Hi there, 2016!

Oh, hello! *Blows dust off blog*

Caroline, here. You may have forgotten about me, but I'm still alive! My blogging has been pretty spotty as of late--and I might vanish again, like poof--but now that the Toddler Overlord goes to a sitter three times a week I hope I can post more often!

To herald my great return to blogging (ha!), I decided to spiff up its design! For nostalgia's sake here's what it used to look like below. I still love that color scheme and the polka dots, but my blog hadn't had a new look since early 2016. (So unfashionable.) Thus for the past couple weeks I've been brainstorming a redesign and spending too much time on Pinterest. I wanted something with a clean layout, fun colors, and an emphasis on typography and geometric shapes. I think I ticked those boxes! What do you all think?

And in other news, here's what I've been up to in the last eight months:

* I finished all revisions for The Darkest Hour! Whew! The book is now in ARC form, and will be published on 7/26/2016. Holy smokes!
* The Overlord turned two yesterday! I'm not sure how this is possible, and I fear I may have fallen into some Star Trek-style time loop. How am I the parent of a two-year-old? A toddler?!
* We moved into our very first house! We still have a lot of furniture to buy and decorating to do, but we feel so lucky to have our own place. *pets soapstone countertops*
* Justin started his own NGO! So very proud of him.
* A lot of other things have happened but I can't think of them now because I have an awful, no good, terrible cold. I'm going to hug some DayQuil now. 

Tell me what you've been up to, long-lost friends!

We're Back!

Oops! Well, that was an unintended blog hiatus!

But here I am with proof that I'm still alive---and the Baby Overlord is doing well too! In fact, I should probably address her as the Toddler Overlord from now on because she's growing like a tumbleweed, crawling up a storm, and getting ready for world takeover because she's *thisclose* to walking. Save yourselves!

Also, I need to trim her bangs but the thought of taking her to the little kid salon and listening to her scream bloody murder while a poor stylist tries to cut her semi-mullet sounds about as fun as barbecuing my feet. So we'll just let her hair grow!

Anyway, the last few months have kept me quite busy with revisions, baby wrangling, more revisions, sneaking some hang out time with Justin, and hugging my dog. But now I have some down time while I await additional edits for my 2016 book (spies in Occupied France!) and I'm not really sure what to do with myself. Ha! So I've been watching lots of "Inside Amy Schumer" and reading up a storm. I recently finished Station Eleven, Crossover, and Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon--all of which I'd heartily recommend! Like, seriously. If you decide to pick one up I promise that it won't disappoint, and I say that as a rather picky reader myself.

Sigh, it's almost time for me to pick up the Overlord from the sitter's! Here's to hoping I'll be back again soon!

Oh Hello 2015!

Whoops! I certainly didn't intend to take such a long blog break but here we are in 2015 and I have yet to write a post. I blame this hiatus upon: the deadline on my new Scholastic book, a dreadful cold that the baby caught, throwing ball for Otto, something called Christmas, and going to bed at 9PM.

In other words, my life is soooo glamorous! Jealous much, Taylor Swift?

So let's play some catch up in photograph form! Alas, I haven't dusted off my DSLR in awhile so these iPhone pics will have to do (but I did manage to gussy them up a little in Pixlr so I'm not completely hopeless...yet). And here we go!

Aimee Rose celebrated her first birthday! Whoa nelly, where did this first year go?! We just got back from her first-year check-up and the doctor gave us two thumbs up. 20 lbs! Freshly vaccinated! And he gave us some parting advice: your baby will act like a teenager this year so get ready! Oh boy oh boy ... 

Back in November, we headed up to New York for our first family trip! I had a signing at Books of Wonder, which is simply a lovely store with even lovelier staff; and we also hung out with my best friend Amanda and her daughter Lilah. These girls are going to be BFFs. I shall force them. 

The three of us spent one gray morning just cuddling in bed. And why is Aimee Rose holding measuring spoons, you might ask? BECAUSE SHE LOVES THEM, I say! We're not toy snobs in the Richmond household. You want cheap kitchen utensils to play with? Mama gives you said cheap utensils. 

One of the highlights of my fall---along with eating delicious ramen in New York and surviving the baby's first train ride---was attending NCTE, an annual conference for English teachers. Scholastic was kind enough to set up a couple signings for me, and in between them I wandered around the conference floor in a daze, feeling very lucky to just be there and feeling quite verklempt at seeing the word "Author" on my name tag. (Also, I snagged a few ARCs. No shame!) 

Mostly though, my days have revolved around this little girl (and looking forward to when her papa comes home at night!). She's now talking ("Hiiiii!" she says) and crawling and growing new teeth. She's happy one second, then crying in the next, and then she's back to, "Oh hi! I love you!" She keeps me on my toes, this girl, but I love her very much and feel so very grateful to be her mama.

Except for when she barfs on me. Then she's Justin's daughter. :)

How are you guys doing?! Long time, no chat! Let me know what you're reading and what you're writing and what you've been up to!

A Quick Recap!

Oh, hi! I'm afraid this will have to be a quick catch-up post—'cause it's 9:30PM and past my bedtime—but I thought I'd write about my life as an author post-publication. 

*Cue Fergie's song "Glamorous" 

This fab new life of mine includes: 

* Waking up at 2AM to soothe my crying child!

* Bringing my dog to the dog park! 

* Flossing! 

Haha.

In all seriousness though, I'm continually humbled and grateful to have a book out there in the world. On my pub day itself, I took my MIL out to lunch and did a little shopping, and then I hopped over to BN to find my book on the shelf. And find it I did! I was all alone in the Teen Fantasy & Adventures section of the store so I just had to take a selfie. All I could think about in that moment was, whoaaaa. There was my book! With my name on it! Then I scurried away to get back to the fussy Baby Overlord who did not care one whit about this momentous day, only that she had been sitting in her stroller for far too long and can we please leave now? 

She's my reality check. :) 

All in all, I'm a bit bewildered about this dichotomy that consists of fulfilling a lifelong dream and ordinary ho-hum life. One moment I'm like, "My book is out! FLAILS!" And the next moment is all, "Where is the dog's allergy medicine?!" But hey, I'm not complaining! I just wish I had a time-turner that's all. And maybe a night nanny who can let me get a full eight hours of sleep. 

But I digress. Onto pictures! 

{I'm not wearing a bit of makeup in this picture. So glamorous!}

{Here's my friend Courtney and me at my launch party. She drove all the way from NC to DC!}
 

{The Overlord is making a funny face in this pic. 'Hey, you talkin' to me?'}

How are you guys doing though? What are you up to? What are you reading? I just borrowed Code Name Verity from my library because I heard so many good things about it and because I need to read more historical fiction while I'm drafting my own WWII manuscript. Yipes, drafting is so tough! 

Today Is the Day!

Holy smokes! THE ONLY THING TO FEAR is now out in the world! Now please excuse me while I breathe into this paper bag and leap off of this cliff. Haha.

If you're interested in reading the book, it's available in both hardcover and e-book on Amazon, BN, and Indiebound. And I'm available for free hugs, amateur manicures, and a good ol' pat on the back. :)

{My postcards that were made by the lovely Jenny Perinovic!}

Anyway. Whoa. I'm excited and nervous, and I still can't quite believe that this is all real! Back in February, right after the baby was born, I remember thinking to myself that September 30 seemed so far away. The baby will almost be eight months old at that point, I thought. At the time, I couldn't quite fathom either possibility—of my newborn not being a newborn anymore or my book being an actual book-shaped thing—but now here we are, the baby is indeed 7.5 months old and my book baby is out too!

I'll say it again: Whoa!

I have a pretty relaxed day planned: going out to lunch with the baby and my mother-in-law, writing (of course! my deadline is closing in!), and stopping by B&N to hopefully find my book out in the wild. Maybe I'll cry a little. Or maybe I'll run around the store yelling, "Look at me! Look at my book! Here, madam, buy my book!" And then you'll read in the newspaper about some deranged author getting arrested and you'll be able to say, "Hey, I sort of know that deranged author!"

All joking aside, I'd be remiss to write this post without paying my proper respects. 'Cause this writing-a-book thing is certainly a group project! To my editor Jody Corbett, thank you for taking my manuscript and for helping me turn it into a book. To my agent Jim McCarthy, thank you for never giving up on me. To my writer friends, thank you for putting up with my weirdness. To my blog readers, thank you for simply stopping by! And to my ever-supportive husband, thank you, thank you for loving me and for being my biggest cheerleader, figurative pom-poms and all.

Well ... whoa. I can't stop saying that! It surprises me how big this day feels—and yet so ordinary too. Just this morning I fed the baby and changed the baby and let out the dog and ate breakfast. All ho-hum, everyday stuff. But my book is out today too! I'm a published author! This crazy dream of mine has come true!

Thank you for sharing this day with me! To celebrate my book's launch, why here's a fun giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Counting My Lucky Stars

{At my very first author event, meeting booksellers!}

Yesterday Justin turned to me and asked, "Can you believe that your book is coming out next week?" 

Nope! Not at all! 

In fact, it's still surreal to me that I'm going to be published at all. Like ... whaaa?! How did this happen? I've spent so many years dreaming about this goal, and nearly as many years collecting rejection letters that made this dream feel so out of reach. And now I'm standing on the edge of the publishing diving board, my toes wiggling over the water. A part of me wants to jump right in while the other part needs to hyperventilate a little. I'm nervous. I'm scared. What if the world hates my book? What if no one except my mom buys it? What if I can't even get my mom to buy it?!

*Deep breaths, Caroline* 

But I am excited too! And I feel incredibly grateful. The longer I'm in this business, the more I realize how much luck plays into everything. For me, I was lucky enough to find an agent who wouldn't give up on my book; I was lucky enough that he found an editor who wanted to buy my novel; and I was lucky enough that my publisher took a chance on ordinary ol' me. I know that I'm just a tiny minnow in these vast publishing waters but I'm thankful to be swimming here at all. 

*Sniffles* 

Lately, I've also been thankful to participate in two author events! (Whoa! Surreal moment again!) The first was the NAIBA booksellers' conference in Arlington, VA where I took part in the #WeNeedDiverseBooks reception. I got to meet three amazing Scholastic staffers along with a host of booksellers who were so enthusiastic about increasing diversity in their stores. Yay! Then this past Friday I was on a diversity panel at the Baltimore Book Festival, which was also super fun and cool. Here are a couple photos below, courtesy of Kimberly Shorter: 

{From left to right: Karen Sandler, Me, Justina Ireland. Photo credit: Kimberly Shorter.}

{Whoa, what am I doing with my hands?!}

And now here I am, sitting in my bed in my bathrobe, and I'm getting all verklempt because I just feel so darn humbled. There are so many writers out there who are far more talented than I am--and far, far more deserving--and I don't know why I got lucky. Maybe it was a cosmic roll of the dice? I don't know. But thank you, Universe. Thank you, Lady Luck. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

Now I'm going to eat some cookies and cry a little, okay? 

Playing Catch Up

Zoinks!

I've been meaning to update my blog for weeks but it seems like all of my free time lately has been funneled toward working on my new manuscript or watching the FIBA World Cup or eating stone ground wheat crackers (my meal of choice as a mom! glamorous!). Oh, I've also been going to bed at 9:30PM every night. Although sometimes I go a little wild and stay up until ten!

Basically, you're thinking to yourself: OMG, Caroline, how do I become as cool as you are?! 

To which I reply: This level of coolness requires a certain amount of flip flops, bathrobes, and let's-eat-cookies-for-all-meals-what-the-hell attitude.

I think Cookie Monster would approve of such a philosophy, eh?

{Bow down to her cuteness!}

Anyway! Here's a quick recap of what I did in August:

1. Hung out with my sister—which involved a lot of eating and blueberry picking and giggling at silly GIFS—before she drove out to Utah to start her senior year of college.

2. Hung out with the Baby Overlord because I am her mother and it is my parental duty to hang out with her all the time. Plus, she's rather cute.

3. Stalk the sale section at Gap Baby because who can afford to pay full price for this incredibly adorable sh*t?!

3a. I generally don't swear on this blog but it's 9:10PM and thus almost my bedtime so I've lost my filter. Apologies!

4. My braggity brag of the summer: GEORGE RR MARTIN FAVORITED ONE OF MY TWEETS! George Freaking RR Martin! I can now die happy!

5. Work on my WIP. Work on my WIP. Brush my teeth. Work on my WIP. Maybe sleep. Feed baby. Rinse, repeat.

6. Occasionally, shower.

And there you have it, folks! I know you missed me and that you've yearned for my glamorous posts on my very glamorous life. Now that I've recapped my August for you, you're totally gnashing your teeth in envy, aren't you? Aren't you?!

I mean, did you know that George RR Martin favorited one of my tweets? :)

Haha. So how are YOU doing? How was your August and how is the first week and a half of your September? Update me!

Life, Lately

{I found this quite hilarious. And true.}

Lately, my life has felt ... 

Well, stretched. 

You know how sometimes you eat a gigantic plate of pasta drenched in alfredo sauce, and it is so delicious and creamy that you can't stop eating it—and oh, what's that? garlic bread? why, yes please!—and basically you keep devouring everything by the plate full ... until the carb coma sets in and you face-plant on your couch, worried that your stomach might burst from pasta-itis. 

That's sort of how my brain feels right now. Stretched. 

Ever since the baby's arrival, I've felt like I'm juggling three big bowling balls: mothering, writing, and everything else in between-ing. But this last week it seems like a wrecking ball was added into the mix between Justin's overseas work trips and a nasty pox that befell our house. Okay, it wasn't a pox. It was a terrible, no-good cold. But it felt like a pox so I shall call it that! 

I was venting (ie, crying) about all of this to Justin yesterday, and he tried to be very supportive and as always. And after my cry fest, I was reminded that all of these stressors in my life are indeed good things at the end of the day. Writing deadlines? I'm grateful to even have a deadline! Baby fussiness? But she's so cute too! Messy house? Eh, we'll live. (In squalor maybe.) The only bad thing, really, is the nasty pox but we're all on the mend now. Begone, vile pox!

All in all, I'm okay. We'll all be okay. And Justin and I have weathered much, much worse in our marriage. But I still sort of wish that I could escape to Hawaii for two weeks where I can order fancy drinks with pineapple wedges perched on the rim of each glass. Sounds heavenly, right? There'd be a full-time babysitter too, of course, and lots and lots of books. 

Ah, if only ...

So now I'm wondering: how do all of you balance everything? How do you juggle your life duties and responsibilities and shower at some point? Would love to hear your stories and advice!

Now if you'll excuse me, the Baby Overlord is VERY unhappy! Better get her some butter...

I Am an Awful, Terrible, No Good Blogger!

Blergh. Poor neglected blog! Here, let mama give you a big hug. *Hugs blog*

Um, I've totally dropped the ball on blogging as of late! My life for the past few weeks has been a blur of relative visits, friend visits, baby wrangling, dog wrangling, ant killing (die, kitchen ants!), and writing until my fingers hurt. I've also been thinking a lot about blogging but feeling too tired at the end of the day to do anything except for eating Rocky Road ice cream and watching reruns of 30 Rock and ... zzzzz.

I'll say it once and I'll say it again: BLERGH!

In fun news, however, my little sister has come home after spending 18 months in Taiwan! So much fun! She's older and wiser and speaks Chinese amazingly well, but she's still the same ol' Kristy in so many ways and I'm super excited to have a few giggle fests with her before she heads back to college. Until then I plan on taking her out to eat at delicious American establishments (Taco Bell! Don't hate!) and hanging out with our 91-year-old grandma. We had lunch with her yesterday and I snapped this picture of my Nainai with the Baby Overlord!

Hopefully I'll get more time to blog next week! 

Ready, Set, Write: Update #1

It's time for my first update in the Ready, Set, Write challenge!

In short, RSW is a summer writing intensive that encourages writers to set goals, account for those goals, and to cheer each other on as we strive to meet those goals. The RSW hosts this year are Alison Miller, Jaime Morrow, Erin Funk, and Katy Upperman; and details about the intensive can be found HERE.

Gulp. Here we go then ...

... How did I on last week’s goals? ...

Le sigh. I wanted to write two chapters of my WIP but I only got 1.25 done. The Baby Overlord had a slight fever all weekend so I had my hands full with a rather grumpy and cranky babe who embraced the philosophy of "Never put me down, Mama! Never ever." Haha. Fortunately, my poor girl seems to be in better spirits today! 

... What are my goal(s) for this week? ...

Same as last week! I need to crank out two chapters per week to (hopefully) have a first draft finished by the end of the summer.

... A favorite line from my project? ...

I'll cheat a little and post the first two lines from this book, which I wrote before the baby was born. But I think it captures my protagonist Lucie's voice quite well! Here they are: 

My good Catholic mother taught me to never lie, cheat, or steal.
I hope she can forgive me then for what I’ve agreed to do—for it will be far, far worse.

... The biggest challenge I faced this week ...

Sick Baby = No writing for mama!

... Something I love about my WiP ...

As weird as it sounds, I love weaving in little historical tidbits throughout this book. Since this novel is set in Occupied France, I've been doing a lot of research on what was life back then: the tight rations, the bombers overhead, the murmurs of resistance. It has been a fun challenge to weave in these details without sounding too much like a history book.

So how did RSW go for you this last week?

Ready. Set. Write!

I'm super excited to participate in "Ready. Set. Write!" this summer! I desperately need to draft my WWII spy thriller by early September and so RSW couldn't have come at a better time. Wanna join me?

In short, RSW is a summer writing intensive that encourages writers to set goals, account for those goals, and to cheer each other on as we strive to meet those goals. The RSW hosts this year are Alison Miller, Jaime Morrow, Erin Funk, and Katy Upperman; and details about the intensive can be found HERE.

This week we're setting our goals! Here are mine: 

1. Complete a first draft of my WIP, a spy thriller set in Occupied France. Think Grave Mercy but set in WWII.

2. Do not crumple in failure at this goal. For serious, Caroline. I am a slow-as-a-sloth drafter but I can do it! I think! Maybe!

3. To accomplish said goal (*whimpers*), strive to write two chapters a week. I can do it! I think! Maybe!

Haha. So basically I have One Big Goal. A really big one because, like I mentioned above, I'm terribly slow and I sort of hate drafting. Now, I love revising! I could do it forever. In fact, if given the chance, I'd probably re-write The Only Thing to Fear all over again—just because I can't seem to stop tinkering with a project if you let me. But my editor has already pried TOTtF from my cold, gnarled fingers so I need to start tinkering with a new project ... but I can't do that until I actually have a draft to work with.

So ... *Grumbles*

There you have it! My goal. Let's see if I can do it! I shall reward myself with mint chocolate ice cream and brownies!

Friday Five

One
The picture above is one of my favorite photos of the Baby Overlord. *Sniffle* It melts my face to watch her smile whenever she sees Justin, how she'll giggle and talk and grab at his beard. Now, please excuse me for a moment while I turn into a puddle of goo.

Two
Alas, one of these days I'll start using my DSLR again but until that fated day my iPhone will have to do. Speaking of iPhones, I finally upgraded to a 5S! *Pets new phone* *My preciousssss* Funny story: when I brought my old one to the AT&T store, the guy behind the counter balked and actually said, "What kind of phone is that?" Um, an iPhone 4? Haha. I didn't think those were that old ...

Three
Switching gears, who has been watching this season of Game of Thrones? *Raises hand* And who now has a crush on Pedro Pascal AKA Oberyn Martell? *Raises all the hands* I mean, how can you not love him? Look at this picture of him with a baby!

Four
On a completely random note, if you happen to head to your farmer's market this weekend, keep an eye out for gold rush apples! They're not the prettiest of apples but they sure are tasty—sweet with that nice bite of tartness. And deliciously crisp! Justin and I are sort of obsessed with them.

Five
On the writing front, I'm trying really hard to draft my new project, a WWII spy thriller. *Cue whiny voice* But why is rough drafting so hard? Wahhhhh! Call me crazy, but I absolutely love the revision process. At least I have something to work with! A blank page on the other hand? Shudders.

Well, I'm signing off to work on my draft! Shudders again. What are you guys up to this weekend? 

After The Call: The Edit Letter ... Dun dun dun!

"After the Call" is a semi-regular feature on my blog. It chronicles what happens after an agent offers you representation: how to choose the right agent, what the submission process is like, working with your editor, etc. For previous posts, please click on the "After The Call" button at the top of the page.

After a super long hiatus, I thought it'd be fun to resurrect this series! Truth be told, I never meant to put a halt to "After The Call" but I sort of ran out of things to talk about since I hadn't yet pushed past the agented stage and then I got pregnant and could only thing about cookies. But now that the baby is born and I've eaten most of the world's supply of cookies, I decided that I needed to resurrect After The Call. So here we are!

Today's topic: THE EDIT LETTER! Dun dun dun!

First up, what exactly is the edit letter? Basically, it's a list—often quite a long list—of revisions that your editor suggests for your book. I only have experience with one edit letter, compiled by my lovely and wicked smart editor Jody Corbett, and it consisted of:

1. An email with both macro editorial suggestions, like character arcs and overall pacing, as well as smaller micro edits, like reworking a specific scene. 

2. In-line edits within my manuscripts, which hashed out world-building details, finessing dialogue, etc. 

In short, my book underwent a MAJOR overhaul! Even though I had rewritten it three times based on my beta readers' and agent's notes, Jody's revision letter forced me to dig really deep into this story, pulling it apart and putting it back together again until ANOMALY (the original title) turned into THE ONLY THING TO FEAR (the new and fresh title that Jody came up with. I owe her my second-born child basically!). 

A good editor can take a decent book and make it great, sort of like how a good house flipper can turn a tear-me-down into the neighborhood crown jewel. In my case, Jody took a manuscript that required a lot of work and helped me to make it stronger, more concise, more actionable. Simply put, she made it more. Any failings in the final product are mine and mine alone. 

But here's the thing, do all editorial letters look the same? Not really! Edit letters are a strange beast, and they come in all shapes and sizes. A friend of mine had an editor who gave only small notes, like a few line edits here and there before the manuscript was sent to copy edits. On the other end of the spectrum, another friend worked with an editor who liked to be very involved in the entire writing process. They would even brainstorm plot points over the phone before my friend tackled her rough draft. (They were contracted for multiple books.) 

So your own edit letter will be just that: yours. Every letter is different because every editor is different and every book is different. Some projects will require a lot of overhauling—I've heard of letters spanning over 30 pages!—while others will need only a polish, although this is usually rare from what I understand. And here's another thing: oftentimes you will receive more than one edit letter. Your manuscript might undergo two, three, or even more revisions under your editor's watch before you're green-lit to pass into the copyediting phase, which is a beast in it of itself. That's one thing I didn't quite grasp until I worked with Jody. I thought I'd tackle one revision letter and that would be that. Fin! But no ... we worked on my manuscript for four or five months—it's all a blur now! I was revising while pregnant!—until I graduated to copyedits. And that was quite the happy day for me, full of many, many cookies. What else?!

Well, the Baby Overlord is squawking so I need to run, but feel free to ask any questions in the comments and I'll answer them as soon as I can! Also, I'd love to hear about your own experiences with revision letters. How long do yours typically run? How do you and your editor work? And how did you survive?

All Hail Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day! It's the first Mother's Day in which I'm actually a mom (aside from last year when I first became a dog mama but I suppose that doesn't count unless you ask my dog and he may beg to differ). We're spending today relaxing and eating first-of-the-season strawberries, and the Baby Overlord was kind enough to grace me with a 2.5 hour nap. Which is why I get to blog! And watch HGTV! And stare off into space a little! All in all, the most wondrous gift.

I don't think there will be much structure to this post. Maybe more of a stream-of-consciousness thing since I'm not sure when the baby will wake up. But early this morning when I was playing with my little Aimee Rose and watching her smile, I just tried to soak all of it in---her little feet, her sweet coos, her plump fist wrapped around my finger---instead of focusing on the dirty dishes in the sink and the enormous word count I must tackle for my new book.

Live in the here and now. Breathe it all in. 'Cause it's all going to go so fast, isn't it?

And I couldn't help but think about my sister-in-law Aimee, my own baby's namesake. Aimee only had three and a half years with her daughter Rowan before she was killed in December 2011. The time the two of them had was so short ... so fleeting ... although Aimee made every second of it count. She was the very best mom I knew, patient and loving and oh so fun. I hope I can be half as good as a mom as she was. If I could manage just that, I'd consider myself a successful parent.

Well, the Baby Overlord is awake and demanding attention! I know today is Mother's Day, and I'm supposed to be off drinking mimosas and brunching or something; but I think I'll save all of that for another day. Right now I'm going to snuggle my little Overlord and hug her close even if she fusses and cries.

Losing my sister-in-law taught me that every day is indeed precious. So today, on my very first Mother's Day, I'm going to make each minute count.

How to Balance Writing and Mothering (Hahaha!)

Friends and countrymen, I have discovered the secret to writing novels and mothering Baby Overlords! Lean in closer now. The secret is ...

Cloning yourself! 

Or if you don't want to clone yourself, then clone Ernest Hemingway!

What? Stop looking at me like that. Are you telling me that you don't have an Ernest Hemingway clone chained inside your basement who writes books on your behalf in exchange for cigars and six-toed cats? Well, you better get on it 'cause you can't have mine!

{The Baby Overlord gave me permission to post this picture of her.}

All joking aside ... Yeah, this writing thing and this parenting thing can be tough. That's basically why I got very little done during the first ten weeks of Aimee Rose's short-yet-pampered life, but that's okay because I just wanted to cuddle with her and let her sleep on me and obey all of her overlording commands. This time is precious, after all! And I'm gonna savor it because these chubby baby cheeks aren't going to last forever.

*Pinch, pinch*

Okay, enough pinching for now. Let's talk about how I balance my work life with my mothering one! Or, to be more accurate, how I'm trying very, very hard to do just that but sort of stumbling along the way. But hey, I get an A for effort! That's what I tell myself anyway!

Since I'm operating on four hours of sleep (not the baby's fault! it's my insomnia, boo) I'm going to break this down into three main points.

1. Hire help if you can. Preferably Mary Poppins! But Nanny Ernest will do too. 

Currently I take the Baby Overlord to my babysitter's apartment every MWF from 1 to 5PM. That's only 12 hours a week, but I try my damnedest to make those hours count--no social media, no puttering around, no staring at pretty Anthropologie dresses. Just write, write, write! I probably will have to increase these hours when I have a deadline looming, but until then I try to squeeze as much work that I can within this time frame. Everything else, even showering, can wait.

2. Brainstorm whenever you can!

If you're like me, you spend a lot of your writing time not writing at all but brainstorming instead. So who exactly is my protagonist? What is the right tone for this novel? Why is Ernest Hemingway slacking on the job? And so on and so forth. I used to do my brainstorming with my laptop in my lap, whilst staring at the ceiling and eating bonbons. (Not really. More like Oreos.) But those staring days are over! The Baby Overlord simply does not allow for that, which is why I now do my brainstorming throughout the day. Like when I'm bouncing a baby around the house or cleaning out the crockpot or pushing the stroller around my neighborhood in an effort to lose the baby weight I gained.

Damn you, cookies!

So yeah, brainstorming may take up a good chunk of this I'm-writing-a-book thing, but the good news is that you can do it pretty much anywhere! I basically plotted out my new MG novel this way--and so can you!

3. Make every second count!

Oh gosh, this is tough for me to do because I like reading EW and watching 30 Rock reruns whenever I can catch some down time. But Liz Lemon is going to have to wait! Instead, whenever the baby naps or is happily hanging out on her play mat, I throw open my laptop and write as much as I can. Sure, sometimes I only get a fifteen-minute spurt before the Overlord starts overlording but at least I hammered out 100 words. That's 100 more than I started with!

Baby steps, folks. Baby steps. Also, I could probably write faster but--let's face it--I draft at the speed of an elderly sloth. That's just the way I am, I'm afraid!

4. Don't forget about you.
Okay, I'm going to give four points instead of three. 'Cause that's how I roll. Sometimes when I get a few minutes to myself I know I should pick up my laptop and write, but I sit down and read the newspaper instead. Or I check out those cute dresses on Anthro. Or I treat myself to a big bowl of cookies. And I tell my guilt complex to beat it because--you know what?--I need to take some time out for myself too! I'm a better mom when I do this, and a better writer too.

All righty then, it is about time for the baby to rouse from her nap and so I better run. But please let me know in the comments if you have any advice for me! Or if you have any questions! I will try to answer them as coherently as possible, or I may have Ernest Hemingway Clone do it for me. :)

Friday Five: Baby Edition

One

I'm sorry that this blog has turned into a OMG-I-had-a-baby blog but...I can't help it! My days and nights are currently consumed by this cute and cuddly Baby Overlord who loves being held and who loves being demanding. Hold me and never let me go, mama! Thus the 'Baby Overlord' nickname. 

Two

Overlording aside, I'm happy to report that Aimee Rose has started smiling! And making adorable little baby sounds! It's in those moments, despite all of the crying and spitting-up and waking up at 4AM, that I think to myself: I love being this little girl's mom.

And after those sweet moments, the Baby Overlord undoubtedly says, "WAAHHHHH! I've pooped myself!"  

Three

Have I mentioned that Justin has been in the Philippines for two weeks on business? Indeed he has! Leaving me all alone with above Overlord! Fortunately, I've found a really wonderful babysitter who watches Aimee Rose for about 12 hours a week so I can write. Okay, okay, so maybe I haven't done a lot of writing this past week but I have been catching up on chores (um, I may have forgotten to water the plants for 2+ months), showering, and watching an incredible amount of 30 Rock reruns. Cheesy blasters! What the what! 

Four 

As for writing, I may not have gotten much done on the word count front but I have been doing a lot of brainstorming for my middle grade fantasy. This is an idea that has been brewing in my jumbled mind for a few years (!) but now I'm finally trying to write the whole manuscript rather than a few scattered chapters or passages here and there. Blergh. I'm so bad at rough-drafting. Wish me luck? 

Five

Lastly, I've updated y'all on my human baby but here is some news on the book baby front. Look, look! ARCs! My editor mailed them to me last week, and I now have 10 copies sitting on my kitchen counter. I'm not quite sure what to do with them to maximize my marketing efforts ... Mail them to local librarians? Send them to bloggers? Hug them and tell them they're loved? Questions, questions! 

So there you have it! My Friday five! How are you guys doing? Any fun weekend plans? I'm hoping to spend lots of time outside because spring is finally here and I need to savor these humid-less weeks before the evil DC summer approaches with its terrible no-good Saharan-like heat. Also, I'm counting down the hours till Justin gets home. It's his turn to change the Baby Overlord's diapers! :)

We're Still Alive! And I've even brushed my hair!

Don't worry! We haven't been eaten by crocodiles or kidnapped by a band of merry-making pirates. Nope, I've been here all along but with a cute-but-demanding newborn who insists on being held all the time. Mama, hold me! Never put me down! In short, she is the boss of me.

But who can say no to this?

Quick update on the Bean and me:

* She has already outgrown her newborn onesies and diapers! This makes me sob a little inside.
* She has colic at night! Ah, joy of joys. I need some ear plugs.
* I've found part-time help! True, joy of joys! I shall use this precious time to do important things like mail bills, feed myself, and wash my hair.
* This week I also plan on starting a MG project! I'm rather excited about getting back into the writing seat!

Speaking of books, I don't think I ever revealed my cover on this ye olde blog! My novel now has a new title, and it's up on Amazon too! Holy moly, I can't believe that it'll be out in six months!

Well, there you have it! My human baby and my book baby all in one post! And now if you'll excuse me I need to stuff my face with a bowl of Cranberry Almond Crunch before the Little Slavemaster starts calling for me again.

How have you been? Tell me what I've missed!

Introducing Aimee Rose!

Pardon my absence! I have been busy with a certain 8 lb. bundle of cuteness...

Yes, indeed, Le Bebe is finally here! She was one week overdue before I was induced, and she came roaring into this world on February 11th at 7.76 pounds! Funnily enough, my OB was worried a couple months ago that she would be too small. Nope! 

So here she is, Aimee Rose Richmond--milk drunkard, thumb sucker, diaper wetter champion, and all around serving of awesomeness. She's named after my sister-in-law Aimee, but we've been calling her all sorts of nicknames like Miss Bean, Baby Sloth, and Benjamin Button. 'Cause sometimes she looks like an old man. Just sayin'! 

{I love those eyes! They're usually closed though.}

The last two and a half weeks have been exhilarating and emotional and exhausting. There have been a few lows (Will I ever be able to shower again?!) but mainly highs--and the highs have been so very sweet. There are times when I am so overwhelmed by love for this little girl and with gratitude for her papa Justin (who has diaper-changing down to a science!). 

Of course, I still have those moments where I'm like, "Whoa, I'm a mom? Egads!" And then I look at my little Bean and I think: I am a mom. I'm her mom. And because of that, I am so very lucky. 

{She doesn't like having her arms swaddled so I've had to make do.}

{Otto has been a great older canine brother!}

{At the hospital, right after she was born. So sweet!}

Surviving Pregnancy!

Alas, my due date has come and gone with no sign of the baby! I believe Le Bebe may have inherited my proclivity for procrastination. And I had such high hopes that she would be a punctual little thing! 

I have a feeling she will have many surprises for me. :) 

Well, now that my pregnancy will (hopefully) soon be over, I thought I'd brush off my Polyvore account to bring all of you future mamas out there ... Caroline's Pregnancy Survival Kit! Basically, my pregnancy would've been much more grumpy-making without these items, and I've pretty much clung to them for the last eight-ish months. And I'll probably keep clinging to them long after Le Bebe is born because I am, if nothing else, a creature of habit. 

1. A Pregnancy Pillow

ZOMG, life changer! Late into my second trimester, it got a lot harder for me to fall asleep with my ever-increasing belly. Thanks, baby. Fortunately, my saint of a husband bought me a pregnancy pillow that I now can't sleep without. It's like the embodiment of a hug, in pillow form. It is the perfect cuddle buddy. In short, I want to be buried with it. I own the Snoogle (haha! so fun to say!) but there are a lot of options out there. Wonderful, blessed, heavenly options. 

2. Gap Maternity Leggings

My best friend told me to buy a pair of these, and once I put them on I realized why she is indeed my best friend. Gap Maternity Leggings = The Best. Basically, you will never take them off, especially when you reach the third trimester and your fashion sense gets thrown to the curb in favor of All Things Comfortable. I'm not ashamed to admit that I've lived in my leggings for the last three months—I wear them out, I wear them to bed, I shower in them ... No wait. Not that last part. But aside from showering, it's a sure bet that I have these on! 

3. Statement Jewelry

Okay, okay, this isn't a survival necessity but it sure is pretty! And when you're waddling around like a bull walrus, it's nice to feel pretty again. Anyway, as mentioned above, I reached a point in my pregnancy where I just wore leggings + long comfy sweaters all day (because, hello awesomeness!). But when I needed to venture out of the house, I wanted to feel a wee less polar bear-ish so I'd throw on a statement necklace to remind myself that yes, I am a girl, and yes, I used to care about what I looked like. Be sure to check out J. Crew Factory for pretty yet affordable pieces! 

4. Almond Oil

I'm not really sure if there is any surefire way to fend off stretch marks (I think it's more of a genetics thing and how-big-does-your-belly-get thing) but I slathered on a handful of almond oil before bed each night anyway. I'm mostly stretch-mark free, and my tummy is very soft! I use the NOW brand, and it has lasted for months. 

5. Super Comfy Shoes (or Socks!)

Mmm, comfy-ness. Enough said. 

6. Nursing Tanks

Maternity clothing is expensive, yo. So whenever possible, try to stretch out your dollar by opting for nursing clothes—they're roomy, stretchy, and pull double duty! There is a great variety at Destination Maternity and less so at Target (Target tends to be more affordable but be sure to try on the tanks! Some of them have weird sizing). 

There you have it! Go forth and enjoy your future pregnancy! 

So what are your plans for the weekend? Watching the Olympics? As for me, I plan on going sky-diving, riding on roller coasters, eating questionable sushi ... you know, usual pregnancy stuff. Haha, not really. I'll just be twiddling my thumbs, inhaling chocolate, and waiting for this darn baby to arrive. 

The Baby's Room, Part II!

Well, folks, we are now five days away from Le Bebe's due date! We shall see if she decides to make an early entrance into this great big world or if she decides to procrastinate, as her mama would do. (Incidentally, I was born two weeks early! That's the extent of my promptness, alas.) Every day is sort of like a game now—baby or no baby? Hospital trip or no hospital trip? 

Le Bebe, it would be nice if you gave your parents a heads-up! 

A few of my friends have asked me if I'm feeling ready. Truthfully? Yes and no! Yes, I can't wait to meet her. No, I'm not terribly excited about the whole labor thing. *La la la, let's not talk about it!* And a small slice of me is still freaking out about the prospect of becoming a parent. Me! A mom! Holy goodness! What if I mess her up somehow with my neuroses and quirks and penchant for eating cookies for breakfast?!

But that's just me. I freak out whenever a Big Change comes into my life. When I arrived in Utah for my freshman year in college, I remember staring out of the rental car window and thinking, I'm an idiot. I made a huge mistake. Must. Transfer. Immediately! Then literally two days later, I was skipping and smiling across campus, so excited about college and my new friends and FREEDOM! 

Anyway, I really can't wait to meet our little one, and I'm just putting some final touches on her room! Ugh, we still have to assemble the crib but we don't have enough screws since ours is a hand-me-down. It's a good thing that babies don't really sleep in cribs until they're a few months older! 

{I scored this polka-dot chambray onesie at GapKids for $8!}

{Here's a peek at my wall decor. Gold polka dot decals and my poor attempt at a Mark Rothko!}

{I installed a picture ledge above the baby's dresser. Books and more books!}

{This is a photo of my grandma, my mom, and me as a baby. Le Bebe will be the 4th generation!}

There you have it! Now the room just needs, you know, a baby. :)

Anyway, what your plans for this weekend? I'm hoping to attend a book signing, meeting an old college roommate for dinner, and the Super Bowl, of course! What are you guys up to?