Lisa Roecker's Blog, page 22
August 15, 2011
Two BIG thumbs up
I spent my weekend editing vlogs for WriteOnCon and watching movies.Some quickie reviews:
The Town
was AMAZING. So. Much. Tension. I have a whole new respect for Ben Affleck. As Loretta Nyhan said, Ben is ALWAYS good when he's in Boston. He should never make a movie anywhere else.
Jane Eyre
perfectly captured the spirit of the book. Mia Wasikowska was the perfect Jane Eyre. When I think about the fact that Charlotte Brontë published this novel in 1847 I'm always completely blown away. Jane is so strong and brave and independent - to a fault. All of the things that women weren't supposed to be and of course, hopelessly in love with Mr. Rochester, a man with more baggage than a 747. The only thing that's missing is a Sassy Gay Friend parody. Let's get on that, Second City.
Life as We Know It
was so so so so bad. Really, truly awful. I find Katherine Heigl's Type-A-know-it-all schtick exhausting. And watching her grind up organic baby food with the perfect smear of baby poop across one cheek made me want to stab someone with a DVD of 27 Dresses.
This movie is free on HBO on Demand right now, and I would bet you my VHS copy of My Father the Hero (Now there's a Katherine Heigl I can get on board with...) that the 3rd Roecker sister will watch this movie at least 50 times if she hasn't already. Stacey has a soft spot for terrible movies.In between watching movies I watched all of the amazing WriteOnCon vlogs and they are nothing short of amazing. Some of the most influential publishing professionals have created some truly amazing content for the conference this year and it's all FREE and it all starts tomorrow. Check out the final schedule and get excited. If you need us this week, you know where to find us.
August 12, 2011
Top 5 Things To Do BEFORE WriteOnCon 2011
WriteOnCon 2011 is NEXT WEEK. We are back and bigger than ever this year with so much awesome that we might make your computer explode. Seriously.
So, if you're like us and you plan on sequestering yourself in your house for 3 straight days, there are a few things you should do to prepare yourself. Sort of like a bomb shelter, but with more snacks and (hopefully) without all the Apocalyptic nonsense.
1. Make a batch of these to keep children and husbands distracted while you're strapped to the computer for 72 hours. Chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallow go a LONG way.
2. Get in your comfiest PJs and feel free to wear them throughout the duration of the conference. Lucky for you, no one will be able to see (or smell) you while you're attending WriteOnCon! (Pound Puppies are totally optional, but Brownie sashes are encouraged. Troop 242 4 EVA!)
3. Enter The Reading Room / WriteOnCon $1,000 Writing Contest of Awesome for your chance to win $1,000 (duh!) and your very own author profile page at TheReadingRoom.com. The amazing literary agent Catherine Drayton is judging all of the entries and will select five finalists to post on The Reading Room's site. And you'll be able to vote on the winner starting August 18th! I have to say it's fascinating to see which entries Catherine likes the best. You won't want to miss this! The contest will close August 17th, so hurry up and submit your first 500 words TODAY!
4. Relive the awesome of WriteOnCon 2010 one last time before we start posting new content on August 16th. Dozens of agents, editors and authors share their best tips on writing, marketing and pursuing publication. If you're new to WriteOnCon or if you missed content last year, now is your chance to get caught up.
5. Sleep. You're going to need it because next week WriteOnCon is taking over your life. Don't try to fight it, just get ready to enjoy the ride! Be sure to check back Monday, we'll be posting the final schedule of events for the 2011 conference. Cue head explosions.
So, if you're like us and you plan on sequestering yourself in your house for 3 straight days, there are a few things you should do to prepare yourself. Sort of like a bomb shelter, but with more snacks and (hopefully) without all the Apocalyptic nonsense.
1. Make a batch of these to keep children and husbands distracted while you're strapped to the computer for 72 hours. Chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallow go a LONG way.
2. Get in your comfiest PJs and feel free to wear them throughout the duration of the conference. Lucky for you, no one will be able to see (or smell) you while you're attending WriteOnCon! (Pound Puppies are totally optional, but Brownie sashes are encouraged. Troop 242 4 EVA!)
3. Enter The Reading Room / WriteOnCon $1,000 Writing Contest of Awesome for your chance to win $1,000 (duh!) and your very own author profile page at TheReadingRoom.com. The amazing literary agent Catherine Drayton is judging all of the entries and will select five finalists to post on The Reading Room's site. And you'll be able to vote on the winner starting August 18th! I have to say it's fascinating to see which entries Catherine likes the best. You won't want to miss this! The contest will close August 17th, so hurry up and submit your first 500 words TODAY!4. Relive the awesome of WriteOnCon 2010 one last time before we start posting new content on August 16th. Dozens of agents, editors and authors share their best tips on writing, marketing and pursuing publication. If you're new to WriteOnCon or if you missed content last year, now is your chance to get caught up.
5. Sleep. You're going to need it because next week WriteOnCon is taking over your life. Don't try to fight it, just get ready to enjoy the ride! Be sure to check back Monday, we'll be posting the final schedule of events for the 2011 conference. Cue head explosions.
August 11, 2011
Bookanistas: EPIC FAIL and a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!
Doesn't this cover just make you happy? And the title? Makes you smile, right? It's no wonder this book is flying off the shelves. And this is all before you've even read the back.What the back cover has to say:
Will Elise's love life be an epic win or an epic fail?
At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:
As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn't exactly on everyone's must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.
When Elise's beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince's best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.
What LiLa has to say:
It's no secret that our first failed attempt at a book was an update of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. It was called THE NORTH SHORE and it, my friends, was the most EPIC of fails. So naturally, when we heard that EPIC FAIL alluded to Jane Austen's classic plot, we were intrigued. And when we read it, it was all too clear exactly why our book fell so disastrously short.
For one, Claire Lazebnik created new characters with new traits and new motivations and new conflicts. And what she did so flawlessly was weave an ever-so-satisfying thread of familiarity through each of them so that if you're familiar with the classic, you'll share a secret. And if you're not, well, it doesn't matter. You'll enjoy the characters' stories just as much. Either way, you're going to have a ton of fun reading.
And while the plot again contains that magic thread, it is not a verbatim retelling, but a true update. This is exactly what readers are looking for. A fresh take on a classic plot! Plus, P&P is the love story of all love stories. EPIC FAIL does not disappoint. In our opinion, there aren't enough good love stories to go around and this one fits the bill. Overall it's a very smart, witty and modern take on the classic.
And because Claire is so amazingly awesome, she has offered to make one very lucky reader's day! Leave a comment naming YOUR modern Mr. Darcy and you'll be entered to win a signed copy of EPIC FAIL as well as an EPIC FAIL stress ball to combat all of the stress you'll definitely be feeling when you have to figure out what to wear on a hot date with your real-life Mr. Darcy equivalent.
Good luck!
Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week:
Elana Johnson sings out for ChimeMatt Blackstone feels The Pull of GravityScott Tracey is entranced by Daughter of Smoke and BoneCarolina Valdez Miller marvels at The Unbecoming of Mara DyerCarrie Harris is spellbound by Possess
August 10, 2011
When Putting Words On Paper Feels Like Tiny Knives Ripping Out Pieces of Your Soul
And not in a good way.
So, yeah. Writing isn't always easy.
But sometimes you have to write one soul crushing word at a time.
And it sucks.
This blog post is brought to you by our impending deadline.
XOXO,
L&L
So, yeah. Writing isn't always easy.
But sometimes you have to write one soul crushing word at a time.
And it sucks.
This blog post is brought to you by our impending deadline.
XOXO,
L&L
August 9, 2011
Making the Leap
It was almost exactly three years ago today that Laura and I decided to pursue our dream of becoming published writers. We knew next to nothing about how to write a decent novel, and less than nothing about the crazy mixed-up world of publishing. Like so many newbie writers, we thought we had the most genius, completely unique idea for a young adult novel EVER. In fact, we were sure that if we told anyone about our manuscript or showed our writing to another writer they would STEAL OUR IDEA. Yes, it was THAT good.
Uh, newsflash our idea and our writing sucked ass.
Serious ass.
But it took us a lot of months to figure that out and in order to get from point A to point B we had to take some risks.
Risks like sending our manuscript to beta readers (those poor, wretched souls), posting our query on writing forums like AbsoluteWrite and QueryTracker for feedback, entering first line contests on Nathan Bransford's blog and Secret Agent contests on Miss Snark's First Victim's blog. It wasn't easy to take these risks, but we did our research and we used blogs like Writer's Beware and Query Tracker to educate ourselves on what risks were worth taking.
Because here's the thing: If you don't take a risk and put yourself out there, chances are you'll never, ever get published.
NEVER.
There's not an author out there who got published without sending someone their manuscript. Whether it be a fellow writer, an editor, or an agent. If you want your book to be published you have to put it out there sometime. You have to take that risk.
Last Friday our inbox was flooded with helpful writing friends linking us to a blog post about the contest we're running with The WriteOnCon team and The Reading Room website. At first the article made us ANGRY. We know the wonderful people who run The Reading Room and they love authors and love books and would never even dream of stealing a writer's work or standing in the way of publication. And then we got even more ANGRY because anyone who knows us knows that we'd never partner with a group of people who weren't supportive of authors. And then we felt like our heads were going to explode because our amazing agent is also associated with this contest and she is one of single most supportive agents ON THE PLANET. If you ask her why she's in this business it has nothing to do with money and it has everything to do with supporting authors she loves and helping them publish amazing books. So the thought that anyone involved in this contest would try to take the first 500 words of an aspiring author's manuscript and use it for their own personal gain was absolutely inconceivable, borderline offensive.
Look, we get that writers have to protect themselves. We've heard the horror stories about dodgy agents and irreputable publishers. And we encourage every writer to do a lot of research before they decide how they're going to put their writing out into the world and who they're going to trust with their words. Because it's a HUGE deal.
But when an opportunity comes along involving reputable publishing professionals and well respected agents or if a random girl on a message board offers to read your manuscript after she ripped apart your query, do yourself (and your writing) a favor and TAKE A CHANCE.
It's called calculated risk. It reminds me a little bit of watching my daughter race my son to our car after a rainstorm. She'll stand in front of a puddle for a second and decide whether or not she can make it over. She's terrified of getting soaked, but she knows she's only going to win if she takes the leap. So she jumps. Sometimes she splashes mud everywhere and cries. But most of the time she makes it. And wins.
Uh, newsflash our idea and our writing sucked ass.
Serious ass.
But it took us a lot of months to figure that out and in order to get from point A to point B we had to take some risks.
Risks like sending our manuscript to beta readers (those poor, wretched souls), posting our query on writing forums like AbsoluteWrite and QueryTracker for feedback, entering first line contests on Nathan Bransford's blog and Secret Agent contests on Miss Snark's First Victim's blog. It wasn't easy to take these risks, but we did our research and we used blogs like Writer's Beware and Query Tracker to educate ourselves on what risks were worth taking.
Because here's the thing: If you don't take a risk and put yourself out there, chances are you'll never, ever get published.
NEVER.
There's not an author out there who got published without sending someone their manuscript. Whether it be a fellow writer, an editor, or an agent. If you want your book to be published you have to put it out there sometime. You have to take that risk.
Last Friday our inbox was flooded with helpful writing friends linking us to a blog post about the contest we're running with The WriteOnCon team and The Reading Room website. At first the article made us ANGRY. We know the wonderful people who run The Reading Room and they love authors and love books and would never even dream of stealing a writer's work or standing in the way of publication. And then we got even more ANGRY because anyone who knows us knows that we'd never partner with a group of people who weren't supportive of authors. And then we felt like our heads were going to explode because our amazing agent is also associated with this contest and she is one of single most supportive agents ON THE PLANET. If you ask her why she's in this business it has nothing to do with money and it has everything to do with supporting authors she loves and helping them publish amazing books. So the thought that anyone involved in this contest would try to take the first 500 words of an aspiring author's manuscript and use it for their own personal gain was absolutely inconceivable, borderline offensive.
Look, we get that writers have to protect themselves. We've heard the horror stories about dodgy agents and irreputable publishers. And we encourage every writer to do a lot of research before they decide how they're going to put their writing out into the world and who they're going to trust with their words. Because it's a HUGE deal.
But when an opportunity comes along involving reputable publishing professionals and well respected agents or if a random girl on a message board offers to read your manuscript after she ripped apart your query, do yourself (and your writing) a favor and TAKE A CHANCE.
It's called calculated risk. It reminds me a little bit of watching my daughter race my son to our car after a rainstorm. She'll stand in front of a puddle for a second and decide whether or not she can make it over. She's terrified of getting soaked, but she knows she's only going to win if she takes the leap. So she jumps. Sometimes she splashes mud everywhere and cries. But most of the time she makes it. And wins.
August 8, 2011
The big 2-0
When we got an email from the fabulous Loretta Nyhan that the crazy talented Kody Keplinger was turning twenty, we knew we had to take this opportunity to do a little reminiscing.
Our twenties. We just recently left them behind (as gracefully as possible) and have agreed on one word that accurately sums them up.
Possibility.
In this decade absolutely anything is possible. You can switch your major. You can transfer colleges. You can study abroad. You can meet someone and fall in love. You can meet lots of people and not fall in love. The twenties is the decade of first real jobs. A paycheck. Your own place. Freedom.
Possibility.
We watched too much TLC (mainly A Wedding Story), drank too much beer, ate too much pizza, wore too many tube tops, danced (badly) to too many songs. But we made friends for life, discovered a few loves - teaching and Bridget Jones and writing and working hard and Sex in the City and wine, lots and lots of wine. We even got married and popped out a few kids.
There were moments we rushed, where looking back we wished we could go back and tell our twenty-something selves to slow down, to savor and enjoy because before you know it, those moments are gone. Every year a little bit more responsibility is stacked onto the last until finally you're expected to be an adult. A real adult, not just a pretend one, which still kind of scares the crap out of us.
But we'd do it all over again just to get to where we are right now.
The boxes of printed photographs, old emails, letters, diplomas and clothes that have long been donated to Goodwill (except for Laura's token pair of skinny jeans and Lisa's famous tight-ass black stretch pants purchased in Europe, survivor of countless moves and worn through 3 pregnancies) only tell a snippet of the story. And it's a long one. Full of conflict and drama and an endless cast of characters all destined to impact you in different ways. If you're lucky your story will take place in lots of amazing places and will include more laughter than tears.
Advice? Appreciate this time. Because real possibility is rare. In high school you know it's out there, but it's always slightly out of reach. In your twenties, you finally have the power to grab hold of it. And in your thirties and beyond you might have to work a little harder to reel it in.
So enjoy.
Happy 20th Birthday, Kody! Look at all that you have accomplished in twenty years. We can't wait to see what you're going to achieve in the next twenty.
Our twenties. We just recently left them behind (as gracefully as possible) and have agreed on one word that accurately sums them up.
Possibility.
In this decade absolutely anything is possible. You can switch your major. You can transfer colleges. You can study abroad. You can meet someone and fall in love. You can meet lots of people and not fall in love. The twenties is the decade of first real jobs. A paycheck. Your own place. Freedom.
Possibility.
We watched too much TLC (mainly A Wedding Story), drank too much beer, ate too much pizza, wore too many tube tops, danced (badly) to too many songs. But we made friends for life, discovered a few loves - teaching and Bridget Jones and writing and working hard and Sex in the City and wine, lots and lots of wine. We even got married and popped out a few kids.
There were moments we rushed, where looking back we wished we could go back and tell our twenty-something selves to slow down, to savor and enjoy because before you know it, those moments are gone. Every year a little bit more responsibility is stacked onto the last until finally you're expected to be an adult. A real adult, not just a pretend one, which still kind of scares the crap out of us.
But we'd do it all over again just to get to where we are right now.
The boxes of printed photographs, old emails, letters, diplomas and clothes that have long been donated to Goodwill (except for Laura's token pair of skinny jeans and Lisa's famous tight-ass black stretch pants purchased in Europe, survivor of countless moves and worn through 3 pregnancies) only tell a snippet of the story. And it's a long one. Full of conflict and drama and an endless cast of characters all destined to impact you in different ways. If you're lucky your story will take place in lots of amazing places and will include more laughter than tears.
Advice? Appreciate this time. Because real possibility is rare. In high school you know it's out there, but it's always slightly out of reach. In your twenties, you finally have the power to grab hold of it. And in your thirties and beyond you might have to work a little harder to reel it in.
So enjoy.
Happy 20th Birthday, Kody! Look at all that you have accomplished in twenty years. We can't wait to see what you're going to achieve in the next twenty.
August 5, 2011
Our Sassy Gay Obsession
It should come as no surprise that we're mega fans of the Second City Sassy Gay Friend vlogs. Yesterday we made the mistake of watching this bad boy before a conference call and we couldn't stop laughing long enough to dial in.
We were late, but it was SO worth it.
Favorite quote:
"It's ballet! BALLET! I'm gay and I don't even care!"
We were late, but it was SO worth it.
Favorite quote:
"It's ballet! BALLET! I'm gay and I don't even care!"
August 4, 2011
Bookanistas: Where She Went
I read IF I STAY during a roundtrip plane ride and I remember crying on the plane and getting strange looks. So, naturally, I couldn't wait to get my hands on WHERE SHE WENT. I mean, Adam's perspective? Yes, please. Not to mention the fact that Gayle Forman is a phenomenal writer. But, I had no idea what was coming. No idea.
What the back cover has to say:
It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.
Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.
What Lila has to say:
This was an Oh. My. God. level book. I know that may sound dramatic, but there is really no other way to put it. I had absolutely zero problem getting on board with Adam's perspective. Well...if I'm being honest, I kind of, sort of forgot it had switched so I read the first two pages a wee bit confused. I blame the cover (and maybe the title?), which are my only hang up. The cover is beautiful, but I wish there was either a boy or something gender neutral like a musical instrument on it, which might have helped set the tone from the very beginning. But NONE OF THAT MATTERS because I'd read this book if it was covered in a brown paper bag.
Okay, back to Adam. From the very first few pages (after I realized he wasn't Mia, that is), you're met with a broken person at complete odds with their deceiving exterior. An outsider might think Adam has it all--he's a rock star, has a beautiful and successful girlfriend and is living his dream. But his inside tells a different story. His bitterness is palpable, but not a turn off because you can understand exactly where it's coming from. You can't blame the guy for being heartbroken. And I swear, I was heartbroken right along with him. That's how talented Gayle Forman is.
And then the journey begins. Adam and Mia are given one night despite the fact that as a reader, you wish it could go on forever. And slowly but surely, Adam's exterior is cracked away throughout the course of this night and his pain comes pouring on out. Mia is left to defend herself and attempt to pick up the pieces. This is the ultimate love story. Even better, the delicate thread of supernatural possibility that I fell in love with in IF I STAY is back and woven ever-so-slightly into the plot and it makes you believe. And believing gives me all sorts of hope. Consequently, it also made me cry like a baby again.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you haven't already done so, read IF I STAY and then dive right into WHERE SHE WENT. The two tell completely different stories, but are essentially about love and loss and moving forward. So, so, so, so good.
Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week:
August 3, 2011
In Which We Admit to Some Pretty Serious Daddy Issues...
So, you know those really bad ass, sexy, crazy hot, borderline misogynistic guys that everyone loves to read about in YA? Yeah, we suck at writing those guys.
I have no idea why we suck at writing them because we grew up swooning over those dudes just like everyone else. Let's face it there's absolutely no way 16-year-old Lisa would have been playing for Team Jacob, that hormone addled teenager would have been Team Edward all. the. way. Because really, who doesn't love smexy, manic depressive vampires who watch you sleep and kill other vampires just because they think you smell like food?
But adult Lisa married the nice guy and wants to take Bella out for a latte and beg her to choose the gorgeous werewolf who will be a true life partner. Because if there's anything that resonates with teenage girls it's the term "life partner."
Lisa wishes she had a Team Edward shirt to offset her wicked brows.As much as we suck at hot, dangerous, guys, we rock the quirky nerdy types. And it just recently occurred to me why we gravitate towards these types of characters. Two words: Mike Roecker.
It takes a pretty amazing guy to raise three girls and my dad is beyond amazing and full of random.
I have never, ever screened a call from my dad because you know when he's calling it's going to be something completely off the wall. Whether it's a quick tip about Maroon Five being the next big band (in January 2011, approximately 5 years after their first hit) or a detailed analysis of the lack of patriotism in America based on the Stanley Cup Finals, you don't want to miss that call.
Real men wear jamsGrowing up with my Dad was always an adventure. He took us exploring on the railroad tracks behind our house Stand By Me style and once famously forced our 5-year-old sister to take a dump on the tracks instead of walking 10 minutes back to our house. That's just how he rolls.
He's seen Celine Dion live several times without my mom (she hates Celine) and loves Star Wars and watched the entire season of My So-Called Life with us when we were in high school. If you ask him a question about a car you'll inevitably get a 30 minute answer. He used to cut the crusts off our sandwiches in our lunch boxes and write notes signed Mr. Wonderful just to humiliate us. He took approximately a million photographs and hours of video footage of us growing up so we have ample fodder for humiliating blog posts. He built us a playground, made us cry when he told us we were taking a detour to "Hardware Heaven" on the way home from school and he was the best person to go grocery shopping with because he let you buy whatever you want. Even if it wasn't on sale.
Mike Roecker: Runner up in a local Max Headroom look alike contest.
My dad was also the person who taught me how to read and let me tell him the entire plot of whatever lame-ass book I was reading at the moment when I was in middle school. In retrospect, I bet he encouraged me to start reading Stephen King just so he could escape the drama of the Wakefield twins.
So, thanks Dad. Thanks for being random. Thanks for teaching us to love books. Thanks for telling us we could do anything and be anyone. And thanks for inspiring all of our quirky male characters. Happy Birthday! We love you!!!
XOXO,
L&L(&S)
I have no idea why we suck at writing them because we grew up swooning over those dudes just like everyone else. Let's face it there's absolutely no way 16-year-old Lisa would have been playing for Team Jacob, that hormone addled teenager would have been Team Edward all. the. way. Because really, who doesn't love smexy, manic depressive vampires who watch you sleep and kill other vampires just because they think you smell like food?
But adult Lisa married the nice guy and wants to take Bella out for a latte and beg her to choose the gorgeous werewolf who will be a true life partner. Because if there's anything that resonates with teenage girls it's the term "life partner."
Lisa wishes she had a Team Edward shirt to offset her wicked brows.As much as we suck at hot, dangerous, guys, we rock the quirky nerdy types. And it just recently occurred to me why we gravitate towards these types of characters. Two words: Mike Roecker.It takes a pretty amazing guy to raise three girls and my dad is beyond amazing and full of random.
I have never, ever screened a call from my dad because you know when he's calling it's going to be something completely off the wall. Whether it's a quick tip about Maroon Five being the next big band (in January 2011, approximately 5 years after their first hit) or a detailed analysis of the lack of patriotism in America based on the Stanley Cup Finals, you don't want to miss that call.
Real men wear jamsGrowing up with my Dad was always an adventure. He took us exploring on the railroad tracks behind our house Stand By Me style and once famously forced our 5-year-old sister to take a dump on the tracks instead of walking 10 minutes back to our house. That's just how he rolls.He's seen Celine Dion live several times without my mom (she hates Celine) and loves Star Wars and watched the entire season of My So-Called Life with us when we were in high school. If you ask him a question about a car you'll inevitably get a 30 minute answer. He used to cut the crusts off our sandwiches in our lunch boxes and write notes signed Mr. Wonderful just to humiliate us. He took approximately a million photographs and hours of video footage of us growing up so we have ample fodder for humiliating blog posts. He built us a playground, made us cry when he told us we were taking a detour to "Hardware Heaven" on the way home from school and he was the best person to go grocery shopping with because he let you buy whatever you want. Even if it wasn't on sale.
Mike Roecker: Runner up in a local Max Headroom look alike contest.My dad was also the person who taught me how to read and let me tell him the entire plot of whatever lame-ass book I was reading at the moment when I was in middle school. In retrospect, I bet he encouraged me to start reading Stephen King just so he could escape the drama of the Wakefield twins.
So, thanks Dad. Thanks for being random. Thanks for teaching us to love books. Thanks for telling us we could do anything and be anyone. And thanks for inspiring all of our quirky male characters. Happy Birthday! We love you!!!
XOXO,
L&L(&S)
August 2, 2011
Tell the Truth Tuesday
1. I am in love with Bert from the new season of Project Runway. I'd totally wear his winning dress. Well, after I finish growing an additional five inches, lose fifteen pounds and approximately three cup sizes.
2. Lisa has assured me that her new hair stylist will give me Victoria's Secret hair. For the record, my hair sucks. It's thick and frizzy and wavy because it doesn't know what else to do with itself. I'm thinking this is not going to happen.
3. Every night at around 11:30, I indulge in an ice cream sandwich. It's a new tradition.
4. Lydia is going through the "I refuse to say sorry or thank you or hello or goodbye" stage. She's also been consistently talking like a baby. It's charming.
5. After an entire weekend of desperate procrastination that included watching Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps AND about 10 episodes of Real Housewives of New Jersey, I finally sent my chapter back to Laura. So happy that it's now her turn to feel like a worthless slacker.
6. If I drank a sip of my wine every time Melissa Gorga screeches, "Baby Jesus's birthday!" in the thickest New Jersey accent you've ever heard in your life on the Christmas episode of RHNJ, I would have been WASTED.
7. Sometimes I look forward to my day job because I get to string words together without thinking about plot and character and voice and tense.
8. I'm scared for Jack to start Kindergarten mainly because I'm completely unprepared. I think he has to wear a uniform, but I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure I have some paperwork to fill out, but I have no idea where it is. Something tells me our meager income from The Lies That Bind will not end up covering Jack's therapy bills.
9. While Laura's daughter Lydia sits quietly in her room admiring the princess dress they ordered for her Halloween costume, Mia announces that she wants a buzz cut and she's going to be Batman for Halloween this year. So much for besties.
10. I have so many books that I'm supposed to be reading, but the only thing I really want to read is our beta ninja's manuscript.
Ok, you know the drill. What's your truth this Tuesday? We like 'em extra juicy, so please feel free to overshare in the comments.
2. Lisa has assured me that her new hair stylist will give me Victoria's Secret hair. For the record, my hair sucks. It's thick and frizzy and wavy because it doesn't know what else to do with itself. I'm thinking this is not going to happen.
3. Every night at around 11:30, I indulge in an ice cream sandwich. It's a new tradition.
4. Lydia is going through the "I refuse to say sorry or thank you or hello or goodbye" stage. She's also been consistently talking like a baby. It's charming.
5. After an entire weekend of desperate procrastination that included watching Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps AND about 10 episodes of Real Housewives of New Jersey, I finally sent my chapter back to Laura. So happy that it's now her turn to feel like a worthless slacker.
6. If I drank a sip of my wine every time Melissa Gorga screeches, "Baby Jesus's birthday!" in the thickest New Jersey accent you've ever heard in your life on the Christmas episode of RHNJ, I would have been WASTED.
7. Sometimes I look forward to my day job because I get to string words together without thinking about plot and character and voice and tense.
8. I'm scared for Jack to start Kindergarten mainly because I'm completely unprepared. I think he has to wear a uniform, but I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure I have some paperwork to fill out, but I have no idea where it is. Something tells me our meager income from The Lies That Bind will not end up covering Jack's therapy bills.
9. While Laura's daughter Lydia sits quietly in her room admiring the princess dress they ordered for her Halloween costume, Mia announces that she wants a buzz cut and she's going to be Batman for Halloween this year. So much for besties.
10. I have so many books that I'm supposed to be reading, but the only thing I really want to read is our beta ninja's manuscript.
Ok, you know the drill. What's your truth this Tuesday? We like 'em extra juicy, so please feel free to overshare in the comments.
