Contest Entry

Darci Cole is have an awesome giveaway over at her BLOG for reaching 100 GFC followers. In order to enter you have to write a 300-500 word short story based on a prompt. AND the number 100 must be included. My entry is 483 words and here it is:

The car swerved to the left. Lacey held onto the handle, bracing herself for impact. They barely managed to avoid another tree. Their branches, twisted and gnarled, slipped free of the woods on either side of the road, grabbing for them. One hundred more miles of this and they would be home free. 

“You okay?” David’s knuckles were ghost white, the tension from his body rolling all over the car.          

 Lacey nodded, swallowing the bile back down her throat. It probably wasn’t an ideal time to mention her motion sickness to this stranger. A boy she’d seen only a few times in her life, but had risked everything to help Lacey escape her. She tucked away the dark curtain of hair falling around her face.           

 “It’ll be over before you know it, Lace.”        

 Lacey looked up at him, the sound of her name from his mouth startling her. Her skin prickled as she thought of how pleasant it sounded. Usually when she heard her own name it was filled with repulsion and anger.
   

  David reached out a hand and squeezed her shoulder, the warmth spreading down her back. With another twist of the wheel, they escaped the clutches of a vengeful oak. Lacey was suddenly cold, her body craving the touch of his hand, the hand now holding onto the wheel like a lifeline.            

Her stomach clamped down and she held back the tears threatening to spill. They would never be safe, not as long as Lacey was in the car.           “You don’t have to do this,” she whispered. The sound of her own voice filled her with disgust. Was this really her? Or was she some sad, pathetic girl lost in the horror story written by her step-mother?
           

 David pressed his foot down on the gas pedal. The car flew through the darkness, the headlights cutting through the fog settling in around them. The earth shook as more trees uprooted from the safety of the forest to hunt for them.

 “Yeah, I do.” His jaw clenched. “I’m not going to let her kill you.” His golden brown eyes met hers for a brief moment.
 

It was all she needed. The depth of his will beckoned to her and she felt safe. Something twitched on the side of her mouth. She bit down on her lip, unsure of the odd sensation. A smile, she wanted to smile. It had been a long while since anything had made her want to do that.            

“We’re going to be okay,” he reassured her again. His hand squeezed hers and she felt that warmth begin to flow through her veins.
          

  “Watch out!” Lacey screamed. The tree sat in the middle of the road, the thick trunk melting into the black night. The branches were everywhere, surrounding them. David slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. The car spun away into a world of shadows.

If you guys are interested in learning more about the contest and the awesome prizes, click on the BLOG link above. Seriously, I'm very excited about this!

Five for Friday

1. I've been sick all week. Still in recovery mode. Blargh! As I get older I'm getting more and more sinus infections whenever I get sick. This sort of sucks. Okay, it A LOT sucks. I'm trying some 'new age' alternatives to getting better because I do NOT want to be on antibiotics.

2. I've been so sick I haven't been able to finish Days of Blood and Starlight. I know, I know, it's a travesty you guys. But every time I try, I start falling asleep because I'm constantly tired.

3. Have you Jane Austen fans been watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube?!? I am so addicted. I stayed up way too late (especially for one as sick as I) catching up. If you haven't watched them, get on it!

4. I got ideas for two new projects this week and worked a bit on them. Whenever I get an idea, I have to write down the scene that started it all so I'll remember it later. I'm excited about them, but I'm putting them aside until I finish my contemporary project.

5. Speaking of writing, I actually got some done this week. Surprising considering how I can barely function. But I guess since I was too tired to read, all that extra stored energy went into writing. And it also helps that my work-out regiment has been on hold since getting sick. I do miss my morning runs.

Hope you guys are staying healthy!

Five for Friday

1. First up, a mom moment. A couple of days ago I learned that my son took part in a school wide contest where each student had to make a Safety 1st poster. My little guy second place. There will be a ceremony for the winners and he also gets a $100 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. I'm so proud of him!

2. I'm starting Days of Blood and Starlight today! Pretty freaking excited.

3. Thanks to all who posted their encouraging comments on Monday's post, I really appreciate the pushes you've given me to take that jump!

4. Now that my family is fully recovered from their sickness, I'm starting to feel it. Yeah, isn't that how it always works? Ugh, I just want one month where I don't have a sore throat, sinus infection, or runny nose. This winter has been a bad one for the flu and cold.

5. Today is my Baby Princess #1's birthday. I can't believe she's three! And all she wants to celebrate is a bike and a cake. We've got both covered.

Hope you guys have a delightful weekend!

I Have A Bookstore! RTW

Okay, maybe in fantasyland, but if I did it would freaking rock. When I picture this fictional bookstore, I see overstuffed reading chairs in all the corners. A huge table by the front window with plenty of seating. A mini- cafe where people can buy their favorite hot drinks (or cold ones) and treats. Why a cafe? Because way back when Borders was still a thing, I worked in the cafe and loved it. I also have one of those awesome ladders that slides from shelf to shelf and I imagine flipping my head back and raising my arm as I take-off on it like Belle in that scene from Beauty and the Beast at least once a day. I love old, worn, leather bound books, so there would be plenty of those. And the smell, that musty, aged paper smell would be in every crevice of the store.

When I picture my bookstore I don't imagine it all orderly with books lined perfectly along the walls, I imagine it's a bit of a disaster, much like myself. There are books left open on various shelves, stacks of them along aisles, taking up space on tables. But best of all, there would a bell on top of the front door so whenever anyone came in, it would jingle, because the best stores have jingling bells, didn't you know? And it would be a little bit shady, not creepy shady, but the kind that makes you want to snuggle into a blanket while drinking hot cocoa and read a wonderful book. (Air conditioning would have to go constantly so people could do this during the summer without sweating all over said book.) That's my bookstore...a place where all the books can come and live in harmony for people all over the world to enjoy.

On Hesitating

I am my own worst enemy. I know I'm pretty much there, my manuscript is in great shape, I've gone through and made necessary changes and gotten great feedback, but something is holding me back. It's  not the manuscript itself, because I'm pretty proud of where Fire and Ice stands, but the doubt. For the last week I've been ho-humming around the real issue, the fear of the unknown. I have no clue what's going to happen next, and the unfinished part of my story is in the hands of agents who don't even know me, and probably won't read more than a few pages of my manuscript. Which is why I've been staring at same pages over and over again, tweaking passages, changing words, only to change them back again.

I decided a long time ago that no matter what happened, writing is a part of me that I can't shut off. No . Matter. What. Whether I get published or not, I can't quit it. Even if I'm not physically typing away at the laptop, my head is in a different place, and that's never going to change. I just wish I knew what was going to happen. Would it be nice if the future was set in stone and we knew exactly what was coming. But unfortunately, life is always changing, so are the paths we tread. I may need a push to help me over the edge of no return.

wait...It's 2013?

It's RTW time and the topic is...(imagine drum rolling, please) GOALS.

So I blogged about not posting any resolutions but I think resolutions are slightly (only slightly) different than goals. What are mine? I know you're dying to know. Well, I'd like keep up tradition and read at least one book a week, in other words, 52. I'm pretty sure I can do that I almost got to 80 this year.

Another goal starts with that dreaded q and ends with uerying. Okay, I'm not dreading querying, it's actually pretty exciting, I'm mostly intimidated. It won't be for a bit, I still have a couple little quirks that need to be worked out, but it won't be long from now either. EEP!

I would also like to finish one of the manuscripts I started last year. An easy goal, when you think about it, since I'm already half way through a couple of them. I'm pretty sure I want to focus on finishing my contemporary and then I'll go back to my NaNo project.

What do you think? I'm pretty sure those are perfectly attainable goals. I'm not asking for a million dollar book deal or anything, so I'm prreettty sure I can do it. What about you guys, what goals do  you have set `for 2013?

Five for Friday

1. It seems like whenever my kids are at home from school for a break, someone gets sick. This time was no exception. Fevers and ear infections are running amuck. My 8 month old is the sickest she's ever been and it's SO sad. Hearing her say 'mama' with a stuffed up nose is the worst. Really, as a parent I hate that feeling of hopelessness when it comes to your children's health. There's only so much you can do, especially when they're so little.

2. I decided not to post resolutions this year. I have some, but for the most part my focus is going to be on just being happy with the now. I don't want to focus on what can be or what once was, I just want to live in what is happening now.

3. I just finished my first book for 2013! Kind of exciting. I'm hoping to keep up the trend from last year and read one every week. Although I beat that number by over twenty this year so I think it's doable.

4. It's so sad having to put away all the Christmas decorations, especially the tree. Now all the stores are packed with pink and red and it just doesn't feel the same. I kind of wish once Christmas ended the whole winter season would kind of just disappear and spring would start blooming. It's been frigidly cold here and I am NOT a fan of this kind of cold.

5. I got my Godiva hot chocolate for the season! And my husband was sweet enough to buy me a box of their hot chocolate mix so now I can make some at home. Let me tell you, I've never had a mix this good before, it tastes just like the stuff I get at Starbucks. Yum!

Hope you guys are keeping warm this winter season and having an amazing beginning to 2013!

No Kiss Blogfest!

Okay, so for the blogfest you must share a favorite no-kiss moment from your favorite book, TV show, movie, or WIP. I decided to take mine from my manuscript, Fire and Ice. Here it is:

Joel was yelling, as usual, ordering me to clean up my block and straighten my legs, watch the footing with the turn, and so on. All the while I was stressing about the paper due in my English class, and trying to remember what exactly it was that I had to write about.        

            My pose was ready to attack. Kale stood across from me in a defensive stance, awaiting my move. Lifting my leg to a high kick, a ringing pitched through the air, rendering me useless.

            A twinge of pain shot through my leg as I lost my balance and landed awkwardly on the ground. I looked at Kale, as he got up, a laugh on his face.

            “You couldn’t turn your phone off?” I asked with annoyance, turning to Joel.

            He ignored my snide comment and went to answer the call.

            Clapping sounded in my ears as Kale came walking my way. “Bravo.” I shot him an angry glare. “What? I can’t stop and appreciate the awesomeness that was your last attack?”

            “Yeah, yeah. Shut up.” I tried to keep my embarrassment from showing.

            “Here, let me help.” Kale stuck his hand out and pulled me up from the ground.

 My balance shook and I fell into him, my hands landing on his chest for support, his face only inches from mine, the smile on his face surprised. My eyes moved from his lips up to his eyes, where something sparkled. A cold breeze caressed my shoulder where Kale held me, with the rest of my flesh rippling with heat. He was so close, if I leaned in just a little more, our lips would meet.

            “You okay?” Kale’s voice was sultry and inviting. Our eyes met, an electric zap shot through me. His eyes moved to my lips and the barrier between us weakened.

            “Alright let me put you on speaker.” Joel’s voice brought us back to reality. The moment was gone like a puff a smoke, just a memory of what could have been. How could I come so close to letting go? Especially when it was exactly what Red wanted me to do.

            “Um, yeah, I’m fine,” I pushed away from Kale, moving my eyes away from his.

Okay, that's it. I hope you enjoyed! Head over to Frankie Diane Mallis' blog to check out the linky list and other entries.

Faves of 2012

Happy New Year! I can't believe it's 2013. I have a feeling this year is going to be full of surprises (hopefully the good kind).

 I read a lot of books in 2012 (79 to be exact). I don't think I've ever read that many in one year, but I plan on keeping up the tradition from now on. I learned so much about the craft from doing this. There is a reason why SO many authors say reading is just as important as writing when it comes to strengthening our writing skills. Now I'm going to share with you my favorite reads.

1. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater- This is kind of an obvious one since I've been going on and on about it for like ever.

2. The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Long- This reminded me of some classic takes on Fairie lore. I loved every minute of it. The descriptions were vivid and the I loved Jenny as a main character.

3. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta- A fantasy with all the elements for an awesome read.

4. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stievfater- This is not surprising either since Maggie Stievfater is one of my favorite writers. The story sucked me in, and the characters felt real, not paper thin.

5. Something Like Normal by Trish Doller- This take on a soldier suffering from PTSD had a lot going for it. Especially an authentic guy POV.

6. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi- Wow, I loved this dystopian fantasy. I didn't even know such a genre even existed, but it was perfect.

7. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green- Gah, cue tears. Really, such a beautiful story rich with emotions and fantastic writing.

8. Cinder by Marissa Meyer- I loved this sci-fi retelling of Cinderella full of cyborgs, an evil moon Queen, and a sweet prince. I'm really looking forward to Scarlet.

I can't wait to see what 2013 holds for me, whether in my reading adventures or writing adventures.