Beth Ellyn Summer's Blog, page 2

October 22, 2015

Food.

Once fall/winter roll around I get more and more into cooking. As a vegetarian (not to mention THE PICKIEST VEGETARIAN YOU WILL EVER MEET), I have more limitations than most, and am hard to impress. This mac and cheese recipe is one of my favorites, and always comes out SO GOOD. It's also not too hard.


look how pretty!


Untitled


 


and here's the recipe if you're interested. It's from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)


Mac and Cheese recipe


Ina's definitely one of those people you either love or hate



but even if she grates my cheese sometimes, I try to just take her with a grain of salt (ha. ha.) and this recipe is too good to pass up.


I used storebought breadcrumbs b/c aint nobody got time for that homemade b.s....but it still comes out great!


What's your favorite fall/winter recipe??

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Published on October 22, 2015 19:01

October 15, 2015

Best and Worst Halloweens (But Mostly Worst)

Even as a kid, I didn't adore Halloween. It was just always one of those things where expectations were so high it had no choice but to fall majorly flat.


If you're a Friends fan, you'll know what I mean when I say that the way I feel about Halloween is how Chandler feels about Thanksgiving.


 


I've honestly never had a good one. Or at least one that met or exceeded expectations. But still, there were some fun moments.


Below is concrete evidence I have always hated Halloween. I am in the blue dress and tiara right in the middle, looking bored out of my mind.


mehalloween


This next one was possibly my favorite Halloween, except for the fact that all the horrible kids called me Vanessa (Ursula in disguise) b/c of my brown hair, but I still loved the costume, and the fact that I got to wear a little makeup. Oh and you also get two random bonus pics b/c I scanned them all together years ago and am too lazy to crop. That's me and my brother horseback riding, and me having breakfast with the White Rabbit in Disney World (I was, apparently, very shy/excited to meet him.


halloweenmescott


 


For this particular Halloween, while every other normal child was planning their costumes for at least a month, I was over in some corner, not caring. So last minute I tied two pillows to my person with a robe tie and called myself a pillow. Exhibit A:



mepillow


 


What was your best or favorite Halloween costume???

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Published on October 15, 2015 19:47

October 8, 2015

How Are You Your Character?

I love when an author infuses some little personal trait(s) into their characters.


Here's a list of my own personal traits I put in my main characters in AT FIRST BLUSH.


Lacey:


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She loves makeup and I love it too (although she wears it a lot more often than I do) and the back of my hand always has stripes of eye shadow swatches on it like hers. We're also both vegetarians and eggplant parm lovers.


Cynth (Lacey's best friend): she interns for The Good Evening Show with Blake Kingston and I interned for Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon. Also, she's insanely overly dramatic and I can be dramatic. Although I don't cut my hair every time something doesn't go my way the way she does.



Tyler (Lacey's love interest): He is STUBBORN. And so am I.



He has a thing for super old and classic TV sitcoms and I love super old and classic sitcoms. He also believes the world would be a better place without egg salad. I'm cool with egg salad, but I feel this way about numerous foods, including but not limited to: Cheerios, tuna casserole, and onions.


Kendall (makeup artist and Lacey's supervisor at On Trend magazine): We're both really pragmatic and can see big pictures really clearly. Kendall knows what's best for Lacey and she does an awesome job at subtly scheming so Lacey will open her eyes and see what's good for her. I too am good at scheming to get my way.



what traits of your own have you given your characters?

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Published on October 08, 2015 19:57

October 1, 2015

3 Lightbulb Moments

There are 3 noteworthy lightbulb moments I've had on my writing/publishing journey so far.


1. Said works best.



It seemed too good to be true, and unbelievably repetitive, but it's a thing, people!


Giving your characters dialogue tags that end in: murmured, screamed, cried, bellowed, questioned, cooed, declared, groaned, wailed, implored, whined, inquired, mumbled, complained,...etc...


It's telling. Obviously once in a while it's fine, and I've read plenty of awesome books where the author deviated from "said" every now and again, but 8 out of 10 times, "said" works best.  This Article is a great resource.


2. Industry people are all really nice and helpful.


I never thought otherwise, to be honest, but I always imagined they were all really OFFICIAL. POWERFUL. and INTIMIDATING. And I was SO NERVOUS the first time I spoke to my now-agent on the phone. Like heart-pounding-so-hard-I-thought-she-could-hear-it-through-the-phone nervous. Everyone I've encountered on my journey has been incredibly kind, and down-to-earth, and they all just want to bring great books to life and help deliver those books to the masses. They're not out to hurt anyone, and they don't thrive on crushing people's dreams.



3. Grammar doesn't have to be perfect in dialogue writing.



YAY. Writing dialogue is my favorite, and not having to obsess over perfect grammar makes me love it even more. It's one less thing to think about during endless revisions, right?


What are some of your lightbulb moments on your writing journey??

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Published on October 01, 2015 20:01

September 24, 2015

Spoiler Protocol.

Hi! Last week was my birthday so I took an extended blogging vacation, but I'm back! And I can't wait to come blog-visiting everyone!!


I read a lot on my break, and I was thinking about spoilers, and how horrible it is when a reader accidentally stumbles on one. It's happened to me more than a few times, usually when discussing a book I'm in the middle of with someone who's already finished.



My mom has been reading the Outlander books, and recently followed the author on Twitter. A fan tweeted something about how it was the anniversary of a character's tragic death, and the author (or possibly her social media team?) retweeted it.



My mom was a few hundred pages from that occurence.


Naturally my mom (among others) was VERY upset and angry. The author's/social media team's defense being "the book came out over a year ago."



So what if it's been a year, five, or ten?? You have new readers picking up your books EVERY SINGLE MINUTE.


Personally I believe authors should avoid discussing their own spoilers. Obviously, there are exceptions. If there's an event or a chat I would expect the author to discuss the ending, but then again anyone attending an event or chat would have most likely finished the book or series.


I would just always assume that at any time, anyone could be picking up my books. Now, I know as a reader, spoilers are sometimes IMPOSSIBLE to avoid, but I think it's an author's responsibility to at least put out a Spoiler Alert warning as a courtesy.


Another thing I like to do is wait till I've finished a book or series to follow an author on social media. Then, if a new book is being released by them, and I know it'll be a while till I can get my hands on it, I'll mute the author on Twitter till I've finished the book.


What's your opinion on author's discussing spoilers???

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Published on September 24, 2015 20:05

September 4, 2015

last week of summer

and I'm chasing the last, sad little rays of sun.


I'll see you all next week!!!!


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Published on September 04, 2015 06:09

September 3, 2015

Cover Reveal for S.K. Anthony's STATIC!

I'm so thrilled to help with S.K. Anthony's gorgeous cover reveal for her novel, STATIC!

 
STATIC
The Luminaries
Book Two

 


Title: STATIC
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: September 2015
Cover Design: Regina Wamba of Mae I Design
 
 

 



 
Synopsis:
 
Kevin Pierce is a teleporter, a ladies’ man, and a loyal friend . . . or so he thought.

As a genetically altered Luminary, he helps the government bring down some of the most dangerous criminals. Not very challenging if you have his special abilities. But when a group of rebel Luminaries attacks his Organization the fight for survival begins.

One shattering event after another tests the depth of his relationships, his sanity, and his powers. Emotionally torn, Kevin must choose carefully where his loyalty lies. In the middle of all the unexpected chaos he gets the biggest shock of his life when he’s faced by a betrayal he never saw coming. Angry, injured, and ready to even the score, Kevin goes Static . . .
 
Add it to your Goodreads *here*
 

 
 
About the Author:
 

 
S. K. Anthony is a writer, a reader and a make-stuff-up-er who lives in New York with her husband and toddler twins. She is a wine connoisseur, which just really means she knows she loves it, and a caffeine addict. When she isn’t busy with her family she finds herself being transported into the world of imagination. Well, either that or running away from spiders…she is convinced they are out to get her!
 
Stalk S.K. Anthony here:
 
Blog ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Google + ~ Pinterest



You can find Book One here:

 







Amazon            ~  Barnes and Noble  
Createspace    ~  Amazon Ca 
Amazon UK    ~  Goodreads 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONGRATS, S.K.! And I can't wait to read this one!
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Published on September 03, 2015 07:21

August 27, 2015

One Good Thing...

In a follow-up to my post from last week, there is one plus to fall. One thing no other season has.



Fall has the start of the new TV season.


I'm still not 100% sure what a room without a roof is supposed to feel like (free? limitless? a billion feet tall??) But I'm pretty sure Pharrell penned "Happy" for the fall TV season.



So here are a few of the shows I'm looking forward to:


The Middle

from IMDB: The daily mishaps of a married woman and her semi-dysfunctional family and their attempts to survive life in general in the city of Orson, Indiana.




The Goldbergs



from Google: set in the 1980s, Adam uses a video camera to document his family's crazy life. His mother, Beverly, is overprotective and lacks boundaries, while his dad has a hot temper and finds it difficult to parent without screaming. Rounding out the clan are Adam's terrifying sister, Erica; his older brother, Barry, who has middle-child syndrome; and the family's beloved grandfather, Al "Pops" Solomon.



 


M odern Family


from Google: Told from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, the series offers an honest, often-hilarious perspective of family life.





 


(I'm not as into Modern Family as I used to be, but I still l watch, and it still has the best gifs.)


 
And of course my one guilty pleasure: singing competition shows.


 


What show are you looking forward to returning?? And if you're not into TV, is there any movie or album you're excited about??


 


 


 

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Published on August 27, 2015 21:00

August 20, 2015

Update: I Still Hate Fall.

I've probably mentioned this a million times, a million ways, but I hate fall. I hate everything about it, from the cooler temps, to losing daylight, to bonfires and apple-picking and pumpkin flavored everything.


Now, I know what you're all thinking


[image error]


and I'm aware that this is a very unpopular opinion. But hey, I'm a summer girl. I was even born in summer (I just made it in by about three days) and that's all there is to it.


 


That being said, I sometimes miss the going-back-to-school feeling. That feeling of fresh books and pencils and new clothes. So I like to treat my writing like a new school project. Maybe write in a new notebook with a pretty pencil. Just something to make it feel back-to-schoolish. I enjoy it for about a week, then it becomes a burden and I get bored (much like real school.)


Are you happy to see summer wind down and turn to fall, or are you summer obsessed too?

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Published on August 20, 2015 21:06

August 19, 2015

Hot Pink in the City Cover Reveal!


so happy to be part of Medeia Sharif's cover reveal for HOT PINK IN THE CITY!


 


 


HOT PINK IN THE CITY, Prizm Books/Torquere Press
Release Date: August 19, 2015
Ebook
Purchase from PrizmAmazon (vendor links will be updated on the author's site)

Asma Bashir wants two things: a summer fling and her favorite '80s songs. During a trip to New York City to stay with relatives, she messes up in her pursuit of both. She loses track of the hunk she met on her airplane ride, and she does the most terrible thing she could possibly do to her strict uncle... ruin his most prized possession, a rare cassette tape.

A wild goose chase around Manhattan and Brooklyn to find a replacement tape yields many adventures -- blackmail, theft, a chance to be a TV star, and so much more. Amid all this turmoil, Asma just might be able to find her crush in the busiest, most exciting city in the world.

Find Medeia – YA and MG Author


 
Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon


Enter the HPITC book blast giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


 


isn't it beautiful!! so happy for you, Medeia, and can't wait to read!

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Published on August 19, 2015 06:58