Mondays about Me

Today, instead of posting a blog about me, I'm sending you to a friends blog because she did an interview with me!
So today you get to learn about me through her blog. Thank you Kate!

Here is the interview: http://www.katescottwrites.com/2014/01/rebeccas-story.html










Also a new blogger friend gave me a shout out on her blog as well! Go check her out too. Thank you Renea!

Here is her blog post: http://www.renaeswritespot.blogspot.com/2014/01/website-prep-understanding-web.html

Writing Sprints

I love writing sprints! LOVE THEM!!

They push me, they make me work, they challenge me, and I love them. I love fighting the time, seeing if I can get a few more words this sprint. In fact, that is why I joined twitter. I don't understand twitter, and I basically never look at it or post on it, but I do go there to sprint.

Every Friday night @writeclub does Friday night sprints all evening. Then everyone reports their words and they give the grand total of words written that night for all to see. It is nothing huge or elaborate, and they don't offer you prizes or rewards for coming. They just have sprints and invite everyone to follow. I have been doing it since last spring and I love it. I feel like my Friday isn't complete if I don't participate in at least one sprint!

So why sprint?

Here are my thoughts. When you are sprinting, you know you have a time frame. You type consecutively for how ever long you have set for yourself, and you don't allow for interruptions. This is fantastic for people like me. There are so many things on my to-do list that if I allow it to, it will take over my day and I can't get any writing in at all. But if I have sprint time then I know I will write for 30 minutes (or whatever time you choose) and then I can do something on my list. Then I return to sprint. This way I write and I get my to-do list done as well. It has worked quite well for me.

In fact, I am sprinting right now :) I have chosen to write this blog for one of my sprints today. So even if you don't have a lot of time in the day, or feel like writing is never going to fit into your time frame for that afternoon, give yourself a sprint time. Sit and write for that time, and then go back to everything else that needs to get done. I always feel better when I do that, like I practiced for the day and I am not letting my talent sit to the side. If I can get more than one sprint in each day then I'm doing really great!

Try it. Set a time, sprint between chores, let your child watch a half hour Christmas Special like Frosty or the Grinch, and sprint while he/she is occupied getting into the Christmas spirit. There are ways to find time if you want to. And if you want to get better at writing, then you have to write, write, write, and write someone. So find the time, sprint alone or with a group (I always find that I'm more motivated in a group). There are chat rooms and twitters set up just for that purpose. Find them, sprint with them, and discover the joy of challenging yourself to get those words down.

10 Random Facts

Mondays about Me

Today I'm going to give you 10 random facts about me:

1- I hate oatmeal. I absolutely refuse to eat it!
2- I love painting my nails and own just about every color of nail polish
3- When I talk on the phone I pace around my house
4- I really only like to write with colored pens. Black and regular blue pens bore me
5- When I come across a really funny little meme or quote, I put it as the background on my husband's computer for him to find later.
6- I like veggies more than I like fruit. But I eat both.
7- I love buying make-up but I don't wear it very often
8- I can't draw! My husband, who happens to be a good artist, asked me to draw him a dragon. Then he laughed until he cried when he saw it. I did warn him ahead of time, but he didn't believe me until he had actually seen me draw! Stick figures and little tiny flowers are about my limit
9- When my husband is gone and I have to go to bed alone, he bought me a little Penguin night light because my overactive imagination tends to get the best of me in the dark.
10- I love my electric pencil sharpener and often write with pencils just so I can resharpen them.

What are some fun random facts about you?

Welcome Annica Rossi!

Today I am welcoming to my blog Author Annica Rossi!!

Author Bio:

Michigan debut author, Annica Rossi, describes herself as a “serial mompreneur”. She spends her days creating customized gifts for those who have found their real life Happily Ever Afters, and by night she entertains her overactive imagination by penning sexy escapes that pack plenty of heat.

Her writing features smart, strong-willed women and their equally determined male counterparts whom they just can’t help but love.

“Just Fall”, the first novel in her Fall Series, is a seductive page-burner that’s kept her awake countless nights with only her faithful canines to keep her company.

I had the opportunity to interview Annica and here are the fun answers she provided! I hope you enjoy learning about her as much as I did.

What inspired your book?

First and foremost, I love to write. I have been writing poems, short
stories, song lyrics, and biographies, etc for as long as I can remember.
I've often thought about writing a book, but it wasn't until I read Sylvia
Day's Crossfire Series that I really got serious and started to write Just
Fall.

How do you spend your free time?

Free time? LOL! I would love to tell you about all the glamorous things I
do in my free time, but that would be a story in itself. Between working
with my sister Monday through Friday in our Etsy Shop, writing, and taking
care of my family and home, I really don't have much free time. When I do
however, I read a ton and spend time with my family.

What literary character do you most relate to?

I relate to characters who have imperfections and who are facing difficult
decisions. I love stories with lots of angst that force characters to
compromise their morals or beliefs or change their ways of thinking insome way.

What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you defeat it?

Like many writers, there are times when I sit down and words just pour out
of me. There are times when I'm in the shower, or driving or even lying in
bed and I'll get a great idea for a twist in the story that I'm writing.
Then there are times when I just sit and stare at the screen. When this
happens I know it's time to pick up a book and just get lost in the story.
I would never emulate or copy a story line, but the emotions that come
from reading motivate and inspire me to write.

If you could spend a day inside a book, which book would it be and why?

That is a tough one. I love books, and depending on my mood I might read
anything from a mystery to a romance. It would be impossible for me to
choose just one.

When did you first realize you were an author?

I knew I loved writing my entire life, but I think the moment that I
really realized I was "an author" was when I started to receive actual
feedback on my book. The fact that other people, people who didn't know
me, enjoyed my writing and wanted more was really life changing.

If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main character
roles?

Ashley Benson & Ryan Guzman

What kind of music do you listen to while you write?

Many times I prefer quiet when I write--probably most of the time, which
is why I didn't include a playlist for my book. However, when I do listen
to music I like to listen to motivating upbeat tunes that really make mefeel like anything is possible.

What is your favorite part of writing?

My favorite part is being able to create my own little world where
anything can happen. I'm really happy with myself when I can write
something that is unpredictable and unexpected.

What is your writing snack of choice?

I never realized how easy it would be to consume tons of junk when I'm
sitting at the computer for hours at a time. At first, I would snack on
ice cream, pistachios, chips and you name it. Now I try to eat meals
regularly when I know I'm going to be writing for a long time. When I need
a snack I try to be satisfied with coffee, with flavored creamer of
course, and the occasional spoonful of sugar-free Cool Whip, or two...okay
four.

If you could go out to lunch with any literary character, who would it be?

Wow! I'm not even going to let myself analyze this too much or I'll be
totally torn between so many characters. So, without over thinking it I'm
going to say Remington Tate from the Real Series by Katy Evans. Remy is
mesmerizing. He is larger than life, and I would LOVE to meet him in
person!

Which of your personality traits did you write into you characters?

 (Deliberately or accidentally)

Oh boy! That one is easy. I have to say so far that Lo probably is
sarcastic and stubborn, because I am, however, she is also a good friend,
sentimental, self-reliant and determined.

As for Parker, I think he represents my wild streak and open mind.

To learn more about Author Annica Rossi, check out her links:

Facebook

Twitter

Webpage

And now let's get to know a bit about her new book: Just Fall

Synopsis:

How far would you go to save everything?

Life hadn’t dealt Lauren St. John a fair hand, yet she considered herself lucky to be living on the majestic shores of Lake Michigan running the business her parents worked their whole lives to create... Until now.

Facing the possibility of losing The Grandview Inn and her relationship with Jake Kennedy, the man she vowed to marry, “Lo” is desperate to hold on.

In the middle of her anguish, the unexpected arrival of longtime

guests, Tom and Mary Blackwell, seems like a welcome relief, but just when she thinks things couldn’t get any worse, she discovers they’ve brought along an unwelcome ghost from her past.

Enter the dangerously seductive Parker Blackwell, renowned poker player and notorious bad boy, with a propensity for kinky sex.

Seven summers ago, the gauntlet was thrown down from the moment Lo and Parker laid eyes on each other. Too young to realize the gravity of their connection, their friendship grew until a series of tragic events began to unfold, and Parker mysteriously disappeared, leaving Lo heartbroken and unwilling to forgive.

Grown up now, and suddenly forced to confront their unresolved feelings and undeniably explosive sexual attraction, the situation intensifies into an enticing and comical game of “it’s your move”. But when Parker raises the stakes too high will Lo put herself on the line to save everything she’s ever known?

And here's a little something to get you excited!!

Excerpt from the book:

I’m not normally attracted to bad boys, and he was the perfect

specimen, but there was an air of confidence about him that came from more

than just his stunning good looks, and it beckoned me to investigate. He

was picture perfect in every way…but as you know looks can be deceiving.

As I began to recover from my momentary brain lapse vague memories began

to surface in the back of my mind. I couldn't put my finger on it, but

there was something very familiar about those dimples…

Buy Link:

Book is priced for only .99$!!!!

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00H4OO8RQ

Also, the author is offering an awesome giveaway right now! So feel free to enter below.

The R&R packages will include a signed

paperback,  a Hemp Sugar Body Scrub and lotion gift set with pouf, a

dreamsicle 3-1 massage moisturizing body candle AND an OPI Silver Travel

Train Case with 6 polishes. There will be 2 gift sets to give away each

over $100 value!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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I love office Supplies!

Mondays about Me!!

I know, I know, I'm a writer, of course I love office supplies!

Well, that's not exactly a secret - but I'm going to tell you about the office I absolutely have to have at my desk while writing!

Pencils! I love writing in pencil, even more than pen! I love sharpening wooden pencils to a perfect point and them writing with them until they are very dull! When I was younger I use to write with my pencils until they were so small I couldn't fit them in a normal pencil sharper anymore. I Always used up all of each pencil until I couldn't sharpen it, or until my teacher told me I had to throw it away and get a new pencil (which happened more often than the first)







Now, to be fair, I love Pens too! But I'm very particular about my pens! I love these ones:

That's right! I love colorful pens! And the kind that actually write smoothly is a huge plus!

These are essential for me! I have over 2 dozen of these little half size legal pads sitting around my house, office, bags/purses, and who knows where else. I use them for everything. To jot down quick notes or to write out full ideas before going to the computer and typing. I always have them with me.

Now, let me be clear about this next item. I have been corrected again and again .... I know some of you call these Post it notes, or sticky notes, but I have, and probably will always call them Stick-it Notes. So no need to try and correct me, I already know what the rest of the world things, but since I know I'm right, I try and refrain from correcting the rest of you  ;)

I use these all the time when writing. I like to print up a page and use the different colors to mark us dialog or action, words that I over use, or moments that I don't find believable. Then I can focus on them, one color at a time, and begin to clean up my writing.

These are used quite frequently, even though I have stick-it notes. I have been amazed at how often I reach for my 3x5 cards to separate ideas and research topics, addresses for prizes, and many other random things. You would think I could use either these or the stick-its, but I use both, very frequently!

I just love staples. I'll be honest, I have a blue stapler, and it has colorful staples inside! I love colors! But blue is my favorite and half my office supplies are blue, the other half are multi-colored so no other color can try to dominate the rest. They all know blue is the king!

And last, but certainly not least, I love these little suckers! I cannot believe how often I have to use them (and yes, when I'm not using them I have been know to clip them together into shapes, just like everyone else).




So there you have it, my must haves in my office. Is this all of them? Absolutely not! But they seem to be the most common used items in my office space so now you know a bit more about me and my weird little world ;)

Happy Monday!!