Every So Often

We all have dreams. But every so often, we have to take a minute to stop and wonder if those dreams are meant for us, or us for them, or whatever.

Every so often, our dreams take over our lives, and then we wonder what we were thinking when we started dreaming like that anyway.

Every so often, we decide to take a break, turn a corner, or do something differently than we planned.

And every so often, thinking outside the box helps us make more progress than anything else we’ve tried, renewing our sense of creativity, our sense of adventure, our ability to dream big.

Every so often, we are given a lesson in succeeding, rather than one in failing.

Every so often, we win.

And then it all becomes worth it.

When’s the last time you won?

The Man I Loved When I was Twelve

So, I was channel surfing last weekend, and came across the movie Rocky IV. Having not seen it for a long time (and by long time I mean since I was a kid and they were released) I had to watch.

Yes, I admit it. At twelve, I was totally in love with Rocky Balboa. Or, well, you know, crushing on him, at least. (Ladies, don’t tell me you weren’t in love with him, too. I know better.)

As I watched the movie as an adult, and as an author, I saw things in this show that I never noticed as a kid. For instance, as a young girl, I couldn’t have told you why I loved Rocky, except that he was good-looking and had rock-hard abs, and he was tough. And even when he was a jerk to the people who loved him, I cheered for him because, well, he was Rocky Balboa.

But the truth (as now recognized) is that the reason the Rocky movies did so well is because Rocky Balboa is a character with which everyone could identify. He was the underdog. The uneducated. The poor boy from the wrong side of town who had the determination of a Pitbull and the heart of a lion. And we loved him because by the end of the story, not only had he grown and progressed exponentially, but he—the consummate David—fought his giant Goliath and won. He won.

It didn’t matter who he fought. Apollo. Mister T. Ivan Drago (that scary Russian guy). Rocky Balboa always worked his tail off, running, training, conditioning, and then he defied the odds and won.

Looking back at my own fascination for the Rocky movies, I had a light bulb moment. I loved them because of what the story was about. It’s about a guy who worked and worked and worked and worked, and never gave up, no matter what happened, and eventually, he succeeded.

And as an adult, I still believe that’s possible.

What about you? Do you believe working hard is the surest path to success?

Recipe for a Happy Ending

So. Given that we’ve established what it takes to defeat the forces of evil and let love conquer all, do we automatically assume our story has a happy ending?

Okay, not always. Just because the hero managed to vanquish the evil villain doesn’t mean they automatically ride off into the sunset with his/her prince/princess and live happily ever after. What about the loose ends? What about the consequences of the battle? What about the sacrifices made by everyone involved? What happens to the other characters in the story?

Just because the hero solved his/her own problem doesn’t mean the world has been saved and everyone is happy. No. I think a true happy ending is usually somewhat bittersweet. There is some loss, some heartache and pain. Establishing a happy ending should require rebuilding of broken ideals, foundations, or…windows (whatever). It might even require an apology. *gasps*

Whenever one of life’s battles ensues, there’s a fallout that seems to be remarkably absent in fairy tale stories. And guilt. What about guilt? Does the hero ever feel guilty for his/her part in the death or destruction of the villain? Even if they deserved it?

These are things to be considered before jumping on that noble steed to ride off into the sunset. So. Just because the battle is over and the good guys won, never forget that there is always more around the corner. Another battle to fight, another city to rebuild, another consequence to face.

Don’t fear it, just remember it. Acknowledge it. And then, when it comes, hopefully, you—ahem, I mean, your hero—will be ready to face it.

Ahh! More Giveaways. ARC's!

Okay, seriously people, I'm really, really liking February. Everyone's feeling all loving and kind--and giving away the farm. Including me. I'll be participating in a few giveaways myself--ooh, wait, I am right now.

Check out the LDS Humor Blog to find out how to win a $20 Barnes and Noble gift card. Then, check back here on March 5th and enter to win a really amazing, incredible prize. I've done similar giveaways before, and people, you do NOT want to miss this one. Going to be awesome. Following that, I'm finalizing details on another giveaway that will run concurrent with my upcoming book release. Yeah I'm a giving person. I just can't help it.

But today, I discovered another WAY AWESOME contest. Maggie Stiefvater is giving away ARC's of her upcoming release, Linger, which is the second installment of Shiver. Wait, it gets even better (I know, right? What's better than an advance copy?). She's also giving away advance copies of several other books, including The Dead-Tossed Waves, which is the sequel to The Forrest of Hands and Teeth.

You can scream with excitement now! Now jump up and down. Clap. Scream again. Whoever wins will have a full and complete life. Well, until they finish the books.

Now that you've done all that, here's how you can win:

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.  Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack.  And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

Don't forget to run over to the Humor Blog and enter to win the gift card. The deadline is Feb 19th. Time is running out!

And now, back to work for me!