Amanda Hocking

Amanda's Blog

you may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
July 21st, 2010 by
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I added a widget for the Wisdom countdown. Apparently, it’s only 32 days away. Egads!

I’m working on some fun things for the release of that, and I will be asking for beta readers/editors soon. I’m not asking yet, so don’t offer yet, cause Wisdom isn’t quite ready for betas yet.

Last night, I had a super bizarre, sometime frightening dream. I had to hide under a bed to avoid getting shot at one point. What I remember clearly: The song “Purple Rain” played in the background the entire time, but like over the loudspeaker at a mall – very background noise. And Joseph Gorden-Levitt was there, helping me, I think.

So I blame the entire dream on Inception.

As a writer and a frequent-owner of very, very bizarre dreams, I often wonder if given the option to live entirely in a fantasy (i.e. a made up world in my mind or dreams or what have you), would I choose it?

That’s not say that I don’t love my friends or family or many parts of my real life. Most of them in fact. But if I could live in a place where I always control everything, where I can do anything, look fancy, frolic with unicorns and Heath Ledger, would I take it? Even if I knew it wasn’t real?

That’s a pretty fundamental question, though. Is real pain better than false happiness? Not that my life is pain pain, but it’s not perfect. Maybe that’s a better way of phrasing it – are real flaws better than false perfection?

Obviously, the correct answer is to choose reality vs. delusion. That’s the right thing. The moral thing. But the right thing is for me to exercise 30 minutes day and save at least 10% of my check, but I don’t do those either.

I can’t honestly say that I would pick the right thing in that situation. I’d like to spoiler alert at least three movies with Leonard DiCaprio – no, wait, I’ll make that four – to help support my hypothesis, but I can’t. I mean, I can. But I don’t want to “Rosebud is the sled” them all for you.

The point is – I’m an honest person. And I like anybody that tells the truth. I have more respect for people who come out and say they’re an asshole than people who pretend to be nice.

But I think if given the chance, I might choose to dream over real life. Even a bad dream. I hope that doesn’t make me a bad person. I’d like to think it makes me a dreamer, but it probably just means I’m lazy.

Probably, I’ll never be given the chance to find out.

Inception was a pretty good movie but Robin Williams as Riddler is the worst thing in the world
July 18th, 2010 by
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I’m in love with Joseph Gordon-Levitt this week, and you’ll all just have to deal with it.

To be fair, my Joseph Gordon-Levitt crush has been brewing since Angels in the Outfield, but it intensified after I saw The Lookout  a few years back (side note: I’ve put the The Lookout in the top fifty movies I’ve seen in the past 10 years, and I’ve seen a lot of movies in the past ten years – it’s very, very good. You should go watch it. Right now.) 
I got annoyed with him after 500 Days of Summer. I’m not going to go into my issues with that film or Zooey Deschanel or Michael Cera, because it’s too much work and vaguely confusing, even to me.

Anyway, I saw Inception last night. I won’t give away any spoilers (mostly because it would be too long to explain it) but here’s my general thoughts: 
Leonardo DiCaprio’s role in the film should’ve been lessened. Also, he’s being typecast lately, but I can’t tell you how, because that would ruin the end of the three movies he’s being typecast in – but here’s a hint: Revolutionary Road, Shutter Island, and Inception are the three movies doing it.

Also, Ellen Page was oddly intrusive. She was. I enjoy her and all (although, her indie quirkiness felt out of place in a crime thriller – which is essentially what this) but her character was awfully pushy for someone that just met Leonardo DiCaprio. 

And now I’m going to say something I don’t want to say – there’s a problem with all of Christopher Nolan’s movies. Not a big one, and it’s small enough where I can overlook it and love his films. He’s still pretty brilliant. But his plots are so intricate and detailed they don’t allow for much character development. I watched a nearly 3-hour movie. I only know five characters names, and I only really know details about Leonardo DiCaprio. And some about Cillian Murphy, but for the most part, those were brushed under the rug. 

Also – Eric had read somewhere that Christopher Nolan uses woman as an afterthought in his films. So I got to thinking about Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige, and the Batmans. And you know what? That is a 100% accurate. It’s bothered me that I never really liked Rachel Dawes in the Batman movies. Even in The Dark Knight. I love Maggie Gyllenhaal. Why don’t I care about Rachel? At all?

Because she’s not a character. She’s a prop. So was Scarlett Johansson in The Prestige, Carrie Ann Moss in Memento and that chick I hate in Insomnia. None of them are developed. They’re just plot devices.  

To be fair, a lot of Christopher Nolan’s characters are underdeveloped (with the incredible exception of Leonardo’s character in Inception who might be the most overdeveloped character in the history of the world). But a lot of time, he hits the mark right for the men. Again, with the exception of Inception. But the ladies never, ever are. 

Overall, I did really enjoy Inception.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s fight scene is pretty phenomenal, and I’m considering seeing the film in IMAX just so I can watch that in all its glory. Hans Zimmer’s score is stupendous. No other composer can bring tension like that. Cillian Murphy is pretty, as usual. Michael Caine had more of a cameo than an actual role in the movie, but I liked it. The ending was perfect, too. 

Tom Hardy – who I’d actually never heard of before – was the real charmer of the show. He stole most of the scenes he was in. He was delightful. 

Despite a few plot holes and a boring subplot that overshadowed the more interesting real plot, I’d still give it 4/5 stars. I really liked it, and I will buy the DVD. 

But what happened after the film is the most fun. A rumor on the internet is that Joseph Gordon-Levitt might be the Riddler in the third Batman film. I think this is the best idea ever. 
Well, after watching Inception, I went out to the bars with friends to celebrate my birthday, and I had a few too many drinks. I came home, a little drunk, talking about the movie and Batman, etc. My roommate told me that he’d read somewhere that they might be considering casting Robin Williams as the Riddler in the new Batman movie instead of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

I spent the next hour drunkenly sobbing about that choice and how it would ruin the movie. My roommate taped me on his phone, so I got to a watch video of it today, and it was pretty sweet. 
He asked me why I was so upset about it, and I said that it was the last time Christian Bale would be Batman and I didn’t want Robin Williams to ruin it because he doesn’t know what funny is. I then began to wail about how horrible Terminator: Salvation is.
It doesn’t sound funny, but it was pretty hilarious. Well, today it is. I’m not sure if it was fun last night when roommate had to listen to it. Although, in all fairness, I think he kept egging me on about it. 

And, Robin Williams really would ruin the movie. Really.



so it goes
July 17th, 2010 by
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I just learned that Guillermo del Toro is set to direct a remake of Slaughterhouse Five. I don’t know if this will ever happen, but I squeed when I found out. Putting one of my all-time favorite books with one of my all time favorite directors is very exciting.

On the subject of which, tomorrow I’ll see Inception. I’m already excited for its brilliance. Christopher Nolan is totally completely brilliant. I’m a little in love with him.

Here’s something people don’t say but I think is true: Leonardo DiCaprio can only play sad. Watch him cry or yell or get really upset about something, and it’s believable. But when he’s happy (or does an accent), it takes you out of the film. He can always make me cry – he can never make me laugh.

I’m also in love with Michael Caine. Completely. Have you seen Michael Caine? He’s the best ever. Him and Eric Idle. Give me a funny British guy, and I am so there. I think that’s the main reason I’m afraid to move to England. It’d be far too much for me to handle.

Although I’m hoping to go to England next year. I’m hoping to do a lot of things, of course, but my great-uncle Tony -who’s pretty much the only person I know in England – is getting older, and I’d like to visit while he’s still vibrant.

I’d also want to make my mom go with me. She hasn’t been to England in over forty years, but I’d feel better if she were there.

In semi-fabricated news – my grandma and Michael Caine were born in the same part of London around the same time. They both evacuated when they were very young because of the bombings from WWII – but who’s to say they didn’t know each other? They might’ve been friends as small children. My gramma can’t remember now. But how cares? I’ve decided that they were friends.

I imagine that if Michael Caine and my gramma had known each other, they would be friends. Very best friends, probably. Honestly. This isn’t just me touting my gramma’s horn. They would be the very best friends.

In fact, if Hitler hadn’t gone about destroying London, Michael Caine and my gramma wouldn’t have evacuated. They wouldn’t grown up together, maybe even fallen in love, gotten married. Michael Caine could’ve been grandfather.

And that’s just another thing Hitler ruined for me. Honestly, that man never did anything good.

my brain is broken
July 14th, 2010 by
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Yesterday, when I took a shower, I stepped out, thinking I had completed my washing ritual, only to find my head still completely full of soap. I hadn’t even slightly rinsed it out.

Things like this have been with increasing and somewhat startling frequency lately. I feel like I’m forgetting the most basic things.

I couldn’t remember Robert Downey Jr’s name last night, which is a very big deal since I always remember every celebrity’s name and Robert Downey Jr is also my all-time favorite actor. (Tied with River Phoenix and narrowly beating out Christian Bale, because I’d actually enjoy spending time with Roberty Downey Jr instead of being terrified like I would with Christian Bale, who does terrify me, in a very loving way.)

Anyway – the point is, I think my brain is broken. It’s clearly on vacation. It feels mushy and sleepy and does not want to conjugate anything ever. 

It’s also having a very, very hard time remembering to reply to emails. I feel like I’m forgetting people – like there’s something I’m supposed to tell them. But I don’t know who or what it is. Because my brain is broken.

So, if you emailed/tweeted/commented/reply to me, and you’re going, “Why hasn’t she responded? That seems awfully rude. What an odd, rude person.” Please, please just email/tweet/comment/reply to me and say, “Hey, I asked you about such-and-such a thing at such-and-such a time, what gives?” And I’ll respond as quickly as I can.

I don’t mean to ignore you. I’m being abnormally forgetful, and I’m naturally assuming something horrible like Huntingon’s or early onset dementia or schizophrenia or brain tumor. Or I might just be a tad overwhelmed by everything I’m doing and having going on lately.

Either way, I’m sorry. And I hope you forgive me. And remind me of what it is I need to do for you.

if you wanna view paradise, simply look around and view it
July 14th, 2010 by
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It is so unfairly hot in my office right now.

But on to brighter and better things – have you read the fantastic review of the My Blood Approves series at Fangs, Wands, and Fairy Dust? It’s so awesome, I think I might print it off and frame it. You sorta have to check it out. That’s how good it is. s

Here’s another awesome thing you have to check out: This video from author Zoe Winters. She writes vampire novellas, and according to Amazon, a lot of people who like my books also like her books. So you should check them out. Plus, she is pretty hilarious. 

This is her new webisode called Zoe Who? If you’re not familiar with the writing industry, some of it might not make sense, but I think its funny even you’ve never read or written a word in your life.


In other news worthy news, Switched – my exciting new novel just released a few days ago – is #1 in Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths. I’ve never had a book #1 in any category, so this very exciting to me. (It’s also #33 in Hot New Releases in Teen.)

You may ask, why that category? It’s because Switched is actually based on Scandinavian folklore. In fact, all of the words (like Trylle and Vittra) are Scandinavian, along with the names. I actually looked up a database on the most popular first and last names in Scandinavia for accuracy. Elora’s last name is “Dahl,” which I chose after seeing it on that list because of Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. 
On the subject of Switched, I’ve gotten a couple fancy reviews today, both on Goodreads and Amazon, and this one here at Do Not Disturb My Books: review. 
And I said I would have a giveaway for Switched — and I will. As soon as my paperbacks arrive so I can investigate them and decide if they’re worthy or not. If they are deemed worthy, the giveaway will commence. If they’re not… the giveaway will commence at a later date. But it will happen. It really will. 

I’ve had “Childhood” by Michael Jackson stuck in my head for like three days now, and it’s sorta driving me insane. But that’s neither here nor there.

Here’s something else fun: Today, at work, I gave my notice. I’ll still be On-Call (I work at a group home) so I can pick hours as need be, but as of August 13th, I’ll be living on my writing income. I will be a Full-Time Author, those most elusive of all mythical creatures, other than the unicorn. 

It’s exciting and terrifying all at once. It is really awesome, but I couldn’t have done it with out all your support. So thank you!!!!
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