It Begins

And by “it” I mean summer.

I’m not going to lie. I *heart* summer. It’s my favorite season by miles and miles. Always has been. Shorts? Check. Swimsuits? Check. Sundresses? Check. Sunscreen (yes, I always use it)? Check. Sandals? Check.

Vacation plans? Yep. (In two weeks, peeps! TWO!)

Boating plans? Absolutely.

Water in the nearby lakes. Uh. Let’s cross our fingers.

Writing time? Um…well. That one gets a little tricky. But. I do have goals, and I intend to accomplish said goals, DESPITE the fact that it might mean staying inside sometimes, or staying awake when I’m tired, or skipping a trip to the pool.

Why? Because I’m a writer. That’s what I do. When I don’t have time to write, I create it.

My goals: Draft a new novel, complete edits on and begin querying my current WIP, write one or two short stories (for the fun of it), and, well. Keep querying. (Because that’s another thing I do—a lot.)

Oh, also, I’d like to go to WorldCON in Chicago (somehow), turn my ab-flab into a six-pack, and get a nice, even tan.

How about you? What are your goals this summer?

What if?

As seems to be my pattern lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about success and how to be successful in my career as a writer. I know I’m not the only person I know who is going through a strange and unsettling lull in life. You know that lull. Where you try and try and try and fight and fight and fight to cross a line or jump a hurdle or take another step and no matter what you do, you feel like you just. Can’t. Get. There.


But what if.


What if success isn’t a place.


What if success, like happiness, is a state of mind?


What if.


I’ve already made it to that place without even noticing?


What if?

Why I Write For Young Adults

My son is graduating from high school next week. Yes, this freaks me out/makes me feel old. I have no idea where time has gone. (Kids, every adult you know will say this to you at some point, and today it’s my turn—time goes so, so, way too fast.) This graduation is a turning point for my whole family.


After this, I will have one-fewer child in pre-college schools. It’s entirely possible I’ll have one-fewer person living in my house, going on family trips, doing, well, other family things.


I remember being at this point myself not long ago. (Seriously, it was only like last year!) There was such a sense of excitement/trepidation/terror/happiness/fear/anxiety/expectation involved with growing up and being a real-life adult. I could make my own decisions and do my own thing and go my own way.


For me, turning eighteen was the biggest turning point in life. And now, years and years later, it remains that place where I catapulted into an entirely new existence.


The other day, I realized that the majority of characters in my books are right on this same cusp. They are seventeen/eighteen, standing on the ledge, ready to dive into that place from where they can never, ever come back.


It is the place where one big important thing ends, and something new and exciting and HUGE begins. It’s the day when everything changes, and the day life will never be the same.


This is where our real stories begin. And I think that’s why I write for young adults.

What time of life stands out most in your mind? Do you tend to write about those experiences too?

Winners of the It's So Cherry Spring Kickoff Contest

(I was supposed to post this yesterday, but didn't get it done. My bad!)

We are excited to announce the winners of our Spring Kickoff Giveaway. Thanks to everyone who participated. We hope you will continue to follow us. We have fun things coming up, and hope to do another contest before too long. Congratulations to all the winners!
Grand Prize

Crystal Young

Jennifer@ Fictitious Musings

Angela Brown

Jenn Wilks



Winners of Barefoot Sandals

Ellen Cloch

Chelsea Haller

Ricki@ Reading Challenged

Melody J

Alissa (No last name offered)

Danyelle Ferguson

June M.

Tamera Westhoff

Jessica Foster

Brooke Berry

Erin Anderson

Jean (No last name offered)

Michelle Hudak

Lexie@ BookBug

Heidi Cole

Andrea Rossel

Kassandra (No last name offered)

Sayomay (No last name offered)

Carla (No last name offered)

Tobi (No last name offered)



We will be emailing the winners to get shipping information. Winners will have seven days to respond, after which alternates will be chosen. Prizes will ship within ten business days.

Because We All Come Close

So, I would like to reword this a little bit because I'm just neurotic like this so I really want this to say: Many of life's failures happen because people did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

(No offense, Thomas Edison. I just don't think failures in life = failures as people, and I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant either.)

I believe this happens all the time. People give up, or almost give up, right before they're about to succeed. But I also believe that there are people who refuse to quit, and who make it through that last stretch and cross over the bar. Now I have a question. Who do you know that kept at something, regardless of how many times they fell or how hard they fell, and eventually succeeded?

A Funny, Some Encouragement, and Perspective

First, a little funny for my friends fighting in the query/submission trenches.

Next, a little encouragement.

Some perspective. 

No matter where you are or where you go, it's always possible to find a lucky star (or starfish, as the case may be). 

And no matter how hard things get, the sun will keep rising and setting, and so will you.

 

And now that I've fulfilled my job as cheerleader, get back to work. 

Carry on! 

The Things that Matter Most

I recently listened to a speech given by a man who is a well known and highly prolific author. This man has been hugely and highly successful in his field. In large part, this has had to do with his ability to take on every project or idea ever thrown at him, which has—in turn—given him the opportunity to produce as many as four-six bestsellers EACH YEAR.

Wow, right?

But as I listened to this man speak, I found myself pondering my own abilities and what assignments like his could do to my private and personal life.

Truth=I wouldn’t have one.

As much as I want to write bestselling novels, or make a living as a writer, or, heck, even get another novel published—there are things I want even more. Things that are eternally more important to me.

My children. My husband. Other people who are an important part of my daily life. Even my writer friends.

The central theme here is people, which basically breaks down to relationships. And relationships with people take work. And time. And the ability to give back to others—something I don’t know how I would be able to do, were I to take on so much huge responsibility as the man I heard speaking.

Granted, I write a lot. Every day, I dedicate a certain amount of time to my career as an author. I’m good with deadlines, speed-writing, and knowing what to give up and when to get my stuff done. But I also know my limits.

As much as I’m happy for the success of the above mentioned speaker, I don’t envy him. Clearly, he’s really good at working with his hands full. Good for him that he can pull it off and still manage to have a wife and kids.

Unfortunately, I am not like that. I need my sleep. And my family. And at the end of the day, I will always choose to prioritize relationships. If that means I can only write one, or two, or three bestsellers a year, well. I’m okay with that.  

Because even though writing is an important part of my life—there are other things that matter more.

What about you? What are your priorities?

Humbled, Grateful Thanks.

Last week I attended one of my all-time favorite gathering of writers, the LDStorymakers’ annual writer’s conference. I love this conference because a lot of my friends—fellow writers / authors—generally attend. It is run by the group of people who originally convinced me that I really can do this writing thing, and that it doesn’t matter if I’m a stay-at-home mom of four from a small town in Utah. They taught me early on that writing books isn’t scary and intimidating, nor is it impossible.

This year, I find myself a bit short on descriptive words, because when it comes to support from the writing community, I am truly rich. So many people have offered to take my hand and help me up whenever I need it—which seems to be more and more frequently lately. They are always there to give me renewed energy and help me to believe that I can do impossible things.

It leaves me more than grateful, and truly humbled.

I love my friends. So instead of talking about everything I’ve learned, I want to say thanks. To my blog readers, to my biggest supporters, to my true and ever-loyal friends.

You know who you are—all of you.

Wherever my path leads, I am beyond blessed to know each one of you.

So thanks. That’s all. Just thanks. It is because of you that I will never, ever give up.  

A May Giveaway: The It's So Cherry Super Spring Kickoff

Hi all! I figured it's been a while since I did a giveaway, and because it's May, and spring is already in full swing for me, I think it's about time.

Also, my sister has started a new company called It's So Cherry, which sells one spectacularly priced fun item per day. So far, most of the items have been women's accessories, but I hear they're planning to offer home accessories and things for men soon as well. So I'm helping her with this blog tour, and because of that YOU, my awesome readers, get an opportunity to win a goodie bag full of these really fun things.

And hey, just in time for Mother's Day, yes? So here are all the details, and good luck!

The trees and flowers are blooming, the sun is out (well, sometimes) and we here at It's So Cherry are all about celebrating, so we're giving away gift bags to four lucky winners, and a pair of barefoot sandals to 20 more. That’s right, you have TWENTY-FOUR chances to win.

To enter, register at www.itssocherry.com, and follow one (or more) of the participating blogs, then fill out the form below.

Contest Rules:

- Must be 16 and over

- One prize per household

- Must be registered @www.itssocherry.com

- Only valid for those living within the continental US, or with a United States mailing address

Each grand prize goodie bag will contain (1) Flower necklace set (with earrings), (1) crochet head wrap (color may vary), (1) scarf (color and style may vary), (1) package nail wraps, and (1) black wrap bracelet.  We will also give away 20 pairs of barefoot sandals to 20 winners.  

To enter, simply register for an account with It's So Cherry (www.itssocherry.com) and sign up for their email list.  Entries will be accepted starting Monday, May 7^th, until midnight, mountain standard time, on Friday, May 18^th.  **EXTENDED DEADLINE: Sunday, May 20th, midnight.** 

Prizes will be shipped within 10 business days after contest winners have been announced.   Winners will be selected using random.org, and contacted using the email provided for registration on the It's So Cherry website.  

Names of the goodie bag winners will be posted to participating blog sites as well as the blog for It's So Cherry, www.itssocherry.blogspot.com sometime by Monday, May 21st. Upon notification, winners will have 7 days to respond, after which another winner will be chosen.  

Choice and Accountability

Today I’m thinking about choices, and how whenever we make one, something happens. Maybe it’s good. Maybe it’s bad. Maybe it doesn’t matter, or maybe it does. We might choose to eat pudding for dinner, or pizza for breakfast, or nothing for days and days on end. Or maybe we gorge ourselves, eating everything we see for days and days on a whacked-out junk-food binge. Whatever. The point is that all those things are choices, and they all have consequences.

For instance, if we eat pudding for dinner, we might wake up starving in the middle of the night because our body needs more substance. Or if we eat pizza for breakfast, we might suffer from heartburn for the rest of the day. Or if we starve ourselves, we’ll mess up our metabolism and probably gain more weight than we could ever lose. Or if we binge eat—well, same thing, actually.

But those are small-ish choices. Every day we face bigger, more important choices that will affect our lives forever. Where and how we live, how we act and react, treat others, do with our time, who we love and how we show that love. Every day there are so. Many. Choices. To make.

And also, so many consequences for which we must be accountable.

Accountable. Us. Not everyone else (although, most of the time, our choices do affect others), us.

Regardless of what happens, your choices lead you. And when you get to wherever you’re going, whether it’s a good place or a bad place, it’s not because of anyone else, but because of choices made by YOU.

Food for thought, anyway. Hopefully, it’s more nourishing than the junk-food mentioned above. 

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow, you're only a day away.

Dudes! Tomorrow. Tomorrow is this year’s LDStorymakers writer’s conference, which is one of the largest conferences in Utah. And it’s one of my favorites. And also, I’m totally dragging one of my fab 5 besties with me this year, so it’s going to be extra fun.

Quick thought for the week: What are the five main reasons you attend writer’s conferences (or not)?

Mine:

1.       I love to learn, and this is a great way to learn from industry greats.

2.       I love to be social, and conferences are the best place to do this in a professional sphere.

3.       Face-to-face time with agents, editors, and my favorite authors.

4.       Conferences are a great way to fill your tank of inspiration past the top.

5.       All my friends are there. Well, okay, not all of them. But a lot of them.

What about you?