Tess Hilmo's Blog, page 3

Chicago! A Picture Review

.So I went to Chicago this past week to research a new novel I plan to write this fall.  It's set at the time of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 - but it is really about a girl who has lost everything and a boy who believes he can help her and a Chinese immigrant who plays the violin and another fire that took place in Wisconsin at the same time - oh yeah - and a chicken named Kristina.  
True.
I took a ton of pictures but they are all loading sideways and that's just annoying so I am only sharing a few.
This is where it all started - the site of the O'Leary's barn.  Now the city's fire training academy and this beautiful monument..


Here is one of the steam powered water pumps they used during the actual fire.  Can I just say how amazingly kind the Chicago Fire Dept. was leading me around and answering all my questions?  Thanks again Instructor Jose Garcia ... woot!

..This gorgeous new truck has nothing to do with my story but when Instructor Garcia asked if I wanted to climb inside and check it out, I said YES


Chicago deep dish -- all 17,500 calories of it.  A girl's gotta eat :)

 I was surprised at how beautiful Chicago is -- really a gorgeous city!

.
Tell Me:  Have you ever been to Chicago?? .

Paperback!!

.There was a time when I thought every  book would eventually go to paperback.  You know, it starts in hardback and then a year later you see it in paperback.  I was wrong.  Not every book goes to paperback...a book has to sell enough copies and, in essence, earn that opportunity.  When I learned this publishing fact, I was heartbroken.Even if every person I know bought a copy of LOVEEven if everyone at my church or at my kiddos school bought a copyEven if I convinced the grocery store clerk or my mail lady to pick one upEven if my mother bought boxes herself (which  I'm pretty sure she did)It would still only add up to a few hundred.Not nearly enough to warrant a paperback release (which requires several thousand sales).. But here is something wonderful.... .Others bought a copy.Strangers.Librarians.Teachers.Families.People all over the country..And now look what landed on my doorstep:
.
Paperback!!!.Why does it matter so much to me, you might ask?Easy - paperback is affordable and light and somehow more accessible.  With this new paperback release, more young readers will have access to the novel and it will ultimately have a longer life.  Plus, there are fun "extras" included like book club questions, an author interview section and even a teaser chapter from my new, upcoming novel Skies Like These (coming Spring 2014!).I am so excited! ..

A Precarious Position or an Opportunity for Adventure?

Sometimes following a dream may feel precarious.  We might feel overwhelmed by the scope of it.  Scared, even.  Is it worth years and years of pursuit?  Is there any guaranteed payoff in the end?
.Fair questions.  Reasonable feelings..But I've been having this thought lately ....The time will pass anyway..It took me nine years of really working - nearly every day - to reach publication.  This next book will come out three years after the first.  .But the truth is - that time was going to pass anyway.  I was going to have the same 45th (yes, it's true..yikes!) birthday this summer regardless if I spent the past twelve years organizing my tupperware cupboard, focusing on my day job or pursuing my dream of being a published author.. So - here's my thought for those of you (including myself at times) out there wondering if it is worth the personal investment...the time will pass all the same - why not go for it?  Why not be 60 or 70 or 80 and think "I finally did it" instead of "I wish I would have..." ??? . .

Too Easy and Good to be True Recipe

.
My dear friend Paige took me to a cooking class at Thanksgiving Point recently and we learned this amazingly easy recipe for breadsticks.  I tried them last night with my homemade chicken noodle soup and MAN they were soooooo delicious! 
.
The best part is how easy they were. 

Here's what you need:
.
Rhodes frozen rolls (buy in freezer aisle of any grocery)
1/4 cup butter, melted
garlic salt
other seasonings as preferred (I used Trader Joe's 21 Season Salute)
.
Here's what you do:
.
1. take as many rolls (each will be one breadstick) as you want and place them on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with PAM - top with plastic wrap that has also been sprayed with PAM
2. let thaw and rise ... I left mine all afternoon and they were fine but you need at least a couple hours
3. melt butter and put in bottom of 9x13 glass pan
4. sprinkle seasonings liberally on top of butter
5. using your hands, roll out each Rhodes roll into a long, skinny strip and place in the glass 9x13 pan
6. bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes

Enjoy!
.

A Bewitching Summer Read

.
You know those people you meet who are so generous of heart?  Who seem to always be supporting, helping, befriending others?  Teri Harman is one of those people.  I met her originally when she wrote a review on my novel for The Deseret News - then she reached out and invited me to her personal book club (such fun ladies!) - and I soon realized that she was one of those folks whose nature it was to be supportive and helpful.  And, she was writing a novel of her own!
.
Fast forward a year and Teri now has a smashing three-book deal for a witch based, Young Adult trilogy - with the first book to be released by Jolly Fish Press June 22.  And I got an ARC!  Here's my review:
.
Willa's life as a waitress and small town museum volunteer in Twelve Acres is turned upside down when she meets Simon.  Both carry gifts -- sensing thoughts, dreaming, healing -- but neither realizes that they are a witch.  As the two come together, they are thrust into a captivating adventure that will change their lives forever.  BLOOD MOON is a novel with a fantastic plot, intriguing characters and tons of witchy delight.  And just in time for summer reading season ... it would be great to bring along on any vacation or just to enjoy poolside.
.
Check out more at www.teriharman.com
.
Congrats, Teri!  Can't wait for book two...
.

Meet Marnie

.
I've met some extraordinary people on this debut journey.  It has been the best part of the experience for me.  One really special lady is Marnie Spencer.  She invited me to her book club and we had so many laughs ... and the thing that makes this special is that Marnie is fighting a valiant battle against cancer.  No, more than fighting -- laughing and living in the face of it all.  
.
She is an inspiration.
.
And, guess what? She keeps a blog!  Please pop over to her at
.
www.swanmom.blogspot.com

I absolutely promise you will be inspired by her journey.
.

It's a Big Fat Lie

.
People will tell you, "Winners never quit and quitters never win!" and there were a lot of years I believed them.
.
But it's a lie.
.
A big, fat, nasty, slimy, ugly, misleading lie.
.
The truth is, winners quit all the time.  They just know when and what to quit.  Quite often, we get going in the wrong direction.  We get working on a fruitless project.  We get behaving in an unproductive manner.  We get mired.
.
and if we stay there ... well, that's not winning.  It never will be.
.
We have to be willing to say, "Nope.  Wrong turn." and quit what we are doing.
.
In writing it's called shelving a manuscript
In the professional world it's called leapfrogging
In parenting it's called closing your mouth and listening to your child for once (okay, that was just for me..but you get my point ;)
.
So, that's what I'm learning.  And it's cool to have the truth.  Who knows, I just might get somewhere!
.
Tell me:  What have you quit lately in order to win?

Who Knew They Knew?

.
I am plugging along through edits of SKIES LIKE THESE (coming spring 2014!).  Some days are rough, but others give me hope and, in the end, I am genuinely happy with the shape and direction the novel is taking.
.
So - editors ... who knew they knew so much?  I'm continually amazed and thankful for the insight.  I think this novel would be a hot mess without mine (editor, that is).
.
okay, I better sign off cuz I'm sounding all rambly now.  Can you tell the late nights are making me punchy?
.
Wish me luck as I finish this round!

Teen Author Boot Camp

.
There is nothing quite like this amazing opportunity for the teen author in your life.  If you're local - it's a must.  If you're not - consider a road trip :).  Honestly, I wonder how much faster and smoother my journey would have been (and would continue to be) if I had this sort of opportunity and support in my teen years.
.
Here's the info:
.
What:   A day of fabulous workshops and speakers - specifically for teens ages 13-19.  Lunch and all you can handle fountain drinks included plus a t shirt and other loot.  Mingle with authors, learn, be inspired...all amazing stuff.
.
When:  Saturday March 16 8am-5pm
.
Where:  Utah Valley University
.
Here's the link for more details:   Teen Author Boot Camp
.

But...

.
I know I've been away but I've been plotting.  Not against my neighbor or the bagger at my local grocery who insists on putting the jar of peanut butter on top of my bread.  No, plotting a new novel.  It's such a great feeling to have a new story bubbling inside!  I'm waiting for edits on SKIES LIKE THESE (coming Spring 2014) and got this really wonderful idea for a historical piece.  So  - that's where I've been.

Oh, and also the Yucatan Peninsula walking around Mayan ruins and dipping my toes in the turquoise ocean.  That was Christmas for our family and it was truly heaven. 

I can't share much on the plotting side - but here are some of my favorite vacation pics...

.
.
.

.


Tell Me:   What has been keeping you busy?
.