Juliana Haygert

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Categories: Blogging, Music, My writing

I Challenge You

Usually, I participate on RTW from YA Highway on Wednesday, but I confess I wasn’t too inspired to do what they asked today.

So my friend Jani came up with an idea. A challenge actually.

Here it is, in Jani’s words: My challenge to you.  Blog about a song that reflects one of your main character’s characteristics.  I want to get to know your MC and what better way than to have some fun with it, right?  

For more details (and to see her entry), check Jani’s blog.

Wow, this ain’t gonna be easy =P

Let’s see.

First, I should choose one protag right? Or perhaps I can choose two or three and post their songs too? =P

 

Okay, then, I give you:

 

Nadine from DESTINY GIFT

 

Mirella from GYPSY HEART

 

Ellanue from ENERGY

 

I really think these song resemble who they are and their quest in my stories ;)

Now it’s your turn!

So go blog your song and link me in the comment section!

Cheers,

Categories: Blogging, Contests

Celebrating Literary Rambles’ Milestone

Awesome Casey McCormick and Natalie Aguirre are hosting an equally awesome giveaway on their blog to celebrate a huge milestone: 2000 blog followers! Congrats ladies!

There are many books for grabs!

What are you waiting for? Hop on there and take your pick!

Good luck!

Categories: Awards, Blogging

Kreativ Blogger Award

I received the Kreativ Blogger Award by the fun Tarah Dunn. I’ve met Tarah through the blog carnival Ya Highway promotes every Wednesday and I love reading her posts. Thanks, Tarah!

 

As for the rules to accept this award, I’m supposed to share 10 things you may or may not know about me, and then nominate 6 more bloggers who are very creative.

Looking back, I remember receiving other blog awards, but not this one. Somehwere on my blog I have posted a few things about me, though let’s post them here again:

  1. English is my Second Language, but it doesn’t feel like it anymore. I know I have a lot to improve yet, but I can’t imagine writing in any other language.
  2. I lived in the US from 2004 to 2009. I loved it. I want to go back. There are plans to go back this year (hubby transferring …) but it’s not set in stone yet. Here is hoping!
  3. I speak Portuguese, English, Spanish and a tad bit of French. I wanted to learn Italian too. And Russian … and German lol You get the point. I love learning other languages and cultures ;)
  4. When I was around 5 yo, my parents had 10 dogs at our house. At the same time. Big dogs. Way bigger than I was.
  5. I have Orthostatic Intolerance. I think that’s one of the reasons I hate summer.
  6. I danced ballet for over 20 years. But now I can’t anymore because of several injuries on my feet and knees (caused by pointe shoes!).
  7. The first romances I read (I was 10yo) were the sugary books of Danielle Steel. Hey, no judgie! Those were the books available to me—my mother had shelves stuffed with books by Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts and Sydney Sheldon.
  8. I have a BA in Art Studio with emphasizes on Graphic Design. And I’m a terrible Graphic Designer lol
  9. I’m tall and I don’t like it. I’m 5’9″ (1.75m) and I love high heels. If I could choose my height, I would be 5’6″ or 5’7″ (1.68-1.70m). That way, I would be able to wear my 4 or 5 inches heels and wouldn’t feel bad/uncomfortable about it.
  10. For the last 2 years, I have spent the weekdays in one city and the weekends on another (2 hours apart). So I have two houses to stress over. This coming and going is supposed to have an end soon, but I’m not exactly sure when.

 

Passing along the nomination, I give you not six, but eight writers and bloggers whom I met through Ladies Who Critique. They are incredible gals and, if you don’t know them yet, you should.

Jani Grey at Life Debatable.

Kelley Lynn at Between the Bookends.

Jenny Kaczorowski at In Somnis Veritas.

Tracy Rohlfing at Scarlet Sanctum.

Ladonna Watkins at The Writer in Me.

Heather L. Reid at I’d Rather be Writing.

Melissa Hurst at Chasing the Dream.

Jenn Johnson at A Single Bell.

 

Ugh, I think I’m the only one with a cool motto for my website/blog. I think I’ll have to fix that soon lol

Now, go check out my fine ladies!

Cheers,

Categories: Blogging, Me, RTW

RTW: It’s secret …

 

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

 

This week’s topic:

If you couldn’t use your own name, what would your pseudonym or penname be?

My real name is Juliana Grutzmacher Haygert Molina (here in Brazil we use two last names, then three when you’re married—it’s the law, what can I do?), but, for styling purpose, I decided to drop Grutzmacher and Molina and go with only Juliana Haygert.

Since Grutzmacher is too complicated, I dropped it at once. Actually, I rarely use it nowadays, only when I have to fill government forms and such lol

I could have gone with Juliana Molina, but I think Haygert is fancier than Molina, at least here in Brazil (my husband, from whom I got Molina, doesn’t think so lol). 

However, if I had to chose a real pseudonym, I would try to pick some really, really catchy, like Dark, Night, Knight, Star, Black, Silver …

Oh, I know, TWILIGHT SPARKLE from My Little Pony! (Come on, I have a 4yo daughter. Of course, I know the names of the ponies … Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna).

Hehehe, I’m kidding. About Twilight Sparkle.

But I would choose something cheesy like Julie Dark, or Julie Night. More important than cheesy, it’s easy to remember, it’s catchy ;)

 

What do you think?

And you? What pseudonym would you chose if you couldn’t use your own name?

Cheers,

Categories: Blogging, Challenges, Me, My writing

My 2012 plan

I thought a lot about writing a 2012 resolutions post, and ended up deciding against it.

What was I going to say? That I wish to get an agent and be published? I’m a writer. That’s a given. Besides, it doesn’t depend only of me. Unfortunately, I can try my best, but if luck isn’t by my side, I won’t go nowhere.

Then I saw a post from my friend Jani at Life Debatable that inspired to write about what I WANT for 2012.

 

Like Jani, I’ll focus on the word WANT. Also, I’ll cite personal goals along with writing goals.

I want to:

  • Read as many books as last year (60). I wish I could read 60 books per month since there are so many amazing books out there, but that’s impossible. Browsing the web, I saw a challenge to read 100 books in 2012. I wish I could participate on that, but, if I try, I’ll be using my writing time and writing time is precious to me.
  • Be more active on my critique circle. I love my girls and want them to know I’m here for them no matter what ;)
  • Be more active on my blog. You know, I struggle with what to post. I could write about writing, but I don’t feel confident enough to give advice to others about writing. So, what to blog about? Good question. I’ll have to think about that.
  • Be more active on friends’ blog. Read, comment and support more.
  • Write more. Last year, I wrote 2 novels and 2 novellas. I started a bunch (some had up to 40k words before I gave up). Total, I wrote roughly 300k words during 2011. But you see, I write full time (or almost full time since my daughter spends the mornings with me), so I could write more novels. I should write more novels.
  • Organize my thoughts and create a plan of action with my writing. I mean, I have too many ideas and, until I start something, I keep changing my mind on what to work on. So I need to lay out what to write, when and in which order. And stick to it!
  • Learn to love revising and editing. I do revise and edit. A lot. I also have CPs and I’m not ashamed to confess I hired a freelancer editor once to help me figure out how my writing was (btw, I loved working with an editor! I plan to it again). But I don’t like editing. I get frustrated and tend to almost throw my manuscript away lol So I need to be more calm and patient about revising and editing, and just do it!
  • Get at least 2 novels completely ready for submission by July. And submit them.
  • Be less active on twitter. LOL. No, seriously. I love twitter and it’s a problem. I guess many writers went through this. I have to shut it down and just write ;)
  • Exercise more. In 2010, I ruptured two ligaments on my foot, and last year I had another foot/knee problem. So I just started exercising again and I hope I can keep it up this year. Right now, I have pilates classes twice a week. But I plan to go for three classes each week around March.
  • Lose 5 pounds and keep them away! (Hey, I said the list would be personal too.)
  • Go back to US. Yeah, I said it. Actually, my family and I should have gone back to US last year. As we were told, my husband’s transfer should happen before May (I doubt it, but hey, we have to keep hope!).

 

For now, that’s what I came up with.

I’ll do my best to accomplish all my WANTS ;)

 

And you? Any resolutions, goals or wishes for 2012?

Cheers,

Categories: Blogging, RTW

RTW: Writing Paradise

 

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

 

This week’s topic:

 

Describe your dream writing retreat. Where would you go? Who and what would you bring?

 

At this moment, I’m on my chair and desk, with my laptop hooked up on a larger screen (because I like BIG screens lol), on a corner of the living room. I tried distancing myself and having my own office room, but this way I can still be with my daughter when she is watching a movie and with my hubby when he is playing video-games.

Not an ideal place to write, but it’s working so far.

 

First, my dream place to visit would not be my dream writing retreat.

This is my dream place to visit:

A little hard to sit down on the sand and write under the hot sun the Egyptian desert, don’t you think?

Alright, then I would choose this place as my writing retreat:

Maldives

The perfect Paradise.

I confess I’m not a sand-and-beach kinda of gal, though I love the ocean. Instead of laying in the sand and sun-bathing, I’m the girl who never gets out of the water ;)

There are many resorts over the crystal-like ocean in Maldives.

Nice, uh?

And I could write on isolated places like this one:

Perfect!

 

I would bring my laptop and my notebooks and pencils (sometimes I just need to brainstorm on paper), chocolate and wine, and maybe some seafood at times (love seafood!), and I would invite my family to come with me on one condition: if I was allowed to have a few hours each day for myself, alone, to write ;)

I bet these resorts cost a fortune though, so I’m better off on my little corner lol

 

Your turn. Tell me about your perfect writing retreat? Or dream vacation?

Cheers,