In Praise of Laini Taylor

Movie makers often mine literature and pop culture for screenplay ideas, as evidenced by the Harry Potter phenomenon, the Twilight craze, and most recently, I Am Number Four, but don't underestimate the fans in this process. In an article by PR Newswire, fans of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy wrote letters demanding a film.

Now that's an address I desperately need because I would love to see the dark, magical tale, Hatchling, by Laini Taylor, made into a feature length film. It has everything a person can hope for: mystery, love, betrayal, longing, lust, sorcery, monsters, foreign lands, ancient languages. And yet, there's more! It seriously delivers in blockbuster fashion.

Taylor's book, Lips Touch Three Times, is a collection of stories based on the consequences of a supernatural first kiss. Having said that, forget all notions of sappy teenage romance. In each story, Laini Taylor spins an original, wildly creative yarn that evokes the feel of old world magic in a place where frightening things can and do happen. Goblin Fruit and Spicy Little Curses Such As These are excellent, but Hatchling, the story of the Druj, is filled with its own rich mythology, and characters so real they live on in the reader's imagination leaving them craving more. Hatchling feels novel worthy and --to this fan--movie worthy.

It's like nothing I've read before. People have said it's weird and strange. Weird and strange are good things. She's definitely thinking outside of the box. Read it, and you'll understand :) Click here to make it your own. It's worth every cent; you won't be sorry. The author's husband, artist Jim di Bartolo, complements the tales with his haunting illustrations.

The world needs more of Laini Taylor's imagination! Her words enchant and seduce. She's gifted at finding fresh, new ways to present common themes. It's all in the execution, and right now, nobody does it better than Laini Taylor. Even her blog is awesome! And check out the post on her new book, Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

I love fresh, imaginative writing that establishes mood with gorgeous prose, characters that feel like they can walk right off the page, and juicy plots that make me wild for more. Writing is tough work. I love to see authors succeed.

You may be wondering what prompted me to blog after such a long time away... Well, I just happened to see news about a Wicked Lovely movie, and immediately began hoping the same for--who else--Laini Taylor!