I'm in major polishing/revision mode for my new ms, and some telltale signs have appeared:
1) My basket runneth over. Okay, if you've read my prior laundry related posts, you know I haven't seen the bottom of my laundry basket in years (seriously, I think it's possessed). But I aim to keep the clothes level lower than the rim of the basket. Hey, it's good to have goals. This week, a tower of abstract clothing art has overtaken my closet.
2) My inner addict emerges. I know I'm in trouble when I wonder if mainlining caffeine would be a more efficient delivery method than drinking it. While coffee is the biggie for me, chocolate also has a way of disappearing when I'm revising. I've tweeted about the evil called Cadbury Creme Eggs, but since Easter is over, my ass is safe for another year.
3) Sleep is for babies. There's not much I love more than my sleep. In fact, my husband would attest that I am a baby--like, a huge, super cranky one--when I don't get enough (and with two young kids, I never get enough). For me to willingly sacrifice sleep is not typical, but I've been up til midnight or later for the past week because I've been so excited about finishing revisions. As I do best with 8-9 hours of sleep, I realize this 4-5 hours a night thing will catch up with me soon, but I'm really close to the end. At least I better be, or my hubby is going to spike my coffee with benedryl.
Can anyone relate to these? What are your signs that you're deep in writing/revision land?
Also, I wanted to pass along info about a great upcoming event: Want to ask an agent a publishing question? Super-agents Kathleen Ortiz and Liz Jote are going to do a LIVE podcast on Thursday, May 5th at 9pm ET.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday Book Recommendation--NEED by Carrie Jones
Happy Friday! My book recommendation this week is NEED by Carrie Jones. This is another one I picked up in the book store based solely on the cover and title. After reading the jacket flap, I was sold.
Summary from Goodreads:
Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.
She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.
In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear.
Why I liked it? Well, it's creepy and funny which scores big points in my book. I loved the voice of the MC, Zara, and the secondary characters were well-developed and endearing. WARNING: You'll never see pixies as cute again after reading this. If you want a fast-paced, tension-filled page turner, check this out. I'm almost finished with the second, CAPTIVATE, and can't wait for the next one.
Anyone else read this? Anyone look at tall, pale men differently now (no offense intended to tall, pale non-pixie men)?
Summary from Goodreads:
Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.
She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.
In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear.
Why I liked it? Well, it's creepy and funny which scores big points in my book. I loved the voice of the MC, Zara, and the secondary characters were well-developed and endearing. WARNING: You'll never see pixies as cute again after reading this. If you want a fast-paced, tension-filled page turner, check this out. I'm almost finished with the second, CAPTIVATE, and can't wait for the next one.
Anyone else read this? Anyone look at tall, pale men differently now (no offense intended to tall, pale non-pixie men)?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Flirting with the Enemy
Not so long ago, I shared my tragic news with you about my husband crossing over to the dark side. At the time, I reported I was sleeping with the enemy. Well, the iPad2 arrived at our house last week...
...and um, I kinda like it. Don't get me wrong. I'm totally not cheating on my books because I don't use it for reading, but I'll admit to browsing the app store when no one's looking. My hubby downloaded some games onto it for my 4 and 7-yo, and the graphics are amazing. Seriously, my son hasn't touched the Wii once since we got it.
It also has two cameras and you can do weird special effects with them (well, I can't--I barely understand my point and click camera), but my hubby snapped this pic of me when I wasn't paying attention. I'm not actually blue, green, and red in real life. Also, notice how hard I'm working on revisions:
But my favorite thing happened when my hubby opened up a bookcase app and showed me my books sitting on his "shelf," right next to The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, one of my all-time favorite books. For him, the device is convenient and more conducive to reading on the go. Though I still prefer old-school books and don't know if I'll ever read one on the iPad, I get that this works better for him. Basically, I've warmed up to the idea of having this device in my home...and even enjoy playing around on it. You won't tell him, right?
Anyone else out there who's an unwilling convert to new technology? Anyone else's kids forgo the Wii for some Fruit Ninja iPad action?
It also has two cameras and you can do weird special effects with them (well, I can't--I barely understand my point and click camera), but my hubby snapped this pic of me when I wasn't paying attention. I'm not actually blue, green, and red in real life. Also, notice how hard I'm working on revisions:
But my favorite thing happened when my hubby opened up a bookcase app and showed me my books sitting on his "shelf," right next to The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, one of my all-time favorite books. For him, the device is convenient and more conducive to reading on the go. Though I still prefer old-school books and don't know if I'll ever read one on the iPad, I get that this works better for him. Basically, I've warmed up to the idea of having this device in my home...and even enjoy playing around on it. You won't tell him, right?
Anyone else out there who's an unwilling convert to new technology? Anyone else's kids forgo the Wii for some Fruit Ninja iPad action?
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