Vacation Impressions!

Sunday my husband and I returned to Germany from our east coast trip. It was amazing!
And I met my lovely crit partners!
Here are a few pics:

My crit partner Tracy and I! We met at a baseball game. Tracy invited me! She's lovely like that!

From right to left: Shari ( my crit partner and fellow Apocalypsies member, her book Mystique hits the shelves next year ), Leanna Renee Hieber ( also an Apocalypsies member, her book Darker Still hits the shelves this November) and I. We met in New York during a Teen Author Reading.

I - looking at the breakfast menu of our hotel in Newport.

The beach in front of our hotel.

The bed in our hotel room.

My husband (he's sitting in that pic. He's usually more than a head taller than me...lol) and I at the end of the baseball game. Orioles vs. Cardinals. That's Camden Yards in the background. The game was fun, though my husband and I don't know anything about baseball. I'm not even sure if it's being played in Germany.

Dinner with the White House in the background! (that illuminated little building in the background.)

Me again in Washington.

On top of the Empire State building!

I think you all know what that is behind me!

So much fun!!!

Official Publication Date!

I got my official publication date (UK). Yay!
It's February 1st, 2012!
Somehow that makes it feel more real!
Only 202 days until The Other Life hits shelves!!!

Resolution-Update and Photos

The first half of 2011 is almost over, so it's time to take a look at my resolutions for the year to see how I've been doing.

Reading

· Read the 20 books I listed for the Debut Author Challenge 2011.

Update: I've read 6 of the books so far (XVI, Timeless, Warped, Divergent, Across the Universe, The Near Witch). I've fallen behind. Need to read more debuts in the second half of 2011!

• Read more books than in 2010 (more than 45). This resolution might interfere with the two following resolutions...

Update: I've read 36 books so far. If I keep it up I'll definitely reach my goal!

Writing

· Write the sequel to THE OTHER LIFE

· Write secret novel. Let's call it ALOMF. (I'm soooo excited about that one)

Update: I wrote both books. Yay! Reached my goal early!

Personal

• Clean the house more often

Update: Umm...let's not talk about this one...

• Use the WiiFit to get fit

Update: I've been using the WiiFit now and then. Need to work out more often! BUT I lost 14lbs since the start of the year, so yay!

I spent a few days in Stuttgart last week and it was lovely! Here are a few photos:

There's a new group blog of debut sci-fi authors. It's called BRAVE NEW WORDS!

I'm leaving for my vacation tomorrow. Almost 3 weeks touring the east coast! I'm not looking forward to the 8-hour flight but apart from that I'm super excited!

Summer time!

It's summer. Finally!
That means I'm spending less time online and more time outside! Like in the zoo!

Oh, and I thought it was time for a new styling.

New haircut!

Enjoy the summer! In less than three weeks I'll be on vacation for a few weeks. I can't wait. Blogging probably won't happen unless there's news.

Tuesday's Top Ten

I almost forgot today was Tuesday. Since I've become a fulltime writer, I tend to forget the weekdays...
But anyway, today you'll get my top ten movies (umm...problem is I couldn't just choose 10):

1. Kill Bill
2. Ice Age
3. Bad Boys
4. Ocean's Eleven
5. Alien
6. Lethal Weapon
7. X-Men
8. Men in Black
9. The Silence of the Lambs
10. Die hard
11. Lord of the Rings
12. Waterworld
13. Indiana Jones
14. Mission Impossible
15. Pirates of the Caribbean

The list could go on and on. I love movies. Especially movies with action, blood, humor and high stakes. I'm not the romance movie type of girl. I think my husband's very glad about that!

Btw, I got a glimpse at a cover draft for THE OTHER LIFE yesterday!!! I can't wait to share it with you!

Help Write Now Auction!

I'm sure you've all heard about the Help Write Now Auction that is taking place at the moment.

I want to point out two special items you can bid for:

1. A prize pack from the GotYA girls. We're offering 50 page manuscript critique + a query critique + a 10 page manuscript critique from Claudia Gabel, editor of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of Harper Collins + books.
Doesn't that sound awesome??? You can still bid for it!

2. Apocalypsies package! What's offered: A 50 page crit from 5 Apocalypsies + a query crit from 5 Apocalypsies + a synopsis crit from 4 Apocalypsies + an ARC of STARCROSSED + a 10 page manuscript crit from editor Stacy Cantor Abrams (Walker Books).
Amazing, right? You should hurry because there isn't much time left to bid!

Tuesday's Top Ten

It's Tuesday and a cold is trying to kill me. *sigh* I didn't get more than four hours of sleeping from all the coughing.
But now it's time for my top ten desserts!

1. Bread and Butter Pudding with caramelized bananas
2. Eton Mess (strawberries, meringue and cream)
3. Tiramisu
4. Panna Cotta
5. Mousse au Chocolat
6. Crème Brûlée
7. Chocolate Soufflé
8. Oreos ice cream.
9. Lemon-meringue-cake
10. German Baumkuchen (a layered cake)

Oh, and one word: home-made. Always home-made (except for the Baumkuchen. That's too complicated!).
Now I'm hungry but sadly my cold is affecting my stomach, so nothing but tea and some porridge for me.
What are your favorite desserts?