Heather Mihok: Ink in my Tea

Tea Time Tuesday - Rooibos and Moroccan Lemon Cake

2012-01-31T06:37:00.000-08:00

It's the last day of January and I've got vay-cay on my mind.

Someplace warm, someplace sunny.

What's a girl to do when she's got no money?

Destination Breakfast!

Numi South African Rooibos (sometimes called "red tea") and homemade Moroccan Lemon Cake. (Yes, I baked.)

I may even do a Brazilian dance workout and free Greek language lesson just to round out today's hot-and-sunny-destinations theme. ;-)

Seeking Donor 1365 - Research Request!

2012-01-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Drinking: Twinings English Breakfast with a sprinkle of stevia and a splash of soy cream

Reading: A Thirty-Something Girl by L.M. Stull

So let me tell you about my newest novel. Most say the subject matter is interesting (if not a little controversial) and I'd love to hear your opinions about it.

The working title is SEEKING DONOR 1365 and was inspired by the news story about a sperm donor with 150 offspring. That mental image alone is mind-boggling. Add the question of ethics and the lack of regulations in the US about how many kids one donor can produce it gets downright fascinating.

What would it be like, as a teenager, to learn you have, oh, 149 or so half siblings walking around?

Bet it'd be freaky.

I'm exploring the topic from the perspectives of 5 fictional youth who lead drastically different lives but have one thing in common:

Donor #1365.

If anyone has any thoughts on this or any resources I could check out for research, please let me know. I'd especially love hearing from anyone with personal experience regarding the subject. Please leave a comment or send me an email at heathermihok@gmail.com. Thanks!

Tea Time Tuesday - Republic of Tea's Chocolate Collection

2012-01-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

One word: YUM.

Seriously. Yum Yummity Yummers Yum-yum. It's so hard finding a decent "chocolate" flavored tea. Usually they're really heavy on the rooibos, or the chicory or whatever kind of fake "chocolate-ness" they claim it to be.

But somehow, magically... Republic of Tea did it. I saw these last year and passed them over as prettily-packaged disappointment. Just goes to show what happens when you assume.

I'm completely won over.

(The packaging is still gorgeous and would probably make a nice Valentine's Day gift for someone special in your life. Just a thought. ;-)

As you can see I got a sampler pack with all four caffeine-free flavors: Chocolate Strawberry, Chocolate Peppermint, Red Velvet and Coconut Cocoa.

Out of all of them I'd have to say the Chocolate Peppermint is my favorite. It has just a hint of mint, so the cocoa flavor really came through. With a sprinkling of sugar and a splash of cream, it was the perfect tea for a cold, wintry afternoon.

My least favorite is the Coconut Cocoa, but that's only because I'm not a huge fan of coconuts. If you like Mounds or Almond Joy or any of those chocolate-coconut combo candies then you'll probably enjoy a cup of this.

In fact, if you like tea and chocolate in general, give this collection a try! Your taste buds just might thank you. :-)

Friday Follow-up

2012-01-06T04:10:00.000-08:00

Drinking: Nothing. Waiting for kettle.

Reading: Dragon Tattoo. Still. (Been a bit busy...I'm so embarrassed.)

Well, It's been nearly a week since the new year began. It seems to be going really well and I hope you're experiencing the same! Here's a quick rehash of my resolutions and how they're going:

Spend less, save more. I'm kicking it off with a personal, month-long spending freeze. I was inspired by this post over on Smart and Sassy with Sprinkles back in September. The purpose of the freeze is to retrain your thoughts about money and spending habits while saving the money you would have spent. So far it's been easier than expected. (Let's just hope I didn't jinx it by saying that!) If I don't want to spend anything - I just don't go anywhere. (Or visit my favorite online retailers...oh shoot, now I'm thinking about them... amazon kindle storefront...katespade.com oh how I've missed you...)
Anyway, the whole going nowhere thing is probably why my writing/revising goals are coming along nicely too. Butt-in-chair-hands-on-keyboard. I've been editing at least one chapter a day of last year's NaNoWriMo novel. The plan is to completely edit this one and maybe half of my polyandry story before Camp NaNo starts. (When I'll write the two novels in my resolution.) We'll see how it goes next week. Hoping no Crappy Excuse Trolls rear their ugly heads. Must load up on water guns. Trolls hate water, right???
What was my other goal? Oh right. Find a boyfriend. Well it's only been 6 days. I'm not that desperate. (Yet.) (Kidding!) (Okay, will stop typing now because this is supremely embarrassing.) ;-)

So that's that. Did you make any resolutions or goals for 2012? How are you faring? I'd love to hear about it! :-)

2012 - New Year, New Goals, Bring It On!

2011-12-31T09:17:00.000-08:00

Drinking: Silk Pumpkin Spice soy milk, warmed up in my favorite mug

Reading: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson (I'm a little late to the game, haha)

Wow. Apparently I still suck at blogging. Didn't I make a resolution on this day last year? Something about . . . posting regularly? It started off so well. Blame it on the earthquake or hurricane Irene or my furious catch-up-on-Camp-NaNo plan. I got distracted and then, well, I got down to business.

I wrote. A lot. Here's the proof:

Hard at work or hardly working?

Huh. Actually, you can't really see the laptop I'm typing furiously upon. In fact, it kind of looks like I'm napping in a public place. BUT I wasn't. I was working on a brand new story after setting my polyandry one aside to breathe. And I got so consumed by it I left this blog aside to breathe as well.

But I'm baaa-aaack! :-) My resolutions for 2012 look something like this:

Spend less, save more - so I can travel abroad. Yay!
Edit 2 manuscripts, write 2 more. Ambition!
Umm... get a boyfriend? We'll leave that up to fate. ;-)
Oh yeah. BLOG MORE!

So no matter what the new year brings (apocalypse, anyone?) I'm bound and determined to follow through. Feel free to bug me if I start slipping. Happy New Year!

Camp NaNo Round 2 - Week 4

2011-08-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Drinking: An ice-cold Honest Tea Pearfect White tea

Reading: About to start Sophie Kinsella's Twenties Girl

So remember that last post about doing really well? I jinxed it. Should never have said a word. Because mere hours after posting we had a 5.8/5.9 magnitude earthquake. Completely unheard of in Virginia, may I just say! The next day was full of weird, freaky aftershocks that distracted me from any writing. Then a freak storm on Thursday burst over my neighborhood which knocked out power, and the outskirts of hurricane Irene barreled through my town that same weekend.

Needless to say, I fell way behind in my word count, even if nature decided to give me plot bunnies in the form of natural disasters. 2 days to go. Over 7,000 words to write each day to make the goal.

I probably won't make it.

Hey, I know! I'll just give myself 'til the end of the week! Sure, it won't be "official", but who cares? As long as it's done. ;-)

Camp NaNo Round 2 - Weeks 2 & 3

2011-08-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

Drinking: A chocolate shake. Yep.

Reading: The Carrie Diaries - Candace Bushnell

Just a quick check-in to let you all know how it's going. It's going well. Really, really well. So well, in fact, that I've been so focused on writing that I completely forgot to post about Week 2 and Week 3 individually. So here they are combined: :-)

It's now Week 4 and I'm holding off on telling you my word count because I don't want to jinx it.

Here's to the end in sight!

Camp NaNo Round 2 - Week 1

2011-08-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Choice Organic Oolong

Reading: Mini-Shopaholic, Sophie Kinsella

August is already faring much better than July when it comes to novel writing. I'm on track with my word count and my plot is moving along nicely. I'm making new discoveries about my characters and the direction they need to go every day!

The weather's behaving and, believe it or not, dropping in temperature. Which makes writing outside in the backyard or on the porch an absolute dream. (As long as there aren't any wasps around... *shudder*)

However, my wrists are showing the slightest hint of protest in the form of an ache. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a word that starts with "B" and ends with "itch." I should take more breaks but it's hard when I'm on such a roll!

Here's hoping to a fabulous second week!

Camp NaNo Round 1 = EPIC FAIL

2011-07-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Blk water

Reading: Stephen King's The Shining

Sooo... it's July 31st.

Regarding Camp NaNoWriMo... my wordcount = just shy of 4K.

-_-

BUT! On the upside! Camp NaNo starts all over again August 1st. Consider this Round 2...

Camp NaNoWriMo

2011-06-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Wegman's Sour Cherry Lemon Frizzante. What? It's Summer! :-D

Reading: Recommendations?

In case you haven't noticed, I am a NaNoWriMo nut.

Just in case you've forgotten, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month - the coolest thing to ever come into my life. It's pretty much a self-imposed deadline to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. Traditionally, it takes place in November but fans of the lunacy have discussed doing it year round. And some actually do.

Now, though, there's talk from the Big Guys in the Office of Letters and Light (they run the show... or at least the website!) of adding a second NaNo to the year. In the summer. And calling it Camp NaNoWriMo.

There's not a whole lot of information about it yet, as everything seems to be hush-hush at the moment, but we're told this is supposed to kick off next month.

Less than two weeks away!

I'm thrilled about it. I love the idea of pitching a tent in my backyard, making s'mores and typing away to the sound of crickets chirping nearby. It'll be such a change from the usual bunker-down-by-the-fireplace-with-a-blanket-cup-of-hot-drink-and-plate-of-Thanksgiving-leftovers-for-a-snack I usually do in the cold month. Don't get me wrong, I love that, in fact I've been loving it since November 2003 and will continue to do it...well, forever. But a change of temp and scenery can do wonders for the imagination. :-)

Tea Time Tuesday Tip!

2011-06-21T04:34:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Numi Magnolia Puerh

Reading: Sarah Dessen's Just Listen

Tea's all gone but the tin's too pretty to toss?

Use them as vases!

They're gorgeous and reusing them is great for the environment.

In my bedroom! *wink wink*

Living Room! Pretty, right?

:-D

How Heather Got Her Steam Back - UPDATE

2011-05-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Starbucks VIA. Oh yes I did.

Reading: The Scarlet Letter. Still.

The plotting session went really well yesterday. I am so grateful my friend took the time to share with me her secrets regarding craft. She really knows her stuff and I learned a lot!

I also learned Three's Company needs to be rewritten. From scratch. Which is fine, really it is! I will do whatever it takes to make it better. It's just . . .

5 months of work for nothing. This is the side of writing the readers never get to see.

*headdesk*

How Heather Got Her Steam Back (We Hope)

2011-05-18T03:33:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Republic of Tea's Blackberry Sage

Reading: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

I admit, I seriously thought the first draft of Three's Company would be finished by now. It's only at the halfway point and I officially lost steam one month ago. That's right - one whole month without any real progress. I'm so ashamed! But in my defense, do you realize how difficult it is to write believable poly? I mean, what sixteen year old boy, in his right mind, is willing to share his girlfriend with another boy? Especially if he's not getting threesomes out of it?

And that's something else people don't understand. So far the only advice I've received is "Make him gay!"

-_-

That's not what polygamy is about, people. You're thinking polyamory, where love is shared all around like a circle. This is polygamy - where it is an actual triangle. Or diamond. Or hexagon. Or... you get the picture.

Anyway. This is the week I do my damnedest to get the plot moving again. I've a special tea just for this. Blackberry Sage with just a pinch of sugar swirled in. It's the heavy artillery of liquid muses and has never failed me.

In addition to the tea I'm looking forward to a plotting session with a Romance writer friend tomorrow. She's so good at what she does, I hope to absorb some of her talent by osmosis or something. Fingers crossed!

Writing, Wresearch, Wrewards

2011-03-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Numi Magnolia Puerh

Reading: Sara Gruen - Water For Elephants. Because books come before movies!

I'm working, I swear. Three's Company is about halfway complete! There's not a whole lotta information out there about modern American polyandry, so I take what I can in the form of research. The fun part is getting into the psychology of the characters, and I'm finding men really aren't that different from women when it comes to jealousy in relationships. (But we knew that, right?)

Anyway, a person can get lost in the details, so it helps to create a pattern of rewards. And here's mine:

Write/Revise for 30 minutes = One episode of Sister Wives (aka "research")

Write/Revise for 60 minutes = One episode of Big Love (aka "research")

I've written for 30 minutes this morning, so I'm off to claim my reward! Ahem, I mean, research!

Weirdly fascinated.

Wish List Wednesday on a Friday . . .

2011-03-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

. . . because it just can't wait five days.

I wish everyone would pray for the friends and families of those caught up in the devastation of both the earthquakes and tsunamis, not only in Japan but every location affected. And if you're not religious, then please send positive thoughts and energy their way. And if you can, donate to the appropriate organizations rallying for help.

Tea Time Tuesday - Unconventional Earl Greys

2011-03-08T05:29:00.000-08:00

I'm going to get a lot of crap for saying this, but I have to be honest. I'm not into Earl Grey. It is the one tea I cannot drink - consider it my Kryptonite. I know, I know! How can I be the Tea Queen if I don't like one of the most common forms of tea? I don't understand why but it makes me gag every time I try to sip it.

So I just don't. Until...

I was introduced to an Earl Grey made with green tea . . . oohhhh yeaahhh! It was crisp, refreshing, and reminded me of springtime as a kid, when Dad just mowed the lawn and the air was pungent with the aroma of freshly cut grass. Two words: positively delightful! So I now make green Earl Grey my springtime tea of choice.

Now, I don't know where you are, but here on the East Coast we've been slammed with a lot of cold, yucky winter weather. Normally I consider myself a Winter Woman but lately I've been jonesing for spring! Old habits die hard, as they say, and I just can't bring myself to open up a tin of green Earl Grey until the temperature rises above, say, 60 degrees F. So what am I to do? Continue with the torture as I stare at the calendar, willing it to be May?

No, I try a different tea. Duh.

Enter Zhena's Gypsy Tea. (Yes, again. It's good. Plus, all of their teas are Fair-Trade and certified organic. So very, very good.) Their Raspberry Earl is traditional black tea with Italian bergamot, but it's accented with - you guessed it! - freeze-dried raspberries and raspberry flavor.

One sip, and I'm reminded that while spring is not quite here, it's just around the corner. The sweetness from the raspberries reminds me that February is past and winter is drawing to a close. :-)

Projects - 2011!

2011-01-31T04:14:00.000-08:00

Drinking: Numi Rooibos

Reading: Jane Austen's Emma

How's 2011 treating you so far? Four weeks in, and my guess is it's going to be a productive year.

Here's a list of my current projects and their statuses:

Three's Company (working title) - A YA about a teenager navigating life and love while being raised in a polyandrous family. Started writing the first draft at the beginning of this year, and at this point I'm halfway through with 32,000 words. This draft will be finished and ready for revisions by the end of February, if I keep going at this pace!
Butterfly Angel - YA about a girl named Mia with many addictions including drugs, eating disorders, and fame. Status: Complete and querying!
The Girl from Castlebridge (working title) - A novella set in 1940 about two brothers who take in a runaway accused of murdering her father. It's gone through sooo many phases. It started off as fantasy, then whittled itself into literary fiction, and now it's going through rewrite number 364. Yes, I'm exaggerating, but it feels like 364! It might actually be romance, if I add a couple of steamy scenes. But it could also be YA... anyway. It's in the drawer for now. Writing and querying two other novels is enough for the moment. But this story keeps calling to me...

Oh, and I did take that workshop I mentioned as a resolution! The one about producing multiple novels each year. Score one for me! :-D

Anyway, that's about it. Just wanted to update you all. I'm going back to my writing now.

Resolutions for the New Year

2010-12-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

Drinking: Non-alcoholic Glögg... hey, it's still December and there's a whole bottle to finish!

Reading: Suzanne Collins - Catching Fire

Thank goodness January is almost here. Seriously. What with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all in a row I am all holiday-ed out. Good thing I'm single or else I'd have Valentine's Day to worry about next. (Talk about silver linings!)

Ahem. Moving on...

I'm pleased to say that I did accomplish my goals for 2010. There weren't that many, though, so it was kind of easy. Especially since the balls were already in motion for a couple of them in 2009. Okay, I'm blathering. Let's forget the past and move on to the future!

I'm keeping the list small again this year:

Work hard enough to garner the interest of an agent. Sign with said agent. (Boo-yah!) This may be wishful thinking, but we all know with enough hard work anything is possible!
Take a class about writing multiple novels a year. The most I've completed are two... with half of them edited. I know I can do more, do better. I just need a little push.
Write more than two novels this year. I'm aiming for at least three. Starting with this fabulous idea I got two months ago... *lost in thought*
Help keep my local writing group going. The support (and critiques - harsh critiques!) of other writers is priceless. But without aggressive pushing, the group will fall apart. It does every year. NOT THIS TIME!

And there are a few for this blog as well:

Don't forget to post
Tea Time Tuesday and Wishlist Wednesday need to be posted at least once a month
Don't forget to post!

As far as personal resolutions, I'm not sure I have any. Other than, maybe, cut out dairy for good. But have you ever tried vegan cheese? Blegh.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Wishlist Wednesday #5

2010-12-22T03:23:00.000-08:00

Drinking: Zhena's Gypsy Biodynamic Caramelized Pear green tea

Reading: Meg Cabot - Queen of Babble

This might be a little cheesy and predictable, but I want to wish you all a merry Christmas, a happy Yule, a fantastic Kwanzaa and a marvelous Hanukkah! Or whatever you celebrate this time of year! :-D

xoxo

Tea Time Tuesday - Zhena's Gypsy Tea Biodynamic Green in Caramelized Pear

2010-12-21T09:35:00.000-08:00

It's not a holiday tea, but it should be. Pears are in season this time of year and the hint of caramel adds a depth that's true perfection after a heavy feast or on a snowy morning.I am definitely a seasonal sipper, and I love the Zhena's Gypsy brand of tea. It's one of my favorites. Not only are their ingredients organic (grown without the use of chemicals) but they are Fair Trade too, which means farmers and farm workers get fair pay for their labor. On top of that . . . the teas are freakin' delicious.

There are a ton to choose from. I've been a fan since there were only a handful of options, and oh, how they've grown.

They now have a line of biodynamic teas. According to their website, biodynamic means:

Highest paradigm of sustainable farming.
Self- sustaining ecosystem free from any external and unnatural additions.
Heals the environment for future generations.
One of the smallest carbon footprints of any agricultural method.
Oldest non-chemical agricultural movement in the West, predating the organic farming movement by 20 year

I'm on board with that!

So, on to the Caramelized Pear green tea. It's smooth, nutty, and slightly sweet, with the depth from caramel like I mentioned earlier. The bag is an adorable sachet that allows expansion of the leaves. The only downside is the super-short string attached to it. When steeping, the string draws the liquid up and out of the cup, making a drippy mess. If you snip the string and steep in a pot, it's no problem! But for the average sized mug-steeper (let alone those using monster sized mugs like I do) it can be a slight annoyance. Keep a napkin handy.
Other than that, this tea is sophisticated, delicate, and a true winner in my book. It's the ultimate winter tea.

Check out their website at http://www.gypsytea.com/

My Life is Nothing but a Schedule and Routine

2010-12-11T04:18:00.000-08:00

Drinking: Republic of Tea Double Red Rooibos

Reading: Richelle Mead - Spirit Bound

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love writing in the morning. Getting up before dawn, putting the kettle on, cracking my knuckles and sitting down to write have been my routine (even on weekends! and holidays!) for years. It's my own, personal, creative time of day. Having a self-imposed schedule frees up my mind so I can think about other things.

Like my next plot point, for example.
With November and NaNoWriMo came chaos, and writing at all hours, and *gasp* coffee drinking. It was absolute insanity, albeit insanity that affected only me. (Though my daughter was getting sick of frozen pizza for dinner night after night.) Once NaNo ended, I spent the first week of December decompressing and reorganizing.

And now I'm back.

Ahhh, normalcy. How I've missed you. I've missed my sleep at night, the peace of waking early, the delicate flavor of tea. Not to mention the creative rush that comes at this time.

I'm off to write.

Wishlist Wednesday #4!

2010-12-08T05:21:00.000-08:00

Drinking: Choice Organic Oolong Tea

Reading: Finally finishing up Sounds Like Crazy. I can't stand leaving a book unread. It's actually getting more interesting now that it's nearly finished, which is sad. Books should be interesting from the start.

So I've been shown a few different E-readers, from Kindle to Sony to Nook, and after violently rejecting the digital age of books for years and years, I'm finally coming around to the idea. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em and seriously, it would be a LOT easier to carry around one of these little screens than the multiple paperbacks I'm always cramming in my bag. I am now seriously considering getting one, if Santa bails on the idea, that is. Ho, ho, ho. But which? Any suggestions?

Tea Time Tuesday - Stash vs. Celestial Seasonings Holiday Teas

2010-12-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

Good morning!

I'm implementing a new topic for my blog, and it should be pretty obvious: tea! I talk about writing, my number one passion, and now I want to talk about tea, my other favorite thing in the world.

And since it's December we'll start off with a comparison of two holiday lines of teas that come out this time of year.

I really want to like Celestial Seasonings. They've been around forever, I drank their Mint Magic, Bengal Spice and Sleepytime teas as a kid, and they have a variety of flavors at inexpensive prices. I took a hiatus from them in the last decade when I discovered higher-end and loose-leaf lines of tea. But. Every holiday season they bring out their limited edition flavors, such as gingerbread, candy cane, and sugar plum spice. I have tried them all. The only one I really enjoyed was Nutcracker Sweet, a black tea with flavors of vanilla and cinnamon. But I drank it so much in 2007 I made myself sick. So now, one whiff, and I'm gagging. Unfortunately. Because it comes in a really cute box with gorgeous imagery. The year after that I tried the Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride, but it was a bust. And the year after that was Gingerbread Spice. Yuck! And this year, after much hesitation, I purchased Sugar Plum Spice, hoping and wishing for the same magical tea experience as Nutcracker Sweet. But I have come to a conclusion: I don't like Celestial Seasonings. It's not for lack of trying, I really wanted to like it. But after much tasting and label perusal, it boils down to two things. And keep in mind, these are flavor preferences - just because I don't like them doesn't mean you won't. Try them for yourself!

In my opinion, Celestial Seasonings teas all taste the same. It's because they are heavily flavored with massive amounts of hibiscus, chicory, and Vietnamese cinnamon. All three of these ingredients are very strong, and overpower the subtle, delicate tastes they wanted to evoke. Don't get me wrong, I love these flavors on their own, or when they're intended for a punch to the tongue. Hibiscus has a very tart, raspberry flavor, chicory tastes like burned roots (it's often used as a coffee substitute), and Vietnamese cinnamon is the kind used in Red Hots candy. So just imagine how these three scents and tastes can overwhelm the palate.

But never fear. If you are looking for an inexpensive grocery store brand with awesome holiday teas, check out Stash. For a few pennies more you get teas with simple names, like White Christmas, Christmas Morning, and Holiday Chai. They don't touch those horrid three ingredients unless it absolutely lends to the flavor. Like in their Cranberry Pomegranate tea. It. Is. Lush. I love it so much, I'm thinking of stocking up for the year. It steeps to a deep burgandy color and actually tastes like cranberries and pomegranate seeds, tangy and naturally sweet. Perfect for the season!

But don't take my word for it. Challenge yourself to find your own favorite holiday tea and share it with me!

Ta for now. :-)

The End of NaNoWriMo

2010-11-29T08:55:00.000-08:00

Drinking: Starbucks Via Italian Roast (What? It's NaNoWriMo season! Tea doesn't cut it.)

Reading: Sarah Dessen's Just Listen

Well, I failed. I failed in the sense that I was going to blog about my experience participating in NaNoWriMo this month. Once the calender flipped to November 1, I went into hiding and neglected... pretty much everything. I'm sorry.

But on the upside... I won! 50,010 words on the 29th. Eight years, and this is my fifth "win." Hooray for me! *pats self on the back* Arrogant moment aside, it's not like I actually win anything except a personal sense of accomplishment and a rough draft to hone into a future novel. So the real work begins on January 1st, when I've taken a slight breather from it and return with a pick-ax and a spoon to cut away the useless adjectives, adverbs, and passive tense, and fill in the gaping plot holes. This is actually my favorite part. It's satisfying watching it come together to form a real novel. I'm giddy just thinking about it.

But first, the holiday season is upon us, and I will be taking some time to revel in the wintry joy. Decorations are going up, cookies will be baked, and gifts will be wrapped like something out of Martha Stewart Living!

I leave you with photos, proof that I was actually hard at work on a novel and not just skivving off my blog.

Wishlist Wednesday #3!

2010-10-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Water. Boring, I know, but a girl needs to hydrate!

Reading: Still Sounds Like Crazy. I'm not really motivated to finish it, but I'm trucking along like a driver in traffic.

Is it November yet? I wish, I wish... I am so ready to start my NaNovel. My fingers are itching to type. I have a character, a setting, and a tentative opening scene. On your mark, get set... wait for it... almost there...

Bring on NOVEMBER!

Spam Happens

2010-10-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Republic of Tea Organic Ceylon

Reading: Sounds Like Crazy by Shana Mahaffey

I grew up eating Spam. When I was younger I had no idea what canned meat was. I just knew Spam tasted good fried up in the skillet in little cubes. I'd stab a cube onto each tine of the fork, feeling immense satisfaction that cannot be explained. My family liked it smothered in gravy and mixed with peas, but I preferred mine plain so as to better experience the flavor that is "pink meat."

I was thirteen years old when we got the Internet. I was blissfully unaware for awhile about hackers and things like that. Sure, I'd seen The 'Net with Sandra Bullock. But that was just a movie - overly dramatized for entertainment purposes only. Right? When the term "spam" started going around, I giggled uncontrollably, thinking "What a dumb term! Spam is awesome!" (I might be embarrassing myself here, considering I haven't eaten that crap in years.)

Anyway, there's not much point to this post except to say that my email account was hacked for the first time EVER and a bunch of people (including those in the publishing biz - it really wasn't me!) got spammed. If you are one of those people, I apologize! I have taken steps to fix it and hope it won't happen again.

Any time soon, anyway. I know better by now.

The Obligatory Post About NaNoWriMo

2010-10-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

Drinking: A strange combination of Republic of Tea's Blackberry Sage Decaf and their Little Citizen's Strawberry Vanilla tea (yes, it's my daughter's)... and you know what? It's freakin' delicious!

Reading: Currently nothing. Any suggestions?

It's NaNo season! My favorite time of year.

What the heck is NaNoWriMo, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. It stands for National Novel Writing Month, and the goal is to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. It takes place every November and this will be my eighth year participating! It's great fun and wonderful for getting those creative juices flowing. While your manuscript at the end is far from publishable (with all those word padding techniques and random ninja attacks and run-on sentences and typos galore) it's a great rough draft to start with. And you got it in a month. How cool is that?

Wishlist Wednesday #2!

2010-10-13T03:15:00.000-07:00

Drinking: White tea. Again.
Reading: Fairest of Them All, Josette Browning. Yes, it's a romance!

A long vacation.

Enough said.

The Handwritten Word

2010-10-07T04:26:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Republic of Tea Emperor's White Tea
Reading: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (for the third time, in preparation for the movie next month!)

I received a letter this week from a very good friend of mine -you read that correctly, an actual letter. Not an e-mail, not a text, nor a Facebook message, it was a beautiful card with something even more beautiful inside: handwritten words, saying hello, in actual ink. It was such a thoughtful gesture, I smiled. And you know what's even better? Writing a response. Yes, sometimes I think we rely too much on electronic communication. Call me old fashioned, but I much prefer the feel of a pen in my hand and the smell of paper absorbing the colors to monotonous typingtypingtyping. While I admit that furious typing can be fun from time to time (it's the clicking sound, I tell you), and technology has made our lives faster and easier, there is nothing like slowing down and taking the time to savor the world outside of little screens. It's amazing the images your eyes can take in, you know.

And handwriting, without a backspace or spellcheck, forces you to actually stop and think about what you're writing before committing it to paper. Which, in some ways, makes what you're writing that much more meaningful. Seriously. I have also found that when I'm in the midst of writing a manuscript, occasionally taking a notebook outside and scribbling random scenes opens up some new creative pathway in my brain, allowing me to see things in the story differently, sometimes helping to make it better.

I encourage you to give it a try. Before sending that text or e-mail try writing out an actual hello. Put a stamp on it. That's what the Post Office is for, anyway!

All Writers have Wishes...

2010-10-06T03:18:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Republic of Tea Emperor's White Tea
Reading: Finishing up Little Bee... on the last chapter and I don't want it to end, it's sooo good.

... and they don't all have to do with writing! So let's start something new, shall we? We'll call it... Wishlist Wednesday. I had a dream last night that I created Dora the Explorer and was raking in the big bucks. And with that money I bought every Louboutin Christian ever made. If I could really own one, it would be the lovely, lovely suede Decocolico in burgundy:

Gorgeous, isn't it? *swoon*

One of my Favorite Things

2010-10-01T03:22:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Herbal Pumpkin Spice Tea
Reading: Little Bee by Chis Cleave

Have you ever had a moment, whatever your craft (be it writing, art, dancing, music, solving mathematical equations, etc) where inspiration stuck and it was almost like something else was in contol entirely? Where you look back afterwards in daze, wondering, "Wow, did I just do that? Is it even possible for me to do that?" I loooooove when this happens. It's not often, but when it does I'm reminded why I write. That groove, that moment when near perfection flows from my pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!) and I think, Dang. Sometimes I can write. Haha. It's best when it strikes in the middle of the night and I just KNOW I have to get up and write, no matter how tired I am. Then in the morning when I wake up again, I read what I wrote... and it's almost like someone else wrote it. Because I don't remember it. And it's good, keeps me hooked, has actual promise.

Well, this was definitely an early morning ramble. Shall go back later and try to edit this post? Make it sound like "near perfection?" Nah. Let's keep it gritty. ;-)

Hello! An Introduction and the 411

2010-09-28T04:32:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Eden Organic Kukicha Twig Tea
Reading: Philippa Gregory's The Queen's Fool (and loving it, despite all the repetition!)

Introducing oneself is the hardest part, isn't it? Well, here goes. *takes one long sip of tea*

Hiya! My name is Heather. Let me tell you a little bit about myself.

I live in lush Virginia with my beautiful daughter, K.
No, I do not have a Southern accent.
I'm the biggest tea fan you'll ever meet.
I write novels, mostly YA in various sub-genres.
I'm currently seeking representation by an agent
I used to be a poet. Wrote two chapbooks then realized every last stanza had been squeezed out of me. I don't mind. Change is good!
I prefer dancing in the rain to soaking up sun.
My favorite TV shows are "EastEnders" and "Degrassi." Okay, let's put "Make it or Break it", "LOST", and "The Next Food Network Star" on the list as well.
I created this blog two years ago and did nothing with it.
I decided yesterday that I should do something about that!

So here we are. I wake up super early (before 6AM) every morning, even on weekends, to write, research for and revise my projects. After an hour or so I stretch, swallow the dregs of my now-cold tea, and wish I could ramble to others about my progress and any thoughts I might've stirred up about books, writing, the publishing industry, or life in general. That's probably the direction this blog will take. If I stray from this plan... well. You could always kick my butt by way of comment. I encourage butt-kicking, by the way. It's a great motivator!

Anyway, that's it for the first post. Happy Tuesday!