The Secret Adventures of WriterGirl

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): When I Look At You by Frank Wildhorn and Nan Knighton [The Scarlet Pimpernel musical soundtrack].



My reviews are a bit different than most. As an undercover superhero (ordinary girl extraordinaire), my purpose is to try and uncover hidden gems lost from the familiar radar. Because of this, I have set up some guidelines for myself (just like the pirate code). :)

I will focus on YA and Children's literature (with very rare exceptions).
I will not review any book that is one of the top 25,000 bestselling books (based on Amazon ranks).
I will try and aim for books 100,000 or larger.
I will review recent books or books of great merit (preferably both).

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Published: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 416
Current Amazon Rank: #30,623
Author's Website: Diana Peterfreund
Want it? Find it here.




The First Line:

Dear Kai,
My name is Elliot, and I am six years old and live in the big house. Everyone says your smarter than me but I know I am the smartest. I bet you can't even read this letter.
Your friend,
Elliot North


OR


Elliot North raced across the pasture, leaving a scar of green in the silver, dew-encrusted grass.






My Take:

I adore this book. Go. Read it as soon as you possibly can. Buy many copies. *tosses fairy dust in your eyes*

Somehow, even though that is all I want to say over and over, I don't think that will cut it.

This book is a post-apocalyptic retelling of Jane Austen's last novel, Persuasion. If that doesn't catch you in a ball of squee right there, Elliot's character will capture your heart within pages. I love Elliot. She is so smart, and kind, and resourceful. And so incredibly brave, but not in any of the normal sword-wielding, butt-kicking ways you might immediately think of (don't get me wrong. I love those girls aplenty too). She is strong by standing still, like a rock against a terrible, relentless storm. She is the only one standing between the people who work on her estate and her own family. She is the only one who truly cares about them and sees them.

That is why, four years ago, when her closest friend and the boy she deeply loved asked her to leave with him, she refused him. The people on the estate needed her more. But now Kai is back, but he is Kai no longer. He has taken the name Malakai Wentforth as a sign of shedding his status as a "post-reduction" worker. Employed under a group of explorers known as the Cloud Fleet, he is now rich beyond imagining. And with her estate on the knife's edge of ruin because of her family opulence, she has no choice but to rent out land to them so they can build a new ship.

At first she hopes that something might be mended between them, but those hopes are quickly incinerated when Kai shows her just how little he cares and what she lost. There are times when I literally wanted to thump Kai upside the head with a 2x4, but at the same time, I understood Kai's hurt and betrayal. Also, knowing this was a reimagining of Jane Austen kept me turning the pages in eager anticipation, fully realizing how this would end. But oh man, does she [Austen and Peterfreund] put you through the emotional wringer. I read this into the wee hours of the morning, refusing sleep because I could not put the book down. That doesn't happen often, and it is a glorious moment when it does. Because there is a secret Kai is keeping from everyone, and he is not the only one.

Elliot is not the arrogant, demure and obedient Luddite he believes her to be, and the secret Kai keeps could bring their entire world to its knees. It changes everything, for both of them.

It is such a fantastic read, and let me just say this now - THE BARN SCENE. Oh my gosh you might die during the barn scene. And no, it has nothing to do with hay. Diana Peterfreund has done something masterful in this work. She has paid a beautiful homage to Jane Austen while fully making it her own. Absolutely wonderful.




The Final Word:

For lovers of Austen and of good stories everywhere. So so good. Really, just go read it.





Extras:

There is a FREE ebook that serves as a bridge/prequel to For Darkness Shows the Stars! It tells all about Kai and what happened to him after he left the estate. If you ever got frustrated with Kai, you will understand him a whole lot more now. It is fantastic and is a perfect compliment, in my opinion. It's called Among the Namelss Stars.

Also, if anyone is terribly interested (like I am), Diana is offering a marked up copy of this book as a part of Presenting Lenore's Dsytopian Month.  And there are some other amazing ones there too. You may want to submit your own dystopian review soon. Like, before Saturday.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): A New World by Harry Gregson-Williams [Kingdom of Heaven soundtrack]





This is so amazingly cool, I can't not share. For fantasy writers or lovers anywhere, hear my voice and unite! io9 has put together perhaps the coolest thing since sliced bread. The Rules of Magic from 50 of some of the most well known fantasies in books and movies (okay, I'm not sure you can argue Hocus Pocus in there, but it is still cool they have it!). Places like Narnia, The Abhorsen Trilogy, Mistborn, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Earthsea and Blue Sword are all there! And more, oh so much more. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it. (clicky picture to embiggen. And it's only a sample ^_^).

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Mockingbird by Rob Thomas.



Okay, recap. I love food. I love recipes that magically turn into food. I like to invent recipes, (particularly from novels I love) that magically turn into food from their world that I can eat. And I'm rather good at it, too.

My very first recipe I ever invented on this blog was for THE HUNGER GAMES. I cannot tell you how I agonized over which recipe I would choose (there is so much food in there! I almost ended up rereading the first two books just looking for more), but in the end I decided on what Katniss declared was her favorite meal at the Capitol - lamb and plum stew.

And just so we don't freak anyone out, we're just getting this out of the way now: prunes are the plum equivalent of raisins and grapes. So fear not. They are yummy, I promise.

I debuted it on my first video log, but recently I decided this one needed a revisit to refine and hone this baby. The first was good, but it wasn't quite THERE. I can't say I've completely mastered this yet, but this is much much closer. So presented for you now is new and improved recipe for The Hunger Games Lamb and Plum Stew / Capitol Lamb and Plum Stew / Katniss's Lamb and Plum Stew!



The Hunger Games Lamb and Plum Stew


1 lb. Lamb meat
1 large Onion
10-13 pitted Prunes
1-2 C. Water
4 large Carrots
5 medium Potatoes
3 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp. Brown Sugar
1 good pinch Rosemary (about 1 tsp.)
3 stalks of Celery
1 Bell Pepper (any color)
Salt and Pepper to taste



Gravy

Grape Juice to taste--for flavor (less than 1/4 C. I would think)
Juice Drippings from the crock pot
Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water, if needed



Rice/Wild Rice**







1. Cut up lamb into very small, bite-sized pieces. Roughly chop 1/3 of the onion. Add the lamb, onion and plums into a crock pot set on low (250-275 degrees if your crock pot has a temperature gauge). Add the water. Cover and let set for four hours.

2. Four-five hours before you plan on eating, cut up the carrots and potatoes and add them to the crock pot. Stir. Add the Red Wine Vinegar and Brown Sugar. Aim for lumps of meat for the Brown Sugar, and pour the vinegar over everything. Add the Rosemary.

3. About 1.5-2 hours before you plan on eating, cut up the celery stalks, bell pepper, and the rest of the onion. Add them to the mix. Add more water if it is needed.

4. 20-30 minutes before you're ready to eat, cook some rice (about 2 C. rice is what I think you will need. I used brown rice, but you may use whatever you wish. The book calls for wild rice, but that's, you know, expensive.) Once the vegetables are soft to your desired texture, make the gravy.

5. Gravy. Suck up all of the juices from the stew (yummy) and place in pot on the stove. Add flour in small amounts, by the teaspoon, and whisk like crazy over low heat (if you know how to make a slurry, you're even better off). Try to make it smooth and keep it from clumping. Depending on how much stew juices you have, you may have to add water to help supplement it, or to thin it out if the gravy has become too thick. Add salt and pepper. Add the grape juice in small increments. Taste and tweak until it is the desirable mixture of sweet and savory.


6. Leave the gravy in a separate pot (or add it back in now to the stew if you wish). Scoop meat and vegetables on top of a plates of rice. Pour gravy over the top. Viola. Feast and enjoy. :)





**You can also pour it over a bed of "wild rice" if you so desire (that part is in the book if you want to be really authentic). This is a 2-to-1 step. Double the portion of water for whatever measurement of rice you are using and cover it. Let the water boil off until the rice is soft and viola.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.



Here is a little gem I dug up. Have you ever wanted to hear Stephenie Meyer herself read aloud from the Twilight saga? Now you can. Here is small clip of her reading from the prologue of Breaking Dawn. Enjoy. :)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): End Credits by Klaus Badelt [Pirates of the Carribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl soundtrack].



Okay, so I didn't look when I starting my recipe inventing for Percy Jackson. I just plunged in. And while the result is awesomeness in a cup, it is not really accurate to the book. Rick Riordan's ambrosia is the munchable kind. So here is biteable ambrosia, but I must tell you that this is not my recipe. But it is by gosh darn the closest thing to ambrosia to exist in this world. It's on an old family recipe card (the kind where you have no idea where it came from), so to preserve this unknown gem, I am sharing it with all of you. Really, I could die eating this stuff and be perfectly happy about it. This is one recipe I will not tweak to even make it the slightest bit healthier. It is perfect as it is. Like I said, death by chocolate is okay by me.


Mint Fudge Brownies (Ambrosia)


Brownie

1/2 C. Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 C. Flour
1 C. melted Margarine or Butter
4 Eggs (beaten)
2 C. Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Salt

Mix together, trying to make it as smooth as possible. I've found hand mixing is best (it won't be liquid, but it won't be stiff like cookie dough). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 min (use the toothpick test for doneness). And yes, the snitching is great too.


Mint Frosting

2 C. Powdered Sugar
4 tsp. melted Margarine or Butter
Canned Milk until the desired consistency
Peppermint Extract to taste
Green Food Coloring to desired color

Beat to a semi-thin consistency. Spread on cooled brownies and wait a few minutes before putting on the chocolate layer.


Chocolate Frosting

4 T. melted Margarine or Butter
4 C. Powdered Sugar
1/3 C. Cocoa Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Canned Milk to desired consistency.

Beat until smooth. Spread over cooled layers. Devour.


Yield: 1 - 9x13 pan. Delish.




I will add photos to this the next time I make it.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): A Pirate's Life for Me (Disney) by Xavier Atencio And George Burns.


The Percy Jackson recipe is complete! Some of you guessed correctly. I invented a recipe for ambrosia, the food of the gods. Really, could I do anything else? So here it is, and after much experimenting, I must say, it is delicious.



Percy Jackson's Golden Ambrosia


1 part Mango Nectar
1 part Orange Juice
2 parts White Grape Peach juice (this is available at Walmart).
Drizzle of Caramel into each cup (optional)



This recipe is not in a standard form because I wanted it to be easily convertible to any size of gathering (I would love to try this thing at a book club, or anywhere, really). So "1 part" can be any form of measure you want, whether it be in cups, jugs, buckets or even those gravy boats that look like little cows, if that tickles your fancy.

But as a rough guide 1/4 Cup Mango Nectar and Orange Juice each, and 1/2 Cup White Grape Peach Juice gives one good-sized cup for one person, or 2 smaller portions. (And so you know, I think the caramel gives it a wonderful, rich and subtle flavor, but is by no means required, especially for those looking for a vegan form of the recipe).

I picked these juices because ambrosia is historically famous for having a golden color, like honey (some historians even think ancient ambrosia may have been honey in actuality). There are two famous versions of ambrosia - the drink, and the food food. I without thinking made the drink, because that one is more famous to me. But in the actual Percy Jackson books, it is the food. Go figure. So that recipe is coming up... now. :)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): First Time by Lifehouse.


I really can't decide which is my favorite. Enjoy. ^_^

(I think I qualify as a 'geek').

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): You Are Water by Haley Westenra.


In my 10 awesome fairy tales you've never heard of post I made a teensy weensy footnote that mentioned quite subtly ;) to keep en eye for something special concerning the fairy tale King Thrushbeard. Well, here it is.

I wrote a story for you guys.

Yep, that's right. I wrote a story just for you to read, spread, or shred as you will. Like so many of you, I love fairy tale retellings. Adore them you could even say. Fairy tales were after all originally an oral tradition and changed as they passed from person to person, and I like seeing that tradition continue.

King Thrushbeard has special value for me. It is one of those fairy tales that I cannot understand why it didn't become one of the popular famous ones. It is so good, and really very sweet. It is about a haughty princess, who after insulting so many suitors, her father promises he will marry her to the first beggar that comes to the door. It happens to be a wandering minstrel, who rather regrets knocking on that particular door. She has to learn the most basic of things, and learns the lessons of her pride, and in the process, finds love.

I really wanted to make this a modern story, just to see if the old adage "fairy tales are timeless" was really true. In the process, I came up with a rather interesting twist.

I would recommend reading the original King Thrushbeard first. Then you can spot the parallels (it's like Where's Waldo, but with words instead of men in striped shirts). But you don't have to. I wrote this so that it could also stand alone.

I hope I did this PDF uploader thing right, and I really hope you enjoy my first superhero present to you. ^_^

Viva la fairy tales.

Thrushsong - A Modern Retelling of the Fairy Tale of King Thrushbeard


Did I mention that you can do whatever you want with this? I'm putting it under a Creative Commons License. Convert it, download it, share it, digitally paint it, whatever. :) Please just give credit where you got it from. That would make me happy. ^_^

(Photo courtesy of queenofbeasts on Deviant Art)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Lord Willowbies Welcome Home by Elizabeth Farr.



Today I am ecstatic to tell you that we have the fantastic and wonderfully talented Cindy Pon here on The Secret Adventures of Writer-Girl. Cindy is amazingly sweet and so open to her fans, which I love. Her novel, Silver Phoenix, is an Asian fantasy, which I think is pure awesome because it combines two of my favorite loves. She graciously agreed to do an in-depth interview, but she did request that I mention that this interview contains SPOILERS, so please be warned. (I thought I had done a great job of avoiding spoilers, turning a phrase just the right way, but no. I see how there are plenty of SPOILERS to be had. Sigh). However, there is a really cool hint about what her next book is about (second to last quest for the non-spoiler readers). So without further ado, here is Cindy Pon with her debut novel, Silver Phoenix.


P.S Beth over at Writing it Out has informed me that she has posted her review of Silver Phoenix on her blog. Isn't that pleasantly happy? :)


CONTAINS SPOILERS (but if you don't care, or have already read it, read on! Tis an awesome interview).


[ME]: Silver Phoenix - will we ever get to hear her story more fully? I was totally taken in with her character, even if she was mentioned so little.

[CP]: Yes! You'll learn more about Silver Phoenix in the sequel!


[ME]: What made you think to defeat Zhong Ye how you did? It was a way I had never thought of before, but perhaps the greatest deception of all.

[CP]: The climax scene was always there in my mind, along with the kiss. I just didn't know how the story would wind itself there to make sense. Thankfully, it did. I liked the irony that Ai Ling left home to avoid a betrothal, only to walk straight into another. It also made sense to me that Zhong Ye's guard would be down, that'd he'd equate Ai Ling to Silver Phoenix, and assume their love and connection would be instant.

Of course, he didn't suspect his past lover's (Silver Phoenix's) motivation either.


[ME]: Besides the Life-Seeker, what monsters were your own creation?

[CP]: Ha! was the life seeker obvious? But what she did is pretty much in line with Chinese folklore. Alluring women seduce men only to turn into something monstrous (like the snake demon).

With the exception of the snake demon and the one-armed tribe, all other monsters and demons were from my own imagination.

[ME]: You have mentioned that you felt this story was about unrequited loved and that it felt complete to you as a stand-alone title (despite people pleading with you for a sequel. Screaming, in some cases) :) What made you want to decide to write a story about unrequited love? It certainly isn't an approach most authors take. Were you ever afraid of the risk of how it would be received?

[CP]: I felt it was fitting to the story. Chen Yong isn't at a place to wed--he's still
searching for his identity and also recently lost Li Rong. That doesn't make it a place for him to be open to love. I felt that the ending stayed true to the storyline as well as my characters--that Ai Ling would be too fearful to let her feelings be known. That Chen Yong's mind isn't exactly on romance.

I wanted to write about unrequited love because it's all I knew as a teen and in college. Ha! Seriously.

I never realized how unusual it was, and I'm very thankful that my editor allowed me to keep it as is.

For those who read the novel and were not happy with my ending, take heart, there's always the sequel. Tho honestly, if the book was stand alone, the ending would have remained exactly the same.


[ME]: Why is it the demons never tried to attack Ai Ling before her journey started?

[CP]: Because she wasn't a threat until she started to make her way to the palace. In my mind, the giving of that jade necklace catapulted her from the normal world into a fantastic one.


[ME]: Since you weren't originally planning on a sequel - how did you originally foresee the rest of Ai Ling's life being like?

[CP]: Oh, but I did have the seeds of a sequel in mind. I didn't write toward it, but after I finished the novel, I realized there could be more. I just never started it because I knew how much I had emotionally invested into the novel, not to mention the work and time. I couldn't bring myself to write the sequel unless I knew I could sale the first book!

There's a dream sequence Chen Yong has of leaving home and traveling on a ship. Then at the end, I knew he would go abroad to find his birth father. it naturally lent itself to another book.


[ME]: What is your favorite scene, personally?

[CP]:The scene in the bamboo forest. The climax is a close second.



[ME]: Did you have to cut out anything you didn’t want to cut out? (editors or otherwise?)

[CP]: Honestly, not really. There were some phrases and prose I thought was genius on my part, but more likely over-written. Ha!


[ME]: Where is Jiang Dao? You say it is across the sea. Is there any real-life counterpart to it? (like in Lord of the Rings?) :)

[CP] Nope. I may draw on a culture for inspiration, but at this point, I'm really just making stuff up. =D


[ME]: Any hints as to what happens in the sequel? Just a little?

[CP]: The sequel will be a pre-sequel. At least, that is my hope. The prequel is Silver Phoenix and Zhong Ye's story three centuries prior. the sequel follows Ai Ling and Chen Yong to Jiang Dao. And somehow, the storylines will merge. *crosses fingers* =)


[ME]: Everyone in the blogosphere seems to be raving about the descriptions of food in your book (it's something I love about Ai Ling, by the way. What a unique trait to have! And that you modeled it after yourself is the best part of all). :D Can you share a simple Asian recipe with us that we could make ourselves? (it would be amazing if it was something from the book, but anything would be wonderful). You just tantalized us too much.

[CP]: Ha! Thank you! Unfortunately, I'm a eater, not a cook. =( My mom is a wonderful Chinese cook, but I never learned anything from her. One of my favorite dishes, however, is mapo tofu. Bean curd in a spicy sauce with minced pork. Soooooo good!!



Thank you so much Cindy, it was blast talking with you. But you know, I was still itching after all that mention of food you gave. So I took the liberty and found a recipe for Mapo Tofu (courtesy of the Washington Post). I hope it is as good as your mother's. Thank you again and we're greatly looking forward to your next installment.



"The Best" Mapo Tofu

--
Silver Phoenix : Beyond the Kingdom of Xia
Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, April 28 '09

cindypon.com

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Sage of Lamberene by Sam Cardon & Kurt Bestor


Okay, this is via Aerin. She wanted to know the recipe for my "yummy food" from Cinco de Mayo, so here it is! And it really is the easiest, tastiest recipe you could ever have. Like seriously, if zombies attack, you can make this all out of the cans in your house, minus 1 ingredient.


Yummy Food-ness

Saute 1/2 large onion (sliced), then add,

2 cans of black beans
1 (normal sized) can of hominy (it's corn, not puffy rice, like I first thought. It's in the Ethnic food isle, usually) :)
1 can diced, UNFLAVORED tomatoes (NEVER pick the Italian-seasoned kind for this. Blech).
2 tbs, minced garlic
Chili Powder (a lot) to taste
Cayenne or Red Pepper to taste
A Red Chili (optional) sliced/cut/whatever - to taste

Stir until warm/soft. Eat in tortilla. Yummy-ness all around.

(You can also shred some canned chicken in another pot and add a little barbecue sauce, heat it up, and oh my goodness, does it taste good!). I hope you enjoy Aerin! Tell me if any of you, my beloved readers, try it. My sister just invented the recipe on the spot based on what we had in the house. I think she's pretty amazing.