Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Update on Novel Part 3

After another two weeks of writing:
  (last update was on Nov. 14th)
[x] Wrote 60 more pages in these few weeks.
[x] Put up an excerpt of, The Silenced, on my blog.
[x] Finished my novel and it isn't the end of November.
[x] It is 37,720 words, 187 pages, & 19 chapters long so far.
[x] Was able to finish with all the other NanoWrimo Writers.
[x] Posted several other blog posts these past two weeks.
[x] Outlined the first 3 chapters of the next book in the series.
[x] Continually think of new things to write about.
[x] Try to write everyday and push myself to get better.

Future Goals:
[ ] Send novel out to two different editors.
[ ] Get a beta reader to read The Silenced.
[ ] Put up an excerpt of  the 1st chapter.

Wish me luck!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Monday, November 28, 2011

In My Diary(1)

Confessions of a Writer   

   My love for writing came from my passion for reading. I grew
up in a small town in the middle of nowhere and there wasn't
much to do. Once I discovered I could ride my bike wherever I
wanted I had all the freedom in the world. I used this freedom to
go to the library at least once a week. I rode my squeaky blue
bike down the sidewalks until 15 minutes later I made it to the
library. It was my favorite thing to do especially during summer
vacation when the days would drag on slowly.
 
   I would search the young adult section of the library for hours
trying to find the next great book. Living in a small town has its
disadvantages. The section for young adults in my hometown
library was tiny and confined to the back corner. There wasn't
much to chose from but I always found something worth reading.
There were some advantages too. Living in a small town meant
that there weren't many people at the library. I usually had the
section all to myself and would be left alone for hours.
 
   My favorite thing to find was great series. That way I had quiet
a few books to read for a long time. I would scour the section
for hours reading excerpts and beginning chapters of books. It
wasn't an easy task finding a great book. Once I found a stack
of them I would carry the heavy load up to the check out desk.
With a bag in hand I hopped back on my bike and rode to my
house trying to stay balanced from the weight of the books. My
bike squeaking as it went.
 
   Finally making my way home I would snuggle into a spot on the
couch and read for hours devouring book after book. Sometimes
I read so quickly that I went back to the library only after a few
days. I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. The greats like
R.L. Stine and AVI were all I needed.

What are your earliest memories of reading?
Why are you hooked on YA fiction?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Monday, November 21, 2011

The Kindle for Your PC

   Have you always wanted to read e-books but do not have
an e-book reader? Well, you are in luck. Amazon has a
free Kindle app for your PC.
   I found two great free apps that Amazon has created for
use on the PC. It works best for Vista, XP, or Windows 7.
You also need to have an Amazon account to run the app
because is syncs with your account. But this is free and easy
to get. It also allows save all of your e-books on your account
so they can be viewed on different platforms.

Cloud Reader
   This app allows you to download e-books to view through
an internet browser. It works really well and gives you a
great reading experience. Similar to reading a PDF on your
computer but with better features. I would give this app a 5/5.

Find it here: Cloud Reader

Kindle for PC
   I download this app from Amazon right onto my computer.
It has a few more features then the above app like adding a
list of collections.
   However, I didn't like this app as much. There were problems
with it when I was using it. One big problem was that some
downloaded e-books couldn't be opened while others could. I
didn't have this problem when using the Cloud Reader. I would
give this app a 3/5.

Find it here: Kindle for PC
How to use it: User Manual

Give it a try.

Download the apps!
Then check out my list of free YA fantasy e-books.

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen


Sunday, November 20, 2011

The ABC's of YA Literature

*every letter is linked to a great website

A is for our favorite Authors'.
B is for Book based movies.
C is for "Couldn't stop reading".
D is for Don't limit yourself to one genre.
E is for books for Everyone to Enjoy.
F is for Finishing a book in a day.
G is for Goodreads.
H is for Heros and Heroines.
I is for Imagining the Impossible.
J is for Jotting down your thoughts.
K is for Killer book endings.
L is for Lists, Lists, and more Lists.
M is for My list of great book trailers.
N is for YA Newsletters.
O is for books On cd.
P is for Popular books in YA lit.
Q is for a Quest for readers.
R is for great websites for Readers.
S is for the greatest Series.
T is for Teen literature day.
U is for Upcoming YA book based movies.
V is for the Vampires we love.
W is for Werewolves, Witches and Wizards, oh my.
X is for Xtra content.
Y is for YA book lists.
Z is for Zooming through YA Fiction.

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen


Friday, November 18, 2011

What Celebrities Would You Choose to Play Your
Favorite Book Characters?

   Movie directors are always trying to find the next great box
office hit. With Breaking Dawn, Harry Potter, and the Hunger
Games, as of late, lots of YA book based movies are hitting this
industry's market.
   But have you ever watched a movie and thought that the actor
or actress didn't fit the character from the book?
    Well, I wanted to try my hand at being a movie director and
decided on actors and actresses to play characters in some of
my favorite books. Here it goes.

Casting Call:
Stargirl
     Stargirl: AnnaSophia Robb

The Giver
      Jonas: Dylan Minnette
  Gathering Blue
      Kira: Ivana Baquero
  Messenger 
      Matty: Sterling Beaumon

      Leader: Christian Bale

Ender's Game
       Ender: 
Jaden Smith

Last Book in the Universe
       Spaz: Jake Cherry

House of the Scorpions
       Matteo:  Dev Patel

Artemis Fowl
       Artemis: William Moseley

Among the Hidden
       Luke: Max Records

Incarceron
       Claudia: Saoirse Ronan
       Finn: Chris Massoglia

The Warrior Heir
      Jack: Daren Kagasoff

Subtle Knife
      Lyra: Elle Fanning
      Will: Jonah Bobo

The Little Prince 
       The Narrator: Jude Law
       Little Prince: Charlie Tahan

A Wrinkle in Time
        Meg: Emma Roberts
        Calvin: Nathan Kress
        Charles Wallace: Max Page

Wringer
        Palmer: Asa Butterfield


Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen


Thursday, November 17, 2011

40 Things Readers Should Do Before They Die

A Bucket List For Readers:

1) Throw a book party with your favorite books.
2) Write your own book and publish it.
3) Participate in NanoWrimo during November.
4) Read a book in a foreign language.
5) Write a letter to your favorite author and send it.
6) Meet your favorite author in person more than once.
7) Become a book reviewer and start your own blog.
8) Read a book way outside your comfort zone.
9) Spend a whole day reading and finishing a novel.
10) Visit a real country/place from a story you love.
11) Pretend you are a character from a novel for a day.
12) Tell an author how much you love their work.
13) Leave a book in a public place for someone to read.
14) Write the name/author of a fav. book in a bathroom stall.
15) Have a movie marathon with book based movies.
16) Go to the premiere of your favorite book based movie.
17) Write a letter to your favorite character.
18) Do a reading marathon; read out loud  for 24 hours.
19) First do a reading 1/2 marathon; read out loud for 12 hours.
20) Listen to a book on cd. Why not? They are great.
21) Read a banned book from the banned book list.
22) Share your love for reading with anyone who will listen.
23) Join a reading club or book blog.
24) Create a list of best books you ever read.
25) Get a book related tattoo (for the brave ones).
26) Try to collect all the award winning books.
27) Read an indie novel. Tell the author how much you loved it!
28) Get signatures from your favorite authors.
29) Get a book before it has official been released.
30) Borrow a book from a fellow reader.
31) Collect all the books in your favorite series.
32) Read all the books from your favorite author.
33) Read at least one book from a new author each year.
34) Have a reading related New Years resolution.
35) Stand up to a book bully by defending a book you love.
36) Have more reading friends on tweeter then other friends.
37) Start a YA Book List.
38) Get on the news for a reading related event.
39) Start your own reading related event.
40) Do all the things on this list.

What are the things that made your bucket list?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

YouTube YA Book Reviewers

    YouTube book reviewers share their reviews of YA literature through
uploaded videos. Watching their channel is a great way to expose yourself
to different books in the YA world. Here are a few good ones I found when
searching YouTube. I hope this helps you find other great books to read.

1) Chapter Chicks, are two chicks who review YA books.  Each review
shows book title, authors name, publisher, and page count. You will easily
be able to find their reviewed books.

2) The Story Siren, talks about YA books that she has bought or received
to review. She features many great books each week and the channel
directly links to her blog. There she reviews the books she received.

3) Ivng Books, reviews books and does in my mailbox on her channel.
This is a great way to see a lot of YA fiction! She lists all the books she
mentioned in the details of her videos. It makes it easy to find them too.

4) Ya Fiction Freaks, does library hauls and bookshelf tours which
provides great exposure to YA literature. I also like her kid corner
where a kid reviews books!

5) Five Awesome YA Fans, is a great channel. It features five YA fans
who review books. Each reviewer has their own day of the week to
review. There are lots of videos on their channel.

6) i Eat Words Channel, has tons of reviews on her channel. My favorite
videos are her monthly favorites. In these video she talks about the books
she loved reading and tells why.

7) We Read Books, are 10 reviewers that happen to review YA books.
They have their own genres they like to read. This allows you to see
many different books written for YA's.

Check them out!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

YA Book List Added

Attention: YA Book Bloggers/ Reviewers
and YA Readers.


  I added a new page to my site entitled YA Book List.
I want it to be a way for readers to share great books
they have read. The list will be compiled under the YA
Book List section in my blog.
   If you are a reviewer then you can share some great
books too and also a link to your review of them. That
way I can link the books you choose back to your
review.
   The books can be of any genre as long as they are YA.
Lets get it started by creating our very own list of great
YA books! Check it out!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Monday, November 14, 2011

Update on Novel Part 2

After another two weeks of writing:
  (last update was on Oct. 25th)
[x] Decided on the title of my novel will call it The Silenced.
[x] Put up info. and summary of The Silenced on my blog.
[x] Now changed my mind deciding this will be the 1st book.
[x] On the 126th page of a goal of 200 pages. (may be longer)
[x] On the 32,290 of 50,000 words, 65 % done. (may be longer)
[x] Finished writing the 12th Chapter last night started on the 13th.
[x] Have been able to write over 1,000 words a day.
[x] Most productive day I have written over 3,000 words.
[x] Push myself ever day to write & have enjoyed the process. 

Future Goals:
[ ] Try to finish novel by end of November.
[ ] Send it off to editing after it is complete.
[ ] Put up an excerpt of The Silenced on blog.

Wish me luck!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Sunday, November 13, 2011

YA Upcoming Movies

   One of the most anticipated  YA fantasy movies, The Hunger Games, is set to
be released in 2012. With the debut of its full length trailer, November 14th, on
Good Morning America. The YA world is abuzz about Katniss Everdeen and
the rest of her cast in The Hunger Games. Lets not forget about Peeta and Gale
too. Here is a list of other movies I am looking forward to watching and all of
them are based on books!

2011 Releases:
Breaking Dawn (movie)
Hugo (movie)
Adventures of Tintin (movie)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (movie)
Paranormalcy (movie)

2012 Releases:
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (movie)
The Hobbit (movie)
The Hunger Games (movie)
The Mortal Instruments (movie)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (movie)
Shiver (movie)

2013 Releases:
A Wrinkle in Time (movie)
The Seventh Son (movie)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: 
The Sea of Monsters (movie)
Incarceron (movie)
The Maze Runner (movie)

Unknown Release Dates:
Airborn (movie)
Septimus Heap: Magyk (movie)
Wake (movie)
The Subtle Knife (movie)
The Secrets of the Immortal 
Nicholas Flamel (movie)


What movies are you looking forward to?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen


Saturday, November 12, 2011

YA Free E-Books

*(free at the time of posting)
 
   Here are a few free E-Books I found on amazon. Haven't read them yet but
thought they looked really good. I based my list below on appeal of title page,
interesting synopsis, number of good reviews, high rating, and readability.

The Golden Acorn by Catherine Cooper
Jenny Pox by JL Bryan
Grey Eyes by B. Alston and Q. Ramey
Lux 1.1 Seeds by Jalex Hansen
Glimpse by Stacey Wallace Benefiel
Anathema by Megg Jensen
Regression by Kathy Bell
Shadow of the Sun by Laura Kreitzer
Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett
The Amulet by Alison Pensy
Shatter by Elizabeth C. Mock
Starfire Angels by Melanie Nilles
Diary of a Vampeen by Christin Lovell
Eternal Eden by Nicole Williams


Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen  
                                                                                  

Friday, November 11, 2011

Great Websites for Readers

   Are you always looking for the next best book? Well there is good news. The internet has lots of websites that can help you.  With the help of these websites below you can find awesome books and reviews.

1) Goodreads, is an online community of readers. Here you can find reviews or you can rate books, monitor reading progress, and review your read books.

 2) Librarything, another great online reading community where you can catalog all the books you have read and even create different groups like books you own, lent out, or would like to read.

3) Indiebound, is a great resource for finding books that are not mainstream. Featuring Indie next list, Indie bestsellers, and Indie community.

4) YAbookcentral, has a huge database of young adult books that are reviewed and rated. The books on the website are organized into latest fiction added, latest non fiction added, top reader rated,  most reviewed books, hottest books, advanced search, and an a-z index.

5) Youtube, believe it or not is a great tool for readers. You can search a title of a book and author finding  their book trailers. There are also a lot of great book reviewers on Youtube and can subscribe to their channel.

6) Teenreads, features books for young adults. The site has reviews, authors news, interviews, and contests.

7) Cybils, is a site for literary awards. Every year it features finalists and winners in many different categories including  fantasy and sci fi, graphic novels, and nonfiction. It also has an archive of past winners and finalists going back to 2006.

8) Yalsa, a young adult lit service and a division of ALA. You can find young adult award winning books and booklists.

9) Sparknotes, is great way to remember details about a book you read months or even years ago. This site gives you detailed summaries on each chapter. Or can be used to find out what a book is about by reading a quick overview.

What are some of your favorite sites?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen



Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Book or Movie?

Favorite Movies Based on Books

   Book-to-movie adaptations are popular in the movie industry. Some, like
the Harry Potter series, have become million dollar sensations. The  newest
movie, The Dealthy Hallows Part 2, brought in around $250 million dollars
worldwide.
   In light of the new movie from the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn,
hitting theaters, November 18th. Here are some book-to-movie adaptations
that made my list.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (original) (book/movie)
A Series of Unfortunate Events (book/movie)
The Secret Life of Bees (book/movie)
The Lightning Thief (book/movie)
The Golden Compass (book/movie)
City of Ember (book/movie)
Water for Elephants (book/movie)
Horton Hears a Who (book/movie)
Bridge to Terabithia (book/movie)
Flipped (book/movie)
Angela's Ashes (book/movie)
The Secret Garden (book/movie)
How to Train Your Dragon (book/movie)
The Da Vinci Code (book/movie)
Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of NIMH (book/movie)

Sneak Peek:
50 upcoming movies based on books.

What movies made your list?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

YA Fantasy Book Trailers

11 Great Book Trailers

   Book trailers are a good way for authors to get readers interested in their books.
While searching the internet I came across several trailers; some were good but
others were not as spectacular. Here are eleven book trailers I found that made
me want to start reading. Most of them are for YA fantasy novels. You can find
the trailers below in no particular order.

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater 
I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
iBoy by Kevin Brooks 
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 
Maze Runner by James Dashner
Wicked Lovely by Marissa Marr
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

Are you hooked yet?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen