The BLINK Summer Blog fun continues! Keep reading below…

Are you working on an new material this summer (Writing a book? blogs? Etc?)

Alison Gervais: You betcha! Can’t share what it is just yet though…

Christina June:  I’ve got a few supersecret projects I’m hoping to make some progress on.  I’m working on a blog post for Teen Librarian Toolbox, as well as an article for the SCBWI Highlighter magazine with my CP, Katherine Locke, that will appear in the winter issue, so keep an eye out!

Lorie Langdon: I’m currently working on an epic fantasy adventure novel that I call Sleeping Beauty meets The Hunger Games! If I’m being real, I have a bit of writer’s block with this project. Epic fantasy, I’m finding, is not something that can be written quickly.

McCall Hoyle: Yes! I’m working on a story about two teenagers trapped on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the face of an oncoming hurricane, and I love it because it includes wild horses, the beach, a swoon-worthy guy, an adorable kitten, and as many twists and turns as a powerful storm.

Stefne Miller: I am currently working on finishing up a YA trilogy that I have been writing for several years, and two pilots for television series ideas that I have rumbling around in my head. The great thing about having multiple projects going at the same time is that when you get stuck in one, you can jump to another. It keeps my imagination running wild and my curiosity peaked.

Stephanie Morrill: Summer is the hardest season for me to write, but when I can, I’m working on a WWII era story that will come out with Blink in early 2019. It’s about an Italian-American girl who’s in love with a Japanese-American boy, and their struggle when he’s taken away to a concentration camp.

What is your favorite summertime activity?

Alison Gervais: When my family still lived in California, it was going to the beach in Carlsbad! Now it’s going camping with most of my extended family for a few weeks in July, where there is hiking, river rafting, and many, many s’mores.

Christina June: Having no responsibility?  I love catching up on my reading, working on writing projects, and binging on all the Netflix I missed during the school year.  We’re working on GLOW right now, and I’m also rewatching the original 90210 from the beginning.

Jonathan Friesen: Walking out the door each morning without a coat. It sounds like nothing, but I dream about that experience throughout the Minnesota winter, and it makes me smile each day.

Lorie Langdon: I love attending street fairs, walking in nature, and reading (of course).

McCall Hoyle: Because I’m a full-time teacher and spend a lot of time writing. I don’t have as much time as I would like to read for pleasure during the school year. So reading anything I want is definitely one of the high points of summer.

Stefne Miller:  Staying inside and out of the intense Oklahoma heat. 🙂 I’m a bit of a recluse anyway, but during the summer months my reclusive tendencies tend to go into overdrive. I’ll come out of hibernation in the fall.

Stephanie Morrill: Going to the library with my kids. My kids are nine, seven, and 18 months, so it’s one of the few places where we’re all equally happy.

Favorite ice cream?

Alison Gervais: Honestly? I have no idea. Chocolate chip cookie dough ranks right up there.

Christina June: Lately I’ve been into Yasso Greek yogurt bars – the salted caramel is to die for!

Lorie Langdon: This changes with the season. Right now, my favorite is Pistachio.

McCall Hoyle: Chocolate chip cookie dough of course. I mean really, what other flavor encompasses the perfect combination of sugary goodness, textures, and simplicity?

Stefne Miller:  Rocky Road or German Chocolate

Stephanie Morrill: Anything with chocolate and peanut butter!

What music have you been listening to lately?

Alison Gervais: I would say I have a very eclectic taste in music, but this summer it’s ranging from 2Cellos, Mandy Harvey, Tori Kelly, and ARCHIS.

Christina June: My current playlists include Frances Cone, The 1975, Bay Ledges, The xx, and anything 90’s.

Jonathan Friesen: Bethel Worship, Adele, The Rolling Stones, Prince and James Taylor. It’s been a very odd summer.

Lorie Langdon: I’ve been into DNCE and Bruno Mars. I always have one song that defines that summer for me and this year, it’s “Malibu” by Miley Cyrus. While writing, I’ve been listening to the Wonder Woman soundtrack on loop!

McCall Hoyle: My music tastes are all over the place depending on my mood. I might be on the front porch listening to classic country like Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty, or Merle Haggard. I might be barreling down the highway belting out a favorite praise and worship song by David Crowder or Chris Tomlin. If I’m feeling adventurous, I might embrace the classics of my high school and college days and turn up some R.E.M. or U2 or maybe even Def Leppard.

Stefne Miller: I listen to the most random stuff ever. My tastes range from Praise and Worship, to 1980s hairbands to contemporary pop. Lately, however, since I’ve been writing a lot I listen to playlists that I’ve created specifically for the type of scene that I’m writing. My playlists include: Heartbreak; Fight Songs; Love Songs; Inspiring; and musical scores. It’s amazing how songs can influence a particular scene and inspire me to take a story a particular direction.

Stephanie Morrill: Dig Down by Muse. I saw them in concert in June, and that’s what they opened the show with. I swear it’s been on a loop in my head ever since.