The Ultimate Blog Challenge - Complete

I just read my friend Julia's post at Freelance Writer Blog and realize that it is indeed the final day of the challenge.  Wow! This month has gone by so very quickly.  What a wonderful month, though.  I really enjoyed doing this challenge and know that I would gladly do this or something similar again.  It was fun and sometimes definitely a challenge.  I like that this challenge really made me think about the goals I have for my writing and for this blog. 

To all of you who participated and completed the challenge; Congratulations and job well-done! 'See' you at the next challenge.

Little Women Teaser

Teaser Tuesday's is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read -

Open to a random page =

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page =

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"It's naughty to fret, but I do think washing dished and keeping things tidy is the worst work in the world.  It makes me cross, and my hands get so stiff, I can't practice well at all."

I have only read a few pages of this book because I'm still finishing up another, but I like it so far.  I've been wanting to read it for a while and finally decided to just do it.  Even if it takes me a while to get through it - at least I will.  Finally.

Nonfiction In Practice

Musing Monday's is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading! This week’s question:

"How often do you actually put into practice what you learn from reading nonfiction books (if you read nonfiction, that is)?"

I read nonfiction in phases.  When I was in University I read it a lot more than I do now - and not just textbooks.  I went through a major self-help phase.  I can't think of anything particular at the moment but I know there are some things that I put into practice.  I think you have to decide what works best in your own life.  Just because someone who is a supposed authority writes a book on a subject - doesn't mean it's what's necessarily going to work in your life. 

Does anyone remember the John Gray books, about men and Mars and Women and Venus? Sorry, I don't remember the exact titles.  I know I read one (maybe two) while at University and had to laugh at a lot of it.  Yes, some of it made sense but a lot of it was just funny to me.  I also remember thinking a fair amount of it seemed like common sense to me.  For example, if my husband has a bad day or we're having a disagreemnet, it seems logical to me to let him have some space and quiet time.  I remember the book saying something about men needing to go in their cave.  Well guess what? I need to go off alone sometimes, too.  Am I going to my cave? LOL I really have nothing against these books.  I just think that with nonfiction, you read the book and apply common sense.  Then I figure out what works best for my family and I.

Walkie Talkies

I was feeling sad that summer vacation is over.  Well, truthfully I still am but my mother-in-law has done the cutest thing for my kids.  She got them walkie talkies so they can play and talk back and forth to one another.  She wanted them to have a 'beginning of the school year' gift.  I am very surprised but thankful at the same time.  I imagine the anticipation of playing with these will make the first day easier for them. 

I have to admit that my husband and I were playing with them tonight.  LOL  Mommy and Daddy got to revisit childhood for a while this evening.  We were on opposite sides of the house talking to one another and cracking up.  All the while saying, "Shh, don't wake up the kids'.

Walkie talkies rock!

A Bit of Writer's Block

I'm having the dreaded writer's block.  This happens to me a couple of times per year.  The thing is - I know the tricks for getting past it but they just are not working for me right now.  I think part of the issue for me at this time is that I'm at a critical point in the novel I've been working on - and it simply is not reading as well as I want it to.  I only have about ten percent of this book to complete but it's an important part of the story.  I don't know, maybe I'm putting too much pressure on myself to get it perfect.  And yet, I want it to be perfect.  Imagine that.

I've tried putting the book aside and writing something else.  While I did get a lot done on some other writing - I just feel guilty that this book is so close to being complete but I can't get it there.  It's actually really frustrating.  Especially as I have a sequel in mind for it already.  My first sequel at that.

Maybe this is another of those situations where I need to silence the internal editor and just write whatever comes out of me.  Finish the story, put it on paper and then revisit it in a couple of weeks for the editing.  I just want to get the darn thing done.  I'm really hoping that just complaining (yes, I know that's what I'm doing lol) will get through the writer's block and allow me to finally finish the darn novel/

Another Duran Duran Update

I have to say that I think the guys in the band are enjoying teasing us fans about this album.  While I adore the fact that they are doing these videos and letting us in (at least a little bit) to the process behind the scenes - I believe they may be laughing about the undefined timeline.  Oh well, whether the album is released in seven weeks (I wish) or seven months (I'll live) - I am really looking forward to it.  In the meantime, here is another funny video about the album.  This time it's from Nick Rhodes.  Enjoy - I know I did, more than once.  :)

Oh, and Julia - thanks for the tip on resizing the video.  This is much better as it actually fits.

Giving Up

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading. This weeks ponderings:

If you’re not enjoying a book, will you stop mid-way? Or do you push through to the end? What makes you decide to stop?

I have been known to stop reading a book before I've finished it. Although I admit that it doesn't happen frequently. Earlier this year I stopped reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo halfway through the book because I was seriously disturbed by the brutality being written. I put it aside for a week and really didn't think I was going to finish it. I did end up finishing that particular book and I'm glad that I did.

Usually, if I do give up on a book it's because I am thoroughly bored. Often times, in this instance, I just do not care about the characters, the story or the outcome.

There have also been a few times that I have had to stop reading a book because the writing was just atrocious; to the point that I wonder how the book even got published.

I don't like to give up on a book but I will under the above circumstances. Life is too short and there are too many good books waiting to be read to waste time on the bad ones.

Work Space

A couple of days ago there was a post at Freelance Writer's Blog about work spaces. I finally decided to take a few pictures and post about my so-called work space. Yes, I'm laughing as I write this because my 'work space' is one that I share with my husband, I use share lightly as he has basically taken the space over as his at-home music studio,



As you can see from the photos - there's not much room for me to get anything done. To be completely honest it doesn't bother me. In part because I'm glad he has his space for his music but also because our PC runs really slow and it drives me bonkers. I mostly use this space for the printer when I need it.

I do all of my writing on my HP laptop - which I love so much! I like to go to Starbucks and write without interruptions. However, if I am able to get any writing done at home - 99.9% of the time it is on my laptop. I love it!

Late Summer Cleaning

With Autumn due to arrive in a month (or so the calendar says) I find myself feeling the need to clean and organize neglected spaces in my house. Like closets, book shelves and toy boxes. Yes, part of this is due to the fact that school is starting. I need to deal with all the clothes my kids have outgrown and the toys they don't play with anymore. Another part of it is just that I like the feeling of accomplishment once all of this sort of decluttering is dealt with. I like having everything organized - even if it doesn't stay that way for long.

I am also of the strong opinion that less is more. I wasnt my children to understand that they don't need a ton of stuff to be happy. Believe me when I say they are not in any way deprived. I just don't feel like they need more than one of the same toy or book. They can share. Plus, we do go through their stuff (ours as well) a couple of times a year. For the sake of cleaning but also to donate the outgrown stuff. This is what we've been doing the past couple of days and will hopefully finish up tomorrow.

Of course, there is a surprise for my kids at the end of all of their hard work. They've been asking to go and see a major league baseball game at the stadium and we're finally going to take them.

Guilt Free Reader

Recently, I have seen several posts on different blogs and message boards about guilty pleasures in reading. I don't mean to sound high and mighty but this always makes me (figuratively) scratch my head. Do people really feel guilty over enjoying certain genres or authors? I honestly can not remember ever feeling guilty or embarrassed over my reading material. Well, there have been a couple of times the cover art has been a little embarrassing but I'll still read the book if I'm interested in the story inside. LOL

For example, I like romance novels. Does this mean that I like every romance author or romance book ever written? Of course not but I do like the genre. I know so many people that do like romance but are so embarrassed to admit it. WHY? Not every book can be great literature. However, I think there is plenty of reading material for everyone to find what they enjoy. I also think it's perfectly all right to enjoy great literature as well as brain candy. And every person's definition of the two is going to be different. I love John Steinbeck and Nora Roberts. Opposite ends of the spectrum for me but both utterly enjoyable.

I have to wonder what makes people feel embarrassed about enjoying certain genres or authors. Is it society? Family? Religion? Something else all together? I'd love to know.

Journal Writing

The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium. ~Norbet Platt

I came across this quote and read it over a few times because I feel that it is an absolute truth. For me, anyway. As I said in my post from two days ago (yes I know I missed a day in the challenge and need to play catch up) I miss the act of writing with pen and paper. I realize that in addition to what I wrote in that post, it really is calming. Depending on what is written it can also be an emotional release.

Before I was a blogger I was a journaler. I had a journal of my own and one for each of my children. I wrote in theirs beginning during my pregnancies. When I started my family blog I stopped with the journals. I must admit I am sad about this and have decided to go back to writing to my kids in their journals. To me it is so much more personal as all of the entries are in my handwriting rather than something I've typed out.

As for my own journal - I want to go back to writing that, as well. It was a place for me to be creative but also a place to just dream. It was often a place that I would just ramble about something that I knew no one cared to hear about but I needed it out of myself. And guess what? Without fail - I always felt better for my written babble. I believe writing to my kids and writing for myself makes me a better mom and definitely a happier person.

Paper and Pen

I am a writer. As such, I write my books, ramblings, short stories and sometimes (not-so-good) poetry on my laptop. It's fast, legible and oh-so-easy to fix mistakes. However, I find that I miss the simplicity of writing on good old fashioned notebook paper with a pen or pencil. Sure, I keep a notebook in my purse to jot down ideas or really great lines that come to me when I'm away from my laptop. The core of my writing gets done on the keys of my laptop, though. Then it's saved to my hard drive and a memory stick. yes, two places because God forbid something happen to my laptop and I lose everything I've written. We had a laptop fry on us two years ago and we lost almost all of a year's worth of our family photos. It was devestating, to say the least. And a horribly hard earned lesson on backing up what you never want to lose to a technology meltdown.

While I am going to continue writing my fiction on my laptop - I do want to start using a paper and pen again. I miss the feel of paper under my hands and the crinkling sound of pages turning. I realize it's very tactile and probably somewhat helps the creative thought process. I think it may help to create a full outline of each story on paper and add pieces as I go along.

Another thing I think may help my need for paper and pen is a regular calendar in my purse. As much as I do like technology, I really dislike using the calendar option in my phone. It's a pain in the butt and I end up not using it. Then I have to wait to look at the wall calendar at home when my husband calls during the day to ask me about dates to schedule his gigs and what not. It really is a hassle.

At the risk of being very un-green - I am going to switch back to pen (or pencil) and paper for some things. And enjoy every moment that I use these objects in my daily life.

Duran Duran Album Update

Anyone who knows me knows that Duran Duran is my favorite band. Ever. I fell in love with them in the 80's and have never grown out of them. Despite the fact that my mom swore I would when I had my teenage room wall papered with their posters, and doodles about them all over my school notebooks. LOL

I admit that there is not a single picture of Duran Duran hanging in my home now. However, I have all of their CD's and everything I've ever owned of theirs - including all of my vinyl albums and singles. It helps that my husband is a DJ, of course. Duran Duran have been working on their latest studio album (with Mark Ronson) for some time. I am happy to learn that it is almost (if not already) complete. I hope this means that the release date will be this Autumn.

Part of what I've always loved about Duran Duran is that they are musicians. I admire the fact that they will try new things but always with the integrity of their art and craft in mind. As seen in the above video they're using an antique military drum in one of their songs for this album. I love that - it is so cool.

While I am thoroughly looking forward to the new album I am also eagerly anticipating a tour. There's nothing like seeing them live. The bonus is that my children now adore their music and my oldest wants to see them in concert. I told her I'll take her to their concert(s) with me this time. It's very exciting experiencing the music through the eyes and ears of my children. In a way it makes it all new again.

Writing Competitions

I found the first writing competiotion that I am going to enter. I really wasn't sure how to decide what to enter or even where to find something I thought was legitimate. Then I thought about the fact that I like Writer's Digest magazine and checked their website. I am happy to say that they have several different writing competitions to choose from: Popular Fiction, Short, Short Story, Poetry, Self-Published Books and Your Story.

Here is the link if anyone is interseted in entering any of the contests: http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions

I am going to enter the Popular Fiction contest. They have five categories to chooses from - Romance, Mystery/Crime Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense and Horror. I can enter in all five categories or choose just one or two. I think that's pretty cool. I'm not sure which category I will enter. I'm going to write the story first and then enter under the approriate category. I can say in all certainty that I won't be entering anything under Horror or Science Fiction/Fantasy, though. I just know that I won't write anything that turns out to be a horror flick on paper. The likelihood that I'd write anything SciFi that I felt confident enough to turn in is pretty null, as well.

The deadline for this contest is November 1, 2010, which is plenty of time. Thank Goodness. The challenge in completing this story entry is that the maximum amount of words allowed is 4,000. I write novel-length stories! The one I just finished is 135,908 words. Granted, it needs some serious revision and editing, but still; you see the challenge 4,000 words presents me. I'm going to do it, though. I'm going to create a 4,000 word story that has a beginning, middle and end. I'm going to make sure it's solid and that I'm proud to put my name on it and make sure it's entered on time. I'm nervous about this but I'm excited about it, too.

The Lovely Bones Teaser

Teaser Tuesday's is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read -
Open to a random page -
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser from page 17:

After a few days in heaven, I realized that the javelin-throwers and the shot-putters and the boys who played basketball on the cracked blacktop were all in their own version of heaven. Theirs just fit with mine - didn't duplicate it precisely, but had a lot of the same things going on inside.

I have had this book on my shelf, waiting to be read for quite some time. I've heard and read so many great reviews but have always been really nervous to actually read the story. I am finally going to read it though - with a friend. So if we have meltdowns over the sadness we're anticipating then at least it will be together. My husband laughed when I told him this plan, by the way.

Writing Goals

My friend Julia did a post (checkout Freelance Writer Blog in my sidebar for her amazing blog) about her blogging goals. It got me to thinking about my own goals as a writer. Obviously, I want to be published. I have no shame about admitting that to anyone. I have a book that is complete and I am in the process of shopping it around. I have two other books near completion that I will start the query process for in the coming months. The thing is, I think I've been a little laid back in the way that I have approached my quest to becoming published. I'll send out a few queries at a time and wait until I hear something about them (all no so far) before sending a few more. Then I wait a bit of time and send a few more. As I said, laid back. Maybe it's more along the lines of me being lazy about the query process because honestly, I don't like that part as well as I like the writing. I LOVE the writing and procrastinate the query. However, I know procrastinating isn't going to get me anywhere. At all. So, here are my goals:

1. Continue writing every day.
2. Send out at least three queries per week.
3. Join or create a writer's group. (This scares me so much but I think it will be very beneficial).
4. Enter a writing contest.
5. Remember that it is perfectly all right to do what I love and love what I do. This is easily given advice but more difficult to take sometimes.

Unexpected Visitors

I know and Julia knows that I honestly fulfilled this post on this date for the blogging challenge. However, now that I've calmed down considerably - I'm erasing what I'd originally written. I was annoyed and frustrated. And while I still stand by what I origiinally wrote - I don't want the post here anymore.

Return of the Jedi

There are some movies that I can watch over and over again and never tire of them. About an hour ago I was channel surfing (a very rare occurence for me) and came across Return of the Jedi. That was it, all done surfing. I don't even know how many times I've seen this movie in my lifetime but I love it! I love Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back too. I remember seeing all three when they originally came out in the theatre. Maybe that's part of my love for the original (and BEST, in my opinion) Star Wars trilogy - the happy memories. My brother and I adored the movies and he had the action figures and the Millenium Falcon while I had the Princess Leia doll. We would spend hours playing Star Wars together. Now he and I have children of out own and they like the movies, too. There are some things in life guaranteed to put a smile on my face. This movie made me hapy tonight. It also made me want to talk to my brother. So, I'll have to call him and bug him tomorrow.

Free Friday's at Barnes & Noble

Every Friday, the lovely people at Barnes and Noble offer a free e-book. The really wonderful thing is that you don't even have to own a Nook in order to partake in their generosity (okay, very smart marketing). All you have to do is create an account with them and then download their e-reader app. You can download the app to your PC, a Mac, an iTouch, a Blackberry, your smart phone. It's very clever of them to do this, in my opinion. It generates interest (and probably addictions) in electronic reading.

Sure, no one is going to like every book offered but I'm willing to bet everyone will probably find at least one new author they can enjoy this way. And come on, FREE BOOKS! It's bliss!

Here is a link to this weeks Free Friday choice, Marked by Elisabeth Naughton: href="http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Unbound-NOOK-and-BN-eReader-Blog/Free-Fridays/ba-p/605341">

Reading Evolution

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading. This weeks pondering:

Have your reading choices changed over the years? Or pretty much stayed the same? (And yes, from childhood to adulthood we usually read different things, but some people stick to basically the same kind of book their entire lives, so…)

My reading choices have absolutely changed over the years. When I was young(er) I loved science fiction and adventure stories. I adored 'choose your own adventure' books. My favorites book (which was the first in a series I loved) was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. As an adult, I still like a good adventure story but I'm not quite as intrigued by science fiction. Now I love detailed, multi-layered stories where the characters overcome something to be stronger people. I love mysteries which is a carryover from childhood as I was a big Nancy Drew fan. I also love a really good romance which I didn't start reading until I was sixteen so, definitely not a childhood thing.

So, while some genres have remained from childhood, I have definitely added others to my repertoire.

Books I've Always Meant to Read

There are so many amazing books in the world. I know I'll never be able to read all of them. And while that bums me out I've also accepted it - sort of. However, there are a number of books that I've always meant to read but for some reason or other never gotten around to them. I think it's time I start reading the books I've meant to get around to. For example, I've had 1984 by George Orwell sitting on my shelf for a few years now. I've even picked it up and started it a few times. Only to end up distracted by something else. The thing is, it draws me in and I'm very curious about the story but I end up putting it aside. I think it's time I actually read the darn book.

There are others I've been meaning to get to, as well. Such as: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Little Women by Louisa Alcott, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - to name a few.

It's not just classics that I've put off reading, either. There are plenty of contemporary books and authors that I've been meaning to try but just haven't. I am going to try and make more effort to read the books and authors I've always meant to try.

What books or authors have you always meant to read but just haven't made the time?

Obsessing

I admit it - I tend to obsess about things. For example - Blogger has a new template design. For the past two nights I have been playing with this darn design on my family blog trying to get it to look just the way I want it to. It's driving me crazy because each template I think I'm going to like ends up looking just a little bit strange to me. I'm starting to annoy myself. Does it really matter all that much if it isn't perfect? Why, why am I obsessing about the way the blog looks? I'm not a vain person and I'm trying to teach my kids that self worth comes from inside. So again, WHY am I being ridiculous about the way the blog LOOKS? I have no decent answer for this and have to say that I did finally sigh and click off of the other page. However, I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up designing something for it on my own because I just don't quite like it well enough the way it is right now. Like I said - I'm obsessing.rant

Schedule

It took 90 minutes to get my kids to sleep tonight. I realize that I need to adjust their schedule before school begins in a couple of weeks. Here's the hard part - this means adjusting my schedule, as well. I am not a morning person. I never have been and honestly don't know if I ever will be. And guess what? My children are not morning people either. Nor is my husband for that matter. We are a family of night owls.

Of course, we all know school happens during the day and starts early in the morning. If my children (and even myself) don't get enough sleep they are cranky and very ill-mannered. This will make all of miserable and I don't want that. How sad to send a tired, cranky child off to school and expect tham to do well and focus. I don't think it's possible. So, a schedule overhaul is a must at my house. Including my own schedule. I'd like my children (and yes, my husband and I) to get plenty of sleep, wake up happy in the morning, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush their teeth and get out the door without a lot of drama and hysterics. Is this possible or am I being naive? Can I turn my nocturnal family into morning people just by schedule adjustments? I certainly hope so and will know for certain in a few weeks.

Much Better

What a difference a day makes. Cliche? Absolutely but so true! Nothing substantial has changed (unless you count my mood LOL) but some very important things have been realized. And, quite importantly (at least to me) an action plan is in place. Yes, I am definitely the kind of person who needs to see motion. Just hearing words doesn't make me feel better. This is true even for myself. I'm a planner and a doer (is that a word?). I can not sit around and just take what the world dishes out. I have to have some say in the matter. Okay, stepping off my soapbox. I just wanted to say that I feel a lot better.

Off Kilter

This is one of those nights when I don't really know what to say. While thinking about what to write for this date's post I just decided to be honest. I feel off kilter tonight, a little crappy and not quite right in my own skin. Does that even make sense? In other words - I'm signing off to go read my book and fall asleep. Hopefully I'll feel like myself again by morning.

Dinner and a Movie

Tonight I had a dinner and movie date with my husband. It was quite nice to get out and actually have an uninterrupted conversation with him while having a meal. Then we went to the movie theatre and saw Inception with Leonards DiCaprio. My mind is still reeling over the movie. It's a trip and a mind-bender, to say the least. My husband and I both liked the movie quite a lot but it left me with a bit of a headache. I don't even want to say anything about the premise of it because I don't want to give anything away. I definitely recommend the movie if you like crazy things that make you thing and wonder 'what if'; mixed in with crazy, Matrix-style action sequences.

First Time

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading. This weeks pondering:

What is the first book you remember reading? What about the first that made you really love reading?

The first book(s) I remember reading are the Dick and Jane series. I learned to read with these simple, but sweet stories about a brother and sister and their dog Spot. I was in first grade. The beautiful thing is that now my daughter has been reading this series this summer - and yes, learning to read.

There are two books that I read back to back when I was a little girl that made me fall in love with reading. They are Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. I read these books with my Grandma at about age seven, maybe eight, and I was completely swept away in the adventures of both stories. A lifelong pleasure, thrill and need for reading were born.

Photography

I love, love, love pictures. And I LOVE taking pictures. I would definitely say that photography is a hobby of mine. I take a LOT of pictures, mostly of my family but also of my friends and just whatever catches my eye. We recently took a family trip to San Francisco and I just HAD to have photos of the streetcars. I don't know why I find them so visually interesting but I do.

Deeply, Desperately Teaser

Teaser Tuesday's is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read -
Open to a random page -
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser from page 1:

Justifiable homicide might be hard to prove, but my had-it-up-to-hee brain was giving it a hearty stamp of approval as a reasonable defense. Because if reporter Preston Bailey didn't stop peppering my client with annoying questions, I might have to strangle her.

Not only are these two sentences on page one, this is how the book starts! I was laughing out loud. Believe me, if you read the first book (Truly, Madly) you'll understand why our heroine Lucy feels this way.

Top of My List

Musing Monday's is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading! This week’s question:

"What book tops your TBR (to be read) pile right now? Is it something you own, or something you have to borrow, or something you’ll be purchasing? Why do you want to read it so badly?"

There are two books at the top of my TBR pile; Deeply, Desperately by Heather Webber and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson.

Deeply, Desperately is the second book in the Lucy Valentine series. I read the first book and found it charming and delightful. I have been eagerly anticipating the follow-up, which comes out on Tuesday.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the third and (sadly) final book in Larsson's Millenium trilogy. I have this book but have been waiting to read it. I'll finally be starting this one at the end of the week - once I've finished Deeply, Desperately.

I am thoroughly excited to read both books.

Ultimate Blog Challenge

The premise of this challenge is to create thirty-one blog posts during the month of August. I've heard of similar challenges. In fact, I made myself post every day in March. It's not easy but it was so rewarding at the end of the month. It was gratifying knowing I'd stuck with my writing/blogging goal. Was every post brilliant and witty? Well, no, of course not. Some of the posts were quite obviously fillers but the challenge was at least met.

During the month of August I am taking on this challenge again. However, this time, I am joining a network of people doing the same thing. So hopefully, I'll get some cool ideas and meet some other bloggers/writers. Thanks to my friend Julia at Freelance Writer Blog for posting about this challenge.