Friday Fix #17...It's Shalena!!!

Friday, July 30, 2010

The Friday Fix is a takeover of my Friday blog post by other bloggers who have volunteered their time and energy to "star" in their very own guest post on Friday. Only one mandatory thing - you must answer five of the most random questions I throw your way. The rest is up to you. Remember, if you'd like to be featured on the Friday Fix, shoot me your email, and let me know! So, without further ado, here is Shalena from Writer Quirk!



The Most Random Questions in the World...


1. What is Satan's last name?

Well, first off, I don't capitalize the s in satan because he is evil and doesn't deserve it. This is called the middle finger of grammar, and I first heard about it from a blogger named Jon Acuff over at his blog, here, and loved the idea. Anyhoo, satan isn't even the devil's real name! When he tried to dethrone God and became fallen, his name changed from Lucifer Morningstar or Light-bearer, or something like that. And really, who is surprised? satan, prince of darkness, father of lies, the wicked one, just sounds more intimidating, doesn't it?

I think changing names when a person goes all evil (and trust me, satan is real and real evil, ya'll) is probably in the villain how-to book. Even good guys change their names when they switch sides, so maybe it's just something we all do when we want to be identified as different from who we were. I think I just made a thought-provoking statement...ooooooo, scary! ^_^


2. Is it rude for deaf people to sign (speak) with their mouth full?

Hmm...I would have to say no as long as the signer's mouth is closed while signing and chewing simultaneously. I think open-mouthed mastication would draw attention away from the conversation. And it is unbelievably difficult to type "signing" when your fingers want to type "singing."

3. In the song "Yankee Doodle," is he calling the horse or the feather "macaroni?"

I think he was calling his cap "macaroni" because his kids used it as their macaroni art canvas and his wife forced him to wear it so his kids' feelings wouldn't be hurt. I think him riding a pony (as opposed to a horse) and wearing the feather was just Yankee's way of saying, "Hey, I'm a gutsy guy, and I'm not afraid to wear artful clothing while on a pony." His shirt was probably made of spaghetti.

4. When does it stop being partly cloudy and start being partly sunny?


This one really can be confusing, but that's exactly what the Conspiracy for Correct Weather Forecasters (CCWF) wants. See, if we don't know when partly cloudy becomes partly sunny and vice versa, then when our weather people use one of those phrases to predict the weather, we can't say they were wrong because we'll have no idea if they were wrong or not! So, the answer to the question is: partly cloudy becomes partly sunny whenever our weather people tell us it does. I personally use "mostly sunny" and "mostly cloudy" to avoid betting trapped by the CCWF's double lingo and don't use the television to find out about the weather. Instead, I look it up on the internet - it's so much more reliable.

5. If money doesn't grow on trees, why do banks have branches?

Easy. We have the wrong idea about money trees. Money doesn't grow on trees, it grows them.


See, money is not the leaf of the tree. It is the seed, the soil, the sunshine, and the water. Money makes the bank grow. The more money, the bigger the bank, the more branches (ha) the bank can support. Leaves are usually credit lines, complicated investment opportunities, customer incentives, ad campaigns, etc. But no matter the similarity between banks and trees, I think that I shall never see a bank as lovely as a tree. (That's a little rewording of the first line of the poem "Trees" by Sgt. Joyce Kilmer. One of the few things from high school I will never forget.)


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Thank you Melissa for some awesomely random questions! I had fun answering them. I just want to formally introduce myself and my blog to your readers. My name is Shalena (shuh-lee-nuh) and my blog is called Writer Quirk (I'm pretty sure ya'll know how to pronounce that). I'm also a tad southern, if the ya'll didn't give that away.

I'm an aspiring YA writer, and my blog is about my writing journey as well as my recent plunge into reading more YA literature, so writing memes, book memes, and book/book cover reviews are a major part of Writer Quirk.

I also do features. My weekly one is Faturday, where I share a photo of my cat, Fatty, every Saturday because he's a whole sea of awesome. My other main ones are MUSeIC, where I share songs, artists, albums, that inspires my writing, and From Where I'm Standing, where I post a photo (usually one I took) and talk a bit about it.

I also am currently running a contest through August 14th to give away a couple of my favorite things to my followers, new and old. Up for grabs is a copy of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer and the album Memento Mori by the band Flyleaf. The more followers, the more favorite things I give away, which will definitely include my ARC of Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel, you know, just in case anybody wants it. ^_^ You can go here to fill out the form and enter!

I welcome any and all readers of i swim for oceans over at Writer Quirk any time! Thanks again Melissa for welcoming me to your lovely blog!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson Review

Thursday, July 29, 2010


One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.
Taken from GoodReads

Way back when I had a WoW for Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and I'm honestly not sure why I took so long to read this. (Oh wait...maybe it was because of my infinitely long hiatus. Oops!) Let's be honest, though - that's neither here nor there.

The fact is that Will Grayson, Will Grayson, though hard to describe, was truly brilliant. The books is about two boys, both named Will Grayson, who happen upon each other and despite their very different backgrounds, come together and spin a story about life, love, and the truth that's within all of us.

The book is written by both John Green and David Levithan. Each author created the world of their Will Grayson. John Green's Will Grayson is a nerdy, geeky, dorky, and endearing teen who pretty much embodies the stereotypical teen boy. David Levithan's Will Grayson is a bit more out of the ordinary. He struggles with depression and the need for mood-stabilizing pills. The stark contrast between the two Will Graysons makes this a coming-of-age book that almost anyone could relate to.

It's beautifully written, each Will Grayson has a distinct voice (the chapters alternate, and one is written without any caps). To be honest though, parts of the book are cheesy and completely over-the-top - especially the end. That said, this book is sweet, about love above all else, and you will either love it or hate it. I choose to really love it, though I'm sure there are plenty of people aggravated by the completely unbelievable nature of the end.

I give it a strong 4 out of 5, and I'd recommend Will Grayson, Will Grayson to anyone looking for a unique, fun, and feel-good book.

Waiting on Wednesday 7/28

Wednesday, July 28, 2010



Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and spotlights upcoming novels we just can't wait for! We all know there are a ton of great books coming out this year, but this week, I'm particularly excited for...

Title: Nobel Genes
Author: Rune Michaels
Release Date: August 10, 2010




It's tough to measure up to your parents' expectations. Imagine how much harder it would be if your mother told you that your biological father—whom you'd never met—was a Nobel prize-winning genius? What if, after years of testing and tutoring, you never showed that particular spark of brilliance? What if you found out that you'd been living a lie, and that the truth was darker than you could have imagined?

Does it matter who you come from? Or are we all just made from dust?

Taken from GoodReads

Tuesday Teaser/Teaser Tuesday #19

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other Tuesday Teaser participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!




"Sometimes I wondered if he had some dark secret in his past some old enemy following him, maybe; but the idea seemed ridiculous. Dad was just an archaeologist."
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan


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And now, for my Tuesday Teaser...For those of you who don't know, I do my Tuesday Teaser's differently (and yes, I add this disclaimer every time). Each week, I feature a teensy snippet of something I've written, leave it up all day, then remove it around 11 PM. You're welcome to comment on it, love it, hate it, or simply read it at your leisure...if you'd like, of course. This week's teaser is from my finished MS, Fire and Snow.



That's it! The Tuesday Teaser is down...check back next week for more!

In My Mailbox 7/25

Sunday, July 25, 2010



In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and features the books you've received during the week. Ok, so without further ado, this week I bought/received a grand total of one...yes, one...book.



The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Has anyone read this? What did you think?!

Friday Fix...Calling New Features!

Friday, July 23, 2010

The Friday Fix is a takeover of my Friday blog post by other bloggers who have volunteered their time and energy to "star" in their very own guest post on Friday. Only one mandatory thing - you must answer five of the most random questions I throw your way. The rest is up to you. Remember, if you'd like to be featured on the Friday Fix, leave a comment with your email, and I will set you up with a date for your feature and the most random questions in the world!



Due to my exceptionally long absence (again, I'm sorry!), I am looking for new Friday Fix features, so if you'd like to participate, let me know! I'm hoping to have a new feature up next week :)

Incarceron Review

Thursday, July 22, 2010


Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery...more Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons.

A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists.

But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...
Taken from GoodReads.

The premise of this book hooked me in about a second flat, and I have to admit, our US cover for Incarceron is pretty darn amazing. (Yes, I am a sucker for a good, artistic cover without weeping girls and hot, hot men.) So, without having ready any reviews, I decided to pick it up and give it a go.

The book starts in the prison, detailing legends of Sapphique, a wise man who is rumoured to have escaped the torturous prison, Incarceron. We quickly learn that Incarceron is no ordinary prison. It was designed to be a "paradise" - to remove the evils from the normal world and rehabilitate them. The closed system failed though, and the prison came to think for itself and its inhabitants. It can give and take live at a mere whim. So, while the prison is futuristic, the outside world's progress has been stalled, and Protocol prohibits advancement.

Basically, the world is in turmoil both in and outside of Incarceron, and while Finn struggles to stay alive in the prison, Claudia, the Warden of Incarceron's daughter, struggles to maintain her sanity outside the prison. When chance circumstances connect the two, the world(s) start spinning out of control.

Sounds awesome, eh? It is...truly, I love this story. That said though, it takes some time to get into the story. You know how when you try to read a science journal it's like reading Greek (for those of us who don't know it, of course)? Well, this is a bit like that. The scientific and technological jargon used really threw me off at first and made it hard to get into the story. Once the connections started to develop, I really began to enjoy it though.

I give this book a strong 4 out of 5, and I will definitely be waiting for the sequel, Sapphique, with baited breath! Check out the cover...



PS...they are making a film version of Incarceron! Click here to check it out!

I'm Back...and still Waiting on Wednesday 7/21

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

My hiatus has been WAY longer than I originally anticipated. I blame it on work. And working out. And filming. And reading. Ok, fine...mostly it was because I just needed a break, and I was getting incredibly lazy. Anyhoo, I'm back!

The blog will be undergoing some changes in the next few days - new colours, new header...new everything! I'm pretty excited to see the changes in my little iswimforoceans. I'm getting right back into the swing of things though, so without further ado....

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Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and spotlights upcoming novels we just can't wait for! We all know there are a ton of great books coming out this year, but this week, I'm particularly excited for...

Title: Accomplice
Author: Eireann Corrigan
Release Date: August 1, 2010




They've gotten good grades - but that's not good enough. They've spent hours on community service - but that's not good enough. Finn and Chloe's advisor says that colleges have enough kids with good grades and perfect attendance, so Chloe decides they'll have to attract attention another way. She and Finn will stage Chloe's disappearance, and then, when CNN is on their doorstep and the nation is riveted, Finn will find and save her. It seems like the perfect plan - until things start to go wrong. Very wrong.
Taken from GoodReads

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