tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178272675325228122024-03-04T21:11:36.858-08:00Hey Nowkacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-50481663902507966562012-06-03T07:58:00.004-07:002012-06-03T08:01:38.544-07:00COLS Giveaway!!If you came from KaceyVanderkarr.com, you're in the right place. If not, then you need to <a href="http://kaceyvanderkarr.com/2012/06/03/kaceyvanderkarr-com-win-a-signed-copy-of-cols/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to see what this contest is all about! <br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rc-5c031f2">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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</script>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-34521603972329062922012-05-10T12:33:00.000-07:002012-05-10T12:37:32.204-07:00MEETING CASSANDRA CLAREOn Tuesday night I had the pleasure of traveling to Chicago for the City of Lost Souls release party and book signing with Cassandra Clare. The event was a lot of fun, the model Judson Birza from the cover of COLS and the book trailer was there taking pictures and signing autographs. They had artists on hand to paint runes. There were giveaways and prizes. My favorite part was the Q & A with Cassie. You never really know what to expect when you're meeting someone for the first time, especially someone you hold in such high regard. (Have I ever mentioned that she's my author idol? I have...well...this is awkward.) Let's just say I was more than impressed with her. She's witty (I mean, of course she is, she writes teenage characters that are downright hilarious), and personable. She spoke of personal experiences and how they ended up in her books. She gave us some tidbits that will happen in City of Heavenly Fire (What do you mean a main character will die?? Say it isn't so!!), she gave out advice to young writers.<br />
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So- I went in idolizing Cassandra Clare for her writing, I came out loving her for her personality and dedication to her fans. AND! She told us she's working on a series with Holly Black. I also am seriously in love with Holly Black, so you can imagine my excitement over this. <br />
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I only got to meet Cassie for a brief second, I was number 200 in a line of nearly 400 fans. But she spoke to each fan on a personal level, asking them questions, listening to them. I was seriously impressed with this. I hope that one day when I'm finally published that I can be half as awesome as she is.<br />
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And with my genius foresight, I got an extra copy of COLS signed by both Cassie and Judson to give away on my blog. I don't think I want this to be an ordinary contest- so if you have any ideas on HOW I should give the book away, let me know! <br />
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And now for the pictures! Don't laugh, I'm not a model. :) My thoughts about City of Lost Souls will come after the pictures. I can't guarantee that there won't be <b>SPOILERS</b>, so if you don't want to know what happens, don't read it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vo0HDKj9YS6u2-qdD0JpowdE-AEHqTx_oCu32wUan3_tMB_lK3hHk4hV-MbuKZ2ATSKAWylIWZjwPeb_mBe9WYUJBFTVrIAhz1_XrLm4ovQ4c3JpZANL6d28bPFf52Y_2mNkjwc82aSB/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vo0HDKj9YS6u2-qdD0JpowdE-AEHqTx_oCu32wUan3_tMB_lK3hHk4hV-MbuKZ2ATSKAWylIWZjwPeb_mBe9WYUJBFTVrIAhz1_XrLm4ovQ4c3JpZANL6d28bPFf52Y_2mNkjwc82aSB/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Here's the cover model Judson signing my books! Doesn't he look just how you imagined Jace?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wAUXcQYkkcUsebtADAHA4m3Zo2Yqy944gvGGvgpfmogdwWkJTUrPHCb-eySVCOPoc1HAzoMIDAJIxZo5Zzxkr2KREn1eoW80TlviSYpAvxuNU4-ROso1JZJkTFQeheetT7VbY4vZx389/s1600/016a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wAUXcQYkkcUsebtADAHA4m3Zo2Yqy944gvGGvgpfmogdwWkJTUrPHCb-eySVCOPoc1HAzoMIDAJIxZo5Zzxkr2KREn1eoW80TlviSYpAvxuNU4-ROso1JZJkTFQeheetT7VbY4vZx389/s320/016a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Ahem- clearly the girl next to him is not a model. (She's a writer, which explains a lot!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWbbluLZCJy-xU8IzTNQs9iaMPn53PsHfMd1UUZEf3eKIMbhexQgC0NC6t7mvJj_PsejKTv_shZGWftisTK6NVMPEPMsQsnvB7gEAPd6ZZp_ICxk32zDvWh1Zon6bIGJdBFgkkA_RbZRh/s1600/Cassandra+Clare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWbbluLZCJy-xU8IzTNQs9iaMPn53PsHfMd1UUZEf3eKIMbhexQgC0NC6t7mvJj_PsejKTv_shZGWftisTK6NVMPEPMsQsnvB7gEAPd6ZZp_ICxk32zDvWh1Zon6bIGJdBFgkkA_RbZRh/s320/Cassandra+Clare.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
And here's Cassie signing some books!<br />
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And now for the <b>SPOILERS!! </b>Yes that's right, stop reading here if you haven't finished City of Lost Souls.<br />
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<b>SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!</b> Don't say I didn't warn you.<br />
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Where do I begin with how much I loved this book? It literally had me on the edge of my seat. I laughed (A LOT), I cried, I was disgusted, I mourned the characters, I was devastated. COLS took me places I never imagined the story going.<br />
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My absolute favorite part of the book was when Jace came to Clary after killing Magdalena. It ripped my heart out to read about him falling to his knees in front of her and saying "It's me." That entire scene was powerful, illustrating their love for each other and the impossibility of Jace's binding to Sebastian.<br />
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Next favorite part? Clary stabbing Jace through the heart. Yes, I know, this is downright terrible! I can't help it though. Clary is such a strong character, and she knows that this is what Jace would want to happen, no matter the consequences. I envy her strength, her absolute conviction to do what is right. <br />
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You know what killed me even more than Clary and Jace? Magnus and Alec! I love them together, but I kind of always suspected that Alec's insecurity would be their downfall. I'm interested to see how this will all play out in the long run. Obviously Magnus has something going on that we don't know about, something with his father. Was his father a Shadowhunter? I'm also afraid that it will be Magnus who will die in COHF. If I had to bet money, I would guess either Magnus or Simon will die. I love both of them so much...I don't even want to think about it. Honestly, if I had to choose someone to die, it'd be Jocelyn. I never much cared for her or her selfish decisions.<br />
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Things that I can't wait to hear more about: Jace is on fire. And I don't just mean his looks. This whole heavenly fire thing he's got going on...that's interesting. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a major plot point. What about Brother Zachariah? He's someone we've met before in The Infernal Devices, I believe. But WHO? Simon has lost his mark of Cain. I can't see this ending well for him...I'd hate to see him die again.<br />
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Lastly- Maureen. Holy crazy bitch! She killed Camille! Yet another thing I can't see ending well. I really love how her character has evolved and suddenly become hugely important. I wonder who she will side with in the battle that's coming. My guess is the darkness, which would leave the fae, the vampires, and the dark shadowhunters on one side, and the shadowhunters, and werewolves on the other side.<br />
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Things aren't looking so great.<br />
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Those are my thoughts on COLS. If you've read it and want to further discuss, leave a comment. I love talking about this series!<br />
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All the best,<br />
Kacey<br />
<br />kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-29045918257085079762012-05-05T15:55:00.002-07:002012-05-05T17:29:12.815-07:00MEGALOPHOBIC RECLUSEIt's been a while since I blogged- I'd like to blame that on working too much and the recent events in my life, but the truth is, I've become a recluse. Not that long ago I started rewriting a past manuscript, Stepping Stones. That's going quite well, thanks for asking! As of this second, I've written 37.265 words in said manuscript. I've changed the storyline up a bit. It's nothing drastic, but made some subtle changes that I think are significant. Long and short, I feel pretty damn good about this project. I'm not sure how long I've been working on it, but the writing is steady, the words are coming along, which is all I can really ask for. I don't let myself think about the other 3 books in the series that I'll have to rewrite when I'm done- that's not important right now...right? :)<br />
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In the midst of my rewriting, another story wiggled in the back of my mind, one that I couldn't stop thinking about. So, I wrote five pages just to let the idea out. Sometimes caged animals are feisty, devouring all our time and energy. So I gave the beast its freedom. As of right now, that manuscript has 17,151 words. I'm calling it Reflection Pond for now. It's like nothing I've ever written before. There are so many important characters that I had to make a character bio file- it's like I'm all grown up or something. I have notes now. Unheard of! This will be a YA fantasy series as well.<br />
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As for my recluse status, well, it's hard to bang out an average of 10,000-13,000 words per week if I'm hanging out with friends and *gasp* having a life. I've actually replaced some of my social media time with exercise. Oh my gosh...I must be sick. Cardio? Jeesh... But seriously, I've sworn off leaving the house unless absolutely necessary. This writing thing better pan out, because it takes up all my free time. All I can say is at least I still enjoy it.<br />
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I have some exciting events coming up, and a semi-exciting true story (that involves near death!) that I'll be sharing over on <a href="http://thestrangerdiaries.wordpress.com/">The Stranger Diaries</a> just to spread the love around. Look for that tonight or tomorrow, whenever I get around to it. As for the other stuff, I'm going to meet Cassandra Clare on Tuesday at the City of Lost Souls book release party. I can't even begin to say how excited I am to go. Cassie is my writing idol. I've probably mentioned this before. I just love her. So, hubby and I will be making a trip to the Chicago area for the signing and to get my long awaited copies of City of Lost Souls. (Yes, copies. One can never have enough books.) We're making it into a mini vacation, complete with visit to Navy Pier and whatever else we find in Chicago. (You know that crazy lima bean thing? Oh yeah. I'm gonna stand under it- though it might terrify me. I have megalophobia. Look it up and promise not to make fun of me. I've blogged about this before.)<br />
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Speaking of Chicago- did you get a chance to read Divergent by Veronica Roth yet? How about Insurgent? Both are amazing and must reads! I love how badass Tris is! Aside from The Mortal Instruments, I might have a new favorite book series! And Veronica Roth is only 23! How's that for impressive?<br />
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Well friends, I'm off to write some more, my forced break is over! (Anyone else find it ironic that my writing break included...more writing?)<br />
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All the best,<br />
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Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-33583263346250684042012-04-14T08:09:00.001-07:002012-04-15T14:01:42.829-07:00GONEREADING GIVEAWAY!! (WIN FREE STUFF!!!)As readers, at some point in our lives, we are asked the question: <i>Why do you read so much? </i>Maybe you have an answer ready, perhaps it's just a feeling that you get when you pick up a good book, or it's an escape from real life--that's what reading is for me. I lose myself in books, captivated by worlds that are often times more interesting, (or at least more encouraging,) than the one we live in now. But what if you didn't have that opportunity? What if books weren't easy to come by? What if there wasn't internet, or libraries, or Kindles, or bookstores?<br />
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What if you didn't have access to <i>books?</i> Not because you couldn't read them, but because they just weren't available?<br />
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Enter GoneReading. Brad Wirz has a vision. While volunteering in Central America in 2010, Wirz encountered "Hundreds of villages, thousands of people, had basically no access to books or reading material <i>at all."</i> When he came home, he started his research. Shortly after, GoneReading LLC was born.<br />
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GoneReading's mission statement is one that readers and writers alike can get behind. Wirz wants to share books with the world--and who doesn't love books? <br />
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“We envision a world where everyone has the opportunity to better themselves through the open pursuit of the dreams and ideals of their choosing. We envision a world where such opportunity exists for everyone, regardless of their country of origin or locale. Our mission is to bring the world closer to this vision by helping to ensure that everyone has open access to the reading materials they want and need. We accomplish this mission by providing new funds for libraries around the world.”<br />
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<b>100% of GoneReading's after tax profit is donated to fund new libraries around the world</b>, including right here in the United States. And let's face it, we could all use the escape of a good book right now.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNHcCuH9LL5-8DTIc5jC0Bk-trcr3p4izWVPe4l7pLArT3AbXlH4-iYM5FDC9cOy6vDWXadPFIpJVIYgqfSRMHAu1SRmw0ICtCmUfreSYYkxLwxajH7iLKhniIOI4RTcEy6P26doSP6z0/s1600/cutting+libraries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNHcCuH9LL5-8DTIc5jC0Bk-trcr3p4izWVPe4l7pLArT3AbXlH4-iYM5FDC9cOy6vDWXadPFIpJVIYgqfSRMHAu1SRmw0ICtCmUfreSYYkxLwxajH7iLKhniIOI4RTcEy6P26doSP6z0/s320/cutting+libraries.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br />
So while this is a contest (and there are FABULOUS prizes!!!), I encourage you to check out <a href="http://gonereading.com/" target="_blank">GoneReading</a> and support their mission. Getting free stuff is awesome, helping build libraries is better. GoneReading has reading related products available to purchase--something for every reader in your life. Plus you can feel good about your buys, since the proceeds will help the world read. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>AND NOW FOR THE CONTEST!!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>First Prize:</b></span> $25 of merchandise from GoneReading.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Second Prize:</b> </span>Books to Check Out Journal from GoneReading. <a href="http://gonereading.com/product/book-journal-books-to-check-out/#" target="_blank">(Click Here) </a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">There are several ways to enter. The contest will be open from Saturday, April 14 until midnight on Sunday, April 29. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Want more chances to win? <a href="http://gonereading.com/2012/04/12/what-gift-to-give-mom-for-mothers-day/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enter The Month of Mom Giveaway hosted by GoneReading for a chance to win $100 in merchandise from GoneReading and $25 from Amazon (to give to your mom, of course). You can enter into both contests- how cool is that?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Good luck and happy reading!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kacey</div>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-31557899116266964462012-03-28T22:28:00.001-07:002012-03-28T22:28:51.556-07:00INSPIREDEvery now and then I get ridiculously inspired by something. Most times I have no idea why it's happened--kind of like now. Maybe it was the Amanda Hocking book I read, maybe it was the trip to the used book store today and all the jackets I read, maybe it's just life. But I get that itchy skin feeling where I just want to sit at my computer for hours and just write. It's been a while since I just let myself sit and write. I know what you're going to say- I'm a writer. Well, yes, I am. Unfortunately I don't live a kind of life where writing can take precedence over other things. I'd love to write for a 9-5, but that's just not how things are at the moment. Writing is stolen moments, five minutes here, a half an hour there. And then I feel like this, like there are so many words inside of me that are just bursting everywhere. I need to let them out, but there just isn't enough time in the day and there are just too many obligations for me to fulfill.<br />
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Then I wonder. Isn't this how you're supposed to feel when you're truly passionate about something? Would life suddenly fall into place if I was a full-time writer? Would the grass be greener, the sky bluer? Okay...I'm getting off track, but you get the point. What if writing is my <em>thing.</em> (Yeah, yeah, I <em>know!</em> I'm a writer. I got it.) <br />
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There are so many things that I love, (and I mean besides the obvious things like my family and friends,) music, books, nature, photography, dance, winterguard. But lately, nothing has quite done it for me. I don't know if it's the depression from winterguard season ending this weekend or just the stress of everything, but <em>nothing</em> has made me happier lately than writing. Now I know you're probably looking back at my blog entries and shaking your head at how many times I complained about editing, or querying, or synopsising (hehe), but honestly, what is better than finishing a story? There is something so fulfilling about sharing your writing with the world. <br />
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It's funny that there's all this fear for publishing my work. I love to share my work, I guess I just don't like to share it with people I think might rip it apart, people that might want me to change it. I've said before that all I want is someone to talk to about my books, and that still holds true. I'm the author you'll see at book signings who can't shut up. <br />
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Words, words, words, words. This is what my best friend Lana sings when she can't remember the words of a song, but that's what it's like in my head all the time. There is so much waiting in the wings, so many stories I have yet to tell. I think this inspiration has led to another thing: hope. <br />
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Is it wrong to think that you just might get everything you've hoped for? Is it asking for trouble? Probably. Life has a great way of knocking you down just when you've finally brushed your knees off from the last disaster. <br />
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But still...I'm excited. I started writing my first novel in June 2009. I've written 5 complete manuscripts. Isn't it about time I did something about that? Between the words, words, words, there's been too many years, years, years. No more. This time I'm gonna let the inspiration win.kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-69925201975544646432012-03-20T09:49:00.000-07:002012-03-20T09:49:33.260-07:00AMANDA HOCKING, HARRY POTTER, AND OTHER THINGSLet it be known that I occasionally spurn fads, things that people fawn over, and media circuses. The one exception to this rule may be in books. Case in point: I just finished reading all the Harry Potter books last night. (The 7th is by FAR the best book in the series, even though she kills nearly everyone. I mean, seriously? Was that REALLY necessary? Was it?) I still need to watch the last two movies. Don't hate me, please, but it wasn't the best thing I've ever read. I know that they're books that changed a generation and blah, blah, blah, maybe if I started reading them when I was a kid, I would've appreciated them more. It was an interesting story, but she killed everyone I liked, which in turn made me bitter. JK Rowling is a genius, I'm sure (a very RICH genius) but suffice it to say, that I've read other, better, stories. That being said, (still don't hate me) I did ENJOY reading Harry Potter. But I think if I were to reread the series, I would start at book 5. The first 4 aren't really all that important.<br />
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So, once I put down Harry Potter, I picked up Switched by Amanda Hocking. She's yet another thing I haven't checked out solely because she got so much press. Perhaps I'm just a brat, but I'd read a couple of chapters of her zombie e-books and that was all. The more success she got, the more I took notice. I bought Switched on a whim when I saw it. Needless to say, I started reading it last night and finished it this morning. It was a fast read, with lots of action. More than that, it's the kind of book that reminds me why I'm a writer. It's all about the story, about the characters, not about how amazing the description is and how much symbolism she used or how many college degrees she has in writing. It was a fun read, captivating me from the first chapter, and what more can you really ask for in a book? If I had more time before work I'd head out and pick up the next one (though I'm not entirely sure if it's out yet).<br />
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Good for you, Amanda Hocking. You're sort of my hero. You're an inspiration to people like me everywhere.<br />
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In other news, I've decided to fully embrace e-pubbing. Shocked? Me too. I've had a suggestion and an opportunity come my way, and in light of recent occurrences in my life, I've realized that things don't ever happen unless you try. I'm not saying that I've conquered this mystery terror that publishing holds for me, heck no. I'm still scared of it. I have panic attacks just thinking about publishing, or even sending things to agents/publishers. But, I have a sort of safety net now. I have a great writing buddy, who kicks my butt when necessary (ahem, Missy, it's TUESDAY and I never received your word count) :) plus I have this cool contact from Scotland who saw through me and gave some tough love. And then there's this other person who's pushed me along much further than anyone and she didn't hardly try at all. Maybe it's all the confidence she has in me, confidence I don't have in myself.<br />
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It's not going to be a quick trip by any means. I still have a week and half left of guard season and another opportunity that I'm dealing with elsewhere, but I'm still here. I'm still trying. I'm a firm believer in fate and destiny and all those other things that normal people scorn. Maybe before wasn't my time. Maybe it's STILL not. But it will be, one day. Maybe soon, maybe later. What matters is that it will happen.<br />
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All the best,<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-78665116531432874452012-03-01T23:57:00.000-08:002012-03-01T23:57:16.639-08:00My Winterguard Teams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you've been wondering why I've been quite absent from the internet world lately other than my random mutterings about editing, here's the reason. The high school winterguard team I coach is nearly finished with their show. Here's a video from tonight's practice. Gotta admit, these kids are working HARD!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/_WhGqOrmLqQ/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_WhGqOrmLqQ&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_WhGqOrmLqQ&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Now I can't just brag about one without giving props to the other. Here's my middle school team, who has been working equally as hard. I am so proud of them!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/9MfFANv4Xp8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-39938835110866523002012-02-29T22:30:00.000-08:002012-02-29T22:30:02.666-08:00CRACKING UNDER THE PRESSUREI've been in a bit of a conundrum lately. I open my laptop, I open the appropriate documents (current WIP, current MS I'm editing). And then all hell breaks loose. I don't <i>want</i> to write in my WIP. I don't <i>want</i> to edit my MS. Let it edit itself. I think I'm having an issue with authority, though sadly the authority is just myself. I'm feeling defiant. Bored. Irritated. I won't be controlled by my work, damn it!<br />
<br />
I think that's the real issue. I'm feeling boxed in. Pressured to finish something. I've lost the passion for these things. It's scary, really, this issue I'm having. It's probably just a passing thing. Give me a few days and I'll be ready to knuckle down.<br />
<br />
So in the midst of my frustration, when even distracting myself with Facebook didn't help, I went for a walk. While getting some fresh air and exercise I thought about things. My past manuscripts, all the hours I've put into lovingly creating characters and worlds, all the places I'd hoped to take them.<br />
<br />
Eureka! Inspiration struck. I hightailed it back to my laptop and *gasp* opened a BLANK word document. Suddenly the heavens broke and bathed me in warm sunlight.<br />
<br />
Oh! The blank page! How lovely. How wonderful. How promising.<br />
<br />
Taking myself back to my plans to continue my series, I started writing. I wrote and wrote and wrote. No restrictions. No rules. I wrote about Chase, possibly my favorite character ever. If you're curious about him, read <a href="http://kacimari.blogspot.com/2011/05/gay-in-ya.html" target="_blank">The Gay in YA. </a>Ohhh how <i>fabulous!</i> I wrote 1500 words in 45 minutes. I reread it. It didn't suck!<br />
<br />
Whew.<br />
<br />
For a minute I was worried I'd lost my touch. But nope! There's still a writer in there. Good. I'd hate to quit after all this time. I mean, I'd even considered if I just wanted to be a <i>reader</i> again, forgo this whole writer business and get back to gobbling up books like candy.<br />
<br />
I'm happy to report that I still love writing (and that Chase might possibly have a story of his own). It was really nice to remind myself that I don't always have to be working towards something. It's okay to just let the words out and let them <i>be.</i> It doesn't have to be perfect and it doesn't have to impress anyone. That's what takes all the fun out of it. I'm trying so hard to perfect my manuscript for someone else that I'm losing the drive. And when it's not fun, it's not worth much.<br />
<br />
So, my advice, dear friends. Take a beat every now and then. Write something fun just for yourself. Don't get sucked into the rules imposed on us by society. Be free, people! It feels great. (I kind of sound like a hippie. I'm diggin' it.)<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-41309325113687574042012-02-10T22:27:00.000-08:002012-02-10T22:44:56.062-08:00EDITING/QUERY WRITING = LOSS OF SANITY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qHm9MG9xw1o?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do you ever feel like you talk a whole bunch but don't really say a whole lot of anything? I'm gonna apologize in advance if this is one of those blogs. Sometimes I feel like my skin is too tight because there is just so much inside of me that wants to come out. I'm not talking vomit here, people, unless it's word vomit. Maybe emotional vomit. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, maybe it's some form of vomit, but hopefully it doesn't make you go "ewww..."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm way deep into this editing thing and more serious about it than I've ever been before. I'm discovering this little annoying thing that I like to call TRICKLE DOWN. (It's in caps so it's scary). Say in Chapter Three I decide to change a little tidbit. Suddenly someone has to come from a new city. Well crap! Do you know what this means? It means I have to fix Chapter Seven where I talk about hometowns, and Chapter Twenty where this character's father talks about college. Aw HELL. Why didn't I think about this before? Suddenly it's a gaping PLOT HOLE and I wish I'd never been born. So after this trickle down has affected <i>every. single. page.</i> I realize I'm done and let out a giant, ridiculous sigh of relief at being so over it. And then I find another one. Shit. Crap. Balls. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The process starts over.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm mostly complaining because I don't have anything better to do. I wrote a new chapter, stuck it in the book, debated how much I liked it. Stared at a blank page for forty-five minutes. Pondered the meaning of life...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">My manuscript is screaming <i>"Checkmate, bitch!"</i> And I'm all like "Oh no you didn't..."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Good news is, I'm still having fun. I think. My version of fun might be a little skewed though. Most days I'm pretty sure there's something seriously wrong with me. Without my fictional characters I'd probably be crazy. Maybe I just have too many projects. When you're a writer, what exactly constitutes too many? I mean, I have one WIP, a MS I'm editing, and a series that I'm itching to rewrite. And I'm thinking I really want to start a Round Robin Blogvel, since the last time I participated in one of those it was super fun. (Another project? Who am I kidding...) Writers have serious issues.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then there's the query I'm writing. Who came up with this whole "querying" thing anyway? I think it's just a form of torture that gives agents immense pleasure. I've agonized over this query for months. MONTHS! I've rewritten it in its entirety four times. I pretty much end up hating every version for one reason or another. Then I go and read other people's queries looking for inspiration. Mostly I just end up jealous. Why do their queries sound so amazing? Why do I want to run to the bookstore and pick up their books right this second? Why can't I write one that sounds like that? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">What. Is. Wrong. With. Me?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some days being The Little Engine That Could just isn't enough. I want to be The Little Engine That HAS. For the love. He could! But did he ever??? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Maybe tomorrow I'll have a genius revelation and the words will just come to me. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's to dreaming,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kacey</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-91476307858924142022012-02-06T21:29:00.000-08:002012-02-06T22:05:19.841-08:00THE ADRENALINE RUSH OF PERFORMING (AND WRITING!)<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I had a very important chat with my guard kids tonight. It was a talk about the feeling you get when you perform. Being a performer at heart (or a retired one, since I'm too old haha...) I understand this feeling well. It's hearing your music start and suddenly having the nerves melt away into the warmth of sharing something with another person. Maybe it's an audience of one, maybe it's thousands, but it's knowing that you're holding out a piece of yourself to them and saying "Here, keep this. <i>Understand.</i>" It's hoping that they'll remember you later, when they're dancing in their kitchen or years from now when they hear your song on the radio and they sing along in the car. It's touching lives and becoming part of a greater purpose. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Whew...I'm on a roll. I should've scripted this talk earlier. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I love performing. I might have already said that, but I'm saying it again. I've coached for 5 years, but <i>nothing</i> compares to the feeling of being on a floor or stage. If I could get out there again, I wouldn't even hesitate. I swear, I was born to be a professional dancer or even a singer (though I can't sing to save my life. I find it highly unfair!). But I LIVE for the performance, the rush, the feeling of victory.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">That being said, I'd like to correlate this to writing. I know I said that <i>nothing</i> compares to the feeling I get when I perform, but actually I lied. Something does compare--it's when I write. I get the same kind of nervous excitement in my stomach when I'm banging out a particularly exciting scene. I get giddy when I finish one. Writing is as much an adrenaline rush as performing. But what's writing without sharing it? </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you asked me why I want to be published I would answer solely to share my stories with others. I just want someone to walk with me for a while in another world. I want them to feel happy or sad or angry with me. I want them to grieve for the characters and fight for them. I want them to be there every step of the way.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Did I ever really expect to become a writer? Nope. Sure didn't. When I sat down and started writing did I ever think I'd finish a book? Hell no! I'm not exactly great at finishing creative things. But here I am, working on my 7th manuscript. Yep. SEVEN. Holy crap. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Maybe I never expected any of this. I sure didn't expect to be coaching winterguard, but hey, it's probably one of the best things that's ever happened to me. It's taught me never to give up. Never. Ever. (ever). Even when everything is stacked against you. Even when nobody seems to care. Through all the crazy stuff I've been through, I've discovered a fighter inside of me. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">On that note, I decided to crack down on my editing. 13 chapters of <i>Antithesis </i>tonight. I'm 1/3 of the way done. Once I reach the end I'll send it out for polishing. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">And then the real fun will begin: Querying! Hooray!</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm smiling as I write this. I'm feeling damn good. Sometimes looking back, it is so amazing what I can accomplish. I think I'm having a moment or something. Glad you shared it with me. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">All the best,</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Kacey</span><br />
</span></span>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-5760891372603898622012-02-03T07:45:00.000-08:002012-02-03T07:45:30.896-08:00An Interesting Turn of EventsI woke up to this bleary morning expecting none other than another ordinary day, me without a voice, my son, hyperactive and ready to go, a bazillion orders to fill and no ambition to do anything. Alas, I have had a revelation. It has come from a fairy god (father...mother? I'm not sure) all the way from Scotland (me=excited). I've decided to blog about said revelation while it is still fresh in my mind and unbiased by further internet searching and the thoughts of the world. <br />
<br />
Initial response? I am impressed. Perhaps I should back up a minute and tell you all WHAT actually happened.<br />
<br />
After I stumbled into the kitchen (picture a zombie strut mixed with Lady Gaga's thrashing, for that was me this morning) and sat down at my computer, I was surprised to find an email from a stranger. And not just any email, I mean an EMAIL that had nearly 5,000 words. It was from a random person I followed on Twitter (as I have been growing my platform with the intent of reaching all these people with my writing prowess!). This person, as I still don't know if it's a he or she and I don't want to offend, literally sat me down and gave me the biggest lecture of my life. Sadly, I must say I deserved this lecture.<br />
<br />
I am a writer stuck in the past. I long for the days of agents and ink and paper. It is my feeling that I can digitize my <i>own </i>books and have them on my computer, why would I want to do that as a form of publishing? Well, duh, here's the answer folks, SO THAT PEOPLE WILL READ THEM!!! <br />
<br />
Seeing that I work in a hospital full of sick people, I am faced daily with the fact that death is all around us, accidents happen, life will end...blah blah blah. Shouldn't I fear <i>never</i> getting published? What if I kicked the bucket tomorrow? So why the heck am I not out there publishing my work? Fear? Laziness? Idiocy? Most likely it's a combination of all three. Maybe I want to follow the good old agent path, too. BUT I have 4 books that I've written, a series that I keep saying I'm going to get back to eventually. So, revelation in short, I <i>think</i> I will e-pub these books and be done with them. They are a series of characters that I LOVE. I think other people will love them too. And if I still choose to publish another book the traditional way, there's still that option. If I get a good response (hell, I'd probably be uber excited for a mediocre response, it doesn't take much to get me excited) maybe I will e-pub everything.<br />
<br />
RLL, my mysterious email writer, has implied that I write my manuscripts with a committee over my shoulder. This may not be an exact description, but apt nonetheless. I do seek approval for my writing, I need that justification before I believe it's good enough to even think about publishing. But, what do I care? I know I can write. So committees be gone!<br />
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Now, don't get ahead of yourselves. My life is a crazy game right now and I have no intention of having a book ready to e-pub tomorrow. But maybe in a couple of months, maybe after winterguard season is over and I actually have five minutes to my name. There will be a schedule. There will be <i>plans.</i><br />
<br />
So RLL, thank you. I appreciate the time you took to send this little wayward writer on her way. On a side note, can I say that the fact that you wrote a sentence in a Scottish accent had me very excited indeed. (Like I said, doesn't take much). I'm also glad you took the time to watch my winterguard videos. Long have I wanted to write a book about guard, but the storyline has escaped me. It will be perfection when it does come, I'm sure.<br />
<br />
As you will see, I have changed from the off-putting white lettering to black. I can't say I'm very fond of this layout, but it will do until I have the time to adjust and tweak it to my heart's content.<br />
<br />
Would you like to meet the mystery author of the wonderful life-changing email? ME TOO!! <a href="http://rll-reportfromafugitive.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Here is RLL.</a> Clickity click click!!<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-48997583565933478382012-01-17T07:50:00.000-08:002012-01-17T07:52:52.717-08:00Bullying, Suicide, and Fighting BackI've spent a vast majority of this morning upset and frustrated. Maybe people don't realize, maybe they don't care, maybe they don't understand. Recently, a local high school senior committed suicide. <a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/01/jarrod_nickell.html" target="_blank">(Read the article here.)</a> There have been several students who've said he was bullied, there have been a few who've been adamant that bullying had nothing to do with it. The school district seems to think it's okay to deny any responsibility and the local police force is acting similarly. Does it take having it happen to someone YOU LOVE for you to care? How far does it have to go?<br />
<br />
So who do they blame, then? Is it just that this teen never <i>asked </i>for help? Was his supposed "troubled" past not him calling out for someone to <i>notice?</i> WHO do they think is responsible? If they are shucking responsibility, do they just blame the person who committed the act? (He took responsibility, by the way, for taking his own life and <i>apologized</i> to the person who found him. How can you not be angry????)<br />
<br />
Do they not realize that just saying "We need an anti-bullying policy" does NOTHING to change the problem? My heart is breaking over this. A high schooler from the same school posted a video on youtube, which I will post in here. I want to applaud her for having the GUTS to speak out and stand up. School these days is a scary place, I know, I coach both high schoolers and middle schoolers. These kids are terrified to say ANYTHING because of the repercussions of their peers. They need support, they need strength.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/my5NHXN9k5A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
On the comments to this video, a teacher posted that "...SUICIDE is a PERMANENT solution to a VERY TEMPORARY problem! IT GETS BETTER!!" What an amazing quote. <br />
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My heart goes out to the community, the family, the students. I'm going to get involved. Life is too short, and it doesn't need to end so early. I'm not sure how far this will go, but stay tuned. I know some kids who are willing to take a stand against bullying.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/oYXxJ7Uldlg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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Here's to hoping for a better tomorrow,<br />
<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-21481902607976612362012-01-03T20:14:00.001-08:002012-01-03T20:14:58.006-08:00Acceptance<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><em><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">noun </span></b></em><br />
1. the act of taking or receiving something offered. <br />
2. favorable reception; approval; favor. <br />
3. the act of assenting or believing: <em>acceptance of a theory. </em><br />
4. the fact or state of being accepted or acceptable.<br />
<br />
It seems to me that I've been confused about life, maybe misled about the entire purpose all together. I've decided (as of this moment) that life is all about acceptance. You get put into a multitude of situations on a daily basis, and whether or not you accept them determines your reactions. <br />
<br />
Acceptance of 'things' seems like being a pushover to me. It always has. Why accept how things are when you can fight back? But what if fighting back is the root of misery? What if that passion to live differently is actually the cause of disquiet? <br />
<br />
Acceptance.<br />
<br />
I've always been stubborn, just ask anyone I know. Hell, ask my husband. Most days I surprised he can stand me. I have a lot of fight. I don't want people to walk all over me. But I'm beginning to realize that it's my desire for things to be different that makes me so, well, angry. I'm frustrated that things can't or won't change, but that doesn't stop me from fighting against them. Again we come to the word acceptance. Maybe if I didn't fight, maybe if I just realized that I needed to <em>accept</em> it, I'd feel better.<br />
<br />
But then again, maybe not. Maybe I'd just feel worthless because I didn't <em>try.</em> I'd probably still be angry, regardless. <br />
<br />
So if I choose not to accept something, but it's impossible to <em>change</em>, how then am I supposed to react? <br />
<br />
Perhaps it is all perspective? If I change my perspective, then I'll be more given to acceptance? But then, how do I <em>change</em> myself? Perspective is ingrained, it's who you are, it's how you were raised, it's a gut-reaction. <br />
<br />
Is the key to acceptance changing who I am? Who I've always been? This seems impossible all around.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">And I leave you with some quotes (like a few words easily thrown together can change the will of man). (Wow- that was cynical).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best you have to give.”</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">-Eleanor Roosevelt</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">“Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgement of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you’re going to do about it.”</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">-Kathleen Casey Theisen</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>All the best,<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Kacey</span>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-63694358437213586252012-01-02T07:48:00.000-08:002012-01-02T07:48:36.393-08:002011: A Hard Dose of RealityGood morning world!<br />
<br />
It's the second day of the New Year. I feel like this is important, though it's probably not. All it really means is that I must remember to pay a couple of bills before they slap me with late fees. It's 2012--but what does that really <i>mean?</i> Perhaps I'm due a moment of reflection on 2011, which was the worst year of my life. I'm led to believe that once you hit bottom there is nowhere to go but up. In fact, I just quoted that to one of my friends who has indeed hit bottom, but not given up. That's the key here, not giving up.<br />
<br />
To begin my terrible 2011, you actually have to go back to 2010, where during the holidays my cousin's house was broken into and he was shot in the back and face while his wife and kids were in the house. There was a higher power watching out for him, though, because he survived this. Shortly after that, we lost my father-in-law. I don't think I'll ever feel right about what happened, and I hate that I lost my chance.<br />
<br />
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<br />
After my father-in-law, my cousin (not the one who was shot) passed away. He was only a few years older than me. It really puts things into perspective when you realize that your life can be snuffed out at any moment. A couple of months went by and I found a spot on my mom's head: Melanoma. They doctor told her that I saved her life. It's a heady feeling, knowing this, it's also terrifying. I'm begging you, check the people you love for cancerous moles. You might save their lives. After surviving the cancer debacle, Mom was fired from her job. As if life wasn't hard enough, they actually fired her the day she returned from having the melanoma removed. Jerks.<br />
<br />
But for all the bad, there was also good. I wrote another MS, one that I feel confident about, one that I think might be ready to send to agents soon. Maybe this year I'll get over my paranoia and finally get somewhere with my writing. My winterguard kids had an awesome show in 2011, which took us up two classes and earned us several first places and community recognition. I was so unbelievably proud of all they accomplished. In 2011 I managed to dig myself out of some of the debt going to school caused me. I'm still up to my eyeballs, but I'm not drowning. Maybe by the time I hit 40 I'll have it paid off (haha).<br />
<br />
Recently, with the help of a dear Twitter friend of mine, <a href="http://biozarre.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Missy Biozarre, </a>I've started a new project. <a href="http://thestrangerdiaries.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Stranger Diaries</a> is everything good about life, with reading, writing, workouts, and enough comedy to sate any appetite. Check it out and meet Megatron and Gandalf. You won't be sorry. This project actually has me excited to write! If you're so inclined, please visit my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kacey-Vanderkarr/128956043852072" target="_blank">Facebook Author Page</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Stranger-Diaries/321027294586288" target="_blank">The Stranger Diaries on Facebook.</a><br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to 2012. There's a long way to go and a short time to get there (Smoky and the Bandit!) but I'm not giving up.<br />
<br />
Here's to the New Year,<br />
Kacey<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-80259382381405584292011-11-16T10:12:00.000-08:002011-11-16T10:12:29.673-08:00Writers are depressed. It's a fact.I just want to start this post with a huge, gut-wrenching sigh. It's been a long month so far. My NaNoWriMo isn't going perfectly, but it <i>is</i> going. At this very moment I'm at 21,036 words. I should be in the 25,000-26,000 range. I'm not uber behind, but I'm certainly not ahead either. Usually when I get really into a story I can pound out 20 pages or so a day. My page count is 79 after 15 days...do the math. In case you're not a math genius like me (ha!) this basically means that I'm not in love with my story. It's not awful, it has a plot, it has believable characters, so what's the issue?<br />
<br />
Basically, my characters are depressed and it's depressing me. Rightfully, they should be depressed, their lives <u>suck.</u> And a few of them have no redeeming qualities as people, which makes me hate writing them. Even my MC is falling apart despite her best efforts. I kind of want to shake them and scream in their faces "GET IT TOGETHER!!!" Of course they won't listen to me, they never do. But seriously, their issues are holding me back. How am I supposed to get excited about a girl who is so depressed and has no self esteem and only views alcohol and random flings as a way to survive. Yuck. She's just taking after her alcoholic mother, though. Oh! And let's not forget all the situations that make everything so much worse. Missed phone calls, ignored texts...<br />
<br />
It's too much like real life! Aha! I've found the issue. Perhaps in the future I will know to stick only to the fantasy/paranormal/sci-fi. This real life shit kills me (and depresses me). <br />
<br />
This post is depressing. I apologize.<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-8573656693653970352011-10-31T19:58:00.000-07:002011-10-31T19:58:33.768-07:00NaNoWriMoPer usual, I have waited until the very last minute to make this happen. All of October I've been going back and forth with myself as to whether or not I should participate in NaNoWriMo.<br />
<br />
"You should do it!" I'd say. "You love writing."<br />
<br />
"I know, I know! It's just that I have this seasonal job coming up and winterguard just started and I'm the idiot that decided to coach two teams." This from another voice in my head. The one that likes to make legitimate excuses that I frequently ignore.<br />
<br />
"But you totally whipped out a 110,000 word novel in 4 weeks before." Ah, yes, this one is <i>not</i> the voice of reason. This is the one that reminds me that I can do amazing things, even when I have absolutely <i>no</i> time for them.<br />
<br />
"Well...there is <i>that.</i>" Me. The real me. The one that looks back and wonders how the heck I finish <i>anything.</i><br />
<br />
<i>*Sigh*</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
It's been decided. I signed up ten minutes ago. I even know what plot I'm going to use. See how prepared I am? And I'm uber excited to be writing again. Haven't written a word since I finished Antithesis. Pretty stoked to let that one settle for another month as well. I'll get back into it in December and work out any kinks that remain.<br />
<br />
I know that lots of my writer friends will be participating, so search me out! I'm looking forward to sharing this month with you!<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-13685805949477580882011-10-14T11:44:00.000-07:002011-10-14T11:47:32.747-07:00Is it so Hard to be Helpful?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/LM7gZh9JWnA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm having one of the days where I just want to strangle someone. It's not so much that anything is going wrong exactly, it's just that I'm getting beyond irritated with other people's inability to see past themselves and their own beliefs. I'm seeking help for my writing, yes, that's true, but that doesn't give you the right to criticize what you haven't even read. How could you know that my stuff isn't ready for an agent, have you read it? Last I checked, you hadn't. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">*sigh*</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I need to take a deep breath...hold on...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I am a pretty positive person. I work with teenagers and I believe in instilling hopes and dreams and having faith in a person and their ability to achieve something great. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in giving them delusions of grandeur, but I believe in encouragement and self confidence. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Maybe I'm just feeling defensive.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Recently someone told me that people should be able to give criticism in a positive way and actually want to help. Actually, it was a fellow winterguard coach talking about accepting help from someone you know is so much better than you. There shouldn't be the words "never" or "can't" involved. And I feel like in this writing world I'm getting a lot of that, from people who have never met me, never read anything I've written. It's just you're not ready, you can't do this, don't do that. </span>But when am I actually going to get something that's helpful? I realize that when I post my query, I'm asking for your help, but if you're not actually going to help, why bother responding? I want concrete advice, not just a wishy-washy insult to my writing style (which btw, you've never read.) Months ago when I posted my first query I got SO MUCH helpful advice. Now it seems like I can't get anything close to that.<br />
<br />
What I really think I want is myself, in the form of someone else. Someone who can encourage as well as give solid advice. I want someone who will not automatically tell me that my stuff isn't ready for an agent, but actually tell me how I can improve so that it will be ready. Stop with the assumptions, cut the crap. I've had enough.<br />
<br />
I need a writing circle, some local people that are willing to work together. But since I live in Michigan, which is apparently a lame state, there doesn't seem to be any of those around here. I just want some positivity for once! I'm sick of being so proud of something I've accomplished only to have someone who's never read it tell me it's crap.<br />
<br />
I'm not an idiot. I do realize that a manuscript isn't ready for agents a week after it's finished. I knew this when I was ten. But thanks for telling me again and again and again, just in case I didn't know. Maybe next time you could not waste your time and tell me how to make my query better.<br />
<br />
Wow.<br />
<br />
I feel better now.<br />
<br />
Happy writing friends. You are all amazing and I know you can accomplish great things. Don't let other people tell you that you can't, because you can.<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-32193074611918965592011-10-09T20:43:00.000-07:002011-10-09T20:43:02.200-07:00Moving Forward<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's happened! I took my OB board and passed! Woohoo! But that's not all folks. As of a couple of hours ago I finished my latest manuscript. I don't mean finished finished, but I completed the first draft and I'm uber excited. I'm insanely in love with this manuscript, the characters, the plot, all of it. I can't wait for it to be ready to query. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I've noticed in the process of writing this MS that I've grown a whole lot as a writer. I have hard evidence of this, too. During one of my off task moments (one of the many I had in the avoidance of studying) I printed out the first few chapters of my first manuscript. I've edited this manuscript about six times. I thought at the time that I was getting close to having it ready for agents. I took a red pen to the chapters. I marked the heck out of them far worse than any English teacher's nightmare. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So. Not. Ready.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong, I love that story too! I love the characters, I've written 4 books about them. I want those to be published, too. Sadly, that's not going to happen until I work some more on them. While this depresses me, at least I'm willing to accept it. Writing is a learning process, is it not? </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This has led me to the conclusion that I must query my current MS first. I feel this is a good move for several reasons. One, it is a stand alone book. I've heard repeatedly that stand alones query better than series. Two, it's written better. The plot is more succinct. I found my niche. The characters are very true to themselves and believable--but this is just what I think. I've yet to beta the MS. After my first swipe at editing I'll be looking for a beta if anyone wants to volunteer :) And if I query this MS first I'll have my foot in the door for querying my series at a later date when it's all ironed out. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here comes the red light on all of this. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I. Hate. Editing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With a passion. I hate filling plot holes, I hate grammatical editing, I hate rewriting scenes. All of this only in my own work, of course. I can edit the crap out of someone else's document, but only because I know I don't have to make the corrections. Motivation is key here people. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another thing that comes along with the editing process is other people's opinions. I posted my current query letter for this MS and got a lot of negative feedback on it. Nit picky stuff that has nothing to do with my letter. My book is about a Ginger, some people freaked out about my usage of this word. I mean, really? Are we five? If you can't read a book with things like that in it I suggest you don't turn on the television or walk outside because something might offend you. I also got nit picked for my usage of the word dimension and given some mathematical equation. Does anyone know if there is a law against using the word dimension in a mathematically incorrect way? Please! Point me in the direction. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In all seriousness, if I'm using the word dimension in a mathematically incorrect way, is this going to make a difference with agents? I write YA, I'm not trying to get a show on Sci-Fi (or is it Syfy now?) It's not such a big deal to change dimension to "world" or "reality" if necessary.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well I'm off to bask in the satisfaction of crossing things off my to-do list.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All the best,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kacey<br />
</span></span>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-81711733446389736402011-08-31T12:02:00.000-07:002011-08-31T12:02:55.042-07:00PlansAt best my life could be described as chaos. At worst, a disaster. Between my commute, my obsession with writing, studying, and the plethora of bad stuff that keeps happening, it's amazing I have any time at all. For my own sanity, I need to have a plan. Said plan will probably have many deviations as most plans do. The plan might fail or it might not. Maybe for once in my life it'll stick and something great will happen. Maybe.<br />
<br />
Item #1 of Plan:<br />
<br />
Take OB boards. Most of you know by now that I do ultrasounds. This board is extremely important to my career and future. Plus I've already signed up for it. D-Day is September 30 and the countdown has begun though panicked studying probably won't begin until the 15th. Man, I'm so looking forward to those days. Gah!<br />
<br />
Item # 2 of Plan:<br />
<br />
Finish writing my current WIP. It has no title yet, so I can't call it by name, but it's the one with the one armed Ginger. It's fantastic. I love it. I can't wait to finish. After I finish, I will query. So says Item # 5 of the plan.<br />
<br />
Item #3 of Plan:<br />
<br />
Satisfactorily edit Stepping Stones. I've been making excuses. I've been avoiding it like my son avoids my sister's cat. Why? I'm afraid to lose the story in the editing. When I first started writing Stepping Stones I had a very clear picture of the story. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm getting too much advice and it's clouding my judgment. So yes, one more edit and we're through and moving on. I will also be confident about this decision, the plan says so.<br />
<br />
Item #4 of Plan:<br />
<br />
Query Stepping Stones. Relish rejection and anticipate an agent. Feel complete in my success regardless.<br />
<br />
Item #5 of Plan:<br />
<br />
Edit, write query letter, and query one-armed Ginger book. (Also give it a title.) Repeat good feelings from Item #4 of Plan.<br />
<br />
Item #6 of Plan:<br />
<br />
Begin editing Broken Stones until satisfied. Repeat with Rising Stones and Sand Stones. Wash, rinse, repeat. Print all four books and put them on my bookshelf. Pretend they've been published. Do happy dance.<br />
<br />
Item #7 of Plan:<br />
<br />
Start new WIP. Possibilities are endless. Maybe I'll take a look at something I've already started. Maybe it'll be a completely new idea. Maybe I'll write another book in my series. Regardless, I will write. (Maybe I'll blog more, too!)<br />
<br />
Conditions to the Plan:<br />
<br />
This plan is a sequential list, with Item #7 being flexible. Items 1-5 must be complete before 2012. That gives me 4 months. Plenty of time once I get all that crazy studying out of the way. Items 6-7 have a longer deadline with 6 being finished by the end of 2012. Item #7 varies wildly as to a time frame. Writing kind of takes it's own path and can't be rushed. That's what all the procrastinators say after all. <br />
<br />
Sigh. So here it is, folks. I'll probably need some help sticking to it, but it feels good to get it down on, uh, paper? I feel better.<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-5753455855874359672011-08-27T13:22:00.000-07:002011-08-27T13:22:42.078-07:00Liebster BlawardingThe fantastically fabulous<a href="http://themightyjungle.blogspot.com/2011/08/liebster-blaward-also-big-new-exciting.html"> Riley Redgate</a> has blawarded me with the Liebster Blaward (jeesh, say that five times fast!) We all know how much I heart her. In fact I think I've professed my love for her in this very blog. So, thank you Riley!<br />
<br />
So what is this Liebster Blog Award, you ask? It's very simply this: an award to highlight new bloggers, the ones that have less than 200 followers. The ones like, um, me. After my spiel, I'm going to list 5 of my fav bloggers who have less than 200 followers in hopes that all of you out there will follow and heart them as much as I do.<br />
<br />
So here goes!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0pa2hhzfpaUW2hApYPwNYs-uoMReB1V5gF2QK3dcYc4ZVvmJbRy8TQyc03xniuRzMMAbbUsoRZbHXEOIX_1EWOYhFygH26Hhp9xKPOs7NGfQILYNzSZR-zdojpI0jdsd8IJYae3GvoA/s1600/Liebster+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0pa2hhzfpaUW2hApYPwNYs-uoMReB1V5gF2QK3dcYc4ZVvmJbRy8TQyc03xniuRzMMAbbUsoRZbHXEOIX_1EWOYhFygH26Hhp9xKPOs7NGfQILYNzSZR-zdojpI0jdsd8IJYae3GvoA/s1600/Liebster+Image.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
1. First and foremost is the lovely Dawn at <a href="http://dawngsparrow.wordpress.com/">Write Away.</a> Dawn is amazing for several reasons starting with the fact that she has interviewed tons of writers and posted them on her blog. It's always so much fun to read and learn about fellow authors. Also, she's sweet and nice and made of everything good. I actually don't know how many followers Dawn has, but I don't think she's going to complain about the additional traffic.<br />
<br />
2. Next I would like to call out Missy at <a href="http://biozarre.blogspot.com/">Missy Biozarre.</a> She's quirky and fun and a newbie like the rest of us. She's in need of some serious love from the awesome group of people that I know follow my blog. I look forward to reading more of Missy's writing. She's got some talent, yo.<br />
<br />
3. Here we have Michelle from <a href="http://greenwoman.wordpress.com/">Greenwoman</a>. Michelle is the mastermind behind The Skeleton Key, a round robin blogvel that features a plethora of fantastic authors (including yours truly!). She's smart. She's witty. She's fun and entertaining. She offers great advice and says a lot of things worth listening to. So yeah...she's amazing. :)<br />
<br />
4. Sadly, I'm falling short of being able to send you to people that have less than 200 followers, so I'm going to send you to some who have already been sent. Oh man, I'm starting to get confused. So Riley Redgate, here's sending the award back to you. I don't care about no blaward-backs (how's that for grammar??) You'll take it and you'll like it. That's right. But seriously, follow her. She's probably the most amazing teenager I've never met. Go <a href="http://themightyjungle.blogspot.com/">In the Jungle</a> with Riley. <br />
<br />
5. Here I am again failing to live up to these blaward standards. It's not that I don't want to award people, I do! But they've all been awarded already, I'm sure, since I exist in such a tight knit community of writers. Instead, I'm going to promise you something. I am going to broaden my horizons and seek out some new writer friends. Hopefully by the next time one of these come around, I'll be better prepared. As writers we depend on this network, live for it on occasion. So I'm going to take this moment to say thank you to my friends. I seriously appreciate you.<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Kacey<br />
kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-49319528351247279712011-08-26T20:32:00.000-07:002011-08-26T20:32:22.873-07:00End of Manuscript AnxietyHere it is the end of August and I've only written one blog this month. One. Seriously. I'll make some excuses: I'm busy, I've been studying for my boards, I've been writing my WIP, it's summer, I work a lot.<br />
<br />
Ah, there, I feel minutely better.<br />
<br />
For three weeks I've been debating writing this really awesome blog about killing off characters. However at this point it still remains an illusive idea. I have been writing. I'm 60,000 words into my WIP. That's a fair amount in, I'd say. In fact, I'm nearly finished. I've reached the <i>What the heck is wrong with me</i> stage. It's a really crappy stage that goes something like this.<br />
<br />
"Awesome! I've gotten to the fun, interesting, dramatic, action-filled part of story! And I'm stalled..."<br />
<br />
What the heck.<br />
<br />
I'm on Chapter 26. I know how the story will end. I know how to get from Point A to Point B and sum it all up with Point C.<br />
<br />
So...what the heck is wrong with me? Why can't I just sit down and write it all out? My critique readers are bugging me for the rest. I'm still interested, still in love with the characters, the plot, all of it. I'm even more excited about having a finished product and starting to work on a query letter.<br />
<br />
Soo...why am I not finishing it?<br />
<br />
The truth: I have NO idea. This happens every time I get close to the end of my manuscripts. I write like a beast for 3/4 of the book and then I hit this lull where I can't even bang out a chapter in a week. It's ultimately very frustrating. In six days I've written a page and a half. But it's not writers block (or is it??) because I know where the story is going. I know how it'll all end. I could even brainstorm out about a million conversations and scenes.<br />
<br />
The explanation I like the best (because it doesn't involve scary words like writers block or lazy) is that I'm afraid to finish it. I love the story so much that I don't want it to end. I am especially in love with this story line and I'll be sad to leave my one-armed Ginger behind. But there are other stories in my head that want to be written, too. Plus I have another MS that's nearly ready for querying that needs some final editing and polishing (and three more than haven't been edited at all, yet). I have a future, maybe I just don't have the ambition. Maybe I'm just scared.<br />
<br />
What about you? Do you suffer from end of manuscript anxiety? Maybe I need to start a support group. ;)<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-11636843066043010212011-08-09T07:55:00.000-07:002011-08-09T07:55:30.974-07:00Dead Rules<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’ve never written a book review before, so let me apologize in advance if it’s terrible. I figure I owe it to Randy Russell to try since he was kind enough to send me a signed copy of Dead Rules. This may end up being more a synopsis than a review, but what do I know? If you plan on reading Dead Rules (read it!) then you might want to stop here so I don’t ruin it for you. (Thank you so much!) Here goes:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If I had to describe Dead Rules in one word, it would be: Clever.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jana loved her boyfriend to death.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jana Webster is an actress. She’s not too pretty (like her drug addict mother) but she’s going places. As soon as she graduates she’s going to Hollywood to make it big. Jana loves to think about herself and her future and all the amazing things she’s going to do with her life. She’s very aware of her abilities—not so much about others. Michael Haynes, Jana’s boyfriend, is going to go with her to Hollywood. Of course he is. Why wouldn’t he? They’re Jana and Michael of Webster and Haynes. Everybody knows that.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jana loved her boyfriend to death. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All of her dreams are shattered when she ends up in Dead School after a freak bowling accident. I have to give credit to Randy here; he kills people in seriously creative ways. Jana can’t believe it. She died <i>alone!</i> How long will it take Michael to die too? Surely he can’t live without her. They’ve been together forever. They had plans—a future! Shared dreams. They were never going to part. Even death couldn’t keep them from an epic love like that.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jana loved her boyfriend to death.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Dead School Jana meets the dead kids. Stretchers, who are just what you think, bodies on stretchers. It took me a really long time to understand that and I work in a hospital. Wow. I know. I was disappointed in me too. Grays are kids who have committed suicide. They’re depressed and not trustworthy because they are loyal to the Regents who control Dead School. They don’t do much other than keep to themselves and follow orders. There are Virgins who died before, well <i>you</i> <i>know</i>. They’re ethereal and gorgeous and wear long white gowns and sing pretty. They don’t do much except sing. I don’t think you’re allowed to talk to them. Next are Sliders. Sliders are closer to the earth (or The Planet) than the other dead kids. They can manifest their bodies on the earth and be seen or heard by people. They’re also the bad kids, and were doing something bad when they died. Sliders basically do what they want, what hope is there for them? They’re <i>bad. </i>Finally, we have Risers. This is what Jana is. Risers are the good kids (not as good as the Virgins, but still good.) They follow the rules at Dead School. They go to their classes and wear their school uniforms properly and don’t do anything crazy—that’s left for the Sliders. As a Riser, Jana is alone. But she knows as a Slider, she could naturalize on The Planet and kill Michael. She would end his suffering and they would be together forever! Didn’t he want that? Of course he did. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jana fantasizes about how to kill Michael, bullet, knife, poison, spider, hairdryer in the bathtub. In Dead School, you look just like you did when you died. Lawn dart to the head? That stays with you, bobbing from your skull like a lopsided metronome. Sliced in half by a tin roof? You can take your body apart and dance the jig forwards <i>and</i> backwards. Major road rash from a motorcycle? You’re missing half your face, including lips, eye, skin, etc. Swallowed a bird? You spit feathers and sound like there’s something trapped in your throat. Jana doesn’t want Michael to be ugly, so she has to think of some nice way to kill him. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jana loved her boyfriend to death.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jana enlists the help of Mars Dreamcote, a gorgeous bad boy Slider who breaks all the rules. But Mars has a secret of his own, a secret the leads him to helping Jana, even though he knows the truth. He was there when Jana died. It wasn’t a freak accident at all. It was murder.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mars takes Jana through the steps to becoming a Slider, a truly bad dead kid. But once she’s ready to finally have Michael again, will she still want him?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jana loved her boyfriend to death. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OH! The suspense! Sorry, I’m not going to take you through the end; you’re going to have to read it yourself!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dead Rules is a fun read. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, Randy throws in a twist just to keep you unsettled. You find yourself caring for the dead kids and the horribly creative ways they died. At the same time, you’re laughing at them. It’s okay, I won’t tell that you laughed at the girl with the lawn dart sticking out of her head. It <i>is</i> funny. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The bottom line? Dead Rules is a great read. Intriguing, amusing, and truly enjoyable. It has enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing and plenty of things that you’ll never see coming. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thank you once again Randy! (<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/Randy__Russell">Follow Randy on Twitter!</a>)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All the best,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kacey</div>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-84144308169469231102011-07-30T15:11:00.000-07:002011-07-30T15:11:34.225-07:00Goodbye Borders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodgaragedoors1.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Hidden-Doors-Bookcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://www.woodgaragedoors1.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Hidden-Doors-Bookcase.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>First off, I would love to be the owner of this bookshelf, but sadly, I am not. Mine is all a clutter of books/magazines/manuscript binders, etc. Maybe one day I'll reorganize and take a picture of it (them, actually). They're a bit ridiculous.<br />
<br />
By now most of you know that Borders is going out of business. When I heard those words, it was a shot straight through my heart. *cries!* (Ironically, I'm writing this sitting in the Barnes and Noble Cafe. *Looks around with shifty eyes* Shh...) Yes, I've gone to the dark side. I think this will give Barnes and Noble the precedence to charge whatever they want for books since they will lack any major competition, therefore driving up the price of paper books and forcing people to mainstream towards E-readers. *cries more*<br />
<br />
I am one of those old school girls who loves the feel of a new (or old!) book. I love the smell of the ink. I love to flip the pages knowing that you're the first one to do so. I love being able to hand off said books to friends. I love dog-eared pages. I love autographed books. I. Love. Books. The tangible, joy-inducing, wonder-creating books.<br />
<br />
That being said, at this point I do not own an E-reader of any sort. The closest I've come to E-reading is reading a manuscript on my phone for a friend and reading Midnight Sun online. Totally <i>not</i> the same thing. I can't imagine the downfall of paper books. Just think! No bookstores, no libraries (with new books, anyway), no used book stores. All the joy will literally be sucked out of this god-forsaken planet. <br />
<br />
There I said it.<br />
<br />
I'm not entirely sure I can live without these books. I keep getting visions of post-apocalyptic empty bookshelves. They're haunting my dreams and keeping me up at night. It's similar to the book burnings that used to occur. (Remember that scene in The Day After Tomorrow where the librarians freak because they're burning the books? That's ME!)<br />
<br />
Here comes the next conundrum. What will happen to agents? Publishers? The entire writing market? As this shift happens, we're cutting out the middleman, like we do with so many other things. My stomach is tying itself into knots just thinking about it. Don't get me wrong- I love technology. But I love books more.<br />
<br />
Once I'd joked with a friend that I could be locked in Borders for weeks and never get tired of it. I'm really that much of a bookworm, but that's beside the point. I've written (count them!) FOUR manuscripts at Borders, right there in the little cafe (that's closed now.) I put myself through school in that cafe. I met there with friends and classmates, we shared memories. I knew the baristas, I knew how the books were classified.<br />
<br />
And now, with the closing of Borders, I feel like I'm losing a good friend. So though I took advantage of the not so good sale, I'm truly going to miss it.<br />
<br />
Now I'm sitting at Barnes and Noble and it's similar to Borders, but it's not the same. It feels wrong to me, distracting even. Maybe I'll get over it. Maybe I'll find a new place to write. But I know this, nothing will ever compare to that first place where I found my dream.<br />
<br />
So goodbye Borders. This writer will miss you.<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Kaceykacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-64891517233281398252011-07-26T19:38:00.000-07:002011-07-26T19:38:35.584-07:00Rock StarDo you ever have those days where you feel like a rock star? That was me today. I must have done something right because karma was good to me.<br />
<br />
It actually started last night when my guardie Lisbeth came to visit and pick up flags. If you haven't heard, I coach a winterguard team. It's a lot like colorguard (you know those crazy kids with the flags that perform with the band at halftime?) except it's in the winter and we don't have a band. Here's a video of my kids from last season:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/12k8eH7ZkXg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This isn't the best video of them, but you get the idea. (All my other video's sound got deleted. Stupid youtube.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So anyway, Lisbeth came over last night and was talking about how much she looks up to me. Do you know what it's like to have someone look up to you? It feels really, really awesome. She told me how I'm always happy and perky even when I only have 2 hours of sleep. She said something like "You came to practice and were like: I just worked eight hours and I only got two hours of sleep. Let's practice! Woo!" Haha, yeah. I guess that's me. I put a lot into these kids because I love them and they mean the world to me. I love coaching.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, after my high of being told how great I am (tooting my own horn, I know) I had a really awesome day today. In case you didn't read about it <i>all</i> over Twitter, I'm going to recap it for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First, I found out that I won a book! It's Dead Rules by Randy Russell. You can read the post I entered on <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/How+The+Rule+Of+Three+Can+Help+You+Pitch.aspx">here</a>. That, of course, made me really excited. When I get my book and read it, I'll let you all know how it is! I'm looking forward to it because it sounds like it's exactly the kind of book I love reading. (And like a month ago I won a Barnes and Noble gift card off a blog. This is why blogging rocks my friends!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Second, my crazy Memebow Bright meme made <a href="http://paper.li/MiniScreenWeb/1311211227">The Daily Meme.</a> Not such a huge deal, I don't think, but it's cool! (And this morning you all were trying to put some blame on me for playing the meme game. Booyah, I say, booyah.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Third, my amazing best friend Mary Joe sent me a text regarding the latest chapter I sent her for my WIP. MJ reads all of my stuff and actually talks to me about it, even when I'm crazy and my characters come to life. She's a serious asset. Anyways, back to the text. She said (And I quote!) "You really can take an awesome character and slowly make her have a mental breakdown. (That's a compliment.)" Um hello. Yes it is! Especially when that's <i>exactly</i> what you're trying to do!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thus ends my fantastic day. Let's hope tomorrow is just as bright. Maybe I'll play the lottery.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the best,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kacey</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-517827267532522812.post-44238793288426461472011-07-25T23:16:00.000-07:002011-07-25T23:16:07.152-07:00Memebow Bright<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lately I've been getting tagged in a lot of memes. They're seriously fun and ridiculous, and a good excuse to write, even if it's about something completely silly. That being said, I've run into a huge MEME issue. It usually takes me about a week to respond to these meme things, and by that time all of my writerly friends have been tagged by other people. Either A: I need to make some more friends or B: I need to start my own meme. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course, I chose the second option because I'm funny looking and that makes it hard for me to make friends. But, on to the meme-ing! (Haha, did you notice that play on words? You did? ...Oh. Well...pickle you kumquat!)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Show us the cutest, most adorable picture of your favorite animal:</i></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://files.sharenator.com/eated_cookie_lolcat_Funneh_cat_pics-s500x375-60560-580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://files.sharenator.com/eated_cookie_lolcat_Funneh_cat_pics-s500x375-60560-580.jpg" width="320" /><i>Y</i></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>You have five seconds to survive the zombie apocalypse. Choose one friend who would save your butt and then tell us why you chose them.</i></span></span><br />
<a href="http://themightyjungle.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Riley Redgate.</span></span></a> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm choosing Riley because I know she's read more books than I can probably imagine (and that's saying something.) I'm also hoping that she read the Zombie Apocalypse Handbook. If all else fails, I'll just trip her. (Aww, just kidding. You're just a baby, I guess I'd have to sacrifice myself.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Share a quote with us:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"How many stars in your bowl? How many shadows in your soul?" -D.H. Lawrence, The Stars Stand Still</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>I know you had trouble choosing just one quote. Let us have another, please:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Nothing is free. Everything has to be paid for. For every profit in one thing, payment in some other thing. For every life, a death. Even your music, of which we have heard so much, that had to be paid for. Your wife was the payment for your music. Hell is now satisfied." -Ted Hughes, "The Tiger's Bones"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Using exactly twenty seven words, tell your life story:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was born and did a bunch of stuff. I grew up. I got married and had a kid. I really, really, really want to be published.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Please do </i>not<i> throw your hands in the air. This is not a stick up:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gay babies. (This is what one of my guard kids says whenever there is an awkward silence. I find it very appropriate for this situation.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> All dead rock legends live again. You're standing in a fifty mile long line for:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's a toss up between Led Zeppelin and Nirvana. A sweet, sweet toss up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> Describe yourself using six words that start with the third letter of your middle name. Go!:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rad. Ravishing. Rude. Raving (as in raving mad!) Ridiculous. Rowdy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> What is your middle name? (This is for research purposes only. Your response will not affect your chances of employment.):</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>What do you think of when you hear the word wombat?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i>Badgers. What else would you think of?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Tag an undisclosed (Read: 3. Or whatever. Are there any rules to these meme things? I didn't think so.) amount of people and then harass them mercilessly until they give into the insanity.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://themightyjungle.blogspot.com/">Riley Redgate</a><i> </i>(To make up for my zombie comments.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>2. </i><a href="http://readywritego.blogspot.com/">Cherie</a> (Because she's just so nice and always leave me sweet comments.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. <a href="http://greenwoman.wordpress.com/">Michelle Simkins </a>(She's gotten me into a lot of fun stuff. It would be rude not to share the love.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Make up a stripper nickname for number 3: Nixie Green</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Confess your hidden feelings for 1: I totally idolize you and find you amazing and sarcastic and hilarious. I will love you always. Unless you change. In which case I'll still love you because you couldn't be anything other than awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is 2 doing right now?: Reading my blog and dreaming of sugar plums.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now faithful followers, GO! Share the love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All the best,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kacey</span>kacimarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13860088144570857100noreply@blogger.com2