Guest Post: I'm a Geek Girl

Today, I'm pleased to have Joy Preble, author of the Dreaming Anastasia series, here today with a guest post about being proud of your inner geek!

Yeah, I’m a Geek Girl: Live With It!

Joy Preble

(Author of the DREAMING ANASTASIA series from Sourcebooks: DREAMING ANASTASIA, 2009; HAUNTED, 2011, ANASTASIA FOREVER, 2012)

People often ask what my inspiration was for the DREAMING ANASTASIA series. And part of the answer, of course, is my fascination with the tragedy writ large that is the Romanovs. Like so many people, I have always wanted to believe that there was more to it than political assassination and a girl who died before she could be what she could be.

But then there’s the other part of the answer. The part of me that wrote Anne because I’d grown up with a love of genre fiction and then cut my writerly teeth on the work of Joss Whedon.  That girl is an unrepentant geek. A nerd. And so of course I’d end up writing a book with witches and mermaids and soul jar trope dudes who can’t be killed and a romantic hero who’s handsome and blue-eyed but really kind of a doofus at heart. We geek girls write stuff like that. It’s in our DNA or something. We memorize the titles of Buffy episodes and we go with our friends to the opening day of Serenity and when Adam Baldwin guest stars on Castle with Captain Mal himself, Nathan Fillion, we squeal with geeker joy. And we Tweet that our husband just quipped, “Hey. I hope they run into the Rievers.” And the other million geeks who follow us on Twitter tweet back that this is the greatest line they ever heard.

And stuff like that.

So I present to you: You Know You’re A Geek Girl When. With geeky bullet points and everything.  And yeah, it’s all true. Get over it, folks. This is the real me.

You Know You’re a Geek Girl When:

• You agree to appear at Comic Con in Austin with your fellow geek authors. In a mermaid costume. For two days.
• Your favorite moment of the above is meeting James Marsters who played Spike on Buffy. And getting a picture. Signed. (Which you babble about for two days, at least when you can get a word in over Tricia (PJ) Hoover’s rambling about her photo op with Kevin Sorbo.
• Did I mention the seaweed boa?
• You put physics and economics jokes in your manuscript and your agent tells you that maybe this is not as funny as you think it is. But you believe that giving a character a t-shirt that reads ‘Fission Chips’ is hysterical. And that the joke “Two protons walk into a black hole… that’s the joke” is also the funniest thing ever. Really.
• You Google ‘nerd t shirts’ while you’re eating your lunch. More than one day a week.
• You still know the titles of every BTVS episode. And can still quote lines. And if someone says anything close to ‘dance of joy’ your first thought is of Season 2 of Angel when the gang went to Pylea.
• When you realized that you now knew and worked with the blogger who used to blog as Moonrat, you were happy for like a million days. Maybe more.
• You saw The Avengers on opening weekend.  And you knew that you had to stay seated when the final credits rolled because it wasn’t really over.
• You also saw The Cabin the Woods. And chatted with your fellow geeks about how it was a meta-horror genre movie. Possibly too meta. But whatever.
• You played viola in the high school orchestra. And were first chair. And dated the 1^st chair bassoon player.
• You own a full collection of the paperback novelizations of the original Star Trek series.
• You used to write Star Trek fan fiction. Before there was the Internet. Yes, you and your geek friends exchanged yellow legal pads of manuscripts. Mostly about Mr. Spock’s love life. You now believe that if only you had titled it Fifty Shades of Spock, you would be on easy street now.
• You continue to believe that there is such a thing as a tesseract.
• You wish there were more people who would get excited about the Baba Yaga episode on Lost Girl.
• You screamed in horrified delight at the end of this season’s Vampire Diaries.
• You have worn socks with Birkenstocks. In public. But maybe only once.
• You could continue this list for another thousand pages.

Thank you Joy for an amusing look at being a GEEK GIRL!  I'm quite sure that I have an inner geek girl trying to get out!!

Guest Post: Top Ten Things to Know about Baba Yaga

Top Ten Things to Know About Baba Yaga the Witch

Joy Preble

Author of the DREAMING ANASTASIA series, Sourcebooks

(DREAMING ANASTASIA, 2009; HAUNTED, 2011; ANASTASIA FOREVER, 2012)

1. She is the most famous witch in Russian fairy tales/folklore.  In most (maybe all) Slavic languages, ‘Baba’ means ‘old woman.’ The ‘Yaga’ is also from Slavic roots, but it’s a bit more varied in the stories of its etymology. But the easiest way to think of her name is Grandma Yaga. In the DREAMING series, I have Anastasia refer to her as Auntie Yaga, which I thought an interesting little twist. I imagined the witch as asking her captive Anastasia to call her this, perhaps as a joke, perhaps to give Anastasia the sense that the Baba Yaga is gentle, perhaps even benign, which couldn’t be farther from the truth!

2. Many authors have used her in their stories—from picture books like Babushka Baba Yaga by Patricia Polacco to genre fiction by Orson Scott Card and Neil Gaiman. There’s even a Buffy the Vampire Slayer novelization with Baba Yaga in it! She’s in movies, cartoons, anime… you name it and the old girl has appeared in it! My books are in very good company.

3. Baba Yaga lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs so that it can help her evade her enemies. (This is such a great visual that it’s been taken over in other stories too. If you’ve seen the anime film, Howl’s Moving Castle, Howl’s house also runs around on chicken legs! This is the folklore that image comes from) In some stories, including mine, pikes with the skulls of her enemies surround her house like a fence. Cool, huh?  And when she travels, she rides in a huge mortar (that big black that you use to grind spices… those big black bowls they put guacamole in sometimes look like it, too!) and she stirs the air with a huge pestle. (That’s the grinding tool)

4. The idea of ‘grinding’ from that pestle in #3 connects to another fact about Baba Yaga: her forest is a place of change and transformation. Once you enter her forest, you will not come out the same… even if you survive. Baba Yaga is all about duality both in appearance and behavior.  Like all strong women, she’s complex. She may use her considerable power for good. Or she may grind your bones and stick your head on her fence. She’s mercurial and powerful and she can’t quite be defined. I found this particularly fascinating in terms of women and power, which is definitely a motif that runs throughout the series. Societies tend to marginalize old women, to define them by beauty lost, to de-sexualize them. But Baba Yaga won’t stand for that and I love that about her. I thought about this a lot in building her backstory, which continues in ANASTASIA FOREVER. I wanted to know exactly how she became who she is when Anne meets her. Exactly why she agreed to protect Anastasia for the Brotherhood. And I loved the complexity of what developed from that!

5.    Lots of people have written amazing articles about Baba Yaga! A good place to start if you want to read more is here: http://www.endicott-studio.com/rdrm/rrBabaYaga.html

6. Physically, Baba Yaga is very tall. She has iron teeth and a huge nose and these enormous removable hands that detach from her body to do her bidding. I use all of these physical factors in my series.

7. In many Baba Yaga tales, she has three horsemen who serve and protect her. Each rides a different color horse – one black, one red, and one white, reflecting different times of the day.

8. In most of the folktales, Baba Yaga has boundaries that she cannot cross. Although I do have her appearing in Anne’s real world, this is still a factor in the DREAMING series, both literally with a river that runs through her forest as well as metaphorically in terms of Anne. There is only so much Baba Yaga can tell Anne. The rest Anne must figure out on her own terms.

9.  In her stories, she is never defeated. Ever. She always comes back!

10. And here is how I envisioned Anastasia first talking about Baba Yaga, my version of the Vasilisa story that used in DREAMING ANASTASIA:

"In the story, there was a girl. Her name was Vasilisa, and she was very beautiful. Her parents loved her. Her life was good. But things changed. Her mother died. Her father remarried. And the new wife - well, she wasn't so fond of Vasilisa. So she sent her to the hut of the fearsome witch Baba Yaga to fetch some light for their cabin. And that was supposed to be that. For no one returned from Baba Yaga's. But Vasilisa had the doll her dying mother gave her. And the doll- because this was a fairy tale and so dolls could talk - told her what to do. Helped her get that light she came for and escape. And when Vasilisa returned home, that same light burned so brightly that it killed the wicked stepmother who sent Vasilisa to that horrible place. Vasilisa remained unharmed. She married a handsome prince. And lived happily ever after.

When I listened to my mother tell the story, I would pretend I was Vasilisa the Brave. In my imagination, I heeded the advice of the doll. I outwitted the evil Baba Yaga, the fearsome witch who kept her enemies' heads on pikes outside her hut. Who rode the skies in her mortar and howled to the heavens and skittered about on bony legs. Who ate up lost little girls with her iron teeth.

But the story was not as I imagined...."

 Thanks Joy for the insight into Baba Yaga!  

Make sure you check out the final installment of the 

Dreaming Anastasia Series: ANASTASIA FOREVER 

You can find Joy Preble:

Website   Twitter   Goodreads   YaHous FB    YaHous Blog

Review & Giveaway ~ Anastasia Forever

Anastasia Forever
Author: Joy Preble
Release Date:  August 7, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks

Summary:

Stories within stories. Secrets within secrets. In accepting powers from the legendary witch Baba Yaga, Anne must tackle a complex set of missions: Discover the secret of their enemy's newfound immortality; decide whether she can kill him to free her family from a vicious curse; come to terms with the magic that now resides inside her; and finally find true love with Ethan. The riveting conclusion to the trilogy that began with Dreaming Anastasia.

Review:
WOW!  I have been captivated by Anne & Ethan since I first read Dreaming Anastasia.  Anne and Ethan's stories get a little deeper and I love how Tess adds a little spunk to the adventure, not that anything dealing with Baba Yaga needed any extra spice.  Anne discovers more about her family's history through unconventional methods.  Anastasia Forever is a sold end to a great series, though I still love these characters and wonder what the future holds for them even though I know the series is over.  If you enjoy a little magic and mystery and Russian Folk tales in your reading then I highly recommend you check out this series.

Now, I'm pleased to offer a giveaway for a copy of Anastasia Forever!  All you need to do is fill out the form below.  Remember, you must be over 13 to enter and live in the US.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Joy on-line:  Twitter  Website  Goodreads   YaHous

My Reviews for Dreaming Anastasia (Book 1) & Haunted (Book 2)

You can stop by Blue Willow Bookshop on 
August 11th at 2pm for

 Joy Preble's Ansatasia Forever Lauch Party! 

ANASTASIA FOREVER Trailer Reveal

I am so excited to be a part of the exclusive ANASTASIA FOREVER BLOG TOUR!  Only a lucky few have the chance to debut this trailer, and I’m beyond thrilled to see where Anne’s dreams lead her in the third and final installment of the DREAMING ANASTASIA Series.  Will she unlock the secrets of the past before they destroy her future?

Here’s the scoop on the DREAMING ANASTASIA Series!

There is so much to love about this series as Joy brilliantly blends Russian history, romance, magic and mythology into an enticing adventure.

 

In DREAMING ANASTASIA, Anne Michaelson begins to have unusual dreams and discovers that she is the only one who can save the daughter of the last tsar of Russia, Anastasia Romanov.  Believed to be dead by the world, Anastasia has been kept captive all these years by the Russian witch Baba Yaga, and only Ethan, a handsome and mysterious 18-year-old, can help Anne free Anastasia. 

Anne once again leaves behind her ordinary life in HAUNTED to join forces with the mysterious and gorgeous Ethan as the journey with the Romanov continues.  This time she is haunted by classic figures from Russian mythology, a rusalka, , a Russian folklore mermaid with a malevolent streak –  and a particular interest in Anne,  who tells her that Anastasia is still alive.  As she and Ethan team up, Anne’s search for the rusalka’s identity reveals deep and startling secrets - including the true source of Anne’s powers.

 

Now in ANASTASIAFOREVER, having survived Baba Yaga and the Rusalka, Anne finds herself bound by the witch to undertake a journey into past, present, and future that will determine her destiny - and that of everyone she loves.

Catch a preview of the danger, romance, and magic await Anne in this exciting glimpse ahead of ANASTASIA FOREVER by taking a look at a special sneak peak with the first three chapters here!

ANASTASIAFOREVER comes out this August, be sure to look out for all things Anastasia at Joy’s website joysnovelidea.blogspot.com.

Review: Haunted

Haunted
By Joy Preble
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire
Pages:  290
Date Published:  February 1, 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

"Anne Michaelson "is trying to forget everything that happened last year. But it's hard to do when her heart aches for Ethan "and there's a wild-haired woman stalking her..."
"Ethan Kosinsky "is embracing his newfound mortality. But something is drawing him back to the girl he left behind-"back to Anne and back to the magic..."
A mysterious stranger is hunting Anne wherever she goes. No one sees her but Anne. When she searches for the woman's identity, Anne exposes secrets about her own life- things that will change her life forever. And when the gorgeous Ethan returns, her life gets a lot more complicated.
Anne thought her journey with the Romanov family had ended, "but it was just the beginning..."

Review:
I was enchanted by the mystery of the Romanov family in Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted continued the mystery, even adding new pieces to the puzzle.  Anne has always known her mother was adopted, but she never knew what happened to her biological grandmother, until now.  Russian folklore and that crazy Baba Yaga intertwine to reveal Anne's true family history and test just how far she will go to save the ones she loves.  I really enjoyed seeing Anne come into her own as she realized the power flowing through her was there for more than just saving Anastasia.

Ethan tries to adjust to no longer being immortal and thinks Anne needs space from him to live a normal life. Like I said, he tried, it didn't work out that well as he was drawn back to Anne and almost as soon as he shows up, things get weird again.  While things start off a little strained between Anne & Ethan, it doesn't take long for the weirdness to pass.

I really enjoyed reading Haunted and can't wait to read the final book, Forever Anastasia!
rating: 4 stars

Check out an excerpt from HAUNTED

You can find Joy Preble:
Website   Twitter   Goodreads   YaHous FB    YaHous Blog