60,000 Words

No, that doesn't mean that what I write here is 60,000 words. I'm excited because I just looked at my word count and it says 60, 049!!!!

I'm over half-way there!!! At least for a 300 page book. And I like it. I was afraid that if I tried to add things just to make it longer, it wouldn't make sense anymore. But, it makes more sense with more there.

I have a lot of touching up to do, I'm only on #7 or what used to be chapter 4 (yes, I've added 3 chapters already) and I have 17 + more to go. Woot Woot!!!

Sleep-living

So, I don't know if you've ever done this, but I think I've been sleep-living.

Sleep-walking/sleep-driving/sleep-working. It feels like the only time I'm not sleeping, is when I NEED to!

I was at work today and there were more than a few times I would hear someone talking in my ear about their account or their bill.

Needless to say, even though it's my job, I was very confused. I didn't remember answering the phone. So I start freaking out... How did I answer the phone? Did I say Hello? or thanks for choosing ..., my name is Amber, how may I  help you?

How long have they been talking?

Horrible, I know. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been like this for a while. It started with walking. I'd wake up in a different spot than I thought I would be. Then it progressively got worse to sleep-driving. I got to work and I didn't remember the drive. I think that's the scariest one because it's not auto-pilot... it's spacing out for a 30 minute drive on 2 different freeways at 60+ miles an hour.

And now, it's worse in it's own way. I sleep-work. That could not just kill me, but get me fired from my job and have to live with the consequences. Which, that could be worse than you think... And definitely worse than death itself.

Death is final. There's no picking up the pieces when you're done dying, or living through the hell we call jobless life. I mean, it'd be awesome to not give 10 hours a day to people who think they're better than the world around them, but to put my raw potential towards something I love. My writing.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOk!!

Hey Everyone,

I know it's been a while since I've talked about the progress on my book. Sorry about that. I've been slowly working on adding more and more to my manuscript (look at me, using writing words I learned!) and I've been doing pretty good.

I've added 2 whole new chapters and I'm in the middle of revising one completely. I really like the direction it's heading with these two new chapters. I was a little hesitant because it seemed like it revealed something too soon, but hey, it ends up working and making more sense later.

I'm predicting that I'll add at least 3 more chapters and maybe 2-4 more pages on each chapter already written. I know some of you like to have small chapters so you can have someplace easy to stop at. But I'm hoping you won't want to stop anyway. Here's to hoping.

I'm still shooting for my Christmas deadline, and I'll let you know how that goes. Right now, I'm in a small block, so I thought I'd attempt to write other things instead, to get me back in motion, hence, this blog. I usually try to do something regarding the book when I get into the block so I can roll right into it again, but I don't need anything researched. I already have my fonts pretty much picked. I have a temporary cover that won't run into any problems for printing if I want to print off a cover for my records.

Anyway, I'm excited to see the Twilight movie with Julie/Brian/Jonathan on Sunday! We'll see how I like it! I'm going in to expect just another item to put towards the collection. It'll probably be nothing like the book, they rarely are, and I'll probably love it anyway.

I went to the Miss Auburn practice last Sunday, and I plan to go again this Sunday, and let me tell you... I was interviewing the contestants this year, and wow, that was fun! They actually took my advice! I'm no expert in interviews, believe you me, but I know I'm good at it (My first year's candlelight award was in interview and the interview coach said I was excellent at it).

I liked being there without all the stress to endure. And thank goodness I don't have to do talent!! I am absolutely horrible at everything that would be considered a stage talent!

I pitched on offer to them to be the writer for them, and Kathy (my friend, Ladies Advisor, Mayor's wife) said the President of the program liked the idea and she was supposed to get in touch with me, but she hasn't. I'm hoping if she's at the next practice this Sunday, I can have a sample for her if she asks! It's all in the name of writing and trying to get published. I need more publishing credit. The more you have, the more likely you are to getting published. 

It reminds me of credit cards. You can't get a credit card without good credit. Well, the same applies in writing. You can't get published without publishing history. oy.

Anyway, I think I'll attack my book again!

Later Gators.

I'm feeling Ambitious

Here's a list of funny quotes I've pulled together  from various websites :)

Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings.

The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch

Men are like parking spots, the good ones are taken and the free ones are handicapped.

I told my wife that a husband is like a fine wine; he gets better with age. The next day, she locked me in the cellar.

The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the average man can see better than he can think.

I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry. That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste. 
-- David Bissonnette

I've been in love with the same woman for forty-one years. If my wife finds out, she'll kill me. 
-- Henry Youngman

In my sentences I go where no man has gone before...I am a boon to the English language. 
-- George W. Bush

People tell me that Senator Edwards got picked for his good looks, his sex appeal, and his great hair. I say to them, 'How do you think I got the job? 
-- Dick Cheney

I frankly felt like the reception we received on the way in from the airport was very warm and hospitable. And I want to thank the Canadian people who came out to wave -- with all five fingers -- for their hospitality. 
-- George W. Bush

I can resist everything except temptation.  -- Oscar Wilde

 I once spent a year in Philadelphia, I think it was on a Sunday. 
-- W.C. Fields

For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. 
-- Rudyard Kipling

And that Concludes the presentation :)

Some AwEsOmE Inventions...

For the lonely nights:

For the bratty-selfish kid who always leaves messes, but never cleans them:

For those shoes you don't want ruined

For the late night or early morning traveler:

For the expensive suits, or frizzy-when-wet hair:

For the person that can't blow on thier own soup:

For the nodd-offer:

For the... gross:

For the not enough pockets:

aaahhhh, the beauty of crazy people ;). This came from work too... I don't know who puts these things together, but I hope they keep doing it.

If I got a tattoo...

it would look like this:

which stands for this:

which is also this:

which is the greatest metal band in the universe! don't hate.

It would be a cute/small thing, kinda ;) and in a place you'd be embarrassed to find it ;o.... jk, shoulder/arm/ankle/foot/face, either one really

Thoughts to Ponder...

Why is it that Country singers keep their accent in their singing voices when the accents usually disappear when you sing?

How do you know when you fall asleep?

Jonathan Andersen-Slagle (Anders ;))

Why don't vampires ever pee?

Amber Andersen-Slagle (me)

This is an email I received at work: 

If you ever feel a little bit stupid, just dig this up and read it again; you'll begin to think you're a genius. 


(On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.) 

Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? 
Answer: 'I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,' 
-- Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest . 
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'Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff.' 
--Mariah Carey 
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'Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life.' 
-- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign. 
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'I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body.' 
-- Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball f orward. 
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'Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.' < /FONT>
--Mayor Marion Barry, Washington , DC
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'That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it.' 
--A congressional candidate in Texas 
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'Half this game is ninety percent mental.' 
--Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark 
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'It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.' 
--Al Gore, Vice President 
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'I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix ' 
-- Dan Quayle while campaigning
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'We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?' 
--Lee Iacocca 
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'The word 'genius' isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.' 
--Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst. 
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'We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people.' 
-- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instrutor . 
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'Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.'
--Department of Social Services, Greenville , South Carolina 
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'Traditionally, most of Australia 's imports come from overseas.' 
--Keppel Enderbery 
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If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record.

Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman

Forks Visit in May 2008

So, this is what's on the forks Web Page... :) I look like a dork... and they spelt my name wrong.. thank goodness ;)

Jonathan meant to look like a dork. So I followed his lead :)-

May 24, 2008 Auber from Auburn, Washington May 24, 2008 Jonathan from Auburn, Washington May 24, 2008 Brian & Julie from Gig Harbor

Next In Line for Presidency

So, I've been thinking. Now that we are going to have our first black president... does that mean that we're going female next? Or gay?

I mean, think about it... do you think there'd be the "don't ask, don't tell rule?" .... you'd hear things like, "Well, the president is gay, why can't I be?"

I'm thinking if we went for a gay woman, we can just kill 2 birds with one stone. Knock all the shockers out of the way so we can get back to having middle aged and sexually repressed old white men.

Kidding. I still want Paris for president :) She'd look hot at least.

There's absolutely nothing to do today

I'm stuck in a rut I think. Today is just a wasted day and I don't know how to change it. Yesterday (after work and pho lunner (lunch & dinner) with Craig) was about the same as today. However, Craig toughed it out and went with me to the mall and the book store to buy.... NOTHING.

That's right, I didn't buy a single book, a single piece of clothing (even though I was tempted on multiple occasions). We even went to two book

stores! I almost bought The Luxe and Gone, but Craig couldn't find the

book he wanted so I thought it would be boring for him to stand in line and wait for me to get yet another book.

So, after that boring time out last night I guess it was only fitting for today to be full of nothing. We are so bored that this morning we watched 27 Dresses... a chick flick. If you knew me well enough, you'd know that I don't watch chick flicks--well besides ones with Julia Roberts of course. And neither does Craig. But we sat through the EntIrE film. I didn't do anything else but watch.

That's another sign of boredom. I'm always doing

multiple things at once. For example, right now, I'm writing this blog, listening to music, and researching butterfly mythology (you'll understand the last thing later). I actually sat down, watched the move, and didn't write/read/play with anything else. Craig was shocked at least.

I guess I have worked on my book some too in the past couple of days. I have 50,000 more words to get in and I'm trying to get it done before Christmas. I'm on a good track right now with it, and I hope I can keep it up. One thing that I was thinking while I was showering (more proof of doing multiple things at once) was how cool it would be if my book was good.

I know, that sounds funny. But I was thinking... what if (and bear with me please) my book is so good that it gets reviews like... "It's the next Twilight" or "I haven't read anything this good since Twilight". Because one, Twilight fans are crazy, so I'd love crazy fans. And two, Harry Potter was a big thing, Twilight was compared (more off of the fan base and popularity than the storyline and all) to Harry Potter with things like "It's the next Harry Potter" or "I haven't read anything this good since Harry Potter"

So, I'm working really hard on trying to make it good, and not boring. Developing the characters with each edit session is thrilling. They're fake people, not based on anyone, so it's like finding a new best friend or boyfriend and learning what their life is about. Now I'm not looking for a new boyfriend, but you get what I mean.

I want so badly for this to be done so everyone can read it (and like it) and buy it and recommend it and obsess over it.

Anyway, I mainly did this blog because Jason thought he was getting jipped out of blogs because I hadn't given him anything since 11/4. I haven't written anything since then because I've been surprisingly busy, except for today, and last night.

Book Updates!

Hey Everyone,

So, the editing process is flying smoothly. I think I'm about to hit some turbulence for the rest of the week, but I'm still ahead of schedule. I'm really excited on the progress I've been making. I haven't been changing too much stuff as of late, but we'll see how long that lasts.

I was on Chapter 8 last night and I have proceeded to chapter 13 now. That's where I'll pick up again when I can get to my book. I have a few things I need to do before I can focus on this.

Like school. I have a midterm due by noon on Thursday and I have my two writing classes to finish too. I start my Romance writing soon.. although I need to pay for it.. I get paid on Friday :). That's what I get for living paycheck to paycheck.

I have been thinking hard on whether or not I want to get the books from the Love Stories Series. I used to read them when I was a teenager (okay... like... 15/16) and they were just such sweet stories that I want to read again. There's 42 in the series (by many different authors) and I think I want to start at #1. I'm kind of bummed that there isn't a series like that anymore.

They still have that kind in romance novels. Harlequin does a beautiful job of keeping the books alive! Maybe it's something I can do when I'm a published and paid author. I've got a few ideas already.

Anyway... that's all for tonight, I need to get some shut eye before hell begins tomorrow.

Fat Amber, The Color Red, and Chapter 8

So, I took a shower tonight (I know, it's been a while... a whole 14 hours!) and I put on my pajama shorts and I noticed that I fill them out. And no, I don't just fill them out more, I fill them out period.

And I'm not talking about my butt, because we all know I have a ghetto booty (sorry family), but this time I'm talking about my legs... They're no longer sticks connected to my feet. They're legs!!! Yay! I'm finally growing up!

Another thing, that's less awkward, that I noticed is that with this new hair color, I can finally wear Red or pink and not clash with it!!! I think I might just have to go buy a pink dress for some occasion I make up.

On to editing. I have edited up to Chapter 8: Forgiveness. I'm not sure about the chapter names yet, but I don't think I'll change them too much. I know I definitely want names, rather than just numbers. Not as personal.

Anyway, I like the way it's going, although I really need to add some more. So far I'm ahead of schedule, so if I get the opportunity, I will be able to go back through and add more before Christmas. I know I want it to be good before anyone reads it, but I don't want to extend my deadline I set myself for something small. I think I've gotten all the big things in, and if I forget something, especially if it has to do with the next book, then I'll add it in the next book.

I've already recruited Jonathan (my self-proclaimed muse that gets 10% of earnings) to research some neat stuff that happened locally. It will tie into my Ghost Whisper theme perfectly. And I think I know how to tie it into my other paranormals in my book.

I'm almost done with my two writing classes and I signed up for two others. Advanced fiction Writing and Writing Romance. I know, I know... Romance?? But I want to see if I can capture the tension, whether it be love or sexual tension that so many romance novels have. I want to incorporate it into my books. Now I don't know if I could write the romance novels... just seems so embarrassing to me... so for now, I'll stick to Young Adult, Paranormal, and Science Fiction/Fantasy love stories.

Alrighty mighty tighty whitey, I need to get to work. My second job that hasn't paid yet is waiting and I need to work on getting my first check from it. So I will hopefully finish editing two chapters tonight, and maybe another one or two tomorrow! Man, I hope it's good.

WHAT I REALLY WANT!!!

If you love me, you'd get me this for my birthday:

You won't have to get me another birthday present for like 10 years. Or you can split the cost with everyone that loves me!! Who knows, I may take you with me (4 people!!!!)

PAHLEEEZE!

Bye Bye Red

So yesterday at 3:00 I went through a life changing experience. I dyed the hair for the first time. And I absolutely love it! I've already started thinking about the next time!!!

I wasn't freaked out at all. And, miracles happened and birds chirped happily, because my head was not tender, nor did it hurt when my hair was yanked!

I got it done at a place in Auburn called Salon Bella Dea, and I really liked the lady that did it. 

Here's the pics: 

    

Okay, this was Craig's      :)

      

My mean face.          My: be lucky I'm not looking at you this way face.

           

This is what I asked Craig to take a pic of, but he decided to take it of my booty.

Tell me what you think!!!!!!