Blog

19 April

Blink Blog: Spring Vacation Plans and More!

Spring is in full bloom… and we’ve got the scoop on what our authors have been up to and their spring vacation plans. Keep reading below!

What have you been up to the first quarter of this year?

Alison Gervais: Right now I’m in my last semester of my bachelor’s in English with an emphasis in creative writing, so I’ve had my work cut out for me! Of course I’m writing whenever I get the chance, but those moments don’t happen as much as I’d like.

Ashley Royer: I have been spending most of my time working or applying for college scholarships. I am constantly working at a local retirement community as part of their wait staff. Every weekend is spent applying for college scholarship! I graduate in June, and then I will finally have some free time!

Evangeline Denmark:  I’ve been writing like a hermit with insomnia! I finished the rough draft of my new YA project–over 100,000 words in three months. Now I have to dig in and revise and see if any of those words are any good.

Heather Maclean: Getting ready for the release of “Toward a Secret Sky”! Birthing a book is a lot harder than birthing a baby, it turns out. And takes longer!

McCall Hoyle: I’ve been reading and writing a lot, drinking a lot of chai tea, and waiting for warmer temperatures and more sunlight. Spring is my favorite season, and I’m so happy to see the daffodils starting to bloom. It means I can spend more time outside hiking and even running if I’m feeling super motivated.

Stephanie Morrill: I’ve had a really fun time releasing The Lost Girl of Astor Street. I had several events in the Kansas City area and enjoyed a lot of time connecting with readers in my community and online.

Simultaneously, I had contractors at our house everyday for several weeks converting our groovy, 1960s era living room into a space that is brighter and more modern. That meant I was trying to schedule radio interviews and videos around when the contractors would be doing demo work or hanging sheet rock.

And the day after the contractors finished their work, my family went on a long road trip to the Southwest, a part of the country we had never been to. We had a fabulous time escaping our chaotic, dust covered house!

What are you most looking forward to this spring?

Alison Gervais: I’m most looking forward to graduating at the moment – four years of hard work is finally paying off! – but with spring coming around, that means we’re that much closer to the release of IN 27 DAYS!

Ashley Royer: I am looking forward to graduating high school. I get out of school in May, and I have many senior events. There is prom, a senior banquet, and many ceremonies for school. There is a lot of exciting things going on!

Evangeline Denmark: Hanging out at the Colorado Teen Literature Conference, celebrating my son’s 13th birthday, seeing which of the plants that bloomed too soon survive the freak spring blizzards.

Heather Maclean: Besides my book finally being out? The frogs in the woods behind our house. They sing me to sleep every night. And the herons returning. They look (and sound!) like pterodactyls swooping in and out of the mist. I live in the woods and I love it!

Jonathan Friesen: My wife’s to-do list. I just love it. All the things that I have no desire to do, but get to do? It’s absolutely thrilling! Put in a new window. Build a new deck. Pour a slab of concrete. Clean the garage. I’m in ecstasy just thinking about it!

McCall Hoyle: I’m a high school English teacher who loves all things reading, writing, and speaking related. I have several events lined up for late spring and early summer where I get to talk to teachers and librarians about my two favorite things–books and reading.

Stephanie Morrill:  My best friend, who is also a novelist, is flying into Kansas City. We’ve rented an apartment for a long weekend, and we’re going to write, write, write! We’ve done this a few times now, and we always have a great time.

Any vacation plans this spring?

Alison Gervais: For spring break I got to fly out to Seattle to visit with a very good friend of mine, and it was just a fabulous little vacation.

Ashley Royer: I will be working almost every day during vacation. I need to work 220 more hours by June 1 in order to get a scholarship from work, and I determined to get the scholarship!

Evangeline Denmark: We’re taking a quick trip to Texas to visit family.

Heather Maclean: I’m headed out on a book tour to Chicago and St. Louis and then possibly Cleveland.

McCall Hoyle: My favorite vacation plans involve staying home, drinking large quantities of hot tea, and reading lots of good books. My family doesn’t always appreciate my love of peace and quiet. I very much sense a trip to Harry Potter World in our future.

Stephanie Morrill:  In March my family traveled from Kansas City to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Phoenix and Sedona, Arizona, and the Grand Canyon. We were gone 11 days and had an awesome time, but I’m happy to be home for a while!

What are your plans this spring? Share with us on Facebook and Twitter!