I know what I’ll be reading…

Tags

blogging, book giveaway, book reviews, Chronicles of Egg, Geoff Rodkey, Heidi Lang

Guess what, everyone? I won a giveaway this week! WOOT! I’m super excited – it’s the first time I’ve ever won anything from a blog giveaway, so I wanted to share the good news with all of you.

 

I entered The Hopeful Heroine’s giveaway for the Chronicles of Egg, which I’ve been meaning to read for a while…and not only did I win the books, but I also got a super cute winner’s banner.

 

See? Here’s the proof:

http://thehopefulheroine.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/the-chronicles-of-egg-giveaway-winner/

So, yeah. Expect a good Fiction Friday in the near future…also for those of you not following her blog, I highly recommend checking it out – tons of great book reviews, and a dog sidekick  - what could be better?

 

MG Monday: Fablehaven

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book recommendations, book reviews, Brandon Dorman, Brandon Mull, Fablehaven, Kati Bartkowski, The 13 Treasures

Since we missed Fiction Friday last week, I’m bringing you a Middle Grade Monday, and recommending Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.

Fablehaven is about siblings, Kendra and Seth, who are stuck staying at their grandparents’ house while their parents go away on a trip. What they soon discover is that their grandparents’ house is actually on a sanctuary for magical creatures, and their grandfather happens to be the caretaker.

I know, it doesn’t sound all that intriguing stated like that, but really the setting of this book really drew me in. It was definitely a world that I would like to escape into. And the characters were likeable enough, even if Seth did drive me a little crazy at times.

One thing that was a little intriguing about reading this book around the same time I read The 13 Treasures is the similarities between the two books. Fairies play a huge role in both stories, and while they are neither good nor evil in either one, they do cause a lot of trouble. What’s also interesting about both is how the main characters are shipped away to their grandparents’ place against their wills. I would recommend both books, but I will suggest not reading them back to back like I did to avoid doing too many comparisons.

One last thing worth noting about Fablehaven is that the cover is totally awesome. I love Brandon Dorman’s illustrations, and I would totally recommend checking out his portfolio if you haven’t already. He certainly knows his way around the color wheel.

The Writer’s Voice Update: Team Krista!

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Heidi Lang, Kati Bartkowski, MG, Mystic Cooking, the writer's voice, writing, writing contest, YA

Hey, so you know how we entered that Writer’s Voice contest last week? Well, first Kati and I were lucky enough to get through the random Rafflecopter, and then the real fun began – we posted our query and first 250 words and had to bite our nails and wait as the mentors went through, picking their teams.

Well, I’m happy to report that the waiting is over and MYSTIC COOKING was chosen by Krista Van Dolzer! Woot! Team Krista is going to kill in the next round, I can already tell! Actually, all the teams look really, really good – there were 149 entries and 4 mentors. Each mentor could choose 8 stories plus 1 alternate, and competition was fierce – so many unique, engaging story ideas, so many well-written first pages.

So, first of all we’d like to thank all of you cheering us on out there. We had so much support, people posting nice comments, crossing their fingers, toes, and in one exceptional case, kidneys for us, and it all paid off – we get to move onto the next round.  We’re both super excited, and especially happy to be working with Krista. Not only did her team win last year, but also her debut novel is coming out in 2015.

And speaking of Krista, a huge shout out to all four mentors, Krista Van Dolzer, Brenda Drake, Monica Bustamante Wagner, and Cupid LC, as well as Kimberly Chase for her technical support. They all worked really hard getting this contest together, donating their time and effort so us unpublished writers could have this opportunity.

What happens next, you ask? Well, we get to work with our amazingly talented mentor to improve our query and first page, and then on May 20th each mentor will post the queries and first pages of all their teammates so about a dozen agents can come by and take a look. All of the agents participating in the contest are excellent, and all are looking for either YA or MG, so we’re hoping MYSTIC COOKING might catch someone’s eye – wish us luck! Agents will vote for their favorites on May 23rd and May 24th, those votes counting as partial or full manuscript requests, and where it goes from there is anyone’s guess.

p.s. Missed our normal Fiction Friday installment? Don’t worry – Kati’s cooking up a review for you all for Monday, so stay tuned!

The Boy Who Lived…Without Reading Harry Potter

Tags

David Foster Wallace, Harry Potter, Heidi Lang, Infinite Jest, reading

I admit it, when Harry Potter first came out I was highly skeptical. It became too popular too fast, so I wanted nothing to do with it. It wasn’t until years later, when the 6th book was first released, that I finally picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

I’m still kicking myself for waiting so long.

Which brings me to my current dilemma – my husband will not read these books. Even worse, he deliberately gets details about them wrong. For example, he’ll call Dumbledore “He Who Must Not Be Named,” and has even, on one occasion, called me a “squibble.” I’m assuming he meant some sort of squib-muggle cross, but I couldn’t be sure.

Here’s part of an actual argument we had last year when I tried convincing him to read Harry Potter:

SEAN: Stop being such a Dumbledore.

HEIDI: Did you really just call me a Dumbledore?

SEAN: Yes, I really did.

HEIDI: Well that’s fine. It’s not even an insult, you know, because he’s the greatest wizard who ever lived.

SEAN: Do you even hear yourself right now? And you wonder why I haven’t read those books…

Okay, so when I took a step back I realized I sounded ridiculous. But you see what I have to deal with, here, right? I mean, something’s gotta change – I can’t live like this.

So, we finally, finally struck a deal. Just last week, actually. Here it is:

I have to read David Foster Wallace’s “Infinite Jest,” and in exchange, Sean will read at least three Harry Potter books. Sure, it’s over 1,000 pages long…literally…but it’ll be worth the invested time, I’m sure.

So there you have it. I’ll keep you posted…meanwhile, what’s the weirdest deal you ever made with someone? And has anyone else read this book? I want to know what I just got myself into…

Castle vs. the Mentalist and the Importance of Proper Shoe Attire

Tags

Castle, Heidi Lang, Kati Bartkowski, shoes, The Mentalist, writing

HEIDI: Alright, we promised we’d talk about shoes, and here it is. But first, a little background info. Kati?

KATI: Our parents got super into the TV show “Castle,” so last year when they came to visit us, we had a crash course in the first couple of seasons. Then this year they got hooked on the show “The Mentalist,” so that’s what we watched with them this past January.

HEIDI: You might be wondering what this all has to do with shoes, but we’re getting to it…

KATI: Both of these shows follow a very similar pattern. A charismatic man who is not a detective, yet possesses an extremely keen eye for details decides to tag along with a police detective. In both cases, the detective in question is an attractive woman. Murders happen. They get solved.

HEIDI: Nicely summarized.

KATI: Why thank you.

HEIDI: Since the shows share so many similarities, we found ourselves comparing them, trying to decide which one we liked better. At first I was going with “Castle,” mostly because I love Castle’s personality. But then the more I watched of “The Mentalist,” the more I started switching over to that camp.

KATI: I was Team Jane right from the start.

HEIDI: Well, I took a little more convincing, but what finally got me were the shoes…In “Castle,” the female homicide detective, Kate Beckett, always wears these ridiculous stiletto heels. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they look nice, but she’s constantly running after or away from possible criminals. You’d think she’d at least keep a change of shoes in her car or under her desk or something. It just bugs me.

KATI: The female CBI agent in “The Mentalist,” Teresa Lisbon, usually wears a pair of sensible flats.

HEIDI: Exactly. Not the most attractive shoes, but I bet she’s not nearly as worried about breaking an ankle. I mean, if half your adrenaline rush during a chase scene is whether or not your shoes are going to kill you, well, that seems like a bad sign.

KATI: Anyways, moving past these TV shows, this started us thinking about fiction in general and how it’s those little details that really make a big difference.

Rosi looks nicer than us, but I bet Kati and I could out run her in our sneakers…

HEIDI: What your character chooses to wear or not wear tells a lot about him/her. It’s one more piece of the puzzle that is that character’s personality, so it’s good to keep that in mind. What kind of message about your character are you getting across with your details?

KATI: And now we’ll turn this around to all of you. What’s your pet peeve when watching a show? Does improper footwear get under your skin as well? Please share!

April’s Monthly Roundup

Well, would you look at the time! April has been long gone and we still haven’t posted our monthly wrap-up…Kati and I have been a little distracted in recent days. We also failed to talk about proper footwear or the joys of being married to a Harry Potter-deficient spouse, but don’t worry, we’re going to continue our no-theme posts through May, so I’m sure those topics are right around the corner.

Moving right along, April was a very busy month for us here at Mystic Cooking HQs. Not only did I learn to love Korean music, but Kati and I went to the Northern/Central CA SCBWI writing conference. What did we learn? So much we had to turn it into a whole series of posts. Need a refresher? Here they are:

• Part 1: The Good, the Bad, and the just plain Weird at the SCBWI conference
• Part 2: Testing the Waters with Publishing Alternatives
• Part 3: Let Your Characters Tell You Who They Are
• Part 4: Putting the “Real” into Fiction
• Part 5: Great Openings
• Part 6: Keep Your Eye on the Arc
• Part 7: The Illustration Track

Kati illustrated each part, so if you missed the series it’s worth a look back for her pictures alone.

Besides the conference, we were also busy reading some really good books. First there was the futuristic retelling of Cinderella with the part of the downtrodden princess played by a cyborg in Marissa Meyer’s “Cinder.” Then I completed Lauren Oliver’s “Delirium” series with “Requiem,” the final installment. And finally, I read Matthew J. Kirby’s delightful MG book, “Icefall,” which was probably my favorite read of the month. Hmm, looking back at this list one thing becomes clear: Kati has a lot of catching up to do on the Fiction Friday front.

And finally, we wrapped up the month with a little fame, courtesy of Jae from Lit and Scribbles who interviewed us on her blog. We were the last installment of her “April Featured Blog” series, and I highly recommend swinging over there to check out the other bloggers in her series.

Happy May!

Fiction Friday: 13 Treasures

Tags

book recommendation, Kati Bartkowski, book review, Middle Grade, 13 Treasures, Michelle Harrison

I just recently finished 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison, and I really enjoyed it.  It had a great main character was likeable, and it had an excellent ending.

13 Treasures is about Tanya, a girl who can see fairies. These fairies are constantly causing her to get into trouble, so her mother sends her away to stay with her grandmother for a while. It’s there that Tanya learns of the disappearance of her grandmother’s childhood friend, and with the help of her own friend, Fabien, she sets off to try and solve this mystery.

So, the main character was likeable (especially because of how much she loved her dog), the setting sounded like the kind of place I would have loved to explore when I was younger, and I really liked the whole take on fairies in this book. Also, the cover art is totally eye catching. So if you’re looking for a good upper MG fantasy book, this one is totally worth the read.

Have you read this book yet? What did you think of it? Doesn’t it have a lovely cover? 

“The Writer’s Voice”

Tags

Heidi Lang, Kati Bartkowski, Mystic Cooking, the writer's voice, writing contest

Here is our entry for “The Writer’s Voice” contest:

TITLE: MYSTIC COOKING

QUERY:

Dear Coaches,

At fourteen, Lailu is the youngest chef to graduate from Chef’s Academy in over three hundred years, and she’s not about to let anything get in the way of her dream: opening a high-class restaurant that specializes in cooking mystical beasts.

With the latest boom in steampunk technologies, she’s sure her new restaurant will be a huge success. Sure, she had to borrow a ton of money from Mr. Boss, the meanest loan shark around, but she knows her profits will make up for it. Unfortunately, her obnoxious school rival, Greg, decides to open a competing restaurant, and with his charm, good looks, and aristocratic background he soon has a full house– while Lailu’s place remains a dining graveyard.

When Mr. Boss pushes up the due date of Lailu’s loan, she realizes she’s bitten off more than she can chew. Lailu has battled dragons, krakens, griffons, and all sorts of delicious and dangerous beasts, but she’s never faced anyone as ruthless as Mr. Boss. With her deadline approaching, she’s forced to turn to the one person who can help her. Obnoxious or not, Greg is almost as good a chef as Lailu, and it will take all of their combined skills to get her out of the stew she’s in. After all, Mr. Boss always gets what’s owed to him, one way or another.

MYSTIC COOKING is an upper Middle Grade fantasy, complete at 79,000 words. We are a writing team of two sisters: Heidi Lang, who likes to fling food across her stove while attempting to cook new dishes, and Kati Bartkowski, who enjoys trying new cuisine at fancy restaurants. Because of our twenty years of experience in Judo, we both prefer our female protagonists to kick some butt. Thank you for your time and consideration.

FIRST 250 WORDS:

Lailu flipped a large chef’s knife end over end, scowling at the row of onions pinned to her far wall. She could have taken on another kraken, or even a hydra right then, but this waiting–this waiting was killing her.

“Don’t worry,” she told her remaining batch of onions, “it will only hurt a second.” As she selected a sweet yellow one, the bell above her front door chimed.

Lailu whipped around eagerly, the onion toppling to the floor. “Welcome to Mystic Cooking.” She straightened her fluffy white chef’s hat. “Our special today is…” Her eyes flickered to the man looming in her doorway. “Oh.” Lailu’s heart plummeted back to her toes. “It’s you.”

For all she was barely over five feet tall, Mr. Boss (call me “Victor”) was not much taller, but his back was straight, and his cane seemed more like a threatening prop than a tool. He looked like he might be in his sixties or seventies, his long gray hair streaked through with white and oiled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. She’d heard the rumors, of course, that he was actually two hundred and six, and that he bathed in the blood of young dragons every month to slow his aging. Lailu wasn’t sure she bought that; she knew how hard it was to kill a dragon.

Another Contest

Tags

Heidi Lang, illustration, Kati Bartkowski, the writer's voice, wolf cub, writing contest

In a few minutes we’ll be putting up a post with our query and our first 250 words. That’s because we entered Brenda Drake’s The Writer’s Voice contest, and by some sort of unexpected luck we managed to make it past the raffle. Yay! So that post is our entry – thought we should explain a little to all of our regular viewers out there.

Now onto the part that has less to do with luck. So…wish us luck! 

And so you don’t feel completely ripped off by this incredibly short post, here’s a baby wolf picture that is completely unrelated to anything here, and I’ll be posting a Fiction Friday post on…er, Friday. Yes.

We’re Famous!

Tags

blogging, Heidi Lang, Jae, Kati Bartkowski, lit and scribbles, Mystic Cooking, writing

Well, I feel famous, at any rate.  Jae from Lit and Scribbles interviewed us on her blog today – check it out!

http://litandscribbles.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/afb-mystic-cooking/