New York—These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

My husband and I recently returned from a weekend getaway to New York City to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary, and it was amazing! The last time I was in NYC I was a senior in high school on a trip with my music performing group, a show choir named Mixed Company. So this trip was long over due!

The first day/night, we stayed in Tribeca in a cute boutique hotel. In the afternoon, we found what is now my favorite coffee shop/ bakery and had yummy hot cocoa and the most delectable blueberry muffin.

After an afternoon of exploring Tribeca, Soho, and Chinatown, I found my new favorite clothing store (crazy to think I'd never heard of it before!). Joe Fresh. Anyone else as clueless as I was that this store even existed??

That first night we ate at what is now one of my favorite restaurants, mostly because of the decor and ambiance, not necessarily for the food. I'm fine with occasionally dining at fancy restaurants, but to be honest, I'd prefer chicken tenders and french fries any day! The one thing I do love about nice (meaning expensive) restaurants is the ambiance. Beautifully decorated in twinkling lights (for Christmas) and glowing stained-glass chandeliers, the Tribeca Grill (owned by actor Robert de Niro) was as romantic as it was pretty. We had octopus appetizers (not a fan!) and lamb meatballs (cow ones are infinitely better!) and other stuff that I won't attempt to rename on here because I would butcher the names of the dishes completely. :)

Inside of the restaurant, but it's hard to see...

Our second night, we stayed in my favorite hotel ever! The room was contemporary and chic and we had a view of Central Park. In the other direction, we were only a few blocks from Times Square and the Rockefeller Center. And we walked those blocks many, many times. We did lots and lots and lots of walking! (gah, my feet hurt just thinking about it!)

My favorite part of the entire trip was seeing Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. We were only four seats from the stage so I could see every facial expression, every bead of sweat, even the way Carlotta's arms jiggled as she sang. It was AWESOME! And when they raised the giant chandelier, it went right over our heads. I probably could have touched it if I wasn't scared I'd get kicked out and not see the rest of the show! 

Don't be surprised by this picture. The theatre was packed full—we were just early. :)

While we were in New York, we really wanted to see some stand-up comedy since New York is the jumping off point for so many famous comedians. We looked into a few different stand-up comedy places, but once we realized Jim Gaffigan would be performing at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, it was a no-brainer. We had to see him! 

And as we watched him, we totally felt like a New Yorker instead of some awe-struck tourist. Probably because all the "tourists" were camped out in Rockefeller Center trying to get a glimpse of the giant Christmas tree. I believe my exact words, as we were crushed by the half-million people all straining to get to it, were: "What's so great about a giant Christmas tree?"

You can see the tree in the background.

Okay, I admit, we did eventually squeeze our way to the tree to get a pic,

The infamous ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center.

On our last day in NYC, right before we had to go to the airport to catch our flight, we found this total dive of a burger joint, appropriately named The Burger Joint. We waited in line AT LEAST 30 minutes and then because there were so many people and not enough tables, we shared a table with two perfect strangers. Hello New York! :) But the burger and fries were worth the wait!

The wall of The Burger Joint. People have signed their names EVERYWHERE! All part of the unique decor!

And one of my favorite things about New York? People watching! I could seriously sit in Central Park and watch people for hours. I'm so amazed with everyone's sense of style (even when they are only out for a stroll through the park with their baby/stroller.) My husband and I had a lot of fun exploring Central Park, but I think we only saw an eighth of it—it's huge! 

Central Park

I loved all the tunnels in Central Park. It reminded me of the movie Kate and Leopold which I'm pretty sure was shot here somewhere. :)

Look at my husband looking all suave! :)

I couldn't have asked for a better trip or more romantic anniversary. New York City is one of my favorite things for sure! 

But even after such a great trip, I was ready to go home and see my kids. And even more ready to get on the airplane and sit for an hour. We were both sick of walking! :)

Well, it's Christmas Eve and even though I've tried to stay on top of things, there are still presents to wrap, food to make, stockings to stuff, etc. etc. But I'm so excited for Christmas day—we got the boys a BIG surprise and I know they will be thrilled! I've had a hard time not blurting it out all week! Let's just say I'm not the only girl in the house anymore (and no, it's not a baby!) :)

Merry Christmas, everyone! Have a wonderful day tomorrow!

Book Review and Interview with Kelly Hashway

Most of you who know me know that I'm a sucker for a good YA contemporary romance. Not only do I love to write YA romance, but I love to read it as well. And Ashelyn Drake's Our Little Secret did not disappoint. With a secret crush turning into stolen kisses which results in a covert relationship and a betrayed best friend, this book was a recipe for success.

Becca has had a crush on her best friend's popular and good-looking twin brother for as long as she can remember. But her friend Tori has a very strict hands-off policy when it comes to friends dating her brother Toby. But when Toby begins tutoring Becca in Math, it appears the attraction goes both ways. Between fake study sessions and secret meetings, Becca is in over her head but doesn't know how to tell Tori, without ruining their friendship, that she's falling for her brother. But, of course, no secret is safe forever, and in the end, Becca is forced to choose between the perfect guy and the perfect friend.

I was sucked in at the first page. Kelly truly does have a command of the ultimate teenage voice and the angst of crushing on someone you think you'll never have a shot with. It was a lightning quick read with the perfect amount of romance. The characters were easily likable and extremely relatable. The only character that I sometimes wanted to smack was Tori for being so stubborn about Becca dating her brother, probably because I just wanted Becca and Toby to be together without anyone standing in the way. But even Tori has secrets of her own, including the real reason why she doesn't want her best friend dating her brother.

All in all, I thought Our Little Secret was a great read. I give it five stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes YA contemporary romances and super-quick reads. 

And wouldn't you know it, the author of Our Little Secret, Ashelyn Drake aka Kelly Hashway, was nice enough to stop in and answer a few probing questions. On to the interview!

Interview with Kelly Hashway/Ashelyn Drake

I recently read Our Little Secret and loved it. What was your inspiration for the novel?

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this book was inspired by an episode of Victorious that I was watching with my daughter. In the episode, they sang a song called “My Best Friend’s Brother” and I thought that would be such a great book to write. So of course I dove right in.



I love that story! What are you currently working on?

I’m in the middle of edits on my YA trilogy, Into the Fire, which releases spring 2016 with Limitless Publishing. I’m also drafting an adult thriller and polishing up an NA romance.



Wow, you are one busy woman! You write YA and NA romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. What prompted the decision to use a pen name?

When I decided to branch out and write romance, I wanted to keep it separate from my Kelly Hashway books, especially since I write picture books and middle grade novels. I don’t want young readers stumbling on my romance novels and thinking they are appropriate for them to read simply because my name is on the books.



That's a great point and makes perfect sense. As a busy mother, writer, and editor for Leap Books, how do you balance all the areas of your life?

I’m a huge believer in multi-tasking. I’m always doing two (or three) things at once. I also work (writing and editing) every minute my daughter is in school so I can help her with homework and play with her in the afternoons and evenings.



What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer? Fall? Winter? Spring?

I love swimming and playing tennis with my daughter in the summer, being outdoors and catching leaves in the fall (because I love the smell of the air), and reading by a fire in the winter. (Can you tell I don’t like the cold?)



I love the smell of fall air too! What takes you out of your comfort zone?

I take myself out of my comfort zone all the time by writing different things. I constantly say things like “I’ll never write for adults,” and then guess what? I’m writing an adult thriller. ;)



Never say never, right? :) Okay, sweet or salty? Mountains or beach?

Salty

Beach



If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would it be?

If you’re not weird, you’re boring. (I tend to do weird things and I think it makes life more interesting.)

What a great slogan! :) If you could spend the day with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be and why?

My daughter. She’s my favorite person in the world and we always have fun together.



Aw, that's so sweet! With Christmas coming around the corner, I have to ask… What was your favorite toy when you were a kid?
Oh, I’m dating myself here! I’d have to say the Jem backstage. I was obsessed with Jem and the Holograms. I still have the backstage and the dolls, and my daughter loves to play with them.

Lol. I remember Jem and the Holograms! That is so awesome that you still have yours and your daughter can play with it. :) Thanks so much, Kelly!

Thank you for having me, Kristin!

Kelly Hashway fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the planet, but that didn’t stop her from jumping out of an airplane at ten thousand feet one Halloween. Maybe it was growing up reading R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books that instilled a love of all things scary and a desire to live in a world filled with supernatural creatures, but she spends her days writing speculative fiction for young adults, middle graders, and young children. Kelly’s also a sucker for first love, which is why she writes YA and NA romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly works as an editor, and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title that deserves to be capitalized. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

IWSG December: Holiday Crazies

It's that time again! Time for another group posting of the IWSG. Hosted by the amazing Alex Cavanaugh, this is a wonderful group to be a part of. It's never too late to join us, so if you're interested, you can check it out HERE. And as always, a big thank you to our co-hosts for this month.

I've decided to quit querying and quit submitting and start revising—not one, not two, but THREE different manuscripts. They all have potential but they all need tweaking. Based off suggestions from an editor who used to work at Simon and Schuster, I've decided to dig in and make some pretty drastic changes to the beginning of Middle of Knowhere. I need to cut another 5K from Catalyst and revise another MS for pacing.

But here's the thing, I'm not putting a whole bunch of pressure on myself to get it done by a certain time. With the holidays coming up, I've kind of taken a step back from writing. I want to enjoy my family. I want to be present for field trips and class parties, tree lighting ceremonies and Christmas programs. I don't want to miss a single moment, which is how I feel lately—that I've missed so much with nothing to show for it.

I know everyone says that if you're serious about writing then you should write every day. Well, I AM serious about writing, but I know that right now the best thing for me is to take a step back, enjoy my time with my family, and gear up to start back in January. I'm not sure what my course of action will be when January hits, whether I'll keep querying agents or submit to publishers, but right now, I like not having to think about it.

And if you're feeling guilty because you aren't writing everyday, DON'T! Enjoy your life. The writing will be there when you're ready.

Black Friday

Did everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving? Our Thanksgiving was a little different this year because we're visiting family in Florida, but it was still so much fun. I know my kids had a blast singing karaoke, playing flag football, and swimming in the pool with their cousins. I mean, where else can you swim outside when it's almost December?

Despite being on vacation, this week it was my turn to host for Unicorn Bell. Here are the highlights if you want to stop by and take a look. (By the way, I know it's hard to tell, but all you have to do is click on the day and it will take you to that post. The link never stands out for some reason.)

Monday—Choosing an Unforgettable Book Title: Do you ever have trouble coming up the right book title for your novel? Then this is a post you don't want to miss. I give you some tips and tricks to choosing a book title you can be proud of.

Wednesday—Choosing an Unforgettable Book Cover: Are you an Indie publisher? Do you know all the amazing book designers out there? I've included a list of my favorite designers along with sample covers.

Friday—Choosing a Reputable Publisher: Are you looking for a small to medium-sized publisher? I've highlighted several reputable publishers and included a sample cover so you can see their work. I've also given you a website with an all inclusive publisher list. As always, be sure to do your homework before submitting to ANY publisher.

Well, that about wraps up my week on Unicorn Bell. Be sure to pop in if any of these topics interest you. Enjoy all the Black Friday sales! Anyone going shopping?

The Cenote by Chelsea Dyreng

I am thrilled to be able to celebrate the release of my dear friend, Chelsea Dyreng's debut novel, THE CENOTE. I met Chelsea a little over a year ago at the Carolinas SCBWI Conference. When I found out that she is also the mother of five children, we immediately hit it off. And now, she has an incredible book with an amazing cover. Don't you love it?

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

THE CENOTE is a work of fiction told in alternating viewpoints between Sandpiper, a girl who has lived on an island her entire life, and Lark, the son of a chief whose village is in the heart of the jungle. When Lark and his father, the chief, show up on the tiny island that Sandpiper and her people inhabit, Sandpiper's future is uncertain and somewhat bleak. A disgrace to her family, Sandpiper goes along with the plan to obtain the favor of the chief's son, despite her utter disgust towards him. When chosen to be his bride, she must move away from the only home she's ever known and embark on a journey to a new land to live amongst a different culture, people, and family. And no one must know the secret she carries.

This journey of a new life also begins Sandpiper's journey to understanding what true love really means. Lark is nothing Sandpiper ever wanted, but he turns out to be exactly what she needs. 

But when strange things keep happening to the men of their village, Sandpiper must put aside her feelings of betrayal to save the one man who has ever truly loved her. 

I absolutely fell in love with this book. It was such a touching story, written in beautiful language and full of heart. It's a story about love, forgiveness, hope, and the strength of family. The author was able to vividly capture the time period, culture, and habitat of these Mayan people living in the Yucatan. The story behind the cenote, their source of water, was creepy and kept me turning the pages, wanting to know what was happening to the men in the village. For me, this was a book I didn't want to put down, so I read it in a day. And it was worth every minute! 

I give this book 5 stars! And I recommend it to anyone who likes a great story with a hint of mystery and a ton of heart. Happy Reading!

And now, I'm excited to have Chelsea here to answer a few questions about her book and herself. 

Interview with Chelsea Dyreng:

What inspired you to write The Cenote?

I always wanted to write a novel, but I thought that I should at least wait until my kids were all in school. When I told this to my grandma she laughed at me and told me that if I waited until my kids were gone I would lose all my inspiration. She was right! The idea of this story came from a game my daughters were playing upstairs. I was washing the dishes and I could hear them say, “Let’s pretend that this group of people can hear something, but this other group of people can’t.” And that was the spark that started it all.


Now that I’m so invested in Sandpiper and Lark’s story, I’m dying to know if there will be another book or is this a standalone novel?

Hmm….I don’t know. Lark is so fun to write about. :) There is a lot more to the story of Jade and Stone that I had to delete, so maybe I’ll pick up their story. I have another book that is set in the same area, but it is set when the Mayan cities were in their hay-day, and it is about a young girl who must choose to lose her virtue and keep her life, or stay virtuous and be sacrificed to the gods. It is a YA and I’m still waiting to see if my publisher wants to publish it. I think they are waiting to see how well The Cenote does. :)


I'm sure it will do very well! :) The details to the time period, culture, and location were incredible. How much research did you have to do to write this novel?

I checked out a lot of books on the Maya people and studied a lot about the Yucatan on the internet. But I knew my story wouldn’t feel really authentic unless I went there and saw and smelled and touched everything myself. Miraculously, at the same time I was writing the book my aunt needed someone to join her in Merida, Mexico. So my sister and I stayed with her for a week and I got to research to my heart’s content. I even swam in a cenote!


That is so cool! What are you currently working on?

A story about a boy who grows up on a pirate ship.


Ooh, I love that premise! As a mother of several small children, when do you find the time to write?

I only write during naptime or early morning (like 5 am). I have to be writing for at least an hour before I really “sink in” to the world I am forming. I can’t write in 15 minute spurts.


Yeah, the 15 minute spurts don't work for me, either. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Snap my fingers and have the house clean!


That's a great one! Would you rather sing in the rain or dance in the streets?

Sing in the rain


What is your biggest pet peeve?

Hmmm...at this moment it is Halloween candy. Five kids brings in a heck of a lot of candy. And now they are getting better at keeping track of what they have so it is harder for it to “accidentally” go missing.


The wrappers all over the floor is what gets me! :) Favorite pizza toppings?

I love it all.


If someone were to make a movie of your life, what would it be called?

Chalk Full of Ideas

Lol. Love it! Thanks so much, Chelsea! It was a pleasure to read your book and have you on here today! :)

About the Author:

Chelsea Bagley Dyreng is the daughter of a fireworks salesman and Miss Malibu. She grew up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Rigby, Idaho. She studied English and music at Brigham Young University. After graduating she worked as a librarian until she married and started family life with a bang by having twins! She now lives in Hillsborough, NC with her husband and five kids. She loves writing, being outside, and eating Mexican food.

IWSG November: You Don't Give Up

I can't believe it's already NOVEMBER! That means Christmas is right around the corner—yikes!

And since it's the first Wednesday of the month, that means it's time for another group posting of the IWSG! A big thank you to the creator of this wonderful group, Alex Cavanaugh. And for anyone who wants to join us, it's never too late. Go HERE to sign up or learn more about the group. And, as always, thank you to the co-hosts for the month!

So, there isn't much to report. The agent I did the R&R for decided to pass on that project, but good news—she invited me to send her anything I thought might be a good fit. I decided to send her a little blurb about one of my adult contemporary romances and she responded that she'd love to read it! I sent it off to her and now I'm waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I've decided to send out more queries for Middle of Knowhere, and when I've exhausted all my query options, I'll start submitting to any publishers who accept work from unagented authors. So, if you know of a publisher who accepts YA, let me know! :)

 I'm happy to have a game plan, but I'm still feeling a little overwhelmed. Inspiration for another book hasn't struck yet (or, I guess I should say, stuck yet), and I keep hoping there will be something that triggers that desire to write again. Oh well, I don't want to focus only on the negatives. And now that I've given you the update on what's going on, let's have some fun!

I figured this is appropriate since Thanksgiving is just around the corner...

This is how I feel about this awesome IWSG group:

This is what I tell myself when I start to feel overwhelmed with the whole querying/publishing process:

*I will BE so relaxed*

And this is what I keep telling myself in spite of it all (and this is what you should tell yourself too):

Even though things aren't necessarily falling into place the way I want them too, I'm still not giving up. And neither should you.

Book Blitz: Wonderwall by M.H. Soars

Today, I'm showing off M.H. Soars NA contemporary romance novel, Wonderwall, and I really do love the cover for this novel. Beautiful yet simple. I also have a guest post by M.H. where she shares what sparked the idea for Wonderwall. And be sure to enter the Giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card and an ebook copy of Wonderwall!

Wonderwall by M.H. Soars
Publication date: October 28th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

There is something magical when best friends fall in love. Liv and Sebastian used to be inseparable until circumstances beyond their control destroyed their fairytale romance to dust.

Liv hasn’t seen Sebastian since he walked out of her life five years ago. When she accepted her internship in London, she never dreamed their paths would cross again. Not when Sebastian is a celebrity, a singer in one of the most popular boy bands of all times. Living in the same city, their worlds couldn’t be farther apart. But when two people are destined to be together, they can’t outrun fate.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25897278-wonderwall

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wonderwall-M-H-Soars-ebook/dp/B0168Z8VKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445598885&sr=8-1&keywords=Wonderwall+by+M.H.+Soars

AUTHOR BIO:

M. H. Soars always knew creative arts were her calling but not in a million years did she think she would become an author. With a background in fashion design she thought she would follow that path. But one day, out of the blue, she had an idea for a book. One page turned into ten pages, ten pages turned into a hundred, and before she knew, her first novel, The Prophecy of Arcadia, was born.

M. H. Soars resides in Florida with her husband and baby daughter. She is currently working on the Arcadian Wars series, and the Love Me, I'm Famous series.

Author links

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mhsoars
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mhsoars
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/mhsoars
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mhsoars
Website: www.mhsoars.com
Blog: www.fyingsaucers22.com

GUEST POST by M.H. Soars

The Spark of a Novel

I think 99% of authors will say that the question they are asked the most is how they get their inspiration for their books. The answer to that question will vary. Dreams, songs, a driver who cuts you off, your desire to eat a doughnut even though you shouldn’t. In essence LIFE is the main source of anyone who creates.

Wonderwall was a book that came out of the blue. I wasn’t planning on writing it in the immediate future. My first novel in the New Adult genre was actually going to be We Used to Be Friends, the now second book in the series. But I’m so happy that Wonderwall got to be the first because it’s my favorite book to date.

So what sparked the idea for Wonderwall? Was it the song by Oasis? Not exactly. It was a song by a band I really never followed or paid attention to, even though the world had gone off-kilter over it. If you guessed One Direction, you are correct. So there I was, going to work, when Story of My Life started to play. (FYI, I get a lot of my ideas on the way to work, I actually see scenes play out in front of me when I should be paying attention to traffic instead). Anyway, back to what I was saying, the song came on and I wondered what would it be like to date a guy in a very popular boy band? And that was the A-HA moment for Wonderwall.

But it wasn’t the very beginning. The A-HA moment was not the Genesis of the story (I’m making s**t up as I go here. Who am I with all these fancy terms?). I can’t pinpoint the time when the little seed came into my mind. “A girl going to live in London on a year long internship at a swanky hotel. She finds love there. It will be complicated”.

I had this idea in the back of my head and then the One Direction song came in, mixed with the seed (maybe the song was the water?) and bang! A-HA moment.

What came next was a series of WHAT IFs questions that helped place Liv and Sebastian’s story in the world of the Love Me, I’m Famous series I’d been brewing for months. Like I stated earlier, I planned to launch the series with We Used to be Friends (Kennedy and Skylar’s story). Wonderwall was never meant to be part of this series. It was going to be a standalone. But now I cannot envision Love Me, I’m Famous without Liv and Sebastian in it, which proves that sometimes it’s freaking awesome to go off the rails.

And now for the Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Has the Well Dried Up?

I love being in the writing mode. And when I say writing mode, I'm referring to being enmeshed in a story that makes everything else around you fall away. It's the moment when your characters are so much a part of your life that you miss them when you aren't with them. It's the time when you're driving around town and your head is filled with scenes and dialogue and you can't wait to get home so you can write it all down. It's when you stay up way too late writing and wake up early in the morning with your heart pounding because you can't wait to finish a scene or torture your characters a little more.

I miss those feelings.

Ever since I finished Middle of Knowhere I've started about four different novels. But nothing is sticking. I have ideas, yes, lots of them. But the most I've written on any of the novels is about 6K, which is nothing. Most are just a page, just an idea, a start, nothing more.

The inspiration isn't coming, and I'm not sure if it's because I'm focused on querying and my brain can't handle two things at once, or if none of those stories is the ONE I should write next. I love all the ideas though, but I'm not sure where to go from there.

So, how do you do it? When you're filled with multiple story ideas, how do you choose which story to write next?

Source

IWSG October: My Baby's Growing Up!

Hello everyone! It's time for another group posting of the IWSG. Hosted by the amazing Alex Cavanaugh, the IWSG is where we post our insecurities, doubts, triumphs, and offer encouragement and support to others. To join this group, go HERE. And as always, a big thank you to the co-hosts for this month!

Today is my little man's 4th birthday and while that doesn't really have anything to do with writing, it has everything to do with thoughts that have been going through my mind lately. I had one of those breakdown moments recently where I was ready to throw in the towel because I felt like I was lacking in so many areas as a mother. I felt like most of it was due to the time I've spent the past two and a half years writing and querying (which is over half the life of my little guy). And for a moment, I honestly thought to myself that I can't do both. Not anymore.

Obviously, it was in a moment of weakness, a moment of despair that I thought these thoughts, because I know that I've come so far, and I certainly can't quit now. But I guess I'm hoping for that silver lining. I guess I'm praying that this will be it, this will be my chance. I'm hoping this wonderful agent I sent the R&R to will love the changes I made and offer me representation (and thus begin my dream of working with one of the sweetest agents ever).

But I have to ask myself, what if she doesn't? Then what?

And the truth is, I don't know.

I still have agents with my old manuscript that I now need to contact and ask if they would like the revised copy. And, obviously, I need to do that sooner rather than later. But I'm tired. I'm tired of querying (not necessarily this book because I haven't sent that many queries yet, but I'm tired of querying in general.)

I suppose if I find myself still unagented after these revisions, then I guess I'll have to keep querying. I owe it to myself, and I owe it to the story. And I do know that my story is stronger, better than it was due to the suggestions of this fabulous agent who was willing to give me another chance to resubmit. I will always be grateful for that.

But for now, I'll keep hoping and praying.

The Latest in Life, Motherhood, and Writing

Some of you may be wondering what happened with that R&R I mentioned in a previous blog post a few weeks ago. Well... I finished it!

Yep, after working hard for a few weeks straight (and after insightful advice from critique partners and friends), I sent it to that wonderful agent yesterday. Can I just tell you how nervous I was to press send? I think I reread my email a dozen times, analyzing each word, going over all the changes I made in my head, trying to sound somewhat coherent when all I really wanted to do was write, "I DID IT!! I'm FINISHED! Do you LOVE it???? Say YES, please, say YES!!!"

And it's kind of funny, but I think I might have sat there, my cursor hovering over the send button for at least twenty more minutes had my finger not twitched and accidentally pressed send. Lol. Yeah.

Thankfully, the email was ready to go, but I guess some part of my body recognized the need to intervene with my crazy mind so I didn't obsess over it any longer.

So, now? I wait. This agent is usually super fast getting back to writers, so I'm guessing I'll know something in a couple weeks?

Although, I guess I'll be too busy to "wait." I'm hosting a baby shower at my house Thursday night and then my "baby" is turning FOUR (I can't believe he's four already!) in a few days and we are having a birthday party/brunch this Saturday at the house for him. Sooo, it will be a busy few days!

Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook probably already know about THE major milestone that occurred this year for me. (For those of you who want to friend me on Facebook, click HERE. I'll only friend you if I know you already—or recognize your name—from blogging or Twitter, though, because I've heard of crazy stuff happening on FB with people pretending to be someone they're not.)

Anyhoo, my "baby" started preschool this year, and after 13 and a half years of constant mothering, I have four hours a day, three days a week to myself!!!!! And it is AMAZING!!

When I came home the first day from dropping D off at preschool, I walked in the house, stopped and just listened. And guess what?? There was SILENCE! There was no running, no screaming, no whining, no crying, no "MOM!", no "I'm hungry"....

I truly understood the saying, "Silence is bliss."

As much as I love my kids, it sure is nice to get a break! :)

Hope you're having a good week! Happy Wednesday! :)

**OH! And make sure you check out Unicorn Bell this week. I'm featuring more "How I Got My Agent" stories and there are some GREAT ones!! You can read Summer Spence's story HERE. And Julie Dao's story HERE. And tune into Friday's post to see who's next... :)