Author: Stephanie Austin

Here are my top ten reasons we should all move to Westeros (AKA one of three continents in the world of Game of Thrones)

1) Jon Snow

2) Robb Stark

3) They fight and stuff and have sex ALL the time.

4) There are dragons and I want one. Just a small one. That’s all I ask.

5) I want to be best friends with Daenerys Targaryan. She’s badass and would make a great badass friend.

6) They wear medieval attire and I’ve always wanted to wear medieval attire.

7) There are castles. What more could you want?

8) I want to stab Joffrey Baratheon in the throat.

9) Ravens are like their postal service. Can you find that answer where else? No.

10)

I think I’ve made myself perfectly clear.

Guys, I’m sorry. I’ve been absent for far too long.

I’ve been busy…. sleeping and…. playing videogames… and reading.

I also have managed to get my parents hooked on Game of Thrones. I spent probably the whole of today going over the Houses and characters with my mother who insisted on memorizing EVERY LITTLE DETAIL. It was really fun for me, though. I also drew up some family trees for my dad, because let’s be honest, Game of Thrones can get pretty confusing.

I started reading the first book and so far the show follows it almost perfectly. I thought it might be kind of hard for me to get into the book seeing as I’ve already seen all the episodes up to the most recent, but it’s actually really fun. It’s so much different than watching the show….obviously. I feel like I’m understanding things a little bitter upon reading the book, and God knows I need help in that department.

I’ve also recently started writing my book again. I read a blog that informs people on how to go about publishing their book, and that sorta motivated me, so I’ve been editing and adding in stuff. Hopefully I can finish this one. I have everything planned out. The beginning, the middle (sorta), and the end. My character arcs have been thought out, and conflicts, betrayals and romances have been considered. Now, I just need the perfect words to make it into a bestseller. May the force be with me.

 

 

Top Ten Reasons I Don’t Have A Job Yet:

1) The deadly case of procrastination. (that sounds like a book title)

2) My stupid boyfriend. He keeps me busy 😉 We play video games and stuff. #nerds

3) I am a lazy human being, waiting for life to hand what I need over.

4) I sleep too long. I woke up at one in the afternoon today.

5) Let’s be honest, I’d rather spend my summer eating food and sleeping and watching Game of Thrones.

6) THERE ARE NO JOBS! This is probably just an excuse, though.

7) I’m scared of the expectations and failure. I have terrible anxiety.

8) I’m busy playing Fable and Skyrim.

9) I’m being held captive by a horde of tiny Chinese men.

10) My legs broke, and I can’t walk.

Oh well.

THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas’s life. Until that world starts to crumble.

 NOW: It’s 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father’s death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can’t get him out of her head. She’s sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they’ve never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from. Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Amy Ryan’s Glow, Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie’s Matched. (Courtesy of Goodreads)

Yesterday is a book I highly recommend. I loved this book. First, I’ll talk about how much I loved the book, then I’ll go over what I didn’t like. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book without not liking at least one thing. This review contains spoilers.

This book is highly based around time travel which I think is really cool. It’s a lot different from most dystopian novels/series I’ve read. Also, THANK GOD this is going to be a series. I heard it might not be, but then was graciously reassured by Martin herself on her website.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a dystopian novel so in depth as Martin has been able to accomplish. I mean, she has set up a whole new world (A NEW FANTASTIC POINT OF VIEW). Everything that happens in the future makes sense. The unemployment rates because of the robots. The terrorism and diseases. She dedicates a whole chapter to explaining all this, and I never was lost. I hate reading books where things that happen in the book just don’t seem probable. I applaud Martin on her research and/or resources. Shoot, I don’t know how she was able to do this. I might shoot her an email, and ask.

I really, really loved the heroine, Freya. She reminded me of Nora, from Hush, Hush, whom I also loved. She has initiative, and gets things done, unlike me. So I was able to look up to and idealize this heroine. She seemed a little crazy at times, though. A little forgiving, and trusting. I feel like she should have questioned things a bit further during the book. Her belief in coming from the future seemed too rushed.

Martin sets up everything up really well in this novel. Everything can be pictured. Nothing really seems off. It’s like this all could potentially happen. It’s a bit scary, honestly. She describes everything in great detail to the point that you feel like you’re actually there. I haven’t been blessed with a book like this one in a while. It was truly refreshing.

Now to the stuff I love. The romance. The most anticipated hero. O.M.G. I love him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! C.K. Martin is genius. Let me tell you something I hate. I hate it when authors will start a book, and IMMEDIATELY introduce the love interest/hero(ine). Where is the anticipation in that? Martin introduces him on page 47 in my book. That’s quite a lot of storyline before we, as readers, are introduced to this hunk of burning love. And thank god we are.

Of course, he’s perfect in looks. Tall. Slender. High cheekbones. Angular face. And of course, I picture him as a Max Irons/Paul Wesley combination. When our heroine first meets him, he’s very stand-offish, probably because she is telling him she knows him due to some sixth sense she gets from his presence. He cusses which I think is kinda hott.

Anyway, eventually plot events throw these two together, and of course they start to feel something for one another, BUT LISTEN. When they first realize this, they are grieving (sorta) and they don’t just kiss…. They get naked and almost have sex. THANK YOU C.K. You are the first of all YA authors to not let your cowardice lead you down an unrealistic road. And jeez, was it hott. I love Garren (that’s his name. how did I mention that already?)! He’s literally perfect. I love their character/relationship development.

There were some things in the book that didn’t make sense like when they were trying to save money, and to pass time they went to the movies. Why? That was just ignorant. I also don’t know why Garren and Freya were sent to the past in the first place. Did I miss something or did Martin just fail to state the reasoning? You can’t just pick a character to base a story around and make stuff happen that doesn’t make sense. Basically, you can’t force it. Some of it seemed a bit forced.

I’ll love the second book, titled Tomorrow if Martin doesn’t introduce another male love interest. I’m not trying to read about a love triangle. It will only frustrate me. Garren and Freya belong together. Don’t try to complicate it.

I went to my first DC Chili-Cook off this weekend, and it was crazy. Beware of Darkness, RDGLDGRN, Silversun Pick-ups, Capital Cities, AWOLNation, and SoundGarden were all there. I was only attending for AWOLNation though.

My friend won tickets from DC101 and gave me two of them for me and Tyler. We had to get there SUPER early so we  could get the tickets from my friend. We got there around 11 o’clock in the morning, and AWOL was scheduled to perform at 6 freaking o’clock. RDGLDGRN was first and they were really good so I suggest you guys look them up. I also experienced my first moshpit. I didn’t participate or anything, because, um, I would be pummeled and then I’d probably die. IT WAS CRAZY. They are basically just running into each other. Why? I ask again… Why? Doesn’t that hurt?

People were crowd-surfing like crazy. One girl was thrown on top of my head, so that felt good. When AWOL finally came on, I was in the thick of people, suffocating under the smell of sweat, heat, and weed. OH MY GOD so much weed. I hate the smell. But I eventually got used to it.

At one point during AWOL, a moshpit broke out behind me (always near my vicinity I swear. They were trying to kill me) so Tyler immediately moved himself behind me and tried to block the impacts BECAUSE THEY WERE LITERALLY CHARGING INTO EACH OTHER. The men had morphed into bulls. I got out of there as fast as I could because I wasn’t trying to die. I had to shove my way through people until I was finally safe at the side of the crowd where I could only get a glimpse of the lead singer by standing on my tiptoes.

I think my favorite part of the concert deviates far from the norm. I loved watching people crowd surf. It was fascinating. And the best part, when all the sudden a person fell, a collective gasp would emanate from everyone around close enough to see. We’d all watch to see if he was okay, waiting, wondering. When all of a sudden, he popped back up with fists in the air. Then everyone would cheer and pump their fists and carry on gyrating to the rhythm. It was so funny. More than once I wanted to hop atop the crowd, but yeah, no thanks. I still don’t want to die.

Also, everyone there was so cool, and accepting. People were dancing together, whether they knew each other or not. One girl, dressed in all black, with greasy pitch black hair and vibrant makeup danced with a group of boys and I don’t think her smile could have been any bigger. All I could think about was when she went back to school, and people would possibly start making fun of her again. But there, amongst a group of vibrating chests and booming beats, she belonged. I thought that was so cool.

Here’s a link to Capital Cities’ song “Safe and Sound” if you haven’t heard it yet. They were at the concert, and I fell in love so check them out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47dtFZ8CFo8

P.S. I have terrible sunburn.

 

Because I don’t have much to write about, and because I forgot to post an excerpt yesterday, here it is now.

This is the book I’m currently working on. Basically she’s being contained and interrogated for answers about a “rebel” group she is a part of. This is a dystopian novel which I hope to eventually become a series. The excerpt is real short. I don’t want to give too much away. Enjoy (:

I wake up with a start. The light from under the door illuminates a book lying directly in front of my face. I look around. The door is closed. No one is in here with me. I would have been able to sense them otherwise.

I hesitate before reaching for the book. It could be a trap. I don’t want to fall for anything so obvious. But nothing seems justifiably obvious about a book, besides the fact that it shouldn’t be here.

I touch it quickly. Nothing. I inch toward it, and breathe in its scent. Smells right. I touch it again, resting my hand against the cover. Nothing. All is well. It’s just a book.

I trace my finger across the spine, and lift it into my hand. I cradle it on my palms, weighing it. It feels like a book. Heavy, balanced by its pages. Nothing out of the ordinary.

There is no title on the black cover.

I open to the title page. There is no title there, either. There is nothing. It is a blank page.

I flip through the pages. All blank. No ink. Nothing. I smell it again. It smells like a book – musty and well, sort of new.

I turn each page over in my hand, and stop when I see, upon the first page, one small word.

Hi.

I immediately wonder what it means. Other than a common salutation, what could this one word mean? Clearly they are still trying to get me to crack, but what form of torture is this? How could –

And then something rolls into my room, from under the door. I jerk away from it, and scramble backwards into the wall, waiting for the explosion that will end my death.

Nothing. It just sits there.

It’s skinny. Black. As long as a pen.

A pen.

It must be a pen.

I scoot forward and snatch up the mysterious object. It’s a pen. An actual pen, in this cursed world of technology and well, restrictions on such things as a pen. Why is it being given to me? Along with a book?

Hi.

Are they expecting me to write back? Is this a trick or a practical joke? I don’t see the harm in responding. I write “hi” back.            

I shove the pen and book back under the door.

I wait.

 Later that day, before I receive an answer from the mysterious pen-pal, I am hauled away with a bag over my head. The blinding light sears my vision as the interrogation room reveals itself to me.

I tell them I won’t ever tell them anything. I refuse to cooperate with any offer. I go to sleep that night with new bruises on my arms and legs. 

I finally have a story to tell.

So last night, Tyler and I were on our way to McDonalds. We walked outside, and upon my listening ears a sound projected itself ever so softly.

Meow.

I of course meowed back because isn’t that what you do when you start a conversation?

I followed the sound over toward a tree, only to find the source stranded on a branch in a tree fifteen feet above me. I freaked out, thought about climbing the tree than changed my mind.

Keep in mind, at this point it is 12:30 at night.

I tell Tyler to get the ladder from our shed, which actually is way too short for this tree. As luck would have it, in our neighbors yard is a ladder laying down that could certainly be tall enough.

We stole it. Borrowed.

Tyler, by himself, was able to prop it on the branch, and I proceeded to climb. Just so you know, I’m thinking I’m rescuing a kitten. But when I get up there, after many shaky steps without looking down, a full grown cat stares into my face, and meows. I mean I like cats, but kittens are cuter so I’d rather be saving a kitten so I could afterwards ask my mom if we could keep it.

Tyler kept telling me to just grab it, but 1)I could only use one hand. 2)I was really scared I’d drop it and then I’d be the cause for it’s fall and 3)It wasn’t close enough to get a good enough grip. Eventually, I was able to coax it over, and get my arms around it. I got down one rung of the ladder with the cat in my arms when it wrestled free and jumped back onto the branch. I cursed at it and then proceeded back down the ladder.

I told Tyler to try but he couldn’t make it up five rungs. He’s scared of heights.

So I tried again. The cat was waiting for me at the very top of the ladder, sniffing it, mocking me. This cat was an asshole.  This time, I grabbed it, secured it to my chest with every lack of muscle I had within me, and inched my way to the ground. The cat tried twice to get free but I won that battle. At the bottom, he leaped out of my arms and ran. I tried to get it again but he darted away from me so I called it a bitch, and helped Tyler put away the ladder, which we borrowed.

Come to find out, the ladder was in our neighbor’s yard originally because they were trying to get the same cat out of a different tree. This cat is an idiot, or its being chased by some stray dogs running around. The cat is actually our neighbor’s cat, so yeah I guess its okay now.

Anyway, I can call myself a hero now. I faced my fear and conquered a feat. I should apply to be a firewoman.

P.S. I’ll be posting an excerpt from one of my books later today since it’s THIRSTY THURSDAY and all. (

What’s the deal?

When I first started this blog, I had like so many page views. Yesterday, I had 2. TWO! too. to. TWO PAGE VIEWS! I mean whatever, right? But like, am I just becoming more and more bland in my writing? Tell me, you guys. Straight up.

Changing the subject.

I applied to Cracker Barrel yesterday (a restaurant for all of those that are ignorant) and I went in for an interview today, and basically she said I couldn’t work there because I go back to school in the fall so the cost of training me wouldn’t be worth the time I actually spend working. Sucks. I mean she was really nice and I understand. The menu was long anyway. I’m not trying to remember all that crap. Still, I need a job.

I haven’t heard back from that local restaurant or Old Navy yet. I was thinking about applying to Sweet Frog (ice cream joint), but I don’t even know if they are hiring.

My original plan this summer was to get an internship with the Richmond Times Dispatch or work at Barnes and Noble but that fell through when B&N said they weren’t hiring and the RTD kept ignoring my emails. Such is life. I might try with the RTD again, but jesus, how persistent can I be? I don’t want to be that girl. But if being that girl gets me a job, than I guess I have to be that girl.

I’m writing for HubPages now. YOU WOULD KNOW IF YOU READ MY LAST POST BUT YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T BECAUSE ONLY TWO PEOPLE VISITED MY PAGE!

But for my work to be published, they have to be thorough and well, good. High standards, right? How am I supposed to write good? So I’m still trying to figure out what to write. I was in a bad mood yesterday so I didn’t even attempt to rewrite my Gone review.

Reality sucks.

I’ve been looking forward to Tuesday since…last Tuesday. I love this idea that I stole from some other blogger!

Here, my friends, are my top ten favorite movies of all time (10 being my most favorite):

1) Newsies – I love this movie so much. I have seen the musical twice on Broadway. I gotta tell ya… there is nothing better than a bunch of cute dancing boys.

2) Insidious – This has to be my favorite horror movie of all time. It still gives me the creeps, and I’ve seen it many times.

3) Super 8 – I love the cast in this movie. The kid with the buck teeth is so funny!

4) The Stand – This movie made for TV, based off of Stephen King’s novel, is a sensational movie. It’s like six hours long, but soooo worth it.

5) Monty Python and the Holy Grail – “Tis but a scratch!” Sooo many sound-bytes.

6) Romeo and Juliet – I just love the concept. Thank you, Shakespeare (if you actually wrote it).

7) Pride and Prejudice – The book, the movie, the author, all great.

8) Cold Mountain – I just saw this movie for the first time the other day and I fell in love. Jude Law, mmmmm.

9) Pearl Harbor – Still cry.

10) Titanic – Always crying. Leo was my first ever crush. Well, him, and Peter Pan.

Also, I just signed up for HubPages where basically you write and hopefully make money off the ads placed on your page. I wrote a review on Gone by Michael Grant, and I was damn proud of it. Until, they told me it wasn’t good enough so they took it off my page. WHAT?! I didn’t even get to save it! Now I have to do it all over again!

Pissed.