Amanda Hocking

As some of you may know, my newest book Wake comes out August 7th. So I was thinking that I wanted to do some fun stuff with book bloggers and readers over the course of July and August not only to get people excited about the new book but also to show appreciation for all the people who have worked so hard to make my life so awesome (namely, you guys).

So here’s my question: What are some things that you guys would consider fun? What would you like to see on my blog? And/or what would you like me to do on your blog?

I’m considering and probably will do the more obvious things – like giveaways, interviews, etc. I also plan on reaching out to some other YA authors, and see if they would be interested in doing guest posts/giveaways, etc, on my blog.

But really, I want to know what you want to see more of. After all, if I’m doing something for you, it would be best if I give you what you want.

If you guys have any fun events or blog-iversary type things going on in the months of July or August, let me know. Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments or email me/Eric at hockingbooks@hotmail.com

Once I hear back from people and get an idea of what you guys are interested in, I’ll start rolling out some ideas to gather even more feedback. I know for sure that I’ll be giving away some of my books, and that I’ll probably do some sort of completely-unrelated-but-totally-awesome Batman giveaway around the time The Dark Knight Rises comes out. But that’s because I need to.

I think I’d like to start kicking off around the beginning of July and go right on through until the end of August. I don’t think I’ll be doing something every day, though, and I would probably like to do the most things around the end of July and beginning of August.

But anyway. Yeah. Let me know what you think.

You guys know my good friend Jeffrey, right?  His author-y name is J. L. Bryan, and he wrote these amazing books about Jenny Pox and some other awesome books about fairies (Songs of Magic). Currently, he’s having this event called Midsummer Dream Fair (although, it’s really more of an Early-Summer Dream Fair, since the first day of summer was like 2 days ago. But “Early-Summer” has less of a Shakespearean/Puck connection). You can check out at the crazy stuff going on at the fair: here.

Anyway, he’s had tons of fun posts and giveaways and more things than you can shake a stick at (because your arm would get tired from shaking at so many things). Today he has a guest post from me, and it’s a very fun interview, wherein I answer questions that nobody has asked me before (for true). Read: here.

But I haven’t even told you about the best part! Jeffrey is giving away unicorns! UNICORNS! Like super awesome amazing ones! Honest. So go on over, read some stuff, and win yourself a unicorn. (And my book Virtue, which may also have unicorns in it).

Meanwhile, check out this awesome freaky trailer for his book Jenny Pox (which is currently free). And then, when you’re doing doing that, go check out Fairy Metal Thunder (also totally free). (Here’s a link to win the WHOLE set of FOUR Songs of Magic books: here.)

Lullaby – the second book in the Watersong series – will be out November 27, 2012. It originally wasn’t go to be out until February, but they’re bumping up the schedule, so all the books will be coming out sooner.

For those of you unfamiliar with Watersong, here’s the description for Wake – the first book in the series:

Beautiful. Fearless. Dangerous. They’re the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Thea, and Lexi have caught everyone’s attention, including the eye of practical Harper. But it’s her sister, Gemma, they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma seems to have it all – carefree, pretty, and falling in love with the boy next door. But her greatest passion has always been the water. She craves late night swims under the stars, where she can be alone yet belong to the sea. Lately she’s had company. Penn, Thea, and Lexi spend their nights dancing, singing, and partying on the cove–and one night Gemma joins them. When she wakes up groggy on the beach the next morning, she knows something has changed.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. As she uncovers the truth about her new mythical powers, Gemma is forced to choose between staying with those she loves or entering a dark world brimming with unimaginable secrets.

Wake will be out August 7, 2012.

And now here is the cover for Lullaby:

The description for Lullaby is coming soon.

Also, for fun, here is the soundtrack for Lullaby, if you want to check that out: here.

Oh my gosh. It’s been way too long since I last blogged. But it’s been with good reason. I didn’t want to bore you.

I am in full Batman mode at this point (with a bit of Captain America residue still hanging on from The Avengers). That means all I want to talk about right now is Batman and how it’s only 38 days until The Dark Knight Rises comes out and re-arranging action figures in my office.

So I’m trying to spare you from my obsessive nature. It’s really me being kind to you.

But I do have news now that is unrelated to Batman that I want to share with you. The cover for Lullaby – book 2 in the Watersong series – is ready! I’m going to reveal it on my blog tomorrow, along with other fun info about the Watersong series.

Wake – the first book – will be out August 7th, which I kinda can’t believe it. Time has been going by CRAZY fast lately.

It’s one month to my birthday. I’ll be 28 this year, which makes me all kinds of sad. I also have my 10 year high school reunion in July, and I really can’t believe that. It’s like the first 20 years of my life seemed to take forever and the past 8 years have just flown by in the blink of an eye.

So anyway – check back tomorrow for the cover reveal for Lullaby as well as other fun info! (Hint: The cover is pretty).

There’s a game that Eric and I like to play called “Better If They Were Gay.”*

It all started one fateful night a few months back, when we were watching Frasier.**  I said (or Eric said, I can’t remember which) that the show would be better if Niles and Frasier were a gay couple instead of brothers.

And that’s when Eric and I started talking about other shows that would be better if they were a gay couple. Also mentioned were: Sherlock & Watson, Drake & Josh, Lenny & Carl… I’m blanking right now. But feel free to add onto this list.

It’s not that I’m against women or romance. I enjoy both. I just don’t like a lady being thrown in for no good reason. Often times, said lady is a 2-dimensional character with very little to offer the scene other than the fact that she is very pretty and is probably mothering/putting leading male in his place, and interfering with the chemistry between the two male leads.

Sometimes I feel like they put ladies in there just to remind you that these two characters aren’t gay, because otherwise they totally would be. And to that I say, if the lady isn’t bringing anything to the table, don’t put her there.

Yes, I think it would be great if all ladies had well-written fully-developed characters. But I would rather see fewer ladies in movies than frequently seeing them appearing as eye-candy and arm-trophies and as some abstract justification for an action.

I was watching Thor the other day, and I quite liked it.*** I love Natalie Portman. She is my third favorite actress of all time (below Anjelica Huston & Kate Winslet but above Bette Midler). But I have never been more annoyed with a female character in a film before. I have no idea why her character was even there.

No, I have not read the Thor comics and I have no idea if her character even exists in them let alone how fleshed out she is in there. She might be the greatest character in all of comic book history, but that was not how she was presented to me in the film. I’m basing my opinion on her solely on that.

This got me to thinking about all the other superhero movies I’ve watched. Almost all of them have a girl. Almost none of the girls do anything except look pretty and provide some kind of abstract motivation for said hero to do something (often saving pretty lady from some form of distress).

So this is my plea to anyone making these movies: stop doing that. I would rather watch a superhero movie with zero ladies in it than see one more Jane Foster-esque character. The heroes don’t need them. Do you know why Captain America wants to save the world? Because HE IS F****NG CAPTAIN AMERICA! He doesn’t need a pretty lady to remind him of that.

What I’m saying is that either give me a well-rounded lady (well-rounded equal to or greater than the male lead in the film – I’ll work it to scale) or don’t have her there. I am sick of it. You can have pictures of Megan Fox in the background. Or maybe a little thought bubble floating above the screen where Natalie Portman winks and waves at you, then disappears.

Give me liberty or give me death.******

And what I’m usually saying when I say “This would be better if they were gay” is: “I am more emotionally invested in the two male characters because they are drawn-out fully formed characters while the female character gives me nothing to root for other than the fact that she is pretty and for some reason the dude seems into her.”******

People are going to want to give me examples of strong-leading ladies to contradict the sentiments in this blog, and I encourage you to do so. I also by no means think that every lady in a movie is unnecessary or lame. Black Widow was quite good, and I think that Pepper Potts does a good job of balancing out Tony Stark. 

I’m not saying this a rule or that every film is this way. Or that I don’t want to see ladies in films. What I’m saying is that I love Batman and Captain America, and I wish were there were more ladies in movies that I admired and aspired to be like as much as I do them.

I guess I just want there to be more characters like Ellen Ripley and fewer like Jane Foster. If there’s no room for real ladies in film, you don’t need to just shove one there. It doesn’t make it a well-rounded movie. It just makes me annoyed.

Oh, This Means War came out on DVD & Bluray this week. It falls under this heading also. You should read my review: here, and then also watch it because it has Tom Hardy and Anjela Bassett. Also Chris Pine.

*We don’t actually like to play this. We played it one time, listed everything that would be better, and then called it a day. I occasionally still play this game by myself, wherein I see something and think, “This would be better if they were gay.” Then I quit. Because that’s how you play the game.

**Six months ago or so, I was super into Frasier. I still think it’s a tremendously funny show, but now I’ve seen every episode on the Hallmark channel, and I’m done.

***Did you guys know that Kenneth Branagh directed it? I know, RIGHT? It makes so much sense when I thought about it, but I never saw it coming.

****UCKI

*****Please do not give me death.

******Daphne was completely developed on Frasier. Niles and Frasier were just super gay.