Nightstand Before

I'm back and back to my Challenge Clean Up. Here is my nightstand covered in books, papers and what nots.  Next time you see it I hope for the everything to be cleared away with only the lamp and maybe a book sitting on top.

Hope to post the after picture later today.

Later and Lord bless you,

Annie

Writing tip from Gail Carson Levine

"If a character refuses to emerge, write chapter from his POV"
Writing advice from Author Gail Carson Levine

Gail Carson Levine's full blog post

I really thinking about this one, I've been told my secondary characters need more life.

Later and God bless,
Annie

From the Bookstore

These are the books I brought from the bookstore in the past week.

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

Finley Sinclair lost her brother and headed to Ireland to find peace in her grief, what will her find?

Brush of Angel's Wings by Ruth Reid
I read the first in this series and loved it.  Once again God's angel Nathaniel make an appearance, this time to heal the hearts of Rachel Hartzler (who is not a typical Amish eligible bride) and Jordan Engels (who not sure he want to stay in the Amish community.)

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson
Picked up this book for two reasons, one the author is from Alabama like me and it's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, just wondering how Ms. Dickerson going to put this fairy tale and God together.

What books have you brought this week or plan to read from your TBR pile?

Project Bed: After

My bed now looks like a chocolate mint cupcake with white icing (my best friend's words not mine.)

What I learned:

The room really does look better when the bed is made. (lol)

Nothing to Lose

Here a thought I had last night, I tweeted and post it on facebook last night.  Now I'm sharing it with you.

"Right now in life I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, don't I owe it to myself to try? Do more then dream"

I feel another challenge coming on... LOL

Project Bed: Before

Challenge Clean Up continues...I plan to change my plain mostly white (there is one blue pillow) into something more interesting.  Now remember my plan is only using what I already have, I'm not going to buy anything new.

(btw the photos are taking with my phone so not the best quality)

Ok, I'm off to finish this project.

Later and God bless,

Annie

Project T.V. Stand: After

The T.V. stand is clean.

Here my T.V. stand all nice and clean.

What I did:
Straighten up my DVDs.
Threw away papers and random gift bags.
Vacuum up the dead lady bugs (for some reason they love my room every year they come, walking all over my light above my bed)
Put papers I want to keep in folders.
Put coupons I want to remember in basket with remote control.
Put stuff I don't want in Loaves and Fishes pile.

What I learned:
Stick with "project" don't go clean else where. (I will get there eventually)  I started putting up clothes hanging.  There was one on the floor in front of stand and I start gathering all hangers not in closet.
I really have more stuff then I thought in that small space.
I have writing and stories stuff everywhere.
Start with one thing.
If I start with one thing I can clean up without getting overwhelm by everything.

Dear readers what are y'all doing this weekend?

Project T.V. Stand

I have declared a challenge called Challenge Clean Up to me.  The challenge if I dare to except it is to clean up my living area upstair known as my bedroom, my bathroom and brother's former bedroom (he married and moved out now) turning the room into a sitting/tv room, [its the tv connected to saterlite]) and post the "projects" here on my blog.  The other part of the challenge is to use what I have and don't buy anymore stuff.  The only exceptions on this is the tv connected to saterlite need a new stand (its on a desk right now) and bathroom need paint.  Otherwise challenge is to avoid buying anything new.

Now Project T.V. Stand
This tv is in my room and I can only watch dvds on it.  I must get straighten or get rid of all the things you see in this picture. I plan to post an "after" picture later (hopefully today)

Interview With Ellen Oh

Hello
Over a month ago I found Ellen Oh's Blog titled Hello Ello (cute title) when someone retweeted

Why The Pretty White Girl YA Book Cover Trend Needs to End

Get your attention huh? 
Well it grabbed mine (please read and see if it grabs your attention too)
of course I clicked the retweet and discovered a whole new train of thought.
I sorry to say I didn't think much about diversity in young adult novels before this.

While Ellen Oh's debut novel is not coming out until 2013 titled Dragon King Chronicles: Prophecy I really want you to discover her blog too.

Now without anymore delay here is my email interview with Ellen Oh!

Hello Ellen,
Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions.

Hi Annie!
Sorry for the delay! I'm so crazed lately that I can barely breathe sometimes! So here's my answers.


What's the best writing advice another writer (or not) given you?

My Mom gave me the best advice. I wrote it up in a post. Let me link it here. http://elloecho.blogspot.com/2010/05/random-funny-things-my-mom-says-part-7.html



What's the most exciting part of your writing career so far and why?

The most exciting part has been meeting my editor and agent in person and knowing that my publishing life was just beginning.



What do you look forward to and why? (Again I mean in your writing career)

I'm both really looking forward to and deathly afraid of having my book going out into the world. It's exciting and terrifying all at once. 


On your blog you are interviewing authors who also have diverse characters in their novels and you are asking them what does diversity mean to them. so my question is what does diversity mean to you? By the way I love your blog and your posts have lead me to think more on the issue of diversity in Young Adult novels.

Thank you so much! I'm glad you have been enjoying the diversity posts. And thank you for asking me this question. So what does diversity mean to me? It's a long answer and one that I think keeps changing and growing as I change and grow and as society changes and grows. Although I think society still has a ways to go! But for me diversity means that people become comfortable with accepting all people of different races, colors, religions, sexual orientation, physical differences be it size, or how one dresses, or how many tattoos you have or piercings, etc. It means people being accepting that the world has so many people with so many differences, and it's all good! I don't want people judging others just on how they look. I want us to get past that. Judge us on our words and our actions. But let us be free to be who we need to be.




Your book Prophecy Book one in the Dragon King Chronicles is coming out in 2013 (I bet you are excited) what inspire the original idea?

Well, I was reading a biography on Genghis khan and learned a lot about Korea, which surprised me, but shouldn't have. I mean he isn't considered the greatest conqueror for nothing, right? ;o) But anyway, Asian history, particularly ancient Korean history, became so fascinating to me and I just started researching like crazy and I decided I had to write a book with fantasy and Korean mythology and ancient history. And I did!



I just read on your website Hello Ello, that images for the current book come to you in the car did any sight or thought set them off or did they just come to you?

I'm a real visual person. So ideas come to me in visions. Like mini movies. It's really cool but the test is to see how well I can write up what I envisioned.



Last question, any advice for new writers young and old out there trying  to write their novels and make in the publishing world?

My best advice is really simple. If you truly believe in your book, then don't let anyone talk you out of it. Don't listen to the naysayers. LIsten to your gut. However, that doesn't mean shut yourself completely off from criticism, cause that is wrong also. You need to be smart. Take criticism and leave behind the negativity. Because the criticism will help you grow into a stronger writer.

Thanks Annie for having me!
best,
Ellen

Again thank you, Ellen
I hope to talk you again maybe meet you in the future.  Good luck with making those deadlines and writing more stories.
Happy Writing,
Annie


I really hope you check out Hello Ello

Later, Annie

"There" A Poem Written in Grief

"There"

I'm sitting on my bed wondering if you went,

ya know to that place, wondering if you ever felt like it.

I don't know about you but I'm having a bad day.

When to church Mama and Aunt Phenie cried,

everyone says sorry for your loss,

don't get me wrong my church family is wonderful, loving.

It just make me feel worse. Went to Ruby Tuesday for lunch

and we went to Gran's house

I haven't been to Gran's house all week,

I avoided Gran's house all week.

The furniture all arrange back, before the bed in the den,

back to before when she lived there alone.

Now it's feel empty she's not there, not in her chair.

So I hope you went there.

But if you did feel like it I understand, I'm having a bad day too.

By Annie