More good reads

Hello all! I thought I'd pass on 2 more great, wonderful, fabulous books to read! I read both of these in 2 days! I guess that's one way to kill the days and nights when you're sick!

Numero uno: Haven by Kristi Cook

LOVED IT!!!

And two: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Again...LOVED IT!

That's all folks!

Contest at Nathan Bransford's Blog!

I entered the contest over at Nathan Bransford's blog tonight!



Oh what fun! I haven't even been doing anything related to writing lately and I just happened to see he had a first paragraph contest going...so I ENTERED! Heehee!

Here's my submission:

If there was ever a time in my short life I felt normal, I couldn’t remember. This was my normal, sitting beneath the window of this dark, abandoned house. Unknown creatures scurried across the broken glass littering the floor as I waited for him to emerge from the house next door. I peeked through the blinds hanging haphazardly on the busted window frame. His red aura lit the room around him, casting an eerie glow across the distance of the two yards. I couldn’t see him, but at least I could track the glow. I could have just barged into that house and taken him out. I’d done it before, many times in fact, but hopefully tonight would be the last time. I was getting tired of these games. It was exhausting being the only Demon Hunter in the greater Portland area.

Book Lovers Unite!!!

I thought I'd take a moment to talk about a few things!

First, I pulled out of book tonight, after a few long months, and...yeah it isn't so great. I think I am very sad about this! There are pieces that are like "Wow! I can't believe I wrote that!" good. AND THEN...there is absolute, horrific CRAP with a capital C! anyhoo, is it saveable? I'm not so sure :'(

Ok, but the real point of this post was to pass on to all of you book lovers a series I just recently read! TO DIE FOR! OMG! It's call the Mortal Insturments by Cassandra Clare. As of right now there are 3 in the series and then she has a prequel called Clockwork Angel. There will be 3 more in the original series with 2 more added to the prequel series, called Infernal Devices. And....(insert drum roll here)...I read on her website there is talks of a movie....




The next Twilight???? Me thinks so! That is honestly how much I enjoyed this series. It's got a little bit of every kind of paranormal, lots of humor and some seriously crazy twists! Keeps you hanging in a way I have never really encountered. LOVE IT! Much praise for Cassandra Clare!

Need I say more? GO GET THE BOOKS ALREADY!!!

Hellos and Happy Holidays from a writer turned photographer!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that jazz! How are you all doing? I wish I could say all these months that I have been hiding out were spent in the depth of a fabulous new novel...but sadly, I have not been anywhere near either of my manuscripts or a new one for that matter! Maybe the real reason behind the name of this blog was not after the intended trilogy The Forever Series, but after howe long it was actually going to take me to finish it! :)

I somehow found myself with 4 jobs! Yes count them FOUR!!!! YIKES! Plus add the 2 kiddos into the mix and I was crazy busy! I have got it down to just 2 now, so lucky for me I now have a moment (however brief it may be) to say a quick hello and update you on a new and exciting twist my life has taken!

Some of you may know that I have spent the last 17 years working for a wonderful couple at a photography studio. They have decided to retire to Mexico (SO JEALOUS!) and they have very kindly, pretty much handed me the business. So it appears that I am suddenly a professional photographer, with a very well-known photography studio! I am so excited (and petrified!) I have started with a few senior portraits this year, but as the weather turns cold and rainy (or rainier here in Oregon) it will most likely be put on hold until the spring, but I look forward to starting the next year of seniors and hopefully by then I will have found the perfect location!

Wish me luck! As I wish you luck and love on all your endevours next year, whether they be in writing or not!

Great reads

I have been sadly amiss from my blog and all of yours. I think my creativity went an extended holiday, maybe even to a different planet! So all I have been doing is reading, reading and more reading. Oh and that pasky little thing called work! I have gone through a gazillion books(Pretty sure that's a real measurement). I thought I'd pass on a few of my recommendations in case anyone is interested.

First and foremost (After Twilight of course) is the Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater. I believe it's actually called the Wolves of Mercy Falls. I instantly fell in love with the love story between Grace and her part-time wolf boyfriend Sam. Shiver is followed by Linger, a much anticipated sequel where Grace and Sam's love is tested by a surprising turn of events. Soon to follow will be Forever due out in Summer of 2011. I cannot recommend these books enough nor can I hardly contain the yearning for the third one!!!

Second on my list is Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, soon to be followed by Crescendo, in October of this year. Fallen angel meets great MC with lots of twists and turns that keep you hanging!

Next is Uninvited by Justine Musk. I must say I wasn't sure how I would like this book when I first opened it up but it sucked me right in and I finished it in the hours of my second night of reading it!

And for a fourth and final, I recommend Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. You will cry so be prepared, but it was such a new and different story line I just loved it!!!

I miss all of you and our friendly little chats. I will return someday, I hope!

Old and new and a hello to you!

Hello all of my lovely ladies! How is everyone? I have been too long gone from my blog and I feel like I am missing all my friends! :) I have nothing important to talk about, just wanted to catch up!

I have taken a break from Chasing Forever. I'm not feeling it anymore. I feel like it's not where I want it to be and I'm not sure how to get it there. So, I have done nothing. Nada. Zero. I have been reading up a storm though! Wowzers! I have finished 3 books recently and am halfway through the 4th. They were all good so let me know if you are in need of reading material!! I haven't updated my reading list on here, I will soon!

Good news though, last night in the middle of reading, I was hit with a story idea. It was totally random, and I just started writing away...and away...and away, but I literally mean "writing" the hubby was hogging my laptop and I had to actually use a pen and paper! EEK! My hand was cramping so bad! Anyhow, I'm really excited about it and it just flowed, it was so great. I have no plan, no outline, but once it got going it was just coming out! LOVE those moments and I can hardly wait to see where this one goes, now having learned so much more than I knew when I started Chasing, maybe there is hope! Can't wait to share some of it with you!!

See you all real soon ;) (In cyperspace) MUAH!

12 steps to writing your first novel

As most of you have read by now, I am oh-so-very close to finishing my third rewrite. It's there, I can see the end, but I don't like the original ending so I am now hanging in limbo, unsure how I want to proceed...

But I have to admit that in re-reading my first draft (and second) that it is absolute crap!!! I mean, not just haha, this is SO bad, but truly, horribly CRAP!!! (and I am so not exaggerating) Along with the bit of disappointment that comes with realizing this, I have to say I am also feeling a twinge of pride!

Pride?!?! Yes, pride because darn I have come a LONG way since writing those horrific words! I still love the idea of the book and I still adore my characters and I will make it happen! But really, I can't believe how far I have come in just a short year. At least I can now recognize that it wasn't any good, but I know I still need to work on the how to get it to be better. It's like a twelve steps program!

Step 1: Wow, I just had this really great idea for a book. This is going to be SO easy!

Step 2: Man, this is going great! I have 5 chapters down and my fingers are just flying off the keyboard, double checking word count every two seconds.

Step 3: HALFWAY!!!

Step 4: I am SO going to be a published author! LOOK OUT STEPHENIE MEYER!

Step 5: FINISHED!!!

Step 6: Send it to every agent you can find!

Step 7: Receive rejection letters from every single one of those agents.

Step 8: Find a writing website such as Agent Query Connect and meet lots of other aspiring writers who very nicely (Most of the time) tell you your work is not so great.

Step 9: Want to crumple up all 400 printed and reprinted pages of the first draft, maybe even stomp on them, definetly light them on fire!

Step 10: Start rewriting...and rewriting....and more rewriting.

Step 11: Get out the red pen and do lots of crossing out!!!

Step 12: Realize that this is the hardest, funnest, best thing you have done in your life!!!

One Year to a new woman!

Today marks the one year anniversary of the day I sat before my computer and decided to be a writer. Today marks one year ago that I changed my life!

While I may be forever hectic and forgetful, for some reason I remember that day with absolute clarity! I had just finished reading the Twilight series (All 4 in 6 days) and felt like I needed more! Not another book to read because at the time it just didn't feel like I could find another that would make me feel the way that one did. So I decided I was going to write my own!

I have written on and off for most of my life, poetry, unfinished, horrible romance novels, but something was different this time. I WAS MOTIVATED! I wanted nothing more than to finish this novel and have it be amazing! Now you have to understand, I have never really been motivated about anything in my life. I am content with pretty much whatever life brings me. All I ever wanted in life was to be a mother. I didn't want a career, or to go to college, but it feels like this is it! This is where I want to be, writing this novel that will hopefully someday sell!

So now here I am one year later, almost done with the third (and hopefully) final rewrite with mass amounts of editing to look forward to! I have learned so much and grown in ways I never knew I could. I have made some amazing friends that maybe, just maybe, someday I will be able to meet in person. And I am honestly loving every second of it! I feel like this is what I was meant for, besides being a mom, that has already been accomplished :)

What made you start your very first novel and how has this changed your life?