In Defense of Insta-Love

I know, you're probably looking at the title and thinking that there's no way Mindy is the author of this blog post. Mindy, who is so clearly acerbic and a downright instigator when it comes to the demise of the HEA. But, I think this makes me the perfect person to write in defense of insta-love in YA, because you can rest assured that I'm not being reactionary in regards to my own book. (You'll notice that Lynn and Eli don't ever say, "I love you." Why? Because- ick).

So, with that pre-disposition of ick in mind, I can still honestly defend the presence of insta-love in YA. Because even though I'm an old, bitter, cautious woman now, I haven't always been. Yes, Mindy used to fall in love, often and easily, just like the vast majority of teens everywhere... which is who YA is being written for in the first place.

Yes, teens fall in love quickly. And there's plenty of evidence to show that they really can't help it. This article from National Geographic regarding the maturation of the teen brain goes into detail regarding their risk-taking, but the last section focuses on how their changing brains function socially:

The teen brain is similarly attuned to oxytocin, another neural hormone, which (among other things) makes social connections in particular more rewarding. The neural networks and dynamics associated with general reward and social interactions overlap heavily. Engage one, and you often engage the other. Engage them during adolescence, and you light a fire.

Yep, it's true. Love is just better when you're young. Their brains are chemically predisposed to fall in love, and anyone who spends more than the average amount of time around teens can attest to this. They enter into emotionally-drenched connections with someone they truly believe is their soul mate in December, then discover in February that it's actually the girl from English class they're into. And the truth is - they probably are. I don't think it diminishes the weight or value of their love to fall into it so easily and so quickly when they are biologically predisposed to behave in this manner.

What I don't like to see in any genre is insta-love that happens as an excuse for lazy writing, with zero spark between the characters and a simple forced-upon-the-reader: These two are in love now. Fact. Most of the time when I see people complaining about insta-love it's because the writer didn't sell the relationship, not because the relationship shouldn't exist in the first place.

My other beef has nothing to do with insta-love, it's insta-stability. I firmly believe teens do fall in insta-love, but they also fall out just as quickly. It's when I see teens portrayed as meeting their one-and-only and being-blind-to-all-others-for-an-extended-period-of-time-with-no-question-of-the-happiness-that-will-extend-into-eternity that I start to get a bit pissy.

Sorry, I don't buy that.

In fact, I don't care how old the characters are.

write what you don't know

One of the most common pieces of writing advice we often hear as beginners is "Write what you know." But what does that even mean? And is it actually good advice?

If I had taken that suggestion literally, my first novel would have been about a man in his late twenties with a day job as a media coordinator at Lifetime Television who was writing a novel about the action-packed world of file transfers, video conversions, and women's programming. Riveting. Perhaps readers would have been drawn in by the rich cast of characters based on my wacky co-workers, friends, and family--who I'm sure would have been flattered to be included. You see the problem. Worse still, my second novel would have been exactly the same, and my third...

I read fiction for experiences completely different from my own, to see with other people's eyes, so why should writing fiction be any different? I love science fiction and fantasy because in the right hands, an author can make the impossible seem real.

But wait, I write young adult fiction, right? Then I should write about my old high school experiences... if only they hadn't been so dreadfully boring. Of course I do draw on my own memories--especially what it felt like to be a teenager--but in fiction, I can give myself, and other readers, something better. Something exciting. Something different. Something impossible.

So, how do you go about writing what you don't know? Research! This is one of my favorite parts of the writing process, where I buy and borrow lots of books on interesting new subjects, pass off watching movies and TV shows as "work," and talk to people.

The research is most exciting at the beginning, when I may not have written a single word yet and anything is still possible. I jot down notes and stick little Post-Its in the pages and just soak in all the new knowledge and see what my brain comes up with. I blurt out random, esoteric trivia to the people around me and start having conversations on topics they didn't think I knew anything about. Research can be seductive, because there's so much I don't know, the temptation is to just keep reading to find out just a little bit more. If you never start writing the book, it can remain forever perfect in your head. But when preparation becomes procrastination, it's time to start writing anyway, even though I don't yet know all the things. Especially because I don't know everything. After all, I didn't know how to write my first novel, so I thought I'd see if I could do it, and that turned out pretty well.

I'm researching all while writing that first draft and often through multiple revisions. There are always more books on the subject and related ones, and it fosters wonderful moments of discovery where a fact suddenly fits perfectly with the story--or sparks an entirely new idea. I'm also one of those authors who likes to read fiction related to the book I'm reading. I'm not worried about being subconsciously influenced by other authors, but I'm trying to avoid doing what others have done, or perhaps find a new or better approach. Basically, I like to immerse myself in the world of my characters to give my mind as much creative fodder as possible.

So what have I been reading for my work in progress? In Peggy's recent "What Are We Reading?" post, I was reading Ghost in the Wires, one of several books by the infamos hacker Kevin Mitnick. I've been reading various books and articles about social engineering, whistleblowers, and computer hacking, which led me to the marvelous, award-winning fantasy Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson. I finally read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and Homeland by Cory Doctorow. I spend a lot of time on Wikipedia and Google, and let's just say that I've probably been setting off some red flags with our friends, the NSA. (Hi, guys!) I also may have made some people nervous, like this weekend when I was reading articles about circumventing passwords on Macbooks while sitting in a coffee shop... next to a woman with a Macbook.

The biggest downside to being in full-on research mode is that reading all these books means my to-be-read pile of non-researchy books must wait a little longer--my reading time is finite (as is my time for everything else), and it's important to make sure I'm writing too.

I love being forced to write out of my comfort zone, to write what I don't know, because it makes me grow as an author. I have every intention of challenging myself to make each of my books different from the one before it--and hopefully share something new with readers in the process.

Flying Syringes (the itchy kind)

You heard that right. I'm I'm not talking about this kind of flying syringe:

Owww! Did she sign a consent form for that???

I'm talking about this kind:

Source: Wikipedia

Shall we all give a collective "EWWWW"?

We know that mosquitoes are the vector for carrying all sorts of horrible diseases, like malaria, yellow fever, and West Nile virus. If mosquitoes are so good at delivering the bad stuff, why can't they deliver the good stuff? Such as life saving treatments to masses of people, like vaccines?

Before this turns into an ethical discussion of Ginormica proportions, let's appreciate the idea for what it is--an out-of-the-box idea that seems pretty cool, creepy, brilliant, and seemingly impossible at once. 

(Also, If it turns out that mass mandatory delivery of treatments are delivered by these little buggers, they'd better make sure those bites don't itch like the devil.)

*scratches arms like crazy*

So could this be real? Well, in 2008 Bill Gates gave out a grant to research flying syringes to Hiroyuki Matsuoka of Japan. After a quick PubMed search of the NCBI database (National Center of Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine), look what I found:

Trop Med Health. 2012 Jun;40(2):47-52. doi: 10.2149/tmh.2011-10. Epub 2012 Aug 4.

One Injection of DsRed Followed by Bites from Transgenic Mosquitoes Producing DsRed in the Saliva Elicits a High Titer of Antibody in Mice.

It's heeerrrreeeee! After only four years, Dr. Matsuoka did it. He boosted the immunity of mice against a fluorescent protein that was transgenically produced in the saliva of mosquitoes. (Is your brain spinning after that sentence? If it isn't, then *fist bump*)

Now, before you freak out and wonder if the powers in Panem are going to strike us all down and turn us into rabid flesh-eating purple wombats via flying syringes, remember. This is still WAY far away from human studies and mosquitoes are really, really bad at asking people to sign consent forms. They can't even carry pens! And they enunciate really badly. All they can say is "buzzzzzz."

Okay, you can scratch that itch now. 

What We Are Reading

Here at the League of Extraordinary Writers, we're all getting cozy with some fascinating books! This is what each of the Leaguers are reading right now.

Beth Revis:
I'm currently reading I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai. I am a huge fan of this young woman, and when I saw her speak on Jon Stewart, I knew I needed this book. It's been fascinating so far; I have a lot to learn about her culture.

Goodreads

Mindy McGinnis:

I am reading Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield because she is on my auto-buy list after her debut The Thirteenth Tale rocks my socks off years ago. Dark and literary, she's got staying power.

Goodreads

Lissa Price:

I'm reading S. by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams. I'd read Alive in Necropolis and of course, J.J. Abrams, had to get this.

Goodreads

Bethany Hagen:

I'm reading One Summer: 1927 by Bill Bryson, a wry and detailed history of an American summer in the Roaring Twenties. Bryson is so witty and so smart that I have fantasies about adopting him as my great-uncle or something--needless to say, I read all of his books.

Goodreads

Elizabeth Richards:

Last read: Are We There Yet? by David Levithan. Why I picked it up: Because I'm a little bit in love with him and if I ever met him, I'd pretty much be doing this:

Goodreads

Susanne Winnacker:
I just finished Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek. It's an adult thriller and was recommend to me by a good friend.

 Goodreads

Lydia Kang:
I am reading Sylo by D.J. McHale. I'm always on the lookout for books with well-written, male teen protagonists. Also, it's satisfying my sci-fi cravings right now. :)

 Goodreads

Elana Johnson:
I'm reading The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, because hasn't everyone on the planet read it? Well, besides me, because I'm not finished yet. :)

Goodreads

E.C. Myers:
I'm reading Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker by Kevin Mitnick with William L. Simon. I'm researching a new novel (it's for a story, really!), and I had to pick this one up after enjoying and learning a lot from Mitnick's terrific book The Art of Intrusion. Reading about computer hacking and social engineering has opened my eyes to all the security weaknesses around us every day.

Goodreads

Meagan Spooner:
I'm currently reading The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man by David W. Maurer, a non-fiction work sharing stories and techniques from real life con-men in the 1930s and 40s. I'm reading it to research the subject for an upcoming novel, but I'd cheerfully read this book even without needing it for research... it's fascinating!

 

Goodreads

Lenore Appelhans:

I'm currently listening to the audiobook of Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan. Pollan divides the book into cooking with fire, water, air and earth and tells stories about how he apprenticed with various expert cooks. I can't listen to fiction audiobooks because my mind wanders and I lose the story, but I'm finding nonfiction is my sweet spot and Pollan is entertaining and inspiring. 

Goodreads

Amie Kaufman:

Believe it or not, I'm reading the same book as Eugene! I'm also reading for research, and it's fascinating. Is it for the same book Meg's researching? Maaaaaybe!

Goodreads

Peggy Eddleman:

As for me, I'm reading Champion by Marie Lu, because my son told me to. He read Legend and Prodigy without me, declared them his favorite books of all time, and begged me to hurry and read them so we could both read Champion when it came out and chat about it. Who could turn down that offer? Especially when the books are as incredible as these.

Goodreads

What book are you in the middle of reading?

Building a Story from Atmosphere

You may not know this about me, but I rarely get to enjoy any part of autumn.  I have vicious seasonal allergies that turn my eyes into bloody, oozing, swollen slits and I generally can't breathe except for really noisily through my mouth.  So naturally, when everybody's skipping around, exclaiming over cider donuts and artisanal squash, I am generally uninterested.  I have my own private world of pain to inhabit, and I don't need any cider donuts there, just Allegra and Benadryl, thanks.

But this year I managed to outlast the ragweed somehow, and when I came to in mid-October I realized something--I would get to see the fall!  And the thing about fall is that it's the perfect time to experience atmosphere.  Leaves blushing into bright red and orange, fog creeping between the trees, the sounds of dead leaves skittering on the sidewalk--for about three weeks now, I've been walking around in awe, like have you seen this?  It's SO COOL!  And then everybody is like, yes, we know.

This fall has made me aware of how in love with atmosphere I am and how it impacts my writing.  Atmosphere is the mood or feeling evoked by the setting and dialogue and themes, although when I'm gestating a new WIP, the atmosphere comes first for me, before anything else.  I know whether I want a world to feel lovely or haunted and gritty and then everything else starts falling into place.  What kind of world would give the impression of being haunted?  What kind of characters would live in that world?  How would this characters interact with it?

For some writers, the character comes first or the world or the story, but for me, every time, it's the mood.  The feeling I want to leave a reader with.

What comes first for you?

Why YA is Just so Darn Better Than Everything Else

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 specialer than all the other good books out there and I’ll tell you why.

#1-YA BOOKS HAVE NO BOUNDARIES

YA books have no boundaries. Well, of course they have boundaries as far as keeping it kid friendly, but there aren’t any limits to the ideas an author might have. YA is the one category that doesn’t box an author in. If I want to write science fiction, I can write it. If I want to write about knights in shining armor, I can write it. If I want to write about angels and demons, that’s good too. Which brings me to another point.

#2-YA FANS ARE OPEN-MINDED

The fans of YA will typically follow an author on whatever journey they want to take. Teens and fans of YA are the types of readers that have open minds and soft hearts. If I want to mix world mythologies, they are fine with that. If I want my horses to talk? Why not? If I want to write about a dystopian world where cupcakes rule? Even better.

This rare quality doesn’t appear to cross over to other genres. Hard core romance fans will rarely follow an author into fantasy or science fiction. Sci-Fi fanatics probably aren’t willing to venture over into mystery. This is one reason I think YA is special.

#3-IT TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF

AUTHOR TO WRITE FOR TEENS

Then there’s the fact that I’ve actually worked in schools. In fact, several YA authors I’ve met have either been teachers at one time or were studying to become one in college when they began writing. I have always believed that it takes a special kind of person to work with kids of any age but especially those in middle and high school. Those formative years have lasting impact on character and I remember several of my teachers fondly.

My love of reading and passion for writing was nurtured and encouraged by a few exceptional souls and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them. The YA authors I’ve met and collaborated with are just as extraordinary. They have a singular understanding of what it means to be a young adult. The problems they identify and the situations they describe go above and beyond finding love, solving a mystery, or running from aliens.

This leads me to the fourth reason why YA books are better than everything else. So just to recap, the first reason was the very large canvas we YA writers have on which to stretch the limits of our imaginations. Second, our fans are just freaking awesome. Third, YA writers are interesting, empathetic, and have a unique perspective on young people, and now the fourth reason.

#4-YA CHARACTERS ARE UNIQUE

YA characters haven’t even settled into who they are going to be as adults. The whole world is open to them and anything could happen. Yes, they could be destined to solve world hunger, or lead an army against a terrible enemy, or have to overcome a debilitating disease, but at the core of the story, and the thing all YA books have in common, is that our heroes and heroines are seeking their identity—that spark of uniqueness that will set them apart from everyone else. And sometimes not even the author knows how the circumstances of the story will impact that character and influence who they will become.

This feature is what makes YA books utterly different from everything else. Don’t get me wrong. I love books of all types—characters of all types—but there is a spark found in YA books that makes me love them above all else. They fill my shelves. They inspire my dreams. And they stay in my heart long after I’ve closed the last page.

Colleen Houck is October's Affiliate Blogger. To find out more about our guest author positions here at the League, click here.

Colleen Houck’s New York Times bestselling Tiger’s Curse series has received national praise with the fourth book, Tiger’s Destiny, debuting September 2012. Colleen is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, science fiction, and romance. Formerly a student at the University of Arizona, she has worked as a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter for seventeen years. Colleen lives in Salem, Oregon, with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.

Tiger's Curse
Tiger's Quest

Tiger's Voyage
Tiger's Destiny
Tiger's Dream

by Colleen Houck

More info

Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

Colleen Houck's Top 12 Time Travel Movies

My Top Twelve Time Travel Movies

By Colleen Houck

#Honorable Mention: The Final Countdown

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080736/?ref_=sr_1

Image:  http://www.cinema52.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/the-final-countdown-movie-poster-1980-1020466768.jpg

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 travel paradox.

#12 Forever Young

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104291/?ref_=sr_1

Image:  http://ilarge.listal.com/image/153311/936full-forever-young-poster.jpg

Summary: A 1939 test pilot asks his best friend to use him as a guinea pig for a cryogenics experiment. Daniel McCormick wants to be frozen for a year so that he doesn't have to watch his love lying in a coma. The next thing Daniel knows is that he's been awoken in 1992.

My Thoughts: A young Mel Gibson is reason enough to enjoy this film and then, add to that, the fact that the movie is very romantic. It feels dated but it’s a classic time travel romance sure to please die hard romance fans.

#11 Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104291/?ref_=sr_1

Image:  http://i2.listal.com/image/284195/600full-bill-%26-ted's-excellent-adventure-poster.jpg

Summary: Two seemingly dumb teens struggle to prepare a historical presentation with the help of a time machine.

My Thoughts: As a girl who grew up in the 80’s, this movie is one of my all-time favorites. How awesome would it be to have a time machine so you could do an excellent history report? This movie features a young and very clueless Keanu Reeves who could have easily been typecast because of it. Fortunately for his career, he was given the opportunity to move on to other more serious things and yet I still see smidgens of Ted in every show I watch him in. The bonus: I’ve heard rumors of a reunion and/or a remake of this film.

#10 The Lake House

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410297/?ref_=sr_1

Image:  http://www.cinema52.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lake-House.jpg

Summary: A lonely doctor who once occupied an unusual lakeside home begins exchanging love letters with its former resident, a frustrated architect. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.

My Thoughts: Another Keanu Reeves film. The bonus is that it also features Sandra Bullock. As a romance fan, this one is good if not a bit frustrating. It’s a bit of a nail biter actually. I remember wondering if this whole thing was going to work out or not. I’m not going to spoil it for you, just check it out on your own.

#9 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410297/?ref_=sr_1

Image:http://www.impawards.com/2010/posters/prince_of_persia_the_sands_of_time_ver3.jpg

Summary: A young fugitive prince and princess must stop a villain who unknowingly threatens to destroy the world with a special dagger that enables the magic sand inside to reverse time.

My Thoughts: I was way more excited about the premise of this movie than the actual outcome but I did thoroughly enjoy the special effects, the costumes, and the action scenes. Not sure Jake Gyllenhaal was the right casting choice but that didn’t stop me from swooning all the same.

#8 The Terminator Movies

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/?ref_=sr_2

Image: http://keyartdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/the-terminator-movie-poster-1020189580.jpg

Summary: A robotic assassin from a post-apocalyptic future travels back in time to eliminate a waitress, whose son will grow up and lead humanity in a war against machines.

My Thoughts: Normally I avoid “R” rated movies because the violence is usually too much for me. I get terrible vivid nightmares from anything scarier than Coraline. This one’s been edited for television though and has been shown many times that I’ve pretty much seen the whole thing. I love the idea behind it. The first one where (spoiler) the son sends the guy back to protect his mom and that’s how he was born in the first place is awesome. After that, the series kind of lost any part that was romantic and it became all about the guns and action and less about the story, still I give it a nod as one of the epic time travel stories that will last for a very long time.

#7 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092007/?ref_=sr_1

Image: http://www.woodyssoundadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/star_trek_iv_poster1.jpg

Summary: To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to 20th century Earth to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it, humpback whales.

My Thoughts: Okay. Whoever came up with the idea of saving the whales was just dumb but what makes this movie totally awesome is seeing our beloved Star Trek characters who are becoming seniors at this point, wander cluelessly through modern San Francisco. With expletives done hysterically wrong and trying to talk to computer mouses, I never stopped laughing.  

#6 Kate and Leopold

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035423/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_12

Image: http://www.impawards.com/2001/posters/kate_and_leopold_ver2_xlg.jpg

Summary: Kate and Leopold come together as star-crossed lovers who discover that passion and chivalry never go out of style. When a rip in time brings together a charming 19th-century bachelor and a 21st-century woman, the potential for an old-fashioned modern romance ignites.

My Thoughts: Hugh Jackman can do no wrong in my book. Especially in a romance. He is amazing and makes the movie in my opinion. Must watch for romance fans. Love the side story about OTIS too.

#5 The Time Traveler’s Wife

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452694/?ref_=sr_1

Image: http://www.impawards.com/2009/posters/time_travelers_wife_xlg.jpg

Summary: A romantic drama about a Chicago librarian with a gene that causes him to involuntarily time travel, and the complications it creates for his marriage.

My Thoughts: I love the idea of this one but it jumped around a bit too much for me to feel the romance. Still, this one ranks high on my list due to its very different and cool version of time travel.

#4 Back to the Future Movies

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/?ref_=sr_1

Image: http://www.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/Back_to_the_Future_rerelease_movie_poster.jpg

Summary: A teenager is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

My Thoughts: Full of larger than life characters. Hilarious. Michael J. Fox is at his most charming. If you haven’t seen these films yet, you’re missing out. It’s very 80’s but it’s so very fun. Gives new meaning to giving your mother a kiss.

#3 The Planet of the Apes Movies

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063442/?ref_=sr_2

Image: http://guyism.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/planet-of-the-apes-posters.jpeg

Summary: An astronaut crew crash lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved.

My Thoughts: I love even the old movies. The story is compelling and creative. The old ones move a bit slow for a modern audience but they are still worth watching. Fantastic ideas about time travel here.

#2 Star Trek: First Contact

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117731/?ref_=sr_1

Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZXo36OYzkwdUAW191V1un-mUrM0ljh9mWl4IiEVMCOrKDctRD6fdvPT8BjDz7fXnC9-v-_mxGwl2dNzBN7Sf-4aPKVhnmIgCiP1DkrAcgFBQZmUuH3rZ1tgkct10JFNtAw06q5PnEMs/s1600/star_trek_first_contact_19961.jpg

Summary: Captain Picard and his crew pursue the Borg back in time to stop them from preventing Earth from initiating first contact with alien life.

My Thoughts: You know what’s cool? The Borg. Even their catchphrase, “Resistance is futile,” is so awesome it sends shivers down my spine. In my opinion, this is the most awesome Trek movie ever made. Ricardo Montalban’s movie is a close second when he portrayed Khan but that one doesn’t have a time travel aspect. In this one they have to go back in time and stop the Borg from assimilating Earth in the past. As a result, they have to help one of Earth’s heroes, the one responsible for creating warp drive technology, launch his ship in time to meet the Vulcans. So awesome. Also I’d list the 2009 Star Trek here as well if I didn’t think I was already overwhelming you with Star Trek movies. Then there’s the fact that J. J. Abrams cheesed me off a little by playing with the timeline too much but I pretty much forgave him because he gave me Zachary Quinto as Spock and let Leonard Nimoy do a cameo.

#1 Somewhere in Time

Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081534/?ref_=sr_1

Image: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3572/3554636914_b29b8988b2.jpg

Summary: A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to find the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel.

My Thoughts: That summary from IMDB is lame. Okay, so first Christopher Reeve in his prime. If that’s not enough to get you interested in this film then I’ll tell you that every time I watch this movie I cry my eyes out. When the old lady shows up at Richard’s after party and gives him the watch I am riveted. It proves you really don’t need special effects to tell a compelling story. You need great actors. One of my top romantic movies of all time and an excellent version of time travel.

There’s my list of best time travel movies. Do you agree? Were there some I missed? Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite time travel film is and why. Until next time.

Colleen Houck

Colleen Houck is October's Affiliate Blogger. To find out more about our guest author positions here at the League, click here.

Colleen Houck’s New York Times bestselling Tiger’s Curse series has received national praise with the fourth book, Tiger’s Destiny, debuting September 2012. Colleen is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, science fiction, and romance. Formerly a student at the University of Arizona, she has worked as a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter for seventeen years. Colleen lives in Salem, Oregon, with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.

Tiger's Curse
Tiger's Quest

Tiger's Voyage
Tiger's Destiny
Tiger's Dream

by Colleen Houck

More info

Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.