Petra, Jordan

Hello, I hope you are having a wonderful December! Can you believe Christmas is so soon? 

I wanted to finish my travel logs by posting about Petra today, and Jerusalem tomorrow. After that I'll just be wishing you a Merry Christmas! 

After visiting Turkey, our group traveled to Israel, then crossed the Jordanian border. A two-hour drive through the desert later, we made it to Petra. 

To get to the rock carved Treasury, you wind through a series of narrow rock passageways. 

Then, the magnificent Treasury comes into view. 

It is absolutely incredible. I can't even fathom the time and energy it took to carve and create this palace of stone. What's even crazier is that Petra wasn't known to the Western World until 1812, even though it is believed to be built 312 BC. 

Though the Treasury is the most well known (and seen on movies such as Indiana Jones and Transformers) there are several other carved buildings beyond the Treasury. 

The Urn Tomb.

2,000 years ago, this theater was originally carved by the Nabateans to hold 3,000 people. Later, the Romans expanded it to hold 8,500 people. 

There were plenty of donkeys, horses, and camels throughout Petra. I was lucky enough to ride a camel in front of the Treasury. This, everyone, is Petro the camel. 

Did you know that camels don't actually spit? 

Some of the architecture carvings are so intricate! And unfortunately, Indiana Jones was wrong, there was no Fountain of Youth inside the Treasury. But it was still amazing. 

Many of these pictures were taken by my friend Malissa, and I'm so glad she captured certain details that I missed. There was so much to see! 

Visiting Petra was one of my favorite parts of the trip. History was brought to life as I got to see this beautiful rock architecture. Once again, I've received so much inspiration for future stories!  

Istanbul, Turkey

Hello! This girl is back from her travels and so excited to tell you about visiting Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Let the pictures begin! 

Obviously Turkey has a lot of Turkish delight! It reminds me of the White Witch on The Lion, the 

witch, and the Wardrobe. Remember when all Edmund wants to eat is Turkish Delight? I loved that it was in every dessert shop, as was Baklava and anything pistachio flavored. 

One of said yummy dessert shops.

The Blue Mosque is absolutely breathtaking. Everyday a prayer is played throughout the whole city, starting at five in the morning and heard every hour until well into the evening.

Inside the Blue Mosque. The ceiling detail and artwork is beautiful! 

My cute friend Malissa and I inside the Blue Mosque courtyard. 

The Hagia Sophia dome. 

Inside the Basilica Cistern. This is an underground system that used to bring water to the city. 

There's fish in there now. Maybe not the best drinking water currently, but still amazing. 

These statues of Medusa were placed in the underground Cistern during the Roman period. The weird part? No one knows why the statue heads were put in upside down and sideways (pictured below). It's a mystery, which of course just makes it so intriguing. I'm so going to write a story about this someday. 

Why is it sideways?! 

Topkapi, a Turkish palace. Learning the history of the royal family is so interesting. Did you know that brothers would battle to become king? They would either win the sword fight and secure their place as king, or die battling. 

Toblerone McFlurry and a cute stray cat. Unfortunately there were so many stray dogs and cats throughout the city, it was painful to see. 

Pomegranate juice stand.

No big. Just balancing a huge tray of bread on his head with no hands. 

The Grand Bazaar was bigger than I ever could have imagined. Honestly, we got lost, but ended up seeing a lot of beautiful lights, lamps, and wood carvings. 

One of the coolest things about Istanbul is that it's the only major city to straddle two continents. We spent most of our time on the European side, however this evening we were on the Asian side. We took a ferry over there to enjoy the freezing, but incredible sunset. 

Stay tuned for adventures in Petra, Jordan! 

Chasing June Blog Tour and Giveaway!

I'm so stoked to announce the release of Chasing June by the fabulously talented Shannen Crane Camp. Chasing June is the second book in the series and Finding June, book one, was nominated for a Whitney Award! Yeah, she's pretty awesome, and I'm so happy I get to be a part of the same writing group. 

 One thing I love about Shannen is that her fun, enthusiastic personality is contagious, and it shows through in her writing. She has such a good sense of humor and I always LOL (for real) when I read her novels. You don't want to miss this release! 

Read about Chasing June and enter the giveaway below.

June Laurie has it all—a budding career on the hit crime drama Forensic Faculty, a supportive and perfect boyfriend in her best friend Joseph Cleveland, and hopes of transferring her acting skills to the stage at college. But in a series of plot twists as dramatic as any Hollywood storyline, June's dreams dim with a heavy dose of grown-up reality. Once she starts school at BYU, June's days become filled with classes and the new challenge of dealing with jealous theatre majors who seem determined to give her the cold shoulder. Her happy plans for a future with "the one" take a turn, too, when Joseph dumps her to focus on preparing for his   two-year LDS mission. Casting directors and the siren call of stardom beckon her back to California, while an old co-star appears on the scene to confuse things even more. Caught up in the drama of life—the type that has more intrigue, subplots, and unexpected romance than a murder mystery game—June starts to wonder if maybe her life's script might end with a grand finale she never saw coming.

Add it to your shelf on Goodreads!

Check out the first book, "Finding June" here.

Shannen Crane Camp was born and raised in Southern California, where she developed a love of reading, writing, and anything having to do with film. After high school, she moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University, where she received a degree in Media Arts and found herself a husband in fellow California native Josh Camp. The two now live in either California or Utah... they still can't decide.
Shannen loves to hear from readers, so feel free to contact her at Shannencbooks@hotmail.com or visit her website for more information: http://shannencbooks.blogspot.com

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Chasing June

by Shannen Crane Camp

Giveaway ends December 08, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Greetings from Turkey, Jordan, and Israel

Long time no talk! Sorry to be away for so long, I've been out of the country visiting Turkey, Jordan, and Israel. I can't wait to share my stories with you about these amazing places, but first I just wanted to check in and wish you a very happy Thanksgiving week. Wherever you are, I hope that you have a wonderful week and safe travels. 

Travel blog posts to come soon! 

Journey of a Fantasy Trilogy

As you know, I finished the third and final book in The Shapeshifter's Secret Series. I've been rewriting and editing like mad to get it ready for a release date in June. It's an exciting experience, but it's also incredibly nerve-racking. I've put my whole heart into this trilogy. I've spent years dreaming up this series and making it come to life. For me, it's a lot of pressure making sure everything wraps up in a way that I feel good about giving it to my readers.

Characters have to find resolution in whatever path they choose. Some will reach their full potential, while others will fall short because of their decisions. Each character has to choose where they stand, and there won't be any gray areas to hide in. Sadly, there is more death in this novel. 

However, with the sadness, comes the stand-up-cheering-smiling-ear-to-ear moments when characters realize who they are. There's a lot of growth and self-discovery. Some relationships end, some relationships start (eek, so excited for this). Characters will live, laugh, and love—and it's all part of the hero's journey.

I can't wait to share this last book with you. Thank you for coming on this crazy adventure with me. Let's party in June at the launch! 

Also, as pictured above, there will be plenty of sword fighting, because swords are awesome. Just thought I'd let you know. 

Quoth the Raven

During this time of year I like to read some of Edgar Allan Poe’s greatest poems and short stories. His work was hauntingly eerie, yet so eloquent and beautiful. Unfortunately, I feel like my first exposure to Poe’s writing was on a Simpson’s Tree House of Horror episode. Bart Simpson was masquerading as the raven yelling “Nevermore, Nevermore,” while Homer played the tormented narrator.

Poe never received the credit he deserved for his writing during his lifetime, even though he was terrifyingly talented. I’m sure you know some of his most classic works. But as it's near October 31st, I think I should extend a dare for you to read some of his most chilling tales. 

I can’t physically give you a handful of Twix, Reese's, and Kit Kats to celebrate Halloween (my favorites), but instead, as a treat, here are some my favorite stanzas of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. Enjoy. Mwahahaha! 

THE RAVEN

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, 
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, 
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, 
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. 
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door- 
Only this, and nothing more."

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, 
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore. 
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven, 
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore- 
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!" 
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting- 
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! 
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! 
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door! 
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!" 
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." 

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting 
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; 
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, 
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; 
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor 
Shall be lifted- nevermore!

(To read the full version, visit
 http://www.heise.de/ix/raven/Literature/Lore/TheRaven.html). 

Body Language

My husband is taking a public speaking class and he's been learning a lot about body language, something I find fascinating. Honestly, you can learn a lot more about how someone feels from their body language than anything that actually comes out of their mouth.

I love applying this to writing because it helps create believable characters. You can tell your reader everything they need to know about a character purely off their body language. Adversely, if your character's body language is wrong, it will hurt your writing.

One thing I try to keep in mind is that often people say one thing, but their body language contradicts them. If you ask a favor of someone, they might respond and say they're happy to help, however you can sense that they feel uncomfortable or unhappy about it—it's because their body language is portraying how they truly feel.

Likewise you might have moments in your writing where a character feels uncomfortable, scared, or unhappy, but they try to mask their inner feelings and appear calm and confident. It's important to show small traits of how they're truly feeling during each scene.

If you have a character that's feeling angry, they might stiffen up or change their tone. If someone touches their nose, they don't believe what's being said. If they're nervous, they'll be fidgety, give short answers, and have terrible eye contact. When someone's feeling relaxed and confident, they'll make themselves appear bigger, taller, and raise their hand higher in class. When someone feels vulnerable or scared, they'll shrink by crossing their legs, folding their arms, or sometimes touching their neck.

I've been watching other's body language a lot more closely, trying to take notice of how they react in different situations. My goal is to make each of my characters react believably, thus creating stronger writing.

How do you use body language in your own writing? What popular characters in literature use strong body language?