Another birthday, another shot at resuscitating my flat-lining New Year’s Resolutions.
Ever read those Jessica Shaw in/out charts in Entertainment Weekly? As I was mulling over this new year, I decided to draft a similar chart. But this one doesn’t measure our fleeting pop culture cravings. Instead it compares my old thought patterns and former approach to writing to what I now manifest.
| “so last decade” |
2010 |
| stuck |
flow |
| procrastinate |
productive |
| the finish line |
the process |
| fear |
love |
Also on the agenda for a healthier year is eating better. So far, I’ve been pretty shaky with hitting the mark. Case in point—I made a delish squash soup this week, but satisfied my KFC sandwich craving not two days later. But I vow to keep at it.
I take inspiration from my health nut of sister Golda. And, in turn, Golda takes inspiration (and recipes) from Alicia Silverstone’s vegan living book The Kind Diet. During my last visit to Atlanta, my sister experimented with vegan dessert offerings. It’s a good thing I was there to offer my opinion. It’s not a job for the faint of heart. I tasted. I liked!
Golda’s work of art was worthy of a photo. Here’s her version of Alicia’s vegan cheesecake. Yum!ness.
But I don’t have it in me to be a vegan, y’all—at least not at this point in my life. I cut out red meat and pork a long time ago, but I still enjoy my chicken and turkey. So, my brother-in-law Jerry’s program sounds more my speed. On my last visit home, he made wheat dough from scratch and whipped up this focaccia delight with a generous serving of veggies. Again, greedy me grabbed my camera.
I could not be less interested in losing weight. (Anybody who knows me knows about my lifelong quest to gain weight.) For me it’s about reducing the processed foods and setting the tone for a healthier family diet. Anyone with me? I’d love to hear about your new year improvements. What’s on your “so last decade” chart?
For tasty vegan recipes, check out Alicia’s blog, The Kind Life.
A big welcome to author Elizabeth Scott, one of the newest members of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit. *applause from the studio audience* It’s awesome having Elizabeth on board. I had the pleasure of meeting her (and then bump into her several more times) at last year’s Book Expo. Besides being Simon Pulse-mates, it also turns out Elizabeth and I have a mutual buddy, YA author Gayle Forman. Today I’m happy to help Elizabeth celebrate the release of her new book, THE UNWRITTEN RULE.
Leave it up to a self-professed celeb gossip addict (see interview below) to come up with such a buzz-about novel. Reviewers are raving about THE UNWRITTEN RULE and it’s easy to see why.
About The Unwritten Rule:
“Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.”
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He’s easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he’s paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna’s boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah’s best friend.
Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she’s thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It’s wonderful…and awful.
Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can’t stop herself from wanting more…
Want more? Read on for my recent exchange with Elizabeth.
DR: What’s your favorite stage of your work process: researching, writing or editing?
ES: Writing, because I love it.
DR: How do you get over a major bout of writer’s block?
ES: Sometimes I sulk for a little bit, but usually I just make myself write through it–I may try doing the scene from another character’s POV, or I may try and write the scene that happens next. It really just depends.
DR: What bad habit are you desperately trying to break out of?
ES: If I could spend less time worrying, that would be great!
DR: What’s the craziest or coolest thing you’ve done in the name of research?
ES: Read all the books and articles I could find about a country that, quite frankly, scares the crap out of me!
DR: Think back to your sophomore year in high school. What were you like at age 15?
ES: Dating my first boyfriend, hanging out with my friends–the usual stuff, you know? The only thing that was different was that was the year I had both my parents as teachers. (But I knew that was going to happen from the time I was in kindergarten, so it wasn’t much of a surprise and aside from my mother moving me for talking (thanks, Mom!) it was actually pretty normal. I just treated them like I would any other teacher, and they treated me like I was any other student.)
DR: In PERFECT SHOT, London steps out of her sporty comfort zone to participate in a modeling contest. When was the last time you ventured far out of your comfort zone?
ES: When I decided to leave a full-time job with great benefits to write full-time. It was a
hard choice to make, but I’m glad I did it!
DR: What’s your favorite spot to cozy up with a book?
ES: Anywhere!
DR: These days, everyone and their pet pooch is a multi-hyphenate. What talents or professional titles would you include your multi-hyphenate profile?
ES: Author/Cookbook Lover/Unapologetic TV watcher/Celebrity gossip addict (!)
Thanks, Elizabeth and continued success to ya!
