Here thar be dragons! Or the figurative variety. So I survived the A to Z Challenge, I think. I still have brain cells that may or may not recover.
Have you ever been to the point where your brain completely burns out and you literally crash, mentally speaking? I'm not talking for a day or two, I'm talking months. The first time that happened to me was while living in NYC, with an infant, a 2 year old, and 6 year old home schooler, no family nearby, 850 square feet of living space, being in charge of a HUGE charitable undertaking for Christmas, and some pursuit of a musical and book career.
After the holidays I completely crashed. It was like a dragon had trounced across my brain and charred everything that didn't get smashed. Yeah, think 6 months to get back to not feeling tired ALL the time, 2 months before I could really write again. I don't advise ever running yourself that far into the ground.
NYC was when I really learned to say "no." I'm still not great at it, but we have to realize each of us has limits. They may not be the same as neighbor Bob (who appears to be the energizer bunny), but it's important to know where your limits are and not push beyond them. At the same time, it's good to stretch yourself, try new things, and take a chance.
This is why I say to anyone fostering a writing career, take your time. Don't rush to publication. Enjoy the early part of the journey because once you add "author" to your writing career, life can get pretty, erm, overwhelming. It's good, so good, but there's a reason the scientists locked in my basement are now working on harnessing the power of the sun so that I can feed it directly into my veins.
Are you ready to meet a new author and enter to win an awesome book?
Last week, the funny Heather Letto shared IMPERVIOUS with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win a signed ARC of her awesome new book.
Heather's game:
1. Heather has abnormally large feet and is afraid to get pedicures because women will laugh at her in their native tongue.
2. As a preschooler, she was the self-appointed guard of their front yard. She yelled at the mailman to, "Get off my property!" He told on her. A lot. She got spanked. A lot.
3. Her cat's name is Charlie... 'cuz he bit her finger.
And the lie is:
#1. Sorry, no large feet and fear of pedicures.
Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winner is:
Congrats Elizabeth!
And now to today's awesome feature:
Beautiful, confident Tabby Karim has plans for the winter: nab a
role in her school’s dramatic production, make the new boy Michael hers, and
keep bigoted Heather—with her relentless Ay-rab comments—at bay. When a
teacher’s lie and her father’s hastiness rob her of her beautiful hair, her
dreams are dashed. The fastest barber in Miami Beach has made her look
practically bald.
With all her pretty hair gone, Tabby doesn’t believe she fits the
feminine role she’s auditioning for. Michael is still interested in her, but
he’s playing it cool. Heather has taken to bullying her online, which is easier
to do with Tabby’s ugly haircut. Tabby spearheads Operation Revenge, which
proves satisfying until all of her problems deepen. After messing up, she sets
to make things right.
Let me introduce you to the amazing author, one of my wonderful blogging friends who reviews Middle Grade books like a boss:
Medeia Sharif is a Kurdish-American author who was born in
New York City, who presently calls Miami home. She received a master’s
degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming a voracious
reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many genres in
college, she found her niche writing for young people. Today she's a MG and YA
writer published through various presses. In addition to being a writer, she's a
middle school English teacher. Her memberships include Mensa, ALAN, and SCBWI.
Medeia loves cheddar and can be found munching on the perfect avocado-cheddar-tomato sandwich at one of her favorite restaurants.
She gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for a chance to win a Kindle copy of SNIP, SNIP, REVENGE. You have until Tuesday, May 13, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on May 14.
TRUTH OR LIE
1. Medeia used to be terrified of the Wicked Witch of the West.
2. Her favorite number is eight and she counts everything in eights.
3. Her first unfinished drawer manuscript was about
a magical Rubik's cube.
Which is the lie? Have you ever completely burned yourself out? Any tips for recovery? Doesn't SNIP, SNIP REVENGE sound awesome? How far have you gone for revenge? Met any dragons lately?
