LUMINANCE HOUR's shiny new title!

Titles are funny things.

Sometimes they're the most obvious things in the world, staring you down in the face. Other times, they're impossible.

When I first sat down to write this book I gave it a very functional, practical title. It was about a Faery who guarded a prince, so I called it GODMOTHER. This is the title I queried it under.

But super-agent informed me, as I was working on revisions, that GODMOTHER was not a very sexy or shimmery title. So together we brainstormed.

It went through a few test titles such as AMONG THE NIGHTINGALES, before we finally settled on LUMINANCE HOUR. We chose this title because it encompassed the theme of time and light that plays throughout the book.

But luminance is a hard word for people to say (especially when you can't read it in front of you). Super-editor and the fabulous team at HarperTeen decided that it wasn't the right blend of poetic and commercial. So back to the drawing board we went.

This was a hard, hard book to title. I really wanted something that would capture the poetic and lyrical feel of the prose, but was also relevant and catchy in a commercial way. Not easy to do. Not easy at all.

But we did it. The book's new title is....

(drumroll)

(...)

(...)

ALL THAT GLOWS

I'm really happy and satisfied with what we came up with. I think ALL THAT GLOWS is the perfect blend of poetic and commercial, and really captures the feel of Emrys's story. It evokes sunrises, moonlight, magic, love...

Plus here's hoping it makes a super pretty cover!

Here's to glow!

taking the plunge

Today I decided to get my hair cut. Not just trimmed, but chop, chop short like I did a year ago. The reason? I am in the morning, very lazy and not-functioning for at least 2 hours, and I prefer a hairstyle that will accommodate an "I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-look."

For me this is the fro. A very short and shaggy hairstyle that compliments my curls and requires absolutely no brushing of any sort. I got one last year and really liked the way my hair looked, and how it took so little effort to make it look that way.

I decided to try a new stylist (I don't go to get my haircut very often at all, so I don't have an established, regular stylist). Which didn't turn out so well. I couldn't figure out how to verbalize exactly what I wanted to her, and while she did cut my hair short, it was not in the style I was envisioning/dreaming of. So instead of sitting in the chair and hoping for the best, I left with a not-so-amazing hairstyle.

It took a few hours in the mirror and a lot of nervous pacing, but I finally decided that if I wanted the haircut I was envisioning, I would have to do it myself. 

The best thing about hair? It grows back! And curly hair is very forgiving when it comes to lengths. And I've already trimmed/cut my own bangs before. So I had all those things going for me.

So I grabbed the scissors and took the plunge.

Because I'm in the middle of revisions, I automatically compared hacking off lengths of my own hair to going into my manuscript and drastically changing things. Just like hair always grows back, you'll (hopefully) have backed up versions of the scenes you're changing, so it won't really be a loss if what you're trying doesn't work.

And sometimes, beautiful, wonderful things come out of taking the plunge. Things you'll never discover unless you hold your breath, pick up those proverbial scissors and take the risk.

For those of you who are curious, here's the new, low-maintenance hairstyle. Yay!

revision treats

I don't know what it is, but something about working on revisions just begs for baking! It's an activity that uses just enough brainpower to distract me from the pressing call of my manuscript, but not enough to make me even more exhausted than I already am. Plus the sugar helps.

Fall is once again upon us (tomorrow!!!), so of course, I decided to try out a pumpkin based recipe.

Behold: PUMPKIN MOLASSES COOKIES. 

They're another Pinterest find (what isn't these days). And they are very tasty if I do say so myself.

Okay, back to work!!! *ducks away into the cave with a sack full of cookies*

music post!

For some reason, whenever I'm revising, I start searching for new music. I guess new songs just get me in the mood/distract me enough to sustain my sanity during the grueling reworking process (woof).

Anyway, while I'm waist deep in revisions for Cutthroat Novel, let me share my latest finds with you:

Gangnam Style by PSY - Guys, if you aren't up and dancing by the end of this song, I don't think you heard it right! Husband and I find it doubly catchy since we spent a year in South Korea. (We actually went to church in the Gangnam neighborhood!)

The name of this song is a little weird, (Start Shootin' by Little People), but I really love the atmosphere it encompasses.

Alright! I'm back to the revision cave! *ducks away*

why i love my husband (reason #8972)

What do you do when you don't have a lawn mower?

Use a machete of course!

I came home to find the yard freshly cut. Husband tells me it makes for "good aerobics." I'll take his word for it!

why novel writing is like giving birth

During the past month I've come to a singular conclusion.

Writing books is like giving birth.

I've written several books. I have never actually birthed a child. But hear me out.

The other day I was moaning and groaning about my current WIP to my tireless, stalwart husband who hears me moan and groan about these things quite often. In one of my more drama-queen moves, I threw my hand over my brow and said, "This book is trying to kill me."

Then, after a wave of deja-vu, I sat up and said, "I'm pretty sure I've said that before."

Lo and behold, I did. Turns out Cutthroat Novel was also trying to kill me. Which is why I nicknamed it Cutthroat Novel in the first place.

It's funny, because even if I try really hard, I can't really remember how terrible and brutal those first few months with Cutthroat were. But according to le blog, they were. While in the midst of the rough draft throat of LUMINANCE HOUR 2, I have come up with a theory. Writers only write second novels (and third and fourth and etc), because they forget what an utter, terrifying, agonizing process writing an entire novel is. Just like women have more than one child because their brain blanks out on how painful the actual labor was.

Why did I choose this profession again?

Just kidding. Just like the mothers always tell me, the end product is more than worth the pain it costs. I just have to keep reminding myself that as I keep sweating away!

a house, a home

Hello!

I'm back!

Where have I been you might ask? Well, nowhere too exotic (sadly). But husband and I have embarked on a new adventure known as home-owning! That's right. I am a grown-up with a house of my very own now.

It's funny, because we weren't really planning on buying a house, but this place kind of fell into our laps, and it's hard to say no to a cute, white bungalow built in the 1960s. (At least, it is for me!) It's the perfect size for the two of us, with a huge fenced in yard for our future dog. And a nice sunny office for both of us to share. It has amazing hardwood floors and it even has one of those telephone shelves in the hallway.

Okay, I'm done bragging.

This entire week was pretty much dedicated to getting the bungalow in working order (aka "nesting"). When we first arrived the walls were this color:

Now many of you might have a different opinion. But for me: brown = bleh. I love bright, happy colors. And this did not fit the bill. For the longest time I was contemplating painting all of my walls bright and vibrant colors, but Laini Taylor's blog posts about her decor convinced me that pure white is the way to go. With a lot of colorful pieces of furniture and accessories to pop all over the place.

So we painted.

And painted.

And painted.

I never really registered how exhausting painting it. After three days it begins to sink in! But in the end it was all worth it:

(This is the one part of my house that is in a presentable state. But note the white walls. And white curtains. I have big plans for the bricks and painting them bright colors.)

The woman who lived here before us grew roses. I'm not the most green-thumbed individual, so I decided to relish the beautiful flowers while they lasted. In my Pinterest inspired beer bottle glasses that my husband is too afraid to drink out of (not that I blame him, I still haven't sanded down the edges).

Also, I found this in my driveway a few mornings ago. Should I be worried? Signs of an impending zombie apocalypse?

On that note. I should be blogging a bit more regularly now that most of my earthly possessions are no longer in boxes and my kitchen is functional.