My life’s a bit crazy right now…
…but I swear I haven’t abandoned the blog and become a lazy person.
I think I’ve mentioned this already (?), but my husband and I bought a house! Then we moved into said house three weeks ago. This house is being renovated and the workers are doing a splendid job…but they were supposed to be done three weeks ago. Before we moved in.
So we’ve been living in our basement. We don’t have a kitchen (though my husband DID put the stove in Sunday night and I have NEVER been so excited over boiling water). We do have a bathroom sink, a toilet, and a tub–but none of them are in the same room. So that’s interesting. Oh, and with our 2 dogs and 2 cats, things are pretty cramped in the basement.
ANYWAY, hopefully things will be back to a more normal schedule soon. Our wonderful builders did at least finish my office, so I’m setting that up now–and ahhhhhhhh. Such a relief to have a space of my own again.
Now a few administrative bits of news:
1. I have joined Tumblr. It was not a choice, but a requirement (for our Young Authors Give Back Tour)…yet I have dived in head first. We shall see what comes of it. I admit to already being absolutely overwhelmed.
(I also admit to fangirling and then hanging my head with shame when my FAVORITE AUTHOR OF ALL TIME scolded me on Facebook for wasting time on Tumblr instead of writing. Robin Hobb, I swear I’m writing too. ♥)
2. Speaking of the Young Authors Give Back Tour, we have added specific dates and times to our schedule!!
- In New York, I’ll be signing at BEA on 5/31 at 10:30-11. Harper will be giving away FREE hardcovers of Something Strange and Deadly, so please stop by. I’ll have swag too. 😉
- In Philadelphia, our signing will be 6/4. The specific time and place are coming soon–we promise!
- Our Baltimore signing is 6/5 at the Baltimore Public Library (time to come!).
- In Pittsburgh, we’re going to sign at the Penguin Bookshop on 6/6 at 7:15-9:00.
- For Cleveland, we’re still getting a signing set up for 6/7, but we’ll definitely be signing 6/8 at the Medina County Library from 3:15-5:00.
- Then it’s off to Grand Rapids for a signing at Schuler Books from 7:00-8:00.
- Finally, we’re wrapping the tour up in Chicago (Naperville, actually) at Anderson’s for a signing/panel from 7:00-9:00!
3. I am working on a new WIP (despite having plenty of other WIPs on which to focus) that is epic fantasy and I am IN LOVE. I am still in that blissful phase where everything feels like True Love (and I think we might get married, and I’ve already imagined it proposing to me a million times–it’s very romantic). I just crossed the 50K mark over the weekend, so that was exciting. But also frightening because I worry I have only just BEGUN the story, yet I’m already at 200 pages. Oops…That’s the problem (but not really a problem) with multiple POVs.
4. I read this amazing post from Justine Larbalestier (via Erin Bowman) that really resonated with me. It kind of sums up a lot of things I expected would happen after 10 years in the writing biz–and it made me glad I’ve already begun to step back from the writing-to-sell approach and focused more on the writing-what-I-love-even-if-it-never-sells. My happiness is so, so much greater. Even though book 3 darn near killed me, I have never been more in-sync with my creativity and Muse than I have this 2013.
5. MY FRIEND ERIN BOWMAN’S BOOK RELEASES IN 5 DAYS!!!!! LESS THAN ONE WEEK AND YOU ALL CAN READ TAKEN!!!!!!!
6. And because I can’t resist sharing the latest music that inspires me, here are my current obsessions.
“Transcendences” makes me want to write powerful love scenes and epic emotional stuff. Gahhhh, love it.
“Immortal” has the vocals and the beat and just !!!!! Everything about this piece is one of the characters in my current WIP. I literally listen to this music on repeat whenever I write his scenes.
“Ninety-Niners” just makes me want to write badass scenes with lots of weapons and ninja flips. Kinda obsessed.
You tell me: What’s going on in YOUR life? Any cool news or awesome music to share?
April 10, 2013 @ 5:08 pm
I am currently obsessing over MS MR!!! I first heard their song “Bones” in the Game of Throne Season 3 trailer. I am now just listening to their EP “Candy Bar Creep Show” on loop. It’s reminiscent of Florence+the Machine but even more atmospheric, ethereal and creepy. The sound is really catchy, with evocative lyrics, beautiful lyrics and clever sound mixing. Give it a try!!!!
April 10, 2013 @ 5:17 pm
Okay, wow. I’m obsessed already. HOLY CRAP, that song “Bones” is SO evocative. Love, love, love. Thanks for the rec!
April 10, 2013 @ 5:09 pm
In case I haven’t said it yet: Congrats on the house! Yay!!!
Ah, tumblr totally overwhelms me, too. I started one recently just for WIP inspiration, I have that on pinterest, too, though….so yeah. I don’t know, but I followed you anyway, and I can’t wait to see your posts over there, too.
Erin is the first person to publish a book whom I have known about before the book was published. (Thanks to you guys and Nanowrimo last November.) So I am SOOO excited for her and her book. I’ve already pre-ordered it, and I so know what I will be doing April 15th. 🙂
I so wish I could come see you at one of your stops…not going to happen unfortunately. But have SO much fun (I’m sure you will), and the same to everyone here who comes to see you guys. Yay.
Last but not least. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for introducing me to the awesomeness that is Thomas Bergensen a few weeks ago. <3 He's a new favorite, and so good for getting into epic moods my WIP sometimes requires. 🙂
April 10, 2013 @ 5:19 pm
Dude, I check, like, everyday for Thomas Bergeren’s new album. It’s *supposed* to release this year. I CAN’T WAIT. He and Jesper Kyd are kinda my faves.
Yeah, Tumblr kinda overwhelms me. I think I might just stick to Pinterest mostly. I don’t really get what the difference between the two is other than the presentation…? And I like the sort of scrapbook layout that Pinterest offers for WIP-inspiration. But I’ll admit, I still don’t “get” Tumblr or how it works, so maybe I’ll change my mind…
April 10, 2013 @ 5:36 pm
I can’t stop listening to Alt-J’s song Tessellate. I really love when singers play with the words before letting them out and that’s what I feel like every time he goes “mmm, let’s tessellate”. Now to find a WIP that fits it…
April 11, 2013 @ 12:25 am
So, i’ve never heard of this band…and now I’m kind of obsessed. AH! Thank you for the rec!!! I love “Fitzpleasure”!
April 10, 2013 @ 7:19 pm
Yay, so happy that you are in synch with your muse this 2013 😀 Whoop whoop! Happy writing and good luck with your new house. Exciting!! xx
Loie
April 11, 2013 @ 12:18 am
Thank you!! <3
April 10, 2013 @ 7:21 pm
Ohh, Tumblr! Haha, very easy to let it pull you in (although be careful, it has severe separation issues– nasty business trying to break up with it). Remember to track your tag (username or actual name) because that’s how some people contact you or try to bring your attention to something 😀
There’s a webcomic called Ava’s Demon (avasdemon (DOT)com) that has animated chapter endings and the music it uses is amazing! The art is also beautiful and the storyline intriguing, I think it’s worth giving a read! 😀
April 11, 2013 @ 12:18 am
OH MY GOSH, what is this Ava’s Demon thing? Dude, I am hooked now! And the music at the ending–you’re SO RIGHT. I want to know what it is and how I can get it!
How do you track your username/name? Just search it?
April 11, 2013 @ 4:39 am
I think it’s a fairly new webcomic, haha. It’s not finished yet, but it updates every Thursday, so watch out!
Yup, you type in your tag and once you search it, there’s this little blue track button next to it. When you press tab on your dash, your tracked tags appear so you can click on them (I think Tumblr’s FAQ section will make more sense than me, sorry!). Although I know people sometimes don’t track their tags because they could be tagged for something nasty/irrelevant. Tumblr can be vicious, especially with fandoms. Hoping you don’t encounter the dark side of it though, because it is a fun website overall.
April 10, 2013 @ 7:27 pm
I admit to being scared of Tumblr. One day I’ll join, though. One day.
Thank you for the great music recommendations (and reading the comment below got me listening to Bones … all I can say is WOW)! Transcendence is indeed the stuff of epicness, I’m adding it to my novel playlist as we speak. 🙂
Revising my novel turns out to be a process which REQUIRES background music (unlike my writing process, which sadly requires near-silence, boo!). Currently I’m obsessing over the Battlestar Galactica, Avatar, Tron: Legacy and Fifth Element soundtracks. All of those are pretty much on solid repeat (broken up by the occasional song with lyrics such as ‘This Will Make You Love Again’ by IAMX … SO beautiful).
I hope you have fun setting up your new home! 🙂
April 11, 2013 @ 12:17 am
Oooh, Fifth Element soundtrack–I will have to jam on that (I already ADORE the others you mentioned). Thanks for the rec!
April 10, 2013 @ 7:48 pm
It it so good to see an update to you! I sincerely hope that your house is done soon so that you (and your hubby and the pets) will have more breathing space 😉
I’m very excited for this WIP that you refer to, because epic fantasy is my JAM. Seriously, I grew up on fantasy books and until now, it’s my go-to genre.
Also, YAY for BEA! I cannot wait to meet you <3
April 11, 2013 @ 12:16 am
Dude, I’m a fantasy reader too. Most of my WIPs are epic fantasy, so it’s kinda funny (but also AMAZING) that SS&D was my first sale. If you ever read the series, though, you’ll see that each SS&D book gets WAY more fantasy-ish and less alternate history. Oops! 😉
AND YAY FOR BEA!!!
April 11, 2013 @ 7:47 pm
I am planning on reading it soon! I have it on the shelf (the boy got it for me) and I’m SUPER excited.
April 11, 2013 @ 1:56 am
I don’t think anyone I’ve ever known who’s employed contractors, ever had their work done on time. So hopefully, they’ll have your and the Frenchman’s house done soon, so you can enjoy it (and so your pets can run around like crazy!)
My week, ugh, was the worst week I’ve ever lived in my entire life. Last week was Spring Break at our school. I couldn’t afford to travel anywhere, which was OK because I’m a bit of a homebody. But we had unfortunate incidents. Our 2-year old mare had a horrendous accident that I don’t want to detail because it was gruesome (it involved wire fence and her lower leg/hoof area.) She had to be put down because there was no way to save her. That happened this past Saturday afternoon. On Monday morning, my cherished, beloved 12 year old cat lost his brave battle with cancer. It crushed me because just a week ago, my vet and I were sure he would live a few more months, at least. You would think since I’ve grown up around lots of animals/pets my whole life that I would be more used to it, but there’s no way to get used to losing loved ones. And losing my cat was the worst loss I’ve ever endured. (Sorry I made this super sad, but that was my past week…and it’s one I would never wish upon anyone.),
April 11, 2013 @ 6:49 pm
Oh no, Lori. That is all just so awful. God, what a week of loss and hurt! I am so, so sorry. I don’t care how many animals you grow up with, it never hurts less. I understand your grief completely, and I hope that enough time makes it all feel a bit better. 🙁 I’ll be thinking of you!
April 11, 2013 @ 2:04 am
I so wish I could go to BEA! That’s the closest you guys will be to Vermont 🙁
I’m in that weird slightly scary/awesome phase where I can tell I’ve improved in my writing (which is great), but now I find myself getting competitive. It’s completely broken my honeymoon phase of this WIP (I was SO IN LOVE) and crushed my creativity.
So I’m starting from scratch, trying to pull myself back in because my characters are taking the reigns when I don’t even know what’s going on. Starting at the world building point by asking myself a question about my MC’s fantastical background.
On the music front – definitely Paramore’s new album, which is self-titled. It’s got me bouncing around in my desk.
April 11, 2013 @ 6:50 pm
Ahhh, competition. The killer of all creativity. Pressure in general tends to douse creativity, but especially the negative kind. I hope starting over helps you get back in the groove!! And hopefully Paramore’s new album will help. 😉
April 11, 2013 @ 5:26 am
I’m super psyched to read Taken! And I personally love Tumblr, but it’s definitely something that should be learned gradually; it’s overwhelming in the beginning, but awesome once you figure it out. Anyway, I don’t know if you’re still taking post suggestions (you blogged about it a while back?), but I was wondering if you could maybe talk about the pros and cons of posting your writing online? On sites like Figment and Fictionpress, for example. Thanks, and good luck with the new house! 🙂
April 11, 2013 @ 6:52 pm
I can definitely try to talk about that. Keep in mind that I left Fictionpress almost 10 years ago, and the internet was VERY different back then. But I know a few people who got their start from online-only stuff (Fictionpress, Figment, serialized blogs), so I’ll see if I can’t scrounge up a good post. General gist: I totally approve, and in this day and age, publishers aren’t going to hold a good online presence or strong online start against you.
April 11, 2013 @ 10:56 am
“(I also admit to fangirling and then
hanging my head with shame when my FAVORITE AUTHOR OF ALL TIME scolded
me on Facebook for wasting time on Tumblr instead of writing. Robin
Hobb, I swear I’m writing too. ♥)”
It’s like being graced by a God :O
April 11, 2013 @ 6:52 pm
Hahaha! I was definitely both shamed and delighted. 😉
April 11, 2013 @ 2:14 pm
Cool news? Uh, I finished my WIP, the one that I started through NaNo 2012. Currently it sits at 29 chapters + prologue & epilogue and just over 74k. It is the longest thing that I’ve ever written and I’m rather stoked about that. ^_^
And as for awesome music…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxpLxb5jHO0 this is the song that inspired me to write this story in the first place and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLgQ3em2JYY this is the song that I heard on the radio and just saw one of the more heartbreaking scenes in my story play out before me in my minds eye and this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rkrPljo-8M helped me to write the final confrontation. ^_^
And I’m so stoked that you guys have confirmed a signing at the Medina County Library! I and two of my bestest friends are going to be there. ^_^ It’s going to be an epic road trip cross the border (four hours plus) and I’m just counting down the days now ^_^
April 11, 2013 @ 6:54 pm
WOOHOO!!! Dude, that’s awesome!! Finishing a WIP is monumental, and also writing the longest thing you’ve ever written? SO EXCITING. What a milestone. <3
AND AAAH!!! We'll see you at Medina?! YAY! I am so beyond thrilled at this!!!!
Okay, now I'm off to listen to each of these songs…
April 12, 2013 @ 5:53 am
The longest thing? Yup! Or thereabouts. I do have two fanfics that are 80+ but one is mostly taking the existing episode and changing it to suit my plot and the other was a continuation of a series during the mid season break and just rambled on and on and on… oh and there is that one WIP that I was working on in Uni. I stopped writing it at about 74k due to exams and stuff and never went back to it. So… yeah, Soulship (my current WIP) is the longest completed project that I’ve ever completed.
And I’m rambling -_-‘ Bottom line, thanks! ^_^ I’m so thrilled, especially since I feel like this book could become something much, much bigger one day… as in on a bookstore shelf bigger. ^_^
And yes! You’ll see at Medina! I’m so excited too! I’ll have your book and Sarah’s in tow and I’m planning on buying and reading “What’s Left of Me” and “Taken” next ^_^ My little sister has also said that she wants to come along for the ride so there will be four of us for your epic book tour! ^_^
I hope you liked the songs! I find that music has become a HUGE driving force in my music, or at least it was for my current WIP. ^_^