The End (Or the Not-So End) of the Harry Potter Era

Harry Potter. Immediately when I say the name, you think of the lightning-scared wizard pursued by the evil Lord Voldemort or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Maybe you think about Albus Dumbledore, the kind-hearted headmaster who watches over the boy wizard or his best buddies Ron and Hermione. The list goes on and on through characters who brought the series to life.

Perhaps, you aren't so fond of the series. Perhaps, there's more of a religious component concerning witchcraft which deters you from it. That particular hot button issue has been debated in the religious community and I understand if some Christians, Muslims, or anyone for that matter has a problem with the books. No one should go against any heartfelt beliefs or convictions. However, I want to break down some of the history and success that brought the author J.K. Rowling, a woman who lived in poverty and depression, become the first billionaire author and an inspiration to millions and ultimately the world.

As some die-heart Harry Potter fans know, J.K. Rowling was born on July 31, 1965, the same day that Harry Potter was born! She and her younger sister Dianne (otherwise known as Di) lived in Yate and then Winterbourne, England. I can look toward Ms. Rowling and see some of herself in me because she was a storyteller from the start. Her very first story was called "Rabbit" and the story was about, well...a rabbit of course. :) As Ms. Rowling grew into a young adult, the dream that she carried was becoming a novelist. Wary of her grandiose dream, her parents told her that becoming a novelist probably wouldn't work out and that living as a writer would not secure a large salary. What a bummer. So with that in mind, she went to the University of Eleter and studied French and then switched to Classics. Yep, I can make an excuse to my parents if I want to switch my major because I can point to one of my favorite authors J.K. Rowling. Sorry mom and dad! :)

If you read "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and onward, you will read about creatures called the dementors, dark hooded creatures that suck the souls out of their victims. These creatures are the antithesis of hope, freedom, and peace and exude a magical presence where one feels hopelessness and depression. If you know about Ms. Rowling's past, the woman divorced her first husband because he was absuive to her & she and her baby daughter became some of the poorest people in Britain without actually being homeless. Living on benefits, Ms. Rowling moved to a small flat in Edinburgh. It all seems like a sad story with no hope at all...but no-no-no, there is light! Ms. Rowling has a dream on a train in 1990 about a little boy with a lightning shaped scar who took a train to wizarding school. Her idea snowballed into the manuscript that became "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" or "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (publishers thought the word 'sorcerer' would appeal to the American audience).

Let's look at her success. Ms. Rowling wrote 7 Harry Potter Books published along with supplemental books such as "Tales of Beedle the Bard" and "Quidditch Through the Ages." She has sold over 400 MILLION COPIES of her books and her estimated worth is $545 MILLION DOLLARS and counting. No wonder her life is called a "fairy tale" or that she's "richer than the Queen of England."

But what I'm trying to get at more is her path to getting published. This is information that even I did not know! Did you know that TWELVE publishers turned down "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" before a publisher knows as Bloomsbury accepted the manuscript? Nigel Newton, the chairman of Bloomsbury publishing, received the manuscript but didn't feel like reading it (for unknown reasons). He gave it to his daughter Alice instead, who feel in love with it immediately. She pestered him for months to publish the book and then soon the company gave her a small royalty check. Bloomsbury was willing to publish her book!

What do Ms. Rowling's struggles mean? I could say the proverbial "try, try again" or "slow and steady wins the race," but I think it's deeper than that. I think listening to family, friends, God, your religion, or other people's advice should come first and translate that to your goals and convictions. Ms. Rowling's parents told her that she probably wouldn't make that much money being a writer and let's face it...that's true. Major league publishers accept .5% of submissions and even those books that are accepted have a small chance to be a "bestseller." Ms. Rowling went on with her life and wrote now and then in college, but she still received an education and followed a career as a secretary. She did something with her life that got her to where she is now.

On the other hand, I think we need to remind ourselves that life is not a fairy tale. I know, dark words, dark words from an eighteen, almost nineteen year old. But it's true. Ms. Rowling went through hard times: a tumultuous divorce and economic downturn. She had it rough, but you know what? She didn't stay down. She provided for her baby and kept her dream alive by writing and look where she is now. Of course, her success story won't be the same for most people. However, I think the moral stays true where we need to keep our dreams alive. I know as a writer, I can't say that enough. Keep the dream alive and never lose sight of your dreams.

Just a quick fact before I go. Did you know that "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" made $834,582,000 million dollars worldwide? AMAZING. It testifies to the power of Ms. Rowling's imagination.

Tell me what you think about Ms. Rowling's journey and the latest Harry Potter film! Alrighty? Have a wonderful day and keep the imagination alive.
Peace. :)

The City of Bones Book Review

Hiya! This is Vincent LaVel Moorehead: writer, reader, and book blogger extraordinaire. How are you? It's a bright sunny day, so I'm in a great mood to write about the book "The City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare. First, I read this book near the end of my freshman year in college and some people were astounded that I could read at the end of finals. But hey, couldn't help it. :-)

One of the first things that I noticed while reading the book were the quotes Ms. Clare placed before each "part" of the book (there are three parts in the novel). In part one, John Milton writes in his book Paradise Lost "I sung of Chaos eternal Night, Tonight by the heav'nly Muse to venture down. The dark descent, and up to reascend..." A little somber, don't you think? ;-) The quotes before each part signify a journey to the underworld and the main character Clary certainly finds herself struggling to find out who she is by traveling to..The City of Bones! I won't give away what it is, but the metaphor above should give a glimpse at what it is...

So..who are the main characters? We have Clary Fray and Simon Lewis, who have been school buddies since forever. Jace Wayland: the main leader of the Shadowhunters, Alec and Isabelle Lightwood are Jace's companions in what's known as the "Institute" in New York City, the Shadowhunters' headquarters. If you don't know, Shadowhunters are the offspring of angels and humans (aka Nephilim) who hunt demons, vampires, werewolves, and the like. Jace is the bad boy and commanding force, Alec is the bratty, ill-tempered boy, Isabelle is the confident but insecure girl, and Simon is the nerdy but caring friend (a little more than just caring as you'll see in the book). And well, Clary is...just Clary: inquisitive, protective, and intelligent.

What I love so much about this book is that Ms. Clare didn't play it safe. Here, the main character doesn't understand why demons stole her mother while she hangs out with her friends. She doesn't understand why a bunch of teens kill another teen who happens to be a demon. All of these questions face the reader and I couldn't put the book down as I raced to find out what's going on and what will happen to dear Clary. Frustration is a tool which writers should use so the characters can discover the truth and for that, Ms. Clare scores a point! :-) It's an edgy, face-paced novel which kept me on the edge of my seat. Did I say that there are vampires and werewolves in the book? No, not a twilight kind of romance novel, although there's romance in the book.

So, what's the series about? There are 3 Mortal Instruments, a sword, a mirror and a cup. The primary instrument in "The City of Bones" is the Mortal Cup, an object formed by the angel Raziel which carries his blood alongside human blood. Within it lives the power to create Shadowhunters, a power which the antagonist of the novel Valentine craves. The action of the novel intensifies when Clary learns of the location of the Mortal Cup, and evil forces come against her and the Shadowhunters to seize the Cup.

Let's talk about unique. Why the heck does Jace (I don't mind sharing his name) wear tattoos on the front cover of "The City of Bones?" Apparently, Shadowhunters derive their magical powers from tattoo runes. Ms. Clare received her idea for tattoo runes by walking into a tattoo shop one day and looking up at the ceiling and seeing dark footprints. Then, she began to imagine that some great battle had been fought there and thought about monsters, heroes, swords, good and evil, everything a good fantasy book needs. It was such a refreshing twist in the novel and I think that fantasy readers who want a different approach to magical fighting will find it here in "The City of Bones."

I give this novel a 3.5/5. I absolutely adore the description and especially the metaphors which Ms. Clare utilizes. I think that everyone will enjoy the pace of the novel, which doesn't drag. However, there were points in the novel which I thought were too good to be true (examples are when Clary comes up against a demon herself and kills it in the beginning of the novel and when an incredibly powerful demon almost destroys the Shadowhunters, but is defeated towards the end of the novel). Also, a romance plot point at the end of the novel turned me off, but I will let other readers decide if it was appropriate. All in all, I loved the first book in "The Mortal Instruments" saga.

I can't wait to see what will happen next in "The Mortal Instruments." There are 5 more books in the series and 2 haven't been released yet! Tell me, what do you think about "The City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare? Send me your thoughts by posting a comment on my blog here.

Peace. :-)

The Hunger Games Book Review Video Post

Finally, it's up. I've been dying to share this with readers because I love this book so-so-so much. Tell me what you think! Is The Hunger Games hot or is it not and why? :-D

"The Hunger Games" Book Review

Finally! This is my first book review and I am SO excited. Are you? When I thought about what book I read recently which I would recommend, I didn't think long about it. Right in the middle of my bookshelf sits the wonderful novel "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. Typically, I wouldn't read a "dystopian" (a society characterized by oppression, human misery, squalor, etc) science-fiction novel. Admittedly, I thought about George Orwell's "1984" where Airstrip One is under government control and some readers can think "Okay, The Hunger Games is definitely up my alley" or "Zzzzzzz." Have no fear, "The Hunger Games" is a treat. It's a dynamic, kick-awesome thriller which will keep you on the edge of your seat. Read on. :)

So...Suzanne Collins, who is the author of "The Hunger Games" by the way, said that she arrived at the idea for the novel when watching a newscast about the Iraq War. Then, she oddly started to think of what would happen if the Iraq War combined with Gladiator fights. Gladiator fights and the Iraq War, really? That's an..interesting combination to say the least. But Wah-lah, that's how Ms. Suzanne arrived at "The Hunger Games" and it's paid off handsomely. ;-)

Then, what makes "The Hunger Games" tick? What makes readers around the world say that "this series is so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so" good? What makes Stephen King say "A violent, jarring, speed-rap of a novel that generates nearly constant suspense. Couldn't stop reading." Because this series pulls together an unusual and mysterious world where all that matters is survival. The raw emotion and high stakes pulled me in immediately and they'll pull ya' in too.

The main character of the novel is Katniss Everdeen. I love that name...K-A-T-N-I-S-S. It's not a conventional, stereotypical name like "John Smith" from "I Am Number Four." (No offense lol). She is a 14 year old girl with a young sister named Primrose who live with their single mother in District 12. Apparently, all that's left of North America are 12 districts under the rule of The Capitol. The Capitol is a tyrannical regime which forced all districts under submission in a war. There were once 13 districts, but one of them was destroyed, thus only 12 remain. Sad, isn't it? :( To keep everyone under control, The Capitol forces each district to give their food and resources to fund The Capitol and its inhabitants. That angers me still! :( Not only that, each district must send in 1 girl and 1 boy to a series of Gladiator fights called "The Hunger Games" where the children must kill one another until one is left. These "games" can take weeks, so it's obviously a fight-for-your-survival kind of book. I didn't expect this at all and I couldn't stop reading to see what happened to Katniss.

So...there is a lottery in each district to dictate who's chosen for the Hunger Games and...Primrose is chosen. To save her sister, Katniss chooses to fight in the Hunger Games in her stead (which she's allowed to do) and a boy in her district Peeta (the Baker's son) is chosen as well. They become a hot item in "The Hunger Games" and Peeta tells Katniss that he loves her. Now, I thought in the beginning that he wanted to get her on his side so he could kill Katniss in the end. However, I think that he truly loves her because he brings her food in the beginning of the book (one example), but you have to read the book to see what I mean. I give Ms. Suzanne a standing ovation for putting emotion in the right places. :)

Action...I didn't believe that the author would put these 24 children against one another. Wooh...when Katniss actually stood in the arena preparing to either retrieve a weapon or run off into the woodlands to find shelter, I said to myself "this is REALLY happening." But don't worry, Katniss is a beast with a bow and arrows. This girl can shoot, so I felt more comfortable (but still I was worried for her safety throughout!) That's the mark of an excellent author when she can make a reader care about what happens to a character.

I give "The Hunger Games" 4/5 stars. Seriously, it was THAT good. Ms. Suzanne doesn't spoil her work with unnecessary big words or developing a main character who's voice sounds middle-aged. If you don't have a copy, get one at your local bookstore or library RIGHT NOW or else. :) What do you think? Do you like "The Hunger Games" Post a comment below and I'll be sure to reply. Thanks for reading, peace. :-)

My Blog "Blogging The Block"

Hey guys! I hope I had the chance to introduce myself properly and my blog. Ooh, the challenge of uploading the video. Why? I'm so not tech savvy. :)

Welcome to Blogging The Block!

Hello, hello, and many times hello! Welcome to my site "Blogging The Block," a place open for writers and curious fellows alike. Obviously, I want to tell you why in the world I started a blog in the first place and why I would call it "Blogging the Block," but I have something that I want to say first.

As we all know, this is the 4th of July Weekend. I would like to say to all our men and women and uniform, thank you for your sacrifice and service to this country. No words or eloquent phrasing can justify the gratitude that I and other Americans share to your defense of this country. God Bless ya' and Happy Independence Day to everyone out there. :)

So, who am I? I will tell you, reader. My name is Vincent LaVel Moorehead and I am a student at the University of Maryland College Park. (To those who are indeed curious, yes I am 18 an I can tell you were dying to know that.) I am a writer, reader, book blogger extraordinaire, you name it. I cannot tell you the burning in my soul (hope that's not too cliche lol) concerning how much I love to read and read and read and read. I'm a fantasy reader first and foremost. I think Chronicles of Narnia is the earliest series which I really delved into, and Magic Treehouse as well now that I think of it (Go Mary Pope Osbourne, and she's still dishing out her books!) I'm a Lord of the Rings junkie and if you give me a new fantasy book or series to read, I'll go out and do it. Don't tempt me. ;)

Now, back to my question. Why did I start this blog in the first place? I started "Blogging The Block" because I wanted to create a place for writers who are annoyed at themselves. Many writers think "why the heck can't I get my ideas out on paper? Why am I stuck in a hole (so to speak) where I can't write pages upon pages that I'm proud of? Alas, the predicament named Writers Block. I have that feeling ALL the time and that kept me down in the past. There were years where I wouldn't write because I didn't think that I was good enough, but no more. Now is the time where I choose to conquer that monster of deceit and negativity. Journey with me to this destiny. :)

As I said before, I'm a student at the University of Maryland, College Park. I have two professors I have to thank for this blog: Dr. Orlando & Dr. Carluccio, you all are the best. When I came into college, I came into the Honors Humanities Program. This program requires students to complete a Keystone Project where I have to complete some creative which can include film, writing, music, drawing/painting, you name it. This gave me the opportunity and the will to start what I've always wanted to do with my life which is...writing a book! I've always wanted to become a fantasy writer and I'll probably branch off from that into some other genres even if I have success or not. I love it and I will do whatever it takes to fulfill my dream!
That's why I created this blog, so I can chart my progress and tie it into the Keystone Project. Mainly, I will have book reviews and little snippets from my book as I go along. If you want to know, my tentative title for the book is "Pharador: Book One of The Swords of Vadria." Of course, I'm excited to see where my writing takes me and I want you to come along as I start this blog and complete book reviews, release book excerpts, and interview other authors.

Are you with me? Well, let's go and go on this adventure. That's for reading and I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend.
Peace. :)