GOING HOME AGAIN Cover Reveal!

You guys!! I'm so excited because today we get to reveal the cover for my twin sister's debut novel, GOING HOME AGAIN! It's an adult contemporary romance set to release from Swoon Romance on August 27th. I have been with this story every step of the way, have read every draft and have loved it from the first read-through. I had no doubt this day would come! :) GOING HOME AGAIN will be available for Kindle and Nook so buy multiple copies and support my Wombie, Abby Cavenaugh! It is with great pride and pleasure, I present to you the cover of my sister's debut novel. Isn't it bee-you-tee-ful?! 

 

 

In high school, it was doubtful Michael Day knew Alyssa Jones existed.

Twenty years later, when the now-famous pop star returns home to coastal North Carolina, Alyssa gets a second chance to make a first impression on Michael.

On sabbatical from his failing marriage, Michael agrees to an interview with Alyssa, a journalist for the local tourist magazine.

When the chemistry between them ignites, Alyssa and Michael are hit with the harsh reality that he isn't yet free to love her.

With Michael's wife and son still very much in the picture, can Alyssa hold out until he ends his marriage for good? Or will she risk it all for a second chance with the one who got away?

 

Abby on Twitter: https://twitter.com/abswrites

Abby on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbbyCavenaughAuthor

Publisher Website: www.myswoonromance.com

Going Home Again on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18242120-going-home-again

 

My first author interview! Nola Sarina

You guys!! I'm so excited! I feel like a real blogger/writer because one of my writer crushes, the fabulous Nola Sarina, agreed to be my first author interview. I have been a fan of Nola's even before I read her book, when her agent, the equally awesome Michelle Johnson of Inklings Literary Agency, suggested we bring Nola in on a Twitter discussion. I read what Nola and her books were all about and it was love at first sight. I knew she was going to be an incredible writer and that I would love her work. Maybe I am a little psychic, like Jake in my thriller, A SCARRED MIND (tiny little plug). ;) But anyway, Nola asked me to read and review her novella, GILDED DESTINY. I was THRILLED and proved my psychicness (haha) when I looooved it! I had so many questions for her I decided to make it a formal interview.

First of all, here is the beautiful cover:

Read all about it here. 

Here is the beautiful Nola :) Follow her on Twitter @NolaSarina

And here is my interview! Thank you so much, Nola!! I <3 you. 

              

Me:   First of all, please describe in your own words the premise of your Vespers series.

I wanted to create creatures of the night who were more vicious, deadly, and passionate than what I’d seen in most paranormal fiction lately. The Vespers are serpentine demons charged with the protection of the human race: their food source, whom they paralyze with venom and swallow whole.

Me:  What inspired your Vesper series? When did you start writing it?

I imagined a dark figure dwelling upon trains in the middle of nowhere. I’ve been writing the Vespers for a few years. Three-ish. The idea was there long before I put it down in a document, and then I took a long break after the first draft to let it mingle in my head and straighten itself out like a well-behaved little manuscript. (Me: How cool is that?! I love when an entire book series comes from a single image or dream) 

Me: How many novels & novellas are planned? How many written so far?

There are four full-length Vesper novels and three novellas. All the novels are completed and I’m almost done with the second novella. After the novels, I have a spin-off series outlined following one of the other characters in the cast as the lead dude. (Me: I'm going to read them ALL!)

Me:  Are you a planner or a pantser? Which came first – the idea for the prequel or the novel?

I’m a planner who pantses halfway through. The idea grows and changes as I work through the middle of a book, and sometimes I end up somewhere I never expected, with relationships that have evolved beyond the constraints of the outline. (Me: I love when stories take on a life of their own!) 

The novels came first with Levi as the main character… and eventually, I grew to want more from the world of the Vespers. I wanted to tell more of their stories and show the diversity of disobedience these serpent slaves find the courage to engage in as they all struggle to adhere to the commands of their brutal master Levitiqas.

Me:    How much fun is it to create the world/legend of the Vespers? Can you describe your process?

It’s SO fun. The characters kind of come with me everywhere… I love the passion in the world, and I love the adversity the characters face, whether they overcome their challenges or succumb to them. Each of the characters in the story has a personal challenge to overcome, and even the characters that only show their wicked side in one story (such as Festus in Gilded Destiny) have deeper dimensions discovered in other books. Each book takes each character on a journey, and if you like one of the side characters you can expect to see them as a central figure in another book. (EEK! This makes me smile) 

Me:    Which do you enjoy writing more – the good guys or the baddies?

Bad guys are my favorites. I think it’s because I can understand how they arrived at their bad place, and who they were before they fell from goodness. None of my bad guys are ever just “bad” – they have reasons for the things they do, reasons that make sense to them even if to nobody else. Some of them find healing, redemption, and the ability to forgive. Some of them have lost too much of themselves to come back from that place. (I LOVE this! I think I should write more baddies...) 

Me:    Favorite beverage while writing?

Coffee but I occasionally go on tea-binges.

Me:    Music or silence?

Music for emotional scenes, silence for action scenes. I try to mix the two scenes together – allow the emotion and relationship development to bleed out of the pages through an action sequence experienced between more than one character. During those scenes, it depends on the emotion… if it’s a hopeless scene: music. A sexy scene: silence. A frightening scene: music if the character can’t win, silence if they can. I guess if the characters are in a good position I like it quieter, and if they’re struggling I like music to bring that emotion forth in myself. (This is funny because I think I'm the opposite! I need music for the action. Then again, music is going constantly around here...) 

Me:    Have you mentally cast the movie version of the Vespers?

I have several Pinterest boards for my dream casts for the Vespers, including one I like to have readers pin their ideal Vespers to. I’m not shy about adding other readers to the board to pin their ideal hotties for any Vesper character, so it’s an open invitation if anyone has actors/models in mind! Check it out here: http://pinterest.com/nolasarina/whos-your-ideal-vesper/

Ultimately, I haven’t found the perfect Nycholas (including the face – I’ve got LOTS of torso shots hahaha) but I have a total obsession with Joe Manganiello as the character of Levi. (Nola is responsible for the best hashtag ever: #JoesAteOurBrains We share a love of Joe's. Hers is Manganiello, mine is McIntyre) 

Nola's Joe 

My Joe

Me: Name two (or more) writers that inspire you & your work.

Jacqueline Carey, Karen Chance, and Stephen King. But I am honestly mostly inspired by the writers I know, those who speak with me about craft, character, and conflict… whether they’re published or not doesn’t matter. They are my inspiration and teachers, and I’d be nowhere without each one of them. (LOVE this answer, Nola! You're the best!) 

Again, thanks so much for letting me pepper you with questions, Nola. Anyone who wants to buy the book (and you'd better! You won't regret it!), here are the links: 

Buy here

Writing and Running

Two big things have happened in my life lately. 

1) I've embarked on another complete rewrite of my thriller, A SCARRED MIND. 

2) I'm training for a half-marathon. 

Say what?! 

Honestly, it's been hard to stay motivated to do both these things. I figure it's because they are both so huge and life-changing, I've intimidated the hell out of myself. Why have I given myself such big goals? Good question. 

As for the rewrite, I honestly didn't think I had it in me. I told myself after entering #PitchMadness, if it ended in rejection, that was it. I would shelve this story and work on something else. Well, it did end in rejection. I got a full request from the contest, which I was completely stoked about, but ultimately, she rejected. She pointed out that I had too many points of view (I had three) and it was a little too supernatural for her taste. I was gutted.

I had my full out with another agent, one I loooove, and then she said the same things the rejecting agent said BUT offered to look at it if again if I wanted to rewrite. So I was faced with a decision: Was I really ready to shelve it? Or did I want to do another complete rewrite, getting rid of two of my three points of view and fix the problems? When I listened to my heart, the answer was obvious. 

I didn't have to think about it very long. I started outlining a rewrite immediately. Oh, and I'm historically a pantser. Everything has changed! The world is topsy-turvy! I have gotten rid of 2/3 of my POV and now the book is one character in first person, rather than three in third. I can't even believe how much better it is. I hope I can keep it up. I'm 11k words in, shooting for around 75-79k. I'm blogging about it to keep myself accountable, to keep me motivated. With this goal along with the half-marathon I'm training for, I sometimes feel like I've gotten in over my head and won't be able to complete either.

Don't let me give up on myself! 

I decided to train for a half-marathon the day of the Boston Marathon. Even before the horrible bombings, I was inspired by the women I saw cross the finish line. I watched them, tears welling in my eyes, and thought, "I want to do that." I've been running off and on for over a year. Over the summer of 2012, I stopped because I was full of excuses. "It's too hot." "My kid is home from school so there's no time." blah blah blah. Like I said, excuses. I started running again in the fall, only to get sick in December and stop again. Finally, in February, my writing muse and running inspiration Joey McIntyre (I know I talk about him a lot) announced he was going to run the Boston Marathon. Something in me clicked and I thought, if he can run a marathon, I can damn sure run a half. I talked myself out of that pretty quickly when I couldn't run a full mile without hacking up a lung. I had to learn that you have to build your endurance and set smaller goals. I didn't give up. I'm up to two miles now and not giving up anytime soon.  

(Yes there is a Gus to illustrate every point)

I decided running is a lot like writing. There are a million excuses not to do it. It's too hard. I'm not strong enough. I can't run a mile. I can't rewrite this book. That's all bullshit. The truth is I can do anything, as long as I believe I can. So I AM rewriting this book and I AM going to run a half-marathon. Specifically, the Wrightsville Beach half-marathon in March 2014. That gives me plenty of time to get there. :D I plan to finish the rewrite much sooner, hopefully by my birthday, June 30. 

And then I'll be all: 

No seriously:

I'll be updating my Twitter with rewrite and running goals as I meet them so please follow me if you aren't already and help me stay motivated. :) Thanks for reading! xoxo 

I'm a Blockhead and Guess What? I'm Damn Proud.

Today is April 2, 2013, a day that fans of New Kids on the Block have waited five years for. We begged them for new music. I think they kinda didn't want to do it at first ;) but luckily for us, they've finally put out a new album. And it exceeded all expectations. A totally different sound for them but it works. Please put aside your prejudices and at least check it out. As Joe McIntyre once said, "If you don't like us after you look, then that's fine. But don't boo for no reason." People are still unfortunately booing. I guess some see me tweet about buying the album and they chuckle and roll their eyes, thinking I'm stuck in some nostalgic bubble, wishing I was still a teenager. Guess what? I don't. I wouldn't go back to my high school years for anything. I suffered non-stop ridicule because I liked a freaking music group. In what world is that okay? Apparently, this one. Like it or not, it's still a form of bullying. I guess it'd be a little different if this was Justin Timberlake's album. He was in a boyband, too. Why is his music okay and my choice isn't? Why is he cool to like and New Kids aren't? N*SYNC wouldn't have existed if someone wasn't trying to recreate what NKOTB had (and still have whereas all these other boy bands have lost members over the years or completely fallen apart).

You may wonder why I feel the need to write this blog today. Well, I'm sad to say when I tweeted from my "professional" writing Twitter about how proud I was, that I bought 10, I got a few tweets that rubbed me the wrong way. I'm sure these people meant it as good-natured teasing. I'm not gonna call anyone out but you struck a nerve. This is a day I've looked forward to for a long time and I deserve to be excited, happy and proud of these men for the great work they've created. Instead, I find myself defending them like I'm 15 years old again. My escape back then was writing. I'd write my book in class, as soon as I got home, at night when I was supposed to be in bed. And you know what inspired that book, what inspired me to become a writer? New Kids on the Block. So when you insult them, you're insulting me. They were the first ones to show me that dreams could come true. I could escape the teasing in my writing world, where the band you like is cool. I know you didn't mean anything by it, but imagine if someone insulted you for the books you like to read. If someone implied you were an idiot for a book you thought was a masterpiece, how would that make you feel? Or god forbid, the book you wrote. I know I need to have thick skin as a writer and I'm getting better at that, at taking criticism. I guess I just didn't expect this today, on my writing Twitter. So I'll most likely not be on much today. I'm going to my NKOTB fan Twitter where everyone else is excited and listening to our fabulous new album. I'm gonna put this behind me and move on with a smile.

But if you're still reading, I ask you to please give #NKOTB10 a listen before you judge. If you still don't like it, like Joe said back in the day, that's fine. And you ain't gotta tweet about how much it sucks. I don't like Suit and Tie AT ALL but I have politely not voiced my opinion because I don't want to offend anyone. :D It's possible you might *gasp!* like at least some of the songs. I recommend "Fighting Gravity" and "Survive You" if love songs are your thing. "Crash" and "The Whisper" if you like the party tracks. "Back to Life" and the hidden track, "Let's Go Out With A Bang" if you like pure awesomeness (it's pretty obvious I'm a Joe girl). The guys are actually very talented, especially Joe and Jordan Knight. Their voices are AMAZING and I don't think they've ever gotten the recognition and respect they deserve. From us fans, yes, because we've been open to it. We get it and always have. But it seems like the rest of the world closes their minds and ears.

Anyway, I've gone on long enough and I feel better now. :) Fellow Blockheads, let's relish in the awesomeness and enjoy this long-awaited day! Everyone else, please respect me, my choices and my band. I've been a fan for 25 years by the way and always been proud. Always will be, even more so now. The Block for Life baby!!!!
Throwing this in just 'cause it's awesome:

Pitch Madness

Long time, no blog! I have been busy rewriting and editing. I've thought about blogging several times but haven't actually done it until now (obvs). In a last minute decision, I decided to participate in Pitch Madness on Friday. I actually hadn't made up my mind until Thursday and brainstormed with my AWESOME CP's to come up with what I hoped was a kick-ass pitch. My reasons for uncertainty were that 1) I just finished a massive complete rewrite last week; 2) I suck at pitches; 3) Insecurity. But finally, I decided to get it together and just do it. I'm so glad I did! :) These contests are stressful but a lot of fun. In case you don't know what it is, check out the details here. Brenda Drake is an incredible person for doing all these contests, by the way. Love her!! 

Anyway, here is my pitch for your perusal. I'm anxious to hear everyone's feedback. :) 

Title: A SCARRED MIND

Genre: Adult Thriller

Word count: 79000

Pitch: Closeted psychic Jake uses his gift for things like spoiling reality shows for his wife. Once he’s foreseen a brutal murder, he must expose his secret to stop a killer, even if it ruins him.

First 250 words:

Tears left tracks through her flawless makeup as the woman cowered against the wall in a dingy, dark room. Hands bound behind her, her voice hiccupped as she sobbed. “Please. Don’t do this. Please.”

The light of a bare bulb gleamed off the blade of a chef’s knife as the man advanced toward her. She collapsed into ear-splitting screams, barely able to catch her breath as she attempted to scurry away. The knife ripped into her upper chest and then hacked into the left side of her neck.

“Sir? Are you okay?”

The teller’s voice brought Jake sharply back to the reality of the bank. She paused, half of the bills still in hand, the other half neatly stacked in front of her.

“Oh shit,” he blurted and gripped the edge of the counter. The color drained from his face and nausea tickled the insides of his mouth. Don’t puke, he thought. That won’t save her.

He looked up at the teller, the woman he’d seen stabbed to death, and opened his mouth in an attempt to explain but the words caught in his throat. What was he supposed to say? Definitely not “I’m sorry for my profanity, ma’am. I just had a vision in which you were viciously murdered by a scarred dude with a kitchen knife.”

He must’ve seemed like a nut, standing there, gaping at her.

She stared back at him with a tight-lipped I’m waiting expression. Why would anyone want to kill her in such a horrific manner? 

My Liebster Award

Thanks again to the lovely Wendy Knight for tagging me in this blog. I love blog hops! This one is for blogs with fewer than 200 followers. I am to come up with 11 questions for 11 other bloggers. I don't know if I know that many writers well enough to ask them to blog. ;) But I'll try! Now to answer Wendy's 11 questions.

1. Writing. Why do you do it?
Because I can't NOT do it. I originally started writing when I was 14 because I wanted to read a story about a group of teenagers who tried to stop a weird Satanic cult from killing townspeople in a small North Carolina town. I wanted to picture the main characters as my favorite group (then and now) New Kids on the Block. #fangirl I couldn't find anything like that at the library so I decided to write it. I like to think of it as original fanfic. ;) As I've mentioned in previous blogs, that first book took on a life of its own and I wrote a series based on that original story from 1990-1996 - five books altogether. Over the past couple of years, I've written an updated version of that first book and also, a reunion story I started in 2009 based on those characters getting back together as adults to fight the same evil again. So that's why I write: to read the stories I've always wanted to read. I like Toni Morrison's quote: “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” 

2. What's your biggest fear? (Mine is spiders. In case you were wondering.)
Snakes. :( And please don't send me snake pictures, thinking it's going to cure me or that one day I might touch them and get over it. NOOOO. I picked up one when I was a little girl, thinking it was a stick and it scarred me for life. I had a full-blown panic attack when my cat brought one up on the porch and it was dead. I just can't handle snakes. *shudder*

3. Where do you see yourself in five years?
This is always a tricky question because I am never right! LOL Ideally, I will be a published author by then. I know I will still be writing, whether or not I'm published. I don't know for sure if we will be living in the same place, but part of me hopes so, although I like changing things up every few years. I also kinda hope I've found a significant other to spend the rest of my life with. I doubt it but you never know what's going to happen! I would like to be in love again someday...

4. What is your biggest obstacle standing in the way of your dreams?
Fear. I think I get in my own way. Fear of failure, not being good enough, etc. I'm slowly becoming more confident in myself and my writing. I genuinely love what I have done over the past few days with my thriller A SCARRED MIND. I always thought it was good but now I think it's pretty awesome, if I do say so, and am proud of my work. This really could be The One after all. *prays*

5. If you could write anything - without worrying about the market saturation or whether it was your genre, what would you write?
I would write the same things I do now. ;) I don't worry about what's in the market right now. I just write what I want, what I want to read and hope that others will like it too. 

6. Favorite hobby, besides writing. Go.
My favorite hobby other than writing (and reading since that's part of writing) is probably all the fun I have being a Blockhead (NKOTB fan) from going to the concerts, making new friends among their fans, Twitter, etc. It's a fun ride that started more than 25 years ago and is still going. I also love watching movies but am not as into the film world as I used to be. Now, more often that not, I will read a book before I'll watch a movie.

7. What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
This probably goes back to something I did for NKOTB. I'll have to think about it...People always say their fans are so crazy (we're not that bad really) but we're just loyal. Maybe flying to Vegas to see my favorite guy, Joey McIntyre, do a show at midnight (3 a.m. my time). I'd never been to Vegas and went by myself, all the way across the country. I met some friends there and we got about three hours of sleep the whole weekend. But it was SO much fun! I'd love to do it again.

8. Nature vs. Nurture - what's your opinion?
Hmm...I think Nurture is stronger than Nature. I base this on the fact that my daughter has never known her father and the only thing I see of him in her is her looks. She doesn't act anything like he did but she is a lot like me and very attached to me. Therefore I'd say Nurture. 

9. Do you believe people can change?
It depends on the person, but yes. They have to want to change. I've learned you can't force it on anyone. Some people never change and it's because they don't want to or don't think they have to. 

10. Where would you like to visit more than anywhere else? Why?
New Zealand because they have everything -- beautiful beaches and mountains and hobbit holes!! And best of all - no snakes! 

11. Name one thing you are determined to accomplish this year. And do it!
Get an agent! I really hope it happens for me this year. I have faith that it will, especially now that I believe in my book more than ever. Here's hoping!

And now for my tagged friends:

Abby Cavenaugh

Lizzy  Froehle

Katrina Sincek

Fiona McLaren

Kelley Harvey

Cat Scully

J.M. Bray

Cynthia Hill

PS - You guys may have more than 200 followers but I broke the rules to include my CP's!

My 11 questions for you guys:

1. What was the first book you wrote and at what age?

2. Favorite celebrity crush and why?

3.  Is your favorite genre to write the same as your favorite to read? Why or why not?

4. I'm going to steal one of Wendy's: Where do you see yourself in five years?

5. If you could live one day of your life over, what would it be?

6. If you could live in a fictional world, what would it be? (Thanks to Fiona for that one!)

7. Favorite author?

8. Do you write better with music/noise or silence?

9. If you could see a genre mash-up of two movies, which would you choose? (Thanks again Fiona! You ROCK)

10. Are you spiritual or religious or agnostic or atheist? (No offense intended to anyone. I'm just curious)

11. Do you have a designated writing space? If so, describe it.

Thanks everybody! :) Happy blogging!

One Lovely Blog Award

So the awesomely fun and talented Wendy Knight tagged me in the One Lovely Blog award. I LOVE doing these type of things so send 'em my way, guys! :)

For this blog hop, you list seven random facts about yourself. I'm going to try to go for things not everyone knows. Like to hear it, here it go! (I'm in a goofy mood today)

1. I have fallen in love with HGTV. Even though we rent our house and can't make renovations or really decorate the way I want, I have always LOVED watching shows about house renovations, like Love It Or List It. If you're not familiar, a family is usually torn on whether to renovate their home or find a new place. The show brings in an interior designer, Hillary, who works miracles and with a predetermined budget, tries to fix the problems so that the family will stay. A real estate agent, David, also meets with the family and tries to find them their perfect dream home and get them to move. Hillary and her team do the renovations while David looks for a new house. At the end of the show they decide whether they're going to love it and stay or list it and move. I'm addicted. I started watching this show on New Year's Eve so it's set the precedent for 2013 apparently. I've always enjoyed watching House Hunters, which is also on HGTV.

2. Related to #1, I've always loved looking at houses, studying their architecture and history. I remember my grandmother, Grandma White, had a subscription to HOME magazine, which probably doesn't exist anymore. The magazine had a lot of stuff about home renovation and design and at the end, there were always home plans/blueprints. I would pore over those magazines every time we visited Grandma. Sometimes she'd let me have an old issue or two and I'd be so excited! Maybe I should have become an architect or interior designer. I think I got a lot from Grandma White since she was a writer, too. She wrote poems and short stories but was never published, except in a magazine here and there. I hope to do her proud by becoming a published author. Anyway, as a child, I often took a house plan and built the house in my mind and decorated and came up with stories for the families who lived there. I didn't write them down but that definitely inspired the writer in me. I'm also really fond of Tudor-style homes. This is what my dream house would look like:

Also, as a teenager, I used to pick up the free real estate books when we went to Wilmington, and pick out houses for the characters in my books. Wait, I still do that! Actually, now I look at online real estate listings. And sometimes I house shop in Boston and New York. Actually the house above is in Brookline, MA. I hope it stays for sale until I can afford it. Haha! I'm a dreamer.

3. I'm an Off Beat! :) Maybe not everyone knows about this but I recently joined an awesome critique group called The Off Beats. There are seven of us and although my manuscript has been completed for a while, these lovely ladies have still managed to find ways to make it even better. Plus, we have some really great chats, supporting each other and our writing. I can't wait until all of us have agents and our own end cap at Barnes & Noble. Hey, it could happen. Aren't we cute?

4. Another off beat thing (see what I did there?) about me is that I wore glasses when I was young. I think I was four years old when I got them and wore them through kindergarten. The story goes my parents didn't know I had a vision problem until I asked Mom why there were three phones on the wall. Then I said "There are three of you!" I actually had surgery on my eye (Mom doesn't even remember which eye) when I was three or four, but thank God I don't remember anything about it. I always forget to tell doctors about that. I remember the glasses very well, though. It was how people told my twin sister and I apart but then I got them off before first grade and oh no! No one knows who I am anymore. Ha ha! Anyway, I think the surgery is why I have a freckle on my eye. Most people don't notice it but my friend Jolene thought it was the coolest thing. ;)

5. I love the ocean but am deathly afraid of my head going underwater. I know, it's weird. I have been drawn to the ocean since I was a little girl, even though our family never went on vacation or even to the beach until I was twelve. And we only live half an hour from the beach. Once we went that first time, I was hooked. I would live at the beach if it wasn't so expensive. But like I said, I can't go under. I freak out. I sincerely think I drowned in a past life and that's why I'm so afraid of it. I can dunk my head under for a few seconds and I'm usually okay in a pool but out in the ocean, forget it. I panic. Every time. At the same time, I'm at peace in the ocean and can float for hours and just enjoy listening to the waves. I'm an enigma.

6. I don't believe in marriage but secretly plan my wedding. Haha! That makes me sound so lame. Seriously, I believe marriage can work but too often people rush into it just so they don't have to be alone when in reality, being single is awesome. This is probably because my first marriage was a disaster. The first year or two were nice but we did not communicate the way we should have and basically, I married the wrong person for me. I won't go into all the details but I have pretty much been single since the divorce. I like it that way. But part of me does want the wedding I never got the chance to have. I don't really plan it but I do think about what I would like to have, should I ever meet The One and he has to be The One or I'd never consider marriage. Pinterest constantly shows me wedding cakes, no matter what I search for. I swear I type in Supernatural and a wedding cake will pop up. So in that sense, I plan it but not seriously planning a wedding. ;) I do dream of having the wedding I didn't have with my first husband. I can already tell you the them will be butterflies. ;) My cake will look something like this, only even prettier!

7. OK most everyone knows this about me but I'll make it number 7 anyway. I am a huge fan of New Kids on the Block and I'm very proud of it. I HATE HATE HATE the negative misconceptions out there about them: that they were a manufactured group, that they don't have any real talent, that there were auditions of 1000 kids, blah blah blah. Ugh. It drives me nuts. The truth is I didn't buy into the boy band hype. NK are the only "boy band" I really like. I became a fan way back in the late summer of 1988 when I first heard "Please Don't Go Girl" on the "black" radio station. I was listening to a lot of R&B at the time and that's why the song appealed to me. I didn't even know what they looked like when I became a fan. So yes, the looks are incredible but I'm honestly more into it for their music. They also inspired me to become a writer, the first people to tell me I could go for my dreams. That's why I take the negativity about them so personally. I think they're looking better than ever these days...

By the way, a grand total of eight people auditioned for the group. Joe McIntyre and Jordan Knight are two of the best singers I've ever heard. Give them a chance. Yes, their songs back in the day were cheesy but the talent was still there. They're even better now. I wish I could make everyone a fan, or at least respect them for the extremely talented great, sweet guys they are. I could go on forever about them, but that's probably another blog post. :)

Yay! I wrote seven things. :) I'm tagging three of my fellow Off Beats because they are awesome and lovely people I want to know more about. Well, obviously I already know everything about my first one since she's my twin but I'd love to see what she'll write.

1. Abby Cavenaugh @abs1399
2. Kelley Harvey @KHarveyWrites
3. Fiona McLaren@BookOmnivore