A Wider View

Ever since we moved into this new house, I’ve been on a little bit of a decorating kick. Part of it might be a driving need to make this place feel like home, even though we are far away from everything we know and everyone we love. But I think another part is very much a cycle of style.

I feel myself (and my family) moving away from colors that are easy and “trendy” and moving into ones that are bright and bold. Maybe it’s because we just did a brave, bold thing, and it’s a bit of a hangover from living this new life. I’m not sure. But I find myself gravitating toward color and patterns and other new ideas that I might not have ever considered in the house where everything was normal and comfortable and…the same as it had been since we built that home.

Then the other day, my kids and I cleaned out the garage and finished unpacking a number of our remaining boxes (the ones not in storage) and as we did we found bits and pieces of our past. Things we’ve collected on vacations or that we’ve just simply loved. And we got them out because in our life of uncertainty, we have a strong need to have little reminders of the familiar and the happy things from before.

And in doing so, I realized something. Yes, we’re thinking bold and bright, changing up colors and ideas, but as I lined the tops of our kitchen cabinets with bottles of sand and sea shells we have collected from all over the world, I realized that color aside, the core of our style, the core of our family, is very much the same.

Turns out, my fairy collection goes well with our new beach-esque color scheme, and our art pieces still move us to smiles. So while our style has evolved and cycled in a big way, we are still who we were before. Just maybe more open, more conscious, and with a bigger, wider view of things.

And I think maybe that is exactly the point.

But, um, I’m still looking for a desk for my office, so if you have a great tip on where I should look, I’d love to know.

In Which I Realize We All Have Issues

Okay, so this is not a new realization. But still. As mentioned in my last post, I have issues. Stuff I’m dealing with and decisions to make, etc, and yes, I have the ingrained instinct to want to bury my head under the covers and never come out. Or at least to wallow. But then, every single time I decide to do exactly that, I blink, and catch a glimpse of the world, and the other people in it who are not me.

I see others having troubles, and I talk someone else off a ledge, read about angst and uncertainty and troubles and depression and boredom and ISSUES. Real issues that are not pretend or fictional, but someone else’s actual reality.

I’m not saying other people’s problems make mine seem smaller or comparative or bigger or whatever. No, that’s not the point at all. What I realize is that everyone is dealing with something, and that something is huge to that person at that time, just like my thing is huge to me when I’m dealing with it—or whatever. Does that even make sense? The point is that it makes me feel not-so-alone as I deal with things. It makes me realize that my thing—no matter what it is—will not be the end of life as I know it (well, unless that involves moving again, and holy freak, I’d like to not do that again for a while, okay?), but maybe just a stepping stone to greater things.

And also, my things, my issues, my troubles and experiences and other crap? It all makes me human. Makes me strong. And strong is something I have always wanted to be. So I guess yeah. Maybe I can handle stuff, and be okay and do hard things. And my friends can too. And we will ALL OF US survive and become strong.

So that’s it. My personal lesson for this week. Everyone has issues, and it’s all good. We’re dealing with life and figuring things out, and no matter how alone we feel, we’re also united in our… insanity? Yes. That’s a good word.

Are you one of the insane ones? 

Staring Down the Crossroads of Uncertainty

Let’s face it. We all feel it. We all have those moments when we are standing at a fork in the road, staring at a number of choices, all of which have pros and cons, and none of which stands out as the absolute right one.

We all have those moments when we have no idea what comes next, and we have to take a leap of faith.

This year, I have come to a number of those crossroads. Honestly, I think this is the year of wide, scary crossroads for me, and the year when I spend more time than ever closing my eyes, holding my nose, and jumping into dark, murky waters or some other strange abyss.

Why can’t the abyss ever be filled with cotton candy or ice cream or sparkly jewelry? *sigh*

This week, I’m staring at another one. A difficult choice, a future-altering thing, a terrifying what-if.  I’m still not sure which road is best, which path will lead me to the place I hope to someday be. And none of the roads is ideal. But regardless, I have to choose one. For this journey, I may need a machete to cut through the weeds, but somehow, I sense that the hardest choice might be the best. Or, well, that’s how it tends to work out for me.

Still. I think I’m ready.

Yeah. I’m getting good at facing the unknown. And hey, if the road I choose is the wrong one, everything is not lost. I will still have an amazing story to tell.

So yeah. Cheer me on, would you? Tell me your amazing story?

Summah! (And other important stuff to do.)

Okay, so I know I’ve been somewhat incognito here and on social networking sites and all that jazz, but our move (from rental to owned-home) is complete (although, unpacking 20 years of crap is going to be a constant work in progress) and I’m diving back into edits/rewrites/drafts and planning to hit my writing hard this summer.

Usually, I don’t work as hard during the summer months because my kids are all over the place and I like to do fun summer things with them. But, um, I feel like I have lost a lot of time this year, which means I will spend the summer catching up.  This means juggling the two is bound to get interesting.

First on the agenda, an updated draft of a book my agent needs ASAP. Second, taking a look at the zero draft of the sequel for DESCENDANT and drafting a workable, editable manuscript. Third—a rewrite (like number 16 or something) of a book I wrote two-ish years ago (maybe three?) that keeps feeling not-quite-ready. And finally, a totally new draft of an idea I started on over a year ago before my life EXPLODED. I’d like to have those first three things I mentioned finished by the end of summer, and hope to be starting on the fourth by September.

Can I do it? That remains to be seen. I may need an incentive of some kind. And some accountability. And some encouragement. I can count on all of you for the latter two, right? And as for incentive, well. Maybe…

A new writing desk? Or a writing patio? Or maybe smaller scale, like shoes. Trips to the beach. Or a night out with friends. Something fun! (Your ideas are welcome and helpful.)

So yeah. Lots of awesome things to keep me excited about working. Now if only I can find a quiet place until my new in-home office is set up (including temporary folding table).

*twiddles thumbs and glances sidelong at more boxes*

Until then, I’d love to hear about what productive/non-productive things you’re planning this summer!

Awesome Books WEEK!!! (And yet ANOTHER contest.)

OH. My. Gosh. You guys!

Have you seen the awesome that has been released this week? And by awesome, I mean books, of course. There are so many, and I am excited for every one. SO EXCITED. Like, majorly. BIG TIME. Enough to use three exclamation points in the title of this post, and I never condone actions like that. That is how stoked I am.

Also, I am so very bummed, because all these releases mean launch parties in places where I am not, and so I will be missing some seriously stellar events. There will be tears. No avoiding it. But I am still so excited about these books that I just have to share them with all of you. Because, seriously, if I can’t be to the events, the least I can do is cyber-celebrate.

And because I can’t be with the authors on their big days, I think a little drawing thingie is in order. Here’s what I’m thinking. I want pictures. Send me a picture of you and YOUR copy of any of the following books (or all of them!) and I will enter you into a drawing to win one FREE e-copy of my book, DESCENDANT. That’s right. FREE! You can send me your pics via Facebook or Twitter (tag me using my handle @nicholegiles), or email me at writenichole @ gmail . com by no later than midnight on Saturday, June 8^th, and I will draw a random winner. Winner will be announced Wednesday, June 12^th- -ish. One entry per book purchased (if you buy all of them, you’ll have an entry for all!). Open internationally.

Deal? Okay then.

Here are your options:

Happy reading, happy buying, and…oh, um, happy June!

Guest Post: Donna K.Weaver, author of A Change of Plans

Hi all! Today, I have the pleasure of hosting fellow Rhemalda author, Donna K. Weaver, whose book, A Change of Plans comes out TODAY! Yes, that's right. It's Donna's book birthday.

*throws confetti and blows up balloons*

Happy book birthday Donna! Today, Donna is going to tell us a bit about how setting is important to her story.

Nichole, thank you for having me for a visit. I'll touch on one of the settings in my book, A Change of Plans. It's the story of a cruise excursion gone bad. The main character ends up marooned on a tropical island where a Banyan tree plays an important part. These fig trees are characterized by aerial prop roots. With age, they grow into thick woody trunks and can become indistinguishable from the main trunk. Sometimes the core of the tree can die, but it continues to live and spread out because of the aerial root system.

I took this picture in Kona, Hawaii a few years ago.

When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old Colorado high school teacher wants is to forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a vacation diversion; what fate provides is Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship’s make-believe world and its temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

However, fear is an emotion too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship—on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.

Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise’s snorkeling excursions in American Samoa and paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped. Lyn’s fear of a fairy tale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.

Donna K. Weaver
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

It's Moving Week and Brave by Sara Bareilles

That's right, it's here. My second moving week this year. And once again, I'm going to take the week off from blogging because of a combination of me being crazy busy and not having a solid internet connection/finding my computer/hooking up stuff and whatever whatever.

So instead, please enjoy this fabulous new music video, Brave by Sara Bareilles. I love this song, and I think we should all do exactly this. Let's all be brave and let the words fall out!

I'll be back next week. Hopefully. Happy end of May!