What’s Up Wednesday

December 11, 2013December 10, 201334 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…

What I’m Reading: I finished Carol Rifka Brunt’s Tell the Wolves I’m Home and I thought it was a beautiful story. That said, it’s not a book that would have normally attracted me, so I’m incredibly thankful for Corey Ann Haydu’s recommendation. I loved this novel! Now I’m (slowly) reading Lauren DeStefano’s Perfect Ruin. So far, I’m super impressed with the worldbuilding, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how the story plays out.

What I’m Writing: I’ve slacked on my revision over the last week, and I’m so bummed about it. I’ve just been so busy with the holidays and my husband’s upcoming grad school graduation and our impending move. I haven’t had time to sit down and focus on what my manuscript needs. Boo. I keep picturing myself all comfy on the couch in our new Florida home with my story document opened in front of me… Can. Not. Wait. In other news, I finished my blog posts for the Class of 2013: YA Superlatives Blogfest, which begins this Monday! Looking forward to sharing my favorite 2013 books with you, and to reading about the books you’ve fallen for this year!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Blah. Need you ask? Organizing, purging, packing. The moving truck comes Friday. We’re loading all weekend. We sign out of our house next Wednesday. I can’t wait to be done with this nonsense.

Some girlfriends and I hosted a graduation party for our husbands this weekend. Of course I put myself in charge of desserts. I took a break from packing and instead spent two full mornings baking. I was so happy!

I got the cutest winter mug for #SipSwap a few mornings ago. As soon as I unwrapped it, I fixed myself some tea and ate some M&Ms. Because I am a grown up. Thanks so much to Simon Clark for sending such an adorable mug!

My girl is *almost* as graceful as I am. Last week at school she hurt her face on the jungle gym (I still don’t completely understand how), but she’s healing quickly. When I told her to not to pick at the scab on her forehead because it would leave a scar, she got all excited and said, “Really? Like Harry Potter?!” And then I was the proudest mom ever.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: I watched The Descendants over the weekend, and I absolutely loved it. I’d heard it was good from several people and I’ve been intrigued by the trailer since I saw it ages ago (plus there’s the whole Oscars thing), but it’s one of those movies that somehow slipped by me. It’s finally on HBO (yay!) and I couldn’t pass it up. Oh, it was so, so good. Flawed but incredibly likable characters. Poignant, but with moments of perfect humor (Sid! The best!). A gorgeous setting (Hawaii!). And Shailene Woodley — what a talent. She’s going to rock Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars. If you’ve yet to see this one, I highly recommend it. Amazing and inspiring storytelling. Here’s the trailer…

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

December 4, 2013December 4, 201346 Comments

What I’m Reading: I’m still working on Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt, which is truly beautiful literary fiction. Here’s the summary from Goodreads: 1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart. At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he might be the one she needs the most.

What I’m Writing: I’m still plugging away at my revision. It’s slow and tedious, and I’m constantly jumping between being desperately in love with this story, and thinking it’s the most ridiculous bit of fiction ever. #WriterAngst During my revision breaks, I’ve been writing blog posts for the Class of 2013: YA Superlatives Blogfest. I can’t wait to share my favorite 2013 books with you, and read all about the books you’ve fallen in love with this year!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Packing, packing packing. It’s so dull and physically exhausting. I won’t bore you with the details, but yeah… Stuffing boxes with our worldly possessions is eating up my time and making me a little grouchy.

In more cheerful news, last Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving with a lovely afternoon filled with friends, laughter, and too much food. My favorite culinary venture was a Slab Apple Pie I made, which looked delightful and was very tasty. I used this recipe for the crust, and this recipe for the filling. Recommend!

Also, we saw Frozen! I’m a die-hard Disney fan, but to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t super pumped about this movie, initially. The trailer didn’t do much for me and Olaf, the little snowman, seemed cheesy. But after watching, my opinion changed completely… I loved Frozen! It was absolutely adorable. Heartwarming and beautifully animated, and Olaf turned out to be my favorite character of all.

Finally, we went ice skating. Every year a little ice rink goes up right next to the Monterey Bay and on Sunday we decided to take advantage. I’m a horrible skater (balance is not one of my gifts), but my husband is very good and he managed to teach our girl a thing or two. I love California; it’s fun to skate in t-shirts. 🙂

What’s Inspiring Me Now: The quote below, which makes me think of my husband and my daughter and my parents and my friends, not to mention my immensely talented and supportive CPs and beta readers. ♥

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

November 27, 2013November 26, 201332 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Sarah Guillory’s Reclaimed. Just when I thought I had it all figured out… Mind = Blown. I had to give up on my Fire audiobook, but only because I’m not in my car enough to get anywhere with the story. Luckily, I own a physical copy of the book, and I finished reading it yesterday. Fantasy is not usually my genre of choice, but I adore Kristin Cashore’s characters and writing and worldbuilding, and Fire is just so unbelievably, indescribably good. If you haven’t read the books of the Graceling Realm, you must. Now, I’ve started Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (an adult/YA crossover). So far, I’m mesmerized by the beautiful writing. I think this one’s going to be lovely.

What I’m Writing: Oh, you know… Still working on my revision. It’s a slow and tedious process, but I *think* it’s coming along. Only time (and feedback) will tell, I suppose. My savvy agent Victoria Marini tweeted this yesterday: Drafts: 1. get all the bulls**t out of your head. 2. figure out what you meant to say. 3. figure out how to say it. 4. properly. A great reminder that early drafts aren’t supposed to be perfect. Reassuring, because mine definitely are not.

Notes I leave myself while revising: I don’t like you, Scene. You are cheesy and you do not feel effortless. I finally had to let this one go and move on. Here’s hoping my CPs can help me fix it eventually.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I’ve packed some things. Not many, but there are a few full boxes in my house. Baby steps. Also, we’re hosting Thanksgiving this year. My husband and I are making the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and some pies (obviously). Some of our favorite neighbors are coming over with plenty of their own culinary contributions (more pie!). We’re not near family this year, so we’re extra appreciative of our awesome friends.

I’ve been on a bit of a baking hiatus, but this weekend my girlie and I were craving a warm and sweet breakfast, so we made Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. While they do include yeast and require some rising, they’re relatively quick and they tasted incredibly yummy. Recommend.

I saw Catching Fire on Friday. Guys, I loved this movie! I thought it was better than The Hunger Games, and very true to the book. J-Law rocked, the pacing was awesome, and I was truly moved by several scenes. I want to see it again!

I’ve also been gearing up for the Class of 2013: YA Superlatives Blogfest, which begins December 16th and continues through December 19th. I’m co-hosting with Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, and Alison Miller for the 3rd consecutive year, and I can’t wait for the fun to begin. Four days, more than forty categories, and tons of fantastic book recommendations! Click on the button above for all the details. We’re hoping you’ll join us and help spread the word!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A post by Mónica Bustamante Wagner called 4 Writing Tips to Show and Not Tell. It’s packed with timely reminders, particularly for those of us stuck in the throes of revisions. Also, some fabulous thoughts from YA Highway‘s Emilia Plater in a post titled In Defense of Solipsistic Teenage Girl.

I always feel inspired by my girl, but I’m especially thankful for her around the holidays. I found out I was pregnant with her on Thanksgiving seven years ago, so this particular holiday is an extra special time for my husband and me. Sadly, some of our closest friends are in the midst of an incredibly tragic loss, and I am beyond devastated for them. Their experience makes my heart hurt so badly, and it makes me want to scoop my daughter up and hold her close always and forever. Give your loved ones hugs and kisses every chance you get. ♡

Happy Thanksgiving to all who will celebrate tomorrow.
Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

November 20, 2013November 22, 201345 Comments

What I’m Reading: Over the weekend I read Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas, and it was GOOD. Super twisty and dark, like a Courtney Summers novel merged with a fast-paced crime drama. I also started listening to an audiobook of Kristin Cashore’s Fire. I adore Graceling and Bitterblue, and it’s taken me way too long to get to Fire’s story, but I am loving it. She’s a fantastic protagonist, and the audio is very well done. As well as listening to Fire, I’m reading Sara Guillory’s Reclaimed. I’ve only just started, but so far, so good!

What I’m Writing: Still plugging away at my revision. I’m past the story’s midpoint and I’ve cut nearly 5K, which feels awesome. I love streamlining, “trimming the fat” as they say. Last night I came across a scene I’d forgotten all about (an anecdote I stole from my husband’s childhood) and it was really fun to reread. This manuscript is coming together, and I’m getting excited about the prospect of sending it off to my CPs. Hopefully that’ll be soon!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Wrapping my head around our big move to… Florida! We’re leaving California in thirty days and I have plenty to do. Good news: We found a lovely house with a kitchen perfect for baking. Bad news: We’re going to pack our household goods ourselves (instead of letting the Army hire movers to do it like usual) and I am up to my eyeballs in boxes.

On Sunday night I went to The Night of Writing Dangerously, held in the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco. It was so amazing! I got tons of revising done, chatted with like-minded writers, met my awesome Twitter friend Kristen Rudd (who graciously invited me as her guest), and heard YA author Gennifer Albin give a heartfelt and inspiring speech — “Your story matters!” All in all, it was a fabulous event. If you’re ever presented with the opportunity to attend, do!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A repost by Becca Puglisi at Writers Helping Writers called Conflict vs. Tension. It talks about how the two terms are related but not always synonymous. Great food for thought as I revise my manuscript. Also, a post by romance author Roni Loren entitled My Promise When I Review or Recommend Books. She says: If I don’t like something or have neutral feelings on it, you’ll just never hear about. The books I recommend or rate highly on Goodreads are books I honestly loved… This is exactly how I feel about public reviews. My blog is a positive place where I choose to promote books I sincerely enjoy. Those that don’t resonate with me don’t get a lot of attention, and those with which I can’t find anything good to say don’t get any attention at all. So, if I rave about a book, it’s one that made a true impact on me, one that I’ll recommend to anyone who’ll listen. What’s your book review policy?

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

November 13, 2013November 13, 201352 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything and while I really enjoyed it, I wanted a different ending for the characters. Totally a personal preference thing, but yeah… Have you read it? What did you think of the conclusion? I also read The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black, and I thought it was fantastic. Part of me is surprised because it’s a novel about vampires and that’s not really my thing. But then, I’ve heard awesome things about Holly Black’s writing, and this story totally lives up to the hype. Now I’m reading Leah Raeder’s Unteachable (thanks for the rec, Dahlia!) and I’ve gotta say… I’m loving it. It’s a tough story and it’s making me all kinds of uncomfortable, but the writing is gorgeous and the emotion is raw and so intense. It’s unputdownable, and I cannot wait to see how it wraps up.

What I’m Writing: I’ve started to poke away at my revision. It’s extensive, to be honest, and quite daunting, but I’m finding that my early chapters aren’t nearly as bad as I thought they were. There are even bits of unintentional foreshadowing that really work… Win! I want so badly for this story to be the sort of amazing I envision, and that alone is motivating. I love this stage of the process: the sorting out and the tying together and the prettifying.

Quality control.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: House hunting. We’re looking for a place to rent in Awesome Secret City, and it’s really hard! We’re currently very far away, so we have to take what we can get as far as information available on the Internet. I’m not super comfortable signing a lease sight-unseen, but it looks like that might be what we end up doing. And it’s not just the house we have to take into account — we’ve got to consider schools, shopping, commute times, neighborhoods, and a host of other craziness. I forgot what a challenge moving can be.

So… I’ve been baking and drinking! I’ve posted my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe here before, but it’s worth repeating. These are the perfect cookies, guys. Especially when consumed with an icy cold Bud Light (or milk — pick your poison).

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Contemporary YA Week over at Stacked, which started Monday and is still going strong. From librarian/blogger Kelly Jensen: I have a nice array of guest posts from contemporary YA authors. We’re going to travel across the globe to talk about Australian contemporary YA, we’ll talk about mental illness in contemporary YA, humor in contemporary YA, and much, much more. In fact, I have 7 guest posts lined up, along with a host of book lists. I thought that in addition to new posts, I’d rerun some older content, as well, in order to give a huge range of voices and insights into contemporary YA. Fantastic, yes? As a huge fan of contemporary YA, I’m so enjoying this series.

Additionally, I’m finding this post entitled The Four Types of Character Flaws from Writers Helping Writers to be incredibly timely and very helpful. Tons of awesome character-related advice to consider as I tackle my revision. (Also, I love Writers Helping Writers. If you’re not following this blog, you should be!)

And, finally, the mama in me got all teary paging through photographer Jenny Lewis‘s One Day Young series. She captured images of mamas and their babies within 24 hours of birth, her aim being to express the extraordinary bonding, tenderness and strength between mother and infant. The photographs are beautiful and heartwarming, and I hope you’ll check them out.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

November 6, 2013November 5, 201340 Comments

What I’m Reading: Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything, which is witty and thought-provoking and highly entertaining. It’s taking me awhile to get through because I’ve been busy, but in no way does that speak to its quality. Up next… I don’t know! I’ve read through my TBR pile and I’ve got nothing on-deck. That gives me a weirdly anxious feeling. Anyone have a great recommendation?

What I’m Writing: Not much because… I finished my WiP! Yep, on Halloween I officially typed The End, concluding the first draft of the story I started in April.

Over the weekend, I took a much-needed writing break, though I did think about my upcoming revision A LOT. My To-Do list is extensive and I’ve got tons of work ahead of me, but I *think* I know what needs to be done to make my story readable. I love revising, so I’m very happy to be at this stage of the game.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Over the weekend, my husband, daughter, and I took a trip to Yosemite National Park. None of us had been before and we weren’t sure what to expect. Yosemite did not disappoint. In fact, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. We had an amazing time hiking and adventuring. Plus, we got to attend the wedding of two great friends, which made the trip even more awesome. Obviously I took zillions of pictures…

Tunnel View, without any sort of filter. The park is this stunning naturally.

Yosemite sky, also without filter. It was so blue. And I kind of love the “Speeding Kills Bears” signs, which were everywhere. There’s something oddly charming about them. We didn’t see any real bears, so the signs were the next best thing.

My girl had a great time! She got a kick out of the snow and the incredible views.

We hiked four strenuous uphill miles to get to Nevada Falls, then four more miles back to the truck, and I’m proud to report that my daughter rocked it. My husband and I were wiped by the end and she had to have been too, but there was absolutely no complaining. She’s a little soldier. 😉

With my favorite girl at the hotel (we stayed at the Tenaya Lodge, which was fantastic) and out among the sequoias.

And, with my handsome husband at the wedding. Congrats to Ryan and Johanna!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A post from writer Anya Monroe about the NaNo Pep Talk she gave 125 eighth graders who are participating this year, and the ways she connected with them through writing and books. Also, a super short and heartwarming story about the Xhosa culture and their I am because we are philosophy. Definitely worth the read. And finally…

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

October 30, 2013October 29, 201336 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Judy Blume’s Just as Long as We’re Together and loved it just as much as I did when I was a kid. Even though it was published way back in 1987, it’s still perfectly relevant. Recommend! I also read Veronica Roth’s Allegiant, a book that pretty much crushed me with feels. That ending… It hurt my heart, but I thought it was courageous, a fitting conclusion to a fantastic trilogy. Now I’m reading Katie Cotugno’s How To Love and oh my gosh… I love it SO MUCH. It’s such a Katy Book. Along with a spectacularly intense romance, there’s the bonus of an incredibly sweet and real mother-daughter relationship. I’m adoring everything about this one!

What I’m Writing: Guys. I am almost done with the first draft of my WiP. I’m two-and-a-half scenes from THE END (85K words… jeez!), and I’m beyond excited. I’m going to finish this thing tomorrow (Halloween!), and then I’m going to eat buckets of candy to celebrate. A little excerpt…

He pulled her close because he couldn’t stand a breath of space between them—not tonight, not when he needed her like this. He hid his face in hollow where her neck met her shoulder, where the scent of vanilla was so hypnotic he could hardly think straight. “I’m happy when I’m with you,” he said softly.

It was the absolute truth, as well as the biggest lie he’d ever told. Nobody in the world grounded him like Dylan—thrilled him like Dylan—but that didn’t mean her presence wasn’t comparable to excavating his heart with a rusty spoon.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Shopping for something to wear to the wedding we’re going to this weekend. It’s in Yosemite, which I’m excited about, but I haven’t been able to find the perfect dress yet. Wish me luck!

On Saturday I ran a 10K in Big Sur with some great friends. We all have girls in first grade, so it’s fun to trade stories about our daughters’ sassy moments. 🙂 The run was awesome, beautiful scenery and not too crowded, but most of it was through a campground and the campfire smoke was not exactly conducive to clean breathing. Still, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

I made Chewy Nutella Brownies, my very favorite brownie recipe. These babies include an entire jar of Nutella, four eggs, dark chocolate cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, and espresso. They’re rich in the very best way. I firmly believe that homemade brownies are worth the extra time and effort. These are proof!

And… We carved pumpkins! Hard to tell, but that’s my attempt at Wonder Woman back there. She was a challenge, but my daughter requested her. Of course I fully support her love of superheroes and girl power.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: My upcoming revisions! My To-Do list is a mile long, and I can’t wait to dive in. While I find first-drafting ~~excruciating~~ challenging, I love to revise. Mostly because when it’s finally time to do so, I know my characters well and I’ve figured out lots of cool ways to add depth and texture to the story. Also, it’s so satisfying to fill plot holes! I’d much rather polish something that already exists than try to spin a story out of nowhere (and I call myself a writer…). Anyhow, my friend/CP Alison Miller and I decided to set some revision goals for the next month (or two?) and root each other on during the process (mostly because we REALLY want to read each other’s stories!). From time to time, we’ll blog about our progress and encourage each other, and anyone else who wants to join us. How about it? Are you up for NaNoReviseMo?

Also, this cutie pie inspires me every day. She’s so full of smiles and joy. Love her.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

October 23, 2013October 23, 201334 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Fault Line by Christa Desir and posted my Debut Author Challenge write-up HERE. I also read Lauren Myracle’s Shine, which was gripping, beautifully written, and incredibly unique. I loved it. My girlie and I read Dav Pilkey’s The Adventures of Captain Underpants together. She thought it was extraordinary. I thought it was super silly and very clever. Now, I’m rereading one of my favorite childhood books, Just as Long as We’re Together by Judy Blume. Pretty sure the people at my gym are judging me as I read it on the Stair Master, but I don’t care because it’s just as fab as I remember.

What I’m Writing: I love Scrivener. Like, so much. On Sunday, I took a good hard look at my WiP’s format and current outline, and realized that several scenes needed shifting. What would have taken me hours to copy and paste using Word took all of ten minutes to adjust using Scrivener. The cork board is most definitely my new best friend. As well as revising my outline, I wrote somewhere around 4K words over the last week. I have approximately ten scenes left to write before this first draft is done. Mostly, they’re the story’s climax and conclusion, and their pacing should be fast. Hopefully they’ll come easily and I’ll be writing THE END by Halloween. (Holy hell… That would be amazing!)

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Uh, signing up for #SipSwap, that’s what! Last year I had a blast participating in the mug exchange dreamed up by Jessica Love and Kelsey Macke, and I can’t wait to do it again this year.

You should definitely join in on the fun. Sign up HERE.

Over the weekend, we took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. I have a soft spot for the patch we used to visit in Washington, but our California patch, Hollister’s Swank Farms, is truly awesome. We had tons of fun navigating the corn maze, sling-shotting gourds, and picking pumpkins with our friends. Bonus… We ate yummy Mexican food after. 🙂

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Fantastic writing advice from Richard Price… “The bigger the issue, the smaller you write. Remember that. You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying on the road. You pick the smallest manageable part of the big thing, and you work off the resonance.” Amazing, right? Also, this quote from Chuck Palahniuk…

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

October 16, 2013October 15, 201343 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan. While I enjoyed the first half, the second was a little much for my taste. The story took a hard left into urban fantasy territory, which just isn’t my genre of choice. That said, I suspect that if you like stories about magic and evil and curses set in a big city, you’ll enjoy it. Next, I flew through Gayle Forman’s Just One Year, which was one of my most anticipated books of the year. Can I just say… I LOVED THIS STORY SO MUCH. It’s beautiful and moving, the perfect companion for Just One Day. I’ll rave about it more in a future Bookanista post, but for now… *happy sigh* Now, I’m reading Fault Line, written by my brave and brilliant and generous friend Christa Desir. It’s a tough story, but a very important story. I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t already.

What I’m Writing: I made some decent progress on my WiP over the last week, even though my daughter was on a break from school. I made time for writing in the early mornings, at the park, and after bedtime, and managed to rack up nearly six thousand words. I’m currently sitting pretty at about 74,600 words. I’m working on my last big scene, and then I have somewhere between eight and twelve smaller scenes to write. So… someday I will finish.

Surprisingly, the park is a pretty decent workspace.

A tiny excerpt from The Chapter That Nearly Killed Me :: Part of him wanted that now—the racy, no-holds-barred rush of being with Dylan—but the night’s mood was too melancholy for hollow hook-ups. More than anything, Tyler simply wanted her near. He wanted to drape an arm over her shoulders, hold her close, breathe her vanilla-and-nicotine scent, and hear her whispered assurances that life would, somehow, get its shit together.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Oh, yanno. Other than writing and reading and working out and doing endless loads of laundry… Not much.

When my husband and I were in college, we spent Saturday nights drinking cheap beer and watching Cougar football games at Martin Stadium. Now, we watch them on the couch with the two bundles of excitement pictured above. I’ve gotta say… I’d rather be on the couch. ♥

In other news, I baked my very first, totally-from-scratch Apple Pie, and I even used locally grown apples. It turned out so yummy, and it was actually a lot easier than I’d anticipated. I used this recipe for the crust (I employed the food processor method), and this recipe for the apple filling. Recommend!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Everyone knows I love to read (and write!) a good kiss, so of course I loved Jodi Meadow’s post About Kissing Scenes over at Pub(lishing) Crawl, all about why kissing scenes must amp up a story’s tension. Also, a cool post entitled 209 Ways to Describe Touch, which I came across on Pinterest. It’s an awesome source for descriptive sensory words. And finally…

Because I *really* need to remember this as I wind down my first draft.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

October 9, 2013October 8, 201346 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished April Genevieve Tucholke’s debut, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which was unique and twisty, then moved on to Kimberly Derting’s Dead Silence. I’ve loved all of her Body Finder novels, and this one is no exception. These murder mysteries are spooky and super well done, and Jay, the series’ love interest, is adorable. Now I’m reading Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan. It’s a story that requires major suspension of disbelief (spellseekers and cursecasters!), but I’m invested in Stephen and Elizabeth’s story, so I’m not having trouble letting go of my skepticism.

What I’m Writing: Still plugging away at my WiP. I keep thinking the end is in near, but then… my word count keeps climbing. I am a wordy first drafter, that’s for sure, but I’m hoping to wrap up this first phase in the next few weeks so I can tackle the revisions I already know are needed, and then let my CPs take a look. Yesterday I posted about my writing goals for the remainder of the year, if you’re interested in taking a look.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Well, I tried to take my daughter apple picking, but unfortunately the orchard shut down its “you-pick” option two days ago. Mom fail! Luckily, we were able to buy a big bag of already-picked apples, so there’s still an apple pie in my family’s immediate future — yum!

There were pumpkins at the the apple orchard, so the day wasn’t a total bust.

On Saturday, my husband and I headed up to Berkeley to watch our Cougs play Cal. We had such an awesome day! We met up with some friends from college, drank cheap beer, and cheered WSU on to victory even though it was hot, hot, HOT in the stadium. Sometimes it’s fun to pretend we’re still wee college kids. 😉

Sunday morning I had some bananas to use up, so I searched online for a banana-y cookie. I came across a recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies and whipped up a batch. I substituted an extra banana for the stick of butter and threw in some peanut butter chips, and they turned out tasty. Though they do have sugar in them, these cookies have enough healthy ingredients (bananas, peanut butter, oats) to be considered breakfast, too.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A post from agent Jennifer Laughran about common manuscript problems, specifically show-don’t-tell spoilers and rhetorical questions, called Nutshell Spoilers and the Rhetorical No-No. Come revision time, her tips will help me to take an extra critical look at my writing.

Also, one of my daughter’s best school friends is a little girl from Pakistan. Her mom invited me and a few other ladies over for lunch the other day and the food was aMaZiNg. Like, indescribably so. The conversation was fascinating as well. Hearing stories about life in Pakistan was incredibly inspiring and eye-opening. One of my favorite things about Army Life is meeting new people and learning about cultures that are different from my own.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?