Salt Lake Comic Con FanX

Pictures from Comic Con Part 2! Please note that I am super pregnant and did my best to make it all the way around the whole expo. 

Even pregnant people can feel small next to Hagrid. This was one of my favorite costumes there. 

Iron Man. How do they make these costumes?!

Middle-earth battles happening mid expo. 

My view from the Disney panel where Cruella De Vil posed perfectly right before the panel started. 

I had to search everywhere, but I finally found the mermaids! Biggest compliment ever: they said I had mermaid hair. 

And red coat (Allison?) from Pretty Little Liars! She was absolutely terrifying and I had to keep checking over my shoulder after bumping into her. Beware of red coat!

Until next time Salt Lake Comic Con! 

Book tour in California

Last week I got to spend time in California. Traveling, for me, is like a breath of fresh air. It gives me new inspiration, motivation, and a sense of adventure. Traveling helps me become a better writer. 

On this adventure we got to visit several Barnes & Noble so I could sign copies of The Siren's Secret. First we started at the Studio City Barnes & Noble near Hollywood. 

Next we stopped by the Grove Barnes & Noble. So many books. Seriously though, look at all those levels! If you stop by this store, keep an eye out for The Siren's on the "What Teens Are Reading Now" table. 

After that, we got to see Conan live. A fun experience, but a little strange. All sets look so much smaller in real life. Somehow I always forget that and I'm surprised every time.

Next we stopped by the Calabases Barnes & Noble to sign more copies of The Siren's Secret.

That night we went to eat dinner and stumbled into the Pacific Rim premiere. I hate to be one of those people who just jumps in line because there's a crowd of people, but it was fun to see everyone freaking out as the actors came by. I promise I did not become that crazy fan, well at least not then. That moment came the next day. 

Pretty Little Liars anyone? THIS IS ALISON'S HOUSE! This is when I turned into one of those weirdo fans who can't breathe because they're so excited. This is on The Warner Brother's Studio lot, and I felt like a kid in a candy store. Pretty Little Liars and Harry Potter stuff everywhere! 

This is the barn where Alison first disappears. Spoooooky. 

The Friend's set was really fun. They kept everything at Central Perk just the same as it looked on the last episode. 

There's Ellen's parking spot! Oh boy, see now I sound like one of the crazy fans again. Who takes pictures of people's parking spots? 

Harry, you can't drive through here! 

The Howler from Mrs. Weasley, shrieking and all. 

Can you name which three characters these wardrobes belong to? 

After all the fun in Los Angeles, we headed to San Diego to sign more books, visit family, and stop in Old Town. One of the coolest places in Old Town is called the Mormon Battalion Historic Site. If you've never been before, I would definitely recommend it! 

The San Diego Barnes & Noble. I spy, with my little eye, a siren on a shelf up high...

Jumping for joy--and not caring how silly I look. I love California. 

San Diego waves crashing, and only SEVEN jellyfish stings. 

Last stop on the way home was the St. George Barnes & Noble. If you're from any of these areas, you'll find signed copies of The Siren's Secret along with bookmarks inside. Thanks for letting me share my adventures! 

Interview and Giveaway

My Blog Tour starts today, and to kick it off I am a Reader, Not a Writer has posted an interview and giveaway! Click the link at the bottom of this post to enter the giveaway and see the rest of the interview. Here are a few of my favorite questions.

Describe your book in 5 words:

Sirens, werecats, magic, curses, and love.

What is your favorite scene in the book?
I love when Caleb finally tells Julia the life changing secret he’s been holding in for months.

What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you’d be embarrassed to admit?
Pretty Little Liars. The books and the show.

I also talked about my most embarrassing moment, but I'll let you read about that on her blog, hehehe. 

http://www.iamareader.com/2013/05/the-sirens-secret-by-heather-ostler-blog-tour-interview-giveaway.html

Happy Reading! 

Safe Haven and The Great Gatsby--The Books and The Films

I saw Safe Haven the other day and I can't seem to get it out of my mind. I know it got terrible reviews, but I really liked it. While many critics scoffed at the plot twist, I found it endearing. It's not a family movie, but I think it's a sweet chick flick and I'm never opposed to seeing a Nicholas Sparks film (even though I've never seen Nights in Rodanthe or The Lucky One).

I'm the kind of person that can't get memorable movies, songs, or books out of my head. Sometimes a whole movie will play in my head while I'm doing the dishes or some other boring chore.

Anyway, the other thing that I can't get out of my mind is The Great Gatsby preview that came on before Safe Haven. I feel so weird about it. We all read The Great Gatsby in high school, right? It's one of "the classics." It's well written, full of deep symbolism, and has timeless characters--but it's also really, really SAD.

It reminds me of some of the other novels I read in high school like 1984, Lord Of The Flies, and The Grapes of Wrath. They're amazing, but they also made me feel depressed (and to be clear I am not bashing these books at all, I understand their importance). It just confirms my opinion that Hollywood can make anything look current, beautiful, and fun.

Another thing that made me feel strange about the preview was the music. It featured songs from Kanye West, Jay Z, Florence + the machines, and an edgy cover of Happy Together. I like Florence + the machines, but I had a hard time meshing current trendy music with such a classic, somber story.

Earlier this year in the Halloween episode of Pretty Little Liars, Aria, one of the main characters, dressed up like Daisy from The Great Gatsby. Her friend Hannah asked, "from the movie?" and I thought that was such a strange line. But now I understand it. With Leonardo Dicaprio starring as Gatsby in previews that show characters dancing in glittery costumes to music from Kanye and Jay Z, teenagers are getting a very different view of the story than I ever did. It will be interesting to see what kind of feedback it gets after its release date in March.

Both of these movies are based off of books, so I'm curious to see what you thought. Did you read or see Safe Haven? How do you feel about the new film adaption of The Great Gatsby?

Pretty Little Liars

I just finished reading Twisted, book 9 in the Pretty Little Liars series. And it was, well, twisted.

I don’t know if you’ve ever watched the series on television, but it can become pretty addicting. The books are VERY different than the show (or I guess I should say the show is very different, after all, it came later). The characters look different (Emily on the TV series has tan skin and black hair, and in the novel she has red hair with pale skin), which I don’t really mind, although sometimes my mind mixes things up. Also, different characters hook up with people that they never did in the novel, but I’m not sure how vital all that drama is to the storyline. The novels are even more thrilling than the television series. However, I will admit they are a little PG 13 (really, I could go without the swearing).

I definitely love how Sara Shepard writes. She has such a great voice, and when you combine that with her dark stories of Pennsylvania’s Pretties, you have a deadly combination.

Also, I really admire each characters own sarcastic voice that makes me burst out laughing even in the scariest of scenes (and my gosh, they do get scary). I guess this could be the comic relief that’s provided when situation becomes too intense.

Once again I found myself googling when the next novel comes out, which happens to be December. Shepard amazes me with the fact that she can pump out multiple fantastic books in a year. I'm writing my second novel for The Shapeshifter’s Secret, and I’m trying to be motivated by this fact. Hopefully I can learn to write as fast as Shepard, and create books that are just as addicting ;).

Have you read the books or watched the series? What is your take on the stories?