Friday Check-In

I am starting to run out of time on my revisions, which I think is a good thing. Without some kind of imposed deadline, this kind of tinkering and second-guessing and massaging could go on infinitely. At some point you just need to cross a finish line and have faith that you have done your best and that the effort is good enough to reach the next round.

I am almost done with this last pass and then it's on to the next phase. I hope that this time next week I can report that the pages have gone on to the first stop on the next leg of this journey.

Please keep your fingers crossed!

xoxo,
bex

What I'm Reading

I had some reading time this weekend -- something I love and don't get enough of! -- so I went to my TBR pile and found a book I picked up last summer by the terrific Mary Kay Andrews. I have read a number of books of hers in the past, and I love how her southern charm and humor shine through. She also loves to salvage old stuff, remodel, and renovate and she often writes about these things. As an addict of HGTV, I love how she brings these home projects into her books, and The Fixer Upper is a fun read not only about fixing up an old beauty of a home, but fixing up the heroine of the story. I highly recommend it!

xoxo,
bex

What I'm Reading

I always look forward to am Eileen Cook book. They are always fun and funny reads, and The Education of Hailey Kendrick does not disappoint. The trick of an Eileen Cook book is to take a serious issue and not only deal with it with humor but find a happy ending in there, too.

Eileen is a smart and funny person as well, and it makes me root for her with every book. She has a middle grade series coming out soon and I can't wait!

xoxo,
bex

Friday Check-In

I am still making baby steps on the revisions, but at least I got some work done on an actual work night rather than having to wait until the weekend for some alone time with the book.

I am taking two classes right now, which have consumed most of my spare time. One is work-related and one is writing-related. Both classes are good, but they are two more time commitments I am trying to juggle.

The writing class came highly recommended and I am happy I signed up for it. It's all about finding flaws in your manuscript and trying to triage them and giving the manuscript its best chance before sending it out into the world. It is both timely and a lot of work and makes me hopeful that I can learn what some of my 'problems' are so that the next time I undertake the process of writing and revising a book, it won't take me so long to work my way through it. My biggest hope is for the A-ha moment when I feel like I am finally getting it. Fingers crossed!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Listening To

I recently saw the movie, Going the Distance, with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, and there are a few shots in the film where the characters are in a club listening to live music. The band had a good sound and I found myself liking them and wondering if they were 'real' or fabricated for the film. A little research later, I learned that the band really does exist and is called Boxer Rebellion.

I like iTunes a lot and I am grateful when I can buy individual songs so I don't have to waste money on a whole CD if there are just one or two tunes that I like. But when I heard the sampling of tracks from Union, I knew I wanted to purchase the whole thing.

Boxer Rebellion reminds me of some of my favorite bands from the late 80s, but with an updated, contemporary sound. I am psyched to find another band who has whole works that appeal to me. I totally recommend giving them a listen.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I turned to another romantic suspense read for my latest escape and Julie Garwood, though perhaps known for her historical romances, has been one of the go-to voices for me in the past when it has come to contemporary stories. Slow Burn appealed to me because it took place in cities that I either love or want to visit - Boston, Charleston, Savannah. Well, and there was a sexy cop involved, too, which is always a big appeal in a romantic suspense. He saves the day and not only gets the girl, but in this case really deserves her, too.

xoxo,
bex

Friday Check-In

I made more progress on my revisions this week, so though progress is slow I am at least moving forward. I also had some breakthroughs while thinking about the next book and am happy with the results of that brainstorming session. It's a lot to try to juggle multiple projects, but I think it's good, too. Working out problems on one book often helps unblock the dam of issues on another book. Getting the creative juices moving is never a bad thing!

Until next week!

xoxo,
bex