Making Waves (10) ~ NaNo Edition

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. Anyone can join! The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun!

This week's question is...  Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? How has your experience been so far?

Yes and no, I guess. I'm signed up for NaNo and wrote approximately 5000 words the first week, but then I got caught up in school and have not worked on my project since. My school is on a trimester system so there's always a ton of work in mid-November as the first trimester comes to a close, and I just got less and less motivated because I was so far behind and I also love my story but not how it was translating into words. I adored the idea and now I'm starting to hate it because it's not what I know it can be. I wrote one good scene for it back in fall '14, but I've been having trouble extending it from one scene to a whole novel. I never expected it to be a full-fledged novel, but I found love for the story again this year and wanted to see if I could. Yet between school and my lack of motivation to write, I'm currently about 25,000 words behind and I don't have any time to actually write and catch up by the end of November because of Thanksgiving and other things.

Making Waves (5)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. Anyone can join! The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun!

This week's question is...  How is your experience with the Truthwitch Street Team so far?  Or why would you like to be a part of the team?

I am not part of the street team, but it would be an absolute dream come true if I could be a part of it! I have always been a HUGE fan of Susan Dennard's work, and I am so excited for Truthwitch! I have been eagerly anticipating the book since Sooz first announced that it was a thing. I was flailing since day one :) In case you don't believe me, here's what I posted on Goodreads way back in March 2014 (when the original expected release date was some time in 2015):

OMG OMG OMG OMG I need to read this right now!!!!!!!! Aaaaaugh Susan Dennard and "Garth Nix meets Avatar: the Last Airbender"!?!? So I'm not familiar with Garth Nix but THIS WILL BE AMAZING!!!!! One of my favorite authors and one of my all-time favorite tv shows? THIS. WILL. BE. EPIC. 2015 seems so far away now...

Anyway, I am a huge Susan Dennard fan (Daniel Sheridan is my one and only book boyfriend - anyone who tries to take him from me will face my fury) and I have also been interacting with tons of the her street team clans (shout-out especially to the Waterwitch Babes who have been letting me join them in this meme and the many other amazing events you guys have planned!), and all of them seem like absolutely amazing people. It would be so fantastic to be a part of the amazing team, make new friends, and be able to support one of my all-time favorite authors <3

~Alexandra

Something Strange and Deadly Readalong

The readalong is hosted by the Stephanie @ In Wonderland and the other Waterwitch Babes, and will run from October 10 - January 4.

SCHEDULE:
Something Strange and Deadly (October 10 - November 6)
A Darkness Strange and Lovely (November 7 - December 4)
Strange and Ever After (December 5 - January 4)

~ ~ ~

If you didn't know this, THE Something Strange and Deadly series is ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES AND SOOZ IS AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AUTHOR AND HUMAN BEING. SO NATURALLY I AM GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS. I AM SO EXCITED AND HOPEFULLY I WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP UP (OR NOT READ TOO FAR AHEAD) I normally don't reread books, but I'll make an exception for this series because <33333333 *flails*

~Alexandra

Making Waves Reading Challenge

The Making Waves Reading Challenge is a challenged hosted by the Waterwitch Babes, and was created by one of the Waterwitches, Carine @ Ceres Books World.

To make it easier for participants because we all have busy schedules, and Nanowrimo is coming up, we have different levels of participation.  Pick whichever level you feel you can accomplish before January 5th.The challenge starts today and ends January 5th (the day Truthwitch is released!).  For the challenge we are asking participants to read any books that can be related to the elements.  For example, there is an elemental name in the title, or the story itself can be linked to an element as outlined below:

Water: a book about pirates or mermaids
Fire: a romance or passionate, dramatic story
Air: a book about angels or dragons
Aether: paranormal read
Void: a murder mystery, or novel with insanity and blood
Earth: a book with farming or with strong links to the land

Obviously there are a lot of books that can be open to interpretation (part of the fun is trying to fit a book into an element!)

The Levels of Participation: 

EARTH - read 1-2 books

The most practical guesstimate of how many books you feel you can read for this challenge!

WATER - read 3-4 books

Clearly you are making waves in your reading schedule, and the Waterwitch Babes are especially proud of you!

AIR - read 5-6 books

You are literally taking off, this is a stellar amount of books to read for this challenge!

FIRE - read 7-8 books

Your fiery passion for reading is most evident!

AETHER - read 9-10 books

It is truly sublime how dedicated a reader you are!

VOID - read 11+ books

This is the highest level, there is no going back.

~~~

I usually set reading challenge goals extremely high and fail, however this time I think I will actually be able to reach my goal. For now, I am going to say my goal is FIRE, but I have a feeling when December comes around I will have much more free time and will hopefully be able to read even more than seven or eight books.

~Alexandra

Making Waves (4)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. Anyone can join! The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun!

This week's question is... What are your favorite books that feature one of the elements on the cover or in the title?

FIRE

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas || Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

AIR

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger || The Young Elites by Marie Lu

WATER

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown || Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey

EARTH

Defiance by C.J. Redwine || Splintered by A.G. Howard || Origin by Jessica Khoury

Making Waves (3)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. Anyone can join! The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun!

This week's question is... What clan do you feel you belong to? Water, air, fire, earth, void, or aether?

I took the wonderful "Which Truthwitch Clan Do You Belong In" quiz created by the Waterwitches and I got air! I think the result was pretty accurate :)

Out of all the clans, I think I'd belong to air. Air can be very calm and reserved, but can also quickly change and become powerful and sometimes deadly. I feel like often I can remain calm, but sometimes my mood changes drastically if something happens to me or I feel the need to defend myself.

Also, I often feel... not exactly tethered to things. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it, but I feel like I sometimes just flit around and blend into the background. Sort of like air.

What clan do YOU think you belong to?

~Alexandra

Making Waves (2)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. Anyone can join! The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun!

This week's question is... Which Truthwitch character would you love to have as a best friend?

I have only read the first few chapters of Truthwitch (via Sooz's newsletter) and the character bios she posted on her Tumblr, but by gut instinct I am going to have to choose Safiya fon Hasstrel. I definitely relate way more to her Threadsister, Iseult, but I feel like she and I are too similar. I need someone who can balance me out. Also, I would love to have someone more spontaneous to help me open my eyes, see the world in a different light, and grow as a person. I think Safi would help me do those things, and we'd have a lot of fun along the way.

~Alexandra

Making Waves (1)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. Anyone can join! The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun!


Before I get to the question, let me just say that I am extremely extremely extremely (LIKE I CANNOT CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT-LEVEL) excited for Truthwitch and can't wait for it to be released in January, so when I saw this feature, I just knew I had to join in!


This week's question is... Why do you think water is an important element?


I think water is important for many reasons. First of all, without it there wouldn't be any life on earth and we'd all die, from starvation (because nothing would not be able to survive) or we'd just die of dehydration ourselves (let's just be honest). Also, water is really important because it can be really soothing and relaxing. Rain pattering, waves lapping on the shores... It's all just very calming and beautiful to watch and listen to. It is also fascinating because water can be really deep and frightening as well. I know as a kid (I hate to admit this but it's true) I used to be afraid of going to deep and being attacked by something lurking below. There are so many mysteries in watery depths that are still yet to be explored.

In addition, water is what our tears are made of, and sometimes we all just need a good cry. Crying is something most of us hate to do, but sometimes it makes us feel at ease once we're done, like the bad things are in the past. Crying (of course) can also be a good thing: there are times when we cry from happiness or from laughing.

Water can be something strange and deadly (see what I did there, Susan Dennard fans? *wink wink* yes, I know I'm not funny), but ultimately it is a fascinating element that can sustain life, but also endanger it.

~Alexandra