I.C. Sci- Fi Challenge Third Place Winner!

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I am so glad to announce that Annie and I have read and judged every entry for this challenge and have chosen our top three winners! Our 3rd place winner set the bar with 17.5 Points - Rouge World by Stanley Morris. Congrats Stanly!

Read Stanley's unedited entry and enjoy!

Endless Imagination

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Have you ever had the feeling when whatever you are doing at a present moment you get this inspiring idea or picture in your head and you love it so much it sticks to your head the whole week?

It's like this sudden burst of explosion in your brain, you don't do anything you just think and live in that idea for a while. Untill you notice your just in the local park looking out at nowhere.

I love that feeling, I don't do anything about it I just live in the idea for a while. Isn't that what fiction stories are for? You don't do anything, you just live in it. That's the best part of imagination, enjoying the veiw as it plays in your mind working in all the right places.

YA Novels "I'm Not Impressed"

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So if you ae like an olymic fanatic like me, you probably know this viral meme going on with Mckayla and the whole "I'm Not Impressed" picture. So I rally wanted to try to use the meme also but with a book version! :)

In this meme, I will show you YA books that I am officcially not impressed with.

Total Fangirling Book Club!!! I have a question first

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Hey guys! So I'm quickly getting back on my feet with my blog and one of my first order of business is to post the second insallment of the short story series I'm working on. I have a few drafts of them finished so far and I just wanted to quickly ask you guys a question or more like a poll.

For the next Total Fangirling Book Club, what would you like the club to be talking about next?

The Fault in Our Stars   The Selection (The Selection, #1)   The New Haven Project: Anomaly   The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Josie is Back!!

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Haha. Sorry I just felt like adding this.
Hey guys! I am so excited to be back once agian on my blog it's just everything has been really hectic this past week with my school year coming up and I have been really stressy since the beginning of the month and I just didn't really have enough energy or time to come back here and post agian.

But I am here now and I hope I'll be back on my regular routine agian.

My school year starts on August 27 which is coming up very quickly for me because (lucky me) I have band stuff to do before that, organize my supplies, heck I even have to do some essays in the summer before school. Its pain. I don't like pain.

Sneak Peak at Chapter 4 + Interview with Bruce Hodge!

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Hey guys! Today I have a very exciting interview with the author Bruce Hodge! Before I get into that, I wanted to tease you guys with an excerpt of chapter 4 in the story I'm writing on here.

(Tyler is speaking) "Please Ethan, I know this is the absolute last thing you wanted me to ask, but I knew that you knew this is the reason why I called you over here. Now next you're probably going to say what a bad idea this is and how this is just some ploy to get you away from her because I just hate you. And- and the truth is Ethan I never really did hate you that bad like some huge demon, I actually kind of admired you sometimes because you always made Violet so happy."

So what do you think guys? Leave comments below! Now, here is my interview with author Bruce Hodge!

Tis I am Back! + I. C. Sci- Fi Challenge!

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From HERE
Hey guys! Oh my gosh I am so sorry I have not written in a while (3 days... I think?) but I have been super busy with a lot of improvements on my blog and If you may or may not have noticed I have been promoted to one of the co- moderators in a new Goodreads group called Young Adult Readers Club! I was extremeley excited when I started really getting into the group and geting to know a lot more readers like me and I just love the experience!

If you have not joined yet, please do! Sixela (The other Mod) and I have been working really hard for people to participate in more discussions in our group (we have 80+ memebers). Here is the link- http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/74900-young-adult-readers-club

Before I lose you guys, I just wanted to inform you about my blog hosting the second challenge called I.C. Sci-Fi (see what i did there, haha) that my good friend and blogger Annie and I have created and been judging in. Congrats to all the winners from the first challenge over at Annie's blog, I loved reading everyones entries! So now, it's time for my all time favorite challenge that includes creating a sci-fi story with other specific rules. Go over to the I.C. Sci- Fi tab on the top of this blog to see more!

I would also like to give a shout out to my Friend Delaney over at The Random Ranterer for entering the first challenge! You're an amazing writer Delaney (There were no names on the contest entries so I didn't know who you were) and I just know you are going to love this second challenge so please, enter!

So that is all, wait! I have also posted the third chapter of my online story just recently and sadly no one has seen it yet, sad face. So go on over to my blogs feed and it should be there still ready for comments!

Now that is all, thank you. :) -josie

Chapter Three: Every Sick Day

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            In David’s mind there was only him and the 40 ft. Road Bridge. He wasn’t going to let anyone stop him; his body was pumping with adrenaline.
In David’s mind he silently said goodbye to his parents, Tyler, and Violet. More tears streamed from his puffed eyes as he thought of his family, but this time he let them fall.
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               As Ethan and Violet were approaching the Road Bridge, Violet spotted Tyler and his class of friends on the play set.
               “TYLER!” She yelled out when she reached him with Ethan. Violet rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Tyler jumped out to help her up, alarmed.
               “What’s wrong?! What did you do, run a twenty mile marathon?” He looked over at Ethan darkly.
               “Are you responsible for this?” Tyler pointed out Violet.
               “No, you don’t understand,” Ethan tried to explain between breaths, “David is running around here at this time with a huge mob with Daniel, doing who knows what, trailing behind him. “ Tyler walked toward Ethan with narrowed eyes.
               “Daniel huh? So you’re with them?” Tyler crossed his broad arms.
“That wasn’t what I said Tyler I-“
“No, I think it’s what you didn’t say. You’re always with Daniel, and you’re probably just here to stall me! How dare you bring Violet into this! You know she can’t be here especially in a crowded road!” Tyler was in face at that point.
“I don’t think you understand the issue that your own brother is running about here too Tyler, risking his life!”
“Oh, so you’d rather leave Violet walking around somewhere here?” Tyler was obviously trying to pick a fight.
Violet interrupted Ethan and pushed Tyler back.
               “David is running towards this 40 ft. Road Bridge at this time with a huge mob of kids from the other class, doing who knows what Tyler! We’re supposed to do something, stop pick fighting!” Ethan tried to calm her down a reassure her carefully. Tyler stopped dead in his tracks and shuddered.
               “What kind of business could he possibly have at the bridge?” Tyler asked calmly. Violet, who was on the verge of hot tears, took Tyler by his shoulders violently.
               “You have to stop him, Tyler. The only thing I suspect is…” Violet’s voice shook. “Is… that he’s going to jump off that 40 ft. bridge and-“
               Violet didn’t finish, for Tyler was already running to David on the edge of the bridge. Ethan, Violet and everyone else followed.
                                                                           *             *             *
               David looked behind him, Daniels mob was still trailing closer and closer behind him. He estimated that he had ran about a mile from the park at that point. The traffic was extremely busy on that time of day which, David hoped, would slow the down the mob.
               He felt like his lungs would burst, but he finally reached the edge of the steel bridge and started climbing.
                                                                           *             *             *
               Violet thought they were going to be too late, but was somehow relieved when she saw Tyler climbing after David on the edge of the bridge.
               Violet looked around her and saw almost the whole school crowded around the bridge either chanting or screaming at David to stop. This would have already attracted the police and driving car passengers by the bridge.
               Violet was scared and she needed her parents, or even Tyler’s. Ethan always had an emergency phone with him but she lost him in the huge crowd
               “Ethan!!” She could barely move properly with all those kids crowded against one another.
               “Ethan, where are you!!! “
                                                                           *             *             *
               “Violet!” Ethan screamed to the top of his lungs. “Violet!”
               Ethan couldn’t be more worried about anything in his life other than that moment. Her parents trusted him and he wasn’t going to lose Violet on a busy, crowded Road Bridge. Ethan called all the Auborn’s for David and Tyler, but Violet was nowhere to be found. Suddenly out of the huge crowd, Daniel came up behind him.
               “Dude, where were you this morning? We’re best friends, next time you’re coming on board! I mean, look at this racket!” Daniel motioned to the crowd around him.
               Ethan had always been Daniel’s best friend since Kindergarten and they did everything with each other. Their first prank ever was when they placed clear glue on Matthew Davis’s chair and he stood up to a very disgusting mess, and Daniel was hooked on Ethan ever since. Ethan stopped his bad attempts suddenly when he met Violet in Third grade, and his way in school just changed that time. Of course, Daniel tried not to be upset by all of that, even though it was a total set back.
               “Are you crazy, man?!” Ethan screamed, “What are the police going to think when they see all this? This is way too far someone could get hurt, and now I can’t even find Violet! How am I supposed to protect- Oh no, Tyler’s going to kill me. He already hates me as much as it is; he is going to kill me when he finds out I lost V.” Ethan sounded exasperated as he tried massaging his forehead.
               “Relax Ethan, Violet is probably somewhere with her friend or something but this,” Daniel motioned to the crowd again, “this is our time. The trouble of troubles. We’re going to rule the school!”
               As if on cue, three police cars and an ambulance pulled over.
                                                                           *             *             *
               David was now on the top of the Bridge railing, about to give his life to the clear river.
               “DAVID!”         

The Strong Writer

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Hey Guys! It has been a while since I have posted writing advice and I guess I just got my head drowned in books this past week and trying to see what other designs I can do for my blog. So before I start I just wanted to ask if anyone has any great sites for blog designing that is free because I just want something more to my blog design.

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The Strong Writer Position


One day in dance class, we had a guest teacher Alex Wodja from So You Think You Can Dance. She told us to be a strong dancer it's all about contact. Make contact with the audience, to not be afraid of looking at the mirror in the dance studio.

So I asked myself, what makes a strong writer?

It's hard to define a strong writer, it's not just if you are a bestselling author or not I feel a strong writer is someone who stands out and knows their game. The writer I want to be would be focused, unique, fearless, and most importantly, she will know herself as much as she knows anything else in the world. 

So I actually looked up stuff online about being a writer, and it was as boring as my fish jumping out of its bowl. Okay, well the fish thing was pretty cool but all the stuff online had a bunch of grammer chiz that I doon't want to read. So here are my own ideas of being a strong writer.

Have A Voice, a Meaning

A strong writer has to have a personality, you have to sound like a person. This is what makes you unique, and gives your writing a purpose. Along with your voice, what do you want your writing to change? Why would people want to even take a look at your work? What is your purpose?

This world doesn't need anyomore nonsense writing, in this century it will almost take a miracle to get your work accepted, because that's the thing. Your meaning or purpose will take you apart from any other writer. Don't settle to be a common bystander.

Know Where You Stand

I am a thriteen- year- old who loves to write but still struggles in her goals and tries to help other people like her. I don't feel lke thirteen, I want to do more. But I'm still young, there's still time for me, and I don't want to push myself too much.

Where do you stand as a writer? I think this is extremely important to realize because it's different from where you stand any where else, know your player in the game. But don't let it get in your way, this is for you to remeber who you are and why you write.

Be Fierce

Do I really have to explain this? Be fierce, bold, confident  in your writing, comfortable with who you are as a strong writer. Fierce does not mean fearless. Fierce to me means making the strongest point of you stand out in your personality. It's not a feeling, it's an action. No matter if you feel like writing or not, write without fear of yourself.

Does that make sense?

Where Do You Want to go?

I'm talking about goals here. I felt like this should be included. You have to have heard them everywhere I'm getting kind of sick of it, but it's not something you should ignore. Goals are commitments, they are your promises.

Nothing much to say other than, MAKE YOUR GOALS!

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What do you guys think? I just thought of these things right from the top of my head. Did I use that idiom right?

Road Trip Wednesday #1 Best Book in July

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Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

ScarletThis Weeks Question is: What was the best book you read in July?

This is a hard one, really hard. But I have to say that the best book I read in July would be Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen.  I would highly reccommend this book to anyone who loves any kind of fiction and loves a good spinoff of an old fairytale. Actually- Here is the Goodreads Summary:

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.






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