“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.And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…
What I’m Reading: I finished And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini, which was less like a novel, and more like a series of short stories about several loosely related people. It’s a beautifully written story about family and friendship, identity and loyalty, and while it was excellent, I didn’t love it *quite* as much as A Thousand Splendid Suns.
I’m currently reading Canary by Rachel Alpine, which I’ll review next week for Bookanistas and The Debut Author Challenge. Also, I’m in the middle of reading my CP Temre Beltz‘s middle grade manuscript (the one she wrote during Ready. Set. Write!), a tragic sort of story that’s so surreal and darkly funny and gorgeously written, it’s hard to put its awesomeness into words. I am a lucky CP!
What I’m Writing: I finished my “light” revision, and was reminded, yet again, that no revision is ever actually light. Funny how tweaking one tiny thread can wreak havoc on an entire story! But, it’s done, and it’s better, and I’m excited! Also, the story scored a cool new title — thank you for helping me brainstorm, Temre and Alison! So… want to read a bit of what I’ve been working on?
He stretches out next to me and I reach for him, trailing my hand up and down his forearm. He’s watching me, and his expression… It’s awed and disarming and adoring. No one’s ever looked at me the way he’s looking at me now, and for a moment I’m overwhelmed by the intense physicality of my feelings for him. I’ve heard love talked about a million times, in a million different ways, but I’ve never imagined it like this, a raw, all-consuming need.
“Thank you for today,” I say to him. “For everything.”
He smiles, his hand wandering over to rest on my stomach. His fingertips drift under my shirt and trace circles over my skin, slowly, higher and higher. His touch makes me shiver.
Like the gentleman he was raised to be, he stops. “I won’t push you.”
“You’re not.”
“Not yet,” he says with a wink.
Aww… I kind of love these characters. ♡
Now that my revised manuscript is in my agent’s hands, I get to dive back into the WiP I started working on during Ready. Set. Write! I’ve had some time to think it through, and I’m pretty sure I know where it needs to go. Back to drafting!
What Else I’ve Been Up To: Getting ready for my parents to visit. My mom is coming on Saturday, and my dad is joining her later in the week. We haven’t seen them since April, and we’re looking forward to a great visit. Also, we’re gearing up for my girlie’s first soccer game. Should be fun!
Over the weekend, my husband and I had a rare date night. We went to The Inn at Spanish Bay (part of Pebble Beach) for drinks and to watch their famous bagpiper play during sunset. It was glorious! If you’re ever in the Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur area, check it out. We also had a leisurely dinner at a new restaurant, thanks to our awesome friends who offered to to let our kiddo play at their house for the evening. Such a treat!
We’ve been taking “family runs” lately, which basically consist of my husband and me trying to keep up with our daughter (on foot) while she flies down the waterfront trail on her bike for six miles. It’s quite a workout, and we often reward ourselves with donuts after. 🙂
What’s Inspiring Me Now: This quote from Alan Bennet (most recently shared by illustrator Simini Blocker in her review of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl):
The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.”
Because, yes, I have had several such moments while reading, and they never fail to give me chills. As a writer, I long to have a similar impact on readers.
Tell me: What’s up with you today?