The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo = Wow.

So sometimes my fiance and I decide to get all cute and lovey and go off to the bookstore -because there is only one teeny tiny bookstore in our town and we try to support it as much as possible, even though I am absolutely in love with my Kindle- and pick a book to read aloud to each other. The process is a tough one because we each have completely different views on good books. I cant help that I adore a good love story or something with girl power, and he cant help that he loves mind game books, or Syfi. So the process includes a bunch of pro's and con's, likes and dislikes, and a little of both worlds. One of these days I will win and he will read The Time Traveler's Wife, but until that day we compromise.

This past time we decided to be cute, we went down to Book Mouse, and selected The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. We both wanted to see the movie, and come on, the book is a best seller, we decided that we couldn't go wrong.

I have to admit that the beginning was boring. I couldn't care, or pay attention. It was a lot of background, and a lot of me asking Zach, "So, recap what just happened, I forgot to listen." And he would smile and patiently tell me what the hell Stieg was trying to say.

But then all of a sudden, I was SO into it. I couldn't stop reading. Which was annoying, because as the rules of reading out loud to your significant other clearly states, both parties have to be present to read. Bah. Zach works a swing shift so sometimes that was quite hard.

The dialogue was kind of annoying sometimes, but that could have to do with how the novel translated into english, as well as all of the Swedish names and places. By the end we were making up our own, or just simply saying, some place I cant pronounce. We never did learn how to say the main characters last name, and renamed him Karl.

But all in all it was a very well written book. Very realistic, and thoroughly thought through. I really enjoyed it, and to day before my boy leaves for work we are taking a trip to get the second book in the series!!

Happy reading!

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.”

Whew.....!

Sorry for the delayed blogs this week. Things have been SUPER busy on my end lately. Hope everyone made it through the holidays in one piece. I did which is always a relief..... So, until next year, I say good riddance.

I have been diligently working on many things which is exciting. None of it has to do with writing unfortunately, although I did sit down and set up my writing goals for the next year. More on that in a few minutes.
I am getting married in April, and I have been doing yoga and walking my crazy dog to try to get into shape. I mean I realize that April is 4 months away, and there is no possible way that I can get myself into tip top shape by then, but I am at least taking small steps to better my health....... Oh, and the way I look in jeans :)

Also, my dog, -yes she's cute isn't she? Thats the only reason she isn't chinese food yet- decided that she wanted to be aggressive the other day and that is a no go in my book. She has a hard time remembering that I am the boss. So now I am doing dominance training with her, and its oh, so fun. I pray that you get a well behaved dog who loves you and does everything you want her to do whenever you command it because this sucks. I have had to completely start over on everything that I have taught her in the past year, because apparently it was the wrong thing for my dominant little bitch. Oh the joys of owning an animal.

My new years resolution is to be a better time manager. Do more with each day. And that includes writing. I'm not a goal setter. Given my history with it, I am no good. I figure I have enough disappointment in my life, without setting myself up for it voluntarily. However, a good friend of mine asked me the other week, How do you expect others to take your writing seriously when you don't take your writing seriously, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head. So, I decided to set myself a time. 7-8:30p.m. every single night to simply write. Anything. Just to be on my computer, locked up somewhere, probably my sun room and write.

I just got done reading this book the other night. I have to admit that I adored it! This is Emily Casey's debut novel, and I really look forward to reading anything else she prints! Its about a girl who gets trapped in a fairy tale. Very similar to Beauty and the Best.  Her writing style was very easy to read and understand what was happening. The characters were incredibly real. And she left a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book, which is the perfect set up for a sequel! Buy it. I promise you wont regret it.

Just incase you have any doubts, watch this trailer, and I promise you will be hooked. Thats what got me.

Anyway, I have dinner plans to attend, so I best be off. I probably wont blog until the new year, so everyone be safe and enjoy!

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending  Maria Robinson quotes

Tis' the season to be jolly?

Christmas is annoying. Growing up in a Christian home, I know that there is more then just gifts to celebrate, but its still a frustrating and stressful time of year. Even more-so when you have family drama to contend with, but thats not something I'm ready to talk about, especially here. I just want to complain for a hot second, and make you listen, or, uh, read.

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of writing lately, if not for bettering my muse, then simply to take my mind off of things, and it has been helpful. I have really zeroed in and gotten things done. Which is huge for me.

I kind of decided to take a step back from my W.I.P. for now until after Christmas. I need a breather. Its getting difficult for me to write, and I know that when it gets to the point where its not fun to write anymore, no one is going to have fun reading it. So I am taking a break and reevaluating where I am headed with it.

In the meantime though, I have been working on a few non-fiction pieces. A friend of mine gave me the idea, that if I want to truly get serious I should try sending some non-fiction pieces off to magazines because not only would I get experience in writing, and writing tightly and precisely, but there is a good chance I could get paid for it as well. So, win, win!

She recommended this book to me and I have to say that it has given me so many ideas. I realized that I have the potential to write so many things, so many life experiences that could fit perfectly into the pages of said magazines.

As well as doing research for that little project, I have sent a resume and writing sample to Demand Studios and lets talk about how nerve wracking that was. I have never had someone read my work for publication, much less a complete stranger. Bah. And the resume? I was selling myself left and right because I don't have any real work experience in writing I had to focus on other things that I do have experience in that could maybe help me with that job. Although it was scary, I can only learn from this experience, and get better, right?

Anyway, I just thought that I would write a quick blog to those three of you who actually stop by and read it. Merry Christmas. Hope yours will be better then mine :)


"Do one thing every day that scares you." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Politics....

Today I felt that a blog about not writing but war was appropriate, so bare with me on this one.

I don't really ever get involved in politics. My dad always told me that as an American I should use my rights and take politics seriously, try to change things that are un-American. My dad is a republican. I am not. I do not follow politics at all, to the complete disappointment of my dad and my fiancee. They make me nervous and frustrated.

I can say though that I live by morals. Mostly. Sometimes my morals get cloudy, and sometimes I don't care about them. But I can tell you that I do not like violence. I think that no matter what its uncalled for. Self protection is the only exception, but you wouldn't need it if everyone followed the no violence policy. Therefor, while I am appreciative that other people are willing to fight for our freedom, for our rights, for my right to speak my mind, I am anti war.

I try to remember that if I were an Iraqi and my country was being run the way theirs was, I would desperately want someone to step in and take care of it, but the other part of my mind asks, is it any of our business? If thats the way it has been run for years, and thats how they are used to being treated, then how is it our responsibility to step in and change it? In a way I suppose that its kind of like the abusive lover that you continue to return to. Well, maybe not, but thats the best I can come up with right now. Don't get me wrong, I am all about everyone being treated equally and like civilized humans. I do not under any circumstances believe that anyone should be ruled over and treated the way that some people get treated. I am just having a hard time seeing how killing a bunch of people solves that. Its like teaching your child not to hit by hitting/spanking them. Where is the logic in that?

I just don't know that it was our job to send all of our boys into very dangerous situations that had nothing to do with us. I have been blessed in that I know no one personally who died in this terrible war. But just think if you were the mother, or wife, or daughter of someone who died. They say that they died defending our country, but they didn't. They died defending someone else's country. Someone else's rights.

And, like I said, I don't really follow politics at all, so maybe I'm talking out of my ass, and if I am then don't read anymore of this post, but what does that have to do with us?

We got the man that reeked havoc on America. Why should the families of the men in the service continue to have to worry about their loved one's when their job should have been done?

War frustrates me. When I think of it, I think of little boys on the playground throwing rocks at each other for fun because one said or did something to offend the other. Its childish and unnecessary.

So I'm glad that as of today, its mostly over.

One more thing that got me thinking, and then I promise that I will be done with this, and we can go back to having fun: My fiancee closely follows politics. He is very knowledgeable on all things politics. He has very set in stone thinking and morals, and I appreciate that about him, although I don't follow it at all myself.
He said something to me the other day that really got me thinking about rights of everyone, not just Americans.
He said: What if we offended the Chinese, so to "monitor" things and keep their people safe, they stuck bases all around American soil. They reeked havoc whenever they felt necessary, and we had to live in fear in turmoil because of it, disrupting how we are used to living? It would never fly. So why is it that America gets to have bases all around the world to "monitor" things and keep us safe? Why do people in other countries have to live like that? I do not believe that we are any safer in America by their pro-cautions.

But maybe thats just me.

One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one.

Agatha Christie (1890 - 1976), Autobiography (1977)

Kickin' it old school

So I haven't written today. 

Yet. 

I say yet, because in all honesty I do plan on doing some writing. I've just had a few set backs today. Really. Ok, well, kind of.

I worked from 6-2 today, then I got home and my laptop was dead, so I had to charge it completely, as any good Mac owner would. 

The plan was that while my laptop was charging, I'd take a quick shower, do a little cleaning and then get to writing. My boy works overtime tonight and wont be home until 7, so I figured I'd have a TON of time to myself, you know, to get stuff done. Namely writing. 

Instead, I made a pot of coffee, jumped on Facebook, called my mother, called a friend whom I'm meeting tomorrow for a writing chit chat, which I'm super stoked about, drank a pot of coffee, texted my hair appointments that I have tomorrow to figure out exactly what my magic fingers are creating, played with my puppy for a while because she has been sick and I feel bad for her, finished reading my book, which was entertaining to the very end, and I'll talk more about in a minute, but this is the one.

And then I found the Alicia Keys station on Pandora. I couldn't very well take a shower and gamble missing a great song. Don't pretend that you wouldn't postpone your shower in favor of some old school music. You totally would too.

Needless to say I was still sitting around in my nasty work clothes well past 5pm. So reluctantly, I jumped into the shower, made myself some dinner -leftovers- poured a glass of wine, and blew my hair dry while I was waiting for it to be done.

I ate, jumped back on Facebook, and now here we are, still jamming out, sipping a glass of wine, and putting off writing, because, well, I don't know why, I just don't feel like it today I guess. 

Which is not an acceptable answer, and I fully intend to get to it, even though its ten till 7 and the boy will be home soon. 

Why is it that when you have the most time to dedicate to writing, you don't do it? I don't anyway. I'll admit it. It seems that the times that you can buckle down and let the creative juices flow, you find 8,000,000,000 other things that you can do, all of which do not include writing. I hate that.

Sometimes the hardest part of writing is actually writing. Sitting down and making yourself do it, regardless of whats going on around you. Do it anyway. Sit. And. Write. No. Matter. What. Free nugget of advice from me to you, oh, and for me as well. 

Anyway, this book. Cracked me up. Totally. I think because I could totally relate. I was Tracey. Before I got engaged that is. I felt for her. And sometimes I wanted to cry for her. I was so frustrated for her, and so happy for her. 

Funny how sometimes you don't feel like you can admit the truth. The completely psychotic gremlin that you truly are, until you read about it in a book and can accept that you aren't the only one in the entire world that felt those feelings that you did or do feel.

Even though I hate that I was that girl, and believe me, I was worse, I can admit it, and move on to wedded bliss. Or something. I don't know, I'm not to that part of my story yet. 

This part really doesn't have much a point I suppose. It just made me feel better to know that I wasn't the only one in the world who was in love with someone, and couldn't figure out why they didn't want to spend forever with me. But the tricky part of our relationship was that he did, and does, and I cannot wait to spend forever with that boy. 

So, anyway, now that I got all personal, I'm ready to be done blogging. Oh, and I need another glass of wine because I accidentally drank all of the wine in my glass already. Oops.

So, writing.......!

The total history of almost anyone would shock almost everyone.  ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960