Category: Family

On My Wish List: Writing the Fire!

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I’ve made no secret of my love for yoga around here. I do it almost daily, and on the rare days I skip, I feel like crap. Clearly, Yoga + Katy = Love.

One thing I love just as much as yoga is writing (duh). Thanks to my blogging friend Kirsten Lopresti, I’ve now learned that yoga and writing MIX. Have you heard of this book?

Writing the Fire!: Yoga and the Art of Making Your Words Come Alive

From Goodreads: Writing the Fire! offers writers a new and visionary practice: using yoga to release the body’s inner intelligence and then support, shape, and inform the creative process. Indeed, “writing is yoga,” declares Gail Sher, introducing the “writing asana”—an invaluable new tool for every writer’s routine. Her insightful and lyrical book, organized around eight thematic “immersions,” plumbs yoga’s wisdom heritage. As Donald Moyer, director of the Yoga Room in Berkeley, comments, “She encourages writers to approach their writing with the clarity and presence of yogis, and teaches yogis how to temper their awareness with the heat of words and images.” Writing the Fire! celebrates the fullest expression of our being.

It’s almost as if Writing the Fire! was written just for me. I’m a big fan of using exercise to mentally work out all kinds of writing snags, but I’ve never thought of it as a way to “release the body’s inner intelligence.” I’m on board though, and I’ll definitely be picking this book up. Who’s with me?

Do you incorporate exercise into your writing routine? Tell me about it!

A few more catch up things, since it’s Monday and all…

  • Two fantastic posts I’ve come across in the last few days: Jessica Love’s Query Advice, and Anne. R. Allen’s How to Blog and How Not to Blog. All three are full of helpful information no matter what stage of the game you’re in.
  • I’ve been fully immersed in the Christmas spirit all weekend, and it’s only December 12th! In the last few days, I’ve wrapped zillions of presents, and these things have also happened:
Many Christmas cookies have been baked…

Santa Claus has been visited…

And gingerbread houses have been decorated!

  • My daughter has her preschool holiday performance tonight. She’s singing a Walking in a Winter Wonderland solo, and she’s playing the part of Mary in the nativity bit. Can’t wait to watch, and I’m promising in advance some super cute photos from the event. 🙂
  • One more important note: Please do make sure to sign up for the Class of 2011: YA Superlative Blogfest. It’ll be TONS of fun, plus a great way to highlight all the exceptional books you’ve read this year. Click the button below for the official post, and to sign up!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend, and here’s to a wonderful week ahead!

Bookanista Recommendation: THE ELF ON A SHELF

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I’m changing it up a little with today’s Bookanista Recommendation:

From Goodreads: How does Santa really know who is naughty or nice? The answer is finally revealed in… The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition. The Elf on the Shelf is a book and activity the entire family will enjoy. Based on the tradition Carol Aebersold began with her family in the 1970s, this cleverly rhymed children’s book explains that Santa knows who is naughty or nice because he sends a scout elf to every home. During the holiday season, the elf watches children by day and reports to Santa each night. When children awake, the elf has returned from the North Pole and can be found hiding in a different location. 

Though my daughter and I read dozens of picture books each month, it’s not often that I take the time to formally recommend the exceptional ones. Still, as a former educator and current mama, I’m a big fan of books that teach a concept or lesson in a clever, nearly invisible manner, and The Elf on a Shelf does just that. While it’s admittedly a little commercial, I’m willing to overlook that because the story and tradition are so much fun. Good behavior, thoughtful deeds, a generous spirit… Fantastic messages to instill this time of year.

The actual The Elf on a Shelf book is adorable. It rhymes, a format that, in my opinion, is always more appealing for read-alouds, and the illustrations are whimsical and colorful. The book explains all of the “rules” of the tradition in a way that’s clear to little ones, and it’s a quick read (yay for quick reads! If you’re a parent, you’ll understand :)). The Elf on a Shelf easily held my daughter’s attention even before I officially introduced the elf.

Ahh, the elf. I bought the optional skirt to make ours a girl (because minus my husband, we’re a house chock full of females), and my daughter decided to name her Alice. Alice is all registered with the North Pole, and every night she flies there to report to Santa on whether my girlie has been naughty or nice (she’s *almost* always nice ♥). When Alice returns each morning, she’s in a new spot, sometimes hidden and sometimes just doing fun or funny things. FYI, I’ve heard of some families who allow their elves to make “mischief” during the night, but that sort of undermines the whole naughty-or-nice aspect of the tradition, so Alice is pretty well-behaved. Anywho, here are a few of the ways my daughter has found her thus far:

Dropping in from the North Pole…

Taking tea with the Beast

Alice is a big reader…

Delivering a special note from Santa Claus…

This one might have been pushing the limits of taste, but my daughter cracked up when she saw Alice’s antics…

Surprise! New Christmas jammies from Alice!

Gosh… I wonder who’s having more fun with this tradition: My girlie or me? 🙂

The Elf on a Shelf — book AND tradition! — get a big RECOMMEND from me.

Does your family have an elf? Tell me about your  Christmas traditions in the comments!

Check out what other Bookanistas are up to today:

Elana Johnson roars for FURY
Shannon Whitney Messenger  marvels at A MILLION SUNS with a preorder giveaway!
Carolina Valdez Miller is all about HERE with giveaway!
Gretchen McNeil twirls for AUDITION
Corrine Jackson hails THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF ME AND YOU
Stasia Ward Kehoe is wild for DON’T BREATHE A WORD
Katy Upperman gets in the spirit with ELF ON A SHELF
Nikki Katz dishes on WHY WE BROKE UP

Fall Book Club…

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*SAD FACE*

I was so incredibly excited about today’s discussion of The Scorpio Races, a novel by Maggie Stiefvater and the third book selected for Fall Book Club, brainchild of the lovely Tracey Neithercott. But, unfortunately I’ve committed a big ol’ Book Club FAIL and neglected to actually FINISH the The Scorpio Races. You have no idea how sad and ashamed I am to admit this, especially since I’ve started the book and am loving it so far. But in my (pitiful) defense, my parents have been in town all week and I’ve been pretty busy.

*Cue dramatic violin music.*

That said, I am half way through The Scorpio Races and, as I mentioned, I’m absolutely smitten. I’ll be recommending the novel for my Bookanistas post this Thursday. If you’re so inclined, please check back then to read all about why I’m head over heels for this book.

If you’re interested in checking out my take on previous Book Club selections, you can find my thoughts on Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children HERE, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone HERE. Also, please do take a moment to check out the posts from more contentious Book Clubbers who’ve finished The Scorpio Races and posted links to their thoughts HERE.

In an effort to make up for my Book Club fail and prove that I really was a busy girl over the last several days, a few gratuitous pictures of my cutie pie and me. 🙂

Decorating the tree on Thanksgiving…

Getting our Coug on for Apple Cup 2011…

Settling in to watch Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the Fifth Avenue Theater in Seattle… Highly recommend!

How was your Thanksgiving (assuming you celebrated)? Do anything fun over the long weekend?

Thankful…

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Pinned Image

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

One year ago I was full of dread concerning 2011. I knew my husband would be spending the year in a war zone halfway around the world, I was frustrated with the seemingly stand-still status of my writing, and overwhelmed by family stuff that seemed too big to ever improve. In my mind, 2011 was nothing to get excited about. And, looking back, 2011 has had some incredibly trying moments. This deployment has, in fact, sucked. My writing still has its challenges. A few members of my family have gone through some very scary health scares. But, 2011 has had some amazing moments as well, and in hindsight, the good far outweighs the bad.

This last year has given my so much to be thankful for:

1) My husband, who’s brave, selfless, loving, and forever supportive of me and my writing. He’s also the world’s best daddy. And my daughter, who makes me smile every day–no matter what!–and is the sweetest, funniest, smartest little girl around.

2) My family, the people who love me no matter what and endlessly remind me that things will be okay–good even! On a daily basis, my family members reassure me that I’m capable of getting through anything, but without them, I’m not sure I would be!

3) My friends, those I’ve known for years and those who’ve come into my life more recently. You (if you’re reading this, you know who you are!) make the days go by quicker and add great heaps of fun to the most mundane activities: Project Runway, dinners at Red Robin and Los Pinos, long bike rides, shopping trips, and so much more! Thanks for being there through thick and thin!

4) My agent, who believes in my work  like I do, envisions it on bookshelves in stores everywhere, and works her tail off to get it there. She also has excellent taste in books and food and accessories. 🙂

5) My generous and gracious CPs and betas, who’ve slaved over my writing with their metaphorical red pens, gracing it with their genius. I’m a better writer (and a better reader!) because of you. Thank you for your time and support and brilliance!

6) Books, because they’re equal parts professional development and escapism, and I can’t go a day without spending at least a few minutes lost in a good one.

7) My writing friends, the lovelies I’ve come to know through blogging and Twitter. I love talking books and social media and writing and healthy food and hot boys with you. You make this wild ride so much more fun, and you make me feel just a *little* less crazy. 🙂

8 ) My wonderful blog readers, who take a moment from their days to drop by, read my ramblings, and leave thoughtful comments. To echo the eloquent words of Alison Miller, I HEART you!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I anticipate a little blogging break over the long weekend, but before I go, here’s a friendly reminder to check out the football-inspired book giveaway Sarah Enni and I are having this week! Sarah’s prize pack includes copies of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Shatter Me, and I have copies of Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door up for grabs. All you have to do is guess the TOTAL POINTS SCORED for Saturday’s Apple Cup football game (the combined score for both the Washington State University Cougars and the University of Washington Huskies). Sarah and I will pick a winner from our respective comments–whoever came closest to the actual final total score. (This means you don’t have to know anything about these teams or football to have a great chance to win!). Enter to win HERE!

Five on a Friday…

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Happy Friday!

1. Guys. I’m in over my head. May I present you with… my To-Read piles:

So intimidating, I don’t even know where to start! I’m working on The Piper’s Son now (LOVE) and up next is The Scorpio Races for Fall Book Club, but then what? How do even begin to tackle all of these books?! (Oh, and in case you’re tempted to plan an intervention, I’m not, like, a compulsive shopper or anything. Many of the books pictured above are on loan from wonderfully generous friends, and I’ve won quite a few in online giveaways.)

2. Speaking of online giveaways… I’ve been on a bit of a lucky streak lately. In the last few months, I’ve won A LOT of books. Probably around fifteen. This week alone I’ve won three books, plus a t-shirt! Though my good fortune has become a bit of a joke (How have I managed to rig random.org?!), I am nothing but grateful for my incredibly charitable blogging/writing/tweeting friends. If I haven’t said it enough, THANK YOU to everyone who’s hosted one of the giveaways I’ve been fortunate enough to win. 🙂 And, since we’re on the topic of giveaways, I’ve got one coming up RIGHT HERE very soon! Feel free to sign up for an email subscription to this blog if you haven’t already. The button is there in my right sidebar. —> Go ahead… give it a click. I wouldn’t want YOU to miss out on free books!

3. My husband recently told me that his soldiers agree: I send the BEST care packages. How cool is that? A definite point of pride for any good military wife. The key to a better-than-average care package? Theme! I’ve been focused on autumn for a while, but now I’ve moved on to Christmas. I’ve already got one big box full of Christmas-y treats ready to go, and I’ve got this in the works:

A countdown to Christmas! My husband is horrible with patience and gift-receiving and waiting out surprises (when deployed, he opens ALL packages IMMEDIATELY), so I thought this would be a fun way prolong the holiday spirit and inject a little extra cheer into his December. Each of these ten bags has a little treat with a cute coordinating card and a Why I love you… message inside. Notice: I had to write dates on the cards to indicate when he’s allowed to open each one, and I tied everything closed… he BETTER not peek! (Here’s the LINK to the printable tags if you want to do this for your loved one. So fun!)

4. Two awesome opportunities to give:

  • My fellow Bookanista and agent sister Carolina Valdez Miller is going on a medical mission trip to Haiti this January and needs your help. Please consider donating to this very worthy cause!

Support a good cause!

  • My longtime friend and aspiring literary agent Kari Bradley is spreading the word about a Barnes & Noble Bookfair, raising funds to benefit Curtis Junior High School’s library. If you’re planning to do any book shopping this weekend (in-store or online), please consider using Book Fair ID #10511327.


5. And, no Friday is complete without a funny…

What are you up to this weekend? Prepping for Turkey Day? NaNo-ing? Reading? Early holiday shopping? Watching Breaking Dawn Part I (eek!)? Tell me in the comments!

Happy Veterans Day + Five on a Friday

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Happy Veterans Day!

As a proud Army wife, I encourage you to take a moment today to show your appreciation and gratitude to our nation’s Veterans, both past and present. My husband has served in the Army for nearly nine years and is currently rounding out his fourth deployment. Both of my brothers and my father-in-law are Veterans as well. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that they have all faced plenty of adversity and frustration during their deployments. Yet they never complain and each has accomplished amazing things while overseas. I am so very proud of and thankful for all who serve, but especially my incredibly selfless husband, my two courageous brothers, and my wise father-in-law. Thank you, Veterans!

With that said… I can’t believe another week has come and gone. How is it already mid-November? How is Thanksgiving only two weeks away? And Christmas… Must. Finish. Shopping! Regardless of my pre-holiday panic, I’ve got a good old-fashioned Friday Five for you today–all kinds of random about what’s going on in my life…

ONE – Though I’ve schooled my husband repeatedly on the realities of the book submission process, the statistics of a person actually selling a book, reasonable debut advance amounts and how they’re doled out, he continues to ask me this annoying yet slightly endearing question: When you sell a book, are you going to buy me a boat?

I honestly think he pictures our lives turning into a scene from Captain Ron, only insert an image of little ol’ me sitting on the boat’s bow, toiling away on my laptop, writing Best Sellers and earning bazillions of dollars. Don’t get me wrong–I’m obviously all for sailing the seven seas without a care in the world except for writing, but I can’t help but think his expectations might be the *tiniest* bit high. Please tell me I’m not the only aspiring author with a husband full of visions of grandeur!

TWO – Somehow a catalog for My Twinn dolls found its way into my mailbox, and then promptly into the hands of my daughter. She. Is. Smitten. Anytime someone asks her what she wants for Christmas, she mentions the Twinn dolls. I, however, am slightly less than horrified. Long story short, you can customize these things to look exactly like your child (down to hair texture and freckle placement) and they are NOT cheap (like, $140 for the BASIC doll!). And… they’re weird. I mean, feast your eyes on the creepy:

See! Weird, right?! Do I really need another doll taking up space in my house? One that has the EXACT same features as my daughter? One who is poseable in freakishly human ways? One whose eyes follow me around the room? Um. No, thank you, I do not.

THREE – Speaking of my daughter… We went to the most adorable Mad Hatter Tea Party last weekend! It was hosted by our local bakery (which always carries a full selection of to-die-for-amazing yummies), and we took my husband’s mom along with us. Such fun, and so well-themed! The little bottles of juice had stickers that said Drink Me! and there were cute little cookies (among MANY other treats) that said Eat Me! The bakery plans to host themed tea parties once a month. I can already proclaim with confidence that we’ll be attending all of them!

Love our local bakery!

Such an adorable theme…

Cheshire Smile Cupcakes!

Cutest girl ever! 🙂

FOUR – It’s official: Bravo has seduced me with yet another show. Work of Art, The Next Great Artist is a reality competition that’s right up my alley. Eccentric, highly emotional contestants? Check. Heaping doses of creativity? Check. Over-the-top challenges with nearly impossible deadlines? Check. Much like Top Chef, another of my favorites, Work of Art is the perfect combination of drama, talent, and completely unapologetic kookiness. There’s actually a participant who has graced himself with the moniker SUCKLORD. Like, for real. Wednesday nights, 9:00pm, Bravo. You simply must tune in!

FIVE – Pinterest. Oh, Pinterest. How I love you. I really, really do. Thanks to you, I’ve scored tons of tasty recipes and craft ideas that I’ve tried and loved and recommended to others. And, I’m getting ready to make a board full of images specific to the WIP I’m mentally preparing to rewrite. Yay for visual inspiration! But lately, Pinterest, I’ve found myself pinning pictures and links to items I adore, but don’t exactly need. I feel a little like my daughter with her Toys R Us Christmas catalog and black crayon. For example:

Herb Sheers… So cool, but a necessity? Maybe not.

A ring, which I LOVE, but probably can’t afford–not that I’d ever buy myself a diamond. That’s what husbands are for. 🙂

Boot socks! How cozy do these look? And the tops, made pretty to peek out from tall boots. I know it’s nearly winter and all, but can I honestly claim that I can’t live without these? Not really.

Smart Phone Gloves… These are genius, but can’t I just wait until I get inside to use my phone?

Aqua Notes = Coolness. Now this one… I *might* be able to justify this one.

Anywho… I’m certainly happy to see the weekend! I’ll be spending mine with my girlie and an eGalley of Kimberly Derting’s new dystopian The Pledge. As a self-proclaimed super-fan of The Body Finder series, I’m pretty excited about reading this book. Look for my Bookanista review next week!

So, what are you reading this weekend?

A Halloween Recap (and Awesome News!)

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My girlie and I had a fantastic Halloween! Her costume was a hit, and she scored more treats than she’ll be able to finish in the next YEAR. As promised, a few pictures from the big day…

Headed out to the Preschool Halloween Bash.

Jack-o-lantern pizza… fun!

My girl wore her blonde wig for the official trick-or-treating, and I dressed up as Hermione. My scarf is obviously from Hogwarts. 🙂

Ready to hit the streets…

Treats!

Checking out the haul…

During the above candy count/inspection, I was checking my email (as all good writers frequently do). Well, imagine my surprise and excitement when I read a note from  The Bookanistas asking me to be a part of their amazing group!

Here’s a bit more about The Bookanistas:

We are a group of writers in various stages of the publishing process who have banded together to recommend/review the special books of our peers. Combined, we reach over 10,000 followers. (Crazy right?!) We recommend and review all kinds of children’s books, but focus mainly on YA, middle grade and now, picture books. (yes picture books too! Shocker!). As fellow writers, we have decided to only recommend books we absolutely LOVE, therefore, we do not post anything negative! Yes, that’s right! We give nothing but love! We post every Thursday covering a variety of book topics– upcoming ARCs, books we love, diamonds in the rough, classics, and even dish out some cover love from time to time.

How awesome is that?! I’m thrilled, of course. The Bookanistas write fantastic book reviews, and I’ve wanted to be a member for months. And now it’s official! I want to extend a big thank you to all of the Bookanistas for taking me on, and especially Carolina Valdez-Miller and Jessi Kirby for their help and  support when I approached them about the group. You girls are amazing!

So, what does it all mean? Well, you can expect an influx of Thursday book reviews right here on my blog, plus links to reviews and posts from all of the other Bookanistas!

Win-win for all of us, I think. 🙂

So, here’s to November! Let’s hope this month continues its journey down the road of positivity, especially for my blog friends who are participating in NaNo… Good Luck, and Happy Writing!

Happy Halloween!

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Halloween is one of my daughter’s favorite holidays, so of course we’ll be getting our celebration on all day AND well into the night. My cutie pie is dressing as Rapunzel (are you surprised?) and I’m going with my Hermione Granger stand-by (because I already own a kickass Gryffindor scarf AND I can wear my hair easy-curly–yay!). We’ll be busy all day with a preschool Halloween party, then preparations for a little party we’re hosting for friends and family tonight. On the menu? Jack-o-lantern pizzas and Halloween-inspired cupcakes. Then, we’re off to trick-or-treat throughout the neighborhood. Fingers crossed for pleasant weather! Of course I’ll post a few pictures after the big events, but for now, here’s one of my girlie and me at the pumpkin patch last week…

Hope your Halloween is all kinds of spooky and fun!

Banned Books Week…

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In case you haven’t heard, it’s Banned Books Week. As a writer of young adult fiction that might be considered “edgy” or for an “older teen audience,” this is an issue that hits incredibly close to home.

Books are most often challenged by people and groups who, at their core, have the best of intentions: To protect children from explicit and/or difficult material. Still, censorship in any form is wrong. Parents have the right and responsibility to keep their children from material they deem inappropriate; librarians, teachers, religious organizations, and politicians do not.

On a personal note:

I am not exactly a restrictive parent. Granted, my daughter is only four, but I’ve never been one to keep her from things other parents might find unsavory. I have friends who won’t let their kids see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs because “it’s scary.” Yeah… my daughter has watched (and enjoyed) The Walking Dead. In fact, my husband and I used her questions about zombies as a weird sort of teaching moment. Zombies aren’t real… they’re just pretend… those creepers are just regular people wearing crazy make-up.

That said, there are lots (lots!) of things my daughter isn’t ready for. For example, she recently asked me to read her the first Harry Potter book (bless her heart! She’s well aware of how much her mommy loves it!), and I had to explain to her that she’s not old enough for such a story. I don’t doubt that she’d understand the basic good vs. evil concept (she’s seen every Disney movie ever made; heroes and villains are very much a part of her vocabulary), but I’m not ready to expose her to some of Harry‘s darker story lines, particularly the one about his mother sacrificing her life for the love of her child. A little too intense for a four-year-old, I think.

When I am ready to read her Harry Potter, and later, when she’s reading Newbery Honorees and–way down the road–YA fiction, my husband and I intend to use those stories to begin discussions about difficult topics. And why not? Parenting is hard enough without reinventing the wheel. If there’s great literature out there that’ll open up the lines of communication, I intend to use it.

Still, year after year, people and groups continue to challenge books, most often for the following reasons*:

1. The material was considered to be “sexually explicit.”

2. The material contained “offensive language.”

3. The material was “unsuited to any age group.”

2010’s list of Most Challenged Books*:

  1. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
    Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group
  2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
    Reasons: offensive language, racism, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence
  3. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
    Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, and sexually explicit
  4. Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
    Reasons: drugs, offensive language, and sexually explicit
  5. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
    Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence
  6. Lush, by Natasha Friend
    Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
  7. What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
    Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
  8. Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich
    Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, and religious viewpoint
  9. Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie
    Reasons: homosexuality and sexually explicit
  10. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
    Reasons: religious viewpoint and violence
And, a few of the Classics that have been challenged at one time or another*: The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, Ulysses, by James Joyce, Beloved, by Toni Morrison, The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, and 1984, by George Orwell.

How can we stand up to book challengers?

1. By defending our right to intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. We can talk about the danger of restraining the availability of information in our free society.

2. We can voice the importance of the First Amendment and (especially) the power of literature.

3. We can support librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to who fight to keep “inappropriate” books in library and school collections.

4. We can continue to buy, borrow, loan, read, and recommend banned and challenged books. (Read Twenty Boy Summer! Read Speak! Read To Kill a Mockingbird! Read The Hunger Games! Read The Grapes of Wrath!)


Now, excuse me while I hop down from my soapbox. I want to go read Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

How will you celebrate Banned Books Week?

*Statistics and lists borrowed from the American Library Association’s Banned and Challenged Books page. Please do visit the ALA’s site for more information.

A few random-ish things…

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Ahh, the start of a new week… I’ve got a few random things to share on this lovely Monday morning:

Last night I watched Disney’s Prom. I’ve wanted to see it since I caught the trailer ages ago, but I don’t make it to a lot of movies and when I have “free” time at home, I’m usually writing or cleaning or reading. So…


I finally got to spend a full ninety minutes lost in high school melodrama. It was glorious. Honestly, I’m partial to any movie set in a high school (The Breakfast Club, Clueless, The Girl Next Door, Grease, and Ten Things I Hate About You are a few of my favorites), and Prom was fairly average high school fare. A little slow, a little fluffy, but still cute enough to hold my attention and leave me with a tiny crush on Jesse, the movie’s bad-boy-heartthrob and, in my opinion, a baby Johnny Depp.


Tracey Neithercott’s Fall Book Club has officially begun! Click HERE for the official stuff (don’t worry, it’s all easy). Wondering what we’re reading?


Ransom Rigg’s Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. I started this weekend and yeah… absolutely loving it so far. I highly recommend you jump into the fun and join the Fall Book Club.

I’m revising again, this time with a heavy focus on pacing. I recently read James Scott Bell’s Plot and Structure (thanks for the recommendation, Jessi Kirby and Vickie Motter!) and it has been immensely helpful. Here’s what my copy looks like:


Sheesh. You’d think I’d never read a craft book! But there’s just something about James Scott Bell’s approach, his simple way of explaining what’s already trapped in the mind of any avid reader, that spoke to me. So, I highlighted the heck out of Plot and Structure, then drafted a revision plan that’s working miracles. Yippee!

Over the  last month I’ve become obsessed with this:


Best workout DVD ever. Seriously. I happily hop out of bed a half-hour early each morning to do it. I love Jillian Michaels’ no-nonsense approach. I love how I feel when I’m done. I love that my daughter now knows what “Down Dog” is. And the results! I’m seeing them! It’s so motivating!

And, finally, these photographs beg to be shared:


That’s my husband there on the left–you know, the deliciously handsome one :)–and that’s the Washington State University flag he and his buddy are raising in Afghanistan. Yep, our beloved Cougs are representing half-way around the world. Crazy to think about, right?

And one final, incredibly important thing: Happy birthday, Dad! Love you!

So, how was your weekend?