Off the Bookshelf

It's about time for me to stop what I'm reading and actually talk about it. :)

For this edition, I'm going back to one of the presents I bought myself for my birthday back in May: Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout (next time I'll cover the other book).

To start with: As an enjoyer of the YA genre, I have grown a bit tired of the vampire/werewolf storylines. That's not to say I won't read them, but a unique perspective is hard to come by--especially a well-written one. So, needless to say, it usually goes in the 'No' bin automatically.

So, in the interest of seeking out something new, I came across Obsidian, a fun little book involving aliens. 

Aliens.

To say I was excited would have been an understatement as I had been somewhat of a fan of Roswell back in the day. Annoyingly, I had to order it online and boy did the weeks go by slow. Thank goodness it was only two or I would've taken to hurting someone.

The book is about a girl named Katy who moves to a small town in West Virginia and befriends her neighbor, Dee. Unfortunately for Katy, Dee's twin brother, Daemon, does not approve and chooses to voice his displeasure many times over. It doesn't take Katy long to figure out that Dee and Daemon are different, she just doesn't quite put a finger on it until there's no way the two can keep from telling her. She and Daemon have a love-hate relationship; the only thing that keeps her from killing him are the moments alone where he is actually pretty nice. Once inside their secretive world, she gets a taste of the baddies that hunt their kind and--as happens--becomes tangled in a battle for their lives.

I will say the banter in the story was quite spot on and equally hilarious. I caught myself laughing out loud more times than I care to admit. I have a hunch the dialogue is where you get to actually see this author's fun personality. I say that having read a few books by her now and checked that as a similarity. Make no mistake, I'm jealous. I wish I was that funny. :)

Even though the book is told from Katy's POV, I got a nice grouping of pages at the end that picked out a handful of scenes from the book and put them in Daemon's POV. On top of that, Jennifer has her own website where she gives 'Extra' scenes to the fans and additional scenes from different POVs. SOOOOOO AWESOME!!! (More authors should DO THIS!)

On another note, we learn part of Daemon's irritable nature is due to the circumstances surrounding his brother's death (they were actually triplets: Dee, Daemon, and Dawson). A novella is also available that gives the reader insight into that: Shadows.

So, now you know a little about the first series I read by one of my new favorite authors.


Until next week, HAPPY READING! :)


*Kayla*

Happy Birthday, Fezzik!

A little over two months ago, Love and I celebrated the one year birthday of our Great Dane pupster, Fezzik.

Over a year ago, I still didn't know about him. He was a complete surprise for my birthday and was too busy chewing on his brothers and sisters to care about us yet. He was rambunctous and wily, getting into everything and anything he could. The only shy part of his personality came through when we came to claim him. He rode the whole way home from Waxahachie in my lap.

Months later, he'd adjusted to the home, taking our Boston Keeley under his paw as Little-Big Sister Extraordinaire. Since, they've become like two peas in a pod, one not wanting to be away from the other.

(Aside: When he decided to escape from his crate and incinerate some of our books with his teeth a while ago, I'm sure she was only that much sadder that she couldn't join in.)

He learned quickly what Love had intended him for, barking and showing his teeth to the endless stream of strangers that seem to walk along our street from one place to the next. On walks, he tried his best to stay between me and the road--although sometimes Keeley doesn't always let him stay in her own spot so they swap. :)                                                                                 Back then, he liked to sit under my feet while I typed out my novel at our kitchen table (as shown here -->). He didn't like the crate, but loved the chewy toys that came with it. And, he most definitely didn't like us leaving or Love being out of eyesight.   

 Now, Fezzman is a big boy well over 100 pounds. He's happy and slobbers and likes to stay outside on warm days as long as he can, chewing on sticks and wrestling with his Sister. He can be a picky eater, but only because he knows Love throws the occasional potato chip his way. He sleeps in an ever-refigured crate made out of cattle panel, on a horse mat next to Keeley's puny crate.

He LOVES walks and people and riding in cars and toys and food and generally anything we do that just might include him. (And, he pretty much feels EVERYTHING should include him.)

For his birthday, I made two cute little cakes for him and Keeley and bought a candle to go on top. The recipe didn't call for any icing, but I went ahead and slathered the top with PEANUT BUTTER as an added incentive for him. He pretty much ingested it in under a minute, to my happiness. :)

Before food, we played with BUBBLES! that I bought for them. Fun was had both inside and outside of the house.

All in all, it was a good day at home full of fun and laziness. He may not really care or have any expectations for next year, but it's a day Love and I will cherish forever.

*Kayla*

This will probably be sad...

Today, I wanted to take a moment before a much needed nap to talk about the past week of my life.


A week ago, I had no idea I would be writing this and--honestly--I would've preferred not to. But, here we are.


The last time I spoke with Hank (a partner at the Firm), my main goal was to check to make sure I knew specifically how long he'd be gone. You know, in case anyone asked. He smiled, said "10 days", and proceeded to exit the office. Garner (another attorney) mentioned his impending surgery, to which we all laughed. We had, after all, been making light of his hip replacement surgery since we first learned he had finally said "yes" to it, weeks ago. 


Comments on "walkers" and "hoverounds" and the like, ensued, until the elevator came for the big guy and took him on his way. Smiling, as he always did.


Yesterday, some family friends brought me the leather file zipper folder he happened to have taken with him. Because nothing speeds recovery like working on cases.


And, I cried.


Because, it smelled like him and reminded me he would never be back. A blood clot had taken him sooner than any of us were comfortable with.


I heard his voice all day Wednesday, after I was told of the horrible news. I remembered phone calls we had, the way he said "Kayla" that always brought a laugh, the jokes we exchanged with clients, and the candy in his office that I would occasionally steal. I remembered how exactly a week had gone by since I had called him out of his office to our Firm birthday party because he was "my lead birthday singer". 


Like those birthdays he'd noticeably missed in the past, our Firm isn't the same without his presence.


Many of us have had small moments of forgetfulness since Tuesday evening when our Friend was taken so suddenly: making our way to his office for a chat, taking a cold call and wondering if he'd take it, working on projects that we know he'd have the answer to.


All of it means that we, as a family, take small moments aside in corners or by conference rooms, out of eyesight of anyone. We let the pain and emptiness of his exit wash over us for the precious seconds we have and then move on and try to do something else that distracts the mind.


The thing is, I've only been at the Firm for three years. So, imagine the suffering of those who've been beside him the entire forty-three years he was there. 


Watching the other partners in their silent, busy states breaks my heart more than anything. The quiet resolve, the half-smiles, the pats on the back: it all speaks of the hurt.


This morning, we said goodbye. I sat in the back with Love, tearing more than I wanted and expected, moreso because half of the front row of pews contained the attorneys I see more than my own family. They were the pallbearers of the man who was every bit of the Heart of the Firm. I watched them in their calm, reflective ways, only one head bowed. 


And, I couldn't help but think: "They shouldn't have to be doing this."


I've lost my share of family and friends, but this one ranked up there with my Great-Grandmother's just a year and a half ago.


My Great-Grandmother was one of the sweetest people you would EVER meet. She never said a cross word about anyone, even those who most deserved to hear her thoughts. Thing is, I'm not sure she was even capable of that kind of human sin. She was pure and independent and strong. She was my closest tie to my Grandfather, her son, and I relished in her stories because I knew nothing of the Man I Loved the Most.


When she passed away, no one got up to speak save the leader of the service and one other relative. But, it wasn't because there wasn't anything to be said. It was because we were all so heartbroken that it was hard to really talk.


Hank is up there with my Great-Grandma. They were two of the best people I had ever known. Honest, reliable, loyal, and devoted to others when they didn't have to be. They were better humans than any of us.


As I miss her, I will always miss Hank. He's gone now and there's no going back to last week. Life moves on and we all learn cope and figure out a life without the ones we miss. 


And, I can't be mad at God for taking him. If I were him, I'd take all the good ones, too.






*Kayla*

Fun and Unfun

For anyone who wondered: I have enough songs in my phone to last me the full eight hours that I am at work on any given Monday through Friday.

That's gotta get me cool points somewhere, right? ;)

It's been a while since I've posted, mainly because there have been so many goings on that I forgot! HA!

But, today, you're in luck because I have some fun and not-so-fun things to share.

On with the not-so-fun, first:
I've been working hard on my novel--making changes here and there--and the road is exactly how I thought it would be: unfinished.

I keep coming up with these cool new ideas or ways that I can say things differently than before and, boy howdy, it's bogged down the progress. Which is the saddest thing I think I've written to-date.

And, that's exactly what happened to the last batch of stories that I put together.

So, I'm nothing if not consistent. :)

On top of the novel, I've been working on my first screenplay--which has also taken a step back because I've been mindlessly doodling on my Noir Novella.

Could I be putting my writer's brain into more projects???

The good thing is that Love is in the same boat--juggling multiple projects with school--except he gets his done! Which is why I'm more envious of him that I'll ever admit...to his face! :)

On with the fun:
Saturday was the BEST night for some fun down at our haunt, Legacy. Love and I pretty much spent the day waiting for Beautiful Disturbance's CD release party. :D

We sat with friends, listened to some good tunes, and tried our best not to spend too much money on the merch! Pictures were taken and the laughter was loud and at the end of the night, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world to know such amazing people.

Plus, there was pizza! :) Nom. Nom!

Another fun thing:
Earlier this week, I got to talk to my little niece on the phone. She had taken a nasty fall on Easter and Mom and Sister were worried her little knee was broken. (She's fine.)

She's all of four, but she's so distracted when she talks that it's hard to really have a full conversation with her. But, it's cute and you do get some kind of answers (just not the ones you wanted).

She also set a record for how quickly she asked to talk to Love: 5 seconds. I'm officially not the favorite anymore, which is fine. There's two more to go around and, honestly, it makes me happy to know the kiddos like him so much.

From day one I've felt like Love filled the hole I didn't know was there in my life with my family. As cheesy as that sounds, it's the truth. And, any time the little ones want to talk to him or hang out with him, I feel like all is right with my world. 

I'm blessed.

*Kayla*

Your Moment of Bohemia

As part of my gig with Bohemia--the literary journal I am fortunate enough to staff on--I will be writing a weekly blog assignment here catered to our fans/friends/bohemian followers. The rest of the staff are poised to write, as well, so feel free to visit http://bohojo.wordpress.com/ to check out my fellow staffers in all their glory!

For me: sometimes I will write on certain topics and other times, I'll post some fiction I've been working on so keep checking back weekly for that! :)

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Peeling myself away from March Madness has been a daunting task. Of course, being the one to break up the sour party amid the Texas loss so a conference room could ACTUALLY be used for work was not so much fun either.

But, as the saying goes: Life moves on.

:)

This week, I've been working hard on both the narrative for my Noir screenplay and a brief overlook on my novel (before sending it out to the next agent on my list). In doing these things around my work, I really haven't actively written anything for my Bohemia Day.

However, I do have something on my mind and, though it might get a tad "ranty", I'd like to be indulged for a few minutes while I try to figure myself out. :)


Last weekend, I happened to have an interesting altercation while out with the puppies. Fezz-man is getting big (as all Danes do) so most people don't bother me, but this one gentleman actually seemed to be up to no good. And, there I stood with two barking dogs who really wanted to take a bite out of crime. Said no-gooder took a step towards me and, deciding I wasn't worth it, moved on after barking back at my dog.

Two days later, as I'm relaying this story to a neighbor, I find out that she doesn't go out late at night with her dogs because she had nearly been kidnapped as a kiddo--twice.

I, motivated by her honesty, told her I had my own near-abduction story.

I've never polled those I talk to daily on their own experience with kidnapping but the comment left me wondering how many people have experienced that during their childhood. I found no statistics on the subject--I assume because near misses aren't reported. I know mine wasn't. So, even if there was data, it wouldn't be very accurate.

(Aside: I did read that about 2,000 kids are kidnapped every day.

Every. Day. Which is a number I just can't wrap my brain around. End of Aside)

Oddly enough, what intrigued me most about our conversation was the vast difference in our routines. While she doesn't take her dogs out past sundown unless she has to, makes sure she checks her surroundings, and performs all the cautionary actions of a normal adult, I step out carefree sans my glasses and assume anyone who comes by is just passing through. In fact, my only general reaction to someone is to take the dogs further onto their little plot of potty land to give me distance from said person. To really prove my stupidity further, I get an automatic guilt for even thinking the stranger could do something bad, telling myself that it's not nice for me to judge.

So, that's what has me thrown: two people who have similar not-so-good experiences in childhood but turn up with different reactions in adulthood. How does that happen? And, why am I not as guarded as she is? What is wrong with me?

My only guess is in the reactions in our personal stories. I didn't get her full account--which is fine--but I did surmise from her tone that it wasn't as throw-away as mine. Which, leads me to my answer. When I reflect back on my tale, I can see how clueless I was that day. In fact, it wasn't until years later that I realized how wrong I had taken that situation.

I've always been "trust first, ask questions later". And, that day, I did exactly that. I don't doubt that I would've gotten right into that car had my sister not been there to stop me. I was that trusting. Of a stranger.

And, despite my life experiences since then, nothing has changed. I've grown older, but that trusting little girl is still the first to give the benefit of a doubt. It really feels like I didn't learn my lesson. I'm that much of an idiot.

Maybe, on some other level, I also want to prove that I can take care of myself. I've always been the baby and I've pretty much always had someone by me to protect me against whatever threatened my Bambi self.

When I first started living on my own, I was so stoked and ready to prove that I could be on my own and handle anything. But, the problem is, instead of growing into a stronger, independent person, I've still kept my same, bonehead moves. While would-be troublemakers have gotten better and found me away from my big sister, I've completely overlooked what she was teaching me with her strong, defiant stance.

So, needless to say, it's time to get smarter...




*Kayla*

Time After Time

A couple days ago, I found--tucked away neatly in my SPAM folder--a shiny, new rejection email.

Of the glorious negatives that I've thus far received, this one hit a particular soft spot and reminded me: Be careful what you wish for.

Aside: Over the past weeks of searching for someone to buy my beloved first novel, I have acquired roughly four "No" emails (Is it sad that I have already lost count?). Each one--up until the last--felt like a generic, non-answer from some computer somewhere that never even read my entry. At one point, I even grumbled to Love at the uselessness of the replies. I wanted wholeheartedly for someone to not just say "We don't have time for you" but maybe "this specifically doesn't work" (and if they're feeling particularly nice maybe add "and here's why"). You know, make me believe that a human pair of eyes read the twenty requested pages!

I realize that any given agent's job is far too hectic to really give any discernible amount of critique to those not under their bill and that I'm writing to a higher level of the literary food chain, not my writing buddy a few states over. But--in my defense--if you think it's crap, tell me. I'd rather know right this moment that I have no possibility of getting my hole-punched manuscript into a publisher's hands than to trudge along for years and years, wasting time in the thought that someone, someday will tell me "Yes".

You might say that it's also not their job to know whether or not a story will see the light of day, but I say rubbish. That--in my pov--is a huge part of their job. I firmly believe that agents across the World receive piles of really bad crap every day; items that they read and just CRINGE at: A theory that leads me to believe that what I'm sitting on is at the very least a mediocore endeavor.

I should be encouraged that my letters don't say "You should probably look into a different career choice".

Maybe that's saying something. End of Aside.

To get back to my story--the newest "No, thank you" letter actually had some human wording to it with the agent saying that she wanted to get into the book (she read the prologue and chapter one), but it didn't happen. And, she said that with her packed schedule of authors, she couldn't devote the time to me to make it jump out at her.

This rejection has a somewhat different taste in my mouth. It's uplifting to the point that she at least thinks it has potential (otherwise I have no doubt she would've said so). It also tells me that my query writing is on track (i.e., even if the two chapters she read didn't quite fit the bill, the query at least intrigued her).

The downer is that it begs the response for me to muddle through and recheck the entire project, maybe construct an alternate opening. Although I'll do what needs to be done, I've been majorly procrastinating (partially because I got into another book in the Patterson series, partially because I've been busy with LIFE, and partially because I have other writing projects that are either more pressing or more interesting).

So, for now, I'll buckle down and spend the next week doing an overhaul of sorts to make sure it really is as pristine as I can make it. Because, even though I'd rather work on the fun sequel, there won't be one if I can't get the first one of the ground.

Sometimes the truth hurts.


*Kayla*

Your Moment of Bohemia

As part of my gig with Bohemia--the literary journal I am fortunate enough to staff on--I will be writing a weekly blog assignment here catered to our fans/friends/bohemian followers. The rest of the staff are poised to write, as well, so feel free to visit http://bohojo.wordpress.com/ to check out my fellow staffers in all their glory!

For me: sometimes I will write on certain topics and other times, I'll post some fiction I've been working on so keep checking back weekly for that! :)

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Whew! Just finished my round of articles for the upcoming issue and I can't wait for our annual proofing party to see just how high the bar has been set yet again. :) Seriously, our staff is awesome!

One of the perks of being able to work on such a great publication is the artists we meet out in the community. My first music interview was with Beautiful Disturbance. I was so nervous meeting them because I knew they had been travelling and had acquired a pretty good fan base, so I had my work cut out for me. I managed to get a tape recorded in about an hour and all the questions answered that I could possibly have. I worked for a few days shelling out the piece that made it to print and was even more ecstatic that they loved it as much as I did. When our release party rolled around, they played an acoustic show for us that totally made my night!

They, honestly, are some of my favorite people. So nice and down to Earth and just humble in how insanely talented they are. I really can't wait to see what happens with them next because they deserve every bit of notoriety that they get.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of helping out with their first music video. Love had a school project that involved shooting such a video and the BD crew was pumped and ready to make that happen! We met around lunch time at Legacy Cafe & Art Gallery (because James--the owner--is a Bohemian friend and all around awesome person) and the band up in front of the shop.

Yours truly was tapped to run the PA system. Woot!

Not as hard as it looks because Lord knows, I wouldn't have been able to do it if it was.

 
The band got to do full takes of the song since our crowd wasn't as unruly as was expected. Though, that's not to say they weren't noshing it out in the street (safely) because they were definitely rocking just as hard as the band was.

View of the rocking from my seat.

And, of course, the crew (Love and his buddies) took some pauses to get their shots set up. The three of them were all over the place and got a lot of really interesting angles.

At the end--after all the shots were done--the crowd, band, and filmmakers got together for a big photo group shot that was taken by some of Love's classmates/friends who were in the area and stopped by. It was a great moment in BD history and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it.

Taking a moment :)

I think that day exemplified what I love about Bohemia and our mission. We get to be a positive medium for these bands and artists and showcase them in such a way that displays our own art: Artists furthering Artists. There's no other way to put it. I meet so many people that are just hungry in this area for new sounds and new sights and new reads and Bohemia gets to be one of the sources to combat that starvation.

In turn, we get to really know the people whose stories we tell. We can help them out with future projects and they willingly help the Magazine out when we are in need.

It's a great community and I'm so lucky to be a part of it.


*Kayla*

Busy as a Bee

Listening to Pandora just really gets my creative juices flowing, unless of course I can't find the particular song to help me "feel" the scene I'm trying to write. Then, it kind of sucks. :(


Not that it happens often.


On the bright side, I've had a full two weeks of physically working on things that have me really excited...or I've been working. :)


Last weekend--when I wasn't working--I got to spend some time on a movie set, mainly getting to know those participating. Love had a much bigger role than I did, but I was asked to write a little something, so that's definitely on the To Do List.


This weekend--also around working--I was lucky enough to do another awesome interview that will be in the next issue of the Magazine. It's so rewarding to be able to tell the stories of some of the most talented people around Waco. And, I'm still surprised when they like what I do, as well. Very surreal. Though I definitely have my favorites, each one is just as exciting as the one previous. Which is really good and definitely keeps me from getting burned out on the process.


I also got to help with a music video that Love is doing for one of my favorite bands (although I'm biased because they let me interview them early in my short career!)--which will be the topic of my next post. They really are the best people to work with. Love and I have had the pleasure of working on a few things both with the Mag and out of it and I can't say enough on how much I love them. :)


This coming weekend is a big one for the Magazine. We're having our first annual silent art auction with bands and a DJ and food and drinks. I, for one, am really excited to see our fans/readers come out and support us. And, I might also be jealous of the people who will swipe the goodies that are prime for the taking!


:) Our Journal is really one of the best in the area and I can't wait for everyone to see what we have for them next!

*Kayla*

Your Moment of Bohemia

As part of my new gig with Bohemia--the literary journal I am fortunate enough to staff on--I will be writing a weekly blog assignment here catered to our fans/friends/bohemian followers. The rest of the staff are poised to write, as well, so feel free to visit http://bohojo.wordpress.com/ to check out my fellow staffers in all their glory!

For me: sometimes I will write on certain topics and other times, I'll post some fiction I've been working on so keep checking back weekly for that! :)

******************************************************************

Well, readers, it's that time! And, this week, I hope I'm doing Bohemia justice by pinning the Prologue of my first complete novel to the yonder space below for all to read.

I originally wanted to put a snippet from my Noir Novella because I'm super excited with where it's going, but I thought I'd hold back on that for a bit until I can grab a section of it that doesn't speak too much to the piece I submitted for the Magazine. I don't want to step on that reveal.

For those who don't know, my first novel is in the "editing" phase and currently being shopped to agents. It is a YA fantasy piece about a seventeen year old girl who happens to be an empath and a demon hunter. 

I hope you aren't thrown off by the present tense. The YA books I read around the time I started this were written in that form and I wanted to take a stab at it myself.

Anyway, I hope you like it: 


 

Prologue:

A scream awakens my senses.  

My eyes flutter open and, after a quick jogging of my memory, I realize that I’m still sitting in my plush armchair by the window. I fell asleep reading. The dim light of my desk lamp flickers twice before leaving me in darkness.

Another scream. Mom?

I sit up, letting my History textbook fall off my chest and onto the ottoman. I stand and stretch and shake my head to wake up.

Voices.

Chantal’s at Volleyball camp and Dad’s out finishing his last day of a weekend convention in Kansas City.

Voices.

Something’s wrong.

Fuzzy layers of sleep slither off my brain and I rush to my bedroom door in near panic. I slowly open it without a sound.

“Now.” A low, even voice filters to me from downstairs.

I slide out into the hall and keep my focus towards the noise. The plush off-white carpet under my bare feet absorbs each step as I make it to the top of the stairs. I venture a look down into the living room, where my mother sits on the couch with her hands folded on her lap. Her normally blue and green aura has been replaced with the muddy gray tone of fear. A tall man with shoulder length hair, ripped jeans, and a worn t-shirt stands in front of her. A haze of brown floats around his shoulder, flanked by flashes of mustard-yellow.

My eyes sweep around the room and find nothing out of place but the front door stands ajar. With the stranger’s anger and uncertainty, I need to do something quick. I tiptoe a few doors back to the master bedroom and pick up the receiver on my dad’s nightstand. The line is dead.

“It’s not yours to have.” My mom’s usually firm voice is shaky and fragile.

Feeling an overwhelming need to be in that room, I travel back down the hall. Two steps too far, though, and I make the gravest mistake of my life by making my presence known.

A shot echoes the entire first floor, a pop so loud I cover my ears. Ear. I hadn’t even seen the gun. My left arm doesn’t move. Nothing. I look down as red river canals of blood seep gradually through my thin, long sleeve shirt on their way to the ground.

“You said…” Argumentative voices reach me, rasping echoes of the same phrase.

Another shot pierces the funnel of muffled sounds around me, bringing my attention back to the living room. Smoke curls in the air behind my mother’s back. Her posture is straight for a few seconds and then, the impact of the bullet tenderly pushes her to a slump. A shock of white overtakes the gray around her shoulders before the color disappears altogether.

“What have I…?” My brain slackens to a dizzy mess of injured circuitry. My breath shortens and I fall to the stairs, cradled against the banister. She would be alive if I had stayed out of it. What was I thinking? I chastise myself.

The man’s waxen face turns to me. A smile swims across his mouth, revealing two missing teeth behind a few weeks’ stubble. He lifts my mother’s hand forcefully and peels the wedding ring from her thin, lifeless finger. He releases the appendage nonchalantly and stalks passed me to the front door, shades of red and grey swirling after him.

Chantal will find us. My eyes flash to the magnet-covered fridge where my older sister’s note tells mom that practice finishes at eight. I pin my right arm to the baluster and lift the bottom half of my body. I twist at the waist to slide my upper half up the wooden poles to the handrail.

She can’t be the one to find us. I think as I make my way to the side table just inside the kitchen where my mother always leaves her purse.

I pass out on the kitchen floor as the cell phone I had retrieved dials 911.

 

*Kayla*

Off the Bookshelf

As you've previously read, I've spent a few days doing anything OTHER THAN finding another unsuspecting agent to query (UPDATE: I actually have sent out ONE email).

I've added more to a Noir novella that I'm completely loving and the sequel to my finished manuscript, started a new knitting project, dreamt about the design of my future house, watched movies with Love, played with the dogs, and finished a few more "real world" projects like the laundry or the dishes or my finances. :)

So much time has passed since my last admission of what I've been reading that I'm nearly through book 5 of the series I spoke on then! How time flies!

While I would like to catch you up with what I've been doing with the Women's Murder Club--including the new killer who may or may not pose as both a man AND a woman-- I actually wanted to mention a book series I started to read earlier last year (although I still haven't finished book 5 <--no judging!).

FYI: Awesome photo taken from http://www.larissaslife.com/.

In regards to the photo, I have read Greywalker, Poltergeist, Underground, Vanished, and part of Labyrinth. I think that at book five I got winded and then found the WMC, so once I get winded on Patterson, I'll go back. :)

To give you a bit of the overall story: The series follows Harper Blaine, a PI in Seattle, who dies at the open of the series (for a few minutes). When she comes out of her coma, she discovers the ability to move in the "Grey", the world between life and death where pretty much all paranormal things hang out. Even though she wants to be normal and seems to have a real dislike for the new change, some of her clients end up coming from that very world. So, inevitably, she gets thrown into situations that are hairy and tense and action packed and probably not anything another human would do.

The coolest part, I think was book 2, Poltergeist, which followed a group at the local University who were trying to "create" a ghost. People died, you learned how "disturbances" can be faked, it was awesome. :)

I can't really think of anything I didn't like, other than maybe her choice of boyfriends. I don't want to give too much away, but the one she has through most of the first books I definitely pictured being way younger than her, so it seemed a little off to me. (Or maybe it was just that I pictured him like Dilton from the Archie comics HAHA)

My FAVORITE part of the books so far are her friends Mara and Ben who are professors (and Mara's a witch). So far they've been really good soundboards for Harper--despite having a ghost in their house who doesn't like her--helping her out with the Greywalker stuff and some of her cases.

Another favorite is her Ferret, Chaos. I've never owned one, but she almost makes you want to. :)




Hope your books are just as fun! :)



*Kayla*

Your Moment of Bohemia

As part of my new gig with Bohemia--the literary journal I am fortunate enough to staff on--I will be writing a weekly blog assignment here catered to our fans/friends/bohemian followers. The rest of the staff are poised to write, as well, so feel free to visit http://bohojo.wordpress.com/ to check out my fellow staffers in all their glory!

For me: sometimes I will write on certain topics and other times, I'll post some fiction I've been working on so keep checking back weekly for that! :)

******************************************************************

As per my above tease, I was originally planning to follow through with a snippet of my Noir workings this week. But, instead, awesome reader, you get a most fantastic tell-all of my latest awesome present.

*Yay*, right?!

For a while now I've had a huge love of owls. If I had to choose an origin, I'd say it started with an envy of Harry Potter. (Were I at Hogwarts, I would've had a snow owl like Hedwig.) A couple of years ago, owls became increasingly popular on jewelry, purses, etc. (I still kick myself for passing on a pair of rainboots!)

That being said, most who know me have knowledge of my inner craziness for them. And, I won't lie: I have an inner jealousy for those who have cool owl stuff (like a tattoo, Jessica!) that I don't have. Yet. (insert evil grin)

A couple of weeks ago, one of my coworkers mentioned a box of thimbles she found while going through her parents' house. (They recently passed. :(  ) I really wasn't harboring any great feelings that they were thimbles, just the idea that they were OWLS. For two, excruciating weeks I waited to get them and finally procured them yesterday when I stopped into the Optical for a few hours of work. Having no expectations other than AWESOME, I opened the box with my name on it to reveal:

As you can see, they are beyond awesome. :) And--having never seen anything like them--I was immediately intrigued as to what they are.

Researching them specifically was not so much fun, as all I came away with were sites that wanted to sell them. No history. :(

But, I did figure out that they are Chinese cloisonne pieces (from cloisons which is french for "partitions"). Though these are most likely not as antique, the actual cloisonne art dates back to the 1420's with stylistic references dated shortly before, starting in the early part of the Ming dynasty in 1403.

The process uses thin strips of metal matched along the curved and bent surfaces of the mold of the artist's desired project. Each strip is soldered to the next with powdered enamel fused in between. The enamel is colored or painted and then the piece is set into a kiln. As enamels tend to shrink after firing, the process is generally repeated. Once cooled, it is polished.

A lot of vases from this period are made that way. I make the assumption that people just branched out from there. It's funny because I still don't think of them as "thimbles"; Hollow, they remind me more of finger puppets. Just a fancy kind. :)

But, no arguing semantics.

I read that the cloisonne pieces were mainly used as decorations in temples because they were thought to be too ornate for the every day household. Such a law--as my house is definitely an every day household--was doomed to be broken.

Lucky for me! :)


*Kayla*

Chinny chin chin...

Today, I'm spending some much needed time away from all things creative.

*sad face*

But, I say needed because I started the day off reading my most recent "No" email from an agent. As you can imagine, it didn't start my day off well. Which, if anything, should teach me a lesson on reading emails as soon as my alarm goes off.

Yesterday, I had continued some work on what I think will be a most wicked Noir novella and had spent most of the night dreaming about its organization. Today, I was planning on expanding my notes.

Instead--honest to blog--I'm highlighting my credit report. (Yes, that was a Juno reference.)

And, yes, that said credit report.

*sad face with a double chin*

One of the worst things sucking money from my wallet are the student loans that I pay regularly without the gratification of a college diploma. Although, believe me, I look in the mirror when I get angry. No one's fault but my own.

I've been paying on them for a bit now and have been so proud of myself for keeping it all square with my budget until I found out the other day that my good deed isn't exactly beneficial to me. With each payment separated into a couple small loans, it makes my credit look "bless her heart" instead of "let's give her a house" (<-which I want one day).

On top of that--if you haven't seen your own--you probably should. I came away with a handful of things that were actually false. For starters: let me give a shout out to the person in Gatesville who opened a water bill on an apartment there under my name. I'm sure you know that you failed to pay your bill. Thumbs up. You rock.

*sad face with a triple chin*

Also, I'm a little unnerved that there are three different "Kayla's" under my Social. Yeah, that wasn't a typo. I said THREE. Let's count them: 1)Me, 2) Kayla Watson, and 3) Kayla Weese. 

What's really funny is that I halfway knew about one of those. A LONG time ago when I got out of school (10 year reunion this year!), I didn't have any credit for anything. And, let me tell you, no credit is as bad as bad credit. At the car lot I worked for, my dad and I were considering trading in my POS Pontiac for a Tundra. When the guys ran my credit, information popped up for a lady in Alabama born in '77.

One would think I'd have cared at the time, but I didn't. Perks of being young and indifferent.

*sad face with one more chin for good luck*

I digress.

At the end of the day, I'm getting it all fixed and hopefully making my school-loan life a lot better by consolidating. Fortunately, dealing with my real world has definitely taken my mind off of the worries of my "could be real" world.

Despite an email saying: "I can't best represent you." with no other explanation, I feel like life goes on. I have other things to do that don't involve my writing. I LOVE writing, I do, but I can't let it define me. I can't throw all my ducks into the hope of one person saying "Yes" because in five years, I'll have no back up plan and no ducks.




And we all like ducks....

*Kayla*

Your Moment of Bohemia

As part of my new gig with Bohemia--the literary journal I am fortunate enough to staff on--I will be writing a weekly blog assignment here catered to our fans/friends/bohemian followers. The rest of the staff are poised to write, as well, so feel free to visit http://bohojo.wordpress.com/ to check out my fellow staffers in all their glory!

For me: sometimes I will write on certain topics and other times, I'll post some fiction I've been working on so keep checking back weekly for that! :)

******************************************************************

Of all the things I've done or will do this week, the one thing I couldn't do was be there for my dad. If you've followed my blog at all, you're aware of the Christmas trip spent in the ER. In dedication to my brave Edoda (<--Cherokee for "Father"!), I thought I'd take a minute to recount my favorite story EVER from our Greatest Hits album.

I grew up in the tiny border town of Arkoma, Oklahoma. For as far back as I can remember I played outside. I didn't even try my hand at video games until I was 13. And, when I was able to ride a bike and, coincidentally, got one for Christmas, I was G-O-N-E.

I rode along our slim, pot-holed streets usually heading for the nearby school where I would jump the multiple sets of stairs or to the back end of the neighborhood where hills were aplenty. The excitement of coasting at Mac 3 down a winding hill always trumped the strenuous climb back up (or the possibility of smashing into a car along a cross street).

On one particular day, Dad and I were home together (I have no recollection of where Mom and Sister were).  While he toiled away in his shop in the garage, I took to riding circles in our long driveway. As any parent would do, he told me to stop because I could fall and get hurt. As any child would do, I let his warning go in one ear and out the other and continued on my flirtation with danger.

And, as life tends to do, Dad happened to be right. On my third turn around the wide path, a tiny rock hit my front tire in just the right spot. I flipped off the bike and scraped my knee (a scar I have to this day).

I cried. A lot.

I probably milked it, I'm sure. Maybe I thought he wouldn't say "I told you so" if I proved to have a real injury. Or, maybe I was just being a girl about it.

Either way, Dad swooped me up and ran me inside where I was placed on the kitchen counter while he looked for something to heal me or make me stop wailing. To my luck, he found the cure for both: after some slight first-aid to the wound, Good Old Dad walked me to the corner store, J-Sacs, where--if memory serves--I picked out an ice cream sandwich.

Band-aids and Ice-cream saved the day!



I've come to the realization that my favorite story really explains the epitome of my relationship with my father. However many times I've screwed up (disregarding his sage, Cherokee advice or not), he never says "I told you so".

He always tells me that "You'll be fine". And, he's usually right.

We've had our differences throughout the years; he's not the easiest man to know and--like him--I'm just as stubborn. But, my favorite day sits in August of 2000 when he said "I love you" to me for the first time. Shortly after he split with my mom, I was able to witness firsthand the emotions of a man who had never really let that side be shown before. And, even preparing for a biopsy two days ago, he told me twice to make sure I take care of "me".

I'm the luckiest.





*Kayla* 

a case of the Do-overs

The past weeks have been a little crazy at my casa. I've had to make some difficult choices--and not all weighing the good versus the bad.

Yesterday, I took my manuscript back from the publisher who had been looking at it for a month. :/
Why? You find yourself asking.
Well, for two reasons:
1) The publisher sent me a request for my business plan which he hoped would include a number on how many books I--myself--would buy. I wasn't happy with that request because it doesn't particularly make sense that we would rely in any way on my own personal piggy bank. So, even though I let the sucker stand for a few days, I started to get a bad feeling.
     I'm not saying the guy was a scammer--I'm sure he wasn't. I just wasn't excited about his communication skills. When I replied with my "business plan" and a rebuke of the possiblity of me buying bulk loads of my own work (not to mention, trying not to be horrified that he would ask me to help generate leads), he simply thanked me for my feedback without really upping my dashed confidence by giving me a play-by-play of his own abilities and what he would do for me.
     His blase attitude kind of set me off, so I yanked the script for something that felt better.

2) Now, being a smaller publishing house, the very things he was asking of me could have been norm for any other author on his bill, but I--having little experience in the twists and turns of the world of writing--am none the wiser. Which is not good.
    So I decided then and there that what I needed most was someone who would best help me make that decision. I need someone who knows what publishers are credible, and which will only put a mark on my fragile career as a novelist. Moreover, if a glossy contract every comes my way, I need someone who can help me best decipher it.
    That's right, I need an agent.

So, I did a bit of research and found a place in Denver that seems really cool with YA novels and the like. I revisited my first query and shined it into a pretty penny (with just a spit of my personality).

The good news is that I should hear back in 5-10 days on whether they want a section of my piece or if they pass. 


XFingers CrossedX


*Kayla* 

Your Moment of Bohemia

As part of my new gig with Bohemia--the literary journal I am fortunate enough to staff on--I will be writing a weekly blog assignment here catered to our fans/friends/bohemian followers. The rest of the staff are poised to write, as well, so feel free to visit http://bohojo.wordpress.com/ to check out my fellow staffers in all their glory!

For me: sometimes I will write on certain topics and other times, I'll post some fiction I've been working on so keep checking back weekly for that! :)

***************************************************************************
Disclaimer: I am in no way an aficionado when it comes to fashion so please don't expect all the correct terminology or the greatest clothes you've ever seen. (Also, I'm no staff photographer, so you'll have to excuse the amateur photos.) With my wardrobe, my main goal is usually to not look like a hot mess so I play it pretty safe. One thing that I do know from the past two months of searching my mother's closet and letting Love pick out my outfits: other people dress me better than I do.



For my blog today, I wanted to hopefully start a trend among the other female Bohemia staffers (as I do believe they are way more fashion forward than I am) of riffling through our own closets and giving our fans and friends a look at our favorite items. So, LADIES, tag--you're it! I'm looking at all of you with a glare of expectation! :)

I hunted through my closet to find the things that I either wear the most, have sentimental value, or are my favorites. On top of that, I made a note of either how I got the article of clothing, how I wear it, and/or something special about it that keeps it on a hanger. FUN!

Currently, my favorite things in my closet are my dresses (which is kind of sad because it's been a little too cold to wear them).   

These two are from the raid on my mother's closet. The red one has a very vintage feel to it with ruffled sleeves, lovely collar, three buttons down the front and a bow tie around the waist. I usually wear a pair of black peep-toes with it. The one to the right is an eggplant/purple color with a cowl neck (kind of hard to see). I had a lot of compliments on the color when I wore it to the office and plan on rummaging Waco for a black belt to accentuate the waist.

 This is one of my own. :) I bought it for a friend's birthday dinner/trip down to the San Antonio area a few years ago. I've also worn it to work because the tie along the back can be tightened to make it more office appropriate. My peep-toes are awesome with this dress and it's one of the few pattern items that I own and love.

I also have a set of cute skirts that I like very much:



This one has been a staple of mine for so long that I do not know its origin anymore. It has a tie waist and a faux denim look that I find fun. It is very versatile; I've worn it with a nice short sleeve with undershirt and heels to work, as well as, with flip-flops and a fun tee while running errands.



These two are newer additions. The gray one to the left is from Old Navy and SUPER comfy. I bought it on a whim with a pair of cute sandals for a date night with Love (we saw Super 8!). I've also worn it to work a couple times. The one on the right is a chocolate brown skirt that has a kind of a pleated look to one side, giving the illusion of multiple layers. I wore it this past weekend with a red sweater and my brown wedges (picked out by Love). It worked really well and I got a lot of compliments. 

I have colorful and fun tops that I wear to work, out on dates, or to release parties.

The cute, strappy top to the left is one that I inherited from a friend a few years ago. I usually pair it with a shrug or some kind of sweater (mostly because I'm always cold, but also because I don't always feel comfortable in clothes that might be revealing.) The black sweater to the right is a Goodwill find that cost me $3! I wear it to work a lot or with my dark wash slim jeans. Like most things I own, it's comfortable.

These are both inherited to my knowledge. The black and gold blouse to the left has a ribbon tie under the chest and a black under layer. It looks sleeveless, but that's my poor arranging. The sleeves are about as long as its friend next to it. The black and white shirt is cotton with cute slightly-puffy sleeves. I honestly LOVE the scoop design and buttons--it's different and can be both dressy and casual.

This one is another cowl neck that I own. It also has a black tie around the waist and is very soft cotton. I bought it about two years ago because I needed another black shirt to wear during Optical expos (we wear all black). I usually wear it with a pair of gray or black slacks and my flats.

Two of the few pieces I have in the brown family: The one to the left is a long vest that I bought for my step-dad's 70's-themed birthday party a couple years ago. I have since worn it to work with tan slacks or out on errands with a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. The light camel shirt is from my mother's closet. I usually wear a green or brown undershirt with it. It's very stretchy and comfortable and fits my shape really well.

The awesome striped overshirt to the left is from a shopping trip for my sister's birthday (in Dallas) last year. The store was called Papaya and I totally would've spent my whole paycheck there had I been left alone for too long. As you can see, it has a semi-open front, so I usually wear it over a white shirt. Despite the stripes, I think it looks good on me. (Aside: Horizontal stripes are always said to look bad on people, but that sure doesn't cause designers to only use Vertical stripes. I honestly find it hard to find anything other than horizontal. Crazy Horizontal stripe pushers!) The pink to the right is another fun one from my mother's closet that fits me great. The cotton is pretty stretchy and the sleeves are a good length for the office. 

The pink to the left was bought at Papaya, as well. The rosettes are so cool, I think (you can barely see them along the strap). I usually pair it with a blue sweater and slacks for work or my slim jeans for going out. It's a playful favorite. The green to the right is actually a Wally World find. I needed something different for an Arbonne party I was throwing and happened to be in old Walmart. I pair it with a white or gray undershirt and have worn it to work, as well.

This is probably my go-to item that I wear the most. If I have a white tee or maybe the pink rosette top, I'll throw this on as a cover or a "just in case I get cold" item. I love the bell sleeves and tend to wrap up in it at my desk. Super comfy.

So far, I've made it sound like I always work. :D I have a few fun shirts that I wear on errands or around the house or running around with the dogs.

Oh, the things that I love the most! The blue to the left is a tee that I got when I went to a game with Love and some friends back in May. I'm a huge baseball and Rangers fan and--since Love likes them--the Astros are growing on me. My other favorite thing is owls. I have a stuffed one sitting on a bookshelf and a handmade owl card that came with a present from Love. He also bought me the shirt to the right. :)

I believe these two are from Hot Topic, though I could be wrong about the blue one. I'm a fan of HP and Neville was always my favorite. The Stay Puft marshmallow man is just funny. :)

One of my favorite bands is All Time Low, so Love bought this shirt for me several months back. Jack to the right is also from Hot Topic and Nightmare is one of my favorite movies (that I don't own! HA!). Three years ago I carved his face into a pumpkin!

Everyone should have sentimental shirts from the past and these are two of mine. The Bulldog jersey is my Alma Mater: Greenwood HS. I found the old baseball tee in a school gym closet of old stuff my junior year. #7 is my fave number and also my old softball number so it seemed serendipitous that I found it. Even more awesome: my Spirit Squad coach let me keep it. The top to the right is an old uniform top from my softball days (I also have a long sleeve tee). Fort Smith Flash! So many memories...

Now that I've bored you with endless photos of random clothes, I'm to the fun part: accessories. Now, I will say that--despite my genes--I'm not near as interested in shoe collecting as my mother and sister. So, I have a few pieces. And, I usually WEAR THEM OUT until I have no choice but to buy another pair.

Both of these are courtesy of Love. The Roxys to the left are from Journey here in Waco and were not only on sale, but they only had my size. SCORE! I wear them on casual day at work (Fridays) and whenever I have a chance when I go out. I don't like wearing them too much, though, because I really want them to stay nice. The black flats to the right are newbies to my home and replaced the old working flats that were losing their sole. Yes, I wore them that bad.

Yay, heels! I LOVE my houndstooth heels to the right. They're pretty much the shoe I wear to work. They're just so classy looking. The black peep-toes to the left are newbies--like my flats--and are very sexy. I'm quite excited to wear them out.

The black peep-toes to the left are my oldest heels. We've had a good relationship for about four years now. Super comfortable and they really go with most of my wardrobe. The chunky wedges were a purchase made for the aforementioned 70's party. Super fun--I've been known to wear them to work with slacks or my dark denim skirt.

 I don't have much in the way of jewelry; at the ripe old age of 27, I'm finally discovering fun little accents. I have a ways to go in building my collection, though. :)

Bracelets! The watch is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE (trumped now by my emerald ring). It was a gift from Love and I wear it nearly every day. I'm happy to report that it is in pristine condition, compared to the slaughtering my old Fossil took. Under the watch is my BEAUTIFUL DISTURBANCE band that was given to me for interviewing the awesome cast of rockers. They are so dear to my heart (as my first band interview for Bohemia). I love them so much and it was so sweet of them to bring that for me. The charm bracelet is my third favorite--from my sister--Christmas of '10. It was so thoughtful of her (it's "travel" oriented with a passport, suitcase, airplane, and the Eiffel Tower on it). I used it as a distraction for Baby Lilly this Christmas and hope it continues to hold up. The multi-colored strand next to the charm bracelet is actually a necklace, but I like to also wrap it twice around my wrist. Versatility!

Earrings! The only set that I do not wear often are the peace signs. They really feel weird with normal outfits. HA! They remind me of the awesome party for my step-dad so they get to stay and I occasionally wear them to the Optical. The green tiers are probably my fave and definitely the oldest. I had a green flower necklace that I wore with it, but sadly that broke. Still, these march on. The brown pairs are fun to wear to work or out and about. I have a necklace below that they match with. :)

I hadn't gotten into headbands until recently. I bought some as a present for my step-sister for Christmas and they suddenly seemed so fun! So, I have the blue studded one that I wear sometimes with the blue necklace below. I am also proud of the red one because I totally knitted that sucker! Took me a couple days to get it right, but the band and flower turned out awesome. I've only worn it twice, but it's so fun!

Necklaces! The top one is an owl! :) The others are variations on beaded arraignments. I mix and match and have been wearing them a lot! The bottom set is the newest that was a present for Christmas.

So, that's the end of my Closet Show and Tell. It was really fun to put the photos and insights together, so I hope you liked it. Feel free to sound off in the comments on your own favorite wardrobe pieces, what staples you just can't go without, and how incredibly bland my choices are. :) It's all in good fun.

Until next week!
<3


*Kayla*