The Life and Death of Lily Drake!

Kudos go out to my friend, Hope, who told me about this book I just finished reading:  The Life and Death of Lily Drake by T. Michelle Nelson.  It was honestly a fun read!

Lily is a down-to-earth character that a reader can really relate to.  As a mother myself, I connected with her "mom on the go" exhaustion, especially with an older child.  How she found the strength to juggle parenting, dating a vampire, being a vampire killer, all while holding down a full-time job...wow, is all I can say.  Many of the vampire characters introduced are colorful, and a never-ending source of entertainment.  Mathias and Val, I had an alternating love/hate relationship with.  At one point, I even told them both to quit being a butthead, as if yelling at my Kindle Fire accomplished anything.

Now...as a (temporarily displaced) Mt. Vernon resident, I'll admit to having some reservations.  A vampire story in Mt. Vernon?  Is Mt. Vernon capable of living up to all that?  It's a pretty small town, and I suppose being there for the last couple decades had left me jaded to its small town charm.  Reading about my hometown from a different perspective opened my eyes to just what the area has to offer! It's also funny that the school Lily mentions in the beginning-- I went there for elementary school.  Coincidentally, we all used to sit on the playground and look at that mansion (yes, the mansion exists!) and scare everyone else by saying it was either haunted...or full of vampires!  It's a very, very fitting residence for Mathias and Val!

Speaking of vampires, it's refreshing to read a book about vampires that doesn't either fall into old and tired stereotypes of coffins, or the new age stretch of sparkling in the daylight.  They're regular people, working regular jobs-- who knew? 


The plot moves very quickly, I don't think there was ever a lull in the storyline from beginning to end.  I'm looking forward to the second book in the series now, I can't wait to see what's next!  I would definitely recommend snagging this book!


Here is the link for the book at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Death-Lily-Drake-ebook/dp/B009LX8P3Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1363994856&sr=1-1&keywords=t.+michelle+nelson

Dreary Weekends and Progress!

I don't know what it is about nasty, overcast days, but I do some of my best writing on days like that.  Saturday was just kind of okay outside.  Warm enough for my husband and I do go out and finish cutting the pieces for a dresser refinishing project I've wrangled him into, but still too cold to go out on his bike.  Really a bummer, I love riding with him, but I think that's another blog post for another time.

Saturday night, I just broke the 5k word count mark on the piece I'm tentatively calling "Justina."  It's taken me far too long to get to that point, but breaking that barrier has really given me a burst of energy to finish it!  Although, I do want to find a better title to put it under, because Justina sounds far too much like Marquis du Sade's "Justine," and it's so, so not the same book!

  Anyway, Sunday had been straight nastiness.  Rain, snow, cold...one of those days where curling up with a good book and a cup of tea would complete your day.  I'm so pleased that I was able to get something accomplished, still!

Today has been a bit of a waste, unfortunately.  It's hard to get work done with little eyes hanging around, thanks to a snow day!  Oh well.  I had grand hopes of writing over coffee, but on the bright side, all the cleaning for the week is done today, so I don't have to do that the rest of the week.  Next week is spring break, and I'm seriously hoping the weather will cooperate some so the kids can get out of the house a bit.  If they're in the yard, they're not trying to eyeball my computer screen!  ("What are you writing, Mom?"-- Yeah...don't ask, please!)

 I've also gained a new found love for Spotify.  I have a playlist of inspiring music for while I'm writing, and set it to random.  So far this weekend the songs that I have always pictured at certain parts of my story have started to play, right when I'm there.  It's like musical fate!  I cannot express just how giddy that makes me! 

Look what I did!

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One of my final grades for my American Lit course was a paper on Edgar Allan Poe, and his influence on the writers who came after him.  Since I got an amazing grade on it, I thought I would share!  

            Edgar Allan Poe is so much more than just a gothic poet, master of the macabre, or blistering critic. He is also much more than the debt-ridden alcoholic found wandering the streets of Baltimore. To many authors and artists of the 20^th and 21^st centuries, he is a literary hero, an innovator, a father of new genres, and inventor of literary guidelines.  His impact across art forms is limitless.  For an author who claimed to look up to no one, the number of people who look up to him is countless.

            Poe’s guidelines listed in “The Poetic Principle” have been applied over and over in literature classes worldwide. The scientific breakdown of the poetic styles of Tennyson, Lord Byron, and Longfellow has assisted future writers, or even simply readers, to understand the method behind certain patterns.  He explained how meter and tone applied to certain poems. His explanation process has been used by teachers to educate about various types of poetry in English classes.

            Many authors looked toward Poe as an inspiration for their own works, or follow a similar blueprint as his stories. For example, Stephen King has a tale called “The Old Dude’s Ticker,” which is equal parts homage to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and a modern-day retelling of the tale. Philip Roth mimicked Poe’s style with, “the narrator who is frantic, frenetic, a little deranged, who nevertheless somehow grows on us.” (Pearl)  Welsh author Arthur Machen had often been compared to Poe due to his mastery of the horror genre, even though he claimed that his overall style differed from Poe’s greatly. 

            Poe’s attention to detail, no matter how grotesque, pushed the envelope in the thriller and mystery genres, before they truly existed. The situations Stephen King continues to toe the line between scary and too horrible to be true, much like Poe did.  Comparing King’s “Carrie” to Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” both tales feel true-to-life yet include imaginary aspects—Carrie’s telekinesis and the destruction of the Usher House.  They both immerse readers into a storyline that feels natural, but with added paranormal or grotesque details that are unfathomable. 

            The inspiration gained from Poe’s literary style, extends outside the literary world as well.  Musicians around the world have put the words and styling of Poe to music as well.  Some musicians have put Poe’s words to music, such as Stevie Nicks’s song “Annabel Lee.”  Others, such as The White Stripes and Lou Reed wrote songs about “Masque of the Red Death,” and “The Raven,” respectively. Actor John Cusack stated that he used Lou Reed’s album, “The Raven,” to get him into the mindset to play the role of Edgar Allan Poe for the movie, “The Raven.”  Even modern artists like Nine Inch Nails and The Cure can attribute their dark, gothic sound to Poe.  Ironically, even the Beatles may have been influenced to an extent; Poe makes a cameo appearance on the album cover art for “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” 

            Several Classical composers of the modern era took on the challenge of setting Poe to music, as well.  Sergei Rachmaninoff set Poe’s poem “The Bells” to music in 1913 in a choral composition, after being requested in an anonymous letter.  Claude Debussy used “The Fall of the House of Usher” as a libretto for an unfinished opera, “La chute de la maison Usher.” Even more recently, Philip Glass composed an opera based on “Usher” in 1989.  English composer Joseph Holbrooke set several poems to music, as well as composing “The Masque of the Red Death” as a ballet.

            Art has been inspired by Poe’s unique style of writing, as well.  The Baltimore Museum of Art held an exhibit for Fall 2009.  Artwork by Paul Gauguin, Edouard Manet, Odilon Redon, René Magritte, and Robert Motherwell were all highlighted.  The exhibit connected several themes between his literature and the art world. Love and loss is a theme he expressed in “Annabel Lee,” fear and terror can be found in “Cask of Amontillado” and “Pit and the Pendulum,” and the themes madness and obsession can be found in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” 

            The creation of the murder-mystery genre, which can be attributed to Poe, has led to the creation of several outstanding characters by other authors.  Arthur Conan Doyle admitted that his Sherlock Holmes character as well as certain cases, were inspired by Poe’s character C. Auguste Dupin, in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue:  The Dupin Tales.” Because of this, C. Auguste Dupin can be described as the forefather of Sherlock Holmes, or even Hercule Poirot.  Without Poe’s initial work, the world may have never met Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, or Mary Higgins Clark.

            Poe can also be attributed to the sci-fi genre, as well.  Jules Verne and Thomas Pynchon found Poe influential.  “The Fall of the House of Usher” had a touch of sci-fi in the final scene, with the bright light coming from the house.   He also wrote stories that touched on familiar sci-fi scenarios like travelling through time or space, as well as reanimation of the dead.  While this concept was not taken very seriously at the time, it opened up a new avenue for authors to explore. 

            While moviemaking is a newer media form, Poe even holds great influence there as well.  One of the all-time greatest horror moviemakers, Alfred Hitchcock, felt a great connection between himself and Edgar Allan Poe. Hitchcock may have felt sympathy for Poe and all the misfortunes he suffered through his lifetime, but he admired and utilized many of Poe’s tactics in his own writing and directing.  Both Poe and Hitchcock also placed great importance on the perfection of their product.   Similarities can also be found between Poe’s story arcs, and Hitchcock’s; both men used a slow build of tension with a climactic twist at the very end.  They both also presented very uncomfortable situations realistically.   

            Another characteristic that Poe put forward for future writers was his high standard.  As a perfectionist, he was exceptionally critical of not only his own work but also the work of fellow authors.  If it doesn’t pull your reader in, engage them, leave them gasping for more, then it isn’t worth putting out for public consumption.  Write with a purpose, write to Poe’s standard, is a great motto to stand by. 

            The foundation that Edgar Allan Poe left for future writers and artists is impressive, even though his work did not leave that great of an impression during his lifetime.  His sharp criticisms did not gain him many admirers among the literary world at the time.  However, with time, his impact has become greatly appreciated.  There are at least 251 projects on television or film, with the tally going up continuously; the number of poems, short stories, or novels that have either mimicked or retold Poe’s tales are too numerous to count.  Today, artists and authors can feel free to push the envelope with their fan base, suspend reality, or drive them to test the limits of their own comfort or fear.     

Works Cited

Demarco, Laura. "Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King are masters of macabre page turners." The Plain Dealer, 27 Oct 2012. Web. 8 Mar 2013. <http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/10/edgar_allan_poe_stephen_king_a.html>.

Estrin, Elana. "Music inspired by Poe’s works." 12 Nov 2009: n. page. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. <http://www.utexas.edu/opa/blogs/culturalcompass/2009/11/12/music-inspired-by-poes-works/>.

Mannix, Anne. "Spine-Tingling Events Inspired by Poe at the BMA This Fall." . Baldimore Museum of Art, 10 August 2009. Web. 8 Mar 2013. <http://www.artbma.org/press/documents/Poe-BaltimoreIcon_programs_final_000.pdf>.

Marchese, David. "John Cusack Lists the Music That Inspired 'The Raven'." Spin Magazine. 27 Apr 2012: n. page. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. <http://www.spin.com/articles/john-cusack-lists-music-inspired-raven>.

Meslow , Scott. "Pop Culture's Undying Edgar Allan Poe Obsession." 26 Apr 2012: n. page. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. <http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/04/pop-cultures-undying-edgar-allan-poe-obsession/256417/>.

Pearl, Matthew. "Matthew Pearl's top 10 books inspired by Edgar Allan Poe." Guardian. 22 May 2006: n. page. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2006/may/23/top10s.poe>.

Perry, Dennis. "Imps of the perverse: Discovering the Poe/Hitchcock connection." Literature Film Quarterly. 24.4 (1996): 393. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. <http://www.cswnet.com/~erin/eap4.htm>.

Phillips , Mark. "Top Ten Artists Influenced by Edgar Allan Poe." . Artist Direct, 07 Oct 2011. Web. 8 Mar 2013. <http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/yradish/songs-inspired-by-the-writings-of-edgar-allan-poe.html>.

Quinn , Patrick, ed. "http://www.loa.org/volume.jsp?RequestID=90." Edgar Allan Poe:  Poetry and Tales. Library of America. Web. 8 Mar 2013.

Walters, Edgar. "Arthur Machen Turns 150." Harry Ransom Center, Cultural Compass. University of Texas Austin, 5 Mar 2013. Web. 8 Mar 2013. <http://www.utexas.edu/opa/blogs/culturalcompass/2013/03/05/arthur-machen-welsh-horror-fiction-author-turns-150-this-week/>.

Happy Monday, everyone!

I had a Social Studies teacher who always started Monday morning classes with that phrase:  "Happy Monday!" I thought he might have been a little nuts, but it's catchy, and maybe some Mondays aren't that bad after all.  This Monday is shaping up fairly nicely, even though it's still early in the day!  For starters, before I went to bed last night I checked for my final grade in American Literature, and my final grade posted on my transcript-- I got an A!  It was a real nail biter there at the end, I made a few missteps on the last couple assignments, and if I had calculated everything right, I would be less than 1% off of having an A.  Apparently, my professor was more awesome than I previously thought, and she believes in rounding up-- I love it! :) 

I'm hoping I can get some time in for writing this week, last week turned out to be kind of a bust.  I did get a little working in on Justina, Damien was tired of sitting in the shadows and before I knew it, he had part of a chapter all about him.  What a diva!  The next couple weeks are looking a little hectic, I have an overlap between a few classes, so I'm technically in four classes for 3 weeks, and my comfort zone is definitely three.  In the words of Gloria Gaynor, "I will survive," but it'll be kind of hairy.  The sooner I get German wrapped up, the easier it will be on me! 

Also, April starts the kick-off of Camp Nanowrimo!  I'm going to Nano, are you?  I haven't had a lot of success with the November Nano, just because it seems like everything and anything happens in my house in that month!  Hopefully, this one flows better!  I'm excited to participate, as always, and who knows, maybe something will come out of it. 

A Toast to New Beginnings

I should give many thanks to my friend April London for giving me a kick in the rear I needed to do this.  I'm watching her go through the steps to get her first book published, sticking herself out there.  To be honest, it's a bravery I didn't think I possessed, until now.

I am my only roadblock.  I have a husband who, for the moment, thinks this sounds like a grand idea.  It is a grand idea, and I agree.  However, it's a damn scary grand idea, as well!  This means not only sacrificing hours of sleep, but also placing my hard work in someone else's hands and hoping that they love it just as much as I do.  However, I have to put that all behind me.  Fear gets me nothing but a hard drive full of plot bunnies, snippets, and quotes that would look fantastic in print, but will never see the light of day.  I am better than that. 

So on that note, here we go.  I'm putting myself out there, no matter what. 

So here's to new beginnings.  Let's see where this little road takes us.