Catching Up and Coming Back and Summer

Guys! You know how in my last blog I said I was going to take a two week hiatus? And it’s been like four instead. That is just how crazy moving has been for me. We have so much catching up to do!

To save time and space, here’s a quick rundown:

At the beginning of July, my husband was offered a new job that took us from Texas back to Utah. (You know it had to be good to drag me away from my beach!)

I spent the rest of the month packing and preparing to put my house on the market and move my family.

When my husband was finished with his job in Texas, we took a week to visit Orlando, FL, to look at apartments for my daughter who is going to school there (and yes, we did visit Disney and Universal, because—obviously.)

I finally got to visit Hogwarts!

Immediately after returning from Florida, it was time to move. Since our movers fell through at the last minute (their fault, not ours), we improvised. I learned to tow like a BOSS! While transporting a small zoo (2 dogs, a cat, a rabbit, 3 kids, 2 adults).

We arrived in Utah, and immediately picked up this beautiful family member—which we have missed tremendously. (Yes, I am a water person, clearly.)

A short week after arriving, it was time to move my daughter to Florida. So she and I took an epic road trip.

On my returning flight, I *finally* started editing a project I planned to have finished in June.

Last week, my kids started school, and I have been catching up on sleep. This week, I am BACK TO EDITING AND WRITING!

And on September 19-20 I will be visiting Kansas City, KS to present at the LDStorymakers Midwest Conference. There is a massive Author event at a local library the afternoon of September 19^th, so if you’re in the area, definitely stop by and say hi!

 *deep breath* That’s a lot of stuff, y’all!

I am now back to blogging, and writing, and all that fun author stuff. I’m going to stick with my current once-a-week posting on Tuesdays for now, but if you want to hear from me more often, you can always follow me on Facebook, where I post a little more frequently, but not obnoxiously so (I hope). Also, for the most up-to-date news and contests, I’d love to have you sign up for my author newsletter (sign up on the sidebar thereà).

And now that I’ve caught you all up on what’s happening with me, what did you do this summer? 

Possibly Another List, Pics, and Great Deals on Books

Okay, so I think I'm changing my stance on the whole not-liking-lists thing I mentioned last week. That was a quick and easy way to breeze through lots of topics, and I pretty much covered everything I needed to in one fell swoop.

Maybe James Dashner has it right. (As long as I've known him, he is the KING of making lists.)

So yeah. I might make another one. Just because the last one was more fun than I anticipated. But this one won't be as long.

Okay, here we go. A new, shorter list of spring things.

1. In my last list, I forgot about the tulips. Tulips are some of my very favorite flowers, but I haven't seen any growing in south Texas. So I had to take a picture of these ones at Thanksgiving Pointe in Lehi, Utah. Aren't they gorgeous? They just make me all kinds of smiley.

2. It's possible I have neglected some of my favorite parts of Texas in the spring. So there's this.

And this.

And also this. (Why yes, that is a baby pineapple plant! Tell me that's not the cutest thing you've ever seen.)

3. Tomorrow, check back here and you will see some AWESOME deals on books that have dragons in them. If you've read DESCENDANT and/or BIRTHRIGHT, you know that my dragons are of an entirely different variety from most. But DESCENDANT is listed for a smokin deal for just ONE DAY. So be sure to come back.

4.  If you've read and loved BIRTHRIGHT, but haven't left a review yet, you might want to gather your thoughts about it. Anyone who posts a review between now and June 7th will be entered into a drawing for an Amazon gift card. *Details to come soon.

5. Let's talk about summer vacations. I'm feeling a Disney vibe in my house these days. It's been years since we visited a Disney park, and I have a weakness for fairy tales and anything Disney-esque. But so far, no solid plans. What about you? What fun summer activities or trips are you planning?

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.

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!

The Best Outcome Starts with a Hard Choice

Last weekend, my family and I flew to Texas to scope out the city where we will be moving, and to look for a rental house to live in until our home in Utah sells. It’s a beautiful place, close to the water (I’ve always dreamed of living near the ocean) and small enough to not be overwhelming, while near enough to a bigger city to not make us feel isolated. Sort of the best of both worlds.

And if it weren’t for all the comforts and people we’re leaving behind, our decision to move there would have been a no brainer.

But we are leaving behind people we love, and a place where we’re established and comfortable. Where my kids have friends and we all know what to expect of things as small as seasonal changes, and as big as cultural expectations. And I’m not going to lie. It’s not an easy thing to do. Even with all the benefits to our family (there’s a really good job involved) it’s hard.

So why are we doing it?

Because we know that the best results usually start with the hardest decisions. And though I know I’ve said it before, it bears mentioning again. We can do hard things.

We. Can. Do. Hard. Things.

These are the things that make us strong. That define us. That determine our future. And as much as we humans might wish otherwise, this is the way dreams are discovered.

This move isn’t an easy one. There will be tears and heartache and grief. But it’s nothing we can’t handle. Because we’re dreamers, and it’s just what we do.

What about you? What hard thing are you doing this month?

Useful Stuff

So, I’m getting ready to move, and that means I’m cleaning out, like, everything. And we’re getting rid of stuff. So. Much. Stuff.

Guys, if you ever want to feel like a hoarder, decide to move a long distance. You go through every cupboard and closet and storage area evaluating whether or not you can live with 100 empty prescription bottles or that drawer full of mini hotel shampoos. Because, come on. It’s taken you like, nine years to amass this collection, so it’s not easy to dump it in the trash, right?

If you have to fit your entire life onto a single truck, and the movers charge by weight (or if you’re doing the Uhaul thing and have limited space) you take the time to reconsider the need for that collection you’ve been saving. At some point, you must have thought of a possible use for these things. There must have been some point in time when you wished you had a 20 year old bottle of designer perfume or a once-used fuchsia lipstick. There MUST be a reason for saving these things, right? (Don’t laugh, I dumped them. I really did!)

But the creative side of me has to take a minute to recognize that there is a use for everything. That perfume could be a useful weapon against potential…attackers. Yes, that’s it. And that lipstick could be used as, um, oh, I know, part of a disguise. Yes. And the pill bottles? You could totally build a tower out of those, or dump them on the floor in place of marbles ala Home Alone. Same with the shampoos. Slick-shoes ala Goonies.

See? There really is a use for all the crap I just threw away.

Therefore, I’m no longer going to feel like a Hoarder. Yes. Okay.

Please tell me you keep crap because you know someday you’ll use it. Just humor me, okay? 

One Last Secret

So. Um. We’re still celebrating at our house. But it’s a different kind of celebrating than I did when all this happened. More like a holy-crap-what-did-we-get-ourselves-into? kind of celebrating. And a pack-your-entire-life-and-family-in-a-truck kind of celebrating.

Because people, the Giles family…

Is MOVING TO TEXAS!!!

That’s right, y'all.  Portland, Texas, to be specific, which is right outside Corpus Christi. Best part?

This.

We expect to be there just before Thanksgiving. Which means I will not be writing a novel this November, but I will totally be cheering on all my NaNoWriMo friends. So I’m dusting off my cowboy boots, donning my hat, and uncovering my long buried y'all drawl. Or, er, um. Okay, maybe I’m really just packing, but still. I’m SO. Excited.

Except the part where I have to leave behind people I love. That is not excitement. There will be many tears on moving day. (And hugs to all of you!)Remember how I told you all to do something big? Well. Yeah. This is kind of big, I think. Now it’s your turn, because after this, I’m going to need a long, long nap.

Now tell me. What new and exciting thing are you going to try this month? 

Family Fun Matters

By Nichole Giles

In case you’re wondering why I haven’t posted in over a week, I’ll put your worries to rest. (Yeah, I said worries. I just know you’ve been biting your nails about what terrible fate has befallen me—your most beloved author—and can I just say, eeew. Nail biting is a disgusting habit; you really ought to quit doing it.) I’ve been out of town visiting some family in Texas.

If you’ve never been to Texas, you might be wondering what there could possibly be to do there besides sing country music and say ya’ll a bunch of times. In fact, my neighbor asked me that very question (well, okay, minus the reference to music and language) when she heard we’d gone there. My first answer was, “My sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and new niece are there.” But my second answer was, “Oh my gosh, there’s so much to do we couldn’t possibly fit it all into one trip.”

This time, we chose to fly into San Antonio, where we stayed for a few days. First off, we met my sister and the kids and went straight to the Riverwalk—which is ripe with culture and ambiance and is just a downright cool place. We walked from one end to the other—detouring for a little while to visit the Alamo.

Also in the area, is Sea World—which as I discovered, is quite different from the California version, but equally as fun—and the world famous water park, Schliterbahn. My kids thought it was extremely cool that there are three separate sections to this park, which are each so large you have to get there by car or shuttle. And the slides and things are, in my daughter’s words, “coolio!” Just don’t lose someone in between like we did or you’ll end up searching fruitlessly for hours to find them.

There’s also a Six Flags in S.A., but we opted out of that one this time, and took a drive to Corpus Christi for a day and night at the beach. Granted, Gulf beaches aren’t the most gorgeous beaches, and the water is pretty murky, but it was the ocean, and to us, absolutely breathtaking. The sand was rough, and there were jellyfish everywhere, (perfect for “jellyfishing” as my nephew was apt to do) but the water was really warm, and the sight of the full moon over the sea that night was enough to steal a person’s focus for hours. Also in the area was a museum of a WWII battleship, the USS Lexington, complete with rows of real aircraft that was launched off the ship’s deck during the war. Very cool stuff.

Then it was another drive—this one a bit longer—through Austin into Temple, TX, to see my sister’s cute house, and her husband who wasn’t able to join us in our sightseeing earlier. It was so nice to spend some time there, and actually eat some home-cooked meals. We had an awesome time, and were so excited to be with family we don’t see nearly as often as we’d like.

The killer is, there is so much more we want to do and see while Jodi’s living in the Lone Star State. Six Flags in Fort Worth, the NASA museum near Houston, Galveston (which is crammed with beautiful architecture, nice beaches, and a cruise port) and bunches of other places we haven’t discovered yet.

So, in case you’re wondering, I was skipping out on work, blogs, writing, laundry, and everything else I could have been doing, in order to party with my family. It was a much needed, and yet exhausting, summer trip. And now I’m back. All is well, and I didn’t fall off the face of the earth, although thunderstorms and severe winds did their best to make our planes (four total) fall out of the sky. But we prevailed. Apparently, the powers that be upstairs have bigger things in mind for me.

Hi ho. Hi ho. It’s back to writing I go…