Writing Binge

At certain points in my writing process, the best way to work is to completely dive in.  So when J left this weekend to go camping with the Larkin men, I used the opportunity to throw myself a one-woman writing retreat.

I loaded up on supplies: Easy meals so I wouldn't have to spend time cooking, and super yummy snacks to bribe myself with if my attention started to wane.

Then I took the plunge.  Aside from coming up for air to play with the dogs several times a day, I lived in my manuscript all weekend long.  And it was blissful.




What were you up to this past weekend?

My dog pack

So, yesterday, I let the dogs out while I was exercising.  I finished up and was about to go take a shower.  I closed the door to the yard, and made sure I closed the bedroom door, because Argo, when left to his own devices in the bedroom will strip the blankets off the bed (I don't know why).  I double checked to make sure Stella wasn't in the bedroom, because I've accidentally closed her in there before, and she gets upset about it.

I was just about to turn the water on in the shower when I heard the hollow heaving sound of Argo starting to puke.  I raced to the door and opened it, only to find that Stella had accidentally been locked outside.  Argo didn't really have to puke.  He was perfectly fine the second I opened the door.  He was just trying to get my attention so I'd let Stella back in.  A 105lb dog starting to heave will always, always get my attention, and Argo uses this to his advantage.

They couldn't have been apart for more than five minutes, but oh, the celebration they had when they were reunited - prancing around, nibbling and sniffing each other like Stella had just come back from a long, long journey.

I absolutely, completely and totally love the way my dogs love each other.  It's a beautiful thing to watch their friendship.

Wordless Wednesday - If a lavender plant has white flowers, is it still lavender?

Ten things I know are true

1. Dogs are important.

2. You're never too old to wear blue nail polish.

3. People who read books are the best kind of people.

4. Absolutely positively no one is perfect, so it makes much more sense to strive for kindness than perfection.

5. The saying should really be: Make new friends, but keep the old. Both are magic.

6. One of the great joys of traveling is talking to the stranger sitting next to you.

7. If you ask the right questions and listen intently, everyone is fascinating.

8. It's more satisfying to vacuum if the floor is really dirty.

9. It's easier to wake up if the coffee pot is already gurgling.

10. An afternoon chatting with a friend is always time well spent.

Book Trailer Fridays - Ernessa T. Carter & 32 Candles

I love how books, movies, and TV shows give us a common history.  How many twenty and thirty-something women dreamed of their own Molly Ringwald storyline after watching Sixteen Candles as a teenager?  I know I did.  So I'm super excited to read Ernessa T. Carter's debut novel, 32 Candles, about a woman who didn't get her dreamy fade-to-black romantic ending in high school.

Here's a description:

Davie Jones—an ugly duckling growing up in small-town Mississippi with a mother who couldn’t get any meaner—is positive her life couldn’t be any worse. Just when she’s resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life—Sixteen Candles. But in her case, life doesn’t imitate art. Tormented in school and hopelessly in unrequited love with a handsome football player, Davie finds it bittersweet to dream of Molly Ringwald endings. When a cruel school prank goes too far, Davie leaves the life she knows and reinvents herself in the glittery world of Hollywood—as a beautiful and successful lounge singer. Just as she’s about to ride off into the L.A. sunset, the past comes back with a vengeance, threatening to crush Davie’s dreams—and break her heart again.

With wholly original characters and a cinematic storyline, 32 Candles introduces Ernessa T. Carter, a new voice in fiction with smarts, attitude, and sassiness to spare.

Here's what people are saying about 32 Candles:

“A disarmingly moving tale” –Bridgette Bartlett, Essence magazine

“Carter’s first novel is a winner on all fronts.” –Kristine Huntley, The Booklist (STARRED review)

“This is an easy 5 out of 5 stars and one of my top five favorite fiction novels [that] I’ve ever read in my entire adulthood.” -Shamontiel, AssociatedContent.com

“First there was Stella and she got her groove back, then there was Bridget Jones and she managed to find love despite her own loveable neuroses. Now there is Davie Jones. 32 Candles, at last, is the answer to the question ‘What should I read next?” –Erica Kennedy, author of Feminista and Bling

“ I loved 32 Candles. Its ridiculously good. Its my favorite fiction debut of the year.” –Color Online

“...a solid beach novel for someone looking for a chick-lit vibe with a bit more substance" – Confessions from a Rambling Mind

"It really is one of the best books that I’ve read this year. I didn’t simply enjoy it – I know that I’ll return to it, just like how I often return to the film that served as inspiration." –The Eclectic Book Lover

And here's the trailer:

You can learn more about Ernessa T. Carter and 32 Candles on her website and blog, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.