Category: Kai Strand (Page 5 of 7)

Top Five Couples Facing Strife from Kai Strand Author of FINDING THOR

July 23, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

Returning guest poster, who also happens to be one of my favorite writing buddies who I haven’t yet met in person, Kai Strand is here today with a really fun post and a look at her YA romantic suspense FINDING THOR. Welcome, Kai!

Kai Strand’s Top Five Couples Facing Strife

When it comes to book couples, if your romance reading experiences are anything like mine, you will often like one of the characters more than the other. I find I’m pretty hard on the heroines and almost always drawn to the bad boy. (Thank goodness not in real life…oh wait, maybe he sort of was then. Dang it!)

Anyway, today I want to share with you five of my favorite books where I actually liked BOTH the hero and the heroine. Plus I wanted to add the little caveat that in their stories they are facing a lot of strife. Whether it be an epic journey, a seemingly insurmountable task, or unbeatable bad guy, whatever the strife, it is a real enough part of their relationship to be able to muck it up.

Here we go:

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson– I can’t even tell you how much I loved this series. The culture Carson made up is fabulous. The journey, the strife, it’s all biblical proportions. But, I truly enjoyed Elisa and Hector’s relationship (though it doesn’t really develop until the 2^nd book), as well as liked them individually. Oh Hector!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor– While Karou and Akiva can both be frustrating it made them more real and believable in such an extraordinary setting. Plus the writing and the story line are delicious.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles– The only contemporary on my list (interesting!) and their strife is a very real and relatable one. Prejudice. Brittany and Alex really force each other to grow and they really sizzle.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare– Tessa is a kick butt character and Will is her equal, plus he’s swoony. For the record, imho, they make a way better couple than Clary and Jace, though I love The Mortal Instruments too.

Angelfall by Susan Ee– Penryn is another kick butt character. From the get go. And Raffe jumps right out of the pages and makes you want to help him – even though he’s so capable.

For more book recommendations, friend me on Goodreads. I’d recommend any of the books I’ve rated four and five stars!

Bonus Rec: I’d also recommend my very own YA romantic suspense, Finding Thor. Neither Cara nor Nik are looking for, or even want, a relationship. But when Cara asks, “Why me?” Nik replies:

I don’t understand why you either.” His palm brushed gently against her cheek, his fingers twined under her hair. In a low, growling voice he whispered, “But I can’t help myself.”

*Swoon*

Here’s more about the book:

Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock.

Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again.

But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.

When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?

Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school.

About the Author:

When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and a short story blog, Lightning Quick Reads, Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.

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July Ripples in the Inkwell: Patriotism

July 13, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

It’s the second Monday of the month and that means a new Ripples in the Inkwell post! Even though here in the U.S. we’ve already celebrated Independence Day with fireworks and barbecues, it’s never a bad time to talk about patriotism. And that’s what Kai Strand, Mary Waibel, and I talking about for our July theme. We’d love to read your posts on the theme; find out how to play along with the monthly meme HERE. And be sure to stop by Kai’s and Mary’s blogs to check out their posts.

I can’t say I’m a particularly patriotic person in the sense I think it has come to mean for some people. That is I don’t fly an American flag out in front of my house or on my car and I don’t dress myself and my kids in red, white, & blue or make themed desserts for flag day or the fourth of July. (Not that there’s anything wrong with doing these things!)

I do vote in every single election; I write letters to my elected officials (local and national) on matters that I feel strongly about; I pay attention to what is going on in my country and stay informed (from reliable sources); and I do love my country (even when I’m terribly frustrated by it). I believe in the principles my country was founded on, even if they were created by flawed people and even though they aren’t always executed in a manner in which I agree.

For me patriotism is about fighting for what you think is best for your country, even if that’s maybe not the popular sentiment. And no, I don’t fight like soldiers do for their country, but I try and stand for what I believe in and voice that opinion in my own small way.

What does patriotism mean to you? And do you consider yourself a patriot?

June Ripples in the Inkwell: Summer Reading Recommendations

June 8, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

It’s the second Monday of the month and that means a new Ripples in the Inkwell post! May was all about change (my post was about how change is hard at any age). June heralds the start of summer, so Kai Strand, Mary Waibel, and I thought it would be fun to talk about summer/vacations. We’d love to read your posts on the theme; find out how to play along with the monthly meme HERE. And be sure to stop by Kai’s and Mary’s blogs to check out their posts.

When I knew the June #inkripples theme was summer/vacation, my first inclination was to talk about the last, horrible vacation I went on where we hated the (leaky, smelly, awful) rental house so much we left halfway into our trip. (The owner was quick to remind me that there was a no refund policy…jerk!) But summers and vacations are supposed to be about fun, so I started thinking about some of my favorite things to do while on vacation.

And, of course, one of those things is read. So here are a few summer reading recommendations, straight from you to me (partial blurbs pulled from Goodreads). I picked books that had a summer feel to them, whether they took place during the summer or because they fit the lovely category of beach reads. I’d love to hear your summer reading rec’s in the comments!

THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson

“Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life – and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two.”

This is one of my favorite books of all time (and it you know anything about my personal life and how I started writing, you’ll understand why), so it pretty much ends up on every recommended list I create. But it fits this list especially because it takes place during the summer.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler

“According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.”

This has a little bit of everything you want in a summer read: beach setting, forbidden romance, secrets and lies, and parties!

SUMMER SISTERS by Judy Blume

“In the summer of 1977, Victoria Leonard’s world changed forever—-when Caitlin Somers chose her as a friend. Dazzling, reckless Caitlin welcomed Vix into the heart of her sprawling, eccentric family, opening doors to a world of unimaginable privilege, sweeping her away to vacations on Martha’s Vineyard, a magical, wind-blown island where two friends became summer sisters…”

Judy Blume, Martha’s Vineyard, friends who are like sisters, and, um, Judy Blume! Do I even need to explain including this one? Didn’t think so.

WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart

“A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.”

This is one of those books you read and then want to immediately read again. The island setting screams summer, and the lies, oh, the lies!

CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO SUMMER VACATION by Tommy Greenwald

“Despite all attempts to avoid reading and extra work, Charlie Joe Jackson finds himself in a terrible dream he can’t wake up from: Camp Rituhbukkee (pronounced “read-a-bookie”)—a place filled with grammar workshops, Read-a-Ramas, and kids who actually like reading. But Charlie Joe is determined to convince the entire camp to hate reading and writing—one genius at a time.”

All the Charlie Joe Jackson books are great for young and young-at-heart readers. This one will keep you laughing all the way to summer camp!

PANIC by Lauren Oliver

“Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.”

This one will keep you up late into the summer night. My own teen summer nights did include some dangerous antics but none quite at this level.

THE MERMAID’S MIRROR by L.K. Madigan

“Lena has lived her whole life near the beach – walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves – the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching.”

My only fantasy book in the bunch (shocking, I know, but I tend to think of more realistic stories for beach reads). Love the setting of this book; it has just the right feel for summer.

In the interest of keeping this post manageable (cause I could go on and on and on when it comes to recommending books), I’ll stop here. So now it’s your turn. What’s on your summer reading list? What book(s) do you recommend for the perfect beach read?

May Ripples in the Inkwell: Change Is Hard

May 11, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

It’s the second Monday of the month, so that means it’s time for a new Ripples in the Inkwell (#inkripples) post. Kai Strand’s post can be found here, and Mary Waibel’s can be found here. May brings more flowers, buds turning to leaves on the trees, and warmer weather. The winter jackets are packed away and t-shirts are coming out. May is all about change, and that’s our topic of the month.

The change in weather is welcome, particularly after this very long winter. But change is hard. I see how my 3-1/2 year old son, The Boy, is still having a hard time with all the changes that have gone on in his life in the past year. Even though his younger brother, The Prince, is almost a year old, the adjustment period isn’t over. The resentment lingers, evident when The Boy says, “Mommy, I want you to take care of only me. Daddy can take care of [The Prince].”

The Boy started preschool last November, another big change, especially after being home with me all day for the last two years. He seems so old to me in many ways, but I have to remember how young he really is. It wasn’t too long ago he was still sleeping in the crib. Now he’s in a big boy bed in a new, bigger room. The early years of life bring on so many changes.

But even as an adult, I find change hard, harder still than when I was in my teens and twenties. I like my routine, even if every day the routine isn’t the same. I write best sitting at my laptop, sipping my tea. It’s important for productivity not to be tied to that, though. I can’t always be at my laptop, I don’t always have quiet time to work, I don’t always have time to work period. If I’m ever going to finish my WIP, I need to allow myself the flexibility to squeeze in the work when I can.

Change is also good for the creative soul. It pushes my brain into new realms and I see the world in a new light. I so desperately needed to get away the other weekend for the New England SCBWI writing conference. With little ones, it’s been hard for me to be away from them. My job as mom is 24-7. I needed that change, the time to be a writer and not a mom for a little while. I hated leaving my babies, but it was important for me to do just that.

I guess no matter if we’re 3 or 33 or 133, it will be desirable to avoid change. It’s easier to keep to the routine, maintain the status quo. But lack of change also means lack of growth, so I’m willing to step out of my comfort zone and grow as a person as a result.

Inkwellblueandgreen Want to join in on the conversation on change? Or next month’s theme of summer/vacation? It’s easy to participate in Ripples in the Inkwell.

Ripples in the Inkwell #inkripples is a new monthly meme created by Kai Strand, Mary Waibel, and Katie L. Carroll. We’ll be posting on the second Monday of every month with a new topic. We’re all authors, but you don’t have to be to participate. Simply compose your post using the monthly theme, grab one of the images, and link back to the three of us. Make sure to use #inkripples when you play along and promote your posts. The idea is that we toss a word, idea, or image into the inkwell and each post is a new ripple. There’s no wrong way to do it! Full details can be found on my post “Introducing Ripples in the Inkwell.”

Introducing Ripples in the Inkwell

May 7, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

Inkwell meme green

May’s theme is change, and look for posts from all three of us on Monday, May 11th. I’ll be talking about how hard change is, but how often it’s just the thing we need.

Going forward for the rest of the year, the themes are:

June: Summer/Vacation
July: Patriotism InkwellHashtag2
August: Dog days/Things that drag you down
September: Fall/School
October: Fears/Things That Go Bump in the Night
November: Remembrance /Thankfulness
December: Celebration/Gifts

I look forward to seeing all of your ripples. Feel free to link to them in the comments of Monday’s post (or here). And don’t forget to use #inkripples. We’ll be discussing change all month long on Twitter in addition to the blog posts.