So I Haven't Posted My Goals

I keep thinking that my next blog post is going to be my writing goals for the year. I'm a big believer in goals, without them I tend to not get anything done. But for some reason I haven't sat down and worked them out this year or any real goals for myself yet. I'm happier when I have them, but I haven't felt like I'm ready to make them. I don't know if that makes sense or not.

I have been thinking about them. I have been changing things about my life in a positive way. My house is a lot cleaner than it's been say in the last year, and it's staying that way. I'm on top of it. It's company ready all of the time, which is nice. (And somehow the kids aren't destroying it--maybe they reached the magic age of having a fairly clean house.) I'm exercising every day and the first week sucked. I was cranky. I had a headache every night and I went to bed so, so early. But now I've got more energy. I'm staying up a bit later and I'm a lot more cheerful. And I want to write even more.

I think right now I'm getting everything in order so I can make things happen. So I can be happy. This is the year that I want to take my life and make it into what I want it to be. So part of why I haven't posted goals is I'm making sure I know what exactly that is before I do it.  And I'm getting myself and my family ready for the big changes that I'm going to make happen.

Hope you all are doing well!

Best Books of 2014

It's been way too long since I posted, but I wanted to do something for the end of year. Hopefully I'll post a bit about my goals for the new year, soon. I'll have some quiet time the next few days to really reflect on it, and I want to make 2015 the year I start really getting done. But on to the best books (my favorite reads) of this year.

1. Breathe Annie Breathe by Miranda Kenneally 

This was just awesome. It's sad at times, the grief throughout the book is very, very real. But there is hope. I really loved this every time I read it. (Which is a lot--I love to reread books). So good, if you haven't read this, you really must.

2. Immortal Beloved series by Cate Tiernan

I picked this book up randomly at the library. And I started the book, and fifty pages in, I stopped found out it was a series, put the entire series on hold at the library. Then finished the book and drove the next morning to get the other two books because they couldn't get here fast enough. I've reread the series again, and it is great.  The books are Immortal Beloved, Darkness Falls, and Eternally Yours. It's young adult, but it feels older to me. Still, I loved, loved, loved this book. Just awesome.

3. Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

This was a book I found on sale at Amazon. And it was my first book I read put out by Entangled Publishing (which I really like everything I've read put out by them). It's a love story, and I really liked the characters and stories. I also really like Third Degree by Julie Cross.

4. Someday Maybe by Ophelia London

This is a retelling of Persuasion, and it's new adult. I really enjoyed the book, and the other in the series so far Definitely Maybe (Pride and Prejudice retelling). Also I've enjoyed everything I've read by her, and I'm finishing up the last of the books she has out right now. Great new author. She's added to my must reads list. 

5. Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

This is on here, because it is the first time in a long time where the series stayed as good as the first book. The series starts with Sweet Evil, then Sweet Peril and ends with Sweet Reckoning. You won't be disappointed finishing this one. I look forward to more books by her.

Enjoy your new year celebrations!

Books I Love: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After 

by Stephanie Perkins

This is a book that I've been waiting to come out for a long, long time. And it was worth the wait. Such a great story, and of course it has a happy ending, because of the title. One of the things I love about Stephanie Perkins is that she brings the characters back for little appearances. It brings the entire trilogy full circle.

Isla (pronounced I-La) is a student at School of America in Paris. She has had a long-time church on Josh, another student there. When they run into each other over the summer, Isla decides that it must be fate and something needs to happen. But Josh has issues of his own, and the story goes from there.

Have you read it yet? What did you think? If you haven't read any of Stephanie Perkins yet, you simply must. You can start at the beginning with Anna and the French Kiss, or read Lola and the Boy Next Door. However, they can be read out of order. 

Books I Love: Magnolia by Kristi Cook

Magnolia by Kristi Cook

This book is set in the deep South in a small town. Jenna grew up with Ryder, and their mothers want them to get together and eventually marry. But they don't even like each other right now. The story is pitched as a reverse Romeo and Juliet. And the story is fun, quick and sweet. I think I loved the setting in this story as much as anything, and the characters were well developed. Overall, it is a fun read.

Kristi Cook also wrote  Haven,  the first in a trilogy that I also really enjoyed. The books are interesting and the pacing is good. Haven  is a vampire story with a unique twist. Have you read anything by her? What did you think?

Friday Five: Summer Vacation

1. Just got back from vacation, which is why I haven't posted. I wanted to plan ahead and do it, but then I needed to plan ahead for my jobs that actually make me money and the blog got pushed to the end of the list. We went to visit my sister in Ohio. The kids were great, and somehow we managed the eight hour drive that seemed to go on forever. But it was very pretty.

2. The weather up in Ohio is much nicer than here in North Carolina. I don't know how I'd feel in the winter. But man the summer was nice. Highs of 84. Cools down at night to 51. There is some humidity, but nothing like here. I loved it just for that. We had a lot of fun going to the pool and the zoo and just hanging with the little cousins.

3. It was nice to really take a break from all work. And I'm finding it hard to motivate myself to go back. I need to get to work today and I've managed to procrastinate it for several hours. I may still be procrastinating it in several more. Just one of those days when you want to recover.

4. The car ride did get a little rough, with some screaming that "He's touching me. Make him stop touching me."  Fortunately, no one got car sick. The kids actually did pretty well for the most part. At the six hour mark things got a little tense. But we made it without killing each other.

5. Now it's time to start back to school shopping, clothes, school supplies and everything else. Only a few more weeks left of summer vacation! Eek. But I'm ready to get back onto a solid routine!

Friday Five: Camp and Other Nonsense

1. My oldest has been away at camp all week. Of course it has poured buckets of rain all week. I'm hoping that she had a good time. It's the first time I've sent my one of my kids away for a week without it being family.

2. I was up late writing last night, pulling parts of my plot together. But I'm sure feeling it this morning. Is it my age that I can't seem to handle anything past 1:00 am anymore. Just last year I was pulling 2:00 or 3:00 without huge penalties. Now I'm exhausted!

3. I started out with an in-person critique group, and joined an online one. I did both for awhile, and then things got too busy and I left the in-person grow, which has since dissolved with people moving away. I love my online group, but I'm thinking about joining another in person group in addition to my online one. It's scary because I'm so introverted.

4. With working from home, and my introverted issues, I think I'd be a hermit if I didn't have kids. I could see days where I wouldn't talk to anyone. It's crazy to think about it honestly. I need to push myself outside of my shell a bit more.

5. I am taking the boys ice skating today, which means pulling out the jackets and winter box of gloves and hats. We discovered ice skating last fall and the boys love it. Especially Jacob. I always feel a bit silly dressing like it's the middle of winter in July, but it is very necessary.

Have a great weekend!

Books I Love: Breathe Annie Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Breathe Annie Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

I have been a big Miranda Kenneally fan since I read her first book, Catching Jordan, a few years ago. I was looking forward to reading this book. And I wasn't disappointed, in fact I think this is my favorite out of all of the books that she's written. It's the kind of book that when I finished, I wanted to pick it up and start reading it over again. I think she did a great job capturing how Annie was feeling, and I really identified with Annie and her grief.

Annie has decided to run a marathon in honor of her boyfriend who passed away. The story is about her training, and learning to move forward after the boy she planned to spend the rest of her life with passes away. Another great part of this book is the number of characters we get to see again, and how it made me want to go read their stories again. Definitely worth reading this summer, if you haven't picked it up.

Have you read it? What did you think?