Si, Se Puede--Yes, you can!

1. Today I'm posting my usual Friday Five post as I'm leaving to visit my mother and family in Sacramento tomorrow.  It's my stepdad Elwood's birthday and there will be a big crowd. I haven't seen my mother for a little over 2 years. No excuse. This was at my last visit. L to r: Elwood; Mom, sis Kathleen; Me; nephews Bassam and Khalid. I think she'll be happy though as I have a copy of my new book to give her! **Aren't they pretty? 2. When I get back, I plan on getting some treats for my Wednesday critique group to celebrate it's release! Starting to put together some giveaways! Check back to find out which sites will be hosting me! 3. Finally finishing THE PASSION OF DOLSSA. **YA author Julie Berry has to be one of my newest favorite authors. This is about a girl who has visions and hears voices from her 'beloved'. The church is threatened by her and tries to silence her. Love the gorgeous writing. A must read for any hist

1. First, check out my guest blog post on SJYALit: http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2017/04/sjyalit-good-girls-dont-wear-that-a-guest-post-by-kim-baccellia/ I share how as young women we're conditioned to think that the way we dress excuses the bad behavior of males who sexually harass or rape women. SO NOT TRUE. This topic has been on my mind for a while, especially with the O'Reilly news. I think it's important women speak out. But for the longest time intimidation has silenced us. I'm proud of those women who do speak out. 2. Still working on this endless revision. I did get an email from an agent telling me that even though this project wasn't for her, if I'm still not repped, she'd be interested in other projects of mine. 3. Just finished reading the latest from YA author Marlene Perez: I'm a huge fan of Perez's writing and this one doesn't disappoint! Check April 25th on YABC site for an interview and giveaway! My

1. It's Easter break! I've been beyond burned out this year. So having a week off is nice! Been watching THE MAN IN THE WHITE CASTLE: I'm totally addicted! 2. Been reading FLAWED by Cecila Ahern: This is a case of never say never. I thought I was over dystopian novels but this one is unique enough to keep my interest! Here's the sequel: 3. Continuing to dig deeper in CANDLE. My writing mentor said that this week's scene was one of the strongest I've written so far! 4. And omg on teen drivers!  Just spoke to our auto insurance company on adding teen to our policy. My reaction on the cost: 5. Working on a piece for SLJ. I'm going to share my own sexual harassment experiences. **Guilty Pleasure: Watch Season 2 of THE MAN IN THE WHITE CASTLE. Also grabbing a drink. I try not to have soda a day or two before I weigh in. It's good to take a break but man, I totally love my sodas.  My favorite Sonic combo-Diet Dr. Pepper

1. Did I mention how much I loved attending Debra Dixon's GMC workshop? Here's a little glimpse on what she went over: To sum up what GMC is, use this to describe a character in your novel: My character wants(goal) because(motivation) but wants____ because__________(conflict). Also she went over dominant impression. Can you describe your character with 1) adjectives 2) descriptive noun. Example from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Giles is a be leagued intellectual when he first meets Buffy. Then after he works with her, he becomes a intellectual warrior. 2. Tomorrow I plan on going to the monthly OCCRWA meeting. Love these meetings. For this year we're working on Smart Goals. This is a description of Smart Goals: Specific: Specific: Define your goals in writing and spell them out as clearly as possible. What is it that you specifically want to achieve? Measurable: Measurable: Give yourself a step-by-step plan so you can break up the goals and be able to me