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?

Time Management

To say I'm terribly at managing my time responsibly is a terrible understatement. Really. It's ridiculous. Especially because my priorities might be a tad skewed. For example, in order of what I'm finding most important right now:

- I have spent most of this week reading almost non-stop. A bunch of books I had on hold at the library suddenly came in all together so I went from having one library book to six. All with waiting lists, which adds to the pressure of reading them fairly quickly so the next person can get it. I've finished three books so far this week and returned them, only to get a call from the library this morning, letting me know three more books are now waiting for me to pick up. I just can't catch up. *sigh*

- When I'm not reading, I'm trying to write. I'm working on a completely new and secret idea that is really, really exciting me. It's almost overwhelming how badly I want to sit and write until the whole story is out. But my lovely children love to "help" me write, so I try to write when they are both elsewhere. (naps, school) It's making progress slow, but I'm loving the potential of what I have so far.

- My house is insanely messy. Last week, my whole family got sick. Thankfully not all at the same time, although there was a little overlap here and there. But one right after another we got sick and the entire week was spent either taking care of someone or being sick myself. Not a lot of time left for cleaning. And now with the avalanche of library books and distracting secret story, I'm really not making much headway. Bless my patient husband for not completely losing it everytime he walks in the door to find the house looking exactly the same as it did when he left.

Those are the main things on my plate. Add in silly things like eating, exercise, or showering, and my day is pretty much gone. Sadly, I end up spening an entire day concentrating on just one thing, rather than appropriately spreading it out through the day so a little bit of everything gets done each day. I honestly don't know how full-time authors do it. They all say you sacrifice something so writing is a priority, but still. Huge respect for those busy, busy people.

If only I could stick to one of the millions of different schedules I've made for myself, then maybe things wouldn't feel quite so overwhelming. I just keep telling myself I'll figure it out eventually.

Right? *hopeful face*

RIGHT? *looks at you desperately*

How about you, lovely readers? Ever feel like there's just too much to do in a day? What distracts you, and how do you still manage to get things done anyway?

A Note of Positivity

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you're enjoying your fall season so far. I have been. (Except this week. I was sick with a head cold and then a stomach flu. Blah.)

Today, I'm going to do something a little different. It's going to be a list. When I was a sophomore in high school, I had math with my friend Aubrey Anne. We both hated math and were easily distracted and somehow we started writing up a list of things to be happy about. Several of our friends contributed to it here and there, but the majority of it was written by us. Before she transferred schools, we were up to 1,000. (You read that right.) As high school became harder to handle, I would add to that list, trying to cheer myself up, and eventually my own personal list was around 1600-1700. I still have it - it's in a binder in my storage tub full of high school stuff. Anyway, Aubrey and I were chatting on Twitter the other day and she felt like blogging, but couldn't think of anything positive to blog about. So I mentioned starting a mini list of Things to be Happy About. She loved the idea, and asked me to contribute. I've been wanting something fun and positive to blog about as well, so I agreed. Now, once a week you'll get a list of 10 things that make me happy, and I'll link to Aubrey's blog so you can see her list as well. Some things may be personal to us, some may be things that make you happy as well. But the point is that in a world full of tragedies, hatred, and plain old awful negativity, once a week this will be a place to find something happy. And don't worry, I'll still talk about the writing I'm up to in between my lists. So here we go.

1. The holiday season. Doesn't matter the holiday; if it has a season, I love it. Halloween and fall leaves, Thanksgiving and pies, Christmas and twinkling lights - I love it all. There's such an ambiance about it all that I find comforting and fun.
2. Stephen's Mint Truffle Hot Chocolate. I love hot chocolate in general, but this is my favorite at home kind. It's so, so yummy and as the weather gets colder, I'll end up having at least one cup a day. It's my version of coffee.
3. Rainy afternoons. I don't actually like being out in the rain, but I love rain. I open my windows and fill my house with the sound of it falling and the fresh crispness it gives the air. I find it inspiring, and I always end up pulling out a notebook or my laptop and just writing for an hour or two.
4. Snuggling with my kids. This doesn't happen often, since they aren't really cuddly by nature. They prefer to be up and around, checking things out and playing. They've been this way since they were babies. But when they are really sleepy or sick they like to be cuddled, with blankets and stuffed animals and everything. Sometimes it lasts ten minutes, sometimes it lasts an hour, but I take it when I can get it because it's pretty rare.
5. Pictures of at-home libraries. Little book noooks, huge rooms with vaulted ceilings, built in shelving or ornate bookcases - I love them all. It's like you get a taste for someone's personality in that one snapshot, just by seeing how they like their books arranged, their reading atmosphere, etc. One day, I will have a photo of my own to share.
6. Twitter. Oh yeah. I'm in love with it. I'm still kind of a lurker on there, but I'm trying to reach out more. But I love seeing the friendships and jokes between authors I love, seeing articles that spark conversations from people all over the place, and the comfort offered by complete strangers when someone is going through a hard time. It really is a community, and unlike other social networks I've used in the past, I actually feel connected to this one. It's lovely.
7. Pillows. Sparky and I both love our pillows - we have several that make a pillow mountain on our bed. (That is, when I actually end up making it properly.) However, Sparky leaves for work a little over an hour before I wake up with the kids for school, and in that hour, I steal his pillows too until I'm in a lovely, soft, squishy cave of pillows. It's my favorite part of the morning.
8. Cake. Or, more specifically, cake from a local grocery store about a block from my house. Their bakery in general is fantastic, but their cakes are simply heavenly. Light but moist cake, just the right amount of yummy frosting, and fresh fruit in the fruit filling. So, so good. And they make these little teeny cakes for like, $6, that I'll get every now and again just for fun. So, so cute.
9. Those rare times when my entire house is actually clean. It doesn't happen a lot, because I have two small children and I tend to attack rooms individually rather than the house as a whole. But sometimes I get into a cleaning frenzy and for a couple of days my house is really, very clean. It's just so pretty. And there's no guilt there when I spend an afternoon writing or reading, because there's no cleaning to be done. Always a plus. :)
10. Good hair days. It sounds slightly shallow, but honestly, sometimes it's the one thing that keeps a good day from being a bad day.

Well, there's my list for this week. Click here to see Aubrey's list. And feel free to share your own list in the comments! We could all use a reminder of things to be happy about, right?

Banned Books Week

I had originally planned to write this on Monday, but since I'm a procrastinator, it's being written today - Friday. I know. Good job, Jenn. But the point is that I'm writing it, and that's what's important, yes? Yes. So, let's get to the good stuff.

This week is/was Banned Books Week. A week where we as readers challenge those who seek to "protect" us by reading the books they seek to ban. There are so many out there, and they are really such good books. I haven't read all of them, though I definitely respect anyone who has, but I've read some and I must say, a lot of these books are excellent. I won't talk about all of the ones I've read, but if you don't mind, I'm going to touch on a few.

Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson - This book was challenged this year in Missouri for being "soft-pornography" and "glorifying drinking, cursing, and premarital sex". Now, when I read this, my first thought is to get angry. It's about a 15 year old girl who is raped at a party and feels like she can't tell anyone. But as I think about it, I just feel sad for these poor people who failed to see the beautiful story of a girl who faced something horrific, her struggles in dealing with her pain, and eventually overcoming and facing her attacker to save her friend. It's beautifully written as she tries to communicate with her parents, her friends, even to herself about what happened, and what to do next. It's sharp and honest and even a little funny as she observes the people around her. You go on this journey with her, and it's an incredible read.

The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins - These books were challenged in New Hampshire by a parent that said it gave her 11 year old child nightmares and would make other children numb to violence. I can see where she's coming from, since other adults have shared this fear. However, there are two points to this problem. They are intense books. Age and maturity of the reader should definitely be considered - but by the parent of the child/teen reading it. Not someone else. (I have no problem with parents controlling what their own child reads, but I get annoyed when they try to control what other kids read.) As for making kids numb to violence, that's kind of the point the books are trying to make. We live in a world filled with war, video games and movies of war, and while it's horrific and tragic, there is already an aura of glory around it. Could her world be possible someday when teens already think nothing of a bloody game or movie? It's an exquistely written series that - for me - raised a lot of thought provoking questions. I wish these books were required reading in high schools, because there is SO MUCH there to discuss. Maybe someday.

The Twilight series - Stephenie Meyer - These books were banned from primary and some junior high schools for being too racy and going against religious beliefs. They were taken out of school libraries and kids were even banned from bringing their own copies of the books to school. This seems silly to me, since there is a fair amount of kissing and sexual tension but no sex, except after a marriage has taken place. And even then, there is nothing explicit. These books, to me, are simply fun reading. They don't have a moral agenda or anything like that, they are just enjoyable books to read. It's a good story. I am a Twilight fan, and I'm not ashamed of it. These books were my "gateway drug" to the incredible world of YA fiction. I had been extremely narrow minded in my reading choices, but after multiple people told me I would love them, I gave in. And they were right. I LOVE them. And by realizing how I might have missed out by being stubborn, I now put no restrictions on what I read, leading me to some INCREDIBLE books by AMAZING authors. These books put me on a path that led to my discovery of wanting to write YA fiction myself. So, needless to say I have a soft spot for these particular books. ;)

The Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling - When these books started becoming very popular, there were several school across the country that wanted them banned for promoting witchcraft and other satanic overtones. These parents obviously never read the books. While there is witchcraft (they are all wizards and witches, so that's obvious) the overall arc of the books doesn't really focus on that. And there are no satanic overtones. They are about intense friendship and loyalty to those you love, choosing right over wrong no matter what the circumstances even when it's not the easiest choice. Good overcoming evil. Fighting to make the world a better place, even when you feel like you can't possibly to do much to help. And love. First loves. The love of friendship. And the binding love of family. These books led to a huge boom in the amount of kids and teens who never read much to wanting to read more. They found there were books out there that peaked their interest, spoke to them, made them excited to find even more books that fired up their imaginations in a similar way. We should be GRATEFUL for these books, and the generation it inspired to READ AGAIN.

There are so many more that I could go on and on about, but I won't. This post is very long as it is. But I hope that as this week comes to a close, you go out and look at the lists of books that have been challenged or banned and challenge those people right back by reading it anyway. You never know what you could be missing out on. :)

Until next time, happy reading and writing everyone!

Goodbye Summer

Good morning everyone! Are we all having a wonderful week so far? Eh, mine's ok. We're still adjusting to having Dude in school and I'm figuring out how to best use those hours to my advantage. He's in school all day - which we are all loving. He absolutely adores going to school and the routine has made him a much happier boy. Diva is loving having the house and toys to herself without any fights or sneaking or protecting what she's playing with, so she's been quite pleasant lately. And me, well, let's just say that after a month and a half of my kids being sick of each other and fighting constantly, I'm VERY happy that they are happy. Plus, with Diva's naptime, I pretty much get 2-4 hours to myself 5 days a week. It's delicious.



So, while we've been adjusting, I've been thinking about my writing. And I'll be honest guys, I'm a little burned out. I pushed really hard to get Bound in Ink finished by the end of the summer - and finishing it early fried my brain a tad. After having my freakout/panic attack, I was able to simmer down a bit and lose myself in books. And it's been fabulous. I've discovered the heartbreaking amazingness that is Sarah Dessen - I'm now in the process of working my way through her books at my library. And I'm catching up on the books I've purchased over the last 6 months that I haven't had a chance to read yet. And on a particularly lazy day last week, I watched Anne of Green Gables, remembering how much I loved it and deciding to read the books, since I've never read them before. It's been incredibly refreshing, letting myself soak in the incredible writing of others to help get my own creative juices flowing a bit.

Which has led me to the decision I made last night. I'm taking a break from Bound in Ink. I think I've gotten way too obsessed with it to the point that the story isn't fun - it's stressful. I need to write something fun again and then come back to Bound in Ink with fresh eyes and motivation. Because if I'm not having fun and enjoying the story, it will show in my writing, and I don't want that. So, I've had a shiny and intriguing new idea floating around in my head the last week, and I think I'm going to toy around with it for a while, see where it takes me. Already I can feel the stress leaking away and the excitement coming back. And it will be an excellent distraction for me and give my poor wonderful friends a break from my impatience as they read Bound in Ink. ;) Those poor girls, I don't think we realized what a pain I would end up being.

As well as reading and writing something new, I promised Sparky now that Dude is in school and I have more kid-free time, I would work on sprucing up our place. Right now we live in a cute townhouse and since I've always convinced myself it was temporary, it is in quite sad shape. I won't lie - I will use pretty much any excuse to get out of housework. But he wants me to try and do better, since it looks like we'll be here a while longer. So he made me a deal. One new book for each room I get back under control. (Basically, it's my major spring cleaning at the beginning of fall. I'm such a procrastinator.) Since I'm never one to turn down new books, and I promised I wouldn't buy new ones until I read all the unread ones in my possession, this is a good deal.



Well, that's what's up with me now that summer is drawing to a close. School, cleaning, reading, and writing. How about you guys? Anyone going back to school? Working on a new project? And is any0ne besides me suddenly really excited for all the holidays now that it's pretty much September? (I'm already looking at Christmas gifts and watching Halloween movies. Yeah, I know.)

August Short Story

Yep, it's that time again and I have a new short story up on Once Upon a Distraction! I got the idea while I was driving home from my mom's house in Idaho. We had already discussed the theme for the month being music, and this song came on and the story just jumped into my head. I made my poor kids listen to it with me about 5 times while I got the basics solidified in my head and then when I got home I hopped on the computer and punched it out with the song on repeat.

(I love when inspiration like that happens.)

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And please feel free to leave comments here or on OUAD. As I mentioned in my previous post, I LOVE to know what people think. ;)

My Non-Discovery Discovery

Yep, you read that right. This week I made a non-discovery discovery. Because it was something I already knew about myself. However, I was unaware of how much this was a part of my personality.

I am not a patient person.
And I'm obessive.
And a *bit* paranoid.

Yeah. All of these things I already knew. But, over the last couple weeks I have realized that they are more dominant qualities than I knew. When I sent Bound in Ink to Aubrey and Andrea a couple weeks ago when I finished it, I was insanely excited. I had finished! It was ready for someone other than me to read it! This was a big deal!

And then time passed. Aubrey is working full time and taking care of 3 small boys. She's a very busy girl. Andrea was on a family vacation in the woods and then returned to find her work was in utter chaos without her. (She's pretty important to the flow and sanity at her work.) So they haven't really had a chance to read it. I understand this. I don't even resent this. They are busy ladies with many things on their plates. However, this does not stop me from having to remind myself on almost an hourly basis to not text them and ask how far along they are in the MS, even though I know they haven't read anything since the last time I asked them. That would be stalkerish and creepy and obsessive. And I am not stalkerish or creepy or obsessive. Of course not.

So, this last week at the weekly family dinner with Sparky's family, I mentioned to one of my SIL's that I had finished my MS. She was super excited for me and asked if she could read it. I said sure, since she's a big reader, and the more constructive criticism, the better. Enter my other two SIL's who also said they would love to read it. I'm thrilled that they want to read it! They seemed genuinely excited and enthusiastic about it. Warm fuzzies filled my heart and that night I send to them.

It has now been 5 days (I know, I can see your eyes rolling at me already) and I haven't heard a word from anyone. Now, a rational and patient person would understand that it takes TIME to read a book that's just over 58k words. Especially when TRIPS and KIDS and JOBS are involved. But I am obviously not a rational or patient person. This is where my thoughts have been for the last 2 days.

"They hate it. It's awful and stupid but they all like me enough that they can't tell me that so they are avoiding me and saying nothing."

"It's boring. No one has been able to get very far into it because it wasn't intersesting enough and so they can't tell me what they think about something they don't even want to read anymore."

*starts obessessing about MS and storyline* "It's cliche. I'm completely unorginal and I have no idea why I thought this was a good story."

*starts zoning out and visualizing future conversations of sadness and failure with said family and friends* "I am so embarrassed! I was proud and excited to share and now they all look at me with pity in their eyes because I'm too blind to see that I have no talent for this! My dream is dead!! I'm a complete hack!!!"

*sits on the couch, eats cookies, and whines on Twitter*

Yeah....pretty pathetic isn't it? I recieved some sweet comments on twitter telling me to hang in there, and Andrea talked me down after I text bombed her hysterically about all my insecurties, which helped me calm down a bit after my 2 days of freaking out. But it gave me a very sad and slightly worrisome picture of the future.

I am so screwed when I end up sending anything in to agents/publishers. To the people in my life, I apologize in advance, because judging from this experience, it's going to be ugly.

Has anyone else suffered from this crisis of self-confidence? Was it bad or do I just have a flair for the dramatic? How did you pull yourself out of the obsession hole and focus on something else?

Round 1 - Finished!

Well, I've been on vacation at my mom's house the last week and a half and while she's at work and Diva's napping, I have managed to finish my first read through/edits/revisions of Bound in Ink. I must say, I'm pretty proud. It's still rough and needs work, but it feels like a book. It's not just random scenes put together, there's flow to it and it makes sense and has a beginning, and end, and a MIDDLE! The one thing that always stopped me in the past, that blasted middle, and I finally made it through! And it's not bad, if I do say so myself.

So, now that I'm done with that, I'm taking a break. I've sent it to Aubrey and Andrea for them to read, and I'm not going to lie, I am almost sick with anxiety and excitement and plain old nerves. I haven't let them read anything since I went back and practically rewrote the whole first half, so it's like they've never read any of it before. I'm really hoping they like it - maybe even love it. :) And then I'm hoping they edit the crap out of it, because there's nothing like a fresh pair of eyes to catch all the things I missed this time around. While I'm waiting for them to read it (and obsessively checking my phone for texts from them) I'm going to try and work on an outline for Book 2 so I can get an idea of where I'm going in that one and let it sit and stew for a bit. I'll also be doing a bunch of research on agents and query letters so that I can do it a little bit at a time. Last week I started looking, just to see what was out there, and nearly died of a panic attack. Not fun. I'm hoping that smaller steps keeps me from hyperventilating in the corner.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my huge success, because I reached my goal of having it written and ready to send to the girls to read by the end of the summer! I'm even 3 weeks ahead of my deadline! I'm so proud!!

Until next time, happy writing everyone!! And enjoy the rest of your summer!

Movies, Books, Music, and Other Randomness

*Warning: This post got pretty long, so I apologize. But if you made it all the way through, thanks for reading, and a gold star for you for sticking with me through my ramblings. :)

Hey there! How are all of you enjoying your summer so far? Lovely? Mine's been pretty good so far. Did you know that it's mostly over? Yeah, you heard me right - MOSTLY OVER. Well, at least it is for me. Dude goes back to school in just over a month, which is insane. That means summer vacation is almost over and he'll be back in school - all day now. It's exciting and scary at the same time. I'm excited for him to be going all day because he loves school, it will give him and Diva some time apart (which we need after this summer of togetherness), and I will have at least 2 hours every weekday where I'm kid free and able to get some work done. (Diva napping, Dude still in school. This will be a HUGE luxury and one I am greatly looking forward to.) But he's a super picky eater and I kinda worry about him not really eating lunch since I won't be there to make sure he does. But, that's something I don't really need to worry about for another month, so I'm going to put it in the back of my nind for now. In related news, Dude turns 6 tomorrow. This is completely weirding me out, for defineable and undefinaeble reasons. But I'm excited to give him his gifts. I'm pretty proud of myself this year. (I am a notoriously bad gift giver. My ideas are rarely the awesome ones I think they are. But this year, I know I did a good job.)

In a completely unrelated topic, I went and saw the final Harry Potter movie this weekend with Sparky. He really enjoys the movies and we've seen every one together since a date we had when Prisoner of Azkaban came out. He's not really a reader, but once upon a time we tried reading them together, and we made it through the first two before we realized that he's insanely busy and it would take us until we're 60 to read them that way. So for now I just fill him in on things I felt they left out in the movies over dinner afterwards and he gets confused because I don't explain it very well and it's all good fun. He was greatly anticipating this movie because HP7.1 left him feeling very unsatisfied.

Sparky: "Nothing happened!! Why did we spend a whole movie watching them wander around England? I don't get it! Was it really necessary?"
Me: "Well, you really have to get a sense of how hopeless their quest is, and how difficult everything they go through is, personally and as friends, before the big epic battle. It makes sense in the book, I swear."
Sparky: "I still think it was boring. The last half better be awesome."
Me: "It will be. I promise."
Sparky. "Alright then."

So, we went and it was awesome and epic and everything we had been hoping for. And as we were driving home, I asked him what he thought.

Sparky: "I was not happy that no one was there to see Neville get all badass with the sword. And that absolutely NO ONE was around when Voldemort finally died. What the hell was that?"
Me: *laughs loudly* "That's funny that you should mention that, because both of those things happen that way in the book. Everyone is watching when Neville kills the snake and also when Harry takes down Voldemort."
Sparky: "Why didn't they leave it that way then?"
Me: "I don't know."

You can't please everyone, I suppose. But I must say, I agree with him. Those two scenes...I wish they would have stuck to the book. In my opinion, it gave Neville his shining moment - which is completely deserved. And as for the final showdown, while it wouldn't have been as visually arresting, I think it's more emotionally impactful. It's extremely tense, and for the first time, Harry isn't afraid. He knows what's about to go down, and it's his turn to taunt Voldemort - make him afraid for once. And everyone is there! *sigh* Those were really my only two issues with the movie, and they're pretty small. (Not at all like the Freakout of Order of the Pheonix, where Dumbledore's 40-ISH PAGE explanation to Harry about ALMOST EVERYTHING is watered down to barely 2 minutes of screen time. I was NOT happy and it still annoys me.) Anyway, I think it was a fabulous ending to the movies, and a great way to close the era of Harry Potter. Those books are super fantastic, and the movies were very well done. I'm happy with how it all ended.

In other book news, I have been reading up a storm, now that I'm not quite as distracted by Bound in Ink, and I've finished a few books that were very, very excellent. I love books with strong, self-aware female characters, I think it's a rare quality in YA books, although it's becoming more and more common - which is awesome. But there's a few books that stand out in my mind as having awesome main female characters, and I wanted to share some with you.

The DUFF - Kody Keplinger - I loved Bianca. She's smart and witty and sarcastic and not afraid to say what she thinks. And her back and forth with Wesley was always fantastic. There's a ton of sex in this book - it's practically a character in and of itself - but it's believable and not overdone, and actually shows a side to Bianca as the story progresses that makes her one of my new favorites.

Flawless - Lara Chapman - Sarah was an interesting character to read about. Most of the girls in books - especially main characters - are anywhere from gorgeous to pretty-but-plain. Sarah is very pretty, but she has a huge nose - something that her mother struggles with (having had a big one as well before a nose job) but she tries to make light of it so she doesn't dwell on it. It's a take on Cyrano as a whole, but I love her personal transformation the best. You don't have to be gorgeous for a guy to fall in love with you, because the right guy will fall in love with YOU, not just your face.

Fire - Kristen Cashore - I read this a while ago, but it will remain one of my favorites because I find Fire to be such an incredibly complex character. I don't even really know how to describe what exactly I love about her, but it's there. She's strong, smart, and struggles deeply with herself about making sure she does the right thing, even if that means sacrificing the one thing she wants most, or doing something horrible for the sake of the greater good. And her relationship with Brigan is slow and moving and beautifully written. Seriously, I loved this book.

There are a bunch of others, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head right now. If you're really curious now about what I'm reading (or have read in the past, or looking forward to reading in the future) you can come find me on GoodReads. I love to share what I'm reading, and I love to see what others are reading as well.

And finally, I am spending a lot of time going through my CD's and importing them onto my computer. The burned CD's are taking the longest, but I'm rediscovering some really great songs that I haven't heard in ages and I'm loving it. My writing playlist is getting REALLY long (last session put me at just over 12 hours of music on that one playlist) but it's really helping me get into a good groove and bringing fresh ideas for my round of revisions and rewrites. And with that, I leave you with a song I was in love with once upon a time and just recently found again. I've been listening to it on repeat for the last 3 days. Enjoy!

And until next time, happy reading and writing!!

In Other Writing News....

I know what you're thinking? With the insane writing I've been doing these past few days, what on earth could I possibly be up to now? Well, it's July, and it's time I posted my story over on Once Upon a Distraction, which is now up! Hooray! Something you can read now instead of just hearing me talk about it. Excellent.

This month's theme was just something a little more upbeat, since the last few stories we've posted have been a little on the...dramatic side. This month was hard for me, because I was super distracted by Bound in Ink, but I'm pretty happy with what I was able to come up with. However, I'm aware this particular story isn't my strongest, so please be gentle in your comments. Either way, I hope you enjoy it! And please, please leave comments. I love hearing what people think - good or bad, it's all constructive to me.

I might be popping up again this week with some music to share, but if I don't, it's because my brain is still recovering from the writing marathons I've had the last couple days. Have a great week, and until next time, happy writing!

I FINISHED!!!!

YES!!! It's true, this afternoon after two word wars and a couple hours writing solo, I wrote the very last scene for Bound in Ink.

That means the end. Which means it's done.

No, actually, it doesn't. At least, not really. It's done in the sense that I now have the complete skeleton of the story written. There's a little meat here and there, but for the most part it's pretty rough. Now I'm going to go back through it, from beginning to end, and add scenes here, details there, and tweak some dialogue so that it's better. Because as many wise authors have said, you can always make it better.

So, I'm going to spend the next few weeks really working on Bound in Ink so that I can feel comfortable sending it to my little group of readers. Andrea and Aubrey can hardly wait to read it, and I can't wait for them to read it. I am so excited to hear what they think!

Well, I'm going to give my tired brain a break and watch the next movie in my little Harry Potter mini-marathon as I get ready to see the final film with Sparky on Saturday. (It's like then end of an era, it really is.) And I'm going to reward myself with brownies! Here's to an awesome day!!

Almost Done and a Working Title!

That's right boys and girls, you read that right. I am *this close* to being done with the first complete draft of book 1 - which now has a working title because I'm sick of calling it "book 1".

Are you ready?

Here we go.

BOUND IN INK.

Nice, right? I like it. It has a certain ring to it. And sounds WAY better than "book 1". So there you are.

Anyway, back to the progress. I'm just under 50k, and am really close to the end. I'm guessing it'll be around 55k when I hit the end, which seems small, but as I'm writing I'm realizing that I'm skipping over things that will need to be added in. I didn't mean to skip over them, I just thought it wasn't important to cover, until I got further into the story and realized it was important. So, that will be next, once I finish. I'm still keeping it to myself, and once I get to the end, I'm going to do a read through and add/revise/rewrite the things that need to be fixed, and then it goes out to my beta readers and the girls to critique. I have a total of 5 (possibly 6) people who will read it and send it back to me with all of their thoughts, suggestions, and edits. Then, hopefully, I can organize all of that and get to work on the next round of edits and revisions. It's getting all kinds of exciting for me around here!

So, that's where I am. Next time you hear from me, I will have - for the first time - completely finished writing a book. Even if it's still pretty rough. ;) Hooray for progress! Until next time, happy writing!

Caught Up

Well boys and girls, after a few visits full of hard work at the library while my younger sister babysat the children, I am officially caught up with my revising.

That's exciting!!!

With all the changes I made, I wrote out an outline so that I knew where I was going with it all. That was a huge help so that I wasn't afraid to tackle all the work that needed to be done. Then I went through, chapter by chapter, adding and deleting and rewriting what was necessary. At first it was just a sentence here and a paragraph there. Then big chunks. Then half chapters. Until finally, I was rewriting complete chapters, one right after another because everything was becoming completely irrelevant to the story that was now forming. So yesterday, after beating out 3 completely new chapters, I skimmed the 3 chapters that were left and realized that there was nothing in them that I wanted to save. So I deleted them. It was scary, but freeing, since for me it's easier to start from scratch than rework what's already there. I find that distracting, and it's harder to get the words to flow.

But, now I'm caught up. From here on out it's all new stuff instead of changing what was already written. It's nice, because I must say the revisions were a little draining. I'm excited to move on to the rest of the story and see where it takes me next! It's just been me and my little book in a bubble, and it's been nice, so I think I'll keep it that way until I'm done. Then I'll get it printed out for Andrea and Aubrey and they can go through it for me and make notes and edits for my next round of revisions. (It's easier for me to look at that stuff on paper, rather than scrolling through on my computer.) If I keep up the pace I have going, I should be done with my first draft by the end of July, but I should definitely be able to keep by goal to finish by the end of August. It's very exciting! I have started several stories, but I always get distracted and never finish, so I'm super excited that this one WILL get finished. It's a big deal!

Anyway, that's where I am right now. About halfway through, and on to all new material until I hit the end of book 1. (I seriously need to think of a nickname for it to use on here.) Wish me luck that I can keep up the good pace and the creative juices keep flowing for me! Until next time, happy writing!!

Hey, something cool!

Hey, it's a new month and that means that I have a new story up over on Once Upon a Distraction!! You should go check it out, because this month really had me stumped and after 6 tries, I think I finally came up with something good! (And it was inspired by a cartoon picture while I was researching hair colors. True story.)

I hope you enjoy it and remember, comments are as good as gold to me because I would love to know what you think! Have a great week!