Category: Family

Tuesday Tunes: MEAN

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Okay. I know Taylor Swift  is a bit of a polarizing artist. People either love her or hate her. I love her unabashedly. I think she’s adorable, a talented songwriter (her songs are packed with contemporary YA story ideas!),  and she’s appears to be gracious, friendly, clean-cut and appreciative. My daughter (who’s almost four) loves Taylor too. In fact, she recently told me she doesn’t want her last name to be Upperman anymore; she wants it to be Swift. Awesome.

For the past month or so, we’ve been listening to Mean like it’s going out of style. We love the peppy beat and the stick-in-your-head lyrics (You, with your switching sides/And your wildfire lies and your humiliation/You have pointed out my flaws again/As if I don’t already see them…), and my daughter especially likes that the delightful little actress who plays Ramona in Ramona and Beezus is in the video.

Here’s the video, with full lyrics below:


You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against me
You have knocked me off my feet again
Got me feeling like a nothing
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling me out when I’m wounded
You picking on the weaker man

Well you can take me down with just one single blow
but you don’t know, what you don’t know…

Someday I’ll be living in a big ol’ city
And all you’re ever going to be is mean
Someday I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me
And all you’re ever going to be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don’t already see them
I walk with my head down
Trying to block you out ’cause I’ll never impress you
I just wanna feel okay again

I bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold
But the cycle ends right now
Cause you can’t lead me down that road
And you don’t know, what you don’t know…

Someday I’ll be living in a big ol’ city
And all you’re ever going to be is mean
Someday I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me
And all you’re ever going to be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big loud opinion
But nobody’s listening
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things
Drunk and grumbling on about how I can’t sing
But all you are is mean

All you are is mean
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean

But someday I’ll be living in a big ol’ city
And all you’re ever going to be is mean, yeah yeah
Someday I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me
And all you’re ever going to be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

Someday I’ll be living in a big ol’ city
And all you’re ever going to be is mean, yeah yeah
Someday I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me
And all you’re ever going to be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

Also, two quick things:
1) If you’d like to win a brand new copy of Jessi Kirby’s lovely debut Moonglass, you can enter my giveaway HERE.
2) My friend Caroline Richmond interviewed me for her “After the Call” series. If you’re interested in learning more about my path to signing with a literary agent, you can read the interview HERE.

Eight Years ♥

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I have been married EIGHT years today. How time flies! My husband is an amazing man, the world’s best daddy, and I adore him.

This is how we rolled in 2003… 


Not much has changed in 2011. Except, you know, parenthood…


Very few men can pose with Spidey (wearing an Ewok t-shirt, no less) and still look hot.

What’s not to love?

Help, Harry, and Hiatus…

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First and most importantly, the lovely Kate Hart is heading up an effort to help tornado victims in the south.
 
From the Help Write Now site: Over the past two weeks, record-breaking storms have killed over 300 people and destroyed countless homes, neighborhoods, and towns. Tornadoes tore across the south, fires raged across Texas and Oklahoma, and flooding continues to affect communities all over the country. The writing community has rallied before to raise funds for many worthwhile causes, and we’re hoping you’ll show your support for the areas affected by one of the worst weeks in national weather history.

 
Starting today, you can bid on signed books, manuscript and query critiques, swag, web design, custom art, and more. Please do check it out!
 
On a lighter note, my vacation is coming to a close. We’re headed home today, and while I’m ready to sleep in my own bed again, this trip has been wonderful. My husband’s graduation from Ranger School was amazing. Ft. Benning, Georgia–and the South as a whole–is beautiful. Orlando was fantastic. We met all the Princesses on my daughter’s list, and got to see Hogsmeade. What could be better?!
 

Me at Hog’s Head, with Butter Beer. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, for the record, is GLORIOUS!

On the subject of vacations, I’ve decided to take a brief break from blogging… I will be spending the next few weeks soaking up lots of time with my husband and daughter. And, the rest of May and the first few weeks of June will be spent writing the first draft of Bus WIP!!! While I may post a few times during the next several weeks, I intend to be back in my multiple-posts-a-week routine by mid-June. Until then, Happy Writing/Reading/Blogging to you!


And try not to miss me too much. 🙂

Thankful Thursday: FLY AWAY!

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Oasis for YA knows that the surest way to get good things in life is to be thankful for what you have.  So why not encourage a group thankful-fest once a week in which we all send out good energy and hope to get some back in return? Plus, participating in Thankful Thursday is a great way to connect with other writers.

Here are the rules:
1.  Do your own blog post on what you’re thankful for today.  It doesn’t have to be book or publishing related (but it can be!).
2.  Be sure to grab our badge and include it in your post.
3.  Post a link to your blog in the comments here so that others can find you.
4.  Go forth and share your gratitude!  (And when friending new blogs, be sure to let them know you found them because of their participation in the meme.)

So much to be thankful for today!

As you read this, I’m headed to Atlanta with my daughter and in-laws to watch my husband graduate from Ranger School at Ft. Benning, GA. This is a big deal for several reasons:

A) Ranger School is no joke. The failure rate is somewhere around 45%. My husband is old by Ranger School standards (thirty, while most of the participants are in their early twenties) and he STILL rocked it.
B) Not only have my daughter and I not seen my husband since February 9th, we’ve only talked to him a few times over the last three months. Needless to say, that sucks. We canNOT wait to see him!
C) After the graduation ceremony, we’re loading into a van and driving to Orlando. My parents are meeting us there, and we’ll spend a few days visiting Mickey, Minnie and a gaggle of Princess. Trust me: There is nothing better than seeing the joy on your child’s face when immersed in the world of Disney. 
D) I’m going to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Yay, yay, YAY!!! I cannot properly express how badly I’ve wanted to visit the home of The Boy Who Lived since I learned of its conception. I fear I’ll be one of those crazy fanatic adults guzzling butter beer and snatching up magic wands, scaring the younger tourists. But you know what? I’m over it.

Yep, I’m very thankful, and SO looking forward to the next several days!

What are you thankful for today? 

Tales from the Trenches: KEEP CALM and WRITE ON

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So, today my über talented and supremely generous cousin, Carla Essen*, sent me an enigmatic DM: What’s your favorite color? I’m making you something. My curiosity was immediately piqued, so I replied with: Pink or red, then I waited. A short while later I found this gem** in my inbox:

First, I’m so glad she chose pink for me. Second, how cute is that crown on top?! And third, I’ve taken the above statement on as my new mantra.

This industry has too many stresses that are too easy to get caught up in, especially if you’re stuck in the query trenches (like me!) or trudging down the long submission road (so I’ve heard!). I often find myself so keyed up about query etiquette, social networking, the perfect pitch, blogging and blog reading, the unforeseeable future of publishing, who’s gotten how big an advance, and (insert any number of trivial things here), that I forget my main goal: Write and write well.

So, from now on I’m going to KEEP CALM and WRITE ON. You should too!

*Carla has an amazing talent for photography, among many other things.
**You have Carla’s permission (and mine!) to lift this graphic to use on your own blog if you’d like. 🙂

Thankful Thursday

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Oasis for YA knows that the surest way to get good things in life is to be thankful for what you have.  So why not encourage a group thankful-fest once a week in which we all send out good energy and hope to get some back in return? Plus, participating in Thankful Thursday is a great way to connect with other writers.

Here are the rules:
1.  Do your own blog post on what you’re thankful for today.  It doesn’t have to be book or publishing related (but it can be!).
2.  Be sure to grab our badge and include it in your post.
3.  Post a link to your blog in the comments here so that others can find you.
4.  Go forth and share your gratitude!  (And when friending new blogs, be sure to let them know you found them because of their participation in the meme.)This week I’ve lots to be thankful for. In the words of the fabulous Andy Cohen, Here’s What:

1) Last week I entered Brenda Drake’s Show Me the Voice! blogfest/contest. There were well over 100 entrants, yet somehow the first 250 words of my YA ghost story Where Poppies Bloom was awarded third place! I’m very thankful to the judges, especially lovely literary agent Natalie Fischer who’s going to critique my query letter. (Pardon me for tooting my own horn on this one, but yeah… I’m excited!)

2) My husband is at Ranger School. If you’re unfamiliar, Ranger school is an intense 2 month Army training school that is often referred to as a cross between boot camp and a concentration camp. I don’t use that comparison lightly. Ranger School is all about pushing participants to their physical and mental limits. Very little sleep (outdoors, in the rain), very little food (MREs), mind games, and miles and miles of walking with a hundred pound ruck sack. No fun! What, you might ask, does Ranger School have to do with being thankful? Well, I’ve been getting letters from my husband! Like, the old-fashioned paper and pen kind of letters. Plus, every night I get to write to him. It’s a little retro and a lot inconvenient, but there’s something so romantic about opening the mailbox and finding mail from someone you love.   

3. This POST from Hannah Moskowitz about making a playlist for your WIP. Rules to write by. 🙂 

4. Fellow writer/blogger Caroline Tung Richmond, and her recent mention of  the online indie clothing site ModCloth. Cute clothes alert! I placed an order yesterday, which included this adorable dress (I plan to wear it to my husband’s graduation from Ranger School):

5. If you follow me on Twitter you might know that my daughter (three-and-a-half) had one of her teeth knocked out the other day. She was climbing up the ladder of one of those inflatable bouncy slides, slipped, and somehow nailed her tooth at the perfect angle to take it out. Needless to say, I was SO sad! Her new tooth won’t grow in for about two years, plus she was bleeding and worried that our dogs wouldn’t love her anymore because her tooth was missing. Ugh… heartbreak! Still, I’m thankful. It could have been worse. There could have been broken bones or a neck injury or any other number of tragedies. Plus, she’s still cute as can be, even with a missing tooth.

What do you have to be thankful for today?

RTW: Peas in a Pod

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Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on their blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

This Week’s Topic: Who (from real life) have you written into a book?

In the manuscript I’m currently querying, Where Poppies Bloom, Callie is sent to Oregon for the summer to help her Aunt Lucy renovate an old Victorian into a B&B. Aunt Lucy is the type of person who tells it like it is. She’s sort of eccentric, easily distracted, and nosy. Under stress, she becomes anxious. She’s an excellent cook and is really into 1980s fashion and music. In my head, Aunt Lucy looks something like Debra Messing on one of her wild, curly-haired days.

That said, please meet the inspiration for Callie’s Aunt Lucy:

My first baby, Lucy 'Pup'perman

That’s right. Fictional Aunt Lucy is based heavily on my dog, also called Lucy. They share similar characteristics: My Lucy is unpredictable, in-your-face, and a bit neurotic. Though she’s never voiced a particular taste in music, I get the impression she’s totally into Bon Jovi and Motley Crue. She doesn’t cook, but she’s passionate about peanut butter and bacon. And hello?! She’s a redhead!

What about you? Have you ever based a character on a “person” from your real life? And don’t forget to stop by YA Highway to see how everyone else responded!

Thankful Thursday

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I’m not usually a Thursday blogger, but Oasis for YA is hosting a meme that’s too great to pass up.

Oasis for YA knows that the surest way to get good things in life is to be thankful for what you already have.  So why not encourage a group thankful-fest once a week in which we all send out good energy and hope to get some back in return? Plus, participating in Thankful Thursday is a great way to connect with other writers.

Here are the rules:

1.  Do your own blog post on what you’re thankful for today.  It doesn’t have to be book or publishing related (but it can be!).

2.  Be sure to grab our badge and include it in your post.

3.  Post a link to your blog in the comments here so that others can find you.

4.  Go forth and share your gratitude!  (And when friending new blogs, be sure to let them know you found them because of their participation in the meme.)

So, what am I thankful for today? Here’s a hint:


My cutie pie, because she’s my favorite person in the whole world! ❤

In all seriousness, my daughter is my constant. She makes me smile, she thinks I’m awesome no matter what, she has exceptional taste in children’s literature, and she’s all kinds of fun. She’s definitely my proudest accomplishment.  

Be Mine

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Today I’m participating in the very fun “I Caught the Fever Lovefest” hosted by Sarah Enni, Kristin Halbrook, Tahereh Mafi, and Kate Hart. Here’s the basic idea: Construct a blog post extolling the wonderful virtues of secret your Valentine. Don’t know the person you were assigned? Read their blog, strike up a convo on twitter . . . do whatever it takes to be the best secret admirer you can be! You never know, you just might make a new friend in the process. 🙂 On V-day, publish your blog post and link to your Valentine so s/he can drop in and read it.

Fun, right? In the spirit of community, sharing love and making new friends, I signed up immediately.

My secret Valentine is Cait Peterson, of the Writer’s Wanderings blog. I’ve discovered we have lots in common! Like me, Cait is an aspiring author, an enthusiastic reader, a former teacher and an animal lover (Cait: cats, me: dogs). Unlike me, Cait is incredibly athletic. She’s taught taekwondo, sailing, and kayaking–color me impressed! She also amazes me with her ability to hold down a full-time job (sometimes more than one!) and still somehow finds the time to write. Seriously, I do not know how people do this–when do they sleep? Superheros, in my opinion. And hello… Cait lives on a farm. How cool is that?! Please do take a moment to visit Cait’s blog, and you can find her on Twitter HERE.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Cait!

In other Valentine’s Day news, my husband is out of town (I wish I could say that’s uncommon, but he’s a soldier and it’s actually quite common), so I’ll be celebrating with my daughter. She’s lots of fun, so it’s all good. Her daddy got her one of those cool recordable books so she can listen to him read Guess How Much I Love You, and I got her an adorable Tangled nightgown that looks just like Rapunzel’s purple dress. Can’t wait to spend the day showing her how much I love her.

Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Tales from the Trenches 2.0

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And the querying continues…

I don’t think I talk about querying and agents and writing and publishing all that much. Mostly, I reserve those topics for my blog, or for conversations with my CPs and writing friends, who are all in varying states of the querying/submission process. They appreciate and embrace the crazy, because like me, they’re all neck deep in it. Occasionally I’ll bounce ideas off my husband, or vent if something isn’t going well, and occasionally my parents or in-laws will ask how things are going and I’ll give them as brief an update as possible. But really, I don’t talk about querying and agents and writing and publishing all that much.

Or so I thought…

First, a little background: Junie B. Jones is a hero in my home. If you aren’t familiar, Junie B. is the star of the very popular chapter book series written by Barbara Park.

Junie B. is precocious, clueless, funny and manages to get herself in to all kinds of mischeif. My husband and I read a chapter or two from a Junie B. Jones book to our daughter every night before she goes to bed. Now, my daughter is only three, but she LOVES her Junie B. Like, laughs-out-loud, constantly-quotes (“Hello. How are you today?”), asks-for-a-new-book-every-time-we-go-to-Target kind of love. Still, imagine my surprise when the other day she looked at me and asked, “Mommy, can your agent get me some Junie B. books?”

Yeah. Clearly she doesn’t *quite* get the role of a literary agent (or the fact that her mommy doesn’t have one yet!), but she knows that agents deal in books, that they’re able to do super nice things and that they might just be capable of making magic happen. And that’s probably a deep enough knowledge base for her for now. 🙂