Cyber BFFs in REAL life -- and a Blog Hop

Me, DL, and Summer

I had the enormous pleasure in meeting up with DL Hammons (Cruising Altitude) and Summer (...and this time concentrate!) for brunch on Saturday.  Summer and I had met once before, a couple weeks ago, but this was our first time meeting DL in person.  I was sooooo excited -- and we had a great time together!

Each of our significant others joined the party.  I hope Kim, Evan and Christian don't mind me putting their pics up.  (Call or email me, quick, if they do!)

Evan and Summer -- such a great couple

DL and Kim -- In town for the LSU game.  Sooo glad they proposed we get together while they were in ATL!

Christian and me -- I took this...we have a LOT of pics like this, taken of us, by us :P

We talked writing, about our lives, our kids, our jobs.  We shared many laughs.  I was so happy to be there, with them.  What a day!  And, DL gave me a copy of his MS, bound with a hardcover and awesome cover art.  I'm a chapter in already and loving it.  What an amazing souvenir for the day!

If you are new to my blog, or haven't met DL or Summer yet, please shoot over and follow them.  I've known both are talented writers, having read excerpts of their work on their blogs.  Now I know they are wonderful people, too!  Here are their links again:  DL's blog  and  Summer's blog. 

Can't wait until we get together again!!

Psst!  Do you know about Karen Gowen's blog hop this weekend?  If you've come here today by way of her blog, hello!  Welcome!  Anyone else, click HERE to get in on the action!

Happy Labor Day, everyone!!

Paranormalcy Conest Entry & Book Recs Galore!

[My entry for Kiersten White's At Home with Paranormalcy Contest is at the bottom of this post!]

Last night as I was cooking dinner, I realized it was September 2nd.  Normally, I know the date earlier in the day!  But this has been another busy week that's left me reeling in its wake.  (That's my story, at least, and I'm sticking to it.)  So why was I suddenly excited, as September 2nd seeped into my overloaded brain?  That's the date Amazon said my order would arrive.  I rushed out to the mailbox.

And there they were.  Not just a box from Amazon, but also an envelop from Shannon Messenger!

In Shannon's envelop was the ARC of Kathy Reichs' newest book, Virals, with a release date of November 2010.  I won this in one of Shannon's recent contests, which totally rocked my world -- and I didn't even know at the time that it was SIGNED.  Yes!  I'm a big Kathy Reichs fan, so having this ARC is sooo cool.  Thanks, Shannon!!!!

In the Amazon box was Nightshade City, by the lovely Hilary Wagner.  I have been anxiously awaiting this book.  Hilary is the kindest blogger/writer out there, and her artistic energy is evident in everything she writes.  As many of you know, Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series endorsed this book with a praising testimonial on the back cover.  How exciting for a debut author!!!  Way to go, Hilary, and I can't wait to read you book!

And the second book in my Amazon box was Kiersten White's breakout novel, Paranormalcy.  The buzz surrounding this book across the blogosphere and in major bookstores is incredible.  I read four pages of chapter one as I cooked dinner, and I was immediately hooked by main character Evie's voice.  She's funny, confident, bold, and exactly the kind of heroine I want to get behind and root for to the end.  I can't wait to read this one, as well!

Kiersten is having a contest on her blog (you can enter, too. HERE's the link).  In her words: "...until September 12th, you can enter the At Home with Paranormalcy contest! It's pretty simple. Buy Paranormalcy, take it home, and take a picture of yourself doing something with the book."  (And she gives hilarious examples to help inspire you)

So, here is my entry for Kiersten's contest! 

Me, cooking dinner with Paranormalcy!

And, don't miss out on the great prizes in these contest:

Theresa Milstein at Substitute Teachers Saga is giving away a SIGNED copy of Mockingjay!!  Seriously!  How awesome is she to share the spoils of her two-hour wait in line and let us help her celebrate her first blogging anniversary with this awesome contest??  CLICK HERE to enter before September 6th!

Jamie Burch at Dancing Down Serendipity Street is hosting the Moon Chasers Contest, with a prize package you won't want to miss (it includes chocolate, fyi).  CLICK HERE to enter before September 7th!

And Sarah Ahiers at Falen Formulates Fiction is celebrating her 200+ followers with a contest offering beautiful handmade journals for prizes.  Enter a poem for extra entries!  CLICK HERE for details before September 17th!

Do you know any contests I haven't mentioned?  Pimp them in the comment section.  Thanks in advance!

Happy Labor Day weekend, y'all!

Tick, Tock, Write a Lot

Just when I think life can't get any busier, I succumb to the urges of my sisters' long-standing, near-failed campaign to get me on FaceBook.  Reconnecting with my family at last week's funeral and baptism melted my resolve like ice cream in Georgia sun, and I can't seem to get enough of them.  Plus, I'm finding my college sorority sisters, who I haven't chatted with since before my Peace Corps years.  Okay, I admit it: I'm loving FB.  (Let the ridicule begin.)

It's never been more important than now to schedule my time, so that the writing rope I've been swinging on doesn't fray and snap.  Jessica Bell (The Alliterative Allomorph) to the rescue!  Jessica and I are newly formed critique partners, and I'm ecstatic about our partnership.  I've read some of her fiction and her poetry, and I "get" her. Probably because I write like her.  Our styles are similar, our preferred genres are in the same family, and our positions along our journeys are comparable.  (Except she's "more published" than I am :D)

We've discussed how much we can read/critique at a time and set up a regular schedule when we'll swap chapters.  This is good for me on so many levels.  First, it gives me much-needed deadlines.  I've always worked most efficiently and effectively with a looming deadline.  Second, it propels me into the revision stage with the chapters I've written, while pushing me to write the chapters I've outlined but haven't reached yet.  Since this is my first experience with a writing project of this magnitude, I've tried to listen to the advice of many successful authors and pen the entire first draft, before beginning the revision process.  But in all honesty, I don't think that's the best approach, for me.  I reach a certain point and just can't seem to move forward, for want of revising the early plot and character groundwork that isn't right (enough) for later chapters.

And, did I mention how excited I am to start reading Jessica's book??  I know the premise and have read excerpts.  Her characters are authentic and people I want to cheer on, my kind of people with tormenting inner conflicts and a support system that contributes to their problems more than helps them through.  She's brilliant, and if you don't follow her blog yet, here's the link again *wink* --->  The Alliterative Allomorph

In addition to my new writing schedule, I'm going to schedule time in every day for social networking and housework (in that order, LOL).  Otherwise, I'll sit here and converse on FB and tweet and read blogs, all day long.  Which I'd love to do, of course, but Overcome isn't going to write itself, is it?

What about you?  How do you schedule your time?  Do your writing/crit partners play a role in how you manage your time?  

Pumping Legs and Arms, but Gaining Speed Slowly

I have a New York hangover.

As some of you know, the weekend plans to attend my nephew's baptism changed last week when my cousin Ryan passed away from a brain tumor.  He'd outlived his 2-3 month prognosis and survived 18 months past the initial diagnosis.  One of the many blessings throughout his journey.  Being reunited with my extended, Upstate New York family was one of mine.

I flew to Syracuse on Wednesday night, arriving at my parents' house after midnight.  The funeral was the next day, and the reception that followed took place at another cousin's restaurant, which was closed to the public for the night.  As dusk fell, the sound system cranked, and Ryan's favorite band, Tragically Hip, blared through the speakers.  Drinks flowed, lyrics were shouted, glasses were raised over and over, to Ryan.   Perhaps not a traditional send-off, but one Ryan would have appreciated.

The next day, two of my sisters and I hung out, looking at old family photos and enjoying my nieces and nephews.  On Saturday morning, my sister and her son, and my parents and I boarded a plane for New York City.  The regularly scheduled weekend program kicked in, and we celebrated yet another sister's baby's baptism.  (For those of you wondering, I am the oldest of five sisters.  No brothers.  Yep, estrogen and drama -- we have plenty of both in our family.)

The most excellent story line for fiction is playing out in one of my sister's real life.  One day, I hope to write it.  Now isn't the time, of course.  Inner conflict is no laughing matter.  But I took notes...just in case.

I arrived home at 1:30 Monday morning.  Needless to say, I took a couple naps yesterday.  Today, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but it seems no matter how hard I pump my arms and legs, I feel like I'm trudging through water.  Leaning on caffeine to carry me through.

I'll leave you with a pic from the baptism of my beautiful sisters:

Natasha (the christened baby's mama), Noelle, Nadine, Natalie, and me

Have a wonderful day, all!

Joyful, Yet Unplugged

I'm coming off a great weekend and streaking into this Monday with ample amounts of energy and purpose.  If only every Monday felt as vigorous as this one!

We had more rain than sunshine over the weekend, but the kids and I stayed busy with a new project that's got our creative blood pumping.  In addition, I learned I won two blog contests -- an Amazon gift card from Amy Holder and an ARC from Shannon Messenger -- and I've been doing a goofy happy dance since.  Hubs and I cooked together, amazing meals both Saturday and Sunday nights, so I have a food buzz on top of everything.

In short, life is good.

Thank goodness, too, because I have quite a week in front of me.  I'm coordinator of the Student Store at my daughter's school, and this is the last week of planning before we open our doors next week.  Lots to do with that.  And, I'm leaving on Friday for NYC, where my family is reuniting for my baby sister's son's baptism.  He is her first baby, and we are all so excited to celebrate this event with her.  Not only do I have to organize myself for the trip, but I have to help prepare hubs and the kids, who are staying behind but enjoying the weekend at Callaway Gardens, in the Black Mountains of GA.  All this, while I WRITE -- 'cause the muse is back in the house!

All this to say: with all that's going on this week, I'm going to unplug and jump in with both feet.  I have the energy and motivation to make great things happen in the next couple days, and I'm going for it!  I hope you have a great week and reach all your goals, too!!

Remember...

Enjoy it!!

(Brought to you by an annoyingly bubbly and optimistic blogger, for a Monday anyways...!)

Guess That Character Blogfest -- The Reveal

Day Two of Jen's from Unedited's Guess That Character Blogfest is the reveal of my spotlighted character!

Julie Knotts is a young woman in her mid-twenties who is living on her own for the first time, without family or room mate.  It's a scary time for her, because unresolved issues from a childhood tragedy compromise her sense of security in the world.  Most of the time, she's just plain paranoid that the worse case scenario is destined to play out.  She's carefree by nature, so the forced conditioning her personality suffers from fear is her greatest inner conflict.

So, without further ado, here is Julie:

 

She's highly artistic, but lacks the self-confidence to pursue her talents (What if no one thinks I'm any good? What if I can't pay my bills? What if I have an accident and hurt my hands, or my eyes, and can't paint or play music anymore?  What if...?  What if...?)

Thanks everyone who visited my blog and made a guess.  There were a lot of participants!  I wasn't able to visit everyone's entry.  I think I fell short by about 15.  I'm going to try to get around to those I missed yesterday!!

A LOT of you guessed correctly!  I was very impressed :D

Thanks, Jen, for the fun time! *hugs*

Guess That Character Blogfest!

Thanks to Jen at Unedited for hosting one of the most enjoyable blogfests evah!  Her ingenious idea is this: Based on the character's voice as you read the short excerpt below from my current WiP, tell me in the comment section what you imagine the character looks like.  Tomorrow I'll post her "photo," and we'll both get a kick out of learning: how closely you guessed her physical characteristics; and how successful I was at infusing her essence into the writing.

Keep in mind this is rough, rough, rough -- first draft, for real!  Not a lot of literary magic in there (YET) :D  Okay, disclaimer aside, here goes:

When the digital clock alarm sounded the next morning, Julie was already washing her face in the bathroom.  Early morning was her favorite time of day.  The air always smelled fresher, and her energy was always the highest, just after the sun came up.  If reincarnation was real, and she suspected it was, Julie was quite certain she was once a bird who soared across dawn skies, heralding each new day with twitters and chirps.

She switched the alarm to off and changed out of pajamas and into a cut-off pair of jean shorts and boxy white tee shirt.  She gathered the bottles and tubes from the ledge around the bathroom sink in her one laundry basket, lay the towels from the racks on top, and placed the framed mixed medium collage she’d done in a college art class on top.  She spent the minimum amount of time necessary to prep the room, mostly running a dust rag along the baseboards and window sash.  She prided herself with having a steady hand, plus she’d be armed with the ten dollar detail paintbrush, so she skipped taping off the trim entirely.

When she pried off the paint can lid and stirred the Toasted Pine paint, her excitement grew.  Pouring the thick paint into the roller pan doubled her elation.  But when she drew the roller across the middle of the wall, a swathe of silvery moss-colored paint covering the uninspired perfection of beige, her heart sang.  Within minutes, she was lost in her project and her joy.

So what do you think Julie Knotts looks like? 

Swing by tomorrow when I'll post her photo!  

Also click HERE to read all the excerpts by Guess That Character Blogfests participants!