Thursday Three! For your entertainment...



 

Good morning everyone! I hope you're all having a great week! I was going to do a different blog post, because my dear friend Aubrey gave me a blogging award, but I'm running short on time this morning and it required lots of thought to answer the questions. So I'll do that (hopefully) Monday or Tuesday. Today, it's all about entertainment! Movies, books, and music! 

 

1. Ok, so I saw this trailer forever ago, and completely forgot about it. Then my SIL showed it it to me and I remembered how AWESOME it looks. I loved me some Glee (before they screwed it up) and The Sing-Off was one of my favorite shows, so I'm totally in on this movie. I finally figured out it comes out in October, so I only have to wait a little longer. Check out the trailer below - doesn't it look hilarious?! 

 

 

 

2. Speaking of other things coming out in October, it's the month when ALL THE BOOKS COME OUT. Well, not all of them, but at least 4 (that I know about) are coming out in October that I'm SUPER excited about. The hardest part? From what I can find of the release dates, THEY ALL COME OUT THE SAME DAY. That's right, mark your calenders because on October 23rd, Beautiful Redemption, Finale, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, and The Lost Prince come out. The hardest part will be figuring out which one I want to read first. :)

 

 

 

3. Finally, I've been slowly making progress on Secret Story. It was small changes at first, but now I've hit the point where in the first draft I just kind of...skipped over everything to get to the good stuff. Now I'm basically adding in brand new chapters so the characters feel more fleshed out and the intense stuff is more engaging because the reader will actually know the characters and, you know, care what happens to them. It's been hard, trying to fit new stuff into an existing MS, but I just have to keep reminding myself that it's ok to cut the old stuff if the new stuff works better. I write with music on if I can (sometimes it's Disney movies because my kids win). No one song is sticking out at me where I'm at, but when I was finishing the first draft, this song is what inspired the ending and I listened to it on repeat for HOURS. So, for your listening pleasure, I give you Florence + the Machine. (I know this isn't the official music video, but it was kind of weird and distracting, so I went with lyrics instead.)

 

 

Welll, that's it for me this week! How about you guys? Any movies you are supremely excited for or books that have you fangirling for the release date? And if you have any music recommendations, I am always looking for new music to listen to while I write. Sound off in the comments below! Don't be shy, I love to hear from you!

Looking for something to read?

Hello lovelies! Sorry I didn't post my Thursday Three last week. I'll be completely honest, I forgot about it. But I won't this week. And to make up for no post last week, I'm going to tell you about two incredible books I've read lately.

First up is Rift by Andrea Cremer. If you don't know her books, you should really fix that. Her stories are intricate and the worlds she builds are incredible. I fell in love with her when I first read Nightshade, and through the course of the trilogy, her writing left me in awe. It was beautiful and captivating, with characters so complex they felt incredibly real. And best of all, she writes without apology of strong, smart, and fierce female characters. Sure, they have their flaws, as all great characters do, but they aren't afraid to take the reins and put those boys in their place when needed. Rift is a prequel to the Nightshade series, taking place several hundred years beforehand and giving a deeper look at what started the conflict taking place in Nightshade. I loved Ember from the first page, fighting against the standard expectations for girls in that period to follow her heart and carve out her own future. She also discovers love for the first time, and the sexual tension is that slow burning kind that gives you butterflies in your stomach and tingles in your skin until you're practically shouting at the book "Just kiss already!!" and squealing in delight when it finally happens. I devoured it in two days because I just couldn't put it down. But no matter which series you decide to pick up first, you won't be disappointed. She's amazing.

And second is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. This is the second time I've read it, as I needed to refresh my memory for when the next book comes out in October, and it was just as fantastic as the first time. It's so different and engrossing that I completely lose myself when I read it. Mara is one of those characters that sticks with you even after you've put the book down, so incredibly written with such a strong voice that I am green with character envy. And as for Noah...oh sweet merciful heavens above, I love me some Noah Shaw. And the sarcastic exchanges he has with Mara throughout the whole book left me giggling and a little swoony. But beyond the broken girl and mysteriously hot guy is an intricate plot that keeps you turning the pages until, like the characters, you see everything come together. I am DESPERATE for the next book (The Evolution of Mara Dyer, out October 23), and I'm beyond thrilled that there will be a third.

So, there you go. Two incredibly awesome books for you to go out and find. How about you guys? Have you read anything great lately? Books that you want to make all your friends read too, so they can also enjoy the fabulousness? Sound off in the comments, I'm always looking for great new books to read!  

Thursday Three

Hey everyone! Good morning and Happy Thursday! Sorry I missed last week. I hurt my neck and back in a weird random way and so I was busy being in pain and immobile and running to the chiropracter's and sitting around icing everything so I could move again without crying. Yeah, it was super exciting around here last week. Anyway, I forgot to blog, so I apologize. But I'm here this week! Hooray! *jazz hands*

*coughs awkwardly* Ok, here we go.

1. Sparky and I went to go see The Dark Knight Rises a couple weeks ago. It was actaully really, really good. The villain was sufficiently crazy pants and scary, although his voice over made me nuts. Sometimes it was nice and clear, so he sounded super creepy and evil. Other times it was all garbled and incomprehensible, so that even though I knew he was saying something villain-y, all I wanted to do was yell, "What was that? I didn't catch it the first time!" Anyway, I thought everyone was awesome. JGL is my new pretend boyfriend, and I desperately want Anne Hathaway's Catwoman boots. Did you see those things? So, so cute. (And we'll just pretend I wouldn't fall on my face in them.)

2. I actually got a chance to watch the Olympics! I always say I'm going to watch everything and then I watch next to nothing, so I'm all proud of myself for knowing what everyone is talking about this year. The women's gymnastics team was super adorable,and kicked trash, although I felt super sorry for our men's team. They just couldn't seem to get things to go their way, and their frustration and disappointment was clear. (Did anyone else think Sam Mikulak was super cute?) We watched a lot of swimming and diving, with my kids getting all excited about the huge pool each time they saw it. And the runner from South Africa with the blades? (I forget his name right now.) He was so inspirational. It was awesome to see him go out there like it was no big deal. Not gonna lie, I cried a little. There were so many great moments and it was so nice to see them all.

3. My dear friend Andrea issued me a challenge. When we got together with Aubrey last week, they both called me out on being completely chicken and avoiding Secret Story because I was afraid of the work, and terrified of submitting to agents. It was some tough love, but it's what I needed to hear. So the next day Andrea said if I sent out queries by October, she would take me to Cheesecake Factory. If I didn't, she was going to send out queries for me. Gah! So I'm proud to say I'm back to work on Secret Story, and Shiny Idea is actually cooperating and leaving me alone - for the moment, anyway. Wish me luck, I have a lot of work to do in the next couple months!

That's it for me for this week. How have all of you been? Seen any good movies lately? What were your favorite Olympic moments? Sound off in the comments, I want to hear your thoughts. Don't be shy!

Thursday Three - I Can't Believe it's August Edition

Good morning everyone! How are all of you fine people this morning? Lovely? Excellent! I'm suffering a little from Time Lapse Shock Syndrome. (I totally made that up. But it sounds official, right?) I looked at the calendar and it completely blew my mind that it's August. I can't believe the summer is almost over! Now, if we could just get the heat wave to go away and the heavens burst open with days and days of rain to end the drought, life would be pretty good. Anyway, let's get into this week's three things, shall we?

1. It's ridiculously hard to get back into a decent schedule when it's still technically summer. Dude is naturally an early riser, so I don't really have to worry about him, but Diva and I are night owls who also need lots of sleep, so if we can, we sleep in late. This is not going to work when the school year starts, so all week I've been trying to train myself to wake up at "school time". To say it's not going well is an understatement. Also, no one is dressed until almost noon and there's no structure to our days at all. It's going to be a huge shock when school starts unless I can get us all in a proper groove in the next few weeks.

2. I have rediscovered my appreciation for my local library. I've always enjoyed going and getting books and seeing what they have to offer, but as an adult who has the option of buying my books, the library kind of became my backup. But this summer Dude finally got his own library card and his enthusiasm and awe at being able to go to the library, pick a bunch of books just for himself and take them home is a reminder of how magical the library can be. It's giving me flashbacks to my own first encounters with the library, and the incredible stories just waiting to be found there. It's been so fun seeing what books jump out at him and see his own literary tastes develop.

3. I'm hitting that point in Shiny Idea where it's kind of taking on a life of it's own. I'm definitely a "write without a solid plan" kind of person, so while I start with a decent idea of where it's going, I usually end up having a "well, I didn't see that one coming" moment that changes how my story goes. And it's almost always for the better. I had this moment a few days ago while writing. My MC took the story in a VERY different direction than I had originally planned, but it's actually pretty great. It's adds more layers to the story and the characters, which is always exciting, even though it's going to make the story more challenging to write, which is a little scary. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that as I continue, I'll have the chops to pull it off. :)

Well, that's it for me this week. How have all of you been? Anyone else shocked to see the summer is almost over? Do you remember your first time going to the library? Have you ever had your story veer off in an unexpected direction? Was it a good thing or a bad thing? Feel free to share in the comments, and I'll see you all again next week!

Thursday Three

Hey there! Look! I'm back when I said I would be! I KNOW! I'm shocked too. So, since we're all here, would you like to hear my three things for this week? Excellent.

1. This world is full of horrible things, but sometimes we come together and show we still have compassion and empathy for those who suffer. The shooting in Colorado last week still leaves me horrified and a little afraid to go to the movies again. It was a terrible, terrible tragedy and when I think of those families, my heart breaks for them. But as I've been on Facebook and Twitter and seen people sharing encouraging words and kind thoughts, sending prayers and condolences to the victims and their families, it's given me hope. People from all over where sending love and kindness to that town, and it was beautiful to see. I've seen it before, and I'm sure I'll see it again. My only wish is that I hope to see it happen more often. Not only when extreme tragedy occurs, but whenever we see someone in need of some kind thoughts and words. The world is a scary place, but it doesn't always have to be, and I've decided I want to be a part of trying to always spread some sunshine into the darkness.

*takes a deep breath and moves on to less serious topics so you don't all leave feeling sad*

2. I struggle choosing what to read when starting a new series. I kind of knew that about myself, but as I've been on vacation, and going through books I own and books I can get from the library, I'm really having trouble committing to a single book or series. There are just so many good ones!! I'll pick one eventually (I have a free day today, so I'm going to need something to read) but it's hard. I just wish I could magically read everything all at once. But I think I'm going to read The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, and then reread Paranormalcy and Supernaturally by Kiersten White so I'm all caught up when it's my turn for Endlessly from the library. I'm very excited to see how her trilogy ends! And I'm still bummed I'm missing her signing in SLC tonight because I'm still in Idaho. Oh well. Hopefully I catch her when her next book comes out next year.

3. I would never go anywhere or see anything if it wasn't for Sparky. I have a TERRIBLE time following directions and I get lost VERY easily. Combine that with a bit of timidity when it comes to new things and you'll see why I'm not a very adventurous person. But Sparky loves to go and see new things, and he is way better at finding his way around than I am. This week he took us all out sight seeing while visiting my mom and it was a blast. It made me think of a line from The Muppets. "Life is like a song, when there's someone by your side to sing along." And I think that's true. Life is always more fun when you're sharing it with someone you love, whether it's family or friends.


Well, that's it for me today. What about you? Have you seen anything that has given you more faith in the human race lately? Struggled to decide which book to read next? Gone and done something fun with someone that you wouldn't have done on your own? I want to hear all about it!

*If you're curious about the books I read, you can find me on Goodreads here.

I live!!!

Hello, hello all you wonderful people in Internet Land. How have all of you been? Me? I've been busy. And, as you can tell from the date of my last post, very absent. Sorry about that.

Or maybe no one noticed. *looks around* *shrugs*

In any case, here I am! *jazz hands*

So, since I have been extremely long winded in my posts in the past, I'm going to try and keep my posts from now on a little shorter. The plan (at the moment) is to do a post every week called the Thursday Three, letting you all know three things I've been up to or thinking about or reading or whatever. That way it's less stressful for me, less time consuming for you, and everyone wins and we all get to chat. Sounds excellent, yes? 

So, even though it is Friday, and not Thursday, (yesterday was Dude's birthday, so I was a bit busy) I thought I would give you the scoop on three things that have happened since the last time I posted.

1. We moved. Yep, we finally found a house in February that we loved in a good neighborhood and in March we moved. The kids did much better than we expected and even though we're constantly finding new things that need to be fixed or we want to change/update, it's a great house and it's been AWESOME having so much room for everyone. We're very excited to be in a home we know we can stay in long term.

2. I've discovered I hate revising. I finished Secret Story in May and was super excited to get to work editing and revising so it made sense. (It's BY FAR the messiest first draft I've ever written. Makes no sense to anyone else reading it right now.) So I printed it out and got to work with my red pen and post it notes. But by the time I finished there was SO MUCH red ink and notes EVERYWHERE that my confidence was feeling very, very small. So what could I possibly do to get my confidence back? Ditch it for a new story, of course! So right now I'm working on Shiny Idea. It's fun and makes me feel like I'm not a fool for loving to write. I am definitely going to get back to Secret Story, but I'm letting it rest for right now while Aubrey and Andrea finish reading it. Once I have their thoughts and notes, I'll get back to it. But for right now, Shiny Idea is my main squeeze. (I know, we did this with Bound in Ink, but I am determined to follow through with Secret Story. It's different and deserves to be fixed up.)

3. I've cut WAY back on reading. It's tangled into a lot of reasons, but mostly it was throwing my life way out of balance. By the time 2011 was over, I had read around 150 books in that year alone. (My goodreads shelf says otherwise, but I don't count rereads on there.) That's A LOT of books in a single year. And it was a problem. So now I try to read no more than 2 books a week. (You think that's a lot, but during the Library Madness of Winter 2011, I was reading about 5 books a week. Yeah.) It's hard, because I still want to read ALL THE BOOKS and I want to read them RIGHT NOW, but it's finally clicked that they will all still be there later. And it's been helpful to my writing, because as I've taken more time with my books, I'm noticing things I like/don't like in the writing and have applied those same principles to my own stories. It's been good for me I think. 

(*stops and examines post* Man, that got long anyway, didn't it. *headdesk* Sorry about that. I really will try working on that in the future.)

So, until we meet again next week, tell me, what have all of you been up to?

Radio Silence

Actually, I probably won't be that silent, but it was a good title so I'm leaving it.

Hey there world! Oh, you all look so lovely. I missed your faces. I've been so busy lately, I haven't had a chance to talk to you at all. What have I been up to? I'll tell you.

 - Buying a house. Yes. You heard me correctly. Our offer has been accepted on an adorable little home just a few minutes from where we live now. This is the main reason why you won't see much of me here for the next couple months. I have to pack up our place, clean it, clean the new house, and move our stuff into it, and then unpack it. This process makes me want to curl up in a ball and weep uncontrollably. You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I love moving to a new place, but I hate the actual process of moving. So. Much. Work. And we've been here for almost 5 years, so we have a lot of...stuff, everywhere. My family has already been warned that a mighty purging will be taking place alongside the packing. I am not moving things simply because it's in my home. (If you do happen to see me here, it will be to rant and rage about how much packing sucks. Prepare yourselves.) We should be in our new place by Christmas (or New Year's if we're slow), so that's our present to our family. Merry Christmas, you get a house! Not a bad deal.

- Writing. Secret Story is really becoming a unique experience. Usually when I write I have specific scenes floating around, and definitely an ending in mind that I work around and build towards. When I started Secret Story, it was VERY different from what it is now. And it's evolving even as I write it. I can already tell the beginning is going to need some rewrites to make what I'm working on now make sense. Also, I don't really have a plan for this story anymore. It's just kind of coming out as I write, which is both exciting and extremely terrifying. I don't have an ending! I don't know what happens next! Each time I sit down, my characters pull something that completely takes me by surprise. I'm almost to 25k, with the girls currently in possession of the first 12k. So far they like it, which is good because it's very dark and different from what I've written in the past. I'm excited to send them more - when they're ready, of course!

- Reading. The library book madness continues. Honestly, I will finish the stack on my  bookshelf, take them back, pull out a book I bought months ago to finally read it, and I get a call that at least 3 new books are on waiting for me. Gah! Once upon a time this wouldn't be such a problem, I could read those in a week and move on, but I've been reading things slower lately so I'm making less progress in the TBR pile. And silly as it may be, those books sitting there stress me out. I can't read my own books when I have library books in my possession. I know. I'm a nerd.

- Random family stuff. Dude has started occupational therapy for his sensory issues. Getting him to eat is a constant battle and now we're finally able to get him some help. Cross your fingers for us, because this is a big deal. Babies are popping up all over - with my newest niece being born last night, and I've been going through my own kids old clothing and toys and such to send to the appropriate people for their new babies. Sharing is caring you know. And we've been getting ready for the holidays and Diva's birthday next week, so all the crazy stressful things going on have a festive feel to them as well. 

Like I said, it's been busy around here. So, for the time being I'm putting anything and everything I can on the backburner so I don't completely lose my mind during this move. Hopefully around February my new house will be mostly unpacked and in decent order and I can come talk to you all again. Wish me luck in the meantime - I'm going to need it!

Do any of you have major things going on right now? And just because I'm curious, who's braving the madness and going shopping next Friday?