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The Light Between Us – Interview with Beth Morey

Posted in Books, Story Sessions on July 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The Light Between Us ebook cover

(Originally posted at Story Sessions)

I pre-ordered a copy of Beth Morey’s new book The Light Between Us.  Then, because I just couldn’t wait for it to get to me, I grabbed the ebook the day it was free on Amazon.  Whether you read the paperback or ebook – this book will delight. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, follow these instructions:

1. Buy this book.
2. Find a large, uninterrupted block of time, because once you start, you’re not going to want to put it down. Have to work? Two words – personal day. Have kids?  One more word – babysitter.
3. Spend the day inhaling this book (on a beach with a cabana boy who brings you umbrella drinks, if at all possible).

The Light Between Us is the perfect beach read.  It’s fun and full of romantic angst, and some of the scenes will definitely steam up your sunglasses.

And now, I bring you Beth Morey:

1. As an indie author, you had a longer task list than the average author to get this book to print.  What was the most challenging part of the process?  What was your favorite part of the process?

The most challenging part was editing.  And then realizing that I hadn’t edited nearly well enough before I released my book.  That was, um, painful.  But also educational.  I still hate editing, though.

My favorite part was writing, and watching the story unfurl.  I have never felt so full of soul purpose, so in line with how I am made.  It was (and is) a very powerful experience.  I also loved picking out my cover.  The thrill that gave me was possibly embarrassingly strong, but I’ll own it.

2. You have mentioned that The Light Between Us was a romance, but not necessarily a Christian Romance.  Why is it important to make this distinction?

I kept having this curious experience.  I’d say that I was writing a romance, and then the person I was talking with would say, “Oh, I love Christian romances!”  But my book is not a Christian romance; The Light Between Us shares none of those standard Christian romance genre characteristics.  It is more explicit sexually and in terms of language, and the values of the characters are not at all what a reader would expect from a Christian novel.  Faith is barely mentioned.  So I felt I needed to make this distinction to be fair to my readers.  I didn’t want them to feel misled.  If I hadn’t been [LS1] such an openly Christian blogger, I don’t think I would have felt the need to delineate this.

3. What is the most surprising thing that has happened since The Light Between Us was released?

I have been able to not take on some seriously negative reviews of my book.  I am a person who has a deep (and unrealistic) need to be well-liked by everyone.  And writing a book and putting it out there for all the world to consume?  Yikes.  I had a coaching call with Elora a few weeks prior to my book’s release, and dealing with negative reviews was one of the three things I wanted to talk with her about.

That said, I think I’ve dealt surprisingly well with the negative reviews.  I have been able to find some distance, to take what’s constructive and leave the rest.  It has actually been a deeply growing experience.  I feel like I am maturing both as a writer and a woman through this experience.

4. Tell us about your new project. What are you working on now?

I am working on a contemporary fantasy that is based loosely upon Celtic myth, starring a main character named Eveleen.  It might be Young Adult, but I’m not sure yet.  In any case, it’s something completely different from The Light Between Us!  It’s also feeling a good bit longer than The Light Between Us.  My romance novel was a short novel, about 66,000 words long.  Eveleen’s story is currently 30,000 words long, and I’m feeling like the story is only just ramping up.

5. Who are your favorite writers? Why?

Neil Gaiman, Audrey Niffenegger, Anne Lamott, Mary Oliver, Rainer Maria Rilke, Rumi, Terry Tempest Williams.  They write with texture, grit.  It is a visceral experience to read them.  I feel as if I am almost literally chewing, tasting, and swallowing their words.  Also, they tend to write on multiple levels; a bird is never just a bird, a laugh is never just a laugh.  I long to write with this power.

6. If you could be a character in any story that you’ve ever read, what story would you want to join?  Why?

Oh wow.  What a question!  How can I choose?  Perhaps I could be Bastian of The Neverending Story, stealing away to a musty tumble of blankets in his school’s attic to literally fall into the book he was reading.  Or Lucy of The Chronicles of Narnia, with her courage and goodness and faith, not to mention all her adventures.

7. Finally, for the writers who have an idea for a book or have started the book or have even finished a manuscript…and now they’re stuck – what advice do you have for them?

Get help.  I could never have finished The Light Between Us without the support of dear friends.  I had a few friends who welcomed my daily emails bearing the new words I’d typed into being.  I didn’t need them to read these words, only to expect them, to receive them, and to come back with a resounding “you can do this; you are doing this!”  At about 30,000 words into The Light Between Us, I was ready to quit.  Their support rallied me, assuaged my doubt, and gave me strength to continue writing into the unknown.

You don’t have to work in a vacuum.  In fact, I think you should consider avoiding doing so.  Find a kindred or two that you trust, and ask them to walk with you.  Life begets life.

Beth

Beth writes, paints, and dreams in Montana.  She is the author of The Light Between Us, a new adult romance, and the creative healing workbook Life After Eating Disorder, and is also the owner of Epiphany Art Studio.  Her words and art have appeared in various publications, such as Somerset Studio, to linger on hot coals, Still Standing Magazine, Wild Goslings, and Disney’s Family Fun.  In addition to her quirky little family and their three naughty dogs, Beth is in love with luscious color, moon-gazing, and dancing wild.  She writes soul into flesh at her blog, and is saving the world at Act Small, Think Big.

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What I’m Into – June 2014

Posted in Books, Story Sessions, What I'm Into, Work, Writing on July 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Oh, June.  I’m into you.  I didn’t expect to be.  Maybe the surprise of it is what makes it so mesmerizing.

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The snow cones don’t hurt, either.

Words:

Poetry, food, and friends.  Even with two jobs in full swing, June demands vacation reading. I moved my reading lamp to the bedroom, so I have been drenching myself in the poetry collections I keep on my bedside table every night and every morning.  Suddenly, waking up isn’t so hard to do.

Chocolat – Long-time lover of the movie (because Johnny Depp.  And chocolate.  But mostly Johnny Depp), I knew I’d love the book as well. This book will make you hungry…in so many ways.

Ruth Reichl’s debut novel Delicious! was wonderful.  I am biased, because having collected most of her other books and tried most of the recipes within them, I love her and sort of want to be her when I grow up, but Reichl knows how to tell a story.  Also – don’t worry – the gingerbread recipe is at the back of the book.

And my friend Beth Morey’s The Light Between Us was launched this month.  I ordered a paper copy but I couldn’t wait for it to get to me, so I grabbed an e-copy as well. It’s a fast read, because you don’t want to put it down.  This book + beach + mai tai = perfect day.

Friends:

June was full of fun.

Our Supper Club went to Wine Squared for Sumptuous Sundays on Father’s Day. We enjoyed a wonderful three-course meal with wine pairings for each course which included the most glorious pork loin I’ve ever eaten and a port I actually enjoyed. We, of course, hastily signed up for their wine club.  We’re hooked.

Summer seems to be the time for transitions. Several friends have moved/are moving/got new jobs, so I got to celebrate with them. My old boss Dennis got a job at another school, so the Dean of Students office (where he worked at UNT) had a farewell party for him. Lisa from my book club moved back to the east coast, so we had a special book club meeting (read: night of wine and Texas-themed food/presents) to send her off.  And Jayne and Connor are moving to Juneau soon, so I got to see her last week and will see her again at their garage sale on Saturday.  Added bonus – I bought this adorable thing from them, which is the perfect cabinet for my liquor:

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Dear Savvy turned two.  What she’s into?  Daniel Tiger and butterflies.

Savvy

 

(And cake.  And Daddy.)

Because none of us could make the in-person Story Sessions retreat in Austin, the DFW Story Sisters decided to have our own party.  Adela hosted us for an evening of wine, food, and conversation, and it was a balm to my soul.

Products:

Um, who knew about Arbonne and failed to tell me?  Kim lured me to a party one Friday with the promise of wine (pretty much the only reason I’ll ever leave my house on a Friday evening), and I’m so glad she did.  I tried all the things, and I AM NOT ALLERGIC TO ANY OF THEM. This never happens.  I ordered the daily face regime for sensitive skin and the deodorant, but I want to buy everything.  I’m having a party in August, and I’m at least going to sign up to be a preferred customer.

Equal Exchange’s Red Cherry Challenge -in addition to their already stellar business practices that ensure a livable wage and a workable business model for coffee farmers, Equal Exchange is donating ten cents for every pound of coffee purchased this year to the Red Cherry Fund, a grant program for farmers in El Salvador and Guatamala, where climate change has wreaked havoc on their businesses. I pledged to buy five pounds of coffee a month (which is actually a pretty conservative estimate for me).  Will you join the challenge?

TV/Movies:

The first weekend of the month, I did a little dogsitting, which means I also did a lot of Netflixing.  In one weekend, I watched Season 3 of Sherlock (!!!) and both seasons of Orange is the New Black (also !!!). The dogs were incredibly calm, aside from during that pesky storm incident, and I like to think it had something to do with my good taste in programming.

Well, I say they were calm.  This is the look you get from Maddie when you suggest that she “go outside” during OITNB:

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No one gives side eye like Maddie.

I also watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  I liked it, but I don’t know if I would have liked it as much as I did if I hadn’t been chatting about it via Facebook with the Story Sessions while watching it. It was clever.  You should see it.

The Internet:

– Women ignoring men as art

– June 4 was National Hug Your Cat Day, and The Bloggess encouraged all of us to celebrate.

– This was followed two days later by National Donut Day. Mmmm….donut….*salivates*

– Addie Zierman wrote The Non-Blogger’s Guide to Blogging series. This is the first blogging series that hasn’t made me want to throw my hands up in the air (and wave them like I just don’t care) and erase everything I’ve ever done online because why bother if I’m not going to be perfect at it. If you want to improve your blog but can’t stand advice on how to improve your blog, go give it a read.

So you can see why I have such a crush on June this year.  Link up with us over at Leigh Kramer’s blog to let us know what you were into in June!

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What I’m Into – May 2014

Posted in Books, Food, Getting It Together, What I'm Into, Work, Writing on May 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I love this May.  May is usually crazy and full of transition.  And this one was, too, to an extent.  But the weather has been unseasonably cool and gorgeous:

sky

And my day job is Summer Housing (i.e., working with college students) instead of Summer Conferences (i.e., working with minors…who…I’m sure it’s different when they’re your own…but working with other people’s children makes me never want to find out).  So I had a fantastic May and a fantastic start to summer.

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How May makes me feel. This cat understands me.

Here’s what I’m into this month:

To write:

I started my Getting it Together series on the blog.  I am enjoying the food.  I am tolerating the cleaning.  My entryway is giving me fits.  I hope the rest of the rooms aren’t this much of a struggle.

My favorite post that I wrote this month was Badger. It was good to talk about it, and I think I was fair enough.  It’s hard to be fair when you’re telling your side of the story.

To read:

Summer (and perhaps my Getting It Together project) have me dreaming up food ideas and being drawn to ideas that others have dreamed up.  So I read cookbooks and foodie memoirs and foodie fiction even more than usual.

There are not many books that I read and then need to go immediately and buy because I can’t stand the thought of being without it.  A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg is one such book.  This is my favorite book that I’ve read this year. It’s a treasure.  And arugula salad with dark chocolate bits?  Pretty much the best idea ever.

I also read Keepers by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion.  Most of the book is meat-intensive, which I am not, but I will end up buying it for the sauces alone. I’m a sucker for a sauce.

To watch:

I have continued my obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I will probably end up buying it by the end of the summer.  Such great characters.  Such amazing one-liners.

I have also watched Chocolat four times.  Because chocolate.  And France.  And Johnny Depp. I will probably watch it four more times before I return it to the library.  Because I checked out the book, so I’ll need to watch it again after I finish the book.  NEED.

To hear:

I’ve been writing and scheduling posts for What Not to Say, so I’ve been listening to my WNTS station on Spotify. Maybe not safe for work, depending on your workplace.

To eat:

May has been DELICIOUS.  As part of my Getting It Together series, I’m going through some of Mom’s recipes, so May has tasted like my childhood.  There was cavatini (which is basically pasta, sauce, ground beef, pepperoni, and cheese, all in one glorious dish), chicken salad, and sausage balls. I’ve also made a couple of loaves of beer bread, which makes fantastic toast for breakfast. Food at my house has been so good that I haven’t even wanted to go out, which is unusual for me, but it was a nice change.

 

We’re gathering at Leigh Kramer’s blog to talk about what we’re into – join us!

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What I’m Into – March

Posted in Andilit, Books, Food, Story Sessions, TV, What I'm Into on March 31, 2014| 4 Comments »

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March is my favorite month.  October is a close second, but it cannot compare to March, because March is my birth month!  The thing I was into the most was turning 39.  I received both yoga pants and wine as gifts, and I appreciated them, so clearly I am right on schedule with fulfilling the stereotype.

Winter persisted into the first week of the month and royally screwed up my class schedule, but I can’t even be mad about it.  It turned Spring Break into two weeks for me at the school where I teach, since I’m only there on Mondays.

Story Sessions had its first Story Feast (in-person meeting of local peeps), and ours was a small feast, but Marvia and I had fun hanging out at La Madeleine.

I got to spend a little time with Mom and Dad over break.  Mom had her first cataract surgery, so I went along to keep Dad company while he waited.

I took care of my friends’ dogs while they were out of town for about half a week.  While I was there, I had an uncomfortable realization. One of the dogs was dumb and needy but the sweetest dog in the world, and the other was smart and funny but also kind of an asshole.  I was dog-sitting every guy I’ve ever dated or liked.

I am also in the middle of two classes – Brandy Walker’s Be Course for Lent and the Reframing Collective through Story Sessions led by Jennifer Upton.  That’s why you’ve been seeing more pictures than usual.  I’m taking more.

Oh, and I got an iPhone.  This will be the first phone with a data plan I have had (I know, welcome to the 21st century, and I can stop churning my own butter now). I haven’t activated it yet, but I do have active plans to become addicted to Instagram.

Those are the highlights.  Here’s what was playing in the background.

To write:

I have Fishbowl mapped out.  I put the chapters in order.  I know how it’s going to end, and I know how I’m going to get there.  This is huge.

I have an idea that’s been brewing a while concerning the things people say to single people (and specifically, what I could stand for them NOT to say. . . just ever again).  So April, I’m going to write it out.  I’m going to bleed 2,500 words a day to see if I have enough words to start another project.  This could easily become a community project in the future, but for now, I’m going to see what I have to say about it.

My two favorite posts I wrote this month:

– My link-up piece for The Girls We Once Were, called Renaissance Girl.

– My answer to Andi’s prompt to give myself ten nuggets of writing advice.

To read:

– Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet.  I loved it, particularly the parts about solitude.

– Vonnegut’s Welcome to the Monkey House.  My favorite story was “Who Am I This Time?”

– Stephen King’s 11/22/63.  Whose idea was it to have an 800+ page book for book club?  Oh, right.  Mine.  Well, I share the blame. I guess we all chose it. It’s a quick read, though, for 800 pages.  Because Stephen King.

Goodreads tells me that I am 11 books behind schedule on my reading challenge (100 books) for the year.  I would exclaim, “800 pages!” but that first book I read this year was really just a transcript of a speech, so I’m going to call it even.  I am trying to remember that I catch up in the summer and not let Goodreads psych me out. And maybe I could also remember that the world won’t end if I only read 90 books this year.

Some gorgeous things were written on the Internet this month.  These are my favorites:

When I Measure the Distance of God by Preston Yancey

Speaking Fear, Praying Shalom by Osheta Moore

You Don’t Have to Be Pretty – on YA Fiction and Beauty as a Priority on the Belle Jar

How Riding is Worship by Katie Rutledge

When World Vision Drops Me by Benjamin Moberg

The Internet has also been a tough place to be this month.  Lord, have mercy.

To watch:

Three words –

House.

Of.

Cards.

I watched both seasons in three days.  I couldn’t look away.

I am avoiding Psych and Scandal spoilers.  I’ll watch them after the semester’s over, when I can devote the appropriate measure of time to them. I think I’m actually going to start Psych over and watch from the first season.  That will give this season time to come out on DVD so that I can have it for my very own.  I love that show.

I finally saw Catching Fire. I liked it just as much as I liked the first one. As much as I like the story, I feel that I should have more to say about it, but no.

I had a nice time this weekend re-watching one of my favorite movies – Under the Tuscan Sun – and drinking wine and eating my weight in pasta.

But my favorite thing that I saw this month?  Veronica Mars, of course.  These were the highlights for me (and I don’t think any of them are spoilery):

– Veronica is back with the old school pop culture references – “You weren’t planning on carrying me through the airport, were you?”

– “You should only wear this.” Both times.

– Logan leaning against the car.  Rewind and pause.

– Dax Shepard cameo, for the win.

– Mac’s hair.  If I could pull off short hair at all, this is the haircut I would wear forever.

There were so many other things I loved about it, but any time you could spend reading about them would be better spent watching it.

To hear:

The Be Course has me dancing as a spiritual practice and also eating very fattening things so that my spiritual practice needs to take on some movement lest I gain 50 pounds during the class. So music has been mostly house and trip hop.  My neighbors don’t even know what to do with me.

To eat:

I have had a lot of baked goods this month (observe the pear tart above).  Brownies, cookies, cake.  I am in a constant state of sugar high.  This has to stop.  Of course, it’s chocolate chip cookie week in our e-course, and I’m a very good student. . .

During the dog-sitting/House-of-Cards-watching days, I developed an unholy affinity for peanut butter puff cereal.  I enjoy both the Mother’s and the EnviroKidz (yes, with a z) versions of this treat. As with all sugar-laced cereals, I try to mix it with plain Cheerios or plain puffed corn or wheat, but I have had at least one bowl a day for the last half of the month.

On Saturday, I took the marinara that was left over from supper club and mixed it with browned sausage.  I shaved a liberal dose of Parmesan over the top and put it on pasta.  So simple, yet so perfect when paired with birthday wine.

I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer – come by and tell us what you’re into!

 

 

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Happy birthday, Flannery O’Connor

Posted in Books, Writing on March 25, 2014| 1 Comment »

“I think it is safe to say that while the South is hardly Christ-centered, it is most certainly Christ-haunted.”

“People without hope not only don’t write novels, but what is more to the point, they don’t read them.”

“I don’t deserve any credit for turning the other cheek as my tongue is always in it.”

“Everywhere I go I’m asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don’t stifle enough of them. There’s many a best-seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.”

“Fiction is about everything human and we are made out of dust, and if you scorn getting yourself dusty, then you shouldn’t try to write fiction. It’s not a grand enough job for you.”

“The novelist with Christian concerns will find in modern life distortions which are repugnant to him, and his problem will be to make these appear as distortions to an audience which is used to seeing them as natural; and he may well be forced to take ever more violent means to get his vision across to this hostile audience. When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal ways of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock — to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures.”

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What I’m Into – February 2014

Posted in Books, Food, What I'm Into, Writing on March 3, 2014| 2 Comments »

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February was a fun trip to meet dear ones from the Internet in person, a gathering, and weird weather.

It was affirmation, anxiety, a bit of melancholy, and a grounded feeling that I’ve been missing lately.  Welcome back, old friend.

I attended the IF: Gathering in Austin, and I stayed with Story Sessions sisters at a house in Dripping Springs. The conference was good and nerve-wracking and triggery and crowded and inspiring and loud.  The stay at the house was relaxing and lovely and easy (for the most part). And Nicole and Jennifer gave me shells and found poetry (don’t judge their gift by the quality of the picture above).

February weather is on crack.  I mean, I know I am in Texas, so I guess I am used to it.  But it was icy the first half of the month and 60-70 degrees the second half.  And today it’s “icy” again.

Here’s what I was into this February:

To write:

I am on schedule with my goal to write 100 blog posts this year.  I totally count posts that I guest-write for other places.

One of my poems was featured on the Story Sessions site – How It Begins and Ends

Possibly the most important thing I will do this year – guest praying as part of Osheta Moore’s Standing our Ground…in Prayer series

I am also on schedule with Fishbowl word count.  It might actually get finished this year!

To read:

I read about poetry and food this month.  More accurately, I read books that made me want to go to places.

My favorite poetry was Mary Oliver’s A Thousand Mornings.  It makes me want to go back to Cape Cod.

I finished Plum: Gratifying Vegan Dishes from Seattle’s Plum Bistro.  There’s not much chance that I will ever make any of the gorgeous dishes in this book, but if I decided to, there’s plenty of detail in the recipes.  There is a great chance, however, that I will make a point to visit the Plum Bistro the next time I’m in Seattle to taste the gorgeous dishes in this book.

My favorite thing that I read in February was probably Style Me Vintage: A Guide to Hosting Perfect Vintage Events.  When and if, at long last, I finally get married, the bachelorette party will be a Speakeasy.  I already have the playlist started and half the menu planned (and by “half the menu,” I do mean the beverage portion).

To watch:

This month, I learned what everyone was raving about.  Downton Abbey and Sherlock.  I love Downton Abbey, but I need to own Sherlock and watch it forty-two times and maybe write some fanfiction.

I also started watching The Following.  My boss suggested it, and I agreed to give it a try, because I love me some Kevin Bacon.  I don’t know if I can recommend it, because you guys – this show freaks me out.  It’s so damn creepy.  I wouldn’t wish the emotional and mental torment this show has put me through on anyone.  I am also attracted to the serial killer on the show, and I am a little uncomfortable with that. If you watched Dexter or Breaking Bad, you can probably handle it.  I’m just not used to this sort of thing. But it’s so good, so I just can’t quit it.

To hear:

Because I’m super excited about the Veronica Mars movie, and I’m currently reading Welcome to the Monkey House (Vonnegut), it just seems fitting that February would be full of The Dandy Warhols.

Also, Stephanie Trick on piano makes me miss my piano:

And I have basically been listening to every version and spoof of Let It Go I can find.  Here are my favorite three:

To taste:

So, on the way home from Dripping Springs,  Adela and I stopped at Rolling in Thyme and Dough.  Weird name.  GLORIOUS BREAKFAST SANDWICH. Egg and cheese on a croissant….with pesto.  Also, it’s just a cute place.  It would not be unreasonable for you to travel from wherever you are just so you can enjoy this sandwich.

This pales in comparison to the Breakfast Sandwich of Glory, but I have also been on a chicken salad kick.  I normally despise mayonnaise, but occasionally, I just have to have chicken salad.  My favorite – rotisserie chicken (because I totally cheat and get my chicken already roasted at the Kroger), Vegannaise, red grapes, celery, and pecans on rye.

I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer – go over and see what everyone is into!

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What I’m Into – January 2014

Posted in Books, Food, Story Sessions, TV, What I'm Into, Writing on February 4, 2014| 3 Comments »

This month January was fast.  I just don’t know where it went.

The semester started, and then it just took off.  I only have the one class this semester, so it seems like a year goes by between teaching days.

I made resolutions and chose my one word.

I started Story 101, and you’re going to hear a lot about that.  Yes.  Even more than you already have.  It seems that every other post is from a prompt from the class.  If you haven’t taken it, go ahead and follow the hyperlink above, because the spring session starts soon, and you don’t want to miss out!

Here are some other things I’m into:

To write:

I had the honor of guest posting as part of Preston Yancey’s series on what women want from the church.  That was scary and also fun.

I worked on some of my WIP, but not as much as I planned.  Other than the guest post (which I actually wrote in December), it’s been a bit of a blah writing month.

To read:

It has also been a light reading month.  I have been reading books on writing for the ecourse, and so far, May Sarton’s Journal of a Solitude has been my favorite.

To watch:

Ah, the reason that writing and reading have gone the way of the VCR this month…

My habits clearly think we’re still on holiday, because I’ve been watching way more TV than I usually do.  I got several seasons of Friends from Michelle and Steve for Christmas, so I have been reliving happy times.  That scene in The One With The Blackout where Ross gets attacked by the cat while the group is inside singing Top of the World?  I still laugh just as hard now as when I first saw it.  That’s just good TV. And nostalgia has not changed my unpopular position – I just don’t give a flying fig about Ross and Rachel’s relationship.  I know I’m supposed to care deeply, but I do not.

Parks and Recreation – I don’t want to talk about it.  I just want to let it know that I saw what it did. *stern face*

Community – I’ll talk about that. Nathan Fillion, how are you so adorable? Okay, that’s pretty much all I had to say on the subject.

As far as movies go, I went to see Frozen again, and this time I took my sister.  I love this movie.  I’m pretty critical of Disney, and I still have a couple of it-might-have-been-nice-ifs, but overall, I love it.  I even have a post planned to discuss the depths of my love for this movie, and that doesn’t happen very often.  It’s rare that I am able to invest in characters so quickly.

To hear:

I really love this song:

It makes me miss tango.  I’ve been feeling dance-y lately and listening to a lot of this-would-be-a-good-tango-song songs.

To taste:

Most of my meals lately have been odd combinations of frozen holiday leftovers. The most memorable was the taco roast-kale-Parmesan quesadillas.

I also made a pretty fantastic batch of Burgundy Beef after I had a glass of a disappointing wine.  It certainly redeemed itself in the dish.

My favorite thing I made all month, though,were my vanilla coconut waffles.  I could eat these every morning for the rest of my life.

So that’s my month.  I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer, so hop on over there to see what everyone else is into!

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2014 Resolutions – Words, Food, and Beauty

Posted in Beauty, Books, Food, Resolutions, Writing on January 2, 2014| 5 Comments »

Today is the first day that I’m back at work.  I am glad no one was here to see me coo at these little fellows who greeted me once I got my computer hooked back up.  That would have been awkward.  It was an exuberant cooing.

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(This is a snapshot of my computer screen. Sadly, I was not present to take the original photo, and I would give proper credit to the person who had the good fortune to be near enough to these little guys to take the picture, but the photo/website has since been taken down, so the world will never know the identity of this lucky, lucky person.)

Seriously.  Look at the face!  And the puffy, stubby tail!  I love everything about red pandas.

Anyway…back to the topic at hand…

Last year, I finally admitted to myself what I want to do with my life.  I want to write.  I want to be published.  I want to spend my days staring at a computer screen and writing terrible first drafts and editing like mad and watching those terrible first drafts become something I would actually let another human being read.  So three of my five 100s are related to this goal:

1.  One hundred books read

Just as I would not trust a pastry chef who never ate cake, I also don’t trust writers who don’t read.  It teaches me.  Reading Elmore Leonard is how I learned to write dialogue that didn’t just sound like my characters puppeting my own voice.  Reading poetry is a reminder to be picky about word choice, particularly when editing.  Reading is vital to writing well.

2.  One hundred thousand words written

I will finish Fishbowl this year.  I will finish Fishbowl this year.  I will finish Fishbowl this year.

I am committing to writing at least 100,000 words toward fiction or poetry – projects that, ultimately, I would like to submit for publication.  This might seem like a lot, but really, it’s only double the goal for NaNoWriMo, and I’ve been known to do that in just one month.  It’s less than 10,000 a month.  It’s 275 words a day.  This post is going to be longer than 275 words, and it will only take me about half an hour to finish it.  An average of half an hour a day spent on fiction or poetry is not a lot.  So surely, I can reach it.

3.  One hundred blog posts

Now that I’ve actually managed to start keeping up with a blog again (and by “keeping up,” I do mean “I have posted at least once a month for a year.”  Don’t get your expectations all raised.), I remember how helpful it is to have a place where I speak in just my voice, not through the voice of a character.  It helps me differentiate between the two.  It helps me edit.

It also keeps me connected to people, which is important because I sometimes forget to do this on my own.  I don’t have a lot of followers, but I do have a faithful few.  And I appreciate you all!

So those are my word-related goals. If you want to follow my reading list, you can follow/friend me on Goodreads.  I will try to post an update here once a month in order to keep track of the other two goals.

Next, there’s my health situation.  Last year was a healthier year than the one before, as I successfully avoided the emergency room, but there is still room for improvement.  I still don’t know what’s going on with my digestive system (my doctor has suggested a full scan, so that’s a fun thing I get to do this month), but we’ve narrowed it down enough to identify some things that trigger my episodes, and the main offender seems to be lactose.  Sad times.  I love me some lactose – specifically, cheese.  Fortunately, most of the time, if I don’t overdo it, I can offset the problem with a couple of enzymes in pill form.  There are, therefore, very few items I have to give up entirely.  Cheesecake is one of them.  Never again.  Cheesecake is delicious, but there’s not a cheesecake in the world that is worth what I went through last month, and there’s not a pill in the world that can compensate for the ridiculous amount of dairy in a slice of cheesecake.

But even though taking a pill is an option, I don’t wanna.  I don’t want to have to take a pill every time I eat something.  That’s not what a proper solution looks like to me.  So my fourth resolution is:

4.  One hundred vegan recipes, tried and successfully eaten without taking a pill or getting sick

This will ensure at least 300 meals, snacks, or treats for which I will not have to medicate.  I estimate an average of three servings out of most recipes, as most of them are written for at least four people, so an average of three will offset the count for the relatively few recipes that are single-serving.  To keep track of this goal, I have created a Pinterest board where I will post pictures and recipes that I have tried and successfully managed sans pill assistance.

And last but not least, my One Word for 2014 – beauty.  I am looking for it.  I’m not sure what I’ll find.  I’m not even sure what to call it when I do.  Pictures of beauty?  Examples of beauty?  Ideas about beauty?  I imagine that I will be writing about beauty, but I don’t want to stifle discovery by limiting expectations.  I want to remain open to whatever I need to learn from it.  So here’s the last goal:

5.  One hundred moments of beauty

I have also created a Pinterest board to track this goal, so we’ll see how that works out.  My first wordy post about beauty is on the board, along with a picture of one of the beautiful things in my apartment that doesn’t get much use as it was originally intended but is still beautiful nonetheless.

So that’s my year.  What do you hope for your year to be?

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What I’m Into – December 2013

Posted in Books, Food, Poetry, TV, What I'm Into, Writing on December 31, 2013| 5 Comments »

This was a weird month.  It’s the first time I’ve been at a church that observes the liturgical year.  It’s the first time I’ve really “done” Advent (does one do Advent?  Is that something that’s done?  Or experienced?  Or watched?  I’m not sure which verb goes there.).

I’ve also been sick most of the month, so food choices have been limited.  It also limited my coffee consumption – I went completely without for a week and a half – which, as you might imagine, put me in a fantastic mood.

And let’s not forget North Texas’s little Icetember adventure. Because large quantities of ice are so rare in Texas, it’s not really cost effective to keep the resources to deal with it.  It’s cheaper to just shut everything down until it passes.  So we did.  Happy 4-day Icecation to me! I got home at about 4:00 on Thursday, and I did not even walk out the door to get the mail until the following Wednesday morning. Ah, introvert bliss.

One might think that, between being iced in and having to stay home sick and getting two weeks off from work for regular holiday vacation, I would have gotten a lot of writing/reading/TV watching done.

Heh. Not really.  Not any more than usual.  My house is pretty clean, though.

Here’s what I was into this month, besides deep, leisurely cleaning.

To write:

I wrote a lot of poetry this month.  I participated in Story Sessions’s 40 Days of Poetry. I guess it wouldn’t be a lot to people who usually write poetry, but for me, the nine or ten poems I wrote is more poetry than I wrote the rest of the year combined.  So for me, that’s a lot.

I also ranted about freedom of speech, which a couple of friends picked up and shared on Facebook without my sharing it first.  I didn’t have to point it out to them.  Translation: my friends read my blog and like what I write.  Sweet!  Thanks, friends.  That made my week.

To read:

As inspiration, I also read a lot of poetry this month.  I reacquainted myself with the likes of Neruda and Donne, and I reread Adrienne Rich’s Fox collection.

I mentioned last month that I jumped on the Divergent bandwagon, and during Christmas, I finished the last two of the trilogy.   In a day and a half.  I haven’t been sucked into something that completely in a while.  I have a confession, though.  Unpopular opinion #427 – I liked the ending.  I’ll try to tell you why without giving anything away to anyone who inexplicably has not read it yet.  Any other ending would have been, at best, a contrived mess.  I would even go so far as to say that the ending that a lot of people wanted would have been a betrayal of the craft, because when an author foreshadows something so blatantly, she ought to make good on it.  I mean, I read a lot of YA fiction, so I have a pretty high tolerance for teenage angst, but if I had sat through three books of it and ended up with no learning curve or subsequent resolution, that might have merited a nice, healthy tossing of the book across the room.  And that would have been problematic, as the book was large (hardback), and I was at my mother’s house, and she has many breakable knick-knacks.  So, for knick-knack’s sake, I am glad that it ended the way it did.

To watch:

This month that has meant reruns of Gilmore Girls, How I Met Your Mother, and The Office.  This month has also meant made-for-TV Christmas movies, because that’s what Mom likes, and Pawn Stars, because that’s what Dad likes.  I’m not opposed to either choice, but the hours upon hours spent…let’s just say that, while the trip to their house was lovely in many ways, I’m really happy to be home, where I’ve spent the last two days watching the second season of Castle.

To hear:

I have been obsessed with The Bangles this month.  You know how you wake up with a song in your head every day, and it stays with you for most of the day (no?  Just me?  Okay, then)?  At least half the month, that song for me has been a Bangles song.  You’d think I would be sick of it, but no.  I blame Lorelai Gilmore and growing up in the 80s.

To taste:

The Sickness put a bit of a damper on my meal choices this month.  I’ve apparently been really into vegetable broth, potatoes, applesauce, and peppermint tea.  I had to cancel Supper Club one night, because I wasn’t sure I could even take the smell of the meal I had planned.

But around the 20th, I started to feel better, so I got brave and had some toast, then some peaches, and by the 25th, I was able to enjoy my dad’s crock-pot turkey, roasted in a citrus gravy, which was either the most delicious thing I’ve eaten all year, or I was just really happy that it wasn’t broth.

So that’s how 2013 ends for me.  What are you into?

I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer – follow me over there!

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What I’m Into – November 2013

Posted in Books, Feminism, Food, Music, Thanks, TV, What I'm Into, Writing on December 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Let’s take a little trip back in time to when it was actually November.  November has two big things going for it:

– Thanksgiving month!  My favorite holiday with my favorite holiday traditions.

– NaNoWriMo! I didn’t finish this year, but I’ve got a new character whom I love.

The weather could have been cooler.  We had way too many days that made it up to 80 for my taste, but so far, Icetember is making up for it.

Here’s what I was into in November:

To write:

My NaNo piece this year started to be YA fiction about a group of five friends (because nobody has done that before /sarcasm).  I am a proud pantser, but having nothing other than names and costuming in mind before starting is not much to work with.  So about ten days in, I decided to start over with stories about Uncle Wallace the Christmas Mouse.

Uncle Wallace is this fellow:

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He lives under my Christmas tree. He holds a bell in one hand, and a random basket of apples in the other.

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I want to believe that there is a deep, meaningful reason for the person who created this masterpiece of holiday decoration to put a basket of apples into his hand.  Clearly, Uncle Wallace has stories to tell. He’s just letting me write them down.

So I didn’t make it to 50,000 words, but Uncle Wallace does have a Facebook page.  So there’s that.

I also wrote a couple of blog posts of which I am proud.  I linked up with Sarah Bessey in celebration of the Jesus Feminist launch with this post, and I wrote Going Home as part of Tara Owens’s synchroblog on Coming Home. 

To read:

I finally made it through The Unbearable Lightness of Being.  There were many lines in the book that I liked.  Unfortunately, there were several pages to wade through between each of those lines.  I’m happy I read it.  I’m happier that I’m through reading it.

My book club read Bill O’Reilly’s Killing Kennedy.  The book was fine, but I don’t like his writing style.  I would read some of it out loud and imagine it in his voice, and that made it a little better.  I would watch it as a documentary.  I also read Dad is Fat and imagined it in Jim Gaffigan’s voice, but that just made it funnier.

I jumped on the Divergent bandwagon, and I am hooked.  I finished book one, and I’ll be buying the other two (or, let’s face it – all three – I can’t have an incomplete trilogy on the shelf) to read over holiday break, because the wait at the library is looooong, and I am impatient.

My favorite book of the month was Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber.  I tried to find my favorite quote, but I’d just end up quoting half the book.  I have narrowed it down that much.  This book made me snort-laugh and ugly-cry, sometimes in the same sentence.  That’s pretty much what I look for in any book I read about God.

To watch:

I’ve been into Burn Notice this month.  His accents are sometimes good, but usually terrible.  Just awful.  But he’s so adorable (and sure, also badass) that I just don’t care.

I haven’t watched much else, unless you count the ridiculous number of hours I spent watching made-for-TV Christmas movies with Mom and the Psych marathon of Christmas episodes over Thanksgiving.

To hear:

November was a weird soundtrack of industrial music (…I don’t know), Memphis Blues (I blame Uncle Wallace), and classical music (because that’s what I listen to when I write).

To taste:

November means homemade candy.  It’s my favorite holiday tradition.  Every year, on Black Friday, we do not shop.  We put up Christmas decorations and make candy to share with friends and take to parties.  This year, we made five different candies – Martha Washingtons (coconut and pecan nougat, covered in chocolate – my favorite), Texas Millionaires (caramel and pecan nougat, covered in chocolate), peanut butter bon bons (peanut butter nougat – you guessed it – covered in chocolate), dark chocolate fudge with peanut butter, and buttermilk pecan pralines.  Can you tell my parents have pecan trees?

My dad made my favorite meal this month.  He made enchiladas with flour tortillas (instead of the traditional corn), and he made them special for me by substituting goat cheese for the cheese he normally uses.  I am not ashamed to admit that I ate five in one setting.  I also do not recommend doing that.

What were you into in November? Need recommendations for your holiday break?  I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer – go over and see what everyone else has to say!

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