Regrets? Please ...

Live your life with no regrets. People say this all the time. But how does one do it? For me, I use it all for writing. Seriously. Have you ever had moments where you wish you had a rewind button for? Like either something you said or did but you can't take back. Ever. Well, growing up we screw up. Admit it, we've all done it. My screw ups might have been lessons well learned, but it's also has a pinch of regret somewhere in there.

I was the poster child of BAD HAIR. Seriously. It was long, frizzed out, and one big heap of mess. It took me years, and when I say this, I'm being for real. YEARS to learn how to style it without hopelessly tossing it up in a ponytail and hoping others didn't notice.

I was full of embarrassing moments. Like the time in ninth grade my innocent mind got me into WAY more trouble than was worth. My brother's BFF and I HATED each other. He was hot and all the girls wanted him. I am not going to lie about that. But I don't know when a guy you might have been crushing on calls you weird names like Stumpy, farts in your face and belchs his ABC's you tend to see them as a gross mutant. Anyways, in ninth grade BFF was over our house, and he slept walk into my room. So I woke up in the morning with his hand stretched out across my waist and I screamed like you wouldn't believe. Because WHAT THE HELL was he doing there? But he was fully clothed and had no idea why he was in my room either. And he was ontop of the covers which Thank freaking god because it was already awkward enough. So I told my own friend this, but I wasn't paying attention to the ears within the room and of course someone overheard and asked, "So you slept with him?" And innocent me said, "Well, I guess. I don't know how long he was there." -I was not thinking about sex okay I was horrified by a movie we were forced to watch in 6th grade. (This woman was giving birth and I think I almost barfed and screamed when the woman was pushing out her child and yelling as she was doing it) and haven't even had my first kiss yet. So, I didn't grasp the full question they were asking, "DID YOU HAVE SEX?" Which was a HELL NO!!! But this my friends started a rumor that yes need I say (Regret) Because guys at my school were low degrading species and thought I was now not a prude and wanted to try to get some. And the guys I did like The really nice church going guys? Yeah they all looked at me like I was some slut ball because BFF was totally dating this girl on my diving team. Who later wanted to kick my ass for spreading such a lie. (Again regret because I didn't spread a lie, things got twisted and someone else did it)

Point is, through writing I can have my character go through this same thing but ... have things turn out differently. Like way different. Hence, No Longer Feeling Regret.

So give it a try I dare you.

Reading and writing

I've literally read ten books this week. Ten! I'm thrilled to have accomplished this but I'm also a little sad too. Because though I've read ten books, I also found myself comparing the stories I read to the stories I'm currently writing.

Usually when I'm in full on writing mood I refuse to read anything. For fear of distraction which in this case I really should have stuck to this rule. But hey you only live once right? Might as well do things a little nutty every now and again. I also make sure to not read anything similar to what I'm writing at the time so I don't get into a comparison mood.

But, since I've already broken two of my rules I'm going to say what I've learned. I learned that maybe it's okay to have a character with a little softer edge to them. I also learned whatever I'm writing will not be a carbon copy of someone else's idea even though some things might seem similar. I will twist and mold my work to be unique, and put a fresh spin on things.

This also goes for titles. LORD there is so many titles that are all the same and some have different tag lines. Some sound exactly like the other except for like maybe three or four things, Name of characters, situations, etc. Point is sometimes a title is really hard to choose.

And so, Yesterday, I actually started a new novel which I shouldn't have started at all. Because I'm supposed to be finishing or at least getting to the half way point of my sequel of one of my books coming out this summer. But, instead of writing 10K and getting that book to the 30K mark, I ... started a new novel.

My plotting board has turned into some craziness. Here's to hoping I get my ducks in a row and I get some well and much needed writing for sequel done. (sad part I have it all outlined all I have to do is write it) I think my problem is, by me plotting it all out it took some of the fun out of writing the story. Do you ever get like this?

Snow blues...

I'm not a fan of snow. So, the entire month of Jan I've been surrounded by the stuff. I thought Feb would give me a break. Turns out no, that's not the case. We're going to get hit with another 10 to 12 inches. Um, Thanks.

Jack Frost must really want to stay for as long as possible.

In other news, I've been catching up on my reading. I read 25 books from December to Jan. I've writing too. Not as much as I would like, but I think this weather is causing me to feel eh about writing and makes me want to curl up to a good book instead.

So how have you all been? Do you all find yourselves in writer slumps too?

Eww Why???

First off, Happy New Year Bloggers! I hope this New Year is rockin' for ya! Let's see, I got a book coming out in August of 2014 I'm totally stoked about! I'm going to be at BEA with my work! And basically have a lot of fun and exciting things lining up.

How's everyone's New Year so far? Anything New or Exciting you'd like to share?

Speaking of sharing. Do you ever read a blurb and think, "Oh this could be nice a cozy something I would enjoy reading?" Yeah. Then you start to read it and are immediately turned off by the book, ticked off you bought it, and/ or stop reading it. Yea, I had this problem yesterday.

I bought this book. I was like "Oh cute." Cause the blurb was cute. NO WHERE! I mean literally No where in this blurb did it mention an 18 year old girl seducing her roommates dad whose 50 something. She was sad about her boyfriend cheating on her with his supposed to be ex turns out it wasn't. Yadda yadda. I was like oh ok. Blurb mentioned this. Read. Read. Read. Then girl is up in her room talking about looking sexy for her friends dad. I was like OH MY GOD NO! Read a little more and was like Oh grossss!!!!! She's seriously trying to seduce him. BArf!!! Stopped reading.

In all fairness this is what I get for not writing and reading instead. Not mocking where I purchased the book because I've actually found a lot of good books in the self pubbed but in this case yeah, it was really bad.

So have you ever got a book you were disappointed in?

And release

Hello  wonders. 

I'm on vacation this week. Interesting enough, I seem to still be working. The other day however, I read. I forgot how relaxing reading can really be. Not that I don't read or anything, I do all the time for work but I think work reading and enjoyment reading is two different things. Yes, I read MS's at work but, to be honest if the MS is boring or lacks elements spice or just something holding my interest then I don't consider it very pleasurable. Just like books I buy, some could seem very appealing but they end up being so boring I just want to cry for buying such a book. Then I want to cry for wasting about 10 to 15 minutes of my life. Yes, that's how long it takes me to decide whether a book is worth the whole read through or not.

Currently though, I've read the Divergent series by Veronice Roth. I've been meaning to buy the book for a while: Divergent. Heard great things about the book. Over the holidays my dad asked me what I wanted and since he was with me I just picked out the book and thought it's just time to read it. I've been saying it for a while and it's just time to buy it and read it. So I did. Well, he did but I read it that night. Loved it. Got the other books the following days, read Insurgent a few nights ago all in one sitting. Neighbor Borrowed books one and two after I was finished with them. I just started Book three Allegiant and I must say it's quite interesting. For those of you who have read it please no spoilers. Those of you who haven't you should really look into these books. 

What have you been reading lately? What books are you going to be reading over the holidays?

Happy Holidays!

I'm not really a fan of the holidays. Not that I'm all Oh kiss it Christmas or all scrooge like about it. I'm just always overly stressed. If you ever met my family you'd know why. 

My father is always reminding me of how old my grandmother is. I know how old my grandma is by the way. Then he tells me I have to see her. Now if my grandma was old and brittle sure, I can see this as necessary to see her as often as possible. My grandmother is not this way though. To give you an insight of how my grandma is and acts, she hates people who drives slow. That woman puts the race in racing. Not kidding. She told me the other day a guy was driving 55 and the speed limit is 70 so she's having a fit. "Who does that? So you know what I did? I passed him beeped my horn and flipped him off while I passed him for being a jackass!" Yeah 80 years old and she acts like this while driving. She's about as fragile as a nail.

Then there is the getting the gifts. Packing up my vehicle with not only my luggage but gifts, children's luggage and then traveling in the long holiday traffic. Yeah, I'm not up for idiots on the road. Or being cramped with gifts. And do you know what bothers me the most, how my family never considers how many damn gifts they bought for me and so when we return, we have stuff the luggage back in with a crap load of gifts. And hope we all fit without getting a uhaul to strap and drive with. 

I know I shouldn't complain. I should be grateful for getting anything and being blessed, but being in a vehicle for 8 or more hours with no leg room doesn't make you feel grateful. It's more of the opposite like why couldn't they come out here?

Honestly, for once I want to stay in my house and not travel to see anyone. (This is completely selfish I know) But I've been traveling every holiday since I was little. Going to this person's house, that person's house. Scheduled meal times. I'm just tired of it. I thought when I had my own family this non-sense would stop and people would visit you instead.

Anyways, I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday and a Wonderful New Year! 

Really?

I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving. (For those who celebrate) Wednesday I got a free Galaxy 4 from Best Buy! Sweet!!! I needed a new phone. Anyways same day had to call and get a plumber to fix my drain where my washing machine is, because the drain was like Old Faithful, spraying water everywhere. I was like HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP! It was super bad. 

Plumber fixed it ... or at least it was temporary because Sunday I'm doing Laundry cleaning up after the guest, while watching football. (That's how I roll on Sunday's) And the washing machine started spraying all over. Flooded my entire kitchen. It was AWESOME! (Not really) But I was shaking my head saying Really?

So today I tried calling plumber he isn't answering. Great! 

Let me back my story up a bit though on Thursday I did all the cooking, had an alright thanksgiving, and then went on to some shopping. Scored a couple of laptops for super cheap at Best Buy. Oh but there was this dude in front of us who was farting in line. But he was trying to act like he's not passing gas like right in front of us. He's just carrying on a conversation with his friend, farting, meantime I'm laughing so hard because okay I'm not mature farts make me laugh. So I;m laughing and this dude actually gives me a dirty look. I'm thinking the whole time, oh my goodness you're the one crapping your pants and you give me a look like I'm messed up. Anyways, I can actually say all I need to buy is giftcards and I'm done. Done. Done with shopping. Well, I might get some things for myself but for the most part I'm done.

Oh and onto writing the sequel to a book. As well as rewriting Runaways. Oh, before I forget how did everyone do for the NaNoWriMo?

I actually banked 40k. Not bad. I guess.