What's Up Wednesday: 08.14.13

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by my ever-so-lovely YA writer friends, Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk. The idea? Well, it's a great opportunity to touch base once a week with all of our blog friends and let them know what's up. Should you wish to join, head on over to Jaime's blog and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of her post! 

WHAT I'M READING:

I'm currently reading a great friend and fellow CP's, YA Contemporary manuscript. This is my second read - her revisions being those requested by her agent - and I can honestly say, I'm loving this story even more than the first time I read it!

It's full of great one-liners, heart-ache, and tears -- oh, the tears...there are actually passages that break my heart. And it's truly become one of those stories that has stuck with me, long after I finished reading it the first time.

I'm so thankful to have any part of her revision process and I can't wait to see this one on the shelves at my bookstore...believe me, you're gonna wanna read it when it's ready, I promise!

WHAT I'M WRITING:

Most all of my CP's have made their way through WTWF and I'm now just finalizing the last of my revisions. I hope to be done in the next week and have this sucker ready to go out into the land 'o queries.

And I can't wait.

Writing goals for this week:

1. Finish revisions.

Oh! If you're in need of some inspiration to write - join the YA Buccaneers Word Sprint! Two rounds, one hosted tonight from 4-5pm PST, and one tomorrow night from 5-6pm PST, hosted by yours truly, on Twitter! #YABWordSprint

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW:

WriteOnCon!

Yes, it's that time of year again, and I've submitted snippets of WHERE THE WATER FALLS for critique and review!

My first 250 just went up - you can find it here! And my query letter also just went up, which you can read here!

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO:

Some of you may have noticed, I've been a little absent as of late. I'm seriously on the job hunt and my focus has been there -- it's a tough process but definitely has been great, and has led to some pretty spectacular job interviews. Hopefully more news to come on that, soon!

But unfortunately, I have also not been feeling well. At all. And I haven't been able to run in almost two weeks.

Early last week, I started feeling super dizzy. By Saturday, that sensation was coupled with one of the worst migraines I've had in years. Sunday, I almost passed out, after getting out of the shower -- the room would not quit spinning, and it would keep starting over, kinda like a broken record. Monday was more of the same and I was concerned about driving myself to the doctor, so I stayed in bed (which didn't help the spinning) or found myself sitting on the floor on more than one occasion. But yesterday, I made it to the doctor...

And found out I have a viral inner-ear infection that causes severe migraines and vertigo. 

Vertigo? Me?

Yep, me. And it's been horrendous. One of the worst sensations I've ever experienced in my life. But...they gave me some great medications and I'm already feeling a bit better. And I can't wait to get back to my running!

SO, WHAT'S NEW FOR YOU TODAY?

What's Up Wednesday: 07.24.13

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by my ever-so-lovely YA writer friends, Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk. The idea? Well, it's a great opportunity to touch base once a week with all of our blog friends and let them know what's up. Should you wish to join, head on over to Jaime's blog and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of her post! 

WHAT I'M READING:

I'm almost finished with WANDERLOVE by Kristen Hubbard for YA Buccaneers July Reading Mutiny challenge -- and I'm absolutely loving it! So many wonderful things I can totally relate to, but I'll save all of that for my review.

If you'd like to join us for the Reading Mutiny challenge, we'd love to have you (just click here) - and of course, there are prizes involved!!! 

Also, while I run, I'm reading Jennifer Echols THE ONE THAT I WANT. I thought FORGET YOU was okay, but I liked ENDLESS SUMMER and GOING TOO FAR more.

WHAT I'M WRITING:

Writing Goals for this past week:

1. Relax. 
2. Send WTWF off to my CP's to have at it with their red markers! 

I sent off WTWF to my second round of CP's finally on Monday -- and I'm looking forward to their feedback.

The feedback I've received from my first round of CP's has all come in, and they've provided some really great suggestions. I worked on what I thought would make WTWF stronger over the weekend while my husband was out of town...and I'm very happy with all of the little changes I've made. 

Writing goals for this week:

1. Work on revising chapter 18 & 19.

Oh! And if you're in need of some inspiration to write today - join the YA Buccaneers Word Sprint! Two rounds being hosted on Twitter tonight - the first is at 5pm PST and the second at 6:15pm PST! #YABWordSprint

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW:

Ronin chillin' in the kiddie pool.Summertime!

The running joke for all us Pacific Northwesterner's is that summer doesn't show up around Seattle until July 5th. Well, we lucked out and summer arrived a little earlier than that...and it hasn't left yet!

I love the sunshine, the warm days when wearing shorts and a tank top are the perfect attire, and there's nothing but blue skies forever.

Everyone is just in a better mood around here - me included - when the sun is out...which means Seattle can be an awfully grumpy place for 9.5 months out of the year!

So while I've got it, I'm out in the sun enjoying every moment!

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO:

I took a stab at writing a round of Flash Fiction for YA Buccaneers Walk The Plank challenge (see my post below). I've only done flash fiction a handful of times, but I've had so much fun every time -- especially when there are obstacles in place that you need to try and adhere to. 

If anyone else wants to join us, I'd love to see what you all come up with!

SO, WHAT'S NEW FOR YOU TODAY?

What's Up Wednesday: 07.17.13

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by my ever-so-lovely YA writer friends, Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk. The idea? Well, it's a great opportunity to touch base once a week with all of our blog friends and let them know what's up. Should you wish to join, head on over to Jaime's blog and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of her post! 

WHAT I'M READING:

I'm participating in the YA Buccaneers Reading Mutiny Challenge for July - our version of a themed monthly bookclub - and this month it's around books all about ADVENTURE! So I picked up several from the list and just started reading WANDERLOVE by Kristen Hubbard on Sunday. If you'd like to join us, we'd love to have you (just click on the link for YA Buccaneers above!) - and of course, there are prizes involved!!! 

While running, I'm reading Jennifer Echols GOING TOO FAR. I'm really enjoying her books - perfect summer reads!

WHAT I'M WRITING:

Writing Goals for this past week:

1. Relax. 
2. Send WTWF off to my CP's to have at it with their red markers! 

I sent off WTWF to my first round of CP's last week and have already received feedback from a couple of them that finished it SUPER FAST!

It's all exciting stuff and of course, I've received some great comments so far!

I plan on sending it out to my second wave of CP's this week, if not early next week!

So, writing goals for this week remain the same:

1. Relax. 
2. Send WTWF off to my second round of CP's to have at it with their red markers!

Oh! And if you're in need of some inspiration to write today - join the YA Buccaneers Word Sprint! Two rounds being hosted on Twitter tonight - the first is at 5pm PST and the second at 6:15pm PST! #YABWordSprint

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW:

All the amazing feedback I've been receiving from my CP's on WHERE THE WATER FALLS.

Each one of us has those moments where we wonder why it is we're even doing this silly thing called writing -- and sometimes it takes the encouraging feedback from others, to keep us going. 

That moment was happening for me over this past weekend and it just happened to be around the same time one my CP's left me a voicemail -- she had read my MS in one day and rushed to call me. And I kid you not, her voicemail actually made me well up with tears. Everything she said was so awesome and I loved every second of it...and needless to say, I'll be saving that one for those days when I wonder why it is I'm even attempting to write. <3.

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO:

Today is my wonderful CP and fellow YA Buccaneer, Heidi Sinnett's birthday!!! So a BIG shout out to Heidi - I hope you're having a WONDERFUL birthday today!!!

In other news, my husband is headed out of town for a couple of days on a guy's trip - which will leave the house here pretty quiet - but, he'll be back early Sunday morning just in time for us to venture into the city for the Bite of Seattle! A weekend where all the restaurants of Seattle converge and offer up their fares of great food, all in one location! And it's awesome. 

SO, WHAT'S NEW FOR YOU TODAY?

What's Up Wednesday: 07.10.13

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by my ever-so-lovely YA writer friends, Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk. The idea? Well, it's a great opportunity to touch base once a week with all of our blog friends and let them know what's up. Should you wish to join, head on over to Jaime's blog and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of her post! 

WHAT I'M READING:

Yep, you guessed it. I'm still reading LOVE AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS by Laura Buzo. I've been so busy with my final read of WHERE THE WATER FALLS, I haven't had a chance to get back to my nightly reading. Soon though. 

And yes, while running, I'm still reading ENDLESS SUMMER by Jennifer Echols.

WHAT I'M WRITING:

Writing Goals for this past week:

1. Finish read / revision of chapters 11-21 of WTWF.
2. Add roughly 4,000 more words to round it out. I have two chapters I know need to be "beefed" up, so 2k words will be split between these two chapters. The rest I know will find their way to where they belong.

Well...I finished my read / revision of WHERE THE WATER FALLS. I didn't add as many words as I was hoping for, but I think I'm okay with where it's sitting.

Yes, I should be shouting this from the rooftops that I'm finished! But...I'm going to let it marinate for a day or two as I'm still not sure if I'm loving the end. For now, it's done. I can't believe I actually get to type that...I think I might be in denial. 

So, goals for this week:

1. Relax. 
2. Send WTWF off to my CP's to have at it with their red markers! 

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW:

I promised myself I would do something good with this time off I've had, since I was laid off back in early March. Well, as of yesterday, it's been 4 MONTHS of time off - and I've loved every single day of it.

And what have I done with the time? 

1. Well, there's the tiny fact I now get to say I managed to write an entire novel. WHERE THE WATER FALLS was a project I started back in 2011, but only managed to get 4 chapters written, after getting the call from Mr. Agent Man that he wanted to work with me on THE LUCKY FEW. So to the back burner it went. But now it's finally finished. And I'm so thrilled I brought this one back to life.
2. As of April 1st, I've managed to clock 415 miles on my running shoes. Me. 415 miles. Not even I would've guessed that. And with all those miles, I also said goodbye to 16 pounds. Adiós, muchachos. Sayonara. And good riddance...may I never see you again! I still have plenty to go, but I haven't felt this good in a very long time!
3. And...after two long years of wanting to get a group blog up and running, well, it finally happened. YA Buccaneers has been an amazing project from the very start and I'm so thrilled Bridgid rode the crazy train - or crazy pirate ship in this case - with me, and never once looked back. Not to mention the other eight women who decided to climb on board. I love each and every single one of them for everything unique they bring to the table and I'm so looking forward to what's to come. Believe me, we've got some exciting things planned!

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO:

The 4th of July was one of the most awesome holidays the hubby and I have celebrated in the fourteen years we've been together. We had so much fun with all of our friends, the food was fantastic, and the fireworks were amazing. We also managed a couple of trips to the driving range and a round of golf over the weekend - yikes, I'm a little rusty after having not played for about three years! 

We had dinner with my family on Sunday and it was so great to see my dad and my two sisters. My brother was "stuck" in Hawaii (my brother is a pilot for Alaska and their flight was bumped), so he wasn't able to make it - but with my sister's three kids (one 4-year-old and 7 month old twins), we had a house-full! We try to meet once a month and it's a tradition I hope we never stray away from.

I'm also really excited because I'm going to the spa this Friday for a half day of pure awesomeness. I'm finally getting my hair colored (oy, it's REALLY BAD!) and cut. I'm getting my hoofs and claws tended to. And a little buffing around the eyebrows.

And I can't wait. 

SO, WHAT'S NEW FOR YOU TODAY?  

What's Up Wednesday: 07.03.13

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by my ever-so-lovely YA writer friends, Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk. The idea? Well, it's a great opportunity to touch base once a week with all of our blog friends and let them know what's up. Should you wish to join, head on over to Jaime's blog and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of her post! 

WHAT I'M READING:

Okay, this is gonna sound bad, because I'm still reading LOVE AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS by Laura Buzo. I just haven't had time to read lately, so it's patiently waiting for me...and I will get to it!

While running, I'm reading ENDLESS SUMMER by Jennifer Echols. I've only read one other book of her's, SUCH A RUSH, which I adored -- so I've got high hopes for this one!

WHAT I'M WRITING:

Writing Goals for this past week:

1. Write the last chapter of WHERE THE WATER FALLS - or at least decide how it ends (I'm toying with just tweaking how it currently ends now or if I want a different version that I've been thinking about).  
2. Start and finish complete revisions from the beginning.

In light of being super busy wrapping up some final tweaks for the launch of our big project this past Monday, I was still able to do some work on WTWF, although maybe not as much as I'd hoped.

I managed to write around 2,500 words -- which for a story that's almost complete, it's pretty good. Just a little bit further to go, I think!

And I did finish my last chapter. FINALLY. Which - for today at least - I I like how it ends.

But, I'm not quite done with my goal of a complete start to finish read / revision of WTWF. I made it about halfway through on Monday, which isn't so bad - so I still have the other half to go...and of course, will then see if my new ending works.  

So, goals for this week:

1. Finish read / revision of chapters 11-21 of WTWF.
2. Add roughly 4,000 more words to round it out. I have two chapters I know need to be "beefed" up, so 2k words will be split between these two chapters. The rest I know will find their way to where they belong. 

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW:

YA Buccaneers, but of course!

Several of us have been blogging about this secret project for weeks now - but on 07.01.2013, it was finally go time!

And...it was AWESOME! 

Monday alone, we had almost 1,000 page views, along with over 200 visitors to the site! And every day brings even more!

For the next two weeks, we'll be introducing each member of our crew - not to mention, hosting a pretty spectacular giveaway. So if you haven't sailed on over yet, what are you waiting for? 

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO:

 My husband and I live in a neighborhood that surrounds a beautiful lake -- and every year for the 4th of July, the city floats out a giant barge packed with fireworks and sets them all off to music.

We're very fortunate to have some really great friends (in fact, I've known the guy since kindergarten!) move in to a home that overlooks the lake. So last year we started the tradition of going over to their place with all of our friends, grilling out, and watching the fireworks. And it's all within walking distrance from our house! 

And I think I've also mentioned before that the 4th is both my older sister and brother's birthday (but they're two years apart!), so on Sunday, we'll be heading over to my Dad's house to have dinner and celebrate.

Not a bad week, right? I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July and hit all of your writing goals this week!

SO WHAT'S NEW FOR YOU TODAY? WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ALL ABOUT IT, SO WON'T YOU JOIN TODAY'S WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY??? AND HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! 

What's Up Wednesday: 06.26.13

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by my ever-so-lovely YA writer friends, Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk. The idea? Well, it's a great opportunity to touch base once a week with all of our blog friends and let them know what's up. Should you wish to join, head on over to Jaime's blog and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of her post! 

WHAT I'M READING:

I'm still reading LOVE AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS by Laura Buzo, although will say, I haven't had a chance to turn any pages over the past few nights thanks to finally being able to write again! 

While running, I started and finished the short novella, DESTROY ME by Tehereh Mafi (SHATTER ME #1.5) yesterday - which of course, I loved.

Now while on the elliptical, I'm reading a great book written by a friend of mine - and fellow YAwesome Writer - Dorothy Dreyer, called MY SISTER'S REAPER. It just came out at the beginning of June and I'm so, so very happy for Dorothy - and I'm totally excited, because Dorothy actually included me in her acknowledgments at the end of the book! That's a first time for me and I'm thrilled to know I had any part in helping her during her road to publication, however small it was. I wish her much success and can't wait to see her add more books to the bookshelves!

WHAT I'M WRITING:

I am so excited to finally be back at writing!!! Man, that kinda sucked there for a while! But, I decided to give Ready. Set. Write! a shot and see if it would bring the encouragement I needed to get my tail back in the chair - and sure enough, it did!

Because I'm so close to the end of my novel, WHERE THE WATER FALLS - and thanks to my recent bout of writer's block - I wanted to set some somewhat achievable goals last week. And they were:

1. Write at least 1,000 words.
2. Begin revisions, from the beginning, on adding two critical personality elements (AKA, flaws) for my MC - neither of which were small characteristics, and both would require a lot of thought on how to weave them in successfully.

Well? I'm so excited to say I bested both of my goals.

While I still have that very last chapter I need to get down, I have two other chapters that were falling a little short - and Monday night, the inspiration struck! I cranked out 1,100 words in an hour and now feel so much better about both of these chapters.

I also started in on my goal around character revisions, late last week - and by 3am yesterday morning, I made tweaks to my last chapter!

So, goals for this week:

1. Write the last chapter - or at least decide how it ends (I'm toying with just tweaking how it currently ends now or if I want a different version that I've been thinking about).  
2. Start and finish complete revisions from the beginning.

Both are goals I really think I'll hit this week. Well, fingers crossed.  

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW:

Secret Projects: I know I've mentioned it a few times, but I am totally inspired by a secret project that Bridgid Gallaher and I - along with seven other a-mazing women - have been working on lately. 

In case you missed my post the other day, we're so excited to launch this said secret project and it goes live on:

07.01.2013

Yep, that's this coming Monday! As in five days. 5

And because I can't give away any of the details just yet - eh-em, it IS still a secret! - I WILL share this grand tidbit of information: who all is participating!

I'm so excited to announce that aside from Bridgid and myself, the following wonderful ladies have been asked (and accepted!) to join us on these crazy adventures:

Sara Biren 
Erin L. Funk
Kelly Loy Gilbert
Jaime Morrow
Ghenet Myrthil
Kris F. Oliver
Heidi Sinnett

The past several weeks have been filled with some of the most fantastic side-splitting laughs with all of these wonderful women - which may or may not have been induced by some badly placed facial hair, some awkwardly aligned adam's apples, and the repercussions of lightening and toenails (um, ew.).

I have had such a grand time with all of them and I can't wait to venture on this journey we've got planned. So won't you please stop on by on Monday to check it all out? I hope so!

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO:

The husband and I went to see WORLD WAR Z this past weekend, and I ABSOLUTELY loved it! It was chock full of action and suspense and on more than one occasion I actually jumped! And I loved the different spin they put on a few things.

Of course there are also the teeth-snapping zombies, which I am totally infatuated with (and yes, I believe I do have the necessary skills to survie a zombie apocolypse, should one ever happen). And I'll close this summary with two words: Brad Pitt. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Okay, that's three.

Perhaps I should just post pictures of beautiful men every Wednesday, since this now seems to be becoming a trend. :) But seriously, would you just look at him? -------------------->

I also watched the movie PITCH PERFECT for the very first time. And that I also loved!!! Total inspiration for being young again, impressive singing (not sure how much of it was real, but I don't really care!), and lots of great humor, primarily thanks to Rebel Wilson, AKA Fat Amy. 

SO WHAT'S NEW FOR YOU TODAY? WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ALL ABOUT IT, SO WON'T YOU JOIN TODAY'S WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY???