IWSG & Bloo Moose

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

July 6 question - If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose?

So many options! 

If I weren't an author, I might be tempted to say PERN from Anne McCaffrey's series - such a fabulous world! Although I would choose my position (Dragonrider) and time in the world with great care.

Or maybe the Shire or Gondor after Frodo's journey. PEI with Anne of Green Gables. The Enterprise, Firefly...

Because I am an author, I'd love to choose one of the worlds I've created!

Bloo Moose is a quirky little town in Vermont (which is in a climate very similar to my own). I love the people of the world and the ways they take care of each other. It's an upbeat, fun place, with lots of things to do.

Bloo Moose relies on tourists coming to town (fishing, camping, winter sports, leaf-peeping...). I'd love to go to Fortini's for Antonia's lasagna, visit Noah's alpacas, take the tour at Bloo Moose Maple Syrup, have a tea at The Lucky, rent a kayak from LaChance Lodge, and play a tennis set at Kami's Kamp. I'd stay in Darby's B&B and pick up a few Bloo Moose themed t-shirts at Moose Prints. I might even get a chance to brainstorm writing with Max. The best time to visit would be a week before Christmas to join in the fun of Merry MooseMas Days!

My kind of vacation - my kind of life!

How about you? Would you go for the adventures or AFTER the adventures (like me!)? Would you like a medieval, contemporary, or future setting for your world? Which of your own worlds would you choose?

On another note, Reaching For Normal, Bloo Moose #1 is one of the choices for the IWSG Book Club this month! If you like romance and romantic suspense, you might enjoy this one - it's free at all retailers. 

I'm currently reading Ronel's book and it's a fun read too!

Pern

As a writer, my A to Z challenge is going to be about books, characters, TV shows and movies that have impacted me somehow. Enjoy! Be sure to check out Lee’s blog to find more bloggers taking on this challenge!

Pern

(source - Anne McCaffrey's site)

Parallel Earth Resources Negligible. That’s the name and the acronym for the planet Anne McCaffrey created. It rivals Middle Earth as my favourite fantasy setting. The dragons and their riders fight a recurring menace from the sky – thread. This thread devours anything alive – and is a fantastic villain. Pern’s society is incredibly complex - and its history is fascinating. If I could live in a book for a while, this is the world I would choose. Dragons. Fire lizards. Telepathic communication. Love it!

Would you like to be a dragon rider?

If I Could Be...

The wonderful Talli Roland is releasing her 2nd book in ebook format today. Of course you remember her great debut novel, The Hating Game. Her new book is Watching Willow Watts and it is fabulous!! The main character, Willow, decides to take on the identity of Marilyn Monroe in the book, so Talli thought it would be fun to have a blog party finding out who we'd like to be. Check out Talli's blog for a list of everyone who is participating today :)

In reality, I'd choose to be myself, but I love this kind of thing, so let's play. Lots of choices immediately come to mind. Michaelangelo, whose mind would be an incredible place to visit. Roberta Bondar the first woman Canadian to travel in space. Nora Roberts whose books have brought such enjoyment to so many. JRR Tolkein so I could live in the mind that created Middle Earth. Billy Joel or Elton John - to know the power of such musical talent. Jacques Cousteau whose explorations of the sea are legendary. Jane Goodall. David Suzuki. My grandmother...

And then there are the characters: Anne Shirley. Jo March. Sam Gamgee. Katniss Everdeen. Maniac Magee. Nancy Drew. Hercule Poirot.

So many great choices! I should probably choose a real person, but, for today (I might change my mind tomorrow!) I'd choose to be...

Lessa from Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern series. I've loved this series for years. Can you imagine riding a gold dragon and fighting thread? Lessa didn't lead the easiest life - none of dragon riders do - but it was also full of challenge, joy, and dragons! Love it! (I'm frest out of dragon rider leathers, so I took the easy way out and posted a picture instead!)

Don't forget to check out Talli's new book - here's the link to Amazon.com.
So, tell me, who would you be?

Comfort Books

Comfort books - what a great concept. Just like comfort food, only better. No calories, and they last a lot longer :)

My friend Belle over at Ms. Bookish is hosting the 42nd Bookworms Carnival. Her theme, you guessed it, is comfort books.

I can literally disappear into a book. I'm sure many of you are the same. The world, with its worries and despairs, just goes away. I'm whisked off to a new world. Sure, its got its own share of worries and despairs, but that's okay. I suspend my disbelief and fly with the characters.

The first book I fell into was Anne of Green Gables. I'd never met anyone quite like Anne. As a shy, serious girl, I wanted to be Anne's friend. I wanted her nerve, her imagination and her joy.

The Hobbit was probably the next book to completely capture my imagination. Bilbo is such a great character - and the magic! I couldn't get enough Gandalf. When my parents bought me a boxed set of the Lord of the Rings, I didn't resurface for weeks. I tend to reread these books every few years. Love them.

Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern series is another one I can't get enough of. I've read all of the books at least twice. The planet is perfectly created. The mix of science, fantasy, vivid characters and a unique society combine to make this one of my favourite comfort reads. I can slip into their world and wonder what it would be like...

Agatha Christie's mysteries are kind of like chocolate for me. Sweet, even when you know what the taste is and there's no surprise. I try to leave them for years so that I won't remember the murderer, but the writing is so strong, I tend to remember the clues. I've read "And Then There Were None" to several classes and they loved it. Such a great writer!

Those are a few from my list. What about you? What are your favourite comfort books?