Friday Check-In

It's been a while since I shared a Friday check-in, mostly because I've been so busy enjoying summer! I am so grateful to have been able to have so many fun things planned this year. It is such a stark contrast to the angst and stress from a year ago and I have been determined to enjoy every minute of it!

Other news is that the first words have been written on the new book! It is quite possible that this will be the first of many false starts, but we have to start somewhere. Confucius says, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." That's the way it is with writing a book as with so many things in life . . . as well as life itself. So we take the first step then another and another and see where they lead.

Fingers crossed that this book will take this writer and you readers on a great journey!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I just read another island book, though when I first picked it up that theme wasn't necessarily running through my head . . . but I won't lie either -- the setting was a total lure. A fictional island in the Mediterranean with a family comprised of sisters, stepsisters, stepmothers, and husbands and boyfriends from New York, London, Prague, Paris . . . Megan McAndrew wove an intricate tale pulling all these complex relationships and cultural differences together. Add a little mystery, and Going Topless becomes a tempting summer read! I hope you'll give it a try and let me know what you think.

xoxo,
bex

Beach Books

So funny! I just looked back at the last few books I posted here to my reading list on ye olde blog and noticed that they have beachy covers to them. It's not that big a surprise -- I mean, I grew up at the beach as often as I could possibly get there and love the surf, sun, and sand. Some of my favorites reads bring me back to the beach in mind and spirit, so it's not a total shock to see that I've spent a lot of my summer reading with the beach on my brain.

Makes me think I should be writing a beach-set beach read instead of just reading them! Hmm . . . some definite good food for thought!

What's your favorite beach scene? The turquoise, tropical vista of the islands? The grassy, craggy shoreline of New England? A mid-Atlantic boardwalk? The rocky outcroppings of the Pacific Northwest? The dreamy escape of the Mediterranean? Inquiring minds want to know!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

Just a quick post to check in and mention the latest book to leave the TBR pile. It's Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook. Have you read it? What do you think? Inquiring minds want to know.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

A few of my favorite authors were coming out with new books this summer, which propelled my reading anticipation to pretty tall heights. Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand was one of the books I had most looked forward to reading. It was another story set on Nantucket and, as always, I loved being transported to the island through the characters and their lives. It's a timely tale, too, as the main story line happens around a woman who learns she had been married to a Bernie Madoff caliber of lying, deceptive swindler, and she soon becomes the most hated woman in America. She retreats to Nantucket with her oldest (now only) but estranged friend, where she struggles to piece her life and relationships back together.

This book makes me an even firmer believer that a summer on Nantucket can cure just about anything. I have never been to the island, but it's on my life's to-do list!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I have revisited some specific things in my summer reading -- a lot of YA books and books that take place at the beach or on an island, specifically Nantucket. As I've mentioned before, I love reading Elin Hilderbrand but there is another author who works the setting of Nantucket that I am just now discovering and I am so excited I did! In reading Summer House by Nancy Thayer, I was again transported from my stuffy, cramped, landlocked apartment to the open air, bright skies, and sea breezes that come from summer on the island.

The book explores generations of one family and how family comes together in different ways, for different occasions. There's nothing like the differences and tensions within family on which to build conflict, so as a reader -- and a writer -- there is a lot of ripe material to puzzle through.

I can't wait to pick up another of her books.

xoxo,

bex

Friday Check-In

Last summer was a tough one for my family so this year I vowed things would be different. I want to seize every weekend to do something fun or interesting so as to wring the most out of my favorite season as I can. Of course, this commitment to fun throws my time management skills into a tailspin . . . skills that are severely tested under normal circumstances.

I find that I get bits of things done here and there, but when it comes to my writing it just doesn't feel good enough. I am eager to get started on the newer of my new book ideas, and I had some good pieces fall into mental place this week, but I have not had the chance to sit down and map out where these pieces should go. I still have a lot of pre-writing I need to do before I am able to actually start working on the book, and so that's the goal I need to focus on for next week. As I look at my schedule I have just one day where I am not booked, but I hope to keep finding those here and there pockets of time so I can at least get a few things accomplished. Time is one of the things I prize most, and the thing I have the least freedom with.

How I envy people who have more flexibility and freedom in their lives! My friends in this boat have worked hard for it, and they give me faith that if I keep working towards my goals I can find a little bit of that freedom and flexibility, too.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

What Happened to Goodbye has been one of the books I most looked forward to reading this summer. Sarah Dessen is one of my go-to writers, for both books I know I will enjoy reading as well as inspiration for the kind of writer I want to be/stories I want to tell.

Here's a blurb about the book from Sarah-Land:

Another town. Another school. Another Mclean. Ever since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her father have been fleeing their unhappy past. And Mclean's become a pro at reinventing herself with each move. But in Lakeview, Mclean finds herself putting down roots and making friends---in part, thanks to Dave, the most real person Mclean's ever met. Dave just may be falling in love with her, but can he see the person she really is? Does Mclean herself know?

If you haven't checked it out, I hope you will! Do you have a favorite Sarah book? Inquiring minds want to know!!

xoxo,

bex

Friday Check-In

It's 4th of July weekend! I can't believe it's here already. Unlike most of my friends, I am *not* at the RWA national conference this week. Wah. But I have had a silver lining kind-of-week and I now am preparing for a get-away weekend, so while I miss my friends I at least made the most of this quiet time. Since it's been a hectic week with lots going on, this Friday check-in will be a brief one.

This week I started reading Sarah Dessen's latest book and I can't wait to share a post about it the next time I update my What I'm Reading series.

I also started the synopsis on the newer of the new projects and am still struggling with elements of the story. But . . . I know if I keep tossing it to the back of my brain, I will continue to puzzle over the pieces and slowly but surely help will emerge. Until then, I am working on finding the right starting point for the story and will also be thinking about my anchor scenes (I think lots of folks think of these as turning points).

Other than that, I am trying to make better health decisions and working on my wellness while also brainstorming other job ideas. I watch far too much Bravo TV and though I love it, I find myself wanting to work on my lifestyle to emulate that of the rich and fabulous. I know, I know. You don't have to tell me.

Have a great holiday! Until next week!

xoxo,

bex