Welcome February!!

I think the time has come that I have to put some smack down on myself and put structure to the blog. I am not a daily blogger. I wish I was, but I am both lazy and truly not that witty to come up with something that will keep all of us entertained on a daily basis. So I think I’m going to task myself with a weekly blog post.

So from now on, your Wednesdays are going to be filled with fabulous words of wisdom (stop snickering, peanut gallery) from me. You never know when I might break out with the words that you were searching for to add purpose to your day. Or refer you to that book that is going to change your life.

I am back on the apartment hunt again. Seriously, why is it so hard to find an affordable apartment in a good neighborhood that has the amenities that I need (I need a washer and dryer. I hate Laundromats)? The one that I put a tentative hold down on threw a few surprise charges at me that raised the rent into an area that I am not comfortable paying. So I have been looking again.

Of course, I put myself on a pretty tight budget and that is when Tyson throws a wrench in the works. He has a cold...and is typical of him, he has an eye infection now. *sighs* To the vet we will be going. One cranky,mean cat turns into one big Momma's boy baby as he will cling to me.

Anyway, welcome to February! January was a rough start to the new year for myself and so many other people. Quite honestly, I was more than a little pleased to see the 31st come and go and to flip the calendar to a brand spanking new month with a clean slate.

I am doing the Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge. I said I would read 24 books over the year. Doing pretty good so far with 5 down:

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (So good! Ready to start the second in the series!)
Year of the Chick by Romi Moondi
Thank you for flying Air Zoe by Erik Atwell
Blame It On The Fame by Tracie Banister
Mad about the Boy by Suzan Battah

There will be reviews posted soon for four of them.
What are you currently reading?

(Ya know, I have a week to think of something witty to share with you all next Wednesday and I'm already drawing a blank. Anything you want to chat about?)

Just a shallow post to say:

Hello Chris Evans!!!

On the book nook - an interview with Nancy Volkers

Today on my book nook, I am posting a fun interview that I did with Nancy Volkers. Come check it out!

Interview with Nancy



Some ways to interact with Nancy:

Nancy's Website

Nancy on Goodreads

Nancy on Twitter

Buy the book:
Amazon

Barnes & Noble (Nook only)

iTunes

Smashwords

New book review posted!

First book review for my new review blog! YAY!!!

Come on over and read what I thought of Nancy Volker's Scotland by Starlight.

(I will be posting the links each time I review for the first few reviews over there, then probably just start doing a monthly roundup of review links over here.)

Here we go...

I promised myself that I would get back in the blogging saddle with 2012. And then promptly ignored my sweet little Just Jump.

Not my fault, you see. First I got hooked on the Sherlock series that is on BBC (and Masterpiece on PBS if you don't get BBC). (Thanks, Tracie!) Oh so good!! Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock is BRILLIANT! And Martin Freeman's John Watson is so utterly charming as well. They have amazing chemistry, the total love/hate relationship. You totally know if given the chance Watson would beat Sherlock to death with the first blunt object he could find, if he didn't really like him as much as he does that is.

Then I spent some time reading. "Darkfever" by Karen Marie Moning. Again with the oh so good! I had a hard time putting it down, in fact.

Throw in work, errands, every day things...and a little dash of my favorite - procrastination. Here we are, January 9th and I'm updating finally.

I do have a little announcement...and that is the fact I am going to move the book reviews off of this blog and onto their own. You can check out Michelle's Book Nook for all my book reviews.

So new year, renewed ambition to get my blogging back up to par. Is there anything you want to see here? Anything in particular that you are wanting me to blog about? Speak now or forever hold your peace!

Hello 2012, you beautiful number!

2011 was an interesting year. It was a roller coaster. 2011 started off on the uphill journey, things were going really well and starting to come together. Unfortunately, when I hit the top of the slope, the dizzying descent was not something I was prepared for and ended up struggling emotionally/mentally for a bit. However, like any true thrill ride, the rails head back up and after a few loops thrown in, the exhilaration of the year paid off.

A new position at work has led to a new outlook on life. I feel that the last five and half years that I have struggled have finally paid off. I am in a position that challenges me and lets me use my mind. I was listless most days in my previous position, now I am amazed at how fast the day flies by.

Luckily the new position came with benefits and a raise! Enough of a raise that I can move out on my own again. I love my parents dearly, but when I moved in here five and a half years ago, it was only going to be for a few months. I crave my independence and I have found the perfect apartment for me. The move in date is a little up in the air at the moment because of being on a wait list, but it will be by March.

I have spent time with good friends this year. I have made some very cool new friends and acquaintances this year. I have had to come to terms with the fact that there are some dead end relationships in my life that I need to stop hobbling along with and instead let them go.

2011 ended up teaching me lessons and that is all you can really ask for in the end.

But now it is time for 2012 to make a roaring entrance (the year of the dragon, after all) and I'm ready for it.

As always, I have had to decide on my word of the year. Last year I chose exploration. It served me well, I think. Now what shall I do for 2012?

Growth?
Delight?
Change?
Adventure?
Focus?
Clarity?
Awe?

It came down to three words that are sticking with me - BLOOM, LIVE, and THRIVE.

My 2012 word of the year is:

LIVE.

It really is that simple - Living my life is what I want to accomplish in 2012.

Life is never guaranteed. You don't know how much time you have on this earth so you need to live your life fully. Do what makes you happy. Be with people that you want to be with and never forget for one moment how truly blessed life is.

Happy New Year!

Interview with author Annie Bellet

Annie Bellet is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and the lovely Samantha asked if I would be interested in doing an interview with Annie. I hope you enjoy!

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1. Describe a typical day of writing for you?


I don't know if I have a typical writing day. For a while I was working pretty solidly between noon and five or so, but then my husband lost his job and my schedule fell by the wayside. I've been struggling to get back to a schedule since then.

My new method I'm trying out is to set a timer for 45 minutes and write until it is done, take a break, do another session, rinse, repeat. Ideally, I'd get five or six thousand words done (about the length of a short story) in four or five "increments" like this (usually I write about 1k an hour, but I've found that with the timer on, I do that 1k in 45 minutes instead, which is kind of cool).

I also tend to bounce around on projects, usually having two or three things going at a time so that if I get stuck on something, I can let my brain work on it while I go work on a different writing project.


2. How did you celebrate the publication of your first book?


I don't know that I did. I think I was too busy writing. It was definitely a relief to have the work done (I spent 14 straight hours approving just the copy-edits). Maybe I will celebrate the sequel when it is out.



3. What is the first thing to go through your mind when you see a bad review?


That I shouldn't be reading it. Reviews are written for readers, not for me. I know I should stay away from them, (good or bad), but I just can't help myself (who can!?) so I try not to let them get me down. I'm writing the best books I can, which is all I have control over. Hopefully people enjoy them, but if they don't, me being sad about them expressing their opinion won't help anyone. And maybe a bad review will prevent someone else from reading my book who wouldn't have liked it. I want readers who like the sort of stories I'm telling, not readers who aren't my audience (which is often what a bad review indicates- that someone found the book who wasn't your audience).


4. Is there a genre that you want to write in that you haven't tackled?


I have an idea for a full on historical novel, actually. Not the sort of "borrowing from historical elements" that I've done before, but actually using real people, real events, set in a real time period, like some of the books done by Morgan Llywelyn or Dorothy Dunnett. My idea will take a lot of time and research, so we'll see if I ever get around to doing it, but I think it is good to try new things.


5. Your biography lists "many other nerdy pursuits" in your interests. What is your "nerdiest" like? (As a nerd myself, I will probably be nodding my head in agreement.)


My "nerdiest"? Hmm. Videogames are kind of mainstream now, right? I play table-top RPGs, but those are also sort of mainstream (which is great, I approve of more gamers in the world). One of the things my friends think is pretty crazy is that I watch StarCraft II videos as a sort of brain break between writing sessions, etc. It's like watching a sport (I watch high-level games mostly from Korea, but usually commentated in English). I guess that is kind of nerdy. I would play StarCraft II more, but my computer is on its last legs, and my wrists won't stand up to a lot of mouse use these days, so I try to save them for writing and get my SC2 fix by watching other people play.


6. If you were casting the movie of "A Heart in Sun and Shadow", who would you cast?


Eep. That's a tough one. I think I'd cast Molly C Quinn (she plays the daughter on Castle) as Aine, just because I think she'd do a great job of being strong/passionate and she's about the right age. For the twins, that is tougher. I think if I could find a younger, swarthier version of Michael Sheen, that would work. For Seren, maybe Tricia Helfer.


7. What is up next for you?


I'm finishing up the sequel, which is titled "The Raven King", right now. It should be out in January (maybe by the time this interview goes live).

Thank you for the opportunity to do this interview.

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Bio: Annie Bellet is a full-time speculative fiction writer. She holds a BA in English and a BA in Medieval Studies and thus can speak a smattering of useful languages such as Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Welsh.
Her short fiction has appeared in AlienSkin Magazine, Contrary Magazine, and Daily Science Fiction Magazine as well as multiple anthologies and collections.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a very demanding Bengal cat.

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Annie is on tour with her novel, A Heart in Sun and Shadow.

In an ancient Wales that never was… The twin brothers Emyr and Idrys are cursed to live as hounds; Emyr by night, and Idrys by day. The twins believe they will be trapped this way forever until they meet the fierce and curious Áine, a changeling woman born with fey blood and gifts struggling to fit into a suspicious human world. Áine unravels the fate of Emyr and his twin as all three of them fall in love. To free her lovers from the curse, she embarks on a journey to the realm of the fey where she confronts her own unique gifts and heritage. Ultimately, she must decide where her heart truly lies and what she’s willing to risk to get what she desires most.