tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38624560006834553822024-03-13T06:02:38.709-04:00Melissa Writes FictionAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-64940993675539844692012-08-03T12:00:00.000-04:002012-08-03T12:01:24.838-04:00Friday Five - 8.3.12Fridays are always a good day to ease back into blogging. Here's my five:
<ul>
<li>I watched a recording of The Daily Show this morning and got giddy excited when I saw a clip of Jackson Pearce's vlog <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-2-2012/fast-feud-nation---chik-fil-a-appreciation-day?xrs=share_copy" target="_blank">made it onto the show</a> (look for her around a minute into the clip). Yay book nerds!
<li>I can officially say that I've lose all remnants of Olympic fever. This can be attributed to the billions of spoilers I've encountered on every media outlet. I already stopped going on twitter, but it's almost impossible to avoid it. Ugh.
<li>I only finished 3 books in July. The good news is that they were all pretty good!
<li>Those books were: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62291.A_Storm_of_Swords" target="_blank">Storm of Swords</a> by George R.R. Martin, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11735983-insurgent" target="_blank">Insurgent</a> by Veronica Roth and <A href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22628.The_Perks_of_Being_a_Wallflower" target="_blank">The Perks of Being a Wallflower</a> by Stephen Chbosky.
<li>In case you missed it, there was a Doctor Who trailer released yesterday. What are you waiting for? Go <a href="http://youtu.be/FeZKY12cDGs" target="_blank">watch it</a>! In the event you don't watch Doctor Who, you should really remedy that. The entire series reboot is available via netflix.</ul>
<br>
<b>BONUS:</b> You can watch the full Jackson Pearce video by clicking <a href="http://youtu.be/JprRWKQys7A" target="_blank">here</a>.
<br><br><center>
<font size=5>HAPPY FRIDAY!</font size></center>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-65370346789667812282012-06-08T06:00:00.000-04:002012-06-08T06:00:08.038-04:00Friday Five - 6.8.12Happy Friday, everyone! I hope the day goes by fast for all of you so you can kick start your weekend.
<ol>
<li>Another busy weekend for me. We have a cookout to go to on Saturday at my husband's co-worker's house, which is an hour away. I'm not looking forward to the time in the car. Especially because my little one is a total sweat monster when she's in her carseat. She's going to be soaked by the time we get there.
<li>On Sunday, our little babe is being baptized. Then we're having a party where almost 100 people will be in attendance. Can you say exhausting? Norah's Mom-Mom went a little overboard with the invites!
<li>Confession: I haven't read a YA book in over a month. Right now I'm reading <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62291.A_Storm_of_Swords" target="_blank">A Storm of Swords</a> by George R.R. Martin. It's almost 1,000 pages long and by no means a "fast read". My goal is 25 pages a day so I can finish it sometime this century.
<li>For the last few weeks I've been taking a yoga/pilates class called Body After Baby. Last night, I was finally able to do the <a href="http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaposes/a/plow.htm" target="_blank">plow</a> and a full <a href="http://www.yogacards.com/yoga/practice-yoga/learn-yoga-practice.jpg" target="_blank">sun salute</a>. These have both been really tough for me, so this weekend I'm celebrating. As my instructor says, "Strong is the new skinny."
<li>I'm hoping to get a run in this weekend, but we're so busy I bet it won't happen. I'm trying to get back to running a full 5k before the end of June. I'm using an app called <a href="http://runkeeper.com/" target="_blank">RunKeeper</a> to keep track of all my runs/walks. It uses your iPhone to track your route and tells you how far you ran and how long it took you. It's been working really well for me so far. If you're in the market for a running app, this might be the one for you. Check it out!
</ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-35188774869130695942012-06-07T08:07:00.000-04:002012-06-07T08:07:02.773-04:00And Who Are You Again?I'm baaaaack! Well...kind of. I started a schedule with the baby this week and it seems to be working out (for now). Now that I know when she's going to nap, I can plan ahead to get in some writing. <br><br>
So what have been up to, you ask? I'm working on beefing up the ending to my WIP. I was hoping to have it all finished up by the time I go back to my day job, but that's only a month away and I still have a lot of work to do. Setting that goal was completely unrealistic. I wayyyyyy underestimated how tired I'd be and how hard it is to take care of a newborn. Oh well - you live, you learn, right?<br><br>
By the end of this week, I should finish making notes on what needs to be changed to mesh up with the new ending. After that, I'll go back and actually make the changes. Then one more re-read and off it will go to some readers. Hopefully, I can get to that point before I go back to work. Wish me luck!<br><br>
What have you all been up to? I feel so out of the loop.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-35291986149751523392012-03-23T02:25:00.001-04:002012-03-23T02:25:05.102-04:00My WIP is finished!And a week early, at that! <br />
<br />
Norah Elizabeth came into the world at 5:47 on Monday, March 19. She is adorable and I'm so in love with her! <br />
<br />
Now if I can just work that fast on my OTHER projects!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIS6z1gV83mgCJikxLw5cvP7eR5nu18qOLB5CAj91ttmjDyP7lN7GO3lx_45QU048wkWy6BMxd1c3TDR7Ytrst92CqfuOOrAqEhQkT_ZxloQA87MWJn1AIv0_M4Au_KPM7pejumhLLSsM/s640/blogger-image-1884148812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIS6z1gV83mgCJikxLw5cvP7eR5nu18qOLB5CAj91ttmjDyP7lN7GO3lx_45QU048wkWy6BMxd1c3TDR7Ytrst92CqfuOOrAqEhQkT_ZxloQA87MWJn1AIv0_M4Au_KPM7pejumhLLSsM/s640/blogger-image-1884148812.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-85701248510420485242012-03-01T11:38:00.000-05:002012-03-01T11:38:28.160-05:00Book Review: Just Listen by Sarah DessenYou know, I'm really starting to enjoy Sarah Dessen. So much so, that I think I'm going to go back and read her entire collection. My favorite thing about her books is how she takes one person's crisis and and shows how everyone around that person is experiencing something similar. This is exactly the case in Just Listen.
For those of you who haven't read it yet, here is a short summary that I got from goodreads:
<i><blockquote>Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to
truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.</blockquote></i>
Here are three things I loved about the book:
<ol><li><b>Annabel wasn't perfect.</b> While I was reading about how Sophia and Annabel became friends, I questioned some of the things Annabel did to win her good graces. Even though these things weren't necessarily "right", it made sense. Like a lot of teens, Annabel just wants to fit in, be popular, and not be left in the dust. Sometimes those ambitions can really cloud your judgement.
<li><b>Even though she did these bad things, I felt terrible during Annabel's shunning.</b> Deep down, I knew Annabel meant well. By the end I was rooting for her so hard.
<li><b>The secondary plots.</b> The relationship between Annabel and her sisters was interesting to explore. On the one hand you have bubbly Kirsten, and in miserable, brooding Whitney, the complete opposite.
</ol>
<br>
Overall, this was an excellent story that I could see myself re-reading. If you've read other Sarah Dessen books and liked them, this one will not disappoint.
<br><br>
<font size=4><i>Have you read this book? Tell me what you thought!</i></font size>
<br><br><b>RELATED LINKS</b>
<ul><li>Read what Sarah has to say about Just Listen on her <a href="http://sarahdessen.com/book/just-listen/" target="_blank">website</a>.
<li>Buy the book: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-listen-sarah-dessen/1100315357?ean=9780670061051&z=y&itm=7&" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670061050/103-7938605-8903024?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780142410974" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-80068159186026266722012-02-24T09:03:00.000-05:002012-02-24T09:03:30.158-05:00Friday Five - 2.24.12Hey all! It's been awhile since I posted, but it's always fun to do a Friday Five.
<ol>
<li>I am so beat this morning. All week I've had terrible heartburn that's kept me up all night. I think I'm running on a total of 8 hours sleep for the entire week, so this weekend can't come soon enough. C'mon 5:30!
<li>I have a new appreciation for taking the stairs. I used to scale the staircase at my office building with such whimsy, but now I walk up five steps and I'm out of breath. I can't wait to start exercising again!
<li>I might not meet my goal of reading three books in February. How lame am I? I'm blaming it on the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/43790-a-song-of-ice-and-fire" target="_blank">A Song of Ice and Fire</a> series. I'm currently reading <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10572.A_Clash_of_Kings" target="_blank">book 2</a> and it takes me ages to get through a chapter. And the book is so heavy! I miss reading on my Kindle.
<li>I kept up with my goal of writing/editing for at least 2 hours both this week and last week! Go me! I'm starting to get to the juicy parts of my WIP, so I'm hoping that will encourage me to pick up the pace and log a couple more hours.
<li>Baby countdown: 4 weeks (or sooner)! ACK!
</ol>
<font size=4><i>Have any interesting plans for the weekend? Reading anything good? Let me know in the comments!</i></font size>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-24475024188853536882012-02-07T11:00:00.000-05:002012-02-07T11:00:13.068-05:00(More) Congratulations Are in Order!Great things just keep happening for the girls in my writing group! This week, I'm tipping you off to the best book you'll ever read that hasn't been released yet! A book written by fellow YA author <a href="http://melissalanders.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Melissa Landers</a>.(Yeah, she has a pretty awesome first name, too.)<br><br>
So hop on over to her blog and congratulate her! As we all know, the path to getting published is a tough one, and a fellow writer's support is always appreciated. No one deserves such great news more!<br><br>
<center><b><font size=5><font color=#F52887>Congrats Melissa!</font size></font color></b></center><br><br>
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to pop open some apple cider and celebrate!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-77437086697037129562012-02-03T07:00:00.000-05:002012-02-03T07:00:14.684-05:00Friday Five: February 2Whoa! I can't believe it's February already. Time is really flying.
<ol><li>I can officially say that I'm having a baby next month. That's kind of scary and exciting, all at the same time. I think those first time mom jitters are really setting in!
<li>I'm starting to get really busy at my day job, which means late hours and no writing time. Now that I've modified my writing goal, it will be easier to keep up with, but most of my free time will still go to writing. Maybe my husband will pick up the slack on the cooking and cleaning? He'd look cute in an apron.
<li><a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/the-hunger-games/#yom-ad-NT1" target="_blank">New Hunger Games trailer!</a>
<li>This weekend our project will be working on the baby's closet. As of now, it is not very baby friendly. Just one long rack to hang things on. Her little outfits look so lost in there. I love DIY'ing, so it should be a fun weekend. The plan is to end up with something like this:
<center><img src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/55591376620097521_ya8OZaPk_f.jpg" height="500"></center>
<li>It's been super warm this entire week. I hope the weather keeps up for the weekend. I hate it when it's a beautiful day and I'm cooped up inside an office. At least give me a chance to enjoy it on a Saturday or Sunday!
</ol>
<b><center>HAPPY WEEKEND!</center></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-62328943780963071632012-02-01T10:11:00.000-05:002012-02-01T10:11:01.567-05:00January Round UpWell, it's February now so let's take a look at how I did with my goals. <br />
<br />
<b>Reading</b><br />
Read three books and started two more.<br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429045-shatter-me" target="_blank"><b>Shatter Me</a> by <a href="http://stiryourtea.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tahereh Mafi</a>.</b><br />
<i>This was a great book to start off the year with. The writing was clever and the story moved at a pace that kept me wanting more. I hate that I need to wait so long for the next one to come out.</i><br />
<b>Buy the book:</b> <A href="http://www.amazon.com/Shatter-Me-Tahereh-Mafi/dp/0062085484" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062085481" target="_blank">Indiebound</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shatter-me-tahereh-mafi/1100394792" target="_blank">B&N</a><br />
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/345627.Vampire_Academy" target="_blank">Vampire Academy</a> by <a href="http://blue-succubus.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">Richelle Mead</a>.</b><br />
<i>Another good book. I've had this on my shelf since last year and never got around to reading it. Now that I have, I'm sorry I didn't pick it up sooner. I liked the dynamic here was between two friends and not your typical teenage love triangle involving the supernatural. The vampire/guardian relationship is interesting to me, and it's a fresh angle to approach a vampire story with.</i><br />
<b>Buy the book:</b> <A href="http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Academy-Book/dp/159514174X" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781595141743" target="_blank">Indiebound</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vampire-academy-richelle-mead/1008421040" target="_blank">B&N</a><br />
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars" target="_blank">The Fault in Our Stars</a> by <a href="http://johngreenbooks.com/" target="_blank">John Green</a>.(new release)</b><br />
<i>I pre-ordered this book back in August when John Green said he'd sign every copy. The wait from August until January was excruciating. Usually what happens when I anticipate a book like this for so long, is that it is a huge let down. Not so with TFIOS. I laughed, I cried, I laughed again. Most of all it made me think about life and how I waste most of my time doing stupid things. It made me appreciate all those substantial moments that not everyone gets to experience. Bottom Line: READ THIS BOOK.</i><br />
<b>Buy the book:</b> <A href="http://www.amazon.com/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green/dp/0525478817" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780525478812/john-green/fault-our-stars" target="_blank">Indiebound</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fault-in-our-stars-john-green/1104045488?ean=9780525478812&itm=1&usri=the+fault+in+our+stars" target="_blank">B&N</a></ol>
<b>Writing</b><br>
I didn't meet this goal. Boo! The day job plus being pregnant has sucked the life-blood out of me. I find it hard to do anything other than read or watch TV. The thing about goals, is to not be so hard on yourself when you don't meet them. It just sets you up for failure. Which is why I'm modifying this goal to <b>"Work on WIP at least 2 hours per week."</b><br><br>
I know it will take much longer to finish these edits, but at least I will be making progress.<br><br>
<b>Blogging</b><br>
Only three entries in January, but that's a start, considering I didn't have ANY in December and it's only one less than the goal I set for myself. Thanks again, pregnancy! <br><br>
<font size=4><i>So how did everyone else do with their January goals? Finish any interesting writing projects? Read any excellent books?</i></font size>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-56792849859871955302012-01-20T10:38:00.000-05:002012-01-20T10:38:41.166-05:00Friday Five: Jan 20It's finally here! Happy Friday everyone!<br />
<br />
<ol><li>It's pizza and game night at my household tonight. I love both pizza and games, so it should be a good time. We got this new game for Christmas called <A href="http://www.amazon.com/Z-Man-Games-7026ZMG-Agricola/dp/B001C7617Q" target="_blank">Agricola</a> that we might try out. If not, <A href="http://www.amazon.com/You-Dont-Know-Jack-Xbox-360/dp/B00498PSZQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1327073786&sr=1-1" target="_blank">You Don't Know Jack</a> on the xBox is always a good time.<br />
<li>Last night I finished <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green/dp/0525478817/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1327073843&sr=1-1-catcorr" target="_blank">The Fault in Our Stars</a> by John Green. WOW! Not only was it an amazing book and worth waiting for, but it also marked the completion of my mini-goal of reading 3 books per month, one being a new release. <br />
<li>It's supposed to snow tomorrow. This is the first real snow of the year, so I'm super excited. (Added pregnancy perk: If there is shoveling to be done, I can't do it!)<br />
<li>I have been so exhausted this week, that I am really just looking forward to being able to sleep whenever I feel like. <br />
<li>Since it looks like I have a lazy weekend ahead of me, I need another book to read. Can anyone suggest something they've fallen head over heels in love with?<br />
</ol><br />
Have a great weekend!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-15493388675340980372012-01-11T15:15:00.000-05:002012-01-11T15:15:44.382-05:00A Little Writerly Advice - Neil GaimanI recently discovered a podcast called <a href="http://www.nerdist.com" target="_blank">The Nerdist</a>. It features Chris Hardwick interviewing various "nerds". Being such a huge nerd, I'm enjoying this podcast like crazy.<br />
<br />
Last night, I listened to the episode with Neil Gaiman. For those who don't know, in addition to all the books he's written, he also penned an episode of Doctor Who earlier this year. <br />
<br />
At the end, Chris asked him to give writers who were just starting out some advice. Neil had a lot of good advice, but the first thing he said really hit me:<br />
<blockquote><i>"If you only write when you're inspired, you may be a fairly decent poet, but you'll never be a novelist."</i><br />
</blockquote>He then goes on to explain that you will never be able to tell the difference between the scenes you wrote when you were inspired and the ones you wrote because you had to get your words in. <br />
<br />
So, my friends, that is my little nugget of advice for you. I hope you can be inspired all the time, but if you can't, get that butt in the chair and write anyway!<br />
<br />
<u><b>LINKS</b></u><br />
<ul><li>Click <a href="http://www.nerdist.com/2011/07/nerdist-podcast-106-neil-gaiman/" target="_blank">here</a> to get to the podcast. If you only want to listen to the question about writing, it starts around the 1:04:00 mark.<br />
<li>Follow Neil on twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/neilhimself" target="_blank">@neilhimself</a><br />
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1221698.Neil_Gaiman" target="_blank">Read Neil's books!</a></ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-837338240158625502012-01-04T09:58:00.000-05:002012-01-04T09:58:57.996-05:00New Year, New GoalsA few days ago, my online writing group shared their goals for the year. Since we all know that telling people our goals is a mechanism to keep us accountable, I thought I'd share mine here as well. <br />
<br />
Before I get to it, I thought I'd share a great method for setting goals that I learned back in college. Make them SMART!<br />
<br />
<b>S - specific.</b> Don't make your goal "lose weight", make it "Walk for 30 minutes every day."<br />
<br />
<b>M - measurable.</b> If you can't measure your goal, you'll have no idea when you've met it. "Read more" is not enough. "Read 10 books by July 1." will help you stay on track. Especially if you're like me, and you said you'd read 75 books in 2011 and in December you were only at 30. Needless to say, I didn't make that goal.<br />
<br />
<b>A - attainable.</b> Your goals should stretch your limits, but not overextend you to the point that you can't reach it. Saying you want to rewrite your entire novel from scratch in a week is unattainable, but saying you want to write 500 words a day is doable.<br />
<br />
<b>R - realistic.</b> Make the goal something that fits into your life <i>right now</i>. Otherwise, it will be much harder to achieve it. If you've never sat for more than 15 minutes to write in one span, setting a goal of "write for 1 hour straight every day" can seem daunting. Instead, your goal could be "write for two fifteen minutes sessions every day for a month". Once you do that, you can up the ante.<br />
<br />
<b>T - timely.</b> Without a time commitment, you're setting yourself up to put off the goal until the last minute. This creates stress and isn't good for you. Instead of saying, "I want to read 20 books," say "I want to read 20 books by December 31, 2012."<br />
<br />
So using those guidelines above, I designed my writing/reading goals for 2012. Here they are in no particular order. <i>NOTE: Since I'm going to be having a baby at the end of March, these goals are only for the first quarter of 2012. I'll have to re-evaluate once the little one arrives. </i><br />
<ul><li>Read 1 new release from a YA author per month.<br />
<li>Read 3 books per month.<br />
<li>Get WIP off to a CP by January 31.<br />
<li>Blog at least once a week. <br />
<li>Tweet/comment on at least ten blog entries per week.<br />
<li>Once comments are received from CPs, edit three chapters per week of WIP. <br />
</ul><br />
So what are some of your goals for 2012? Are they SMART, or did you use some other method?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-57934907607305801272011-11-11T10:15:00.000-05:002011-11-11T10:15:53.479-05:00Friday Five - 11.11.11Happy Friday everyone! Here's my five for this week:<br />
<ul><li>It's finally feeling like fall here! Earlier this week we had some unseasonably warm weather, but now it's nice to be back in sweaters again!<br />
<li>This weekend is the weekend I jump back into my edits again. I'm sort of excited to get back to the story.<br />
<li>Tonight we're seeing some friends for dinner. We never really go out on Fridays so this is a nice change of pace. <br />
<li>Batman. I took the day off of work today and I've been really lazy. Right now I'm just sitting in the couch watching my husband play Batman: Arkham Asylum. The graphics on this game are pretty cool.<br />
<li>Last but not least - Happy Veterans Day! To all who have served or are currently serving, I truly appreciate all that you do. <br />
</ul><br />
<br />
Hope everyone has a great weekend!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-5962477029236877532011-11-10T11:20:00.000-05:002011-11-11T10:03:51.285-05:00More Big News!So yesterday, I gave a huge congratulations to my friend <a href="http://jessicalovewrites.blogspot.com/2011/11/omg-i-have-agent-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Jessica</a> on her big news (BTW - She's having a giveaway in honor of getting an agent, so go enter!). Today I have some news of my own.<br />
<br />
Sadly, I do not have an agent announcement to make, but it's something just as exciting. I'm happy to say that in March my husband and I will be welcoming a little bookworm into our family!! A <i>female</i> bookworm, to be more specific!<br />
<br />
<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CNXBcw0GvH91jHycfC0zv21t2qA4C2Yn6LcEdj1deERVjWpPH4cYGwoNM8TdSwSCT7bZtoRWu_7tye-n7muVTVahopaBI1nUGwUIRBge9P7dHYhouTWER3VJIeyuHTvEz9idtzlJPcI/s288/its-a-girl1.gif"></center><br />
<br />
I had a very rough time with the first 15 weeks and writing had to take a back seat to resting and just generally getting through the day. I seem to be over the hump now, so I'm hoping to get back to my writing and blogging - including reading other people's blogs. I have so many starred posts in my google reader that I need to go back and actually read now that I'm feeling better. <br />
<br />
Even though I'm pregnant, and it's a big part of my life right now, I'll do my best to keep this blog as much about writing as possible. <br />
<br />
On that note, here is <b>THE PLAN</b>:<br />
<ul style="list-style: none; "><li>Step 1: Finish another round of editing on my WIP by the end of November.<br />
<li>Step 2: Get some people reading it in December. <br />
<li>Step 3: Another round of edits (hopefully the last) in January.<br />
<li>Step 4: Final read by CP's and betas in February.<br />
<li>Step 5: Query in the beginning of March.<br />
<li>Step 6: Have baby in late March. Take query hiatus if no bites by then.<br />
<li>Step 7: Query again in April.</ul><br />
I hope everyone is doing well and I can't wait to jump back in to the social aspect of writing. I miss you all!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-51273622102093031892011-11-09T11:00:00.001-05:002011-11-09T11:00:11.189-05:00Coming Out of HidingI'm back to blogging and with good reason! Not only do I have some good news, but my good friend/writing buddy/person who keeps me from deleting my WIP and giving up, has some amazing news. In an effort not to steal her thunder, please go visit <a href="http://jessicalovewrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jess's blog</a> and let her tell you for herself!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>CONGRATS JESS!!!</b><br />
<br />
P.S. stay tuned tomorrow for my big news.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-4188123129680658512011-09-09T07:00:00.001-04:002011-09-09T07:00:14.191-04:00Friday Five - 9.9.11Hi everyone! Happy Friday to you all!<br />
<br />
1. I have an appointment to get my hair cut this weekend. It couldn't come at a better time because my bangs are at that awkward stage where they are too long to be bangs, but not long enough to tuck behind my ears. So annoying.<br />
2. New Doctor Who tomorrow! I've taken my loser-dom to a whole new level by insisting we stay home on Saturdays so I can watch this show "live" instead of recording it.<br />
3. Alas, we have dinner plans with friends on Saturday night, so I probably won't get to watch it until Sunday anyway.<br />
4. This weekend, I shall open my WIP and write. It will be the first time since July. <br />
5. Is it terrible that all I really feel like doing this weekend is sleeping?<br />
<br />
<i>How about you? Any big plans for the weekend?</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-69093790564947203412011-09-08T07:00:00.001-04:002011-09-08T07:00:14.425-04:00It's TV Time!Since I've been down for the count with exhaustion and sickness, my extra curricular activities have been limited to television. I can't read for more than fifteen minutes without getting a migraine, and the computer screen is equally as bad.<br />
<br />
So what have I been watching?<br />
<br />
Well, one of my favorite shows, White Collar, airs new episodes during the summer, so that kept me busy for an hour a week. Add to that Covert Affairs, My So Called Life, and a Buffy re-watch, and I'm pretty much in heaven. <br />
<br />
<b>My So Called Life</b> - I know I'm supposed to be doing recaps weekly of this show, but I cheated and watched a few in a row. The last episode I watched was PRESSURE, and I have to say that I'm really starting to have this crazy love-hate relationship with Jordan. Just when I think he's going to push past his rebel without a care persona, he says something really jerky to Angela. Jordan! I just want to fall in love with you!<br />
<br />
I'm also starting to like the parent plot line. It's hard not to feel bad for Patty with her weird parents, and for Graham, who has no clue what he really wants to do with his life. I'm glad he finally seems to be finding his place. He's come a long way from the cheater we first encountered.<br />
<br />
<b>Doctor Who</b> - My other obsession right now is Doctor Who. To those who don't watch it - why the heck not? It's an amazing show. And it's <i>so much more</i> than sci-fi time travel. It has compassion, romance and comedy. There's really something for everyone in this show. In the interest of not spoiling it, I'll just say, OH BOY!, the eleventh doctor's storyline just keeps getting better and better. I urge you to pick it up if you don't already follow!<br />
<br />
<i>So what's on your television lately?</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-59827275289807152192011-09-07T07:00:00.000-04:002011-09-07T07:00:06.485-04:00Writing Progress - 9.7.11Wow, it's been quite awhile since I've done one of these posts. Unfortunately, I have nothing to report on the writing front other than the fact that I haven't been doing much of it. <br />
<br />
This week is going to be all about the ever elusive plan (the easy part), and figuring out a way to stick to it (the tough part). I've been quite exhausted the last month or so, and just finding time to write has been a real challenge. Since I'm so far gone from my routine, I think the best thing to do is ease back into it. So this week, my plan is to write for two hours over the course of the rest of the week. I know it doesn't seem like much, but I have to (re)start somewhere, right?<br />
<br />
What do all of you do when you have a long, unexpected hiatus from writing?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-50725804364239943582011-09-06T08:14:00.000-04:002011-09-06T08:14:19.506-04:00Ultraviolet - R.J. Anderson<a imageanchor="1" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Ultraviolet-R-J-Anderson/dp/0761374086?ie=UTF8&tag=thekit0d-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img alt="Ultraviolet" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0761374086&tag=thekit0d-20" align="left"/></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thekit0d-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0761374086" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /><i>Sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental institution. As she pieces her memory back together, she realizes she’s confessed to murdering Tori Beaugrand, the most perfect girl at school. But the case is a mystery. Tori's body has not been found, and Alison can't explain what happened. One minute she was fighting with Tori. The next moment Tori disintegrated—into nothing. But that's impossible. No one is capable of making someone vanish. Right? Alison must be losing her mind—like her mother always feared she would.</i><br />
<br />
The tagline alone is what interested me in the book: "Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. This is not her story. Unless you count the part where I killed her." I mean, how can you resist with a line like that?<br />
<br />
Thankfully, the rest of the book did not disappoint. Alison was an interesting character and meets some even more dynamic characters during her stay at the mental hospital. My favorite of those being Micheline because there is way more to her than meets the eye. <br />
<br />
As far as plot goes, the story moved along at a pretty nice pace. The ending completely threw me for a loop. Just when I thought one thing, early plot elements that I thought were throwaway details came into play. I never in a million years expected the book to end the way it did. Bravo, R.J. Anderson, for completely throwing me off track. <br />
<br />
If you like books set in the real world with paranormal twists, you will enjoy Ultraviolet. <br />
<br />
<font color=#21286c><u>RELATED LINKS</u></font color> <ul><li>Buy the book: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Ultraviolet-R-J-Anderson/dp/0761374086?ie=UTF8&tag=thekit0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thekit0d-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0761374086" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780761374084">IndieBound</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultraviolet-r-j-anderson/1102400574">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
<li>Get in touch with R.J. Anderson: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/rj_anderson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.rj-anderson.com/">website</a><br />
<li>Add Ultraviolet to your <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8843789-ultraviolet" target="_blank">goodreads</a> shelf.<br />
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-85682530737005157042011-09-02T04:00:00.000-04:002011-09-02T04:00:02.517-04:00Friday FiveYou guys! It's almost time for fall TV!! At our house, we subscribe to FIOS, and yesterday we got this nifty little magazine with a schedule of when the new shows/old faves are coming back. It'd be an understatement to say I am a little excited about this. So today my five is all about the wonderful invention that is so affectionately dubbed the "boob tube".<br><br>
<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9c06k1j57I05-B5cNprY-NsjkmgbQWCcvS9H2D38ktG_oOxcIE9KFqRebgSJWAMJX4brLDweBNHae1hM0rZL5LQWi7GrZaoBmUIqugiZIncLiIdQxfBPp-ufBKuNJuhIUD5obIULIro/s400/pictures.jpg"></center>
<ol><li><a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/ringer" target="_blank"><b>Ringer</b></a>. It's Sarah Michelle Gellar's return to TV! How could you miss this one? I hope it kicks as much butt as Buffy. (Premieres Tuesday, September 13 at 9pm EST on CW)
<li>Shows about fairy tales! Both <a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time" target="_blank"><b>Once Upon a Time</b></a> (October 23, 8 EST, ABC) and <a href="http://www.nbc.com/grimm/" target="_blank"><b>Grimm</b></a> (October 21, 9 EST, NBC) premiere this fall. While Grimm looks pretty gritty, I can't wait to check it out.
<li>Two shows I'm not sure about, but am willing to give a chance: <a href="http://www.fox.com/terranova/" target="_blank"><b>Terra Nova</b></a> (September 26, 8pm EST, FOX) and <a href="http://www.fox.com/programming/shows/?sh=new-girl" target="_blank"><b>New Girl</b></a> (September 20, 9 EST, FOX).
<li>I'm a season behind, so I'm factoring this fave of mine into the viewing schedule: <b>Friday Night Lights</b>. I love me some Coach Taylor. What a lucky gal that Tami is!
<li>And finally, some old favorites: <b>Modern Family</b>, <b>Cougartown</b> (many thanks to <a href="http://shana-silver.com/" target="_blank">Shana</a> for convincing me this show is worth watching!), <b>Doctor Who</b>, <b>Parenthood</b> and <b>The Middle</b>.</ol>
Phew! With all these shows, when am I going to have time to write? During commercials, it is!
<br><br><b><font size=4>HAPPY FRIDAY!</b></font size>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-84967516642379336572011-09-01T09:23:00.000-04:002011-09-01T09:23:50.342-04:00It's All Been Done BeforeOver the summer, I’ve been catching up on my reading. I’ve read some good ones and some not so good ones. I’ve also read some that are, GASP!, just like the book I’m writing. Only better. And already out on the shelves. <br />
<br />
Whenever I come across a book like this, I get nervous. I mean, I’ve been pouring my heart and soul into my current WIP for two years, and now another book is out with a similar premise! <br />
<br />
There are a few things I do when I find myself in this situation:<br />
<ol><li>I panic and stop reading the book because I hate how much better it is at doing what I’m trying to do.<br />
<li>I come to my senses and finish reading said book.<br />
<li>As I read, I try to remind myself that even if I have a MC with something in common with this book’s MC, they’re still not the same.<br />
<li>When I’m done reading, I try to figure out what the author did well, and places where they made a wrong turn. I note the missteps and try to make sure I don’t have anything similar in my WIP. <br />
<li>Finally, I take a deep sigh of relief and remind myself that nothing is 100% original. Each of us just has to put our own unique spin on our story. I mean, how many times has a good girl met a mysterious boy, only to find out he’s a vampire/werewolf/fairy/angel/devil/troll? </ol>
<i><font size=4>What do you do when you find yourself reading a book that’s a lot like yours?</i></font size>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-67267302226778961102011-08-05T08:58:00.000-04:002011-08-05T08:58:20.383-04:00Friday FiveHappy weekend all! Here's my five:<br />
<br />
1. I finished reading Imaginary Girls this week. Wow. What a great ending. Just creepy enough to give me chills, but not so scary that it kept me up at night. <br />
<br />
2. I'm getting my hair cut this weekend. Yay! My bangs are at that stage where they're too long to be bangs, but not long enough to be hair yet. Can't wait to get them chopped.<br />
<br />
3. Tomorrow we're getting a new bed. So long to the days of sleeping on a full. We're moving on up to a queen! <br />
<br />
4. Last night I watched Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap. Gosh, she was such a cute kid. It's really a shame that she went on such a downward spiral. I really hope she can turn it around. Maybe she's the next Drew Barrymore. <br />
<br />
5. Tonight I'm going to go see my favoritist band: Death Cab for Cutie. A small consolation for not being able to hang out with all the cool kids (like <a href="http://jessicalovewrites.blogspot.com/">Jessica</a>, <a href="http://shana-silver.com/">Shana</a> and <a href="http://seeheatherwrite.blogspot.com/">Heather</a>) at <a href="http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Conference-aspx-Con=7">SCBWI 2011 Summer Conference</a>. So I leave you with this video by the band. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<center><iframe width="400" height="257" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H8ZUV9IBEXY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-81960908150489056142011-07-29T11:34:00.000-04:002011-07-29T11:34:53.481-04:00Friday FiveIt's finally Friday! This week has been brutal on me. I can't shake this exhaustion. Here's my five:<br />
<br />
1. My So Called Life. I've watched a few episodes that I haven't reviewed on the blog yet, so I'll try to get to that next week. Maybe I'll do a big summary review to catch up.<br />
<br />
2. BBQ's. I love hot dogs and hamburgers. And I love them even more at a backyard BBQ. My parents are having a big block party by their house this weekend, so that should be fun.<br />
<br />
3. Sometimes I wish I could be lazy like a cat. Sleep. Stretch. Sleep. Stretch. Water. Sleep. <br />
<br />
4. Tonight is pizza and a movie night. I look forward to this night all week. Maybe we'll finish up the Sherlock series that PBS aired last year. <br />
<br />
5. And last but not least, Matt Bomer. I'm really lovin' White Collar this season. <br />
<br />
So what's everyone reading this weekend? I have a bunch of books to choose from: I am The Messenger, Great Gatsby, Ultraviolet and Imaginary Girls. <br />
<br />
Have a great weekend!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-56804778803603945622011-07-27T12:29:00.000-04:002011-07-27T12:29:26.022-04:00Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything...<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WljcDXr4T5iUGZNi9glM2yete6KmGHp0WbVB1lADXlPCxv20whALlEK5pBDt8caHwtNv-dTs6t0NWvvdkDBbIc8m6tsuJFiYgwyVIhJ5MglxrEYNcyMPUfWOAVGMO4vdComdmclNRTY/s288/motivation.jpg"></center><br />
Now I know why every book I've read about writing says you must write every day. I haven't written or edited in about a month because of vacation, then work obligations, with a sprinkling debilitating migraines. Now I'm sitting here with no idea how to even jump back in. I can't even remember where I left off! <br />
<br />
I have some major edits in my future, and that just makes the task even more daunting. Every time I think about writing, I just watch TV instead. It's terrible. I have a few husband free hours tonight and I'm already thinking of things to do besides opening that dusty manuscript.<br />
<br />
<font size=4><i>So, dear friends and followers, I ask you, what do you do when you lose motivation?</font size></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862456000683455382.post-78030016462187721892011-07-22T09:20:00.000-04:002011-07-22T09:20:42.184-04:00Friday FiveI'm finally back on the blogging wagon after a greet vacation. <br />
<ol><li>First, the winner of the contest I ran while I was gone. And the winner is *drumroll*.....<a href="http://www.imperfectionisthenewpink.com/" target="_blank">Tameka</a>!<br />
<br />
And now some pictures from my vacation!<br />
<br />
<li>Sunset in Lahaina<br />
<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszsVrd7EX3eINrQwVa0xOdyakC5kpXr-pADjWmzofpDS0t73Q0RA804py7K9BU_GJBaYFNevW1O_ZC4gLbCDNywxHaDCE_2uQ27ASO1P0AprRRET2IrZONOtVFJNZWtoh_g902RI0lJI/s400/DSC_0056.JPG"></center><br />
<li>Waterfall on the road to Hana<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzBceMmb6Kza71mNuTHLrF3LjthRKAmdmpgVY1KtEaBtlvetyiU8KN4jq_fQze6Of9qXP02TPLsdhGPPlenGDXfA5VyBx8sHHRL5ooHvxTJqcZ2ohcdOnIQnm9Jlq0OBKfBdMl7939lQ/s400/DSC_0086.jpg"></center><br />
<li>Smoking crater at Volcanoes National Park<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwBTUnd-_tK9z7rMtClh4egtHoskuqAVwjSy0KMQ1WlNdWlZLgExvg4i021HH_f2rdIEl3p6-omVkdXJmQYbFoq-GYaoS6CLpKKsBjoC3_991ZxCT5tEQC4vSZoCGnqNxe6xnNasoRmA/s400/DSC_0229.JPG"></center><br />
<li>Hapuna Beach on Big Island<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuqC0tCtD_sVSlKnih1BJ3vMTZVMmqRaJxEB5biYZkmkth3IJ5w_81nAkVhjkNE7fXPgmNpNc_ubyI2T2lC6DbR3kMh9muOsvR8yXcs0h_ohNuGZLoxYw-md0pDSQ7E4wEVsqCvEnJe8/s400/DSC_0305.JPG"></center><br />
</li></ol><br />
Have a great weekend!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119346100467282321noreply@blogger.com2