Category Archives: Randomness

What’s Up Wednesday

Posted on May 15, 2013 | 28 Comments

Today I’m jumping in on “What’s Up Wednesday,” a fun weekly meme started by my friends Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. From Jaime: It’s similar in some respects to the Currently… post, but it’s been whittled down to only four headings to make it quicker and more manageable on a weekly basis. You’re invited to join us if you’re looking for something to blog about, a way to let your blog friends know what’s been going on with you.

Fantastic, right? Here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: Last week I finished Melina Marchetta’s Finnikin of the Rock, which is absolutely glorious. I’ll post a Bookanistas recommendation tomorrow, so stay tuned. I started Finnikin‘s follow-up, Froi of the Exiles, immediately, and I’m now more than halfway through. It is amazing. So, so amazing. There’s something about these books, their characters, and their world, that gives me all the feelings. I ordered the final book in the trilogy, Quintana of the Charyn, yesterday so that I can start it as soon as I’m done with Froi. I think it’s safe to say that I’m obsessed with The Lumatere Chronicles, and, honestly, with every other book Melina Marchetta has ever written. Recommend!

It’s a rare book that makes me choose the elliptical over running on the beach.

What I’m Writing: I’m as finished with my revision as I can be, for now at least. I just got (brilliant) notes back from one beta reader, and I’m awaiting notes from another (millions of thank-yous, Jaime and Elodie!), then I’ll incorporate their feedback and be done. (Again.) Here’s a favorite bit from the manuscript:

I give him the faintest of smiles, and his whole face lights up in response. He stretches his hand across the distance separating us, letting it rest on the couch cushion palm up. An invitation. Holding his gaze, I slide my hand into the warmth of his. His fingers find their way through the space between each of mine in this deliberate, intimate way that erases the last bit of doubt from my heart.

Once this revised manuscript is off to my agent, I’ll dive back in to my WiP, the one that’s gritty and dark, about love and betrayal and the wildness inside all of us. Also, there’s kissing. (Of course there is.)

What Else I’ve Been Up To: My daughter has been sick with a stomach bug for the last two days. Boo. She rarely gets sick and I feel so bad for her. She’s weak and tired and bummed about missing school, and she has no appetite to speak of. I’ve been playing nurse (and puke catcher) and I’ll be excited when this passes and my house is healthy again.


Lots of sleeping, lots of bland, boring food, lots of movies. Good thing mama has a good book to read!

In other, far better news, I won a fantastic prize pack from Erin Bowman‘s #TakenWithTAKEN giveaway. I’m super lucky when it comes to contests, but this has got to be my best win to-date. That ampersand tote is adorable, and the books… I’m overwhelmed by their awesomeness! The best part? Erin included an annotated ARC of Taken, in which she added all kinds of cool anecdotes about the story, its drafting and editing, and her favorite parts. It’s fascinating!

What Inspires Me Right Now: All of the honest and encouraging comments you lovelies left on yesterday’s post, On Insanity, as well as a thoughtful (and similarly-themed) post from Lindsey Roth Culli titled Confessions of Rejection. Check it out.

Tell me: What’s up with you?

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Posted in Cross My Heart, Family, Inspiration, Randomness, The Writing Journey, What I'm Reading, What's Up Wednesday

One Word Wednesday

Posted on May 8, 2013 | 19 Comments


Fortunate
{I mentioned last week that we had to say goodbye to our loyal dog Lucy, which was a terrible experience. But, we still have Daisy, and we’re feeling very fortunate to have her wagging her tail around the house these days. She’s an old, tired lady, but she’s still up for walks and treats and snuggles. Lucky us.}

   Sad
{Speaking of Lucy, we’re all dealing in our own way. My husband left her a sweet message on our family chalkboard, and my girlie drew the most adorable picture of her at school. I got a little teary when I took it out of her backpack.}


Thankful
{It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! My daughter has a wonderful teacher and we wanted to do something nice to acknowledge all her hard work. I thought about sending an apple to school for her, but then I recalled my own teaching days and decided that Apple Strudel would be a much tastier after-work treat.} 


Fantasitcal
{This book is amazing. It’s taking me forever to get through  because last week sucked and I’m in the middle of a revision (that’s finally starting to take shape!), but yeah… I love Finnikin and Evanjalin. I love this world. I love Melina Marchetta’s writing. Recommend!}


Decadent
{Nordy Bars are one of my favorite treats. My mom used to make them at Christmastime, but they’re super tasty any time of the year. In fact, I made them for a barbecue last week and they got all kinds of compliments. Butterscotch, chocolate chips, marshmallows, pecans… What’s not to love?}

 
Diligence
{My little miss has been writing books these days, just like her mama. Usually she’s much more focused than me, but lately we’ve both been hard at work. My goal is to finish my revision this week. Then it’s off for a beta read. Yay!}


Gratuitous
{I know I’m *slightly* biased, but I think she’s pretty darn cute.}

Tell me: What have you been up to lately? 

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Posted in What I'm Reading, Great Books, Family, Randomness, Revising, Tasty Treats, The Writing Journey, Fantasy, One-Word Wednesday

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One Word Wednesday

Posted on April 10, 2013 | 26 Comments


Fashionista
{Somebody got a new fedora and it has become an obsessed-over accessory. Every day: “Can I wear my fedora? Can I please wear my fedora?” The thing looks so cute on her, I have a hard time saying no!}


Inspiring
{Part of my April book haul arrived last week and I’ve been so inspired by the contemporaries I’ve read so far. Uses For Boys was gritty and stark and upsetting, while Something Like Normal had me giddy and heartbroken and swooning all at once. I’m working on Love and Other Perishable Items now. It was written by an Aussie author, so of course it’s fAnTaStIc!}


Decadent
{Rocky Road Brownies… So many good things all in one: dark chocolate, nuts, marshmallows, all warm and ooey-gooey. As far as homemade brownies go, these are easy, and totally worth the extra few minutes needed to make them from scratch. Yum! (Just a note – I used mini marshmallows instead of quartering the larger ones, and I used pecans instead of walnuts because I like them better. :) )}


Magical
{So, apparently wildflowers are kind of a thing in our neck of the woods — who knew? We went on a hike last weekend and happened upon this stunning, seemingly endless field of blue bonnets. Of course, my girlie was in heaven.}

Love
{Her infectious little smile is my favorite. ♥♥♥}

What have you been up to this week?

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Posted in Family, Inspiration, Randomness, Tasty Treats, What I'm Reading

One Word Wednesday

Posted on March 20, 2013 | 24 Comments

 
Spring
{We’re seeing signs of spring here in Central California and I couldn’t be happier! Warmer days, blooming flowers… Totally makes me smile.}


Pitiful
{Poor Daisy. She ended up with a aural hematoma (I’ll spare you the gory details of what, exactly, that is) and had to have surgery. Now she gets to wear The Cone of Shame for three weeks and finish a grueling course of antibiotics. I do feel horrible for her, but considering she was a stray we adopted for free, this dog has cost us a small fortune over the last nine years.}

Cheer
{Because she is awesome and amazing and incredibly thoughtful, my longtime friend Kari Bradley surprised me with the most wonderful package. She was lucky enough to attend YA Highway‘s Author Event in Shelton, WA last week, and I was super, super sad that I couldn’t go with her (because before I moved to California, we used to attend bookish events together). Anyway, Kari asked Veronica Roth to sign a copy of Divergent for me and sent it off with cookies and an adorable tea towel… I have the best friends!}

Peaceful
{We hit the bay in our kayaks on Sunday. While it was windy and the water was a little choppy, the view was too lovely not to appreciate. We saw tons of birds, as well as harbor seals and some huge sea lions. I love living on the coast.}

Effortless
{You might remember the video I shared last week on tenacity and my daughter’s trip down the monkey bars. Well, once she got it, she got it. Now she really is a little monkey, dangling and swing on calloused palms, and since it’s spring break, she wants to spend every waking moment at the park. Silly girl!}

Fantastic
{I’m reviewing The List over at YA Confidential today… Check it out!}

What have you been up to lately?

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Posted in Contemporaries, Family, Great Books, One-Word Wednesday, Randomness, YA Confidential

On tenacity…

Posted on March 12, 2013 | 42 Comments

My daughter, who inherited her less-than-impressive upper body strength from her mama, has been working for weeks to successfully cross the monkey bars on the playground at her school. You’d think the only thing she does all day at kindergarten is enjoy recess. Every night at dinner my husband and I get a little update on the monkey bar progress, and every night we encourage our girl to keep working at it, to build up her muscles (and callouses!).

Yesterday when I picked her up from school, my girlie was so excited to show me how close she was to making it all the way across: “Just a few bars from the end, Mommy!” I told her we’d film her efforts and send the video off to all her grandparents. Well, it just so happens that THIS was the time she conquered the monkey bars! (Man, am I glad I caught it on film!)


Two things about this video strike a major mommy-emotional chord. First, my daughter’s unrestrained joy and pride at having finally, after weeks and weeks of hard work, met her goal. And second, the way her adorable litte friend cheers her on, and is equally excited about her success. Reminds me of my CPs and betas and writing friends and blog followers, who are always in my corner.

And now I’m inspired to get back to writing so I can finally meet one of my goals.

When was the last time you were unexpectedly inspired?

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Posted in Family, Randomness, Wisdom

One Word Wednesday

Posted on March 6, 2013 | 19 Comments


Bright
{Since it’s nearly spring, the sun has been coming up earlier and earlier. It’s been light out at the end of my morning run for the last few days, which is fun and exhilarating and inspiring.}

 
Proud
{My girlie was named Student of the Month, along with one of her little kindergarten BFFs. So happy for her!}


Research
{I’m obviously enjoying Scrivener. I love that I can leave all these fun little notes and musings for myself. I posted this photo on Instagram and a psych nurse who follows me totally jumped in with an answer to those last questions. Win!}


Sweet
{Banana Sheet Cake (I used an extra banana and baked an extra five minutes) with homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting… This was similar in flavor and texture to banana bread, only more decadent. Yum!}

Talent
{I get to teach art to my daughter’s kindergarten class once a week (thanks to budget restraints, there’s no full-time art teacher) and even though it can get a little crazy, it’s really fun. We spent the last two weeks working on self-portraits, and they turned out really cute. These actually look like their creators! (My girlie’s is bottom left. :) }

Check back for a fantastic Bookanistas recommendation tomorrow!

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Posted in Family, Inspiration, One-Word Wednesday, Randomness, Revising, Tasty Treats, What I'm Reading, WIP

One Word Wednesday

Posted on January 23, 2013 | 35 Comments

Hello, friends… Happy Wednesday!

NO
{Kidding. Sort of. I know Entertainment Weekly is infamous for uglifying would-be heartthrobs [Exhibit A], but that guy is just not my vision of Finnick. There’s nothing wrong with him, per se (he was fine in that Snow White movie), and I’ll try to reserve judgement until I see Catching Fire, but… I just… Boo.}

Lovely
{I love my town so much. Please, Army, don’t make me move away!}

Charming
{The girlie and the locale. On this particular afternoon she said, “It’s a beautiful day. Let’s go for a walk in Carmel!” So we did.}

Perfection
{After years of using the Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to varying degrees of success, I have officially given it up. I’ve moved on to what I consider the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe EVER. The secret? A little bit of corn starch. I’ve used this recipe several times now and have yet to produce a cookie that’s anything short of delectable. Recommend!}

Warm
{In case I haven’t made this clear… I love my town! The temperature has been hovering in the low seventies the last few days. It’s so nice to feel the heat of the sun during our walks by the bay.}

Awesome
{We have the *best* sunrises. A definite perk to getting up early!}

Thought-Provoking
{The other day I finished reading A.S. King’s Ask the Passengers. Now, anytime I see a plane in the sky, I think of Astrid sending her love. Such a fantastic book. I’m reviewing it in detail over at YA Confidential today. Please do check it out!}

Tell me: What’s your favorite kind of cookie?

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Posted in Contemporaries, Entertainment, Great Books, ME, One-Word Wednesday, Randomness, Tasty Treats, YA Confidential

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Currently…

Posted on January 15, 2013 | 33 Comments

(I originally got the idea for “Currently…” from Kate Hart, who snagged the idea from Amy Lukavics, who picked it up here.)

Loving

Hot apple cider. Random, but it’s been tasting extra yummy lately…
My new L’Oreal Hair Serum. Finally a product to counteract our hard water…
Trader Joe’s — I always feel so happy in that store…
Babies! On Sunday, one of my favorite friends had an adorable little boy. Yesterday I got to visit him and hold him… So fun!

Reading

I’m a few chapters from the end of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects. Just like last year’s Gone Girl, Flynn’s debut is FREAKING ME OUT. So many deplorable, pitiable characters. So many visceral, disturbing images. Such astute, evocative language. I cannot put it down.

Watching

HBO’s Girls. Lena Dunham is brilliantly funny. Never before has a show made me enjoy cringing. Also, MTV’s Catfish. I have a mini-crush on Nev, and every single episode is absolutely captivating. (On the subject of TV, I’m ready for Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones to return!)

Thinking About

The end of my revision. I’ve incorporated all the feedback my agent and I discussed and I am loving the results. Just a few chapters left in my final read-through, a quick beta test, and then my manuscript will be on its way back to the inbox of Agent Victoria… Yay!

Anticipating

That quick beta test I mentioned above? I’m swapping manuscripts with one of my favorite blog friends. We both love to read and write upper contemporary YA (with lots of romance!), but oddly enough, we’ve never read each other’s work. That’s serving us well, though, because we’re both needing fresh eyes on our manuscripts. I can’t wait to read hers!

Listening To


Ho Hey by The Lumineers… Not exactly country, but this song rocks.

Wishing

For warmer weather! I acclimated to the pleasant temperatures of my new California home pretty quickly. Lately, though, it’s been freezing! Okay, that’s probably dramatic. Today it got up to 55, but in the mornings when I get up to run… Brrr! Hurry up, spring!

Making Me Happy

My loves… always.

What’s currently making YOU happy?

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Posted in Critique, Cross My Heart, Currently..., ME, Music, Randomness, Revising, What I'm Reading

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WSU, NFL, and the 12th Man

Posted on January 12, 2013 | 2 Comments

One of the many, many reasons I love my university… Butch T. Cougar, all geared up for tomorrow’s big game.

Go Seahawks! 

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Posted in Randomness

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Happy New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2013 | 28 Comments

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve Recipes

So. 2012 was pretty fantastic, but I’m hoping 2013 will be bigger and better. What about you?

This time last year, I decided on RESOLVE as my Word of the Year (thanks again for the idea, Jessica Corra!). That little word went a long way in helping me achieve many of the goals I’d set for myself. I thought of resolve often, like early in the morning when I didn’t feel like getting up for a run, and late at night when my eyes were almost too tired to finish revising. Resolve helped get me through a lot, which is why I plan to keep it in mind this year as well.

While I’ll continue to live life with resolve, I’ve decided on a new word for 2013:

ACCEPTANCE

I’m very much a Type-A person. I like to have a plan, I like to be in control, and I like to make sure things get done. Seeing as how I’m an Army wife and I have inserted myself into the oh-so-unpredictable world of publishing, my Type-A-ish-ness often struggles. I wonder and worry and stress A LOT, which is why I’m going to try very hard to go with the flow in 2013. I will work as hard as I can and do everything in my power to find success, but I will also try to remember that sometimes, what will be just… IS. There is so much I cannot control (in publishing and in general), so I vow to do my best to accept life’s events as they come, and appreciate them for what they are.

Internal Acceptance Movement

For me, 2013 is about acceptance.

What will the New Year be about for you?

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Posted in Inspiration, ME, Randomness, Wisdom