Jen Naumann's Blog, page 10
February 28, 2013
First Vlog. Kind of Freaking Out.
So. I was feeling inspired after watching videos of Brotherhood 2.0 (in which brothers Hank and John Green sending each other messages via videos) and some of the other fabulous video blogs I've seen in the past week. Either that or I completely have lost my freaking mind on this new diet I started, because I decided to sit down and do my very first video for y'all. Ugh.
Anyway, here it is. Remember this is my first time, so be gentle.Music by Jack Johnson, "Flake"
Anyway, here it is. Remember this is my first time, so be gentle.Music by Jack Johnson, "Flake"
My "Pretend" Friends
As an indie author, I spend a lot of time alone in my "office", promoting myself online. Pinterest, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, and the biggest evil time sucker, Twitter. When I first signed up for Twitter last year, I didn't get it and almost walked away without giving it another thought.Boy, am I glad I didn't.
To my total astonishment, I have met so many amazing, good people from networking on there. So many of them are other writers, who you would think would be competition, but the community of authors is strong and extremely supportive. And they're not just acquaintances, but people I have worked with and leaned on for help and advice. Actual friends. I feel more of a connection to some of the people on there than I do to some of my "real life" friends. So many of them have made an important impact on my life. And I really want to meet all of them in person, even though my husband is convinced most of them are serial killers in real life (which would actually make for really good writing material).
While some of my new compadres may be a lot harder to visit as they don't live in the same country (Emma Meade, I vow to come to Ireland one day!), I've kept plans in the back of my mind to meet up with many of them. Some live in areas I already visit on a regular basis because I have family there; like Texas, Florida and California. Some live in really awesome locations that have already made my "to visit" list; like Alaska and Colorado. And some live in New York, where I hope to go in early December for a third time.But I recently signed up to attend a writer's convention in Madison, Wisconsin where I may have the opportunity to meet three of these new buddies!
While there are many ups and downs to being an author, this is certainly one of the major ups. Now I just worry because I'm so excited to meet these friends that I'll come off as being a complete psycho. Which is probably debatable. Regardless, I think my life has been enriched by so many of these people, and I'm forever grateful for their friendship.Even if we never get the chance to actually meet in person.
February 22, 2013
Celebrating the Small Things
Wow, these Fridays really creep up on me; it reminds me just how out of touch I am with reality at times. Anyway, I'm here again as part of a blog hop created by one of my fabulous blog partners, Vikki. This time I included a link below so that you may sign up from my page if you're interested. It's a great way to cheer on your fellow bloggers for their accomplishments, no matter the size!
I obviously missed last Friday's because I was in Mexico, but believe me, there were a lot of small things I had to celebrate. Sun. Friends. Daiquiris. Good Food. Cantinas. Music. You get the picture. Cabo is gorgeous and was a ton of fun. I just wish I could've brought the warmth back with me.
This week I really don't have a lot of things to celebrate career-wise, except for that fact that I did get my fourth book off to the editor before we left on vacation and I know it's in good hands as we speak. Otherwise, I've been taking it easy, beta reading for a friend and trying to catch up on things that were neglected during my last major rewrite process. I signed up to take an online refresher course in grammar since I have come to rely so heavily on my editors. And I may have found my first writer's conference to attend in Madison, Wisconsin, where hopefully *fingers crossed* I will get to meet one of my blog partners for the first time!In my personal life, I'm celebrating the fact that my daughter, who had a high fever for nearly six days, tested negative for mono, the flu and strep, and was miraculously better after a dose of antibiotics. For a while there I was worried she would be spending time in the ER. Whatever it was, she seems to have kicked it as she's obnoxiously running around and yelling as I write this (keep in mind she's thirteen).
Also, I picked up Beautiful Creatures to give it another try. I first started it last year and couldn't get into the story for some reason. After seeing the amazing movie trailers, I know it's something right up my alley, so I should love it, right? I'm happy to report that round two (or is it three?) is going much better and the story has really grabbed my attention this time.
So there you have it, my things to celebrate aren't so big this time, but they're still mine. Hope this Friday finds all of you having something to celebrate!
February 19, 2013
Finding Inspiration in Mexico
Very early this morning, I returned from an AMAZING week in Cabo with my husband and some friends that was supposed to be all about the beach, tropical drinks, water, relaxation, fun...
(Yes this Lonely Island song was stuck in my head during our entire trip...)
Minus the eight hours on my birthday that were spent hurling over the side of a fishing boat while wishing I was dead, it was definitely all of these things. Surprisingly, however, I got even more out of it - INSPIRATION! A combination of really odd things caused a new story to evolve...creepy little cherubs used as a theme in our hotel lobby...a collection of skeleton statues for sale and scattered around downtown that I completely obsessed over...one of the few TV shows we watched in English involving witchcraft...being in a country where none of us spoke the language...experiencing a different culture that I know very little about...taking a tour where we experienced just a sliver of what it would really be like to live in a place without cell phones, computers or video games...the head of my newly purchased figurine breaking off while dancing in Cabo Wabo (no worries - it was an easy fix as seen in the picture of my in-tact bride on the right, safely back in Minnesota).
The actual story for my newest idea didn't really all come together until the plane ride home when my mind was supposed to be at rest. (Isn't that what vacations are supposed to be all about? Isn't the point of getting away to leave your stress and worries behind?) I guess a writer can never mentally leave their work behind.
So what's the name of this new book? What exactly will it be about? Will there be more zombies to come from my twisted mind? Not only is it too soon to share, but there are other books that are in the works that I need to finish before I will get a chance to even start on it. Regardless, there are a barrage of thoughts already erupting in my delusional mind and the gears are most definitely grinding.
Regardless, I'm pretty sure that from now on I can use the valid excuse that I have to go on vacation each year, if only for inspiration.
(Yes this Lonely Island song was stuck in my head during our entire trip...)
Minus the eight hours on my birthday that were spent hurling over the side of a fishing boat while wishing I was dead, it was definitely all of these things. Surprisingly, however, I got even more out of it - INSPIRATION! A combination of really odd things caused a new story to evolve...creepy little cherubs used as a theme in our hotel lobby...a collection of skeleton statues for sale and scattered around downtown that I completely obsessed over...one of the few TV shows we watched in English involving witchcraft...being in a country where none of us spoke the language...experiencing a different culture that I know very little about...taking a tour where we experienced just a sliver of what it would really be like to live in a place without cell phones, computers or video games...the head of my newly purchased figurine breaking off while dancing in Cabo Wabo (no worries - it was an easy fix as seen in the picture of my in-tact bride on the right, safely back in Minnesota).The actual story for my newest idea didn't really all come together until the plane ride home when my mind was supposed to be at rest. (Isn't that what vacations are supposed to be all about? Isn't the point of getting away to leave your stress and worries behind?) I guess a writer can never mentally leave their work behind.
So what's the name of this new book? What exactly will it be about? Will there be more zombies to come from my twisted mind? Not only is it too soon to share, but there are other books that are in the works that I need to finish before I will get a chance to even start on it. Regardless, there are a barrage of thoughts already erupting in my delusional mind and the gears are most definitely grinding.
Regardless, I'm pretty sure that from now on I can use the valid excuse that I have to go on vacation each year, if only for inspiration.
February 12, 2013
Insta-love and Special Snowflakes
In reading a couple of different reviews of my books, the terms "insta-love" and "special snowflake" were each brought up as being potential eye-roll material. While I totally appreciate the opinions of others, I just want to take a minute to elaborate on these two ideas. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not being snarky, I am only defending the reasoning behind my work.
Insta-love: when someone who just meets you thinks that you are their soul mate and they want to spend the rest of their lives with you and have kids with you. (urbandictionary.com)
Love at first sight is certainly not a new concept and there are real life couples who have experienced this kind of connection. After first meeting my husband, I called my friends in our dorm together to tell them that there was something really different about him. I was drawn to him in a way that I couldn't explain. When first meeting someone that you eventually go on to date, there's quite often some kind of draw to them in the beginning. While it may not necessarily mean that you think they're your soul mate, you still may get that feeling of butterflies in your stomach and stars in your eyes. A lot of that is just basic attraction. I agree that it would get old if every single story involved love at first sight - I even made a point of having childhood friends fall for each other in my zombie book. Regardless, I'm not a fan of the term "insta-love" and think it generally mocks the whole concept of love at first sight. I have a feeling it was invented by someone who hasn't experienced it before.
Special snowflake: a person who thinks they are unique, different and therefore more special than everyone else. (urbandictionary.com)
Whenever a story is told, there has to be something special about the main character that makes you want to read on. You need to hear everything from a girl who discovers she has magical powers rather than from her best friend who sits by and watches it all happen. Can you imagine if Jess from Twilight had told the story rather than Bella? I guess I fail to understand why hearing the story from someone who is unique would be a bad thing. If I'm going to invest my time in reading hundreds of pages, I want it to be about something interesting, not some story that I've heard a hundred times before.
Okay, I've said my peace. What's your opinion on these terms?
Insta-love: when someone who just meets you thinks that you are their soul mate and they want to spend the rest of their lives with you and have kids with you. (urbandictionary.com)
Love at first sight is certainly not a new concept and there are real life couples who have experienced this kind of connection. After first meeting my husband, I called my friends in our dorm together to tell them that there was something really different about him. I was drawn to him in a way that I couldn't explain. When first meeting someone that you eventually go on to date, there's quite often some kind of draw to them in the beginning. While it may not necessarily mean that you think they're your soul mate, you still may get that feeling of butterflies in your stomach and stars in your eyes. A lot of that is just basic attraction. I agree that it would get old if every single story involved love at first sight - I even made a point of having childhood friends fall for each other in my zombie book. Regardless, I'm not a fan of the term "insta-love" and think it generally mocks the whole concept of love at first sight. I have a feeling it was invented by someone who hasn't experienced it before.Special snowflake: a person who thinks they are unique, different and therefore more special than everyone else. (urbandictionary.com)
Whenever a story is told, there has to be something special about the main character that makes you want to read on. You need to hear everything from a girl who discovers she has magical powers rather than from her best friend who sits by and watches it all happen. Can you imagine if Jess from Twilight had told the story rather than Bella? I guess I fail to understand why hearing the story from someone who is unique would be a bad thing. If I'm going to invest my time in reading hundreds of pages, I want it to be about something interesting, not some story that I've heard a hundred times before.Okay, I've said my peace. What's your opinion on these terms?
February 11, 2013
The Walking Dead Recap & Giveaways
My Walking Dead peeps - what did you think of the mid-season premiere? Were you both as pleased and frustrated as I was? Allow me to go on my own little rant. There are SPOILERS in my recap, so if you haven't seen last night's episode, please skip ahead!
First of all, I teared up when Maggie made the first shot at Crazyville. So refreshing to have a female hero for once! But why didn't someone shoot Merle, if even "by accident"? How many chances do they have to give that dirt-bag a-hole before they realize he will kill them the second the opportunity arises? If I were Glen, I would've shot him on first sight. Daryl would've gotten over it. Instead, Rick knocked Merle out and Daryl smirked in response. Did everyone catch that?
As a huge Daryl/Norman Reedus fan, I was ticked to see him choose his idiot brother over the gang. But I was pleased with the fact that Daryl somewhat acknowledged that he feels something for Carol by telling Rick that she'd understand. When Rick broke the news to Carol, however, I may have shed a tear or two. I'm really digging the love story between the two and I hold on to hope that they will again be reunited when Daryl realizes what an idiot he is. As someone on Twitter mentioned, maybe Daryl will find an old school boom box and hold it over his head when he comes back for her. One can only hope...
Courtesy of AMCIn other Walking Dead drama, the Governor has obviously snapped after being humiliated in front of his followers while Andrea has seemingly stepped up to take charge. What I want to know is what was the Governor doing in his apartment, anyway? We've seen the kind of sick things he's capable of, so it made me a wee bit nervous to know he's angry and keeping out of sight.
Glen and Maggie are feeling awkward around each other. My guess is that Glen is having a hard time dealing with his very first real anger rant, knowing the Governor almost raped his girlfriend. After watching the marathons yesterday and seeing the two of them get it on in the watch tower, it occurred to me - what if Maggie gets pregnant now? Even worse, what if Andrea became pregnant with the Governor's baby? Taking care of a baby without the whole apocalypse thing is hard enough - how will this gang ever handle the one they already have? They can't even keep the adults safe. If these people were smart, they would practice abstinence as a rule of thumb.
Aaaaand, last but not least by any means, we see the Ricktatorship taking a fatal dive into insanity when the man envisions his wife standing watch over them and he starts yelling at her. Wherever Season 3 takes us, we know there isn't hope for Rick's mental health any time soon. Becoming that crazy doesn't just go away overnight - at least not without some Lithium or shock therapy. And somehow I don't think Herschel's veterinarian skills will be of any help this time.
It's certainly going to be interesting to see the Gov take on the Rickster when both of them seem to have completely gone off the deep end. I just hope the others are smart enough to get the hell out of Dodge before it happens. Regardless, I think the second half of the third season is going to be mind-blowing.
On to other news...
There are two separate giveaways going on right now to win a digital copy Shymers! Swing by my hilarious friend London Cole's blog to learn a little more about me and see what the fabulous Daniela at YA Book Season has to say in her review of my dystopian adventure.
YA Book SeasonAuthor London Cole
First of all, I teared up when Maggie made the first shot at Crazyville. So refreshing to have a female hero for once! But why didn't someone shoot Merle, if even "by accident"? How many chances do they have to give that dirt-bag a-hole before they realize he will kill them the second the opportunity arises? If I were Glen, I would've shot him on first sight. Daryl would've gotten over it. Instead, Rick knocked Merle out and Daryl smirked in response. Did everyone catch that?
As a huge Daryl/Norman Reedus fan, I was ticked to see him choose his idiot brother over the gang. But I was pleased with the fact that Daryl somewhat acknowledged that he feels something for Carol by telling Rick that she'd understand. When Rick broke the news to Carol, however, I may have shed a tear or two. I'm really digging the love story between the two and I hold on to hope that they will again be reunited when Daryl realizes what an idiot he is. As someone on Twitter mentioned, maybe Daryl will find an old school boom box and hold it over his head when he comes back for her. One can only hope...
Courtesy of AMCIn other Walking Dead drama, the Governor has obviously snapped after being humiliated in front of his followers while Andrea has seemingly stepped up to take charge. What I want to know is what was the Governor doing in his apartment, anyway? We've seen the kind of sick things he's capable of, so it made me a wee bit nervous to know he's angry and keeping out of sight.Glen and Maggie are feeling awkward around each other. My guess is that Glen is having a hard time dealing with his very first real anger rant, knowing the Governor almost raped his girlfriend. After watching the marathons yesterday and seeing the two of them get it on in the watch tower, it occurred to me - what if Maggie gets pregnant now? Even worse, what if Andrea became pregnant with the Governor's baby? Taking care of a baby without the whole apocalypse thing is hard enough - how will this gang ever handle the one they already have? They can't even keep the adults safe. If these people were smart, they would practice abstinence as a rule of thumb.
Aaaaand, last but not least by any means, we see the Ricktatorship taking a fatal dive into insanity when the man envisions his wife standing watch over them and he starts yelling at her. Wherever Season 3 takes us, we know there isn't hope for Rick's mental health any time soon. Becoming that crazy doesn't just go away overnight - at least not without some Lithium or shock therapy. And somehow I don't think Herschel's veterinarian skills will be of any help this time.
It's certainly going to be interesting to see the Gov take on the Rickster when both of them seem to have completely gone off the deep end. I just hope the others are smart enough to get the hell out of Dodge before it happens. Regardless, I think the second half of the third season is going to be mind-blowing.
On to other news...
There are two separate giveaways going on right now to win a digital copy Shymers! Swing by my hilarious friend London Cole's blog to learn a little more about me and see what the fabulous Daniela at YA Book Season has to say in her review of my dystopian adventure.
YA Book SeasonAuthor London Cole
February 8, 2013
Celebrate the Small Things
Happy Friday, everyone! As part of the blog hop created by my fabulous blogging partner Vikki of VikLit, I am faithfully posting the things that I have to celebrate this week. This is such an awesome way to reflect on the little things in your life, especially when some weeks are more difficult than others and you need your spirit lifted. If you have a blog, I highly recommend that you sign up for this hop - just click on the link above and add your name to the list!I've been working like a dog getting my fourth book 'Cheating Death' all polished up for my editor and I'm happy to say it will be ready to go before we leave on vacation next week, just as I planned. I say I'm happy because I'm not going to lie, the book is giving me serious nightmares. It's not that scary, but just talking about ghosts so often has messed with my mind. I released the cover this week and got overall great feedback. It's time to start getting the trailer together, which is one of my favorite steps in the process of publishing. It's like I'm the creator of my own little movie and I love having complete control!
On a little more personal accomplishment, we got our whole family of eleven together this weekend for an overnight visit, which doesn't happen very often. I can never spend enough time with the step-grandbabies or our children! And we even got to stop at Ikea to buy my daughter a new desk that the two of us put together ourselves (with a little bit of help from my husband).
Another huge accomplishment - I'm off to get my hair colored this morning. If you had any idea how much hair I have or how long it takes to color something that resembles a small animal (3+ hours) you'd understand why this is so big. Replace the word "secrets" with "crazy" in the gif below, and it would be dead on.
While these accomplishments weren't anything earth-shattering, they were mine. And the whole point of this blog is to celebrate the small things. What did you accomplish this week?
February 5, 2013
Breaking Waves Blog Tour/Giveaway!
**My apologizes to the author and her hop host - I was scheduled to post yesterday, but I had it on my calendar for today! Life is just too crazy sometimes.**
From the moment they met, Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, but she never dreamed it would happen like this. Jenna is left shattered and broken. When life becomes too painful to deal with and she feels completely alone, there’s only one person to help her pick up the pieces and move on. The one person she doesn’t want to turn to. The one person she promised to stay away from. Tyler. Can Jenna put aside everything she knows about him and let Tyler help heal her broken heart?
I recently interviewed the talented and always fun Danielle Sibarium and asked her about her new release, Heart Waves (you can find the interview here). In honor of her sequel to Breaking Waves, she's hosting a giveaway! So enter to win and check out Danielle through the links below!a Rafflecopter giveaway
Where to Buy:Amazon KindleB&N Nook
Connect with Danielle:WebsiteTwitterGoodreadsHeart Waves Facebook
Follow her blog hop here.
Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Her imagination was developed at an early age. Surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarfs, or Cinderella waiting for the prince. Danielle always loved dialogue and in elementary school began writing plays and short stories. This is when she began to understand she could not only bring her fantastical world to life for herself, but she could enchant others as well. And so she wrote. She wrote and wrote and wrote.
Sadly the first piece she ever sent out for publication of any sort was a letter to the editor of The Home News Tribune. It was a piece thanking the first responders for their bravery and selflessness on Sept 11th. It was chosen as letter of the week.
In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD More. Danielle wrote the lyrics for Take My Hand, and Goodbye, while Charlotte contributed the melody. In October 2011 Danielle’s debut novel For Always was released. She has since released Heart Waves and the second book in the Heart Waves series, Breaking Waves. Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.
From the moment they met, Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, but she never dreamed it would happen like this. Jenna is left shattered and broken. When life becomes too painful to deal with and she feels completely alone, there’s only one person to help her pick up the pieces and move on. The one person she doesn’t want to turn to. The one person she promised to stay away from. Tyler. Can Jenna put aside everything she knows about him and let Tyler help heal her broken heart?I recently interviewed the talented and always fun Danielle Sibarium and asked her about her new release, Heart Waves (you can find the interview here). In honor of her sequel to Breaking Waves, she's hosting a giveaway! So enter to win and check out Danielle through the links below!a Rafflecopter giveaway
Where to Buy:Amazon KindleB&N Nook
Connect with Danielle:WebsiteTwitterGoodreadsHeart Waves Facebook
Follow her blog hop here.
Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Her imagination was developed at an early age. Surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarfs, or Cinderella waiting for the prince. Danielle always loved dialogue and in elementary school began writing plays and short stories. This is when she began to understand she could not only bring her fantastical world to life for herself, but she could enchant others as well. And so she wrote. She wrote and wrote and wrote.
Sadly the first piece she ever sent out for publication of any sort was a letter to the editor of The Home News Tribune. It was a piece thanking the first responders for their bravery and selflessness on Sept 11th. It was chosen as letter of the week.
In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD More. Danielle wrote the lyrics for Take My Hand, and Goodbye, while Charlotte contributed the melody. In October 2011 Danielle’s debut novel For Always was released. She has since released Heart Waves and the second book in the Heart Waves series, Breaking Waves. Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.
February 4, 2013
Book Cover Release: Cheating Death
As promised, here's the cover for my fourth novel, Cheating Death, as well as a hot-off-the-press description!
Lysandra Brooks remembers everything about the day she almost drowned alongside her grandma, especially the set of mysterious eyes she saw at the bottom of the lake. Ever since then, she's been seeing strange things when she is near water - things that aren't really there. Because of it, Lysandra has the tendency to avoid anything that isn't on dry land. On her last day of high school, however, the biggest party of the year is set to take place at a fellow senior's lakeside mansion. Despite her fears, Lysandra decides to prove to her friends and herself that she can handle it.
But after a horrific night of drinking and drama that leaves Lysandra feeling lonely and confused, she nearly drowns for a second time, only to be saved by the new guy in town. From that moment on, Lysandra's world is turned upside down with the discovery of mind blowing secrets, including a revelation that something sinister is after her soul.
While I take great pride in doing all the design work for my covers - including the photography, this time I broke down and purchased a stock image. I really wanted something hauntingly beautiful and underwater as my main character nearly drowns twice in this story. The minute I found this picture I knew it was absolutely perfect.
Now that THAT'S out of the way, this is totally how I feel right now.Cheating Death is (very tentatively) set to release some time in March. I really hope that I'm able to freak you out with this story, if only just a little. I know I've been losing a lot of sleep at night writing it, waiting for things to come bother me at night. As one of my cousins suggested, I may end up writing about rainbows and puppy dogs for a while.
Lysandra Brooks remembers everything about the day she almost drowned alongside her grandma, especially the set of mysterious eyes she saw at the bottom of the lake. Ever since then, she's been seeing strange things when she is near water - things that aren't really there. Because of it, Lysandra has the tendency to avoid anything that isn't on dry land. On her last day of high school, however, the biggest party of the year is set to take place at a fellow senior's lakeside mansion. Despite her fears, Lysandra decides to prove to her friends and herself that she can handle it. But after a horrific night of drinking and drama that leaves Lysandra feeling lonely and confused, she nearly drowns for a second time, only to be saved by the new guy in town. From that moment on, Lysandra's world is turned upside down with the discovery of mind blowing secrets, including a revelation that something sinister is after her soul.
While I take great pride in doing all the design work for my covers - including the photography, this time I broke down and purchased a stock image. I really wanted something hauntingly beautiful and underwater as my main character nearly drowns twice in this story. The minute I found this picture I knew it was absolutely perfect.
Now that THAT'S out of the way, this is totally how I feel right now.Cheating Death is (very tentatively) set to release some time in March. I really hope that I'm able to freak you out with this story, if only just a little. I know I've been losing a lot of sleep at night writing it, waiting for things to come bother me at night. As one of my cousins suggested, I may end up writing about rainbows and puppy dogs for a while.
February 1, 2013
Celebrate the Small Things
Once again, as part of the blog hop tour set up by the fabulous Vikki at VikLit, I'm spending this Friday celebrating the small things that happened this week.The first thing on my list is the fact that I successfully created a synopsis to go along with my book cover release for this coming Monday! Yay! Those little buggars can really be a pain in the rear to come up with. How do you summarize 75,000 words into a little paragraph without giving too much away? I promise you, it's a lot harder than it would seem. With the help of my fabulous blogging partners, I was able to whip up one that I think will grab your attention and have you drooling for more.
Another great writing accomplishment this week was that my major re-write of Cheating Death fell together in a major way. Sometimes there are pieces of a story that need to somehow be connected. When those pieces fall together it's enough to make a person want to dance around in their underwear.
And since this blog is celebrating "small things" in general and not necessarily writing-related things, I would like to add that I scored tickets to see Alice in Chains this May. They're one of my favorite bands and I haven't seen them in 20 years! I may have had a total freak out when I told my step-daughter and son-in-law that we were going and I may have frightened them a little.Also, my daughter once again made the 'A' honor roll! If we didn't look and act identical 99.99% of the time, I would swear in a court of law that she was switched at birth. I hated school and was lucky to get passing grades (then I went on to college, actually cared about school and made the dean's list). Regardless, I'm extremely proud of her!
February is off to a great start!
