This blog has become a bit of a New Year's resolution of mine. I swear that I'm going to start blogging again, make a post or two, and then disappear off into the ether.
I'm not going to make a resolution this year.
I'm just going to start blogging again.
I'm neck-deep in revisions for an entirely new book that I love very much. I have two jobs and a third volunteer position. Last year my only post was about Hamilton and I have to say my obsession has not gone away in the intervening months. Although now I can say all the words to "Guns and Ships" without (mostly) getting tongue-tied. I'm not reading as much as I should be and really trying to work on that. I can say 2016 was a dumpster fire of a year but I have hope for 2017. Somewhere.
So how's life everyone? What have you been up to?
Monday, January 9, 2017
Happy 2017
Posted by Rachael at 6:00 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, January 4, 2016
Hamilton
I'm back! I made a New Year's resolution last year to start blogging three times a week. Obviously, like many resolutions, it crashed and burned.
But a 2016 resolution is not why I'm here.
Hamilton is. If you haven't heard of it, it's a rap/hip hop Broadway musical about one of the founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. Sounds boring? Sounds weird? I thought so too.
Trust me.
I listened to the full cast recording three times in two days and my favorite songs countless times in between. I have plans to see it live in the eventual future.
Interested?
I have two recommendations:
Number 1: My favorite song and the one that actually got me into the musical in the first place
Number 2: From the beginning
Posted by Rachael at 12:19 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
What's Up Wednesday - January 28, 2015
What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk to help writers stay in touch.
I finished Boy on the Bridge by Natalie Standiford last week. My review went up on Friday. I felt that it fell short of its potential. But now I'm reading Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I have to admit that I was a little sad when I read the summary and found out it focuses on Scarlet rather than Cinder but I'm quickly falling in love.
What I'm Writing:
Nothing at the moment. I haven't started querying either. I'm swamped with work. It's not likely to get any better until next week so I think I'm going to forego the writing goal.
What Works for Me:
Musical motivation. I've listened to Fall Out Boy's new album an almost embarrassing number of times since it was released, but I regret nothing. Sometimes music gets me pumped up (like Fall Out Boy) and sometimes it helps me to settle down and focus (like my all instrumental playlist on Pandora).
What Else I've Been Up to:
Trying to get settled into a routine. The first few weeks of a semester are always the toughest scheduling wise because there's classes and work and lab time and somewhere in there sleep has to happen. Mine is starting to fall into place but I haven't quite gotten there yet. My Starbucks intake is also a little out of hand at the moment.
If anyone's out east, stay safe and warm. Have a great week, everyone!
Posted by Rachael at 9:12 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: what's up wednesday
Monday, January 26, 2015
What's New This Week - January 26
JJ Greene, a gifted 16-year-old songwriter, defies her lawyer parents by secretly applying for a job in the famed Brill Building-the epicenter of songwriting for a new genre called rock-n-roll. But their warnings about the evils of the music industry prove far darker than she imagined when she finds herself at the heart of a cover-up that involves hidden identity, theft, and possibly murder.
That’s when Charlotte begins to receive the messages. Threatening notes left in her apartment--without a trace of entry. And they’re addressed to Piper, her old name. As the messages grow in frequency, she doesn’t just need to uncover who is leaving them; she needs to stop whoever it is before anyone else she loves ends up dead.
Posted by Rachael at 7:00 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: new releases
Friday, January 23, 2015
The Boy on the Bridge Review
As June approaches--when Laura must return to the United States--Alexei asks Laura to marry him. She's only nineteen and doesn't think she's ready to settle down. But what if Alexei is the love of her life? How can she leave him behind? If she has a chance to change his life, to rescue him from misery, shouldn't she take it?
Posted by Rachael at 7:00 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: book review
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
What's Up Wednesday - January 21, 2015
What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk to help writers stay in touch.
Posted by Rachael at 10:14 AM 5 comments Links to this post
Labels: what's up wednesday
Monday, January 19, 2015
What's New This Week - January 19
From the first moment of adventure, Kevin’s life takes a turn for the exciting. Making friends seems easy with his new persona, especially when a group of homeless beach bums instantly includes him in their crew. But do they like the real Kevin, or the guy he’s pretending to be? And will this new lifestyle help Kevin escape from the misery of his former life—or will it drag him right back into the reasons he left home?
Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay - in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.
Lo has a family history of MS, and is starting to come down with all the symptoms.
Thomas, a former child soldier from Liberia, is plagued by traumatic memories of his war-torn past.
Kaya would do anything to feel physical pain, but a rare condition called CIP keeps her numb.
Ellen can’t remember who she was before she started doing drugs.
Kit lost his girlfriend in a car accident and now he just can’t shake his newfound fear of death.
When they trade totems as a symbol of shedding and adopting one another’s sorrows, they think it’s only an exercise.
But in the morning, they wake to find their burdens gone…and replaced with someone else’s.
As the reality of the ritual unfolds, this unlikely group of five embarks on a week of beautiful, terrifying experiences that all culminate in one perfect truth: In the end, your soul is stronger than your burdens.
Posted by Rachael at 7:00 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: new releases