Archer's 1st Birthday!

{Side Note: This has apparently been sitting in my drafts folder since April 1, I thought I published it.}

My baby turned one yesterday. 

I can't believe I have been his Mom for a year. 

Archer has dramatically changed our lives, he makes us laugh every day.

He is so incredibly active. He never stops exploring and moving. 

It is a miracle if I can get him to sit still for a whole minute.

He is in the 95th percentiles for height and weight, taking after his Daddy. 

We celebrated Archie's birthday at my Mom's house. 

He inhaled his cupcake in under a minute... no joke. 

The kid loves cake. 

So with out further ado, here are the pictures from last night. 

{another side note: he seems so little to me in these pictures!! 

only four months later and my little dude is suddenly a toddler}

once upon a time #PitchMAS edition

I was just thinking about how far my writing has come in the last year. I have always loved writing. I have an insanely vivid imagination. I easily can lose myself in book after book. A couple of years ago I started writing my first novel, but couldn't get it to click. I was finishing school and writing quite a bit for my degree while I was pregnant with Archer. One of my professors suggested I think about writing fiction while we were discussing my thesis. So I dusted off the story I had previously shelved and got to it. Roughly three weeks later I had finished my first novel. I wrote day in and day out. I was completely obsessed, especially during nap time. I polished and finished that first one and proudly gave it out to family. Then I wrote my second novel, in the month of February of this year. I decided that same month to go to New York and attend a writing conference, which was set for April. I polished my novel and edited the crap out of it. But I didn't actually write the closing chapter until I was on the plane on my way to New York. I have since revised the first chapter, because it was never quite right... a few cuts here and rewrites there and now I love it. Now I find myself full of ideas. I am writing the second book in the Thalassa series. I am writing a YA contemporary fantasy, I am writing a YA contemporary and I am trying my hand at a New Adult romance. I jump from story to story, completely losing myself in the worlds and characters. It is crazy how much the story plays out in my head like a movie. I don't know when it happened, but it did. I am grateful for my husband who fosters my creativity and doesn't think I am absolutely insane when I run out of the room in the middle of a movie when I get an idea for a story. I am grateful for my sister who is always my first beta-reader, editor, and cheerleader. My Mom reads everything too and has always supported me in chasing my dreams. I am also finding myself falling in love with the writing community. Everyone I have met or connected with has been kind, respectful, funny, and just the right amount of geek to make me sure I would be friends with them if I ever had the chance. Writing has become a part of me, when I'm not writing- thoughts about plotting and character development about the story are on my mind during my daily routine. I still don't know if I will get an agent, but I am hoping it is more of a question of when... not if. I take writing like I take most things in my life, giving my whole self to it. With that said there was a Twitter pitch party called pitchmas this weekend- in 35 words or less you had the chance to hook agents on your book and they would respond to you if they wanted a query about your book and pages. I had four people interested. It was so freaking cool and who knows maybe one of them will be my agent soul mate. Hahaha but really! Well back to writing. Happy Weekend all.

Xo,
Kelli

Current Projects

I am writing.
Lazily. (Is that a word?)

But I am working on three different projects depending on my mood.

1. Thalassa Book 2 (YA Fantasy)
2. "secret" WIP (YA Thriller/Fantasy)
3. Trying my hand at a romance novel (NA)

I am the furthest along with #2, but am in a groove with #1 right now.

We will see what the week brings.


A note on the waiting game:
I have got a few questions about the status of things since my New York trip to the Writer's Digest Conference. I am still waiting to hear from four agents. It is an extremely long process, it is slow, that is just the way it is. I promise I am super anxious to hear anything. I have received some very polite and helpful rejections, but it is part of the business and I am not terribly upset by it. I keep moving forward and writing because I love it and I believe in what I write. Most often it takes anywhere from three months to a year to hear back from agents. So I am in the holding pattern and that is A-OK.

I am not sure of the industry standard on discussing this sort of thing. So I keep it to a minimum.

I am new to the Literary world and am extremely fascinated by it.

Any advice, wisdom, and love is welcome here!

Xo,

Kelli

I'm Back.

Well well well...

Looks like I am sitting here in my office looking at Mount Timpanogos. Utah is truly gorgeous this time of year. Please forgive my absence in the summer, I like to be outside. We have been soaking in our beautiful weather as often as possible. Walking, swimming, playing Frisbee, going up American Fork Canyon, playing at Deer Creek, and hitting up Sonic for Diet Dr. Peppers every day.

I am trying to prioritize things in my life.

The older I get the more I have come to accept myself and the life I live.

We all have an immense amount of struggles, each getting trials and overcoming them in our own ways. I know it is easy to see someone else and think of they've got it worse or they have no idea how hard my life is... either way you are right and wrong. Every single person is different and we all do the best we can.

I am working really hard on not passing judgement on others. In doing that I am learning to accept that people are still going to pass judgement on me and that's okay. I am happy with where I am at in my life. I love my husband and my son beyond belief.

I might post too many Instagram photos (so what?)

I might not go to church every Sunday? (does being in a  garage make you a car?)

I might drink too many 32 oz Sonic drinks... (really this could be a problem)

But I like who I am. IT has taken me a long time to accept me, flaws and all.

Granted I have my moments where I feel like a misfit toy... but don't we all?

The decisions I have made have shaped me into the woman I am. The trials I have had have helped me to become a stronger women, despite breaking my heart and having to learn to glue it back together. The love that I have gained has fed my soul and when times get dark, I still have the light of love to guide me back from hard days. We learn to accept what we are given and live and love every day. That is what I am trying to do.

I am happy to say I am not sweating the small stuff as much as I used to. I do from time to time, then I mentally smack me upside the head -Kelli, duh, that tiny stuff so doesn't matter... remember??- I am happy that I am able to see what doesn't mean so much these days and what does.

I have a few good friends that I can count on, day or night, whenever, where ever, let me bring you a Diet DP sort of friends. I am lucky. I am blessed. We all are, we just have to focus on the good.


And without further ado... pictures of our Summer so far... We will play the pick your favorite picture and give it a caption... best caption gets cookies... Ready, Go.

April: In a Nutshell

On occasion I do blog without pictures... okay more often than not that is the case.

I swear I have a good excuse for my absence.

Remember how I had finals for my 18 credits I took? Yeah, that was fun.

I had an eventful couple of weeks.

I graduated with my Bachelors in History and Psychology on April 26! (yeahh buddy.)

The next day we packed up our house and made the move from North Ogden to Pleasant Grove.

They are about two hours away from each other.

So between packing, moving, unpacking, setting up new accounts, settling in, etc...

I have been slacking in my blog department.

The good news is, we are basically settled now, aside from the office.

So I am blogging via my iPad... which works fine for me.

I am also writing. My novel Thalassa is out of submissions right now, so I am working on a new project.

Mostly to keep my mind busy and away from my Thalassa story so I don't drive myself crazy thinking about the possibilites, or the lack there of... (do they love it, have they read it, they probably hate it, they are busy, it's in the slush pile, I need a coke, they hate it-I'm sure, they love it and are getting an offer ready... this runs through my mind all day.)

My new project is opposite of my typical fantasy YA... it is a little bit edgier.. and frankly I'm not sure where it is going yet. In the past I have always known the climax of my stories and fill in the blanks along the way... with this one I have some cool ideas and details, but no idea where I am going with it... hoping it writes itself and plays out as awesome as my vivid imagination is envisioning it. We will see my friends.


Xo,
Kelli

Forgive my Absence.

It's finals week.
Of my Senior year,
I am taking 18 credits.

After you forgive me,
pray for me.

Xo,
Kelli

New York {Writer's Digest Conference}

Wow.

I love New York.

I have said it before, but the energy in that city is intoxicating. 

I love the diversity and how you can move from one block in one culture, 

to a completely different culture in the next block! 

We had a ton of fun. 

The pictures aren't in order... sorry

but I did group them together. 

*pats self on the back*

The Conference.

It was such an incredible experience. 

The PitchSlam was amazing.

I stood in line to wait to meet with agents and 

felt butterfly's creep their way from my stomach to my throat. 

I was incredibly nervous, but I had practiced my pitch and love my novel.

I was hoping my passion for writing would be portrayed in my pitch.

I met with ten agents.

The night before we had a "how to" for pitching (if you will)

It was something along the lines of

You get 90 seconds.

Sell your book.

Sell Yourself.

Don't read off of anything.

Be concise.

Represent your genre clearly. 

Don't offend anyone. 

You want business cards.

If one or two agents want your manuscript you should be doing back flips.

So I went into the next day with hopes, but didn't want to set unrealistic expectations for myself. 

I sat down with agent one. We really clicked right off the bat.

She was around my age and we talked right up until the bell.

(imagine speed dating with literary agents)

She handed me her card and said, send me your full manuscript. 

*enter nodding, smiling, in shock, Kelli*

I got in line for my next agent on my list.

(see there was agents from EVERY genre, so you had to pick the best ones for you.)

She also wanted a full request. 

*excitement, shock, adrenaline*

Next agent wanted 50 pages.

Next agent wanted 50 pages.

Next agent wanted a Full.

Next agent wanted a Full.

Next agent wanted the first 3 chapters.

Next agent wanted 50 pages.

Next agent wanted 50 pages.

Next agent wanted a Full.

I got 10/10 agents. 

From what I understand...(maybe my ego is inflated?)

That is pretty freaking good. 

*the cheerleader in me wanted to kick and jump and flip*

I was smiling like an idiot and trying to contain my excitement. 

So at this point. I have sent out my manuscript to the agents above. 

Now the waiting game begins.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Chase your dreams.

There is nothing better in the world than seeing something through.

And having the outcome come out better than you hope.

Not to say I didn't receive rejections... 

because I have. In my queries I have received ten rejections via email.

That isn't what it is about though.

If you are passionate about something, 

pursue it to the best of your ability. 

No dream is too big. 

Ground yourself and surround yourself with people who love you. 

Then go for it.

Why the hell not? 

The worst thing anyone can tell you is No.

Their loss, right? 

Friday Night Session of #WDCE

We saw Newsies on Saturday night and it was so Amazing.

The dancing was through the roof, those boys had so much energy.

I loved it. 

It is in my top picks of shows. 

Right up there with Wicked, Les Mis, and Phantom. 

This is my broadway boyfriend. 

He played Jack Kelly (the lead)

His name is Corey Cott. 

Amazing voice.

 We found Spiderman in battery park, so he joined us for some photo ops.

 Justin Timberlake. 

(so what if it is the wax version.)

 Wall Street/ George Washington Monument 

Rockefeller Center "Top of the Rock"

 The Naked Cowboy, who never ages. (Vampire?)

9-11 Memorial

 Columbus Circle

 American Museum of Natural History

 Central Park West

 Best French Toast Ever. 

 View of the 9-11 Memorial and the Freedom Tower from our room

 Battery Park

 St. Patricks Cathedral 

 Rector Street Subway Station

The trip was amazing, the family is the best, the opportunity blew my mind.

I am feeling incredibly blessed. 

I heart NYC. 

Xo,

Kelli