Friday 5

1) So, I'm officially the most exciting person on the planet. Know why? I have my whole weekend planned out already! But the plans do not include anything remotely exciting such as a party a date, or a concert, no, they include something much worse...homework. (On the bright side: If I manage to get all the homework on my list completed, I'll be ahead of the game for next week, which includes, you guessed it, more homework. FML.)

2. Another bright side: I ordered books (Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick, Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl, Undead Much? by Stacy Jay, and Losing Faith by Denise Jaden!) from B&N the other day and they'll be here on Monday, yay! I'm so excited!!! They'll be a lovely distraction from all the other stuff I have to do! :D

3. Due to unversities' evil plots to slowly torture and kill their students by homeworkitus, I have felt no desire whatsoever to work on upping the word count for Devour (maybe I'll get around to fixing that this weekend!) and instead all I feel like doing is staying in bed till Christmas break and not emerging until then when I'll have a month off (Mmm...a whole month of doing absolutely nothing...that sounds amazing!)

4. Since we're being honest, I actually really want to start working on my story for National Novel Writing Month (more fondly known as NaNoWriMo), accept I really don't know yet what's going to happen in the story and, of course, November is one my busiest months for school (what else is new?) so I'm a little torn on deciding if I should even participate in the event this year. :(

5. But, knowing me and my love of procrastination, I think I'm going to participate anyway, since it'll be a good excuse to get out of doing school at least for a few minutes a day. I don't know if I'll be able to make the ultimate goal of writing 50,000 words by November 30th, but I'm excited to try! :)

~Ella

Friday Five

1. Only one chapter and the epilogue left to go.

2. Today someone gave me a big bag of licorice just because he'd heard me say I liked it.

3. Despite what everyone says fish are not low maintenance pets. At least not when their water filter starts burping bubbles.

4. That rush you get when a student finally gets a concept that they've been struggling with is AMAZING!

5. I've discovered that the best way to find to perfect necklace to go with an outfit is to make it.

-Aaron

Friday Five

1. I have writer’s block, and it is not fun!

2. B-rated scifi moves are great for inspiration. They have decent starting points, but there is also tons of room to take the concept and run with it in a much better direction. The only problem is that I’m not writing a science fiction book right now, so that inspiration is not helping!

3. In an attempt to understand why people enjoy shopping I’ve started reading “Just Try It On,” and although I’ve discovered that shopping is really much more complex than I thought it was I still have no desire to do it.

4. There are no simple manuals for making your own jewelry.

5. Hummus is a truly great snack.

-Aaron

Friday 5

1) I reached my weekly word count for Devour! My goal was to reach 1250 words by this Friday and I ended up reaching 1309 words by Thursday! Woot! :D <3
2) History sucks (well, maybe not sucks, it's just...insanely boring). Creative Writing rocks! :P
3) Finished As You Wish by Jackson Pearce a few days ago, LOVED it! :D <3
4) Still need help choosing My Deal with the Universe! Help me choose!
5) I'm having surgery next Friday. Prep for the surgery starts next week as well, so if I'm not around on the blog much next week, you'll know why. Wish me luck!

~Ella

Friday 5

1) Reading "As You Wish" by Jackson Pearce and LOVING it! Jinn really IS swoon-worthy! :D <3
2) Watching "Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging" and actually really liking it! :)
3) I'm in love...with Aaron Johnson :P <3
Dreamy, No? :)

4) Having a really hard time making my combined story of Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel sound dark, sexy, and scary like I want it to! How do I do that successfully? Help!

5) Creative Writing Class starts on Tuesday! Sounds like it's going to be hard work, but I can't wait! At least I'll be writing, hopefully I'll learn a thing or two! :D

~Ella

Friday 5

I haven't done one of these in a while so I thought tonight would be a good time to start up again before the clock strikes midniught and it's saturday and therefore kind of a pointless time to do a "Friday 5" post, lol:

1) School starts again on the 11th, oh joy :P (on the plus side, I am stoked about starting my creative writing class on the 19th! It might turn out to be super hard and kick my ass, but at least I'll be WRITING, unlike the last few days *Hangs head in shame*

2) Mine and Aaron's critique group is finally taking off, we've got two other members besides ourselves, now we just have to figure out how to get started, lol, if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

3) I'll be starting to train (finally) for the triatholon either tomorrow or the next day-I swear this time, really, I do

4) I'm bound and determined to finish one of my five short stories I hope to complete this year- now if only I could find the energy, or the focus :P

5) You guys, the readers, rock, just thought I'd remind you :D

~Ella

Friday 5

1) I'm finished with my first semester of college for the year, YAY! So...Now what? :P

2) The movie "Julie and Julia" ROCKS, it's totally inspiring for writers, full of gorgeous, yummy looking food and hot, supportive guys! What's not to love? :D

3) "The Dark Divine" by Bree Despain releases in 11 days, YAY! :D <3

4) The best comeback EVER: "Get that sand out of your vagina and relax"! HA! BRILLIANT, ABSOLUTLY BRILLIANT! :P

5) The "Glee" Fall finale RULED on Wednesday! Will+Emma=FOREVER! :D <3

~Ella

Friday Five (a Day Late)

Well this week's Friday Five revolves around the two big events of my week. The first is the Praxis II (a standardized test for education majors), and the second is NaNoWriMo (is anyone... anywhere... at all surprised by this one?)

1) I had to take a standardized tests at 7:30AM on a Saturday.
2) Standardized tests on Saturdays at 7:30AM are clearly not designed for people without cars.
3) Taxi cab drivers are surprisingly friendly at 7:30 in the morning. Especially if you offer them a breakfast bar and directions to the 24 hour donut place.
4) My roommate got me two fish as an early Christmas present. I named them "Tolya" and "Janice" after the two main characters of my NaNoNovel.
5) One of the NaNoArtisans made me the most amazing cover for my NaNoNovel.

Well that way my week. How was yours?

-Aaron

Friday 5

1) So, after much hair-pulling and agonizing, it's official: I've FINALLY chosen my story for my second attempt at NaNoWriMo! What's the story about, you ask? Well, I'll give you the short and sweet version so as not to give too much away: It has werewolves, siblings, bows and arrows, hot guys and kissing. Oh, and did I mention it has KISSING? I know, I'm excited too! :P

2) I discovered that using resources from the Young Writers Program, the younger version of NaNoWriMo, is actually very fun and useful for my own writing! Yay for writing workbooks! :D

3) I have decided that no matter how stressful things get with school and life in general, I WILL make NaNoWriMo a top priority this year, you can count on it! :D

4) Bring it on NaNoWriMo, BRING. IT. ON!!!!! :D <3

5) I'm not obsessed with NaNoWriMo, not at ALL... :P

~Ella

Friday Five

1) I spent over 5 hours, dressed as a saloon girl, at the Halloween carnival. My feet are really sore, but it was great.
2) Sticking their hands into a giant foam head is both scarier and more fun for kids than I thought it would be
3) Apparently bright red lipstick is a look that works for me. Or maybe it was the skintight lace corset that did the trick.
4) Yesterday I discovered that there is a flavor of yogurt call "White chocolate and Strawberries" and it tastes surprisingly like Häagen-Dazs "White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle" ice cream.
5) I have decided on a story for NaNoWriMo. It's called "The Tiger," and it's a modern spin on "the Lady or the Tiger"

-Aaron

Friday 5 (A Day Late!)

1) I went to see the Lion King on stage last night and man was it AMAZAING! People'll be talking about this one for a long time! Seeing that play made me want to start taking acting classes! :)

2) Thank God for Katy Perry (Why, you ask? Answer coming soon!)

3) After the Lion King it was close to midnight and my family and I were all starving so we decided to go through the drive-thru at Taco Bell for some midnight munchies-along with half the auidence from the play, who apprently had the same idea!

4) My glasses are broken, one side is attached and the other side is, well...not. So now on one side it looks like I'm wearing a monicule, nice. God I want Lasik!

5) "Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick comes out in THREE days and it will be MINE in only FOUR! I cannot WAIT!!!!!!! :DDDD <3333

~Ella

Friday 5

1) OMG, everyone go see "A Perfect Getaway" in theaters! Holy shit does it rock and the plot is so unexpected and amazing! That movie scared the crap out of me!

2) I have a head cold and my sinuses are on the war path-BLAH!

3) Richard Gere in "Runaway Bride" = HOT :)

4) My little sister was begging me to let her paint my dog's toenails black- Ha! Dream on sista', dream on!

5) October 13th canNOT get here fast enough! "Hush, Hush" I NEED you!

~Ella

Friday Five

I've had one of those weeks were half way through the week I wish that everyone would just leave me alone and by the end of it I'm about ready to start spraying people in the face with shaving cream.

1. My fish died. I got him secondhand from a guy who was trying to trying to kill him, so this was not unexpected. However, he was a highly intelligent goldfish and will be greatly missed.
2. I've been having to learn how to delegate, and let me tell you it is harder than it looks.
3. Everyone around me is either sick or depressed, and all of them seem to think that I can magically make them feel better.
4. I've had to refer so many people to counseling in the past week that you'd think the Health and Counseling Center was paying me a commission. Maybe I should look into that. Make a little extra money.
5. I don't have any shaving cream to spray at all of these people. I don't even have whipped cream.

Thank Goodness It's Friday.

-Aaron

Friday Five

1. I have a fish. I didn't want a fish, but I now have a fish.
2. I learned that for some reason people look at you strangely if you take a fish in a plastic bag with you to class. I mean come on people it's a fish not a severed head.
3. I have to do a project for one of my classes, and I've decided to do it on the evolution of vampire novels.
4. Someone somewhere has gotten the idea into their head that underneath my gruff exterior I'm a warm fuzzy girl, and now they're bugging the heck out of me trying to prove it. I don't think that it ever occurred to them that I may prefer that people look at me with a touch of fear in their eyes. It makes my life so much simpler.
5. Thai food is really good.

-Aaron

Friday 5

1) Homework sucks-'nuff said

2) YA authors rock! :)

3) In desperate need of my muse, which seems to be on vacation

4) Required trait my future husband MUST possess: being a professional masseuse

5) I wish my friends from school were here, I really miss them :(

I know, I'm pathetic.

~Ella

Friday Five (a few days late)

1. This week I learned a very important lesson: whenever I find out that I'm going to have to speak publicly I should always figure out what I'm going to say well in advance. Apparently if I don't I take one look at the cute boys in the audience and choke.

2. Apparently my "brothers" aren't the only people who I remind of a mother. This is something that they are very happy about since I can no longer brush it off by saying that they are crazy. All I can say is it must have something to do with my personality since I don't look anything like June Cleaver.

3. I'm president of my college's Club of Education, and evidently someone forgot to let me know me that there was even a remote possibility that my first official act as president would consist of me desperately trying convince my vice president that using the club to launch a revolt against the college was not the best idea.

4. When people see a door they automatically assume that if there are people in the room on the other side of the door then the door is unlocked. This isn't always the case.

5. You can learn some amazing things when you have to go to Club Council meetings. For example the college that I go to has a circus club called "Flight Crew" where you can learn how to do all different types of aerial acrobatics. I think that this is great since a) I love the circus and b) I'm writing a story about the circus and now I can get new material whenever the club practices.

-Aaron

Friday 5

1) I'm joining a "Mystery Reader/Writer Retreat" that starts on September 11th! And The best part? It's local, yay! :D <3

2) It's Offfical, I've taken a leaf out of Lisa and Laura Roeker's book and become... *Drumroll, please* an Idea Whore. I can't help it-I'm addicted to SNI's! :P

3) I didn't finish my homwork for the week yet, so...tomarrow is the day to tackle the rest of it, yippee! Blah.

4) I'm really starting to love using Dragon Naturally Speaking now, it'll be sooo much faster to use when writing my book then typing will be! (If I ever get around to just sticking with one idea, that is. Ha-when pigs fly!)

5) I'm in love- with "Veronica Mars". That show is the BOMB! I watched four episodes in a row today and am DYING for the next disc to get here from Netflix! Veronica is kick ass, the sexual tensoion is sizzeling and I REALLY hope I'll get to see Veronica's ex-boyfriend Duncan without his shirt on SOON, OMG-!(Oh, uh, did I just say that outloud? Shame on me! :P

~Ella

Friday 5 (On a Saturday!)

Gah! I can't believe I totally spaced on posting my Friday 5 last night! I was kind of in a mad rush to get some stuff for school done, so I totally forgot! Please forgive me!

1) I love, love, LOVE "The Body Finder" by Kimberly Derting! I have mixed emotions whenever I read it. On one hand, I wanna slam the book shut cuz it scares the crap outta me (especially when I read it at night or when I'm alone!) but on the other hand, I don't wanna STOP reading cuz the book is so damn good! And I think I'm love with Jay Heaton!!! Way to go Kim for writing such a scary, kick ass book! :D ♥ (Don't worry, I'll save the rest of my gushing for the book review!)

2) Taking classes online is actually more stressful then taking classes on campus, cuz you don't have a teacher hovering over you reminding you what you need to get done, so you tend to procrastinate more, but it's also a little bit more fun cuz I had my first Elive class last night and I really liked not having to get all of my stuff on to go outside in the pouring rain, and no one could see me when I talked into the microphone, and there was a little box where we could chat to our classmates and that was fun, but my hands where shaking like crazy when I first logged on to the Elive session, cuz I didn't know what to expect, but after it went on for a little while I got over my fear and actually had a pretty good time! The class was only supposed to last an hour, but since it was our fist class there were still some technical glitches to work out, so it ended up lasting TWO hours instead of one! Boy was my butt soar at the end of it!

3) I watched "Hannah Montana: The Movie" last night and it was actually pretty good! I really liked the music and Miley's love interest was HOT! :P <3

4) I love YA authors, they rock and I can't wait to become part of the business someday! :D

5) I wish the leading men in YA novels were real-especially Jay Heaton from "The Body Finder" he is sooo adorable but also hot at the same time! The best combo! :D

~Ella

Friday Five

1. There is a reason super heroes keep their identities secret.
2. Failing is never fun.
3. I'm not a people person, and this week I found out that if I spend too much time around a lot of people my body get's jet lag. For example I spent 2 hours running a booth at a college fair and talking to freshmen, and even though I went to bed at 9:00 pm I slept for over 12 hours.
4. A few weeks ago I went from having shoulder length hair to having fairly close cut short hair, and I think it was the best decision I've made so far.
5. The best thing that you can do if you like in a dorm room is to have a whole lot of plants. They make the room seem homier, and taking care of them gives you something to do.

- Aaron

Friday 5

“If you can’t find a good book to curl up with, then write one!”

1) I think I have a new hobby: Googeling teen authors-they're just so darn inspiring, it's hard to resist! :)

2) Chinese food=Awesomeness

3) SAYING I'm going to type up the new pages for "The Angel Experiment" is one thing, actually following through and DOING it is quite another (I have CP-Chronic Procrastination-so sue me!)

4) It's my parents 22nd wedding anniversery today-Happy anniversery, Mom and Dad! <3

5) Waiting with bated breath for my ARC of "The Body Finder" by Kimberly Derting to get here, don't fail me now, FedEx lady, don't fail me now!

~Ella