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Summer Camping and a Significant Lack of Internet

So, I went camping in the mountains (Colorado and New Mexico), and it was awesome.

I mean, seriously. It was so much fun.

It’s the first time in quite a while that I’ve taken an entire week off of work and sort of left “real life” behind. After not doing it for so long, I discovered that it’s nice to take some time to relax and worry about nothing more pressing than what I want to eat at my next meal.

Probably the strangest thing for me was the noticeable lack of Internet. As someone who is connected at all times via phone, laptop, etc..., going for an entire week without it was interesting. The only thing I could occasionally get my phone (and only my phone) to do was check email. But actually getting online? Forget it.

I wouldn’t want to be without it for long, but you know what? Being disconnected for a while was kind of nice. It was just me, my family, and nature. A great change of pace.

So, what did I do during my lovely camping trip?

Well, we cooked outside every day, hiked through some seriously tall pine trees, and played several epic card games (“epic” because, once every couple of plays, the wind would attempt to steal our cards and skip off with them, laughing).

And during quiet moments, I was able to read (I finished four books during the trip!) and even do a little bit of writing. I’m telling you, writing in the mountains with the spicy scent of pine all around you is amazing. I highly recommend it. :)

Now that I’m home, I’m quite happy to be back in the groove of things. And I can’t tell you how much I enjoy having access to the Internet once more. But I have returned home with some very happy memories and quite a number of pictures (a few of which I’ve included below).

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer with family and friends, and I hope you've been able to take at least a few days for a bit of vacation-y goodness! Posted by Kristin Lynn Thetford at 10:42 PM 2 comments: Labels: Vacay



It’s finally release day!!!

I would like to wish a very happy book birthday to my amazing friend and writing buddy Kristin Rae! 

Sounds fantastic, right? And having already had the privilege to read the book pre-release, I can tell you that it IS! :D

So, in the book, Pippa makes a list of ten goals for her summer in Italy:

~ Don’t get arrested
~ Don’t make a fool out of myself in public
~ Get my picture taken at the Colosseum
~ Find random souvenir for Morgan
~ Get a makeover
~ See Pompeii
~ Swim in the Mediterranean Sea
~ Have a conversation with someone in only Italian
~ Eat a whole pizza in one sitting
~ Fall in love with an Italian

To celebrate release day, I have listed my own top ten goals below. (Okay, it was more like a top twenty when I started, but I finally whittled it down to these. :)

~ Don’t get lost
~ Tour the ancient ruins of Rome (specifically the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, and the Catacombs)
~ Try at least one new flavor of gelato every day and eat real Italian pizza
~ Sail on the Grand Canal in Venice
~ Hike around the Valley of the Temples (Valle dei templi) in Sicily
~ See the ruins of Pompeii
~ Explore as many of the Italian waterways and coastal areas as possible
~ Check out the Leaning Tower of Pisa
~ Dip my feet in the Mediterranean Sea
~ Prowl around the Frasassi Caves

What would be your top ten goals for a summer spent in Italy? Let me know and help celebrate the release of WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN!

And, once more, happy book birthday, Kristin!!! :D Posted by Kristin Lynn Thetford at 12:38 PM No comments: Labels: Books, Debuts


Writing by Music - Adrian von Ziegler

So, I discovered a composer awhile back by the name of Adrian von Ziegler, and I have pretty much fallen in love with his music. His pieces range from soothing to epic to haunting to just plain gorgeous. A couple of his CDs, in particular, have been a huge source of inspiration and great mood-setters for the manuscript I am currently editing. This manuscript has a definite dark and mysterious tone to it, so the flavor of the CDs has been perfect for helping me to get into that "zone."

Adrian uploaded the following song to his YouTube channel, and it is just one of my many favorites by him:

I have linked to Adrian's YouTube channel below. His CDs are available for purchase through the iTunes store, and I would definitely recommend a visit. :)

Adrian von Ziegler's YouTube Channel
Posted by Kristin Lynn Thetford at 4:07 PM 2 comments: 



Hello, all my lovely blog peeps!

I am finally returning to you after a rather…  *ahem*…  lengthy period of blog silence.

Seriously, it has been way too long.

But I am back now, and happy to be blogging again. I have missed it. And I have missed all of you!

So, what have I been up to over the past couple of months?


1. I learned how to knit! (Technically I’m still learning, as it’s an ongoing process, but STILL!)

I have a friend who knits, and I guess I never realized how many cool things you can create using nothing more than a pair of needles and a pile of colorful yarn. Upon noting my growing interest, she offered to teach me (which is pretty amazing, considering the time investment and the fact that you normally have to pay for knitting classes). At first, I wasn't sure. But seeing her awesome projects kept pulling me back. So when she offered again, I gave in. :)

I learned what these are: And I learned how to make the yarn on the left look like the yarn on the right (and why the latter is much easier to work with): Then came the actual knitting. And I think I fell in love…

The knitting high took over, and I got ambitious.

Since it was still four weeks until Christmas, I thought, “Hey. If I pick this up fast enough, I could make Christmas gifts!”

Thus, in addition to learning to knit, I immediately put myself on a deadline. I kept my newfound passion for knitting a secret (which was hard, I assure you!) and began secretly knitting a scarf for my mom and a hat for my sister.

My friend was nearby for any potential knitting calamities, and somehow I managed to finish both the scarf and the hat in time for Christmas. :)

And thus began a new hobby that has spawned much coveting of ALL THE YARN and obsessive saving of patterns to make everything from T-shirts, sweaters, and blankets to cute, little knitted animals.

2. I wrestled the Cough of Doom, and it won. Big time…

Literally, guys.

I don’t think I’ve coughed that hard or that long in my life. EVER. And I know I’ve never had such a high fever for so many days.

After a particularly bad night that involved non-stop coughing for hours on end, I succeeded in tearing (shredding? mangling?) the muscles over one side of my ribs. It was at that point that every cough felt like a knife dragging along the bone.

The doctor said the only way the muscles would heal would be to stop coughing.


Hahahaha. Ha. Ha…

So, I set another record for myself: I’ve never eaten so many cough drops in my life.

Thankfully, the Cough of Doom is mostly gone, and the muscles are healing nicely.

But I know a *lot* of other people who’ve had to deal with this nasty cough over the last couple of months. If you are one of them, I am unspeakably sorry… :(

3. I (nearly) finished a book… Or two.

Somehow, amidst the knitting frenzy and coughing attacks, I have managed to nearly complete my next MS, and I am almost ready for revisions on a second one. I’ve reached that exciting place in both of these projects where all I’m feeling is giddy anticipation. Since I’m very much a night writer, I expect many late nights over the next days and weeks, as I delve deep into revision world.

So what is everyone else up to? Have you picked up a new hobby? Finished a project? Wrestled the Cough of Doom (or any of his nasty companions)? Read a good book? Discovered a new tea? Anything fun or exciting happening?

I want to know! :)

I hope you all are having a wonderful week!
Posted by Kristin Lynn Thetford at 8:48 PM No comments: Labels: knitting, Writing
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