Three Happinesses and a Request

[scribblemyname]

1. So on a whim, I decided to see if I had any paying sales for “The Alchemist” yet, a short story written under a pen name, and I did! One.

2. Also, reviewed! Four stars for “The Alchemist” at Amazon.

“I was pleasantly surprised by this story…”

3. I found myself on iTunes. I don’t use Apple myself, but it felt awesome just seeing it there.

4. I would be grateful for any unbiased reviews of any of the pieces I have available. Barnes and Noble only has “Portrait of a Butterfly.” Amazon has everything but “Portrait of a Butterfly.” Everything but “The Alchemist” is available for free on the Downloads page.

Will write you a ficlet if you link your review on B&N or Amazon in the comments. Or iTunes, if that’s your cuppa.

Originally published at Liana Mir. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[lithiumlaughter.livejournal.com]

Completely unrelated to this post, but most certainly relevant to your interests:
Just finished reading "Divergent". There are not enough words to express my flail and my love for this book. Thought you ought to know.

[scribblemyname]

I find myself utterly pleased and happy that you enjoyed one of my favorite recent books so well. I feel its fandom is growing far too slowly in relation to its awesomeness.

So...

Fav character? Fav scene? Best line ever? (most of my fav lines are enshrined in my icon collection) Details!

[lithiumlaughter.livejournal.com]

Squee/Dish time!

1) While I adore Tris, I think it's a toss-up between Four and Tris' mother. Probably leaning more towards Four, but Tris' mother is freaking amazing.

2) Anything when Tris is under in the simulation. The surreal nature of those scenes, what they reveal about her development as a person...just, wow. That, and the scene where she does the zipline with the Dauntless-born. The pure rush of that scene translated into my brain so clearly it was ridiculous.

3) "My *first* instnict is to push you until you break, just to see how hard I have to press."
I have no idea why that line resonated so much with me, but it DID.

[scribblemyname]

1) My favorite is so Tris' mom. It wasn't totally until I got that prompt for the fic exchange and wrote "Bravery," but researching Natalie and walking through her story clinched it for me. That icon above is my icon for her.

2) I do love that zipline scene. It felt like everything the Dauntless were supposed to be. It felt... freeing.

3) :blink: :blink: I admit to initial surprise, but then I remember your Gambit, and it all comes clear. I like that one particularly because it was the first real impression I got of who Four really is, some part of the core of him that is normally wrapped behind the walls he wears.

:hugs:

[lithiumlaughter.livejournal.com]

1) She's pretty much my hero. The kind of strength it would take to listen to her own mother and walk away from her faction, to go from Dauntless to Abnegation (arguably the biggest change you could possibly make) would be ridiculous. To live a life that probably felt like as much of a lie to her as an Abnegation existence did to Tris...wow.
And then the 'real' Natalie comes out and we see what a powerful, strong woman she really is. Tris is her mother's daughter, and I think we can safely assume that as we see Tris grow, we're going to see that come out more and more in her too.
The fact that we only get a quick hint of Natalie's tattoos makes it all the more powerful: she's kept them hidden so well except for that quick flash during the rescue, and we only get a brief glimpse of her Divergent side in turn. Apropos.

2) "Supposed" is right. The willingness to just let go and DO something, not knowing what was at the other end but knowing you have to get there, seems the very definition of Dauntless to me. That hit of pure adrenaline as you let go was beautiful. The way Roth described it was gorgeous and visceral. I honestly had the air sucked out of my lungs just reading it.

3) Heh. I don't even know if that's what it was (didn't even think of it, to be honest); I feel like it was this perfect, absolutely raw moment. It was confessional, so honest. It's this weird combination of threat and admission of feelings -- or at least it's the point where Tris starts to really catch the fact he kinda feels That Way.
I think that threat is part of who he is. Abnegation roots or not, there's a danger there. You see something similar in Tris. They may have these slightly softened parts, but there are hard corners and violent edges. The result of their Divergent personalities, maybe?

4) Interesting fact: Veronica Roth? Younger than even me. Holyholycrap. I read a lot of teen lit, and was so incredibly impressed with "Divergent". A lot of it is written by older women (i.e. thirties, occasionally forties), but this came out of a younger, amazing, talented younger woman. Perhaps because she hasn't left her teens that long ago -- she's 23 -- she's more in tune with the teenage psyche? Though age doesn't actually have anything to do with it. Skill does, and Roth has it in spades. Consider me both awed and an iota understatement of the year jealous.

5) I cannot wait until May when "Insurgent" comes out. Cannot. Wait.

[scribblemyname]

3) "I think that threat is part of who he is." That, for me, is what I think I like most about him, and I know it's what I like most about Gambit. I seem to really like the element of danger and threat. It may be part of the Dauntless, but it startles me how much it's a part of my favorite societies, cultures, and characters I create. They're so comfortable with danger and with being danger. Sometimes I really wonder what that says about me.

I think you summed up what I was trying to say, that part that's there: but you said it so much better than I did. You do have a way with words.

4) Hmm. I didn't actually realize how old she is. We're about peers, who'd a thunk it?

5) I know. :glumly waits:

[lithiumlaughter.livejournal.com]

3) What it says about you? I'd go out on a limb and say that it's an indicator of a fascination with a particular manifestation of strength. The world can be (note the exclusion of completely, totally, or any such all-encompassing words) nasty, brutish and short -- it's a truth in our fallen, imperfect world, and I don't see an interest in that as a negative thing. It's a look at one particular truth. An interest doesn't mean tendencies on your part, obviously.
I swear, I'll never get used to being told that I've got a way with words. I'm honoured each time, and I swear I blush each time too.

4) I know, right? I just stumbled across that factoid when looking up a release date for "Insurgent". It's still admirable to see something like that come from someone who is, like you say, about our peer.

5) I borrowed the book. The paperback comes out in February, and as soon as it does, I'm scooping up my own copy because NRRRGH so very in love with it, and I want to support Roth's work so much.
And watch. As soon as I finish "Insurgent", I'm going to be freaking out about when the third and last one comes out. We can safely expect some running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

6) Have you read "The Hunger Games"? I've heard comparisons being thrown around, but I've yet to read it. Coworkers recommend "Divergent" to folks who liked "The Hunger Games". I'm just curious as to if it's worth giving them a shot, or if I'm going to feel let down.

[scribblemyname]

4) It IS encouraging to me, since I want to write awesome fiction that people love. And I'm working on it, even if most days, it feels like slow going.

5) I'm trying madly to forget about Insurgent unti I must remember and can actually buy it. (Not much luck, but hey, hope springs eternal.) I'm almost positive I'm going to be insufferable when it does finally emerge and/or the movie enters production.

6) I started reading them at a library and quickly realized that while it was engrossing, it probably wasn't going to sit too well with me. I went online to Wikipedia and confirmed it. I'm never bothered in the slightest by spoilers, so I will happily read through a whole plot to determine whether I'll enjoy a book, and The Hunger Games promised me a whole lot of gore and frustration, neither things I enjoy with my fiction reading experience.

[lithiumlaughter.livejournal.com]

4) As I've always said, if 'Twilight' can be published, then anyone stands a chance. You of all people deserve it: you're talented, clever, and one of the writers that I am completely and totally jealous of. It'll happen.

5) Five imaginary bucks says the title to book three is going to be "Convergent". :)
You're not the only one who's going to be insufferable. Mum had to listen to me rhapsodizing about it last night when we took the dogs for a walk -- we chat about books and life when we do as a matter of course -- and I think she's already getting the sense she's in for a nerdfest.
The movie rights have been purchased, but as far as I know they're not moving forward with production at this point. IMDB is saying something about 2015, but I'm going to call shenanigans. Owning movie rights does not equal a movie.
Aaaaaargh. May cannot come fast enough.

6) Yeah, I have a sense of what I'd be walking in to. I'm planning on giving them a shot simply because of their popularity (which I know means absolutely nothing). It gets fifty pages to win me over, and that's it.

[trovia.livejournal.com]

Amazon.de tells me that people who've bought The Alchemist have also bought a book called "Bizarre Sexspiele" (Bizarre Sex Games). Something you wanna tell us about the content? :)

So which of these can I read without knowing the others? Some of them are related, right?

[scribblemyname]

As yet, they're all standalone, though "Portrait of a Butterfly" definitely seems to want a follow-up (that isn't written yet) and is in the same universe as "Crossing the Barrier."

And shocked! :snickers: "The Alchemist" is a children-friendly fare. :giggles: