13 Days of Doctor Who Blog Hop: The First Time I Met The Doctor

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We are so excited to be a part of Erica O’Rourke’s and Eliza Evans' The 13 Days of Doctor Who! 


Many of the girls here at Tangled Up In Words are Whovians and we are so happy to be counting down the days until the Doctor Who Christmas Special with you! Don't forget to check out the details at the end of this post to learn how you enter to win the grand prize: Season 6 of Doctor Who on DVD! 

Patricia: The first time I met the Doctor, I wanted nothing to do with him. It was Memorial Day weekend in 2008 and my husband and I were flipping though the channels trying to find something to watch. After passing three channels playing various episodes of Doctor Who I began a conversation that would change everything for me when it came to the Doctor:

Hubby: What do you want to watch?

Me: Anything but Doctor Who. I mean seriously, it's on every freaking channel. Who watches that?

Hubby: Huh... Have you every actually watched an episode of Doctor Who?

Me: ...No. It looks stupid.

Hubby: Let's watch one. 

Me: Yeah, no thanks. 

Hubby: Just watch ONE. I think you'll like it. 

So we watched one (Season 3, Episode 6: The Lazarus Experiment). And then we watched another. And another. And another. And then 11 hours later it was Monday morning and the marathon was over and I almost cried over the fact that I was going to have to wait four more hours until the stores opened so we could go buy Seasons 1-3 and watch them all.

Which is all we did. Over the next week or so, we would go to work, come home, eat, watch as many episodes of Doctor Who as we could until I fell asleep and then rinse and repeat until we caught up the season in-progress. From that moment on, Saturday nights at 9pm were all automatically reserved for new episodes of Doctor Who.

I've come a long way from that fateful day in 2008. In fact just today we had a very different conversation at my house.

Me: So I printed out a tiny TARDIS to tape amongst the glow-in-the-dark stars for (5 year old son's) bedroom.

Hubby: Really...

Me: And while I was looking for a wall decal I found a full, door-sized TARDIS.

Hubby: Huh.

Me: Like for a bedroom door.

Hubby: Yeah.

Me: Like for OUR bedroom door. 

Hubby: Um, no. *SIGH* Remember when you didn't even want to watch that show. When you thought it was "stupid".  Now look at you!

Me: I have no idea what you're talking about. Also, I just bought the TARDIS. It will be here on Friday. 

Danielle: The first time I met The Doctor I had no clue how much I would love him. I think that's the truth for most people. For me, meeting The Doctor was a three-step process. The first step? Saying no. I was 21 and living in Nashville. My Rebecca told me I should watch it--and I vehemently and repeatedly declined. (I was pretty stupid back then.)

Then I moved to Boston.

Most of the friends I made here were bloggers and writers--and all of them LOVED Doctor Who. I usually sat in conversations and said nothing. When they told me to watch it, I gave a non-committal shrug. A few months later I went back to Nashville for a weekend visit, during which Rebecca asked me again. And I said I would. During that weekend we watched the first the first few episodes--and I decided it was okay. Then, somehow, the whole first season was over before I even left. And I really liked it--but I went home and had no Netflix and it was fine. I didn't really care.

And then one day I did. I can't explain it. I woke up and OMG I wanted to watch Doctor Who. That was step three. I bought Netflix. For the last week of December--a year ago!!--I started with "Christmas Invasion" and watched DW. I finished the last Tennant episodes on New Years Eve. It's all I did--watch Doctor Who. I barely slept because I had to watch it. Then, on New Years Day, BBC had a series 5 marathon and I watched those also. I watched that season twice actually. In the same weekend.

From there the Monster was born. I found Tumblr. I found other friends who liked DW. I converted people to DW (including Christina and 8 others. I keep count). I love it. A lot. I never miss an episode and I love talking theories, fandoms and every little thing in between. I will never NOT be a Doctor Who fan.

The first time I met The Doctor I had no clue how much I would love him. But now I do. It's crazy how much a show can mean to you--how it can change you and teach you and make you laugh through your tears. That's Doctor Who. The reason I think I love The Doctor so much is because when you meet him, you meet 100,000 other people you never expected. Whovians unite. They come out of the woodworks. Talk to you on busses. In lobbies. Online. In grocery stores. There's something unifying about The Doctor. Once you meet someone else who is a Whovian--you always have something to talk about and it never gets old. That's the thing that people don't understand before they experience it. And even when you try to explain it to them, you can't. It's part of the experience.

The first time you meet The Doctor you'll never forget it. Because knowing The Doctor changes you. It may not be a profound way for everyone, but at the very least you'll never look at bow tie or an angel statue the same way. That's the power of Doctor Who. I am very glad I met him.

Christina: The first time I ever watched Dr. Who was at the insistence of Danielle. Now, I have a healthy love for sci-fi (just ask me about Farscape!) but I couldn't get over the low-budget look of the first season with Christopher Eccleston, that and the mannequins coming to life creeped me out a bit. So after watching only an episode or two, I was ready to give up on it and move on...until Danielle came to visit. During her visit she sat me down and made us have a Dr. Who marathon and I'm so glad she did! I only had to watch a few more episodes of it to realize how much I loved it. After that I watched seasons 2 through 5 as fast as I could, in about two weeks. And then had to wait for season 6 online (which I devoured as well!) I've fall in love with this show and am so SO glad Danielle showed it to (shoved it at) me love. (But that's what happens when you find an amazing show that you love so much, you want everyone else to see how wonderful it is!) And David Tennant will always be my doctor. <3

Thank you so much for joining us on our blog hop stop! You should tell us about the first time YOU met The Doctor.

 "Before I go, I just want to tell you: you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic! And d'you know what? So was I." 

-The Doctor 

To enter the grand prize giveaway, please leave a comment with your name and email address. You may enter once at every stop on the blog tour, for a total of thirteen chances. The Grand Prize giveaway is limited to the US and Canada, due to regional restrictions on the DVD. Individual contests will close at the discretion of the author, but the Grand Prize contest will accept entries on any site until midnight CST on December 24th. We will post the winner on December 25th, and notify the winner via email. 

For details about other fantastic stops on the hop, check out the Wibbly Wobbly Schedule. 


Don't forget to check out tomorrow’s stop on the blog hop at Ryann Murphy’s site, http://ryannmurphy.com/. Make sure to comment for another chance to win the Season 6 box set!

Interview with Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency

Today we are beyond honored to have the incredible Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency here with us about the YA world, writing and Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey.

 

Ammi-Joan Paquette

As an agent, what would you say is the state of YA today? What are you seeing too much of? What aren't you seeing enough of? What would you like to see? 

From my view, YA books remain stronger than ever in contemporary publishing; editors are excited about them, readers are excited about them, and authors are excited about them. I think one of the biggest challenges facing authors today is to find the story, hook, or character that feels completely fresh and new. There’s a wide and wonderful body of work out there, and it’s growing every day, and if there’s anything I am seeing a little too much of it would have to be “the same old thing.”

And on the flipside, what am I looking for? Something that feels utterly new and different. Something that surprises me. Something that knocks my socks off. I’m looking to fall in love—with a character, with an idea, with a storyline. Sweep me off my feet and make me swoon!

What's one the most common errors you see in a new writer's work? Any suggestions on how to overcome that? 

One of the biggest things you can do for your writing is to develop your voice. Really dig deep into the character’s psyche; analyze his or her personality and figure out what makes him or her tick. Then convey that to the readers through tone, mannerism, and way of speaking. Voice is a very individual thing, and every author will approach it differently—and it will also be different for each book. But this is what will give your story the ring of truth and authenticity: finding your way into the heart of that world, seeing those events through your character’s eyes, and living that story in real-time. Something to ponder: How would the story change if it were related by a different main character? Who your character is should affect how the story is told and the layering—and relaying—of the story.

What drew you most to SHATTERED SOULS? Was there a moment in the book (that you can tell us) or something about the story that made you want to work with SS and Mary? 

Goodness, I love so many things about SHATTERED SOULS it’s hard to narrow it down to just one! I think Mary is a perfect storm of an author: she’s smart, she’s prolific, she’s professional, and she really inhabits her characters. I love how every aspect of her book is excruciatingly real—from the dialogue to the characters to the world and everything that comes along with it. You open the cover and it’s a door and you walk through and you’re somewhere completely new. And then you never want to leave.

How would you describe SHATTERED SOULS in six words or less? 

Dark, gripping, swoon-worthy page-turner!


Thank you so much Ammi-Joan for answering our questions. If you want to learn more about Shattered Souls you can check it out on Goodreads and order it at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. It comes out tomorrow!! Also, this is just one stop in the release tour for the book, so you can check out other stops here and learn more from Mary's agent and editor. 

Hushed Blog Tour: Interview with Kelley York

Today on Tangled we get to be part of the HUSHED blog tour from Entangled Publishing and the lovely Kelley York. You can check out a complete list of tour stops by clicking on that banner above. We asked Kelley some questions about writing, about characters and about this that book that everyone is raving out about!

You say in your bio (below) that you have an abundance of pets. What pets do you have? What's your dream pet?

I have three cats (Noel, Irish, and Quinn), three rats (Gin, Grimmy, and Noah), two hamsters (Exquisite and Hope), and more recently we’ve added a bunny to the mix named Pattie. If I could have any animal in the world...I’d probably want something like a wolf or a fox. (Have you ever seen foxes playing?! THEY ARE SO CUTE.) Obviously those kinds of animals aren’t made for living in captivity, though. Realistically speaking, I want a dog. Some kind of big, lovable mutt.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why/how does that approach help/hurt you? 
I’m definitely a panster with very little plotting. I tried desperately to plot my last book from beginning to end, and it made things a lot harder for me, trying to conform to what I’d written in my outline. My characters often take their own routes and do things I wasn’t expecting them to do and ideas come to me as I write. I never know what it’s going to be until I’m done with it.  

Which aspect of craft is your weakest and how do you overcome that? 

Anytime I’ve noticed a particular problem in my writing, I actively work on fixing it. I used to info-dump a lot in my opening chapters, and I think I’ve overcome that. It’s always a struggle for me to describe things. I don’t think my writing is very poetic when it comes to talking about settings, so I fumble with that a lot. Action scenes (fights, mainly) are terrifying to me and I’m terrible at them. It takes a lot of work and combing over it again and again to get it right.

What scenes do you get most excited about writing? What scenes are the hardest for you?

 I love the emotionally-charged scenes. Evan and Archer’s ‘just bones’ talk is probably one of my favorites in HUSHED. Drama! Heartbreak! Deception! I like those sorts of scenes.  

Was there any music that inspired HUSHED?

There was indeed music. I actually made up a whole playlist of the main songs I listened to and posted it on my blog awhile back. “What Sarah Said” by Death Cab for Cutie is always the first one that comes to mind for a very particular scene.

What are some the best kinds of characters to read? How do you enjoy seeing them develop? How does that translate into your own writing and characters?
I love the tragic, emotionally/mentally broken characters. I’m thinking of Cole from Maggie Stiefvater’s SHIVER series is one of my favorites of that variety. He was probably the most complex and interesting character in the entire trilogy. I like picking apart characters. When someone has that kind of emotional or psychological damage, it’s sort of like this barrier keeping them from living a normal life. I enjoy watching (or writing) those characters figuring out their own way of living life without the damage controlling them.  

Describe HUSHED in 6 words or less.  

A dark, manipulative and twisty thriller.

How did HUSHED develop?

 It started with Archer. He was the first character and I had a vague idea of him, then along came Vivian, and Evan followed. I started writing with little idea of what I wanted to do and where I wanted the story to go, and let the characters bounce off each other. Chain reaction. I don’t feel I should have to throw obstacles at them and watch them react; they needed to build their own momentum.

Did you do any research HUSHED? If so, what are some things that you pulled from? 

I did some research on the various murders. Overdosing, corpses left for a few weeks, gas leaks, etc. I went through forums and websites for my answers, wanting to make sure I found several places that said the same thing rather than relying on any single source.

Every review we've read of HUSHED always references the intense relationship between Viv and Evan and Archer. Was that something you planned or did it just happen? 

 It sort of just happened. I never plan much before writing, so everything that happens is a product of the characters running off on their own. Evan and Archer, in the original vague idea I had for HUSHED, weren’t even meant to end up together...but we see how well that worked out.

What's one thing you want people to know about HUSHED if that's all they ever learn?

We might not be able to control some of the damaging events in our lives. What we can control is how we react to it.

Author Bio: Kelley was born and raised in central California, where she still resides with her lovely wife, daughter, and an abundance of pets.  (Although she does fantasize about moving across the globe to Ireland.)  She has a fascination with bells, adores all things furry - be them squeaky, barky or meow-y - is a lover of video games, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she's a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or maybe a mermaid. Within young adult, she enjoys writing and reading a variety of genres from contemporary with a unique twist, psychological thrillers, paranormal/urban fantasy and horror. She loves stories where character development takes center stage.

Kelley's website: http://www.kelley-york.com/blog

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                                                       About HUSHED: 

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her. 

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed. 

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is. 

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

Buy the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble

'Kelley York delivers in this impressive debut. I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next! Bottom line, this was unputdownable!!! ~YA Fantasy Guide

'How exciting that we live in a time when gay teen protagonists can be just as screwed up as straight ones -- and their stories just as creepy!' ~Brent Hartinger, award-winning, author of Geography Club and Shadow Walkers

YA Spooktacular: Story One Prize Pack

We're really excited be part of the YA Spooktacular, hosted by Frenzy of Noise & Wicked Awesome Books. Yesterday, you got to follow along with Story 1: The Pond in The Forest and follow the adventure. Today, you can enter the Story Prize Pack.

But first--we have a final trick for you--a final chance to get another goodie, but of course you have do something first.  Do you want to one EXTRA ENTRY into the Halloween Grand Prize Pack? Well, you should because here's what you can get in the Grand Prize Pack:


All you have to do is complete this Tweet Challenge:

Tweet one thing that you love about the #YASpooktacular. Be sure to use the #YASpooktacular hashtag in your tweet. Be creative with it. You can quote a line, an author participating, a choice from the adventure--anything you want.  

**If you're new to the story, click on the picture to take you to the very beginning, where Beth Revis starts off the event!**

Now, you just have to fill out the form to enter to win the Story One Prize Pack. Here's what you can win!!

• Finished copy of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
• Miss Peregrine's poster
• A tote bag from Quirk Books
• Signed copy of Swoon and Swear by Nina 
• Finished copy of Fury by Elizabeth Miles
• Signed copy of Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
• ARC of After Obsession by Carrie Jones
• ARC of Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
• ARC of Envy
• Finished copy of  Deadly Cool
• Finished copy of The Mark and The Vision by Jen Nadol
• Finished copy of The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses by Ty Drago
• and lots of swag!

Check out Story 2, which starts tomorrow at Reading Teen with author, Tessa Gratton!