I don't have all the details decided yet, but since I agreed to post on Saturday, and didn't, I figured I'd better sneak a Sunday post in here...and let you all know that we have book giveaways planned for the upcoming weeks!
This week I'll let you all know what you can win! SUMMER GIVEAWAYS @erica and christy!
I hope you're excited!
Almost one year ago, I visited my first blog(s). I didn't even know they existed before then! And I'm ready to celebrate my one year bloggiversary of blog hopping! Just wait until erica and christy's first year bloggiversary comes in the fall! (More giveaways!)
We're feeling so generous because we are so happy you visit us!
And we can't wait to share our gratitude with you with multitudes of books!
Okay, enough teasing. I promise to share the details very, very soon.
***
Before I sign off, I'll leave you with another random thought from my head. (Christy, btw) I used to keep a journal. Four or five years ago, my sister-in-law gave me one. It was mustard colored. The very same color that covers my walls and most books I choose from the bookstore. Yes. Cover color influences my choices. I didn't realize it until one summer when all the books I'd read were piled up on my nightstand. I happened to look at the pile and notice they matched. Anyways, I started writing in the journal after the birth of my first son. I didn't want to forget anything about his growing up. I wrote down everything he did. Every important event from those days. Every word he uttered. Every new food he tried. Every thought I had about him.
Once my second son was born, I wrote in it...occasionally. Now he's three and I don't think I've written in it for at least a year and a half.
So today I was thinking of digging it up again and adding to it. I don't want to forget the words he says either. Or the funny, funny faces he makes. The kid's hillarious. So, long story short. (Too late?) Here's a list of words you may need help understanding if you ever end up conversing with my three year old (just in case I don't get around to getting the journal out):
tid= kid (As in-- I a big tid, Mommy. I not a baby.)
tidding=kidding (As in-- Brant not do it, Mommy. I do it. I just tidding.)
Brant= Grant
brink= drink (As in-- I need a drink, Mommy.) (Who doesn't?)
nack= snack (Only he no longer really asks. He just ransacks the pantry on his own.)
nake= snake
yuk= Luc
There's many more, but I'll save those for the journal.
:0)
6.09.2011
new post with(out) a creative title
I feel like it's been FOREVER since I posted.
Hence the reason I can't come up with a title. Apparently blog posting is NOT like riding a bike.
I'm suffocating a bit here in Wisconsin. Don't get me wrong, I'm super thrilled it's summer, but the heavy heat is a bit stifling! I'm all for zero humidity and low seventies. Ah well.
It's my first day off and I spent it getting my son's first cavity filled. He'd be happy it was over if he didn't have to go back on the 20th for another.
Okay, I didn't spend the WHOLE day doing that. Only the first 45 minutes of it. THEN we had our first park playdate of the summer. My son's lower lip was still numb, so he accidentally chewed on it while trying to eat his ham sandwich (three hours after the filling), despite how carefully I watched him. We iced it after that. I'll spare you the details of the rest of our fab and busy day.
My fingers are itching to get back into my writing. I did very little during my partial blogging hiatus. I'd planned to finish MS #2, and didnt, but even so am now planning to finish #1 instead. (The type is always more intriguing in the other novel...(my lame attempt at using "The grass is always greener...." as my excuse.))
I've been reading an adult fantasy book entitled A Discovery of Witches that several colleagues suggested I read since they enjoyed it immensely. It took me a bit to get into it. It's only my third vampire book, including Twilight, so I'm finding it difficult not to compare the main characters (a witch and a vampire) to Edward and Bella. There are parts that are so similar it's distracting. NOT that I think the author copied or intended the similarities. I'm assuming these would pop up in any vamp books. The author has to describe their physiology and lifestyle, after all.
Anyways, while reading, I was also thinking about subplots and how they're woven into the main plot.
In ADOW (erica's acronymphobia wore off on me) there are tiny pieces of information (that drive a subplot) that increase suspense and yet are just barely sprinkled through the novel. I'm amazed at how a significant detail is dropped in the middle of a page and then not mentioned again for...ever. Well, chapters and chapters later anyways. I would have thought that would have driven me insane, but the actual outcome is that that's what is keeping me turning the pages!
As a teacher who has been trying to perfect her 5-10 minute mini-lesson before giving the students guided practice, it seems I must also cut back in my writing. (I have to watch myself because I can easily become a babbling lecturer who says the same thing over and over thinking the number of times I repeat something will definitely help more students to acquire the information. Old habits....) Oh, wait. Is this OVERWRITING? hehe.
I DON'T need to bat my students over the head to help them understand something (usually the OPPOSITE will occur...zzzzzz) and I don't need to do this with information in my novels either. Poor readers. Same effect, right? zzzzzz. Or worse, they'll never open the book again!
You all have your main plot and your subplots (whether they've been carefully thought out or showed up randomly while writing freely). The trick? HOW you effectively weave, or better yet, SPRINKLE that subplot in. THAT is the challenge. When/how often you let your reader in on something is the BEST part of writing. I love knowing and deciding when my reader gets to know too!
The underlying obstacles in your characters' lives will be what keeps your reader wide awake even at 3 AM.
Happy writing! Remember, a little of this, a little of that. Just like any good recipe.
Hence the reason I can't come up with a title. Apparently blog posting is NOT like riding a bike.
I'm suffocating a bit here in Wisconsin. Don't get me wrong, I'm super thrilled it's summer, but the heavy heat is a bit stifling! I'm all for zero humidity and low seventies. Ah well.
It's my first day off and I spent it getting my son's first cavity filled. He'd be happy it was over if he didn't have to go back on the 20th for another.
Okay, I didn't spend the WHOLE day doing that. Only the first 45 minutes of it. THEN we had our first park playdate of the summer. My son's lower lip was still numb, so he accidentally chewed on it while trying to eat his ham sandwich (three hours after the filling), despite how carefully I watched him. We iced it after that. I'll spare you the details of the rest of our fab and busy day.
My fingers are itching to get back into my writing. I did very little during my partial blogging hiatus. I'd planned to finish MS #2, and didnt, but even so am now planning to finish #1 instead. (The type is always more intriguing in the other novel...(my lame attempt at using "The grass is always greener...." as my excuse.))
I've been reading an adult fantasy book entitled A Discovery of Witches that several colleagues suggested I read since they enjoyed it immensely. It took me a bit to get into it. It's only my third vampire book, including Twilight, so I'm finding it difficult not to compare the main characters (a witch and a vampire) to Edward and Bella. There are parts that are so similar it's distracting. NOT that I think the author copied or intended the similarities. I'm assuming these would pop up in any vamp books. The author has to describe their physiology and lifestyle, after all.
Anyways, while reading, I was also thinking about subplots and how they're woven into the main plot.
In ADOW (erica's acronymphobia wore off on me) there are tiny pieces of information (that drive a subplot) that increase suspense and yet are just barely sprinkled through the novel. I'm amazed at how a significant detail is dropped in the middle of a page and then not mentioned again for...ever. Well, chapters and chapters later anyways. I would have thought that would have driven me insane, but the actual outcome is that that's what is keeping me turning the pages!
As a teacher who has been trying to perfect her 5-10 minute mini-lesson before giving the students guided practice, it seems I must also cut back in my writing. (I have to watch myself because I can easily become a babbling lecturer who says the same thing over and over thinking the number of times I repeat something will definitely help more students to acquire the information. Old habits....) Oh, wait. Is this OVERWRITING? hehe.
I DON'T need to bat my students over the head to help them understand something (usually the OPPOSITE will occur...zzzzzz) and I don't need to do this with information in my novels either. Poor readers. Same effect, right? zzzzzz. Or worse, they'll never open the book again!
You all have your main plot and your subplots (whether they've been carefully thought out or showed up randomly while writing freely). The trick? HOW you effectively weave, or better yet, SPRINKLE that subplot in. THAT is the challenge. When/how often you let your reader in on something is the BEST part of writing. I love knowing and deciding when my reader gets to know too!
The underlying obstacles in your characters' lives will be what keeps your reader wide awake even at 3 AM.
Happy writing! Remember, a little of this, a little of that. Just like any good recipe.
6.07.2011
What It's Like to Share Your Baby
Elana Johnson is sharing her baby with the world today. You can find her all over the blogosphere today, talking about her book and lots of blogs are giving away copies (some even signed). Here's what her baby looks like (I think it's a girl. Wait, it's blue, so maybe it's a boy. whichever it is, it's beautiful):
I (erica) was lucky enough to win an ARC of this book over a month ago. Because of our blog semi-hiatus and writing goals and super busy May schedule, I didn't want the temptation to read it and gave it to my friend's teenage daughter. I also gave her my copy of Across the Universe (which I had already read). She read them and shared them with a friend. Who read them and shared them with a friend. Who...yeah, I'll never see them again.
You can go to Elana's blog to see all the great blogs she's visiting during her launch week for your chance to win a copy of Possession (warning: if you get one, don't give it to a teenager unless you don't mind never seeing it again)! Awhile back, several blogs invited people to submit questions for Elana and ours was answered today over on Theresa Milstein's blog - did you know Elana wrote 10 books before she got a book deal?? WOW!! What a great accomplishment for her to finish this one and share it with all of us.
So, Elana wants us to admit about a time when we broke the rules. Hmm...what to admit to??
- we tell our kids "watch this movie while mommy's working" and then we blog hop instead
- erica wrote a contemporary YA book when everyone said contemporary wasn't selling
- christy wrote a fantasy/paranormal YA book when everyone said that trend was over
- we can never manage to follow the rules when we join a blogfest. we have no idea how that happens
- erica forgot to schedule a post today, so this is what you get, 5 hours late :) (no offense to Elana - we really did want to talk about her, but it was supposed to be a book review. see above, about the teenagers)
- oh, and our "we're back to posting daily in June" thing isn't happening. we're back to posting four days a week instead. you know, so you get actual helpful posts instead of whatever happens to pop in our heads at that moment
Don't forget to go wish Elana well and good luck with winning your very own copy!! Since I already won one, I'll be entering for christy and buying my own!
6.06.2011
Yay! It's June!! Boo! It's Monday!! Yay! Salad!!
So - we apologized for posting daily in April, but not *getting around* enough.
We now apologize for posting occasionally in May and not *getting around * enough - but you guys noticed we were doing better, right??!!
One thing we know as being mothers and teachers is - teach by example. So we've been super busy writing and hope our actions teach you that it can be done, no matter how little time you have.
We now apologize for posting occasionally in May and not *getting around * enough - but you guys noticed we were doing better, right??!!
One thing we know as being mothers and teachers is - teach by example. So we've been super busy writing and hope our actions teach you that it can be done, no matter how little time you have.
Sorry, couldn't pull that one off with a straight face.
We tried - and in lots of areas of our lives, we succeeded. We took our kids to soccer and baseball. We went to school every day and taught a lot and assessed a lot and progress noted/report carded a lot. We planted gardens and mowed lawns and fed dogs and even managed to clean houses.
We reconnected with lots of you again!!
What, you thought we'd get here and post all about our thousands of words written and fabulous book contracts?? Well, we'll save that for another day. *whistles* *hopes they realize "another day" means "whenever it's true"* *goes back to reading and mothering and looking up google images*
THE TRUTH: We are making progress on our WIPs. Our goal was to finish by now, but that proved too much for us. BUT we tried and we did a lot of important stuff and we're just glad that summer vacation is here for erica and close for christy and hope that our schedules this month include more writing than we were allowed in May. (remember, our kids are almost out of school, too!). BUT - YES, we did WRITE. And EDIT. And thought about you all!
Anyhow - hope you're up for a Mealtime Madness Monday post! We've spotted some lettuce growing and we know that some of you southerners have peas and onions and other crops just ripe for eating!! Writing can wreck havoc on your eating and exercise, so it's extra-important to eat well and hydrate when you're busy.
One thing my family loves (this is erica, btw) is 7-layer salad. It takes practice to get it right and it isn't the same for everyone. The response to it when you get it right? Yum, yum, yum!! If you can pick fresh veggies, all the better. If not (like us, so far), try out farmer's markets or tuck this recipe away for later!
Cut up and layer in order, then let sit for at least 2 hours before serving (overnight is better). You can serve it in a pretty clear dish - or, if you're really going for authentic, stir/shake it together and let it sit another couple of hours to really blend flavors! (I know it looks like more than 7 layers, but added up, it's okay. Plus, cheating is highly encouraged in this recipe! Take your time to figure out what you like for the dressing - some like it sweeter than others and some like dill or another herb added in).
Seven Layer Salad:
- 4 cups torn lettuce (green leafy or romaine is really yummy and nutritious)
- 1 cup peas (frozen or fresh) (if you can't find any, use mushrooms or broccoli)
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced thin or diced (diced is easier to serve)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- dressing - 3/4 cup mayonnaise (or salad dressing) mixed with 1 tsp. lemon juice and a dash of sugar
- Cooked, drained, crumbled bacon (about 6 slices)
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese
- 2 green onions, diced
Enjoy - and let us know what your hopes are for the summer!
6.02.2011
ahhhhh
IT'S (almost) SUMMER VACATION!!!! you know, if you're a teacher or a student....
assessments given and graded. check.
report cards completed. check.
life/work skills reports completed. still unchecked.
packing up my classroom to move to another classroom and grade level (for the 8th time in 11 years) still unchecked.
manuscript drafts #1 and #2 completed and edited. still unchecked.
MAJOR life decision made. still unchecked.
well...it seems i'm not quite ready to celebrate the coming of summer vacation yet, BUT believe me. i'm CLOSE! i can smell the relaxation. (swimming lessons. giggles and wiggles class. soccer. getting back into exercising. reading. WRITING. blog hopping. vacations.)
here, i'll help you get in the mood too!
you're welcome!
christy :0)
assessments given and graded. check.
report cards completed. check.
life/work skills reports completed. still unchecked.
packing up my classroom to move to another classroom and grade level (for the 8th time in 11 years) still unchecked.
manuscript drafts #1 and #2 completed and edited. still unchecked.
MAJOR life decision made. still unchecked.
well...it seems i'm not quite ready to celebrate the coming of summer vacation yet, BUT believe me. i'm CLOSE! i can smell the relaxation. (swimming lessons. giggles and wiggles class. soccer. getting back into exercising. reading. WRITING. blog hopping. vacations.)
here, i'll help you get in the mood too!
you're welcome!
christy :0)
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