the blog
"Sheila, put the knife down."
These days I’m working on my second book. It’s been a long time coming; between entering the publishing world and editing An Ember in the Ashes, my current work-in-progress hasn’t gotten much love. The time I did spend on it was almost exclusively focused on...
Thursday Morning Beats
Possibly this is my song of the day because I'm in the midst of edits. But mostly it's because it's freaking fantastic. Youngblood Hawke--Pressure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ee_7ITWRZk
Music, More Music: Winter/Spring Mix!
After many days of listening and culling and considering, I’ve finally compiled Baa Mix 77, aka Late Winter/Spring Mix. Don't know which one is my favorite, but if you wanna dance, no. 3 is your best bet. I hereby dedicate it to my best friend, code name "Goldie" who,...
Friday Afternoon Beats
Something loud and spectacular for your Friday. To truly enjoy, you need good bass. It's a Sleigh Bells throwback: Kids--off of their debut album Treats. Still one of my favorite albums. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW3933qj6F4
"And all I could have been/And all I would have been/Is lost in time"
When I was a wee Baa with mismatched pigtails, Sensei (aka: eldest brother) said something that scared the daylights out of me: “Do what you love, Baa,” he said. “Or before you know it, you’ll be 40, working a job you hate, wondering what the hell happened to your...
Monday Morning Beats
Tough choice today. Almost did a Sleigh Bells throwback, but I'll save that for next week. Here's Gemini Club--Sparklers. The music snobs will say this song has been around for a while, but I DON'T CARE BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH FUN. Warning: the music vid is very 80s, but...
The New Ms. Marvel!!!
Marvel Comics has relaunched the Ms. Marvel series with an all new heroine: 16-year-old Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American girl trying to find her place in the world. Here's my take on the book in The Washington Post, as well as a piece on Marvel's female-focused...
Monday Morning Beats
Here's my question. Does Manchester Orchestra ever get tired of being so freaking good? Don't they ever think, "You know? Let's write a s***ty song this time. Something that's a real piece of crap." No, I guess they don't. The latest example of Manchester Orchestra's...
Am I really so limited in what I read? Yes. Yes I am. And it's BAD.
The Guardian published an article about a panel at the Jaipur LitFest, where Chinese-British author Xiaolu Guo slammed Americans for have “massively overrated” literature. More specifically, she pwned us for not reading many foreign language books translated to...
Monday Morning Beats
First time I heard this, I wasn't a huge fan. (This is why one should always listen to songs twice. One never knows if one will be in a lame/foolish mood the first time around.) Anyway, now the more I listen to it, the more I love it. Sigur Ros--Isjaki....
I sold my book
After 6.5 years of dreaming, 4.5 years of writing, 5 major drafts and dozens of minor ones, I am thankful to say that my book, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, will be published by Penguin Press/Razorbill in the first quarter of 2015, iA. Film rights have been acquired by...
"And it's hard to dance/With a devil on your back/So shake him off."
WHAT IT MEANS TO WRITE Like climbing a god-damn mountain. Hurts more than childbirth. Not enough hours in the day. Can’t type fast enough. Can’t keep up with what’s in my head. Can’t get what’s in my head onto paper. Frustration. You will fail. Can't find the right...
Monday Morning Beats
Why does a song that came out in 1993 still sound ridiculously awesome? Because it's by Radiohead. "You" is the first song I heard by them (yes, even before "Creep") and though I love pretty much everything Thom Yorke does, this song is still my favorite....
"It's better to feel pain/than nothing at all/the opposite of love is indifference."
While at the coffee shop waiting for my dark roast, I noticed a guy juggling a billion notebooks ordering a drink. The barista asked him about the notebooks and he told her he was writing a book about China’s nuclear ambitions. After he finished speaking to the...
Monday Morning Beats
I like this so much better than the original, probably b/c I was in 2nd grade when the original came out. It's a good way to start the year. "Let the Day Begin" by BRMC.
"Your silence/is violent/it's killing me."
Oh Writer’s Block. What a horrid, foul beast you are. According to some writers, you don’t actually exist. But I know better. In my experience, writer’s block isn’t as simple as “I can’t write.” It’s not just the blank page staring back at you, though that is a...
Thursday Morning Beats
I skipped a few days because I was trying to finish up revisions and, unlike Giselle, I cannot multitask.Revisions are done (for now) so I can get back to sharing spectacular music. This one is from last year, butthat doesn't make it any less awesome or heartbreaking. ...
Monday Morning Beats
Disclaimer: I wanted this week's Beats to be "The Mess" by The Naked and Famous, (because it isFANTASTIC GO DOWNLOAD IT NOW. NOWWWW!) but I couldn't find a YouTube or SoundCloud link to"The Mess", so I had to settle for "Hearts Like Ours," (which is still excellent.)...
Friday Top 5: Things You Should Do As a Writer (That Aren't Writing)
Join a critique group Getting your stuff read by people who aren’t your mom or best friend is essential to becoming a better writer. Critiquing other people’s work will not only teach you how to be a better writer yourself, it will allow to offer your own unique...
"A Little Party Never Killed Nobody"
Most people like weekends. Or half-days. Or vacation. Not me. Why? Because I’m not writing on weekends, half-days or while on vacation. You think I’m joking, but I’m not. Just ask my family. Every time I visit them, they basically never see me. Because I'm writing....