What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up, put on by Jamie Morrow and Erin Funk. If you'd like to join click on the links above!

What I'm Writing:

Still editing. I didn't meet my revisions goal this week. Life sort of got in the way. I had my mother-in-law in town all last week helping us rip out our old carpet so we could install the new stuff, which made it difficult to find time. But on top of that last Thursday I got into a bit of a fender bender and that drained any of my ambition to do anything, especially because I spent all weekend on the phone with our insurance company, and then had to go to the police station to file an accident report. Thankfully no one was hurt and it was a minor accident, but still, it makes me sick just thinking about all the woulda coulda shouldas. My goal for this upcoming week is to get 50 pages done.

What I'm Reading:

I finished Quintana of Charyn the other night, the last in the Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta and all I have to say is WOW. I've loved every single one of the books and was continually impressed with the world-building, intricate plot lines, and character arcs. You want kick-ass leading ladies? You got them- Isaboe, Quintana, Phaedra, just to name a few. These women were warriors, they experienced grief, pain, joy, hardships, and they weren't perfect. In fact there were times all those ladies drove me nuts with their stubbornness, but they felt real and authentic and my heart broke for each one of them. If you haven't read this fantasy series, what are you waiting for? Get.On.It. The writing is fabulous and I was constantly amazed by how much thought and love went into creating these stories. There were several times I found myself teary eyed because of how much the characters suffered and loved and lost, and the words made me feel those things. By the end there wasn't one plot line left loose, she covered them all. Thanks to Melina Marchetta I don't think I'll ever be able to find another series that quite lives up to this one.

What Inspires Me Right Now:

Writers. I lay there last night, going over all the edits I need to make to my manuscript,  and I was struck by how incredible it is that we, as writers, can create whole new worlds. Our imaginations open portals to places others couldn't even begin to imagine. Places like Narnia, the Shire, Hogwarts. Not only that, but we fall in love with the cast of characters, we get invested in their lives, we feel their pain.  Can you believe that? I think it's incredible, and very humbling as a writer. Honestly, writers are awesome.

What Else I've Been Up To:

The Fourth is tomorrow! Woohoo! I love fireworks and I love having delicious food, and combining the two makes me very happy. I'm looking forward to spending some time with family and watching my kids as they stare up at the sky when the display sparks in front of their eyes. I love all the wonderment of life when you're a kid, and I really miss it. But I think it's awesome that I get to relive those moments and see them through my kids.

What have you been up to?