Twitter

Yikes! I've decided to take the plunge and get serious about Twitter. I have to admit, I'm so dang confused right now. My username is susanefields. You can get to my profile page here.

Anyway, I'm not sure how to find all you lovely people on Twitter. If you have a Twitter account, could you either tell me how I can find you to follow you, or follow me so I can follow you back? It's kind of lonely here in Twitterland by myself. :(

Anyone have any words of Twitter wisdom to share? Or a quick explanation of Tweetdeck? I've heard of it, but I don't know what it is. I'd sure appreciate any help I can get!

Thanks and a Recommendation

Wow, you guys had some awesome suggestions for me and my kids to read. I wrote them all down and now I have a huge list to arm myself with at the library/bookstore. This should keep us busy for a long time! If anyone's interested in some great book ideas for their kids, please see the comments on my previous post.

Also, I finished Talli Roland's The Hating Game the other day, and I had to let you all know how much I loved it. As I've said before, I'm a fantasy girl through and through, so this book was my first ever venture into chick lit. I didn't know what to expect, but I really loved it! The characters are so real, I felt like I knew them. I was rooting the entire time for Mattie to get the guy (and to not let the bad guy get her!) It was a super fun read - I just love a book that makes me laugh out loud. Now I can't wait for Watching Willow Watts in November! Great job, Talli! And a special thanks to Laura Howard, who donated my copy of The Hating Game which I won on Talli's blog.

So, I'm working my way through my Bookrusher's 11 from 11 during 11 reading list (taking a short break right now to read Hex Hall so I can read its sequel, Demonglass - which is a 2011 release - next). Have you read any books published in 2011 so far this year? Which ones?

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Suggestions?

As I've mentioned before, I like to read to my three kids before they go to bed. I'm surprised they still allow me to do this, but I plan to keep it going as long as I have a willing audience! The problem is finding a book that all three of them will enjoy.

My fifteen-year-old daughter's criteria is that a book must have a "hot fifteen-year-old guy" (she's a romantic, just like her mother).

My thirteen-year-old son doesn't want anything too girlie - no romance or chick lit, please. A little bit of romance is okay, though. He survived reading Hunger Games with us.

My eleven-year-old daughter is too young for most YA, though she did read Hunger Games and loved those books probably as much as I did - which is saying a lot!

Books we've enjoyed in the past are the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson, the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, Dogsled Dreams by Terry Lynn Johnson, and The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall.

So, any suggestions?

I wish you all a happy and blessed Easter!

Second Ever Interview!

J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer, is hosting my second ever interview today! I hope you'll go check it out here!

So, it's Tuesday. I'm going to watch my daughter's very rainy track meet (if they don't call it off for thunderstorms). Thanks for everyone's well wishes for her track season. She had a great meet last week, so all your positive thoughts are working! What are your Tuesday plans?

Love Triangles

(Caution: Twilight and Hunger Games spoilers ahead!)

Okay, I admit it, I'm a huge fan of love triangles. I know not everybody is, but nothing keeps me turning pages faster than wondering which guy a female mc will choose. I stayed up half the night reading Mockingjay because I absolutely had to know whether Katniss would end up with Peeta or Gale or neither. And I think I might have hunted down Stephenie Meyer and given her a piece of my mind if Bella had chosen Jacob over Edward.

The hard part of a love triangle is that eventually the mc will have to choose just one. And if she truly does love both of them, that's a difficult if not impossible decision to make. As writers, our job is to make that decision believable, which is nearly as impossible. Collins certainly made me believe Katniss could never choose Gale after Prim was killed. And sorry, Jacob, but I always believed Bella loved Edward more.

I'm working out my own mc's resolution to her love triangle right now, and I'm fascinated by how other authors have handled this tricky situation. What do you think of love triangles? And can you think of other examples of love triangles and how the protagonist made his/her decision?

Getting to Know Michelle Merrill

Today I'm pleased to introduce you to another participant in Rachael Harrie's Second Platform-Building Crusade: Michelle Merrill. Hello Michelle, thanks for stopping by! I can't wait to learn more about you, so let's get started:

How long have you been writing?

I’d like to say that I’ve dreamt of being a writer my whole life…but that would be a lie. I started writing on January 3, 2010.

What made you want to write?

I blame it entirely on the character’s that took over my mind. The only way to make them stop was to write out what they had to say. More than once my mind was occupied by the ‘fake’ conversation going on in my head while spacing out on the real life one in front of my face. Oh, my poor family and friends.

Do you have any pet peeves while writing?

My pet peeves change but my biggest one right now is if someone touches me. My kids like to sit next me and lean on my arms. It just doesn’t work.

What are your favorite genres to write?

My all time favorite is fantasy. Paranormal takes a close second, though, with contemporary thriller’s just behind.

Quick, you only have five minutes to check one or two writing blogs, which ones would you go to?

Life, the Universe, and Writing by Shallee McArthur.

My Writing Bug by Chantele Sedgwick.

If you could pick the setting of one book to live in, which would it be?

The Copper Isles from Trickster’s Choice.

What's your favorite:

Book-Pride and Prejudice.

Author-Tamora Pierce.

Character- Enna from Enna Burning.

Thing about writing- The ability to create.

Time of the day- When the kids are all asleep in their beds.

And last, but not least, do you prefer fruity candy or chocolate?

Fruity. Sour fruity is even better!

Thanks for hanging out with us today, Michelle! And if you haven't met Michelle yet, be sure to stop by her blog and say hello!

Follow-Up

Image: xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Wow, I'm just blown away by all the great healthy eating tips you guys gave me on my last post. I know a lot of people didn't get a chance to read the tips given in the comments, so I decided to do a follow-up post. I really wish I could share them all here, but I'll try to keep this short by only passing on the highlights.

* Instead of ice cream, try fruit smoothies made with yogurt, milk, and fruit. (yummy!)

* Freeze low-fat yogurt in popsicle molds for yogurt pops. (This will be especially helpful for me this summer since my kids are popsicle fiends!)

* simplehealthytasty.com and skinnyrecipes.com offer yummy, healthy recipes.

* Make your own fresh-squeezed juice. Use honey to sweeten it instead of sugar.

* Make green tea with honey and lemon.

* To cut down on sodium, make your own salsa.

* Hummus on pita chips or baby carrots is a tasty snack.

* Make banana whips by whipping frozen bananas in the food processer.

* Instead of refined sugar, use raw agave nectar or stevia for sweetener.

* Put the fruits and/or vegetables out first at mealtime, so kids will eat more of the healthy stuff.

Thanks for all the awesome tips! My daughter has a track meet this weekend. Hopefully our new healthy eating habits will start paying off! I'll have to miss her meet because I'll be with my younger daughter at her Destination Imagination state tournament in Joplin, Missouri, but my husband will be at the track meet to cheer her on.

What have you got going on this weekend?

Small Changes

Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This is my daughter's first year running high school track, and with the track season just getting started, I'm trying to have healthier foods around the house. I talked to a friend who's also a runner and quite knowledgeable about nutrition. Here are some tips she gave me for eating healthy without necessarily dieting:

I wondered what healthy snacks I could have around in addition to fruits and vegetables. She suggested chips and salsa. Go easy on the chips, of course, but salsa is full of healthy vegetables. Another friend suggested carrots and celery with salsa.

I want to get the cookies and ice cream out of the house, but my kids are used to something sweet after dinner. She suggested trail mix with chocolate chips or M&Ms. They still get a taste of something sweet, but they're also getting healthy nuts and seeds. Of course, there's also a lot of fat, so don't overdo. I'm not sure how this one's going to go over with the kids, but I'm hoping the promise of a weekly family visit to the frozen yogurt place will encourage them.

We like to drink juice, but I was concerned about the high sugar. She suggested buying 100% juice and putting it in pitchers with water mixed in to cut down on the sugar.

After a workout, your body needs carbs and protein. She said chocolate milk is a great way to get both.

I'm hoping with these small changes, the whole family can eat healthier without it being all that different from what the kids are used to. Do you have any tips to add?

Interview and an Award

Please go read my first ever interview over at Michelle Merrill's blog! Thanks so much, Michelle!

Michelle also gave me the One Lovely Blog Award. Thanks again!

I'd like to pass this award on to some of my newer blogging friends:

#1 - Kari Marie @ Writing By Heart

#2 - Nas @ Romance from the Paradise in the Pacific

#3 - Deniz @ The Girdle of Melian

#4 - The Happy Whisk

#5 - Tracy @ My Thoughtful Spot

Happy Friday, Everyone! I'm going to be watching my kids play soccer most of the weekend. What are your weekend plans?