Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

5 of 5 stars

First off, let me tell you what the synopsis of this book says. PS- this is the follow up to Unearthly. You'll want to read it before you read this one.

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

Now, let's move on to Holly's take. Beware...*spoiler alert*

Here were my updates as I read the book.
---"Oh!!!! Christian. You're breaking my heart. I need tucker to do something horrible. I need Clara to choose you!" 
---"This is getting ugly. And by ugly I mean my tear stained face."

And for realz, I totally cried. So here is the review I did on Goodreads. It's totally incoherent and makes no sense if you haven't read the book. So I'm sorry for any rambling, but this is what Hallowed did to me.

Sobs.

Now that the crying has commenced, I think it's time to review this little beauty.

WOW. This series just keeps getting better and better. So,we left off in Unearthly with Clara not fulfilling her purpose and her brother coming out of the woods looking guilty as sin. Oh and then there was the case of the two boys. Tucker and Christian. In Hallowed we pick up right where we left off. Only this time, Clara is having a different vision, one that still involves Christian. So to keep her relationship on the up with Tucker, she tries to pass Christian off. That is until Angela forms "Angel Club" and they are forced together. I'm sure the whole mind reading/in each others heads things doesn't help much. But then, Christian tells her he is seeing the vision too. It's a cemetery, that much we know, oh and Tucker isn't there, but Christian is being Clara's rock. Naturally, we think it's Tucker that's going to do. It's not.

It's her mom. (and cue the crying)

This book gives you a deeper look into the world and the other lives of the angels. There's Clara's mom and her revolving lives she's lead. Teachers at the school who are looking out for Clara and Jeffery, and Angela and Christian. Oh, and then of course the black wing who just won't go away. And did I mention Clara's dad? Oh yeah. He's here and daddy is a full blooded angel. Which makes Clara and Jeffery, more angel than they thought.

This book is heartbreaking and will have you crying in several spots. It explains left open questions from the first book (who did start the fire Billy Joel?- I was so right in that aspect) and you even find out about Jeffery's purpose? What? Totally forgot that kid was going to have one too? Yeah, well he did and it wasn't fulfilled and now he's a man on the run.

And then...oh man. Then you totally switch teams. Where in book one you might have been Team Tucker, book two leaves you screaming in earnest for Christian.

I can't wait to see where book 3 takes us. I'm guessing college with the three amigos? Maybe a little Jeffery searching, that is, if he hasn't joined the black wings by then.

My advice? Pick up both of these books if you haven't already. They are wonderful reads!!!

Emerald City by Alicia K. Leppert

First off, I received this book (my first one at that) from Net Galley. I don't know why, but I felt really important to be given the chance to read a book that's not yet to be released until April 10th. Like I was going to know this all important secret before the rest of the world. So if you will, indulge me for a moment while I live on this high.

To be honest, what first drew me to the book was the cover and the title.

4 of 5 stars

I mean, the cover looked all dark and mysterious and the title instantly made me think of Wizard of Oz. Then I read the blurb that was on Net Galley-

One city of 600,000 people.

One broken girl.

One mysterious boy.

One fateful night,

Two worlds collide.  

I thought, how in the world is this related to the Wizard of Oz. It didn't matter, I wanted to read it. And fast. Quite frankly, it doesn't have anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. That was just my own ignorance shining through. Thank goodness I had a coworker who told me that Seattle, or Washington more like it, is called the Emerald State.

Okay, I get it. That made more sense when I read this blurb on the authors website.

Olivia Tate is a broken shell of a girl haunted by the tragic events that fill her past. She has closed herself off from the world, each day grasping at something—anything—to live for. Convinced there will never be a way out, she seeks solace in the depths of her medicine cabinet. When she wakes up days later in the hospital she is introduced to Jude, the quiet stranger responsible for saving her life. She never could have guessed then that her mysterious rescuer would end up saving her life a second time, while simultaneously turning her world upside down. A modern-day romance with a twist, Emerald City has a little bit of something for everyone!

I went into this book not really knowing what it was about. Obviously (see my Wizard of Oz moment from above) but I came out absolutely LOVING this book. Mrs. Leppert is right when she says that this mysterious rescuer turns Olivia's world upside down. Oh and the twist on the romance? Yeah, wouldn't have expected what it was from the tiny summary above.

Now, on to my take on this book.

Olivia is depressed. There is no way to sugar coat her life. It sucks and it's monotonous. She has the same routine every day. Find the will to get up, shower, eat, go to work, come home, avoid sleep- when that doesn't work, do her damnest to get through her nightmares. Why the nightmares? Why the depression? Sister has had it rough! Her dad was living a double life and choose the "other" family over her and her mom. Her mom struggled to make ends meet and support Olivia as a single mother. When it all became too much, her mom killed herself in the bathroom, for Olivia to find. Six months later, still reeling from the hand that life has dealt her, she decides to take the pain away herself by od'ing on pills. She's unsuccessful. See, there's this mysterious neighbor by the name of Jude who comes to her rescue.

And this is where the fluttery romance begins. Jude, after explaining to the doctors, that is was an accident that Olivia tried to kill herself, makes it his mission to keep his eye on Olivia. Convenient to keep a watch out for her when he lives right across the street. Just so happens, he shows up everywhere. On her doorstep when she can't sleep. At her job when her shift is over. And before you know it, Jude not only has taken up residence in Olivia's life but he's now in her heart. And if his could beat...(dun dun dun) she'd be in his too.

Hey Jude (go ahead and sing it. You know you want to) is "mysterious" and  totally had my cheeks aching. He's sweet and adorable and I won't say swoony because I really don't like that word, but he's just...yeah. He's pretty awesome. Along the way, you pick up clues as to what Jude really is. I won't spoil the secret, but halfway through the book, you have a pretty good idea that he's something else. Something other worldly.

This book was truly wonderful because it shows hope and promise when you've reached your limit that you can go on. You can find happiness if you allow yourself. Yeah, life sucks sometimes, but if you can pick yourself up and do right by yourself, then maybe you can be given a second chance. And love. Oh love. Who wouldn't want a second chance at life when you have someone to love to share it with?

Thank you NetGalley and Cedar Fort Publishers for allowing me to read this gem before it's released. I feel honored and humbled at the opportunity. And if you can get your hands on this April 10th, I suggest you do. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The whole time I read this book, I had this as the soundtrack in my head.

Original I know, but considering the author begins the book with an exerpt from the song, I'm sure you'll have it stuck in your head too.

5 of 5 stars

Across the Universe starts off with Amy and her parents living on Earth as we know it. Her parents have been choosen to participate in a project that will freeze their bodies for 300 years so that they can be one of the firsts to inhabit a new planet. People from all over the world, based on their expertise, are choosen for this mission. Amy is nonessential meaning, she's just kind of along for the ride.

Now, in the first chapter, I was hooked. You get the whole scene played out as Amy watches her mother become frozen, and when it's supposed to be her turn, her father steps up to give her the choice to stay behind or go with them. Either way, he wont' know her outcome until he wakes up on this new planet. Well, Amy decides to go. As she's being frozen she over hears the men saying they won't arrive for three hundred and one years. Naturally this freaks Amy out. And this was my first, uh oh moment.

Every other chapter is from Amy while the others are from Elder. A man living upon Godspeed, the ship sailing the skies from about 250 years into the future. Well, Amy's future. Elder is supposed to be the next leader of the ship. A ship built on lies and crazy systems. But when Amy is woken up, fifty years too soon, she and Elder have to find out who is trying to unfreeze the "Earthlings" before her parents end up dead. Like, really dead.

The saying, Don't drink the water, holds true on this vessel. Drugs and nutrients are filtered through the water to keep everyone complacent and normal. Well, the sad thing is, those they keep in the hospitals ward are really the normal ones.

This book had several twists and turns. Some I had figured out from the very beginning and some I never saw coming. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the second in the series.

All of the cute and fluffy bunnies of the world

I might have mentioned once or twice how I wrote this book. And that this book has been in the hands of someone who has read and provided feedback, corrected my misuse of the comma, and made little red marks all over my word doc. Well, this book is now back in my hands and they are shaking.

Why? They're my words. I've read them. Hell, I wrote them. I know what they say. So why am I so nervous and hesitant to begin edits?

I've decided to take it a chapter a day. Every day I will make notes and edit a chapter. It'll take about a month to do this, but I think it'll be the best for me. This way I'm not burned out reading my own story and I can give myself a break from reading one thing to the next. Does that make sense? It doesn't matter. It's my own little system that I've devised.

And on top of editing this book, there is the other issue of plot bunnies invading my brain. They start off all cute and cuddly.

Aww! Look at the bunnies in the coffee cups! Makes you want to pick them up and cuddle them so close their little noses keep moving a mile a minute.

So sure, they're all cute right now. Like a fresh new idea that is so amazing it smells like a brand new car. Until...

They look like this.

And you know something is going on. They're corralling you, mocking you; roping you into their idea. Singing happy songs that make you want to drop everything and start focusing on this one little idea. It's like they know you have other things you need to be doing, but they don't care, because behind your back, they're doing this...

Laughing at you for dropping everything to focus on pretty pictures and form ideas so that you write pages and pages of notes. And when you've written your notes and played nice with the bunnies, you take matters back into your own hands.

HAHAHAHA!

While I appreciate the bunnies stopping by the play, I need them to leave when it's their time to go. And now that I have my story back and it needs editing, I need the bunnies to move along. I humored them. I wrote down the idea they helped me plot. But now? It's best to move along and multiply in someone else's head. 

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

4 of 5 stars

I'm a sucker for reading reviews before I actually read a book. I need to know what other people thought before I dive into something. One thing I saw with Spellbound, and other books recently, is that they are being compared to Twilight. Now, I'll admit there are a few I've read that read like a fanfic it was so bad I wondered if the author hadn't just did a cut and paste of character names. But when I come across a story that I don't feel has any symbolance to Twilight, I get discouraged. Spellbound is one of those books. Yes, there is boy meets girl. Boy is "bad" and is not good for girl. A secret is being withheld and they aren't right for one another. Okay, so who says that Stefanie Meyer has the monopoly of writing that kind of storyline? She doesn't, and many authors did it before her and many will do it after.

This book is about Emma and Brenden and an age old love story. Rich man falls for poor girl. They marry, have children, woman is murdered because she's not of nobility. And every generation the cycle repeats. And this is how Emma and Brenden find one another. In order to stay together, they must break the spell.

It's a good book in that there are twists and turns every where. When it ended, I thought, this was a nice little ending but...what happened to...?

There will be a second book and I wonder if we'll find out what happened to the "murderer" that was after Emma.



The greatest kid ever! And I do mean ever!

So I kind of have this kid. He's kind of a rock star in my eyes. He's sweet, energetic, has the biggest brown eyes and the best smile. The longest eye lashes you've ever seen. He's pretty awesome. Albeit, he's a holy terror at times, then again, what 4 year old isn't? Regardless, he's mine and I think he's the best thing ever. I mean, really? Look at this kid!

How could you possibly not think he's the cutest ever?

Then there was the too cute conversation between him and his BFF Ayden this morning as they walked to school. It went like this.

Hayden: Hey, what's that toy?
Ayden: Optimus Prime (in a voice that said, duh!)
Hayden: I got rescue bots from Santa!
Ayden: What kind?
Hayden: Rescue Bots!! You need to come to my house & play. I live in Shreveport.
Ayden: Hey, you want to go look at the fish?
((Hayden and Ayden ignore the fish to run down the hall laughing the whole way))

These two...

Are going to give me and Candace a run for our money. Ladies men? Oh no doubt. Troublemakers? For sure. But aren't they cute? They really, really are.
But, this post isn't about how amazing I think my child is or how every other kid annoys me to no end but yet, I some how have the patience to deal with my own kid, or those that are of blood relation to me. Then again, those kids aren't even talking yet so they haven't begun to feel the wrathful stare of Aunt Holly. Watch out Cole, Lainey, and Haley. But remember, Aunt Holly loves you and Uncle Stephen will always be scary- or hiding behind his cell phone and it'll be when you're fifteen that you even realize that you have an Uncle Stephen.

No, this post is about another websites blog entry that appeared on my Facebook feed earlier. Before I even read the article, the picture is what made me stop and do a double take.

For realz. When I saw it I thought, Holy time machine Marty McFly! They've gone into the future and taken a picture of my kid and my dad! In case you need a comparison, here's Hayden and his pap-paw.

He's already so affectionate!



I mean, that could totally be my dad in another twenty years! Then...THEN I read the article.

Because People Might Think We're Dating, And Other Reasons My Grandfather Doesn't like Hugging Me.

(I'll pause so that you can read the link above).

Done? Great.

It's so my kid. This guy, is my kid, in twenty years. And I could totally see my dad pulling something like this when old age sets upon him. Notice I said, when. I don't think my dad is old at all. In fact, in my eyes, my dad will never get old. But he might get cranky...when he gets older.

A few things from the above article that made me go, "yeap, I can totally see Hayden saying that."

Up until then, I had been all right with my Nonno’s inability to touch me. I assumed that it was an old-person thing, being frail and whatnot. It now dawned on me that the actual issue was our gender. I should have realized it sooner with how openly affectionate he is to my female cousins, pleading for their hugs and kisses! And they’re totally pretty enough to be hookers! But this, unfortunately, was never an issue of “who’s prettier” (me) – it’s about how terrified men are in our culture to show affection towards one another.

Why can I see my kid saying something like that? Because not only do I think I'm the prettiest, my brother and I are in constant battles on who is the favorite. (Duh, me). So if Hayden is anything like me (and even though he's this social butterfly like his daddy, I'm pretty sure he's going to inherit my sense of humor and sarcasm whom I inherited from, you guessed it, my dad), he'll totally say something like this when he's older. And not to mention, I'm pretty sure, given how my dad and Hayden are with one another right now, that Hayden will do everything to aggravate my dad, and vice versa- something I never see my dad losing.

Even when he gets old and cranky.

Holly

DISCLAIMER: Because I don't want people mad, the above picture was from the mentioned article above on the site, www.hellogiggles.com which is a pretty awesome site co-run by equally awesome Zooey Deschanel. New Girl on Fox, Tuesday's at 8 (I was not paid by Fox to say that, I just really enjoy the show).

What's the deal with Louisiana folk?

This post comes at an appropriate time. Today is the day everyone who bleads purple and gold has been waiting for. The day LSU claims another championship victory. Cocky? Eh. Confident.

And even though this post has nothing to do with the game tonight (more on that tomorrow) it has to do with the sudden obsession with Louisiana folk.

You know you're from Louisiana when...

The crawfish mounds in your front yard have over taken the grass.
You greet people with "Howzyamomma'an'dem?" and hear back "Dey fine!"
Every so often, you have waterfront property. When giving directions you use words like "uptown," "downtown," "backatown," "riverside," "lakeside," "other side of the bayou" or "other side of the levee."
When you refer to a geographical location "way up North," you are referring to places like Shreveport, Little Rock or Memphis, "where it gets real cold."
You've ever had Community Coffee.
You can pronounce Tchoupitoulas but can't spell it.
You don't worry when you see ships riding higher in the river than the top of your house.
You judge a po-boy by the number of napkins used.
The waitress at your local sandwich shop tells you a fried oyster po-boy "dressed" is healthier than a Caesar salad.
You can eat Popeye's, Haydel's and Zapp's for lunch and wash it down with Barq's and several Abitas, without losing it all on your stoop.
The four seasons in your year are: crawfish, shrimp, crab, and King Cake.
You "wrench" your hands in the sink with an onion bar to get the crawfish smell off.
You don't learn until high school that Mardi Gras is not a national holiday.
You believe that purple, green and gold look good together.
Your last name isn't pronounced the way it's spelled.
You know what a nutria rat is but you still pick it to represent your baseball team.
You have spent a summer afternoon on the Lake Pontchartrain seawall catching blue crabs.
You describe a color as "K & B Purple."
You like your rice and politics dirty.
You pronounce the largest city in the state as "Nawlins."
You know those big roaches can fly, but you're able to sleep at night anyway.
You assume everyone has mosquito swarms in their backyard.
ou realize the rainforest is less humid than Louisiana.
You learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron...
You discover that you can get a sunburn through your car window...
When out of town, you stop and ask someone where there is a drive-through Daiquiri place, and they look at you like you have three heads.
You have flood insurance.
Your burial plot is six feet over rather than six feet under.
You consider a Bloody Mary a light breakfast.
You push little old ladies out of the way to catch Mardi Gras throws.
You leave a parade with footprints on the top of your hands.
You have a parade ladder in your shed.
Your first sentence was "Throw me something mistah" and your first drink was from a go-cup.
You worry about a deceased family member returning in spring floods.
You reply to anything and everything about life here with "Only in Nahlins".
You have a monogrammed go-cup.
You get on a bus marked "Cemeteries" and don’t think twice.
You shake out your shoes before putting them on.
Your sunglasses fog up when you step outside.
No matter where else you go in the world, you are always disappointed in the food.
You get up in the morning and start cooking a pot of rice before you give any thought to what you'll fix for dinner.
You ask, "How dey running?" and "Are dey fat?" when you're inquiring about seafood quality. When a hurricane is imminent
When it starts to rain, you cover your beer instead of your head.
You call tomato sauce "red gravy."
You eat sno-balls instead of throwing them.
Your house payment is less than your air conditioning bill.
Your grandparents are called "Maw Maw" and "Paw Paw."
You fall asleep to the soothing sounds of four box fans.
No one eats healthy. Fried Batter is actually a menu item in some restaurants.

Now, a lot of these don't pertain to those of us, 'from way up north where it gets cold', but some of them do. As as someone who is married to man in which all of these apply, I can relate. Now the sudden, or maybe it's not, fascination with those of us from the boot shaped state. When did it start? Has it always been there, I've just not been observant enough to realize? Whatever the case, let us reflect on some of the things that have caught my eye recently.

These guys...

Willie owns my heart. Toothless and all, it broke my heart when his daddy shot him. And goodness, his own mama took out the bullet. Now that's deep rooted swamp family love.

Then there are two new shows coming on CMT that makes me just real proud to be from Louisiana- and more importantly, Shreveport.

BAYOU BILLIONAIRE

MY BIG REDNECK VACATION



Nothing against the families that participated, really, but how often do you grill snake? Does it taste like chicken? Do you leave the skin on and season it with a little Tony's? These are questions that keep me up at night. Okay, they really don't. What does keep me up at night is the blasted TV that wasn't turned off when my life partner fell asleep. Nothing aggrevates me more than waking up at 2AM and Sports Center is still yaking the background like them women on the view.

Then I subjected myself to watching this train wreck.

It was bad. Like, really bad. Ungrateful children, crying brothers. A horse that's acts like Mr. Ed. A mom who, well, was nothing like my mom or my stepmom.

But more recently, as in last night, I came across them gem of a show.

Cajun Pawn Stars

As I watched, I wondered where they were from. I mean, when I hear cajun I automatically think of somewhere south of Alexandria. WRONG. These cats, are from Alexandria. Cajun? I didn't really think so. But who am I to pass judgement on. I'm married to a cajun so does that make me a 'fake cajun'? Or cajun by association? I have no idea. I'm not sure when the lines blurred. You know? That imaginary line that use to seperate the north part of the state from the south? Right smack dab at Aleck?

That's all my pondering for today. You look good folks of Louisiana.

Ayeeee!

Holly

I've read and reviewed, Get a Clue by Jill Shalvis

5 of 5 stars

So far I haven't read a Jill Shalvis book that I didn't like. I've liked them so much, that I'm going to go out and get every book she's written that I haven't read. What I love about her books is that there is a good story, a zany cast of characters, humor, and plenty of sexy times. It's not overly done, like in some books, but provides the perfect balance with every story.

In this book, Breanne is left at the alter- for the third time. Not letting a good honeymoon go to waste, she treks it up to the mountains to enjoy the week alone. Or so she thought. Cooper's quit his job and at the insistance of his brother, takes a week vacation to a ski resort in the mountains. Things become interesting when Breanne walks into HER honeymoon suite, browsing the goodies left by the staff (a one pink vibrator left for her disposal, and firmly grasped in her hand) when she hears water running from her shower. Who should be there? But Cooper himself. Seems the hotel overbooked THEIR room. And both being hard headed and stubborn, neither wants to give up the room but neither can leave the resort because of an impending storm.

But this is where the story gets good. Not only do we have a case of two lonely people locked in a house with each other, we also have them locked in with a killer! The hotel manager ends up dead and the only people who could have done it (excluding Cooper and Breanne because they were a little indisposed *ahem ahem*) are Shelly- the cook, Dante- the butler, Latinva- the maid, or Patrick- the handy man. Or is there another person in the house?

Totally worth the read if you like a good sexy romance with a little bit of a mystery thrown in.

I've read & now I've reviewed... Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

3 of 5 stars

I had really high hopes for this book after seeing so many great things about it. Sadly? It didn't live up to the hype I had built up for it in my head.

So we start with Evie. And yeah, I'll admit, I like the name for reasons totally unrelated to this book. She's a 16 year old employee for the ICPC which is pretty much, a paranormal center that tracks or in Evie's case, bags and tags, paranormals. She's sent out to bring back vampires, werewolves, hags (seriously...creepy) and give them a place to work and live so that they are not a danger to humans. In the meantime, there is this fairy who happens to be her ex-boyfriend and a mermaid that is her best friend. Let's back up to the ex-boyfriend. Even though he's described as that, I never got the feel that they were ever boyfriend/girlfriend. Maybe it's because he had a higher purpose for Evie or maybe because she never really talked about things that they did together other than that when he touched her or talked to her she was filled with this warmth. And with that being said, it brings me to my biggest problem with this book. It's all about Evie. Which is okay. She's the heroine; it's her story to tell, I just wanted more from the others. And don't get me started on how she named every single "sigh" that came out of her mentor/caregiver Raquel's mouth. It kind of distracted me from the overall story.

Moving on, we meet Lend. As in Lend me your ear and I'll sing you a song. Actually, more like, Lend me your face and I'll duplicate it for you. He's captured by Evie of all people and brought to the center but he won't answer any questions about who he is or how he got in the center. Until, paranormals begin showing up dead and the person resposible comes for Evie. This is where the book really starts to pick up. Of course, it was right at that half way point and even then, it all felt a little anti-climatic. Until the end of the book when, like most prom nights, things just get weird. Literally. It all happens at the prom.

Here's my problem. There is a sequel. I have it open on my Nook but I'm not chomping at the bit to read it. I think my biggest set back is that the last three books I've read were adult contemporary and now that I'm back in YA PR, I'm having trouble really loving anything I read. But then again, that's just my problem.

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It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new...year. Welcome 2012!

Well, another year has passed and a new one has arrived. Welcome all...to 2012.

I've had this blog for about a year now and I haven't done too much with it. Sure, at the beginning of last year I kept it up a little bit, but as the year went on, so did my drive to actually...

For those of you not as pop culturized as myself *ahem ahem* that was the infamous scene from Say Anything. Kind of like how I've abandoned this blog. I forgot to say things more than once a quarter. So here I am, a new year and a new outlook on life.

So why the new outlook? I'm not totally sure. I woke up with an epiphany. I'm an adult. Holy 401K Batman! When did that happen? I mean, I know I'm an adult; I'm 31 years old, I own a house, two cars- even a kid- but for realz, when did this happen? So in all, I honestly have no idea. Maybe it was the beaken of early morning sunlight shining down from the second story of my brother in-law and sister in-laws house this morning that made me see the light. Whatever it was, I realized that I can make things happen. Me! Little ole me. I can do anything I want! I'm a grown up! I don't have to ask my parents permission. I don't have to wait for anything.

And that's exactly what I plan to do in 2012. And that brings me to my new years resolution.

Hahahaha...really though. My resolution is to make things happen. Not just one thing, but a whole butt load of things! Because why? I'm an adult and I say I can!

So here's my outlook for 2012. Not a resolution, but an outlook. First things first...

*smiles sheepishly* Yeah, I totally wrote 50,000 words back in November. But that's not all. I wrote a whole book. A. Book. In one month. Then I spent the month of December editing that book. Why would I do this? Um...because I could and now that I have, *sings The Carpenters*, we've only just begun. The book, still safely saved in my Toshiba laptop, is now in the hands of someone I trust to read the things I've written and provide me with the most honest feedback for someone who wants to see this novel actually leave my laptop and be bound with glue. Or as an epub in a reading device. I don't discriminate. I own a Nook.

Regardless, I'm going to spend this new year working my tail off to try and get this thing published. How am I going to do that? With a lot of work. I believe in myself so I think I can do this. Even if I don't, the fact that I wrote a book is more than a lot of people can say. And in the meantime, I'm not going to stop. I'm going to write a second book and I may or may not wait until November to do it again. What's stopping me from doing it in March? I'm an adult. I can say when I can write. And write I will.

Secondly, I've got a great outlook that this year, I will do so many projects around my house. I'm going to paint a chalkboard on my laundry room door. I'm going to get a four section laundry basket for my bathroom closet. I'm going to master my Cricut machine. I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm GOING TO! Because I can.

Next, I'm going to better myself. If that means I'm going to lose weight, then so be it. But it's more than just wanting to lose weight. I want to eat better. I want to exercise. Okay yeah, I want to maybe be a little thinner than I am. I want to rock a two piece bathing suit this summer with a rock hard stomach.

And lastly, I want to be the best person I can be to my husband, my son, my parents, my family, and my friends.

So 2012, I welcome you! I'm ready for this. For the first time in my life, I feel empowered to do things and actually DO them. And to you reading this, I invite you to join me on this journey. This blog? It's not just one aspect of my life- it is my life. Follow me as I try to publish a book (and I promise not to sugar coat anything. If I send off query letters and I get rejected, I won't feel ashamed, I'll feel determined to send out more), be a wife and a mother, and most importantly, just be myself.

And not only that, but I'm going to read more. I read a lot last year and I want to keep that pace. I've challenged myself to read 50 books this year. It may not seem like a lot, but considering I have no idea how many I read last year, it's an attainable goal for myself. But not only will I read books, I'll even blog about them! In no way am I a book blogger, but I feel that if I review the books I've read, then it'll help me keep this blog from seeing more than just 5 posts all year.

Until I write again...