Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Writer's Block

There's something I really didn't get when I wrote Pure at Heart. I didn't get what Writer's Block was, and how it felt like. I don't know if it's just me, but I think that it's the case for all author's who were writing their debut novel in a series.
When I started Blazing Heart, I was so excited. I had a vivid vision of everything I wanted in the sequel. I started writing and writing, and there were many times where I just wanted to close my laptop shut and scream out in frustration. I would just sit their for minutes, trying to figure out what to write next. And I would write like three chapters, before I realize that I do not like what I just wrote. I would delete it, and start over, no matter how much I didn't want to. Now that I think of it, it might just be the fact that after you write a book, you realize that you want to change some things in it, except you can't--because its already published. So when you start writing another book, you think, "Oh, well, I don't want to make the same mistakes over again, so I'll just be really careful this time." Except, that results in you not writing anything at all.
I think I finally understand why writing a book usually takes years. I'm about 25,000 words in, and I think that I want to delete about ten thousand of them already. In fact, I have no idea where the plot is going--I'm just writing. I'm trying to get my thoughts down. This is the first time, I've tried something like this, and I hope it works. Yeah, I'm planning, but I think a real author plans, but also improvises when she writes. If she doesn't like a part of a plot, she should be able to change it, to the way she likes. And I think that's what's so amazing about being a writer. The fact that YOU get to change the story to what YOU want to be--not someone else. It's what makes writing so much different, and so much better than reading. You are in charge this time. There's no yelling at the book, drawling out, "Whyyyyy?" s anymore. There's no sulking over something that happened, and you didn't want it to. Writing expresses you.
So guys, when you have Writer's Block? Think of me. Sitting here. About to delete like half of her word count.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Update #2

Hi, everyone!
Okay, so I've not been having much time the past few months on writing, and it's kind of sad for me. Anyways, I've decided to let out the fact that there will be two new additions to the characters in Pure at Heart. These two girls are both somewhere between thirteen and fourteen, and have a rivalry.

Here are some quotes by them (that I've written so far):

Aurelie:

"My name is Aurelie."

"I won't let anything happen to him."

"Tried and succeeded."

"Let go of me. You guys act like you're the best at everything because of your name. We are only called Dark, because of the magic the warlocks use. We can easily call ourselves Pure too."

"Forget it. Call me whatever you want. I won't be here long enough for you to appreciate it."

Taylor:

"Finally. You know, werewolves, usually don't snooze for three hours straight. That stuff wasn't supposed to last more than twenty minutes."

"You're good, but I'm better."

"You really are clueless, aren't you?"

"Taylor, the country singer."

"What an idiotic mother. Who would ever marry such a--"

"When my mother was in action, it would be like everything is going on in slow motion."


So at this point, Taylor and Aurelie literally hate each other. What do you think?



Friday, November 23, 2012

Where To Buy Pure at Heart

If you want to buy my book as a paperback or e-book, these places sell it:

1. Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pure-at-heart-sahana-epari/1112782533?ean=9781479213580

2. Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Pure-at-Heart-Volume-1/dp/1479213586/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353699927&sr=8-2&keywords=sahana+epari

3. Ebay

4. Books-a-Million

There are many other stores. All you have to do is Google my name: Sahana Epari.

Update on Blaze in My Heart

You might have heard in some of the interviews I've done that I rarely plan when I write. I mean, I do, but most of the time it's in my head, if you know what I mean. So when I was staring at the blank Word document in September, I was thinking, "I have no idea what I want to write about in this sequel." I had writer's block, but not for long.
I realized that every good author has to plan, and it doesn't matter if it's a quick outline of the book, or a deep, detailed, description of every character, every setting, EVERYTHING. When you plan, it's rare that you have writer's block, because well, you know what you're going to write about. The only problem that comes up to surface now is HOW you're going to write about that.
So that's what I did. I planned. And boy, did it work. I didn't plan the whole book out--that would take forever. But I am maybe four or five chapters ahead, and I'm glad that I am. So far, everything's going great with Blaze in My Heart, but there are a few things I want to change:
1. I'm really young, so I want to improve my writing style. Use better words, adjectives, you know the drill.
2. I want to deepen the relationships between the characters. I don't only want to emphasize WHAT, but also WHY. Why do I trust this person this much? Why do I care?
3. I want Evaline to be MUCH MUCH MUCH more realistic. I want her to be more aware of her surroundings, and not be very oblivious to obvious answers. I know that it's what a good author does, but whenever I read books like that, I feel like I'm watching Dora. The. Mountain. Is. Behind. You.
4. I'm not very sure about the title. I'm sure I want to include the word "heart" somewhere. But, Blaze in My Heart just doesn't do it for me. I'm thinking maybe Blazing Heart?
Also, something crossed my mind a few days ago. I'm about 15,000 words into Blaze in My Heart, but the readers of Pure at Heart, are missing a lot. They don't know a lot about Eva's background, how her pack started, what happened to her father. Pure at Heart just zooms straight into the conflict and there's barely any background information. Because of this, I was thinking I could write maybe one of those "0.5" novels. I could describe life for Eva and the Shadow clan when they just started, how they all met, blah blah blah. The title could be maybe, "Dark Heart"? I don't know, still thinking. A lot.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl (Stargirl, #1)Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the kind of book that just makes me smile, no matter how irritating it is sometimes.

There aren't a lot of books like that, for me anyway. For some books like this, I have a love-hate relationship with it. Sometimes, I feel like I just have to shut the book and just replay the scene over and over in my head until I have it in my dreams. It's just everything about that scene seems perfect, well thought-out, and just amazing. Other times, I feel like pulling my hair out and screaming, "WHY?!"
And that's exactly what's so good. Stargirl made me laugh, cry, smile, and get angry. That's exactly what good books do. They bring out the emotion in you, and Stargirl did exactly that.
The book was a new idea, and Jerry Spinelli did an amazing job interpreting it.
This is like a once-in-a-life-time read, and I'm glad I did read it, or I wouldn't know what's so great about a book like this, especially when the summary didn't interest me at all.

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Evermore by Alyson Noel

Evermore (The Immortals, #1)Evermore by Alyson Noel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maybe it's just me, or maybe I'm actually like this. Or maybe these book's are just legitimately really good.
Is it just me, or am I completely obsessed with books, whose main character's name starts with an E-V.
Eva, from Pure at Heart.
Evie, from Paranormalcy.
Ever, from Evermore.

I just love the names--all of them.

When Ever's life turns upside down after a terrible crash, claiming the deaths of her sister, and both her parents, Ever moved in with her aunt. A new school, a new house, and especially a new life. Ever since the accident, she's been able to hear people's thoughts, see their aura's, and can read their deepest darkest secrets just by one touch.

When she meets Damen, the new guy in the school--he's the only person Ever can't figure out anything about. She is drawn into a world of questions, and barely any answers, as the story moves on.

This book, I have to admit, is pretty good. And like many other books I've read, it's not the best and it's not the worst. I was a bit hesitant to read it after seeing the terrible reviews, but I was surprised to know it was nothing like what people described. Yes, it was cheesy in places, and the book was basically as a whole, a cliche. There's nothing new about it, but it's okay. I've read many many many books like this before, and I would have to say, this is the only one I actually remember what goes on.

As for the next books, I can't say the same. The author seems to be stretching it too much, and that's what I hate most. When a series ends--it ends. And you can't change it. Ever was done with her journey a long time ago, Alyson Noel--I think it's time for her to rest.

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Sunday, October 7, 2012

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed (Starcrossed, #1)Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This book seemed to be really interesting. Yeah. "seemed". I didn't know what really to expect when I got the book. There was just something about it, or something about the cover, that made it seem so pretty so beautiful. But, I was wrong. The cover really had nothing to do with the book. It was weird, and nothing was realistic. There was just something about the book that made me just slam it shut, my palm on my forehead, and made me think, "That has GOT to be the most unrealistic thing I've ever read."
I've always known that I judge books by its cover and a lot of times those books turn out to be so good. This isn't. The ONLY thing I liked about this book was the cover, and nothing else.

Firstly, the main character Helen was so fake. I kept on imagining her as a little twelve year old or something. It never crossed my mind that he was this beautiful demigoddess. (I didn't finish this book). At first I was like even though I hate it, I will finish it because I hate leaving books alone like that especially since I paid so much to buy them in the first place. Then I just couldn't finish it. The romance was unbelievably fake. Seriously-- how could that hate each other one second and fall in love he next? I like it when it's slow and gradual. Falling in love suddenly is so fake and not appealing to me.


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Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly (Unearthly, #1)Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The beginning was kind of boring (I'm not surprised, Rachel Mead apparently LOVED IT), but later on I was so absorbed I finished the book in like two hours (this morning). I can't wait to read Hallowed because I really would like to figure out if Clara kisses Christian. To tell you guys the truth, I was kind of hoping that Clara would end up with Christian and I was basically yelling at her when she turned down his date "offer" in the end of the book. I mean Tucker seems nice, but eh. Anyways, when I read that Christian was also an angel, I was sooo happy. I was telling myself that in Hallowed, they would end up together because they are like both angels.

But it really seems that Clara likes Tucker (or loves), so I think that that would not be something Cynthia Hand would change, even though he IS a human. Poo.

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Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Hallowed (Unearthly, #2)Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*************SPOILER ALERT****************


Okay, let me just say this.

OH.
MY.
GOD.

Like, did that just happen? DID HER MOM JUST DIE? DID HER DAD JUST COME BACK? DID SHE HAVE THOSE VISIONS? OH MY GOD!



DID SHE JUST KISS CHRISTIAN?

^okay, I know, I know. As much as there are so many Team Tucker's--IM TEAM CHRISTIAN. I know that she loves Tucker "with everything in her". But, I can't just help but scoff at those moments between her and Tucker. It's just too fake.

Whenever she's with Christian, she can open up, be herself, and love him. Tucker is just THERE.

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Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium (Delirium, #1)Delirium by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dystopian fiction is not always my on my list of favorite books. I read the first book of the Uglies series and I HATED it. I have no idea how people like that series. The characters were so fake and the idea and theme of the story was completely unrealistic and stupid.
My second dystopian "romance" fiction was Matched, which I thought was okay, but it wasn't that great either. Matched has one central theme, getting paired up with someone. It was all romance and no action. I didn't like that about it.
However, Delirium is a masterpiece. There is one central theme: Love is a disease. The whole book is based on that theme, and that's what I liked about it. Lena falls in love with an Invalid, Alex. The writing was incredible and totally realistic which is awesome. I mean a book can be fiction and still be realistic. I mean that's what people say about something has nothing to do with whether the theme is fake or not.
Overall, loved it but not my favorite book.

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Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay. So, let me start breathing first, before I start my review.

BTW, it's not out of anger. Well, sort of.

THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING BOOK EVER! Actually, not really, but one of the most amazing books ever. The plot kept me interested throughout the whole book and I started it on Monday, and finished it last night (Wednesday). I read the other edition, the one that looks much cooler with Aria walking with all that (pump?) in the cover (loved it by the way). Anyway, I haven't been reading amazing books like Under the Never Sky for a while, and I am SO glad that I picked up this book.

The idea of cannibalism in the book kind of kept me away from it at first, but then I just had to read it because I knew the reviews were good. Okay, at least. Thank god, cannabalism wasn't the main "plot" of the book, but it was a large part of it. Another thing that kept me interested was the romance between Aria and Perry (they should have used a different name...Reminds me too much of Perry the Platupus...sorry!). I loved how the romance wasn't the only part of the book but Veronica Rossi incorporated it in without making it a soppy romance. I also loved how they made Perry have a weakness (for Talon)and not make him the perfect guy that everyone dreams about but we all know does not exist in the world. Blonde hair, blue eyes, blegh.

The third thing I liked about this book is the twists it made. How the message Lumina sent Aria just changed everyone's viewpoint about everything.

The thing I hated about the book was the cliffhanger. Do I really have to wait anymore to read the next book?

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Heist Society (Heist Society, #1)Heist Society by Ally Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, so I'm not really a fan of book's like this. In fact, this is my first time reading a book like this. It isn't exactly mystery like Nancy Drew, and it isn't really about like die-hard hard-core stealing, robbing--that type of book. It's simple, and straightforward.

And good.

That's not even a WORD for it. It's amazing! The book kept my hooked throughout my whole 3 hours for reading it. It was confusing sometimes, but that's probably because my mind doesn't work as amazingly as Ally Carter's does. I always admire script-writers, directors, and authors of books and movies like these because their heads just work in a way like no other head works. It's amazing, because they can connect things that don't even connect at first glance.

My favorite character: Hale

Of course, of course. I don't know, he just seems like the Jace Lightwood of Heist Society. That guy that's always been there, the guy who always liked the main girl, but he never shows it until another guy enters the picture. In this case, Nick. I loved Hale's funny lines, and I loved the way the other characters reacted to it, especially Kat.



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Monday, September 17, 2012

Now...A little bit about me :)

Well, I realized that the main reason I created this blog was to promote my book, "Pure at Heart" by well, me--Sahana Epari. I know, I know. I'm a bit late.
Anyway, I think that its a great chance to introduce myself to people who are interested in reading my book. I am a thirteen year-old Indie author, of the supernatural fantasy novel, "Pure at Heart". Pure at Heart is my first book, and I think my best. I've spent countless hours working on my novel, and finally got a chance to publish it thanks to CreateSpace self-publishing platform.
Pure at Heart took approximately one and a half years, and it took a great deal of effort and determination, as well as the priceless support from my family and friends.
Now, my favorite genres of books are paranormal romance, science fiction, time-travel,  supernatural fantasy, urban fantasy, historical fantasy, and well, yeah--anything that includes fantasy. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE fantasy. I mean, literally all the books I read (not including the one's from school) are either fantasy or sci-fi.
Now, to "Pure at Heart". The description on my Amazon and Goodreads page aren't very descriptive. So, here you'll find a better one. It's about a group of werewolves who live in a society that has two sides--Pure and Dark. They've lived and grown up on one side, when they realize they've been lied to their whole life, and only them. Left with no other choice, the pack escapes to a whole new world of secrets, lies, and betrayal.

***If you ever come across my book, please read it and post a review on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. Thanks! If you have anymore questions, please check my contact information.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

I'm kind of new at this, so... I've done a lot of things in my life, but this is one thing I've managed to squeeze my way out of. Either way, I somehow managed to complete Pure at Heart, and it has been a terrific experience. I've written many, many, many, MANY, did I mention MANY books over the years, ever since the young age of 7 years old. Six years have passed since the finishing of my first mystery short story (about 18000 words) Janestry, and I finally made my first urban fantasy novel published. I'm SO happy. Like, literally. Never had I imagined I would gather enough courage and willingness to complete this book, and truth be told--I'm proud of it. And I'm proud of the work I put into it--you know, after I realized that this book might actually be worth a shot ;P... Anyways, althought I acknowledge the fact that I am not the best writer, and it would need much more time for a 13 year old to write and edit a 348 page book, I have to say that I wouldn't wish for anything else than what I have wrote. I am completely satisfied and happy with the work I have done over the last 1.5 to 2 years. Thank, GOD, I read all those urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels. THOSE helped me SO SOSOSOSOSOSO much. I can't even explain it. I fell in love with urban fantasy novels after I read Twilight. I know, I know. I actually didn't like it that much, but I knew that it was a topic that I liked very much. And look that, whoo, now I suddenly am a published author of a supernatural novel? Twilight wasn't the best, I knew that, and there were DOZENS of books better than that. Anyways, I guess this is not the end, but the beginning (of a new era, maybe?). I want to write more and more books over the years and I hope that Pure at Heart isn't the end. In fact, it's just a start. A start through a whole knew world of being an author and selling and buying and reading books :) I love books, and although my time to read decreases as I grow older, my love will always be there. If there is one thing that I couldn't survive without, it would be books. Thanks, again :) And please read Pure at Heart. I would appreciate ANY types of reviews just so I can work on my author-ism.