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.
Awesome, right? Here’s what’s up with me this week…
What I’m Reading: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. It is FANTASTIC. I’m not a big sci-fi gal, but I’m finding this book to be very accessible. It’s also very scary in its feasibility. And it’s a total pageturner. The twists! The unknowns! Zombie! Loving this one. In addition to published fiction, I’m beta reading a fantastic contemporary manuscript. I’m lucky to have such talented friends!
What I’m Writing: Um… blog posts? Book reviews? Grocery shopping lists? Kidding! Now that my revision is done-done, I’m back to working on my shiny new WiP. I still love it, and I also love that I get to use Scrivener to draft it — a first for me. Want to read a bit?
He was going to step inside, Jenna realized with a start. He was going to step into the elevator with her and the enormous TV cart, and then the doors would seal up tight. She would be trapped with him, breathing his air, smelling his smell, avoiding eye contact like it was her job. She’d been confined to a tight space with a boy once before, and the experience had scarred her.
Jenna’s palms were suddenly clammy, and her heart hammered with such force she thought it might burst from her chest.
But this boy—the boy with the midnight eyes and the uncooperative hair—was not that boy, she reminded affected psyche. And she was at school, a safe place. She was not drunk. She was not incoherent. She was not vulnerable.
What Else I’ve Been Up To:
Hanging with my hubby and my girlie. Lately we’ve spent some time at Carmel Beach, and we’ve gone on a few Big Sur hikes. Both spots are incredibly scenic and lots of fun. We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country (I mean, come on… that’s a waterfall cascading down onto the sand) and we’re trying to take full advantage before the Army makes us pick up and move again.
I’ve also been baking up a storm. I’m currently out of butter, flour, and brown sugar, and low on eggs. Over the weekend I made a favorite, Peanut Butter Cake, which is rich and comforting and always a crowd pleaser. And the other day I made classic Chocolate Chip Cookies to take to a barbecue. They went so fast!
And, finally, I’ve been doing lots of running, as usual. I’m trying to drop my five-mile pace to eight minute miles, which my husband tells me is the Ranger Standard. I’m getting closer and closer! I’ve also surpassed 800 miles for 2013. Basically, I could have run from where we live now (the Monterey Bay area) to my hometown in Western Washington. No problem, right? 😉
What Inspires Me Right Now:
Wear Blue: Run to Remember, an organization with the goal of building a running community that honors the service and sacrifice of the American military. One of my good friends organized a Wear Blue Memorial Day run here in our town and the turn out was fantastic. More than fifty people showed up to run in remembrance of fallen soldiers. It was inspiring and moving to hear their names spoken aloud before we began our run.
And, on a lighter note, I’m finding the A Beautiful Mess iPhone app quite inspiring. I could play with it all day. In fact, I have to refrain from adding text and borders and doodles to ALL of my photos. So much fun!
Tell me… What’s up with you?
katyupperman.com 
So…that book you’re writing? Can’t wait to read it! As always love the snippet you posted 🙂
I keep hearing wonderful things about THE 5th WAVE…it seems really intriguing and like a page-turner!
Love that picture of you, your cutie and your husband! It’s so important to continue remembering!
And YUM can you hand me a cookie?
Thanks so much, Elodie! I would send you cookies in a heartbeat if I thought they’d arrive intact and not completely stale. You’ll have to come to California to earn your treats. 🙂 THE 5TH WAVE is a big recommend! I’m only about 30 pages from the end and I can’t name a single flaw… Such a fantastic read!
It seems everyone is reading The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey ! lol
Yay for shiny new WIP! Love the excerpt!
Since you’re gonna ship a cookie to Elodie, can you ship one to me too? 😉
Cookies for everyone! Have you read THE 5TH WAVE yet, Juliana? I have yet to find a single flaw with it… Such an awesome read!
So intrigued by the snippet of your WIP!
Isn’t The 5th Wave crazy good? I was skeptical going in, but I loved that book.
And that picture of Big Sur–wow. Stunning. Remind me again why I live in the land of concrete? 🙂
You’re welcome to visit me in California anytime, lady! I’m so thankful that THE 5TH WAVE is getting so much buzz because I probably wouldn’t have bought it otherwise. Aliens aren’t really my thing, but this book is fantastic!
I just bought not one but TWO copies of THE 5TH WAVE. (By accident, of course. O_o) I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying it. I’ve heard lots of good things, so that definitely gets me excited about reading one of my copies. 😛 I love the snippet of your new WIP, Katy! Just remember, I’m always available to do any reading or for you to bounce any ideas off of. 🙂 I think I have to agree with you: where you live looks stunning! One day we’ll have to check out that part of California. That’s awesome that someone organized a run in memory of fallen soldiers. I think it’s so, so important to remember and to honour the sacrifices that these people have made (and the sacrifices that current soldiers are making). 🙂
I saw that you wound up with two copies of THE 5TH WAVE… Silly! 🙂 Whoever ends up scoring your extra copy is lucky, because I think this book is a fantastic read. I’m about 30 pages from the end and I’ve yet to find anything wrong with it. Hoping I can convince my husband to give it a read. Oh, and I think you should come check out California NOW, while I’m still here. I promise to show you all the very best sights. 🙂
Western Washington is very…rainy. (Surprise, surprise.) But I can see like ten (actually three or four) volcanoes from my perch when the sun decides to grace us with its presence, so I’m not planning to pack up and leave. Not even for Monterey 😉
I do miss my Mt. Rainier view, Stephanie, but I *definitely* don’t miss the rain. 🙂
I’ve heard so many good things about THE 5TH WAVE. I need to read it at some point!
I’m so jealous that you get to see such beautiful views all the time. I’d love to make a trip to Big Sur some day.
I downloaded the Beautiful Mess app too. It’s so fun!
THE 5TH WAVE is fantastic, Ghenet. Not the type of book I normally read, but I couldn’t pass up all the hype. So glad I picked it up!
Glad to know I’m not the only Beautiful Bess addict. 🙂
Those pictures make me want to go back to Monterey asap! If you have any extra cookies, feel free to send them to me!
Love the snippet you shared!
Thanks, lady. Next time you come to Monterey, I will bake you cookies. 🙂
Everyone is reading The 5th Wave except for me!!! I’m so jealous of your time at Big Sur. My husband and I went about 9 months ago and it was so beautiful!
We love Big Sur… So lovely, and so much to do. I highly recommend THE 5TH WAVE. I finished it today and I thought it was excellent!
Oh. My. GOSH. I must read pages of this SNI NOW. That excerpt is incredible! (But it’s such a tease – really, I want to read it. Um…SOON)
And I’ve already added THE FIFTH WAVE to the TBR, but I may have to bump that one up sooner. Love the pics of the family – as always!
Aww, thanks, friend! THE 5TH WAVE is amazing, so definitely read it ASAP. I can’t wait for the next installment!
Your pictures of beautiful California always make me soooo jealous–today it was so rainy and cold here that I had to snuggle up in bed (don’t know why I’m saying that like it’s a bad thing, who am I kidding?)
Love that snippet, too!
Snuggling up in bed isn’t all bad. 🙂 And thanks for complimenting my little excerpt. This manuscript is still at the not-sure-what-I’m-doing phase, so positive feedback is very encouraging!
OHMIGOSH THAT SECOND BEACH PICTURE IS SO AWESOME TAKE ME THERE RIGHT NOW PLEASE!!!!
The 5th Wave is amazing, isn’t it? I can’t get over how well written it is or how it just stuck with me.
Yes, LOVED The 5th Wave. I seriously can’t find any fault with it — so, so good! If you’re ever on the California coast, definitely check out Big Sur and the waterfall… It’s lovely!
I’m a waterfall addict, no matter where I travel I always look up info to see if there’s a nearby waterfall to visit. Never seen a beach waterfall before… and I’ve been to Monterey area before, too, and missed it!!!!
Thanks for making me crave cookies now. And another book. Grin.
Haha… I’m happy to enable reading and cookie-eating. 🙂
That waterfall is definitely worth checking out. It’s about an hour south of Monterey, and it’s like something out of a movie set in the tropics. So pretty!
YAY! I’m so glad you’re enjoying The 5th Wave! I loved the alternating perspectives and some of those section endings are just beautiful.
Also, go you with the running! I think if I lived in a place with such beautiful running trails, I’d be more inclined to run. As it is, me and running just don’t mix, haha.
Your pictures are always so lovely, and I think the Beautiful Mess app is adorable. I’ll have to wait until it’s available for Android though or until I upgrade to an iPhone!
I finished THE 5TH WAVE today and you were totally right — it is AMAZING. I seriously can’t find any flaws within it. Fantastic characters, awesome writing, and lots of cool twists. Five stars!
And definitely check out A Beautiful Mess when you’re able… It’s so much fun!
Oh gosh, those pics are amazing! I only wish we had waterfalls and water that blue around here. We finally have leaves on our trees now, so that’ll have to do.
That’s awesome your Memorial Day run had a great turn out! I love the idea of the running community getting together in support of the soldiers. Where I live, we sometimes have a Remembrance Day run that tours the different war memorials around the city. My boys have taken part and wanted to again this year, but we got dumped on with over a foot of snow that day, unfortunately. It would be nice to see something a little more along the lines of what your family participated in.
Last, but not least, I loved the excerpt from your story. I think you really hooked everyone in with that scene. 🙂
Thanks, Erin! I’m still not sure what to make of this manuscript… *I* love it, but who knows what others will think. It’s really encouraging and motivating to get positive feedback here. 🙂
I love the idea of running in support of soldiers too. A few of my girlfriends and I are talking about making it a weekly thing.
Oh, and you are more than welcome to come visit California anytime!
I need MORE of the boy with the uncooperative hair. LOVE your writing, Katy! I can’t remember the last time I saw a snippet of your work. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
Your family is adorable and you are SO kicking MAJOR butt with the running. It is beyond impressive.
I am planning to bake up some peanut butter cookies tomorrow. YUM. Can’t wait.
Peanut butter cookies = one of my greatest weaknesses… YUM! And thank you so much for your kind words about my writing. It’s so nice to get positive feedback on a manuscript that’s still in its very earliest stages. Very motivating! How goes your writing, lady?
Wow. Good luck on your wip. I love the snippet it really pulled me in and I felt for your character. Though it wasn’t a lot of words, it said so much. Wow.
Also, I need to get my hands on The 5th Wave. I keep hearing about it and now I want to read it too. It looks really good.
And I love the idea of Wear Blue: Run to Remember. That is truly inspiring and beautiful.
Thanks so much, Raven! Your comments make me want to get back to work on my WiP right now! And yes, definitely read THE 5TH WAVE. It’s not a book I would have picked up if not for the buzz, but all that hype is well-deserved. It’s fantastic!
I loved The 5th Wave, too. Like, a lot. Such a great read.
I’ve tried to download the Beautiful Mess app, but it requires a WiFi connection, so I just sort of said eff that. 😀 But it’s worth it?
I think it’s totally worth it, but I’m a sucker for stuff like this. You probably have WiFi at home, right? Or just go to a Starbucks and download it. 🙂
I love the What’s Up Wednesday posts; they’re just the right amount for writer’s blogs.
Loving your snippet of a WIP – there’s so much voice there in just a few paragraphs. Sounds like it’s gonna be a good story.
If I had an iPhone with the Beautiful Mess app, I’d be adding texts and doodles to all of my photos, too! It looks like so much fun 😉
Thanks so much for your kind words about my excerpt. It’s still in its earliest stages, so it’s very motivating to hear that people are liking. 🙂
And if you ever get a chance to try out A Beautiful Mess, I recommend it. Definitely lots of fun!
Ohhh, I so can’t wait to read THE 5TH WAVE! I bought it over the weekend and it’s next on my list to read, once I’m done with GIRL OF NIGHTMARES. So glad to hear you’re really enjoying it – and well, me and zombies = love. So I have high hopes for this one!
And 5 mile pace down to 8 minutes??? Forget Ranger Standards, because you are a Goddess, Katy – a freakin’ running Goddess. I finally JUST got my 6 mile pace down to 10 minutes and man, 8 minutes seems so dang far away!!! And 800 miles for 2013? Oy. I’ve said it before, but I bow down to your running prowess. I also love the idea for Wear Blue – what an awesome org and one that would definitely make me get off my tush and move.
Lastly, I’d like a cookie please. Those look delish! I’ll be sending you my home address shortly…or, yanno, you can run on up here and bring me one, or two. 🙂
xoxo – Happy Thursday, K.
I would love to share cookies with you, Erin! Next time I’m in Washington, we must meet up. I’ll bring treats, then we can go on a run together to work off all those cookie calories. 🙂 I hope you enjoy THE 5TH WAVE. There aren’t actually zombies (there are aliens!), but one of the main characters calls himself Zombie and he is awesome. I bet you’ll love this one!