Category: Randomness

What’s Up Wednesday

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“What’s Up Wednesday” is 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. If you’re participating, make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, others can visit your post and check out what you’ve been up to.

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Exciting news! It’s time for Alison, Elodie, Erin, Jaime, and I to announce the winners of our “Fresh Perspective” Giveaway!

Five Ready. Set. Write! participants have been chosen at random to send the first ten (double-spaced) pages of their manuscript to my email address. 
— katy(.)upperman(@)live(.)com [remove parentheses!] — 
Alison, Elodie, Erin, Jaime, and I will divvy up the manuscripts, and each winner will receive a fresh perspective critique from one of us. Congratulations to…

Carrie-Anne Brownian
Prerna Pickett
Robin Moran
Liz Parker
Dawn Allen

Winners, please email your ten pages to the above email address by October 31. 

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And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: I finished The Dream Thieves. Once again, Maggie Stiefvater has made me care about her characters in ways I never thought possible. I loved this book, and I am so excited to see where the series goes. Honestly, I cannot even imagine, but I trust Maggie to rock it. Book 3, please! Now, I’m reading And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini. I’m only about seventy pages in, but I have high hopes. A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of my all-time favorite books, and I think Afghani culture and history are fascinating. So far, Mountain‘s characters are terribly damaged and flawed, and yet, I’m sympathetic. I love when an author makes that happen.

What I’m Writing: I wrote 4,295 words in my WiP over the last week, and crossed the 60K mark — yay! I also got through a challenging scene (all the feelings) and did some mental reassessing of where this thing’s going. Daunting, to say the least. I need a little time to really think on this manuscript, so I’m going to take a tiny break from it (like, a week) and work on the light revision I recently mentioned. So far, it’s been fun to revisit an “old” manuscript, one that’s all polished and pretty. Plus, the characters of this particular story are some of my favorites. So… hopefully the revision goes smoothly, and then this manuscript will be back in the hands of my awesome agent.

A less verbose writer would be done.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Same old! Spending time with my girlie, watching Breaking Bad with my husband, hanging out with neighborhood friends, running, cleaning, cooking, laundry. All kinds of glamorous stuff!

 
I baked two super yummy treats this week. First, Blueberry Almond Sugar Cookies, which were exceptionally easy (no need to chill the dough!) and incredibly tasty. My husband ate ten in one night — no joke! And second, Paula Deen’s Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, which was rich and dangerously delicious. Peanut butter and chocolate are pretty much the best combo ever.


This kiddo joined the Run Club at school. Running is one my favorite things to do, and it makes me really happy to know that my daughter is interested in it as well. The other day we ran a full mile together, and I was so proud of her!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Mapping Your Book to Ensure it Works, a post from Martina Boone at Adventures in YA Publishing that details a very cool revision technique that involves finding the “core” of your novel and relating each scene back to it. Also, a post from ExPress-O called Best Moments in Peoples’ Lives, in which she shares photographs prompted by a tweet from writer Richard Deitsch that asked: How many of you have a photograph of the single best moment of your life? If so, what a gift! Some of the resulting images made me a little teary! And finally, the string of beautiful weather we’ve been experiencing inspires me. In our part of the world, summer doesn’t really begin until September. The gorgeous days we’ve been having are well worth the wait.

What’s up with you this week?

What’s Up Wednesday

46 Comments

“What’s Up Wednesday” is 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.

{Please make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, other participants can visit your blog and check out what you’ve been up to. In that same spirit, I urge you to visit as many new blogs as you can every Wednesday. The most awesome aspect of What’s Up Wednesday and Ready. Set. Write is that they include a built-in support system. Let’s make sure we’re rooting each other on and offering as much encouragement as we can. Who knows… You might make an awesome new writing buddy, or a find a fantastic beta reader, or hook up with an amazing critique partner!}

And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: Last week I read Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley, a cute (though slightly predictable) contemporary story about a rich city girl who, thanks to the recession and her laid-off daddy), is forced to move in with her grandparents in a small Texas town. She meets people different from herself and has to reprioritize a bit. Shenanigans and profound personal growth ensue.

I also read On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves, which I checked out from the library because I’ve heard tons of good things about it. What I knew of the concept (Anna, thirty-year-old teacher, and T.J, sixteen-year-old cancer survivor, engage in a romantic relationship on a deserted island) squicked me out at first. But never fear — Anna and T.J. spend a long time on the island (years) and there’s a lot of maturing and growing and bonding that takes place before they ever consider each other anything more than survival buddies. Hard to believe, but their eventual romance (which is legal and tasteful and pretty darn hot) is totally believeable. I was genuinely rooting for Anna and T.J. until the very last pages of their story. On the Island reminded me a bit of The Blue Lagoon, and the writing is excellent — sparse but emotional. Recommend!

What I’m Writing: Oh, my WiP… What a beast. I surpassed last week’s goal of 3,000 words with 5,004 words, for a total of 43,504. So, that’s awesome. But. The other day on the elliptical, I had this crazy epiphany about two of my main characters. I’m thinking one has too much backstory and too many challenges, and all that adversity is making her muddled and hard to relate to. The other character, I think, has it too easy, and that’s making her an obvious “good guy” in a story that shouldn’t have any clear answers as to who’s right and who’s wrong. So… I’ve got some serious revising in my future, but I’m going to hold off for awhile. I want to think through some of the details, so I’m going to push ahead from here, writing as if I’ve already “fixed” these characterization issues, and then I’ll go back and actually fix them later.

But seriously… My story scares me. This week’s goal? Officially, 3,000 words, but I’m really shooting for closer to 4K or 5K. I’m getting eager to get this draft done so I can dive into revising it and making it as close to my vision as possible.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: My kiddo is back in school–yay 1st grade! We’re all adjusting to our new routine, and I’m adjusting to having the house to myself for the better part of the day. Fun, but weird.


Saturday was National Lazy Day (yes, that’s a thing) and I took full advantage by taking a nap, watching a movie, and dragging my family out for dinner. A few months ago, my husband and I agreed to try our best to only eat out only once a week (we were spending so much money at restaurants!), so now when we do go out, it really is a treat. We savored every bite of our Chinese food.

  
On Sunday, we took a family hike at Garrapata State Park and it was lovely. My girl is a trooper and hoofed it about five miles (lots of uphill!). Plus, she took that totally awesome photo of my husband and me holding our WSU flag. Cougar pride runs deep. 🙂

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Storytelling is getting formulaic. This is an opportunity, a post by Nathan Bransford, in which he advises writers to know “formulas and conventions. Anticipate what your reader will expect will happen. And then pull the rug out.” Dude. I’m trying. Also, a post called 5 Tips to Creating Believable Friendships, which is especially relevant because my WiP revolves around a pair of best friends. And, finally, I’m incredibly inspired by Breaking Bad, which picked back up Sunday night on AMC. I believe it’s one of the best-written shows on television, and Walt’s character arc is amazingly well done. The entire series is a lesson in making things as terrible as possible for characters. I’m super bummed that “all bad things must come to an end.”

So… What’s up with you this week?

What’s Up Wednesday

39 Comments

“What’s Up Wednesday” is 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.

{Please make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, other participants can visit your blog and check out what you’ve been up to. In that same spirit, I urge you to visit as many new blogs as you can every Wednesday. The most awesome aspect of What’s Up Wednesday and Ready. Set. Write is that they include a built-in support system. Let’s make sure we’re rooting each other on and offering as much encouragement as we can. Who knows… You might make an awesome new writing buddy, or a find a fantastic beta reader, or hook up with an amazing critique partner!}

And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: Last week I finished Tiger Lily, and I absolutely adored it. Such a beautiful, bittersweet story. In fact, I’m sort of sad that it was a library book. I might just have to buy a copy for my collection. Yesterday I finished Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (my fiftieth book of 2013!). It’s awesome. The worldbuilding is stellar and totally unique, and The Darkling… what a fascinating character. A big recommend if you’re a fantasy fan, or if you like books that have super high stakes and are full of surprises. 

What I’m Writing: My WiP and I have mostly made up. She’s still challenging me at every turn, but that’s what makes writing fun, isn’t it? I’m one scene from finishing my read-through of the first half of the story, which is a pretty great feeling. I’m glad I decided to read and reassess and make adjustments as necessary, even though I’m still very much drafting. I rediscovered bits of the story that are lovely and well-written, and I reconnected with my characters. It’s been a motivating experience, and I feel  good about drafting the second half of the story. Here’s a tiny excerpt…

Sometimes Jenna thought of her parents, their expectations and the church’s. Sometimes she thought of Dylan, whether her best friend would ever find the escape she was searching for. Often, she thought of singing. How much she missed it and how, after years of projecting clearly and resonantly from deep within her soul, her song had gone mute in the space of a night.

But mostly, Jenna thought of Tyler. Tyler, who made her feel beautiful and melodic and lucky. Tyler, who, after Saturday night, might very well have written her off. 

My goal for the coming week is to add 3000 new words to my WiP. 

ready set write button

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I spent most of last week planning and hosting my girlie’s sixth birthday bash (even as I type those words, I can’t believe I have a six-year-old). The music-themed party was a big success, and we had a fantastic time celebrating with lots of wonderful friends. Here are a few pictures… 

 
I made that purple guitar out of poster board for a “Pin the Pick on the Guitar” game. My mom made the birthday girl’s super-cute party dress. 

 
Lots of stars and guitars and bright colors. Taylor Swift provided the soundtrack. 

 
I’ve said this about a thousand times in the last few days, but I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that six years have passed between the days these two pictures were taken. I am *way* too young to have a six-year-old. 😉 


And, since I’m blathering about the too-quick passage of time, let’s all pause to appreciate the first day of 1st grade, which is TODAY! Lots of extra writing time in store for this mama!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: This post on the Plot Dot Test by agent Natalie Lakosil, because I love a good visual representation, and this one goes a long way in solving pacing problems. And this link, inviting us to “do nothing” for two full minutes. It’s way harder to relax and zone out than I thought it would be, and probably far more important than any of us realize. Try it! Also, this quote…

What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

50 Comments

“What’s Up Wednesday” is 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.

{Please make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, other participants can visit your blog and check out what you’ve been up to. In that same spirit, I urge you to visit as many new blogs as you can every Wednesday. The most awesome aspect of What’s Up Wednesday and Ready. Set. Write is that they include a built-in support system. Let’s make sure we’re rooting each other on and offering as much encouragement as we can. Who knows… You might make an awesome new writing buddy, or a find a fantastic beta reader, or hook up with an amazing critique partner!}

And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: Over the weekend I read OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu. Don’t let the cheery yellow-and-pink cover mislead you; OCD Love Story is a heavy book about teens dealing with sometimes debilitating mental illness, and there are some cringeworthy moments. But there are also moments of humor and a sweet, sweet romance, making this an issue book that doesn’t feel like an issue book. Now, I’m reading Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson, which is dark and magical and gorgeous, and I am loving every minute of it.

What I’m Writing: Bleh. I’m mad at my WiP. It’s being uncooperative and troublesome. My goal for last week was to read through the first 35K and revise it according to some changes I’m making to backstory/character motivations. I got a good chunk of it done, but I didn’t finish completely. Boo. The sections I have revised are much improved, though, and I am making progress, but it’s slooooow progress. My goal for this week is to keep plugging away. I WILL finish my read-through/pre-revision, and I’d like to write at least one new scene. That said, my daughter’s birthday party is Friday, her official birthday is Saturday(!), and we’ve got a date with friends at the water park on Sunday. It’s going to be a busy weekend, but I’m going to do my very best to make time for my WiP.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Mostly, I’ve been gearing up for my girl’s sixth birthday. She wants a rocker-girl theme, a guitar cake, a piñata, and lots of music. So, that’s what we’re doing. I’ll share pictures next week. 🙂

 
Last week’s Kenny Chesney concert was AMAZING. He’s such a dynamic performer, and he played all of my favorite songs — I was so happy! John Mayer made a surprise appearance and spent some time jamming with Kenny on stage. So cool! The party bus was also predictably awesome, and we had a fantastic time with our friends. I was beside myself with glee the whole night. 🙂

I also tried a new cookie recipe… Total win. Peanut butter and chocolate are pretty much the best combination ever, and when paired with a frosty bottle of Well’s Banana Bread Beer (YES), well, that’s pretty much culinary nirvana. (I used this cookie recipe, but instead of peanuts, I used peanut butter chips. Yum.)

What’s Inspiring Me Now: My daughter, who met her summer reading goal a few weeks before school started. I’m so proud of what an excellent reader she’s become. Her love of books thrills me.

Tell me… What’s up with you?

What’s Up Wednesday

58 Comments

“What’s Up Wednesday” is 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.

{Please make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, other participants can visit your blog and check out what you’ve been up to. In that same spirit, I urge you to visit as many new blogs as you can every Wednesday. The most awesome aspect of What’s Up Wednesday and Ready. Set. Write is that they include a built-in support system. Let’s make sure we’re rooting each other on and offering as much encouragement as we can. Who knows… You might make an awesome new writing buddy, or a find a fantastic beta reader, or hook up with an amazing critique partner!}

And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: I finished Jessica Spotswood’s Born Wicked. It’s an awesome book, but the ending! Cate… Finn… My heart! I need to get my hands on Star Cursed as soon as possible! I also read a middle grade story, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, which was absolutely beautiful. Thanks so much for recommending it, Tem! And in a jarring change of literary pace, I started Dare You To by Katie McGarry, which is pretty darn good so far. In fact, I think I like it even better than Pushing the Limits. Plus, there’s a fantastic scene-related playlist that includes tons of country music — yay!

What I’m Writing: I’m glad I scaled down my word count goal for the last week. Because we had family visiting, I knew my writing time would be limited, and I didn’t want clouds of guilt and pressure hovering over my head while we had company. I was shooting for 2,000 words and ended up doubling that with 4,012 words. The surplus is courtesy of a few bouts of insomnia (boo!), but I passed the 20K mark and I still like my story, so I can’t complain. In the next week, I’m hoping to add another 3,000 words to my story. Here’s an excerpt:

It’d been a weird month. Despite his parents’ not-so-subtle discouragement, Tyler had managed to leap into a new relationship just weeks after moving to Clayton City. This thing he’d started with Jenna was good, new and different and intoxicating, but it was far from effortless. The girl was sweeter than honey and the mere sight of her got him all hot and bothered, but her mood was precarious at best. She was never bad-tempered, exactly, but her timidness had a way of blurring into unjustifiable panic, and that scared Tyler shitless.

He was polite and considerate, had always heeded signals and treated girls with respect. He’d learned by example: Tyler had never heard his father utter a discourteous word in his mother’s direction. But when it came to Jenna, good manners fell just short of enough. Tyler was always on his toes, endlessly aware of and adjusting to her moods for fear of upsetting her.

He took off his hat and ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. Jenna… She was wound tighter than a monkey’s nuts and she made him anxious as hell, but she was exhilerating in a way he’d never experienced—a prize just out of reach. They’d been making out for a month and the kissing was really freaking good, but Tyler wanted more. Of course he did.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I’ve gone a whole week without baking, so no tasty recipes to share, but I have been keeping busy with other things…


For starters, last week I hit a big running benchmark: I ran my 1,000 mile of 2013. I’ve been keeping track of my distances each day (whether they be on the road, treadmill, or elliptical), and as I inched closer and closer to the 1K mark, I started pondering physical locations 1,000 miles away that I could have run to. For example, Monterey Bay to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Or, Monterey Bay to Spokane, Washington. Not that I have a burning desire to go to Santa Fe or Spokane, but still… Fun to think about.


We had a wonderful visit with family last week. My daughter enjoyed plenty of cousin time, and we did lots of fun touristy things: the aquarium, Carmel, the beach. We also ate lots of yummy food and indulged in plenty of treats and laughs. Just look at those smiles…

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Lately I’ve read a couple of craft posts that have been both helpful and inspiring. First, Why the Hero’s Journey is a Tourist Trap by Lisa Cron (at Writer Unboxed), about focusing on your story, trusting your intuition, and continually asking why?. And second, Trouble Shooting Deep Point of View and Voice by Susan Dennard (at Pub[lishing] Crawl) about understanding your POV character’s world view, and the questions you can ask to get to know that character on a deeper level. I highly recommend both articles! What else…


A cool new book-related Instagram photo challenge, hosted by RaeGunRamblings. I’m having all kinds of fun with this one!


And, of course, gorgeous summer sunrises. The promise of views like the one above are what get me out of bed early each morning.

Tell me: What’s up with you this week?

What’s Up Wednesday

66 Comments

“What’s Up Wednesday” is 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.

Before I tell you about my week, an important note for those taking part in Ready. Set. Write!: Please make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, other participants can visit your blog and check out what you’ve been up to. In that same spirit, I urge you to visit as many new blogs as you can every Wednesday. The most awesome aspect of Ready. Set. Write! is its built-in support system. Let’s make sure we’re rooting each other on and offering as much encouragement as we can. Who knows… You might make an awesome new writing buddy, or a find a fantastic beta reader, or hook up with an amazing critique partner. I’ve met my best writing friends through my blog and theirs, and I am grateful for them every day!

And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: I finished Strands of Bronze and Gold the other day. It was a beautifully written story, though not so much my cup of tea. I do think people who enjoy historical fiction will like it; the descriptions of life in the 1850s are fascinating. Now, thanks to Tracey Neithercott, I’m reading an ARC of Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller and I am LOVING it. It’s exactly my type of book, just as Tracey suspected it would be. Callie is an incredibly compelling protagonist, and I’m already smitten with Alex. I can’t wait to see how the story plays out. Because I’m borrowing Tracey’s ARC and can’t crack its spine so I can read it on the elliptical (I know some of you are shuddering at the thought of a cracked spine — sorry!), I also started The Particular Sweetness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. It’s an already-worn novel I checked out from the library, so I have something to read at the gym on the mornings I don’t run outdoors. So far, it’s a lovely story with a very unique concept.

What I’m Writing: I’m making forward progress on my WiP, and I give most of the credit to Ready.Set.Write! I’ve had so much fun writing with my buddies via Twitter. I met my weekly goal of 3K words on Sunday, then surpassed it, closing out the week with 4,390 words. I’ve knocked out a few scenes and, for the most part, I’m excited about how my story is coming along. Now that the manuscript has passed 13K words, though, I’m starting to suffer from occasional yet terrifying bouts of doubt. Is this story boring? Is it stupid? Will people hate it? Am I doing the concept justice? I’m doing my best to push those pesky uncertainties away, but you know how it is. Bleh…

What Else I’ve Been Up To: It’s been a busy summer already!


Last Friday I got to help my cutie prepare for a Father~Daughter Dance. She was so excited to get all dressed up and dance the night away with her daddy. I know I’m biased, but I think she looked pretty darn adorable, and she had a BLAST.

     
I’ve been doing lots of baking, as per usual. Last week I made an Almond Sheet Cake with Butter Frosting for a dinner party with friends and it was very well received. If you like desserts that are sweet and rich, you will love this relatively easy cake. Also, I bought a new cookie cooling rack. It slides together for easy storage and it is aWeSoMe. Thank you, Bed Bath & Beyond!


And I’ve been doing lots of this: Playing and laughing with my favorite girl. ♥

What’s Inspiring Me Now: I’ve mentioned a few times that my WiP’s plot is inspired by a Tim McGraw song. Well, that song is not Highway Don’t Care — it hadn’t yet debuted when I started working on my project —  but I’m still loving this collaboration. The desperation and longing in the lyrics align perfectly with the tone I’m going for in my story, so I’ve been listening to it on loop. Let’s all take a moment to appreciate Tim McGraw’s perfection, shall we?

Tell me: What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

40 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.

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?

One Word Wednesday

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Serendipity
{I was running on the beach the other day and apparently forgot to turn off the camera setting on my phone. When I got home, I found this image, which turned out sort of perfect without any effort at all. Love when that happens!}

  
Glorious
{I rarely miss a sunrise. They’re always lovely here in California, but lately we’ve had some exceptionally beautiful mornings. Seeing the sun come up over the ocean makes me feel all kinds of fortunate, no matter how many times I get to witness it.}


Brilliant
{The other day I finished Quintana of Charyn, the final book in the Lumatere Chronicles trilogy, and I was completely blown away. Melina Marchetta has a gorgeous, effortless way with language, and she crafts layered characters and builds complex worlds — I am in awe of her writing. Full review of this book to come tomorrow. Now I’m reading Chelsea Pitcher’s debut, The S-Word, a YA contemporary that’s fantastic so far.}


Delicious
{Last week when I got over my bout of Kindergarten Plague, I was craving something sweet and warm and comforting. This Cinnamon Roll Cake totally hit the spot. It’s so much easier than making actual cinnamon rolls, and it works as both a dessert and a really decadent breakfast. Recommend!}

  
Awesome
{I might be *slightly* biased, but my girlie is pretty much the coolest kid ever. While she appreciates a good pedicure and can spend hours dressing up her American Girls, she also loves to get her guitar on and run around on the ball field. She’s not afraid to pick up a snail or go down a water slide, and she’s memorized The Dixie Chick’s Travelin’ Soldier and sings it like she’s been there. Love her.}

Adoration
{Yep. She’s my favorite.}

Tell me: How’s your week going?

What’s Up Wednesday

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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?