When Life Imitates Art: Changes in the Wind

I'm finding it pretty ironic lately that I wrote a novel about a girl who can't wait to get away from her hometown.

Especially since the hometown in said novel - despite the made-up name - basically *is* the town I've lived in for a good chunk of my life. I always thought that, like my main character, Kelsey, I'd jump at the chance to move somewhere more glamorous, someplace a little further from my roots.

Until the opportunity hit. Like a freaking tidal wave.

My husband's company announced last month that they're closing their corporate office in Connecticut and relocating to Georgia.

We knew it was a possibility though, granted, we didn't expect it to happen this soon. I'd always told my husband that if he was offered a position in Georgia, I'd move without question.

I was wrong.

The realization of how alone I will be has been hitting me like a hail storm. My entire family is here, and I'll be down there. By myself. Working from home while my husband goes to the office every day. Granted, I will probably get a ton of writing done this way but...

I can't watch movies with my sister anymore

When my whole family is gathered at my grandmother's house every Sunday for lunch, I won't be there

My little nieces and nephews will barely know me

If I finally have a child, no one from my family will be there to watch him or her grow up. Or help me.

I will literally be ALL. ALONE.

When I wrote LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE, I wrote it with my high school mentality that change was awesome (and yes, it can be). It's escape. It's a new chance, a new start, especially if circumstances haven't been the greatest. And honestly, if I'd been presented with this opportunity when *I* was in high school, I would've jumped just as quickly as Kelsey did.

But while I know this move could be a fantastic thing for myself and my husband, I can't help but marvel at how my adult worries and fears have made my reality so much different from my young adult fantasies.

Funny how things change in the real world, eh?

Have you ever found yourself facing a situation similar to one you'd written? Would you make the same decision as your character? And for the love, can anyone out there tell me some relocation stories with happy endings?

Freak Storms and Freak Outs, Oh My!

So those of you who follow my random rants and rambles on Twitter know that Hurricane Sandy hit Connecticut pretty hard. We were without electricity from Monday afternoon until Friday night - and strangely enough, it happened one year to the day after the Freak October Snow Storm of 2011 that also left us without power for days, which I blogged about here.

Being holed up at my in-laws house for three days left me with a lot of time on my hands, or at least more than I'm used to. And you know what?

I was less productive writing-wise than I would've been if I'd had to lie, cheat, and steal for time like I normally do.

I'd like to blame it on being cold and tired and out of sorts, all of which were factors, but the truth is...

It seriously freaked me out to have time to write.

Some people work better under pressure, and apparently I'm one of them. My words only want to cooperate when they're forbidden fruit, being covertly clicked out between phone calls and purchase orders and cooking meals and scrubbing toilets. Which begs the question - What the hell is wrong with them?

Is it just me, peeps? Or do any of you find that the moments you *can* write are the moments you'd rather do anything but?

On a more serious note, I'm well aware that four days in the dark is nothing compared to what some people faced after the storm. Many homes were destroyed, flooded, or vandalized. Here are some photos taken around my town - my heart goes out to those who lost much more than electricity.

This house is about two miles from mine. The worst damage I saw.

Tree in the power lines

Uprooted tree in front of my old house. I lived here during high school.

Mammoth branch that fell in our backyard - thankfully that was all.

When Plotting Meets Pantsing

Good Morning and Happy Friday all!

Today I'm over at the YA Misfits blog talking about being a Plotser - a Plotter/Pantser hybrid.

Hop on over and tell us about your writing style!

For the Love of Metaphor

I love finding metaphors in stories - it amazes me when something common or unassuming represents a much deeper meaning for a character as his or her story unfolds.

One of the recurring metaphors in my recently-completed ms, SHADOW PARK, is the sunset. And with a title like that, I should probably be embarrassed to admit that it was unintentional until the very end of the novel.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter know it makes sense that I'd find a way to make this everyday occurrence into something significant to my beloved main character, whether I meant to do it or not. Why, you ask?

Because I'm a little obsessed. And I have the pictures to prove it (All of these were taken with my cell phone):

Every night I stand by my front door and watch the sun sink into the horizon. It never fails to enthrall me. Stunning pinks and golds, clouds that appear lit from within, colors changing and shifting and igniting until the light finally dies. And I get to witness a new version of it, every. Single. Night.

The same and different, all at once. Endings and beginnings. Time moving forward.

Metaphor? YES PLEASE.

Your turn, peeps - tell me all about your favorite metaphors you've incorporated into your stories. Was it intentional, or happy coincidence?

All the Cool Kids are Doing It...

Wanna know what it's all about?

More important - want one of your own?

Hop over to the YA Misfits blog right now and chat Contemporary Romance with us! See you there, peeps!

Playlists and Love Songs and Taylor Swift, Oh My!

Hi All!

So today is my very first post over at the YA Misfits Blog! I'm talking about (and sharing) the playlist for my YA contemporary romance, LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE.

Hop on over and take a look, then tell me all about the songs that serve as the soundtrack to YOUR writing!

(And here's a hint to what you'll see over there)

And the Winner Is...

First, thank you to everyone who made the launch of the YA Misfits blog a success! We are truly grateful to everyone who decided to hang out at our lunch table and chat publishing with us. We're going to have so much fun together!

As promised, I'm announcing the winner of my personal YAMF giveaway today. Which, in case you forgot, is a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card.

AND THE WINNER IS......

Angelina C. Hansen!

Thank for participating Angelina, enjoy your prize! I'll be e-mailing you shortly.

Has everyone else checked out the YA Misfits blog? If not, go now! And be sure to check in over there on Thursday, when I'll be posting the soundtrack to my YA romance, LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE!

YA Misfits Launch Giveaway!

I am so excited to announce that today is the official launch of the YA Misfits Blog!

My CP's and I have been working on bringing this fun and informative writing blog to y'all for a while, and we are so thrilled to unveil our collaborative baby. And the best part?

THERE ARE MAD PRIZES TO BE WON!

That's right - all us misfits are offering prizes ranging from critiques to gift cards to books on our individual blogs, as well as ONE MEGA AWESOME PRIZE on the YAMF blog - A KINDLE!!

And to go along with it, I'm offering .... drumroll please....

A $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Because hey, you'll need to  buy BOOKS for your Kindle, right? 

So How Do You Win?

It's very simple. You must:

- Be a follower of this blog

- Be a follower of the YA Misfits Blog

AND:

*Leave a Comment Telling Me Something That Makes You a Misfit*

For example, if you follow me on Twitter, you probably know that I have a habit of singing and dancing - loudly and badly - when I'm alone in my house making dinner. If you don't, here's an example of some of the tweets you'd see if you did:

or

or

and of course:

So, peeps. Want an Amazon Gift card? Then tell me what makes YOU a misfit! (Then hop over to the YAMF blog and follow along, if you haven't already. We have some great posts and more contests planned!)

**Be sure to leave me your e-mail address in the comment so I can contact you if you win! Winner will be announced  Monday, September 10th.

Holy Crap, I Just Wrote A Novel

Happy Monday, Peeps!

Okay, if you're anything like me, I know what you're thinking - WTF is happy about Monday?

Well, even though I still have to drag my butt out of bed today to go to work, and even though I still have to get some form of dinner on the table when I get home, I'll still be smiling (barring disaster) BECAUSE:

I FINISHED THE FIRST DRAFT OF MY THIRD MANUSCRIPT!

Rock-N-Roll!

My nephew Evan rocks hardcore. It's in the genes.

Those of you who read my Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone post (and thank you, if you did) know that this one was particularly challenging for me. I decided halfway through to make it a romance AND a mind-bender, and I was terrified I'd screw it up.

Of course, it hasn't gone to my betas yet, so there's a good chance I *did* screw it up. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

But even if this ms hadn't been particularly involved, I'm pretty sure I'd still feel the same way about finishing it - The "Holy-Crap-I-Just-Wrote-A-Novel" High.

I've written three manuscripts. By now, it should be nothing new, right?

Except that all three times, it felt like I would never finish.

All three times, the word count seemed to creep up at a snail's pace, until I was sure I didn't have enough plot for a full-length novel.

All three times, I was juggling work and home and family and friends, and telling myself there weren't nearly enough hours in the day to ever get this done.

And all three times, I was dead wrong. Because finishing a manuscript is a huge deal, no matter what your situation, no matter if it's the third or the thirtieth. It's an accomplishment that no one else can take away from you.

It's a high well earned. And whether it sits in a drawer or makes it to the bookshelf, it's still the product of long hours and hard work and love poured into every page - it is something to be proud of.

I'd like to think that if I ever stop feeling the "Holy-Crap-I-Just-Wrote-A-Novel High, then that's when it's time to hang up my writing hat. Because I want to feel this way EVERY SINGLE TIME I write something...

...Right up until the ugly reality of revisions hits home. (Cue buzzkill music)

Have you felt the Holy-Crap-I-Just-Wrote-A-Novel High lately? Do you feel it every time? And most importantly - how do you celebrate?

"Inspired" To Talk About My Book!

The lovely and talented Dahlia has tagged me to be part of the Be Inspired Bloghop!

As I read the questions Dahlia answered about her own (amazing, hilarious) novel, I realized how rare it is that I actually talk about mine on this blog. I've mentioned that it's a contemporary romance and I've posted one or two excerpts, but other than that, I guess I'm a little superstitious.

Today, superstition is going out the window. Here are a few factoids about my Book Baby:

Q) What is the name of your book?
A) LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE

Q) Where did the idea for your book come from?
A) It started with a dream. I saw a girl and her boyfriend snuggling up against the lockers at school (because, apparently, I dream of strangers). Then the door at the end of the hall opened, and another boy walked in. The girl's face turned white and fell, and then she ran to him and threw her arms around him, leaving her boyfriend - and me - to wonder WTF had just happened. I built the rest of the story around that dream.

Q) In what genre would you classify your book?
A) Contemporary YA Romance

Q) If you had to pick actors to play your characters in a movie rendition of your book, who would you choose?
A) This is WAY easy.

Ashley Benson as Kelsey

Sean Faris and his biceps as David

Max Thieriot as Ryan

Q) Give us a one sentence synopsis of your book.
A) LYM is the story of Kelsey and David, and it alternates between events in the past that led to their friendship falling apart, and the unexpected way they come together again in the present – as more than friends, even though they both try to fight it.

Q) Is your book already published?
A) I WISH! It's currently on sub, so here's hoping!

Q) How long did it take you to write your book?
A) Wow, I didn't realize it until I looked back to answer this question, but almost a whole year.

I wrote the first scene in January of 2011. I was working on another ms, so I kind of let it simmer for a while and didn't write more until March. Then I hit a stalling point again over the summer (busy season at work, revising and querying my first project) and finally finished in December.

Q) What other books within your genre would you compare it to? (Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours?)
A) I'll be perfectly honest here - I have no idea. I've been told my writing is reminiscent of Sarah Dessen's, but I've actually never read one of her novels, so I can't agree or disagree. I do know that if you enjoy flawed but likable characters and high-tension romance all thrown into a pretty, historic setting, you'll like this novel :)

Q) Which authors inspired you to write this book?
A) Probably Stephanie Perkins. I remember so much hubub over ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, and when I read it, I kept thinking, Wait... this is a story all about romance. You can DO that? Really? JUST romance?...... I want to do that! I CAN do that!

Q) Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.
A) Well, first, go and scroll back on up to that photo of David. Now imagine him in a baseball uniform. Now imagine him shirtless and sopping wet. Because that happens in my book.

No, seriously, in my opinion, it's a fun, fast-paced, sometimes funny, sometimes angsty read that shows how the past can bite you in the ass while hitting on so many of the emotions we experience when falling in love for the first time. And the kissing scenes are hot, if I do say so myself!

That's all! I'm supposed to tag five more people to participate in the Blog Hop, but y'all know by now that I prefer not to obligate anyone. So if you'd like to answer these fun and easy questions, consider yourself tagged! And don't forget to tweet or comment with the link :)

Our Signature Stupid Moves

We've all had moments where we found ourselves thinking, how (and/or why) did I do that?

Sometimes, we even find ourselves asking that question repeatedly - about the same thing.

I started thinking about this when my husband managed to lock himself out of our house yet again last week. It's something he does at least once a month, and I can't understand it for the life of me. Sure, everyone misplaces their keys once in a while - but not my husband. His keys are always in the same spot on our kitchen counter.

Yes, that's right. His keys are right next to his cell phone and his wallet, and yet he manages to proceed down to the garage (which is locked from the inside) having grabbed only two out of three (and a couple other things, granted), and not realize it until he's closed that (locked) door behind him.

Cue knocking on the door, followed by grumbling, disbelieving Gina stopping whatever she's doing to stomp downstairs and bring him his keys.

The first few times this happened, I thought it was totally unfathomable that it could happen more than once.

But then I realized almost everyone has a signature stupid move - even in writing.

For most of us, our manuscripts aren't "born" perfect. It takes the sharp eyes of some trusted betas and critique partners to shine them up, and point out the things we fall victim to over and over again.

For some, it's passive voice.

Others (clarification: myself) have love affairs with crutch words like "just" or "well." (I recently read a published novel where the phrase "just shrugged" appeared so many times, I almost screamed. For shame, editor. For shame.)

Which brings me to repetitive phrasing - AKA, wait, you mean "crap on a cracker" isn't as funny the seventeenth time as it is the first?!

Or maybe your characters exhibit the same physical reactions over and over, sighing and rolling their eyes so often they might as well be having a mild seizure.

Obvious favorite in a love triangle? Make the other boy a complete douche, and don't bother giving your readers the option to like him (ding ding ding! Me again!)

Still, maybe your claim to fame is changing a character's name or physical description mid-stream without realizing it.

Or, you could be a fan of my latest stupid move: thinking you're done or almost done with the project, only to go through the first half of the novel and realize there are at least two or three more scenes that need to be written before you can show this underdeveloped mess to anyone without a massive dose of shame.

So tell me, peeps - what's your Signature Stupid Move when you write (or otherwise)? Which ones do you notice in published novels that drive you up a wall (and do you notice them because they're your own?)?

Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone: AKA, What the Hell am I Doing?

Have any of you ever started a project, got halfway through, and found yourself thinking, what the hell am I doing?


That's where I am right now, peeps.

Most of you know the manuscript that landed my kickass agent was a contemporary romance. It makes perfect sense, considering I'm a romance junkie. I love reading it. I love writing it. If most other genres are coconut milk ice cream - enjoyable enough, a lot better for you, but just not quite as delicious - then a good romance is my ginormous bowl of real, chocolate-fudgey Ben and Jerry's dairy Heaven.

Yes, I really did do a photo shoot with a container of ice
cream. 

So why, I ask, am I attempting to write a psychological thriller right now?

I'll tell you.

When the idea for this manuscript came to me months ago, it was as a paranormal romance/thriller type novel.


I let the idea percolate while I finished LYM, but as time went on, it seemed agents and editors alike had started to regard "paranormal" as a four-letter word. (Click the link for a great post by Tristina Wright)

Then I had the amazing fortune to speak to John and the Other Awesome Offering Agent on the phone. The only not-so-awesome part? They both confirmed my fear that paranormal is getting the cold shoulder in the publishing market right now.

Cue instant, intense panic. And sadness, because I like a good supernatural story.

I'd already started writing SP as a paranormal and had about 20K down. There were no vampires, no werewolves, no shape-shifting unicorns or whatever - just a not-so-dead dead girl. I should be fine, right? It's all those *other* things that are crowding the bandwagon, right? RIGHT?

WHAT IN THE HELL WAS I GOING TO DO??


(And just a side note on bandwagons: if everyone didn't clamor for the same one at the same time, they wouldn't have to abandon ship en masse. Though I suppose that's the nature of a bandwagon. *sigh*)

I had ideas for new contemporary romances, but they were just twinkles in my eye at that point, and I am a sloooow drafter.

Cue copious hyperventilation.

I think it was my CP Dahlia who said, "Well... does SP *have* to be paranormal?" (Not kidding, guys, I associate with geniuses)

That's when it hit me: No it does not! I can morph this puppy into a psychological thriller while still keeping the basic structure of the premise AND all the sweet-n-steamy romance! Wahoo!


The only problem? It was WAY easier to write as a paranormal. Like, way.

Developing a main character people can be sympathetic toward while also questioning whether or not she's completely off her rocker has been daunting, to say the least.

Which is to say: this mc is driving me freaking crazy with all her psychological issues and all her damn "feels," because I'm the one who has to do them justice. My original vision was much more cut-and-dry.

I'm finding that when I sit down to write, I wind up staring at the blinking cursor with my bitch face, like so:

Seriously, SP? You can't write your damn self already?

On the other hand, when I do finally manage to pull off a scene that I've mulled over for hours or even days?

It's freaking awesome.

So while I'm still a bit miffed at paranormal being mean-girled out of the market as punishment for its own popularity, the upside is that it's been an opportunity to challenge myself as a writer. I might be kicking and screaming every step of the way, but I have a feeling I'm going to be seriously proud of myself and this novel when and if I finish it.

Will it be good? No clue.
Will my CP's think I've lost my damn mind? Quite possibly.
Will my agent think it's crap? God I hope not.
Will psychological thrillers replace straight romance as my Ben andJerry's? I highly doubt it


But I tried something new, and that in itself feels pretty good. You know... when it's not making me want to go on a murderous rampage. And if it doesn't work out, I can still rock a contemporary romance like it's my birthday (I hope).

What about you, peeps? Have you ever stepped outside your writing comfort zone? Were you glad you did it? (And what are your thoughts on the current stigma against paranormal?)

What Are You Reading This Summer?

Today I'm going to talk about what I've been reading this summer! And then, I'd love it if you guys would share *your* summer reading recommendations.

While most offices have "summer hours" (and schools are off altogether - nope, no jealousy here) to accommodate the general laziness of the season,  it's still strange, and kind of a bummer to me, that my company's busiest season is the summer.

Newport is calling me. Sadly, I can not answer :(

Not to mention I'm working diligently on my 3rd novel, and failing miserably at trying not to think about the one that's on submission right now. So unfortunately, my reading list is not nearly as long as I'd like, but I still managed to squeeze in some gems:

BREAK by Hannah Moskowitz

I'd never read one of Hannah's novels before, and did so on Leigh Ann's recommendation. I did not regret it.     

This one was unique, compelling, and the voice was funny, sad, sweet, and realistic all at once. Holy talent.

GIRL PARTS by John M. Cusick

Dudes. I'm still having a hard time comprehending that the person who wrote this book (it's like Weird Science meets edgy contemporary all being towed along by a dark undercurrent) saw something special in my fluffy little YA romance. It's mind boggling. 

THE LAST ECHO by Kimberly Derting

Y'all know I love this series from reviews I've done. There's lots of suspense, Jay, witty dialogue, Jay, vivid characters... and did I mention Jay? Because the one thing this novel needed was MORE JAY!

I've also done some reading for my CP's. 

Jenny shared her urban fantasy, THE RIVER REMEMBERS with me, and guys, she can paint pictures with words as well as any painter can do with a brush. Also, her male mc has a body carved from martial arts and  a ginormous wingspan. Take that as you will :)

I also read my Sub Buddy Dahlia's ms, BEHIND THE SCENES, (you can read the interview about how she got her agent here) and basically fell in love from page one. It's hilarious and touching and by chapter 2 I'd publicly declared myself Dahlia's first stalker fangirl. And you know what? She still gave me her address and let me send her presents, because for reasons unbeknownst to me, she thinks I'm awesome too.

Right now I'm reading Marieke's YA fantasy, PALADIN and if you've ever watched her vlogs you know first hand that her voice is like mental massage - so soothing and pretty. And her book? Is the written equivalent. (BTW Marieke also wrote the pitch that first got my agent to notice me in a contest, and I will NEVER EVER EVER stop thanking her for that. Thank you Marieke. I love you!)

What have you read this summer, peeps? Any recommendations for something you particularly enjoyed?

Eleven Minutes in Heaven

Okay, no, not really on the eleven minutes in heaven thing.

So last week the lovely Megan Whitmer (seriously, if you're not following Megan, hop over right now and remedy that. She is an absolute joy. Go on. I'll wait.) tagged me to answer Eleven Questions in a vlog.

I did so in this little video here:

I was also supposed to list eleven random facts about myself, come up with eleven more questions, and tag eleven more people.

Well, with my lack of vlog-editing skills, it quickly would've become The Vlog That Never Ends, so I took a page from Megan's book and reserved the second part for this lovely little blog o' mine. So here goes:

Eleven Things You Never Needed to Know About Gina:


1) I actually love the number 11. My birthday is May 11th. I have 11 first cousins. The first house I lived in was at 11 Daniel Drive. Eleven rocks.

2) I have 20% hearing loss in my right ear. If the birds are obnoxiously chirping outside my window at 4 a.m., I need only to roll over onto my left ear. Sweet silence ensues.

3) My parents and my husband's parents were friends in high school, but my husband and I didn't meet until we were in high school ourselves.

4) I went to Catholic school for eight years, and came out less religious instead of more. Oops.

5) I firmly believe in meaning what you say and saying what you mean. I'd rather get no compliments at all than to receive an insincere compliment, and the same goes for giving them.

6) I am so not a morning person

7) The year after I graduated college, I went on a 10-day tour of Spain with my cousins and sister. It was one of the best trips I've ever been on, despite falling and cracking my right knee cap halfway through, and walking around the rest of the trip with a knee the size of a grapefruit.

8) I used to be a HUGE soda junkie. But ever since I saw that video where a bottle of coke basically obliterated a nail the size of my finger, I try to stay far, far away.

9) In conjunction with #8, I have a really sensitive stomach. I love food, but most of the time it does not love me back.

10) The only reason I tried on the dress that wound up being my wedding gown was to prove to my mother that I'd hate it. I had something totally different in mind, and I finally had the salesgirl give me something my mother chose just to shut her up. And lo and and behold, the minute I put it on, it was love at first sight.

11) I had a roommate in college who drunkenly puked in her top bunk while I was sleeping on the bottom bunk. And if you stuck around to hear me answer Megan's 11th question, you know exactly how and why I'm traumatized by this.

*pant pant* Holy smokes, that was exhausting.

Okay, since I'm running out of steam, I'm just going to give you guys the option of answering Megan's questions, or responding to something in my facts, or a combination of the two.

If you'd like to participate... consider yourself tagged!

Here are Megan's questions again:

·  What's your favorite song?

·  How many times did you fail your driver's license test?

·  Who's your celebrity crush?

·  What is the most disgusting word you can think of?

·  Don't you think Tombstone is the best movie of all time?

·  If you had to eat one food every day for a year, what would it be?

·  What are your top 3 favorite books?

·  Have you ever met anyone in real life that you originally met on Twitter?

·  What was your first job?

·  Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich- do you put pb on one slice of bread, jelly on the other, and then marry the two? Or do you put pb on one slice of bread, spread jelly on top of the pb, and put another slice of bread on top? (My grandfather has a VERY SOLID opinion on this subject.)

·  Name one thing that majorly creeps you out.

Looking forward to learning about you, peeps! Be sure to comment/tweet me a link to your vlog or blog post if you decide to partake!

Amazing News - Again!

You guys! My CP's are on fire!

I am super psyched to announce that my ridiculously talented critique parter, Chessie Zappia, has signed with Louise Fury of the L. Perkins Agency!

Now, I wasn't around for the gif war that took place the last time a member of our group came off the market, but I'm here now. And even though I've never used a gif in my life, I'm sure as hell gonna give this a shot. GAME ON, CP's!

This is basically the reaction of everyone who reads Chessie's book:

Omigod y'all. I can't handle how amazing that was.
It's just not FAIR!

And here's a summary of how our crit group reacted when we found out Chessie finally got THE CALL:

MUPPET FLAIL!!!!!

Like I'd ever, EVER not throw a Smallville gif in here.
Sheesh.

The running man, you guys. It's my signature move

Yup. Even Ron Swanson is getting in on the action

So then, Alexander Skarsgard caught word of Chessie's news, and he was all...

So... I'm first choice for the role of Miles, right baby?

But Kellan Lutz was like,

What? That role is totally mine. Watch your back, Skarsgard.

Alright, so I made that last part up. They're both way too old to be Miles. What I'm really trying to say is: CONGRATULATIONS CHESSIE!!!!