Quotes From Cosmo--Part 2

As promised! :D

Note: Any literary agencies mentioned in this post are completely fictional. A similarity in names is completely coincidental. If there really is a 'Bartholomew Adams' Literary Agency of Crap', I didn't intend it to be that way.

Another note: Something got messed up with the chapters numbers in the last blog post. The quote from Chapter 15 is really from Chapter 14. Here's Chapter 15 on to now! :D

(Spoilers in this one, though it's not that huge).

Polaris darted out of my bedroom and jumped up on the couch. Nana’s hand flew to her heart.

“Oh, my!” she said dramatically, creeping closer to Polaris. “You got another cat! Oh, she’s so cute.”

“He,” I corrected her automatically.

“He. Right,” Nana said. “What’s her name? And where is that awful cat. Cupcake or whatever the hell her name was. She was always hissing at me and she ripped my favorite sweater.”

“Her name was Muffins,” I said quietly. “And she died. Before Christmas, actually.”

“Oh.” Nana’s face showed no sympathy. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure you were devastated.”

 --Cosmo, Chapter 15, page 136

(Another spoiler, related to the one above).

"How would you feel if all of your writing had been deleted?" Celeste's voice cracked on the last few words. "It's all gone! I mean, what, are we in high school?"

I gave Celeste a hug and let her cry into my shoulder. I held her like she had held me when Muffins had died. 

"I hate to break it to you, but we are," I whispered. "Welcome to the world. It sucks."

--Cosmo, Chapter 16, page 148

(I hope you've read Harry Potter).

“No way! You didn’t cry at all when Dobby died?”

 I shrugged.

 “Not really. Maybe a few sniffles, but that was the extent of it. No, the tissues came out for Hedwig and Fred. Dobby was kind of annoying.”

Celeste punched my shoulder.

“You are heartless.”

“I am not!”

“Watch it.” 

Celeste grabbed my arm and tugged me away from a girl’s outstretched foot. A minion of Samantha’s, no doubt.

--Cosmo, Chapter 17, page 150

(Another spoiler from HP. This is is also from Chapter 17. Sorry for all the spoilers! I promise these next ones will be fine).

And if Samantha were Voldemort, the rest of the girls trying to impress her were all Bellatrix Lestranges; they were desperate to impress her, to flatter her, to be just like her. They all wanted the top jobs, the best place at the lunch table. But Vanessa, oddly enough, was the only one she kept close. She was the least evil of them all, yet Samantha seemed to adore her. Was it because she was trying to convert her or was it because Vanessa was truly evil? 

I just hoped Vanessa turned out to be a Severus Snape.

--Cosmo, Chapter 17, page 152

Samantha seemed to be searching for a clever retort, but nothing came to her, so she settled for waving the notebook in my face.

"This," she started, letting the 's' hiss out into the silence that followed her break. "Is--"

"Pure genius?" Celeste interjected. "Astounding? Astonishing? Amazing?"
"Nice use of alliteration," Samantha said sarcastically. And when Celeste and I stared at her in disbelief, she added, "Yeah, I know things, too."

--Cosmo, Chapter 18, page 159

 

I turned in my chair and rested my chin on my arms, which were resting on the top of the chair. "Firefox keeps crashing. I think I have too many tabs opens."

"Here, let me try." Mom came over and clicked on the Firefox button. The tabs were restored, only for the screen to fade a little, freeze up, and crash again.

"See?" I said. "Can you fix that?"

Mom clicked a few buttons, pressed the F1 key for no apparent reason, and stood up, muttering, "Kids these days," which was the excuse she made whenever something was too complicated for her.

--Cosmo, Chapter 19, page 169

I sighed and scanned the 'Agents' page of 'Bartholomew Adams' Literary Agency.' There were a few that accepted YA books, but most of them didn't like contemporary or stories set in schools.

"This. Is. Hopeless." I threw my head back over the chair and groaned. "Every single one of these agents would have a problem with my book. Every single one! These agents are ridiculous. Who doesn't like female protagonists? Who?"

"Male chauvinist pigs," Celeste said simply. "And apparently Deb Garner."

Celeste closed 'Bartholomew Adams' Literary Agency of Crap' while I grumbled things like, "Hopeless," and "Stupid."

"Your optimism is killing me," Celeste said in a flat tone. "Can't you be just a tad more negative? I don't want you to get your hopes up."

"Wait, here's an agent!" I sat up and stared at the screen. "Matthew Evans, lover of simple contemporary YA stories--that's what I write!--has worked at Reid Literary Agency for over five years, blah, blah, blah . . . darn. He doesn't accept unsolicited manuscripts."

Celeste stuck her tongue out at Matthew's smiling picture.

"Darn you snobby agents!"

--Cosmo, Chapter 19, page 169-170

 

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Um . . . no."

"But--"

"No!"

Celeste slapped my hand away from her keyboard.

"I said no," she said, sticking her tongue out at me.

I edged closer to the computer mouse. Celeste grabbed my shoulders, turned me around and shoved me away.

"Please?"

Celeste let out a loud groan.

"Gah! You don't get it, do you? Define 'no' for me so I understand how you're thinking."

"Um, it means maybe? If I pester enough you'll give in."

Celeste banged her head against the wall three times and moaned.

"I need cookies." And she stumbled out of the room.

I crept towards Celeste's computer once I heard her call out, "Dad! Where'd you put the Chocolate Chunkies?" But as soon as I touched her mouse, Celeste poked her head in the room.

"Don't even think about it."

I yelped and dropped her mouse, which was cordless.

"God, don't do that!" I bent down and picked up the mouse, which was a shade of neon green.

Celeste shrugged. "Then don't do purposely do something I've forbidden you to do."

"You're heartless." I stuck out my lower lip at her and furrowed my eyebrows.

"You're hopeless!" Celeste called back at me as she walked away. "And I'm hungry! Dad, where are the cookies?"

--Cosmo, Chapter 20, page 175

“Cosmo.”

“Holy monkeys!” I jumped in my chair and pulled off my headphones, a recent just-because present from Celeste, who had just said my name.

“God!” I put my hand over my rapidly beating heart. “You scared the crap out of me!”

“Sorry.” Celeste sat down on my bed and pulled off her jacket—a purple hoodie with patchwork pink hearts on the sleeves—and set it on top of her tie-dyed tote bag. “I thought you knew I was coming over.”

“I did. I just forgot.”

Celeste glanced over at the computer screen. I had ten tabs open. Two of them were YouTube videos, one of them was my e-mail, two were my blogs, and the other five were writing articles.

“The internet’s killing your short-term memory, you know,” Celeste said wisely, nodding like a maniac. She stopped and put a finger her face. “Wait, or was it your long-term memory?”

“Did Mom let you in?” I asked. I fiddled with my headphones in my lap. They were still plugged in to the computer.

“No.” Celeste frowned. “I didn’t think she was home. I knocked, but no one answered, so I just let myself in.”

I raised my eyebrows at her.

“You let yourself in?” I said. “If I remember right, you don’t have a key.”

“Uh, what about the spare that’s under your doormat?”

Celeste must’ve seen the surprised look on my face, because she smirked.

 “Yeah, you told me about that,” she said. “Again the internet’s—seriously, which is it? This is gonna bug me all day. Look it up.” 

--Cosmo, Chapter 21, page 180

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Updates From MV:

I realized the other day that I didn't have the regular version of "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles on my iPod. That's my favorite song by them! Well, now I have it. All is right with the world again.

Want "Catching Fire" to throw up on your computer screen? Say no more.

What do you think of this song? I LOVE it! :D

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Quotes From Cosmo--Part 1

(The book, not the character . . . necessarily).

I've seen a few blog posts on a few different blogs where the blogger shares a few of her favorite quotes from the book they're writing. I thought I'd try it out by posting one short excerpt from each chapter I have (so far), but since I don't want to overload you with quotes, I'll split them into two parts. Let me know what you think! :D

“Do you think Dad’ll help us out?”
Mom’s eyes widened. The coins in her hand rattled because her whole body was shaking with grief. She clenched her fists and held them in her lap.
“No, Cosmo. No, I don’t think he will.”
I nodded again. I had already known the answer.

--Cosmo, Chapter 1, page 6

I’ve always liked the sky. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s my name: Cosmo Moonshine. Maybe it’s my natural nerdiness. Or maybe it’s because there’s a secret out there that none of us know about, waiting to be unlocked and revealed by the right person.
Maybe that person is me.
Maybe it’s not.
I don’t know.
What I do know is that a fourteen-year-old girl living with her single mom in New York City has no choice but to keep her dreams to herself. You can’t just go up to your mom and announce that you want to go to college and study astronomy when we can barely afford a hot meal each day.

-- Cosmo, Chapter 2, page 7

I was writing a new novel called Halley’s Comet. It was about a girl named Halley who loved astronomy. One day her dad goes to war and becomes MIA. Later in the book she sees a comet and wishes that her dad would come home. The next week her dad shows up to her school and surprises her. Then they live happily ever after.
The end.
I write a lot of books about astronomy and girls with loving dads that are there for them.
Sigh.
People say to write what you know.
I do that.
But I also like to write about things I don’t know.
Like loving dads.
Focus, Cosmo, focus.

--Cosmo, Chapter 3, page 11

I smiled at the girl as she plopped down into the seat on my right.
“So do you like it here?” Celeste whispered to me. “I just got here a couple days ago.”
“It’s—a nice school,” I said hesitantly. “My classmates can be—er—well, they’re not the nicest bunch.”
Celeste snickered.
“It can’t be any worse than Colorado. I’ve had to be transferred to different schools fourteen times for bullying problems.”
“Fourteen times?” I whispered in a high-pitched voice. “Holy . . .”
“Yup,” Celeste said, leaning back in her chair. “You guys seem like saints so far, compared to my old classmates.”
“So they were demons?” I asked, my lips twitching into a smirk.
Celeste laughed.
“No, they were Satan’s right-hand men.” Celeste frowned a little. “Come to think of it, they were pretty much Satan themselves.”

--Cosmo, Chapter 4, page 19

“I guess we’re in the same boat now,” Celeste said.
“Not really. You’re parents aren’t divorced. Let’s think positive.”
“You’re right. I guess we’re in the same ocean now.”
I raised my eyebrows at her.
“You know,” Celeste said. “Not quite in the same boat, but in the general area, like the ocean.”
“The ocean’s a lot bigger than a general area.”
“Okay, we’re in the same lake now.”
“You’ve crossed into the ‘weird zone.’”
“Sorry.”

--Cosmo, Chapter 5, page 31

“It’s called Halley’s Comet. It’s about a girl named Halley whose dad goes MIA in a war. She sees a comet and wishes that her dad would come home and—well, I won’t give it away. You said you wanted to read it, right?”
“Yup.” Celeste sat down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling again. I finished typing. “Did you base Halley off of yourself?”
I froze just as I was about to hit the ‘save’ button.
“Why would you say that?”
Celeste shrugged.
“I don’t know. Didn’t your dad run out on you?”
“Yeah . . .”
“Well, Halley’s dad goes MIA. Your dad disappeared on you. Halley wishes on a comet that her dad would come home. I bet you wish your dad would come home.”
“No,” I said, my voice shaking a little. “I don’t want him to come back. Ever.”

--Cosmo, Chapter 6, page 35

Celeste's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her sockets. Her eyebrows disappeared into her hair.

"Can I describe it? You can't describe Harry Potter. It's indescribable. It's magical. It's phenomenal. It's--it's salt."

I turned my laugh into a cough.

"I'm sorry, it's what?"

"It's salt." Celeste sat up straight, her head cocked to the left and up as if she were staring at this marvelous, new piece of genius. "How do you describe salt? You can't. It's salt. It's salty. Salt is the word you use to describe other foods. Other foods don't describe salt. Harry Potter is the salt of the book world. If someone asks you, 'can you describe this book?' you can respond, 'it's like Harry Potter.' But if someone asks you, 'can you describe Harry Potter,' you reply, 'I can't. It's like salt.'"
--Cosmo, Chapter 7, page 40

“What does it mean?” Vanessa asked.
“It’s the Chinese symbol for fashion. The guy who did it said that he wasn’t technically supposed to give it to me, because it wasn’t one of the official designs, but I paid him a little extra.”
Click! Samantha blinked spots out of her eyes as Celeste took a picture of her with her phone.
“What the—” she said.
Celeste grinned, showing off all of her teeth and sat back down.
“I’m gonna look it [the tattoo] up,” Celeste whispered. “Just you wait. I bet she’s really walking around with a Chinese symbol that means, ‘emu’ or something weird like that.”

--Cosmo, Chapter 8, page 47

Mr. Johnson raised his eyebrows at us as we walked back to our tent.
"Uh, Cosmo? Why are you soaking wet?"
"Oh, we hit her with a water balloon," Samantha chirped, her curly brown hair bouncing. Vanessa nodded so fast, her face was a blur. "It's just a little inside joke. No biggie. Right, Cosmo?"
Samantha turned her head so only Celeste and I could see her face. She gave me a piercing look that clearly said, agree with me or I'll make your life a living hell.



--Cosmo, Chapter 9, page 52

Celeste didn't ask me any questions. She just sat there next to me on my bed for hours while I cried, holding my hand. I got up to blow my nose in the bathroom and when I came back, there was something written on Celeste's hand.

Only in the darkness can you see the stars.

"I can't see any stars at the moment," I said quietly. Celeste gave me another hug.
"Maybe the city lights are blocking them out."
"I wish they wouldn't."
"Give it time. Maybe by then you'll see the moon."


--Cosmo, Chapter 10, page 58

"So," Celeste started slowly, hesitantly. "Are you coming to the big Christmas Eve dance?"
I swallowed and looked at her.
"What dance?"
Celeste goggled at me.
"You haven't seen the posters? They're practically wallpapering the whole school!"
She motioned to the cafeteria which--after looking more closely at the walls--was decorated with brightly colored posters showing a cartoon boy and girl dancing. Underneath it said:

Christmas Eve dance in the gym on Christmas Eve, 8 o'clock. Make sure you grab a date and have something nice to wear!

"Ohhh," I said. "That dance."
"Are you going?"
I shrugged.
"I don't have a date and I'm not counting on one. Why, did someone ask you?"
Celeste almost spewed her juice box across the table and started laughing.
"Me? Get a date in this school? Did you hit your head on a rock this morning or are you just that idealistic?"

--Cosmo, Chapter 11, page 63

I went to the Customer's Service section and waited in line. A little old lady called me up to the counter.
"Hi," I said breathlessly. "I was just in your women's section. I was looking for a scarf--a green one--but I didn't see it. Do you have some in the back?"
The lady stared at me.
"You're going to have to give me a little more to go on."
"Um, it was a green scarf, it was hanging in the women's section--"
"What brand name was it?"
"I have no idea. It was cheap, just five dollars--"
"Was it on clearance?"
"No."
The woman sighed and typed something into the computer muttering, "Driving me crazy . . . no memory whatsoever . . . less brains than a chimpanzee . . ."

--Cosmo, Chapter 12, page 67

Mr. Smitherson handed me a brownie.
"Looking for this?"
"You betcha." I bit into the brownie. "Whoa."
"Good or bad?" Mr. Smitherson wrung his hands together, looking nervous. "Good or bad?"
"Geez, dad, let her breathe!" Celeste took another brownie and shoved it into her mouth.
"Good," I said. "Very good."
"Take another one." Mr. Smitherson cut another brownie and gave it to me. "What do you think now?"
"It's even better the second time." I finished off the brownie and licked the crumbs off of my thumb. "I think this one's a keeper."
"It's definitely an improvement over the mint brownies," Celeste said, laughing. "Remember those?"
"The bottle said, 'Vanilla Extract!'" Mr. Smitherson waved a bottle in her face. "I swear I didn't put any mint in!"
"Yes you did. You grabbed the wrong bottle."
"All right, but what about that time I let you bake? Huh?"
"How was I supposed to know that aluminum foil was flammable?"
"You called the fire fighters."
"Our oven was on fire!"
"There's a fire extinguisher under the sink."
"I would've known that if you would let me near the sink!"
"There's a reason why I don't anymore."

--Cosmo, Chapter 13, page 87

"Ha. Nice try. Not telling."
"Pleeeease."
"Nope. Part of Christmas is the surprise of the presents."
I gave her a stern look.
"And patience."
"I don't have any. Maybe you can get me some of that for Christmas."
"Patience is too expensive these days."
"You got that right. Prices have been skyrocketing!"
"Maybe I'll buy some kindness for Samantha. She'd hate that."

--Cosmo, Chapter 14, page 97

 I stood next to her, fiddling with my dress and looking around.
 "You know," Celeste said, still dancing. "You look even stranger when you aren't dancing at a dance."
"I don't want people staring at me."
"They're not concerned about what you're doing." Celeste twirled around in a circle, letting her dress billow up around her. "They're busy having fun."
I looked around. Everyone was dancing, minus the few outcasts that we're drinking punch or nibbling on cookies. No one was looking at me, including Celeste.
"Let loose," Celeste said. "Kick your shoes off."
She looked at the ground.
"Actually, I don't recommend that last part. I'm not sure what's touched this floor."
"I envy you." I wrinkled my nose at her. "I know exactly who's puked on this floor."
"Oh, gross!" Celeste recoiled, looking at the floor.
"You're standing where Michael Fishbein walked around barefoot."
"Who's Michael Fishbein?"
"A freshman with a bad case of warts."
"I might just puke."
"I'll make a note of where you're standing so I can warn future students."

--Cosmo, Chapter 14, page 100

(I couldn't resist putting both of these up from Chapter 14).

The silence between us was starting to weigh on me, adding to my uncomfortable state of mind. I didn’t want things to be awkward between us, but I didn’t want to talk about it either.
“I’m not mad at you. Really, I’m not. Why would I be?”
“Because I dragged you to this stupid dance. I’m sorry you had a miserable time.”
“No, I had a great time. And it wasn’t stupid. I really just wished it had ended on a happier note.”
“We can make it end on a happier note.”
I lifted my head from the window. My breath had fogged up the glass.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we could go do something. Fun. We could go bowling or catch a movie or go ice skating.”
“Ice skating? Celeste, I don’t have ice skates or the money to rent some.”
“I have money.”
I drew a heart on the window with my finger.
“I really don’t want you to spend more money on me. I don’t want to be a mooch.”
“You’re not a mooch.”
I rested my head back against the window.
“I’m tired of being poor.”
The statement was just something I wanted to let out. Something that I meant to just say to myself. But Celeste put her arm around my shoulder and said, “I know.”


--Cosmo, Chapter 15, page 109

Part 2 coming soon. :)

Which quote was your favorite? Leave a comment! :D

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Updates From MV:

I recently got a "Pinterest" account. It's just for personal purposes (really I'm just using it to organize anything visual for my books) but I'm loving it! I've cast a bunch of actors and actresses for my characters in Flightless Birds.

Want to know my top three favorite book covers? Click HERE to find out! :D (Let me know if you link up)!

Allegiant came out today!!! :D I just placed a request for it at our library. Who's excited? *Raises hand*


(If you have something you'd like me to share in "Updates From MV" please send me an e-mail at themagicviolinist(AT)gmail(DOT)com. Thank you! :D) 

Proust's Questionnaire

What is Proust's Questionnaire? Well apparently it's a great list of questions to ask your characters! I'm joined today by two people. Give it up for Cosmo Moonshine and Celeste Smitherson!

Celeste: Why does Cosmo get introduced first?

Kate: Because she's the main character.

Celeste: In your opinion.

Kate: It's my opinion that counts. I'm the author.

Celeste: But--

Cosmo: Question number one please!

Kate: All right. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Cosmo: Freedom from worrying.

Celeste: A purple bunny.

Kate: Are you being serious?

Celeste: When am I ever serious? No, really my idea of perfect happiness is complete and total peace in the world.

Kate: What is your greatest fear?

Cosmo: That my mom and I are going to get evicted.

Celeste: Strange noises at night. I know, I know, it's stupid. But it really creeps the heck out of me!

Kate: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Cosmo: My low self-esteem.

Celeste: My inability to shut up.

Kate: What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Cosmo: Just plain meanness.

Celeste: Lack of empathy.

Kate: Which living person do you most admire?

Cosmo and Celeste (simultaneously): Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Kate: What is your greatest extravagance?

Cosmo: My computer, for sure. I'm surprised I'm even still allowed to keep it what with the situation we're in.

Celeste: My fancy artist's kit, complete with paints, stencils, paper, an easel, crayons, colored pencils, pastels, and more!

Kate: What is your current state of mind?

Cosmo: Relief.

Kate: Why is that?

Cosmo: Because Celeste is still my friend and Nana and Pop-Pop left after days of fighting with Mom.

Kate: And you, Celeste?

Celeste: Sadness.

Kate: Why is that?

Celeste: Because the bullies at school destroyed all of my best artwork.

Kate: What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Cosmo: Piousness.

Celeste: Faith.

Kate: I sense a theme here.

Cosmo: We're not religious.

Kate: Ah. That explains it. On what occasion do you lie?

Cosmo: To avoid the truth.

Kate: Ha ha. But specifically?

Cosmo: To protect someone. To be able to "explain" where you were when you were actually getting someone a Christmas present.

Kate: Celeste?

Celeste: Ditto.

Kate: What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Cosmo: My fingernails. I can't stop biting them.

Celeste: My toes.

Cosmo: Your toes?

Celeste: They're kind of crooked.

Cosmo: When do you have time to examine your toes between this ridiculous amount of homework?

Celeste: I have sleeping issues. I look at my toes when I'm trying to fall asleep.

Kate: Ahem. Which living person do you most despise?

Cosmo (through gritted teeth): Samantha Waters.

Celeste: Same here.

Kate: What is the quality you most like in a man?

Cosmo: Um . . . confidence I guess? I like guys who aren't afraid to like art or cooking, something that's considered "girly." The guys who aren't confident with themselves resort to being walking stereotypes so they're accepted by the "cool kids."

Celeste: Patience. I have a lot of quirks to get used to. You know that, Cosmo.

Cosmo: Oh, boy do I.

Kate: What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Cosmo: I like take-charge women, like Rosa Parks and Katniss Everdeen--and don't worry, I know she's not real. Someone who can do things by themselves. It'd get tiring to have to rely on someone all the time, wouldn't it?

Celeste: Agreed.

Kate: Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Cosmo: Fine. Mostly when agreeing to do some absurd thing that Celeste suggests.

Celeste: Hey!

Cosmo: It's the truth.

Celeste: ... Yeah, you're right.

Kate: And you, Celeste?

Celeste: You don't know . . . ? What a blog is? Who Neil deGrasse Tyson is? What "Thrift Shop" is? Why Samantha Waters is determined to ruin our lives?

Kate: What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Cosmo: Polaris, my mom, and Muffins, who, sadly, isn't alive anymore.

Celeste: My parents.

Kate: When and where were you happiest?

Cosmo: Pennsylvania, where I first went camping with my parents. They were both happily married--I think--and if they weren't I was clueless. It was the first time I really saw the night sky and at the time we were one not-so-big happy family.

Celeste: Spanish class, Classroom C, the desk next to Cosmo. That was when I met my first true friend. It was either that or the table in the corner of the cafeteria on January 3rd when "the incident" came to be.

Cosmo: Oh, that was pretty awesome, too.

Kate: For the sake of our readers, what is "the incident?"

(Cosmo and Celeste exchange grins).

Celeste: They'll have to wait and see.

Kate: Which talent would you most like to have?

Cosmo (sighing): The ability to fly.

Celeste: Which talent? As in singular? God, it's like "Sophie's Choice!" Um . . . the ability to make my nose hair grow at will.

Cosmo: Eww, what?!

Celeste: Yeah! Because then I could freak people out so much that they're just staring at me and I can make a quick getaway from any sticky situation before they realize what happened!

Cosmo: You really are something.

Kate: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Cosmo: To rid myself of this curse that is being unpopular. Then Samantha wouldn't torture me.

Celeste: Absolutely nothing. I like myself the way I am.

Kate: What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Cosmo: Um . . . when I . . . er . . . I got nothing.

Celeste: Come on, there's gotta be something.

Cosmo: Maybe the time I got an A plus on the pop quiz in math. You know, 'cause I suck at math.

Celeste: Apparently straight B's means that you suck at math.

Cosmo: All right, what's your big achievement?

Celeste: That time in the cafeteria where I quoted Shakespeare, made a speech, and most of the people clapped. Or maybe that time at the dance I made a short speech before a song and people cheered. Large groups of people rarely like me.

Kate: If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Cosmo: A beloved stuffed animal, because I would receive unconditional love.

Celeste: A dog. Dogs always get spoiled and pampered.

Kate: Where would you most like to live?

Cosmo: Anywhere that isn't here.

Celeste: Paris, France. Food, people speaking French, and Cafe's? I'm there!

Kate: What is your most treasured possession?

Cosmo: Ugh, it's a tie between my my teddy bear, my computer, and my very worn copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Celeste: A button.

Kate: A button? What makes this button so special?

Celeste: My grandmother had this ginormous button collection. She had a shoebox overflowing with them, buttons of all shapes, sizes, and colors. She'd collect them from old coats and shirts, she'd buy some of them, she'd find some of them on the ground. Any time she'd find a button, she'd keep it. She said each button had a story, like every person had a story. And she knew the stories of some of her favorite buttons, the ones she'd put on display. One of her favorite buttons belonged to Paul McCartney. It popped off of his shirt during a concert right in front of her--she was in the front row--and she grabbed it. Well, she got diagnosed with breast cancer and the last day I saw her, she gave me the Paul McCartney button. I still have it--under lock and key, of course--and it reminds me of her.

Kate: Aww, that's so sweet!

(Cosmo punches Celeste on the arm).

Celeste: Ow! What was that for?

Cosmo: We played truth or dare, you picked truth, and I asked you if you owned anything that belonged to your parents or grandparents and you said no.

Celeste: Well, I never knew my blood relatives! I'm adopted, remember?

Cosmo: Then why didn't you tell me the button story?

Celeste: It must've slipped my mind.

Kate: Next question! What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Cosmo: Losing someone you love forever.

Celeste: The realization afterwards when you realize you'll never see them again.

Kate: What is your favorite occupation?

Cosmo: I can't be sure, since I've never worked, but I think an author.

Celeste: Dessert sampler. I do it all the time at home.

Kate: What is your most marked characteristic?

Cosmo: Um . . . I guess my nerdiness.

Celeste: I am so obviously quirky, you'd have to be blind and deaf not to realize it.

Kate: What do you most value in your friends?

Cosmo: Loyalty. I could have a hundred friends who come and go, but the only person I'd care about is the one who stays by me forever.

Celeste: I can't agree more.

Kate: Who are your favorite writers?

Cosmo and Celeste (simultaneously): L. Frank Baum.

Cosmo: Ooh, and J.K. Rowling. She's a recent discovery.

Celeste: Thanks to moi.

Kate: Who is your hero of fiction?

Cosmo: Hermione Granger. She's smart and witty, but she's generally not made fun of for it. She's one of the cool kids who gets to hang out with Harry Potter and take down evil. It's nice to know that those kinds of people can be considered cool instead of freakish.

Celeste: Luna Lovegood. She's my twin sister, minus the spaciness.

Cosmo: And the Crumple Horned Snorkaks.

Celeste: What?! You mean those don't exist?!

Kate: Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Cosmo: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Celeste: Ha! That's what I was going to say!

Kate: Who are your heroes in real life?

Cosmo: Again . . .

Celeste: Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Cosmo: Definitely. And my mom, for not giving up no matter how hard things got.

Celeste: Aw, that's sweet. My parents, too.

Cosmo: Copycat!

Celeste: My hero is you, Kate!

Kate: I am not letting you go first.

(Celeste sticks her tongue out at me).

Celeste: You're no fun.

Kate: What are your favorite names?

Cosmo: Besides my own? I like unique names that aren't too weird. Names that are used, but not often. Like Lena, Indie, or Mika.

Celeste: Cactus!

Kate: Excuse me?

Celeste: Cactus! That's my favorite name. I'm gonna try and convince my parents to let me get a middle name. If they say yes, that's what it's going to be.

Kate: Okay . . . Next question! What is it that you most dislike?

Cosmo: Mean people.

Celeste: Samantha Waters.

Cosmo: Giant spiders.

Celeste: Not being able to stay up late.

Cosmo: Having to live next door to a guy who makes pot.

Celeste: Getting up early.

Kate: What is your greatest regret?

Cosmo: That I went on a camping trip to Pennsylvania for school. I wasn't able to say goodbye to Muffins.

Celeste: That I didn't forgive Cosmo sooner.

Kate: How would you like to die?

Cosmo: Peacefully, in my bed, surrounded by the people I love, of old age.

Celeste: Me, too.

Kate: What is your motto?

Cosmo: "Keep your friends close."

Celeste: "Eat cheese."

Kate: Really?

Celeste: Sorry, that's my other motto. My main motto is, "Shrug it off."

Kate: That concludes our interview. Thanks for coming, you guys!

Cosmo: No problem!

Celeste: Eat cheese!

Would anyone else like to ask Cosmo or Celeste a question? Leave a comment! :D

Also, be sure to check out the interview with Em Garner below! :D She's giving away a signed copy of Contaminated!

On Achieving Goals and Interviewing Authors

Scroll down on my blog. You see Ivan? He's celebrating. Why? Oh, I don't know . . . Maybe because I--

--REACHED MY GOAL OF 50,000 WORDS!!!!! :D

(I'm a little excited).

Yes, I have officially written over 50,000 words of Cosmo. The first draft isn't finished yet--far from it, actually--but it still feels awesome to have completed my goal already.

Do you have goals set for yourself in writing? How do you meet those goals?

Here's how I met mine:

1. I pushed myself

Yeah, sure I got writer's block at times, sure there were times where I hated my characters, and of course there were times when I had thoughts like, I have no plot. This is so boring. I wouldn't even read this book. Maybe I'll just watch some pointless YouTube videos.

But when that happened I stopped, took a deep breath, and changed Ivan's picture so he started destroying his computer. I hated seeing him so angry, so I typed and typed and typed until I broke through my writer's block and Ivan could be happy again.

2. I took breaks

No one can write for hours on end without getting tired. And when you're tired, you get frustrated. And when you're frustrated, you can't write. And when you can't write, you end up wasting time on Facebook and staring at a blank page. After an hour to an hour and a half of writing--or when I started to slow down--I took a fifteen-minute (or so) break. Some great activities for these breaks include:

-Eating (Snacks filled with protein keep you going! Also sugar and anything minty, which science has proven to be good for thinking creatively).
-Reading (Something well-written and inspiring, preferably).
-Watching TV (No movies! Otherwise you'll lose track of time).
-Reading blogs (Writing blogs, blogs your friends write, food blogs, your pick)!
-Checking e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. (Do these things now so you don't do it while you're supposed to be writing)!
-Getting exercise (You've been sitting down at a computer for a while. Get moving so you don't feel so stiff when you're writing).
-Playing games (Something strategic so your brain doesn't fall asleep, but nothing too complicated, otherwise you'll get worn out)!
-Going to the bathroom (In case you're one of those ultra-intense writers that ignores this simple need. Trust me, I know some people like this).
-Listening to music (Again, something well-written and inspiring. Or maybe classical music so you can relax. But don't fall asleep)!
-Saying hi to your family (Is your dog giving you weird looks? Do your siblings/parents/kids look surprised that you've left your computer? Then you've been writing for too long).
-Taking a nap (Again, if you're one of those super intense writers that blows off sleep for a couple of days in order to get more writing done. Not a good idea. You don't write as well when you aren't rested).

3. And finally, I gave myself rewards

If I met a short-term goal, I let myself take a break, eat some chocolate, watch some YouTube videos, or play some video games. I tried to not get into anything too involved, otherwise I'd lose track of time, but something like reading a chapter of a book or watching an episode of "Friends" was a great way to relax after typing furiously for an hour.

Now that I've bored you all with the details of my writing goals, I have a little announcement to make.

(Okay, maybe not so little).

(I'm actually pretty excited about this).

(Okay, a lot excited).

I'm going to interview Em Garner! :D

Yes, I just figured out the details a couple hours ago!

And if that's not exciting enough for you, listen to this: she's giving away a signed copy of her new book, Contaminated.

Oh, yes.

If you want to win this fabulous prize, please, follow my blog to learn about the juicy details. I'm hoping to have the interview/giveaway posted here later this week, but it all depends on Em's schedule.

I can't wait! :D

Blog About a Quote

I'm doing this blogging exercise as a practice for Bryan Hutchinson's guest post on The Write Practice. For the exercise we need to pick a quote and blog about it. Here's the quote I picked:

"Only in the darkness can you see the stars." -- Martin Luther King Jr.



The reason I picked that one is because, well, there are a lot of reasons. First off, I just love the quote. I think Martin Luther King Jr. had a lot of great things to say. Secondly, in my current WIP, Cosmo, I always have a quote at the beginning of a chapter. The quote always has something to do with what happens in that chapter, which is difficult a lot of the time. There's a chapter where something truly awful happens--I won't give away what--and this quote is at the beginning of the chapter.

So what does it mean?

Well, one could take it literally and say, "It has to be dark outside for you to go stargazing." And while that's all good and true, I don't think that was what Dr. King was going for when he said this.

To me, this quote means that in your darkest and most awful times, you can find something good. It might not pop up right in front of you, singing a TV jingle, and dancing in a sparkly dress, but you'll find it eventually, and when you do it'll be great.

Here's a chapter excerpt from that particular chapter (don't worry, there aren't any spoilers):

     Celeste hugged me even tighter.
    "I'm so sorry."
    Celeste didn't ask me any questions. She just sat there next to me on my bed for hours while I cried, holding my hand. I got up to blow my nose in the bathroom and when I came back, there was something written on Celeste's hand.

     Only in the darkness can you see the stars.

    "I can't see any stars at the moment," I said quietly. Celeste gave me another hug.
    "Maybe the city lights are blocking them out."
    "I wish they wouldn't."
    "Give it time. Maybe by then you'll see the moon."

An Interview With Celeste Smitherson

A while back I interviewed Cosmo Moonshine, the main character of my current WIP, Cosmo. I took a short break so I could finish up The Sorceress, but when I came back I found a new character waiting for me. Well, maybe she wasn't new, exactly, but her personality had changed. Cosmo's best friend, Celeste Smitherson, was no longer just the funny, goofy, new best friend for Cosmo. She still is, but then I realized that she had more depth to her. Her childhood was hard for her in many ways and I discovered some new hobbies of hers. She has quickly become one of the most interesting characters in the book.

Cosmo Moonshine, here, interviewing my new best friend (since Vanessa is no longer talking to me) Celeste Smitherson!

Celeste: Thank you, thank you.


*Celeste takes a bow*

Please introduce yourself.

Celeste: My name is Celeste Smitherson, I'm fourteen years old, and I'm a complete and total spaz.

We can see that . . . very easily, might I add. Tell us about your family.

Celeste: Well, there are my parents who I don't see very often because they're always working, and that's it. Unless you let me adopt Polaris. Pleeeeaaasseeee?

Absolutely not. That little, white fuzzball of a kitten is mine.

Celeste. Aww.

Can you tell us more about your hobbies?

Celeste: I like to read, but writing's not really my thing. I really like art: painting, coloring, sketching, pottery, anything that's creative and involves using your hands a lot.

Writing involves using your hands.

Celeste: You know what I mean. Oh, and I also like acting, but that's just a hobby, while art is going to be--hopefully--my career someday.

Who do you think is more in control: Yourself or Kate?

*Celeste laughs*

Celeste: Oh, so definitely me. My dialogue practically writes itself! I know what I'm going to say before Kate does. It's hilarious to see the look on her face when I say something.

Who is your greatest enemy and why?

Celeste: Anyone who is a bully. I've been transferred to fourteen different schools due to either bullying or having to move for my dad's job. Sometimes I've had to move to different states because of bullying problems. I've lived in five different states and I haven't ever lived in a house for longer than a year. It sucks.

Who (or what) do you think inspired Kate most when she was creating you?

Celeste: I honestly don't know--and I don't think Kate does, either--but I know that I inspired her to put a quote at the beginning of each chapter she writes. We have some pretty good quotes on there: lots of song lyrics, book quotes--including stuff from the Harry Potter series and stuff from The Wizard of Oz--, and quotes from people like Martin Luther King Jr and Neil deGrasse Tyson. The Wizard of Oz is my favorite book. Ever.

Mine, too. What is your biggest dream?

Celeste: To be a famous artist. I'd like to do book covers, I think. I should do the book cover for Halley's Comet.


It's not even finished yet!

Celeste: But it's awesome so far! You need to put up another blog post, soon. Your followers are waiting.

You're my only follower.

Celeste: Yeah, but did you check your stat counter? Your getting hits from places like India and Japan!

Yet no one has commented on my posts except for you, yet.

Celeste: Maybe they're just a little shy.

Kate: Okayyyy, we're getting a little off topic here. Sorry, guys, but I need to wrap up the post.

Celeste: Aww, just a few more minutes? Plleeeeeaaaassseee? This is as famous as I'll ever get when it comes to blogging. You have way more subscribers than I do (*cough* four *cough*).

Kate: Maybe next time. Now scoot!

Celeste: See ya'!

Bye!

Let's spice things up on here. Do you have any questions for Cosmo or Celeste? How about Cassandra or Cornelia? Katherine or Kristen? Leave a comment and they'll get back to you as soon as possible! :D

An Interview With Cosmo Moonshine and Funny Lyrics

While Cosmo and her interviewer are preparing for the interview, I thought I would tell you about some hilarious lyrics that I misheard. In Phillip Phillips "Gone, Gone, Gone" there's a part where he says "You're my crutch when my legs stop moving" but it sounds like he's saying "You're my crotch when my legs stop moving." Now nobody in my family can help but laugh whenever he says that. They should really fix that.

Anyway, I can see that Cosmo is politely tapping her foot, so on with the interview! Please welcome Cosmo Moonshine, the protagonist from the novel I am currently writing Cosmo. And here to interview her, her best friend Celeste Smitherson!


Will you please introduce yourself?


Cosmo: But you already know me!


Celeste: Yes, but the rest of the world doesn't.

Cosmo: I know, I know! I was just kidding. My name is Cosmo Moonshine, I'm fourteen-years-old, and I am not a unicorn.

Celeste: Then what are you?

Cosmo: ... A human? That was kind of what I was implying.

Celeste: Of course. But Moonshine . . . isn't that--?


Cosmo: An illegal alcohol? Yeah. An unfortunate last name, I know, but Kate didn't realize that until after she created my name, and after that there was no going back. But I like it. It's pretty! Plus it makes for some good jokes in the book about me.

Tell us about your family.

Cosmo: Well, there's Muffins, my white and brown speckled cat, and then there's my mom. Her name's Sandry Moonshine since she kept her maiden name. A good idea since my dad divorced her when I was nine!

Please tell us more about your hobbies. 

Cosmo: I looooove astronomy. I've always loved studying the sky and space and anything that appears in the sky: the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, you name it! But the stars can get kind of hard to see when you live in NYC. I want to go to college and study astronomy. I also want to be a famous astronomer. But I also like hanging out with my mom and my cat. Writing is another thing I love to do.

Who do you think is more in control: Yourself or Kate?

Cosmo: Mostly Kate, but I jump in and give her some ideas. She'll start writing a short paragraph describing my room and then I'll interrupt and give an elaborate story about why my ceiling is painted black. If you were wondering, I painted it that way because it looks like the night sky when I'm falling asleep. I also painted white stars and constellations on the black ceiling. 

Who is your greatest enemy and why?

Cosmo: It's not really a who as much as a what. Ever since after my dad divorced my mom we've barely been able to keep our apartment and have a hot meal on the table at the end of the day. So I'd say that poverty is my greatest enemy, as well as my mom's.

Who (or what) do you think inspired Kate most when she was creating you?

Cosmo: NOVA. NOVA is a PBS show and she watched twenty minutes of one of the episodes about space. They kept explaining things about "the cosmos" and she thought of my name. Cosmo is practically writing itself ever since she went to the planetarium! That gave her tons of ideas!

What is your biggest dream?

Cosmo: To be able to afford going to college. Then I can be an astronomer. For now I'll just keep on dreaming.

Thank you for coming, Cosmo! And be sure to read Day 18 of my 30-Day Blogging Challenge! :D