Blogwarming Party!
When I first started blogging on Blogger in 2010, I never thought I'd leave it. I was in my second semester of graduate school, still young and innocent and green (probably from teaching anxiety), and I remember deciding that blogging would be one big step towards becoming that writer I wanted to be.
2015. With my debut novel on the way, it was time to move on. So please say hello to my new internet home on Squarespace.
Squarespace is SO different from any other platform I've used before. I love it, but it's weird, so don't be surprised if you see some changes over the next... few months? Yeah.
Have fun exploring the site! I now have the very lovely option of having drop down navigation. This is kind of luxury for me. Excuse me while I metaphorically rub it against my cheek like cashmere.
Both my work life and writing life have been pretty busy - so much so, that April came and went without me getting to try the new blog. The biggest excitement is Love Fortunes and Other Disasters' release - May 12th is so close. I can almost taste it. I don't know how I'm going to survive the wait (though there's a lovely blog tour happening this week, and a Twitter chat on Wednesday at 9pm, and the Gotham season finale tomorrow night AHHHHH).
My editor has the first draft of my second Swoon Reads book. As I wait for my edit letter, I'm working on the next potential project (and by working, I mean gingerly typing out the opening paragraphs and brainstorming so hard it looks like I'm trying to make my utensils float in midair).
But listen. I need to share with you some things. Some awesome things. Some first things. Hang on to your hats.
Twitter is just the greatest thing ever
Yeah, it needed its own subheading. Twitter is one of my favorite social media sites, and it just gets more and more fun every day. Dreams come true on Twitter. Who knew such things were possible with only 140 characters to work with?
For instance, this made my week:
What do you think? I can see a resemblance.
And here's a fairy tale:
Once upon a 2013, when I was working hard in grad school and extremely active on Figment.com, I wrote a short story for a time traveling writing contest with THE Tamara Ireland Stone as the judge.
The fact that I was just talking about David Tennant up above, THE DOCTOR, is not lost on me.
"Afternoon at Noodledom Palace" was born - you can still read it on Figment - and I submitted it to the contest.
And Tamara chose my story for first place. Not only that, but she wrote about why she loved it. I don't have the words to describe how awesome that was. And how hard I fell for Anna and Bennett when I got my hands on Time Between Us.
This week, in a flurry of Love Fortunes activity, I had shared a photo of me seeing a sign at B&N for my local event happening on June 6th - I was so shocked to see signs up so early (and for the first few seconds, truly believed that I was sleepwalking or something. No way that sign was real, right, Kim? GAH. IT WAS REAL).
Then Tamara commented on it, and we tweeted (or rather, I was fangirling), and then she wrote this:
AHHH. There is no GIF to describe the feels. Ohmygosh.
Magical magicky week on Twitter.
Summer of Swoon Tour around the corner
Next week I'm going to be on plane. I might even be coming to YOUR city.
I might be meeting you.
WOAH.
My suitcase is ready. Next weekend is reserved for mostly packing and repacking, burning the itinerary into my skull, and making last-minute errand runs.
I also need to figure these things out, as illustrated by Buster Keaton.
1. Be prepared for meeting readers, which includes being a wonderful speaker. I taught for three years, so I'm hoping that even though I'm rusty now, it's like riding a bike:
2. Keep calm and temper the feels. The excitement of seeing the Swoon Staff again. Of meeting my fellow Swoon Authors for the first time (save Karole). Getting to meet readers from all over the U.S. Be still, my heart:
3. And manage to avoid looking at not-so-positive early reviews:
Will I be seeing you on tour? If so, which stop?