#CQ – Fallen Angels

Curiosity Quills2 Comments
http://pftdcast.com/2011/05/episode-fifty-six-angels-demons-part-two-demons/

How close are you to knowing who you truly are? We’re made of positive and negative attributes that constantly battle each other to reach a balance we’ll find only in death, because life is all about struggle.

When I read a fantasy story involving fallen angels, I always wonder why they fell in the first place. Were they mentally weak? Did they miss having a human appearance? Did they fall in love with a mortal?

The Christian and Jewish faiths developed the idea that angels could be rejected by God because they freely chose evil although they were created good beings. Their sin was unforgivable because of the irrevocable characters of their choice, not because of any defect in the infinite divine mercy.

John Milton used the Bible as inspiration for Paradise Lost. Satan is being described as the most beautiful of all angels in Heaven, but his desire to rebel against his creator stemmed from his unwillingness to serve God and his Son, therefore denying God’s authority over him as his maker.

Angels, theoretically perfect, became imperfect because of their rebellious nature. Temptation tipped the balance toward the darker side, and like Adam and Eve, Eve took a bite of the apple and led the future of mankind to a complete different outcome than originally planned by God.

Fallen angels remind me nothing’s set in stone, and every decision depends on free will and strength of character. They’re like humans except they get to live forever. They make mistakes, and experience love and heartbreaks. They can fly and battle elements and evil forces like superheroes. They’re the best of every world, if you accept their disagreement with God’s authority will never be forgotten or forgiven.

If I were to choose a fantasy character I’d like to be in another life, I’d probably choose a fallen angel, because I’d still keep an ounce of goodness in me. I wouldn’t be a creature of the night like vampires or werewolves, and I wouldn’t cast spells like a fairy or a witch. I’d be the perfect combination of a tormented, solitary and romantic soul in an eternal quest for salvation.

Would love with a human be the key to my ascension back to Heaven? Or could I opt to lose all my supernatural powers and become a mere mortal who’d die after being hit by a bus?

The idea a fallen angel finds bliss in a romantic relationship seems so hard to comprehend. How could it work? I imagine true love a bit a la Romeo and Juliet, which lasts only when short and extremely passionate. Don’t expect a happy ending like in Cinderella.

Um… so tempting. Should I risk awakening God’s wrath and wandering the world like an outcast? My decision making would be so much easier if I were an atheist.

Fallen angels bring out elements of holy and sexy – the perfect mix! – in a fantasy story. I might start praying a fallen angel comes my way just for the fun of it. At best, I get to have angel babies. At worst, it’d make for great inspiration for my stories…

No matter the religious aspect of their origin, fallen angels are modern and trendy, and I love to read stories about them because they have such intricate and tortured personalities.

I like to think fallen angels are the most accurate reflection of our own struggle between good and evil, and one John Milton’s quote summarizes it best:

“The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.”

So what kind of fallen angel are you?

Note to Self (130) Shelter #NewYorkCity

New York City, Note to Self2 Comments

I needed to get out and take a walk. I started pacing through the streets, seeking my oxygen, my freedom, my sanity. I couldn’t stay inside anymore.

I was suffocating.

I hit the crowd of commuters but didn’t mind them coming at me like an angry river wanting to sweep me away. I swam upstream with all the strength I had, always looking at the line of trees ahead of me.

Nothing could distract me from my goal.

I had to get there as fast as the wind so I could feel whole again. I needed to get rid of the poison that cluttered my mind, all the bad thoughts that accumulated all day and I was eager to throw out.

I was so close, I could almost touch the grass.

After moving up eighteen blocks and two avenues, I finally entered my sanctuary. The sound of the City vanished and I found myself alone. The sun set behind the skyscrapers on the Hudson and the sky turned pink, then purple, and finally blue.

I started my pilgrimage.

I passed a squadron of joggers, a few dog walkers and mostly solitary souls like me who sought shelter far from the stress and the agitation of New York City. We all had a purpose. We all knew where we were going. As if a spell had been cast and a little voice told us to stroll along the empty alleyways next to Alice in Wonderland and her big mushroom of a throne so we could find what we were looking for. The lights of the Metropolitan Museum shined behind the foliage and I peeked through the windows at the statues in the main hall, but after a few seconds I felt too much like a voyeur so I stopped watching and resumed my quiet walk.

I listened to the silence.

I let the cold air whip my face and push me forward in my quest for balance.

I loved being there.

I couldn’t believe the beautiful scenery that was surrounding me. The water in the Reservoir reflected the sky like a perfect mirror of silver and gold. I caught my breath and thanked God for giving me the chance to witness so much beauty.

I kept walking but the night fell fast.

When I exited the park, I passed a few joggers still brave enough to defy the darkness. I turned right and moved up Fifth Avenue then right down to First where my building was located.

I finally crossed my threshold and felt at peace. All the negative thoughts were gone.

I found myself smiling and happy.

Every time I’m down, I go for a long walk through Central Park. I’ve discovered nothing better to get rid of my anxiety. I’m proud to say I live in a City that offers a little bit of every world, and today I enjoyed a journey through the best of them all.

Heaven.

#BookReview – The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse by Nina Post

Book Review1 Comment

The Last Condo Board of the ApocalypseThe Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse by Nina Post
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book and I loved it. It’s funny. I laughed a lot at all the intricate jokes spread throughout the story. A real awesome job by Nina Post.

I must point out a few downfalls though. The read is very quick and easy, but some elements get dropped into the plot without explanation and it caused me to wonder whether I was the one not paying attention or the author missed a few transitions along the way. I don’t think the plot is messy because I understood the main storyline. There are a lot of shifts in POVs that confused me. Also, the chapters are very short, maybe too short? The book is only 296 pages long but there are sixty-one chapters. Some chapters hit the nail right over the head, while others didn’t quite do it for me…

The world building is rather limited. Most of the action takes place in the Amenity Tower where all sorts of angels and monsters cohabit. The author also invites us to Pothole City, which I imagined was an urban environment similar to New York City.

Some of the ideas are absolutely hilarious – the Single Purpose angels are really cute and funny. Kelly is the MC, and she’s a monster hunter. Angels gather in condo board meetings and address every issue a condo owner would have to deal with. During the story, Kelly’s motivations behind becoming a monster hunter are slowly revealed. Af, the other MC, is an angel of the apocalypse stuck inside a human body.

This book had nothing to do with Paradise Lost. It doesn’t deal with existential questions. Rather, take it as a funny tale about an unlikely group of people who save Pothole City from its end.

Extremely enjoyable.

View all my reviews

#BookReview – Fallen by Lauren Kate

Book Review1 Comment

Fallen (Fallen, #1)Fallen by Lauren Kate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So here we are… reading a YA novel about angels and demons. I know a lot of readers were pretty disappointed with the book, the first of a series of four. Volume 1 of the Fallen Series by Lauren Kate is definitely an enjoyable tale of love between a human and a fallen angel. While the theme is not original, the execution happens to be good. Is it the best book I’ve ever read? Certainly not. But I can say I at least finished it.

Lucinda just turned seventeen. After being involved in the death of her boyfriend Trevor, she attends Sword and Cross reform school with many other kids who also are considered problematic. Lucinda doesn’t think she’s a criminal but all the evidence plays in her disfavor. She experiences strange visions of shadows that haunts every one of her idle moments, and she’s extremely scared. She doesn’t know how to get rid of the shadows, and believes she’s losing her mind the more she sees them appear before her anywhere she goes. Lucinda makes friends with the other schoolmates, and she falls in love with Daniel, a beautiful seventeen year old boy who doesn’t seem to be the least interested in her, but Lucinda has the strange feeling Daniel and her have met before.

While Lucinda seeks love, she becomes the target of a war she’s unable to fully understand. Cam, another handsome classmate, does everything to seduce her. She likes the attention she’s getting but her heart strongly longs for Daniel. Which boy will finally win her affection and show her his true colors?

Lucinda bothered me because she’s a bit dull. I wanted her to be stronger and more assertive. Daniel and Cam are very complex characters and I liked how the author played a lot with their dark and conflicted personalities to oppose them or bring them together. Regarding the rest of the cast, I like Arianne, and Penn, two characters with very distinctive voices.

Overall, Fallen opens the gate to an intricate story I’m curious about. Lots of awesome ideas, but I want Lucinda to become a tougher cookie. Hopefully I won’t be disappointed with Volume 2.

View all my reviews

The Lucky 7 Meme – #AwardTime

Award2 Comments

Ok… I tried to stay under because I’m so busy working on my upcoming YA Fantasy novella, Death By Chocolate… But, my awesome friend Diana Murdock – please check her blog here – nominated me for a Lucky 7 Meme award! Thank you Diana!

Here are the rules:

1.  Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
2.  Go to line 7.
3.  Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them
as they’re written.
4.  Tag 7 authors.
5.  Let them know.

Ok. So I think I’m going to paste an extract from my other WIP The Manicheans because I’m not on page 77 of Death by Chocolate. LOL

It’s really just a draft, and things will be moved around so please be kind. 🙂

***

“Why?” Ete was ready to strangle the young woman.

“I can’t.” Esperanza slammed the stall door shut. Ete’s rage instantly decupled.

“Esperanza, open this goddamn door! Immediately!”

“I don’t care what you say,” Esperanza responded.

When the ladies room door cracked open as somebody tried to enter, Ete stormed and asked for a minute in private with her mentee. The woman who badly needed to use the restroom reluctantly left. Ete checked the time. It was now 10:55 am. Shit. She had to get Esperanza out of this stall and get her into Nicolette’s office pronto, or her ass would be on the line.

The secretary took a deep breath and walked back to the locked door.

“Listen. Anger won’t solve whatever issue you’re having. So let’s talk like two adults. I’m not your enemy.” The door stayed shut. Ete suddenly heard suppressed sobs. “Open the door. Come on.” She pressed her ear against the door and heard more sobs. “Esperanza.”

***

Ok now to the nominees:

– Matthew Wood

– Tony Cowin

– April Denton

– Nathan Yocum

– Vicky Keire

– Michael Shean

– Nina Post

Enjoy!!

Note to Self (129) Feeling #Old

Note to Self, WritingWrite a comment

OMG. I’m so tired. I went to a hockey game last night and it was awesome. I drank beer like there was no tomorrow… and now I am tired.

Sigh. My fault. I can only blame myself. I already drank last week for another hockey game, and then St Patrick’s Day came… and my energy went down the drain.

But I love hockey. And I love beer. I stopped drinking for a while because I wanted to take a break. I felt so much better sober. I was full of life, I slept great, I could multi-task like a real pro, working on my writing, and reading and thinking… And now? Ugh.

Give me a gun, please?

I hate feeling old. I’m not old. But I’m certainly older than I was when I didn’t feel tired after a night of heavy drinking. I want a break. A real break by the beach where I can take naps all day and tan and swim with schools of little fish that nibble my toes while I close my eyes and forget how tired I am.

I think sometimes a break’s good. But I feel guilty if I take one now. I have so much to do. I have a novella to finish. I have my book to re-edit. I have books to read and review for blog tours and I also have this blog to maintain like a beautiful garden so it doesn’t die and all my readers forget about me.

Oh nothing’s perfect. What can I do? I’m only human. And I wish I could take a magic pill like in Limitless and I could write a book overnight that’d be so perfect I’d sell a million copies in a day.

Yeah. There’s so much I wanna do. Just so much.

Note to Self (128) Criminal

Friendship, Note to Self3 Comments

“A lot of people ask me.. stupid fucking questions
A lot of people think that.. what I say on records
or what I talk about on a record, that I actually do in real life
or that I believe in it
Or if I say that, I wanna kill somebody, that..
I’m actually gonna do it
or that I believe in it
Well, shit.. if you believe that
then I’ll kill you
You know why?
Cause I’m a
CRIMINAL
CRIMINAL
You god damn right
I’m a CRIMINAL
Yeah, I’m a CRIMINAL”

I love to listen to Eminem when I’m pissed. Best anger therapy ever. Especially when I spent a weekend with somebody who I thought was a friend, but happens to be a really freaking huge a-hole.

Let me explain. I met Mr. X aka the A-hole on New Year’s Eve. Mr. X wasn’t from here. He lives in a far away land called XYZ and he doesn’t speak English very well, but he speaks it well enough to be able to come here and understand what’s being said to him. Anyway… we become friends, and only friends, and he says he’d come back to NY because he had such a great time here. Guess what I said in return? Of course you can come and you can stay with me!

BIG mistake. Three months later, Mr. X arrives in NY. First evening is alright although I start to feel a bit annoyed by his behavior. I don’t know whether he’s jetlagged, or cranky, or tired, or hungry, but the look painted on his face reminds me of somebody who’s eaten way too much Whitecastle and has to make a few runs to the bathroom.

Mr. X adopts a strange behavior. He thinks he’s my boyfriend – HAHAHAHAHA – and he starts holding my hand and stuff… Ok, I make sure nothing happens in my sleep – I’ve already been raped once, thank you very much, and I don’t wish for this to happen again! Things end up fine. I actually spent my night in the bathroom because I had food poisoning – and no it wasn’t Whitecastle. 😉

The following day, I take Mr. X for a tour of the city. I’m pretty much his private tour guide and I talk a lot, which makes me very tired. Mr. X doesn’t say anything. Again, picture the Whitecastle situation look.

St Patrick’s day arrives! Yeepee!! Time for Mr. X to meet my best friends. I’m excited to feel Irish for one day. I hope he is too. From what I remember, Mr. X likes to drink!

BIG BIG BIG mistake once again. Mr. X doesn’t like St Patrick’s day and he ignores my friends. My friends in the meantime give me suspicious glances and even ask me where I found this dude. YEAH. If my girlfriends ask me where I found a dude, it means the dude is a NO NO. I knew that by now, but I wanted to be friendly and nice… I shouldn’t be friendly and nice.

The night ends, Mr. X gets cranky, and asks to go home. I give him the key to my place and I’m pissed. Now I’m ready to break his head in half. With an ax. And then I’m going to shoot him in the face that has been halved. And then I’m going to get a few more weapons and destroy his face and his stupid attitude. Alas, there’s no weapon against stupidity…

His comment by the way when I asked him why he stayed so silent was: “I don’t talk to strangers and I’m bored.”

OUCH!

I thought I was a stranger when you met me three months ago. &*^%(!!!!!!!! INSERT CURSE WORDS HERE

So when I came home from a happy celebration, I naturally told him his behavior toward my friends had been super rude and he needed to apologize. To which he responded by packing his stuff and leaving.

Well I’m very glad that %^$&#(@)@)*#^@^@()@*@*)*@ INSERT CURSE WORDS HERE got the heck out of my place because he didn’t deserve any of my sweet loving friendship.

THEREFORE,

If you plan to be my friend and you’re a guy, please follow these instructions:

– Don’t break my trust

– Don’t think you’re better than who you truly are and

– Always be nice to my friends.

Good riddance Mr. X. I hope you’ll find a nice lady in your country who’ll like your stupid constipated face.

#CQ – Give Me Some #MindCandy

Curiosity Quills2 Comments

Today, we’re talking YA fantasy novels. Did you notice most MCs in YA novels are hot? I like to call them eye candy. Well, since they’re in books, let’s call them mind candy.

The definition of mind candy is something intended to be attractive without being demanding or contributing anything deeper than what’s left to the imagination.

Think of a fantasy character that brings to the plot their stunning superficiality. Ready? So many options to choose from… Yum.

Many YA fantasy and paranormal novels use the mind candy concept to lure the reader into falling for a cute character. That character has some issues, but mainly he/she’s good looking.

A recent example that comes to mind is Beastly. The modern take on Beauty and the Beast left me longing for my teenage years where looks, and not substance, played a major role in my life.

Who doesn’t like the perfect hairless torso, six-pack abs, strong arms, steady legs combo? Add a two-day stubble and cigarettes, and you even got yourself a bad boy. Now my thoughts shifted to  Noah in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.

I know what a man looks like. Yet I still squirm like a twelve year old when I read a YA fantasy story where the male MC is so cute, he makes you forget what brain cells are for. Well, for the first part of the novel at least. Then he turns out to be really smart. Definition of perfection? Almost.

The mind candy element is used to lead to a darker outcome. Beauty fades. Beauty isn’t everything. The beautiful MC must now sacrifice his/her looks to become a gentler/meaner soul. Even if it wasn’t a novel, my thoughts go to Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars…

But I like the idea of a character who isn’t cute to begin with. Picture a plain looking guy/gal who’s given the choice to improve his/her life by altering his/her perception of the world. Does it sound appealing to you? Or do you prefer to know that MC is cute to begin with?

Do you even care?

I’m a hypocrite. I say I don’t care about the MC’s looks. I’m all for the internal struggle. But despite my best intentions, I still picture a character who’ll be to my liking because I enjoy beauty in all shapes and forms.

In YA stories especially, I focus on the MC’s looks more than in a regular adult book. I guess the side effect of reading YA is the automatic reversal in teenage mode. And as a teenager, it’s all about looks.

I picture myself wandering the high school hallways, searching for this unrealistic guy behind the open door of my locker, dropping my books on the floor when he suddenly passes by and my eyes follow every one of his movements… I bite my lower lip, call myself stupid, get depressed because I know he’s never going to like me the way I like him, and I end up sinking my head in my pillow at night because I can’t stop thinking about him.

I’m hooked. YA fantasy stories take me back to a time where I didn’t have much freedom, and yet, I felt freer than I sometimes do now. I guess being independent and having loads of responsibilities take a toll on day dreams of boys mixed with evil visions…

It enchants my mind to sugarcoat my imagination with lots of handsomeness. I feel like a princess lost in a magic world. I hold supernatural powers that will be the key to my development as a hero or as an anti-hero. YA fantasy gives me the tools for a journey far away from my commute, my office and my chores. So please, give me tons of mind candy, because I never can get enough.

Note to Self (127) Where Have I Been?

Upcoming Release3 Comments

I know, I owe you an explanation. Well, I’ve been busy. Like extremely busy. I finished the third draft of Volume 1 of my trilogy The Manicheans (and it’s not the last draft!!). I also started writing a YA fantasy novella, Death by Chocolate that will be serialized through my publisher Curiosity Quills. We’re looking at launching episode one very soon. In the meantime, I’m writing like a mad (wo)man. I also take care of a column Sweet Fantasy Bytes on my publisher’s website. You can check it here. What else has been happening in my life?

Sigh. I’m good. I take every opportunity to move forward on all my projects and I think the blog takes the hit for my literary indiscretions. Well, I promise to come more often as soon as Death by Chocolate surfaces and gets you distracted for a bit.

In the meantime, here’s a short synopsis to keep you hungry for more.

Los Angeles, present time. Julie is seventeen and her life is far from easy. She just got dumped by the love of her life on Valentine’s Day. After getting into a fight in school with her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, she drives miles away from home. It isn’t her first time running away. Her parents immediately block her checking account and Julie must survive on the little money she has left. She saves cash for gas, and decides to steal for food.

One day, she meets an old Gypsy woman outside the grocery store. The Gypsy works as a psychic and wants to read Julie’s future in exchange for a home cooked meal. Julie accepts the woman’s offer.

The tarot cards predict a very dangerous journey. Julie must fight her own demons if she wants to achieve greatness and fulfill her destiny. A boy will follow her and guide her in her search for truth. Julie doesn’t take the Gypsy seriously and decides to leave. But before passing the threshold, the Gypsy gives a box of chocolates and orders Julie to eat one.

Julie wakes up in a strange place she doesn’t recognize. Her first encounter with her guide, Evan, leads her to a cave. Julie must first defeat darkness before reaching the light, and only then a harder battle will start. Evan acts as her protector and makes her promise to never leave his side, but he doesn’t give her the answers she wants to hear. Julie gets frustrated. She breaks her promise and runs away. Shortly thereafter, Julie is found and imprisoned by a tribe of indigenous people who want to sacrifice her to their Gods. Julie meets a young Mayan boy, Paolo, who works as a servant in the jail where’s she being kept. Now alone in a scary parallel world involving the Mayans and the end of the world, all she has left is the box of chocolates the Gypsy gave her. Every chocolate she’ll eat will give her new powers but she must stay careful. Her life is in danger. When reaching her final destination, Julie will have to make an important choice in order to get a second chance. Will she move on from the past and stop running away? Will she finally make amends and become a better person?

Death by Chocolate. Coming soon.

Note to Self (126) To My Brother

Family, Note to SelfWrite a comment

I didn’t choose to be born. I didn’t make my father divorce your mum and remarry. I didn’t ask you to be my brother. Well, technically, half-brother. But does it really matter? Have you ever been a brother to me?

You hate me for unknown reasons. We live in the same town and we ignore each other. When I invited you to my wedding, you said you’d come and then you didn’t show up on the day of the ceremony. You didn’t give a single explanation. You didn’t apologize. You hurt me more than you can imagine. And I’m not even talking about how I feel about my half-sister, so your full sister. She did some pretty nasty things to me too.

Maybe it’s because we don’t share the same mother. But again, is that a valid ground to hold against me?

I’ve tried to bond with you so many times. And I failed.

You’re going through a rough time right now. You have cancer. This is time for us to be a family. But will you really care?

You refused a real talk.

I don’t even exist for you, do I?

It’s easier to move on from a dead friendship or a dead relationship, but moving on from family, it feels like nothing’s left in this world.

I’m really sorry we had to come to this.

At least I wish you strength in your recovery.