What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by sisters, Jaime Morrow & Erin L. Funk. It's a great way to keep everyone updated on, well, what you've been up to! For a full list of participants or to link your own post, please visit either of their blogs.

Kimberly:

WHAT I'M READING
I'm really into YA mysteries, specifically the amateur sleuth. I just finished Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor (a must read with great voice!) and I'm currently reading Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance (read this if you love Veronica Mars and who doesn't?).


WHAT I'M WRITING
I'm writing a novella called The Lady in Blue. It's a spin-off of my debut novel, Grunge Gods and Graveyards. It's set in 1955 and it solves the mystery of how the Lady in Blue became a ghost. I love writing a novella -- no major subplots.


WHAT WORKS FOR ME
I've been inspired by detective series, particularly YA with snarky girls. Love the snark. Want to write the snark.


WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
Not much. I'm trying to balance writing with my three kids and wicked sinus headaches. Ugh, I'm so lame.

Beth:

WHAT I’M READING
I literally just cracked into Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler, so I can’t say much about it yet, but I’ve heard great things! And I adore any book about TV/movie sets.


WHAT I’M WRITING
My WIP, which is currently untitled (hate not having a title), but it’s a fun, chick-lit story!


WHAT WORKS FOR ME
Currently, I’m just so excited about Taylor Swift’s 1989 album. I adore her. She’s a brilliant writer and reading her lyric books always inspires me to sit down at the computer and push myself to the limit.


WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON
Not a whole lot, really. Halloween is Friday, and I’ve got no plans, except to write. The last few years have been quiet, trick-or-treat-wise, which means there will be an abundance of candy lying around the house. This is both good and bad!

Carrie:

WHAT I'M READING
I’m about 75% through Defending Jacob by William Landay. I’m enjoying it so far and can’t wait to get to the end to know the verdict!


WHAT I'M WRITING
I have six more chapters to complete for my next novel, Shattered Angel. I’m really excited about this project. It’s different than my first two novels, and I’ve loved the challenge of keeping the darkness of the topic balanced with the right amount of hope.


WHAT WORKS FOR ME
I keep everything for a WIP—ideas, notes, timelines, character descriptions, etc.—in my computer. However, sometimes I just need to put pen to paper. I recently wrote a part of my WIP that is important to get ‘right’ for the integrity of the plot. I had to go old school and draft the concepts out on paper to make sure it all fit together properly.


WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
I’ve joined a fitness program that has consumed much of my time. I’m in my seventh week and in some aspects it gets easier and in others it’s more difficult. It’s an intense program and although it’s taken away some of my writing time, it’s the best thing for me right now.

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We'd also like to welcome a new contributor to the blog, Brianna Lebrecht! Brianna comes to us in the role of our resident reader, but she's also an aspiring author, like many of us here. Take a minute to pop by our Who We Are page to find out more about Brianna.

And in more fun news, Kimberly recently had her first author event! Check out her blog post here, to see pics and read about her meeting a fan. Also, Carrie had some great feedback on her cover from The Book Designer: Strong concept and lovely execution, especially the beautiful color palette used here. To view the post, go here, and scroll down about 20% (or 21 books).