Back In The Swing Of Things...

So, it's 2011. Can you even believe that??? I mean, honestly, I just felt like I was partying for 2010. Time baffles me...

It's time to turn on our brains, get off the couch, and head back into reality, whether we want to or not. There's always that difficulty that comes with heading back into the world, yet at the same time that feeling of happiness since we're actually beginning to accomplish things during the days that seemed to have fallen to the wayside as the holidays barged right on in.

I know in my last post I said I had time to write, and, well...I lied. I thought I'd have time, but I guess I was a teeny bit overzealous... Sure, I wrote a tad, but nothing significant. However, now that the new year has begun, I'm very happy to say that I (along with hopefully everyone else that had to drag themselves right back into the swings of things at the close of the holidays) will have more time to write...at least once things slip back into their usual routine, which, for my family, takes a good few days. There's always that little bit of craziness as everyone struggles to board the insane, always-moving thing called life--especially after the holidays.

I'm incredibly excited for 2011; a fresh year, a clean slate, a perfect oppurtunity to sharpen our writing craft, read read and read, and simply enjoy ourselves on our authorly journeys. As of right now, there's not much happening with me, just the usual dillydally and procrastination of things to do and the yearning to go back to the holiday greatness and the joy that another year is upon us and the excitement that comes with it...

Okay, I need to breathe.

In book news, I recently started reading Brenna Yovanoff's THE REPLACEMENT, which, so far, is amazing (the cover is one of those rare covers I just have to keep looking at because it's just so cool!). Already I can tell I'm going to totally love it. :)

Now, with each new year comes new books. I'm already amassing a list of what I'm terribly excited for. Here are the 2011 books I just can't wait to get my hands on:

• DESIRES OF THE DEAD by Kimberly Derting
• WILDEFIRE by Karsten Knight
• UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand (wouldn't ya know, it comes out TOMORROW!)
• WITCH EYES by Scott Tracey

So, any of you guys ready to jump back into the chaos of normal life? Picked up any good books lately? Immensely excited for upcoming novels of 2011? Leave me your thoughts, and Happy New Years!

A Habit I Don't Want to Break

Bonjour! :) So, today, I thought I'd talk a little about an interesting habit I've developed ever since I started writing, which was years, years, and even more years ago. It's a habit I'm sure many of us are guilty of...

...and it's a habit I never want to break.

Basically, I've been writing some novels over the past few years, and obviously, once done, I've been sending out queries and such for them. Consequentially, I find myself more hooked and more curious about blogs from agents/published authors/aspiring writers such as myself out there, which leads to my habit of discovering a soon-to-be-on-shelves book, already out book, or agent-just-picked-up-an-amazing-client-with-an-amazing-book book. So, in essence, nearly every day I'm discovering more and more books through the web, and seemingly every week I'm at Borders (my favorite book store out there) =) picking up said books.

And it's impacting my room. I've now, because of this, started to nurture and grow my own mini library. :)

When I'll get around to all these can't-wait-to-read books, I don't know. But I will find time. It's just a matter of finishing the other zillion books I have lined up. :)

Oh, and I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who commented on my Crusader challenge mechanical liger post. It was a lot of fun to write, and basically shows that my head is a mysterious place even I sometimes fear entering. So, thank you. :)

With that, I leave you with this question: are any of you guilty of this rather inevitable habit? I'd love to hear your responses!

Write on!

SO Excited (Plus Another Rejection)!

Excited because I just bought two novels I'm insanely excited about. These are: ROCK PAPER TIGER by Lisa Brackmann (how could I resist the cover?) and SISTERS RED by Jackson Pearce (again, this cover is so incredible I just HAD to get my hands on it!).

And yep, got another rejection. Number 28. It made me a little sad, I'll admit, but doesn't every rejection? :) I was really, really hoping this agent would say yes, too... But don't we all want every agent to say yes? Even just a partial request? Perhaps, if we're immensely lucky (does this even happen?), a full request?

Ah, well. It's not too bad. I'm having my query critiqued, and I'm revising my first pages just to make sure they're enticing enough, and enthralling enough, and amazing enough, and fantastic enough...

Um, maybe that's a little too much to mash and shove into the first roughly ten pages. But hey, I want to make sure I have the absolute BEST manuscript possible so when (hopefully) an agent gets his or her hands on it, they totally, undeniably ADORE it...and instantly call me up

and offer representation five seconds after receiving said manuscript.

Okay, I can dream. =)

So, yep, that's pretty much it. Two new books. One new rejection. A head filled with thoughts of how to revise, edit, query, blah blah blah... Anyway, if you'd like to purchase ROCK PAPER TIGER and/or SISTERS RED (which you most definitely should; aren't those covers immensely captivating?), I've posted the links to Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million below (just because I'm in a helpful mood!):

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

http://www.borders.com/online/store/Home

http://www.booksamillion.com/

Until we meet again, happy writing! (You can see my photography skills are maddeni

ngly amazing in those two pictures. That wooden table really shows my artistic ability.) ;)