Welcome! I'm Riv Re, teenager and aspiring author. I post Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Tuesdays are for book reviews; Thursdays are for a weekly meme called "Character Dolls," which showcases character depictions I made online; and on Sundays I just wing it.
This blog is for my writing misadventures, my reviews, ramblings, and rants. My favorite genre is fantasy, so expect a lot of the unusual.

Warning: I've got an awful sense of humor. Don't blame me if you keel up and die from reading the jokes I crack.
Notice: I hold no responsibility for any deaths caused by previously mentioned jokes.

Enjoy and happy reading!

Current Book Showcase-Starling by Lesley Livingston Trailer!
(What's Book Showcase? Click HERE!)

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Plug It In + Hiatus

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Wednesday: MAY I ask something about you?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen

Blog Me MAYbe is over today. I blogged a bit more than I usually do, and I had a lot of fun!
In honor of this epic blogfest of epicness, tell me

Do you blog? Where? How often? Spam the comments with all of your linkage! Get it all out of your system!

Also: 'Tis the season of crazy teachers being crazy, which means it's time for a HIATUS. I'll hopefully be back on Thursday the 21st or Sunday the 24th!

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Song Parodies

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Wednesday: MAY I ask something about you?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

What Makes You Beautiful-One Direction
Pin!
I just finished A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young. It was amazing. I think you can guess what my next step is.
Here's a hint:

"The way you see through my soul gets me overwhelmed"

"You've a Need so Beautiful"

"If only you lived without this Need"

There's a preview for you guys, of a few different lines! None of them are permanent, though. I finished the first draft pretty quickly, but the parody needs a lot of work. I'll try to have it up for you guys soon.

In the meantime, on the topic of songs...

Do you ever hear a song that just fits PERFECTLY with a book you read? What song? What book? I'm always looking for good music, and I'd LOVE to hear!


May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Friday, May 25, 2012

BMM: SPAM

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Friday: MAY I share something funny?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.


May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

BMM: Bad Days

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Wednesday: MAY I ask something about you?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

Source

I'm having a bad day today. :(

How do you fix bad days?

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: The Bookshelf Muse

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Thursday: MAY I tell you something about someone else?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.


You've probably seen The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. And if you haven't heard the buzz about the book, you at least know what this amazing duo did: a Random Acts Of Kindness Blitz, which I participated in on Monday. It was amazing.

I don't read very many [read: any] writing books, but whenever I have a few bucks to spend, I'm getting The Emotion Thesaurus. It's fantastic, and the authors are such sweethearts.

Angela and Becca blog over at The Bookshelf Muse, and they're offering you a gift: a companion to ET, for the low low price of FREEdom.

Angela, Becca, I want to thank YOU guys, for being so incredibly awesome.
My opinion isn't much, but I'd LOVE to offer you a YA critique for being so cool!
Since your companion, Emotion Amplifies, is thirty pages long, it would make me happy to offer BOTH of you 30 page critiques!
(I know, I sound like a sketchy salesperson, claiming to give you something for free with just a few minimal fees...)
If either of you are interested (and I'm majorly flattering myself here. I'm sure there are other teens clamoring to crit for you), PLEASE drop me an email: rivkarno1 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Everyone else: Don't forget to check out The Bookshelf Muse!

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Your Universe is Coming

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Wednesday: MAY I ask something about you?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

I’m Glad You Came - The Wanted
Source

Who would you LOVE to meet--living or dead, real or not real--that would change your life?

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Monday, May 14, 2012

Random Acts of Kindness BLITZ!

People say writing is a solitary act. But it takes a whole village to raise a child. (That's catchy. I should trademark that.)
There are so many amazing writers out there. The list of people that helped me personally is endless.


Kindness Rocks!

To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!

I'm blitzing my sister, AKA the Blobfish (don't ask). She's always been there to debate [read: argue] with me all the little things in writing, from how to phrase a sentence, to how to break up a chapter. We have completely different writing styles, but we can still talk. And she supported my writing, even when it was complete garbage. Because seriously. I should have been banned from writing three years ago. That stuff should be illegal. (Don't you dare tell her I said this, but I think my sister is the better writer of the two of us, too!)

Something is in the mail heading towards you right now, sis. I hope you enjoy it. -D

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge?
Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)
Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness?  I'd love to heard about it!

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Friday, May 11, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Friday: MAY I share something funny?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.



May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Source
PS: O HAI LOOK! IT'S THE BLOGGY'S BIRFDAY!!!!!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Save Kitties and Win Critiques!

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Thursday: MAY I tell you something about someone else?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

Fat Kitty City is a sanctuary dedicated to caring for rescued cats (and dogs!), while giving them "the proper room to run and play, climb and jump, chase and explore" instead of being "crammed into small cubicles in a warehouse building" as they hope to get adopted. Fat Kitty City also provides for special needs cats, "including those positive for feline AIDS, ferals, elderly kitties, and abandoned and abused animals."

Of course, all of this is incredible expensive, which is why the Pens for Paws Auction was started.

They sum it up much better than I do, though, on the auction page:
Pens for Paws is an online auction with writers, artists, and others from the publishing community to raise funds for Fat Kitty City, a no-kill, cage-free cat sanctuary in El Dorado Hills that also rescues dogs (as foster homes allow).


Pens for Paws Auction
(Banner header from the site)

Pens for Paws

In fact, if you're not sick of me yet, I've got a critique up on the auction block! And I will love you forever (more than I already do!) if you check it out!

My critique auction closes on MAY 12 at 11:00 EST, so hurry to give it a looksie!
(Did I just say "looksie?")


May the odds be ever in your favor (AND FREE TESSERAE IF YOU CHECK IT OUT!!!),
Riv

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: African Swallows

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Wednesday: MAY I ask something about you?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.



What is your name?
What is your quest?
What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Linkage, Alaska

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Tuesday: MAY I tell you something about myself?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

All aboard the Klaine Train, we're on our way up to Linkage, Alaska today!
Wait. That's not a place? What's that you say? It's called...Anchorage? Like that thing you drop off your boat, to keep it from drifting in the water?
Oh. Woops.
Um...change of plans, then?
Uh. Uh.
...
Oh! *snaps fingers* I've got an idea!
Online - Brad Paisley
Source

Today, I'm sharing some of my interwebs linkage!

(you are HERE)
(I finally caved and joined)
(nothing interesting right now)

I'd love to find out what parts of the internet you lurk on! Let me know in the comments, or, better yet, join in the Blog Me MAYbe fun!

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Monday, May 7, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Turning Tables Without DJs

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Monday: MAY I tell you something about writing/my WIP?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

The original Monday prompt is just about writing, but on Thursday I gave some advice on writing about grief, so today I'm just sharing something from one of my sort-of WIPs.
It's a "sort-of" Work in Progress because it's not in progress just yet. The sequel to my current MS is, in tl;dr form, about the emotional after-effects of war, and being broken and alone. The central emotion is probably sadness.

Source
Once again, I'll leave you to think about that.

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Friday, May 4, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Knees?

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Friday: MAY I share something funny?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

Today's photo is...not one. From Monty Python's Holy Grail:


Enjoy!

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv Re

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Writing About Grief

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Thursday: MAY I tell you something about someone else?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

Today's post is a heavy one, but instead of dumping my garbage on ya'll for no reason, I'll share some advice after I present my picture. I should probably dedicate a full post to this at some point, but there are some things people just don't know.
So. About that picture.

Source
I'm not sure how many of you know this, but an old friend of mine was killed in a car accident a year and a half ago. I've known her for almost my entire life, and it happened before her had even begun. Losing someone is so, so hard. The pain is overwhelming at first, and never truly leaves.

It's frustrating to read books where grief is done inappropriately, or just improperly. It's not believable, and it's annoying. You can read all you want about the 4 or 5 or 7 or whatever stages of grief, but I don't believe that that's enough. You can't get into the head of someone who has lost without having lost, yourself.

I wish that no one knew how to really write grieving scenes. But life (and death) sucks.

The following is all based on my own experience. Everyone grieves differently, and the best I can do is offer some insight into my own emotional roller-coaster. So show me your ticket, and grab a seat. Don't forget to buckle up, you're in for a wild ride.

The first few minutes, right after I get the phone call: (initials are used, except in regards to this friend, who will go by Britney Carter. It's a four-syllable name, like hers.)

The phone rings. I answer it, in a good mood. "Hey, A, what's up?"
"Hi Riv. Mrs. K says that if you want to come to the memorial tomorrow, you need to bring a note from your mom."
"What? What memorial? What happened?" Heart-rate picks up in fear.
A pause on the other line. "Britney Carter passed away."
Time stops. Everything. Stops. It's a sentence, a second, that can never, ever be forgotten. I will remember what happened when I turn 80.
First emotion: Shock.
We say our good-byes and part ways. I stand up, on shaky legs and my brother walks in right then. "What happened?" he asks.
Calm. Controlled. "My friend was in a car accident."
"Is she okay?"
A shake of the head, some lip biting to keep from falling apart.
"Did...did she survive?" There's a hesitation, another moment I will never forget.
A second head shake, and I go to where my parents sit at the dinner table. The startling realization that no one else's world just ended, and these two people don't know that my life was just shaken to the core.
An off-hand, "Why are you just standing there, Riv? Sit back down."
I don't move. My face must give it away.
"Riv? Did something happen?"
I flee.

I won't keep going. Next come the tears of agony and sadness, some anger at the world.
The numbness sets it, and I'm a robot the rest of the night.
In the morning, it's a bit of disbelief, but mostly incomprehension. She can't be dead. She has too much life to be dead.
That's right. She's not dead. She just left. She's not dead.
She's not dead.
She's not dead.
SHE'S NOT DEAD.
SHE CAN'T BE.

There's a break at one point, in the numbness and disbelief, and the agony makes you want to tear your heart out. Your chest tightens, you can't breathe, and it aches on your left side. I used to not understand why people connected the heart to emotions. It's really just a muscle. Everything is in the brain. Until you feel the ache in your very core.

Albert Einstein said that two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity.
I don't think that either of those things can be fully understood, either. And the same goes for death. I can't wrap my head around the fact that she's gone, even after a year a half.


A few notes on writing grief:
  • Make yourself feel. No tears in the writer's eyes, no tears in the reader's. (Hey, that's catchy. I should trademark that...) One option is music. My go-to songs are:  (1)On Top of the World by Boys Like Girls (I didn't connect to it until I found out what it's really about--the singer's dead mother) (2)Gone Too Soon by Simple Plan (3)Permanent by David Cook (4)Someone's Watching Over Me by Hilary Duff (not so much as the first three, though)
  • It never goes away. It lessens, but it never leaves.
  • There are different ways of dealing with grief. Some people cry and get over it. Others bottle up everything. Just don't have an "I'm so sad, but dinner won't make itself, and there are errands to run."
  • Don't discount it. If you say "I'll come back to it later," DO. Don't leave grief hanging. Characters shouldn't be created and killed just to make your stoic character shed a single, dramatic, tear.
  • It haunts. It will never leave. It can be repressed, but that sadness will come back.
  • If it's your MC's best friend, you definitely can't ignore it. I've spoken to someone, a guy about loss. He lost his best friend when they were 11, and he's 24-ish. Still, there will be times when he'll be going about his day like usual, and it'll hit him. He'll put everything down and just cry.
  • Death should NEVER be brushed off. Even in an action book, with lots of killing, your characters shouldn't be cold-hearted murderers. Will their victims haunt their dreams? Possibly. 1 in 8 veterans suffers from PTSD. (source)
  • Yes, your heart hurts. Even though you think it's just a muscle.

This post is getting WAY too long, so I'll leave you on this happy note.


May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Playing Memories

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest, to try to blog every day in May!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Wednesday: MAY I ask something about you?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

I spent ages looking for a good question-lyric, though everything is romance-connected and...that's just awkward, man. It took me hours (literally. I spent at LEAST 2 on this).
Finally, I got something:

He says, “Son, can you play me a memoryI’m not really sure how it goesBut it’s sad and it’s sweet and I knew it complete
—Billy Joel (Piano Man)
Source
My question is:
Which memory will YOU play?

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv
(^^yes, that's my closing for the month.)

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Blog Me MAYbe: Waiting for the Storm to Pass

Hey Blogger Buds,
The awesome Sara McClung is hosting a May blogfest!

I've decided to try putting a spin on things. It may not work, but I want to plan each post around a song lyric, or a quote, or something to that extent. Besides for that, I'll be keeping my posts pretty short.


Tuesday: MAY I tell you something about myself?

No? Oh well. I wasn't really asking.

I don't have much I want to share, but here's a little something a friend of mine recently quoted (multiple times, but that's a story for another day):


I'm going to leave this up to interpretation but....think of it as a motivational quote for you to get through your Tuesday with.

May the odds be ever in your favor,
Riv