Top Ten Tuesday for November 26, 2013

Looking for my PitchWars Mentor Bio? You can find it here. 

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.Check the link to learn more and join the blog hop!

TOP TEN THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR

Among all the things I am thankful for this week, I am most thankful for people. Here are a few without whom I doubt I'd be writing this, much less hoping that you'd actually read it. 

Kimberly P. Chase, in addition to bringing me and my amazing agent together, is a pretty awesome person, and an incredible writer (buy her book, THE APOLLO ACADEMY, now, people. It is so much fun.) Also, she has excellent taste in critique partners. One of the highlights of 2013 for me was getting to chillax together during YALLfest!

Speaking of critique partners, I have a bunch of keepers. You can't have them, but you might some of your own on Scribophile, which is my online writing community. I was pilfered from another online group by a member, and I've never looked back. Echo, Sam, Carolyn, Jay, Jenn, Pinkie, Karyn, Anne, Kimberly, and the rest of you guys, I'm not sure what I'd do without you. I am damn sure I wouldn't be where I am with my writing which is a hell of a lot further than I was a year and a half ago when I joined.

Awesome critique partners occasionally lead to awesome manuscripts which, if all goes well, will lead to kickass agents. Thao Le is one of them. At various points along this journey, she has loved my manuscript more than I do, she's the best cheerleader I could have ever hoped for, and she gives sage advice such as, "it might be taking it a bit too far to behead a major character in your YA manuscript." Fair enough.

I'm not sure how Jolene Haley and I ended up stalking each other, but I'm so glad we did. She gives me awesome books to read before anyone else, lets me rant about them ad nauseum on my blog, and together we have such ridiculous brainshare about all things bookish it's a little scary. Also, she is adorable and super funny.

I'm eternally grateful for Brenda Drake and if you've ever entered one of her contests, you should be, too. There is a TON of work that goes on behind the scenes and Brenda does it all for free. So if you get a chance, thank her. And buy her book when it comes out next year because it sounds BAD ASS.










When I grow up, I'd like to be Megan Miranda. Not only does she write good ish, she's rocket-scientist smart, way nicer than me, and super supportive of the other writers in her life. Also, she bought me a glass of wine at a conference once, which is pretty much guaranteed to put you on the good list in my book.

I don't think I would've gotten page one of IMPERFECTLY FINE written if it weren't for my amazing team of critique partners and beta readers. Susanne and Dawn were two of my first and I was shocked they finished reading my first book at all. Then? Their crazy butts asked for more! Thus, I.F. was born. I miss my T-Dot girls something fierce right now!!

My book loving spawn and her hottie of a father who, despite never reading this blog and therefore never witnessing my calling him a hottie for the whole wide web to see, is incredibly supportive of my writing and all manner of things creative. And adorable, don't you think? Oh yeah, and the kid is pretty cute, too.









Finally, and perhaps most importantly in this forum, I'm thankful to everyone who is reading this. To my tweeps and my scribs, and my blog buddies and everyone else who belongs to the incredible writing world I live in online. You guys rock, and I'm more thankful for you than you know. MWAH!

What are YOU thankful for this week?

What's Up, Wednesday? August 21, 2013

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme brought to you by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. Check out the links to see what other authors are up to.

Hi Peeps! What's up with YOU this week??


WHAT I'M READING

I just finished reading GOING HOME AGAIN by Abby Cavenaugh, and I am honest to blog blown away, you guys. Full disclosure--I'm also very biased because Abs is my peeps IRL, but seriously, this book is so so good. i'm sort of just excited to know someone who wrote something so heartwrenching. If you like adult contemporary romance that is sweet and painful at the same time, check it out. And I'm interviewing Abby on my blog on Friday, so you should check that out, too. =D


WHAT I'M WRITING

Working on author interviews for my blog September and waffling between WIPs at the moment. I need to get really, REALLY excited about a single project, and that's not happening right now, so I'm switching between the four I've got between 30-50K and hoping one of them snags me. So far not so much. Anyone ever been there? How do you get yourself out of this wishy-washy ick? RE: the author interviews if you write New Adult or YA and you've got a book coming out between now and the holidays, hit me up via the contact form in the side bar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>


WHAT ELSE I'M UP TO

This is my first week back to work after my first summer home with the kiddo. Part of me is really happy to not be sitting around the house chasing a one year old after two solid months without a break. Another part feels rather schmoopy about the whole thing. Next week will be MUCH more exciting as my inner-city students get to experience a brand new, state of the art school after being in a 50-year-old not-so-state-of-the-art school that will be demo'ed this weekend. We're talking iPads for all the kids to use, SmartBoards in every classroom, THE WORKS. I cannot wait to feel the new energy along with my kids. Morale is at an all-time-high and it is amazing to be a part of this transition. Times like this I really love my job.

WHAT'S INSPIRING ME

Everything and nothing in particular. Life is good. Writing could be better, but I'm not too frustrated by it (yet.) Still on a WriteOnCon high and holding my breath on other writerly things.



Okay, enough about me. Tell me what's up with YOU???

Top Ten Tuesday--July 23, 2013: Topics that will make me drop a book like a hot pocket.

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. <~~~Click Here to learn more and join the blog hop!

Top Ten Words/Topics 

That Will Make Me NOT Pick Up a Book

10. Any book with a pink cover. I have an aversion to pink. Blame Freud. 

9. Sarah Dessen--not a big fan of formulaic writers in general, but her formula in particular causes my eyeballs to stick to the tops of their sockets. 

8. Straight up bodice-rippers, anything with half naked men on the cover. Give me a story with some originality and plot that is engaging, not that you skim over to get to the sexytimes. 

7. Sparkly vampires. 'Nough. said. *shudder*

6. Faith-based fiction. This has more to do with me than the books. 

5. I used to say sci-fi but I've changed my tune over the last couple years. Love me some YA light sci-fi now. 

4. Left-leaning political books. They remind me of everything people elsewhere hate about Americans. 

God bless The Onion.

3. Self-help books by people with no clinical background. Especially those that have PhDs in, like, math and use them to get people to buy their books on marriage. 

2. Historical fiction. I completely blame Mrs. Storey, my 11th grade AP American History teacher for this. She ruined history for me. 

1. Any book geared toward teen readers that normalizes binge drinking or other substance abuse. 

What book topics do you avoid like a raging case of chlamydia? 

What's Up, Wednesday for July 10, 2013

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme brought to you by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. Check out the links to see what other authors are up to.

What I'm Reading

My "fun" read at the moment is THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater with a side of STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. For my blog reviews I'm tackling ARCs of FAE by C.J. Abedi and SAVING WISHES by G.J. Walker-Smith.

So yeah, reading A LOT at the moment. 

What I'm Writing

I've been playing around with a new Contemporary YA project but I think I need to do some more research first. I'm resisting the call to dig the Book of My Heart out of my trunk, but I'm afraid when I do I'll realize how dreadful it is now that I have some space from it.

What Else I'm Up To

Getting ahead on my blogging for vacation next week and trying to prepare myself emotionally to take my one-year-old on a plane for the first time, by myself, with Disney as one of our destinations. Prayers and advice for how to make air travel with a toddler easier are much appreciated.

Also, today is my Dad's 70th birthday. I'll be celebrating with him in Florida next week. =D Happy Birthday, Dah! 

What Inspires Me

Every week I blog about my inspiration as part of Thursday's Children--which you should totally check out if you're into blog memes (and if you're reading this I suspect you are.) :) I'm always inspired by the insights the other authors share. It's my weekly guaranteed feel-good time, taking the time to read and process everyone's posts. 

Top Ten Tuesday: July 9th--Book to Movie Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. <~~~Click Here to learn more and join the blog hop!

BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATIONS

I'm kind of the worst person ever to tackle this topic because, as a rule, I tend to intensely dislike book to movie adaptations. So much that most of my friends and family now refuse see them with me in an effort to save themselves the lengthy rant that is sure to follow. And I did six of each because I'm incapable of following directions. 

THE TOP 6 WORST ADAPTATIONS OF AWESOME BOOKS

6. Little Women--Remember when Wynona Ryder was a good actress? Yeah, me neither. 

5. Batman Returns--not a specific book, but still, ICK.

4. The Hunger Games--total abuse of POV and I still cannot stand the kid they cast as Peeta, but whatevs. Hoping Catching Fire will be better. 

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas--kick ass costuming and makeup can't cover up terrible acting and directing. 

2. Waterworld--okay, so it's not an adaptation, but it is so, so, so shittastic that any time I talk about the worst movies ever, this has to go on the list. 

1. I, Robot--Because, well, yeah. This horse has been beaten enough.

THE TOP 6 DECENT TO AWESOME ADAPTATIONS OF GREAT BOOKS

6. Bram Stoker's Dracula--Campy as hell in the best way possible. They had me at Gary Oldman. 

5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban--Okay, so I have a thing for Gary Oldman. 

4. X-Men First Class--love me some X-Men and this is my favorite. 

3. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings--If Gary weren't up to his eyeballs in Potter at the time, I'm sure they would have cast him as one of the elves. Have I mentioned I also have a thing for elves? 

2. Hannibal--loved Silence of the Lambs, too, of course, but in my opinion Hannibal was the best of the trilogy, though just a nose-tip better than Red Dragon.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird--classics all around. Thanks, Party Hardy Marty Garty, the best English teacher a smart-assed kid could have ever wanted. **kisses two fingers toward Heaven**

What movie/adaptations do you love, hate, or love to hate? 

Thursdays Children: Inspired by Others' Successes

Thursday's children is a blog meme where writers blog about what inspires them. Click here to join the blog hop!

There has been some good karma on the writerly interwebz in the past couple weeks. Last week, fellow Thursdays Children participant Stacey Lee announced the sale of her book to Putnam which made us all squee like, well, writers who want to get book deals. Since then, a lot of people on my timeline have been sharing good news!

Krista Van Dolzer and Dahlia Adler both announced upcoming book deals. (BTW, if you haven't liked Dahlia's book on Goodreads, you're missing the opportunity to catch mental herpes from her...or something.)

Brenda Drake, goddess of all things interweb pitch related, has joined forces with the incomparable Peter Knapp for new project shenanigans, after her recent cover reveal for Library Jumpers, which I cannot wait to get my grabby hands on!

Megan Miranda, who I still want to be if I ever grow up, announced a new book deal with Walker for 2015 because she apparently does not have enough going on with all her other best-sellers. ;)

AND while I'm writing this blog, I see on Twitter that my "real life" friend Abby Cavenaugh has also gotten a book deal! Abs and I met as non-writers and only learned after the fact that we both have the write stuff. We still have yet to read each others' work, but not much longer now!

As for me, I've been in a holding pattern for a while...it feels like a lot longer than it's actually been. So in times like these when I have to force myself to keep writing, and editing, and contesting, it's exciting to hear things are going well for The Familia. I know that there is light ahead, even if it's merely a pinprick at the moment. In the meantime I have a very growing collection of notes for one doozy of a "how I got my agent" blog post for whenever that might be, and I'm sucking up the inspiration from the rest of ya!

Anyone have good news to share? What's good in your neck of the writerly woods?? What keeps you writing when you feel adrift?

Speaking of success, please drop by again on Friday and join me for the cover reveal of the amazingly talented S.M. Johnston's upcoming New Adult Speculative work, SLEEPER!!

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Top Ten Tuesday (4) 4-30-13: Top Ten Topics that Instantly Make Me PickUp A Book

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. <~~~Click Here to learn more and join the blog hop!

Top Ten Topics That Instantly Make Me ***GRABBY HANDS***

I'll admit it. There are certain things I'm a sucker for: any and all references to Batman, guys with eyes like Sinatra, and unicorns that shit cupcakes. 

Wait...what?

Here are the top ten topics that when I find YA books about them, I MUST MUST read them immediately.

10. Anything that references Shakespeare. Because, ya know, it's FUCKING SHAKESPEARE, YO!

9. GLBTQ characters: I think sexual identity is such a hugely mis- and underrepresented topic in YA. I know it takes years to get from query to publication but it still feels to me like traditional publication is decades behind in this topic.

8. Dystopian YA--So bummed that it's on its way out. I'm a total sucker for dystopians. Especially if they have a more realistic/possible twist to them.

7. "John Green"--Beyond being a total John Green fan girl I will also read anything he mentions on twitter or stamps with his approval. It's the whole reason I picked up Eleanor and Park, which incidentally should be on every single person's TBR list if you haven't picked it up yet.

6. Performing Arts--If the MC is a dancer, singer, actor, musician I must read it. Always looking for recommendations in this area.

5. Latina YA--Another underrepresented minority in YA lit. Have a couple on my TBR list right now I cannot wait to read!

4. Atypical Family Dynamics that ARE NOT the book's focus--my favorite thing about Lola and the Boy Next Door is how non-issue it is that she has 2 dads. It's mentioned. It's a subplot point, but it's not the entire focus on the book. I think when we make sexual identity an "issue" then that's what it becomes. And, really, kids with atypical families get enough of that at school.

3. Mental Illness or Psychology--whether it's a story about depression like It's Kind of a Funny Story (which was pretty good) or a psychological thriller like Fracture (which was amazeballs) I love books that make us think about how we think...and that bring to light our cognitive dysfunctionality.

2. Substance Abuse--Because it's such a huge part of my own writing I like to stay on top of how other writers portray the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in their work. Though it often makes me ranty. Two masters' degrees and too many years of experience in the trenches will do that to you. It's really probably better for the community when I leave these puppies on the shelf, but yeeeeeeah, I just can't.

1. An MC with a Disability--Although this goes hand in hand with #4. Don't show me a kid dying of cancer. Show me a kid surviving it. Show me a character who won't be defined by his/her limitations. That's the stuff of real life inspiration.

Got any recommendations in these categories? I'd love to hear them! What are the hot topics you can't leave on the shelf?

Top Ten Tuesday (2): Kick Ass Heroines

I feel wrong beginning any post without mentioning my city, Boston, and all that has happened there in the last twenty-four hours. I will come back to that on Thursday for my Thursday's Children post. I feel like it's too soon to blog on that subject. For now, my thoughts and prayers are with those who have experienced hurt or grief or fear today.

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Tuesday Rewind: Top Ten Kick Ass Heroines

10. Delaney Maxwell--Fracture by Megan Miranda
A little biased because I absolutely adore Megan as a person, but I had yet to meet her when I read Fracture. I love how Delaney fights for what she believes but isn't afraid to ask for help if she needs it.

9. Cinder--Cinder by Marissa Meyer
As someone who couldn't be paid enough to perform an oil change, I have instant respect for this gadget girl. I was pulling for her right away. Looking forward to reading Scarlet soon.

8. Scout Finch--To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I love how Lee shows Jean Louise's growth throughout the story. She is so authentic and tangible, funny, and strong.

7. Tris Prior--Divergent series by Veronica Roth
I originally had Tris in the number one spot but changed my mind. There's no question Tris kicks ass, both literally and figuratively, but there were times in Insurgent when her martyrdom got to be too much for me. I reserve the right to change my mind back after reading the infuriatingly still unnamed Book 3. :)

6. America Singer--The Selection by Kiera Cass
I love that she chooses herself above boys and stands her ground. Really looking forward to getting my paws on the sequel this month!

5. Karou--Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Beyond loving Karou's story, I adore how she refuses to accept societal rules and pressures about who she should love and respect. Another series I am dying to finish already!


4. Katniss Everdeen--The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Katniss is the ultimate kickass heroine. She is humble, fierce, and loyal, and she insists on thinking critically rather than accepting things on blind faith. She has just the right amount of self-loathing and lack-of-awareness that makes her a great heroine for teen readers.


3. Amy--Across the Universe series by Beth Revis
I don't think Amy is a typical kickass heroine but I love her anyway. And I love that Amy is a girl and yet is the strongest character in the series. Her growth throughout from victim to heroine is what made her story so wonderful and real to read.

2. Hermione Granger--Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
Beyond the fact that her name *looks* like heroine, I don't think there's any argument that Hermione kicks some serious fictional ass, even if she isn't the MC. True to her Gryffindor status, she stands up to trolls and Death Eaters, packs some hardcore wand heat (though she is an insufferable know-it-all), and isn't afraid to fight for what she believes in, even if it puts her on the opposite side of the line from her very best friends.

1. Hazel Grace Lancaster--The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I love Hazel's authentic and refreshing attitude toward her experience with cancer. I love how she falls for Augustus "the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once." It's so rare to see a female character as strong as her in Contemporary YA. Hazel NEVER forgets to be awesome!!

Who are your favorite YA Heroines?

Thursday's Children: 14 Things I'm Glad I Didn't Know at 14

Thursday's Children is a Meme where writers join together to blog about the things that inspire them. Click here to find out more and join the blog hop!

Earlier this week #14me was a trending topic on Twitter--messages people would send to their teen selves or things that they wish they knew when they were fourteen. But I think that one of the best things about being a teenager is the newness of it all. The first kiss, the first love, the first time behind the wheel of a car....well, for me that happened a smidge before I was a teenager, but that's between me, my dad and the parking lot of Lake Brantley High School

The bad stuff was important, too, though. And I think the growth that occurs through learning during painful times is probably the most important part of being a teen. In the immortal words of Alanis Morissette--goddess of all things angsty and teenage--You live, you learn.

So instead of listing the things I wish I'd known, here are some things I'm glad I didn't know when I was fourteen.

1. Bullying doesn't end when you leave high school.

2. Your first love will not be your greatest love.

3. Related to #2, you will never love anyone the same way as you love your first love. Not that you will love everyone else less, just differently.

4. Look to your left. Look to your right. Ninety percent of these people will not be your friends in five years. The ones who will aren't the ones you expect, and you will be grateful for that.

5. That thing you totally know your parents are completely wrong about? Yeeeeah, they're right.

6. The dream job that inspires you to bust your ass in high school, apply for every scholarship possible, and kick ass and take names in college so you can get into a good graduate school? You will be completely burned out on that job thirteen years later and ready to move on to an entirely different career that your ass-busting in no way prepared you for.

7. Your life will not end if you don't go to that party/dance/adventure/concert with your friends. (This is a lesson I still struggle with sometimes.)

8. You think you're tired now...

9. That thing you and your friends used to do where you'd take two cassette recorders and put them face to face so you could copy a bootlegged concert for yourself? There will be far less ghetto ways to do that in the future. Too bad you will REALLY frown upon it and come to believe that it actually is stealing.

10. Everything you think you know about government and politics is wrong. Everything. No, that, too.

11. People your age are mere mortals and just as susceptible to death as your grandparents.

12. Oooh, honey. The perm and the poofy, poodle-looking bangs? It's not nearly as attractive as you think.

13. There will come a time when standing up for what you believe in will cost you a lot of friends and it will hurt like hell.Championing underdogs can sometimes make you an underdog yourself.

14. Some questions have no good answers, no matter how hard you search for them.

Random side note: I was looking for pictures of me at 14 to include with this post and decided to google my maiden name. This was the first picture that came up, which is hilarious if you know what a complete John Green fangirl I am. (And no my maiden name is not John or Green or anything remotely related to John Green.)

Of course, this image also came up...

So...yeah.

What are some things you're glad you didn't know when you were fourteen?

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Top Ten Tuesday! (1)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish to celebrate the love of lists and books! Follow the link (above) to learn more and join the blog hop! 

Top Ten Books I Read Before I Was a Blogger

I've been half-assedly blogging since I was in college (which was too long ago now to discuss) but I only began blogging about books about a year ago. I try to read at least 50 YA books a year now, but before I started blogging, I was kind of a slacker. Here are the top ten books that got me rejuvenated about YA, books, and blogging.

10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Everything I love about lighthearted YA Contemp

9. Evermore by Alyson Noel
This book surprised me. I wanted to read it critically because I have this instinct to dislike undefined paranormal fantasy, but I really liked this book. Gobbled up the whole series in a couple weeks.

8. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
It's like Twilight only better and with redeemable characters. After reading this I couldn't say I hate paranormal anymore.

7. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Magical Realism at it's finest. So, so good. Love her!!

6. Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi
Super fun middle grade read. I was surprised how much I loved this book . Broke down and bought a hard copy last week!


5. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
The book that started it all--that gave me permission to write YA the way I want to write it.

4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
I loved the first book, too, but this was the best in the series in my opinion

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
I love the whole series and have re-read them all at least a dozen times, but Azkaban has always been my favorite.





2. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
If you ever want to read a book that illustrates perfectly the importance of an opening hook, this is the one. Such an incredible series. Beth is Awesomesauce!!

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth
I love dystopians. It is my absolute favorite genre to read, and this series is the best of the best.



Alright, kids, what are the Top Ten Books you read before you started blogging? Or if you don't blog, what books would you blog about if you did?

Thursday's Children: Firsts

Thursday's Children is a meme where writers share their inspirations. Click here to learn more and join the blog hop!

For Spring Break, we went on our first family vacation since my daughter was born. We explored Savannah and took her to the beach for the first time. The most fascinating part of motherhood so far is watching her experience all these firsts. Her first word ("hi!"), her first smile and giggle, her first taste of each new food (and all the hilarious faces that follow.)

I think that's why writing for children is so much fun. You get to explore life's firsts in depth, maybe even in a way you never bothered to appreciate them yourself. You can even write about firsts you never had, for whatever reason.

In my new Camp NaNoWriMo WIP, my MC is a fiercely competitive collegiate swimmer. I've never participated in any sort of competitive sport myself, so researching this projectallowed me to imagine all sorts of things I never personally got to experience as a teen. If you write sci-fi or fantasy, you're writing about things no real person has ever experienced. And as she gets older, I'm sure some of Calliope's firsts will find their way into my pages, too. 

For now I'm just a happy sidekick in all her new baby experiences. And next time when we take her to the beach, hopefully it won't be so cold. Be gone, actual tears! Be gone!

What are some firsts you've enjoyed writing about, even if you never experienced them yourself?

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NaNoWriMo Wrap Up and Pitch Wars!

So, on November 18th, I was getting downhearted about my querying experience, feeling like maybe I wasn't quite ready, but not really sure what to do next. I was flipping around on my external hard drive (because that's what nerdy girls do when they're feeling disheartened about their nerdliness) and I found notes for a manuscript I never got around to writing.

So I started NaNoWriMo. With only 12 days to go.

Well...

Woot! Woot!

It's probably complete rubbish. I'll most likely not use any of it. But I just needed to take a break from querying and from a manuscript I adore but I've been beating my head against for the past seven months, and I just wanted to BE CREATIVE.

I did. And I'm glad. Because, really, even if all you get is a little jpeg to put up on your blog, winning? Feels awesome.

Now I can sleep for all of December right?

WRONG! (Well, hopefully.) If you write YA, NA or Adult fiction, have a finished manuscript, but lack an agent, and you haven't checked out #PitchWars on Twitter or around the writing blogisphere, you are missing a seriously awesomesauce opportunity. Go check it out!

It's the Blog that loses...

...when you have to narrow down the things you have time for. Seems like what little time I have for writing I should probably invest in...well...writing, at least for now.Since Calliope's been home, things have been crazy like a Britney Spears song. I am, however, trying to keep up with my Sex, Drugs, and YA Fiction blog as much as possible, so I hope you'll all follow me over there and participate in the dialogue.

You can also find me on the Twitter.

**head baby monitor** And I'm off again. Catch you on the flipside!

Writing & Motherhood

As some of you know, I celebrated Mother's Day this year by becoming a Mom.

For now Calliope is in the NICU, trying to catch her gestational age up to her actual age. I'm learning all kinds of things I never expected to have to know about preemies and trying not to be terrified of the day she comes home.

To distract myself, I've started querying (again), re-working a manuscript that's been collecting dust in my proverbial trunk (still), and also started brainstorming/plotting a new project (oy vey, another one?).

I'm not a masochist, I swear. I'm just trying to get ahead, because I know that in the months (and years) to come, my writing time will be at a premium. Especially once I go back to my day job.

So I'm looking for the advice of my wiser, more experienced writing friends. How do you balance motherhood (or fatherhood) with writing? Especially when you have to work another job to make ends meet in the meantime?

Meanwhile, does anyone have a time machine or two extra hands I can borrow?

The 3six5

Today was my guest blog on The 3six5. An awesome opportunity for bloggers and budding authors if you haven't heard of it. Check it out HERE

Confetti in my Shoes

As a school counselor, I’m just as stoked as my students when that final school bell rings on June 10^th. A month and some odd days later I see two themes on my Twitter/Facebook/Google+ timelines today. Teachers and students mourn the end of the summer they feel is coming too soon. The parents (and spouses) I follow are counting the days until their loved ones go back to class (or work).

We all spend a lot of time counting down and looking back, don’t we?

As a student of human behavior, I compulsively read between the lines. I look for clues and messages, often where none exist. Today the message I’m getting is to enjoy the moment.

In the past twenty-four hours I took in the last of six summer concerts, all given by the same band that I’ve been in love with since I was ten years old. I ate my first chocolate chip pancake in about fifteen years at Waffle House with a woman I’m lucky enough to call one of my best friends and a new friend with whom I’m hoping to share future adventures. I drove all night to find my husband waiting up for us when we pulled into the driveway at 4:30 in the morning. Then I slept in late, ate entirely too much sushi for lunch, and vegged out on the couch for the rest of the day. Tonight I watched my husband attempt to classically condition our black lab to believe that whenever she whines at bunnies in the yard it causes thunder. I don’t think it went nearly as well as he hoped.

Today, I laughed…a lot.

There’s a lot to be stressed about right now. My career hangs in the balance like every other school board employee I know, and the prospects look grim. It’s hotter than Hades outside, family health issues run amuck, and Norway reminds us that no one is safe.

Tomorrow’s not guaranteed, and while I have plans and hopes and dreams for future days, I’m content with this moment. More than content, I’m eternally grateful for the confetti in my shoes.

A Minute, Some Gnocchi, and a Couple of Cats

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry for neglecting you.

A writer in my critique group, whilst kicking my ass about my MS, also gave me the verbal beatdown about neglecting my interwebz. I guess the problem is I typically blog for one of two reasons: One? I'm really fired up about something that pissed me off on Twitter. Two? I'm really pissed off about something else.

The problem is I haven't had much to be pissed about lately. My job situation remains ambivalent, but that's been the status quo so long now that it feels like normal rather than causing me much anxiety. My marriage is fucking fantastic. I cut the yuck off my Twitter timeline this spring, so Twitter has become a happy place, and in the real world, I have some amazing friends that I've been blessed to spend a great deal of time with lately. And after satisfying my wanderlust with a six city mini-tour, my Kids are looping their way back to me later this month.

So here I am, nestled between two of our three cats wondering when I stopped being a dog person. Not much of a blog there. I'm watching The Depahted and missing my city, but I just got back from Boston three weeks ago, and I think I'm still semi-permanently drunk on Mike's Pastry and Saraceno's gnocchi.

I ain't got shit to bitch about. Except maybe Jack Nicholson's piss poor Bostonian accent. So today, I leave you with a promise to blog more often (even if it's a Seinfeld-esque blog about nothing) and a funny...