Thoughts Weekly Update (1)

Welcome to the Weekly Update here on Thoughts! This is where I will share what books I finished, what I am currently reading, the current word count on my WIP, links from the posts from the last week, and maybe a little something on what's going on in my life.

Finished

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook (-Goodreads-)
Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky (-Goodreads-)

Currently Reading

Desire by Kailin Gow (-Goodreads-)

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (-Goodreads-)

Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett (-Goodreads-)

Casey Barnes Eponymous by E.A. Rigg (-Goodreads-)

Elixir by Hilary Duff (-Goodreads-)

Word Count 

If Only We ~ 47,752
Check out my writer blog for the latest.

On The Blog This Week

• My last Sunday Replay
• Wrap Up of 2012 Reading Challenges
• Living life to the fullest and making every moment count
• Review of Complete Poems 1904-1962 by E.E. Cummings

The Latest With Me

I had my hours increased at work... only an extra hour per day to help out with data entry in the back, so it's not bad. I don't want to work any more than that though. It's already been cutting majorly into my free time and with my new-found desire to do a little bit more with my life, I can't allow it to happen. Not to mention my determination to finish If Only We.

I've been having a good time with my new year projects. I'll have to go into more detail once I get further along in them. I'm so glad I decided to do this! I feel like I have this extra joy in my life because I'm accomplishing fun stuff. ^_^

Oh yeah, and it looks like I'm reading too much at once again... I'm close to finished on two of them, so it really isn't THAT much. I should have those two finished by next week, I'm sure.

Have a great weekend!!!

Sunday Replay #19 + Um... so...

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.

Stuff from the blog this week:

• 2012 End of Year Book Survey where I talk about my bookishness from this year.
• Best of 2012 Giveaway Hop, win one of my favorite books. :D
• The 91st (and last!) Update Thursday is up.
• On my writing blog, the official post of what is to come. Because it's about time for an update there.
• My review of A.M. Hargrove's Dark Waltz.

~Um... so...~

2012 is coming to a close soon, and 2013 is almost here. (Okay, captain obvious, what's that have to do with anything?) Alright, alright... there are some changes in store my lovelies. You heard about the bloggish ones, and those who follow my writing blog have heard some of the writing-ish ones. But there is more in store for The Jessica who blogs here at Thoughts. (And apparently speaks in the third person.) You will be learning of these things on January 1st. I'm currently working on this little project and am quite excited to get it going.

Oh yeah, and I'm still organizing stuff in my room to donate and sell. I have a few bookish things that I have picked out for..... dun dun dun!..... a few giveaways in January for you! I've got at least 2 in mind at the moment. Something else to look forward to. ^_^

Much love to all!

Sunday Replay #18 + Links & More

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• I share my "Make Up Your Own Challenge" Reading Challenge where I state a few things I have as goals for 2013 instead of joining a bunch of challenges.
• I review The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin.
• The 90th Update Thursday is up.

~Links & More~

Again, more links that I liked this week (there were so many good ones!!!) and had to share. They are actually quite timely for me when it comes to my own writing. Three of them were from the wonderful authors at YA Highway. With my crazy schedule (well, my new schedule in general but also with the extra hours these last couple weeks), this post was great--helping me try to figure out a way to fit in my writing and still get things done. Something I've thought about lately is along the lines of this post about when to hit send on your novel for publishing (I loved that LOL cat picture). And this post on knowing your ending when writing your novel because endings are important. Aaannnddd finally a post on The Daily Dahlia called Dear Writers: 10 Blunt Messages from Me to You on the Eve of 2013.

Ah yes... what else is there to say? Well, it's been another long week--6 days in a row... and practically 50 hours altogether. I am so surprised at how awake I am writing this post (it's late Saturday night). And with as much sleep as I need, I probably won't be in bed until one o'clock when this post is up! Can't wait for this next week of normal work hours and relaxing on the days off. I'll be spending most of today (Sunday) chilling out. Oh, it sounds so good... ;)


Much love to all!

Sunday Replay #17 + a link & my week

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• The changes to Thoughts for 2013 is discussed.
• I review The Evolution Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.
• The 89th Update Thursday is up.

~A link & my week~

Okay, so I stopped posting a bunch of interesting links from around the blogosphere, but this one amused me. Chuck Wendig posted 25 gifts for writers... #2 had me rolling... and wanting that as a gift. ^_^

Ah, so my week. I worked SIX days last week--Monday through Saturday. We have this computer project at work that needs done by this coming Friday where we're inputting data into our system for new patients. There are more than 100 to add, and it takes approximately an hour to put in ONE patient. They trained me on the program so that I could help, which is why I worked yesterday. This coming week I will be working a few extra hours to continue helping with that. Once that is done, it should be back to regularly scheduled programming for me. I was thankful I wasn't called in today. I needed to rest up a bit.

I'm actually feeling like being productive the rest of tonight... I think I'm going to work on a writing project. After I clean up the little mess I made organizing more stuff to sell and donate. Lol.


Much love to all!

Sunday Replay #16 + Changes

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• I review dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman.
• The 88th Update Thursday is up.
• Sign Ups for the 2nd annual Classics Reading Challenge here on thoughts... and my official sign up post.

~Changes~

I almost didn't bother with Sunday Replay this week. Partly because I never set this post up so that I could add links to it over the course of this week... and partly because I'm just too busy. Which kinda stinks because I did see a lot of good articles over the last week. Remember when I said there are going to be some changes to my blog in 2013? That post is going up tomorrow. Sunday Replay is going to undergo a major change.

I've actually been getting somewhere when it comes to scheduling things for the blog. It's a slow process, thanks to my overactive imagination giving me an inordinate amount of ideas for scenes in my stories. But anyways, the rest of this month should be manageable and January should get 2013 off to a good start.


Much love to all!

Sunday Replay #9 + Scarlet Read-Along News!

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• The Book Love Giveaway Hop (hosted by yours truly) started on Monday. Be sure to check out the amazing giveaway at Ramblings of a Daydreamer too! TODAY IS THE LAST DAY! Don't forget to enter. :)
• Music Monday features "Dreaming Wide Awake" by Poets of the Fall this week!
• My review of Aprilynne Pike's Spells.
• Would you be interested in joining a Read-Along for Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen? Details to come!
• The 81st Update Thursday is posted.
• I am guest posting at Eastern Sunset Reads about The First Time I Read A Book.
• Two posts at my writer blog: Express Yourself #1 in which I talk about languages I want to speak, and Friday's Letters #2.

In other news elsewhere on the internet..

• From author Michelle Flick, the first of a few posts featuring four authors discussing the writing process.
• A post titled Gluing Plot to Theme and Character to Fuel Your Story at Adventures In YA and Children's Publishing. Nice for those planning on doing NaNoWriMo this year.
• Divergent movie news from Veronica Roth? Yes, please.
• Brilliant post from Leila Austin at YA Highway called Spinach scenes (and how to deal with them). It's great timing since my current issue is writing those scenes that just aren't easy to write.
  

And.... new LOLcat...

~Official Sign-Ups for the Scarlet Read-Along~

Hey you guys! A few of you showed an interest in participating in the read-along the other day. Marie posted a sign-up linky for everyone in a tab on her book blog, so I did the same on here. You can join on either blog--you only need to enter once. ^_^ We're working out the last minute details and will have a schedule posted very soon of what we will have happening all month long. It would be SO AWESOME to have you on board, so please consider joining in on the fun!

Much love to all!

~Jessica

Sunday Replay #8 + The News + Read-Along

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• Music Monday features "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers this week!
• I review Samantha Young's novel On Dublin Street.
• The 80th Update Thursday is posted.
• Awesome guest post by Alex Morris about Literature Websites You Can't Live Without.
• Check out on my writer blog my latest post: Friday's Letters.

In other news elsewhere on the internet..

• A bunch of tips for NaNoWriMo from Chuck Wendig through links to some of his awesome posts.
• Adventures in Children's Publishing has a nice article on Six Tests of a Solid Story Premise and Eight Ways to Write One.
• Some great self-editing tips from author Shelli Johannes (S.R. Johannes) which is actually very timely for me in my writing. I especially liked the reminder about noting the words you frequently mistype so that you can make sure you fix each and every one of them.
• Divergent author Veronica Roth shares three bits of advice for young writers. At the end of the post, she also includes a bunch of sweet links on almost everyanything you could think of for writing advice.
• Wonder how a blogger stays organized? Look no further and check out how Molli stays organized.

And.... just a couple pictures from a video game called Paper Mario. This is what happens when the shy guys take over...

~The News~

What news? Oh yeah. At the moment, I'm working on getting things together for the blog. I've only got a handful of things scheduled the rest of the month. I have been running out of steam lately, but I'm beginning to adjust to my new routine. So, October isn't going to have too much going for it. I am still focusing more time on writing, and getting more reading done.

Plus... this blog is going to be getting... a makeover! Woot! About time. I'm working with a blog designer right now and should have the new design implemented in the coming weeks. It won't be too dramatic (as in a major color change, I'm keeping the colors similar), but it will be different. I will have--wait for it--drop down tabs, and some other awesome buttons for the sidebars. It's going to be great. I can't wait to reveal it all to you. So, it's probably good I'm slowing down at the end of this month.

~Read-Along~

Marie and I have been wanting to read a book together for awhile now. We decided on A.C. Gaughen's novel Scarlet, since we both got it last month and are anxious to read it next. So starting November 1st we'll be reading it at the same time and discussing it. Marie tweeted about it to see if anyone else would be interested in joining us, and the author herself responded asking about what we were doing. Talk about awesome. If you're interested in reading along with us, let one of us know!


Much love to all!

~Jessica

Sunday Replay #7 + My All New Writing Blog + Giveaway Hop Update

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• Please please please participate in my awesome giveaway hop: The Book Love Giveaway Hop! Sign ups started on Monday.
• Music Monday features "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye this week!
• My review of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
• The 79th Update Thursday is posted.
• I discuss Banned Books Week in my latest Question of the Moment--weigh in with your thoughts!
• Stacking the Shelves: September Edition! See what I got last month book-wise.

In other news elsewhere on the internet..

• Phoebe North of YA Highway talks on the importance of the sense of smell when it comes to writing.
• Awesome article by Katie Klein about blurbs--for authors looking for them and authors writing them.
• Angela Ackerman gives us her favorite writing links.
• We got 25 ways to get your creative groove back as a writer by Chuck Wendig.
• A nice guest post on The Bookshelf Muse about uncluttered prose. You know, how you sometimes use too many words in a sentence that it takes away from the point? Sometimes simple is best.
• Lena Sledge has a nice article on how to utilize Pinterest as a writer.
  

And.... just a picture of Max playing with the Swiffer (I couldn't come up with anything to make it into an LOL)...

~Writing Blog~

I did mention this on Thursday, since I posted my first post on it on Thursday, but I felt I should mention it again... I started a writing blog! It's just my name, Jessica Sankiewicz, no special title (mostly because I just couldn't come up with anything that fit). I'm going to try to post at least once a week with writing updates and news. I've found a handful of memes I'm considering participating in to connect with some authors and writers. Once I publish my first book, it will no longer be a writing blog, but an author blog! (Cue me squeeing. ♥) Please follow it and I'll love you forever!

~Giveaway Hop Update~

As you may have seen, I started sign ups for a giveaway hop to be hosted on this blog Monday. Unfortunately, I have not had much of a response to it. Maybe it's because I asked people to email me to participate. The only reason I chose to do that was because I didn't want to invest money into a Linky tool for giveaway hops until I know I would have enough participation. Maybe I do need a Linky tool after all to make it easier to join. Or maybe I could switch to Google Docs and have people fill out the details that way instead. What do you think?

In any case... Unless I get a few more people to sign up soon, I may have to postpone the hop. Maybe it's better to plan further ahead for giveaway hops anyhow. I was just so anxious to have one that I planned it for this month. Oh well!


Much love to all!

~Jessica

Sunday Replay #6 + Good News!

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• A bonus entry from The Journey of Self-Publishing with three questions. Don't forget to enter the FOUR BOOK GIVEAWAY! Today is your last chance there.
• Music Monday features "This Time (Klaas Remix)" by Dj Antoine this week!
• My review of Overnight Sensation by Hal Eisenberg.
• Interview with Hal Eisenberg, talking about his book and more!
• Win a Banned Book from my list of awesome banned books.
• The 78th Update Thursday is posted.
• Talking about a couple of movies from books that I need to read soon before the movie is released.
• Banned Books Week starts TODAY! Get in on the fun.

In other news elsewhere on the internet..

• At Adventures In YA Publishing, we learn about building deep conflict into novel structure.
• A list of 25 things to do before starting your next novel from Chuck Wendig.
• Ever wondered how to build a relationship with publishers to receive ARCs? Molli tells us how she does it!
• A nice little checklist for self-publishing for those planning on going that route from Susan Kaye Quinn.

And.... a new LOL cat that I made...

~Good News!~

Remember last week how I told you guys I resigned from my job and how I was going on an interview later in the day? Well... I got the job! I briefly mentioned it on Update Thursday (as an explanation to how little my reading/writing status changed), but here's more about it...

I started on Tuesday and worked 5 days altogether this week. It's another pharmacy, but I'm discovering that my issues with pharmacy had more to do with policy and procedure at other stores. This new place is much more structured, and there's a lot more going on. They have their own way of doing things, so it's taking some getting used to, but I think I'm finally starting to catch on to the basics. Thank goodness! Everyone that works there is very nice and it's fun to work with them. So, I'm very optimistic about this place. I can't wait until I pick up on everything and don't have to ask about stuff all the time.

This next week I'm working the training shift all week again (I'll most likely be working the late shift most days), so my schedule is so off. I started to lose track of all my projects and it sorta got me a bit frustrated. Since I have tomorrow off, I'll be spending part of the day planning out the blog for October. I can't believe how behind I am on everything! I have posts and reviews to write and schedule. I was going to postpone my giveaway hop thing for awhile, but now that I have a job, I don't need to worry about that anymore. It'll probably go up tomorrow, so be sure to check it out so you can sign up!


Much love to all!

~Jessica

Sunday Replay #5 + Some News

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• Enter The Journey of Self-Publishing Book Giveaway to win 4 fabulous novels by our indie author panel.
• Music Monday features Trapt this week!
• My review of Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent.
• Interview with Stephanie Parent, talking about her book and poetry!
• The 77th Update Thursday is posted.
• What do you think of books written in verse? Weigh in on the latest Question of the Moment!
• I review Courtney Summer's Cracked Up To Be.

In other news elsewhere on the internet..

• Kirsten Hubbard wrote a nice article on giving yourself permission as a writer to do the things that you need to do.
• It's easy to get discouraged as a writer, but Rachel Brooks tells us to stay motivated!
• A way to get past writer's block from Chelsea Fine. I have done this before, and it works.
• Kody Keplinger is on YA Highway discussing how Improv classes help with humor in writing.
• Susan Kaye Quinn offers up some tips on avoiding using the same cover art as someone else. She also had a nice segment on sideloading ebooks.

And.... a new LOL cat that I made to cheer myself up...

~Some News~

As you may know, I work at a pharmacy. I've offered up some of my frustrations with the field before awhile back and how I've been working on getting out of it if possible. Well, that moment finally came when things got so bad at work, I resigned immediately Tuesday after my shift ended. At first, it was upsetting to me to see things go the way they did. But on Wednesday, everything just felt... better. The world seemed brighter, my load felt lighter, and I felt HAPPIER. I didn't realize how much my job had been weighing me down--not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

Of course, I am working on finding new employment (made a couple calls, picked up an application, AND I actually have an interview today at 2), but as of right now, I am content just sitting back and enjoying life, if only for a moment in time. On Wednesday, I got out the TaeBo VHS tape I bought from a thrift store and exercised. I haven't exercised in YEARS. And doing some awesome punches and kicks really felt good. That night, I reached the word count goal I've been working on for weeks. I've been writing every day since. I painted my fingernails, I wrote some scenes for a new story, I colored in a Lisa Frank coloring book with crayons while watching Gossip Girl and eating sweets (check out the picture--don't worry, I didn't eat it all, I'm saving some for later today when I hang out with my best friend).

Oh yes, there are stickers in that coloring book too.

One thing that made this week be so much better was all the love I received from the community of book bloggers. I came home Tuesday to find myself listed on two Top Ten Tuesdays as bookish people you wanted to meet. After I tweeted a message about having a horrible day, three people replied with kind words. I found out that I won TWO giveaways. All sorts of people have been stopping by to comment and chat on the blog. So... I want to thank all of you for being there for me, even without knowing. ^_^

And TOMORROW is the season premiere of both Castle AND Gossip Girl.

Life really is good.


Much love to all!

~Jessica

Sunday Replay #4 & Giveaway Hop Idea--I need your feedback!

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• Last "official" post from The Journey of Self-Publishing with our indie author panel's Last Words. Be sure to keep your eye out tomorrow for a GIVEAWAY and the following Monday for some bonus questions.
• Music Monday features the amazing Billy Joel this time.
• My review of Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster.
• Cover reveal for the awesome novel The Game Changer by Marie Landry.
• The 76th Update Thursday is posted.
• I review Charmed Thirds, the 3rd novel in the Jessica Darling series, by Megan McCafferty.

In other news elsewhere on the internet..

• The Indelibles have a nice post on how to sell your book Hook, Line, and Sinker.
• Adventures in YA Publishing shares the post Concept Begins from Line One, including a list of 8 ways to develop a unique concept.
• Chuck Wendig with another list of 25, this time about rules for writing and telling stories. Some are a bit different than we get told, but there are good reasons behind it.
• The Bookshelf Muse talks about Building Suspense, which is something that's been on my mind lately because I think it is integral to keeping a reader interested.
• Read all about it on Nawanda Files--filming has begun for Catching Fire!
• Great discussion post at Once Upon a Prologue about how to get and keep followers.

And.... a new LOL cat...

~Giveaway Hop Idea--Need Feedback!~

So! I've been thinking about hosting a giveaway hop. For now, I just want to try it out once and see how many people I can get to sign up. The giveaway will just be a generic giveaway, as in, anything book related: books, gift certificates, bookmarks, swag, e-books... There would be no minimum cost for what you give away, meaning, you could even give away a 99¢ e-book. You can set up your giveaway any way you'd like--Rafflecopter, Google Docs, etc.; have requirements however you like--Free Entry, follow via GFC, or bonus entries like following on Twitter. The length would be probably one week. You can make it international or just US or US/Canada.

The above is just the gist of what I have in mind. I'll write out a complete rule list for participants once I get feedback from you guys and let you know in the next Sunday Replay when I'll be posting sign ups. I still have to sign up for Linky Tools before I can even start this.

What do you guys think? Would you be interested in participating in a giveaway hop? Would you be interested in entering giveaways in a hop? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below!

Much love to all!

~Jessica

Guest Posts Wanted & Sunday Replay #3

Before I get to the Sunday Replay, I wanted to get the word out that I'm looking for people to do a few guest posts between now and December. I would like to focus more on writing my novel and could use a few posts from blogger and author friends to fill in the empty spaces. I'll still be writing a few discussion posts and the occasional random post, I just need a handful of fun things to sprinkle in here and there.

What kind of posts?:  I would like anything blog, reading, book, or writing related. A couple things coming up soon are Banned Books Week (Sept. 30−Oct. 6, 2012) and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo--November), so posts about either would be fine. Please bear in mind, this is a PG blog, so I don't want anything explicit. Just basic book bloggish topics will do. Also, they don't have to be long, even three or four paragraphs would be perfectly fine by me!

How do I sign up?:  Send an email to impulsivities[at]gmail[dot]com with your name, your blog name, your blog url, and a short list of ideas for a guest post. If you're an author, I can include a bit about your book as well.

At the moment, I only need a handful of posts. I'm not sure how many responses I'll get from this, but I will try to include everyone that I can.

Thank you!

~*~

Now on to Sunday Replay...

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some new pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• Indie authors discuss how to survive during the first few months of publishing. How do you keep the interest alive for your book? Click the link and find out!
• The first edition of Music Monday featuring my current song of the moment.
• I review Avery Sawyer's new dystopian novella, The Forever Contract.
• I did a guest post for Alison Can Read this week on the 3 Books That I Can't Stop Rereading the Kissing Scenes In.
• The 75th Update Thursday, getting somewhere with my writing!
• Latest Question of the Moment: Do you go on book buying bans? This is something I've been thinking about lately.

In other news elsewhere on the internet..

• Susan Kaye Quinn shares four great posts on Self-Publishing Basics: Where to Publish, Formatting Ebooks - The Easy Ways, Formatting Ebooks - The Hard Way, and Publishing to iTunes. A lot of good information there that I found useful.
• Chelsea Fine talks about how difficult it is to write the second book in a series.
• J.A. Konrath MADE MY DAY with this amazingly perfect post on the Writer's Code of Ethics. All bloggers and authors and writers must read it. He makes the best point of any I've read on the subject.
• Great post by Martina at Adventures in YA and Children's Publishing titled It's Not Just About the Writing.
• Ally Condie's Matched has a director for the movie? Score!
• Great article about what has happened to Kristen Stewart since the breakup in the media. Sure, I was upset about what happened, but I do not agree with what people are saying. Let it go. Do something better with your life than insult a celebrity.
• At The Indelibles, an article about the crippling effect of fear and how we can't let it control us.
• YA Highway has a nice post about the runaway cheetah brain. It's about story ideas and how to control yourself from going too fast with them.

Instead of an LOLcat, I decided to share a quick story. Back in the day, my boyfriend at the time got me some roses. I decided to dry them, so I rigged up this box using ribbons and tape so they could dry up out of the way. I put it on top of my tall shelf, thinking the cat wouldn't disturb them.

I was so wrong.

My crazy kitty Ollie wasn't about to leave them be. So he climbed his way up inside the box and started to chew at the flowers and leaves. Here are two pictures... one showing where the box was, the other showing the culprit when he got caught.

Much love to all!

~Jessica

Sunday Replay #2

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some new pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:

• The latest on The Journey of Self-Publishing is about Promotion. This one is a good one!
• Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle is reviewed. In short: ASTOUNDING.
• A very late post about the little survey I did and some of the responses I got from you.
• The 74th Update Thursday, not too much to report reading/writing wise.
• I list 5 easy ways to help out indie authors, a couple of them are FREE. Check it out and see what you can do to help out!
• The August Edition of Stacking The Shelves from yesterday. Pretty small, but still awesome!
• For those who are participating in The Classics Reading Challenge 2012, there is a spot to link up your classic book reviews now. It sort of slipped my mind before, lol.

In other news elsewhere on the internet..

• A Writer's Digest article on picking out character names. There are seven points made, all interesting. Once in awhile it's a battle for me and I appreciate the tips.
• Marie at Ramblings of a Daydreamer talks about the increasing number of bloggers calling it quits. I am equally as saddened at how things have become.
• Also, The Broke and the Bookish talk about naughty authors and the way it affects readers. It's utterly ridiculous what some have done, and I wish they could see how it makes the readers feel.
• On Angela's Anxious Life is a cute post on Waldo from Where's Waldo? I grew up looking through one of the books so I have a lot of fond memories searching for Waldo. Hmm... now I need to pull my book out again!!
• A post from J.A. Konrath on Ebooks and libraries, including how an author/library could go about it. I think it will be great the more people get on board!
• An article on The Indelibles called The Tao of Creativity. Hopefully you come away from it feeling optimistic about yourself and your writing ability. We all have something to say that is worth hearing, never convince yourself otherwise.
• Evie-Bookish wants you to vote for the Top 25 Indie Authors you should know. Hop on over there are get to voting/nominating!

Another LOL cat of my sweet kitty that ran away, Ollie:

Okay, so what's been going on... I really can't think of anything special. I wish I could though!


Much love to all!

~Jessica

Sunday Replay #1

Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some new pictures I've uploaded. *


Stuff from the blog this week:

• I talk about how I'm addicted to series books more than I knew.
• The 12th installment of The Journey of Self-Publishing is about... drumroll... Publishing!
• I review the awesomeness that is The Princess Bride by William Goldman (I sort of go off on the movie more than the book but it's all good).
• Enter my sweet all E-Book giveaway for a chance to win one of nine books (including several fiction books and a couple books for writers).
• The latest on my reading and writing on Thursday.
• My 5th Question of the Moment about the delay in reading a book you anticipate called Why haven’t I read you yet? went up on Friday. Get in on the discussion!

In other news elsewhere on the internet..

• Writer's Digest offers up the 12 cliches we should avoid as writers.
• Molli at Once Upon a Prologue discusses how YA has evolved through the years, and Krista at Nawanda Files asks us what we think about New Adult as a genre.
• Chuck Wendig has an interesting post on writing what you want and what the audience wants to read.
• In three awesome posts, over 200 bloggers tell all on Parajunkee's View regarding what to expect when it comes to your blog size and pageviews (also a bit about advertising), handling your reviews and posts (and about how many ARC's bloggers receive weekly), and behaviors of book bloggers (including a bonus at the end of best books of the year).
• Becca Puglisi shares 5 tips for self-publishing on Laura Howard's blog.
• News on YA books to movies! Filming has begun for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (due out next year), check out the images behind the scenes. Also, more tributes have been cast for Catching Fire, including the long awaited casting of the beloved Finnick. AND *gasp* it sounds like Divergent will be hitting the big screen in 2014! (Um... YAY!)

And, for fun, I made another LOL cat of our beloved Honeybear:

As for me, I'm going with the family to visit some friends today. There will be laughter and a movie and cheesecake. Well, I heard there might be cheesecake, so I'm hoping for cheesecake, since cheesecake is delicious.

Much love to all!

~Jessica

* Of course, since this is the first edition, some links are from more than one week ago.