Audiobooks, Copyedits, and the Cutest Hippo EVER!

1. I've been listening to audiobooks lately. I'm currently listening to The Giver by Lois Lowry read by Ron Rifkin (from Alias!). It's taken some work to train myself to pay attention because I'm more of a visual, but if the narrator is good, they really bring a story to life. I find myself enjoying stories I may not have taken the time to read, and if I listen while on a walk, sometimes it makes me want to walk farther!

2. Copyediting is DONE! What a weird feeling to see your book marked up in such a critical way. Missed punctuation, alternate spellings, words missing entirely. It was quite the experience, but I'm glad the book is once again out of my hands!

3. My WIP is now over 69,000 words! I'm so at that point where things need to be wrapped up and I'm increasingly intimidated by everything left to do. *collapses*

4. The Civil Wars has a new album coming out soon (which I've already pre-ordered) and it saddens me that I'll probably never get the chance to see them perform live as they are currently not on speaking terms. But man can they make some amazing music in the midst of all the not getting along.

5. A year or so ago, Catherine introduced me to artist Cori Dantini's work, and I've been obsessed ever since. I mean, LOOK HOW CUTE!

A lot of her pieces include birds, which I have a hard time resisting! I've purchased two prints so far, and I've marked so many more as favorites. So. Hard. To. Pick. Check out her Etsy store HERE.

Friday Five - Like a Love Song, Wii Dance, and Revisions

1. I - I love you like a love song, baby. And I keep hittin' repeatpeatpeatpeatpeat. Oh, Selena Gomez. The first time I heard this song, I didn't get it. At all.

2. But it kept coming up on Just Dance 4 for the Wii (we won the Wii in a raffle at a benefit!), and suddenly I was addicted. I am determined to get a perfect score on this song, as well as Call Me Maybe, and Maneater. But I am a terrible dancer. It's still fun though!

3. My revisions are done and turned in to my editor! The changes weren't TOO major, but they took some time, and I'm pretty happy with the result. So now I wait. I'm getting good at the waiting.

4. Anyone watching The Voice this season? We skipped the last couple seasons, but with the judge switches, we decided to give it a shot and we're hooked! Blake is hilarious as always and there is some serious talent out there! I already bought Savannah Berry's version of Safe & Sound (she's from Houston, y'all!) and I have my eye on a few others.

5. Some of you may remember my 2013 good eating/fitness goal I set in January, and I did really really good! .... until my book deal. And I admittedly have done a little too much celebrating. And once you taste that sugar, it's hard to knock it again. BUT I've joined a DietBet for April and I'm getting back on track! How are your goals going this year?

How our Playlists are Built. Or What I'm Listening To and Why

Music is EVERYWHERE! Inside our cars, in stores, when we're on hold, in movies, on television... it's coming out of my computer right now! The other day, I was remembering how I came across my all-time favorite band, Switchfoot.

It's the most random of stories, but I'm thankful for it, as it's literally changed my life... and my shoes.

I was still in high school, watching a cheesy Disney movie called Model Behavior about a girl who ran into someone that looked just like her and they switched places. It had Justin Timberlake in it, so of course I watched it. Being the music nut that I am, this song came on in the movie and I fell for it. Forget Justin, forget everything but this song. I hopped online and researched the soundtrack (this was before iTunes) and found out the band's name was Switchfoot, the song: Let That Be Enough. Then I stumbled across their CD in a bookstore and I remembered that was the same band. I bought it and quickly became OBSESSED. I shared it with my parents, and they became equally obsessed. Together we've watched this band put out five MORE albums (seven altogether.. I think), loving each one even more. Their concerts are family bonding time, I tell you.

So, that's my big story about how I became an accidental Switchfoot fan. Here are some flash stories about why I'm listening to some other great artists you may love too!

Mindy Gledhill - Anchor

The song Anchor was on an episode of Bones and I fell in love with it. After previewing the album snippets on iTunes I knew I had to have the whole thing. It's such a great addition to my playlist!

Stacy Clark - Connect the Dots

I SHAZAM'd her song Touch & Go in a store at the outlet mall. The whole album is golden. Thank God for phone apps! :)

Erin McCarley - Love, Save the Empty

iTunes suggested this because I bought Stacy Clark's Connect the Dots. They were so right! I LOVE it!

The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

I don't make a habit out of watching the country music video channel, but out at the lake, it's pretty much the only channel that works. When I was there almost a year ago, this amazing song called Barton Hollow came up, and I googled the band on my phone. Turns out, this duo is one half Joy Williams, and I was a fan of hers from WAY back. I'm an even bigger fan now. These two are amazing. Check out their Christmas songs too. WOW.

Jem - Finally Woken

When I worked in a cubicle a couple years ago, I often traded iPods with the guy that faced me (we used our OWN earbuds, don't worry!), and this album was on his. I still love it... even though it makes me picture sitting in a cubicle sometimes. hahaha. 

SINGLES:

Riverside by Agnes Obel

This song was on an episode of Revenge. It's gorgeous.

Trouble is a Friend by Lenka

From the movie Easy A. Such a fun song.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Glee

Did anyone else fall in love with Finn's rendition of this song? It's the way Greg Laswell sings it, as heard in the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. I don't know what it is... but I LOVE this version.

Last but not least, the song getting the most love on my playlist right now is:

Safe & Sound by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars

It's such a sweet song, and it makes me think of the relationship between Katniss and Prim.

So that's it for this edition. I hope I've introduced you to some new music!

Have you randomly run across your favorite songs too? How? And what are they?

Music for your Monday

As I've mentioned before, I usually have to write listening to music without vocals. I end up singing along and typing out the words and get nothing done. Movie soundtracks keep me sane. They're all sorts of exciting, emotional, epic, calming. I've gotten two soundtracks recently that I can't stop listening to.

 

Super 8 was a fantastic movie. It was all the best parts of Spielberg and Abrams wrapped up into a solid movie focused on a group of kids who have never acted before and did an INCREDIBLE job. (Plus Kyle Chandler was in it.. BONUS)

But this post is about the MUSIC. Michael Giacchino is BRILLY. We've heard his musical stylings before in movies (Up) and television (Lost), but he really hit the mark with this one. It fit the action and emotions of the movie perfectly, and listening to it by itself, I've even gotten choked up (I'm a nerd, shut it). It's gorgeous. 

Alexandre Desplat is one of those composers with a style so obviously his own, you know when it's his music. I loved his score of New Moon, and I listen to HP&tDHpt1 soundtrack constantly. I knew before it was released that I'd be buying part 2, but I have to admit, at first, it felt lacking to me. It's so DIFFERENT than part 1, I didn't get it. Then I saw the movie. 

Now it's love. 

I guess I needed that visual connection to it. It's funny, people have recommended soundtracks to me, but if I haven't seen the movie and I give the music a listen, I probably won't connect with it enough to listen to it over and over again while writing. 

So maybe this post is more encouragement to go see these movies if you haven't yet, and pay special attention to the great music that ties all the action together. 

It just might be something to write to! 

Why I Love Tuesdays

SAY HELLO TO THE WARBLERS! 

This album can pretty much be summed up in two words:

Darren. Criss.

:::insert big breathy sigh here:::