S is for Scarlet

It's been a while, but I have a short, short list of contests and blog hops at the bottom!

S is for Scarlet

I really wanted S to be for Samantha Kingston from Before I Fall. In Lauren Oliver's book, Samantha Kingston keeps reliving the last day of her life until she gets it right and realizes that the life she must save isn't her own. Samantha Kingston is a popular, snotty, shallow, and superficial. By the end of the book and the eighth or so time she relives the same day, she's grown into a very likable (and relatable) character. Her character arc is brilliantly done. 

However, I can't talk about Samantha Kingston. I'm in the middle of reading Scarlet by Marissa Meyer and I feel compelled to write about Scarlet instead - and not just because she's a red head. I need to talk about Scarlet because I'm so in love with this book I can't put it down. I have absolutely no business reading for pleasure right now. Every minute of each day needs to be filled with something I can check off on my to do list. It's been a busy month. And yet, I find myself stealing 5 minutes here and there to read another chapter of this book. 

Scarlet is Little Red Riding Hood caught up in Meyer's sci-fi world. Her grandmother has been kidnapped and she enlists the help of Wolf (her love interest/not sure what his motives are) to get her back. Scarlet is a brave, feisty, snarky, smart, beautiful red head (which I love). She thinks she's tougher than she is and makes plenty of mistakes along the way. She just made a BIG mistake in the part I just read...or rather I'm not sure if it's a mistake or not...I MUST keep reading to find out.

This series is my new favorite series. Exciting, original and brilliantly written.

Contests and Blog Hops

The Writer's Voice competition begins May 1st. 

Operation Awesome is hosting another Secret Agent Contest on May 1st.

Miss Snark's First Victim is hosting a Secret Agent Contest today (April 22).

Secondary Characters Blog Hop hosted by the wonderful ladies: Rachel Schieffelbein, Theresa Paol, Kelley Lynn, Jessica Salyer, Jenny Morris, and Suzi Retzlaff will be May 22.

Alex J Cavanaugh, Stephen Tremp, Livia Peterson and Al Diaz are hosting The Best and Worst Remakes Blogfest on May 17.

And last but not least, a big congrats to Brandon Ax on his release of his book Elemental.

C is for Cinder

For the A to Z Challenge, I'm writing mini-mini character analyses on some of my favorite characters. If you're a first time visitor or a new follower, please let me know in the comments section.

C is for Cinder.

Cinder is a cyborg from Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I'm only half way through this book right now, but I already love her. Cinder is awesome because she's intelligent, resourceful and she's a cyborg. (I'm an idiot by the way because I didn't know what a cyborg was before reading this book - I had to look it up....should I not have admitted that?) Cinder takes the "Cinderella princess" ideal to a new level. She's tough and strong and a heroine for young girls to admire. I LOVE the new turn heroines are taking and Cinder epitomizes that. I haven't finished this book yet, so I can't speak about what makes her round and dynamic. But I what I know already is that she's an original take on a classic character. She's complex with a backstory that hasn't been revealed yet (which adds plenty of tension and keeps me flipping the pages). She's feisty, brave, and has a strong sense of right vs wrong. I can just tell she's going to be the kick ass character I want to cheer for and want to be like (though I'm perfectly fine not having robotic parts). 

Why I love Cinder: She's a kick-ass princess, not a damsel in distress princess wanna-be (not that I don't love them too - I do. No hate here - just a bit of fist-pumping for the new type of heroine which Cinder embodies)