Sep 22, 2010

Good ol’ America

WIP is currently going well even though I have less time to work on it. See—when I do actually have time the ideas that have built up over the week come flowing out of my brain, and I end up typing like a madman. Haha :) I remember just last Saturday I went through three hours straight without stopping. You can just imagine how many red and green squiggly lines were on the page.



Here’s something to get you laughing today—a list of existing laws in the United States.


The one I found particularly funny is one from my own state Massachusetts: Snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked.



*Looks around nervously* oops!


And also this one from the state of Florida: A special law prohibits unmarried women from parachuting on Sunday or she shall risk arrest, fine, and/or jailing.


A List of Stupid Laws in the US:
- Alabama:
1. It is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.


- Alaska:
1. It is illegal to push a live moose out of a moving airplane.

- California:
1. Community leaders passed an ordinance that makes it illegal for anyone to try and stop a child from playfully jumping over puddles of water.


- Connecticut:
1. You can be stopped by the police for biking over 65 miles per hour.


2. You are not allowed to walk across a street on your hands.

- Florida:


1. Women may be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer, as can the salon owner.

2. A special law prohibits unmarried women from parachuting on Sunday or she shall risk arrest, fine, and/or jailing.

3. If an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle.

4. It is illegal to sing in a public place while attired in a swimsuit.


5. Men may not be seen publicly in any kind of strapless gown.


6. Any form of sexual contact other than missionary position is a misdomeanor. (This is still a law. There have been several cases of people being brought up on these charges in the past 5 years alone. If the police enter a home with a warrent for some other crime and catch the 'culprits' in action, they can, and are, brought up on those charges.)


- Illinois:


1. It is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animal kept as pets.


- Indiana:


1. Bathing is prohibited during the winter.


2. Citizens are not allowed to attend a movie house or theater nor ride in a public streetcar within at least four hours after eating garlic.


- Iowa:


1. Kisses may last for as much as, but no more than, five minutes.


- Kentucky:


1. By law, anyone who has been drinking is "sober" until he or she "cannot hold onto the ground."


2. It is illegal to transport an ice cream cone in your pocket.


- Louisiana:


1. It is illegal to rob a bank and then shoot at the bank teller with a water pistol.


2. Biting someone with your natural teeth is "simple assault," while biting someone with your false teeth is "aggravated assault."


- Massachusetts:


1. Mourners at a wake may not eat more than three sandwiches.


2. Snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked.


3. An old ordinance declares goatees illegal unless you first


pay a special license fee for the privilege of wearing one in public.


4. Taxi drivers are prohibited from making love in the front seat of their taxi during their shifts.


- Nebraska:


1. A parent can be arrested if his child cannot hold back a burp during a church service.


- New Mexico:


1. Females are strictly forbidden to appear unshaven in public.


- New York:


1. A fine of $25 can be levied for flirting. This old law specifically prohibits men from turning around on any city street and looking "at a woman in that way." A second conviction for a crime of this magnitude calls for the violating male to be forced to wear a "pair of horse-blinders" wherever and whenever he goes outside for a stroll.


- North Dakota:


1. Beer & pretzels can't be served at the same time in any bar or restaurant.


- Ohio:


1. Women are prohibited from wearing patent leather shoes in public.


- Oklahoma:


1. Violators can be fined, arrested or jailed for making ugly faces at a dog.


2. Females are forbidden from doing their own hair without being licensed by the state.


3. Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.


- Pennsylvania:


1. A special cleaning ordinance bans housewives from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling.


2. No man may purchase alcohol without written consent from his wife.


- Tennessee:


1. It is illegal to lasso a catfish in Tennessee!!

- Texas:


1. A city ordinance states that a person cannot go barefoot without first obtaining a special five-dollar permit.


2. It is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.



- Vermont:


1. Lawmakers made it obligatory for everybody to take at least one bath each week -- on Saturday night.



- Washington:


1. All lollipops are banned.


2. A law to reduce crime states: "It is mandatory for a motorist with criminal intentions to stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police as he is entering the town.


3. In King County, in Seattle Washington, it is illegal to sit on a man's lap on a metro bus, unless you are married.


4. Vancouver, WA has a city law that requires all motor vehicles to carry anchors... as an emergency brake. (Ted Timmons)



- West Virginia:


1. No children may attend school with their breath smelling of "wild onions."




Which one of these did you find most hilarious???



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Sep 11, 2010

Welcome Julie Kagawa, Author of The Iron Fey Series!

You guys may have seen my raving review for the second book of the series, Iron Daughter; so I’m more than pleased to be able to interview the author of the one of my favorite YA books from this year, Julie Kagawa!  



What do you think is the hardest thing about writing a book?

Finishing it. Really, starting a book is easy. The ideas are new and fresh, and you’re excited. But, 50 or 100 or 200 pages in, you’re wondering why you ever thought this would be a good idea. And you might get this shiny new idea that seems so much better then the story you’re working on now. And you think that if you started this idea, writing the story would be easier. But it’s not. I know, because those shiny new ideas are what kept me from finishing a book for a long, long time. If you really want to write and get published, you have to make yourself finish. Because there will always be new ideas, but new ideas don’t get you published. A completed novel does.

What do you do when you get writer’s block?

If I’m truly stuck, usually I’ll skip the troublesome part and just continue writing past it, then go back and fill in the holes on the editing stage. My rough drafts typically end up with a lot of holes.

If you can be any book character who would you be, and why?

Arwen from Lord of the Rings. She’s immortal, she kicks butt, and she gets Aragorn at the end. Win.


How did it feel like when you found out you were going to be published?


Oh, there was a lot of jumping and squee-ing. Good thing my poor hubby wasn’t home at the time; he would’ve thought I’d lost it.


What does it feel like reading negative reviews of your book?

Well, it’s not a great feeling, of course. But I’ve gotten to the point where they don’t bother me anymore. Not everyone will like the same book, and everyone has their own opinions. Dwelling on a bad review doesn’t help me or anyone. So I don’t give them a second thought.


Do you prefer longhand or keyboard?


Definitely keyboard. The days of me scratching out whole pages of notebook paper are long gone.


Any advice for aspiring writers?


Finish that book, of course. And just keep writing.☺

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To learn more about Julie and her books visit Julie at her website.


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Sep 9, 2010

School and Blog Awards!

The first couple of days of school were great, but by the end of the day I would be so tired that I’d hardly have any time to do anything except for homework. Which really really sucks. At first I was thinking “They couldn’t possibly give us homework on the first day of school.” Boy was I wrong! My school never ceases to amaze me with its extra hard curriculum.



Now on to less depressing matters. Blog Awards! I was given the One Lovely Blog Award from Brittany over at Hills and Corkscrews.


Don't you just love this picture?


So here are the ruuules (you don’t have to do it if you don't want to):


Accept the award, post it on your blog with a link to the person who gave it to you with a link to them, pass it to up to fifteen other bloggers who are new to you, contact the people you've picked.


So here are the newest blogs that I’m following that I’d like to pass on the award to.


Ivy @ http://ivyhawthorn.blogspot.com/


Elizabeth @ http://thegirlinthestripedscarf.blogspot.com/ 


Michelle @ http://brewingstories.blogspot.com/


Elizabeth May @ http://thestormwatcher.blogspot.com/


Allie @ http://alliewhitt.blogspot.com/


Bethany @ http://brainexcerpt.blogspot.com/


Suzy @ http://www.letstalkaboutwriting.com/


Jennifer @ http://www.jenniferalbin.com/


Congratulations you guys! Your blogs are amazing, insightful, and fun to read!  
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Sep 3, 2010

Book Review Friday



Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.


This isn’t one of my normal in-depth reviews because I thought I could better describe my reader experience through fewer words. Here’s my review of Paranormalcy by Kiersten White:

This book was an amazing read. I've never read anything quite like this before in the YA genre. The world-building was fantastic and everything just felt so original to me. The characters were delightful to read about and although the stakes weren't quite as high I thought they would be I really enjoyed the pace and the solidity of the writing. The relationship between the protagonist Evie and the love interest Lend was believable, and developed slowly throughout the course of the novel. I'd recommend Paranormalcy to anyone who’s looking for something different from the paranormal genre.

Reader rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
5 stars

Happy writing/reading and I hope everyone's having a nice weekened!

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Aug 31, 2010

Paranormalcy is out!!!



I know I’m not the only one who’s running to the bookstore and get Paranormalcy by Keirsten White. I love debut novels—especially paranormal ones –and after reading the first couple of chapters on the HarperTeen website which can be viewed here, I cannot wait to start reading the rest of it.
Congratulations Keirsten!!!
Other YA debut novels that came out today:



Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare


Halo by Alexandra Adornetto.(written by a very talented 15 year old girl *eep!*  whose already sold mutiple books before!)  I mean, imagine being that young and already having an agent and tons of books in publication. Simply amazing!!

Check out the Halo Trailer here. It's awesome!

Congratulations Alexandra!!!

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