Where I Am, Where I've Been

Yes, it's been a long time since I've posted here. Not because I forgot about my blog, not because I didn't want to or feel like posting, and not because I didn't have anything to say. In fact, I had too much to say.

My posts tend to be long. Long = time consuming, energy consuming, and thought consuming. Too much of a production. I spent some time in these last few months considering what I wanted to do with this blog before I posted again. I decided that this year, I'm trying a new format for my blog: short and sweet, sister!

So here's where I've been in the past few months:

On my elliptical.
I injured my back, went to physical therapy, and got an elliptical machine. I hate it. I use it, but I am not fond of this contraption. It forces me to ... ugh, it pains me to even say the word... EXERCISE. But, I have to do it. My trainer says so. Or my back will hurt forever.

I've also been HERE:

Getting together with my writing buddies! This is me and Katia one Sunday morning, marveling over books that our friends have published and brainstorming our own books. It's fun and it's motivating. All writers should have writing buddies or a writing group. I'm pretty lucky - I have buddies, a partner, AND a group!
Check out Katia's blog at http://katiaraina.wordpress.com/
She's much better than I am about keeping her blog updated. :)

I've been HERE, too:

READING! READING READING READING!
Lots and lots of books! My friend, Trent Reedy's book WORDS IN THE DUST came out. (Check it out! www.trentreedy.com .) Someone at a book reading I attended recently asked about writing across cultural lines. Think it can't be done? Think again. Trent is a young white man from Iowa who wrote from the viewpoint of a teenaged girl from Afghanistan. It is marvelous.

I've been reading Dickens' BLEAK HOUSE, MATCHED by Ally Condee, MOCKINGBIRD by Katherine Erskine, ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams Garcia, WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON and PAPER TOWNS by John Green, and more. I retreat into a good book every chance I get. On Sunday, I couldn't pull myself away from BLESSED, by Cynthia Leitich Smith--which reminds me, I was HERE:

Cynthia toured New York and New Jersey, and I was able to meet up with her in Cherry Hill for her reading, a hug, and some Texas-style cheer. Cyn is such a lovely person to begin with, but add to that: phenomenal writer, children's book expert, and teacher extraordinaire. Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious. I came home from our visit ready to jump back into my fantasy writing. It was wonderful!

Last but not least, I am HERE:

Writing, again, as always.

-PLB

PS So much for short and sweet.