Feature Friday - Jamberry Nail Wraps!

Ok, if you follow me on Twitter you probably know by now of my newest fascination: Jamberry Nail Wraps. You heat them up, stick them on, and have beautiful nails forever! (Ok, so I've been too impatient to let them go longer than about 11 or so days...they're still going strong when I take them off.) Here are some pics of mine so far:

Current: KaBoom, in honor of July 4!

Digiscan

Swept Away

I didn't know how popular these are because I live under a rock, but I bet someone you know either is or has a consultant. Totally worth a try!

Mindful Monday - Engage!

I've really been enjoying engaging with the community of readers/writers/authors/editors on Twitter.

Since doing this, I've been privileged enough to beta-read for some folks I really enjoy, and hear people's stories that range from eerily-similar to worlds-apart from mine. Sometimes they make me feel like my dream of being an editor is a little less like a fantasy than I once thought it was. They are some of the most supportive and courageous people I've encountered, and I adore them.

Feature Friday - Anuna

As my son would say, "Yay! It's Friday!" He already knows, at the age of three, that Friday is a day worth celebrating :)

So my feature today is the beautiful choral group Anuna, based in Ireland. My husband and I have had the CD The Best of Anuna for a while, and I've always loved it. I've been listening to it in the car a bit and am always struck by its beauty, no matter how many times I've heard it. No matter that a lot of the songs are either partially or fully sung in what I believe is Gaelic, they resonate nonetheless. I listen and I see ancient cathedrals with stained glass windows that echo the haunting melodies of the ladies and resound the deep bass of the male singers. I see fields with workers and mysterious green forests and villages and the sea and it all is surreal and magical. I feel longing and joy, grieving and acceptance, foreboding and excitement. It's all in my head but it's magic, brought about by the crystal clear sound of their beautiful voices. As you can imagine, with all these visions running through my head, listening is great idea fuel for the characters in my head.

So I'm listening to this beauty and then I need to change to the radio, because I need to hear the traffic to determine if I'm going the best way to get to work. Do you have any idea how grating that was on my ears to change to? Ah, it was terrible! I mean, usually I don't mind the radio music too much--although I don't often listen to it as I'd prefer the non-commercial CDs I've heard at least a thousand times--but after listening to voices that reverberate through my body and very nearly take me to a spiritual place, today's music is just noise.

If I ever get the chance to see them live, I want to! My husband was fortunate enough to hear and meet some of them one day years ago while he was working in a bookstore where they put on a small performance.

Until next time,
Julia

Special Saturday - NTTBF

Last Saturday I spent the day at the absolutely amazing first annual North Texas Teen Book Festival (Twitter - @NTTBFest) with my amazing librarian mother-in-law.

We didn't make it into either of the ticketed events, but the panels were amazing! I tweeted some of the highlights from the ones we went to (first two panels I mentioned instead of hashtagged, but I'll learn one day):

@sarahreesbrenna: "the toaster is a master swordsman!" @NTTBFest Secondary Education panel
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015 

— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Captivating Fantasies panel pic.twitter.com/UjN5aPTHJL
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Captivating Fantasies panel: discussing #TheDress, #sweetorsalty, #teaorcoffee, and more #NTTBF15
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Captivating Fantasies panel: challenges of fantasy: @raecarson "fantasy is still a bad word to some people."
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Captivating Fantasies panel: "fantasy is a metaphor for exploring the human condition" @tessagratton
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Thrill Ride panel: pic.twitter.com/vXtWq13RbI
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Thrill Ride panel: what thrilled you as a teen? Kathy Reichs "skipping school"
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 ThrillRide: what are you afraid of? "There is a room full of ppl that could terrorize this entire panel"(snakes,monkeys,&jellyfish)
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015 

And while this was happening...

Met and actually talked to authors Carrie Ryan & C. Alexander London. Allie Condie was there too! #ntts2015 #Fangirling #stumblingoverwords
— Denise Byers (@dbyers1977) March 7, 2015 

the wonderful photographer that donated his time and talent to the event took this picture (caught her stumbling on her words!):

@ca_london This was one of my favorite photos from #NTTBF15 ! Thought you might like as well :) pic.twitter.com/tC0676aqlB
— Kristin Treviño (@kristin_trevino) March 9, 2015

To sum up,

Can I just hang out with all the authors from #NTTBF15? They were all just so much fun!
— Julia (@byersj09) March 8, 2015

While we didn't stay for any signings, we did hear from a lot of authors that are now on my to-read list, and I received some inspiration to keep on with what I'm doing. It was also really cool to hear them talk and see that they are just (mostly) normal (and incredibly funny) people. I don't know if events like this even existed when I was in school, but I think I would have loved them, and they are a great opportunity for the "young adults" out there to meet some amazing authors! I absolutely loved this event and WILL be going again.

Mindful Monday - My Fantasy Beginnings

This was written (mostly) more than two months ago...

My interest in writing lies mostly in fantasy, and last night as I attempted to drift towards dreamland (it was a very slow journey) I thought about where I got my beginnings with fantasy. 

As a child often left to my own imaginative play, I was always in another world (or another form-think lion or princess), I didn't know I could share my friends :)

Now of course there were the Disney princesses and fairytales that everyone hears, but I mean my own personal interest in fantasy that was chosen by me, not forced by common lore. There are two works that stand out for me as earliest (literary) fantasy choices: Winter of Fire by Sheryl Jordan and The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. I don't know which one was first, but they are at a similar point in my memory-somewhere around the 4th grade. Somewhere around the 6th grade I sat outside next to the big oak tree out front and read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.I only ever made it through 4 of those (oh the shame! I'm an embarrassment to my generation!).  I don't really recall reading anything else that I would qualify as fantasy, but my memory from those years is a bit difficult to access, so there might have been more. 

Throughout high school my literary interests turned towards thrillers, especially those written by Dean Koontz. Interspersed with my required school readings and teenage interests that might not have been quite so literary, I don't recall indulging in fantasy then, either.

At some point in time, I believe it was just after I graduated, I was finally able to get my hands on and finish the two books that followed The Golden Compass. 

My real, lasting interest became formed most fully when I read A Game of Thrones. I was already living my adult life, away from home and the small-town-mindedness that had previously surrounded me my entire life. I have, since then, been an avid consumer and lover of fantasy. That is also when characters began slipping through hallways in my mind and I began to put them onto paper (or screen).

I still enjoy general fiction, but there is something so exciting about exploring other worlds!

I ought to add that my husband had a great influence on this interest as well, although this post is more about the literary influences. He read these fantasy works alongside me (in fact I think he is the one that brought them home), as well as several series that I have not yet begun. He's also always been a gamer, and there is a ton of fantasy knowledge and lore that comes along with that. He has always encouraged my interest and supported the ideas I throw his way. My interest in fantasy owes him as much credit as it does to the works which influence me. 

So what have I read recently that I consider fantasy?
The Madness Project by J. Leigh Bralick (also check out The Lost Road Chronicles)
Dragonhold by Brian Rathbone (also check out the rest of the Godsland series, here is the first)
Double LIfe by S. Usher Evans--Sci-fi/Fantasy (Book two, Alliances, out in 8 days!)

And what's next on the TBR list that's fantasy?
Crown of Stones: Magic Price  by C. L. Schneider


Of course there are loads more on the lists, but this is a good place to start :)

Julia

Peplum Pencil Skirt, Inspiration

Lately I have become a fan of shopping at The Limited, and a mailer they sent me featured this skirt (picture below) which I have fallen in love with!

Looking at the picture online I'm not sure how big of a fan I'll be of the actual color/material/fabric choice it is made of, but it has been a source of inspiration for me. I think I can replicate something similar to this by using the idea of a pencil skirt, and adding an extra layer to the top of it. I don't have it all exactly figured out (gives me something to think about while I'm trying to go to sleep) but I'll update with my progress. I just love the skirt!