Me a Yogi--Bring It

I decided that yoga would be a great form of exercise for me. I've been rather stiff lately and it has made doing cardio not so great. I used to be able to go gung ho for 45 minutes on the stair climber; now, well, I plea the fifth.

 

Let's just say I pretty much suck at yoga right now. My balance is a fiasco of highly hilarious proportions. And my legs shake more than leaves on a tree during a serious wind storm. It reminds me of the first time I ever went rock climbing. Yet, I kept on gripping and stepping my way up the fabricated wall of death. If it weren't for me trying to impress my boyfriend at the time, I probably would have given up. Nah, I would have finished just not as speedy.

 

I have found a great website to teach me the strings. It is DoYogaWithMe.com. I hope to find my balance while doing the moves to the point where I can hang out there on one of my legs like a flamingo. Right now I don't stand as gracefully.

 

This makes me think of writing. When I began writing my first book, I had no idea what I was doing, but I kept on writing. Little by little, I learned how to write. I ended up reading some books about writing fiction novels, and that helped immensely. The books are: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself into Print by Renni Browne and Dave King & 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes: (And How to Avoid Them) by Jack M. Brickham. Also, betas and critique partners steered me in the right direction.

 

Anyway, my writing has excelled a great deal; however, my yoga expertise is in the novice stage, but it will only get better with time as my writing. Just keep writing, that's all you can do.

 

Have you done yoga? If so, how long did it take you to get a handle on it? Do you know of any great yoga websites? What have you done to learn how to write better?

 

Writing Jewels 

Review Time: "Until I Die: The Revenants" by Amy Plum

I've got a book review for you today! Enjoy... But first, the Goodreads blurb for the second book in Amy Plum's Revenants Series:

 

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

 

Now on to the review:

 

This is a fine second book in a trilogy. I have to say the first book was the best, but what introduction book to a series isn't the best? I found the plot to be satisfactory and was well paced, giving away a little bit of information here and a little bit more there. I was well pleased with the climax of the story and definitely wasn't expecting the turn of events.

Amy Plum truly knows the city of Paris. Even though I have been to the beautiful city of love, I felt as though I truly was there, taking in the aroma and the atmosphere. She did a fantastic job setting up the scene in such an epic city. I'm biased with my love affair with Paris, though. Sigh.

I still loved the characters and felt as though they all were given ample differences to set them apart from the rest. And of course, I can't help but fall in love with the, well, love story between Kate and Vincent. They twirl me in circles and place a happy smile upon my lips. I felt trueness to their relationship that I really haven't felt in a book before. Truly remarkable writing, in my opinion.

The end of the book sets up the third book nicely. I can't wait until I can delve into its pages, or rather audio book narrative.

I'd highly recommend this book and the Revanants first book in the series. Enjoy!

 

Have you read this series? What books are you reading these days?  

 

Writing Jewels

Sherlock and the Funny Text

I had a little get together with some friends to watch the pilot episode of BBC's Sherlock last week. Two words: Benedict Cumberbatch.

¬ Swoon

He pretty much stole the show (Star Trek, I mean).

¬ Did I swoon already? Well, I swoon again. :)

I invited a friend of mine to attend the gush all over Benedict party via a text message. Sadly, she already had plans. She asked me to say hello to Mr. Sherlock, though. I abliged but said I had dibs on him. Her witty response was:

"Darn it on Sherlock! I am always a touch to slow."

I which I responded, while giggling up a storm at work:

"He'll probably dump me before the night is over. He's just to focused on other things. It gets annoying that I never have his full attention. And I often feel as though he is scrutinizing my every move and can see each and every whitehead on my face. Plus, he is always comparing me to some chick named Irene. And that Watson guy is always hanging about, so Sherlock and I never have a chance to get in a good makeout session. Let's not even talk about Mrs. Hudson always bringing him tea. She's totally enabling him. It was a hopeless relationship from the beginning, I suppose."

Her fast response was: "Men!"

Well, I hope you enjoyed my silliness on this wonderful Wednesday!

Have you watched Sherlock? Do you like it? What do you think of Benedict Cumberbatch (what a name, huh)? He is handsome in a quirky way, I think. What is your opinion of his performance in Star Trek? Do you think he stole the show?

Writing Jewels

Insecure Writers Support Group: Defining

Hello there, fellow IWSG'ers and followers alike. For this edition of the Insecure Writers Support Group brought to you by Alex J. Cavanaugh, I'd like to discuss "defining."

Some back story about where this post's idea came from...

I'm listening to Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale. The main character's ex-husband left her for another woman (the cheating jerk). Now she doesn't think of herself as a successful internet business owner or the mother of two great kids; no, she thinks of herself as one thing: a divorcee. She has defined herself as something she considers negative.

This got me thinking about what I define myself as... And do you know what? I tend to define myself with all things negative instead of flowering myself with positive adjectives.

For instance: I'm single--in the bad sense that I have failed the dating scene miserably. There must be something wrong with me if I can't capture a guys attention... haha However, I should be defining myself as single in the sense that I can do anything, go anywhere, and not have to worry about a husband or children at this time of my life. I'm free as a bird!

Often times I feel that since I'm not published, I must be a terrible writer. All the rejections pile up and make me depressed. Therefore, I define myself as a crappy writer at times. Yet, I am a writer. Just because I'm not published by one of the top 5 traditional publishers (YET) doesn't mean I'm less of a writer than anyone else. I am a writer because I write and that is what should define me--not that New York Times Bestselling Author is printed on my book(s). Although, I would rather fancy that being the case. :)

Anyway, let's take a step back and re-evaluate how we define ourselves and make sure it is positive. We'd all be a measure happier, I think, if we consider ourselves better than we do.

Do you fall into the defining yourself negatively trap? How do you define yourself? Have you read Midnight in Austenland or any other Shannon Hale books for that matter? If not, you're missing out folks!

Writing Jewels