I had a mini OMG moment! Again, it is one of those times where I win nothing of substantial value. I didn't even win the contest. But recognition for something really got my heart palpitating. Janet Reid held a contest to win Betsey Lerner's The Forest for the Trees. I had actually already bought a copy of the book when she first mentioned it, but entered the contest for fun anyway.
On Saturday, she announced the winner and some honorable mentions. Guess who was listed under "Nicely done stories"?!?!?! ME!
I was just skimming all the honorable mentions and saw "Melanie 4:53 pm". Could it really be? There are tons of Melanies following her blog, I am sure. But when did I post my submission?! I quickly skimmed the submissions on the original post and wouldn't you know it. I sure did submit mine at 4:53 pm!
Like I said, I didn't win anything, but just knowing I was on the radar for something really did it for me. I am complete. Well, for the day anyway!
The rules were:
- Tell a story in 100 words or less.
- You must use these words: Paris, Kids, Cullen, Loathing, Temple.
If you were a smart cookie and could guess what the words had in common, you get bonus points. Of course, once I saw the word "Cullen" I could think of nothing else but Twilight. So, I didn't even try to guess what the answer was. But here is my "Nicely done story":
“What are those pale kids supposed to be?” Mother wondered, tapping her finger to her temple.
“Vampires.” I responded, loathing this wretched holiday and wishing I were in Paris.
“But they don’t have any fangs! You can’t be a vampire without any fangs!”
“They are probably from the Cullen clan; the ones from those wildly popular but highly criticized books. They don’t have fangs.”
Mother opens the door and steps outside.
“What are you doing?” I yelled at her.
“Getting my candy back! That is an incomplete costume! You can’t pretend to be a vampire without any fangs.”
Ok, thanks for letting me brag for a quick minute. I promise my head will deflate now. I honestly do realize that I didn't win the contest. Nor was I even a finalist. But whatevs.
Showing posts with label Blogs Me Likey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogs Me Likey. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Secret Year, by Jennifer R. Hubbard
Wow, another book review! This is very unlike me. But I had put The Secret Year, by Jennifer R. Hubbard on hold at the library and it finally came in. I have been wanting to read it ever since I first read about it from Nathan Bransford's blog and was super excited to read it right away!
From the book jacket:
Colt was with Julia for a year, but nobody else knew about it. Julia lived on Black Mountain Road in a mansion - with servants - and had a country-club boyfriend to complete the package. Colt definitely didn't come from Black Mountain, and no one would have understood why they were together. But it never mattered to them. Until Julia dies in an accident right before her senior year, and Colt is suddenly the only one who knows their secret. He tries to pretend that his life is the same as ever, but he's haunted by memories of Julia. Things get worse after the journal she kept about their romance falls into his hands. Colt searches every entry for answers: Did Julia really love him? Was he somehow to blame for her death? But the ultimate question - one nobody can answer - is how he's supposed to get over someone who was never really his to begin with.
I fell for the plot immediately! It was juicy and tragic and intriguing. At 192 pages, it was a rather short book and I finished it fairly quickly. I enjoy yound adult books, but I would have preferred for this to be longer.
I had thought that there would be a lot of Julia's journal entries, but there were only a handful that were shared. The meat of the story wasn't so much the relationship that Colt had with Julia, but the social divide between the two and the way he deals with his grief over a relationship that was meant to stay secret.
I have a problem that when I start a book, I already have some preempted ideas about who I am supposed to like and dislike. I felt like I was supposed to like Julia, the poor little rich girl who loves her guy from the wrong side of the tracks (the wrong part of Black Mountain in this case), but is forced by high school's social hierarchy to stay with the guy that was "approved" to be with her. So it surprised me that I didn't like Julia the more I read. I came to realize, however, that Julia was never meant to be an exception to the popular rich girl rule; Julia was getting her hands dirty, toying with something new. Despite all her promises (which I am sure she had meant to keep), her upbringing would always steer her into the path that was paved for her. Colt never stood a chance.
I have to say that this is another book that I very much enjoyed. I loved the way Hubbard was able to smoothly transition between the present and the past. Something I have yet to master with my own book. I think she fully grasped the way that teens are today and the decisions they are faced with every day.
If you enjoy young adult books about forbidden loves, this should be on your list to read.
P.S. My next book review won't be for a while since the current book that I am reading is a little over 600 pages!
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Colt was with Julia for a year, but nobody else knew about it. Julia lived on Black Mountain Road in a mansion - with servants - and had a country-club boyfriend to complete the package. Colt definitely didn't come from Black Mountain, and no one would have understood why they were together. But it never mattered to them. Until Julia dies in an accident right before her senior year, and Colt is suddenly the only one who knows their secret. He tries to pretend that his life is the same as ever, but he's haunted by memories of Julia. Things get worse after the journal she kept about their romance falls into his hands. Colt searches every entry for answers: Did Julia really love him? Was he somehow to blame for her death? But the ultimate question - one nobody can answer - is how he's supposed to get over someone who was never really his to begin with.
I fell for the plot immediately! It was juicy and tragic and intriguing. At 192 pages, it was a rather short book and I finished it fairly quickly. I enjoy yound adult books, but I would have preferred for this to be longer.
I had thought that there would be a lot of Julia's journal entries, but there were only a handful that were shared. The meat of the story wasn't so much the relationship that Colt had with Julia, but the social divide between the two and the way he deals with his grief over a relationship that was meant to stay secret.
I have a problem that when I start a book, I already have some preempted ideas about who I am supposed to like and dislike. I felt like I was supposed to like Julia, the poor little rich girl who loves her guy from the wrong side of the tracks (the wrong part of Black Mountain in this case), but is forced by high school's social hierarchy to stay with the guy that was "approved" to be with her. So it surprised me that I didn't like Julia the more I read. I came to realize, however, that Julia was never meant to be an exception to the popular rich girl rule; Julia was getting her hands dirty, toying with something new. Despite all her promises (which I am sure she had meant to keep), her upbringing would always steer her into the path that was paved for her. Colt never stood a chance.
I have to say that this is another book that I very much enjoyed. I loved the way Hubbard was able to smoothly transition between the present and the past. Something I have yet to master with my own book. I think she fully grasped the way that teens are today and the decisions they are faced with every day.
If you enjoy young adult books about forbidden loves, this should be on your list to read.
P.S. My next book review won't be for a while since the current book that I am reading is a little over 600 pages!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
I won!
No, not the lottery.
No, not a literary agent.
No, not my battle with weight (yet!).
I have won immortality!!! Muah-ha-ha-ha!
Well, kind of.
I helped name the Thursday title posts for Melissa! Yay me. Ok, ok, so I didn't win a trophy, but I really was genuinely excited to see it. Go check it out.
Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go win some money from a radio station. I am feelin' lucky!
No, not a literary agent.
No, not my battle with weight (yet!).
I have won immortality!!! Muah-ha-ha-ha!
Well, kind of.
I helped name the Thursday title posts for Melissa! Yay me. Ok, ok, so I didn't win a trophy, but I really was genuinely excited to see it. Go check it out.
Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go win some money from a radio station. I am feelin' lucky!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Weigh-In Wednesday #16
I was watching The Biggest Loser last night and Ashley had lost four pounds in one week, which, to her, was very disappointing. I don't know about you, but if I lost four pounds in one week, I would be willing to run the risk of being disowned by all of my friends and calling them at 6:00 am to celebrate my four pound achievement. It takes me two months to lose four pounds and it took Ashley a week. I do understand that it is a different situation and that all they do is workout on The BL, whereas I have real life to deal with on top of fitting in a work out.
So, although I didn't lose a staggering four pounds, I am ecstatic about my 1.2 pound weight loss this week! Not acceptable by BL standards, I am sure I would've been voted off, but by my standards, this week was a win. Yay me!
I found that fasting on Monday really did help me get in the mindset of Phase I for South Beach. I really was happy to just be able to put something, anything, in my mouth. I didn't miss a single carb. Of course, this is just the beginning of day two, so we will see how the momentum keeps up.
To help keep the momentum going, I have been searching for good weight-loss blogs and found one that is truly inspiring: Body by Pizza. Love the title already. The truly amazing thing? She has lost 111 pounds in 16 months! No folks, that was not a typo - one hundred and eleven pounds! And she did it the old fashioned way - working out and counting calories.
One of the things that makes me enjoy a blog are the author's personal pictures, and Rachel has some wonderful before and afters and other pictures throughout her entries. I guess I am still a kid and need pictures whenever I am reading something! Another reason I love Rachel's blog is that she is smart. And crass. Her writing, to me at least, is intelligent and witty. Throw in a couple of expletives and I am hooked!
Another aspect of her blog that I like is that she has a list of her monthly weight and how much she had lost overall for that month on her sidebar. I loved that idea and decided to add my own list to my blog. And you know what? It really made me feel like I have accomplished something. Doing a weekly weigh-in is still a must, but sometimes I have really bad weeks and I feel like I should give up because I can't really control my eating habits. But when I see an overall weight-loss for that month (even if it is just one pound) it really does make it worthwhile.
Current Weight: 205.4 lbs.
So, although I didn't lose a staggering four pounds, I am ecstatic about my 1.2 pound weight loss this week! Not acceptable by BL standards, I am sure I would've been voted off, but by my standards, this week was a win. Yay me!
I found that fasting on Monday really did help me get in the mindset of Phase I for South Beach. I really was happy to just be able to put something, anything, in my mouth. I didn't miss a single carb. Of course, this is just the beginning of day two, so we will see how the momentum keeps up.
To help keep the momentum going, I have been searching for good weight-loss blogs and found one that is truly inspiring: Body by Pizza. Love the title already. The truly amazing thing? She has lost 111 pounds in 16 months! No folks, that was not a typo - one hundred and eleven pounds! And she did it the old fashioned way - working out and counting calories.
One of the things that makes me enjoy a blog are the author's personal pictures, and Rachel has some wonderful before and afters and other pictures throughout her entries. I guess I am still a kid and need pictures whenever I am reading something! Another reason I love Rachel's blog is that she is smart. And crass. Her writing, to me at least, is intelligent and witty. Throw in a couple of expletives and I am hooked!
Another aspect of her blog that I like is that she has a list of her monthly weight and how much she had lost overall for that month on her sidebar. I loved that idea and decided to add my own list to my blog. And you know what? It really made me feel like I have accomplished something. Doing a weekly weigh-in is still a must, but sometimes I have really bad weeks and I feel like I should give up because I can't really control my eating habits. But when I see an overall weight-loss for that month (even if it is just one pound) it really does make it worthwhile.
Current Weight: 205.4 lbs.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Blog Award!!!
Ok, day late and a dollar short... Here is the post that I had ready for Monday, but didn't have time to put all the links to the blogs:
Finally, my post about my precious blog award. Highly anticipated, I'm sure :) It was presented to me by Anna from TheShoppingGirl. Why thank you! I accept! If you haven't read her blog, you should! She recently started, so if you follow her now you are pretty much on this journey with her from the beginning. I don't know about you, but I like to find interesting blogs by people who recently started. It's fun to start a journey with someone than trying to catch up from two years ago.
So, onto my blog award! Here it is in all it's shiny, happy glory:
To accept this little slice of sunshine, here are the rules:
• Put the Logo on your sidebar, or within a post.
• Pass the award onto 12 Bloggers.
• Link the nominees within your post.
• Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.
Here are the 12 blogs that I would like to send a shoutout to:
1.) See Pam Write, See Pam Run - Love her blog for several reasons, the main one being that she is on a quest to get published (like me!) and that she is on a fitness journey (like me too!). She started around the same time that I started my blog, and she recently changed the formatting of her blog which includes a detailed description of her dream literary agents - Love It!
2.) Straitjackets Are Slimming - I have blogged about this one here. Seriously must read sarcasm in every post!
3.) BlogBaby - The cutest blog you will ever come across. Show her some love, her family is going through a rough patch!
4.) Bobby Pin Blog - I am new to her blog, but think it is retro-awesome!
5.) Ex Hot Girl - Talk about weight-loss inspiration! Plus she is a photographer, and they always have the best blogs.
6.) Make-Up by RenRen - It took me a long time to find a good blog on makeup - my absolute favorite thing in the world - but I finally found one! Plus, I gotta represent - she is Filipina just like moi!
7.) The Shoe Girl's Blog - Legitimately THE shoe girl. She was practically born into the business and is a shoe designer for some brands that you have certainly heard of.
8.) Apparently! - She is the author of the teen fantasy novel Wings, which was published within the last year. I started reading her blog right before her book was released and she is just very informative on the whole writing/editing/publishing process. Fun Fact: She is friends with Stephenie Meyer.
9.) Not So Humble Pie - She was recently a Blog of Note and I started following her right away because she is a fellow Washingtonian! Plus her pictures are beautiful and everything she makes looks delish.
10.) Janet Reid, Literary Agent - I am sure that anyone trying to publish a book knows this woman. Enough said.
11.) Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent - Love him because his posts always seem to be so upbeat and he really spends a lot of time on his blog. Plus he hosts some great writing contests! Oh, and did I mention that he watches America's Next Top Model?
12.) Absolute Write Forums - Ok, this might be cheating a bit, but I really love this site. It is a wonderful forum for amateur authors. I found it surfing the internet looking for reviews of agencies. Really a must for writers.
Finally, my post about my precious blog award. Highly anticipated, I'm sure :) It was presented to me by Anna from TheShoppingGirl. Why thank you! I accept! If you haven't read her blog, you should! She recently started, so if you follow her now you are pretty much on this journey with her from the beginning. I don't know about you, but I like to find interesting blogs by people who recently started. It's fun to start a journey with someone than trying to catch up from two years ago.
So, onto my blog award! Here it is in all it's shiny, happy glory:
Ain't it gorgeous?
To accept this little slice of sunshine, here are the rules:
• Put the Logo on your sidebar, or within a post.
• Pass the award onto 12 Bloggers.
• Link the nominees within your post.
• Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.
Here are the 12 blogs that I would like to send a shoutout to:
1.) See Pam Write, See Pam Run - Love her blog for several reasons, the main one being that she is on a quest to get published (like me!) and that she is on a fitness journey (like me too!). She started around the same time that I started my blog, and she recently changed the formatting of her blog which includes a detailed description of her dream literary agents - Love It!
2.) Straitjackets Are Slimming - I have blogged about this one here. Seriously must read sarcasm in every post!
3.) BlogBaby - The cutest blog you will ever come across. Show her some love, her family is going through a rough patch!
4.) Bobby Pin Blog - I am new to her blog, but think it is retro-awesome!
5.) Ex Hot Girl - Talk about weight-loss inspiration! Plus she is a photographer, and they always have the best blogs.
6.) Make-Up by RenRen - It took me a long time to find a good blog on makeup - my absolute favorite thing in the world - but I finally found one! Plus, I gotta represent - she is Filipina just like moi!
7.) The Shoe Girl's Blog - Legitimately THE shoe girl. She was practically born into the business and is a shoe designer for some brands that you have certainly heard of.
8.) Apparently! - She is the author of the teen fantasy novel Wings, which was published within the last year. I started reading her blog right before her book was released and she is just very informative on the whole writing/editing/publishing process. Fun Fact: She is friends with Stephenie Meyer.
9.) Not So Humble Pie - She was recently a Blog of Note and I started following her right away because she is a fellow Washingtonian! Plus her pictures are beautiful and everything she makes looks delish.
10.) Janet Reid, Literary Agent - I am sure that anyone trying to publish a book knows this woman. Enough said.
11.) Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent - Love him because his posts always seem to be so upbeat and he really spends a lot of time on his blog. Plus he hosts some great writing contests! Oh, and did I mention that he watches America's Next Top Model?
12.) Absolute Write Forums - Ok, this might be cheating a bit, but I really love this site. It is a wonderful forum for amateur authors. I found it surfing the internet looking for reviews of agencies. Really a must for writers.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Weigh-In Wednesday #5
Color me upset! Oh, and happy! I'll explain...
This week, which saw me through one full week of the dreaded Phase I of The Diet, I lost weight. This past week I have experienced banana withdrawals, attempted diet sabatoge by TWO people, survived a super bowl party with lots of yummy food I couldn't have, and constantly feeling hungry because of the lack of bread in my system. But I pushed through! I made it through week one! All of the pain was worth it for an astonishing - you ready for this? - ZERO POINT FOUR POUNDS!
Wait.
What?!
One week of pure torture to not even lose a pound?! Not even half a pound?! I really don't even know what to say. I was pissed! All that hard work for shit. Sorry, profanity is totally called for at this point! The only explanation that I can think of is that I have gone to the gym only once in the past week whereas my body was used to at least three days of cardio. But my eating habits were insanely good this past week! I haven't eaten vegetables this much since, well, since the last time I tried to do this diet.
So, should I just give up on this diet and torture myself with something else? No. I am a new woman with a new outlook on weight-loss. I will not consider this a setback (even though deep down I really do!) and will keep on trucking. Onward to week two of Phase I!
Ok then, onto happier news! My fellow bloggess, TheShoppingGirl, has awarded me a blogging award! Ok, so we're friends and it is more a personal thing, but whatever, I will take it! I don't really have time to post all about it now, but I will for tomorrow's post! See you then!
This week, which saw me through one full week of the dreaded Phase I of The Diet, I lost weight. This past week I have experienced banana withdrawals, attempted diet sabatoge by TWO people, survived a super bowl party with lots of yummy food I couldn't have, and constantly feeling hungry because of the lack of bread in my system. But I pushed through! I made it through week one! All of the pain was worth it for an astonishing - you ready for this? - ZERO POINT FOUR POUNDS!
Wait.
What?!
One week of pure torture to not even lose a pound?! Not even half a pound?! I really don't even know what to say. I was pissed! All that hard work for shit. Sorry, profanity is totally called for at this point! The only explanation that I can think of is that I have gone to the gym only once in the past week whereas my body was used to at least three days of cardio. But my eating habits were insanely good this past week! I haven't eaten vegetables this much since, well, since the last time I tried to do this diet.
So, should I just give up on this diet and torture myself with something else? No. I am a new woman with a new outlook on weight-loss. I will not consider this a setback (even though deep down I really do!) and will keep on trucking. Onward to week two of Phase I!
Ok then, onto happier news! My fellow bloggess, TheShoppingGirl, has awarded me a blogging award! Ok, so we're friends and it is more a personal thing, but whatever, I will take it! I don't really have time to post all about it now, but I will for tomorrow's post! See you then!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Weigh-In Wednesday
First and foremost, here is my weight-loss plan:
1.) Up my gym days to four days per week instead of three
2.) Only consuming 1,500 calories per day
3.) List a reason each week that I need to lose weight
4.) Post my weight on my blog (EEK!)
Yesterday was Day One of only consuming 1,500 calories per day. It was surprisingly easy - until I got home. I am a receptionist. I sit at my desk all day and snack. Luckily, it was a busy day, so I was too busy to put stuff in my mouth. At home, there is too much temptation! But I managed to stick to 1,500 calories. I am not too excited to have to keep track of everything I eat, but drastic times call for drastic measures!
I also did one hour of cardio at the gym and I am pleased to report that I have lost 1.6 pounds in one day! Which brings me to No. 4 on my weight-loss plan. Let me remind you that I am terrified of sharing this number. But maybe having it posted will make me more accountable to lose the weight and to prove that I can do anything that I set my mind to. Plus, I already posted my picture and all 213.4 pounds of me is gloriously visible for everyone to see - oops! Did I just let my weight slip? Just like that? Well, that wasn't too bad, just like ripping off a Band-Aid!
If Jenn of the Ex-Hot Girl blog can be open enough about posting her weight, then I believe I can too!
So here is my new Weigh-In Wednesday round-up:
Weight: Ok, I already said it once for the entire internet to see, don't make me say it again!
Reason No. 1: I will be a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding in June. Fat is not a good accessory for a dress.
1.) Up my gym days to four days per week instead of three
2.) Only consuming 1,500 calories per day
3.) List a reason each week that I need to lose weight
4.) Post my weight on my blog (EEK!)
I also did one hour of cardio at the gym and I am pleased to report that I have lost 1.6 pounds in one day! Which brings me to No. 4 on my weight-loss plan. Let me remind you that I am terrified of sharing this number. But maybe having it posted will make me more accountable to lose the weight and to prove that I can do anything that I set my mind to. Plus, I already posted my picture and all 213.4 pounds of me is gloriously visible for everyone to see - oops! Did I just let my weight slip? Just like that? Well, that wasn't too bad, just like ripping off a Band-Aid!
If Jenn of the Ex-Hot Girl blog can be open enough about posting her weight, then I believe I can too!
So here is my new Weigh-In Wednesday round-up:
Weight: Ok, I already said it once for the entire internet to see, don't make me say it again!
Reason No. 1: I will be a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding in June. Fat is not a good accessory for a dress.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Writing Contest
Nathan Bransford is an agent.
Nathan Bransford has a blog.
Nathan Bransford has an awesome contest going on right now.
Yes, I entered.
Did you?
Time is ticking.
Deadline is 01/06/10, 4:00 PM Pacific.
Nathan Bransford has a blog.
Nathan Bransford has an awesome contest going on right now.
Yes, I entered.
Did you?
Time is ticking.
Deadline is 01/06/10, 4:00 PM Pacific.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Straitjackets Are Slimming
I have already told most of you about the Straitjackets Are Slimming blog. It is written by Maya Rickards who is a single mother of two.
If you haven't checked out her blog, you must! She is hilarious in that I-hate-life-most-days-but-see-the-humor-and-keep-on-trucking kind of way. She is cynical, sarcastic, and funny. If you are looking for a good laugh, check her blog. She is putting up a post once a day for the month of November.
My favorite quote from her post today is:
"Thank you, to my sons daycare provider, who reminded me to always keep an extra set of clean clothes in his cubby, by putting him in lace trimmed capris complete with “cutie” spelled out in rhinestones across the butt."
It reminded me of my little Bella who one day decided to put on someone else's clothes at pre-school, went up to the teacher and said, "Miss Amanda, do you like my new clothes?"
Ah yes, my daughter the klepto.
If you haven't checked out her blog, you must! She is hilarious in that I-hate-life-most-days-but-see-the-humor-and-keep-on-trucking kind of way. She is cynical, sarcastic, and funny. If you are looking for a good laugh, check her blog. She is putting up a post once a day for the month of November.
My favorite quote from her post today is:
"Thank you, to my sons daycare provider, who reminded me to always keep an extra set of clean clothes in his cubby, by putting him in lace trimmed capris complete with “cutie” spelled out in rhinestones across the butt."
It reminded me of my little Bella who one day decided to put on someone else's clothes at pre-school, went up to the teacher and said, "Miss Amanda, do you like my new clothes?"
Ah yes, my daughter the klepto.
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