Casey Anthony is Guilty

So I know this is a little different from what I usually talk about but how exactly was she not guilty? I haven't followed the whole trial but I know enough (because anyone who actually turns on a radio or TV or reads, hmm pretty much anyone who has conscious thought knows about this trial), I know she is guilty.  I'm very ashamed at our judicial system. Not giving her the death penalty would have been fine but she should have gotten life in prison at best. I just wonder who exactly they could find her not guilty of child abuse. This is wrong.

Trends?

I wonder what George Orwell and Aldous Huxley would think about the extremely vast sea of dystopian novels/movies/tvshows/whatever that around today. In YA alone you have Divergent, Matched, and The Hunger Games. Those are just the first three series that come to mind. I don't know about Matched, but the other two are already having movie deals being made, the funny thing about that is Divergent has only been out for a few months. Seems like the new trend, I guess everyone (except me, check out a few posts ago) got tired of vampires. I wonder what the next trend will be... 

My guess is aliens. Or maybe aliens is a constant presence and everything else is only a trend. I mean you've got ID4, Race to Witch Mountain, Starman, Fire in the Sky, both versions of V, ET, everything to do with Superman, even the Transformers were aliens. They always seem to have been around. Well, hopefully not too close to your house, unless you enjoy that kind of thing. Now that I think about it, I wonder how my father would react if he saw a UFO, probably kind of how I would react if I was a unicorn. It would be a freak-out of enjoyment worthy of a million views on Youtube.

What Makes a Character Great

Yesterday I saw X-Men: First Class and I thought it was amazing. The X-Men movies have always been my favorite superhero movies and that doesn't look like it will change anytime soon. I could not help but notice that Charles Xavier and BBC's version of Merlin have a lot in common. As a matter of fact, some of the dialog in the movie could have been in the TV show. Both Merlin and Professor X fight for people who would have them killed. In BBC's Merlin, magic is outlawed but Merlin continues to use it for good and has saved the life of King Uther who would have him killed. Professor X fights for the humans, some of them would side with the mutants, others are afraid and would have them killed. In both the TV show and the movie, there are conversations where a mutant/sorcerer who try to get the hero to join their side, telling them they betrayed their kind, that humans will never except them and view them as a freak. However, both Professor X and Merlin fight against those people. Personally, I find this trait in a character amazing. Three seasons into the show and the character of Merlin has done nothing, not even once to irritate me. There is a very slim number of characters who can claim they have never done anything to bother me and none of those characters have been around for three seasons. Not every time does this type of behavior work though. One of the very few times Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer annoyed me was in the episode titled "Pangs." Most of the time I love Willow but not this time. She kept talking about how the Native American who was attacking Sunnydale was wronged by the white settlers and wondered if it was right to kill the Native American. Though I agree with most of what she said (the Native Americans were horribly treated and I do appreciate how the show did not simply overlook that) I did not agree with her obstinence to kill the Native American. The cursed Native American had already brutally killed a number of people and had infected her best friend Xander with every disease the white people had given the Native Americans which would guarantee his death. Despite this, she wanted the cursed man to live. It was not until the group was being shot at by multiple beings that Willow finally gave in. So how come when Merlin and Professor X fight for those who would kill them, like the cursed Native American, it works but for Willow it did not? How come one trait given to a character can be found endearing and another annoying? If I could just unlock the secret then I would already have a novel published. I guess for now I will have to ponder on why Wesley Wyndam-Pryce's betrayal caused my heart to break for him and vault him to my favorite character in Angel while Morgana's betrayal on BBC's Merlin caused me to dislike her? Maybe that's how the writers wished for it to be interpreted by the audience. Still I'd like to know why Luke from Percy Jackson can make my heart melt when he keeps showing signs of belonging to both sides of the war but when Anakin Skywalker keeps changing his mind it gets irritating.

Long Time No Post

Give me a few minutes and I'm sure I can come up with a really good reason why it's been so long since I've posted... nothing really comes to mind. Well, it IS summer and my sister got Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel complete series DVD collections so who can really blame me for being lazy.
I just started The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and I did this before I saw how many pages long it was (909!). It's not that I don't think I could get through it, I just thought it was going to be a quick read. Who knows, maybe I will love it and finish it very quickly. Has anyone on here read it before?
It seems to me that vampires (or their slayers) have taken over my life-that is the reason I haven't posted in awhile. See, I did find an excuse.

Character Facebook Pages

I saw on Maggie Stiefvater's Twitter (she is the author of The Wolves of Mercy Falls which include Shiver and Linger so far) that she made facebook pages for the main characters in her books. I am not sure if this will help with character development or be a giant waste of time. On the surface, facebook looks like a place to act as a giant advertisement (on the info page at least). Does it really matter what is a character's favorite bands or movies? Sure things like who they are in a relationship with or their religious/political views are important but that usually comes through in a story. However, I think there may be some advantages to making facebook pages for characters.
I think this may work in two stages of character development: newer characters and the stand-alone novel that begins to demand a sequel or even more. For new ones I think the reasoning is obvious. Sure, it's only a list of TV shows they watch, but what if they watch none, they don't have time, they could watch soap-operas, all the geeky TV shows (like me :D), etc... all of these things would help develop a character. Do they play video games? Do they read classics or romances? Though it looks basic and trivial on the surface it could help give characters more depth or more rounded personalities. Also, I have already finished a novel. I am not going to make facebooks for those characters. However, sequel ideas keep coming up. If I were to write another book, I would expand the universe, introduce new characters, and bring some minor characters to more important roles. If that were the case I would make them facebooks.
One other possible benefit. Say this is dream world and the book is published. How cool would it be to promote the book through those characters. They could add fans as friends (given the book does not reach the level of success Twilight or Harry Potter has). More over, fans could find more information about those characters that are not said in the books because they are small trivial things such as bands one likes. I know that there are characters in many movies/TV shows/novels who I would add as friends to interact with them (I am sounding more lame by the minute lol) and learn all those small things such as their favorite sports teams.
If this ends up helping I'll talk about is more. Lets hope this helps.

Zombie Invasion!

The world has been overrun with zombies (vampires are so last week and Dean and Sam have taken care of the rest)! These are no ordinary zombies but master minds who are a hair's breath away from world domination. Forming a team of fictional characters to destroy this foe is imperative.

Sam and Dean from Supernatural: This brother duo is a necessity to this team. They are experts in killing monsters of every shape and size having defeated adversaries physically stronger and faster than them and zombies. Since killing monsters is a part of their everyday lives this would be just another day at work. Also, they know every way possible to kill zombies, and to make sure they cannot come back.

Buffy Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sure, she is small, blond, and does not look nearly as tough as those Winchester brothers but the monsters run when they see her coming. Though she may be labeled as a "vampire slayer" she is quite adapt at killing every kind of monster. She has already survived a zombie invasion so why wouldn't she survive another one and do it in style.

Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments: Jace has more monster kills than any shadow hunter has at his age. Unlike those mentioned above, Jace actually enjoys fighting, the idea of killing zombies en mass would sound like fun to him as long as his family and Clary were safe of course. Being a shadow hunter Jace would only need a rune to heal from any injuries, gather more stamina, etc . . . Thanks to an extra dose of angel blood he is faster and stronger than any shadow hunter, and they are stronger than humans.

Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy: Being half-vampire and half-human gives Rose many advantages that vampires have (such as extra strength) with none of the defects (such as burning in the sun and desire to drink blood). She has spent her entire life ready to fight and defend the good vampires (Moroi) from the evil ones with no soul (Strigoi). By the age of 18 she had killed more Strigoi than any of her peers. She's been trained her whole life for this. I know I'd want her on my team.

Josh Gates from Destination Truth: Alright, so I said I was assembling a team of fictional characters and Josh Gates is not fictional but he is just that cool. He is a real life Benjamin Gates/Indiana Jones. While Dean and Sam have a lot of working knowledge of zombies do they know every legend about them? I'm guessing that is not the case. However, Josh Gates would. Though he would stay away from the front lines he would be the information center.

Ike and the Greil Mercenaries from Fire Emblem 9 & 10: The characters of Fire Emblem are always tough but Ike and his group are the, (nearly) undisputed, most unstoppable edifice in Fire Emblem history. If Ike was at his full potential he could probably take the entire group of zombies by himself. His group brings an array of different fighters including strong magic users, healers, boulders, quick and effective strikers, archers with aim that would make Robin Hood jealous, and strong mounted units. Also, with this group comes the leader, Ike.

Jason Bourne from The Bourne Series: The best way to describe Jason Bourne is killing machine. He would be the one assigned to steal the zombies' plans and hack their software. Unlike most characters that are adapt at navigating their way around technology and political intrigue, Bourne never needs rescuing and can handle himself better than some non-human characters who are stronger than him. He would probably be too busy to be on the front lines but would be an necessity for the team.

This team would ensure victory. However the pivotal moment of the battle would arrive when BBC's Merlin's title character showed up. Sure, he may not look like much but has an unlimited amount of magic and seemingly unlimited power. In some cases he does not even have to know the spell to set one in action, it is his instinct like jerking a hand off a hot surface.

With this team, there is no way the world would be overrun.

School

I think the title says it all. I've been so busy I can't even find time to think of an interesting blog post unless anyone reading this honestly cares about my favorite TV show list (does not mean I will not resort to this in the future lol). Anyways I am swamped with homework and work. Next semester looks even more stressful as I am planning on taking 5 classes, work as a TA, and work in the school's Writing Center. Yep. I wonder if I am secretly trying to kill myself through work. On the bright side, I think I will have time tonight to edit my query letter which I will submit to a contest and then to agents. Trust me, if an agent so much as gives me a personalized rejection I will blog about it. I don't brag much but if I get a book deal I will make sure the whole world knows.

See you next week (whoever "you" is).

Killing the Light (One Band, 19 Questions)

So I was working on the "Impossible Romance Scale" so people could add up points and see who has the most unattainable romance but I accidently hit backspace and my schoolwork has been backing up so I'm doing this instead. I already did this with the band McFly so this time I'll do a different band.

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Do not repeat song titles


My Artist: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 
Are you male of female: Ha Ha High Babe
Describe yourself: As Sure As the Sun
How do you feel about yourself: Too Real
Describe where you currently live: Berlin 
The first thing you think of when you wake up: I Know You're In There
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: River Styx 
Your favorite form of transportation: Shuffle Your Feet
Your best friend is: Aya
Your favourite colour is: White Palms 
What's the weather like: Cold Wind 
If your life were a TV show, what would it be called: And When Was Better
What is life to you: Complicated Situation 
What is the best advice you have to give: Take Them On, On Your Own
If you could change your name, what would it be: Promise
Your favourite food is: Bad Blood 
My soul's present condition: High/Low
The faults I can bare: All You Do Is Talk
How would you describe your love life: A Sad State
What are you going to post this as: Killing the Light (One Band, 19 Questions)

YA Reads

I must have read a million articles about "how to get published" or "how to write a query letter" by now. I haven't been real stellar about doing some of the things people have suggested but I have been REALLY good in one aspect: reading in the same genre that you wish to be published in. So hard right? I am practically being assigned to read the kinds of books I've always wanted to. One of the reasons I wanted to be a writer is I wanted to write the kinds of books I wanted to read because they weren't there. Well, they were, I just didn't know that. Then Twilight happened. Yeah, I know it has a bad rep right now but I like it.
Anyways, now I'm trying to find other books that are any type of fantasy/sci-fi YA. I've read The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, the Percy Jackson series, The Hunger Games, The Inheritance Cycle, I Am Number Four, and Incarceron. I'm working on the Vampire Academy and The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series right now. Anyone have any suggestions? What's your favorite YA novel?

And by the way, as far as my "literary crush" list goes, Christian Ozera and Sam Roth are definitely on that list. I was right in my prediction of the latter.

The Sound of Music

What makes a story come alive, makes you forget where and when you are because you are in the story? I hope one day I know the answer. If there was only a magic formula, put the x here and the y there and hooray! You have written a best seller. And people think math is hard, they should try writing a novel. While there is no "magic formula" there are elements that every story should have, one of those is a well developed world.
I think non-fantasy writers would agree with me when I say that you have to develop normal worlds also. Basically, I do not think creating the world is limited to fantasy. However, fantasy authors are taking on a much bigger project by inventing their own world. I think in either case, music really helps.
It takes me FOREVER to start a new novel or even start coming up with anything but a basic idea for a novel or series because I spend FOREVER making the playlist for that world. There is no way to express how helpful a music playlist is for me. The music sets the tone of the world.
There are some bands in my iTunes that are always a "go to" when it comes to playlists because, 1. I'm in love with that band, 2. their lyrics frequently reflect ideas I desire to be in my stories, 3. they have some sort of other-worldly sound to them.
The bands I frequently use in my playlists are:

Anberlin- my sister said his voice sounds like a chime as the ring fades out, I could not describe this better. I always seem to find Anberlin on my playlists and "Inevitable" ends up on nearly every playlist. Why Anberlin find themselves on so many of my playlists is because of their varying tempos. It is quite difficult to find songs that sound like a fantasy world, are faster and suitable for fight scenes, and I actually like them.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- their sound is what I'm looking for, I prefer to write some sort of urban fantasy, it's urban enough and fantasy enough. Their sound varies greatly, "Killing the Light" has a very fantasy feel to it while "Fault Line" has a folkish sound. Their lyrics deal with everything: death, romance, rebellion, questioning rebellion, and has lyrics that refer to the supernatural. Perfect.

Josiah Leming- beautiful lyrics and voice, "Theysay" is a must for every novel with romance. His EP has an ethereal quality to it while some of his other songs remind me of Iron and Wine (just his voice and an instrument, no other influences), and others like Coldplay. It's fairly easy to find songs from him that work on my playlists. Also, Josiah's lyrics are very real, I feel like he is putting his soul into song lyrics. If my character and his soul ever feel the same way, then you have a song and character match made in Heaven.

McFly- This is a case of pure obsession. Most McFly songs sound nothing like the worlds I am trying to create. However, it's actually a lot easier than it would seem (especially to those who are familiar with the band). "It's All About You" is one of the simplest love songs and finds its way onto many playlists of mine. Their sound has changed over the years and much of their later stuff does not sound out of place on my playlists. Also, their lyrics are simple and are easy to relate to. It almost seems as if some bands try too hard to make their lyrics complicated and other bands lyrics are just too simple. McFly seems to have this just right. Also, they are my favorite band ever.

Muse- I think they may be the only band on every playlist. Muse, like Anberlin, has a sound that fits within my worlds but has songs you can write a fight scene too. Lyrics also play a large role in why I always chose them. If the story has romance, the possible end of the world, an uprising (guess which song applies here), or conspiracies, Muse works.

Am I the only one that does this? Also curious, if you do make extensive playlists to help set the tone of the world in which you are writing, what bands do you usually use?

The Dreaded "Mary Sue"

What is a "Mary Sue?" Depends on who you ask. A common belief is that this character is an "Author Avatar," or the author has placed an ideal version themselves in a story. One thing that is agreed on is that 1.) a "Mary Sue" is a character, and 2.) that the character is a "Mary Sue." Most "Mary Sues" live in the realm of fanfiction however multiple cannon characters have been labeled as a "Mary Sue" such as Bella Swann from Twilight, Lana Lang from Smallville, Eragon from well Eragon, Richard Rahl from The Sword of Truth series, and just about every superhero. For the record, I am not saying wether or not these character are "Mary Sues" or not and I purposefully picked examples from things I actually like. This is just what other people claim, I am just serving as a humble reporter.
As you may have noticed, two of these characters are male, in that case the character is either "John Doe," or "Marty Stu" depending on what article or blog you are reading. As a matter of fact, there seems to be many "Sue" categories that characters can fall into. Some involve when all the characters in the story are completely in love with the "Sue" for no apparent reason and if there are any characters who dare dislike this "Sue" then they are horrible for doing so. Another form is where this "Sue" has super-powers in a world where there are none, is a doctor for his/her day job, the most beautiful person in town, has no faults, and has modeled when they are not saving the world with their super-powers or lives using their medical training.
Here's something that really interests me. The label is "Mary Sue," thus meaning a female character. As a matter of fact, it seems that the majority of characters who are accused of being a "Sue" are females. Why is this interesting, the original "Mary Sue" was a male! The first character to receive the label "Mary Sue" was in fact a female character in an infamous piece of Star Trek fiction. However, many believe that this "Mary Sue" was written about to make fun of the male Star Trek character of Wesley Crusher.
So here's the question. How, as an author, do you avoid your character from being a "Mary Sue"? Easy, take a test! Okay, so it's not that easy and no "Mary Sue Litmus Tests" is the know and be all of "Mary Sues." Apparently, real people have gotten scores that qualify them as "Mary Sues." I don't remember where I read that, but I do remember that poor Bono is a "Mary Sue" according to these tests.
So, what else can you do? Ask the audience! Or not. I'm fairly certain, if you searched hard enough, you would fine at least one blogger who has labeled the characters you hold dearest to your heart as a "Mary Sue." I can vouch on that, I've seen people accuse every female character from every popular YA series as a "Mary Sue." Do I think Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson or Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments are "Mary Sues?" Not a chance, does someone else. Of course they do!
We are back to where we started. How do I avoid my character from being a "Sue"? Easy, give them depth, make the reader think they could call the character on their cell phone (if such a thing exists in that character's world) or hang out they seem so real. How does one give a character depth? Give your character faults, have them make mistakes. No one is perfect in real life so how fun would it be to read about a perfect character? Could you really relate to a "perfect" person? I know I wouldn't be able to. Still, this may not be enough. Having read Twilight and the Inheritance Cycle, I know for a fact that both Bella and Eragon have their faults and make mistakes yet they are both commonly labeled as "Sues." So I guess the real key here is to not get popular. In all reality, the more realistic your character is the less of a chance he or she is a "Sue."
Also, do not put yourself in a story. There are no inflexible rules to writing and I'm sure there are examples of an author putting themselves into their book and everything turned out fine. But it is just a good idea to resist the temptation and have the character be their own person, who is like you in ways, and unlike you in ways.

Here is a great link about "Mary Sues" which included categories and examples. Warning though, this site does use some bad language at times.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue

And just in case you want to give your character a "Mary Sue" test here are a few links to that. Remember, just because they score high on this does not mean that character is a waste. There are many claims that these test are biased against fantasy because of questions like "Does this character have an exotic name," or "Does this character have powers"? Only answer yes if this only applies to the character taking the test not all in the world this story takes place.

http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm

http://www.ponylandpress.com/ms-test.html

Top 10 Literature Crushes

Is there life on other planets? How come men in real life are not as good as they are in books? Some questions will never be answered. What we can do is list why we girls think men in books are sexier. I've listed 10 reasons right here.

10. D’Artagnan- The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

First off, he's foreign, secondly, he's a musketeer! It doesn't get much hotter than that. He leans to the hot-headed side (he managed to get 3 duals in one day), is extremely loyal, and intelligent. Want more proof of how purely awesome this character is: Justin Chambers, Hugh Dancy, Chris O'Donnell, and Logan Lerman have all played (or will play) D'Artagnan.

9. Fitzwilliam Darcy – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Before there was Edward there was Mr. Darcy. It just would not be right to not include him on this list. He's another one of those characters who has had multiple good looking actors portray him in film, Colin  Firth and Matthew MacFadyen being the most famous. What makes Mr. Darcy so amazing? His devotion to Elizabeth, he's shy, sweet, and is not only willing to admit he is wrong but also whatever it takes to set things right. 

8. Gale Hawthorne- The Hunger Games by Susan Collins

Team Gale all the way! Gale knows what he believes in and was rebelling against the capitol way before  Katniss and Peeta were. Other than being described as "having a face made for TV," the other thing that makes Gale so hot is his rebellious attitude, hunting skills, and the fact he does not spend pages pining after a girl who has already moved on (here's looking at you Jacob Black). He is funny, street smart, and extremely loyal to his family and has provided for them since he was a young man. 

7. Sam Winchester- Supernatural by Eric Kripke

Alright, I know this is a "literary list" so what is Sam Winchester from the TV show Supernatural doing on here? He's been in books, tie-in novels are literature! Despite being raised killing demons and vampires, Sam is a sweetheart. He had his rough spots in some of the seasons but we finally have him back! He is extremely smart (full ride to Stanford), sacrificed himself to save the world (at the expense he was tortured for eternity, he got out though), can kick some major monster butt, is funny, and if he didn't kill monsters for a living, he's be the guy your parents would love. He would be the safer choice but the one would would make an excellent father (and I am not dishing Dean, if he could settle down I'm sure he would make an excellent father). The icing on the cake it that major hottie Jared Padalecki plays him on the show, he's got abs that would make Taylor Lautner jealous. 

6. Faramir – Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien 

Everyone has their Lord of the Rings crush and mine is Faramir. He's even nicer and kinder in the books than in the movie. Despite not having an easy childhood (as his father clearly preferred his older brother) he did not turn out bitter or jealous. He is one of the few characters who had the ring within his grasp and let it go. On top of that, if he had brought the ring to his father, he may have finally been loved by his father but he let Frodo go. My heart breaks for him, a clear sign that I love him. 

5. Luke Castellan –Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

I think Luke is the only villain on my list but I can't help but love him. It does not hurt that Jake Abel played him in the movie. Luke is funny, almost all the female characters have a crush on him, the "best fighter in 300 years," and too smart for his own good. Warning, there will be spoilers from now on: so he may have been the villain at first but have you read about the Greek gods? Who could blame him? Not to mention, he ends up sacrificing himself and becomes the hero of the prophecy. He had a traumatic childhood, his girlfriend sacrificed her life to save his and he was preyed on by Kronos. If I could write a spin-off series about this character I would.  

4. Edward Cullen- Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

I understand why some people have issues with Edward, it's the creepy stalker thing and the too controlling thing that keep him from being number one. He is the most romantic man on this list. Whenever I got frustrated with his character, all it took was one line for me to swoon again. He is so devoted to his women that he would be wants her to be with someone else because he's a vampire. He has the whole self-hatred thing down pat and is extremely good looking and smart. Also, he's the knight in a shining Volvo. It's not everyone's thing but I crush on him hard. 

3. Jem Carstairs – The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Ah Jem, if only all three books were out. Jem has the potential to take the number one spot. I cannot express how much I am in love with Jem. First off, he is suffering from a disease that is killing him slowly but he is still living his life to live life, not to prolong it. He's a shadowhunter which instantly classifyies him as sexy and means he could kick your butt (diseased and all). He is the definition of gentleman, intelligent, always there when you need him, and can play the violin (WAY more original than the guitar). He is so sweet and kind that he has managed to get multiple females' attention and he is the only person Will Herondale will let in. Did I mention he has silver hair and eyes and is half-asian, half-British? How cool is that. 

2. Alec Ramsey- The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley

When I was a child, all I wanted was the Black, now I'd take Alec also (yes, I still re-read the Black Stallion books from time to time). For a completely normal person, Alec has a lot of guts and kicks a lot of butt (like when he jumped on the back of the truck to stop a horse from being dragged to death). He is extremely loyal, smart, and kind. He is a hard worker, always willing, and is a successful jockey. Also, he is the best person to have with you if you need someone with survival skills as he has survived a shipwreck, plane wreck, the desert (twice), an island with almost nothing to eat and no life other than a wild horse and a snake, the everglades, and a wildfire (I may be forgetting something). After having one traumatic event after another he is still a completely normal person whereas most would have broken down by then. On top of all this, he loves horses! Instead of having to time travel or turn into some creature you get a barn full of racing horses, that includes the Black! It's a win. If I could get the rights to any characters it would be these. 

1. Jace Wayland- The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare 

So what can top my childhood hero turned crush, JEM, Edward Cullen and Mr. Darcy himself? Jace Wayland can. Jace has a great sense of humor, has killed more demons than any other shadowhunter his age, and is extremely loyal to friends and family. He can come across as arrogant but that is part of what separates him from the rest of this group: he always surprises you. When most people are told they are being stared at, they bashfully say no but not Jace, no he is not even surprised they are staring at him and actually expects that. However, lots of that macho-ness if just a cover up for how torn up he really is inside no thanks to his horrible father figure Valentine. He was abused all his life being told "To love is to destroy," until he was 10 when he believed he watched his father die. After that, everyone kept talking about how nice his father was (because he went under a false name) but Jace knew what a terrible person that man was. On top of all that, he still found a place in his heart to love his father. He is 100% devoted to Clary, to the point that he would willingly die to save her best friend (even though he does not like the best friend). It almost seems as if the good guys in the story try to push him over to the villain's side by arresting him (twice), kicking him out of his house, treating him as if he was already guilty of being a villain, and not trusting him but he never falters for a moment. What's even cooler, he's golden and literally part angel. Did I mention he's sexy? He's so good looking, I'm not sure any actor is good looking enough to portray him (though Alex Pettyfer is really close). 

I will give Simon Lewis an honorable mention on here because I love him that much. He's also from The Mortal Instruments. Zac from Avalon: Web of Magic series by Rachel Roberts also gets an honorable mention and Dean Winchester and Castiel of course. I haven't read Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater yet but I plan too soon and I'm thinking Sam might make the top 10 (if not then a honorable mention).