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And So It Begins

Nov 1, 2010 | | 8 Comments

November 1st is a big day for those who have signed up for NaNo Writers Month. What is NaNo? Itโ€™s where many writers sign up on the NaNo website committing to write at least 50,000 words of a book in a fast draft form. Impressive isnโ€™t it?


For the last two years Iโ€™ve unofficially joined in and Iโ€™ve dished out a stack of words in doing so. Even with November being one of my busiest months, Iโ€™ve always been able to write more just feeding off of the excitement and motivation of other writers out there pounding away at their keyboards.


And I was planning on doing it all over again by starting my next book set in Indonesia.


But Iโ€™m not going to. Instead Iโ€™m tackling a major revision of my latest book set in Korea. I knew my bookโ€™s opening chapters could be stronger so I emailed my critique buddy the whole book and said, โ€œHELP! What is wrong with this baby of mine?โ€


Thatโ€™s the amazing thing about great critique partners. They see the problems you just canโ€™t see when youโ€™re too close to a project. And they tell you whatโ€™s wrong instead of sending you a happy gram back with smiles and โ€œI love it!โ€ (Well, they might say โ€œI love it!โ€ but with lots of other insights too!)


When I got her email with her comments, I got so excited. She was right! She had some great ideas on how to fix my problems, too. So Iโ€™ve been brainstorming, making lists on the problems and how Iโ€™m going to solve those. Itโ€™s a great feeling.


So this month, Iโ€™m hacking out a pretty intensive revision. It wonโ€™t be a major rewrite but many of the chapters will be getting whole new looks and the first few chapters will be seeing lots of cuts and rewrites. Exciting isnโ€™t it?


My goal? Get this baby finished by December 1st!

Bring on the chocolate!

Disney’s Food and Wine Festival

Oct 22, 2010 | | 6 Comments

Can I just say delish? Fabulous? Divine?

Last weekend hubby and I went on a date (!!!!!!!) to Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. And let me tell you was so fun. We took about 3 hours to walk around the lake, stopping at different countries along the way.

Our first stop was Argentina where we ate Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree. I think that was my favorite.



Then we headed to Mexico for a Tamal de Pollo. Yum…


South Korea was there for the first time! They had kimchi slaw!

Oh and then there was Italy. I just love Italian food and I wasn’t disappointed. We orderedย baked cheese ravioli and Cannolo Al Cioccolato and ate it on the steps overlooking the lagoon while listening to Sister Hazel. How cool is that?

At Australia, we ate the Grilled Lamp Chop with Roasted Potato Salad and Red Wine Reduction. I have to say that the lamb wasn’t as good as when we ate in Australia, butย I would still recommend it.



Then to complete the night we had the dessert trio of Strawberry Angel Verrine, Pear Streusel Pudding Cake, Dark Chocolate Sensation, and Rose Imperial.


The festival runs until Nov. 14th so there’s still time to head over for some good food!

Disney Tip #1

Oct 13, 2010 | , | 6 Comments

Since I live right around the corner from the happiest place on earth, I thought I’d add in some Disney tips on my blog. I’ve been to Disney, oh about 20 million times (okay, so I work there too seasonally).

Yeah, I’m addicted. I’m a fan. I’m a Disney girl.

One turnoff for many people is the crowds. If that’s the case for you, then this time of the year is the time to go. September through early November and then again in January until spring break time, the crowds are substantially less. And not only will you find the crowds have thinned, thus making the lines shorter, but the weather is perfect in the fall. Not too hot, not too cold. No humidity.

Now if you must go in the summer or you love Disney at Christmas (who wouldn’t?), but those crowds still get to you, then hit the coffee pot and get there early.

We usually get there as soon as the park opens (BTW, it’s cooler in the mornings!) to do all the rides we can, watch a show and then catch lunch before we head back home. I’m always amazed at the streams of people who enter the park between 10:30 and noon. I suppose I shouldn’t blame them. They’re on vacation, have slept in, eaten a yummy Disney breakfast and meandered to the park.

So think Disney in the autumn and youย if can’t swing that, get to the parks early to hit all the rides you’ve been dying to ride.

The End

Oct 2, 2010 | | 8 Comments

I finally finished Mockingjay. Took me long enough and it was no fault of how good the book was. Purely me being busy. But it got me thinking about endings.

One of the things that pushed me to keep reading Mockingjay was I needed to know the answers.

Does Katniss survive? Who does she end with- Peeta or Gale?

For me:

  • A good book propels the reader to the end
  • An end must be satisfying
  • An end should answer most of the reader’s questions
  • An end could reveal a surprise twist
  • An end should complete the a character’s emotional journey

How about you? What do you need in a good ending? And while we are chatting about endings, check out J.A. Palermo’s blog post over at the Paper Wait on leading readers to turn the page.

Guest Blog Post

Sep 28, 2010 | | 3 Comments

Kirsten is doing an awesome blog series called “Around the World”. For yesterday’s post she asked me to share about my experiences overseas and how they affect my writing. Head over to her awesome blog, Romantic Meets the World, and check it out!

The picture above is me on the tiny island of Samosir that’s located in Sumatra the middle of Lake Toba, one of the biggest lakes in the world.

Satellite Beach

Sep 20, 2010 | | 8 Comments

The otherย weekend we decided to get out and head over to Satellite Beach. It’s close to Cocoa Beach, but quieter and not so touristy. We joined up with some friends and stayed at a condo that overlooked the ocean. Talk about the perfect writing place!



The waves were pretty big and on the first day the ripe tide was strong because of a tropical storm out off the coast. But the second day we were there, the ocean was calm enough for the boys to get out and learn how to boogie board.

They loved it! Plus we found buckets of shells that were being dragged into the tide. (See the picture of Luke and his girl friend digging for shells. Aren’t they adorable?)

From Orlando its one of the closest beaches if you are looking for something quieter and cleaner. From downtown Orlando, give yourself about an hour and fifteen minutes to get there.


Personally I like the Gulf Coast better, but the waves can’t be beat on the Atlantic.

And if you’re there, check out Da Kine’s Insane Burrito. Yum yum. They have HUGE burritos that are sure to fill you up after playing in the surf all day.

I’m hoping to have posts of great vacation and getaway spots in Florida on my blog. So if you’re heading to Florida, hopefully you’ll find some good ideas here of where to go!

WOW! I’m Blogging!

Sep 13, 2010 | | 9 Comments

Okay so I’m about to have a heart attack because I’ve opened blogger and I’m here typing away. Man, it feels good. It’s been soooooooo long since I’ve blogged. I feel as if I’ve been lost in some big dark hole and just now resurfacing and I’m here to say:

“Hello bloggers! Remember me?”

I’m dying to get back into things and go and visit all of your lovely blogs. I’m so out of the loop. What’s been going on? It’s amazing how out of it I feel after being away for the last month.

Yes, I’ve been busy and I really needed the time to get my life in order. I’m not saying things are perfect (HA!) but I’m ready to embark back into the world of blogging again.

I will say that living back in the States is so different and I’m feeling incredibly spoiled. Everytime I turn on my washing machine or dishwasher I feel like doing a little jig. (Okay, so I really do a jig, but only when no one is looking.)

I think I’ve eaten too many Twizzlers though. (I know, I didn’t think that was possible, but evidently my consumption has been a LITTLE overboard).

So sending you all a wave across the Internet!

Congrats Debbie Ohi!

Aug 2, 2010 | | 10 Comments

Yesterdayย the MIGs and Iย got an exciting email fromย Debbie Ridpath Ohiย (fellow critique partner in crime). She’s over at the SCBWI LA conference (yeah, I’m sooooo jealous!) and sending us the latest gossip via her iPad.

But the big news is she won one of the two Runner Up / Honor Award winners for the SCBWI’s Illustrator Showcase!!! And get this, she also won the Mentorship Award Program. To win two awardsย is rare she’s been told.

Read more about it here.

I’m so proud of you Debbie! You totally deserve this!

Writing Space

Jul 29, 2010 | | 6 Comments

So my biggest issue I’m dealing with right now is finding time to write. I don’t have a writing area set up yet, but I do have a room all to myself for my writing. I’m so excited about it! I need to think of a name for the room besides office. Office sounds so bla. Something like Wardrobe or Writers Cove. Still working on ideas!
I also need to set up a time to write and once I start teaching (YES! I got a teaching job- yippee! I’ll be teaching 2nd grade), then I’ll have to figure out if early mornings or late nights will work best for my new schedule. I find having a consistent schedule and a home base to write in really helps me keep focused. Often I write in other places, but a home base is a must.
I love Laura Manivong’s writing space. She’s got color and fun all put together.
Things I NEED in my writing space:

1. Desk and comfy chair.
2. Lots of table space for all my crazy webs and charts and cool words that I like.
3. Twizzlers (yes, this is a must)

4. A window -wish it was a view of this:
5. Figurine of Jane Austen because she’s my heroine.

6. Email so I can frantically chat with my critique buds when I’m stuck.
7. Headphones (but only when I’m fast drafting, can’t do it during edits)
8. Water and coffee

How about you? Where do you write? What are musts that you must have when you write? Do you have a special name for your writing place?

Hello Florida!

Jul 12, 2010 | | 14 Comments

Hello my blogging buddies! It feels like forever since I’ve blogged. Between the move and Internet problems I’ve had trouble finding time to blog.

I’m now living in sunny Florida and I love it here! Who can’t love swaying palm trees, bright sunny days and swimming pools? And it’s hot. I LOVE hot.

Our family went out for a hike at the park near our new house. We saw turtles, deer, birds, GIANT spiders (eek!), and a tortoise that could outrun me. So much fun. Except we didn’t see any gators.

The boys call it Old Florida because we mentioned it to them that this is what Florida used to look like before all the people and houses.

There is something magical about strolling down sandy paths with Spanish moss dangling from above and the sea breeze kicking up around you. If you haven’t hiked in ‘Old Florida’ yet, you really need to do it. But keep an eye out for those spiders and thunderstorms. You don’t want to mess with those!

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