Life Update: Panic Too Early in the AM

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Danielle

Y’all.

I stopped and bought a dozen donuts on the way to work. And maybe it was life’s version of a lesson learned (because I complain allll the time about wanting to lose weight before Thanksgiving this year, but here I am buying donuts) but I almost thought I’d lost my wallet.

But I did find it thankfully. It fell into the back of my car and got buried under some trash.

2 things I’ll be doing today :

cleaning out my car,
and taking my SS card out of my darn wallet.

I can handle cancelling my debit/credit cards. But losing my SS number? Having it probably sold on the black market to identity thieves?

Almost had a full blown panic attack.

I definitely indulged in those donuts afterwards. No shame.

Where I Belong Synopsis

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Danielle

So here’s the rough synopsis for my NaNoWriMo 2015 novel //

Molly is a senior in high school prepping herself for college. There’s just one thing holding her back – the lack of memories of her past two years. A traumatic car accident 6 months ago left her missing a large chunk of her teenage years. But she’s at a point in life where decisions have to be made about what’s next. And she thinks she has it all figured out.

But when it starts to become evident that her family and friends are hiding things from her about her past, she takes the initiative to figure it out herself – to try and force the memories back. Does she really want to remember though? Will the memories make her question everything?

How do you move on in life without your past mistakes to guide you?

I’m working out the kinks of this synopsis but that’s the gist of it. I’m excited to get started already. Just a few major plot points that need to be figured out. But then again, most of my novels kind of write themselves, so I probably won’t have everything figured out by November 1st.

NaNoWriMo 2015 – Finally! A Plot!

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Danielle

where i belong

So this year for NaNoWriMo, I will be bringing my 2012 attempt back, titled “Where I Belong.”

I’ve reformulated this so much over the past 3+ years, and it has changed drastically. But I’ve never been able to let the idea die.

It went from a super dramatic novel about a girl with amnesia who’s actually been kidnapped and doesn’t know it, to a more family-oriented drama about a girl with amnesia who just wants to figure out who she is before she heads off to college.

There’s a lot of family dynamic involved. She has a hard time trusting them, always wondering maybe they’re using the amnesia to their advantage – to make her into the daughter they were proud of. Was she not that daughter before?

I have the first 50 pages (double spaced) done, but I will be rewriting those as well. That’s a lot of words ;).

I’m excited for this. I think this novel is probably the best one I’ve done in awhile, and I haven’t been able to pick it up since I graduated from college. But this November, I want so bad to finally finish a full draft.

We’ll see what happens!

Pen to the Paper

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Danielle

I’ve decided to hop back on the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) train this year. Will I epic fail? Maybe. But you know what, writing used to make me happy. I mean I’m plenty happy now, but why not go back to what I used to do all the time?

I’ve got just over 2 weeks to at least somewhat plan this thing out. First thing’s first…the most general synopsis.

…..

I’ll figure it out eventually.

Review: Life and Other Near-Death Experiences by Camille Pagán

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Danielle

Synopsis: Libby Miller has always been an unwavering optimist—but when her husband drops a bomb on their marriage the same day a doctor delivers devastating news, she realizes her rose-colored glasses have actually been Life and Other Near-Death Experiences blinding her.

With nothing left to lose, she abandons her life in Chicago for the clear waters and bright beaches of the Caribbean for what might be her last hurrah. Despite her new sunny locale, her plans go awry when she finds that she can’t quite outrun the past or bring herself to face an unknowable future. Every day of tropical bliss may be an invitation to disaster, but with her twin brother on her trail and a new relationship on the horizon, Libby is determined to forget about fate. Will she risk it all to live—and love—a little longer?

Review //

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Review: Broken Grace by E.C. Diskin

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Danielle

Synopsis: On an icy winter’s day in southwest Michigan, Grace Abbot wakes up as the survivor of a car crash. But she’s left with a traumatic brain injury and a terrifying reality: she can’t remember anything.

Left in the care of her sister, Grace returns to the family’s secluded old farmhou Broken Grace se to recover—but within an hour of her return, the police arrive. Grace’s boyfriend has been murdered. Without any memory, Grace has no alibi.

With suspicion weighing heavily on her and flashes of memory returning, Grace searches for clues to her past. But with every glimpse, her anxiety grows. There is something about the house, her family, her childhood…perhaps the accident isn’t the only reason she can’t remember. Are the dark recesses of her mind hiding something even more sinister and terrifying than she could ever imagine?

And someone is watching. Someone willing to kill again to protect a secret.

My review //

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