A Saturday Quote

Quick Update

Hey everyone! I haven't been abducted by aliens or deserted on a desert island. I'm still here. Busy, but still here. How is everyone? Anything new and exciting I've missed?

I want to say thank you to everyone who has signed up so far for the Dust It Off Bloghop. It was such an awesome feeling to see the numbers go up.

I also want to say a huge thanks to Mark Koopmans! I came in second place for his Got Green Bloghop! How cool is that! My first win on a bloghop! I'm not going to lie, I was clapping and doing a little twist in my chair.

Not much else to say except for one little thing. I got a job! My degree will finally be put to use. And while I will miss my days spent reading, writing, bloghoping, wasting time on Twitter, I am happy to get out of my apartment and rejoin the real world where I can talk to real people and not just my fish.

Next week I should have more interesting posts. For now I just wanted to say I'm still here.

The Dust It Off Bloghop Official Dates!!!

A few weeks ago I announced the Dust It Off Bloghop that I am hosting along with the amazing Cortney Pearson. We realized almost instantly our dates overlapped with the A-Z Challenge. And I thought I did my research. Okay so we have changed the dates to May 3rd, 5th and 7th! I hope you all can partake. We would love to get little glimpses into the WIP's you had to put back on the shelf.

Please sign up below. And if you already signed up, please do so again. I had to change the dates on the linky list and the old one is no longer good. Sorry about that. Then you can head over to Kelley and/or Emily King's blog and sign up for their awesome bloghop. The Oh, Those High School Dances Bloghop. That is one I cannot wait for.

The details for the Dust It Off Bloghop:

I am so excited! Me along with the lovely Cortney Pearson are having our first Bloghop!!! The Dust It Off Bloghop will be three days, May 3rd, 5th and 7th. I'm trying to contain my excitement and write a coherent post, so here it goes.

We've all had those manuscripts that we poured our heart into, fell in love with the characters and still think of them at random, but unfortunately had to shelf. Now it's time for a little spring cleaning. Take out those manuscripts and Dust It Off!

The first day, May 3rd: We want you to post a 1-2 sentence pitch (Great way to practice pitches) about the shelved WIP. 

The second day, May 5th:  Post your favorite excerpt (300-350 words)

The third day, May 7th: Post what you learned from this WIP. You become a stronger, more rounded writer which each manuscript and we want to know what this particular work taught you.

You can participate in all three and we hope you do, but you don't have to. We know you have lives away from the computer. If you can great. If not we'd be happy with anything you can give us :)

A bloghop would not be complete without prizes and for this bloghop there will be 6! Yes 6 prizes. Cortney and I will each pick a winner from each day.

Day 1 prize: 
A book. Who doesn't like a free book?
Cortney's Book: Ditched by Robin Mellom (I'm already jealous of the winner. I am dying to read it)
My book: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Andersen

Day 2 prize:
A query critique

Day 3 prize:
A FULL MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE!!! (And of course it is the manuscript of your choice. It doesn't have to be for the shelved WIP. This goes for the query as well.)

We'd love for you to follow us. Of course it is not a requirement, but I always follow back ;) Sign up below and please spread the word :) (And this is my first time doing the linky thing. If you have any problems please let me know!)

I can't wait!!!!

And don't forget to grab the badges for both bloghops and post them around :)

Closet Cleaning and Editing.

Last week I began to clean out my closet. For some people this may be a nothing thing. Something they do once a year. For me this never happens. My boyfriend tells me I hoard clothes. He once told me he was going to come home to an avalanche of clothes on the closet floor and I'd be under it, an Ugg boot sticking out. I always told him he was overreacting until I dove in head first, literally. I tripped over a pocketbook and went tumbling in. The disaster I was faced with seemed much worse from the disaster I was pretending it not to be. I have a picture. I'm a little mortified by it, but we're all friends here.

This is one tiny section. My closet is six and a half by five and a half. A dream come true to a girl who grew up in a bedroom that was only nine by nine. However, my amazing closet I couldn't wait to have, isn't doing any good for me by being completely filled to the brim with clothes I should have thrown out a long time ago. The avalanche of jeans at the top consist of forty five pairs. Yes forty five pairs of jeans and this does not include dress pants, skirts, corduroys, shorts, capris, cargo pants, you get the picture. I have jeans from seventh grade. My excuse: they still fit. But just because they fit doesn't mean I should keep them.

Three garbage bags later, and I will admit not one single pair of jeans made it into those bags, and I walked away for the day. I got to the point where I was saying things like, "But I just got rid of so much, I can keep this." "It might come back in style." "It'll fit me again one day." I've been saying this for years. I have a hard time letting go. I hold on to everything. I'm afraid of change and I'm afraid to just give in to my instincts. But when I tossed (donated) three garbage bags full of clothes I felt amazing. I was so relieved to just get rid of the stuff that has been weighing down the vision of my perfect closest. It was liberating and now I have room for clothes that I want to wear instead of clothes I look at and know I will never choose. You're probably wondering what does this have to do with writing. A lot actually.

I've been editing a few of my manuscripts and I've come to realize I edit the way I clean out my closet. I'm so scared to scrap an entire page, can't even think of an entire chapter, I hold back and make excuses for why I think it works just because I'm terrified of deleting something I worked so hard on. The funny thing. I know I'm not doing myself any favors. I know if I give in and go for it, the outcome will be satisfying and I will be so pleased with it. So why am I still holding back?

I need to change my mindset. If something doesn't fit or if something doesn't make you look your best get rid of it. It clears out the mediocre and clears the way for the spectacular.I need to keep repeating this.

The pair of jeans that I left in my closet because hey maybe they will fit me better one day is the same thing as me leaving the paragraph that does nothing for my story. Just because it sounds pretty or I remember writing it, doesn't mean it should stay. It's so easy to say it. The hard part is following through and actually hitting that delete button. I'm going to work on it.

What's your editing style? Do you hit delete with a vengeance? Or are you like me? Scared to let go?

Got Green Bloghop

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone. In honor of St. Patty's day Mark Koopman is hosting the Got Green Bloghop. Hop over to his blog, check it out and become a follower!

The details:
What does St. Patty's Day mean to you?
I'd love to hear your Irish stories. What your traditions are? What do you cook? What are your favorite memories, or future plans to visit the Emerald Isle?

My favorite St. Patty’s Day memory is easy. When I was in kindergarten we left the classroom like we always did for lunch. We pushed our chairs in and formed a single file line as the teacher escorted us to the cafeteria. On our return, the classroom was not how we left it. The pushed in chairs were pulled out, some placed on top of our tables others laid on their sides. Gold glitter was sprinkled across the floor and green shamrocks were placed in various places around the room. A note on the chalkboard advised us that a Leprechaun stopped by and hid a Pot O’ Gold and we had to find it. It was filled with gold chocolate coins that we got to take home to our parents along with the coolest story ever about how a Leprechaun came to visit. 

I used to celebrate St. Patty’s Day twice a year. My parents have their boat at a marina/restaurant and have been a part of this marina for twenty years. The owners are Irish, but since boating season doesn’t start until after St. Patty’s Day they always celebrated it in July. On the deck they would have Irish step dancers, bagpipe players and an Irish Rock band who sang drinking songs while holding their beers up high.  Every year we would go with my grandparents and have a traditional Irish meal. My grandfather had red hair, fair skin, freckles, the brightest blue eyes, his nickname his whole life was ‘Red’ and he was Irish and absolutely loved his heritage. I always sat with him and watched as he downed one of the strongest Irish coffees I have ever come in contact with and the smile that would permanently form on his face. When he passed away I stopped going. It just wasn’t the same. 

Today on the actual St. Patty’s Day I will be doing what I have done for the past several years. I will be spending the day at my boyfriend’s parent’s house celebrating not only the holiday, but his mother, Patty’s, birthday as well. It’s her birthday, but she will be cooking corn beef and cabbage (which I will politely decline as I do every year. Sorry just not my thing), we will hang out with family and throw back a few beers. For me it’s perfect. 

What are your St. Patty’s Day Traditions? And if you don’t have any, it’s never too late to start making some :) 

I can’t wait to hop around, but I will have to do so later when I get home. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone. Have fun and be safe!

The Dust It Off Bloghop!!!

My Newest Blog post is beneath this. Blogger is giving me a hard time today. For the Lucky 7 Meme post please scroll below. 

 

It was brought to my attention that this bloghop is scheduled at the same time as another. Oops. And I thought I did my research. Stay tuned for the new dates. If you know of any upcoming bloghops please note them in the comment section so we can schedule around them. Thank you!!!!!

 I am so excited! Me along with the lovely Cortney Pearson are having our first Bloghop!!! The Dust It Off Bloghop will be three days, the dates are to be announced. I'm trying to contain my excitement and write a coherent post, so here it goes.

We've all had those manuscripts that we poured our heart into, fell in love with the characters and still think of them at random, but unfortunately had to shelf. Now it's time for a little spring cleaning. Take out those manuscripts and Dust It Off!

The first day, we want you to post a 1-2 sentence pitch (Great way to practice pitches) about the shelved WIP. 

The second day,  post your favorite excerpt (300-350 words)

The third day, post what you learned from this WIP. You become a stronger, more rounded writer which each manuscript and we want to know what this particular work taught you.

You can participate in all three and we hope you do, but you don't have to. We know you have lives away from the computer. If you can great. If not we'd be happy with anything you can give us :)

A bloghop would not be complete without prizes and for this bloghop there will be 6! Yes 6 prizes. Cortney and I will each pick a winner from each day.

Day 1 prize: 
A book. Who doesn't like a free book?
Cortney's Book: Ditched by Robin Mellom (I'm already jealous of the winner. I am dying to read it)
My book: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Andersen

Day 2 prize:
A query critique

Day 3 prize:
A FULL MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE!!! (And of course it is the manuscript of your choice. It doesn't have to be for the shelved WIP. This goes for the query as well.)

We'd love for you to follow us. Of course it is not a requirement, but I always follow back ;) Sign up below and please spread the word :) (And this is my first time doing the linky thing. If you have any problems please let me know!)

I can't wait!!!!

The Lucky 7 Meme

Thanks to the awesome Rachel Pudelek over at A Rainy Day Writer In the Evergreen State as well as Colin Smith who is also full of awesome (If you're not following them, what are you waiting for? You just have to click the link and follow the awesomeness.)  

I was tagged in the Lucky 7 Meme. I've been seeing so many people participate and have really enjoyed reading all the excerpts. And now I get my turn *claps to myself* *looks around to make sure no one saw that*

The rules are: 

1) Go to page 77 or your current MS
2) Go to line 7
3) Copy down the next 7 lines as they're written--no  cheating
4) Tag 7 other writers
5) Let them know


Because I have a gajillion (Is that a word? It should be) WIP's I decided to go with Discovering the Real Millie. Of course it's the part right before sh*t hits the fan. Happy reading. (I wish I could put 77 lines instead of 7, but rules are rules.)

For a little setup: Millie is in 1925 mistaken for her great grandmother and is having a discussion with her great-great grandfather. (Confused yet?)

"...So I need you to understand that everything I do is because I love you.” He pulled at the collar of his shirt. Millie could see the beads of sweat forming on his brow.

“Yes and I love you for that,” Millie said, feeling those would be the words her great-grandmother would have chosen.

With a slight curve of his lip he nodded. “Great things are about to happen for us. Great things. Now let’s get back to the party. We wouldn’t want to keep them waiting now would we?” He straightened his tie, took the handkerchief out of his pocket, wiped his forehead and stood up from the chair.

It gets really crazy after this....Anywho...My turn to tag 7 people. (I know this has been making the rounds. If you already have been tagged sorry, my memory sucks)

1. Becky @ Once Upon A Time
2. Robin Moran @ The Nook
3. Cortney Pearson @ Writer by Day Mommy Always
4. Julianna Haygert @ JuliannaHaygert.com
5. Suzi @ Literary Engineer
6. Daisy Carter @ Fresh as a Daisy
7. Sara @ Cutest Landing

Cover Reveal for Rachel Harris' My Super Sweet 16th Century!!!

I'm super excited because I get to help reveal the awesome cover for Rachel Harris' My Super Sweet 16th Century. As soon as I read about this book on Goodreads.com I wanted to read it. Before I reveal the cover and an exclusive excerpt *squeals* let me tell you a little about the book.

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

Now without any further ado the cover for My Super Sweet 16th Century:

 Isn't it Amazing!!! I can't wait to read it. Italy! Renaissance! Cute Boy! Awesome! And as promised the exclusive excerpt:

Alessandra jerks back like I just suggested she prance around the square naked or something. “No! I believe I understand your meaning, and Lorenzo is certainly not my suitor. He is like a brother to me—the three of us grew up together.”

She resumes walking and I fall in step beside her, understanding there has to be more to the story. And as we near the end of the row, I finally ask, “If you’re not into the guy, then what’s the problem?”

At that same moment, a rich, deep chuckle hits my ears. My stomach involuntarily clenches and my gaze sharpens on the back of this mysterious Lorenzo.

Alessandra sighs. “That is the problem.” She places her hand on my arm and solemnly looks me in the eyes. “You must be careful. Lorenzo is beautiful, and it is not uncommon for a girl to walk away from meeting him with a piece of her heart left behind. But he is just eighteen, and not yet ready for marriage.”

I roll my eyes and laugh, then realize she’s serious. “Yeah, I assure you, there’s no danger on my end. I’m not exactly looking for marriage myself.” Because that would be crazy-town.

Alessandra wrinkles her nose as if she doesn’t believe me, but she removes her hand. We close the distance and Cipriano flashes me an open, honest to goodness, lighthearted smile.

“Lorenzo, this is the cousin I was telling you about.”

Slowly the guy turns and I fall head first into the richest chocolate-brown eyes I’ve ever seen. He blinks and long, luscious lashes feather across his bronzed cheeks. I can feel myself gawking, but I physically can’t drag my eyes away. Lorenzo doesn’t smirk or act all conceited, either. He simply stares back, his eyes casually skimming over me, causing my skin to warm and break out in a whole body tingle.

Time seems to stop, and the sounds of the market mute. Alessandra was right. This boy is beautiful.

And he’s looking at me.

Now mark your calendars for September 11th 2012.  It's also available for pre-order on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads!
  And Be sure to connect with Rachel and congratulate her at any of the following:
www.RachelHarrisWrites.com
www.twitter.com/@RachelHarrisYA
www.facebook.com/RachelHarrisYA
www.goodreads.com/RachelHarris

A Saturday Quote

Today is WIP The Movie Bloghop!!!

I'm so excited! This is going to be so much fun! Today's hop is hosted by Kyra Lennon at Write Here Write Now and Rachel at Writing on the Wall.

Have you ever fantasized about your book being turned into a movie? (If you say no, I might call you a liar.) It's fun to think about. So, we want you to make your movie.

Here are the rules:
Cast at least one character from your book, and post a picture of him or her on your blog.
Post at least one song that would be on the soundtrack.

I decided on my book Displaced Hearts. I always like to have a little background when I read about other people's work so a quick summary of the book:  

Liz Wagner's sure the world is ending when her ex, Zach, moves back to town, but when a shooting sends Liz's brother to the hospital and emotional turmoil renders Liz useless, Zach is the only thing that keeps her world from falling apart.

Hmm.. For Liz I would actually say, Shailene Woodley. With her brown hair and blonde highlights, lingering summer tan and hazel eyes with green specks she's a perfect Liz.

                                      

Zach. Hmm... After much searching the only guy that can come close enough to my vision of Zach is Jean Luc Bilodea:

Liz's best friend Sadie was based on a younger version of Aishwarya Rai Bachan, a Bollywood Actress. (I'm obsessed with her eyes):

And last is Josh, Liz's brother and a big part of the book. I'd say Alexander Ludwig in this picture.

Now the soundtrack. Since it's about a couple who are no longer together, but obviously both still have feelings for one another, even if a particular someone acts as if she can't stand him. lol. The best song for the soundtrack would be:

What Would My Sixteen Year Old Self Think?

The other day I hung out with one of my best friends who I have known since the ninth grade. Both of us lost our jobs and are currently trying to figure out what's next. We both came to the same conclusion, we don't want to settle. I spent ten years at a job that I didn't love and I don't want to do that again. I want to wake up and be happy to start my day, not dread it. More importantly during this conversation I asked him what would our sixteen year old selves think of us now. We both laughed because we knew each other better than ourselves and the words didn't even need to be said out loud. Our sixteen year old selves would be disappointed.

We always had big dreams. Huge. Indestructible was our mentality and nothing was going to stop us. The world was an open floor plan and we were going to conquer it. We were going to build a life of adventure that would lead to success.

My dream was to travel the world. Work (possibly for a magazine) and live in NYC and go to work dressed in the latest designer fashions. I'd have late night meetings at local high end bars and spend my weekends at the museums and in Central Park. I'd have a stack of Playbills on my bookshelf and an active social life, constantly pushing myself to learn and discover new things.

Obviously none of that happened. Well, I can't say none of it. I do have a stack of Playbills that now is a constant reminder that I should have saved my money instead of spending it. And that's the thing. When I was sixteen money wasn't an issue. I didn't think about how much it would cost to fly to Egypt and to Italy. I didn't realize that I would need to work a full time job while I went to college full time and that when you have a job you can't decide one day to drive across country. You have responsibilities. And I. I took the responsible route. My sixteen year old self would have taken the other route and sometimes I wonder, if I would have let her make the decisions, how different my life would be.

So I've decided that I'm going to live to make my sixteen year old self happy. When I was sixteen I lived life to the fullest, or as full as I could with a curfew and no license. I miss the girl who would take on a challenge without knowing all the details because she simply wanted to. The girl who rarely said no and would give everything a shot at least once.

I think that is why so many people enjoy YA books. It brings you back to a time in your life when you had the world in front of you and the only person who could stop you was you. But why can't you live that way at twenty-seven? At fifty? At seventy-five? The only person that can stop you, is you.

What would your sixteen year old self think of you now?

Beautiful Chaos

Beautiful Chaos is the third book in the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The first book is being made into a movie and I couldn't be more excited. I love this series. Love it! The books are thick, but I blew through the pages like nothing. The world they created is unbelievable. I don't want to even give a summary for Beautiful Chaos because I don't want to give any of the series away. If you haven't read the first book, stop what you are doing and go read it ;)

The world they created, like I said is unbelievable, but the characters, oh my god, they are amazing. I love all of them. They each have their own quirks that make them special and not just the main characters either. Every single character in the book is realistic and filled with personality. From the best friend to the great aunts to the best friends mom, there is not one character that you cannot immediately identify.

I can't wait for the next book in the series to hit shelves. And I have a feeling the movie will be the next big thing.

Have you read any of the Beautiful Creatures Books?

Before I end this post I want to leave you with a Youtube video that had me cracking up. Enjoy.
 

Teenage heartthrob blogfest!!!

Today is the teenage heartthrob blogfest hosted by  Vic Caswell, Sarah Ahiers, and Emily White. So much fun going back down memory lane.  

 

My walls from when I was 12 until I was 16 were covered with Tiger Beat pages that featured who I thought were the hottest guys ever:

 Jonathon Taylor Thomas (I had a poster of him that took up my entire ceiling! I was obsessed)

 Joshua Jackson (Loved him from Mighty Ducks-Dawson's Creek-Now)

 Devon Sawa(What ever happened to him)

 Rider Strong (Boy Meets World one of my Fave shows)

 

Andrew Keegan (Camp Nowhere anybody?)

 David Boreanaz (I'm still not over the Buffy/Angel breakup)

Leonardo Dicaprio (Still love him today. Best actor of our time at least I think)

Runner ups:

Nick Lachey

Trent from Daria (Hottest cartoon character ever!!!)

A Saturday Quote

Keep it to yourself until you can hold it in your hand and put it in your pocket.

-My Grandma