Walking Backwards on the Road to Success By Colleen Houck   I took a very strange road to making my book a bestseller.  The expression, “There are many roads to Rome,” or “All roads lead to Rome,” can be interpreted in a couple of ways.  The first is that the Roman Empire was so vast that no matter what road you were walking on, it probably belonged to Rome.  It could also mean that there are many paths can lead to a successful outcome or another explanation could be that it doesn’t matter what you do or where you go, …

Strong Female Characters By Colleen Houck   I recently wrote a blog post about my favorite heroines of television and movies and sadly I could only think of a handful. In recent years though heroines in literature are stepping into the spotlight and it’s an exciting thing to see. My favorite female character is Scarlett O’Hara. In the movie Gone With the Wind she starts off a spoiled plantation girl determined to have everything. As the story progresses we see her change, becoming a woman determined to save what is most important to her. The object that she loves the …

  Dear Teen Me,   The first thing you must know is that there is a fabulous guy waiting for you to find him so don’t worry about the drama of missing out on having a high school boyfriend or a date to the prom. Those things are not as important as meeting the right guy. I have to add that your guy is awesome. He’s the handsome prince you were always hoping for—a friend you can rely on who will support you and love you. Someone you have so much in common with, you’ll wonder how you got so …

Characters That Live Long and Prosper Author Guest Post: Colleen Houck Talks Characters that Live Long and Prosper! Hey all! Colleen’s guest post is an awesome one. She talks about some of the influences that helped to create one of her favorite characters, Mr. Kadam. Lots of wonderful fantasy and sci-fi references in here! I have to give you a warning: if you haven’t seen the Star Trek movie The Wrath of Kahn and don’t know what happens in the film, there’s a major spoiler in here. You might want to read with caution. But other than that, read away! **** I’ve often been asked …

Why Time Travel, Wormholes, Parallel Universes & Alternate Dimensions Just Makes Everything Cooler By Colleen Houck You know what I love? Seven layer cookie bars. Why, you might ask? There’s a simple answer. SEVEN LAYERS. Not only do you get the chocolate chip and peanut butter but there are usually fudge brownies, nuts, butterscotch, and whipped cream, too. Even salad, which I don’t normally like, just looks so much more interesting when placed in layers in a glass bowl.     I’ve always liked the idea of getting more. Advertisers really suck me in on the buy one get one …

My Top Twelve Time Travel Movies By Colleen Houck     #Honorable Mention: The Final Countdown Summary: A modern aircraft carrier is thrown back in time to 1941 near Hawaii, just hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. My Thoughts: This one is to honor my dad who passed away this year. He was all about battleships and military movies and while that’s not so much my thing, I did enjoy the time travel elements of this film. With Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen this movie is a fun one to watch and it’s a good example of time …

Why YA is Just so Darn Better Than Everything Else By Colleen Houck   I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “But there are so many good adult and kid books out there,” and if you know me really well, you’re thinking, “But you often list adult books as your favorites.” Both of these thoughts are true. I love books of all kinds. Books about aliens. Books about dystopian societies. Books with animals as characters. Books with paranormal creatures. Books with romance. So, you see, I am somewhat of a book fanatic, but I think YA books are special. Even …