Shining Sea

Loved Shining Sea, by Mimi Cross.  I was so excited when it was released, but now that summer is in full swing, I just want to reread it.  If you like the Twilight series and love the beach and the sea, this is a perfect summer read.  Mimi's writing will draw you in like a siren's song.

Happy reading,
Christine

More About Shining Sea

Here is  more info about Mimi's new book, Shining Sea, available next month:

SHINING SEA

A Novel

By Mimi Cross  

Falling in love shouldn’t feel like drowning.

 **Grammy award–winning artist Rosanne Cash has described Cross’s writing and singing as “Fusing delicacy and power, heart and gut. Inspiring, evocative, and refreshing.” **

Mimi Cross, an award-winning and celebrated singer-songwriter, mesmerized us with her raw and heart-wrenching YA debut Before Goodbye which The Toronto Star called “a book to set your heart aflutter.” She delivers another enthralling and edgy novel—this time with a fantasy bent. SHINING SEA (Skyscape, May 24, 2016) is a gripping, thoughtful, and enchanting story about a young woman confronting the harsh realities of both love and tragedy for the first time.

Seventeen-year-old Arion Rush has always played the obedient sidekick to her older sister’s flashy femme fatale—until a mysterious boating accident leaves Lilah a silent, traumatized stranger. As her sister awaits medical treatment with their mother, Arion and their father head to his hometown in Maine to prepare a new life for them all. Surrounded by the vast Atlantic, songwriting is Arion’s only solace, her solid ground.

Unexpectedly, Arion blossoms in the tiny coastal town. Friends flock to her, and Logan Delaine, a volatile heartthrob, seems downright smitten. But it’s Bo Summers—a solitary surfer, as alluring as he is aloof—that Arion can’t shake. Meanwhile, Lilah’s worsening condition, a string of local fatalities, and Arion’s own recent brushes with death seem ominously linked…to Bo’s otherworldly family. As Arion’s feelings for Bo intensify and his affections turn possessive, she must make a choice. How will Arion learn to listen to her own voice when Bo’s siren song won’t stop ringing in her ears?

Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Maggie Stiefvater, SHINING SEA weaves Cross’s musical magic into yet another haunting and powerful story. Arion’s world is an ethereal soundtrack of first love and the stormy drama that sometimes unexpectedly comes along with it.

SHINING SEA by Mimi Cross * On-Sale Date: May 24, 2016

Price: $9.99 paperback, $5.99 eBook * Skyscape

New Book - Shining Sea

I met Mimi Cross at a writing conference and she, another writer and I formed our own little writing group, encouraging each other and offering revision suggestions.  It thrills me to share that her new book, Shining Sea will be released next month.  You can order it on Amazon.

Happy reading,
Christine

Hooked

 Hooked brings to life the hook-ups, break-ups and make-ups of 20-somethings over the course of a Columbus Day weekend in a cramped, New York City apartment.  Written by Danielle Burby, this production was staged by The Bare Bones Theater Company, in Northport.  The intimate venue really helped me feel like I was right there in the apartment as this group of friends and lovers navigated the rocky road to romance.

Ms. Burby, the playwright was in the audience, and I couldn't help wondering what it must feel like to see your  own words performed live on the stage!  (I'll have to ask her client, Mimi Cross, the fellow writer who gave me the tickets. Thanks, Mimi!)

Tonight is the last performance of this production, so if you are free, I highly recommend that you go see it.

Happy reading,

Christine

Second Sight Saturday: NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month - thirty days where you write every day and try to bang out a completed first draft of a novel.  The pace is grueling and the results probably won't even be publishable, but at least you will have a completed draft to revise at your leisure.
Last year I posted this from NaNoWriMo veteran Mimi Cross:

November 20, 2012

Mimi Cross is a multi-talented singer, song-writer, and now, novelist, that I met at a writer's workshop. We immediately hit it off and formed a small writing group with another woman we met at the workshop. Below is a guest post in which she shares her writing tips for a successful NaNoWriMo. Enjoy!

Hi, Christine, thanks for having me as a guest on your blog J

My first NaNoWriMo experience was in 2009. I loved it so much, I’ve participated every year since. This year I’m taking a break, but only because I’m working on editing and revising one of my NaNo manuscripts.

For all those folks who are participating this year, here are some tips to try. They worked for me, so they can work for you. Good luck, Wrimos!

Take Five for NaNoWriMo

Write 50,000 words in 30 days? How? This puzzle has five easy pieces.

1. A Carrot. Set up your reward, NOW.

The SCBWI conference in NYC was the reward I chose for my first NaNo. The conference is in February this year, and registration is open. If you are writing for children and you aren’t a member of SCBWI, I strongly suggest you join—even if you don’t use the winter conference for your reward. This community of writers and editors and agents is your tribe. http://www.scbwi.org

Other possible rewards: Chocolate—actually no, you ought to stock up on that for your writing. How about a nice dinner out? Or you could get some new clothes, or a puppy, a new car, a trip around the world . . . Seriously? Make sure your can actually pay for your reward! Like I said, plan it now.

2.A Website.

I told myself I didn’t need to spend time I didn’t have on the NaNoWriMo site, as refreshingly irreverent and hilarious as it is. Then, I saw the template for my own personal page. I’m an artist—give me any parameter, please! The template is an opportunity to organize.

After a few days of writing I uploaded my title and text and got a word count. I was right on! I uploaded my excerpt that any NaNoWriMo participant would be able to read. Wait!Are you kidding? I’m not telling ANYONE about this! Hmm.

3. A Secret. Enter my pseudonym. The name my son gave me. He was three at the time of my first NaNo. (I didn’t ask for a new name, guess he just figured I needed one. Psychic.) Having a name that felt lucky for me was freeing and—anonymous.

After two weeks, when I realized I’d succeed, (there’s not enough space here to chronicle my doubts, I’ll simply say the NaNo community is awesome! See my blog for advice I gave a blocked writer who supported me in my darkest hour. Wacky, but it works!) I uploaded my picture and confessed my true identity. I added my website link.

My page read, “Mimi Cross The author of I Woke Up One Morning in November and I Realized I Love You the story of two young musicians who become confused during their creative journey, mistaking the highs and lows of their musical efforts for the ups and downs of life itself.” Proof—I was writing a novel.

4. A Circle. At some point I told several accomplished writers what I was doing. Why? I’d be embarrassed if I didn’t complete my goal. Wisely, I chose creative, generous people. All month long, behind the music of Philip Glass, Phish and Böjrk, (the artists my characters listened to at high volumes) I could hear the voices of my mentors cheering.

5. A Rockstar. Don’t Look Back. That’s right, D.A. Pennebaker’s documentary film covering Bob Dylan’s 1965 tour of the UK. If you’re weak like Orpheus, if you turn back and read what you have written, your novel may vanish forever like Eurydice. Write like a runner. Sprint. Outrun your inner critic. Fly. Flow. Let go. Remember Franny and Zooey. A writer writes. NaNoWriMo is about writing. Save the reading—and editing—for later.

Magically enough—and there were many magical moments during my NaNo adventure, I’m convinced there are unseen universal energies at work when it comes to writing—my story developed a beginning, middle and end. One day it will be ready to share.

Here’s the kicker:

As of today, 10/30/2012, I Woke Up One Morning in November and I Realized I Love You still isn’t edited, but that’s okay, because what my first NaNo experience did was clear the pipes.

That's right—3 days before I finished my first NaNo, a blazing new idea lit up my brain. As of today, that manuscript is in the hands of agents—yes, I mean today, right now. So keep your fingers crossed for me, because it’s the first book of a trilogy that’s nearly complete.

Who knew noveling was so addicting?

Remember writers; you can do this. You really can. Let go and allow National Novel Writing Month to have its way with you. It just might change your life.

 

 

Wow!  Great guest post!  Thank you, Mimi.

Happy reading and writing,

Christine

Body of Writing

Mimi Cross is a multi-talented mom, writer, musician and yoga instructor. This Friday, she is offering a workshop called, Body of Writing and there is still room to sign up!

Enjoy!

With Mimi Cross                                                                                         www.bodyofwriting.com

 

7:30pm - 9:00pm, Friday October 25^th — Body of Writing Sampler. All levels. All genres.

Monmouth Beach Yoga & Wellness, 36 Beach Road, Monmouth Beach, NJ 07750

$15 per person, call to reserve your spot 732.263.1200

 

Body of Writing offers a combination of inspirational writing exercises and simple yoga postures as well as meditation and visualization techniques designed to help workshop participants access the stories they carry, often unknowingly, in their bodies.

Calming breathing techniques will allow participants to move deeper into the process of unearthing their stories. The artistic aspect of each participant will be challenged and nurtured, and everyone will leave Body of Writing feeling stimulated and relaxed. Some individuals will depart with new goals for their writing lives or the start of a new piece.

Body of Writing is both energizing and soothing. No previous experience with yoga or writing is necessary.

Body of Writing participants will explore their writing and their bodies, and receive the benefits of connecting the two.

Attendees of this special evening sampler of Body of Writing will begin to learn how to leave their inner critics at the door and listen to their bodies instead!

Mimi Cross holds an MA in music education from New York University and is an RYT with over 200 hours of teacher training. Her song 2 Clay Feet was featured on the Kripalu Yoga Center Seva CD, Svadharma. She is the author of The Alligator Waiter, published by Abe's Peanut in 2012, and The Crankamacallit, a children’s iPad app designed by Polymash and released on iTunes in 2011. Her CDs can be found on iTunes.

What you’ll need for the workshop: An 8 x 10 notebook of paper, and a pen or pencil. Please wear comfortable, non-restrictive clothing. Questions? mimi@mimicrossmusic.com

Add an additional dimension to the traditional body, mind, & spirit practice of yoga: Story.