It's the last day of September already which means, tomorrow I get to bring out the Halloween stuff! *cue creepy laughter and ghost howls*
I read a wide variety of books in September, and since I didn't answer the best book of the month question for YA Highway last week, I'll answer it now.
Sometimes it's so hard for me to pick a fave, but this month, it's very easy. And the winner is... AUSTENLAND!!!
Austenland was a reread for me. I picked it back up again thinking I'd be seeing the movie... but THE MOVIE ISN'T PLAYING HERE!!! I'm a little peeved about that, if you couldn't tell. But I'm so glad I reread the book. It's such a fun and hilariously funny book. Just thinking about it makes me want to reread it again... or better yet, SEE THE MOVIE. (What is wrong with Canada???)
An honorable mention goes to City of Bones, another reread. In this case, I got to see the movie at the same time I was reading the book. I love Cassie Clare and I still love this book. A Darkness Strange and Lovely was a good sequel, I really like this series, but I found myself very annoyed with the MC through most of the book. But isn't the cover gorgeous?!
I started it last year around April (it's hard to remember that far back), working on it off and on for the past year and a half. When the summer ended, I was determined to finish it, and I did! In less than a month!
This WIP was especially difficult. It was in 1st person present when I'm used to past. And it's a lot darker than the other stuff I've written. I've had to go into the deep dark places of my soul, not somewhere I like to visit, and I still don't know if I managed to get it right. Also, I'm totally stressing over my low word count (57,711). That's totally new for me, usually I'm too high. BUT... I finished. That's what counts right now. So... PARTY TIME!!!
If you look in my windows right now, I'm probably doing this:
And I kinda want to do this. Any takers?
Finishing a first draft is the best. I'm waiting for a week or so until I start revisions. 1- because you're supposed to, and 2- because I want to hold onto this feeling. You know the one: This is the BEST MANUSCRIPT I'VE EVER WRITTEN, it's practically PERFECT!!! Yep, I'm holding onto that as long as I can until I pick it back up again and enter the "you totally suck as a writer" stage.
Until then, it's party time! I've finished my fourth manuscript! I think I deserve a drink! Oh wait, I don't drink. How about some of this?
Just kidding. I hate KFC (but I'd take Loki). Maybe this instead:
First of all, yesterday was so crazy busy that I haven't had the chance to check out the other Nerd Bloghop posts. I'll definitely check them all out soon.
Today I decided to participate in What's Up Wednesday, a weekly blog hop hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. Check out their blogs if you want to participate.
What I'm Reading
I've broken from my YA norm, which I do from time to time, to read One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. I've heard so many good things about this author that I asked for this book last Christmas. It's only now that I'm getting around to reading it. (I have a hard time letting YA go, even for a moment.) It's got great voice, funny moments, and lots of action. My only teeny tiny BUT right now is that it's just not my genre of choice, which is why I think I'm not as into it as I could be.
What I'm Writing
My super secret WIP is almost done, and not so super secret anymore if you've happened across my entry at Mother. Write. Repeat. (which did not win a critique, ah well.) At the moment, it's titled EPONINE, which I think is pretty self-explanatory, don't you? Oh, but it's YA, and it's Urban Fantasy. Yeah. And might I add that it's been super tough? But I'm thisclose to finishing. YAY!
What Inspires Me Right Now
During one particularly difficult scene I was writing, I came across a song at exactly the right time that totally helped the words to flow from my fingers like butter. Thank you to One Direction for that. No really. I've been a fan for awhile but had never heard this song before. In case you doubt the awesomeness of it, the song was written by Ed Sheeran (and some other dude) so yeah, it's good.
In case the video doesn't show up (why does it do this to me???), here's a sample of the lyrics:
Heart beats harder Time escapes me Trembling hands touch skin It makes this harder And the tears stream down my face
What Else I've Been Up To
Hmm, aside from writing and reading? Laundry. Cleaning. Treadmilling while watching Smallville. Cooking. Chauffeuring. Mom-ing. Gearing up for all the awesome TV shows starting. Trying to figure out when I'm going to watch said awesome shows. Scheduling my life away. Pretty much that.
Well... that would probably be my DRAGON COLLECTION. Yep, I really have one. And it looks like this:
My dragon collection. I have 9 (some are hard to see).
A dragon up close
Notice my Harry Potter wands, the Triwizard Cup, and of course a ton of AWESOME books that make my dragon collection look a little less nerdy. Bwahaha, not really.
I've loved fantasy ever since grade five when I read my first Dragonlance book. It helped that my older brothers and sisters were all into fantasy. They played D&D (and I even got to play with them once! which was like the totally awesomest thing because I was only fourteen or fifteen and my sister and her friends were all in their twenties!), they painted the tiny figurines, my brother even built his own armor once. Me and fantasy = destined. I wrote fantasy stories from grade two (so I actually loved fantasy earlier! Hmmm... I don't know how it got started then) and always figured fantasy would be WHAT I WRITE. Which is NOT what I write at all now, funny enough. And I barely read it anymore either. :(
I feel I am neglecting my fantasy nerdness. Then again, I've been crazy deep into Merlin lately (still waiting for season four, waiiiiiiting!!!!!!) and I've rewatched The Hobbit a few too many times so that counts, right?
I'm interrupting my regularly scheduled programming to take part in the Nerd Bloghop hosted by Cassie Mae. It starts tomorrow so check out the link if you want to tell us all about YOUR nerdiness. Come on, you know you want to...
Sometimes I feel so stretched thin, money-wise, I wonder how we even have food on the table.
Take school for example. Fees were $105 dollars which isn't that much compared to some schools probably (I really have no clue) but multiply that by three kids. Then there's hot lunches and the fee I have to pay to allow them to stay at school during lunch hour. Not to mention the school supply fee, new backpacks, lunch kits, water bottles, and indoor shoes- all for four kids. So I get all that paid and now, just a few weeks into school, the fundraising begins. Cookie dough orders and the Terry Fox run. Of course, add in monthly tuition for preschool, kickboxing, and four dance classes. Birthday parties, Halloween costumes, and then Christmas is coming up plus all my kids birthdays...
Yeah. I'm stressing out a little. Sometimes I just want to scream, WHO HAS ALL THIS MONEY??? But it's not like we're really hurting though. I've spent time having pretty much nothing- eating ramen for every meal, walking to get anywhere, and donating plasma so I could have a little cash (hello college years). Yet, I've never lived in absolute poverty. There's always been food on the table, and clothes on my back, even if they came from thrift stores. It's easy to see I've got it pretty good, and despite a few lean times, I always have.
So it's time to stop complaining, buck up, and budget. Says my dad's voice in my ear. Or maybe I could listen to my own inner voice and just daydream the stress away. Either one.
Road Trip Wednesday time again. If you want to participate, head on over to YA Highway and link up your answer!
This month's Bookmobile selection, STARGLASS by Phoebe North, takes place on a
generation starship. But the characters wouldn't be there if their ancestors
hadn't left earth with the hope of their descendants one day colonizing
elsewhere.Would you go on a generation starship, if given the
opportunity? Why or why not?
Yeah, probably not. If I KNEW for a FACT that the world was coming to an end, like about to explode or be overrun by zombies, then yeah, I would try to get the heck out. But otherwise, no. I'm staying here. I'm pretty positive that we won't be colonizing elsewhere. The earth is ours and it's up to us to make it a great place to live. Not to take off in the hopes that our grand-children or great-grandchildren might get to live on some other planet that humans have yet to destroy.
I swear I'm not some crazy eco-maniac- I recycle and use reusable bags and try not to litter, yet I'm sure there's tons of stuff I should (or shouldn't) be doing to better this planet. But I do feel like this earth is ours and we should take care of it, not jump ship at the first opportunity.
