I have a new blog!

Guys, I now have a new, official blog, and this means I won't be posting any more new things on this blog. I wanted to thank everyone who patiently read my posts here, and I'd like to ask you to migrate to cavalcar.org. You'll find exciting news there. And, now that it's my official blog, I'm hoping to post daily. Again, thanks a lot for following my words! 

Journey to the end of the world

So... hubs wants to take me to the end of the world. Literally. We're going to Patagonia. I'll have more to say about that soon, when we actually, you know, schedule everything and figure out when and where we'll stay. But, one thing is for sure: there will be a boat trip, and there'll be ice, and there will be penguins!

This will be me in a few weeks

Send positive thoughts. You know how I am when it comes to adventures.

*dies of anxiety*

Love,
-- Becca

My Relationship with McDonald's

You know what's funny? I say 'Becca' when they ask my name at McDonald's (you know how they write your name down when they're taking your order?) and every single time I say it, they give me a shy smile like they don't quite know what to do with this level of intimacy. I always get the feeling I'm pushing our relationship to another level. Well, all I have to say is that I love my junk food, and I have junk food whenever I can, so why not start calling me by my nickname, McDonald's?

;)

CURUPIRA is now on Wattpad!

Hi guys!

Guess what...CURUPIRA is now available on Wattpad. I wrote this story about two years ago. I queried it, submitted it to publishers (when I was done querying the agents I truly liked), and I did get some attention and feedback, but this book was not the one. I've debated what to do with this story, and I came to the conclusion that although it's a bit uneven, I'd like to show it to readers. So, I'll be posting three chapters per day on Wattpad. I have a mini heart attack every time I think you guys are going to read it. Well, I hope you enjoy it. :)

Feel free to befriend me on Wattpad: Click here.

Start reading CURUPIRA: Click here.



CURUPIRA by Rebecca Carvalho

Making true friends abroad, after her own best friend runs away, isn't sixteen-year-old Emma Newberry's biggest challenge in Brazil. For the first time in the endangered Atlantic forest, she's on the track of the Curupira, a folkloric creature she knows nothing about.

Emma goes to spend the summer with her aunt in a rural Brazilian town, where she meets Thomas Schmidt, an awkward boy overly eager to befriend her. Tom tells her that the town believes that the Curupira, a boy with fiery hair and backwards feet, lives in the woods surrounding her aunt's new house. According to him, this same spirit of the forest is behind the disappearance of every single person who goes missing in the forest. It seems folklore in Brazil is as real as the forest.

Emma recruits her new friends, and together they embark on a journey in the Atlantic forest to follow the footsteps left behind by centuries of Brazilian folklore. If a bit of folk tale wasn't enough, there's an unscrupulous local willing to go to any lengths to get her aunt to sell her new estate to him. He needs her grounds to bring his logging company into town. A logging company that could infuriate revengeful Curupira, and bring the town of Saudade to face its fears. What's help in Portuguese, again?

CURUPIRA is an 85,000-word YA Fantasy novel.

Cover composed from (free, CC-BY):
"Red Dress" by Ana Cristina 500px.com/frunzariti
"Way to go. Up." by Allan Macintyre 500px.com/AllanMacintyre
"Summer houses" by Vladmir Lagunov 500px.com/LagunovVladimir

What I'm currently querying: COUNTDOWN (YA Thriller)

Title: COUNTDOWN

Genre: YA Thriller
Word count: 73,000 words
Status: Currently querying. (If you're an agent / publisher, and if you're interested in COUNTDOWN, feel free to leave a comment or contact me at rebeccamcc7@gmail.com) Out on subs! 

The Breakfast Club + The Truman Show = A teen decides who dies each day. She's the only one who doesn't know she's on TV. #YA

Life for seventeen-year-old Jo Smith is a countdown. Her parents’ divorce--five. Her best friend became an enemy--four. Her father was stabbed to death--three. Her mother’s attempted suicide--two. Her boyfriend cheating on her--one. All she needed was to hit zero for this ticking bomb to explode and shatter her world.

Zero.

Masked men kidnap her on the first day of school and Jo wakes up in a fully furnished room, locked up with four other teens: a football player from Texas, a pacifist from California, a claustrophobe from New York, and a religious guy from North Carolina. The only clue to what’s going on is a message directly for her: every time the timer in the room counts down to 0:00, she must choose someone to die, or the kidnappers will kill her mom. And if the other four in the room find out that killing her is the key to ending the game, Jo loses everything.

Jo needs to decide if she's going to become a murderer to save her already broken family, or risk trusting allies who could kill her in her sleep. The kidnappers are watching. The whole world is watching. Jo is the only one who doesn't know she's trapped in COUNTDOWN, a reality TV show.

COUNTDOWN is a 73,000-word YA thriller that will appeal to fans of The Truman Show.

Two days until the beginning of the trip!

Two days until the beginning of my first South American expedition!

We now have flashlights that can be plugged to an outlet and charged (they made me feel so old), new backpacks, and we can't stop singing the Pokemon theme song. This is gonna be an awesome adventure, guys. Mark my words.

 

I'm Bilbo Baggins, nice to meet you!

There are days (like today) when I feel like I should change my name to Bilbo. Yes. Bilbo Baggins, who was so reluctant to change, so reluctant to go on adventures.

If you've been following this dusty blog, you're probably wondering when Michael and I will go on our South American expedition. We now have a date: 08/22/2014. 

The plan is to leave on the 22nd at night, catch the bus, and get to Chuí (that's on the border with Uruguay) on the next day, early in the morning. We'll cross the border (the city's name then becomes Chuy), and catch a bus in Uruguay headed to Punta del Diablo, a beach town where we've been before, a place where I truly learned to admire and yearn for the ocean.

We'll spend a day in Punta del Diablo, and head to Cabo Polonio the next day. Cabo Polonio is another beach town in Uruguay, but this one is rather unique, and I'll write more about it in the future, but let me just say one or two quick things about it: 1) NO electricity, 2) We have to cross the dunes to get to it.

We want to spend a night in Cabo Polonio, because as big city kids we're both curious to know what the sky truly looks like when there are no lights keeping us from seeing the stars. I wish I could bring a telescope with me, but I can only bring a backpack, so...

After Cabo Polonio, we're taking the bus to Montevideo. In Montevideo, we'll take a ferry to Buenos Aires, Argentina. In Buenos Aires, we'll catch a bus that will take us to Mendoza (it's a brutal, long journey, and I'm not really looking forward to it, but the bus is supposed to have these amazing seats that recline 180 degrees and become beds, so that's good).

We're going to stay about three days in Mendoza, exploring the city and adventuring near the Andes. We'll then fly from Mendoza to Santiago, Chile, and we'll spend a day there. In Santiago, we catch a plane back to Brazil, where we'll spend a day in São Paulo. Now, from São Paulo, I fly back to Porto Alegre, where we live, and Michael will fly to Wisconsin to see his parents. He'll be back with me a week after that.

The whole adventure will last precisely two weeks. I haven't traveled for that long, at least not recently, and I must confess I'm worried. No, I'm more than worried. I'm scared. My Spanish is horrible, but I speak Portuguese and English, and I'm hoping I'll be able to find a way to communicate. I'm bringing a dictionary along, too.

Well, although he was reluctant, Bilbo did enjoy his adventures in the end, didn't he? I can't stay hiding in my Hobbit hole forever, right?

*sings* Far over the misty mountains cold. . .   

  

The First Carvalho-Bethencourt South American Expedition

Hi guys,

Sorry, it's been a while since I last blogged. I won't try to excuse myself. I'm neglecting my blog, I know. But, guess what, I'll have more chances to blog in the near future. Why?

It's true. I'm going on an adventure!!!

Hubs and I will be going on what I'm calling our first South American expedition by the end of the month. We'll start our journey in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and cross Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile by bus and ferry. On the way back home, we'll fly to São Paulo, before I return to Porto Alegre and hubs heads to Wisconsin to visit his parents. Isn't that exciting?

I'm planning on fully covering this trip on the blog, and I'll try my hardest to post everyday. I've always been in interested in travel blogging / journalism, so here's my chance to give it a try, né?

The World Cup is next week!

The World Cup is next week. Did you know I live in one of the cities where Brazil will host matches? I do. Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul.

I've been saying this over and over on Twitter, but I can't stress it enough: if you're coming to Porto Alegre, make sure you bring a good jacket. Really. You don't need to bring winter apparel, the type you'd find in Wisconsin or Minnesota, but don't be fooled by the fact that Brazil is a tropical country. Well, it is a tropical country, but not one-hundred percent tropical.

Bring a jacket. Or a light sweater, even if you're just like Elsa.

The climate in Porto Alegre, in fact, is subtropical (within a temperate zone). Winter starts later this month, and the temperatures at the moment vary between the 50s and low 70s (and the tendency is to get colder). It went down to 44 F two or three days ago. The mornings tend to be very foggy, like Mists of Avalon foggy. At night, you'll want to sit next to the heater and drink quentão or chimarrão or whatever hot beverage within reach.

Chimarrão

It's possible to wear a thin T-shirt during the day and feel comfortable, but at about 4 PM you'll wish you had a jacket on you, just saying. . . As it is now, we're going through that type of weather that if you wear two layers, you get too hot; and, if you wear no jacket at all, your hands go numb and stiff.

Well, I guess that's all for now. Feel free to add me and @ me on Twitter, if you have any questions, if you find yourself lost or in need of a translator / Brazilian friend / moral support.

All the best and safe travels!
-- Becca

My life these days

Hi guys!

I realized it's been a while since I last blogged, so I figured I should try writing something down. Truth is, not much is going on in my life--nothing exciting, at least. Anyway, this is what my life is like now:

1) I'm 26 now. My birthday was two days ago (April 15th), and I must admit I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. It feels weird getting old, especially when I still feel like I've accomplished so little. Still, we celebrated the date. 

We got up late and went downtown. The bus was packed. 

I never eat McDonald's burgers in Brazil, because Michael says it's gross, and because it's expensive, but that's where we went for brunch. It was a nice treat. Interestingly, someone threw up in their ladies' bathroom. . . 

Anyway, we were planning on taking the ferry and crossing the bay, but it was getting late. We headed, then, to our favorite candy store (the one near the seaport), and bought lots of chocolate. 

It was about 6:00 PM when we got home. 

At 7:30 PM we went to our favorite pizza buffet. I ate so much I thought I was going to get sick. But, it was worth it. Their chocolate pizza is the best. 

In general, it was a good birthday. It involved eating lots of food, and you can't go wrong with that.

2) Revisions. I'm drowning in revisions. And it's my fault. 

COUNTDOWN is a YA thriller that's been in my head for almost two years now. When I first had the idea, I was working on a different story, so I couldn't write it. Then, when I was finally done with that story, I tried writing COUNTDOWN, but I didn't feel mature enough to write it. It is a very claustrophobic story, the characters go through a lot, and I just couldn't connect with it entirely. 

I don't know why, but suddenly around October (2013) I felt ready and began writing it. Last month, I finished the first draft. The story was difficult, but very rewarding. 

When I began revisions, though, I realized that the way I narrated the story felt wrong. It was in the first person, present tense, and it felt shallow. Very shallow, in fact, like walking on a puddle. The story just wasn't there yet. 

I tried rewriting some of my favorite scenes in third person, past tense, and out of a sudden the world opened up before my eyes, and the story looked more like what I first envisioned. That's what I've been doing these days, then. Rewriting everything so it's now third person, past, and editing as I go. I think it's way better now, but I have many sad days when I wish I could just be done with it and start querying.

3) I'm reading like a pro. Not really. I am trying to read like a pro. 

My reading challenge this year is to read 100 books, but so far I've only read three. That's a really sad number, I know. 

I'm currently reading three books, trying to catch up with my reading, but I have this terrible affliction that makes me crave writing when I'm reading, and crave reading when I'm writing. It's distracting, and I don't know what to do. 

I doubt I'll get to read all those 100 books, but a girl can dream. . .

Now, how are you doing? Leave a comment. Don't be shy. :)

Lots of love,
-- Becca
@cavalcar

HARVESTER -- An interview with Rachel Russell

Update: unfortunately, my friend Rachel's book is no longer available for purchase due to her publisher going under, but I'd like you to still show her support and follow her on Twitter, where you'll hear more about her future writing projects (if I'm not mistaken, she's currently working on something new). I don't know exactly what will happen to HARVESTER, but I think Rachel will pitch it to agents, so hopefully in the near future we'll see it published again. The story is great, it is ready and polished and edited, and it certainly deserves a home that will take care of it and make it available again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that very soon I'll have positive news to announce here about her and her book(s).

--------------------------------------------

I have the pleasure to announce the release of HARVESTER, Rachel Russell's debut YA novel. I love interviewing authors and getting to know more about their writing habits, but this interview in particular makes me really happy and proud. Rachel is a dear friend on Twitter, and she's always been there for me. She's a hard-worker and one of the most creative writers I've ever met-- you can't imagine how descriptive her writing is, and how it sucks you into the magical, magical worlds she creates. It was great to see HARVESTER go from an idea to a deal with Entranced Publishing.

-------------------------------------------

"Hey! My name is Rachel Russell and I’m twenty-nine years old. I’ll be hitting the big thirty (ugh!) later this year in October. I live in Kansas, but I grew up in Mississippi. So I basically traded hurricanes for tornadoes. Yay! Most of the stories I write about either fall into the high fantasy or horror genres; sometimes a combination of both."

When and why did you start writing?

I feel like every single writer answers this question basically the same and I’m really no different. I started writing online when I got into play-by-post and text chat roleplay. Since some people may not know what that is, it’s where you make up a character (I enjoyed playing characters with tragic backstories or Machiavellian villains) and describe their actions, thoughts, and their dialogue. It’s sort of like collaboratively writing a novel with a bunch of other people where you only get to control your character and nothing else.

Is writing ever scary, or is it always a bliss?

It’s never scary for me. Frustrating when I have a problem fixing a plot hole or get stuck in the story? Definitely.

Were you always a huge fan of fantasy? What is it about fantasy that makes you love it?

Yes. Always. It’s the genre I always, always come back to no matter what. I think what I love about fantasy so much is discovering this whole new unique world filled with magic and awesome races. So many epic things can happen in fantasy. There are no limits to what you can do in fantasy and I think that’s what I love most about it.

What inspires your writing?

Anything and everything. I’ve had ideas come to me when listening to a song, or even when watching an anime. I’ve also had ideas from dreams that I manage to remember after waking up. My story ideas usually brew for quite some time inside my head, where I cherry pick all these different inspirations and mesh them together until I have something new and unique and original that’s of my own creation.

Tell us a little about your writing habit: do you write daily? Do you write full-time? Do you plot?

My writing habit fluctuates, honestly. I’ll get on a kick where I’ll write daily. This is generally when I have an awesome novel idea and I’m plowing ahead with the story after plotting it all out. If I haven’t plotted or don’t really have an idea that thrills me, I fall off the bandwagon pretty easily.

Tell us a little about HARVESTER.

It’s set in a world where there are mages who live in secret in these massive underground cities. A sixteen-year-old girl named Catalina is the protagonist of the story. She ventures to the surface world, even though it’s illegal, and ends up having a run-in with a serial killer who has been murdering faeries for dark rituals. Catalina ends up getting framed for these murders and has to clear her name and stop the killer. There’s also a sexy love interest involved, who has a worrying connection to the serial murders.

Where did the inspiration to write HARVESTER come from?

It came from a love of magic, mages, and faeries. I love creating magic systems, so I spent a lot of time making up a completely unique magic system and giving it rules for how it works. The faeries were inspired from Sidhe faery lore and also Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And the mages of course are just humans who are born with the ability to use magic.

What audience is likely to enjoy HARVESTER the most?

If you like dark fantasy, magic, or romance, HARVESTER may be right up your alley. 

What was the publication process like? Did you query agents, too?

I did query agents for a time. I got plenty of requests and tons of R&Rs, but none of it ever quite panned out. While it was frustrating and depressing, I’m still thankful to all those agents who took the time to give me feedback and help me improve the book as much as possible. It changed a LOT from the original version.

Are you still open to getting an agent?

Yup! I’m working on a YA high fantasy and a YA horror that I intend to query later this year.

Are you interested in working as an agent or editor in the future?

I already work as an editor! I do both freelance work and also help out with titles at Month9Books. I have zero interest in being an agent though.

Do you think this generation of YA writers will be known for/as something? Are we making literary history?

That’s a hard one to answer. If we are known for anything, I hope it’s for writing bravely and tackling hard subjects and improving the representation of diverse ethnicities and LGBT characters.

Do you want to be remembered through your writing?

Of course! Who doesn’t? 

What would you say to someone struggling to get published that you wish you'd heard before you went on the same quest?

It isn’t a race. Chill the hell out and take your own time. Don’t worry about how fast a friend is writing or if this person with a crappy attitude landed a rockstar agent. Just keep your head down and do your best and have fun with the process.

--------------------------------

Sixteen-year-old Catalina has never seen the sky. As a mage, it’s illegal for her to leave the underground city she lives in. The sun and moon are only fantastical stories of a land far away. So when Catalina stumbles upon a tunnel leading to the surface, she can’t resist the temptation to see the surface world.

But instead of enjoying a night beneath the stars for the first time, Catalina emerges upon the scene of a savage murderer harvesting faery body parts. She's nearly his next victim, but is rescued by a grim boy named Will who has a troubling connection to the killer.

Even more disquieting is Catalina’s criminal status upon returning home. Someone with political clout has framed her for the vicious slayings. Now on the run from the law, Catalina must uncover Will’s tie to the serial killing of faeries, as well as stop a bloodthirsty murderer to prove her innocence, or face a death sentence.

------------------------------

Information about the book:

Title: Harvester

Author: Rachel Russell

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: 17th March 2014

Excerpt

The last person caught smuggling medicine had disappeared, never to be heard from again, after Marshals whisked him away for interrogation. It wasn’t a reassuring thought to have as Catalina stood in line and gnawed on the inside of her cheek. With each step she took toward the Arch, the glass vial hidden within the inside pocket of her vest grew heavier. She’d trafficked medicine into the city before, but it always felt like the first time. She supposed there were just some things you never got used to. Knowing the Arch wasn’t designed to detect her precious cargo didn’t stop her palms from sweating or her stomach from flip-flopping.

“Next.” A scowling guard dressed in a black trench coat with a stiff, upturned collar waved her through with an exaggerated wave of his arm, as if she’d been dawdling.

Catalina sucked in a breath and stepped beneath the Arch. It wailed, shrill and loud, like a cat in pain. She startled, her eyes widening. 

“Hands in the air!”

Oh no. No, no, no, Catalina thought. She held up shaking hands. My luck cannot be this crappy. She’d passed through the Arch dozens of times with the medicine on her and the alarm had never gone off before. Maybe it was a malfunction.

Another guard stepped over and passed a plain, black rod over her, starting at her head and traveling down. It glowed white when it neared her vest pocket. 

Catalina’s stomach bottomed out. They’d updated their equipment. For once, the law was a step ahead of her. 

The guard flipped open her vest and reached into the inside pocket, plucking out the vial. He held it up before his face, arching an eyebrow. Within the glass vial swirled clear liquid filled with glittering particles. The guard pulled out the stopper and sniffed. 

Catalina caught a faint waft of honeysuckle flowers. 

“It’s faery elixir, all right.” The guard put the stopper back on. “Take her to the interrogation room. The Marshal will want to speak with her.” 

The other guard stepped behind Catalina and twisted her arms behind her back. She needed to get out of there. If she could buck her head back hard enough to break the guard’s nose, maybe— 

Then metal pinched the tender skin of her wrists. She tried to wriggle her fingers. Her knuckles hit cool iron. He’d encased her hands in mitten handcuffs, the only sure way to keep a mage from weaving a spell. Catalina sighed. Now it really was too late. 

“Come on.” The guard grabbed Catalina by the elbow and led her through a blue door off to the right. 

Their booted steps echoed down a hallway with overhead lights so bright they whitewashed the walls and floor. Catalina squinted beneath the harsh glare. The guard led her to the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a dull door with black paint curling at the edges. Again, she was struck with the near-overpowering drive to bolt. She’d heard horror stories of Marshals using magic to strangle hearts near to bursting point till they got what information they wanted. 

The hinges on the door whined as the guard opened it. An empty room with a table and two chairs lay beyond. A cold chill rushed down Catalina’s spine. Odd how such a sparse room could feel so menacing.

The guard shoved her into the room. “A Marshal will be with you shortly.” 

Catalina stumbled into the room and whirled to face the guard, only to be met by the door slamming shut. A click came from the other side of the door as he locked it. 

She turned and strode to the table. “Great. What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

You can add Harvester to your to-read list on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18588776-harvester?from_search=true

------------------------------

About the author:

Rachel is a YA author who likes dirty martinis and pickles on her pizza. Her stories tend to be either horror or fantasy, or a strange amalgamation of both genres. She works at Month9Books, LLC as both the Submissions Coordinator and an Editorial Assistant. When not reading or writing, Rachel is marathoning anime, becoming one with Twitter (@RachelxRussell), or playing make-believe with her two daughters.

You can find her at:

Twitter: @RachelxRussell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Russell/144413508976741

Website: http://www.rachelrussellbooks.com/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rachelxrussell/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7304559.Rachel_Russell

I miss school

I remember I once asked my honors project advisor what she felt like when she was done with college. She said she got a job as a journalist, and started a new routine, but she missed going to class. If I remember correctly, I guess she said it was a little boring not having to go to school anymore-- so, she went to grad school. She liked school.

That was funny and weird to hear, even though I've always been a bit nerdy. When I asked her that question, I was on my senior year at college, ready to leave school and start my life, and make all my dreams come true. I was, I guess, very impatient to leave. And I was very tired, too. I'd always been the type who wants to excel at everything, so school life always demanded a lot from me. What I wanted at that point was to start applying in real life everything I had learned.

Well, I guess I understand my advisor now. I miss school. I miss the stress that your life becomes when you have papers to write, books to read, classes to attend, friends to hang out with, and a boyfriend to visit in a different town. I miss life in an academic environment, and it doesn't help that I went to a small, residential private school, and that it was a very close-knit community. I miss, as weird as it sounds, living in a dorm where you don't get your own bathroom. I miss the cafeteria and the big windows facing Fox river. I miss my school's library. And the big oak tree I always saw on my way to and from classes.

If you're a senior at college, enjoy your last year (within reason, of course) as much as you can. I know you're probably very tired and anxious to leave. I know the feeling so well. But, I assure you, you'll miss it when it's over. If you lived in a healthy environment, and if you like your friends, you'll miss going to class, and you'll miss your friends bragging that they have more work to do and that they sleep less than you do, as if sleeping less is something to be proud of. Anyway, you'll miss everything and everyone. The buildings. Your classes. Your teachers. Your friends. Your roommate, if you have one. Your awful / awesome cafeterias. You'll miss your books, papers, chatting, the occasional partying, and the first time you felt independent, as much as you depended on your friends to remain sane. Enjoy it all.  

Writing schedule -- I'm so behind!

I usually write 2,000 words per day. There are days when I write a little bit more than that, but only if the scene in particular is one I can't quit writing. And, I have two reasons for restricting myself to that word count: 1) It allows me to finish the first draft quickly, without losing steam. 2) If I write more than 2,000 words daily, I notice that on the day after writing too much, the front part of my head (the regions above and behind my eyes) feel achy and I just can't concentrate, and I feel lightheaded, too. I'm not sure why. Maybe, and I'm just speculating here, that's the region in my brain I use the most when I write. Or, maybe, I just have bad eyes and strain them when I spend too many hours squinting at the screen. Or both.

That's a moderately easy writing goal when I don't have to worry about anything else, other than taking care of my husband. I don't have kids, yet. But, since we've moved to Brazil, we've been hosting Christmas and New Year's, which means I write frantically on the first weeks of December, before my mom arrives. And that's... a bit painful. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom, and I love taking her out to see what Porto Alegre has to offer.

BUT, this year I'm really behind on my writing schedule. She'll arrive on the 24th, and I had planned out a writing schedule that allowed me only three days to work on each chapter, so the first draft of COUNTDOWN could be done by the 23rd. Now, if I want to catch up with my writing, I'll have to be done with chapters 5, 6, and 7 by December 12th... only two days from now. I'm almost done with chapter 5, but I still haven't started chapters 6 and 7. I'm doomed. I just can't write fast enough. I wrote a bit more than 6,000 words the other day, and the day after I woke up with an awful headache.

I know it is possible to write that much in two, three days. I saw people winning at NaNo on the very first weekend of November. That's insanely fast and good. But, I'm just not like that. I take my time. I ponder. I write by hand to feel the words, and then I type them up. It's a process that works when I commit to writing only 2,000 words per day. Well, I guess I need to keep trying. It would be great if I could be done before Mom arrives, so I could spend the two weeks she'll be here not worrying about it, and then begin revising it when she leaves. Any words of advice?           

Writers, how do you manage to keep your house clean in November?

Hey guys,

My apartment is so messy. I don't even want to look at it. I am... you know... writing another book. My fellow writers will understand me.

I was just now doing laundry, and the floor in the laundry room sure needs some washing. If you're anything like me, you panic at the sight of dirty things, and think of all the hours you'll spend cleaning, when you could be getting writing done. Well, that will have to wait for now. I just need to take a deep breath and better organize myself.

This is just a quick post to celebrate the beginning of a new draft. I'm so excited about my WIP, guys. I don't remember exactly when I had the idea for Countdown. I think it was a year ago, while I was working on Curupira. Since then, I've tried writing it a few times, but it never felt right until now. The first five chapters of the story are very claustrophobic, and I don't think I was ready for them before. I still struggle with them a little, but I'm definitely curious about the plot and the characters.

Countdown is my second YA novel, and for now I'm describing it as a cross between The Truman Show and The Breakfast Club. In the future, perhaps, I'll tell you more about the story and the characters. Let's hope I'll finish the first draft this month (yes, I'm NaNoing), because  we're hosting Christmas again this year (meaning: December will involve lots of cleaning, cooking, and sightseeing with Mom).

Wish me luck. Are you NaNoing, too? If so, how do you manage to keep your house clean in November?

Beijos!
-- Becca

 

My ghost story

Hi guys. How are you doing? All right, if you don't like creepy stories, you shouldn't be reading my blog today. It's October, and with Halloween coming up in a few weeks, I thought I should tell you a ghost story. I'm sure my dear friend Elyana Noreme will love this.

I think this happened either in 2010 or 2011, I don't know for sure. My school offered summer jobs, and I was working as a custodian on campus. I worked for a month, and I was saving money so I could pay for tuition. There was the possibility of staying in the dorms while I worked as a custodian, but I couldn't afford it, so I asked a friend of mine if I could help her house-sit for her host family. The family in question lived near campus in a small, comfortable house, and they were really nice to allow me to stay at their place with my friend while they were in Ecuador.

My job started at 6:00 and went until 2:30, from Monday until Friday. I had never worked as a custodian before, and I learned a lot from the custodians I worked with. The other students working there were great, too. Although I'm not an early bird, I think I adjusted to my new schedule quickly. I woke up every day at five, ate breakfast in ten or fifteen minutes, and ran to work.

Nothing odd happened for the first few days. I went to work, spent an hour in the library after work, ate dinner with my friend, talked on the phone for an hour or two with my boyfriend (who's now my husband), wrote some, read some, and was in bed by ten. On my first weekend (and I was really glad I could sleep past 5 o'clock), though, something weird happened. I woke up at around 7 or 8 with a strange noise coming from outside my room. I couldn't tell whether it was coming from down the hall or from downstairs. It sounded like someone was jiggling a door handle, as if trying to open a door. But, I was so tired to go check what was going on and ignored the noise. I thought it had been my friend. Later that day, though, I checked with her, and she said she had heard it, too. That was scary. My first thoughts were that someone had tried robbing us. I remember telling it to my boyfriend and he was concerned. He told me to make sure the doors were locked before I went to bed.

A week later, again on the weekend, the same thing happened. The same noise. I was in my room and looked down from my window, but I saw nobody standing outside. I don't know if not seeing a burglar made me happy or nervous, but it definitely got my adrenaline going. It had to be the back door, then. So, I did that thing that makes people yell at their TVs when they are watching horror movies: I went downstairs to check what was the source of the noise. And...

...nobody was home. My friend wasn't home. No burglar. No raccoons. No squirrels. Just Sky, the parakeet we also were taking care of, watching me from his open cage. One day I caught him jumping up the steps all the way to the second floor, but I was pretty sure he couldn't open doors. I was nervous, but I wasn't scared. There's wind, after all, and wind could have jiggled the door. So, I went to make myself breakfast.

I had just finished eating and was about to start writing, when I heard a floorboard creak upstairs. I looked up and stared at the ceiling for a second. It sounded like it had come from my friend's bedroom, right above the kitchen. And then I heard it again, and this time it was loud and clear, and it was footsteps. It was like a person running from one corner to the spot in the room right above my head. I stood up quickly, every inch of me suddenly getting very cold. There was someone upstairs. I kept thinking someone had managed to get in the house while I was in my room and hid in my friend's room while I made breakfast. It all made sense. I looked at the back door, ready to dart out of the house in case the person motioned to the stairs. But, the house was again very quiet. There were no more footsteps. And, after summoning all my courage, I checked the rooms upstairs and found nobody.

When my friend was back, I told her what had happened. She hates these stories and thought I was messing with her, but I assured her it really had happened. She assumed right away it had been a ghost, or some other paranormal experience, and told me that her host family joked that there was a ghost in the house. That was really strange, but the ghost actually had a name. Harry. That's probably because the girls in that family love Harry Potter.

She told me that things disappeared in the house all the time, and they blamed it on Harry. She told me she was playing a card game with them one night, and one of the cards disappeared. It reappeared later that night, when someone found it under books. They all swore they had not put it there. There's a chance someone was pulling a prank. But, you never know.

When the family was back, they were very eager to know whether Harry had made himself noticeable, and I was half amused, half annoyed (just a little) they had not told me they lived with a ghost. They were happy to hear about the footsteps. It's needless to say staying there inspired me to write a book. I felt very much like Stephen King. So... that was good, I guess. Nothing else happened after that. When my time as a custodian was over, I went to Seattle to stay with my boyfriend, and of course he had a thousand and one explanations as to why floorboards always creak in Wisconsin. I personally think it was Harry.

So, this is my Halloween story. What's the creepiest paranormal thing that ever happened to you? 

And, remember, you're only safe if you are under the blankets and way in the middle of your bed. Just kidding! ;)
  

What's Up Wednesday

Hi guys. I found out about What's Up Wednesday when I read Juliana Haygert's blog today (you should go ahead and read her blog, by the way!) and I thought that maybe it was a good excuse for me to come here and blog. So, here we go...

WHAT I'M READING

I usually have monogamous relationships with my books, but I've been reading a few bookS, and I switch reading them depending on my mood: (1) ON WRITING, by Stephen King, (2) CITY OF BONES, by Cassandra Clare, (3) EVER, by Jessa Russo. I'm almost done with ON WRITING, and I think it's brilliant. Every writer should read it. I don't know why, but I'm having trouble with CITY OF BONES, and that's a shame, because I really wanted to be in love with it. I just started reading EVER, and so far I'm really impressed with the quality of Jessa's writing. She's an awesome writer, and you guys should go ahead and buy her books now. 

WHAT I'M WRITING

I'm currently working on a YA historical novel (the first part of the novel is set in England, and the second part in China), and I'm really excited about it and equally afraid to write it. It's completely out of my element, and I think that's why I'm working on it. I felt I needed a challenge as a writer, and there's a chance I'll fail writing it, but at least I'll know I tried. What I love the most about writing it is the feeling of visiting new places as I write. I always want my writing to take me on a journey with my characters, and I must confess that doesn't always happen, and it's usually because I insist on controlling everything. This time, thankfully, I'm letting my characters take the lead.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

Victorian England and the Qing Dynasty. I've been reading articles and more articles online about both subjects, and I love doing research. And, I must say ON WRITING inspires me, too. So, thank you, Mr. King!

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO

When I'm not writing, I'm watching Anthony Bourdain with my husband, and we both dream of visiting new places. We were in Uruguay recently, and we want to go to Argentina soon, perhaps even before the end of the year. I've also been playing videogames during my free time... that is, I've been playing a videogame in particular, and I'm obsessed with it: Crusader Kings II. If you like medieval things, you should get it right now. I recommend it.

Pay it Forward Giveaway

Hi guys,

My dear friend Rachel Russell is hosting the Pay it Forward giveaway today. She founded it because she wanted to say thank you to everyone who support her. I'm joining her today, too, in saying thank you to all of you who've been so nice to me. I've learned a lot from so many of you, and you've been true Samwise Gamgees in my quest toward becoming a published author. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

The prizes on my blog today are:

1) The most thoughtful, detailed query critique. I'm no expert, but I can tell you how I feel about it, and perhaps even give you suggestions about agents who might be looking for the type of MS you wrote.

2) An amazing author spotlight on this blog featuring you!

Don't forget you need to follow this blog and to tweet about the giveaway in order to enter the rafflecopter. Also, make sure you check the #PIFG for more giveaway opportunities and to say thank you to your friends. You might even get excited about it and start your own giveaway today.

Happy Pay it Forward Day!
-- Becca
@cavalcar  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snow & Books

People wouldn't believe how cold it gets in Brazil during winter. Well, I didn't believe it got this cold in the south of Brazil until I moved here. We've been here for a year now, and this week is so cold, not even the heater in our bedroom can handle it (and that's the only place in our apartment that has heating).


It hasn't snowed where I live, but many neighboring towns saw snow. We get very excited about snow here, because it's rare. I lived in Wisconsin, and I'm used to snow, but I must confess even I spent a good hour peering at the sky the other day, waiting to see the much awaited snow flakes.

We're still waiting for snow in Porto Alegre; I'm afraid, however, this year we won't get to see it. The temperature we'll go up by the end of this week, which is not necessarily a bad thing, and we'll have to wait and hope that next year's winter will bring us snow.

As I waited, however, I got to read a few great YA books. The last one I read was Matched by Ally Condie. I'm not sure many people liked it (I read many reviews complaining that the reading felt too slow, and that it focused too much on the MC's relationship), but there were many topics in this book that left me thinking and made me cry (eugenics, euthanasia, and whatnot), so I'd still place it is a must read book. The main character left me mad a few times, but I suppose that's good. I'm not sure I agree with some of her choices, but I guess that's also good. My favorite character was her grandfather, who was a very strong presence throughout the book, even though he died at the beginning. I won't say more, because I don't want to spoil the reading for you, so here's the synopsis (taken from Goodreads):

Picture taken from Goodreads

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.


Where you can find the book: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Goodreads (and probably at other places where books are sold).

So, I guess even though I didn't get snow, I got reading done. I'm happy with that.

What are you currently reading? I've just started Legend by Marie Lu! 

What's your faction?

OMG, guys, I'm so excited!

I finished reading Veronica Roth's Divergent today, and I can't wait to read Insurgent. I'm... I don't even know how to put this... Well, I guess I'm slightly obsessed with this book, which is a good thing in my opinion. I read it in two days. Yes, it was that good.

Here's the synopsis (taken from Goodreads):

Picture taken from Goodreads

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.


Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Goodreads

I think what I liked the most about the book was that it reminded me a little of my days at military school. Wait, it was nothing compared to her training, but there were so many things about it that reminded me of my first weeks at military school. I was a small, skinny girl like Beatrice, and had zero physical strength... but, surprisingly, I quickly learned how to be brave, and stronger, and how to endure the elements, not to mention that I found the camaraderie and sense of 'this is my pack, even though I don't think I fit in very well' sort of feelings that Beatrice encountered, too.

When I was at military school, many of my best friends wanted to join the military when we graduated. Some of them actually had parents in the military, already, and sort of had a better sense of what life in the military felt like. For a year, perhaps more than that, I did consider joining the military. I couldn't become a pilot and join the air force, because I was too short and my eyesight is terrible, but I liked the Navy a lot, and considered a career in communications. For whatever reason, I never saw myself in the Army.

I changed my mind, though, when I asked myself an important question: am I willing to kill and to die for my country? The answer, call me unpatriotic if you wish, was a huge no. I'm a pacifist. I even struggle with self-defence. I feel I couldn't kill... I feel I couldn't point a gun at someone else. And, I feel I wouldn't be willing to be at war. I could defend my loved ones, and if killing happened to be the only way to defend them from harm, then, yes, I suppose I could kill somebody (or hurt them enough to disarm them and give us time to run)-- but, not as a way of life, not as my career, if you know what I mean. When I left military school, while my best friends were joining the army and the air force, studying to become officers, I began studying journalism.

That sort of dilemma is not the same Beatrice goes through in the book, but she does question her values a lot, and I had the same inner struggle. If we're to compare the book to real life, I guess I switched from Dauntless to Erudite? I don't know.

Read the book. It's pretty good. It's awesome, in fact. You won't regret it!

What's your faction? 

A new book by J.K. Rowling

Only a few days ago I was complaining about people spreading false news that Jo Rowling was writing an eighth Harry Potter book.

I come here today with the wonderful news that although she is NOT writing a HP book, she's published a new book under a pseudonym. If you're a fan of Jo's writing and if you like crime novels, then this book will probably interest you.

Jo kept it a secret until recently. This is what she said about it (information taken from her official website):

• J.K. Rowling's statement regarding 'The Cuckoo's Calling' by Robert Galbraith

  "I hoped to keep this secret a little longer, because being Robert Galbraith has been such a liberating experience! It has been wonderful to publish without hype or expectation and pure pleasure to get feedback from publishers and readers under a different name. The upside of being rumbled is that I can publicly thank my editor David Shelley, who has been a true partner in crime, all those people at Little, Brown who have been working so hard on The Cuckoo’s Calling without realizing that I wrote it, and the writers and reviewers, both in the newspapers and online, who have been so generous to the novel.  And to those who have asked for a sequel, Robert fully intends to keep writing the series, although he will probably continue to turn down personal appearances."  
  

This is the synopsis you will find on Goodreads:

Picture from Goodreads

A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide. After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

You can find the book at... probably everywhere books are sold, but these are a few links to help you either buy the book or add it to your to-read list: Amazon | Barnes&Nobel | GoodReads.

Happy reading!