30 Things Question 10

10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.

One of my biggest fears in life is embarrassing myself. So I actively avoid doing things that will result in being embarrassed. That being said, I'm also a huge klutz, but as I've accepted that about myself, I actually rarely get embarrassed when I have klutzy moments. The bigger the fall, the better the story, so I generally just accept them when they happen. I learned a long time ago that other people don't make a big deal out of things if you don't make a big deal out of things. So despite the fact that I've had jeans rip open in convenience stores or I've tripped down stairs in front entire rooms full of people, I can't actually point to a single MOST embarrassing moment in my life.

Though, if you want, you can count any time I've been forced to or volunteered to get up and talk in front of people. Also, there was that one time I caved and tried to sing karaoke. Okay that was embarrassing, but I was so mortified that I hate even thinking about it. Also, everyone was really nice and has never spoken of it again.

So sorry, you get no most embarrassing moments from me.

Listy Wednesday: Giving Thanks

In honor of Thanksgiving tomorrow, I decided to make a list of things I'm thankful for. Enjoy.

1. My family, husband included. ;)
2. My friends.
3. Having a roof over my head that is all mine.
4. My church family.
5. My relationship with Christ.
6. My freedom.
7. My job and my husbands job, especially given that we have both been unemployed within the past two years.
8. My guinea pigs. They can be a lot of work, but they're adorable and I love them.
9. The talents and passions I've been given and the opportunities I've had to use them.
10. My life in general.

Okay, these are all pretty standard and generic, but I wanted to keep it simple. I'm no less thankful for all the little things, like clean water and a bed to sleep in. These are just the ones that encompass all the little things too.

Friday you get more 30 Things.

Until then.

Writing Progress

Well, I actually got some writing done last week. Not a ton, but I at least finished another chapter of Alana. That's good. Now I only have about two thirds of the book left.

Of course, coming up, I'm probably going to have to completely rewrite one of the next chapters, but that's okay. I think the rewrite will improve the chapter.

This week is Thanksgiving, so I have a shorter work week. I'll still get my other posts done, though, so don't worry.

Wednesday will be a special list in honor of the holiday. Friday, I'll continue 30 Things.

Until then.

30 Things: Question 9

9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

1. My parents. Technically two separate people, but they both had a big impact on me. The biggest was probably introducing me to my faith by having me in church every Sunday.
2. My childhood friend Helen. She was probably my first best friend and she was one of the first connections I made after my family moved to Missouri. She helped this place start to feel like home.
3. My brother Tim. He was my best friend from birth and without him I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have become a writer. He helped me create some of my first worlds and inspired me to create stories in ways that books couldn't. He's still one of my best friends and a source of much encouragement.
4. My youth pastor Tim Ward. He was one of my first shepherds in my faith and really helped cement my beliefs.
5. My former best friend Rachel. While we aren't friends anymore, while we were in high school she is one of the reasons I didn't feel completely alone or abandoned. She helped me make it through a pretty rough period in my life.
6. One of my leaders at church, Lynn. She was a welcome encouragement during high school and also helped me get through that very rough period.
7. My college pastor Brad. He was always an encouragement, helped strengthen my faith, and provided much needed support during that bad period during early college.
8. My friend Judy. She was a much needed help getting me on the path of recovery and helping me remember the truths I'd learned when I was a kid.
9. My pastor Brian. He's been a friend for a long time and he's be instrumental in helping me recover and rediscover the core of my faith.
10. My Lord and Savior, Christ. Without Him, I wouldn't be who I am. He is my life and without Him, I am nothing. I keep learning that everyday and hope to never stop.

Listy Wednesday: Jobs

For the return of Listy Wednesday, I will be giving you a list of the jobs I've had over the years. They're in no particular order, like usual.

1. Kennel Worker
2. Stable Hand
3. Childcare Worker
4. Preschool Helper
5. Receptionist
6. Resume Writer
7. Internet Researcher
8. Childcare Coordinator
9. Custmer Service Rep
10. Product Researcher

Nothing super glamorous, but lots of interesting things over the years.

Friday brings the latest installment of 30 Things.

Until then.

Writing Update

This is going to be short, since I haven't gotten much writing done in the past week.

The reason is because I got stuck when trying to calculate the difference in time passing between my two worlds. I wasn't sure I was calculating it correctly so I had to have a friend help me develop a formula so I could ensure consistency and help me figure out the timing for things that happened prior to the beginning of my book.

This actually turned out to be important because it will massively impact the play of events in the upcoming books. There's a few things that rely heavily on Alan not knowing about magic before she gets to Mascar, so figuring out how much time would need to pass for that to be realistic is important. And since that also affects how much time has passed in Mascar and their history, it required some thinking on my part.

Much thanks to my friend who came up with the formula. It's very helpful and surprisingly simple. Having friends who are better at math than I am is very beneficial.

Okay, this was longer than I expected. On Wednesday, I think I'll have a list for you and on Friday more 30 things.

Until then.

30 Things Question 8

8. What are 5 passions you have?

1. My faith and the Bible. I love to learn everything I can about God and His word and I’m constantly finding news facets of His love for me.

2. Writing/Storytelling. Discovering new ideas and putting those ideas down on paper.

3. Learning new things. I love to learn and find out more about anything and everything that interests me. I’m always researching new ideas or looking up new terms. The more I know, the happier I am.

4. Animals. I love animals and being around them. Any chance I get, I interact with animals. I’m really looking forward to finally getting to own a dog and sharing my life with a furry friend.

5. YA fiction. I love reading, writing, and talking about all things YA. I think there needs to be more great YA fantasy out there and I love discussing the various messages and ideas presented in various books.

Writing Update

So last weeks plans to write got derailed a bit because of crazy work days. Things were just nuts all week last week. As such, I didn't really get a chance to write anything significant. I did do a little work on Alana, but crazy work combined with being mired in doing calculations to figure out time passage rates in two different worlds left me having accomplished very little of substance. I'm hoping to fix that this week, but so far, it's been crazy already.

As for my lists, due to last weeks craziness, I didn't get a chance to come up with new list topics. So no list again this week. Maybe next week.

I will post a question for 30 Things on Friday though.

Until then.

30 Things: Question 7

7. What is your dream job, and why?

To be a YA fantasy author. Also a stay-at-home mom and wife.

I love stories and I love books. Growing up, I read voraciously and, sadly, there were very few good books for teenagers. Most of the books that were available weren’t so great. At some point, I realized that I wanted to write the stories I longed to read. Books meant so much to me that I wanted to write books for teens that weren’t as consumed with worldly messages. I wanted good clean books that I wouldn’t have to hide from my parents. So that’s what I want to write. I want to publish YA fantasy in the secular market that have a basis in my faith without being too preachy.

I also realized a few years ago that I really want to stay at home and raise the kids my husband and I will someday have. I long to be a part of their lives, caring for them and giving them a safe place to return to when the storms of this world buffet them. I want to give them a firm foundation to live out their lives from. I want to care for my family and my home.

Writing Update

Sorry it's been a bit since I wrote an entry. I've had a bit of a crazy few weeks. This past week was particularly crazy.

Last weekend I got sick and was still feeling unwell by Monday. Then I had a root canal on Wednesday and wound up getting sick again on Friday and staying sick all weekend. And that was just last week. The prior week was also a bit hectic.

Needless to say, I haven't really felt up to writing much. As such, I haven't gotten much more done on Alana. I'm gonna try to get back to it this week, but I can't promise anything.

As for my lists, I'm running out of things to list, and being sick, I haven't really had the time (or inclination) to come up with new ideas. I'll try to spend some time on that this week so that next week I'll have some ready to go.

Friday I plan to post the next question in 30 Things, so that's fun.

Until then.