Friday Five

1. So I've been in a mega funk with my writing.  Need to motivate self to get up earlier, say 'no' more(during summer this seems harder to do), and just:


Tell self this:

Exactly?  What am I afraid of?  It's not as if I haven't had three books published so far( and one was a reissue).  Getting rejections is scary but one thing I've learned from being a Staff reviewer at YA Books Central is it's all subjective.  Someone might HATE my work, while another person might actually like it.

But it's very daunting to get out there.  I just need to:

And get through this:

2. Saying that, I am working on edits for my sequel right now.  I'm finding that I tend to overuse certain words and phrases.  Sigh.  But I'm trying to look at this in a more positive way by using this experience to help me hone the craft so my latest books will shine more!

3. I'm eighty percent done reading GO SET A WATCHMAN

SPOILER ALERT:

Or don't read past here if you haven't read the book yet.  

So I finally got to THAT chapter in the story where Jean Louise finds out her beloved father is in fact a racist.  But the problem is it doesn't really say that but shows how she walks in at a meeting at the court house where a very racist man is sprouting off the most disgusting racism ever.  Her father is in the room.  He doesn't object or walk out but rather just sits there.  Jean Louise is horrified and it literally makes her sick.  It's then that she looks around her and realizes that the town hasn't changed but she has.  A meeting with her former nanny, Calpurna, also is hard as she sees a hardness in her eyes.  For once, Jean Louise feels 'white' and she can't reconcile this.

There's some very powerful insights into coming to terms with how  childhood hero worshipping of her father is shattered to reveal a flawed, individual.  Atticus isn't a racist per say but a product of his times.  He lives in a small Southern town in the 1950s right after the Supreme Court Brown vs. Board of Education ruling on desegregation.  One other reviewer nailed it when he stated that this novel feels more like an accurate portrayal of the South at that time then GO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.

Not done yet, but will give my overall expressions of this novel, which is no first draft, when I'm done.

4. Finished reading:

YA Books Central review:

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/18526-blue-voyage

Teaser: Red herrings pop up when you least expect it. Just when you think you figured out who might behind the smuggling ring, you are proven wrong! I love when you have to figure out the mystery and don't know until the ending!

Fast-paced adrenaline ride through Turkey where danger is around every counter. Mystery, International intrigue, and hints of romance will make you want more! Another Diana Renn winning novel!

5. Shout outs to this paranormal with a Latina protagonist:

The only bummer is this is only available as an ebook.  You all know how much I LOVE protagonists that reflect my own culture, which in this case is Latino.  

**Had hair cut and colored.  Going more for an asymmetrical look.

Me minus makeup.  Hair is an inch longer on one side.

***Guilty pleasure:

Scheduled in Coffee House time so I can finish this dang revision!!!!  Send me positive vibes so I can get pass my fear and just complete this!