Follow the blog of formerly homeschooled 21-year-old Jessica Burkhart, now a tween author and freelance writer. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 3 Mar 2009 20:17:00 -0600 Tue, 3 Mar 2009 20:17:00 -0600 I'm totally engaged in edits right now for TRIPLE FAULT (CC #4). Yes, book four. I almost can't comprehend that sentence. Interesting things I've noticed about this round of edits: I manage to eliminate favorite words from my writing. Then, I come up with new ones. :) In CHASING BLUE, I was obsessed with "grinned." It was everywhere. In TRIPLE FAULT, I'd finally manged to ditch "grinned," but I tossed in two new words--"so" and "sooo." They *might* appear thousands of times. Okay, okay, not thousands, but enough to cause me to smack myself in the forehead when I reread my edited manuscript. Chapter titles are so (Ack! The "s" word again!) one of the most difficult and most fun things to write. I heart them. I might have to go back and read my own books to refresh my memory on certain events. Is that lame? I feel as if I should remember the things that happen in my own books! :D Writing mean girl lines is my fave part and it's easy. That might say something about me... And, finally, never stuff your edit letter with your precious handwritten notes to self in a cabinet and forget where it is. You might panic, tear up the house and then want to stab yourself in the eye with a pink pen when you recover the letter hours later. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/664920/ Tue, 3 Mar 2009 20:17:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/664920/ Hi, everyone! I'm so excited to share the book video for TAKE THE REINS! :) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/630029/ Tue, 9 Dec 2008 14:46:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/630029/ I've been reading how people have been finding me online and just thought I'd share some. They're a mix of odd and funny. So, we've got these via SiteMeter: Top 10 literary cities (I don't live in one) Sarah Joy Brown on Facebook (I did blog about that...) Sneak peaks at the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic (note the "a") The Jessica Website (I'm thinking they're looking for Alba, Biel or Simpson) Weinheimer dog pics (Huh???) Obsessed with Twilight (Oh, so true) Greenbrier, TN (my old home city) Girly books releasing in July 2008 (What's a girly book?) Red Hills Horse Trials 2009 (I'm so there!) If you have a StatCounter or SiteMeter, how do people find you besides your name or book title? Mood: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/548287/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:21:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/548287/ I blogged at Teen Fiction Cafe today. :) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/530805/ Mon, 12 May 2008 07:26:01 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/530805/ I blogged at Teen Fiction Cafe today. :) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/530804/ Mon, 12 May 2008 07:26:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/530804/ OMG, it's Hannah Montana! Yahoo! has a headline from yesterday that Miley Cyrus is writing a memoir. Okay, okay, she's only 15 but she probably has quite a lot to tell. Maybe. I'm guessing. Disney-Hyperion is publishing the book and it will release in spring 2009. I'm neutral on the topic, I guess. It'll be interesting to see if she's an even bigger star in 2009 or if she has faded like many of the young stars. (Um, Hillary Duff, where are you?) I haven't read many memoirs. After the James Frey debacle, I did start to look at them in a different way. But I also don't want to skip a genre just because one guy screwed up. Would you ever write a memoir? I'd love to years from now. I've published lots of personal experience essays and I'm glad I've logged the big moments from my life in print. I'll always have that and it's almost like a public diary of sorts. Over the summer and fall, when I'm in between books, I'll be working on querying more magazines with personal experience pieces and hope I can keep sharing bits and pieces of the different things I've been through with others. :) So, would you read the Miley memoir? Or would the wondering if it's mostly ghost-written bother you? Read the article here. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/520937/ Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:24:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/520937/ This week is going to be busy! I’ve got lots of editing to do and I’m working away. I reallllly wanted to do ScriptFrenzy (it starts April 1), but I just do not have time this year. I’ll have to make my own ScriptFrenzy month later. Is anyone participating? Lots of people on the blue boards are excited. :) Tomorrow, a new video will be posted, so check back for that. And no, it’s not a video clue for the super-secret surprise. But it’s coming. Soon. Yesterday, I played with Blog Talk Radio (it’s really supposed to be used as a radio call-in show, but I use it for podcasting) and made my first entry. I talked over my introductory beginning (oops!) and in the intro that I taped weeks ago, I said the podcasts would start later in the summer than what I said in the live bit that I taped yesterday. So, please excuse my mistakes and I’ll be sure to make the next one better! :) On Friday, Class of 2k8 member and fellow Floridian Debbie Reed Fischer will be here. Today’s my mom’s birthday. Happy birthday, Mom! I love you! Finally, GO CARRIE JONES! Carrie’s making a run for office—how inspiring and cool is that? Find out all about it: http://www.voteforcarriejones.com. You go, Carrie! :) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/507858/ Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:52:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/507858/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJdL-GnEiaI Enjoy my first video explaining Diary of a Debut Author! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/504750/ Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:48:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/504750/ Every year, my family and I still dye Easter eggs for fun. The eggs on top are hardboiled and the eggs in the second picture are blown out eggs we made 10 years ago and have managed to keep from breaking that long. That's quite a feat if you knew my family moved often. I watched Martha Stewart for a bit on Friday to see if I could replicate any of her Easter egg tricks. But no. She made lace Easter eggs. No spare lace in my house. :) So, if you celebrate it, Happy Easter! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/503059/ Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:12:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/503059/ Linda Gerber brought this to my attention: Operation Teen Book Drop. YALSA and readergirlz are asking YA authors to donate a copy of their book to a local library, teen center, school or other place where the book will be passed around. This is an effort to raise awareness for April 17, 2008—Support Teen Literature Day. YALSA and readergirlz have already coordinated 10,000 publisher-donated books to be given to top pediatric hospitals across the country. That’s amazing, guys! I’m putting out the call to YA authors and people with books to donate. Give! Go the Website, print out the bookplate and donate away—whether it’s a book with your name on it or not. I’ve got my mailing address on my Website and if you’d like to get your book into the hand of a Florida teen through the library, put your bookplate inside and send me a copy. As I’ve mentioned before, Florida’s library budgets were just DRASTICALLY cut and my library which serves hundreds of thousands of patrons is now only open five days a week and hours have been slashed. They are also on a budget for purchasing new items and if you’re a YA author or someone with a large bookshelf, consider donating. I’ve got some of the loveliest librarians around and I know they’d appreciate it. For more information, visit here for the details. http://www.readergirlz.com/tbd.html Rock the drop!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/500983/ Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:36:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jessicaburkhart/500983/