Before and After Pictures

So, as you know, I've been knee deep in paint and boxes. It's a happy place to be when you've been wondering for the last couple years, and not because you've wanted to. It's hard to tell in the pictures, but I painted my house a deep purple (it's called Chianti) and a beige color. Just looking at my walls gives me an urge to write and sip red wine. Hum.

I thought I'd share my before and after pictures. I've painted and had the floors re-done. I plan on changing out the light fixtures, but all good things in time. ;)

 

Muse Muscles

It. Is. Done.

Well, the moving part. The unpacking part has yet to officially begin. And after a week of painting my new house, having all new flooring installed, and basically running myself ragged, the ol' body has a few choice words to share at the mere thought of unpacking.


So, today I sit. Today, after a super long time, I get to check in on my blog-world buddies and place my proverbial fingers on the writing-world pulse. With of course my dog on one side of me and a mug of coffee on the other.    


This last week was amazing. I have been moving at least every two years since I was seventeen. I have mainly lived in military housing and rental homes, with the exception of a home we purchased and then two years later sold. I have never painted the walls the color that I preferred. And honestly, up until a year or so ago, I hadn't even known what I liked.

So, painting my house, the walls that would surround me day after day, year after year, was almost, in some strange way, therapeutic. And as the deep, dark purple slathered those walls, I felt my muse grow and flourish. Crazy. I'd never felt that before. The hope inside, that I'd sign with an agent and ultimately with a publishing company, sparkled and shone until I knew inside that it isn't a matter of "if", but a matter of "when".

I want to keep going, excitedly ramble on about my house the way a grandparent would about her new addition. To post before and after pictures of the house and the breathtaking views from my porch and windows. But, I'll save that for future posts. Right now, I'll let you snicker at the pictures taken during laughable moments yesterday. My sisters and best friend (and their husbands) helped us move. And when we get together, there's always fun to be had.

My best friend Rayna pulled as I pushed the heavy piece of furniture. As you can see, I was also falling and grabbing onto another piece of furniture. I ended up on the floor.

You can barely see my sister back there. Packed into the SUV

So how about you? Have you ever done something that took you by surprise in how it strengthened your muse?

Sirens Conference

I am in the throws of busyness. Right, smack in the middle of buying a house. Literally. Like, yesterday we signed a ton of papers at the mortgage office, buying a house.

You know what that means? No lap-top time. :(


Which means, lots of iPhone time. Sitting in offices waiting, standing in lines waiting, sitting at the school waiting. Yeah, you get the picture. So, it's no wonder I've been reading lots of twitter updates, which I normally don't do. 

An agent twitted--that just sounds weird--about a conference in Portland Oregon called Sirens. Never heard of it. Have you? So, naturally I clicked on the link and checked this Sirens thing out. WOW. It's a conference on women in fantasy literature. How fun does that sound?!

Love these pictures. They were created to represent this conference. 

So, I thought I'd tell you guys about it. See if you've ever heard of it. What you've heard. And if you've been, what did you think?

Oh, and wanna see a picture of the house? How about a sneak peak?

My front yard is a hill--lots of beautiful ground cover. :)

Coffee and Conferences...What Could Be Better?

I'm in a coffee shop! On my laptop! Sipping coffee. Mmmmm.

I have nothing of great importance to blog about. Just so you know. But, I was wondering something. Or maybe merely thinking about it. Whatever.

So, conference. Going? I'm bringing this topic up because, while it's been talked about a ton online, it's still fun to discuss. Summer's coming and all writers know what that means:

~Select agents closed to submissions

~Loads of aspirations to get tons of writing done

AND...

~Conferences!


It's the preferred topic of discussion within my writers group these days. The thought of an upcoming conference is like Christmas for the writer. A possibly uncomfortable Christmas with potentially amazing presents and that slight fear that you'll completely ruin the holiday dinner by burning the roast and running the guests from your home because you've set the kitchen on fire. Yeah, that about sums it up.

Two of my writers group friends are attending the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon. This one looks big and full of opportunities. Lots of agents and classes. I'm tempted to join them, except I've already made plans to attend another conference. And paying for two conferences within months of each other is probably a pretty expensive move.

I plan on attending the Emerald City Writers Conference through RWA in Bellevue, Washington. As much as I'd like to attend the national RWA conference, this summer is a busy one for me, what with moving and all. So, the next best thing, I hear, is the conference of a local RWA chapter. I chose the local one for many reasons, one being that this will be my first conference ever. So, I suppose this one will get my feet wet. Plus, this conference has a program for first time attendees--green horns like myself. Another reason? I'd like to get to know writers in my area of the U.S. In my neck of the literal woods. Also, they had a contest going called the Emerald City Opener. I thought it would be great fun to submit some of my work, and if I place, I'll be there to chat with the judges.

So what about you? Ever been to a conference? Plan on going this year? When, which one, and what made you decide on that particular conference?      

The Devil Flu

I am not an incredibly busy person. My best friend works full time, has two children, entertains guests every Sunday night for dinner, and writes books. To me, she's an incredibly busy person. Still, somehow I've managed to not blog much in the month of May. I could blame it on the house buying stuff, but it's more the fact that the flu is the devil keeping me pinned to the couch. The devil I say.

It exhausts me and sucks out any pieces of creativity and word-putting-together I rely on. It makes me loathe the idea of world building, and even stare at the lap top with disgust. Yes, the very lap top that I usually treasure and hold dear to my heart.

But, as this devil flu has raged through my head, and sinuses, and throat, and limbs, I've clung to a tiny shred of the writerly me. A glimmer of hope. And that is, The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa.

Ah, so goooood. I've been wanting to read this book because it's about a kick-ass predator of a girl. And my book is about a kick-ass predator of a girl. :)

I am in no mind to write a review right now, but it's coming. I just had to say that WOW this book was fun and creepy. (I still picture vampire type zombies with milky eyes when I try to go to sleep at night). I also had to say that WOW, I've reached 100 followers. Crazy what happens when your head is pounding and you feel as though you'll never breathe normal again.

So, have a great Memorial Day Weekend everybody!

Have you read The Immortal Rules? If so, what did you think?

What are your plans this weekend?      

OF POSEIDON by Anna Banks

YAY! Mermaid novels! Okay, here's the book blurb on Amazon:

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . . 

Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

OF POSEIDON will be released May 22nd, tomorrow. And on Good Reads it has a rating of 4.39 stars. Sounds good to me.

I read through Anna Banks' blog and if you too want to read through her process of publication and the very crazy story of signing with an agent, go here to read her blog. And so you don't have to scroll back through her previous posts, here's the exact post on how she signed with her agent.

Want to buy the book? Go here. And don't forget to post a review when you're done with it. :)

What do you think? Does this book sound interesting? What do you think about the cover?

Phone Lovers

I'm a fan of Trigger Happy TV show

I am in the throws of house buying, and that means making phone calls. Lots and lots of phone calls. To people I don't know, to turn on utilities, to get insurance quotes, to just...be uncomfortable. 

I. Hate. Making. Phone. Calls.

Weird right? Or is it?

I'm the writing-to-communicate type of girl. I'd rather discuss something over text, or email, or even Face Book. Why do I dislike talking on the phone so much? Hum. I have my assumptions. But, what about you? I've read on some of your blogs that you're not phone lovers. Wait. That didn't sound right. You're not people who love talking on the phone. Although, you could be someone who dislikes phone conversations, who is also a lover in the long distance sense, thus from time to time a phone lover...hummm.

But seriously? What are your thoughts? Business phone calls, fine with them or hate them?

And what about personal phone calls? Love them or dislike them?


Just a little Trigger Happy TV comedy for your viewing pleasure. ;)