bloggers invited, perhaps?) and discuss our books.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis, a fellow Tenner, debuts early in 2010!
"My entry for the A Most Improper Magick book tralier competition. Read the rules and enter at http://www.stephanieburgis.com/competiti
"My entry for the A Most Improper Magick book tralier competition. Read the rules and enter at http://www.stephanieburgis.com/competiti
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
I bought The Hunger Games in hardcover. Normally, I don't buy books in hardcover, unless they genuinely seem like standouts that I'll want to keep forever. Enough glowing reviews of The Hunger Games pushed me over the brink, and I eagerly waited my shiny new book in the mail.
Was The Hunger Games good? Not just good, but great. I know, I know, I've been posting a lot of 5-star "you've gotta read this!" reviews lately. But my current philosophy is this: if you ate at a mediocre restaurant, you wouldn't go around telling all your friends about it. If it was really disgustingly awful, sure, then you might rant about it. But that's the naughty thing to do, in the book world. So I'm sticking with nice things I have to say about books. Unless provoked.
What I love about The Hunger Games: Katniss is a tough-as-nails girl surviving in a dystopian world that chillingly echoes our own. Our thirst for reality TV and obsessive media gossip has twisted into something more all-consuming and powerful in Katniss's world. If you're wondering what the Hunger Games are, they are this: Imagine being chosen to fight to the death while millions watch you starve, burn, and kill as entertainment. You must change the way you look and act in the hopes of gaining more fans--in the hopes of fame helping you to survive. The life or death popularity contest at the heart of The Hunger Games shows us sensationalism and propaganda in a way that is frighteningly similar to our reality.
Beyond the world-building, there is, of course, Katniss herself. She's realistically hardened by her life and refreshingly unconcerned with romance, unlike far too many female protagonists in today's YA novels. Katniss cares mainly about helping herself and her family to simply live. When she enters the Games, however, her feelings about not only love are tested... she must become someone totally different for the cameras. Through this ordeal, she discovers so much about herself and her world, as will you, the reader. It's well worth the read.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
Hello all! I have been woefully offline for awhile. Why? Well, there is the bit about me being in southern California, and visiting Yosemite, land of limited cellphone reception and even less Twitter. Primarily, though, I have been hard at work on my Super Secret New Novel, of which I have written 20-30 pages, longhand. I don't usually do first drafts the old-fashioned way, but let's just say this is an old-fashioned kind of novel. Also, research is kicking my butt.
Anyway, lots of potential good news simmers on the back burners right now. I will let you know soonest if something spectacular occurs... and you probably already know that I should see a cover for Other within a few months, which probably will be spectacular, knowing Flux. Some current good news: Other has been featured for a Waiting on Wednesday over at the blog of The Book Cellar. This is WoW number 7, if you've been keeping track. All of my precious, delicious WoWs may be viewed here. Pressssshious! Ahem. Excuse the lapse into a Gollum voice.
P.S. Your dose of silly for the day: Werewolf Danger Advisory.
Anyway, lots of potential good news simmers on the back burners right now. I will let you know soonest if something spectacular occurs... and you probably already know that I should see a cover for Other within a few months, which probably will be spectacular, knowing Flux. Some current good news: Other has been featured for a Waiting on Wednesday over at the blog of The Book Cellar. This is WoW number 7, if you've been keeping track. All of my precious, delicious WoWs may be viewed here. Pressssshious! Ahem. Excuse the lapse into a Gollum voice.
P.S. Your dose of silly for the day: Werewolf Danger Advisory.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
Where to begin with my review? For me, reading The Sky Always Hears Me was like eating a delicious new flavor of cake: you know you love it, but you're not quite sure which ingredients were used. After some savoring of the writing, I believe these are key to the recipe:
-Morgan's voice, which hooked me as soon as I read the first chapter on the author's website. Smart, sarcastic, and saturated with a restless yearning for something more than a tiny little town in Nebraska she calls Central Nowhere. John Green hasn't written from the point of view of a girl yet, so far as I know, but if he did, I have a feeling it might sound like Morgan... full of wit, angst, and longings that so powerfully evoke what it means to be a teen.
-The people in Morgan's life: her alcoholic dad, the grandma she loves, the girl who kisses her, the coworker guy she has a crush on. All of these characters grow and reveal their many facets, complicating Morgan's life and making for an intertwined story firmly rooted in deep, scream-at-the-hills emotions.
-The setting of Central Nowhere. This book is best read outside, in the grass, on a windy day, where you can imagine Morgan venting her frustrations and desires. That's how I did it, anyway, and it made the experience all the more vivid. I also love the descriptions of the grocery store where Morgan works. I don't know why, but I've always had this strange fascination with expertly described details of everyday life that usually escape the eye of the author.
Disclaimer: I am a fellow Flux author, though my book won't be out until 2010. I am also, however, a choosy reader. There's no way I would actually go out and buy a book unless I thought I'd devour it, and I try my best to be an honest reviewer. So, honestly, I am recommending that you read The Sky Always Hears Me: And the Hills Don't Mind, in the hopes that you find it just as good.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
(X-posted from the official site of 2010: A Book Odyssey - comment there to enter)
Because you love books as much as we do.
Because you are honest, but kind.
Because you discover great books and inspire people to read.
Because your blogs make us laugh and connect and think.
Because you help us learn to be better at what we do.
In honor of the upcoming Book Blogger Appreciation Week, we've put together the first ever giveaway of Tenner swagincluding signedbookmarks, book plates, buttons, locker poster, and book-related goodiesfrom Hush,Hush,Scones & Sensibility, The Dark Divine (nailpolish, too!), The Secret Year, Leaving Gee's Bend, The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, The Mark, The Iron King, The Body Finder, The Cinderella Society, Princess For Hire, Forget-Her-Nots, and more...all packaged with thesincere thanks and appreciation of ALLTenners.
To enter,just leave a comment with your blog address (so we can check out our regular haunts AND findnew ones!) now through Sunday, September 13. On Monday, September 14, the official start of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, we'll draw one winner of the stash (enough to keep some and give some away).
Congratulations to the nominated and short-listed bloggers - don't forget to vote for your favorites here, starting today!
And a big thank you to all book bloggers, nominated for an award this year or not. We apprecate all you do for writers and readers everywhere!
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
I've been AWOL for the past week, visiting family up in Snohomish, Washington. I visited the Evergreen State Fair in nearby Monroe, ogling at massive dahlias, even more massive draft horses (I <3 dapple gray Percherons), fancy chicken breeds with fluffy or frizzled feathers, and amazing/disgusting fair food such as chocolate-covered bacon and deep-fried ice cream. After that, I walked along the historic streets of Snohomish, past dozens of Victorian houses with delicate gingerbread trim, the wind carrying the scent of cedar smoke from the sawmill, and onto the Centennial Trail through the river valley, where the air smelled of blackberries and poplars. Yes, if you remember correctly, I ripped off Snohomish for the fictional town of Klikamuks, WA, where Gwen lives in Other. Bonus points if you can remember what Klikamuks means, and it what language. I had a fantabulous time, and now I'm back in Olympia. Next: time to finish and turn in my revisions for Bloodborn.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
It's my birthday! Guess how ancient I am. Since it's also Teaser Tuesday, here's a snippet from Bloodborn:
Outskirts. That's where I belong. Here, it's quiet, a slightly moist wind blowing the smell of sagebrush over the tall blonde grass. I hike out into the wilderness, away from the warmth and light of Walla Walla, away to where there's no one but me and the stars. I figure that if I don't make it, at least I will die looking at the sky.
I wonder how long it will take people to find my body.
I shove that thought from my mind and start to undress. There goes the shirt Mom bought me, the hand-me-down jeans from Dad, the boxer shorts Chris teased me about. When I'm done peeling away layers of myself, my heart feels empty, and big. I wonder why I'm not afraid, wonder if I will be. This is it. There's no other reason to keep standing here, naked and alone.
Edited to add:![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
authorwithin wanted a less depressing teaser. Check the comments thread for some werepuppy action.
Outskirts. That's where I belong. Here, it's quiet, a slightly moist wind blowing the smell of sagebrush over the tall blonde grass. I hike out into the wilderness, away from the warmth and light of Walla Walla, away to where there's no one but me and the stars. I figure that if I don't make it, at least I will die looking at the sky.
I wonder how long it will take people to find my body.
I shove that thought from my mind and start to undress. There goes the shirt Mom bought me, the hand-me-down jeans from Dad, the boxer shorts Chris teased me about. When I'm done peeling away layers of myself, my heart feels empty, and big. I wonder why I'm not afraid, wonder if I will be. This is it. There's no other reason to keep standing here, naked and alone.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
Edited to add:
authorwithin wanted a less depressing teaser. Check the comments thread for some werepuppy action. 
I'm conflicted about this book. I have read John Green's work before, and I love his writing style and characters. However, Paper Towns does, as other reviewers have mentioned, tread well-worn ground: in many ways, his characters Quentin ("Q") and Margo may as well be clones of Miles ("Pudge") and Alaska in Looking for Alaska, or Colin and his Katherines in An Abundance of Katherines. The formula seems to be the same: Take one intelligent, quirky, neurotic, nerdy-geeky guy. Add one unattainable, mysterious, beautiful/bad-ass/brilliant girl with at least one deep flaw, not immediately apparent, who this guy obsesses over anyway. Throw in a dash of ethnically random friends who are even quirkier than the guy, and about as intelligent, which results in incredibly quirky, witty, though sometimes hokey, banter between them.
However, Green executes this formula excellently. I'm torn between giving Paper Towns or Alaska the crown, here, since I liked different things about the books. I think Alaska had the better plot, since Paper Towns starts off with engines roaring, switches gears abruptly, chugs along at a steady pace, then peters to a put-putting halt. There's so much beautifully worked tension that builds and builds, but toward the last third of the book, I found the suspense exhausting and started reading so fast the words blurred, just to get to the end. When I did hit that final climactic scene, it was anti-climactic. I went through the final pages, hoping, hoping, then cried, "What? Seriously? Was that IT?" and wanted to throttle a certain character.
Although... I suspect Green intended the ending to be a little anti-climactic, at least according to the setup of the story and the expectations of Quentin, which I shared. I don't think Green wanted Paper Towns to be a book that fulfilled readers' desires for a tidy plot, perfect romance, or happy ending, since these literary devices rarely occur in reality. Paper Towns appears to aim higher, and deeper, for a story that makes you question what fulfillment and purpose actually mean. His exploration of the term "paper towns" being a prime example. But still, I can't say it wasn't disappointing.
Different readers will take away different messages from this book. I recommend that you read it if you're looking for beautifully written contemporary YA, or if you like literary explorations of character. However, don't expect Paper Towns to satisfy your every desire as a reader. That is, I think, the point.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
Confession: I have a rather large to-be-read pile, with many new books clamoring for my attention. So when I received an ARC of Eyes Like Stars ages ago, I read a few pages and set it down again. Repeat over the span of several weeks.
Why wasn't I whisked away into the world of Eyes Like Stars? I'm not sure, but I suspect it had to do with the large cast of characters and confusing hubbub of activity in the first few chapters. Also, I had a hard time guessing where the plot was going initially. This isn't the kind of book that holds a reader's hand and guides them through a brand new world; it's a book that tosses you into the glittering confusion and lets you sort things out along the way.
Once I got my bearings, however, the story steadily grew more and more irresistible. Major points for the evilly adorable, naughty fairies Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed of A Midsummer Night's Dream fame. Fairies + pastries = hilarity. They provide some of the funniest moments in the book, though their snarky little jokes may even be eclipsed by Bertie's wit and the amusing conundrums she finds herself in. I also laughed at Bertie's bossy treatment of the various male characters in this story, particularly when they attempt to flirt with her. Bertie makes a wonderfully quirky protagonist, flawed yet strong in an unquestionably matter-of-fact way.
The characters alone were enough to tug me through the first half of the story. Around the middle, the plot picked up and I started zipping through the pages. I loved learning more about the Theatre Illuminata--which is a great piece of worldbuilding--and Bertie's place within it. I found the ending fun and unexpected, with just enough loose threads to make a sequel enticing.
Overall, I would recommend Eyes Like Stars to anyone who loves Shakespeare, snarkiness, original worldbuilding, and quirky fantasy. And, of course, mischievous little fairies.
| Originally published at KarenKincy.com. |
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