Category Archives: Wandering thoughts

What’s Up?

People often ask what it’s like to be a writer, and since I haven’t posted in a while and have a bad case of procrastination, I thought I’d give you an update.

There is often a lot of jugging in my work as different projects overlap. Last fall I sold my beloved time travel novel, WAKING IN TIME, to Switch Press. I adore this book and can’t wait for you to read it. It’s about a girl starting college who wakes up having traveled back in time. She doesn’t know why or how she’s traveling and can’t stop it. There’s mystery, adventure, treasure and, of course, a little love thrown in. On and off throughout late winter and spring I have been working on edits for this story. I spend a couple weeks on it, return it to my editor, and then a month or so later the manuscript lands back into my inbox for the next round of tweaking.

I’ve also been trying to finish what I affectionately call my Broadway book. It’s been a blast to work on, and I’ve been fortunate to interview several Broadway stars and even watch a couple shows from behind the scenes. The story is filled with humor, personal struggles, and life on Broadway.

I’ve sent it to my agent and received some very wise feedback. Now it’s time to make those changes. Bummer! But it’s hard to lose myself into the confusing restructuring of this book when WAKING IN TIME keeps popping up in my life like an unexpected time traveler.

This summer I thought I’d be starting a new book, but these two projects are taking longer than expected, and I’ve also picked up a gig as a writer for BroadwayWorld.com. It allows me to see shows in my area and write feature articles. It’s a blast getting a peak behind the curtain of some great shows like LION KING, MOTOWN, and KINKY BOOTS, but also quite distracting.

In addition to all that, I’ve been involved in marketing meetings for the March 2017 release of WAKING IN TIME, this forces me to switch gears to thoughts of blog contacts and what authors I might harass for cover blurbs. Anybody? Anybody?

But today my final WAKING IN TIME edits are done! The book has been turned in, and it’s time to buckle down to reworking my Broadway book; but instead I’m procrastinating. I’m supposed to receive an email any moment with potential book covers. There’s no way I can concentrate as I wonder and worry if they’ve come up with the absolute perfect cover for my baby… Maybe I’ll get back to work tomorrow.

Blizzard of 2016 ~ New York City’s Snowpocalypse

New York City during the January blizzard was an unexpected treat. I took the trip to attend the first ever Broadway Con and complete some book research, but what I got was an historic snow storm of nearly 30 inches that forced Broadway to go dark, something that rarely happens.

Blizzard of 2016

As a Wisconsin girl used to heavy snowfall, a friend and I tramped through blustery conditions down to Times Square where a team of city workers kept the iconic landmark accessible for the tourists who came out to play.

Despite being stranded in the city, most of the people I saw were eager to be a part of snowpocalypse. There were snowmen, snow angels and snowball fights.

Three little snowmen.

It’s hard to see, but this is a snowball fight in Times Square!

Most storefronts were locked up as roads had all been closed to traffic. The heavy snow created a muffled quiet. With no taxis or buses to dodge, we walked down Broadway unbothered while the lights of Times Square glowed dimly through the thick blanket of white.

The lights of Times Square in the distance. This was taken at 2:30 pm.

After playing in the snow, we discovered an off-the-beaten-path pub packed with boisterous folk who wanted to escape their hotel rooms. It was there we met the most adorable and funny British gals. They had stood in the cold for two hours to get their refund for the cancelled Les Mis, their dream show, when one gal nearly froze her toes off. While she sat on her stool with her bare feet up, her best friend dried her socks under the hand dryer in the “loo”. Much laughter ensued, dry boots were shared, and when it was time to say our goodbyes, email addresses exchanged. Later I learned their flight home was postponed, so they were able to see Les Mis after all.

Our sassy British friends.

Clean up crews were in full force the next day, and four days later, there was barely a trace of snow left to find. A few days after that the temps hit 54 degrees!

Clean up going strong outside, while we enjoyed Noises Off inside.

All that snow reminds me of writing my novella, Snowed Over.

If you haven’t read it yet, check it out!

Magic Laptops and Traveling Suitcases

Two of my favorite things

Not long ago I was thinking about favorite things and I wondered what mine are. It took a lot of mulling it over before I realized mine are a little unusual. Set aside all the memorabilia like family photos and keepsakes, of which I have too many, and it boils down to two things.

My laptop. Seriously. I love my laptop. I grew up before it was common for every college student, let alone member of a household to have a laptop, cell phone or tablet. Buying my first laptop was like a decadent splurge that left me giddy.

I’m on my second laptop now and I love it. No one else in the family is allowed to touch it as it’s my “work”, but it’s also where I create new worlds and characters that I fall in love with. I’ve traveled to distant places on this machine, experienced euphoria and tragedy as my characters find their way in life.

My laptop is so precious that I hide it when I have to leave town. Yup. Silly, I know, but if my house were ever robbed, I’d be devastated to lose it.

My suitcase is the second super favorite thing on my list. It’s purple and becoming quite worn over the past ten years. My suitcase represents travel, new experiences, and fun! Saying I love to travel is an understatement.

This coveted suitcase has traveled to Europe as I wrote Royally Lost, it’s been to writing conferences in New Orleans, New York, and LA. It’s joined me at book signings in Minneapolis, Orlando, and Las Vegas. It’s vacationed in Whistler, Charleston, Alaska, and New York. Have I mentioned how much I love New York more than probably any other place? But that’s another story. I love to travel and my purple suitcase has been with me every step of the way.

Summer Camp Spent Frog Catching & Tie Dying

I love summer camp. I only went once as a kid, but my husband grew up going to a family camp. Once we had kids we started going and it’s a carefree week of sun and fun.

Each family gets their own cabin on the lake. There is a main lodge where all our meals are served, a waterfront with beach chairs and boats, a craft room for camp projects and a naturalist. Each night features a different activity from night swims, a camp prom, or talent show.

This is the place I used as the inspiration for the camp Marti and Adam attend in my book Snapshot. Every time I come to camp, I find myself thinking of Marti and Adam stuck in the bog with their overturned canoe.

As I write this, I’m sitting on the dock with loons calling out to each other. Little kids are catching frogs and the teenagers are playing volleyball. This year at camp I decided to make a tie dye shirt. It’s been many years, so I was really excited. I think I kind of drove the craft girl, Carly, crazy with all my questions. And in case you’re wondering how it works, here’s the process step by step.

1. Swirl your shirt from the center and wrap it tightly with rubber bands.

2. Soak the shirt overnight in a bucket of soda ash water. (I have no idea what that is!)

3. Squirt different colors of dye on the shirt until it’s drenched with color. Be sure to get dye in all the creases.

4. Put the dyed shirt in a bag and let sit for a day or two.

5. Unrubber band your masterpiece and rinse in cold water until it runs clean. Then do the same in warm soapy water, then back to cold, and hang to dry.

Viola!

Release Day Random Thoughts

As most people on the planet know, today is the book birthday for Royally Lost. You may wonder what that means. Do authors spend the day celebrating? Do we put our feet up and eat chocolate all day in tribute to a job well done? Not quite.

I think I speak for a fair share of authors when I say that we fret in the days up to our book release, and even more on the day. Why? We’ve worked for many months, sometimes years on a book, put our heart and soul into it, and are terrified the world won’t love it as much as we do.

So how have I spent my time? I tried to plan my whole day away from my computer. I began with a pedicure. It turns out that the gal who did my pedi, Leah, is the same gal from over a year ago. She remembered me because we talked the whole time about youth hostels. Thanks to Leah, my research on hostels in Europe was a snap, and on the release of the book she helped with, I was back in her pedi chair. How wild is that?

With my toes cute and polished, I drove downtown to A Room of One’s Own where they are handling requests for autographed books. They have Snapshot and Rock and a Hard Place, too. I signed the book orders that had come in, so they can ship them out to the eager readers. That was very fun!

Afterwards, I hid out at the movie theater and watched the Grand Budapest Hotel as I gorged on overly buttered popcorn. It was a quirky movie with lots of stars. Fun, but far from a blockbuster. On my way home I stopped at two different garden centers and picked up my first plantings of the season. It’s 60 degrees today, balmy. Not. Putting my hands in soil is great therapy and distraction from checking rankings, reviews and social media.

Tonight I’m forcing my husband to take me out to dinner and later we’ll watch taped episodes of The Americans. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. Love it!

As you see, I’m trying to keep my mind off the book. Still, I sneak peeks once in a while and tweet my thanks to bloggers and readers. What will I do tomorrow?

Start writing the next book, of course.

If you’ve read Royally Lost and enjoyed it, one of the nicest things you could do is write a short review on Amazon. This author would be forever grateful.

Deadlines and a Little Bit of Crazy

It’s done. Almost.

The third book in the Jamieson Collection, the one about Garrett and his latest antics, is days from being turned in to my publisher, HarperTeen. I’ve been thinking about this book for over a year and writing it for eight months. I wish I wrote faster, but it takes as long as it takes.

I promised Garrett’s book (I call it that because I no longer like the working title I gave the publisher) to my editors next week. But now in these last hours, I’m getting a little bit cray-cray over when to actually send it to them.

I should have my final copy ready by the end of Monday, but if I send it Monday night, my editors probably won’t read it right away.

Tuesday is April Fool’s Day, so I really don’t want to send it then because I fear it will somehow be taken as a joke.

Wednesday is Hump Day. Who wants more work unloaded on them on Hump Day?

Thursday is close to the weekend, so if I send it then, I’ll just have to wait that extra day for them to read it and tell me what they think.

I could send it on Friday, but then do I need to keep laboring over the manuscript the whole week? What if I ruin the book by over analyzing every sentence, page, and scene?

As you see, this is serious, hard-core decision making. Maybe I’m losing my grip on reality by even thinking of all this. Perhaps I need a vacation. YES! But I’m not getting one for a while. So I will comb through the pages all weekend long and labor over when to send in my new baby.

The good news is that for all those people asking and begging for Garrett’s book, it is truly happening!

Garrett’s Book releases May 2015.

In the meantime, watch for Royally Lost on May 6, 2014!

Be creative and win and ARC of Royally Lost!

The release of Royally Lost is just around the corner and I’m so excited for you all to read it. But if you’d like a sneak peek and your own autographed Advanced Reader Copy, here’s your chance to win one. You know all those snazzy book promos out there with fun quotes and awesome pics? That’s what I’m looking for. Design a photo quote for the book, tag me, and post it on my FB page, or my twitter feed.

Here is what should be included in your picture or collage. Royally Lost by Angie Stanton May 6, 2014

Then include one of the quotes below:

#1) “I must say, I rather like kissing a prince.” ~ Becca

#2) “I thought I was running away, but it turns out I was running to you. You’ve made my life worth living again, and now I have to leave you.” ~ Prince Nikolai

#3) “Becca, you’ve mesmerized me into following you across four countries.” ~ Prince Nikolai

#4) “If you worry about the future and dwell upon the past, you can’t enjoy the present.” ~ Royally Lost

#5) “She’s lost, he’s on the run, their lives change forever

#6) A vacation in Europe, a runaway prince, a trip you’ll never forget

#7) Once upon a time, in a land far away… Royally Lost

#8) An American girl, meets a young prince, and gets Royally Lost

There you go! Get creative and post away. I’d love to see what you come up with. I’ll select the top winners on Friday, March 28th. The more entries, the more winners I’ll select.

Due to high shipping costs, international entrants will receive an e-copy of the book on release day, instead of an ARC.

AND THE WINNER IS…

Diana Alverez!

To see the teaser she designed and all the others, go to Angie Stanton Author.

Life of a Writer – Procrastination

I’m nearing the end of my current manuscript. This is a very good and very bad thing. It’s good, because this book is what I affectionately call Garrett’s Book. I’ll let you know the real title in a month or so once it’s been finalized. And it’s bad because while this book has been great fun, it has also been a huge pain in the butt. Garrett Jamieson is a handful and he needs a strong girl who can handle him. I love this story and those who have had a coveted sneak peek have loved it too, but it’s not done. It’s close. It’s painfully close, but I’m struggling with a couple of sections.

So what do I do? I procrastinate. This book is due to my editor in a matter of weeks. A lot needs to happen in those weeks, but instead of trying to churn out these challenging scenes, I’m avoiding. Don’t let anyone ever kid you, writing is hard! Sure, sometimes it’s an absolute blast and taking pictures of my books in bookstores is awesome, but trying to fix plots and make sure this book stands up to reader expectations can make me want to run away screaming and get a job at Walmart. Okay, not that bad, but close.

Once I get those elusive scenes nailed down, I need to go through the book a few more times to fix really important things like the heroine’s last name. I don’t like what I gave her. It’s boring. She needs a kick-butt name, but I haven’t figured out what it is. And I have to decide if she has one of those little diamond nose studs. Does she like tattoos? Does she have any? So far no, but maybe she needs one. Should the receptionist be named Tara or Maya. I have her both ways, which will really confuse readers, so I need to settle on one. And then I need to fix some of the band names I made up. When I’m stuck with things like this, I might make something up or ask readers on my Facebook page for suggestions. One reader gave me the band name idea of Origami Frogs. It’s hilarious, but I don’t know that it will make the final cut. Sorry.

My most often asked question is will Garrett get a book. Yes, he will. He is. But it’s not quite done. It’s close. And now, maybe I’ll go find something to eat, or paint my toe nails, or stare out the window and wonder if the snow will ever melt.

Fun with Food in the Deep Freeze – Baby, It’s Cold Outside

That’s right! Baby it’s cold outside. So cold my dogs won’t go out any more. Not sure how that’ll work out later tonight.

Today temps have been in the negative double digits all day, and while I should have been working on edits to the third book in the Jamieson Collection. Yay, Garrett! You have a book! I kept popping in and out of my chair to see how long it took different foods to freeze. Check out some of my fun.

Raw bacon before.

Raw bacon after twenty minutes at -17 degrees.

Leftover spaghetti before.

Leftover spaghetti after five minutes at -17 degrees.

A glass of milk without the glass. This one took an hour.

Ketchup and Mustard took a long time to freeze.

And my favorite. A raw egg after ten minutes at -12 degrees.

And now I’m in the mood for a good book to cuddle up with. How about Snowed Over?

Winding Down ~ The Year in Review

As the year winds to a close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect back.

A year ago, I said to myself that this would be the year of travel, and yes, it was. Mostly it was fun book-related travel. Trips included the RT Booklovers conference in Kansas City (a road trip), Indie book signings in Minneapolis and San Francisco and a trip to New York City to meet with my agent and editors. I love to travel, so it was wonderful.

In June I handed in my next novel, Royally Lost, to HarperCollins. It’s being brushed up as we speak and releases in May of 2014. I can’t wait for you to read it!

This past September two of my formerly self-published books came out with Harper Teen. Seeing them in bookstores and popping up in libraries has been awesome. The other day a writer friend of mine from another state said that her 14-year-old daughter came home with my book, Snapshot, in her backpack. She borrowed it from her English teacher’s library! That was a highlight!

This month I gave my first book store presentation, spoke at a nearby high school and sat on a panel at my local library. All those firsts were nerve wracking and energizing. After all these years, I finally feel I can say, “I am a writer.” Silly, but true.

Another highlight has been meeting so many talented, funny and generous writers. I love spending time with like people who spend their days in sweat pants and fuzzy slippers like me.

Me with the lovely Jamie McGuire

But best of all, was meeting so many readers. There were a few fan girl moments that I will never, ever forget. You girls made my day, my year! As a writer, I spend a lot of solo time, thinking, plotting, writing, worrying; so when a reader reaches out to share how much a story moved them, I’m flying high for a long time.

Here’s to a great 2013! And may 2014 be even better!