Currently…

November 3, 2015November 3, 201512 Comments

(I plan to do a “Currently…” post every other Tuesday. You should join me! Find the origins of the idea HERE.)

Loving

My new Nikes, which I’ve been eyeing for months. Chestnut Praline Lattes with coconut milk, ’cause everything’s better with coconut milk. Erin Condren notebooks — since I’m going with an InkWell Press Planner in 2016 (!!!), I used my stockpile of EC credits to score a notebook and several dividers, and I’m going to use it to record family recipes. Finally, Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting — so yummy!

Reading

I recently finished Violent Ends, an anthology about a school shooting which totally blew me away. Find my review and an opportunity to win a copy of your own HERE. Last night I finished The Game Plan by Kristin Callihan, the recently released third book in her Game On series, which I’m kind of obsessed with. A smutty good time. 😉 Now I’m reading Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers, which is excellent so far.

Watching

Parks and Recreation. Sitcoms aren’t usually my thing, but this one… I’ve been watching compulsively, and ~literally~ every episode makes me laugh. Plus, they’re short, easy to fit in while I’m folding laundry or cleaning a bathroom. (My life is so glam.)

Listening To

I 💜 Echosmith!

Thinking About

My WiP, a contemporary YA set in Northern Virginia/DC. It’s been extra fun to draft because I’ve taken myself on a few field trips to visit some of the locations where scenes are set. For example, the Washington National Cathedral, which is gorgeous. My WiP’s hovering right around 30K, and I’m currently brainstorming fun and unexpected ways to move it forward.
Anticipating

November 15th, the last day readers can leave ratings and comments on their favorite Swoon Reads stories to help give them a shot at publication. After the 15th, Swoon Reads editors will start reading and considering… All the nerves! (Find my story, Kissing Max Holden, HERE.)

Related… A reader at Swoon Reads recently left the loveliest comment on Kissing Max Holden — totally made my day. An excerpt from her review: This seems like it wasn’t written to impress anyone. No ego in it – just humanity in all its joyous and shattering pieces.

Wishing

That I could relive this night! I met Judy Blume, guys, and she was wonderful. So sweet and enthusiastic and encouraging and inspirational. She was exactly the woman I’ve imagined over the nearly thirty years that I’ve been a fan. ❤

Making Me Happy

Sip Swap is approaching! I’ve signed up for this super fun writers’ mug exchange hosted by Kelsey Macke and Jessica Love — have you?!

What’s currently making YOU happy?

NaNo Update #8

November 30, 2012November 30, 201243 Comments

Oh, hey. Remember when I won NaNoWriMo?

Yep, yesterday I crossed the 50,000 word mark, which still feels sort of surreal and very unbelievable.

November has been a month, let me tell you. Some crazy stuff has gone down recently (stuff I’ll probably blog about next week), and for a while there, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to finish this NaNo thing. But, ~~peer pressure~~ community support is a beautiful thing, and I did not want to let down the awesome people who’ve spent all month cheering for me. I didn’t want to disappoint my husband and my daughter, who have been enthusiastically rooting me on (though neither of them gets that you don’t actually win, like, a trophy or money or whatever). And then there was my stubborn conscience and that pesky internal voice that wouldn’t shut up until I met my word count goal every. Single. Day.

That is why my word count bar graph looks so pretty and harmonious. I know myself, and if I would have fallen behind, there’s no way I would have had the motivation to catch back up.

So, that’s my NaNo tip, the one piece of advice I’d offer to anyone who felt crazy enough to give 50K words in 30 days a shot: Be consistent. Write every day. Bank words if you know you’ve got a busy weekend coming up, but still, try to up your count (at least a little) each day. Do NOT fall behind. Do NOT give up.

I feel it’s important to mention that my draft is not done. I’ve still got about 25K-30K to go, and then there’ll be plenty of revising to tackle. But National Novel Writing Month got my little story idea off the ground, gave it a heart and a life of its own, and now that I’m in deep, I know I’ll finish it. I love my characters too much to desert them now!

A big shout out and hearty congratulations to everyone else who has successfully completed NaNoWriMo, especially The English Badass Liz Parker, who somehow became my pace buddy over the course of the month and “won” yesterday too!

In other fun news, I got the coolest “K” mug from Kelsey Macke, my Sip Swap match. It’s big and has a graceful handle and is a lovely cerulean color inside. I adore it! And doesn’t Kelsey have the coolest stationary? Love!

Finally, I must wish the happiest of birthdays to my mom. She reads my blog and comments occasionally, and she’s about as supportive and amazing as they come. Happy birthday, Mom! I love you!

So, that’s my BIG Friday news. I’ve got lots of awesome on deck for next week, too, including an interview with a very savvy friend who’s got experience in all the major areas of publishing, as well a Bookanista recommendation of one of my favorite contemporaries of the year.

Have a fantastic weekend, lovelies!