I’m not going to lie, I like Nicholas Sparks, and sometimes I feel like the blogosphere is going to flame me for that.

Here’s the deal: A while back, he gave an interview in which he sounded like a pompous ass. He came across as really, really arrogant, and bloggers have never let him live that down. His name is bandied about as the example of how not to behave; he is constant blog fodder when someone needs an author to poke fun at.

I feel really bad for him. I’ve read and watched many, many interviews with him in the past where he seemed to be such a humble, genuinely kind man. And then he comes out with this one, and it’s all over. And who knows, maybe his ego really has gotten away from him, but I like to think he was just having an off day.

It’s sad to me that he is being judged so harshly for that. And it terrifies me that one day I will be caught on an off day and that will be the soundbite that makes the rounds over and over and over again.

Maybe his writing isn’t your cup of tea (I’ve not read any of his more recent stuff, but I enjoy his older work and admire the tightness of his prose), but could we all just lay off the poor man for a while. Nobody’s perfect.

Rewrite a scene from your favorite teen movie. To make it interesting, you must include at least one paranormal or mythological creature. 1,000 word maximum. Here goes:

Midnight. Always midnight.

I guess that’s just Dean’s flair for the dramatic at work. There is no significance to the time – the witching hour doesn’t have any kind of pull on us. All we need is for it to be dark enough to sneak in and for the moon to not be full. Nothing about having to wait until midnight.

Oh well, wait we will, since Clay isn’t here yet. Dean is going to be pissed. Everyone can wait for him, but he waits for nobody. That’s the right of the Alpha, he says. I say it’s just him being an ass. Not to his face, of course. He might be arrogant and irritating, but he is the Alpha, and running with him is worth the pain-in-the-ass attitude.

Finally, Clay pulls in. The others start harassing him immediately, circling him like rabid dogs. Why don’t we all just howl at the moon and confirm all the stereotypes?

As we strip down, I can tell he is nervous. And who am I to blame him? The ledge is high and the jump is scary, but I bet he is more scared of what happens if he succeeds. I know I was; the movies always make the change seem so terrible – painful and scary.

Finally, when its just the two of us climbing the tower, the others out of earshot, Clay lets his brave face fall. “You – uh, you’ve done this before?”

“Sure, man. We all have.”

“And it’s just that easy – I jump and I’m in?”

“Just like that. You make the jump and you are one of us.” I don’t bother mentioning that the jump is not the hard part – getting out of the water at the end is. No need to scare the kid even more with tales of what lurks beneath the depths. Besides, Dean  might be a jerk, but he wouldn’t let anyone die for this stunt. He would make sure someone pulls Clay out before it gets him if he can’t get out on his own.

Clay hesitates at the landing edge, and I know it’s time to feed him the line. The same line Eric gave me; the same line Dean gave Eric; the same line the previous Alpha gave Dean. I take a breath. Good thing I am a good liar.

“Don’t worry, man. It’s easy. Hell, I’m jumping with you.”

Clay takes a deep breath and we count…

1…

2…

3…

I watch as he throws himself toward the water, limbs flailing. I wonder if he actually believed that I would jump with him or if he just used that thought to bolster his confidence. Because there is no way I would ever make that jump again.

Facing the Kraken below once was more than enough for a lifetime.

Phew. I finished just in time for Baby Caveman to wake up. There you have it. Now go watch A Walk to Remember so you can get the superior version of this scene.

Today’s question comes from Jessie Sin, who asks: Who are your most read and awaited authors and why?

Here’s the deal: I don’t really have any authors whose books I eagerly anticipate. That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of wonderful, talented writers whose books I love; I just tend to do things on a more book-by-book basis.

For instance: I am a big Nicholas Sparks fan. I have read, um, six or seven of his books. But I haven’t read any of his most recent ones. I will eventually, but I don’t have that author-draw that compels me to buy everything he puts out right away. Similarly, I read all 7 Harry Potter books, but when The Tales of Beetle the Bard was released, my reaction was more meh than anything else.

I guess I am just not great with the whole author loyalty thing. Sorry author friends.

But, I do have a list of books I am incredibly (like, holy sporks, can this book come out already, ’cause I have to read it…can’t live without it, give it to me now) excited for. So, in lieu of a list of most awaited authors, I give you:

Books I am SO excited for

Book three in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

Why? Well, books one and two (The Hunger Games and Catching Fire) are sitting patiently on my bookshelf waiting to be read. I am trying my hardest to not read them until just before the third comes out, because I seen how people get with these books. I think the anticipation will be even worse if I read the first ones now. But still, they have all the way until August to tempt me; I don’t know if I will be able to hold out.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Why? Four reasons: 1. Jackson is awesome, and hilarious, and adorable. 2. I really enjoy Jackson’s writing (have I mentioned my love of As You Wish yet?). 3. The story sounds great–modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, complete with the bond of sisterhood and, oh yeah, werewolf hunting. Heck yes. 4. THE COVER!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Why? The story of a teenage girl who works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency is intriguing; the narrator’s voice is great; Kiersten’s blog is so fun that I just can’t help but to want her book too.

Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Why? I loved Wings. The story is fairly simple, but completely captivating. I love the characters. And Aprilynne’s writing is crisp and beautiful. I can’t wait to read more about Laurel.

Wow. That is all I can think of off the top of my head. I have a list a mile long (no, seriously, it is that long) of books that I want to read–some on shelves now, some not yet–but these four are the ones I am most looking forward to this year.

I do, however, re-evaluate my goals and what I am doing to achieve them occasionally. I have spent the last couple of days doing just that. How is that different than a New Year’s Resolution? you might ask. It is all in the mindset. New Year’s Resolutions=setting up for failure. Goals=totally achievable. Yay for achievable!

Nicholas Sparks says that when he reached his mid-twenties, he began to feel a little empty. He had a good job and a great family-all around a pretty good life-but something was still missing. This is kind of how I am feeling now. Bubba and I have a wonderful marriage and love being together. We both have good jobs (seriously, have I mentioned how much I love my job yet?). We live in an adorable house in a great town. We are very blessed. But something is still missing-and it is something I can fix.

It has been my dream to be a published author since I was a very small girl. I love creating worlds, characters, stories, and I love writing them down. But recently I realized something: I am not moving forward. I have my website and this blog. I have my writing. But I am still stagnant. So, this year I set my goals with an eye turned to the future. I need to start trudging through the scary world of publishing if I want to get anywhere with this. I can’t continue to sit in my little safety bubble and just write for myself. Well, I can do that, but it is not all I want. I want to be published and share my books with people. I want more than I am making for myself right now. So I will go out and get it.

I have a dear friend who is always quick to remind me that people who write their goals out are more likely to reach them than those who just think of them. It makes sense. I have decided to go one step further. Today, I am sharing my goals for the year with my blog readers-putting them in a public place to help keep myself accountable for them. So, here they are:

2010 writing goals:

1. Write and edit two novels
2. Write and edit one short story
3. Continue to blog every weekday
4. Do everything in my power to get an agent*

That’s it-four things. No biggie, right? Oh, you mean those are four huge things? Wow. I guess you are right. But they are four things that I am completely capable of doing, which is important. I have broken each goal down into easy to handle chunks to help me tackle them (yes, I am one of those geeky list-lovers). I can do these four things. And I will.

Happy 2010 everyone.

*It would be all fine and dandy to just make #4 “Get an agent”, but that is setting myself up for disappointment. This is not to say I won’t get an agent, it’s just not completely within my control. Publishing is a very subjective business, so even if I write an AMAZING book, there is a possibility that nobody will pick it up. Goals should be attainable, and it is not effective to set a goal that is so dependent on other people. So instead, I am promising to do everything I can to get an agent this year.