I've had a heckuva week - I was home alone (!!!) with all four of my monsters for the first three days of it, and I am
So! Quick obsessions rundown, shall we?
1. THAT DOGGONE VOICE Workshop over at Brenda Drake's!
Yes! I am famous! Brenda asked me to be part of The Voice Team in her latest workshop, along with my CP Marieke. Some of these entries are STELLAR, you guys, and it was all I could do to not ask to read their manuscripts. Come visit and tell them what you think when it opens to comments next week!
2. RainyMood
Raise your hand if you like to read, write, or just generally BE inside with a thunderstorm happening outside.
Yeah, I thought so.
Navigate to rainymood.com for a summer thunderstorm any time, any place. You can play your music over top of it, too. Writing bliss!
3. Cake
I want cake. Just some cake. Any cake. So badly. *sigh*
Yeah, I know it was short. The workshop wore me out! What about you, sweet readers? What were YOU obsessed with this week?
Oh, readers. Thank you so much for all your beautiful comments on my post from Monday. It's been a rough week and I haven't replied to them all yet, but...thank you. I just want to hug all of you.
Figuratively, I mean. I actually don't want anyone touching me unless it's a masseuse or my (soon-to-be) newborn baby.
See, I'm one of those ladies who has "false" labor for weeks and weeks before the kid actually arrives. But there's not much false about it. So. For the next four weeks, until I can evict the child with IV medication, I'm going to be dealing with some pretty serious pain and generally being in the biggest MOOD ever.
This is the kind of thing that makes you nostalgic for the 1950s, where they just loaded a lady up with sleeping pills and narcotics and a month later, she had a baby.
I am (mostly) not kidding.
But still. It's only four weeks, and Mood or no Mood, life doesn't stop, right? Which makes it particularly lame that I haven't written anything since the Word War on Monday night. L-A-M-E. And to think I wanted to hit 35K this week. Hell, I didn't even BLOG on Wednesday. And I didn't because of...what? Back pain? Swollenness? Exhaustion? Puh-lease. Katniss would probably roll her eyes and spit at me, and then shoot me straight in the heart with an arrow because I was taking up all the good air.
(As you may be able to tell, I could use a good drill sergeant right now. Seriously, kick my butt. Leave your application in the comments, pleaseandthankyou.)
Ah well. Without further ado...
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. Pedicures.
It could be because the only shoes that fit on my feet are flip-flops, it could be the inevitable hospital stay in my near future, but either one of those situations makes me terrified of gross feet. I'm doing a self-pedi a week. Unfortunately, I think the Hunger Games colors are not the most gorgeous for Spring-and-summer toes, so I'm using bright pinks and oranges and feeling generally delighted about the state of my toes' grooming, no matter how much they resemble tiny, tiny sausages.
2. Rita's Italian Ice
The first day of Spring was Tuesday, and as always, my beloved Rita's gave away free Italian ices.
This year in the 614, instead of being 50 degrees and rainy, and consequently deserted, like it would be on any other year, it was 85 degrees and PACKED with people wanting some free ice. I know it was tough on the guys working the counter, but heck if I'm not more in love with Rita's than ever after getting it for free on that hot, hot day.
3. Snow White and the Huntsman extended trailer.
Okay, seriously? I'm psyched for two movies this summer. Spiderman, and this. I watched this whole extended trailer with my mouth hanging open. Charlize Theron is TERRIFYING. Heck, Kristen Steward is terrifying.
And Chris Hemsworth is...well...he's Chris Hemsworth. Thank the Lord in heaven.
That's it for me this week! I'm posting this from the office, so no Scriv, so no WiP snippet, but I'm hopping to slap one up here later, because yes, I did write a few K.
Now it's your turn! What were YOU obsessed with this week?
It's actually been a pretty decent week! I mean, I'm still in the query trenches, but I didn't have to eat any trench rats this week (translation: nothing made me cry) so we're calling that a WIN.
In less pleasant news, my ankles are the size of my head.
The upshot is that I pretty much have to sit on the couch with my feet up at the end of the day. Which means my WiP did not suffer for word-count this week. Another WIN.
Anyway. Enough about me. Let's get on with talking about my obsessions. (I know, I know. Self-centered, etc. But it's my blog, you see?)
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. Yo-Yo Ma. Very little makes me emotional, music-wise. The things that most get to me are my MS's playlists (duh) and then artists like Yo-Yo Ma, who is an unquestionable MASTER in his field, and plays so beautifully.
His treatment of Bach's cello suites is absolutely astounding, and definitely the music I listen to when I need that weird mix of neutral, calming, and energizing, all at the same time.
But, you guys. There's MORE. Watch this video of him playing. He's an expert, yeah, but check out how HARD he works to nail a piece that he's played a kajillion times - a piece that he's famous for. You can just tell that he is trying so hard to get better - AS IF HE COULD GET BETTER - each and every time.
This is inspirational, y'all. I only hope that I work this hard at everything I write.
2. Blogging-in-Advance. Probably about a month from now I'll need to take a short hiatus (a few weeks at least) from blogging. I'd like to continue to post at least twice a week. Lord knows I have a pile of drafts sitting on my dashboard, but they need to be finished and shined up before I can post them.
Also: I'm looking for guest posts. Especially from those of you who are my favorites. You know who you are. Or even IDEAS for posts I should write. No, seriously. I'm obsessed with getting a backlog done so I can just hit "publish."
Thanks. *kiss kiss*
3. Peeta's bread.
So....my Wisconsin baking bestie Amanda Stein, who runs The Challah Blog, is just as in love with The Hunger Games as I am. (Not just as in love with PEETA, mind. No one loves Peeta as much as I do. Seriously. You may think you do, but you don't. Step off.)
Anyway. She invented a recipe for Peeta's bread - you know - the kind he burned on purpose to give to Katniss so that he could save her life and then....*sigh*
Anyway. I made some. A couple batches, actually. Want a loaf? I will trade one for a guest blog.
(*kiss kiss*)
And last but not least, Chrome. Chessie shamed me in a word war on Wednesday - like, cleaned the internet's floor with me, and it's DIRTY down there - so I figure might as well show something for it.
Here's a part of a scene from when Havah visits the Iver, who live underneath Chrome City.
An Iver answered the door. Her clothing looked like a sack - brown and loose and tied with a sort of makeshift belt. Her hair, wiry and dark, was cropped short, like all the peoples’ seemed to be down here. Men and women, the same.
She peered out the door, and a sheen of sweat coated her brow. Havah grimaced. There was an odd, unclean sort of smell coming from inside the little room. Sweat, and something else. Something warm, something heavy.
“Here for a routine transgression check,” the bionGuard barked at the woman.
Havah swore the woman’s lower lip trembled. “Yes,” she said softly, “of course,” and stepped backward inside.
She stared down at the ground as she gestured toward the tiny, dimly-lit room. There was a single table, three chairs, and a wide white mat on a slightly elevated surface in the corner.
“Do you…live here?” Havah asked.
The woman gave her a strange look, then a curt nod. It seemed to Havah that she didn’t breathe. That she was holding a space open with her silence. Like she was waiting for something.
Just as a bionGuard looked at the woman and said, “Thank you, Iver 3476,” A strange, high sound pierced the air.
The bionguard stopped in its tracks, and the Iver woman clapped a hand over her mouth. Her body heaved with a silent sob.
The high sound crested through the air, again, longer. Coming from nowhere.
The bionguard looked at the Iver woman, then strode straight to her cupboard, snapped the lock off, and flung open the door.
Inside stood a wide-eyed child, the space under its nose glistening with something wet. Its eyes bugged wide, as it stared at the bionguard. The child reached up a chubby hand, strangely stuck to a spindly arm, as if to touch the bion’s sleek silver face.
The bionGuard crouched down to the child’s eye level. A blue light emanated from its eyes, sweeping down over the child’s body. A scan.
“Female,” the bion announced. The Iver woman let out a keening wail and fell to her knees on the concrete floor beside Havah.
Yikkkkkes. I'll tell you right now - this isn't going to end well for anyone. (Thanks for reading!)
Okay, sweet readers. Your turn - What were YOU obsessed with this week?
You guys. It has been one helluva week. Monday and Tuesday David was out of town for a last-minute business trip (which means I spent those days singlehandedly herding three insane rabid chipmunks our three adorable children in and out of clothes, cars, mealtimes, bathtubs, pajamas, and beds,) Wednesday we threw a Purim celebration at work (so so so much fun but holy hell, exhausting) yesterday was my scullery maid day, and tonight I run one of the most fun Friday nights of the quarter - the one where our stellar a'capella group performs - at work (again, extra fun, but totally exhausting.) And tomorrow I have to go buy a new car. (Because apparently rabid chipmunks require carseats - one for each of them - to keep them safe on the road, or something. And our current car only has space for three.)
So guess how much writing got done this week.
Yeeeeeah.
Anyhoo. Here we go.
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. Nesting. It's cheesy, but true. When you have three at home already, nesting is less "Holy crud I have to get All The Things clean and organized," and more "How am I going to plan for my home not to sink into a pit of condemn-able filth while I'm recovering and keeping a 7-pound helpless infant human alive?"
So. I've been buying lots of paper towels and Clorox wipes, paper plates and napkins (all items I'm normally morally opposed to buying,) microwavable and ready-to-eat food, and months worth of any other supplies we might need.
Also, I'm hiring a cleaning lady, because my hips literally quit on me in the middle of Scullery Maid Day yesterday.
Also, I'm making phonecalls and prepping paperwork so I can buy this car tomorrow. Which is a bit stressful.* * understatement of the century
2. Reading inspirational quotes and crying.
It's probably a combination of extra hormones (gross, yeah, but OMG REAL.) and not getting hardly anything done writing-wise, whether WiP or CP related (I'm so, so so SO sorry my CP loves, I swear I have notes and they just need to be transferred and attached to an email and...*weeps*)
but I really, really, REALLY need some inspiration these days.
And then, you know, because I have so much free time, I make some of the quotes pretty in Photoshop. Because that's totally the same of doing PRODUCTIVE writing things.* *I know it's not.
3. Matzah Crack. In the last hour of Purim every year, I go into Passover Obsession Mode. Since Passover starts almost exactly a month after Purim, it's part of the Jewish household manager psyche - we start planning cooking and cleaning, and thinking about matzah. Lots of matzah.
And, if you're me, you start thinking about toffee-and-chocolate covered matzah at that point. And then you can't stop thinking about it. And then you make it. You will eat the batch in about 5 hours. It will be the first batch of about a bajillion.
You need 4 pieces of matzah, 2 sticks of butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, and chocolate chips. (Or you need to be my friend, and ask me for some.) Here's the recipe.
You. Are. Welcome.
Aaaand last but not least - The WiP. Because, hell, I at least wrote SOMETHING.
Here's a convo between Sarra and Mar. They are sister and brother, and they're Iver slaves. Mar runs the underground revolution. Sarra's just trying to keep little girls alive.
“What shine are you feeding them, Mar? What hope that we’ll ever get out of here?”
“It’s no shine, Sarra. You said it yourself. It’s the Current. We’ve built the ship, and the Current will break it through the Dome.”
“Assuming the Current even still exists - it's going to keep us alive? In that air? What are you even thinking?”
“The air out there isn’t what you think, Sarra. It’s not that bad. It will be harder, but we can live. Nothing can be as bad as this.”
Sarra whirled on Mar, glaring at him. “If you think nothing is as bad as this?” She flung her arms out to the great metal barrels tipping hot orange molten metal into molds, “Then talk to my girls. The little ones, who live in the walls. Who have never even breathed what little fresh air is in this underground. Who…who…” Something wet trickled down her cheek. Mar walked two steps toward her, his experession changing from one of argument to one of concern.
She stepped toward him and buried her face in his shirt. “Who have never known their mothers. Who never will.”
Mar smoothed his hand over her close-cropped hair, and whispered, “Shhhh.’ Over and over again. Like he had when she was a toddler, just a baby really, and Ama had gone into one of her episodes and hadn’t talked to either of them for days.
Well, that's that! Thanks for reading!
What about you, sweet readers? What were YOU obsessed with this week? I'd love to know.
Happy Friday, everyone! Another week of non-awesome progress on the WiP, which I'm attributing to the 6-week homestretch of hosting this (non-alien, allegedly adorable) parasitic creature. I'm sleeping a lot of hours, but not sleeping very WELL, which is totally destroying my "wake-up-at-4:00-every-morning-and-write-like-a-motherf---er" strategy for getting anything done, you know, EVER. (And let's not even talk about what a cruddy CP I've been.)
It's worth it, I know. It's cool. *weeps*
In other news, I'm calling this week "not bad at all" in the query trenches, which, of course, falls somewhere between "could be worse" and "only slightly anxious."
Let's just continue to keep our fingers, toes, and possibly eyes crossed for good luck for ONE, hmmmm? Thanks.
Yeah, okay. Let's get on with the show.
This week's obsessions are a pretty even balance between super-girly and super-Jewy. You've been warned.
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. Pinterest. Yeah, yeah, it's tired, I know. And to be fair, it's only a minor obsession. I made a board for Chrome, and it always makes me sigh with the pretty. I'm gonna go ahead and recommend it as an amazing tool for all you writers out there who are visual like me.
For example: I found these trees on Pinterest, which are now alllllll over Chrome City:
2. Anita Diamant. Okay. So, Anita Diamant wrote a bestselling book called THE RED TENT about 13 years ago that was a retelling, or fleshing-out, of a Bible story, which is kind of what I'm trying to do with Chrome (TRT is incredible, by the way, I highly recommend it for those of you who like waaaay historical fiction.)So I'm looking for any interviews, etc, in which she discusses her process. In this video, she basically tells me to...um...not worry about it?
"If I had known, really, what I was getting into, I wouldn't have had the nerve to do it, because if you mess with the Bible, you're gonna get in trouble."
SO! I heard it from the boss herself. Even though I know a little bit what I'm getting into here - because, hey, day job - I'm gonna quit overthinking the whole "who will I offend?" aspect of writing Chrome, and just focus on what's important - tell the story. Awesome.
3. Hamantaschen. It's that time of year - Purim, when Jews dress up in costumes, get a little more sloshed than normal, and eat weird fruit-filled triangular cookies. And they are awesome. I've got a tried-and-true recipe that I couldn't resist making "just one batch" of on Sunday. Or, you know, two. Whatever.
Last but not least - the WiP! Only a couple thousand words this week, but it's not for lack of inspiration.
Here's an early scene between Havah and Orev, after Havah has left Chrome City.
“Why is this dome that color? It’s so…bright.”
Orev laughed again. “You mean, blue?”
Havah had seen blue - neon strip lights when one of the courtiers’ children had chosen it for a party, or when someone walked by a holotree and it glowed the cold color. But this dome was not cold. The color flowed from rich to light, and something about its still calm brought peace to her heart.
Well, it was either the blue, or the feel of this boy’s skin against hers.
She reached up a finger and let it brush lightly against one of his. He did not flinch or pull away.
She nodded slowly. “If this is your blue.”
“Yes, this is blue,” he said, still studying her curiously. “But this is no dome. This is the sky.”
Havah turned her head sideways, letting herself smile a little. “Now you’re telling stories. No one has seen the sky for a thousand years.”
“Then we all live in a story here. Because we work and sleep under it every day.”
Havah gasped. “How? After the wars…”
“The wars were a thousand years ago,” he said, his expression still puzzled. “The sky was scorched…”
“And the air was toxic,” Havah continued. “And there were lighting storms. Yet I am breathing this air and sitting under this…sky…safely.”
“Yes,” Orev smiled. “Yes. It is an amazing planet. With patience, it can heal itself. Amazingly, we survived. The domes helped. But now…we no longer need them. We have to be careful, but we can live under the sky now.”
Happy Friday, sweet readers! It's been another week of lows sprinkled with a couple of sparkly little highs in the query trenches. As I say, it could always be worse.
Writing itself is going pretty slowly, I'm sad to say, and I'm looking for a voice-finding breakthrough to strike me this weekend. When I was drafting One, Merrin's voice just flowed, and this one....? I know it's in there somewhere, I just have to figure out how to get it from my brain into my heart, you know? My CPs have had some suggestions, and I'd love to hear yours- at this point, I'll try anything.
Anyway, that's the update. Without further ado...
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. Spoken Poet Ryan Grist on a Girl Who Reads. (Warning: Begins and ends with a couple of slightly objectionable words for body parts. WORTH IT.)
I don't normally go for spoken word poetry, but this is AMAZING. Might make me reconsider. I know it's annoying when people say "just watch the video," but...just watch it. (I've hit "replay" at least 30 times this week.) Yum.
2. Joshua Radin's No Envy, No Fear. Just another calming song for another tumultuous week. Plus, I like the idea - "No envy, no fear." A good goal for a writer, even if I'm far, far from it.
3. Fountain Soda.
Oh, fountain soda. Pop from a can is one thing, but there's something about the way the fizzies diminish in just the right way and the ice so perfectly chills it that makes me OBSESSED with fountain soda. I don't know if it's a blame-the-fetus thing, but I'm craving it even more now. Especially the ice. Lots and lots of ice.
And now a bit from the WiP. You might be able to tell what a struggle it's been...*shrugs.* I think I'm going to try some writing exercises this weekend (guh. I've never needed exercises) to get the juices flowing.
In the meantime, meet Princess Laila. She's Havah's big sister, and they're getting ready to walk the carpet into a club for Laila's eighteenth birthday extravaganza.
“Besides,” Laila said, “With as often as you sneak away, you should be wearing an EMP too.”
Havah snapped her head around to look out the window again before Laila could see the flood of red to her cheeks.
“Who are you seeing, anyway, when your bionguards lose you? What are you doing?”
Havah was quiet.
“It had better not be a boy. Mother would kill you.”
“What does Mother care about me and parties? Or boys, for that matter? If there were any. And what do you care? We all know you’re the one everyone’s watching.”
“Havah,” Laila’s voice became softer. “I may be the next Queen, but I’ll always need you.”
Havah turned back, blush gone, and smiled. She leaned in, reaching for Laila’s hand and threading their fingers together. “I know.” Then she wiggled her eyebrows, darted her face toward Laila’s, and smacked a big wet kiss on her cheek.
“Havah!” Laila screeched. She moved to swipe at her cheek but stopped her hand at the last moment, patting gently at it instead. “My paint!” She glared at Havah but didn’t pull her hand away.
Havah giggled. “You’re lovely, Lai. Paint or not, and you know it.”
Laila glared. “Princess Laila once we’re outside. Princess Havah.”
“Of course, LaiLai. Will you calm down? Let’s just have fun. Okay? Party time, birthday girl.”
Well, friends, it's been a tough week in the querying trenches. (Which, as my CPs know, is a serious understatement.) So, I'm just gonna pretend the trenches don't exist. Manuscript? What manuscript?
Please join me in going to my happy place, as I bring you....
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek"
So, someone suggested this song as a calming thing for me last week. If you just sit back, crank it up, and let the sounds wash over you, it's perfect for calm. But the lyrics are quite sad.
I realized that it fits perfectly with a certain sequence of scenes in the WiP, and so I've begun to associate it with that mood - that of a tragic inevitability. Awesome.
2. Pinterest
Not so much an obsession as a happy discovery at the outset of this WiP. When I write, I'm really inspired by visuals, and so Pinterest is AMAZING - You can pin All The Pretty Things up on one board! That you can access anywhere! It basically lets me paint the scenes of my WiP for reference any time, anywhere, and has already been invaluable.
3. The Spiderman Trailer
I'm just psyched for this movie summer in general, but oh man oh man. Spiderman. The wit! The drama! ANDREW FREAKING GARFIELD. Ahem.
Just watch it. (Sorry. I can't find one without an annoying ad before it.)
Annnnnnd the WiP. I haven't done very much good work on it, so you know what that means. I need some tough love. If you can find it in your heart, leave some in the comments. Thanks. <3
(Meet Sarra. She's one of the Iver - the slave class that lives underground.)
“Nedda,” Sarra breathed, “Thank you.”
Nedda smiled wearily, and led her in to the tiny room, that held twenty small girls. They huddled around bowls that fit in the palms of their hands, focused on getting every last morsel into their mouths. One of the littlest ones, Brona, who must have been about four years old now, squealed, jumped up, and threw her arms around Sarra’s waist. Nedda caught her by the arm, leaned down. “Shah, Bron. We don’t want anyone to hear.”
The girl looked down, blinking back tears. Sarra crouched down to her eye level, feeling soft and full of love for the first time in days. Weeks, maybe. She kissed each of Brona’s cheeks and hugged her tight. The girl’s body relaxed against her, then clung to her as she slung her arms around Sarra’s neck.
Sarra couldn’t deny the rush of pleasure the girl’s excitement to see her brought. The poor sweetheart had lived her entire life in the cold, cramped quarters, and if she could still find warmth in her heart, Sarra wasn't about to deny her that. She’d never shush one of the little ones for showing love. Sometimes, she thought that love for each other was all the Iver had left. Especially these girls, who held the Ivers’ future in their hands, though their existence was a crime.
Okay, everyone. I've learned my lesson: I should never, ever, EVER stop writing. This week: the story of how I got started again. (It's short, I promise.)
But first (and segueing into the story!) Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. The Rainbow Sponge Lady.
If you're having kind of a rough morning, just....watch. Just watch her. Trust me.
2. Bourekas.
Here's another "the last thing I want to do is cook because CAN'T YOU SEE I'M WRITING" recipe. Get yourself some frozen puff pastry dough. Unroll it. Cut it into squares with a pizza cutter. Mix up some shredded cheese, egg, and garlic. Plop it in the middle, fold it over, and bake them at 350 for 25 minutes. Eat one and freeze the rest. When your husband/kids/roommate goes looking for food, tell them to get their noses the hell out of your monitor and microwave themselves some of these. You're DONE.
3. The New Chrome Playlist.
So, here's where the story starts. You guys gave me some amazing advice about getting out of my between-projects slump on Wednesday. The words that most resonated with me were, "Just Do It."
My CP Chessie has some sort of sixth sense about my writing self, and so she sent me an email pep-talking me. When that didn't work, she pulled out the tough love in a comment on that post pushing me to write. But the final push off the cliff was when she actually spent time MAKING A PLAYLIST FOR Chrome. This involved not only her valuable music-combining skills, but also an informal questionnaire about the book's mood and also READING THE BIBLE. And, if the playlist in itself wasn't amazing, the guilt alone would have pushed me to write.
Luckily, the playlist Chessie made is spot-on perfect and totally kicks butt. Embedded below -the first seven songs are ones she pulled.
Aaaaaaand last but not least. A little snip of the first thousand words I wrote for Chrome. Meet Havah and Jarrod. Havah's a princess and Jarrod's a douchebag.
Havah drew back, stood tall, and cleared her throat. “My guards will be looking for me.”
“Let them search," he said. "Give those stupid blue lights something to do besides menace all the boys out there trying to touch you.”
Havah ducked under Jarrod’s arm again, and reached for the door, wrapping her fingers around the handle one by one. His hand covered hers, and an unsettling wave of warmth moved through her. She looked him straight in the eye, knowing the chill their icy blue brought to her body would steady her.
“There are others who would have me, Jarrod.” But no others I want. She blinked back tears.
“Havah, my own. Please.”
“I am no one’s own.” She spoke loud and clear now. “And you are boring me.”
Well, friends? It's been a bang-up writing week over here. The first official queries for ONE went out on Monday and I've been delighted to send out some requests by Friday. So, rule. I'm convinced this good fortune is due to your good vibes, so keep 'em coming. (Thank you!)
Up next week on the blog, I'm planning posts on how I query, since I know some of you think my method is insane, and also how to stay sane while querying. (Not that I'm a paragon of success in that endeavor. But I try.)
Ahem.
Alright. Here we go. Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. Names
I've always been sort of obsessed with names. Their meanings, the stories behind them, etc. And being a Lady Who Knows Her Bible (part of the day job description, you see) I took great joy in naming my children in the same way the matriarchs did - with stories and deep, personal meanings behind them. Now that the fetus has a name, I'm pretty much done with that bit of fun.
Luckily, I write. Making up new characters allows me to name things without going through labor or wiping any additional bottoms, which, now that I think of it, may be one of the top ten reasons I write. Huh.
The characters in my first two books were not named like that at ALL. I just...named them things I liked. For Nik, I wanted a girl with a boy's nickname, because...I liked it. I wanted Davis to have the kind of last name that could serve as the first. "Merrin," I just liked, and "Elias" just sounds sexy-but-geeky to me. (Did it work, CPs?) I named Leni after my grandmother, who is even more kickass in real life.
But CHROME, the alleged WiP, demands a bit more thought and care in this regard. Each of the names I use for this one has to pack a punch of meaning as well as have some seriously awesome linguistic roots. It took me for-freaking-ever to come up with Havah's name, and I'm still not sure I'm keeping it.
So...yeah. Obsessed with names these days.
2. Men with Swords
I've obsessed over Prince Charming from Once Upon a Time, and I promised myself I would shut up about this particular obsession, but I'll be darned if I haven't picked up two CPs this year who have Men with Swords in their manuscripts.
I'm reading one now. It's really distracting. You know, in the best way possible.
Marieke! Our man Nathan looks like this, right?
Or maybe this?
(ignore my girl Mia, she's just there as a prop in this case)
But preferably - HOPEFULLY - like this? Yes??? Okay. Good.
3. Marshmallow Cereal
Some obsessions are just unhealthy and bad for you, and there's no way around it. I know I should be eating raisin bran or Greek yogurt or oatmeal. I know.
But I CANNOT STOP THINKING about marshmallow cereal. It's talking to me, you guys.
I might have eaten a (couple) bowls this week. Oops.
Let's blame it on Merrin. She loves junky food.
What about you, sweet readers? What were your obsessions this week?
You guys, it's been one of those weird weeks where I have felt very busy, but when I look back on it, I haven't gotten too terribly much done writing-wise. I mean, I did a synopsis, which ate a whole day, and probably a good chunk of my CPs' (thanks, ladies, for your love and patience.) And the synopsis is pretty good.
So I guess that's something.
I would say I'm in a sad, sad state for obsessions. I'm sleeping WAY more than I'm accustomed to (or would like to) and I'm eating WAY less than I'm accustomed to (or would like to) thanks to squished stomach space.
(In other words - We can blame my little monster sweetheart-on-the-way for lack of gushing posts about TV shows or tater tots, which I know we all LOVE.)
But wouldn't you know it? The writing community is made up of amazing people who are always THERE FOR EACH OTHER. So, in addition to being an extra-classy authoress, Elana Johnson must also be psychic. Because she asked a handful of lucky bloggers the other day if we'd be up for showing off her new covers.
Let me say that again: SHOWING OFF HER NEW COVERS.
And here's SURRENDER's (swoon, swoon, I'm dying over here)
Now, let's recap. A little cover commentary.
1. The color fade just BLEW ME AWAY. I don't know how something so subtle could be so powerful - probably because the intensity of color really is strongest at the bottom right corner, making you just want to grab it and open it and OH GEEZ WHY IS THIS BOOK NOT OUT UNTIL JUNE 5????
2. For those of you who have read POSSESSION, you'll understand how apropos the image of a butterfly in an ice cube is. The creature is so beautiful, but so hopelessly trapped.
Except...butterflies are stronger than they seem, stronger than people expect them to be. Just like Vi. And if you look carefully, there's the smallest crack in that ice cube...the smallest chance that she'll be able to escape.
And if you know Vi? She' going to take that chance, or die trying.
3. I haven't read SURRENDER yet (much to my chagrin) but this cover image of a hummingbird hovering at the mouth of a glass jar has me absolutely buzzing to get my hands on it. It's looking out of the side of the jar, even though escape awaits it at the top.
This cover tells me that there's a clear way for Vi to escape all the terrifying ridiculousness going on in her life (read POSSESSION to find out what that is!), and that maybe she senses that the escape exists, but she has no idea where to look. She just has to find it, and she'll bust out of there like a mofo.
The last word: It's a good thing I can't preorder books more than once. Because I'm pretty sure I've already tried to order SURRENDER about six times. This cover just makes the urge that much stronger....which is awesome.
So...what do you think of the new covers? I know Elana's DYING to know!
First up, there's an amazing literary/writer's auction happening over at Write Dreams to benefit Donna's Dream House, which helps KIDS IN THE HOSPITAL, so, you know, it's really important. Anyway, someone set fire to it right before Christmas, those jerks, and now Donna is trying to rebuild so that sick kids can hang out with their families a little more while they're staying in the hospital.
So if you have some extra holiday cash lying around and want to use it for a good cause and get writing help from the pros as a really nice bonus, GO BID!!! (Remember, they're bidding in pounds, so...yeah. Do your conversions.)
Second! The winner of the Brodi Ashton Classy Author Giveaway is.....
(I swear to you I did the random draw and whatnot, but I'm too lazy to do the screenshot, etc, so you'll just have to believe me.)
Who said, "In a weird way, stories like Brodi's are so satisfying to hear. Insofar as, here is someone who really *wants* it. Who works for it and keeps at it because it's what she's called to do, not just because it's something to do. And it's a fantastic light to the rest of us who struggle with the rejections and the self-doubt and the looming fear of the not so great What If."
To which I say: Damn straight. Congrats, Corey! (Though, I can't for the life of me find your email address, so shoot me a message with your address and whether you'd like EVERNEATH on Kindle or in hard copy, okay?)
Okay. Now, on with the obsessions!
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. The Forecast.
So, right now (5 AM on posting day,) the weather looks like this:
Which...okay. Whatever. I just pretty much HATE this whole "ten degrees and cloudy" nonsense if the weather's not going to oblige and at least give us some pretty snow to look at. So every morning these days I'm going to weather.com and just hoping....
Well, guess what I saw this morning!!!
Which pretty much has me doing this:
Yep. Even though it won't shut down work or school, or really even accumulate that much, I love a good Shabbat snow. So pretty to watch, so nice to curl up with a great book. Which brings me to....
2. Crit Projects LYM and TB
As soon as I finish pushing through this revision high on ONE (yes, ba''H, ptuh ptuh ptuh, my CPs helped pep talk my sorry behind through my revision wall from last week and I'm ALMOST DONE) I'm spending ALL WEEKEND with books from members of the team. I'll probably finish in-lines on Gina's fab new YA romance.
You need to be jealous - because my goodness is it ever romantic. Fellow LYM team member Marieke compared Gina's writing to Sarah Dessen's, and I agree, not because I've ever read Sarah Dessen, but because her writing made her famous and Gina's gonna have the same situation.
And then - did I mention? - I snagged (okay, obtained through endless month-long harassment) a very early copy of TB, which is about TIME DRAGONS I mean HOLY GEEZ, you guys - from Jamie Grey. And you guys, the writing is SO BEAUTIFUL and the characters? Love them. So I get to finish reading that and send my comments this weekend too.
Cannot. Wait.
3. My Kindle
Call me snobby or elitist or a Hater of Paper Books, but I'm in love with my Kindle. I wouldn't get NEARLY the volume of reading or writing (yes, the Kindle is an IMMENSE help to my writing, I'll do a post on it) without my baby in her sweet eggshell-blue case.
My Kindle, tag-teaming it with my netbook to edit ONE.
Plus, when I send ONE to the Kindle, it looks just like all the other books that are actually published by People Who Publish Things. At I'm not gonna lie, that's a rush.
Okay, your turn!!! What were YOU obsessed with this week?
I have just the one obsession this week. And it's not cute or funny or fun.
I've hit a revision wall. A pretty big one. One that had me in tears all day yesterday.
At first, I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. I would have reacted to the idea that there might even *be* a revision wall like this gentleman here:
'
There's no revision wall! There won't be one either! This whole project is looking pretty good!
But yesterday I finally realized there is an honest-to-goodness revision wall for this project, and no matter which way my poor beleaguered brain approached it, this happened:
(*wince* Poor Hedwig.)
I'm still kind of hoping to figure out a solution that will let me come through the other side relatively unscathed:
But I'm actually pretty sure it doesn't exist. I might come out on the other side, but if I do, it's gonna be an unrecognizable hot (cold?) mess.
Unfortunately, I'm a muggle, and there's no magical Hogwarts Revisions Express to take me from draft to queryable MS. *sigh*
Anyway. This weekend I'm obsessed with trying to make a decision about what exactly to do with ONE. My choices are: minor revisions, and hope for the best, or shelve for later and tackle a major overhaul some other time. Probably when this baby-on-the-way starts sleeping through the night. (Translation: about a year from now.)
You know? Now that I watch all these .gifs, and think of the snow falling outside in the 614, I might be obsessed with Harry Potter movies this weekend too.
Hi there, everyone! How was your first week back to the Real World after holiday breaks? (Please don't tell me if you've not gone back yet. I know who you are and I'm sufficiently jealous, okay?) Seriously, though, even though things get crazier when the students get back to campus, I like it much much better when they're here. Things are busier, days go by faster, I get to feed more people. It works out.
Aaaanyway. Let's do this.
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. Unagented Writers. Yep! I'm guest posting this morning about the awesomeness of unagented writers over at Zap's Lobster Tank. So come check me out.
The only thing I'm almost as as obsessed with as the writers is that I wrangled myself a guest post slot over there. Brushes with celebrity, friends. This is where unagented writers get their kicks.
2. Blankets. And couches. And hibernation.
I am not even kidding, it was like twelve degrees here a couple days this week. I am fantasizing about sitting on the couch for hours under stacks of blankets to read/write/crit this weekend. Not that it'll happen, but....yeah.
Oh, excuse me. I just lost, like, fifteen minutes of my life electric-blanket shopping on Amazon.
3. Finding the Perfect Mocktail
I need a drink. Like, really really. But when you're 6 months pregnant, that's not exactly socially medically acceptable.
It's getting sad, you guys. SAD. The other night I mixed orange juice with Sprite to approximate a mimosa? Maybe? I don't know. I'm going crazy.
Hey Everyone! Seeing as how tomorrow is the last day of 2011 and all, I *was* going to do a big ol' year-long obsessions post summing up everything I was obsessed with all year. But then Nesyah got banished from preschool for alleged pinkeye (no, she does NOT have pinkeye. Ugh.) and so we're having a ladies' day at home today, and SO....this one's gonna be quick. Here we go!
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. ZOMBIE TAG by Hannah Moskowitz. It's no secret that I love Hannah's YA stuff - BREAK was an obsession of mine a couple of months ago. Last Tuesday, her first MG novel came out, and my goodness is it ever awesome. You know how sometimes people write books for little-ish kids, but really they're equally amazing for adults? Like A WRINKLE IN TIME and THE GIVER? Yeah. ZOMBIE TAG is like that. It's sweet and a little sad and absolutely beautiful, just like we've come to expect from Ms. Moskowitz. So go buy it. Now.
Of course, my boys were only interested in the rules for the game Zombie Tag, which, for their 3- and 4-year old brains, consist of hitting each other with spatulas. Which is also awesome.
2. Page 28 by Sleeping at Last
Sleeping at Last rules. They can make the cheesiest of cheesy lyrics sound amazing and powerful. There aren't that many in this song, but it's about writing and love and...guuuuuh. Just listen to it.
3. Vegetable Barley Soup
Writers! Do you have pages to draft or revisions to make or crit to get done but somehow other people in your household expect you to do things like cook dinner and speak to them? I know. It's ridiculous.
Well, I'm gonna help you out with the cooking part, at least. It's cold, right? Everyone loves a hearty soup, right? Okay. So do this:
Get a can of crushed tomatoes, a bag of frozen veggies, a can of beans, and whatever other odds and ends are in your fridge about to start stinking. Throw all of that in a crockpot or a big pot on the stove with some water and a couple little handfuls of barley, some salt and pepper and garlic, and then leave it alone for a few hours.
(If you want, you can take your laptop in the kitchen with you, pretend you're schvitzing over dinner, and get like an hour's worth of work done instead.)
It's dinner! It's homemade! It took you two seconds! Now get back to writing.
Hello, writing/reading/friend-type loves! It's been a bang-up week over here. While Christian folk are still getting ready for their holiday, we Jews are smack-dab in the middle of ours. I'm a weird mix of exhausted already and psyched for the rest. Check out my Chanukah monsters on night one.
Well, enough of that. Let's get on with the show.
Here's everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
Being done with drafting leaves me a bit more...creative time on my hands. Since I'm all in a critique partner head these few days, my version of "making stuff" seems to be "making inspirational quotes about writing pretty in Photoshop."
I did one today, which I'll share here, mostly because the next one I'm prettying up involves profanity. (What can you do? Brilliance is brilliance.) Here ya go.
2. Coconut Bonbons. So, you know how I used to live in Kansas City? And it pretty much was not a really great place for our family to live except for, like five reasons?
Well, one of those reasons was Chase coconut bonbons. They're made in Missouri and sold in grocery stores in about a two-hour radius of the factory. And I miss them. Dearly.
So, you know, I had a pretty decent run over at the Miss Snark's First Victim Baker's Dozen auction, and also I'm six months pregnant and darn uncomfortable already, and I was all, I DESERVE SOME BONBONS. So I ordered a bunch of them, and now they are back in my mouth again. Nom nom.
3. Another amazing girl drummer.
I added this song to the playlist for critiquing Chessie's NaNo book (which, oh yeah, obsession #4 this week), and then I was thinking about how my MC is a drummer and how she would totally own the drum line on this song. So of course I searched for a drum cover of it on You Tube, and lo, the heavens opened and gave me this video of teen-girl Ilana TOTALLY OWNING THE DRUM LINE on this song.
And seriously, you guys? If her hair's a little lighter and wavier, she's my MC and I just...I don't even....gaaaaah. I cannot stop watching this video. (Thanks, Ilana. You rule.)
That's about it for me! Now it's your turn - tell me what you were obsessed with this week down in the comments - I seriously want to know.
(And I'll leave you with my Chanukah greeting to writers and general BAMFs alike:)
Sometimes the week flies by so fast that I swear I won't have anything I've been obsessing over to share with you on Friday. And then...whaddaya know? So, here it is -
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. My new t-shirt.
Okay. So being a Jew and whatnot, I'm not exactly accustomed to giving and receiving Christmas gifts. But when Gina started talking about the epic package she was going to send me for Christmas, well, I got pretty stoked. She's so thoughtful that I knew it'd be something sweet.
You guys? I totally underestimated her. Check out the t-shirt G sent me.
Bahahahaha are you laughing yet? Because I did for a good twenty minutes. And then I wore the shirt to work the next day. And I'll probably wear it again this weekend.
2. The Avengers Menorah.
I want my kids to be psyched about Chanukah. So when I hauled out the Chanukah box and realized that our kid menorahs are a little....well, not lame, I wouldn't say, but cutesey-boring maybe?....I asked the boys what kind of menorah they wanted this year. I figured I'd Google it, order one, and we'd have a great holiday.
They told me they wanted an Avengers menorah.
But Avengers menorahs do not exist....
until now.
Behold, my craftiest craftiness of the year. I stole some of their toys, and a block of wood, some hardware nuts, spray paint, and a s*%t ton of epoxy, and we've got ourselves one of our very own. Yeah, I was totally obsessed with getting this done. So. Worth it.
3. Reading. So so much reading.
Guess what I finally got on my Kindle just about an hour ago?
Since it's hanging out in Chessie and Maggie's inboxes right now, and there's not much for me to do on it until they start sending me bits of feedback....
I get to read. A lot.
It feels luxurious.
Check out my TBR pile:
Not to mention, I get to start critiquing a second project for Chessie! I am seriously over-the-moon-obsessed.
Oh! And Prince Charming. But that's a given. Here's a picture anyway. (You're welcome.)
Your turn, loves! What were YOU obsessed with this week?
(Before we begin: a Special "Hiiiiii!" and hugs to my new followers! You are amazing. Yep! YOU.)
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. David and Mary Margaret from "Once Upon a Time." Don't groan. If you follow this blog, you're gonna hear about these two in more than one Friday Obsessions post. Just go with it. Let the awesomeness sweep over you.
I've decided that in an alternate universe David/Prince Charming is my boyfriend and Mary Margaret/Snow White is my bestie. (Yes, I know it might get complicated. That's okay.) He's so gorgeous! (Watch his lips move. Juuuust watch 'em.) She's so adorably pretty! He's so heroic! She's the best friend a girl could ask for! What's not to love?
Watch this scene and just try to tell me, in all seriousness, that your heart doesn't break. JUST TRY.
2. The Breaking Dawn Soundtrack. Don't hate. (And CPs, prepare yourselves, you're all getting a burned copy for Christmas. I'm an evangelist. Love me or leave me.)
Oh! You want my favorite tracks? I thought you'd never ask.
Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years" (makes me think of my mains from THE TRAVELERS, tears my heart out every time.)
Cider Sky's "Northern Lights" (makes me think of the happy times for my MCs in ONE - noticing a pattern here?)
Iron & Wine's "Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Wedding Version" (Guh. Gorgeousness.)
3. Chanukah.
I'm normally opposed to getting too psyched for Chanukah before, well, Chanukah.
Here's why. Not only is Chanukah eight nights long, but we do pretty much the exact same thing every night. (Light the candles, sing the songs, fumble to pry chocolate coins out of their foil wrappers before the children eat us instead.) So, my fear is that the kids will get all blase about Chanukah by, like, night five, and by the end of it, they'll just kind of lay on the carpet, stare at the menorah, and say, "Oh, that again?" (Remember, my kids are only 4, 3, and 18 months, so I don't have decades of experience here.)
In past years, I haven't hauled The Chanukah Box out of storage until the day of candlelighting #1. But this Wednesday (T-13 days till Chanukah) my doula called looking for some dreidels for a Boy Scout thing, and I was set to facilitate a Chanukah prep program for area interfaith families that required I bring my own menorah, so I had to crack The Box open way early.
Of course the kids hover over any box to come out of storage, sweet little vultures that they are. Their chubby hands hauled out the glittered Jewish-star garland from preschool last year, dreidels in all shapes and sizes, our copy of "A Rugrats Chanukah," every Chanukah toy on the face of the planet, and all ten million of our Chanukah books, along with copious amount of wintertide cheer. As I watched my them spend hours (seriously! hours!) stuffing candles in the plush menorah and flipping wooden latkes, and then poring over THE RUNAWAY DREIDEL and CHANUKAH BUGS, my heart grew three sizes and I let them keep all the stuff out for a few days.
And of course, now I'm kind of obsessed with Chanukah too. Two weeks too early. Oh well.
Here's a shot from last year at our house, in case you want to catch the Chanukah warm-fuzzies too.
Okay, my dears, it's your turn. What were you obsessed with this week?
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. Revising TT.
It's just a teensy bit. Just a few lines here and there, that will greatly improve a character, and maybe up her woodchipper factor.
Here's what went down: I was lucky enough to get new crit from a friend, and she said something that all my other CPs had said as well, something that I agreed with. But I didn't know how to fix it and still have the story happen like it had to happen. A few months down the road, though, and I've entered a phase of my writing, or maybe it's a better relationship with my CPs, where I can admit, "I see what you're saying, and I agree with it. I'm just too dense/stupid/clueless to know how to fix it."
So I finally say that to my CPs, and they say, "Oh, okay. Well, here's how."
Oh. OH. And look! All the things are already in place in the story, I just have to USE them! OH!!!
(illustration credit: hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com, who continually knocks my socks off.)
So I had the lightbulb moment, and now am completely obsessed with putting the plan into action. I already told David about the whole debacle, and he's cool with me holing up in the study as much as possible this weekend. But I'm starting now.
(Alexa - would you mind checking out my changes along with the other ladies? I'll buy you Jeni's.)
2. And the revision inspiration is due toThe Baker's Dozen Auction over at Authoress Anonymous's "Miss Snark's First Victim" Blog. I was lucky and my entry got pulled from the slush (which included authors and books more awesome than me/mine) along with 59 others to be critiqued by peers and hopefully bid for on Tuesday. If you have a moment, go visit, pick an entry that catches your eye, and leave a critique. The authors REALLY appreciate it - don't forget to be encouraging!
3. Spiced Pear Raspberry Sauce. So, I went grocery shopping yesterday (yes, in my boring life, this is exciting, because I normally go at like 6AM on Sunday and frankly it's getting old) and these gorgeous red pears were on sale. I bought, like, six pounds of them and decided to make pear sauce. Then I was cleaning out my freezer and found some raspberries from the summer (oops.) I put them all in the crock pot with some brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon zest, and a couple hours later I threw the whole thing in the blender.
It. Is. Amazing.
I'm actually thinking of getting some vanilla ice cream for the sole purpose of drowning it in this. (Any other flavor suggestions? I'm a little dense when it comes to combos like this.)
Bonus: My kids hate it. More for me!
Okay, those are my boring obsessions of the week! How about you? What are you obsessed with this week?
Wheee! It's the end of another week and I could not be more psyched. Seriously.
(Big goals for this weekend, friends. Big. Freaking. Goals.) So here it is....
Everything I was obsessed with this week. Because I know you want to know.
1. MYLO XYLOTO (OMG!!!) Okay. So I know this album released, like, two weeks ago. I guess I had contented myself with one of the single tracks, "Paradise," enough that I didn't bother listening to the rest but oh my holy heck you guys, this album is EPIC! And I think I think just maybe I may have found the title track for ONE right on it!!!!! And I just heard it for the first time this morning!!!! And I am FREAKING OUT!!!
2. Riding boots. Okay. So I work on a college campus (GO BUCKS!) and all the cute college girls are wearing these riding boots with their leggings and skinny jeans and looking absolutely freaking adorable. And I thought it was a body-type thing, with the skinny jeans, because I am not, well, SKINNY, so there is nary a skinny jean to be found in my wardrobe. But then some of my girls told me that skinny jeans and riding boots are flattering on "everyone, Rabbi Kopans, and you should totally get some IT WOULD BE SO CUTE!!!!" And then I saw some of the moms at the children's museum wearing the getup last weekend and looking very classy and "oh-I-just-threw-this-together" chic. Also, Katniss wears them, so you know they are badassed.
Seeing as I haven't felt "so cute" or "classy" or "chic" or "badassed" in a very long time (a verrrry long time,) and I had a very bad week (a verrry bad week) I thought I'd do a little retail therapy and pick up these beauties. And I've been screaming at the website to "just SHIP THEM ALREADY" all week long. Obsessed.
3. Salty Caramel Ice Cream
There are a lot of special things about living in Columbus, OH, but on the top five list is Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Gorgeous artisan ice cream with all organic, all natural, all local ingredients, with a robust roster of seasonal flavors combined with the regular flavors Jeni won't discontinue because she'd be afraid for her life. Seriously.
One of the flavors in the latter category is Salty Caramel, and I may or may not have eaten an entire pint this week. *Ahem* (as an aside, I'm pretty much a fan of any flavor that involves alcohol - which is many of them - or the word "butter.")
(Not my image. But oh my, doesn't that make you think of Spring?)
Now it's your turn! What were you obsessed with this week???
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