A few things...

First off, I didn't do a reading post last week and so when I went to post about what I've read this week, I was completely lost.  My life and this blog are way to entangled now.  I have no idea what I've read because I didn't post it here.  Ridiculous!

Right now, I'm working my way through Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter.  I feel a weird connection to Ally because when I first started writing seriously years ago, she was one of the first writer blogs I actually followed to see how this whole thing worked.  At that point she was just putting out her first Gallagher Girl book and it did pretty well but then her series blew up and now she's a bestseller! It was so fun to see that happen to her and it's no surprise at all because all of her books, whether it's the Gallagher Girls series or the Heist Society books, are so incredibly cute.  Really the only reason I haven't read it all yet is because of NaNoWriMo. 

I'm sure... no, I know I've read something else in the last two weeks but for the life of me, I can't remember.  I've got writer brain, so I'm sure it will come to me at a random time, like while I'm brushing my teeth or something.  I'll make sure to update it here when this happens.  Probably more for me, than for you but whatever. :)

So... NaNoWriMo!  Since my characters were beating on my brain to get out, I decided to do some midnight writing on November first, and I'm happy to announce that I've written over 4000 words since then.  I felt a little wishy-washy on my story as I was writing it, but today on my way home (while listening to Band of Horses) I was thinking about the WIP and how everything would unfold, and or at least what I know right now, and I fell in LOVE with my characters.  Like that tight chest and butterflies feeling.  I'm so excited!  Selfishly, the main point of me writing these stories is because I want to love these characters... it's just that I also want to get published so tons of other people can love them to.  But first, I have to love them and I do.  I totally, totally do.

This WIP is a little bit of a struggle for me though because I'm trying something that I've never done before.  I've written about bad people, or people that do things that everyone knows they shouldn't but my main characters aren't normally the ones who do them.  My MCs tend to be funny, smart and overall, very good and moral.  Sure, they mess up, but in the kinds of books I write, there is a pretty big line between good and bad and they are securely on the good side.  This book, not so much.

I've always found stories where the MC is very flawed and on the wrong side of life very interesting because most of the time, we the reader, watcher or whatever, are still pulling for them.  So I wanted to play with that line a little bit, to see if I could create someone who isn't necessarily good but still someone the reader can pull for.  We shall see!  I love her, so I figure that's a good start!

Oh and a quick little update/Brandy is crazy moment:  In my last reading post, when I talked about Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, I wrote that the next book, Crescendo doesn't come out for another year.  Imagine my surprise when I was in B&N today and see it staring out at me from the book shelf.  Not only is it out but it's been out for a looong time.  Like, since last year.  I have no idea how I messed that up because I know I googled it but whatever.  I'm happy I'm wrong.  So go read that too.  I know I will, but first I have to finish what I'm reading and then I'm finally starting Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern! 

One more thing:  For those of you NaNo-ing, this is my profile come and be my buddy and yell at me if my word count doesn't move, k? Thanks!