I have a new favorite author. Lara M. Zeises (zeisgeist). Her books are phenomenal. I just read Bringing Up the Bones and I am in love with it. Now, the funny thing is that I read Contents Under Pressure first, and I think it should have been the other way around. I LOVE how Lara has certain characters pop in and out of different books. I do the same with mine. I pray that ONLY YOURS get published, and that the one I am working on now gets published (title has been changed yet again), because then you’ll get to meet some characters, then revisit them. Yay.

Another thing I love about Lara’s books is that they’re not sugar-coated. Now, don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy reading “sweet YAs” (how sad am I that the Smooch line went under?) but I definitely prefer … how shall I describe them?–risque?–books where teens do things like have sex and try drugs and *gasp* actually NOT die or have something else horrible happen to them.

I watched How to Deal yesterday, I mean Saturday (damned Springing Forward. I am wide awake right now). The actor who played Macon. Yum. It was really good. Interesting adaptation–taking two books. I enjoyed it. Of course, it was based on Sarah Dessen (writergrl) books, so how could I have not loved it?

Went to the library on Saturday. Checked out eleven items. Ten of them were books. I got ahold of the newest A-list novel. First borrower–the spine hasn’t even been broken on it yet! It smells so good, too. I don’t know if I was supposed to have it yet–the publication date is April 2006, and seeing as Saturday was April 1st… hmm. Anyway, I’m excited to read it. I got the latest Lara M. Zeises book out as well, and a Jax Abbot book. Yeah! Can’t wait to read and read and read. Or write and write and write. Argh, I am so torn!

In Writing news:

37,055 / 50,000 (74.1%)

I’m moving right along, yes? I was on a roll this weekend, despite my best efforts at slacking. There really is something about those late, late nights/early mornings. I was up until 4am on Sunday, down in the family room, wrapped in a blanket, the fish tank on, and surrounded by books. I had grape Kool-Aid and chocolate chip cookie dough. Typing away. It was heaven.

I always talked about how much more productive I’d be if I could write all day. But I don’t think that’s true. I think I’d be better if I could stay up all night. It’s so quiet. No interruptions. No daylight or sunshine or open stores to distract me. Just silence and stillness. Night time has always been my time, and the only times I get to dwell on that is the ocassional Friday or Saturday night. I don’t even get to fully enjoy it then, because I know the next morning, I’ll have to be up to do this or that and you know, raise my child.

I’m really enjoying writing this. I love when I get to this point. I’d love to be able to knock out thousands of words a day, but if I focus, I usually get to squeeze out 1000 or so in the midst of constant interruptions and distractions. I hope I can have a 50,000 word first draft completed by June 1st. That would be amazing–to complete a third novel, and to have a bank for more.

March Goals check in:

– 32,000 words – CHECK. I surpassed that goal by more than 3000 words.
– read two new books – CHECK like whoa. I lost count of how many new books I read.

I’ll post the April ones over to the side once I figure them out.

I’m gonna run. We’re supposed to get hit with a thunderstorm in about seven minutes and I want my computer unplugged. We’ll probably lose power or internet or something. That’s the only bad thing about spring. The storms. Ugh. I hate them.

‘Til next time.

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)