Come out, come out from wherever you are. Where I am.

In December, a literary agent called me to give me some suggestions on my manuscript. He then gave me permission to resubmit if I decided to rewrite, addressing his concerns. My first thought was, OMG, I can't believe an agent called me! Then, coming down from my agent-high a day later, I thought, ugh, another rewrite.

I spoke with my mom, who always gives me the best biased opinion possible, and the members of one of my critique groups, who are straight-forward legit and brilliant. I thought. And thought. And thought some more.

The agent was right. One-hundred percent. So, I began the rewrite the first week in January and am now stuck on the last chapter. Not the last chapter of the book, but the last chapter I need to write. Being stuck sucks.

Three weeks ago I took my husband to see Forks Over Knives, a documentary about plant based diets, in Portland. The information provided in this film was enough to get him to try the healthier lifestyle to reduce his cholesterol, chances of vascular diseases and cancer. So far, he loves the diet and feels ten million times better than he ever has. Of course, he never listened to me when I told him about all these things before the film, but I'm not complaining because I'm happy he now can live a healthy, long life with me.

The thing is, though, with change comes... He's dealing with the ridicule and the harassment better than I ever would and I'm not only proud of his dedication to his health, but also of how he has reacted to the backlash from friends and others.

Now, I've been able to practice vegetarian cooking without hearing the whines and cries from others in the household--well, almost. My son is still a meat eater and that's okay because it is his choice. I'm not a cook, but it's been kind of fun experimenting with veggies, beans and grains. 

Here's my latest creation which tasted much better than it looks--stuffed peppers.

I've been toying with the idea of going back to school. It took me thirty-three years to discover what I want to do with my life and now that I know, it seems so far out of reach. I'm going to be thirty-seven this month and time is just slipping away. Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to give up my dream to become a full-time, published author who travels the world, but I need to pull my head out of the clouds because my reality-job, which pays jack, is killing my wrists and thumbs and elbows. I won't last another two years in this job (massage therapist), let alone twenty when I can retire. My husband works his booty off to pay the bills and I feel bad.

So, maybe I should go back to school. Problem is, I don't know what I want to go back to school for. It would have to be for something that's going to make bank because that's the whole point. Doctor? Nurse? 

Cubicles are not in the cards for me, but if need be, perhaps I could get a desk job until my books are published. There I go again. Reality check, check, check. Not that I should be complaining because I'm thankful we are doing okay and have been given so much in this life. I'm human and a dreamer, so there.

To make matters more confusing, yesterday I took a "What Should You Be When You Grow Up" quiz. My results: Creator/Artist

Have you watched Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World ??? I love this movie. In it, there is a vegan character with vegan powers. Rad! Unfortunately, he dies. But, I think it would be super-d-duper to have vegan powers. Although I'll never have the powers depicted in the movie, I've decided I want my body in the best shape it's ever been in. I've decided to work out. Gasp!!

That's right, folks. Angela works out five to six days a week. "How does she do it?" you ask. Have you watched the show Heavy ? That's all the motivation anyone ever needs. In fact, I hope to run my first 5K in March. Woot woot. :)

This weekend, I watched these two movies and cried during both:



and





That's where I've been and where I am. I continue to read when I'm not revising, but haven't read anything worth mentioning on the blog. Teens don't seem to enjoy being interviewed, so I've ceased that part of the blog and I haven't met any new Someday Famous YA Authors recently to talk about either. So, when I get a chance, I'll just talk about me. How awesome is that? Very. ;)

Peace out for now.

TEEN INTERVIEW SERIES: Meet Denim, age 13.

Hi Peeps!

I'm a guest blogger this week. Who woulda thunk that someone would want my words all over their blog? Well, someone did, and that someone is Fiction Flurry. It's this really cool blog about writing and stuff.

The thing that I've learned about guest blogging is: You can't change it once it's posted. So, I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors. **Blush** I tend to have those sometimes and edit like a mad woman when I find them.

Go check it out. You'll meet an ordinary, yet extraordinary, teen by the name of Denim.

FICTION FLURRY BLOG

TEEN INTERVIEW SERIES: Meet Alex, Age 14

Today's interview is a little different than all the rest. Not that every interview is the same, because they totally aren't. But this interview we're going to use a real name instead of an alias. The name is owned by a 14 year old blogger. Alex. Not only does he blog, but he blogs about YA books. How much cooler can you get? Not much.

When you are done reading this interview, scroll back up to check out Alex's blog: Electrifying Reviews.



Meet Alex Q&A style.

Q: What grade are you in?

A: 9th

Q: What are some of your major accomplishments?

A: I do great in school, have a great blog, and do tons of extra-curricular activities.

Q: Do you participate in any recreational activities / extra curricular activities outside of school or at school?

A: I play tons of sports, do drama, I'm in choir, student council, and do tons of other stuff.

Q: What kind of issues are you most worried about dealing with at school?

A: I go to a really good school. There aren't really any problems or issues that I am worried about.

Q: Are you aware of any drug problems at school?

A: Some kids do drugs. But it's not that big of a problem at my school. We don't have gangs or anything like that.

Q: What kind of drugs are prevalent?

A: Weed

Q: Has substance abuse touched your life/do you know someone who is an addict?

A: I know people at my school who smoke, but I wouldn't call them addicts. Substance abuse doesn't really affect my life.

Q: Do you know what you want to do after high school?

A: No idea.

Q: Take a few moments to tell us about your awesome blog.

A: Well it's called Electrifying Reviews. I started it in December of 2009. Since then, it has gained a few followers and I've posted tons of content.

Q: What made you decide to start blogging?

A: I saw a few book blogs and decided to give it a shot.

Q: Do you have any awesome stories or events that have occurred because of your blog?

A: I've been quoted on the back of some books, design book covers for some authors, and blogging has pushed me to work on my own writing.

Q: What is the best book you've ever read?

A: For real? There are SO many good books. But Harry Potter will always be the closest to my heart.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: HOOT!!!

Q: Favorite food?

A: Any type of pasta.

Q: Favorite pass time?

A: Reading or just surfing the net.

Q: If you could be an object or animal, what would you be and why?

A: A bird. So I could fly!

Q: Is there anything else you would like to talk about?

A: Just how awesome you were to invite me here! Thanks so much, Angela!

**blush**

Thank YOU for participating in the Teen Interview Series. I'm exhausted thinking about everything you are involved with. Maybe someday we can trade book reviews when our books are published:)

Peace out.

TEEN INTERVIEW SERIES: Rodeo Girl, age 18

Hello Peeps!

The Teen Interview Series hasn't been as frequent as I hoped. It seems it is weird for an adult to chat with teens whom they don't know. Almost creepy. **sigh** Keep your heads up, folks. I will not give up and continue my search for teens to interview. I understand the creepy factor, it's just a sad reality of this day and I'm thankful people are cautious.

What is the teen interview series? Find out here

Today, we'll meet an 18 year old girl. We'll call her Rodeo Girl. She kindly filled out a survey and answered our questions about life as Rodeo Girl, who graduated high school this year.

Question: Are you excited about starting college this year? What are you most looking forward to at school?

Rodeo Girl: I am not excited about starting college, I have never really wanted to go so I am not very motivated by it, what makes it even better is I have to pay for it myself. But my parents have gave me some slack and told me I don't have to start right away. So who knows when I will start.

Question: Why don't you want to go to college? What do you want to do instead?

Rodeo Girl: I have never wanted to go to college in my whole life. Obviously a dream, but I used to dream when I was a little girl that I would get married and never have to work lol. But this is reality. My back up plan is that if I HAD to get a job I wanted to be a Admin Assistant in some kind of office. Well a week before high school ended I got my dream job, I became exactly that. Which makes me even more not want to go to school, because why? Most kids don't get their dream job so early in life, and they have to go to college to choose what they want to be. My job doesn't require college so whats the point? Another negative is I have to pay for my own schooling. But making minimum wage at your dream job doesn't give you a lot to work with. My parents have gave me a break and are paying for my gas, cell phone, insurance, and anything necessary when example my car breaks down. If I were to be paying for this all on my own, I would be owing my parents money because I don't make that much in one month. Even if I broke even at the end of the month, I won't have any spending money to go to lunch with a friend, or buy someone a birthday present, or save any money towards my own car.

Question: So, you live with your parents?

Rodeo Girl: I do still live with my parents. I don't think I will move out until one day I get married. My parents wouldn't care how long I lived at home. Both my older brothers still live at home and I am sure will until one day they get married.

Question: What are some of you major accomplishments?

Rodeo Girl: Training My horse.

Question: Do (or did) you participate in any recreational activities / extra curricular activities outside of school or even at school? (Sports, drama, dance, music, art, etc.)

Rodeo Girl: I was involved in High School Equestrian team where I traveled all over to compete on my horse.

Question: Tell us about training your horse. When did you become interested in horses and what do you love about them?

Rodeo Girl: I was scared to death of horses about 8 years ago before I moved to where I am now. About a week after I moved in the neighbor girl loved to come ride in our field. So she came up to the house on a horse and asked my parents if she could. Of course they said yes. While she asked them that she had another horse that needed rode because it had been like 2 years since lost rode. She asked me if I wanted to come ride with her. Scared to death and out of my mind I said "yes". About a year later they horses moved away and I was horse less. So I got my own.

When I got my horse she knew just the basics of being rode. I taught her everything she knows besides knowing there is a saddle on her back and she must go forward. She knows her leads, how to side pass, how to back up, how to stop on a dime, how to get in the trailer, how to be roped off of, how to do all Gaming events. Gaming Events are just like barrel racing, but with 4 other fast events. We have traveled all over our state competing in High School Equestrian team, we are apart of 4-H and are #1 in our country and will be leaving in a couple days for State Fair. I am an adrenaline Junky on my horse, I LOVE to go fast!!!

Question: What kind of issues are you most worried about dealing with?

Rodeo Girl: What my future has in store for me.

Question: Were you aware of any drug problems at your high school?

Rodeo Girl: Oh yes! It was crazy on how many kids would show up to school high. It seemed like once I hit my sophomore year there was SO many kids who were smoking black and milds (which aren't drugs but tobacco) but there was also so many kids smoking hard, hard drugs!! Kids would go off campus during lunch and go smoke behind the local bowling alley and come back to school higher than a kit.

Question: If yes, what kind of drugs were prevalent?

Rodeo Girl: I am not really sure.

Question: Has substance abuse touched your life/do you know someone who is/was an addict?

Rodeo Girl: Don't think I know anyone.

Question: Do you read books? If yes, what is the last one you read? What did or didn't you like about it?

Rodeo Girl: If I ever read books its at night to make me more tired. Since I have been out of school, life has happened and I have had not problem going to sleep at night.

Question: What is your favorite movie?

Rodeo Girl: "How to lose a guy in Ten Days"

Question: Favorite food?

Rodeo Girl: I have a few favorites, just like any other American teen I love pizza. Lasagna and fettuccine Alfredo are two runner ups but they are all pretty much the same.

Question: Favorite pass time?

Rodeo Girl: Me and my best friend used to take the inner part of a innertube for a boat, and put our feet in the hole and sit on the edge and rock the thing back and forth. We used to call it Big Red. We took that thing anywhere there was water just so we could play on it.

Question: If you could be an object or animal, what would you be and why?

Rodeo Girl: I would be a horse because they get to eat all day and maybe an hour a day they must work out.

Question: Is there anything else you would like to talk about?

Rodeo Girl: For me its always been best to have a couple amazing good friends that I can trust, then a bunch of party goers that are fake friends. I have a really hard time with fake people. I have got through my high school year with two best friends and that's all I needed, yes I had a lot of other friends, but no one I could fully trust. So I kept to the couple I trusted. Throughout the years I have grown apart from these two and gained a new best friend. But this is someone who could take me somewhere in life. My boyfriend. Through my loses and gains I have learned to find my true self. I have made it through my whole life without doing any drugs or taking one sip of Alcohol.


Thank you, Rodeo Girl, for participating in The Teen Series. It's very rare when I meet a teen who knows exactly what she does and what she doesn't want to do. I wish you the best of luck.

Peace out.