Age 4: I made my mom put the alphabet up in our kitchen because I wanted to be in school.
1st grade: I took home so many bonus assignments that my teacher ran out of special packets half-way through the year.
3rd grade: A boy broke my arm because I wouldn't give a boy back a crayon he WAS NOT supposed to be using.
5th grade: My science project was SO good that my teacher "stole" my idea and used it on his daughter's project the next year.
****skipping awful, friendless, I had no idea how to be cool, middle school****
10th grade: I was the only sophomore in AP Biology
11th and 12th grade: I took all AP classes and spent my nights happily buried in homework.
College: Freshman year I skipped"open dorm" nights when the guys could visit and instead spent that time in the library. Most Saturday mornings at 8am you could find me studying there as well.
Hello, hello? Is anybody still reading my blog besides IWSG Wednesdays?
I know, I've been awful. I can blame it on the move, on my kids, on my new yoga studio, or I can just suck it up and admit that I've been having a down time. Writing has been hard. Subs have been hard.
But, I couldn't leave the blogging world. I missed you guys, and I've missed blogging.
So today I'm back with a whole lot of random. Some books I can't get enough of and should have shouted to the rooftops ages ago, new excitement at the Hall house, and one of my All-Time-Favorite Read's (yes, I needed those CAPS) sequel is out today. We HAVE to celebrate that.
Cassie Mae'sFRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI. I requested this one from NetGalley and read it in two days. Hilarious and hot. FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI is a great read. I'm still smelling oranges and thinking about Chase. And man could I handle living in Kelli's house with a pool in the basement and a window hot guys could crawl through (but I want parents that stick around too). This one will be read again. Light, funny, and clean sexy is my kind of book.
SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD. I know, I'm the last person on the planet to read this book, but I still had to say how impressed I am with Lindsay Leavitt. Her characters walked off the pages and into my life. Each time I get on my road bike and train for my triathlon, I think about Payton training and how wonderful a surprise it was to me that biking was a part of this story. (Remember I'm one of those crazy people who doesn't read dust jackets.) I loved this book so much I read GOING VINTAGE, as well. I'm still crushing on Oliver and his yarn ring to remember to forget. And again-all the orange. Hmm...I'm seeing a theme with my book loves.
Hall house excitement. Some of you might remember my hubbie's non-fiction (is anyone still reading after that word?) book releases October first. This week we received a box full of all these pretties.
We sure would appreciate it if you'd go and add it to your Goodreads To-Read List and share with any military families you might know:)
Last, but certainly not least, is the sequel to IMPOSSIBLE, one of my favorite books of all time. Happy release day to the lovely Nancy Werlin and her new book UNTHINKABLE. Did you guys fall for IMPOSSIBLE as hard as I did? I'll be staring out the window waiting for the UPS truck today.
Happy Friday the 13th, guys. And please tell me what you've been up to (I'm slowly catching up on blogs, but I've missed so much) and any new reads I should add to my TBR list, because UNTHINKABLE will be read in a day. Two if I want to feed my children.
Cassie Mae of readingwritingandlovinit.blogspot.com took over my blog today. Thank goodness she's so funny, so her hijacking is enjoyable. Prepare to laugh, prepare to grin, prepare for pigs, hot guys, and one crazy productive writer.
Take it away, Cassie Mae.
(I couldn't resist the rhyme)
Let's all dance together!
I'm super thrilled to show you all my cover for my New Adult debut, FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI, published by Random House Flirt. This baby comes out on July 29th, but you can buy it now! And it'll just zap onto your ereader the day it's released.
Wanna know what it's about? Well, it's about this pig who learns how to fly, but only on friday nights and he grants wishes to people who are not where they're supposed to be, to get them out of a bind. You know I'm totally joking. I just wanted to see how many people just skipped over all these words to get to the pretty cover, lol. You mention the pig in the comments and you get cyber gold stars.
Here's the blurb :D
Rising star Cassie Mae introduces New Adult readers to a practical soon-to-be college freshman who seems to have everything—until a special guy shows her what she’s been missing.
In the wealthy town of Sundale, Kelli Pinkins has hatched the perfect plan to capitalize on her sweet reputation. For a generous fee, she will be every trust-fund baby’s dream: a Friday-night alibi, the “girlfriend” or “BFF” that parents dream about. With college approaching in the fall, Kelli’s services are in demand more than ever, which means that her social life is nonexistent. But Kelli is A-okay with that. She’s raking in cash for school. Besides, relationships are tricky, and sometimes very messy. She’d rather be at home on Xbox LIVE, anyway. Then the unexpected happens: She meets college stud Chase Maroney.
Chase isn’t like the preppy, privileged guys Kelli usually meets in Sundale. For starters, he’s twentysomething, always wears black, and he shoots back one-liners as fast as she can dish them out. But Kelli’s attempts to drive Chase away falter when she realizes that he treats her like he really knows her, like he cares about knowing her. When Kelli finally gives in to the delicious kiss she’s been fighting for so long, she faces a tough decision: make Chase a real-life boyfriend and risk her heart . . . or keep her clients and lose her first true love.
Advance praise for Friday Night Alibi
“Totally entertaining with as many swoon-worthy moments as hilarious ones, Friday Night Alibi is a must-read.”—Jolene Perry, co-author of Out of Play
“A fun, funny, and fantastic story, this is one you will read in a day, and pick up to re-read again the next.”—Kelley Lynn, author of Fraction of Stone
Oh, and stuff about me too.
Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. Her angel children and perfect husband fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.
And now the pretty!
You can buy this book HERE, and it takes you to all the places it's available. Yay! My first published book with MY NAME ON IT! Squee!!!
I'm getting ready to enter the world of writer competitions and querying. That's right, soon Lovesense will be out there showing the (agenting) world what I can do.
I'm still afraid of the lions (see this post here), but I'm inspired by all these great people and their wonderful news: Newly Agented Cassie Mae Liesl Shurtliff's Cover Reveal Guys, there's something about the first book you read pre-published and seeing it (albeit through the internet) as a real live book that makes me feel like I could do anything. Super Wonderful Newly Agented Ilima Todd. My CP is so inspiring guys. Great cheerleader, great feedback, and her writing, sucks me in every time. I'm so, so happy for her. Although that means I won't be joining her in the world of online competitions and querying blahs. She's already gotten her medal. But that's okay. She remembers what it was like to be there in the trenches.
While I'm expecting plenty of form rejections and no responses at all, the next step is here. I can't help but dream and work towards one day having my gold medal dream realized.
All those contests (MSFV and Cupid's Literary Connection) that remind us "you shouldn't be entering this contest, much less reading these guidelines unless you have a finished manuscript ready to query" well guys, I do.
"Do you have to pee?" A lady at the grocery store asked me last month.
I was overtired, confused, and waiting for her to get out of my way so I could get to the milk.
Out of my mouth came, "No, I don't. In fact, I haven't had to pee all day."
The lady looked at me like I was insane and pushed her shopping cart out of the way, giving me access to the milk.
That's when my brain caught up to my mouth I realized what I'd said. And that I was bouncing up and down like my 4 year-old does when she has to pee.
It took me a while longer to realize why I was bouncing when standing in place (and rocking side to side when I'm seated.) I HAVE A NEWBORN and these are soothing actions. I do them whether baby is in my arms or not. Hopefully this will be a little tick that I'll get rid of along with the inability to shower daily or change my clothes.
One month later as I thought of the generous blogger awards I'd been given I decided that as I tell you a little bit more about myself I'd give you a character sketch with some of my now conscious ticks and a little bit of random thrown in the mix.
1. As mentioned I no longer have to capacity to sit or stand still even if baby JT is not attached to me.
2. If I'm getting uncomfortable in a conversation (or bored) I fiddle with the necklace I wear every day. It's the Hebrew symbol chai. It represents life and luck and is a constant reminder of my study abroad at BYU's Jerusalem Center Winter of 1999.
2.5When doing yoga, particularly down dog, I put my necklace in my mouth so it doesn't hit my teeth or nose as I do my pop backs or pop ups.
3. I have Norton's Toe (now don't get all excited thinking I have some fungal problem that Dermisil can't cure.) It means that my 2nd toe is longer than my big toe.
For the entirety of my sophomore year in HS I realized how imperfect my feet were and refused to wear open-toed shoes, but I got over it and am now an open toe girl. So far the only definite is I can't wear these toes shoes that I spent forever coveting.
4. When I'm nervous or trying to psych myself up to do something I crack my knuckles and then instantly worry that I'll get arthritis and try not to pop more. But, if I start popping my knuckles I have to pop all the rest of them before the need to crack them goes away.
5. I can't sneeze just once. It's at least a double. And if I have a cold, sometimes I'll sneeze 4 times in a row. Side note: my grandmother, upon finding out that my parents were engaged, said of my mother, "But she doesn't sneeze like a lady." (i.e. delicate and and high pitched cute.) Well, I sneeze like my mother.
6. I'm left-handed, so college lecture classes were torture with their tiny desks that folded out on the right side. I was paranoid that the people sitting around me thought I was cheating off their papers.
But being left-handed has advantages. I played weak-side hitter in volleyball, first base in softball, plus I could switch and slap hit. On a double-date with the hubs pre-marriage we kicked serious trash buddy bowling (he's a righty) and to this day we can eat holding hands.
7. If the sun is up I can't go back to sleep. So, if baby JT wakes up at 4:30 am for a snack, I can't fall back to sleep. On a positive side, I write best first thing in the morning and usually wake up by 5:30 if JT hasn't done it for me (no alarm needed).
Carissa Taylor (who lives in Australia where I've dreamed of going since 7th grade) gave me the Kreativ Blogger Award. Ten Questions:
1. What is your favorite song? 2. What is your favorite dessert? cheesecake with raspberries on top 3. What ticks you off? barking dogs and toenails in the sink 5. Which is/was your favorite pet? Until I was five we had a golden retriever named Arnie that let me rides on his back. No other pet has been as perfect. 6. Which do you prefer, black or white? Weird question. If it's a wet t-shirt contest I'd pick black. (not that I'd enter a wet t-shirt contest in the first place) 7.What is your biggest fear? That I'm not good enough 8. What is your attitude mostly? I'm a glass half full kind of gal 9.What is perfection? Sunday afternoon naps 10. What is your guilty pleasure? reading
While I wasn't brave enough to commit to posting 26 times in the month of April, I've been having a great to virtually meeting some new to me bloggers. I've done my share of bloghopping, but these three I check daily-
Kate Scott -I gobble books whole and am always looking for recommendations. She's doing her top 5 favorite books in a particular catagory. I've been adding to my TBR list and got 3 of her boy recommendations yesterday. For me it's fun just to see what category she can come up with--and to know she has to do it 26 x 5 times. That's a whopping 130 books! (she just might be able to keep me busy through the month of May)
Ilima-Okay, she's not new to me, we're CP's, but I devour her posts like I do Kate's book recommendations. Friday she did Loglines, so wrote 2 of my own. They're awful, but now at least I have one (well 2, but you know what I mean).
In all their first draft stench:
My WIP: When eleven-year-old Ruby realizes her parents have been lying to her all her life she becomes convinced she's adopted and begins a search for her biological parents.
Lovesense: When Rae, who reads love in photos as a side business at school, finds a picture of her soulmate, she has to find him, navigate high school, and stay under the principal's radar; all before her arch enemy can out her.
What A to Z blogs have you been following? Favorites? Advise for my loglines?
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