C.J. Redwine

Author interview coming today! Blogger and I had an argument, it ate my cupcake picture, and I have an appointment for the next few hours. BUT, when I return, I will teach Blogger who's boss and you will have your interview!

My hubby read and loved this book. It's on my list of books I'll be reading in the near future. Especially after watching this trailer. What do you think?

1. Okay, I'm going to arm-wrestle Blogger into submission this week and there will be POSTS.

2. Whether you feel like reading them is on you. I'm just saying there will be POSTS if I have to do things to Blogger that are probably illegal in 39 states.

3. Last week as I was driving Starshine somewhere, he started telling me about a song he and a friend are going to sing for the school's talent show. Then he said "And maybe we'll dance too. But I don't know what kind of dance to do."

4. Because I am never short of (probably awful) ideas, I said, "How about the robot?"

5. I demonstrated.

6. While driving.

7. Not the easiest thing to do, but in my defense, I was at a stop light. The only danger to other drivers was an unwanted glimpse of a truly uncoordinated woman trying to do a dance that died two decades ago with a steering wheel in her way.

8. Starshine didn't appreciate my efforts. He said, "We don't want to be robots."

9. …

I had mighty plans for the blog this past week. A spooky book trailer! A help wanted ad! The Were-llama's first blurb! And none of it happened. Why? Because Blogger thinks it's funny to mess with my mind. Losing scheduled posts. Signing me out without so much as a by-your-leave. And refusing to allow me to leave comments on my own blog.

That last one really makes me mad. I have some FABULOUS commenters on this blog. I'd like to be able to reply! But noooo. Not only is Blogger refusing to let me comment under my own id, it won't even publish my comments if I do so under open ID or anonymous.

Really, Blogger?

Someone told me to delete my cookies and it would work again. I tried that. No dice.

Now I'm going to try something different. I'm going to offer a bounty on Blogger's head.

You read that right.

First person to bring me Blogger, dead or alive, wins a prize.

If you can't actually bring me Blogger, but you know how to fix this situation (The comments…

1. It's hard for me to blog when I'm in the middle of drafting. Mostly because all of my creative brain cells are engaged in the novel, and there's not much left over for anything else.

2. Combine drafting brain with three nearly sleepless nights in a row courtesy of a teething toddler and my brain now resembles this:


3. Therefore, you should read at your own risk.

4. I took my teenager to see Abduction last night. The story is YA through and through. I really liked it. So did he.

5. But the real story is what happened before we got to the movie theater.

6. We stopped by a Walgreens next to the theater to pick up some candy. The woman at the cash register looked at our purchase and said "What movie are you going to see?"

7. I said "Abduction."

8. She said "What's that about?"

9. I said "It's about a teenager who discovers his parents really aren't his parents, and then they are killed because someone is after him. Maybe spies…

1. Remember that writer's retreat I went on a couple weeks ago?

2. The one in that gorgeous cabin up in the Smoky Mountains?

3. Well THIS is the picture that literally overlooked my bed.

4. Not that reassuring.

5. We decided to name him Bearward, for obvious reasons.

6. He has fangs.

7. He's watching me while I sleep.

8. And he's in a meadow.

9. All he's missing is some sparkle! We considered going after him with some glitter pens to really let him give Robert Pattinson a run for his vampire money, but decided it wasn't worth the potential "defacing property" fee.

10. The other day, Daredevil yelled to Starshine, "Quick! Come in here! I've got a Chicken of Destiny!"

11. If you google images for "Chicken of Destiny" you get stuff like this:




and this



and this



I do not claim to understand Google's reasoning for these search results. I had to change my search parameters to get pics of the true Chicken of Destiny:




Following…

I promised you magical ponies, and here they are! Thanks to the always devious Beth Revis for giving me the idea. :) I went to this pony creator (Warning! Time suck!) and made a pony to represent each of the main characters in DEFIANCE.

This is Rachel. She's an impulsive, determined girl who goes after what she wants and doesn't let obstacles stop her from doing what she thinks is right. She wears a copper wrist cuff to block tracking devices, and everyone in my world wears a cloak when they travel. Rachel's cloak is blue because she's loyal to the core.



This is Logan. He's a fiercely smart inventor who is always thinking three steps ahead of everyone else. He's wearing goggles (Yes. Those are goggles. Use your imagination.) because one of his inventions in DEFIANCE requires the use of steampunk-ish goggles. He has a horn because, while he is often underestimated by the villain, he is a warrior disguised as a tech head. :) His cloak is evergreen (Yes. I know i…

The pic isn't my cover, but is an image that reminds me strongly of Rachel, the heroine in DEFIANCE. My cover reveal won't be for a while longer. :)

But I do have some pre-release stuff to discuss. First of all, if you're a book blogger, a reviewer, or a librarian, there is a page at the top of my blog where you can fill out a form to request an ARC of DEFIANCE. Harper Collins has the final say in where they send the ARCs, but I thank you so much for being interested in reading my book. *hands you a cookie*

I'm currently working on putting together a list of ideas for things to use as prizes around my release date. I'm also working on a list of possible swag I might get for book signings. But with this in mind, I'd like to figure out how best to invest my funds. That's where you come in!

If you regularly buy YA books, enter contests for YA books, and/or go to book signings for YA books, would you please answer the following questions for me? *hands you MAN…

12. Big Ben. I mean really. He's the kind of clock who laughs at other, lesser clocks. Who looks on as digital time-keeping takes the world by storm and says "Yo mama." And gets away with it. Because he's Big Ben.


11. Shakespeare. A rose by any other name would still write some pretty amazing plays. I'd rhapsodize over him a bit, but the show must go on. Besides, if I were to misquote him, I fear he'd demand his pound of flesh.

10. High Tea. This is a regularly scheduled break in the middle of the afternoon wherein one consumes various items which are terrible for your hips, but do wonders for your mood. What's not to love?

9. Scones. A regular feature at the high tea table, and one I enjoy like nothing else. I enjoy a well-made scone so much, I'm overlooking the unfortunate existence of kippers at the English breakfast table.



8. Monty Python. There's nothing on Earth like British humor. I have no idea if the Brits consider MP to be an exemplary e…

1. I was a complete slackerpants on this blog last week.

2. Mostly because I was finishing my last round of line edits on DEFIANCE and suffering from post-writing-retreat-brain-deadness. Yes, that is totally a thing. Look it up.

3. I vow not to be such a lame blogger this week. As proof, I offer you the above picture.

4. You're welcome.

5. I am sort of the master of finding strange and amusing things online. It's a talent. I often share those things with Jodi Meadows.

6. She is grateful.

7. I don't care what she tells you, SHE IS GRATEFUL.

8. Here's something I shared with her yesterday. I think maybe I will need to write an emasculator into one of my books:




9. You're welcome again.

10. Baby J has been up to a few antics recently.

11. The other day, she got into the pantry, grabbed a new bottle of vanilla extract, and dumped it all over the floor.

12. Thankfully, we have hardwood floors. But still, the SMELL.

13. A little later, she tried to put a pair of boots …