~Love, Leigh~

It's Here!

2011-11-02T23:44:00.003-04:00

You never forget your first...

In THE FIRST TIME, 25 young adult authors contribute 25 stories all about firsts: first loves, first kisses, first zombie slayings, and more. Featuring New York Times bestselling authors Carrie Ryan and Jessica Verday, plus a host of others. From humor to horror, and everything in between, these stories will make you laugh, cry, cheer, (and maybe even scream) as you experience something brand new from the authors that you love.

Contributing authors include: Cyn Balog, Lauren Bjorkman, Leigh Brescia, Jennifer Brown, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Janet Gurtler, Teri Hall, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Stacey Jay, Heidi R. Kling, C. Lee McKenzie, Saundra Mitchell, Jenny Moss, Jackson Pearce, Shani Petroff, Carrie Ryan, Sydney Salter, Kurtis Scaletta, Jon Skovron, Kristina Springer, Rhonda Stapleton, Charity Tahmaseb, Jessica Verday, J. A. Yang, and Lara Zielin

Get it from Amazon

Get it from Barnes & Noble

If you don't have a Kindle, you can still read this eBook on your phone, computer, iPad, e-reader, etc. Just grab the Amazon Kindle app here.

If you prefer the Barnes & Noble Nook app, get it here.

Then, read "When Skies are Gray" and tell me what you think! :)

Love,
~Leigh~

Yes, I'm Still Hanging Around. . . .

2011-07-06T18:51:00.003-04:00

Blog posts have been sporadic, I know. (More like non-existent.) I've had a super busy summer so far, and I'm working on a few "behind the scenes" things right now. So . . . it's not that I'm not writing or editing or sending projects out into the world . . . it's just that I can't talk about them here.

So vague, I know.

I do have something I want to share, though. The cover of the Debs Anthology I am *so proud* to be part of, coming Fall 2011.

The official release info is here.

I will keep you posted as new information arises! *Promise*

Love,
~Leigh~

For Leigh Brescia, Press "Ruby Rush"

2011-05-06T09:01:00.002-04:00

So, I was doing some blog maintenance recently, and was surprised to discover that the number one search term linked to my blog is not, in fact, leigh brescia (or one of the many derivatives of this, including—but not limited to—brecsia, bresica, bresca, breskia . . . yeah, you get the point). Neither is it: YA author. Or: One Wish.

It is actually . . . (wait for it) . . . Ruby Rush. This, followed by: Feria R68.

I don't know what this means, but if you have stumbled across this blog because you're thinking about going Ruby Rush, you've come to the right place. I'm a huge Feria fan. I thought Ruby Rush looked great in my hair. I've since toned it down a bit, but summer's coming, so you just never know.

The post you're looking for (with pics) is here.

In addition to chopping off and coloring my hair in fits of angst, I also write books.

So . . . I'm glad you dropped in; the reason why doesn't really matter. And whatever color you opt for, I hope the result is everything you want and more.

Don't be a stranger!

Love,

~Leigh~

On American Idol

2011-04-22T10:34:00.002-04:00

I honestly thought I wasn't going to like this season of American Idol. It's no secret that I had a married girl crush on Simon Cowell, so when he announced he was leaving, I was more than slightly bummed. I'm happy that the show has carried on, though, and that it seems to be doing well. Without him, this season is nothing if not nicer. Maybe less honest, but nice is good, too.

I was shocked with everyone else when Pia was eliminated, I hated to see Paul go, but I am totally pulling for James Durbin.

This doesn't mean I want him to win. In fact, it might be better for him if he doesn't. A record deal is as good as his, anyway, and I'd rather see him work on his own project/music without the white noise of the American Idol label.

I mean, James Durbin does Muse. Does it get any better than this?

(sigh) Emo angsty boy rocker. Are you really all that surprised?

Love,

~Leigh~

Thought You Had a Blog Post, Didn't You?

2011-04-01T09:29:00.000-04:00

APRIL FOOLS!

It's actually another one of those weeks. But the good news is, I'm working on a new project, and it's all bright and shiny and sparkly and really fun right now. Actually, it's a little scary. I spent a few minutes yesterday downloading some Hans Zimmer to my playlist. Note: the Inception soundtrack is great to write by.

Intense. Just like the story. Now I'm just waiting for the nightmares.

Have a great weekend!

Love,

~Leigh~

A Quick Announcement and some Eye Candy

2011-03-18T08:54:00.004-04:00

An announcement for you on this beautiful spring Friday. . . . And yes, that is my name nestled among the YA greatness.

Now that I’m caught up on sleep, I'm wondering if I can pull off two Twilight movie marathon weekends in a row. What? That makes me obsessed? Yeah, you're right. I may just have to resort to gazing longingly at RPatz photos while I'm drafting my "Firsts" story.

He's only like, four years younger than me, you know. I am totally *not* a cougar.

(sigh) But I *would* be. . . .

Love,
~Leigh~

Movie Marathon Update

2011-03-14T09:03:00.002-04:00

So the whole Twilight weekend movie marathon was a huge success. Since I left you on Friday with my head exploding (figuratively, of course), I thought you at least deserved an update. Friday night I watched Twilight. Saturday night was New Moon. Sunday afternoon was Eclipse.

I did a little reading, but no writing. I tried to catch up on some housework, and then enjoyed the warm, spring weekend.

I completely forgot it was Daylight Savings weekend (I guess that's what happens when your head is exploding), so I was thrilled to discover on Saturday night that the time shifted back in my favor. Yes, I lost an hour of sleep (I actually lost a lot more sleep than that this weekend), but it was worth it last night around 7:30 when it was still light outside.

Do I feel rested and rejuvenated? No. But that's because my child decided to wake me up in the middle of the night like she was three months old again and on a feeding schedule. Today, I will be a zombie (because yes, sleep is that important to me), but at least I got my movie marathon in, and this makes me happy in so many ways. Yes: it's about the little things these days.

I also watched a movie last night with the guy I'm sorta married to but not allowed to talk about online. It's not my typical sparkly vampire/high drama/rom com kind of movie, but he swore up and down I'd love it. And he was *so* right.

I don't recommend a lot of movies on the blog just because they're so subjective, but, if you're anything like me, The Next Three Days will blow your mind.

Have a great week!

Love,

~Leigh~

Hi. My name is Leigh, and I'm a workaholic.

2011-03-11T09:05:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I think my head is going to explode. Truly. I'm coming off another week of self-imposed guerilla proofreading. So in the last week I listened to my latest ms (because it's super easy to find words that were skipped or awkward dialogue when your story is being read back to you), and I did another round of punctuation proofs.

I am so obsessed with proper comma placement it's not even funny. It's to the point now where I don't even know where commas really go, anymore (Does that comma really belong between "go" and "anymore"? See what I mean?). Some of it is stylistic. I spent one evening fixing misplaced/misused semicolons.

I think I have everything the way I want it now. You know what they say about submitting your best work? I have perfection issues. I'm serious. Twelve-step program needed.

At any rate, while I'm confident in the hard work I've put into this ms, I am in serious need of a break.

This weekend I'm going to hibernate. I'm not going to do any writing or revising. In fact, I think I'm going to have a Twilight marathon. I'm going to watch all three movies. Maybe in one sitting. Doubt that's even possible with a psycho dog and a five-year-old running the household, but it's worth a shot.

It's just sad that I feel like I have to give myself permission to take a break. And the reason I mentioned the Twilight marathon? Because I've wanted to do this for the last three months, and I'm always putting it off. I figure if I announce it, I'm more likely to stick with it. I hate telling people I'm going to do something and then not following through.

See? How terrible is that?

So from one workaholic to another, I'm giving you permission to take a break this weekend. Rest. Relax. Rejuvenate. Watch Twilight. Whatever makes you happy. For me? That means getting as far away from "words" as possible.

Have a great weekend! No, seriously. :)

Love,

~Leigh~

For Lisa. . . .

2011-02-24T13:31:00.000-05:00

Sending my thoughts and prayers, love and hugs out into the world for L.K. Madigan and the family and friends she left behind. . . .

Hurry Up, Spring!

2011-02-18T08:52:00.001-05:00

The high here today is 75 degrees. Yes, a warm front is coming through, and it's just enough to make me want to push winter out the door, kicking him out forever. It's only mid-February, though, and we have cool days all through March (and even April). In fact, it's going to hit the 40's again next week. . . .

Still, I have *big* plans . . . like opening the windows. I *must have* sunshine and fresh air. I cannot live without them. Winter is like, my nightmare.

This time of year, though, I always feel the need to buy a flowering plant (which is stupid, because I know I'm just going to kill it). I also want a bird feeder. I have a thing for hummingbirds. I think I need wind chimes, too.

So, is it possible if I buy all these things spring will hurry up and stay for a while?

*crosses fingers*

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Love,
~Leigh~

I'd Rather Be Writing

2011-02-11T08:48:00.000-05:00

I have a passion project I'm working on right now, and I'm just *so* in love with it I don't want to do anything but write, which is hard because my days are packed with work and family obligations. I've spent two years now with these characters, and this is a companion story to an ms I've been tweaking during this time.

I *love* these people, and I've been giddy all week about this story. . . .

Virginia Woolf said that in order to write, a woman must have a room of her own and 500 pounds a year. I don't know what that is adjusted for inflation, but yeah, totally. Please sponsor me, Virginia, because I'm thinking if I had to pick between the power bill this month and the characters' voices in my head, I'm going with the voices.

Happy Friday!

Love,

~Leigh~

EBooks and Lip Gloss

2011-02-04T09:16:00.002-05:00

There's been some buzz in the indie publishing world about the new NYT bestseller list for ebooks.

Apparently indies aren't included.

Yes, they're called indies now. Remember when self-publishing had this stigma? As in: never do it or you'll screw yourself forever? Um, that's not really the case anymore. Ever since the Kindle came along, there's been an indie ebook revolution. Authors are loading their backlists, publishing short stories and novellas to promote their other titles, and some are skipping traditional publishing altogether. It's all about trusting the reader to find and promote. . . .

I'm not well-versed in "all things indie," but it seems that Amanda Hocking's name keeps popping up wherever I go. Amanda Hocking, indie writer, who has sold over 500,000 ebooks. Amanda Hocking, who holds more than half of the spots on the Amazon YA/Children's bestseller list at any given time.

I'm sorry, but that is just *insane*.

I haven't read any of her stories yet, so I can't comment in that regards, but in terms of selling ebooks, the girl is dominating.

Seems to me she should appear somewhere on that list. . . .

In other news, I bought some new lip gloss . . . and it WORKS. Seriously. I am notorious for making poor lipstick decisions. The problem is I go for browns, and the selection is extremely limited. I've yet to find that perfect color I can live with forever, and I usually resort to mixing them. My last attempt was too orange, and the lip gloss before that tasted great, but died early. This time it's on the lighter side, but if I mix it with my darker shade, I think it'll work. At least it's not eight bucks in the trash. For that, I consider myself a success.

I also bought new Sharpie pens. I will rule this world.

Love,

~Leigh~

Quick Update

2011-01-28T09:00:00.003-05:00

I'm coming off another insane work week (I swear, by Friday my eyeballs are ready to fall out), so today's update will be quick.

First, in light of the news of the 25-year anniversary of the Challenger disaster, let me recommend TAKING OFF by Jenny Moss, which tells the story of Annie, who meets Christa McAuliffe and takes a road trip to see the launch. I got to read one of Jenny's earlier drafts, and this is *such* a great story. Go here to check it out!

Also, there's still time to enter the L. K. Madigan Feast of Awesome Giveaway. Go here for more info!

Love . . . Peace . . . You know. I'm going to try to get some quick edits in before I have to start working for real. I love and appreciate my day job, but I hate the time it takes away from writing.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Love,

~Leigh~

My Playlist

2011-01-21T13:51:00.001-05:00

Music inspires me more than anything else, I think, and my taste is *so* eclectic that barely any patterns emerge in my playlists. Indie Rockers, 80's power ballads, pop divas, classical. . . . It's kind of insane, actually. I do tend to prefer slow, intense songs because these directly relate to the stories I write. I like songs that move me emotionally; make me feel something I can transfer over to my writing.

So, in honor of Friday, here are the three newest "favs" on my playlist:

1. "This Year's Love" by David Gray

I am clearly going through a David Gray phase, and I had this song on repeat yesterday while I was working on my WIP; one scene in particular.

2. "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri

This song is *epic* and I listened to it so much last week that I've actually had to take a temporary break from it, because I was literally waking up in the middle of the night singing it. And, you know, I am evil without sleep.

3. "Boston" by Augustana

This is one of the newest additions. Clearly, I love my boys angsty and with stringy hair. In reality, I would probably say: "Suck it up and find a brush."

What? You're surprised Michael Buble isn't on this list? Yeah, me too; but then . . . he brushes his hair. Or, you know, has people to do that kind of stuff for him.

Have a great weekend!

Love,

~Leigh~

Happy Birthday, Eddie!

2011-01-19T10:39:00.003-05:00

Today is Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, so I feel it's only right to wish the author whose stories and poems continue to creep me out a happy day. Am disappointed the Poe Toaster seems to have retired, though. The annual trek to leave roses and cognac is a fitting tribute, I think. Poe would have approved. And I am just enough of a nerd to have been one of the "watchers" had I the opportunity.

In other Poe news, a search today revealed that there is a new movie called The Raven In post-production right now.

John Cusack makes a dashing Poe. Don't you think?

In honor of Eddie, and if you have some extra time, go here to read some of his works. I'm partial to "Annabel Lee." Always.

Have a Great Day, Everyone!

Love,

~Leigh~

In Honor of L. K. Madigan . . .

2011-01-17T13:10:00.007-05:00

The 2009 Debutantes are spreading the L. K. Madigan book love!

Go here to learn how you can win one of 40 sets of Flash Burnout (the 2010 Morris Award Winner) and The Mermaid's Mirror.

Please link, post, and re-tweet to your heart's content.

~Leigh~

Weekly Recap

2011-01-14T23:24:00.001-05:00

A lot happened this week. . . .

The Newbery and Caldecott winners were bumped from The Today Show so Snooki could plug her book. I don't even know what to say about this.

For a moment, because of some crazy Astrological mix-up, I thought I was destined to be a Taurus for the rest of my life. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm just proud to be a Gemini. Turns out the 13^th sign does not affect our system, so the signs we were born with remain ours. (insert sigh of relief here)

Finally, some not so great news was released from fellow 2009 Deb L. K. Madigan, author of FLASH BURNOUT and THE MERMAID'S MIRROR. You can read her post here. I hope you'll stop by and give your best wishes if you haven't already.

In conjunction with this, the Debs will post a Super Special Super Sekrit Surprise Announcement very soon.

That is all. . . .

Love,

~Leigh~

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T10:33:00.002-05:00

So yeah, this is the post where I usually revel in how wonderful the previous year was for me and all the amazing things that happened and how 2011 will be awesome and blah blah blah blah blah.

The truth?

Being a writer is the hardest, most frustrating thing I've ever done, because you just never know what the year will bring. It could bring a whole lot of somethings, or a bunch of nothing. Since 2010 was coming off the debut year, let's just say I fell into the "bunch of nothing" category more often than not.

But do you know what I learned this year? Patience.

Ha! Not really . . . but sort of.

I learned that getting one book on the shelves doesn't necessarily mean that people will be clamoring for the next one.

I learned having a book published is awesome, but not everyone is going to care, or keep caring.

I learned that if I want to make it in this industry I'm going to have to work my tail off.

So in retrospect, 2010 was a "working my tail off" year. I wrote one new ms over the summer that I plan to start revising soon (more like "rewriting"), and I spent months and months and months revising one ms in particular: adding scenes, ripping them out, changing the ending like, five times. And you know what? It still might not be enough. But what I learned throughout this process: I can be better. I can do better. Each time I pushed myself, every time I revised, the ms became stronger.

Patience = not rushing through a project to get it out the door. It means taking time to make sure *everything* is perfect. And then it means going back and making more changes, because "perfect" right now . . . well, let's just say I've read some of my old stories that I thought were perfect at the time, which now I think are . . . um . . . fairly crappy.

That's good, though, because I'm recognizing my flaws, and I'm correcting them.

I'm *forcing myself* to be better.

Because the best thing about a new year is the possibility of "somethings." There's potential. *Anything* can happen.

And you know, at the end of 2011 I might look back and see more "nothings," but it won't be because I didn't kill myself trying. I'll be a little stronger, wiser, and my "perfect" then will be much better than my "perfect" now. Because, you know, life is just one huge Work In Progress.

Happy 2011!

Love,

~Leigh~

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T16:07:00.001-05:00

Christmas Countdown

2010-12-20T21:20:00.002-05:00

In honor of the holiday season I'm counting down my top five favorite Christmas "movie" moments.

In no particular order:

5. White Christmas: Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye sing "Sisters" (My mom and I love this song)

4.The Muppet Christmas Carol: Bob Cratchet's family sings "Bless Us One and All" (because I love when frogs and pigs break out into spontaneous song)

3. Elf leaves the North Pole to find his dad (because the guy I'm sorta married to but not allowed to talk about online says this at least once a week—voice and all)

2. The Nutcracker Ballet: Pas de Deux (this isn't a movie, I know, but it's a holiday staple because I am a hopeless romantic and a dancer at heart. The best part? The drama after 3:12)

1. Charlie Brown Christmas: What Christmas is all About ('nuff said)

Enjoy!

Love,
~Leigh~

Friday Five . . . on Sunday

2010-11-28T14:21:00.001-05:00

I found a free minute (five minutes?) so I’m updating. It’s safe to say blogging will be sporadic throughout the holidays (in case you haven’t already noticed).

1. I think my sore throat/cold/cough is *finally* gone. Seriously. The sore throat and cough lasted about three weeks. Am happy to see it go.

2. We had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I took two full days off to spend time with family and get some things done around the house. This means two classes didn’t see their essays graded. I apologize. Sort of. At any rate, I’ll have a busy Monday through Wednesday trying to play “catch up.”

3. Most of our decorations are up for Christmas. We have to put our real tree up downstairs, but everything else looks *so* festive. We’ve taken a few drives to see Christmas lights, and the Christmas radio station is running 24 hours of Christmas music from now until the 25^th. Best. Season. Ever.

4. I’m still writing/revising and working on a few personal writing projects. I’ll have some easy weeks around Christmas, so I’m hoping to get some of these knocked out.

5. If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, you only have a few days left to meet your deadline! If you don’t make it, though, I hope you’ll keep writing through December. There are no two, more satisfying words than “The End.” At least, not to me. But that could be the OCD talking. :)

I hope you had an awesome holiday weekend!

Love,

~Leigh~

Quick Update

2010-11-12T09:10:00.001-05:00

I’m stepping back into the land of the living. Sort of. It started with a 36-hour stomach virus last Monday, and evolved into a full-fledged cold: sinus headaches, congestion, sore throat, cough (cough, cough). Seriously. The Guy I’m Sorta Married To But Not Allowed To Talk About Online is about ready to rent an apartment until I’m better.

Which will be . . . ? Um, any day now. Seriously. And Robitussin Cough and Cold? You suck. Truly.

I also had a pile of papers to grade this week. As in . . . four classes’ worth. I have to wrap up the last few this morning, and then I can move on to discussion boards. I have some other projects going on, so I’d *really* like to have Saturday and Sunday free (in the words of Delia from THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER: Please, God, I’m begging you).

In the meantime, I’m leaving you with a link to Janet Gurtler’s Thinking on Thursday blog, because really? She says it all, and so much better than I ever could.

Pay her a visit over here!

Have a Great Weekend!

Love,

~Leigh~

Meeting Carrie Ryan

2010-10-22T13:59:00.003-04:00

I must blog very fast today, because I am *SOOO* behind. (I know, I know. And you’re totally going to hear this until my next month off, which is um, June. So I apologize in advance for the whining.)

I do want to say that I left my house long enough this week to hear the *fabulous* Carrie Ryan speak in Kinston yesterday. No one *ever* comes to speak to us in Eastern NC, so this was a big deal.

I snatched my little brother and met Shana Norris (TROY HIGH, SOMETHING TO BLOG ABOUT) so we could show our writerly solidarity (I don’t even know if that makes sense, and I don’t have time to look it up) and support Carrie.

Actually, I was hoping to steal some of Carrie’s magical, New York Times Bestseller Greatness for myself.

Seriously though: she gave an awesome presentation about everything zombie, talked about getting published, and (as a writer) putting your characters “through the fire” to prove they can handle it.

She almost made me want to go out and rent every zombie movie ever filmed. (coughs) Almost.

I was able to get a photo. Yay!

(Thank you, Shana, for sending, because of course my camera is Crap.)

(I usually don’t post photos of myself without doing some retouching, but if there’s no time to blog, there’s definitely no time to spend hours and hours playing with my photo-editing software. You’ll just have to deal with my shiny face, and what my mom calls my *default* smile: all big and toothy. Carrie, of course, is adorable.)

And . . . Carrie signed my copy of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, which I’m planning to read (again) after I finish Melissa Marr’s INK EXCHANGE.

It’s actually with my brother right now, anyway. He started reading it in the car on the way home, and made me drive 40 minutes in silence (no discussion/no radio). It was worth it, though, and I guarantee he stayed up late last night to finish it. I love it when I’m right.

(sigh) It’s back to work for me.

Enjoy your weekend!

Love,
~Leigh~

P.S. Yes! My red hair is gone. The color faded, and my roots were looking heinous, so I re-colored this week. Unfortunately, the store didn’t have Ruby Rush, so I had to go with Ruby Fusion, which is *not* a Feria Power Red. My hair is sparkly and auburn, but I miss the *red* already. The guy I’m sort of married to but not allowed to talk about online and my mom seem to feel differently.

*Am going to paint my fingernail tips black in protest*

Friday Five: Melissa Joan Hart Edition

2010-10-08T09:56:00.005-04:00

TBS keeps screwing with my morning programming. Saved by the Bell wasn’t running for a few days this week, and you know: that’s the *only* thing that keeps me on the treadmill, so it’s like, ESSENTIAL that they stop doing this or I will turn into a blob that has to be peeled off my couch. . . .

Or maybe not, because ABC Family is showing reruns of:

1. Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I officially have a back-up plan!

I mean, how cool would it be to zap the living room clean? Have dinner on the table in five seconds? Piles of papers graded in under a minute? Yeah, I could deal.

Now, I have *always* liked Melissa Joan Hart, starting with:

2. Clarissa Explains it All. Was there ever a cooler show? And why didn’t I have a cute next door neighbor climbing into my second-floor window?

And then there’s. . . .

3. Holiday in Handcuffs. Yes, it’s a cheesy Made for TV Christmas movie.

And maybe I shouldn’t admit that Mario Lopez is what sold me, but it has *easily* become one of my Christmas favorites. So Slay Me. (Sleigh Me?) (groans).

And then there’s the Holiday in Handcuffs knockoff for year-round:

4. My Fake Fiance. Which I just saw for the first time (on Hulu) a few weeks ago. And then I watched it again. And again. And (coughs) again.

And yes: another cheesy Made for TV movie. But I loved it. Seriously. But it could have something to do with. . . .

(coughs). Yeah.

Which brings me to Melissa and Joey’s new sitcom:

5. Um . . . Melissa and Joey. Which I have been watching faithfully for the last few weeks and is kind of funny and includes two of my favorite Made for TV people.

I mean, we have neurotic and adorable and someone I can totally relate to:

And. . . .

Need I say more? Didn't think so.

Have a Great Weekend!

Love,

~Leigh~

It's Raining, It's Pouring. This is my Nightmare.

2010-10-01T09:36:00.001-04:00

No Friday Five Today. Why? Because it would turn into Friday Five: Waterlogged Edition. Friday Five: Why I Should’ve Invested in a Canoe. Or Friday Five: Why I Hate Rain.

Because my hair frizzes into a puff of cotton and it can’t be controlled. Because it’s dark and depressing. You get the point.

I’m not a fan of any cold, wet thing, really. I’d never make it in Seattle. Or the Pacific Northwest. Forks.

It has been raining here almost nonstop since Sunday. I haven’t seen the sun once. And you know I *need* the sun and the warm weather. I got caught in a major downpour on Monday while grocery shopping, and have made an effort to remain indoors since then. The schools here were closed yesterday, so I had a SuperGirl SideKick to entertain. Today we’re on a two hour delay. And yes, I’m taking her, even though her “school day” will last all of an hour and a half.

The ground is soggy, roads are closed. . . .

They are saying we got 15 inches of rain in four days. It was kind of nightmarish, actually. We had a major drought this summer, and it barely rained at all, which is unusual for the South, as we’re known for those freak, afternoon thunderstorms. Still, it’s like all the rain we were supposed to get this summer was stored away, and then dumped on us all at once.

So I’m glad I gave myself permission to take September off from projects and writing, because I got *nothing* accomplished this week. Crazy thing is: it’s October. WHAT? I know. And it’s 63 degrees, which is below my threshold. I’m a 78 degrees cool breeze kind of girl. It’s getting colder. I’m going to have to pull out sweaters, there are pumpkins for sale on the side of the road.

I will unwillingly embrace fall . . . if I absolutely must . . . if only because fall means that Christmas is just around the corner, which is, of course, the best holiday ever.

But please Please PLEASE, Authorities that Be: make this rain Go Away.

Wishing you a warm, sunny weekend wherever you are. . . .

Love,

~Leigh~

FRIDAY FIVE: Book Banning Edition

2010-09-24T09:43:00.003-04:00

1. I’m sure by now you know about the book banning heard ‘round the world. If not, go here. Essentially, someone has decided that because he doesn’t want his kids reading Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, or Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, no one’s kids should . . . which is wrong on so many levels. He has also grossly misrepresented Speak as being “soft pornography.” Seriously? Seriously.

2. In honor of Banned Books Week (September 25 through October 2), I will be re-reading Speak, because it’s one of those books that *must* stay on the shelves. It’s not soft porn: it’s an amazing story about a girl who finds the power to speak loudly against sexual assault, and has helped thousands of girls (and women) cope with past experiences. You should read it, your daughter should read it, and your daughter’s daughter should read it.

3. Also, the Deb’s very own Sarah Ockler has been challenged. To show support, the Debs and Little, Brown are giving away 100 copies of her novel, Twenty Boy Summer. To enter, go here.

4. There are also several contests going on where authors are giving away “Filthy Books Prize Packs,” or copies of all three novels that are being challenged. One of these prize packs is available here, at fellow WestSide author Beth Fehlbaum’s website. She’s also throwing in a copy of her first novel: Hope in Patience.

5. Here are some other related links:

Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog post about the banning.

Sarah Ockler’s post about the banning.

Also, if you’re on Twitter you can show your support with the #SpeakLoudly tag.

And a bonus #6. Please know what your kids are reading. If you don’t feel it’s appropriate for them or your family, then by all means do what you feel is necessary. Mr. Scroggins, you have every right to censor what your children read, but you *don’t* have the right to censor what mine reads.

Laurie Halse Anderson originally posted this on her blog, and I think it speaks volumes:

Happy (Banned Book) Reading, Everyone!

Love,
~Leigh~

Friday Five: I Can’t Believe I’m Actually on the Treadmill Again Edition

2010-09-10T14:20:00.001-04:00

1. I’ve unofficially decided to take September off. I’ve been writing/working on projects non-stop since . . . I don’t know. Last year? Seriously. I’ve either been working on something new or revising projects into the ground, so I think a mental vacay is just what the doctor ordered. Not that I actually saw a doctor or anything. This is a total self-diagnosis. It’s okay, though, because I aced Psych 101.

2. Still, I can’t help the new ideas that are swirling around my head: new projects that I want to attempt, possibly. And when I was reading the first draft of the ms I wrote throughout the month of July the other day, I decided that I don’t hate it as much as I thought I did. This was kind of surprising, actually, because I was full of self-loathing over it for a while there. It took stepping away for the entire month of August to realize that it might have potential: the germ of an idea . . . even if *major* revisions are needed.

3. We have two more days until Mercury leaves retrograde. I have to admit: things weren’t so bad this time around. Seriously. I might be back to thinking the horoscope stuff is just hogwash. For instance, my horoscope today is telling me that “errands” are going to take up all of my free time. So far I’ve made it to the post office, picked up SuperGirl SideKick from school, and hit a drive-thru with the Guy I’m Sorta Married to But Not Allowed to Talk About Online. Now I’m home. No more errands. Yep. It’s all hogwash.
Actually, I think blogging will take up all of my free time. . . .

4. You will also be incredibly pleased to know: I’m Back On The Treadmill! It’s no lie! I swear: We are Back Together! This is four days in a row. And to think, all it took was a flat screen TV on the wall of my bedroom. Who would’ve even thought? Music doesn’t work; books don’t work (yes, I’ve tried reading on the treadmill). Saved by the Bell reruns at 8am: They Totally Work!

5. Yes, I’ve been watching old episodes of SBTB this week. I mean, now that I actually have mornings to myself: why not? They’re so great. And they keep me moving, which makes them powerful stuff. Today, I got an extra special surprise. I was watching one of the college episodes and Producer: Mark Fink flashed across the screen. I nearly fell off the treadmill. Mark Fink! (WestSide Books: STEPPING UP; THE SUMMER I GOT A LIFE). I totally know him! I met him! And he’s *such* a great guy. I also like the older episodes, because Jeannie Taylor is the script coordinator. She and my mom went to school together, and she used to send me stickers in the mail.

That makes me like, two degrees from Zack Morris, right?

I don’t even know how that works.

In the meantime, I hope you have a great weekend! And please, do *not* start a pool to bet on how long I’ll actually stay on this workout kick. I’d like to think that Zack and A. C. and Kelly are powerful enough to keep me *on* the wagon . . . er, treadmill.

Love,
~Leigh~

MOCKINGJAY

2010-09-06T14:31:00.001-04:00

This is my MOCKINGJAY post.

If you haven’t read it/finished it, you should stop reading now, because there are *spoilers*.

I’m kind of late to the game, since this released a couple of weeks ago, but I managed to stay away from the reviews and opinions of others during that time. When I did finally check to see what everyone was buzzing about, I saw that several had some of the same concerns/preferences as me.

First, let me say that despite the few things I didn’t “prefer,” this book rocked. Is it my favorite of the series? I don’t know.

Also, let me say that I’m the type of reader who wants the girl to get the guy. I enjoy tears and some drama and I’m 100% girl power. So in that regard, my Hunger Games trilogy would’ve ended with Katniss kicking some serious butt and rising to power as President of the free world. She totally would’ve taken over . . . happily ever after.

That didn’t happen, but it wasn’t *supposed* to: Katniss was being used—the entire time. I do appreciate that Suzanne Collins kept the realities of war at the forefront. I hate that the survivors were cast off; that Haymitch (still a raging alcoholic) and Katniss and Peeta were sent home, disregarded and even forgotten. It’s not the shiny, happy ending I expected. But then, that’s how life works, right? Revolutions happen, people are overthrown, but everyone eventually moves on.

I didn’t like that Katniss was never really given the opportunity to choose between Gale and Peeta. There should’ve been more drama there, I think. I wasn’t so deeply involved that I read this story just for the romance plotline—the war and the games were always at the forefront for me—but neither Gale nor Peeta gave Katniss much reason to choose either one in this chapter of the trilogy. And Gale just seemed to drop out of the way. He didn’t put up much of a fight, in my opinion. Fight for the girl, show her why she needs you: give her something to wrestle over and cry about (not that Katniss didn’t have plenty to cry about already). I just didn’t feel, in the end, that Katniss convinced us she needed Peeta.

There were a few parts that could’ve used more development—especially the places where Katniss was drugged/recovering and we had to find out what was happening from secondhand sources. That was hard for me. It was also hard to read about specific people who died (and Good God they were dropping left and right) and not see more about how it affected her. As a reader, I needed time to mourn.

I didn’t particularly care for the Epilogue, either. Yes, I like that we saw a glimpse into the future and how it works out for Peeta and Katniss, but the future was so bleak. It’s almost as if more Games are right around the corner. For me, this would’ve been better left to the imagination.

That being said, this is how the book *should’ve* ended, because the reality is that war sucks and heroes are forgotten and everyone is left to pick up the pieces and forced to move on . . . but it’s impossible because they’re forever altered. And the fact is, war happens and revolutions happen, but how fast are we to forget? To fall back into the same trap? It doesn’t take very long—and in District 12’s case, only a generation.

It’s hard to consider the end of MOCKINGJAY and feel satisfied. It doesn’t feel like I picked up a novel to escape the realities of the world; I opened it up and saw reality.

But then, that was the Point.

Collins was successful in her final book, because it ended in the most realistic way possible. I’m still thinking about it hours later. Both nights I was reading it I had nightmares. And I could barely put it down. In some places I had to remind myself to breathe. Compelling stuff, and I admire her for creating such a complex world that nearly mimics our own.

At the end of the day, Collins is the author, she knew what she was doing, and it all makes sense. It’s a fitting conclusion. I know I’m going to have to pick up the series again and read all three straight through—because there *have* to be things I missed. Maybe then some of these subtleties will show themselves and I’ll have the answers to a few of those questions that still linger.

For instance: what happened to the pearl?

Friday Five on Friday Morning. I know, right?

2010-09-03T09:17:00.001-04:00

1. It’s *really* quiet here. I mean, scarily quiet. My SuperGirl SideKick started Kindergarten this week, so she’s gone this morning. This is kind of hard since she’s been home with me for the last, oh, FIVE years. It’s also nice, though, because I know she’s having a blast with her friends and I actually have time to *think*.

2. The dog is licking my carpet. I have *no* idea why. I think she misses SuperGirl. This doesn’t bother me either, though, because when SuperGirl and SuperPup are together, it is *mass* chaos. The dog thinks SuperGirl is her puppy or something, so it’s constant running and jumping and climbing and claws scratching the wood floors. SuperPup is a *much* better dog without SuperGirl.
But really, this is the third time: “STOP licking my carpet you Crazy Dog!”

3. A hurricane came through last night. Well, it kind of passed overhead: nothing major. It rained most of the night and this morning it’s cloudy and a comfortable 73 degrees outside. I have the window by my chair open. It’s kind of relaxing, actually. Very Zen. I’m not sure how to handle this.

4. Borrowed my brother’s copy of MOCKINGJAY, so I will hopefully be reading it this weekend. I feel like I am the last person on the planet not to have started/finished this yet. I’m totally excited about it, obviously, but there were some other things that had to come first.

5. This is kind of a low-key entry. Truth is, I’m not really used to being up and dressed and fully functioning by 9am. Us “work at home” types are usually just rolling out of bed. The good news about being up in time for school is that my day seems longer, and I feel like I get more accomplished. The bad news? I will never see the other side of 12am again. My late nights, I think, are over.

(groans)

“Bailey Dog, please *STOP* licking the carpet.”

Have a great weekend!

Love,
~Leigh~

Ruby Rush

2010-08-27T17:13:00.004-04:00

So it’s kind of obvious, based on my revisions post last week, that I’m in kind of a funk. Regular readers of this blog know that when I’m annoyed or stressed the first thing I reach for is a pair of scissors.

And then I start chopping.

This actually comes from when I was a struggling grad student with no money. If I wanted a trim, I had to do it myself. Well, I’ve become braver over the years. I mean, it’s just hair, right? It grows.

So what did I do Tuesday night? Found myself irritated and frustrated and angry at the world in general. Grabbed a pair of scissors. Lopped off quite a few inches. And now, thanks to Feria R68 Ruby Rush I am (once again) a red-head. Auburn head? Whatever. I blind in the sunlight, and that’s all that matters.

Pictures to prove that I am not ashamed of anything I have done:

Do I feel better now? *Absolutely*

Currently listening to: “Dream” by The Cranberries.

Have a great weekend!

Love,
~Leigh~

Friday Five: Playlist Edition

2010-08-20T10:28:00.000-04:00

I know. I know. I’m MIA again. For good reason, though. I’m stuck in RevisionLand. I’d like to say that everything is deep fried here, and there are clowns and elephants and bearded ladies, but this is not that kind of land.
It feels like it, though.

Because I’m up and I’m down and I hate it and I love it and I feel like I’m going to puke. . . .

Yes. That’s what it’s like when revisions aren’t going well: eating a Fried Snickers and bouncing back and forth from the Tilt-a-Whirl to the Gravitron until you’ve collapsed in your puke, unconscious. Unless they’re going great, and then it’s like being at the top of greatest hill on the biggest roller coaster, and all that’s left is the thrill and the wind in your face until you reach the end. Needless to say, I’ve been lying (laying?) in my puke more than anything this time around, and I’m not bearded yet, but it probably wouldn’t hurt if I took a pair of tweezers to my eyebrows. Eyebrow.

But that’s not what I’m going to blog about. Unless you need to commiserate, then feel free comment below, because it would be nice to know that I’m not the only one getting my butt kicked. I’m just saying.

Instead, I’m listing the top five songs on my playlist right now: the songs that are helping me coast to the end, or acting as the soundtrack as I lie unconscious in the grass, empty candy wrappers stuck to my cheek.
In no particular order:

1. “Graceful Dancing” by Blue October. I’ve only recently discovered this song, but it’s got a great hook. And you know . . . you’re a superstar on your own.

2. “Fix You” by Coldplay. This song is on every book playlist of mine. If I could do a music video of the climax of every ms I’ve written, this song would be the background. But I’m just dramatic like that.

3. “They’ll Never Know” by Ross Copperman. Sweet song. Touching and emotional, and it gets me through any scene where someone is crying. Because my characters cry. Sometimes.

4. “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse. I swear, half of my playlist is Muse. Did you know I saw them live last year? No? I did. SBH is a great song, but really, it’s all encompassing . . . because any Muse song could go here.

5. “Gone Away” by Lucy Schwartz. Because the space between the universe? That’s where RevisionLand lies (lays?). She has a sweet voice, though. It’s kind of soothing. *Exactly* what I need.

All of these songs have some kind of meaning as they relate to my current WIP. Also: The Fray, The Script, The Cranberries . . . These are the dudes who keep me going.

Bet you thought I was going to stick Michael Buble in there, didn’t you? Fooled you! (whispers: “Lost.” No. Really. I am not alone . . . he is here with me . . . and we’ll get lost together. . . .). I’d like to be lost . . . but not in RevisionLand.

(sigh)

Pulling myself out of the grass and the dirt and the trash and heading in for another round. I mean, at some point I have to let go and press “send,” right?
Have a great weekend!

Love,

~Leigh~

Friday Five Midnight Edition

2010-08-06T23:50:00.002-04:00

My Very Late Friday Five should be a list of reasons why I haven’t blogged lately. But it’s not. Just a bunch of randomness and what I’ve been up to these last few weeks:

1. So . . . my July came and went (July was my one vacation month). The classes are slowly beginning to kick into gear, but August is manageable. I took that time off and went on a personal NaNoWriMo writing binge and knocked out 50,000 words in 30 days.

Wouldn’t you know it: I hate every last word. Seriously.

The good news is I am not a writer. I am a re-writer. And I will rewrite this thing until I get it right. Whatever that means.

2. I haven’t taken my Michael Buble CD out of the car all month. I *am* obsessed.

3. On Sunday I’m going to see Norah Jones. We’re dropping the baby girl off at the grandparents for the night. She’s excited. I don’t think the grandparents have recovered from the last time she slept over, though. I tried to tell them: you can’t let her talk you into a movie at 9pm. She *won’t* fall asleep while she’s watching it. Even in the dark. And popcorn? That’s just a bad idea, period.

4. The MiMi (my mom) and Me took the baby girl to see Annie (The Musical) last week. It was very cool because we got to see Andrea McArdle (the original Broadway Annie) play Miss Hannigan. Daddy Warbucks was played by Robert Newman, better known as Josh from Guiding Light. When I asked for his autograph I totally tried to play off my excitement as “my mom loved you and watched Guiding Light all the time when I was younger,” but I totally remember when I was in high school and Reva drove off that bridge. And Robert? He is *way* handsome and endearing, and I’m kind of infatuated even though he’s totally old enough to be my dad.

When I saw him, his head was shaved and he was donning a fedora.
He wrote my name. In Sharpie. (sigh)

5. And finally, a special thank you and shout out to all my writer friends, especially those of you who talk me off the ledge. You know who you are.

Have a great weekend!
Love,
~Leigh~

Friday Five

2010-07-16T11:03:00.001-04:00

Five Reasons Why You Should Watch Remember Me:

1. Robert Pattinson. Okay. This is like, a given. But I have to say, I’m totally digging R-Patz as Tyler Hawkins. Possibly even more than Edward Cullen. (gasp!) I know. He has proven he is more than a sparkly vampire. And hey—I adore him as a sparkly vampire.

2. A freakishly unexpected plot twist. I know that not everyone is going to like the ending, but if nothing else, it’s poetic, and I appreciate the writers and the filmmakers portraying what *needed* to happen as opposed to. . . . I don’t want to spoil it for you, so I’m stopping here.

3. Great characters. Seriously. Tyler is one of the most complex “heroes” I’ve seen in a while.

4. Great writing. Even the guy I’m sort of married to but not allowed to talk about online laughed at the funny parts, and he totally went into this movie *not* wanting to like it. In the end, he was as floored as me. I think he’d give it a B, and we have *very* different tastes when it comes to films.

5. Because it’s a good movie. Pay no attention to what the critics said. Thousands of Yahoo users can’t be wrong, and they gave this film an A. So do I. And I don’t like giving A’s. Just ask my students.

And a bonus # 6: Seriously. You could do worse than staring at Robert Pattinson for two hours.

Enjoy your weekend!

Love,
~Leigh~

The One Where I Gush About How Great Michael Buble Is

2010-07-12T10:58:00.002-04:00

My blog is up on livejournal. There are way too many photos/videos to post here, too, so I'm posting the link:

http://leighbrescia.livejournal.com/34376.html

Have a great week!

Love,
~Leigh~

Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T15:17:00.002-04:00

I am thoroughly enjoying my holiday weekend. I spent most of yesterday at the river with extended family. We had a blast on the jet skis and the boat. Today, there’s a cookout at my parent’s house. Tomorrow, time with the hubs and baby girl (fingers crossed that “fixing our closet” is on his list of “to-do’s”). We’re also gearing up for our Michael Buble concert on Friday (YaY!)

In the meantime, I was trying to think of a special, Independence Day memory to share. I obviously loved watching fireworks as a kid. Lately, I enjoy the “fireworks” display at my parents’ with friends and their families: including the year my kid brother freaked out over a sparkler and ran around the yard screaming like a girl. And two years ago, when one of the fireworks backfired and almost took my head off. And the people across the street yelling: “That all you got?” And last year, when we tried to “one-up” them. . . . I know those fireworks were illegal, guys. Seriously.

But I think my best July 4th moment came on July 5th. It was the summer between 5th and 6th grades, and I had a “sort-of” boyfriend. We’d “dated” off and on—were definitely interested in each other—and I remember him calling me up the day after the fourth. I’d gone downtown to see the fireworks the night before. He had access via a family member to the place where they were setting them off, and had helped.

I was on the phone in my Mom’s room when he asked about the fireworks: “Which color was your favorite?”

I replied: “Red.”

“Well,” he said, “last night, all of the red fireworks were for you.”

(sigh)

That was one, smooth, sixth grade boy. Seriously. I absolutely melted. To this day, I don’t think I’ve heard a line that great.

Unfortunately, it ended. He changed schools and I didn’t see him anymore. I did spot him at a play just after my senior year in high school. I was with someone, and he was with someone, and I don’t think he saw me or recognized me, but I remembered. It’s funny the things that stay with us over the years, because I’m sure this guy doesn’t remember me or that he called or anything he said. But still, to this day, all the red ones are *mine*.

Three cheers for summer romances. They might end, but they never really die.

Happy Independence Day!

Love,
~Leigh~

Planning Stage

2010-07-01T11:55:00.003-04:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Started a new project. Am 2,908 words in. Fingers perpetually crossed (not when I'm typing, though, because that would be way hard).

~Leigh~

Friday Five on Thursday Night!

2010-06-17T23:04:00.001-04:00

1. I am eating Baskin Robbins ice cream as I type this. Mint chocolate chip. Mmmmm. So. Good. Don’t hate me.

2. We just got back from baby girl’s first summer gymnastics lesson. All the good moms were talking about recipes and how much weight they’ve lost so far this summer. I picked up a club sandwich on the way home. Made baby girl a PB & J. Now I’m eating ice cream. I think that speaks for itself.

3. I’m still contemplating working out. It *was* a resolution. I was walking for a while. That fell by the wayside in May, when it turned 90 degrees times 100% humidity. . . . Welcome to Summer in North Carolina.

Hmm. I also said in my resolutions that if I overbooked myself, the workout would be the first to go. Does that mean I’m in the clear?

4. Speaking of overbooked, baby girl had art camp this week. I drove about 30 minutes one way every day to get her there. The good news is it’s one of my favorite towns: right on the river. My mom rode with me a couple of days, and we did some window shopping and visited art galleries. This place has an amazing arts community. . . . I want to move there and open a book store and become a zen bohemian artist vegetarian writer.

Ugh. There was turkey on my club sandwich. And Bacon. Vegetarian FAIL. And there is nothing zen about me or anything I do.

5. Just finished THE LAST SONG by Nicholas Sparks. I can always count on Nick to provide the story if I bring the tissues. I’m on to Stephenie Meyer’s latest: THE SHORT SECOND LIFE OF BREE TANNER. I also have two Debs ARCs in the mail . . . and a TBR pile a mile high.

And as a bonus #6: I will spend Friday afternoon coloring my hair. In an effort to become a redhead, I am attempting Feria R68: Ruby Rush. We shall see.

Have a Great Weekend!

Love,
~Leigh~