Making Waves (15)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 15: #TruthwitchParty!

In a little over a week Truthwitch is released to the world!  It's kind of crazy for me to think that after all this time I've spent thinking and talking about this book, it's finally going to be out there!  And I so want everyone to love it - please love it! :D  Since it's nearing the end of our street team shenanigans, our final team project is to create some things for a Truthwitch Release Party.  I have a few ideas so let's start with the first - some temporary tattoos representing the elemental clans:

Get the high-res, downloadable file here!

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Making Waves (14) with a Giveaway!

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 14: Happy Holidays! Feature something holiday and Truthwitch themed!

The street team currently had a challenge to recreate the Truthwitch cover using any medium, and I decided to tie that in with this week's Making Waves post.  I'm sorry I have to subject you to my drawing skills, but I hope you will enjoy my rendition of the Truthwitch cover with Santa Safi! :D

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Making Waves (13)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 13: Cover love!  What do you love about any or all the Truthwitch covers so far?

There have been three Truthwitch covers revealed so far.  The first one in the image above is the U.S. one, the second image is the U.K. version, and the last one is sadly only for the U.K. ARC.

The U.S. version: I think for marketing purposes, this is the best cover for the book (also probably my favorite).  I love the way the girl is perched on the rock, with two swords, just waiting for someone to make their move.  It's a powerful stance, made even more so, by the arcing water around her that hints at magic.  There is also the ship in the background, and the foreboding sky that gives so much atmosphere to the cover.

The U.K. version: The one thing I love about this cover is the font - it is so pretty for the U.K. version.  I think the gold and the blue is striking too, although silver and blue look more harmonious.

The U.K. ARC: I'm a waterwitch on the Truthwitch street team, and this cover features the symbol that represents water, so I very much love that.  The cover is simple but striking and the font works even better in that blue color in my opinion.  Also with the flourishes because it looks like waves of water.  I really wish the U.K. book had this cover actually!

Which cover do you prefer?

Next week's question:
Happy Holidays! Feature something holiday and Truthwitch themed!

Link up!

Making Waves (12)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 12: Share your song playlist or Pinterest board/ tumblr aesthetic for Truthwitch

One of the activities we were asked to do for the Truthwitch street team was to make something about Truthwitch, and I decided to go with creating a Truthwitch-related Pinterest board, because Pinterest is always fun.  Well except when every other pin in my feed is one of their 'related pins', and I keep deleting and saying I don't want them, but it does no good because they keep showing up.... Anyways.

Actually Pinterest is great, and I had fun putting together these images that I feel represent Iseult - one of the main characters from Truthwitch.  And a character I really identified with for her practical, logical nature and her wanting to feel like she belongs.  Some of my pins also represents the novel's settings, which are very vivid in my mind, and I'm glad to have found some great pictures to represent them.

Follow Bookish Whimsy's board Iseult det Midenzi on Pinterest.

Next week's question:
Cover love!  What do you love about any or all the Truthwitch covers so far?

Link up!

Making Waves (11)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 11: Susan Dennard Gratitude Post - Why do you appreciate Susan as an author or her work?

I think I first became aware of Susan Dennard through her close friendship with Sarah J. Maas.  I remember the first time I saw Sarah at a book signing for Crown of Midnight, someone gave her a photo with Sooz and Sarah's faces imposed over jaeger pilots from the film Pacific Rim, and Sarah could not have been more delighted.  It was so cute.  And then I heard more and more about their silly, fun, and loving friendship and as so many people have said on social media - friendship goals.  So when I heard that Susan was looking for Truthwitch street team members, I read about the book, thought it sounded AMAZING, and decided to sign up.

Since doing that, I've gotten to know so much more about Susan Dennard.  I finally read Something Strange and Deadly (the rest of the series will be read soon!), I've pored over her website which is chock full of goodies for readers and writers, and of course I've seen her on social media.  And for her work, I just love how dedicated an author she is - how she imparts that to other aspiring authors with her advice and her encouragement.  And having read both Something Strange and Deadly and Truthwitch (the review of Truthwitch will go up around the end of December - I'm still tweaking it!) I think she's an amazingly talented writer with such a knack for creating complex, fun characters who act very dynamically together.  And her stories are full of suspense and adventure.  I think she's awesome through and through!

Next week's question:
Share your song playlist or pinterest board/ tumblr aesthetic for Truthwitch

Link up!

Making Waves (10)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 10: Are you participating in NaNoWriMo?  How has your experience been so far?

I'm not participating, because I find writing very painful LOL.  Although there is a book that I've been lightly toying with writing - only because it's the kind of book I would like to read, and I haven't really found it yet.  I would love to do a modern update on Jane Eyre (surprise surprise, it would be an update on that book).  I want it to be pretty faithful to the original, but also believable which is so hard to do.  I think that's why there are so many misses for me in some of the modern JE retellings.  It's Mr. Rochester's secret that is so hard to get down.  I'm still trying to think of a believable way that keeps him from divorce.  Oh well.

I hope everyone who is participating with Nano is doing great - there's still so much time left in the month, so I wish everyone luck in reaching their writing goals!  As everyone should know, Making Waves is a feature that came about because of being a part of Susan Dennard's street team, and I think it's perfect here to mention just how helpful her blog and newsletter is for writing advice.  You can find a lot of her advice by visiting her website here.

Next week's question: 

Susan Dennard Gratitude Post - Why do you appreciate Susan as an author or her work?

Link up!

Making Waves (9)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 9: Have you visited the new website TheWitchlands.com?  What are your impressions of it?

I've been a part of the Truthwitch Street Team for about... three months now, and it's been glorious to be a part of the launch of this book.  Just a couple of weeks ago, the official website for the series was revealed and it is my pleasure to gush about it to everyone.  ("Lots of gushing" is something I do on a daily basis, so it's not really a hardship.)

The layout of the site is wonderfully simple, but there are lots of fun things to explore.  I especially love the map, which has pop-ups of information about the different provinces (cities?) and there is also a quiz to see from which part of the Witchlands you hail from.  (I'm a proud Nubrevnan.)  There's a very special list of inventive curse words that Safi (the main character) uses, so obviously that is useful.  And the website design takes off from the gorgeous U.S. cover of the book, so of course it looks beautiful

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Making Waves (8)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 8: What video games do you like to play?  Or which book would you like to see as a video game?

I'm actually not much of a gamer - at least for the big, immersive games that needs a system like an Xbox or something.  I do like to have games to play on my iPhone though, and the one I'm really into at the moment is Disney TsumTsum.  I think I mentioned this before....  It's a match 3 type game where you connect the cute Disney tsum tusms and make combos.  You also collect the different characters in the game and they all have different skills.  It's so cute and fun!

There are two versions of the game - the 'International' one, and the one that was released before this in Japan (so called the 'Japanese' version.)  I started with the International version of course, but grew envious of how the Japanese version seems to have more 'events' (special limited time tasks) and since it has been around longer, it also has more characters.  So now I play both versions, with a focus on trying to improve my score/character count/skill level on the Japanese version.  It's all very serious. :)

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Making Waves (7)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 7: Happy Halloween!  Feature something spooky and Truthwitch related!

I'm not that into Halloween, so I don't do the usual things to celebrate - like carve pumpkins, dress up, give out candy.  I'm kinda boring like that.  So for this Making Waves, I'm so happy that @Truthwitch on twitter came up with a fun contest for an ARC of Truthwitch.  The contest is to color a drawing of a seafox, which is a fearsome creature that appears in the novel.  This seems like it would be appropriate for Halloween.  If you would like to enter the contest to color, and maybe win an ARC - check out Nicola's post. (The contest ends November 2nd!)

So here he is - #MySeaFox, Arvensis, solitary wanderer of the seas.  Because he's on the move a lot,  he mostly keeps to himself, exploring and learning about life beneath the waves.  He's feared by many a human who sees him, but he's not interested in any of their small, insignificant lives, so they have nothing to fear.  He's a very powerful sea fox, so no one should mess with him.  Arvensis has a great affinity for water of course, making his clan Water.  Despite his fiery aspect!

And now my colored portrait of Arvensis:

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Making Waves (6)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 6: Where do you live?  What is magical about your city for you?

I live in a suburb of Los Angeles, California, and here's the thing about Los Angeles, the city proper:  I don't really like it.  It's crowded all the time, not very clean, I wouldn't be too comfortable hanging around there at night (although it's not that dangerous I suppose.)  And it's not the best city to walk around in - you need a car in LA.  You could take the bus or the scant subway system, but it's not a great system, and not the best if you want to get anywhere in a timely manner.

So... this is completely negative so far.  I guess what I do love about Los Angeles is the fact that I can see some great live theatre shows here.  That I can drive around and sometimes see a film or TV show filming in the streets.  It's nice to have a major city nearby for access to these things.  And at night, all the lights are really pretty.  There aren't too many must see attractions in downtown Los Angeles (probably the main ones people think of are more in Hollywood or Beverly Hills) so it's really an interesting sort of city.  It's equated with California - especially with Southern California, but the actual city is not so great that it can compare in variety, culture and just class to New York, Paris, and London.

If I were to tout about Southern California though, I do love it!  You can get to the mountains and snow, or the desert, or a forest, or the beach and the ocean in about an hour.  There's so much variety and access when it comes to culture.  We have all kinds of food, lots of great places to visit, and really great weather most of the year.  Just don't get too excited about the actual Los Angeles haha.

Next week's question:

 Happy Halloween!  Feature something spooky and Truthwitch themed!

Link up!

Making Waves (5)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 5: How is your experience with the Truthwitch Street Team so far?  Or why would you like to be a part of the team?

I had an earlier post where I talked a bit about first joining the street team and how I had never been a part of one before so I didn't really know what to expect.  It's been a couple of months now, since I've been a part of the Truthwitch Street Team, and there are many things about the experience that I didn't expect.  I feel like the clan that I was put into - the Water clan - is pretty much a perfect group of enthusiastic people, who are all so supportive, kind and creative.  I love checking in with them on twitter (through their tweets or through the DM chat) and seeing what's going on.  Being a part of this street team is an ongoing, collaborative project that makes me excited about more than just Truthwitch (although I'm so ready to read the whole book!!).  It makes me also excited to blog, to engage with readers, and to be a part of the bookish community.  I really didn't expect that the street team could be so invigorating!  I almost wish I worked in publishing now - book marketing is kind of fun.  Especially when you have such awesome people to work with, and an equally awesome author to promote.

The other thing about this street team that I didn't expect, was how Susan Dennard would be so willing to give her time and energy to her team.  Behind the scenes, she sends us special videos, swag, and sneak peeks.  And it's AWESOME.  And she seems the sweetest person ever.  And from reading her blog posts or her Misfits and Daydreamers newsletters and how much advice and thought goes into those, I love how much she gives back to her readers.  It's kind of getting sappy here, but I feel a whole lot of joy from being a part of the team.  And I have to say I'm so grateful for the Waterwitch Babes, the Truthwitch fans, everyone in the Truthwitch Street Team, and of course, Susan Dennard.

I probably tweeted this too much already, but we are having a #ClanChat on October 25th at Noon ET, with all the Witchlanders.  Last month was so much fun, and I'm sure this month will be more of the same!

Next week's question:

 Where do you live?  What is magical about your city for you?

Link up!

Making Waves (4)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 4: What are your favorite books that feature one of the elements on the cover or title?

Heir of Fire: The link is obviously to fire here with the title.  It's hard to say which of the Throne of Glass books will be my favorite, but with Heir of Fire, I became firmly obsessed with the series, and with how well Sarah J. Maas has expanded her fantasy world.  I'm sure everyone who reads this post has read this book, but just in case you haven't - umm, it's HIGHLY recommended that you get on this! (my review)

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: I had to have a book to represent my water clan!  I don't always love Neil Gaiman's stories, but I do ALWAYS love his writing and with The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I'm happy to say that I was in love with both things.  The story is quintessentially Gaiman - quirky, magical, and thought-provoking, with a fairy tale feel and a love of the metaphorical. (my review)

The Crown: I think of this book as representing aether, with the mystical cover.  This is a historical thriller/mystery with a nun as the main character, and I absolutely loved this series.  It's so engrossing, and Joanna Stafford is a smart, forward-thinking heroine.  The Tudor setting is also fascinating to read about. (my review)

The Waterwitch Babes are hosting two reading events that we would love for everyone to participate in!  One is a reading challenge for books with elemental titles/covers or themes, and the other is a read-along of Susan Dennard's trilogy - "Something Strange and Deadly".  You can read more about the events (and hopefully sign up!) by checking out this post!

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Making Waves (3)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 3: Which clan do you feel you belong to?

Well, I'm water through and through, BUT for the sake of this question, I'll talk about a clan other than water.  The Waterwitch Babes have an unofficial Truthwitch sorting quiz, which I took and got AIR as my clan.  I also get water sometimes, if I'm in a mood and change one answer or two.  It all depends!

But Air, is a great element, I love that it's associated with the mind and with freedom - I can relate to having a love for that.  Even though I haven't been in school for awhile, I do like to learn about new things and challenge myself to do something I haven't done before (usually of a new hobby or skill).  It's why I'm a fangirl of so many things I think - something new and unknown, and interesting, appeals to me.

But I wouldn't trade clans for the world, fate or the powers behind the Truthwitch street team put me in the right place.  I <3 my Waterwitch Babes!

The quiz is embedded below, and if you haven't yet, I would love for you to take it and let me know what you get!  

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Making Waves (2)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 2: Which Truthwitch character would you like to have as a best friend?

~ Iseult det Midenzi ~

Iseult is one of the main characters in Truthwitch, and I am absolutely drawn to her for being intelligent, grounded, practical and a reader.  She also has a troubled past, and is subject to a lot of awful prejudice and racism in the Witchlands, which makes me want to hug her.  She is fiercely loyal (as can be seen in her bond with the other main character of the book, Safi) and that is always a great quality to have in a bestie.  Safi and Iseult are threadsisters, and that seems to indicate a deeper bond than mere friendship (although I haven't seen that really explained yet just from reading the 15 chapter sampler of Truthwitch!)  Do I need to mention how much I would like to read more!!??

[More Character information on Iseult from Susan Dennard's tumblr]

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Making Waves with the Waterwitch Babes

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 1: Why do you think water is an important element?

First, a little info about the street team here - the bloggers who were chosen were (randomly?) placed into different clans that are represented by one of the classical elements - earth, air, fire, water, as well as aether and the void - and obviously I'm in the Water clan and our awesome clan designated ourselves as the Waterwitch Babes.  

I did not pick Water as my element, but being in the clan and exploring all the graphical and thematic aspects of it, has heightened my appreciation of it.  Already I feel like I have a connection to water because I love the sea, and my favorite Disney princess is Ariel so mermaids are definitely cool. 

One of the aspects of water that I'm really connecting with though, is how water flows and adapts to it's environment.  The ability to adapt fluidly to what comes your way is such an incredible gift.  It's what can keep you young at heart, aware, present, and ultimately happy.  If you can accept change, and know that you will be okay regardless, well it is a wonderful thing.  And water is the best element that represents that ability to move and go with the flow as they say.

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