It's Summertime Once Again!

Hello friends of the interwebz! Can you hear the birds chirping? Can you feel the sun shining? That's right...It's SUMMER!

As a full-time teacher, I am incredibly happy for summer vacation. I need time to refresh and renew, especially after final exams and writing report card comments.

As a part-time author, I am ECSTATIC to have time to brainstorm new story ideas, edit old stories, and contemplate future ventures in publishing. #SummerAuthor

I've had a contemporary YA story sitting in my computer for quite a while now and need to do something with it. I have a half-baked idea for a YA fairy tale in a writing journal that I actually need to start typing up to see if it grows into anything else. I have a couple of picture book ideas that I can noodled around some more. And then there's the epic rewrite of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE that Jessica Grey and I started a few years ago and haven't completed. I really want to work on that one.

On my summer reading schedule, I have a few new books to read for the next school year (specifically, a King Arthur story that is suitable for 7th graders). I picked up a copy of DOCTOR THORNE from the library and I'm looking forward to that because I enjoyed the mini-series so much.

We don't have any big vacations planned but we'll have a few "stay-cation" trips around Southern California. (I really really really want to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios with my kids.)

How are your summers shaping up? Any books that you recommend for me to read?

Updates and such...

Hey there!

It's June and school has officially been out for two weeks. That means I get to sleep in (for an extra hour or so) and spend a lot of time with my boys. I'm working on a setting up a steady writing schedule this summer. This has been difficult in the past because MY CHILDREN ARE AT HOME. Even if I put the "Writer Cave" sign on my door, they still knock. And I answer. Because parenting and being present for my kids is more important than writing. So...I need to find a way to write AND keep them occupied.

Fortunately, we have an awesome public library in city. I can bring my laptop into the children's library and write while my sons play "learning games" on the computers, gather up books, do them summer reading program fun, and READ. It's a win-win.

Here's a recap of some favorite things that I've read/watched/done these last few months.

AUTHOR PANEL
I was part of the "B-Fest" at Barnes and Noble, Fullerton. I was on a panel with Meadow Griffin (author of LEGENDS OF ERIN) and Valerie Noble (author of THE ENERGY CRUSADES). Thank you to Jen Loomis for making this an awesome event!

WATCHING ON AMAZON PRIME
"Doctor Thorne" - produced by Julian Fellowes. It's a four episode mini-series, similar to BBC adaptations of Jane Austen novels. My sister-in-law told me about this show and I'm SO happy! It was fantastic.

"Doctor Who" - seasons 4, 5. I'm rewatching "Doctor Who" with my teenager. It used to be on Netflix but left! Sad day. But we found it on Amazon Prime! Yes!

"Lark Rise to Candleford" - I just started this series and I like it already. It's fairly obvious that I'm a Angliophile. I don't think about it until I'm saying things like, "These earbuds are rubbish. Throw them in the bin." I've been reading a fair amount of British novels, too.


MOVIE THEATRE
"Captain America: Civil War" - Of course. Cap is my favorite Avenger. This movie. AMAZING.

"Love and Friendship" - The movie adaptation of Jane Austen's story "Lady Susan." I saw this with a friend who is also a Janeite. It was so funny and perfect. Austen's wit was sharp when she was young.


BOOKS
HOLIDAYS WITH JANE: Summer of Love - We have another short story collection out! It's wonderful to read the stories that my fellow authors have written. Jennifer Becton started to do a read/tweet along with the stories. I joined in. Hang out with us on Twitter! #holidayswithjane

An assortment of books. Now that's it's summer, I'm starting to read books for the next school year. (A teacher's work is never done!) I'm considering adding FRANKENSTEIN to the AP English 12 class. I would also like to teach FAHRENHEIT 451 this year. I'm also looking at my "To Be Read" pile that has stacked up over the last school year. I need to do some fun reading. :-)


WRITING
I'm still formatting Book 3, THE CURSED BLESSING, to be in paperback. I thought I had it all done...and then discovered that all of the italics were stripped out. HOW?! I have no idea. So, I've had to go back and read the whole book again and add italics to all of the thoughts my main character has. THERE ARE A LOT OF THOUGHTS. I will *hopefully* be done today. Then I will be able to get it to CreateSpace and work on all the other aspects of publishing it.

New writing? Yes, I hope to have something new. And soon! I have a finished story that I need to revisit. I have a fairy tale that I need to finish outlining. I have another fairy tale that is just an idea right now. Perhaps while I am on vacation this summer...

Enjoy your time this summer! I know that I will.

PBS SoCal Summer Learning Day

PBS SoCal is hosting a "Summer Learning Day Literacy Fair" and will be at the La Habra Children's Museum on Saturday, June 28th from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Lots of books, authors, and fun will be there.

I'll be there with several other local authors. I hope to see some old friends and make some new friends, too! :-)

La Habra City Events

For fun summer reading activities for your kids, visit PBS KIDS Lab site.

Farewell to summer!

Goodbye, summer. It was nice seeing you. :-)  My kids are back to school now (started back last week!) because the school district decided to start two weeks sooner and get out two weeks sooner. It's been a strange adjustment to go from my kids around all day long to having a quiet house for 6 hours.

If you missed what I've posted on Instagram or Twitter, this is what happened this summer while I taught at an awesome summer camp. (Eureka Ministries)

-Taught at Cooking Camp x 2
-Went to the cheap movie theater x 2
-Crocheted a few hats
-Sewed some baby items for a friend
-Celebrated my husband's birthday
-Saw "Star Trek: Into Darkness"
-Saw my little sister as Ariel in "The Little Mermaid"
-Took a walk with llamas with the summer camp
-My oldest son got a concussion
-My good friend from college got married and my sister and I were the wedding photographers!
-Taught "The Science of Superheroes" at camp. I dressed up as Batgirl.
-Was part of "Local Author Night" at Mrs. Nelson's Bookstore in La Verne, CA. 10 authors and lots of fun!
-Read a bunch of books (of course)

It was a very full summer! (For pics, you can check out my Instagram feed.) It's nice to be home now and get the house organized, closets cleaned out, etc.

As for writing, I'm outlining ideas for more "Tales of Gymandrol". I've been researching fairy tales that I want to reimagine into something else. I'm revising some picture book manuscripts that I wrote. I want to *finally* finish the YA contemp story I've been working on for almost two years (in between other projects). I should probably set some firm goals for word count, dates to be done with writing, sending it out to agents/pub houses. Probably being the operative word.

How about you, book friends? Any writing goals you've set for yourselves?

Beach Camping

Every year my husband, sons and I go camping at the beach with our church youth group. This year we had 26 teens, three other leaders, and a master chef (our pastor) who went to Doheny State Beach. We were able to get the group site and it was fantastic! We walked about ten feet from our campsite and we were on the beach. The weather was good for the most part. It rained for a bit on Sunday (which was SO weird) and was very windy two of the days we were there. The food was excellent, the conversations were great, the time spent all together was really amazing. We have such great kids in the youth group. And my plans about writing and reading? Yeah, about that. Didn't happen. Not that I mind. We had fun doing group games, cooking, taking photos, talking to each other, listening to the preaching, acting in skits. It was one of the best Beach Camps I can remember. Here are a few pics (from the 897 taken on my camera!) highlighting the trip.

My little sister and I

My husband's "birthday cake" made by two of the girls at camp