What’s Up Wednesday

May 21, 2014May 21, 201446 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. 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…And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

First, congratulations to Alice (AKA Krispy), winner of last week’s The Baby Name Wizard giveaway! 🙂

What I’m Reading: I finished Kristin Rae’s debut, Wish You Were Italian, and thought it was super cute. I’m not a big “clean teen” reader (I generally prefer my books on the edgy side), but Italian is a fun, summery romance I’d definitely recommend. The last few pages had me grinning ear-to-ear. I also read super-hyped We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, and yeah… There’s a reason for all the attention this book’s getting. It is incredible. And that’s all I’ll say because you simply must read it for yourself. Now, I’m reading Of Scars and Stardust by my agent-mate, Andrea Hannah. I’m not very far along yet, but so far it’s gorgeous.

What I’m Writing: This might sound weird because hello, I fancy myself a writer, but I hate drafting. Like, it really and truly pains me. I love to outline and I love to revise, however, the in-between stage of actually getting words into my document is a pain in the ass. But, good news! This story I’m working on now? Drafting it has been so. Much. Fun. A total joy. I’ve been writing close to 2K words pretty much every day, and I’m loving it. I’m up to 17K+ words now, and hoping the magic sticks around for a good, long while. #HappyWriter

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Have you heard of the show H2O: Just Add Water? It’s an Australian show that ran from 2006-2010 about three teenage girls who transform into mermaids when they get wet, and it is awesome. My daughter and I are halfway through the third and final season (thanks, Netflix!), and we’re obsessed. Now, I should warn you… The cheese factor is off-the-charts, but the show is super cute and quite creative. It’s also appropriate for kiddos, yet entertaining for parents — a rare combination, if you ask me. So, yeah… We’ve been watching H20: Just Add Water. A lot.

We spent Saturday at the beach with a couple of friends and had a great time. You know what’s fun about exposing your daughter to a show concerning mermaids? Every time she dips her toes into the ocean, she pretends to be one!

We had a much-welcome break from the stifling humidity over the weekend, so my girlie, Daisy, and I made the most of the lovely weather by eating ice cream, playing frisbee, and watching the sun sink below the trees.

I got a haircut! I haven’t had so much as a trim since December, so this was a Very Exciting Event, one that obviously had to be documented photographically. 😉

What’s Inspiring Me Now: My WiP, and the Love List I made for it. Also, Twitter’s #IreadYA hashtag. So many excellent book recommendations and inspirational anecdotes from writers sharing why they read (and write!) YA. And, finally, the A Beautiful Body Project (FYI: there’s nudity all over this site — really beautiful, artistic nudity, but still… Maybe don’t click the link while you’re at work). The ABBP is a “movement of women coming together to tell their stories and celebrate their ever-changing bodies so that future generations of women can live free from self-suffering.” It was founded by Jade Beall and her partner,Alok Appadurai, and it’s pretty amazing. Appreciating women and their natural, non-airbrushed, beautiful bodies? Count me in!

What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday – Plus a Giveaway!

May 14, 2014May 13, 201434 Comments

Giveaway details at the end of this post!!!

What I’m Reading: I read a lot over the last week. I finished Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and thought it was absolutely adorable. I can’t wait for the follow-up, P.S. I Still Love You. Next, I read The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bonds, which came highly recommended by Sara Biren, and I thought it was fantastic. Loved the unconventional family set-up, and the budding romance was sweet and different and rather mysterious, which was cool. Plus, the Pacific Northwest, and cougars! Then, I flew though Tammara Webber’s Easy, the most unputdownable book I’ve encountered in ages. I haven’t read tons of NA, but this one was quite different from the ones I have perused. While sexy and wildly entertaining, it was also beautifully written and emotional and deep. I’m so looking forward to reading its companion, Breakable. Now, I’m reading Kristin Rae’s debut, Wish You Were Italian, which is a discordant follow-up to Easy (Italian is very much “clean teen”), but I’m still loving it. Pippa is too cute, and the setting (Italy, obviously) is giving me a wicked case of wanderlust.

What I’m Writing: I finally finished my outline (it’s very detailed, but — I think — flexible enough), and I am super excited about this new project, guys. I wrote the opening chapter a few weeks ago and have since discovered that I started in the wrong place (as usual). So, yesterday I rewrote that first chapter. Now it fits nicely into my outline and my beat sheet. Much better.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Still watching Gossip Girl. Still swooning over Blair’s clothes and Nate’s baby blues. I just finished Season 2, which was all kinds of melodramatic and awesome. In other news, on Monday I went to a book signing in celebration of the release of Of Neptune by Anna Banks, who’s a local author. I’ve yet to read any of the Syrena Legacy books, but I’ve managed to acquire them all over the last few days and I’m looking forward to diving into this new series (see what I did there?!). And, finally, I’m having lots of fun playing mama. The school year is winding down, and my daughter and I are soaking up the last few weeks of first grade, and making big plans for summer fun.

I had a lovely Mother’s Day! My girlie made me breakfast in bed (toast with honey and blackberries), gave me an adorable coupon book and a piece of art she made at school, and hung with me at the beach. Couldn’t ask for a better day. ❤

Also, I made easy (yummy!) homemade brownies. Here’s the recipe.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: My WiP! I’m having a blast working on it! I love this stage, when a project feels fresh and new and exciting. Hopefully it lasts a good, long while. Additionally, I’m finding an article by Janice Hardy at Fiction University called Four Questions to Ask to Make Your Scenes Pop really helpful. Great reminders for those drafting or revising.

And now… Today’s Giveaway

I lost my copy of The Baby Name Wizard during our cross-country move back in December — cue sad face. I searched for it for months because I love it for naming my characters, and because my copy had tons of names highlighted from seven years ago, back when I was trying to name my yet-to-be-born daughter. Anyway. I finally broke down and purchased a new copy, the 3rd edition pictured below, because I have characters who need names, like, yesterday. Wouldn’t you know it — I found my original copy an hour after the new one was delivered. After paging through the 3rd edition, I decided it isn’t all that different from the 1st, at least not in ways that matter for my needs. Plus, my old copy has sentimental value. So, that pretty new 3rd edition is up for grabs! Details below…

*Anyone who comments on this post will be automatically entered in the random drawing. If you already own this book or don’t have a need for it but would still like to comment, just let me know that you’re not interested in the drawing and I’ll exclude you.

*Giveaway is open through Sunday at midnight, and I will announce the winner in next week’s What’s Up Wednesday post, after emailing him/her.

*Giveaway is open internationally (while this book focuses on name popularity in the US, I personally think it’d be helpful to anyone, anywhere). Writers and actual baby-namers alike are welcome to enter. 🙂

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

May 7, 2014May 6, 201438 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Huntley Fitzpatrick’s What I Thought Was True and really enjoyed it. Perhaps not quite as much as her debut, My Life Next Door, but WITWT was the perfect book to get me into that lazy, hazy summer mindset, and its love interest, Cass, is adorable as can be. I also read Erin Bowman’s sophomore dystopian novel, Frozen. While I’m still recovering, I *think* I’ve decided that I liked Frozen even more than its predecessor, Taken. Poor, poor Gray. Also, my love for Bree knows no bounds. Now, I’m reading Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which is delightful. I’m a huge fan of Jenny’s Summer trilogy, and Boys is certainly stacking up. Its protagonist, Lara Jean, reminds me a bit of my favorite Baby Sitters Club character, Claudia Kishi. Both girls have Asian lineage (Lara Jean is Korean American, while Claud is of Japanese descent), but I think their similarities run deeper. Lara Jean and Claudia both possess this genuine sort of innocence that’s just so charming, and they’re both into artsy things and have distinct, unique personal style. So far, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is totally winning me over.

What I’m Writing: Well. I’ve been trying to plot my new mystery WiP (that follow-up/sequel/whatever I’ve been hinting about) for days, but to be honest, I’ve only been muddling along, filling in bits here and there, and mostly just mentally flailing about. Yesterday, though, I had an epiphany: I’m not going to be able to solve this mystery along with my characters like I originally planned (my misguided attempt at pantsing, I guess). I NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS, ALL THE DETAILS OF THE MYSTERY, BEFORE I BEGIN TO DRAFT. So, I spent most of Monday and Tuesday prewriting, filling in the background stuff that’s necessary for plotting my characters’ journey. Things are going much smoother now. Yay for literary breakthroughs!

New favorite workspace…

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Lots of summery things, like beach-going and early morning strolls with good ol’ Daisy.

I know it’s not yet summer in most areas of the country, but we’ve had a string of 80+ degree days and this sun worshipper is loving it. I’m already so tan!

I was lucky enough to win Sara Biren’s Blogoversary Giveaway, and on Monday I received the oh-so-amazing prize package. Sara even surprised me with an under-the-radar YA romance that I can’t wait to read, and sent super cute Hello Kitty hair accessories for my girl! Happy, happy mail! Thanks so much, Sara!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: This, a thousand times…

I’m proud of my daughter and all of her positive personality traits — she’s astute, kind, courageous, witty, and compassionate — but few things thrill me more than seeing her engrossed in a story. I took the above photo about an hour after tucking her into bed for the night. She was supposed to be sleeping, but really… How can I be mad at her for sneaking in extra time with a book — especially when I remember doing exactly the same thing when I was her age?

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

April 30, 2014April 29, 201446 Comments

First, congratulations to… Jaime Morrow, who was randomly selected as the winner of a signed copy of Meredith McCardle’s soon-to-be-released debut, The Eighth Guardian! I think you’ll love this one, Jaime. I’ll have your book in the mail ASAP!

What I’m Reading: I’m slowly making my way through Huntley Fitzpatrick’s What I Thought Was True. It’s a lovely story, but I’ve not had a lot of time to sit down and read lately — see “What Else I’ve Been Up To” below. I’m very much looking forward to settling in and getting lost in Gwen’s island world.

What I’m Writing: I’m trying to work out the plot of the WiP I started playing with, the follow-up to one of my other projects. I know what I want to happen, but getting there isn’t as easy as I’d hoped — surprise, surprise. That’s okay, though, because I’m still feeling super inspired by these characters and all of the new conflict I’m planning to throw at them. Yay for SNIs!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Lots of stuff! It’s been a busy week…

I got a lot done around my house. I filled some pots and decorated my front porch (finally), and spent hours helping my girlie sort out her mess of a bedroom. When we moved in, we didn’t give much thought to furniture placement or functionality, so we did some rearranging and reorganizing and the space is so much neater and prettier now.

On Saturday, my girl had a tea party to attend for her friend’s birthday, and then we went to Pensacola for a minor league baseball game. We ate hotdogs and cheered for the Blue Wahoos and had an awesome time.

On Sunday we went to the beach, my very favorite thing to do. I could happily spend every afternoon with my toes in the sugar sand, watching my girl pretend to be a mermaid in the waves. My happy place. 🙂

Yesterday I tried a new recipe, Flourless Chocolate Cookies. Yum. They’re sort of fudge-y and super rich, and also very easy to make. Recommend!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Gossip Girl! I’m nearly done with the second season and I’m loving it. It’s fluffy and soap-opera-esque, but the writing is a lesson in creative conflict, amped up pacing, and pushing the envelope. The characters — even the most evil characters — have backstories and redeeming qualities that make them fascinating. Plus, the fashion… it’s glorious. In other news, I had lots of fun reading YA Highway‘s recent License to Drive post, all about road trips and first cars. The WiP I’ve been toying with has a road trip element, so I’m eating up everything I can find about teens on the road. Got any extraordinary road trip stories to recommend?

What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

April 23, 2014April 22, 201426 Comments

What I’m Reading: I reread Meredith McCardle’s The Eighth Guardian, which was even better the second time around. It’s out May 6th, but I’m posting a Bookanista recommendation tomorrow and giving away a SIGNED copy. Make sure you check back to read my (raving) review and enter to win! I also read Open Road Summer, which is most definitely one of my favorite reads of the year thus far. It’s as if Emery Lord took all of the things I love (romance and road trips and country music and friendship and awesomely rendered characters) and mashed them into one beautiful novel. I’ll do a Bookanista rec of this one next month. Too good not to. 🙂 Last night I finished Brandy Colbert’s debut, Pointe, which was mind-bogglingly amazing. It’s tragically complicated and gorgeously written, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

What I’m Writing: I revisited my YA contemporary All Mixed Up. My agent had a fantastic idea for tweaking a certain plot line, so I revised and sent the story off to two beta readers to assess. I’m also writing bits of a potential sequel, which I discussed in more detail in #3 of last week’s Friday Five post. Who knows if it’ll go anywhere, but I’m feeling inspired and that’s pretty much the best.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I don’t know… Not a whole lot, with the exception of reading and writing and revising, plus hanging with my girl (we Rocked the Drop together last Thursday, which I recapped HERE — so fun!). The last week seems to have flown by. I feel like I’ve been crazy-busy, but I don’t have much to show for it. Hmm…

I did make Chocolate Chip Cookies on Saturday because my daughter wanted to snack on the cookie dough. (She is so my child.) I’ve shared my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe before, but these babies are so tasty and easy, the very perfect cookie texture, and I think it bears repeating. Find it HERE.

We celebrated Easter with a big brunch, a fun basket, an egg hunt, and a hike around a local lake because it was too cool for the beach. Low key, but really nice.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: An important post by 2014 debut author Alexandra Duncan called The Slutshelf Giveaway. Long story short, someone on Goodreads placed her novel on an invented virtual shelf called “Slut.” Let’s just put aside the fact that the protagonist in Alexandra’s novel, Salvage, (which I haven’t read yet but am very much looking forward to) only has sex once (with a person she apparently loves and intends to marry) and get down to the heart of the matter: A “Slut” shelf? Really? I can’t even… So, I’ll just point you, once again, in the direction of Alexandra’s post. She’s putting a positive spin on the absurdity with a fantastic giveaway that you should definitely check out because for every person who enters, she’ll donate one dollar to the Freedom to Read Foundation (up to $1,000). And her agent, Kate Testerman, has agreed to match all donations. Awesome, right? Please do help spread the word!

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

April 16, 2014April 16, 201434 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and I thought it was incredible. A must-read if (like me) you’ve been slow to jump on the bandwagon. Incidentally, Speak has been out for fifteen years now. The fact that it’s remained relevant through a decade-and-a-half of changing YA trends says more about its quality than I ever could. I also read Tess Sharpe’s debut Far From You, which is unflinching and heart-shattering and beautifully written. Loved it. Yesterday I started Emery Lord’s debut, Open Road Summer, which several of my book besties have promised I’ll adore. So far, so good!

What I’m Writing: Nothing. But I did hear back from my agent regarding my most recent manuscript and… She’s on board! She got the characters and the conflict and the conclusion and reading her email was just about the greatest feeling ever. Huge, hUgE, HUGE sigh of relief. Now I can start something new without the weight of anxiety I’ve been shouldering over the last few weeks. In beta reading news (ready to be super envious?) I got to read Meredith McCardle‘s latest manuscript, which is freaking fantastic. I had the privilege of reading her upcoming debut, The Eighth Guardian, last year and it totally blew me away. It comes out in less than a month (yay!) and I can’t wait for you all to read it!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I’ve tried really hard to get into The Secret Life of the American Teenager because I love Shailene Woodley in The Descendants and The Spectacular Now. But Secret Life… NO. Not for me, guys. Not at all. I found the message much too heavy-handed, and the dialogue is absolutely cringeworthy. Looks like I’m going back to Gossip Girl. Darn. 😉

I’ve achieved another Thirty Before 35 goal! We took our first trip to the beach on Saturday, and it was beautiful. My daughter played with her buddies and I lounged and chatted with a few girl friends. We had a (sandy) picnic lunch, which is one of those things I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Check!

And, much to my daughter’s embarrassment, I pulled the truck over while passing the above field of flowers the other day so I could take her picture. Just couldn’t resist all that pink against her little hippie sundress. ❤

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Rock the Drop, one of my favorite bookish events of the year, is tomorrow! It’s a celebration of Support Teen Literature Day during which book lovers can drop novels with “Rock the Drop” bookplates in public places for teenagers to find and read and hopefully fall in love with. I’ve rocked the drop for the last two years (2013 and 2012), and I’ll definitely be participating tomorrow. Look for photos on my Instagram feed, and here on my blog coming soon. Visit ReaderGirlz for all the details.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

April 9, 2014April 8, 201444 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf and I really enjoyed it. It’s different from the contemporary YA I usually read (it’s not romance-heavy), but the humor is so spot-on, I didn’t even miss the swoon. Also, I found myself relating to main character Izzy’s worries and anxieties more than I’d like to admit. Not her issues with wanting to be sick, but to her almost overwhelming insecurities and strong desire to please everyone around her. Now, I’m reading Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, one of my Thirty Before 35 goals. I can already see why it and its author are considered YA royalty.

What I’m Writing: Nothing, at the moment, but I am doing lots of beta reading. Over the last two weeks, I’ve read a really lovely contemporary YA manuscript by Kate Scott (I love how she portrays characters with learning/social differences) and a super intense (and gorgeously written) futuristic YA crime thriller for Tracey Neithercott. Lucky, lucky me!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I watched the movie adaptation of the YA novel How I Live Now (it’s streaming instantly on Netflix, if you’re interested) and I’ve gotta say… I thought it was pretty amazing. I listened to the How I Live Now audiobook a few months ago, and I was torn about it. There were aspects of the story that I found so moving, and aspects that made me rather uncomfortable. Having now watched the film, I think I like the book more. Seeing what Daisy and her cousins went through… It was traumatizing, yet I couldn’t look away. And Saoirse Ronan is spectacular as Daisy.

In other news, I joined my daughter and her first grade class on a field trip to the zoo. It was really fun! I got to supervise my girl and two of her friends while they visited with all of the animals. Considering this is a small-town zoo, there was a lot to see: giraffes, tortoises, gorillas, and hippos, to name a few.

We also went strawberry picking at a local u-pick farm, and then made Strawberry Shortcake and homemade jam with the fresh berries. So yummy!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A Pub(lishing) Crawl post by Janice Hardy called How to Turn That Shiny New Idea Into a Novel, full of questions for preliminary story planning. I’ll definitely be revisiting this one over the next few weeks. And, a post from Kate Brauning at Pub Hub called Editor’s Eyes: 3 Golden Rules for Revising, which applies to the drafting stage as well. And, What A Difference A Year Makes from my friend Jessica Love, who says: Life is weird, you guys. Things can and will happen that you never, ever expect for yourself. Try not to let the bummer times get you down, and leave yourself open to new opportunities, because you never, ever know what they can turn into. Do check out the rest of her super inspiring post. Finally, my friend Elodie Nowodazkij revealed the cover of her June, 2014 debut One, Two, Three and it’s beautiful. She’s hosting a giveaway, too, so do stop by to congratulate her.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

April 2, 2014April 2, 201452 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu (out in June) and totally dug it, and I read Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson and fell head-over-heels in love. I talked about both books in more detail in my March Reading Wrap-Up. Over the weekend, I read The Infinite Moment of Us. Since reading Shine, I’ve become a fan of Lauren Myracle’s style and prose, and Wren and Charlie’s story really impressed me. This is one steamy book, friends, and I kind of loved it. (Though, the ending — I definitely could’ve used one more scene for the sake of closure!) Now, I’m reading The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf and it is aWeSoMe! Seriously funny, and with a voice that’s just fantastically unique. How is this book not getting more hype?

What I’m Writing: Nothing, technically. But I am doing a lot of mental brainstorming for my Shiny New Idea, and I’m pinning all kinds of images and research sites to a (currently) secret Pinterest board. I’ve also been doing lots of beta reading, which has been a pleasure. I learn so much from immersing myself in the fantastic work of my talented friends.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I’ve been weirdly sick over the last week. I’ll spare you the details, but it hasn’t been much fun. My girl and I have been laying low, watching a lot of The Voice and reading a lot of books. We did venture out of the house to see Noah, which sucked, frankly. There are fallen angels made of of stone, a creepy warlord who’s a descendant of Cain, plus a totally bizarre storyline involving Emma Watson (the movie’s only bright spot) and neonaticide. It’s not the kid-friendly Bible story I recall, so… Don’t take your six-year-old.

My girlie and I have also been doing a lot of doodling. As I mentioned above, I’m musing my next writing project, and drawing has been a sort of palate cleanser. I’m able to let my mind wander without any real commitment. It’s kind of fun!

And then there are my two furry friends. I’ve been spending a lot of time with them, too. Cuteness overload, right?

What’s Inspiring Me Now: The essay Nuts and Bolts: “Thought” Verbs by Chuck Palahniuk will be a year old in August, but I only just stumbled across it. I’ve gotta say, it’s one of the best “how to write” articles I’ve ever read, and it totally changed the way I think about point-of-view and showing vs. telling and the work required to truly paint a picture for readers. I think it’s a must-read for writers at any stage of the game. (I’ve already reread it!)

And… Shiny New Idea inspiration!

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

March 26, 2014March 26, 201438 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Lauren Oliver’s Panic. While it’s not my very favorite of her novels, I did find it compelling. I’ll talk about it in more detail in tomorrow’s Bookanista recommendation. Over the weekend, I flew through The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines. Guys, this is by no means award-winning literature, but I kind of loved it. It’s a perfect read-in-the-sun, guilty-pleasure romance. Next time you’re in the mood for a book of that sort, definitely pick this one up. I also read Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon, which was packed with awesome reminders and inspiring quotes about creation of all kinds. It’s a great, quick read, perfect for when you’re in need of a creative boost. Now, I’m reading The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu, which is intriguing so far. I’m digging its unique storytelling method.

What I’m Writing: Blog posts! Catching up now that my agent is reading my WiP, Good Girls (which I talked about in a Next Big Thing post on Monday). Also, I’ve got a whole bunch of mini Shiny New Ideas floating around in my head, and I’ve been pinning up a storm (secret Pinterest boards FTW), looking for further inspiration and trying to make them all fit together. Exciting!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Exercising with more regularity, watching some Gossip Girl, and hanging with my girl. It’s spring break, so we’ve been spending lots of quality time together. Movies, bike rides, frozen yogurt…

My productivity level has dropped quite a bit, but we’re having a blast. 🙂

I ordered my very first Stitch Fix box, AND crossed another item off my Thirty Before 35 List! In case you’ve never heard of Stitch Fix, it’s an online personal stylist service. Fill out a profile about the types of clothing you like to wear (including favorite colors and your size), schedule a shipment, and get five pieces to try on at home with the clothes you already own. Buy what you love, send back the rest in a pre-paid envelope. It’s easy, and really fun!

I really liked all five pieces of clothing I received (four tops and a maxi dress), but I think I’m only going to keep these two because, yanno… BUDGET. Looking forward to scheduling another shipment soon!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: In case you haven’t heard, my friend Jessica Love (co-author of up-and-coming Push Girl) has sold another book! This one’s all her, and it’s aMaZiNg! I read an early version last year, and I can hardly express how much I loved it. You all are going to adore Hannah and Nick and their crazy Vegas weekend! I can’t wait to have my very own copy of In Real Life so I can reread it, and then sit it on my bookshelf, right between my Stephanie Perkins and Sarah Ockler novels. Congratulations, Jess! I’m thrilled for you!

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

March 19, 2014March 19, 201447 Comments

What I’m Reading: I’m halfway through Lauren Oliver’s Panic. I’m moving slowly, but not because I’m not enjoying it — I am! It’s just been a busy (and crazy) week and I haven’t had much time for reading. Boo. Panic‘s a trip, though, and I’m very anxious to see how it all plays out. This one’s quite a departure from Before I Fall and the Delirium trilogy, but Lauren Oliver’s prose is predictably beautiful. So far, so good.

What I’m Writing: Another revision round’s nearly in the bag. CP and beta notes are helping me so much (it’s amazing what people who aren’t neck-deep in the story pick up on!), and I’m excited about how this draft of Good Girls is turning out. It’s much more layered and cohesive and interesting, and its ending is a thousand times stronger. I’m so happy with my revision progress, in fact, that I decided to go to Disney World.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: No, really — I went to Disney World! My girlie and I took a rather impromptu road trip to Orlando to meet up with some of our favorite friends for a few days and we had an incredible time! I love all things Disney so much. The parks and the magic just never get old…

Obligatory Mickey shot. 🙂

These girls had so much fun together! It’s been nearly a year since they’ve seen each other, yet they picked up right where they left off.

Possibly my new favorite photo. ❤

{There are more on Instagram. Check them out if you’re so inclined.}

What’s Inspiring Me Now: First, an awesome post from my agent, Victoria Marini, entitled On Bones and Knowing Your Characters. It’s about digging deeper and making sure your readers know your characters as well as you do. Also, a post by Corey Ann Haydu called How to Relationship (for Stacked), which talks about all of that crazy-awkward stuff that happens in the shadows between kissing and sex in YA, and how it’s pretty awesome when authors get brave and explore those shadows in authentic ways. (Obviously Corey says it way better than I do.) Highly recommend both of these articles!

Tell me… What’s up with you today?