Hello, Monday!

Wow, every time I think I'm getting back on track with the writing and blogging thing, I fall behind. Maybe I should stop giving myself so much credit.

The last little while has been productive, though, so there is that. I'm pretty much done with revisions and I have another idea simmering at the back of my mind. I think the only way I'll get through to the end and move on forward is holding myself accountable and blogging helps in that aspect because writing down my goals and publishing them to the world is a great way to be accountable, not just to myself but to everyone out there in the blogosphere. (Sorry for the long winded sentence.)

So, I'll start this Monday off with some goals:

- Revise two chapters (only a few left!)
- Read that book you've been wanting to forever but keep putting off with lame excuses
- Start an outline for new book idea!

How are all of you doing? Did anyone participate in NaNo (Only hours left until it's over!)?

October 2015!!!

WOW! It has been a while, but I have a good excuse for my absence....








Presenting Soren Cam Pickett

I had a baby...a preeetttttyyyy good excuse. Now that it's been a month things are starting to calm down a bit (only slightly) I feel ready to get back into the blogging and writing thing. And I have missed it terribly! I feel like I have missed out on so much lately and want to catch back up. So, if you have anything to share, feel free to do so in the comments! (I know I suck at responding to comments, but one of my new goals is to get better at it.)

I want to start out this week by stating some goals for the week, like old times. I need some serious accountability, especially because I'm still working on my revisions for the agent who requested them.

Goals for October
1. Finish Revisions! I know it's a lofty goal, but I'm aiming high, people!

Goals for the week:
1. Revise two or more chapters. I'm about halfway through already so I think this is manageable.
2. Dive into a book
3. Get back into my exercise routine. I miss working out!
4. Take naps!  (This might be my favorite goal!)

Alrighty then! That's all for now, folks. Hope we all have a productive week!

Ready. Set. Write! Update: Week 9

How I Did On My Goals:

- Print out a hard copy of Fading and start revisions on big issues: Check and Check!

- Try to read if there's time: I finished The Devil You Know by Trish Doller. It definitely had it's moments but I saw the ending coming. 

- Have fun with the family: My boys started swimming lessons this week and it was great to watch them learn and grow. 

Goals For This Week:

- Continue revisions on Fading. Be organized with it all.

- Have fun camping later this week

A Favorite Line From My Story/ A Phrase That Sums Up What I Wrote/ Revised:
Big picture. Everything I'm changing with have some kind of effect on the rest of the manuscript so I have to keep the big picture in mind while going through the revisions.

The Biggest Challenge I Faced This Week:
Time and exhaustion. I napped pretty much every day this week. My energy levels seem to be dropping. Plus with swim lessons, doctor appointments and errands finding time can be difficult.

Something I Love About My WIP:
The romance. Love me some swooning!

Ready. Set. Write! Update: Week 8

Had a family camping trip last week, hence the reason for my absence last week.

How I Did On My Goals:
Write: Got it done! I was able to revise another couple of chapters!
Read: I read Map To The Stars, a super cute contemporary.
Kids: We had a blast with our family during our trip. We did lots of river floats, some kayaking, went on bike rides. All in all a success!

My Goals For This Week:
So I have to change up my goals for the rest of RSW. I received an R&R from an agent on another project I had queried a while back but had put on the back burner. She gave me some great insights and I'm so excited to get to work on them! As far as the goals go for this week, they are as follows:

-Print out a hard copy of Fading, my R&R manuscript, and start revisions on the "big" issues.
- Try to read a book, if there's time.
- Have fun with the family in between all of it.

A Favorite Line From My Story/ A Phrase That Sums Up What I Wrote/ Revised:
DRAMA. Lots of drama.

The Biggest Challenge I Faced This (last) Week:
Time constraints were an issue. It was hard to get writing in while prepping for our family trip, but I somehow managed to get some revising done.

Something I Love About My WIP:
That the characters feel like real people, not just figments of my imagination.

Good luck this week!

Ready. Set. Write! Update: Week 6

Has it already been six weeks??? Sheesh, this summer is going by fast. Here's how my goals went:

Revise another chapter or two: Yup! Got two done. Both were a little intense because I deleted old scenes and added brand new ones, but it was well worth it.

Write new words: I did this... kind of. Since I added a new scene in the project I'm currently revising, I think it counts?

Read something: I read The Wrath and the Dawn, and it was incredible! This has been the year of Fantasy, let me tell you. So many amazing books! I also started Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan and really like it so far. I've never watched the show Revenge, but the premise sounds very similar.

Spend time with my kids: We had a great week filled with activities. My father-in-law was in town for work and we got to hang out with him and the kids had a blast with their grandpa. We also finally set up the tennis net on our court after almost five years. It's main function is a basketball court, but my kids love riding their bikes and other toys on there as well. Fun times.

My Goals For This Week:

Revise!
Read!
Kids!
Nothing too specific, I just want to get SOME kind of writing done.

A Favorite Line From My Story/ Phrase That Sums Up What I Wrote/ Revised:
Friendship. The chapter I focused most of my attention was very friendship centered and it was great to see the dynamic between my MC and her bff, who is a favorite side character of mine.

The Biggest Challenge I Faced This Week:
Energy, or lack thereof. As the pregnancy progresses my energy stores deplete and this week was especially difficult. I wanted to take a nap every day!

Something I Love About My WIP:
Currently, the way it's coming together again. I changed the first third of it quite a bit and the changes have ripple effects along the whole manuscript, but they work!

Hope you all had a productive week!

Ready. Set. Write! Check In: Week 5

I was absent last week due to craziness.

How I Did On Last Weeks Goals:

- Revise a chapter: Done and done, plus another one!

- Write new words: Ehhh...nope

- Read a book: Finished Snow Like Ash by Sarah Raasch. I enjoyed it, but An Ember In The Ashes is my favorite fantasy of the year. Also I tried, like REALLY tried to get into The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi, but I just wasn't feeling it. I'm now into The Wrath and the Dawn!

- Make more memories with my kids:We had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend and my 3yo loved the fireworks!

This Weeks Goals:
- Revise another chapter (maybe two?)
- Write new words
- Read something
- Give each of my children individual attention

A Favorite Line From My Story Or One Word/ Phrase That Sums Up What I Wrote/Revised:
Family. This story is very family oriented and the last couple of chapters have focused on my MCs relationship with her deceased mother and the lack of one with her father and grandparents. I really love developing the details around their issues and how they're going to come together.

The Biggest Challenge I Faced This Week:
Time. With the holiday weekend it was hard to find any time to do anything but prepare!

Something I Love About My WIP:
The family aspect of the story. There aren't very many YA novels out there that deal with family issues as much. A lot of times parent seem to barely be there at all. I wanted to write a story that dealt with those things along with all those other issues facing teens today (like falling in love for the first time).

Cheering all you other RSW participators on!

Ready. Set. Write! Check In: Week 3

Three weeks into this and I'm making progress!

How I Did On Last Week's Goals:

Revise one chapter: Check!

Figure out what project I want to work on: Check!

Read something: I got Snow Like Ashes from the library, but the week was too busy for me to get to it.

Spend time with my kids: We went to see Jurassic World with the kids, they loved it, although my girls fell asleep. We also spent a few nights making up games to play outside, which they loved, and we went to the lake this past weekend.

My Goals For This Week:

- Revise another chapter
- Read a book!
-Write new words
- Continue building memories with my kids.

A Favorite Line From My Story Or One Word/ Phrase That Sums Up What I Wrote/Revised:
Continuity. Since the revisions I'm making change certain time lines along with a couple of plot points, I've had to be real careful about making sure it all makes sense!

The Biggest Challenge I Faced This Week:
Motivation. Sometimes just making yourself open up the document can seem like such a chore.

Something I Love About My WIP:
The setting. In both my stories I created fictional towns and I love making up the shops and characters and history.

Hope you all had a productive week!

Cover Reveal: SWAY by Melanie Stanford

I'm so excited to take part in the cover reveal of Melanie Stanford's upcoming book, SWAY.


 http://brainstormyourbiz.com/business/how-to-transform-fear-in-business-and-life/

I'm Jessie Spano EXCITED!

 I met Melanie online a few years ago when I won a critique contest she ran. She was sweet enough to read my whole manuscript and give me some great advice, and in return I had the privilege of beta reading her project back when it was a baby. I'm so happy that SWAY is going to be an actual book, all grown up. It was superbly written and being a modern version of Jane Austen's Persuasion, one of my favorite books ever, only made it sweeter.

Ava Elliot never thought she’d become a couch surfer. But with a freshly minted—and worthless—degree from Julliard, and her dad squandering the family fortune, what choice does she have?

Living with her old high school friends, though, has its own drawbacks. Especially when her ex-fiancé Eric Wentworth drops back into her life. Eight years ago, she was too young, too scared of being poor, and too scared of her dad’s disapproval. Dumping him was a big mistake.

In the most ironic of role reversals, Eric is rolling in musical success, and Ava’s starting at the bottom to build her career. Worse, every song Eric sings is an arrow aimed straight for her regrets.

One encounter, one song too many, and Ava can’t go on like this. It’s time to tell Eric the truth, and make a choice. Finally let go of the past, or risk her heart for a second chance with her first love. If he can forgive her…and she can forgive herself.

Without further ado, presenting the cover of SWAY......


Ready?

........

Here it comes!

.........

It's SO PRETTY and goes along perfectly with the story and the characters' passion: music. 

The release date is this winter, but for a more official date be sure to follow up on Melanie's blog for updates. And speaking of the author, here's a bit more about her:

Melanie Stanford reads too much, plays music too loud, is sometimes dancing, and always daydreaming. She would also like her very own TARDIS, but only to travel to the past. She lives outside Calgary, Alberta, Canada with her husband, four kids, and ridiculous amounts of snow.

Be sure to check out Melanie's website: melaniestanfordbooks.com for more information and follow her on Twitter @MelMStandford! 

Ready. Set. Write! Check in: Week 2

Can't believe one week has already flown by! Here is my update, so far...

How I Did On Last Week's Goals:

Not too shabby. My goals for last week were:
- Revise a chapter: I got a chapter revised! Woohoo!
-Write 2k on another project: BUT only write a few hundred words on another project. I'm really struggling to figure out which of my many ideas I want to work on and feel pulled in so many different directions.
-Read Something: On the plus side I DID read Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee and it was wonderful!


My Goals For This Week:

- Revise another chapter (maybe 2?)
- Figure out what other project I want to work on and go from there
- Read another book

A Favorite Line From My Story Or One Word/ Phrase That Sums Up What I Wrote/Revised:
Stripes of street lights shifted along my skin and I drew in a breath. It was scary how well Kyle knew my dad. Better than me, it seemed. 

The Biggest Challenge I Faced This Week:

Time. We had a very busy family week. Almost every night, because of the heat, we had water fights and then played on the trampoline afterwards to cool down. I think I might add another goal for this summer: spend as much quality time as possible with my kids before baby gets here!

Something I Love About My WIP:

The romantic subplot. It's not the main focus, but man do I love me some swoon worthy scenes!

That's all from me, folks! Hope you all have a great writing and goal checking week!

Ready. Set. Write! Goal Setting

It's baaaaack! And I'm so grateful for it since I need some serious writing motivation. Here are my goals for this week.

Summer goals:
- Finish revising Restoring Casey
- Finish first draft of another story (I have several at different stages of the drafting process)
- Read some quality books

Goals for this week:
Revise one chapter and write up to 2k on another project. And if I can manage it, read something.

Good luck to everyone participating!

Monday Goals (On Tuesday)

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day (or a wonderful May 25th if you're outside of the US). I got some stuff done last week (two chapters revised!) so I'm hoping to keep up the momentum.

1. Revise two chapters. The ones that are up don't require huge changes (unlike the one that took about a month to finish).

2. Read a book! I read some really great books last week so I'm hoping to keep up the trend. I really want to finish up the End of Days series by Susan Ee.

3. Spend quality time with my kids. Now that it's summer and school is (almost) out, I really want to shift focus onto spending more time with each of my kids before school starts again in the fall and before this baby arrives!

That's all folks! What are your goals for the week?

Monday Goals

Oh man, I have so much catching up to do in the writing department. It's just sad. But, I will keep going, because even though you suck sometimes it doesn't mean you have to all the time. So, further ado:

1. Revise three chapters. This is optimistic of me given how much craziness is going to go down in this week in our home.

2. Read something. I haven't been in the reading mood as of late, and I would very much like to get out of that funk as well.

That's it. Nothing else. I would LIKE to work on another project, but I don't want to put more pressure on myself than I have to. What are you goals for the week?

Five for Friday

1. I've really fallen behind the last couple of weeks : /

2. We're having a boy! We're very excited, but it'll be so strange to go back to a boy after two girls.

2. I am officially in the last year of my twenties. Not sure how I feel about that.

3. I read I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson, and it was beautiful. Also, Beware the Wild by Natalie Parker was a creepy southern gothic with amazing writing and a very vivid setting.

4. The weather is warming up and I signed my boys up for swimming classes. Now I have to find an activity for my girls (neither of them is emotionally ready to start swimming classes, especially my older girl) and we'll be set for some summer fun!

5.Like I said before, things have been slow here for a bit. My kids all got sick, then I got sick, and then we went out of town, so writing hasn't been top priority. However, I was able to get a couple of chapters revised this week. I'm still behind where I would like to be at this point, so I'm going to try and kick it up a notch next week.

Monday Goals

I had to skip this last week after a disaster few days of taking care of puking kids and trying to celebrate my 29th birthday in between all of that. Fun times.

Although last week kind of sucked (or puked), I did get to revise a pretty important chapter. I'm really happy with the way things are moving along. I am struggling with whether or not I should put in some flashback scenes. They're so tricky and hard to make work. I'm leaning towards no.

Anyway, without further ado, here are my goals:

1. Revise another chapter

2. Try to write 1k words.

3. Maybe read something? I got some books from kindle, but I'm not sure if I can handle starting something new right now, even though the titles I got sound awesome.

What are your goals for this week?

Monday Goals

Last week was a success. I kicked some goal butt! However, I'm not going to let my head get too big because we call know you have good weeks and bad weeks. So, without further ado, here are my goals for the week:

1. Revise Two Chapters. I got six done altogether last week, so I think two is manageable.

2. Write 1-2k on another project. This goal is to make sure I don't get bored. I can't work on just one project at a time, I need at least two to keep me from losing inspiration.

3. Read something great and don't be afraid to DNF if it isn't. I know you can learn a lot from not so great books too, but I'm finding I have less and less patience for them. 

What are your goals for the week?

Five for Friday

 I haven't done this for a while so I might be a bit rusty.

1. I read In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken and cried on at least 10 different occasions. It was amazing and a wonderful close to the trilogy. I love her writing style, especially her character development. These books are intense and so well written, check them out if you haven't already! I also read Bone Gap, which was a great magical realism retelling with beautiful prose.

2. I checked off all my goals for this week. I revised six chapters and wrote 2k on a different one! Also, I read some great books! Woohoo!

3. I started watching Finding Carter, a show about a girl who discovers her mother is actually her kidnapper and must go live with her real family. I love the complicated relationship between Carter and the mom who raised her versus the mom who birthed her. I do think it's a bit over the top with all the drug use. I swear the majority of the time Carter and her friends are off getting high at her other friends little hideaway instead of actually being in school and I'm like, yeah, no way would the school not call the parents if the kids were skipping ALL THE TIME, and also, I knew plenty kids who smoked and stuff and they weren't even out of school that much. Seriously, over the top. Season one is currently streaming on Hulu, hence the reason I've been able to watch it. The second season just started, if you want to give it a try. It's a great show if you can ignore the inaccurate portrayal of high school life.

4. I took my girls to watch Cinderella this week as well and it was fantastic. I *might* have shed a few tears. Darn pregnancy hormones.



5. Ummmm....there may not be a fifth one this time around. Whoops. Hope you all had a good week!

Lost In Writing

For some time now I've felt lost in my writing. Not career wise, but in direction. I have a few projects I've started and stopped, and a few more I keep thinking about but haven't written yet.

I have no idea what the crap I should write, you guys! Nothing resonates with me, yet everything resonates with me. I have a romantic comedy in the works, a super hero/ paranormal, a more serious contemporary, and an old project I want to rewrite. 

I'm wandering around on various paths that can either lead to something fulfilling or to absolutely nothing. I've gotten to the point where just opening up a document gets me frustrated, but I'm not giving up. I work on something each day, or at least try to. I'm waiting for that moment when writing gets hard but is bearable because I know I love the story no matter what.

This has never happened to me before. I'm on dry spell and it's driving me insane. I don't believe in working on something unless you feel passionately about it and I don't really feel that way about anything right now. Maybe it's pregnancy, maybe it's just one of those circle of writing things you have to get through. Whatever it is, I know I can get through it and be stronger for it. 

Monday Goals

I'm trying to get back into this blogging thing. I've been slacking for quite a while and it's time for me to get it together. So I want to start a new tradition of writing out my goals (writing related) for the week, every week. Not only is it great way to set up accountability, but I like to keep track of what I'm doing week by week. Also, I joined the YA Buccaneers Spring Bootcamp to help motivate me. So here goes for this week:

1. Revise five pages. Not a lot, but seriously, with me moving around scenes, and changing plot points, five pages is a lot.

2. Work on a new project. And this can be either writing down a scene, or outlining

3. Read something. I find it helpful to have a distraction on hand when I get stuck.

You guys have any goals for the week?

Breaking Instead of Quitting

No, I don't mean a metaphorical breaking of my insides or brain as I wait to hear from agents and for inspiration to strike so I can gain some steam in writing. I mean a writing break. I've heard people talk about quitting (and by people I mean writers) but the idea of never writing again doesn't sit well with me. I can see writing for yourself and stepping away from the publishing side of things, but altogether? No.

Breaking, on the other hand, I can definitely get on board with. With two of my pregnancies I stepped away from the computer for months. I was exhausted, emotionally and physically, and writing wasn't my priority. Taking care of myself and the kids was. Once the new baby and I got into a routine, writing became a part of my life again.

Then there are those many mini-breaks I've taken over the years after finishing a manuscript or when I just can't do it anymore. I'm in full support of taking time off. But quitting? No, not possible. What about you guys? Have you ever thought about quitting, or do you take breaks like I do?

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 Reading:
Just got The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris. I've heard so many great things about this book and so far I'm really enjoying it.

What I'm Writing:
Not much of anything...sorry to say, but I'm feeling motivated and ready to get back into the swing of the writing thing!

What Works For Me:
Brainstorming. I do a lot of writing in my own head rather on paper. Sometimes you just have to work it all out before you can get to the physical act of writing.

What Else I've Been Up To:
Visiting family, making gender predictions for the new baby, cleaning and organizing, and feeling restless. I have a lot of restless energy that exercising can't seem to get rid of, and I think the only is to really get back to writing.

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 Reading:
Bring The Rain  by Lizzy Charles. I really enjoyed her other two books, Effortless With You and Perfectly Messy, they were super cute contemporary reads. But there was some serious slut shaming in this book that really hurt my brain, and I couldn't quite get over it. She did try to address it, but was too little too late for me. If anyone has any reading suggestions, I sure would love them!

What I'm Writing:
Not much of anything. I picked up some speed this week, but I'm nowhere I'd like to be with my word count. I'm also thinking about revising an old manuscript I can't seem to forget about. I has some querying success with it, but nothing panned out. I think I figured out what wasn't working and I'm ready to go back into that world.

What Works For Me:
Not much of anything lately. Sometimes you just have to let the writing slump run its course.

What Else I've Been Up To:
Well, this happened:

Our family is very excited to welcome our fifth and final child into this world come September! One of the reasons I haven't been able to do much of anything lately is because I'm still getting over the morning sickness phase. I'm officially in my second trimester, but it's taking a while to start feeling somewhat normal. I've been waiting to announce until we saw the little person ourselves, which we did last week. He or she is doing great and I'm hoping the rest of the pregnancy continues smoothly.

What Have You Been Up To?

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!

I'm Reading:
I was lucky enough to get the first three books in The Lunar Chronicles. I read Cinder when it first came out but never got around to reading Scarlet and Cress and let me tell you, I'm so glad I got to read them back to back. And in less than three days. Amazing books. I can't wait until Winter comes out!

What I'm Writing:
I started a new contemporary romance that I'm really excited about. It's fun and goofy and a nice change from the more serious issues I've been writing about in my other projects.

What Works For me:
Having fun. If I feel like I have to push myself to work on something, I move on. At least for a little while.

What Else I've Been Up To:
I got into Sun Vs. Snow and my entry went up on Monday. I got a few requests and I'm super excited and nervous about all of it. I have so many doubts running through my head. The publishing business is so scary.

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 Reading:
Please Remain Calm by Courtney Summers. I loved This Is Not A Test and have been anxiously awaiting for the release of this short story. I loved it, and it did not disappoint. The ending may have crushed a little piece of my soul, but it was beautiful story.

What I'm Writing:
I've revised almost a hundred pages and I'm hoping to get another fifty done this week. We'll see how it goes.

What Works For Me:
Cleaning. If my house is a disaster I can't concentrate on my writing. Clutter is not my friend, neither are dirty dishes and laundry. The burden of having a dirty home weighs heavily on me. It's unavoidable, but I can't tell you how much cleaning actually helps me when I'm stuck. Usually I have Pandora going on in the background so it helps activate my creativity.

What Else I've Been Up To:
My life is so incredibly mundane, so I won't bore you with the details. I have been critiquing some other writers' stuff and it's such a great experience. There are some seriously talented people out there.

Snip Snip

Cutting words, paragraphs, pages is a given in the writing world. That doesn't make it any easier. When I first started writing I tricked myself into thinking that I would be one of those writers that would never have to get rid of a character or a scene or sentence (HAHAHAHAHA). You know what I discovered? Those writers don't EXIST. Editing and revising are absolutes when it comes to our craft. You can't skip on either if you want to make your manuscript the best it can be. And as a writer that's all I want. To give justice to my characters and the story they're telling ME.

I also discovered that I'm an OVER-writer. What is that? Someone who likes to use one too many adjectives to describe the color of the sky while the sun is setting when just one is plenty. Words have impact and smushing a bunch of them together to make a sentence prettier isn't going to help you make a point any clearer. I don't want to make my readers wade through them in order to understand what the heck it is I'm saying.

What else do I suck at? Using the same words over and over again. Okay, we all have characters who like to shrug or roll their eyes or mumble and murmur, whatever it may be, but having them do it like a hundred times in so many pages is a bit excessive. Also, you don't want those wonderful characters to injure themselves with all that unnecessary movement. (Did you know if you rolls your eyes too much itwill cause people to permanently cut you out of their lives because they're sick of your passive-aggressive show of annoyance?)

Getting rid of words can be painful. Writers tend to get attached to their work and saying good-bye to something that helped shape an entire book can be hard. That's why you have other people read your stuff and tell you what isn't working, because we can't see the hot mess that is a missing or pointless plot point.

At the end of the day we all have to get our fingers ready to press that delete button so that we can make something truly amazing happen in 70,000 words or less. That's not asking for a whole heck of a lot now is it?

What's Up Wednesday

Wow it feels like forever since I took part in one of these. I've missed everyone!

What I'm Reading:
I recently finished Swimming to Tokyo by Brenda St. John and really loved it. I thought it was a unique premise and I loved the location. And the romance was sizzling. I'm currently working on Reclaimed by Sarah Guillory which is definitely interesting thus far. Also I downloaded The Gateway Through Which They Came by Heather Marie and I'm super excited about it.

What I'm Writing:
I got in 1k so far this week. Not much, but I'm in the middle of revising Fading again. I got some requests which ultimately turned into Rs after querying and decided I needed to go over my manuscript one more time. I got some great feedback from some fabulous readers and am working on those. My goal is to revise the first fifty pages this week.

What Works For Me:
Stepping back after receiving critiques. I give myself a day to wrap my head around everything before jumping right into them. Maybe even more than a day. And I also ask myself if I agree with them, because if I don't then I'm unwilling to go and do the work to fix up whatever it is that needs to be fixed.

What Else I've Been Up To:
We spent Christmas in LA with my dad and though it was fun, I'm so glad to be home. But I now need a vacation from my children. Two weeks straight in a tiny apartment with all four of them just about drove me to madness. Also, I'm finding myself fall more in love with the writing community. It's so nice to be around such supportive, awesome, lovely people.

What's Up With You?

2015????

I rang in the new year with the flu this year. If that's any indication as to how this year is going to go, then no thank you to 2015.

Everyone has already done the 'goal' post this year and I'd like to add to the masses. Mine are simple. Finish the first draft of Keepsake by some time in February, revise the hell out of it and then jump into the query trenches again. Maybe by the end of the summer. I'd also like to finish a first draft to another project.. Not sure which one yet.

Other than that I'd like to eat less sugar (yeah right), keep up my exercise schedule, play with my kids before they grow up and start thinking it's lame, and just try and live in the moment. Oh, and read 50 books. I got over 100 in 2014, so I think that's doable.

Last year was the most I've ever focused on my writing, and I'd like to keep up the trend. I feel like as a writer I'm getting closer to where I want to be, so I don't want to skimp on the writing any and get lazy.

I hope it's a wonderful year for everyone and that we accomplish some of those goals we set at the beginning of every year. It's only five days in to 2015, so we have 360 days left to make things happen, so let's do it!