When I’m Not Reading featuring Melissa from i swim for oceans

I’m so excited to have Melissa from i swim for oceans today to share a bit of what she likes to do when she is not reading. My mind is still boggling over the remarkableness of Mel.  While I’m sleeping or thinking about sleeping, she is swimming the world and writing novels! Check her out:

I wish I could give a simple and succinct answer about as to what I really do when I’m not reading, but let’s be honest…nothing in my life is as clean and simple as that. For example, right now I’m the process of moving about 2,600 miles across the country from Utah to New Hampshire, so my time is spent attempting to assemble a roof-rack on top of my car (fail #1), fit all my clothes and shoes into a bubble on top of my car (fail #2), ensure my cats that the crate they’ll be traveling in is like a luxurious suite (fail #3). A move like this doesn’t really happen every day though, so I can’t say this is what I usually do when I’m not reading.

Ok, usually when I’m not reading, I spend my time swimming, writing, or adopting more animals than I really need. On any given day, I try to swim about 2 to 3 hours. I was an NCAA swimmer for the University of Utah, and I’ve been competing since I was 3 years old, so swimming is cathartic for me. It’s a release of stress, and it’s an awesome workout. These days though, I only compete open water races like the escape from Alcatraz, and I’m looking to do a marathon benefit swim down the East coast next summer. I also run about 2 miles in the evening because I’m trying to expand my athletic horizons. I will, however, admit that about 3 minutes into my run, I begin questioning what I’m doing, and I’m useless running without an iPod. If I don’t have my iPod, I’m screwed.

As for writing, I’ve written one full manuscript called FIRE AND SNOW. It took me about 8 months to finish it, and it’s about a group of supernaturally gifted kids fighting against an organization known as Division that created them as weapons…sounds cool, but it reads terribly, so I shelved that baby months ago. I’m busy working on my new manuscript called RACE. It’s essentially set in a dystopian future world where all countries are banded into one peaceful government called the Unity. Simmering below the surface are a breed of humans with abilities once created as human weapons that were mass exterminated after the fifth world war. The Unity is actively searching for these weapons, known as Racers, and the Racers are just trying to survive. It’s taking its sweet time coming along, but I’m enjoying writing RACE a lot.

Like I said, I also adopt animals like it’s my job, and it’s my dream to one day open a no-kill cat sanctuary. I have two rescue cats right now. Stella is a 2 year old Bengal cat that was going to be put to sleep because the Humane Society thought she was dangerous. I adopted Jasper because I wanted Stella to have a companion. He’s a little (ok, not so little) black tuxedo cat, and he meows like a little girl. He’s pretty much scared of everyone except me, and I secretly love that. Finally, I’m picking up my first dog this upcoming Wednesday in Iowa (on my way to New Hampshire). She’s a little Chow-Chow, and I’m pretty sure her name is going to be Sasha Kielbasa. For your viewing pleasure, see the video of her below.

That’s about the gist of my life…don’t you feel like you know me so much better now?! Well, at least you know more than you ever needed to know.

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Posted at 5:00 am  •  Labels: 2010, featured blog, Guest Post, When I'm Not Reading