What's Up Wednesday: Ready? Set. WRITE! #4

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Jamie Morrow and Erin Funk. A great way for readers and writers to keep up with each other. Thanks to tweets from Elodie Nowodazkij and Katy Upperman, I've joined in the fun of both What's Up Wednesday and Ready! Set. Write! (created by Alison Miller).

What I'm Reading

I FINALLY finished Raven Boys. And now I'm ready for the second in the series. But for now I'm listening to Ender's Game in preparation for the movie in November. I also finished Keeping the Moon and have started What Happened to Goodbye.

What I'm Writing

I have hit 2K on When the Wind Blow's! I got behind on my word count this week thanks to a crazy week at work, a holiday and family in town. But I've hit a good stride the past two days and hope to keep it up. I'm aiming for 800-1000 words a day to catch up on camp nano. I've enjoyed reading clips of what everyone else is writing so I thought I'd add one here. Please excuse the mess...this is UNEDITED! I'm trying the whole write without editing thing. It's hard!!!

“Be right out,” I yell. I towel off and wrap myself in my old blue cotton robe that has been hanging on the back of the door since I left. I take a big whiff. Mama must have washed it within the past few days. It smells like detergent and sunshine.
“Bout time,” Shawn says as he walks into the bathroom. “Oh, and Mom’s looking for you. Someone’s in truuu-ble.” He snickers before shutting the door. At eighteen, he’s a year older than me but still acts eight.
“Whatever,” I mutter and go to my room. I run a comb through my hair, pull it into another pony tail—my signature hairstyle for the past year—and throw on a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. With a deep sigh I go downstairs and look for Mama. “Mama?”
“In here, dear.” I follow her voice to the kitchen.
“What’s for breakfast,” I ask, hoping up on a bar stool and popping one of the freshly washed blueberries in my mouth.
“Blueberry pancakes,” she says, swatting my hand away as I reach for another berry. “And what did I tell you about those?” She nods behind me.
I follow her gaze and see my shoes by the back door. “Oh, sorry. I kicked them off after my workout. I didn’t want to wake you by wearing them upstairs.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t twist an ankle when I tripped over them. And you forgot to unplug the elliptical. You’ve got to be more careful.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say as I steal another blueberry once her back is to me. I turn around and pop it in my mouth with a smile. She bought my story. Barely twenty-four hours back and I already feel like a stranger in my own home.

What Inspires Me Right Now

My friends!!! Setting up writing dates at night (though long distance) with Ginger and Jessica is the best way for me to get motivated.

What Else I've Been Up To

Family, fun and fireworks! That was last week. This week has been work and little league soccer sign ups. I'm debating on coaching U6 soccer. I might be slightly insane.

What's Up Wednesday: Ready? Set. WRITE! #3

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Jamie Morrow and Erin Funk. A great way for readers and writers to keep up with each other. Thanks to tweets from Elodie Nowodazkij and Katy Upperman, I've joined in the fun of both What's Up Wednesday and Ready! Set. Write! (created by Alison Miller).

What I'm Reading

Thanks to the move (see below) I'm now 15-20 minutes away from home instead of 5 so I'll be spending most of my lunches at work in the break room. Which means more time for reading! I finished Invisibility today and started Keeping the Moon. I've got two more Dessen's lined up after this one.

What I'm Writing

Between Ready? Set. Write! and Camp Nano I'm hoping to get a good chunk of my first draft of WHEN THE WIND BLOWS done! My goal for July is 25000. About 800 words a day. I've got a good bit of the research done and a few plot points mapped out. But I'm a pantser at heart so I'll most likely outline as I go.

What Inspires Me Right Now

When I find it, I'll let you know. At the moment the only thing I can concentrate on is sleep. It's taken me almost an hour to focus just on this blog post. Okay, now make that an hour and a half. Oy!

What Else I've Been Up To

Boxes, boxes and more boxes! We moved this weekend. Packed up the old house Thursday night (photos below), moved it Friday, started unpacking and finished on Saturday. Busy, busy weekend. But it's done so I can get back to normal. At least by this weekend. With a co-worker out I'm pulling double duty. Lost of running from one side of the bank to the other. At least we have Thursday off! Big cookout planned at my parents with family, food and fireworks!

What's Up Wednesday: Ready? Set. WRITE! #2

What I'm Reading

Still reading Requiem by Lauren Oliver and listening to The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. But I finished Our Song yesterday and I'm starting Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan today!

What I'm Writing

Thanks to tweets from Elodie Nowodazkij and Katy Upperman, I'm joining in on the Ready. Set. Write. (created by Alison Miller) fun this summer. I was going to spend the first week researching and plotting, BUT I got notes back from a CP on my MS ONE MORE SUMMER. So I took some time to go through those, rewrite a chapter, and brush up my query. But hey, writing is writing! Last night I sent out 10 new queries. Fingers crossed. And now to wait. So, while I do that, I'll get back on track with researching.

What Inspires Me Right Now

My crazy energetic son. If only I could bottle that energy. I'd accomplish so much more.

What Else I've Been Up To

ABC Family's Greek (on Netflix). My good friend Ginger at GReads got me hooked and I just can't stop watching!

What's Up Wednesday: Ready? Set! WRITE! #1

What I'm Reading

I'm usually reading more than one book at a time. Right now is no exception...I've got three books going. E book: Requiem by Lauren Oliver. Physical book: Our Song by Jordanna Fraiberg. Audio book: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.

What I'm Writing

Thanks to tweets from Elodie Nowodazkij and Katy Upperman, I'm joining in on the Ready. Set. Write. (created by Alison Miller) fun this summer. My goal is to plan, plot and research during the month of June. Then to start writing in July and August. I'm not much of an outline, I tend to outline every few chapters. I always have an idea where I want the story to begin and end but the middle is a complete mystery. I like to let my characters take me on a ride through their lives.

What Inspires Me Right Now

Incredible books like Golden, Second Chance Summer and Amy and Rogers Epic Detour.

What Else I've Been Up To

I decided to take time off from writing to get back to another love: reading. My current MS is with one of my CPs after a round of revision. While waiting on her notes I've been reading as many books (so far I've read 8 since Memorial Day weekend) as I can while also doing a beta read for a friend.

Cover Reveal - Blood Revelation

Jamie Manning, author of Blood Born and Blood Awakening, is revealing the cover for the third and final installment of The Blood Prophecy series and I'm so excited to be part of it! I've been a fan since I got my hands on the first book. The covers for this series have been gorgeous and Blood Revelation doesn't disappoint! I just adore these books. See for yourself!

Awesome, right?! I've always loved the blue tint of the covers. They give off a mysterious and creepy vibe (which still being beautiful), putting you in the right mood for the book. And while Chance got his....er...chance to shine on the Blood Awakening cover, Erik gets his turn in the spotlight this go round. I'm curious to see what everyone thinks.

Waking up in a coffin hungry for blood is only the beginning for sixteen-year-old Ava Blue. When Chance Caldon, the hottie who dug her up, tells her she's half vampire, Ava's world really turns upside down.
Half vamp? Ava can't believe it...she doesn't even know what that means! Not until Aldric, a thousand-year-old vampire, shows up and tells her it's true--and that he's the one who turned her. Then Ava truly begins to believe what she is. Now she has to deal with a sudden and powerful bloodlust, the desire to see Aldric dead, and her growing crush for Chance. Ava knows she's a monster now, she can feel it; and her life is over.
But redemption isn't lost. Aldric is giving her a chance to regain her humanity. The price? Kill 100 vampires, or remain a bloodsucker forever.
So Ava sets out to get her life back. But killing vampires begins a battle that could destroy everything she is working toward. In the end, Ava's decision will forever change her life and the lives of those she loves.

Ava’s life went from bad to worse the night Chance became a vampire.
He won’t have anything to do with her. Ava understands why—because he blames her—but it doesn't mean she likes it.
And it doesn't help that she’s starting to feel something for Erik, the boy who once wanted her dead. Especially when Chance decides that he does still love her, and wants her to be with him for eternity.
Now she has a choice: Humanity…or forever as a vampire with Chance. 
But Ava wants nothing more than to be human again. At least, she thought that was all she wanted. 
Thankfully her best friend Kayla has a plan to distract Ava from her boy troubles, and they go in search of Kayla’s missing dad. A great idea, but one that brings Sebastian back into Ava’s life. Along with another, more sinister former member of his coven. 
Sebastian and Zyris face off against Ava and her friends, resulting in Ava making yet another choice that changes the course of everyone’s lives, and leaves her wondering if being human again is really worth losing everything.

Make sure you follow Jamie on twitter and his web site for future updates on the final book in the Blood Prophecy series. 

Winner Announced! Love-A-Thon Giveaway!!! (closed)

Congrats to Jasmine Rose!!!!!!!!!!!!! Random.org picked #1 (it actually picked it twice in row...I was shocked). I'll be emailing you shortly!

My friends Katelyn and Alexa are hosting a Book Blogger Love-A-Thon this weekend. Twenty-four hours dedicated to giving love to your favorite book blogs. I participated last year and had a blast and met some really awesome book bloggers. I wasn't able to participate this year but decided I wanted to do something to contribute. So...(with Katelyn's permission) I'm doing a giveaway for one of the participants!!

I've found myself with two copies of The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (not the first time this has happened either...I have an addiction and forget what books I own sometimes) and have been trying to figure out what to do with the extra copy. And what better way to share the love than a Love-A-Thon.

So if you're participating in the Love-A-Thon (yes, I will check with Katelyn or your blog), live in the US and would like to win this book, all you have to do is comment bellow and leave your blog link and email address I can contact you at. No liking or following or tweeting involved. And since the Love-A-Thon ends at midnight eastern, I'll let the contest run through noon tomorrow (eastern time). Anything time stamped after won't be counted and I'll pick a winner with random.org. If I don't hear back from the winner in forty eight hours, I'll pick another one. I'll do my best to get the book out this week, but I have class for work in another town (an hour away), so it might not be until the week after. But it will get mailed! Promise! 

Entry for Cupid's Kissing Scene Contest - One More Summer

Lead in: Devyn and Tyler were summer neighbors until three years ago when Devyn moved away. She's hated Tyler since they were kids when he was always picking on her. Now she's walking with her friends, Hannah and Stephanie, to Tyler's house after a game of Truth or Dare to avoid talking about what brought her back for the summer.

I glance at my phone.—the clock reads 10:00. Shit. Too late to knock. I walk to the back of the house, hoping a few light taps on the window will be enough to get his attention.

I’m right. Tyler’s blinds open and he stands there, shirtless. He doesn't open the window so I motion for him to come outside. I’m standing in the doorway when he opens it. Of course he could have put a shirt on before coming out here. But that would have been too easy.

 “What’s up?” he asks, stretching one arm up along the door-frame and leaning into it. Something black catches my eye. It looks like vines creeping along his rib cage and the top of his shoulders.

Tyler clears his throat and I peel my stare away from his chest. Shaking my head I answer, “Just this.”

Without thinking I step forward and rise onto my tip-toes. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to my level. Before my brain talks me out of it I press my lips to his.

Butterflies.

He doesn’t resist. It’s as if he expected it. Or wanted it, which is more disturbing. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me to him. It’s awkward at first with our height difference, but when his lips begin to move against mine, warm and gentle, I can’t help but respond. My mind is screaming at me to stop, but my body takes over. I trail my fingers up his neck and into his hair, pulling him even closer. Before I know it his tongue is running along my lips, setting my nerves on fire. My body heats up and I melt into him. His arms wrap tighter around me and in seconds my feet are off the ground and around his waist.

Hannah coughs behind us and my body immediately shuts down. I wiggle against him until his grip on my legs loosens and I slide down his body. I turn around to see Stephanie staring at me, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open.