KCBOOKS From Mom to Author & Everything in Between

Welcome Back!

2011-04-19T12:02:00.008-04:00

Thanks for stopping by for my Welcome Back blog post. It's been about 2 months since my last post. Way too long. Where have I been? Buried under layers of life. I started a new job in the school system and joined a health club with my kids. These, and the never ending daily concerns, have absorbed much of my time. While trying to get used to a new schedule and working outside of the house again my writing was put on the back burner. Not an excuse, I know.

This week is Spring Break for us and I plan on using it to get my writing self back in gear. So far it's gotten off to a good start. This morning I was challenged to a Word War on Twitter (yeah, first time back on Twitter in a long time too). I wrote a little more than 500 words in an hour. Certainly not a record setting writing session, but this was a great kick start to get me back into my story.

I've also taken some time to update my blog today. New background, added links, new ways to follow, and even a new post! *Whew*

Have you been feeling the urge to make changes or restart something you've let slide lately? I'd love to hear from you and please let me know what you thing of my blog improvements.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Follow Friday Top 5 - Feb. 18

2011-02-18T08:06:00.004-05:00

It's Friday and in the Twittersphere that means it's time to pay some respect to some of your favorite people (or should I say Tweeple). I don't always find the time to do this. There are so many great people I could spend all day listing them and still not do them all justice. So, this week I had an idea. I started hitting the Favorite button for any blog post that caught my eye. Out of those I chose 5 that really spoke to me. Here they are, as originally tweeted, not in any particular order. If you're on Twitter I recommend you follow these people, if not I hope you consider following the blogs they either write for or promote. You won't be disappointed.

@batpoet RT @nicholebernier Risk-taking, & the courage to flip & flub. Lessons from "Julie & Julia".. Great! by @StephanieEbbert http://bit.ly/fnXXT4

@simplywriting Gender Bending: Writing a Different Gender than your own - http://bit.ly/hdu4ks

@linda_grimes Good morning, Twitter. TGIF! Been attacked by any Doubt Monsters of Doom lately? http://tinyurl.com/4l8jkfy

@randysusanmeyer Got talismanic objects, writers? Yup. @ThereseWalsh on our superstitious natures on Writer Unboxed. http://bit.ly/f1ZvGg

@simplywriting RT @BubbleCow: How to Grow Your Writing Career - http://ow.ly/3Y6dl

It was not easy choosing only 5 out of all the great blog posts this week. I hope you enjoy and if you know of another great post please let me know about it.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Steven Pressfield

2011-02-16T10:07:00.005-05:00

Today's post is a good one for anyone trying to make big changes in their lives and feeling like you're continually hitting an invisible wall. Steven Pressfield's The War of Art is an eye opener and a helpful guide to overcoming the obstacles that get in our way.

Pressfield puts all of life's obstacles into one easy to identify category. He labels it all Resistance. Resistance takes many forms, but the result is progress toward your goals is hindered, halted even. There is only one way to fight Resistance; you have to sit down and put in the work to achieve your goals.

Resistance is that pesky voice telling me not to exercise today because I look tired or the weather is bad. It really doesn't care about me; it simply doesn't want to see me reach my goal of getting healthier.

Resistance also comes in the form of loved ones. Every time I sit down in front of the computer to write someone in my family will have a mini crisis or need to locate something only I seem to have to knowledge of where it could be. There are days when I swear they have all sat down together to create a schedule to make sure that every 15 minutes I am reminded that I have 4 children and a husband who have a bad case of the Mr. Magoos and legs that do not bend at the knee. (Really, you're standing at the fridge with the door open and asking me if we have mustard?)

Besides the form taken, there's not much difference between inner and outer Resistance. Both types don't want change (either consciously or subconsciously), both types do everything to resist it. This is understandable. Humans are mainly creatures of habit and we love residing well within our comfort zones. The thought of change, the idea of propelling myself into the unknown of the publishing world is scary for me, so why wouldn't it be for my loved ones?

Fear is the life line of Resistance. It depends on it; feeds on it. So, how do you stop Resistance? I've been trying to figure this out since my first book was published. Steven Pressfield pulls Resistance, in all its forms, out of the shadows and exposes all of its dirty tricks. He also said something that really resonated with me. Fear is always there, you're never going to find a way to completely remove it, especially when you are truly invested in an idea, project, or life changing venture. He said to stop wasting energy and time trying to stop fear and focus on the work. The person who can sit down and do the work despite the fear changes from an amateur to a professional. Resistance does not like professionals because it has less power over them.

I know that I want to be a professional writer. Yes, I want to be published again, but more so I want to give life to these stories I have piling up in my head; give voice to these characters who have for some unknown reason put their fictional futures in my hands. I am in many ways still an amateur with so much to learn about writing and publishing. After reading The War of Art I know I have the heart of a professional and I know that I can reach my future goals by doing one important thing today... I have to sit down and do the work.

I bought an electronic copy of this book and read it on my iPod. Print additions are also available. Visit Steven Pressfield's website for links and information about more of his work.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kristin : )

Volunteers Needed!

2011-02-01T15:24:00.008-05:00

Hi and thanks for stopping by. Today's post is about a very important topic: Volunteering. I will be sharing what volunteering means to me and ways to get me and my kids more involved.

For a while I've been in a rut with my writing and in my social media efforts. Not a complete block, but certainly a hurdle. Recently I've taken some time to step back and try to figure out what's going on. Why am I having such a hard time sitting down to write? Why am I having a hard time connecting on line? What I find is that I do a lot of thinking about me, tweeting about me, my dog, my family, my ups and downs. I spend too much time thinking things like, What should I tweet about today? What should I talk about on my blog? What can I write that will open more publishing doors? I know that to get myself out of this rut I've got to stop focusing so much inward and look outward for a while. What better way to do that than to volunteer?

Volunteering has always been a part of my life. I've often given my grandmother credit for instilling many of my morals and values but it was my mother who made me see the importance of volunteering. As a single mom of four, on and off welfare, and working constantly she had all of the reasons in the world not to think of others, to be bitter about the cruelties and unfairness that life can dole out. But she wasn't, she took life as it hit her and always reminded us that no matter how bad it was for us there were people who had less, who suffered more. This mind set is one of the best gifts she has given me. It taught me to be thankful and to believe that everyone has the power to help someone else. Even if you have no money or vital service to offer, you have time.

I have tried to pass this gift to my children as well. Every year, on the weekend nearest to Halloween I would dress the kids up and we would spend an evening stationed at a doorway giving candy to children who lived in a shelter. On Easter weekend we went back with candy filled eggs to hide in the center's courtyard. Both events added up to less than 2 hours of time and the price of a few jumbo bags of candy, but the smiles on those kids' faces and the gratitude extended was priceless. My kids would leave feeling good about helping others and a better perspective about life. Of course, it would wear off over time and I would think of something else to do. After winning a good amount of money at Bingo (yes, Bingo) I called our local food shelf and asked what they needed most for food donations. I grabbed my kids and the list and went to Sam's Club. The food we delivered was probably gone in a week but the memory of it lives in my kids. My oldest was just talking about it the other day. He also reminded me of the time I made him volunteer with me at our local community college. We helped transform a vacant courtyard into a beautiful playground for the children of students and staff of the college.

Lately I have slacked. Life got crazy, my kids had a million things going on, I had a whole new world of publishing to figure out, and a new 4 legged family member to keep up with. The reasons (excuses) are endless, but the the result is finding myself in a rut of thinking only of me and what personally affects me, my family and friends. I need a refresher in volunteerism and it certainly won't hurt my kids to come along.

My plan:

I'm going to revisit past efforts. Decide which ones work for us now and which do not. Just like everything else in life, volunteering evolves as our circumstances change.

Let the kids have more say in what we do. My older boys were game for anything I came up with, but my younger children are more immersed in technology. It's going to be harder to get them excited about unplugging and getting out in the world.

My goal:

Take time each month to volunteer at a different place or cause.

Teach my kids that they can make a difference in some one's life or help a worthy cause make big differences in many lives. Also to expand their perception of the world.

Remind us all to be thankful for what we have and that we always have something worth giving.

My personal goal:

Push my own limits and volunteer in areas outside of my usual comfort zone.

Record my experiences here on my blog as a journal for me and my kids to look back on. I also hope this venture into volunteering inspires more people to get out there and give a little.

There are so many people, groups, organizations, and institutions that would benefit greatly from volunteers and so many ways to help. I am looking forward to seeing where this adventure will take me. I hope that you stop by again to find out.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Memoir Monday: A Diverted Post

2011-01-24T09:01:00.003-05:00

It's time for another Memoir Monday. I usually review a memoir written by a writer or artist. I love reading and sharing what helps them creatively and productively. Today's post is a little different. I received an email from a local writer (Thanks Kate Rothwell) and thought it would make a great Memoir Monday feature. It's a collection of authors and their writing rituals posted on the blog on http://www.mastersdegree.net/. I hope you find it as interesting (and odd) as I did.

"20 Acclaimed Authors and Their Unique Writing Rituals"

Have a creative, productive week!

Kristin : )

Snow Day!

2011-01-17T18:23:00.000-05:00

Hi, brrr... It's cold out there. Come in, put your feet by the fire. Here's a cup of cocoa. Do you take marshmallows? Now this is how you enjoy a good snow storm :)

This picture of my kids' playhouse during Storm Benedict reminds of Robert Frost's poem.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

Of course I was not on a horse and Frost did not have to airbrush lawn furniture out of his picturesque poem. I don't think I did that bad if you don't look at it too long. Ok, look away.

Winter Storm Benedict paid a visit to Connecticut and dropped 2 feet of snow. Yes, 2 feet! I have been tweeting about how funny Scout is in the snow and thanks to some much needed reminders from a Twitter friend (wink @MarshaEpstein )I finally have a few pictures to share. Above my son Spencer takes a break, but Scout is still eager to run. Below Scout plows her way toward Spencer and my daughter Megan and then does her best super snow dog impression. I think she actually caught some air there! Look at those ears and her smile! lol

Today is another snow day (3 inches + freezing rain) and those evil weather people are predicting another foot (A FOOT!!) of snow for Friday. I'm charging my camera now for more pictures and stocking up on the hot cocoa.

Do you have any snow pics? I'd love to see them. Leave me a link in the comments and I'll check them out.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay warm.

Kristin : )

New Zodiac Signs - Old Memories Shine.

2011-01-14T09:47:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I know, I'm a bit late, but in my defense it's a new year ALL year. :) I've taken some time off to focus on writing and family. It was a great break. So, what brought me back today? The new zodiac dates!

Now I'm not one to rely on star positions to plan my day and don't read my horoscope. I don't believe in finding my way through life using someone else's predictions and assumptions. I have many friends and family that do not or can not start their day without reading theirs. Whatever works for each of us, right? So why, when I heard that the Zodiac dates have changed, did I feel like someone had taken my internal ID and crossed out a big part? I'm no longer a Gemini? I'm a Taurus??? What? No, this can't be right.

Why was so shocked? So bothered by something I've never fully believe in? I really had to think about this. Why did it matter? What did being a Gemini mean to me? Why was it such a shock to loose something I didn't think I truly owned. Then it hit me. The first thing I associate being a Gemini with is my grandmother (RIP). She was a proud Gemini, among other awesome attributes.

On her wall, right beside the refrigerator, above the occasional chair that her blind chihuahua repeatedly walked into, were these wooden plaques. I'll never forget them. One was dark brown with the symbol of the Gemini, which was basically the Roman numeral 2 (II). Under that was all of the personality traits believed to be embedded into every Gemini in the free world. I always had a hard time believing that. The second plaque was lighter wood and simply said...

Gemini: Jack of All Trades. Master of None.

Under this was the picture of a man juggling many things with his face all twisted in concentration or constipation. I was never quite sure. I remember asking my grandmother what that meant. I could not understand why she would want this hanging in her kitchen, or anywhere. It seemed so negative to me. I saw a man who couldn't do anything right. Not a Jack of all trades, just a Jack Ass who couldn't juggle. But still, my grandmother loved everything about being a Gemini; the good, the bad, and even the Jacks. She would read "our" horoscope every morning and even got me interested in how our signs were depicted in the constellations. That part of it still amazes me, although the way our ancestors connected the star dots was quite imaginative.

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the idea of not being a Gemini anymore bothered me. It's not that I feel I'm going to be changed today by it. But it will change a part of my past. It takes away, or changes something that I shared with a very special person, something that meant a lot to her. She unconsciously made it important to me. I've caught myself asking strangers if they were a Gemini because of something they said or did. I would immediately shake my head at myself and then think of Gram (and how much closer I'm getting to morphing into her). This morning, the thought of losing my standing as a Gemini felt like I was losing a connection to her.

A small consolation to this constellation chaos is my grandmother's sign would also change. Her birthday is May 31st and mine is June 15th. We would both be Tauruses. I wonder what she would think of this. Would she have been more like a bull in her life? As if she could have been stronger. Would she have taken life by the horns and have taken no BS from anyone? She already did that.

I guess this Zodiac change doesn't change anything at all. My grandmother, whether a Gemini or a Taurus, was the person who taught me what is important in life: family, friends, full belly laughter, dancing without music, singing off tune, helping others, and doing the best you can for the people you love. No sign in the stars or hung on a wall changes that.

I can't help but wonder what kind of plaque Gram would have hung if she had known she was a Taurus. Probably something along the lines of a bull saying, "If you can't pick up your own BS stay out of my pasture." I may have to make this sign for my kitchen!

Thanks for letting me blog this through. I'd love to know what you think of the Zodiac signs changing and the added 13th sign, Ophiuchus. I can't even pronounce it. No wonder it was booted from the pack eons ago ;)

If you want to read more about the new Zodiac signs here are a few links.

New Zodiac Signs

CBS News coverage of Zodiac changes

Happy 2011! May the new year bring all your heart desires :)

Kristin :)

Writer Wednesday: Marc Vun Kannon

2010-12-29T07:45:00.000-05:00

~ * ~ Holiday Edition ~ * ~

Featuring Vampire Christmas and Steampunk Santa...

Once upon a time, my publisher, Echelon Press, asked some of us authors to write short stories for a charitable purpose, to raise money for a charity that aided people whose houses were destroyed in wildfires. ‘Write a story about fire,’ she said. This was in November sometime, as I recall. I already had a Christmas story I was thinking about writing. Being a fantasy author means you have strange ideas as a result of hearing common songs, or watching ordinary TV shows. (One episode of a spy drama I watch made me think of capturing people’s souls and putting them in boxes.) In this case it was a Christmas song that I heard over a radio. I got the idea of vampires at Christmas.

We all know that Christmas as a holiday is a feast day that was grafted on to an existing tradition among the pagan peoples of Northern Europe. The actual birth date of Christ was probably nowhere near mid-winter, but if they’ve already got a ceremony celebrating renewal and rebirth, hey, go with it. But where did these pagan people get it from? You guessed it, from the vampires. What would they celebrate, and why? What did it mean to them? And most important, how could I bring this all out in a short story? About fire.

It was the fire that did it, I think. The vampires needed a god, even in the original version of the story which never got written. In this version the fire connected immediately to Balder, god of the day, who was killed when his blind brother Hodor, god of night, threw a sprig of mistletoe at him. Well, right away, ideas started popping into my head left and right. Day, night, blood, mistletoe…evil? Well, Loki, the god who gave Hodor the mistletoe, was evil. Are vampires evil, even by association? Could they feel…guilty of some vampiric original sin? Is that what the ceremony was for? To bring this story out into the open I needed a human to discover it, see it, participate in it. What happens to him?

The story that grew out of all this, called ‘Bite Deep’, is a story of evil, sacrifice, and redemption, and is best described thusly: “For lo, unto the vampires this day a Savior is…well, not born, exactly.”

Once upon a different time (last month actually), my publisher again asked for stories, although this time she was looking for Steampunk. Or holiday. I asked her if she wanted steampunk holiday stories. Well, as you can imagine a bit of a challenge grew from this as several of us each decided to write a steampunk holiday story. I think I won, but they were all doing NaNoWriMo at the time so it probably doesn’t count.

Steampunk as a genre is a fusion of SF with a Victorian style culture and tech level. Try to imagine James Bond with gadgets that require wind-up keys and steam engines to work. How does this tie in to Christmas and Santa, you ask? Well I’d love to tell you. Honestly I would, but I don’t remember how I got the idea so I can’t. Some stories I have to wring the ideas out, or wait 6 weeks until an idea occurs to me so I can continue writing. Some stories the ideas cascade and the trick is trying to keep up. This story the idea just seemed so natural, that two elves would be holding a contest to see who could make a better sleigh, traditional elfin magic or the new steam technology.

Not that I wrote that story. Ideas that seem great on paper often fail the Story Logic test and need to go a bit sideways from the original intention. Bite Deep was supposed to be about a party. My steampunk story, which ultimately got named ‘Steampunk Santa’, outgrew the simple contest motif and became a story of friendship and teamwork, as two very dissimilar elves participating in Santa’s contest find themselves up against the same challenges in the workshop. It has the flavor of the old Rankin-Bass specials, which was on purpose, as I found myself narrating the story in Fred Astaire voice and doing the elves in squeaky elf voice. I believe that this is my first try at a third-person style of writing, too, with the narrator who knows all. It’s not my usual style but it fit the story so I went with it.

‘Going with it’ pretty much defines my writing career so far. My only rule when writing is to never do what I’ve already seen done before. Every book I write is different from the one I just finished. Every story I start is an opportunity, a requirement, that I change, learn, grow into some new thing.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Thanks Marc for being this week's Writer Wednesday guest and for sharing your holiday writing. I love the unique titles! And your idea for Steampunk Santa really does sound like a great holiday classic. My family and I are big fans of all of the Rankin-Bass specials. I wish you all the best in your writing and in the coming year.

If you would like more information about Marc Vun Kannon or his writing you can stop by his website and his blog. He's got a new release coming out soon!

Coming 2/2011: St. Martin's Moon
The Moon is haunted, but the werewolves don't know that!

http://www.marcvunkannon.com
http://authorguy.wordpress.com

A special thanks to all of you readers. I appreciate that you take time out of your busy schedules to stop by. I wish you all the best of luck and health in the coming year.

Happy New Year!

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Donna Washington

2010-12-22T05:00:00.006-05:00

~ * ~ Winter Holiday Edition ~ * ~

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Donna Washington...

I never expected to be a published author. Well, not until I was very old with thinning hair and lots of wisdom to share. I never expected to be a storyteller, either. I attended Northwestern University and Rives Collins, a professor and storyteller, saw me in a piece of theatre where I was playing a storyteller and he announced that I should do it for a living. I became a writer because I was telling stories out in California at a conference and a woman walked up to me and asked me if I’d ever considered writing books. I hadn’t, but she gave me her card and asked me to call her. I put her card in this giant bag I was carrying around and I lost it. Three months later I was cleaning out the bag and found her card. I called her.

“Hi. This is Donna Washington. I met you at a conference out in California a few months ago. You asked me about writing books. Were you serious?”

“Yes. I was just thinking about you.”

My initial thought to her statement was, ‘yeah, right’, but I persevered. “What sort of books do you publish?”

She got really quiet. I decided that she was either embarrassed or insulted. If she published out of her basement, she might be embarrassed. If she didn’t, then she might be insulted that I didn’t know who she was.

“Let me send you some books.” She offered.

That’s when I was certain she published out of her basement. Who would send you a box of books if they were legit?

The next day a courier arrived with a large box of books. I opened the box and on the top was Shel Sivlerstein’s A Light In The Attic. I called her back and apologized all over myself.
Katherine Tegen turned out to be an editor at HarperCollins Children’s books and we began a long collaboration that has produced four books. Our latest project is called Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa, which is published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s books.

Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa came about because I had librarians and teachers all over the country asking me to write a book that happens at Kwanzaa time but is not about Kwanzaa. They wanted a story not a primer. I went back to my storytelling roots and decided to go with a beast fable. In the tradition of Anansi the Spider and Brer Rabbit and Coyote the Trickster I wanted a little fellow who was not afraid to jump into something big. I structured the story around the traditional narrative of a short quest where our hero sets out to accomplish a task and meets creatures along the way that help him or her reach their goal. Because it takes place at Kwanzaa time I wanted to incorporate the themes of community and the importance of stepping up and doing your part to make the world a better place. It also had to be fun and a touch on the gooey side at the end since I want the readers to feel like they’ve had a good hug when they finish. What else are happy holiday books for if not that?

Being a writer is fun, but I don’t always like writing. In fact, sometimes it is like pulling out my fingernails one at a time to get started. If I get to a block in the middle of a story or I know the piece isn’t done but I can’t think of anything else to do to it, I just start writing on something else. Eventually, I clear away the debris and I can continue on the piece that was frustrating me. Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa sat on my laptop for almost three years before it was ready to send to my editor.

Most of my published work is not in picture books. I have contributed a number of articles to books on education, storytelling, storytelling in education, and magazines. At some point I should collect it all up and link to it from my site, but that would require more technical know how than I possess. I should probably ask my fourteen year old to help me.

I am a verbal writer. Very often I have to say it out loud before I can get it onto paper. I talk to myself while I’m in the shower, cleaning house, driving, and doing my nails. Writing is not my primary job. It is a part of me and sometimes I am lucky enough to produce something for publication. In real life I am a full time professional storyteller who travels all over the country and internationally. I do everything from folktales and traditional narratives to personal contemporary stories. I have been writing and telling for twenty-three years and I don’t see an end in sight!

If you are a budding writer or just thinking of getting into the writing business there are lots of people with lots of advice. Here is the advice I offer.

1. Write. Write on a regular basis. Make sure you are spending time working
on your writing. Understand that not everything you write is brilliant and not
everything you write needs to be published. Write for your own enjoyment.
2. Read. Read and read and read and read and notice how work is put together. What
is it you like about your favorite books or articles? What do you dislike about
others. What do you want to emulate, what do you want to avoid?
3. Think. Think about what you want to write and come up with different ways to approach the same idea. Think up more ideas than you can ever write in a lifetime and make notes about them. File them away and take them out every now and then and look at them.
4. Listen. Sometimes we get upset if someone doesn’t like our work. Listen to what they say. You can’t please everyone, but you might learn a thing or two about how other people perceive your work if you listen. Yes, you may get offended. Yes, you may shut your computer and vow not to write again. Yes, you may sulk for a few days. We can’t help that sort of thing, it is just who we are as artists. Take a deep breath, get over being offended and get on with it.
5. Be Realistic. Right now, on your laptop, you may have the next Harry Potter or you might have the next Winnie the Pooh, or you might have the next Where the Wild Things are or you might have the next Lord of the Rings, or A River Runs Through It, or Ivanhoe but probably not. I’m not saying you don’t, I’m just saying the odds are low. So, keep your sights on the stars and keep writing, but if you don’t become a gazillionaire the first time someone buys an article or a book, don’t be crushed.
6. Enjoy the ride. Not everyone can or wants to do this job!

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Thank you Donna. That was great! I love that you added some very useful advice. It seems like it would be common sense, but as a writer I know how easy it can be to lose sight of why you started to write in the first place. I also love how you sometimes have a hard time making yourself sit down to write. The fact that Lil Rabbit's Kwanzaa took so long is an inspiration to me. I often take breaks from frustrating projects and go back to them when I can see it more clearly. So it's nice to see a successful outcome to all that hard work.

As always, I want to thank all of you for stopping by. If you're curious, as I was, Kwanzaa is a week long celebration honoring universal African heritage and culture. It is observed from December 26 to January 1. More information can be found at The Official Kwanzaa Website.

Happy Holidays!

Kristin :)

Writer Wednesday: Donna Henes

2010-12-21T05:23:00.002-05:00

~*~ Winter Holiday Edition ~*~

The Sun is Born
By Mama Donna Henes, Urban Shaman

Wrapped in the dark womb of the weather, it is not difficult to imagine the terrifying prospect of the permanent demise of the sun and the consequent loss of light, the loss of heat. The loss of life. Without the comfort of the familiar cyclical pattern, the approach of each winter with its attendant chiaroscuro would be agonizing. The tension intensified by the chill.

With the death of the sun, the world would be cast back to the state that it occupied before creation, the abstract condition of chaos. The black void. The Great Uterine Darkness. It is from this elemental ether that the old creatrix goddesses are said to have brought forth all that is. This sacred spark of creative potential that is contained within the primordial womb is one of humanity's oldest concepts. The visual symbol which represents it, a dot enclosed within the circle, is also extremely ancient. Still in common use today, it is the astronomical notation for the sun.

Among the most archaic images of the sun is the brilliant radiance that clothes the Great Goddess. The great Mother of the pre-Islamic peoples of Southern Arabia was the sun, Atthar, or Al-Ilat (later to become Allah). In Mesopotamia, She was called Arinna, Queen of Heaven. The Vikings named Her Sol, the old Germanic tribes, Sunna, the Celts, Sul or Sulis. The Goddess Sun was known among the societies of Siberia and North America.

She is Sun Sister to the Inuit, Sun Woman to the Australian Arunta, Akewa to the Toba of Argentina The sun has retained its archaic feminine gender in Northern Europe and Arab nations as well as in Japan. To this day, members of the Japanese royal family trace their shining descent to Amaterasu Omikami, the Heaven Illuminating Goddess.

According to legend, Amaterasu Omikami withdrew into a cave to hide from the irritating antics of Her bothersome brother, Susu-wo-no, the Storm God. Her action plunged the world into darkness and the people panicked. They begged, beseeched, implored the Sun Goddess to come back, but to no avail. At last, on the Winter Solstice, Alarming Woman, a sacred clown, succeeded in charming, teasing and finally yanking Her out, as if from an earthy birth canal, and reinstating on Her rightful celestial throne.

Other cultures see the Goddess not as the sun Herself, but as the mother of the sun. The bringer forth, the protector and controller, the guiding light of the sun and its cycles. According to Maori myth, the sun dies each night and returns to the cave/womb of the deep to bathe in the maternal uterine waters of life from which he is re-born each morning. The Hindu Fire God, Agni, is described as "He who swells in the mother."

It is on the Winter Solstice, the day when the light begins to lengthen and re-gain power that the archetypal Great Mother gave birth to the sun who is Her son. The great Egyptian Mother Goddess, Isis, gave birth to Her son Horus, the Sun God, on the Winter Solstice. On the same day, Leta gave birth to the bright, shining Apollo and Demeter, and the Great Mother Earth Goddess, bore Dionysus. The shortest day was also the birthday of the Invincible Sun in Rome, Dies Natalis Invictis Solis, as well as that of Mithra, the Persian god of light and guardian against evil.

Christ, too, is a luminous son, the latest descendant of the ancient matriarchal mystery of the nativity of the sun/son. Since the gospel does not mention the exact date of His birth, it was not celebrated by the early church. It seems clear that when the Church, in the fourth century AD, adopted December 25 as His birthday, it was in order to transfer the heathen devotions honoring the birth of the sun to Him who was called "the sun of righteousness."

The return of the retreating sun, which retrieves us from the dark of night, the pitch of winter, is a microcosmic recreation of the origination of the universe, the first birth of the sun. The Winter Solstice is an anniversary celebration of creation. Since the earliest of human times, it has been both natural and necessary for folks to join together in the warmth and glow of community in order to welcome the return of light to a world that is surrounded by dark. And through the imitative gesture of lighting fires, like so many solar birthday candles, we do our annual part to rekindle the spirit of hope in our hearts.

*********************************************
Donna Henes is an internationally renowned urban shaman, ritual expert, award-winning author, popular speaker and workshop leader whose joyful celebrations of celestial events have introduced ancient traditional rituals and contemporary ceremonies to millions of people in more than 100 cities since 1972. The New Yorker magazine calls her "The unofficial commissioner of public spirit of New York."
She is the author of Celestially Auspicious Occasions: Seasons, Cycles and Celebrations as well as three other books, a CD, and an acclaimed Ezine. Currently she writes for The Huffington Post, Beliefnet and UPI Religion and
Spirituality Forum. Mama Donna, as she is affectionately called, maintains a ceremonial center, spirit shop, ritual practice and consultancy in Exotic Brooklyn, NY where she works with individuals, groups, institutions, municipalities and corporations to create meaningful ceremonies for every imaginable occasion.

www.DonnaHenes.net
www.TheQueenOfMySelf.com
www.mamadonnasspiritshop.com
www.treeoflifefunerals.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Henes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen_of_My_Self

Watch her videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MamaDonnaHenes

Read her on the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-henes/

Read her on Beliefnet:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/thequeenofmyself/

Connect with her on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#/donnahenes?ref=profile
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Queen-of-My-Self/298671597047?ref=ts

Follow her on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/queenmamadonna
https://twitter.com/thequeenbook

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Thank you Mama Donna for sharing the rich history of the Winter Solstice with us. I remember reading a Japanese story about this. I tried to look it up, because I can not remember the name, and couldn't find it. I'll keep looking.

Also, I know today is not Wednesday, but it is the Winter Solstice. So grab a cup of cocoa or whatever your favorite cool weather beverage is and say CHEERS! at exactly 6:38 PM (EST).

Happy Winter Solstice!

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Ann Pearlman

2010-12-15T04:28:00.002-05:00

~*~ Winter Holiday Edition ~*~

Writing about Christmas
by Ann Pearlman

I stumbled on writing about Christmas. I didn’t mean to. For some time, thoughts of writing a novel about a party, women’s friendships, and compressing the time to one day tugged at my mind. These thoughts were all separate. And then, ten years ago, I was the Cookie virgin at a cookie exchange. I realized immediately that the party could be the perfect setting for a novel coalescing all three elements. The ice cream on top is the Holiday season enfolding the themes that are nascent during that time. And so the idea for the Christmas Cookie Club, a novel, was born.

When I came home from that first party, I wrote down my dream for the book. Twelve women from various backgrounds, dealing with diverse problems. There had to be issues about fertility and pregnancy and birth, and issues about death and endurance through hard times, the perennial darkness of winter.

However, I was finishing up a book tour, and then another project (a biography of a Crip gang leader…. As different from a cookie exchange as night from day) intervened.

Each December though, I returned to fleshing out the dream of the cookie club novel. I stole a way an hour or so on Christmas. Why Christmas? Because it is my birthday and dreaming of the book was a birthday present to myself.

Amazing how we forge ahead with projects without full awareness of the factors that motivate us, because I did not make the connection between writing a novel about Christmas and the fact that it was my birthday. I didn’t connect those dots until interviewers asked me why a novel about Christmas and I faced all my ambivalence about the holiday. As any adult whose birthday is on Christmas will tell you, it’s a difficult birthday. No one wants to be bothered when they’re busy with the requirements and pressures of the holiday. When I became a mother, my children’s excitement about the holidays dwarfed any interest in my birthday, which was so much in the way we couldn’t even figure out when to celebrate it. I thought about moving it to mid June, but then I gave birth to a daughter that day!

Such a change from when I was a child and thought the entire country was celebrating my birthday. My family, determined that I wouldn’t feel ignored by the holiday, made the day magical. My grandmother, who also had a grandmother born on Dec. 25, told me that for her, Christmas celebrated the birth of every baby and the importance of each one of us. Now to make the holiday season both more exciting and more complicated, my family was Jewish. My grandmother had embraced my grandfather’s people and religion, but shared her own interpretation of Christmas with her family and friends. So the season celebrated Chanukah, Christmas, and my birthday.

The cookie club contained the best of my childhood Holidays. The love and family friendship between the women were obvious. Because we take turns telling the story of the cookie that is always emblematic about the year, we’re aware of each other’s lives and appreciate our strength and enormous skills and talents. This openness creates bonding and love. The joy, celebration, and excitement are the best of the holiday. The cookies themselves are from the heart, not from a store. The fact that we donate to a charity during the bleakest time of the year enhances the importance of making something for anonymous others.

As 2008 started I could feel the country tumble economically, to fray at its edges. Warnings about another depression increased as the housing bubble burst, as companies closed, and people became unemployed. It affected us most harshly in Michigan. The novel about light regardless of dark times, people’s spirit to endure and enjoy, pulling together in spite of it all and giving to others beckoned, a spark of love in harshness.

I determined to finish it before the new year, hoping its message would be a salve for some of us. I wrote every day from Thanksgiving until Jan 2, each and every day. On my birthday, I wrote the acknowledgements, honoring all those who helped me.

So I write about the Christmas because it can be such a time of love, giving, family and community. In spite of all the darkness we need this beacon of light.

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Thank you Ann for this inspiring post. I love the idea of your book and the tie in cookbook. Christmas is my favorite time of year, but then again, it's not my birthday :) We have friends with that birthday and know how hard it can be to celebrate it properly during such a busy time of year. Anyone wanting more information about Ann or her books can stop by her website http://annpearlman.net/

Thanks to all you loyal readers out there. You know who you are. And thanks to all who are new to my blog. Welcome and I hope you enjoy. I wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season.

Kristin *<( : )

Writer Wednesday: Phillipa Ashley

2010-12-13T05:00:00.001-05:00

~ * ~ Winter Holiday Edition ~ * ~

DATING MR DECEMBER Journey

Phillipa Ashley

Many thanks to Kristin for asking me to tell you about My Writing Journey.

I actually took a very winding route to being a writer. You could say that I meandered along the byways for 40 years before suddenly jumping onto the freeway in a rocket-powered car!

You see, I never wanted, hoped or dreamed of becoming a novelist until 2005. Although I’ve always loved books and studied English Literature at university, the thought of writing a novel never entered my head. I thought that kind of thing was for geniuses like Jane Austen. I didn’t realise that ordinary people like me could do it too.

After university, I did become a writer, but of the non-fiction variety, working in advertising and in journalism. And so it continued until one night in November 2004…

Everything changed when I watched a BBC TV miniseries called North & South. This Victorian drama focused on the passionate romance between two strong characters, John Thornton and Margaret Hale.

It had a dramatic effect on me too. I was so transfixed that suddenly, I decided to write a modern fanfic based on the TV series. I posted my story anonymously on an internet fansite and to my amazement, lots of people wanted to read it.

By a strange quirk of fate, I’d stumbled through the magic door into the world of romantic fiction and I’ve never looked back since.

A year later, I’d written my first full-length novel – the book which eventually became Dating Mr. December.

Dating Mr. December focuses on the lives of a mountain rescue team. We have a holiday home in the Lake District of England, in fact there’s a base a few minutes’ walk away. The local team had just raised money for a new HQ and that set me thinking of how they might have raised the money – in my fictional world at least! I wanted to explore what might happen if a slick city girl entered that world with an outrageous proposal…

A year later, I’d sent the manuscript to a London literary agent and she sold it to a UK publisher. Then, a US TV producer saw it on Amazon and decided to make a movie out of it. Called 12 men of Christmas, the film my book inspired is currently airing on Lifetime.

Now Sourcebooks are bringing all four of my novels to the USA and I hope the most exciting part of the journey is still to come…

Phillipa Ashley studied English Language and Literature at Oxford before becoming a freelance copywriter and journalist. DATING MR. DECEMBER (called DECENT EXPOSURE in the UK) was the basis of last year’s Lifetime TV Movie “The 12 Men of Christmas.” She lives with her husband and daughter in Staffordshire, UK. For more information, please visit http://phillipa-ashley.com , follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook!

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Thank you Phillipa for being my Writer Wednesday guest this week. I have seen the Lifetime movie, The Twelve Men of December with Kristin Chenoweth and loved it, so I'm looking forward to reading the book that it was based on, Dating Mr. December. Congratulations to you on your successes and with your future writing.

Also, thanks to all who took time out of your busy day to stop by. Hope the holiday season brings you happiness and good health.

Kristin *<( :o)

Writer Wednesday: Kim Levin & John O'Neill

2010-12-08T05:15:00.001-05:00

~ * ~ Winter Holiday Edition ~ * ~

A few years back, my publishing company asked if my husband, John O’Neill and I would be interested in working on a holiday book featuring my dog images. Having published a number of pet photography books at this time, it seemed like it would be a lot of fun to write and photograph a book featuring dogs during the holidays.

I gathered many of my favorite dog subjects and asked their owners if I could take their portraits. Some of the scenarios were quite funny. Here’s one of Corky with a big bow around her neck:

Big Red Bows

Another favorite was Dodger in his little booties:

Warm Mittens

Here’s one of my favorite images of my dog Charlie being hit by a snowball:

Snowball Fights

Getting dogs to do the silliest things was part of the fun:

Old-fashion sleigh rides

And of course, the holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without a pug in antlers at Rockefeller Center!

The Christmas spirit

I even took pictures of a group of dogs ice skating, sitting on Santa’s lap and sipping hot chocolate. Hound for the Holidays was a lot of fun to write as well. The text captures all of things we can enjoy during the holidays – the things that really matter: fireside chats, frosty mornings, fresh snow, window shopping, welcoming wreaths, catching snowflakes on your tongue, snowmen and candy canes.

John and I have published four books together over the years, and we have learned that working together really is a collaborative process. I usually take the pictures first, and then he writes to the photographs.

We hope you enjoy our tribute to the holidays.

Happy Holidays!
Kim Levin & John O’Neill

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Thank you Kim and John for being my guests this week and thanks for sharing some adorable pictures of dogs enjoying the holiday season. This is such a cute book. I have some dog lovers in mind that would love to get this as a gift.

For more books, information, and pictures stop by Kim's website and blog...
www.kimlevin.com

www.kimlevinphotography.wordpress.com

Happy Holidays!

Kristin *<( :)

Review: If I could keep you little...

2010-12-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

If I could keep you little...

Those words alone just grabbed the attention of every parent, grandparent, and pretty much anyone who's had their heart captured by the beautiful innocence of a child. Those eyes wide open to the world and looking up at you with all of the trust and love they can muster. Those first wobbly steps and choppy blending of sounds as they begin to give words to their surroundings. These moments remind me of a simpler time, a time of exciting firsts. You know, that magical time before kids learned the words, NO or WHY NOT.

When I was offered the chance to review Marianne Richmond's new book If I could keep you little... I was immediately reminded of those sweet firsts with each of my kids. So, of course I said yes.

I expected to tear up while reading it, which I did, but not for the reasons I thought. Marianne does a great job preserving those milestone memories with her words and her own illustrations. She also helps you recognize that there are more memories to come, and each is as important to our children as those very first moments are to us. That's a great message, because if given the actual choice, we would not want to hold our children back from becoming the strong, independent, and hopefully happy people they are meant to be.

I love this book and think it would make an excellent addition to any family's library. But don't just take my word for it. Here's what other reviewers are saying...

If I Could Keep You Little...

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading.

Kristin :)

* If I Could Keep You Little... by Marianne Richmond was published in November, 2010 by Sourcebooks. This copy was given to me by a publicist to be considered for review. No payments or promises of positive reviews were exchanged. My review is my own opinion of the book.

Writer Wednesday: Anne Perry

2010-12-01T05:00:00.003-05:00

~*~ Winter Holidays Edition ~*~

My first Christmas novella, A Christmas Journey, was more or less an accident. I had a story of a murder mystery, inside a journey of expiation for a sin of spite. We all say and do things that result in something far worse than we intended. If there was anything we could do to wipe it out, we would. But how many of us would make that journey towards forgiveness if we don't have to, but to accompany a friend? Can you give anyone a greater gift?

I intended it as a short story, but my publisher preferred it as a novella, approximately a hundred and fifty pages. It was surprisingly successful, and I was asked to do another Christmas novella, with a similar theme suited to Christmas. I chose the three wise men, updated to the nineteenth century, willing to give one gift, and asked to give another, far greater, but which in the end would bring them extraordinary happiness.

I have written one each year since then, set in different areas of Britain or Ireland, and always on some theme such as grace, hope, redemption, compassion, a sense of belonging or homecoming. As time goes by it is getting more difficult to think of a different theme. But perhaps it only takes a little more time, and concentration on the multitude of gifts that lie in the meaning of Christ's life, and ultimately his death and resurrection – which to me is what Christmas means.

This year's novella is called a Christmas Odyssey, and was inspired by a kind of cross between the Prodigal Son, returning home after years of debauchery, and the journey through hell depicted in Dante's Inferno.

The three unlikely heroes and an elderly and highly respectable inventor, a reformed brothel keeper of unknown age, and a young man not fully qualified but into practices as a doctor among the poor and desperate. They are brought together by chance in the beginning, and their relationship strengthens and becomes a mutual understanding and respect by the end.

They go into an underworld of drugs and degradation in alleys, tunnels and cellars beneath London, in search of a 'prodigal son' of one of the mathematician's friends, now too old and too ill to go himself, and knowing that his sin would flee him anyway.

The journey is dangerous and at times tragic. They find that the young man appears to have committed a grisly murder, and in order to bring the young man home, the heroes must solve the crime, and prove the 'prodigal son' innocent. They must also defeat the 'Shadow Man' who holds many people in a kind of bondage to drugs and blackmail.

The end is dramatic, life-threatening, offering the 'prodigal son' a chance to choose again, and redeem himself. Christmas is sorrow and starlight, bells ringing, and a chance to come home and be welcome.

It was fun to write, uplifting to think about and extraordinarily satisfying to complete. I hope people reading it will think 'It's never too late to come home'.

I suppose after this Christmas I will know if at least for some people it worked.

Thank you for asking.

Anne Perry

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Thank you Anne for sharing your Christmas novellas with us. They sound very intriguing. I'm sure you will continue to create more inspirational stories. Anyone interested in finding out more about Anne Perry or her work can do so by visiting her website. Anne Perry

A special thanks to all of you who have stopped by. For many of us this is a very busy time. I appreciate you giving me some of it. I wish you and yours the happiest holiday season. I don't think it matters what you celebrate, it matters who you celebrate with.

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Danielle Novack

2010-11-29T04:24:00.001-05:00

~*~ Winter Holiday Edition ~*~

I am Jewish, my husband is Catholic, and we celebrate holidays from both faiths with our two daughters. A couple of years ago, I noticed that my daughter’s book collection included books about Hanukkah and books about Christmas, but nothing that talked about both together. I started looking for a good children’s book about celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. To my surprise, there was very little out there.

So, I decided to write my own. I have been writing stories and poetry my whole life, but this was my first try at a children’s book. Writing the original version in verse was both challenging and lots of fun. I printed it out, added some stick-figure illustrations, and read it to my daughter. This opened up a conversation about how and why we celebrate both holidays in our family.

My training and experience as a clinical psychologist helped me capture Sam’s emotional journey as he struggles with embarrassment and confusion during a discussion about holidays at school. His mother provides the comfort and explanations that ultimately allow him to embrace who he is and how his family celebrates.

I toyed with the idea of trying to get it published, but I didn’t know how to go about it. I also didn’t have much confidence that such a dream would actually come to fruition. For a while, I put it aside and focused on other things. My two young girls keep me endlessly busy, and I am in private practice three days a week. Common sense told me to focus on my practice and to write for my girls and myself. However, I kept thinking about the fact that my book was something different and new, and much-needed in a world where many families blend cultures and traditions.

I was incredibly lucky that the first publisher I sent it to showed interest. It just so happened that they had been in the market for a new dual-celebration story, and mine fit the bill. Then the editing process began. The first thing they had me do was rewrite the entire story in prose. Then there were other tweaks and changes. I learned that there is a right amount of text for each page in a picture book. I also learned that not everything needs to be spelled out in words, because the illustrations will help tell the story.

The final version of MY TWO HOLIDAYS is something I continue to enjoy with my children. I have been busy sharing the book with local schools and organizations, and I hope that lots of parents and kids out there will love it too. In the meantime, I have been working on other children’s books that are quite different, experimenting with different genres and styles. I am looking forward to the next chapter of my new career as a writer for children.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

For more information about Danielle and MY TWO HOLIDAYS: A HANUKKAH AND CHRISTMAS STORY (Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, September 2010), please see her website, www.daniellenovackauthor.com.

Thank you Danielle for sharing your book and what went into writing it with us. I know many families that celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. I'm sure they will be very happy to have your book in their personal libraries. The first day of Hanukka is December 1st and it lasts until December 9th. To all of you celebrating I wish you a Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Holidays!

Kristin *<( :)

Writer Wednesday: Julie Anne Lindsey

2010-11-24T05:20:00.001-05:00

I’m a believer

As a little girl, the only thing I wanted to be was a mom. By college, or at least freshman year, I wanted to be a counselor. By graduation, I knew I wanted to work specifically with young girls and women as a motivational speaker. I still carry that dream, but as it turned out, my first wish was granted in a hurry and I’m now a mother of three.

I left the workforce in 2003 to raise and teach my children, and like many mothers, my dreams were benched – temporarily. The truth is, my time was so spoken for that until a couple years ago I hadn’t read a book for fun in more than five years. Sure, I read, but I read ‘how to’ guides and parenting books, and plenty of homeschool materials, nothing that inspired or enchanted me.

Then, it happened. Late one night, I saw a movie about a forbidden love, about a girl and a vampire. Yes. I just heard the collective readership groan and plenty clicked away, but it’s true. I saw Twilight on the movie channel, while bleary eyed and nursing baby number three. The next day, I bought the book and devoured it. That was the day something inside me clicked.

I caught the writing bug. A long lost love of mine, buried under diapers and cheerios and sleepless nights was resurrected. I began to make notes of the stories I’d rolled around in my head for years. (As an only child, I’ve been telling myself stories for three decades, so I have plenty to work with). For the past two years, I’ve been reading and writing and blogging and tweeting. I’ve met fabulous writers, agents, editors and some of my closest friends. It’s true. I’ve unleashed a ‘me’ that was pent up too long.

Though writing has added another task to my already chaotic schedule, it has freed me of things I found simply weren’t that important. It’s given me a place where I am a writer not a mother. I am me. I believe that seeing my passion for writing is giving my children a real and tangible example of the importance in following your dream, against whatever odds. I also believe if we have a desire in our hearts, we must embrace it, chase it, live it. Life is too short to wonder. One day, when one of my manuscripts makes it onto shelves, my children will see that all things are possible for those who believe, and I am a believer.

Bio:
Julie Anne Lindsey was born and raised in rural Ohio, where she lives today with her husband and three small children. She received a BA in psychology from Kent State University, and credits her obsessive interest in people for bringing her into writing. She is a hopeless caffeine addict, and her work is now in the hands of a super-fabulous agent. Julie blogs her journey at: http://blog.juliealindsey.com .

_______________________________________________

Thanks for this inspirational story Julie. I hope that you'll come back and share your first book with us once it hits the shelves. Also, thank you to all who took the time to stop by for another great Writer Wednesday.

Happy Writing and Reading,

Kristin : )

i Simplfy: Pt. 2

2010-11-23T06:19:00.000-05:00

As I shared in my very long introduction post, I am doing a big clean out of our home. Going through room by room, drawer by drawer, closet by closet, and getting rid of any excess or unused thing I can find. Why? To get rid of the clutter that has taken over every hidable space we have. But more importantly, to simplify.

Clutter makes life more complicated. It takes a simple task like hanging a picture and turns it into a project. By the time I have found the nails, the hammer, and the masking tape (we have plaster walls that will shatter without tape) I can't remember where I put the frame down. Which sounds like a memory problem, but is another side affect of clutter. It's a proven fact that clutter affects your thinking, productivity, relationships, and your health. Check out this article I found on line. De-Clutter Your Brain.

My progress...

I started in my two younger kids' rooms and am now working on the kitchen and have gotten rid of the following.

5 bags of clothes to be donated to Big Brothers, Big Sisters
2 bags of toys
2 bags of garbage

These amounts amazed me. Like I said, this was all basically from closets and drawers. I still have a ways to go, but I can feel the difference when I walk in their rooms.

I'll update again soon.

Kristin :)

Cake Boss Birthday: recap

2010-11-21T22:26:00.008-05:00

We had a great party. Meg and I worked on this monkey cake, complete with banana pudding filling ...YUM! Well, we hope it's as good as it sounds. We haven't tried it yet. By the time the girls were done decorating their mini cakes and cookies they were too full to eat the cake.

This is our fake cake, made out of play dough. Meg and I had fun on this project. We made a lot of fake and real baked goods to transform our kitchen into a bakery. I think the last time I played with play dough with my kids I had to check their mouths every time they chewed. This was much better :)

Now the girls want to get together for craft parties and make ornaments. I'll think about that after I get the coating of sugar off of my kitchen floor.

i Simplfy (Part 1)

2010-11-18T05:12:00.004-05:00

I have been talking about, complaining about, and have even given a half hearted attempt once or twice to do a complete clean out of my house. The joke of wanting to rent a large crane so I could pick my house up and shake it out into a larger dumpster became a secret fantasy of mine. How easy would that be? No decisions to make, no guilt felt? Then I met a woman who had the entire contents of her house stolen, along with the moving van they were traveling in. To loose everything would be devastating, not to mention expensive when some necessities had to be replaced. And what about those irreplaceable things? The baby pictures and those handed down items that have such a rich family history that they invoke whole stories and vivid mental pictures of loved ones lost? No, there is no easy fix to the mess I find myself in. I have the memories and clutter of many years to get through and if you want I'll take you along on my journey.

While raising 4 kids and living under the same roof for over 16 years I have a hit a point when my home has lost breathing space. Sure, from the outside we keep it clean and on most days neat, considering the steady tide of people that come and go. But cleaning has become more of a moving pattern than anything else lately. If there's clutter building up in the kitchen we just move it to the porch, where my desk makes a great catch all for everything from school papers to shoes so the dog can't chew on them. Mind you, we have a shoe box, which is apparently filled with the shoes of other people since no one claims ownership when it comes time to clean that out. You get the gist, we have packed every nook and cranny of our home with things from yesterday and do not have room left to live comfortably or efficiently today. We're in a constant cycle of overflow and tucking away.

I talked about this on Twitter a while ago (yeah, ok, I complained) and was told to get the book It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh (TY to @BillHarper). I recently picked up the audio version and have been listening in the car. It's been a very helpful guide to finally letting go of all of the things we've accumulated. So, I started to put this long time coming project into action...starting with the bedrooms of my younger two kids. Why there? It's always easier getting rid of some one else's stuff, right? Plus, I had done a complete overhaul of my older boys' "man cave/bedrooms" this summer.

First thing Peter Walsh says I need to do is figure out why I keep the things I do. What do they mean to me? Do they have a place in the life I envision for me and my family?

One thing I've come to realize is we have a lot of clothes clutter. The kids' closets and drawers are bursting with them, as well as the extra closets in the house. For a long time it made economic and practical sense to save things that my older children used and grew out of for my younger children. This is not the case any longer. My kids are all so different from each other that even if their sizes were similar, which they are not, their tastes are at opposite ends of the fashion spectrum. A big down fall with me when getting rid of clothes is what to do with them. That's an organization project in itself. Some get put aside to be given to younger nieces or nephews, others donated to Good Will, while the ones that have really been worn to death get tossed. This is where I want that crane to step in. It would be so easy to throw everything away, but I can't. I really can't. I have the words, "Waste no, want not" emblazoned into my head (thanks to my Gram) and I might have been a victim of the Great Depression in a past life, but then again that could have come from Gram too. I grew up hearing things like, "Eat all of your food. There are starving children in China." and, "Yes, you do have to wear that hideous dress. There are kids who have nothing to wear." Another thing I've come to realize is I may have subconsciously feared that my kids would become one of those naked children I had heard about so many times ;)

My grandmother taught me, in her own eccentric ways, to be thankful for what I have and my mother taught me that no matter how bad things get, there is always someone worse off than you in the world. Both of these women saved EVERYTHING, one for the proverbial 'rainy day' and the other with intentions to deliver to someone less fortunate. Considering this, it's not a surprise that every attempt to purge my house of excess has ended with me walking away feeling overwhelmed.

It was at this point that I brought Peter Walsh's CDs out of my car and into the house. I needed another voice in my head, sorry Gram and Mom, but I needed a rational voice to help me. Peter talked about the emotional value that we put on our things. I didn't really care about the clothes my kids outgrew, but still felt overwhelmed with the process of getting rid of them. I think Mr. Walsh would say that I have transferred my mother and grandmother's emotions onto my things. I can sit and look at this puffy, forest green jacket, with the rubbery outer shell and the 5 inches of insulation and think, "Hmm, someone might wear this if we have an extreme winter." (Alaskan children would cringe at this jacket) The rational side of me knows NO ONE WANTS THIS JACKET, but the other side (that's been led to believe that eating a plate of liver and onions will somehow stop children in China from starving) begs to differ.

So, that's where I am. I have made progress and had a few fall backs (the above mentioned jacket is hanging in our cedar closet downstairs, to be dealt with later. If anyone needs it I'll be happy to pass it along ;). I'll keep you updated as often as possible. If you're feeling the need for a complete household purging please let me know about it.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Donna Cavanagh

2010-11-17T04:28:00.000-05:00

The Never-ending need for Laughter

The first question people ask me when they find out I write humor is “Why?” I have no real answer to that question because I did not go into writing aspiring to be a humor writer. I was a reporter – a night shift general news reporter who covered the horseshit beat. Sorry, for the language, but that is how my editor described my beat area when he assigned me to it. My beat included farms, more farms, a state penitentiary and a nuclear power plant. Let’s just say, with that lineup, humor was bound to ensue.

In the newsroom, we joked around quite a bit. We wrote fake stories (not for publication) to make the nighttime hours go a little faster. My editor caught wind of one that I wrote for the newsroom Christmas party, and he laughed so hard, he almost choked on a shrimp. Once the oxygen returned to his brain, he demanded I see him in his office the next day. I went home and told my husband that I thought my days of being a reporter were done.

Fortunately, despite his brush with death, my editor wanted more humor to print. These few articles started me off on my journey into humor. I eventually resigned as a reporter for the paper as night time living was killing my family life. I started to send humor columns out to other newspapers, and another daily paper in the area asked me to be a bi-weekly columnist. That gig lasted five years. With a humor portfolio building, I sent new pitches to national magazines and newspapers and ran into other editors who liked humor. These editors were eventually killed off and replaced with editors who liked sad, poignant tales of disease, divorce, abuse, addiction and anything else heart wrenching.

During my reign as Queen of the Humor Writers for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Region (Yes, I made this title up), I realized how important it had become to me to make people laugh or at least smile. Humor writing became the dominant focus of my writing. Yes, I still freelanced for business magazines and newspapers, but it was humor that breathed life into my writing day. Even now, if I have the choice between writing 1,000 words on some daily event in my life that I find funny and 1,000 words on political races or the latest craze in technology or what NFL team is primed to win the Super Bowl (yes, I write on the NFL – I know I am eclectic ), I opt for humor. It is definitely my comfort zone.

Humor writing has its ups and downs. Sometimes magazines and newspapers deem it fashionable to carry humor, and sometimes they reject it as being a silly waste of space. I keep plugging to get better known. I almost got a national syndication service to sign me, but I was rejected at the last minute for a celebrity who felt the need to share her romance advice with others throughout the free world. Was I bitter? No - well, I did get a slight twinge of satisfaction when that celebrity was arrested for some kind of money laundering scheme.

Humor is again a tough market for many reasons. First of all the economy has done a number on print publications, and editors at these publications do not have the space to “waste” on humor. However, they do have the space to explore the life and loves of every reality star that has graced MTV in the last ten years. Okay, I guess I might get a little bitter. Another reason why humor is tough for me personally is that I am still a relative unknown. In today’s world, a recognized name brings in the big bucks, so unless I can get arrested or sent to rehab, I might remain too anonymous for most editors.

Will this stop me? Absolutely not. Humor is in my soul. I know that sounds dramatic, but it is why I write. I love to make people laugh. I love that people send me comments on my essays that appear on various sites or in online women’s magazines. I love that both men and women have enjoyed my humor books and tell me that they giggled out loud reading them. That makes my day. Those comments actually make my week and year!

So, I will keep writing and keep hoping that my writing continues to find a welcoming audience. I am encouraged. This year, more doors then ever have opened up. My book Life on the off Ramp was named as an award-winning finalist in the humor category of the “Best Books 2010” Awards -- sponsored by USA Book News. I also was named as a recurring guest humor writer for More.com, and I am frequently featured on DivineCaroline.com. I took a daring plunge this year and started an Internet radio show to introduce people to my humor called Wicked Wednesdays at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dtcav/2010/10/27/wicked-wednesdays. I read a humor piece at the beginning of the show and have fellow humor writers sit in with me to discuss whatever is on their minds at the time. It is, so far, a great deal of fun.

Well, that is the story of my continuing journey into humor writing. I have learned a lot from living and breathing this genre. Mostly what I have learned is that we need humor to be human, and because of this fact, humor to me is serious business.

More information about Donna Cavanagh and her writing stop by her website, My Very Own Fan.
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Thanks Donna for being my Writer Wednesday guest this week and for sharing your writing journey. Laughter is an important part of life so I hope this post inspires more writers to release their inner clown. Thanks to all you readers who stopped by.

Happy Writing and Reading,

Kristin : )

We have a winner! After the Falls book giveaway

2010-11-16T11:24:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Aisley Crosse for winning a copy of Catherine Gildiner's After the Falls. You should be receiving it soon. Hope you enjoy.

Thanks,

Kristin

RE: Pulled Post

2010-11-10T16:10:00.003-05:00

As you may know I pulled today's Writer's Wednesday post from my blog to further investigate some serious accusations made against my guest. This is all new to me and I want to be fair to all involved. I want this series to be inspirational, not controversial. First, I'll let you know that my guest is being accused of plagiarism, among other things. I'm sure we all agree, this is a serious allegation.

After following some of the links I was given by a handful of pretty heated people I've decided not to repost it. This does not mean I believe that my guest is guilty. Only the people who claim to have been plagiarized and the courts can determine that. This only means that after doing some research I had too many questions of my own to repost with a good conscience. But to be honest, I'm not sure if this is a case of a writer reinventing himself and trying new ventures when one fails or if it's an attempt to avoid being caught stealing other writer's work. There are a few people that have made it their crusade to make sure everyone knows about this. From what I can tell, none of these people are directly involved. They are going to a lot of trouble nonetheless. I have no way of knowing if they are concerned citizens wanting to protect the rights of other writers or not. I can't find time to read my favorite blogs, never mind scour the Internet in search of blogs that mention another person. But that's me.

You'll notice I didn't use my guest's name. I do not support any form of plagiarism, but nor do I promote condemning someone of it without proof. If you decide to dig deeper I can not stop you. The Internet is permanent, and there are always ways of finding any information. I only hope that you get all of the information you can before taking action, should you feel moved to.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday--- ON HOLD ----

2010-11-10T10:44:00.002-05:00

In light of information that has been presented I have to decided to remove today's Writer Wednesday blog post until I can further investigate. In the event these serious accusations are found to be true I will apologize to you readers. In the event that they are not I will republish the original post with an apology to this week's guest.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Kristin

Memoir Monday: After the Falls

2010-11-08T01:01:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted a Memoir Monday. This is an interesting one to jump back in with. Catherine Gildiner takes us to relive some very personal and public experiences that molded her into the author and person she is today. After the Falls: Coming of age in the Sixties by Catherine Gildiner follows a girl's journey from the simplicity of childhood to the complexities of adulthood. It's the follow up to her first memoir, Too Close to the Falls (New York Times bestseller).

Life for Cathy was idyllic in the mist of Niagara Falls. She was happy working in her dad's pharmacy, making deliveries with Roy, causing havoc in school. Life was simple. Then they moved to Buffalo. Catherine was 12 and her life was turned upside down. She had to figure out who she was in a new town, in a new school, and did this with same anger and angst that most kids carry through adolescence. Her father seemed to be suffering from his own identity crisis and her mother remained detached from it all.

There were many pivotal moments that propelled Cathy from a child to an adult. She witnessed the cold and abusive loss of innocence of a girl, grieved with the country over the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, enjoyed friendships that literally rose out of ashes and had to turn from others that went up in smoke. But nothing forced adulthood on her faster and more cruelly than finding out her father's behavior changes were caused by a brain tumor. His short term memory was nonexistent and it was slowly eating away at his long term memories. She had spent so much time being angry or embarrassed that when his illness was revealed, it was too late to apologize. He couldn't understand day to day that he was sick. Her mother pulled further out of touch, unable to cope, leaving Cathy to take control of her family's welfare.

Eventually Cathy's mother pulled herself together and pushed her to go to college. Through her writing she meets her first love, Laurie. With him she learns to expand her vocabulary and thinking. Together they champion for the Civil Rights Movement. He would also break her heart when his double life is revealed.

These are just some of the experiences Cathy shares in this moving memoir. I'm always amazed when writers are able to open themselves up so completely on paper for the world to read. Catherine Gildiner did not hold back. This is a powerful read.

Now, as I like to do in my Memoir Mondays, I'll talk about what this memoir taught me about writing.

Write Honestly: There were parts in this that I'm sure were hard to write, those are the parts that made it so powerful. Those moments of guilt, embarrassment, fear, grief are what grab the readers and helps them to celebrate the lighter, happier moments along with the memoir writer (or fictional character).

Expand vocabulary: If I come across a word I don't know the meaning of I write it down and look it up. Here are some of the new words that caught my eye while reading After the Falls.

1. anachronism - something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time.

2. tickey-boo - term used to describe an event that is proceeding quickly.

3. idioglossia - Speech or other vocalizations unique to an individual and generally incomprehensible to others.

I'd love to hear some of the new or strange words you've come across in your reading lately.

After the Falls: Coming of Age in the Sixties by Catherine Gildiner is now on sale at Amazon , Amazon.CA , RandomHouse.ca , Mobipocket eBook , and more.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kristin : )

** One lucky commenter can win a copy of After the Falls: Coming of Age in the Sixties. Simply leave a comment to be entered. This giveaway is limited to USA and Canada readers, but all comments are welcome to discuss the book or to share new words.

Writer Wednesday: Pat Brown

2010-11-03T04:37:00.001-04:00

New writers studiously study how-to articles online, in writer's magazines and in the hundreds of books published on how to write in the belief that there is some secret that all published writers know and if only they could find it, they'd be published too. I'm afraid it's not true. There is no magic wand that can transform you from unpublished to published. The process is the same for everybody, for some it's just longer than others. Even when the dream is realized, it's not the end. You publish one book, one short story or perhaps an article. The next one is not a shoe-in. You might get more consideration for having been published, but you can just as easily be rejected again for you latest work.

It took me 33 years between the first book I wrote at 17 to having my first book published when I was 50. In that time I wrote at least 8 novels that were not published, in some cases probably weren't publishable. But each one was a learning experience I built on until I produced a book that someone wanted. But after that there was more rejection. The second book in the series was rejected and I ended up taking it elsewhere, to a small, independent publisher, which was a step down from the New York publisher I had started with. I'm still glad to be published by them and have continued with them since then. But I still want to break back into the New York publishing world and I've been pursuing an agent for the last 6 months. So far I have 95 rejections on one book I'm querying. That's 95 times I've had to read 'Sorry, not for us' since most of the rejections have been form letters. But I haven't stopped querying and I haven't stopped writing. I still send out queries on that book, and wait for a response. I have also started an even larger, more ambitious project, a noir historical which I will also be querying on when it's finished.

My point to all this is, though I have 8 fiction novels published and several short stories, I am no more guaranteed the next book I write will be published by anyone. Publishing is a business going through a lot of changes right now, and no one knows where it will be in 5 years, let alone 20. Publishers want sure things, and since there is no such thing, they compensate by being cautious. Which means more rejections to all but the upper tier of proven best sellers.

So why do it? I do it because I can't NOT write. Whether or not I get published I will always write because the stories are in me and have to be told. With that compulsion I will keep writing no matter if the next book or the one after that is never published or I decide to self publish an ebook, I will write.

As a new writer, only you can decide if this path is for you. No one else can make that decision or stop you from trying. If you want to write, despite the odds, then I say go, write.

My motto is taken right out of Galaxy Quest -- 'Never give up, never surrender'

Pat Brown

http://www.pabrown.ca/

Award winning author of the L.A. crime novels.

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I'll admit I held back on publishing this one. I thought it was too real to inspire new writers, but reading it again I have changed my mind. Writing and being published is not easy. It would be unfair to lead anyone to believe otherwise. Like any job, it takes dedication, incredible stamina, and thick skin to deflect criticism and rejection. And still, even with that some writing dreams won't be realized, while others will exceed all expectations. There's no way to predict which path your writing will take until you do the work and hand it over to the world. There are no guarantees, even for writers that have been published. These are depressing facts, but things all writers should understand. So thank you Pat for telling it like it is. I was wrong, this post is inspiring. It inspires me to keep learning, improving, and trying to reach my writing goals. It inspires me to never give up...

Thanks to all of you who took the time to stop by for another great Writer Wednesday.

Kristin : )

Cake Boss Birthday Pt. 1

2010-11-02T22:00:00.004-04:00

Look what we made!

My daughter's birthday is coming up and she is addicted to watching the show Cake Boss. So, I get this great idea that we can transform our kitchen into a bakery for her birthday. The plan is to let everyone decorate their own mini cakes like they do in the show. That's the plan, we'll see how the reality turns our :)

As part of the decor we wanted to have some real cakes and pastries displayed, but that's a lot of work and honestly would end up being a waste of my much treasured baked goods. I decide that we'll make these "real looking" cakes using more creative ingredients. So we pulled out some cardboard, my trusty glue gun, and started making nightly messes in the living room while we put our plan into action. As the plan came to life, it really became a lot of fun. I got another great idea. We'd use play dough in place of marzipan and fondant (those magical items Carlos uses to create incredible edible artwork).

Tonight, my daughter and I created the animal heads that will be added to our 3 tier fake cake, and I have to say, I'm amazed how well they came out. The whole thing has been fun. It's been years since I've actually sat down and played with play dough with my kids, and that crafty mom of yesteryear, well she had hung her keep the children busy hat a while ago too. Ok, before I get all nostalgic and weepy, I'll stop. We'll keep you updated on our progress.

Writer Wednesday Winner! The Pink Locker Society

2010-10-28T09:12:00.005-04:00

We have a winner! This week's Writer Wednesday guest, Debra Moffitt offered a copy of her newly released book, The Pink Locker Society. The lucky winner is....

Julie Anne Lindsey

She has been contacted and the book will be sent ASAP. Congratulations Julie and thanks to all who stopped by.

I want to mention one more time that Debra Moffitt is also the editor of an excellent website focused on issues that girls today face. It answers any and all questions that girls (and boys) have about growing up. Parents, you should check this site out and bring your kids too.

http://www.pinklockersociety.org

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Debra Moffitt

2010-10-27T05:16:00.006-04:00

You know more than you think you do.

Those words are from parenting expert, Dr. Benjamin Spock, but I find them strangely comforting and applicable to writing. Of course, I have to balance them against the equally true statement: You don’t know anything at all. For me, writing happens in the valley between the two.

I chin up and soldier my way through the hard, early days of a new writing project, needing to remind myself that I can do characters, dialogue, and plot. But I also sigh and fret. I lament my inadequate education, my own laziness about reading the classics, and my general lack of worldliness. Where have I been? What right have I to spin these tales, which emerge from my imperfect memory and unchallenged point of view?

But, oh yes, I know more than I think I do. I know that I can’t have zero confidence and be a writer. So I have no choice but to rally and find the courage to put something down, to believe that my little squinty view of the world is worth sharing. I remember a decade ago at a writers’ conference, this woman asked the presenter how she could get beyond her internal critic. “Every time I write something, I say ‘Oh my God, it’s awful.’ So I just never get anything done.”

I recall thinking, “Oh, you poor thing.” But rest assured, I was just beginning to write fiction, and my own insecurities were waiting for me around the bend. Right about then, I enrolled in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Writers Workshop. I prepared for class like a model student, wrote my first short story, and was secretly hoping it would get an unqualified A, even though the workshop’s leader was not a professor and the class was not graded.

The deft workshop facilitator had me read an excerpt and then raised so many questions that I felt nauseous. He never said it was a bad story, but he encouraged revision and deeper thinking about what I was trying to say. He asked, rhetorically, “What’s the emotional truth of the story?” Ugh, darned if I knew.

I worked and reworked, always feeling a little like an elephant doing ballet. But through several rounds of the workshop, I started to internalize some of his persistent, and now predictable, questions. It didn’t work miracles, but my fiction writing got a little better.

All the reading he had us do also helped. I stopped racing for the finish when I read, and started noticing the choices that masterful writers make. (Oh, how they tell us just enough and let that last sentence burn a hole in the page!)

Every writer has probably experienced the “I wish I’d written that.” moment. It’s infantile, I know, but I’m confessing. Now that I’m a little older, it doesn’t happen as much. Maybe it’s because I have created for myself a secret stash of encouragement from some fabulous writers. Lots of writers write about writing. But not all of them fill the curious space left by my own insecurity and doubt.

Here are three of my favorites if you need a reminder that yes, you can have a writer’s life, if you want one.

Anne Lamott: Bird by Bird, Lamott’s guide to writing, truly delivers. Ms. Lamott is one of the kindest angels you can have on your shoulder while you write. Need further evidence? She riffs brilliantly about procrastinating when you should be writing and recognizes “Shitty First Drafts” as an official step in the writing process.

William Maxell: I will gladly listen to Maxwell, who was both a fine writer and fiction editor at the New Yorker for 40 years. Maxwell, who died in 2000, had me at the preface to his short story collection, All the Days and Nights.

In it, Maxwell describes how at age 25 he decided to go to sea so he would have something to write about. He left his job as an English professor and got aboard a schooner near Coney Island. Thirty years later, he looked back on it like this..."(The captain) had no idea when the beautiful, tall-masted ship would leave its berth. And I had no idea that three-quarters of the material I would need for the rest of my writing life was already at my disposal. My father and mother. My brothers. The cast of larger-than-life characters - affectionate aunts, friends of the family, neighbors white and black - that I was presented with when I came into this world."

Billie Letts: Letts, an Oklahoman, is the woman you want to read if you’re raising kids and trying (and often failing) to fit in a little writing time. Tucked in the back of her breakout novel, Where the Heart Is, she describes her personal journey from wife and mom to college graduate, English teacher, and – at age 55 – novelist.

By her own description, Letts was not well poised to become a published writer. She was not born in New York, completed college only after having children, and was the traditional “woman behind the man” as her talented husband took a Fulbright Scholarship. She taught English as a second language for many years.

Only as she neared retirement, did she make progress toward her dream of being a writer. In her generous essay, she answers the question she must get asked most often: How did you do it? Her answer: “I don't know. I only know how I have written two books. I had stories to tell and I began typing.

You can read the whole thing here: Billie Letts on Writing
http://www.knowsouthernhistory.net/Culture/Literature/billie_letts.htm

I think of Letts’ essay as something that should be behind glass, like in one of those old fashioned fire extinguisher boxes. In case of discouragement, break glass. I’ve reread it numerous times and know I’ll reach for it again, whenever I need reminding that I know at least a little more than I think I do.

Debra Moffitt, a former newspaper reporter, is an editor at KidsHealth.org. Her first book, The Pink Locker Society: Only Girls Allowed, was published by St. Martin’s Press in September. The book is the first in a four-book series for tween girls.

An interactive website, www.pinklockersociety.org, invites girls to support each other and find answers to common questions about growing up. Moffitt lives in Delaware with her husband and three sons, ages 13, 12, and 4.

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Thank you Debra for being this week's Writer Wednesday guest and thank all of you who stopped by today. As an added bonus Debra has generously offered to give away a copy of her newly released book, The Pink Locker Society to a lucky reader. It could be you! All you have to do is leave a comment. One winner will be randomly selected after midnight tonight and will be announced tomorrow.

Happy Reading and Good Luck!

Kristin : )

Working Writer Interview

2010-10-26T07:09:00.000-04:00

Hi, I'm not here right now. I'm over at the Working Writers blog. Stop by to read my interview and feel free to leave a message. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Review: Sea Escape by Lynne Griffin

2010-10-20T09:57:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to meet Lynne Griffin in Boston and hear all about her new release, Sea Escape. The story and the excitement in her voice had me hooked even before I knew she had a review copy with her. I left the Saturday Saloon, on that Wednesday afternoon, with great writing advice, a copy of Sea Escape, and a smile.

Sea Escape is a moving story about family and finding yourself. Lynne Griffin blends the past with the present seamlessly by using love letters written by the main character, Laura's parents. Through these letters, which had been tucked away for years, Laura learns the true history of her family; memories, secrets, heartbreak, and all.

In the beginning of the story you can sense the strains that exist between each character. Laura's need to please and break the emotional wall that her mother lives behind and brother's complete turn away from them both has blinded her to her own family's problems. Laura's mother, Helen suffers a serious stroke and every one's lives are thrown into chaos.

Laura feels out of control. She tries to take care of everyone, her children, husband, distant brother, and be there for her mother. As Helen's health slips, so does Laura's grip on reality. The love letters, which at first filled her with guilt to read, slowly become her escape.

My favorite part of this story is that it was inspired by real love letters written by the author's parents, which gives this story a true beating heart. Lynne Griffin's expertise in family studies is evident in the dynamics between the characters. She captures the subtle strains that exist in families and the ongoing desire to find resolution to life long issues. Sea Escape will keep your attention and your heart until the last page.

More information about Lynne Griffin and her other books can be found on her website.

Scout Update

2010-09-24T10:05:00.007-04:00

My last post was a repost of our adoption of Scout back in June. Thanks to Pedigree, my post helped feed dogs in shelters. Pedigree offered to donate a bag of dog food to a shelter for every blog that published a story about rescuing a dog. Not a bad deal at all :) Today I'm sharing some updated pictures of Scout. She's now just about 6 months old and living up to her name; if there's trouble to be found she'll Scout it out.

The first picture is from last month. It's one of my favorites because she looks like a bobble head puppy :) The second is what she looks like after rolling herself in mud, which she loves to do often. I don't know what I was thinking getting a white dog. I don't even like to wear white clothes, for fear of staining them. I'm just glad she has been pretty easy to clean, gentle cycle seems to be her favorite setting. (I'm joking, please don't wash your pets in the washing machine)

And the 3rd picture is just to prove that I don't actually have a bobble headed dog. She is a perfectly proportioned pup; her bark, ears, and heart are equally over sized for the tiny frame that carries them.

Thanks for stopping by. I'd love to hear about your pets too. If you have a rescue story to share make sure you check out Julie Klam's Blog. She's looking for your stories.

Kristin : )

Meet Scout

2010-09-18T21:00:00.001-04:00

I recently found out that Pedigree was offering to donate a 20 pound bag of food for every post about rescuing a dog. I don't need much prodding to talk about Scout and this was such a great idea that I had to participate. The following post was originally published on June 1st, 2010, a few days after we adopted Scout from a local shelter. She is now 5 1/2 months old, still melting our hearts, and stealing an occasional sock ;) Thanks for reading. More information can be found about Pedigree's campaign here, Write a Blog, Help a Dog!

We have added a new member to our family. She is sweet and spunky. We named her Scout, as in Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, she also fits the name with her impressive bug hunting abilities. She has already shown the yard who's boss by dominating over the smaller bushes and uprooting chunks of grass that have no business growing in her path.

The picture above was made by my sister in law, who has satellite adopted her. She is so much better at taking pictures and then making them even cuter with her creativity, so I happily bring Scout over as often as possible. The picture below is Scout with her cousin Bailey (my in laws dog). She already thinks she one of the big dogs :)

Don't let these sweet pictures fool you though. She is a mini terror. There is not a toe or ankle safe in our home. She sucks you in with her blueish/green eyes and when you're close enough she pounces with a look I can only explain as Gremlin like. The more you react and run from her the more she loves it. Upon first meeting her no one believes she could ever do anything but blink her puppy dog eyes, struggle to master the 2 steps into the house, and lie around chewing landscaping. We know better, she has reduced grown men to yiping, hopping, running for cover cowards (trust me, it's quite a sight).

Scout has been with us a week and she is fully embedded into the family. Each of my kids takes turns playing, walking her, and of course running from her razor sharp baby gremlin teeth (we have yet to evenly dole out the pooper scooping duties though). They are also proud to tell everyone who asks that she is a pound rescue.

Scout was one of 18 new puppies born in a local pet rescue. We had been talking about getting a dog for a while. Our local news does a Lost & Pound series every weekend that highlights some of the pets available for adoption. Last weekend they spotlighted some of her siblings and we knew it was time to add a new family member. The adoption process was thorough, but quick. We had to fill out an application, answering all kinds of questions about our home and family. We even had to give 3 non family references, which were called to make sure we would make good parents. We sent in our application on Saturday and received the green light on Tuesday to come on down and pick out a puppy.

If you are contemplating adding a new family member I hope that you consider adopting from a local pound. If you don't have the time to spend training a brand new pup like Scout you can choose an older dog. A good pound like, Bandits Place will pair you and your family with the perfect pet depending on your needs, space, and even allergies.

There are many puppies, dogs, rabbits, chickens, birds, and more available. If you are in the Connecticut area take a look at Bandits Place or enter your town and state in Pet Finder and let them find the perfect match for you.

Before I go check on Scout I wanted to say a special thanks to Liz Bennet, who runs Bandits Place, and all of the generous people who give their homes and hearts to animals in need of good, loving homes.

Thanks to all of you for stopping by to meet Scout.

Kristin : )

TMI - Bathroom Humor

2010-09-13T13:07:00.005-04:00

A recent conversation on Twitter reminded me of a funny story. For some unknown reason I've decided to share it with all of you. A little bathroom humor to start off the week.

A few years ago, well more than a few but that's not important, we were getting our basement sealed and a new sump pump installed to stop a small river that had decided our basement was a viable path. My mother stopped by to keep me and my younger kids company while the company went to work downstairs.

At one point they had to shut off the water main and asked us not to use the toilet until they piped in the new sump pump and reconnected the water main to the outgoing plumbing. Well, the time went by, the house was filled with sounds of jack hammers and drills, and coffee was guzzled. More coffee was guzzled, and when I got up to check on my napping daughter, my bladder reminded how sensitive it had become after the miracle of birth...4 times. I, forgetting all previous warnings, heeded the call of my coffee filled bladder.

The second I pressed that lever down, and the toilet kind of gurgled instead of wooshed, I remembered the warning. But It was too late. I could not take back what gravity and a simple metal handle had put into motion. By the time the shouts of surprise echoed up through the bathroom floor I was already back in the kitchen, red faced, whispering the horror of what I had just done. My mother, being the ever supporting matron that she is, fell over laughing, spitting her coffee across the table as she did.

The sound of footsteps coming up the basement stairs froze us both, like deer in the headlights we both watched the door slowly open. One of the workers pops his head out and ever so politely asks for some paper towels for his boss, who was standing IN FRONT OF THE OPEN PIPE! Even he can't hold his laughter in any longer, and my mother now sounds like a hyenna, a choking hyenna. I'm mortified, unable to move from my seat by the door where the politely laughing man waits for paper towels for his boss.

My mother manages to stop her hysterics long enough to hand me the roll near her. I force myself to walk over to the door, and as I hand the roll to the man I say...

"I'm very sorry my mother forgot and used the toilet."

Now it was my turn to laugh. My mother's face at that moment was priceless. She was still catching her breath from laughing at me and could only manage a throaty sound of surprise. The man looked at her and said, "I thought it was funny, but you sure pissed off my boss."

We still laugh at that story, of course, I laugh a little harder now.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed the sprinkling of Monday morning bathroom humor. (hehe, pun intended) Feel free to share a funny story of your own. Don't leave me here airing my TMI all alone.

Kristin : )

Remember 9/11 With Love

2010-09-11T08:31:00.000-04:00

Today is the 8th (now the 9th)Anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. So hard to believe it's been that long. It feels like it was just a few years ago. I still have those horrifying images ingrained into my mind and can still remember where I was and what I was doing when the first announcements started streaming out.

I was home, had just returned from dropping off my 3 year old son on his first day of preschool. There was a man finishing up the new siding on my house. My two older boys were well into their day at elementary school. To tell the truth, the events before the attacks are fuzzy. I'm sure I put my daughter (2 years old at the time) down for her morning nap and I know the radio was on. I'm also sure that I was worried about my son; if he liked his new class, if he had slipped out the door unnoticed and was trying to hitch hike home (You know normal mom worries).

The radio announcer interrupted and said a plane had hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. At first they speculated that it was a small tourist plane, and then it said that it was a United Airlines airplane. I quickly turned on the television and watched the gaping hole pour with smoke. The second plane struck the south tower. I can remember screaming, grabbing the phone and calling my husband. He was just as shocked and confused. I ran outside to tell the worker that the World Trade Center had just been hit by 2 airplanes. He followed me in to watch the news. We sat there, frozen, silently watching the videos of the second plane hitting the south tower over and over while news reporters started buzzing about it being part of a terrorist attack. That morning we were two people, complete strangers, going through their motions in their own lives and in one tragic moment we were united as Americans who were under attack. But even more than that, we were humans watching a horrific act of hate destroying the lives of other humans.

I know I don't have to detail the devastation that followed; the towers falling to the earth, the horrible images of people trying to save themselves by jumping, the chaos and panic that resulted in even more deaths. By the time the Pentagon was hit hit by the third plane, air traffic was stopped in the United States, and news started talking about a possible fourth hijacked airplane still in the air I was in full protective mom mode. I grabbed my daughter, picked my son up from preschool, and then drove straight to our elementary school to get my older two sons. We spent the rest of the day sitting close and talking on the phone with my husband and hoping there wouldn't be anymore attacks. More than anything hoping he would get home as soon as possible so I knew that, at the very least, my little world was safe.

This morning I was uploading some pictures to post with this. Pictures of the World Trade Center before the attack and some depicting memorials after. Then I started thinking about how many people lost their lives and how many more lives were devastated by losing loved ones. So many were in those towers, but there were also loved ones on each of the airplanes and in Washington DC. Countless lives were touched by this act of hate. So I chose the picture of a single red rose on the edge of water to represent the power each one of us has to do something positive, to make this anniversary a day of remembering love not reliving the hate.

I hope that everyone takes a minute to remember all of the people who died on 9/11 and those who lost loved ones and have found the strength to go on. Then take a moment to thank all of the men and women who voluntarily gave up their own time with family and friends to join the military and fight to keep our country safe; to perserve the freedoms we sometimes take for granted. After that tell the people in your life that you love them and your thankful for everyday you get to spend with them.

I'm not usually a preacher, or overly inspirational, but if there is a perfect day to say I love you it's today...then you can go back to your regularly planned chaos.

I do try to keep perspective on what's important on a regular basis, but even the best of intentions can be ground down by life's curve balls and endless cycles of cleaning, work, teenagers, blah, blah, blah...

Today I made sure I hugged my kids extra hard and gave my husband an extra kiss as they went off on their day. As for my oldest, who is just waking up, I will tell him I love him... and then kick his butt for coming home late. Hey, life goes on right ;)

Thanks for reading! Please share your thoughts on what today means to you or share where you were on September 11, 2001.

Kristin : )

This post was originally published last year. The only changes made to it are in red. I was inspired to publish it again after reading a Twitter friend's 911 post. Read it, it's great, and much more inspiring than mine :) Please take a moment to share your thoughts or memories of that tragic day 9 years ago today.

Lisa Adams 911

Reputation means everything...

2010-08-25T09:40:00.005-04:00

Today is a blog for the kids out there and their parents. The news often catches my attention, and how could it not with unstable people throwing away cats and teens crashing into a bridge at 100+ miles an hour (BTW he lived, though surely his life will change severely). Yesterday's news was full of stories to blog about, but one in particular hit me in the parenting strings.

A 14 year old boy was accused of breaking into a neighbor's apartment and brutally stabbing a deaf and mute 16 year old boy. Right off the story is horrific; what would make a child do something so violent? Then it gets even worse. The news, in their search for a bigger and better story, starts knocking on neighbor's doors. They have this sick desire to be the first on the scene, the first to shove a tragic event into people's faces, and then film for the world to see. The neighbors rarely let America down, which I never understand. Relatives, siblings, and yes, even parents can be found on the news recounting the tragedy or fatality of their loved ones, as soon as the same day! This trend is especially disturbing to me.

But, back to this story. The news gathers neighbors, tells them of the brutal stabbing and then films their reaction. When the shock turns to anger, they begin questioning about the accused boy. Neighbors quickly paint a picture of a hoodlum with accusations like, "I always knew he was bad", and "I saw him looking in cars with a flashlight last week." Soon people were coming out of the woodwork, one by one piling on more judgement and vague accusations on this 14 year old.

Turns out, the boy's own mother attacked him and then blamed the 14 year old. I'll let that soak in a minute...

This is a horrible example of how life is an ongoing learning experience. I don't promote the tactics used by the news crews, but I will certainly sit my kids down and explain how this could happen to any kid, especially if that kid has gotten in trouble before. Keep in mind, there were no reports of this 14 year old ever being arrested for anything, but he was readily accepted as a violent offender because of emotional neighbors, and possibly some stupid actions on his part in the past.

Many kids today think it's a right of passage to get in trouble, or they think what they're doing wrong doesn't hurt anyone, or maybe they simply believe they won't get caught. What they don't think about is their reputation. It's something I'm always trying to teach my children. You are how you act, at least in the eyes of the public. If you show the slightest disregard for someone else's property or person, you're viewed as a deviant. If you don't have enough people around you who can vouch for your innocence, you risk being condemned by the public, and even by the law.

The mother in this case was obviously cold, or unstable, enough to brutally harm her own child and then blame another child. Imagine if she was able to continue the lie? An innocent teen would have been put in jail. He's already been found guilty by his neighbors.

So kids, know that what you do does matter, always has some consequence, and does shape your reputation and the way the world views you.

I hope that the 14 year old, and all kids in similar situations, takes this experience as a lesson in human behavior and doesn't cause himself more problems by reacting out of anger. I also hope that the neighbors learned something too. Don't be quick to judge another, say "No Comment" and let the police and court systems do their job.

Of course this is my opinion, let me know if you agree or disagree.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

2010-08-19T13:20:00.007-04:00

David Bowie's Changes

I love that Bowie song. Life is all about changes, some you welcome, others you dread, and then there are those constant little changes that go on everyday. These go basically unnoticed until that one day when you wake up and say, "Hey! When did that happen?" There is a point in every parent's life when this happens, some parents may have many moments like this. I'm having a big one now.

As a parent of four I know the meaning of busy, swamped, overwhelmed, and yes, joy, and unconditional love also. Having a full house is chaotic in good and bad ways. I've learned over the years to pick my battles, fight the important ones, and above all I've learned to put my head down like a bull and plow through tough times. It's how I got things done, never stopping to think how tired I was or how crazy things were (like the boy scout hike for my oldest where my husband & I ended up carrying our younger kids up the entire mountain). Or taking care of my 6 year old and my 3 month old sons, who learned to share very early on. Too bad it was a horrible case of Chicken Pox. No matter what the situation, no matter the challenge each new change brought, we just did it. That's what a parent does. Your kids need something, you do it. But, what do you do when they don't need you any longer?

I don't think anyone ever stops needing their parents in an emotional sense. They do, if we've done our job right, stop needing us to physically do everything and be everywhere with them. This is a hard change to handle. There's no way to put my head down and charge through this challenge, because the challenge is to stand back and let my kids change into the adults they are becoming, eventually completely independent of me. Necessary, but heart wrenching at the same time.

We are dealing with big changes in our family. My oldest is saving for his own place, my second son is leaving for college next Friday, son#3 is starting middle school, and my baby is going into 6th grade. Our family unit will be forever altered. This is not an easy thing to grasp. How did they get so big? Where did all those sleepless nights go, diaper changes, first steps, milestones? When did they go from learning how to tie their shoes to running out the door to their own adulthood?

I chatted this morning about this very thing with a couple of friends on Twitter and with moms IRL, including my own. The response was basically the same. We raise our kids to become happy, healthy, independent people, but when the day comes for them to do that we want to shove them back into a cradle and have more time (metaphorically anyway). Why? I can only answer for me, and I'm sure when my younger two kids are ready to jump ship I'll have a different answer. Here's how I feel now.

Change is never easy. I have devoted the last 20 years to my family. That's 240 months, 7305 days, 175,316 hours...you get the picture. That's a lot of time in. A lot of changes took place to get us to where we are today. Now I'm faced with changes that will take us away from the family as we know it. We'll always be family, but not the same. As their ages change so do the dynamics. It's not just the kids learning to be more independent, I too have to learn how to be independent from them. That's the hard part for me. I'm not a clingy mom, but I can't help feeling like it's all happening too fast. Not to mention that dreaded mortality monster. When we see our children become adults we can't ignore how much older we are too. So as I worry about what kind of lives my children will make for themselves, I also worry how much I will be around for. That's a scary thought.

The one thing I know is there is no easy way to deal with all of life's changes. Fighting them is exhausting and a waste of time. They're going to happen anyway, with or without my consent. What I will do is listen to David Bowie; I will "...turn and face the change..." Embrace it even? Well, maybe not right away, but I will retain the belief that not all change is bad. For example, if I don't allow my kids to grow up and move out, how will I put my evil plan into action. The plan where I shove dirty socks under their couches, write my name in permanent marker on their vinyl siding, and pee all over their bathroom seat (Yes! I said it, you all know you want to.) Pay back is a mother ;)

Sure, I may have more sad days, growing up and letting go are processes, they take time. If I get too sad, or begin to dwell too much, someone please direct me back here to this blog post, where I can recharge and remember why I did all this. I want to see the look on my adult kids' faces when they come out of that bathroom. :D

For some other great blogs for parents you have to read these. They inspired me to write about my changes and help me keep a sense of humor about this thing we call parenting.

Claudine M. Jalajas

Lisa Bonchek Adams

Thanks for stopping by and for your patience while I took a little summer blog nap :) It was needed and now it's over.

Kristin : )

Time For A Fortune

2010-07-09T11:08:00.007-04:00

It's officially summer here in CT, as of June 22. Time is no longer a luxury and I'm finding it extremely hard to squeeze out a few quiet moments for writing or reading these days. In fact, as I write this post my daughter's friend arrived and silly puppy play quickly became mayhem, sending me running downstairs and outside to referee. On an unrelated note: Dog obedience classes begin in August :D

Among other changes, I'll be taking the rest of the summer off from my blog, which means I'll also be taking time off from doing reviews. I'm going to regroup and get my focus back on my writing, which seems to be the area in my life that suffers when things change around me.

What brings me to this decision? A fortune cookie.

Yes, you heard that correctly, a fortune cookie. I'm not an overly superstitious person and don't believe that luck alone makes things happen, but sometimes I am amazed by a simple statement on a random tea bag tag or fortune cookie. Now you want to know what it said, right? Here it is... but before I do, make sure you're ready for it. This is Confucius worthy stuff here, not to be taken lightly. Reading this could change your life, or a small part of it anyway.

Ok, all drama and joking aside...

What is more important to you, your goal, or others' opinions of your goal?

*Bashaaaa* That was the sound of your mind blowing, well at least that's what mine sounded like. Or maybe I sat on one of Scout's squeaky toys ;)

This little cookie summed it all up nicely. What is more important? And, which am I putting more effort into? My writing is very important to me, it's why I have a blog. But, when I really think about it, I spend more energy and time than I want to admit justifying or feeling guilty for taking the actual time to sit down and write. So, when family or friends need something I am quick to say yes. So quick that they feel very comfortable asking the next time, and the next, and .... you get the picture. The more I do for others, the less time I have to work on my goals, and the more frustrated I become.

It's time to put my energy where it belongs. That means a break from online commitments, saying no more, taking time for me to write, undisturbed, and MAKING everyone respect that time.

Notice a theme here? How many times I've mentioned the word 'time'? It's a great theme, because it's time for a change. That fortune cookie, though lacking in flavor, was packed with a timely message. Ok, I over did it at the end.

I'm ready to make these changes and know that it's not going to be easy to enforce them, but we'll all be happier in the end. I welcome your thoughts on this and would love to hear what inspired you to make changes.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Scout (blank) Callender

2010-07-02T08:18:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone. It's time for another Scout update. The above picture is of 2 month old (pre-puppiness syndrome) Scout and my daughter :) She is 3 months old now and has found her puppiness, which comes with sharp teeth and a few unpleasant offerings left in dark corners. Sure puppiness also comes with a lot of cute, fluffy, nuzzling stuff too, but that's not what I'm here to talk about now. I'm here to discuss those parts of puppies that dog lovers like to call "spunkiness, mischievous, or the infamous still learning stage."

As we continue to help her through this energetic (and possibly overfed) time I have found that her name (which I love and won't let my in laws change to Sprout. Yes they have tried) needs a little something extra. When she thinks it's great fun to run around me, nipping and occasionally catching a whole mouthful of my flesh, I find that shouting "Scout, NO!" isn't always enough. She seems to hear, Scout, NO... you're not biting hard enough and Scout, NO... you should not go to the bathroom while we stand outside for an hour, you should wait til we go back inside.

Now I proud myself as a problem solver, so I start thinking how do I solve this? The books I've looked at and many websites say your tone of voice should signal to your puppy if she has done something good or bad. Hey, that works with my kids, but after countless attempts and variations of tones I truly believe that Scout is tone deaf. She can't seem to tell the difference between our happy good girl voice and our angry stop what you are doing one. Although to her credit, she is fully conditioned to sit and give me her paw at the slightest potential of food being offered. And yes, I have tried to diffuse an overly energetic biting/playing session with food. It has had mixed reactions, sometimes she will sit and listen, but once her eyes glaze over and the Gremlin in her is released there is no getting through to her.

So, I sit and think again, read some more information published by people who have sparkling good puppies, and wonder how I have managed to raise four kids that don't bite and only occasionally miss the toilet. That's when it hits me. When all else fails, when my kids tune out my angry voice, there is a secret weapon I use. It's a weapon that has been passed down, generation to generation, and yet when used properly never loses its power to stop every kid in the neighborhood in their tracks and bring all eyes on the wayward child in question.

What is this awesome power? It's the dreaded middle name. You laugh, but every kid knows when their middle name is used something has gone terrible wrong, they have been nabbed beyond all reasonable doubt, and they scamper home to learn their consequence. (Well, maybe not scamper. It's more of a stompy sulk)

Why not try this power on Scout? This is where you come in. We need help coming up with a middle name for Scout. Something that will help her better distinguish when things have gone terribly wrong. So far we have had some interesting recommendations.

Some suggested middle names for Scout:

Sprout (does make a cute middle name) (TY to my in laws)
Bella (for her Vampire tendencies) (TY Dave & Amy)
Gremlin ;)
Ignatius (TY @Stinginthetail )
Lee ( TY @amydaugustine )
Scout-A-Roonie (TY @amydaugustine )
Potato (TY @MrsWhich )

You can vote for one of these or add your own to the mix.

Please keep in mind, this is all in good fun. We are dealing with the same issues that all new puppy owners do and are just leaning on our sense of humor to get through it. Scout is well loved, exercised, and fed. So, with all due respect, if you are here to lecture me about proper pet care do me a favor and get your own puppy and call me in the morning ;) If you're here to help give our Scouty Pouty Pudding Pie who bit the kids and made them cry* a middle name, THANKS for your help and sense of humor.

Kristin : )

*That is what we sing to her now. With our singing, she is very lucky to be tone deaf ;)

Writer Wednesday: Dawn Herring

2010-06-30T05:06:00.000-04:00

Moving Forward

by Dawn Herring

Words.
Whether spoken or written, they have the power to harm or to heal.
The power behind words is vast.

This is where I start: with words.

My desire is to inspire, energize, enlighten, refresh and provoke thought with vignettes of my daily experience on topics relevant and universal.

I used words in song lyrics and essays at an adolescent age as I dealt with cultural, emotional, and spiritual issues that had deep relevance to me.

As the spiritual dimension of my life was heightened with entering adulthood, it continued to showed in the topics I wrote both in my essays and note taking from spiritual sources.

Journal writing was incited as I experienced a new and growing relationship with Bill, who would later become my husband. My entries were sporadic but detailed.

I found my use of words to be more prolific when emotions and feelings ran high, making writing a great creative and expressive outlet for me.

Once we married and had children, journal writing took on more significance, due to the dimension of motherhood added to my every day experience, writing to my first born and then to my second born, each in their own journals as well as my own.

When I chose to home school my children, I became a student myself as I began to digest all I could from books, magazines, and other writing sources to better my craft and learn about the publishing world.

As I continued to keep a more regular journal, both spiritually and personally, I received the seed to a novel that, at first, came in fits and starts. But with a move to a new neighborhood, my novel occupied my attention even more so as it took on a life of its own.

We were also in the process of starting up an electrical contracting business. The office work became my new job, so I had to learn to balance the time I spent on my novel versus on paperwork. For a time, I struggled with this issue and even put the novel aside for a couple of months so I could be loyal to the office work and not have it compete with my writing life although I continued to journal regularly and write the occasional essay. But, after much thought and consideration and discussion, I decided to return to my novel, with office work as priority over my writing.

A computer entered my world, making my writing even easier, and with the discovery of the Internet, my blog began its debut as I wrote for friends and family and anyone else who might stumble upon it. The vastness of the Internet, being the World Wide Web, felt huge to me, concerning exposure of my writing to those who found it.

Another move put my writing off for a couple of months as I packed and unpacked. But I managed to get back into the swing of things, still keeping the office work in the top slot and working more in the late afternoons on my novel, which was slowly progressing. I also continued posting on my blog, sharing tidbits of life from family and personal experience.

Then I discovered social networks, hearing about Twitter and then Facebook. As I waded through the in and outs of gaining friends and followers, I learned a lot along the way. I began to find so much information about publishing and writing, I was amazed. Newsletters and websites were a gold mine to me. I began to answer questions from the writing and home schooling online newsletters I received in my inbox and found my answers being published, which I celebrated.

I began to keep track of these publication credits, and I looked to garner more opportunities to share from my life experience. I submitted work to a writing newsletter where I was later published. I also published clips in my city newspaper which felt like my biggest accomplishment yet.

As I continued to work on my novel, I also began to write memoir pieces from my childhood as I discovered the memoir genre on line and in book stores. I was fascinated with reading what folks wrote about their personal lives. I also began to write poetry again, as a response to emotional and spiritual events that took on great importance in my life. I enjoyed using metaphoric imagery to express my feelings.

As I made more contacts and friends on line, I discovered chats on Twitter, especially one for writers called #writechat. I met many wonderful folks there and enjoyed the camaraderie with other writers. I was encouraged and inspired to keep working on my novel and my memoir as I chatted with new friends and shared my experiences on line.

I set and met the goal to complete my novel manuscript by Thanksgiving weekend in 2009. I was so excited! I knew I still had a lot of work ahead of me, but it was a great experience to share my accomplished goal with friends and family.

My blog has gained regular readers and friends who I appreciate, who inspire me to keep posting as I continue to write in the essay format.

My journal writing continues to be a major source of inspiration, often the framework from where much of my writing gets its start.

My goal is to be a continued source of inspiration and refreshment as I share samplings from my personal experience that I hope will encourage someone in a way that will truly make a difference.

I host and moderate a new chat on Twitter called #JournalChat for all things journaling. It's a place where those who journal can share the benefits and techniques they enjoy while those who are just getting started can be inspired and encouraged to begin their own journey into journaling. The chat takes place every Thursday at 2 EST/11 PST for one hour.

Here's a link for more info: Facebook/DawnHerring

You can follow me at @JournalChat on Twitter for updates, links, and more.

Dawn Herring is a freelance writer and avid journaler. Her website is http://www.dawnherring.net/ and her blog is http://www.journalwriter.blogspot.com/.

Thanks Dawn for being this week's Writer Wednesday guest and thanks to all of you who taken time out of your day to stop by.

If you would like more info about this series, or would like to be a guest please follow this link Writer Wednesdays: The Intro .

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Book Giveaway

2010-06-25T12:57:00.003-04:00

It's officially summer here in CT! Since my book, The Truth Lies in the Dark, has been called "...a great beach read" by reviewers, I figure why not do a summer book giveaway? So here it is...

I will be giving away 4 copies of my book The Truth Lies in the Dark to 4 people on Twitter. The terms are easy, and if you're not on Twitter you can still win. I'll tell you how right after I explain the Twitter terms.

All you have to do is RT the following message on Twitter.

RT to win a copy of The Truth Lies in the Dark & a beach surprise (via @KCBOOKS)

Or RT any of my posts about book giveaway to be entered.

Winners will be chosen on Sunday morning (eastern time) or when I have hit 2000 followers, which ever happens first. 4 winners will be announced and contacted by Sunday evening.

NON Twitter friends: I will also give away 1 copy of my book here. So if you don't have a Twitter account or would rather enter on my blog, please leave a brief message in the comments. One winner will be randomly chosen out of the comments on Sunday evening (eastern time) and will receive a copy of The Truth Lies in the Dark and a beach related surprise.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL! And thanks for stopping by.

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Jo Lynne Valerie

2010-06-23T05:30:00.000-04:00

I guess you could say being a writer pretty much permeates every facet of my life. I write books full time and I adore every aspect of the writing life. Love of my career has inspired my children. Two of them are avid readers and fiction writers; one has her own book review blog. My third child is a musician, song-writer and singer. I like to say we are a household of creatives.

For us, an enjoyable afternoon or evening out doesn't usually include a trip to the movie theatre or an amusement park. Don't get me wrong; my kids love movies and park rides! It's just that all three of them would choose a book store, preferably one with a cozy reading area for delving into new finds or cups of cocoa.

Readers, I'm incredibly grateful. I'm so very grateful my children love books and the whole bookish life as much as I do, because as an author, it is ever prevalent in our lives. In other households one might overhear a child saying, "What time is mom getting home from work?" Around here it's, "Did mom meet her deadline?" Other kids may exclaim, "My mom just got a raise at her job!" My kids are more apt to exclaim, "Mom sold big at her signing event today!" They know when the Low Noise Zone sign is on my office or bedroom door, I'm writing and therefore would like quiet. Because respect is reciprocal here, I likewise honor the request for no noise when my daughter is writing or recording a song, when my other girl is typing up a book review, or my son is penning a new poem.

But writing is only the beginning for today's authors. Hard-core dedication and work is required if one is to sustain in a crowded and competitive industry. Gone are the days when an author could simply write and then recline while editors, publishers and publicists took things from there. Today, all authors, whether big pub or small press, must promote, publicize, build a readership and ideally create a connection with fans.

What does this take? It takes all of the dedication required of a second job. Today's free social media tools and sites are clever and powerful aids. An author may create her own profiles for sites such as twitter, facebook and myspace. She may further connect on linkedin and she may promote videos and book trailers on youtube. Of course, the extent to which these tools are used depends upon the personality and willingness of the author. Not everyone likes to engage; not everyone is comfortable promoting and not every author understands the subtle but powerful differences between promotion and selling.

I didn't do it consciously, but I seem to have created a daily schedule for my writing and online connecting. It evolved in a very organic yet workable way. I start most days of the week with salutations to readers, friends and fans on my SM sites and then I usually get right into the cosmic energies for the day. With my background in metaphysics and paranormal studies, building my ParaGoddess brand has been a great way to provide readers with extra information that is both useful and fun. Having written for spiritual publications, I am all about positive energy, and I share that abundantly online, too. From there, as mornings are my most productive time, I move into whatever work there is for the day. That could mean editing, straight-up writing new material, or revising. Any given day may find me signing and shipping swag or books, writing up blog posts (an excellent way for the professional writer to maintain a connection with her readers is through regular blogging) or engaged in the hard core business end of being an author, which could mean taking inventory, balancing accounts, monitoring sales or scheduling book events.

My kids understand this is what I do for my career and it's who I am, but children are only young once, and I will always be a mom before all else. So I always break to pick them up from school, and we eat dinner together every night. When they settle down to do their homework or relax with some television or reading in the evening, that's when I return to writing. For professional writers, living the life is just that - a lifestyle. For me, writing is not a hobby and it's not a job. It is the manifestation of who I am... and I am blessed to be able to live this writer's life.

Jo Lynne Valerie
Award-Winning Paranormal Author☽♥♥☾

✯2010 - Next Indie Excellence Finalist Award - Romance Category
✯2010 Indie{Pendent} Books "Author To Watch"
✯2009 Winner - Great Book Video Contest
✯2008 Best in Paranormal Fiction - Silver Ravenwolf Contest

www.JoLynneValerie.com
www.JoLynneValerie.blogspot.com

A good story can be magic... let me show you.

Follow Me on TWITTER! www.twitter.com/JoLynneValerie
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And please visit my blog! It's sexy, spiritual, cosmic, literary, caffeinated and often Riesling splashed. In short: FUN! http://www.JoLynneValerie.blogspot.com

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Thank you Jo Lynne for being this week's Writer Wednesday guest and for inspiring other writers with your positive approach to writing and to life. This is what this series is all about, sharing why we write and inspiring each other. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to stop by today.

If you would like more info about this series, or would like to be a guest please follow this link Writer Wednesdays: The Intro .

Thanks Again,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Dan McNeil

2010-06-16T05:48:00.000-04:00

I didn’t start out wanting to be a novelist. The truth is, I wanted to be a songwriter. I play music, I write music, I love music. It seemed to be a natural – write songs. However, after about a decade of creating pop ditties with my cousin and song writing partner, I realized that that particular dream wasn’t going to materialize any time soon (too bad – some of the tunes were pretty catchy.) It was then that I got the idea for “The Judas Apocalypse.”

Okay, I thought. Let’s do this. Let’s write a book.

Now how the heck was I going to do that? Song writing was tough enough and now I want to do this? Man, I wasn’t a novelist. I didn’t even know the first thing about it.

So, being a creative masochist, I forged ahead.

The plot was going to span two thousand years, so it was clear that I was going to have to do a ton of research – both historical and theological - for this story to make any kind of sense Research? That was like school work and as I recalled, I was a horrible student. What was I thinking?

Forget it, I said to myself. You don’t have the dedication to pull this off. Who are you kidding? So I put away the idea of being a writer.

The problem was that I thought the idea was killer. It gnawed at me and I thought that it should be written. I ran the idea past anyone who would listen. On the surface, I thought that maybe they would tell me how fantastic it was and that I should write it. Secretly though, I was hoping someone else would run with the idea and write it instead of me.

Of course that didn’t happen.

Since no one was taking me up on my subtle plea to write it, I decided (damn it!) that I would have to do it. Who knows? Maybe I could pull this off. With a deep breath and much trepidation, I started to do the research. I hoped it would take me a couple of weeks to research and about the same amount of time to write it.

Oh man, I can be an idiot sometimes. What was I thinking? For about a year and a half (actually way more than that, if you count the time from the actual idea inception) I pored over books, magazine articles and websites about the Cathars, the Knights Templar, the Nazi obsession with the occult, and the Crucifixion. And that was just the tip of the friggin’ iceberg. Song writing was starting to look good again.

Finally I was finished with the research. I had everything that I thought I needed and it was time to begin the actual writing process. All I had to do now was start.
Well, that was easier said than done.

After a few (many) false starts, I began. I soon found that I could write better in the morning, so I would get up early and try to write for about an hour before I had to get ready for work. It was tough for the first couple of weeks, but by now I had fallen into some kind of “writing rhythm.” Once I had the first few chapters out of the way, surprisingly the whole process seemed to take off on its own.

I was writing. Maybe I could pull this off after all.

For close to a year I wrote, edited, polished, re-wrote, re-edited and re-polished. I wrote during lunch hours, before dinner, before bed, even at work, thanks to a poorly thought out schedule that gave me an hour a day where I was doing nothing – every available second of the day was used (maybe I was more dedicated than I thought!)

Finally at the end of May 2006, I typed “The End,” hit “save” and printed out a copy for posterity. I asked some of my friends to check out my efforts. To my delight (and surprise), they told me that they liked it (even the hard asses were enthusiastic). Then they ruined it by asking me if I was going to try and have it published.

Published? Now, I’ll admit that the thought had crossed my mind a couple of times, and I had checked it out, but it sure wasn’t something I was really interested in pursuing. Getting songs published was impossible, but getting a novel published? What’s harder than impossible? Initially I shrugged it off but after much cajoling, I decided to take a look at this publishing business. I began to look up agents online and saw I needed a query letter and a synopsis.

Oh wow - writing the damn book was way easier than writing those two things.
So I wrote a query letter. Then I re-wrote it. Then I re-wrote it again. Why is this so hard? The funny thing is it was easier to compose the query letter than the damned synopsis. Once these heinous jobs were complete, I began to flood agents with the queries, requests for chapters and synopsises (synopsi? What’s the plural for synopsis anyway?)

For a long time it was a predictable exercise in futility. If I printed out all the rejections, I could have wallpapered the bathroom (with extra to replace the roll of Royale.) Was I discouraged? I suppose if I hadn’t been prepared from my earlier song writing endeavours, I would have been, but nevertheless I continued this increasingly quixotic-like pursuit.

Eventually I came across a website for a publisher holding a contest for novel manuscripts. Since I hadn’t gotten anywhere taking the agent route, I thought I’d give this a shot. At least, I thought, this way I can get a realistic critique of the book. With no real expectations of winning, I fired it off, and then promptly forgot about it.

In March 2007 I received word that I had won. My story was going to be published by I Publish Press.

I was stunned. It was to be published in print, as an e-book and even an audio book. How cool was that? I was going to be an actual published author. Now I could sit back and rest on my laurels.

Over the next few months we corresponded, discussing edits, changes, title possibilities more changes and more edits. What happened to sitting back and resting on my laurels?

I didn’t know it yet, but now the real job had begun – we needed to whip the book into publishable shape and that was going to take another eight or nine months.

If I had known that this whole process from beginning to end was going to take close to four years, would I have even done it? Looking back, it’s quite probable that I wouldn’t have, but then I would have missed out on an incredible experience. I wrote the book just to see if I could do it and much to my surprise, I found that I could. It was a tough, tiring and at times, a really damn frustrating job but ultimately it was immensely satisfying. And it’s kinda cool to say I wrote a book too.

I remember when I got the first copy. As I held it in my hand, I was asked if I was going to write another one. After all the trials and tribulations I went through, the long hours, the constant re-writes, the rejections, I said I would have to be crazy to do all that all over again.

So I must be crazy – I’m shopping the second one right now.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thanks Dan for being my guest today and thanks to all of you who took time out your day to stop by. More information about Dan and his writing can be found through the following places.

Twitter: @DanMcNeil888
Website: http://www.danmcneil.ca/

If you would like more info about this series, or would like to be a guest please follow this link Writer Wednesdays: The Intro .

Thanks,

Kristin : )

A New Kind of Challenge

2010-06-10T09:11:00.004-04:00

Today started off horribly. Our new puppy kept me up all night whining to go outside. Once out there she would sit in the rain or try to play. By 4:00AM I was sitting next to her crate, to keep her from waking the entire house, reading a dog training book in the dim glow of a night light. The rational me knew there was no quick fix to training, but the exhausted me was desperate to find some command, trick, word to hypnotise, or even a puppy safe vulcan pinch. Anything to quiet Scout down and allow me my much needed sleep.

After my long night I awoke to the sounds of a tween meltdown as my son suddenly realized he had a project due TODAY and he wasn't finished. As I break the bad news (tough love) that I'm not letting him finish and then driving him in to school late my daughter enters the scene. She can not make her lunch, or even stand in the kitchen because all of the end of the school year excitement and changes are wreaking havoc on her nervous stomach. As if this is not enough, my oldest comes home from working all night and proceeds to play with the equally tired puppy. She gets over excited and begins biting EVERYONE, happily, because we are her walking chew toys. The sooner we accept this, the better it will be :) I swear that's what she says with her eyes every time I say no.

There is nothing like a morning like this to make you feel alive, get your blood pumping, and pretty much give you ulcers. Thankfully, I have a good support system. My husband, who looked a little too happy to skate off to work has been calling and making jokes, trying to gauge just how close to popping I really am, and I know I can always call my mother. But this morning I took my stress to twitter.

To anyone who says Twitter friends are not real I say you're very wrong. What is a friend, but someone you share commonalities with, laugh with, and cry with. My Twitter friends were quick to offer smiles and encouragement and it was just the pick me up I needed this morning.

In addition to a mood adjustment I also stumbled upon a very intriguing challenge on Twitter. It's called 21.5.800. Strange name, but amazing concept by Bindu Wiles. The 21 day personal challenge combines yoga (5 days a week) with writing (800 words a day). This is a great way to jump start both your exercise and writing routines, both of which have been pushed to the back burner in my life lately. Not to mention that both of these activities are very good good for the soul and stress reduction. After the morning I had it didn't take much convincing to say, "I'M IN!"

Are you? You can find more information about 21.5.800 on binduwiles.com You can also follow on Twitter @binduwiles . And don't forget to check out the hashtag to read updates and stories #215800

I'm always here if you need to vent and please let me know if you plan to join the 21.5.800 challenge.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Elissa Stein

2010-06-09T05:24:00.003-04:00

The Road to Writing

Last fall, before my latest book was released, a friend in PR suggested I join twitter, building a community to share the experience with. My initial goal was to hype FLOW’s release but conversations and interest quickly evolved. Not only did I chronicle events as they happened—the launch party, press mentions, TV appearances, radio interviews—I shared the emotional highs and lows. The thrill of 100 books at Rizzoli’s dwindling down to nothing as I signed copies for hours. Seeing my name on a dressing room door backstage at The View. Hey, hugging Whoopi Goldberg who thanked me for writing the book. I talked about the post pub crash. The waiting (and waiting and waiting) for the next big thing to happen and finding nothing. My obsessive google searches and amazon sales rank checks. I shared it all.

Early on, somebody asked what my writing practice was.
I didn’t have one.

My eleventh book was about to be published and I didn’t have a regular writing routine. In fact, I didn’t consider myself a writer. I’d been a graphic designer for years, working mostly in publishing, and I had (have) countless ideas. Through determination, contacts, and luck, one book (an anthology of vomit stories) led to more (pop culture histories for Chronicle Books). My proposals were usually a few paragraphs, well designed, art liberally sprinkled throughout. I was more about the big picture, never actually writing until I was paid. And then? Panic. I struggled with every sentence never confident I was doing a good job, always shocked when an editor would send something back with minimal changes. But FLOW was different. For months I had to submit a chapter, 5000 words, a week. It was the most intense most insane, most painful work experience I’d ever had. When I was done, writing for any reason was the last thing I wanted to do. Having said that, that writing practice question gnawed at me. And so, last October, I challenged myself to blog for 40 straight days. It’s called a sadhana in yoga—the thought being that if you commit to something for 40 days it becomes part of your routine.

The beginning was brutal. I’d wake up in the dark to write when everyone was still asleep. It would take hours for me to feel comfortable enough to hit the publish button and share my thoughts with the world. And while no one was actually reading anything I wrote, I worried. I worried about what I was writing about, how it sounded, did I need to make a point, what the point was. Every time I sat at my laptop, I struggled.
But, I kept going.

And going. It’s been seven months and, except for a few days over Christmas when I was on a cruise ship with no wifi, I’ve written every day. I’ve gotten better. I’ve gained confidence. I discovered my voice and that I have a distinct point of view. People follow my blog and are interested in what I have to say. I started posting on Huffington Post and then, last month, was asked by a friend at bust.com if I’d like to do a guest post for them. I now have blogging privileges there and am reaching a completely different audience. Ideas for pieces pop into my head, fully formed sentences appear out of nowhere. Words have become my means of communicating. Words by themselves, without the design and art crutches I relied on so heavily before.

Now, when someone asks me what I do, I say I’m a writer. Without apologies, explanations or hesitation.

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Thank you Elissa for being my guest and for sharing your writing story and thanks to all of you who have stopped by today. More information about Elissa and her books can be found at the following places.

Twitter: @elissastein

Website: http://www.elissastein.com/

Thanks Again to all,

Kristin : )

If you would like more info about this series, or would like to be a guest please follow this link Writer Wednesdays: The Intro .

Writer Wednesday: Randy Susan Meyers

2010-06-02T05:30:00.000-04:00

"Don't let Daddy in the house." That's what my mother said to my eight-year-old sister one Saturday afternoon. Then she went to take a nap. She may have warned me as well, but I was barely five at the time and can't remember.

Years later, as adults, when my sister and I began exploring our childhood in the way siblings do, comparing scars and recollections, piling up wrongs and shining up our funny stories, my sister mentioned this as though I knew about it. "Remember when I let our father in the house and he tried to kill Mom?" She swore I was there (where else would I be at that age?) but I didn't remember any of it. As the years went by, and my sister fed me more details, the scene took root in my mind and became my memory also. I heard my father sweet-talking his way in and the echoes of my mother's screams.

Maybe this is why I ended up working with violent men for many years, men ordered by the courts to the Boston-based Batterer Intervention Program where I ran groups. Maybe this is why I wrote The Murderer's Daughters, a story of sisters who witness their father murder their mother.

My clients represented the whole continuum of ferocity toward women. They bullied, hit, smacked, punched, and broke bones; some had murdered. When asked where their children were during these incidents, almost all answered the same way: they were sleeping.

Children do not sleep through these traumatic moments. Some freeze. Some bury the horror so deep it can't be accessed. Some get stuck re-creating the incidents in their own lives (like so many of my clients had.)

Many become strong at the broken places and as adults are teachers, nurses, law enforcement; the helping professions are full of them.

When talking with batterers and speaking with their victims, I thought of my own parents. I couldn't ask my father what happened; he'd died when I was nine. My mother wouldn't discuss the past under any circumstances and hated to hear my sister and I examine it from every angle, rolling her eyes when we did made old troubles into humorous anecdotes. We didn't dare ask about the time our father threatened to murder her.

However, I kept asking myself, what if? What if my sister hadn't been brave enough to get the neighbors? What if the neighbors hadn't raced upstairs? What if the police hadn't come in time?

What if my mother had died?

Writing is like that for me, a chain of "what if" after "what if." When my sister and I were young, after being forced to turn out the lights, we'd pretend to take imaginary books off imaginary bookshelves and ask each other: what are you dreaming tonight? Somehow, my waking dreams were always part nightmare, giving the truth that macabre twist we all fear. I suppose The Murderer's Daughters is a story from that childhood shelf.

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Randy Susan Meyers is the author of THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS, released in January 2010 by St. Martin's Press. Her family drama is informed by her work with batterers and victims of domestic violence, as well experience with youth impacted by street violence. This post was also published recently in the Huffington Post.

Thank you Randy for being my Writer Wednesday guest this week and thanks to all of you who have stopped by today. More information about Randy and her work can be found at the following places.

THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS

website: randysusanmeyers.com
Blog: http://www.randysusanmeyers.com/blog/

Twitter: @randysusanmeyer

Writer Wednesday: Stephen Black

2010-05-26T05:25:00.000-04:00

Why I Write

Air Supply are a couple of Australian men who have written some very popular songs. On youtube they smile and/or look forlorn as they sing about being “all out of love.” For their “Making love out of nothing at all” music video they show us a painful romantic breakup, windblown 70's hair and a private jet!

The logo of Air Supply looks like Coke's.

I never drink Coke.

Air Supply is being displayed on the mobile phone on the table in front of me. The table is covered with roasted beans, Thai food and Tiger beer bottles. Buckley is using Bluetooth to wirelessly transfer Air Supply songs to another guy’s phone. This makes me smile.

I'm smiling because Buckley's job is building underwater oil rigs. His life depends on long hoses filled with gases. Buckley’s air supply is a collection of pumps, canisters and gauges, all banged up and in the hands of recently hired strangers who try to communicate in English. Buckley and his team work in storms and they work when it’s dark. A good day is when the hoses don’t tangle, the jellyfish stay away, the current's weak, the pumps work and the waves are predictable. A good day is like winning the lottery.

Buckley sees me looking at the two words glowing on his phone. He breaks into a big smile.

“You like Air Supply! Great! Karaoke! Let's go sing Air Supply!”

Buckley stands up on his stool and starts singing “Lonely is the Night.”

These “Air Supply Moments” might be the reason I write.

A pudgy diver in an orange jumpsuit terribly crooning Air Supply songs in a crowded Singaporean food court on a Saturday night- I need to record this. I cannot be Spinoza, Paul Aster, Mishima, Henry Miller nor Margaret Atwood. But I can use words to freeze the flow of life around me.

I melt these frozen stacks of words, then freeze them again. Stack them again, melt them again. Stack, melt, freeze, stack, melt, freeze.

Shapeless.

Hopeless, as I wait for a drop of knowledge. I'm beyond hopeless as a previsioned frail stream of story ideas disappears, leaving only the sights and sounds of this room.

A man is being given a tour of writers' hell. Everywhere,writers are suffering in the great heat. Some pound their heads in frustration,some stare at blank pieces of paper. They look at their words as though they are reading their own death sentences. They are together, yet the writers are all alone. They do not speak, but the room is filled with screams of Agony.
The man is next taken to writers' heaven. He thinks a mistake has been made, for he sees nearly the same tortuous scenario that he saw in writers' hell. He questions his guide. “No sir, this is definitely writers' heaven,” the guide explains, “but these writers get published.”

So, why do I write?

One reason may be to 'make conceptual, postmodern text-based art' of the very small intersections that exist between 'words' ,what 'words' actually are, and what 'words' represent. Another reason could be that I am simply “too lazy to work, too chicken to steal.”

My father was a book salesman and this could be another reason. But I really don't think that I am writing to please him. If I wanted to please my family- and other people, I would think of a better way of earning money.

The truth is I write without thinking about why I write.

Writing happens to me.

If I were a clever, well-educated writer, I would now conclude with some sort of witty wordplay (possibly Shakespearean) comparing my need to write with a diver's need of an air supply.

But I am not a clever writer. I'm just a guy who fails to understand life. I spend days and nights rearranging words to disguise this tragedy, suffocating as I try to make it pretty to read.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thank you Stephen for being my guest this week and thanks to all of you who have taken time out of your day to stop by my blog. You can also find Stephen on line at the following places...

-on Facebook: stephen black/blacksteps

-on twitter: mrblacksteps

-Book Merah ( a division of Blacksteps) has a number of publications on scribd and Kindlewww.blacksteps.tv (soon to be updated)

-history/photo samples at www.obamajalanjalan.com

If you would like more info about this series, or would like to be a guest please follow this link Writer Wednesdays: The Intro .

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Mike Jensen

2010-05-19T05:09:00.000-04:00

Sixty Minute Writer

“It’s almost 5:30; must hurry!” Talking to myself, I dry off from the shower, get dressed as if going to work, including socks but minus shoes. “This is just as important as your real job.”

I choke down a piece of toast, maybe a bowl of cereal. Only 5 minutes left.
Firing up the laptop, I take my position on the couch: the far right side, turned sideways back leaned against the side arm, legs stretched out across the cushions and crossed at the ankles. The laptop lies across my lap.

“Hey it really is a laptop!” I occasionally muse. With one of the throw pillows propped underneath the lower edge, the laptop becomes properly leveled. “I would hate to put too much slant in my writing too early in my writing career.” I make that joke to myself way too many times.

5:30 arrives and the fingers begin to find their way to the keys in a flurry of hunt and peck motions that would awe many if ever seen. I become a writer for the next hour. Nearly everyday, for a few years now, this morning hour has become my world of fantasy and I disappear into it. It is a world where I get to dictate whether it rains or shines, who gets to say what to whom, and, sometimes even who lives and dies. It is mine.

All others in the household sleep and leave me to my solitary hour. Occasionally someone will get up and make the mistake of trying to keep me company in my office that for the other twenty-three hours serves as a living room for our family of seven, but they are usually rebuked. Not verbally, but visually and ignoringly.

That hour, that room, that couch, and that ritual are how I maintain sanity with all the ideas and voices and stories and characters that roam inside my head. I reflect on aspects of them all the time but that hour is the only time they are allowed to gain their corporal form within the words upon a screen. At the stroke of 6:30, the real world of job, kids’ school and bus schedules will again take center stage and the writer and his stories must go dormant once again.

In my efforts of sixty minutes a day, I have completed two works. One, the first, is too big and yucky for anyone to seriously be able to publish. Not even self-publish, (that was a joke). My second attempt might be something. It’s on a sub-mission, as I call it, right now. With luck, it’ll return with some good news soon.

Why do I do this? Because I want to. No other real reason. Do I hope one day that a story sells so much I can do this for more than an hour? Sure. I would love to eventually not go to a day job. But who doesn’t? I also, however, don’t know what “more” means. Two hours a day? Four hours? Sixteen hours? I might have to get a more comfortable couch.

I admit that wafting within the keystrokes and misspelled words with their cute red swigglies underneath them; I do find slivers of time to wonder if one day I will actually be a sixty-minute author. I like to think one day I will. Maybe I can get a desk. Maybe a home office. Maybe… Until that problem arises, I’ll just worry about my world as it is.

If not. It’s OK. I’ll still be on the couch the next morning. Awake, showered, dressed for work and plugging away at a new story. It’s what I do. It’s has become an important facet to who I am. It is now something I would miss if I stopped. I mean, what else would I do with that hour? Sleep? Sleep is for wimps.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thanks Mike for sharing your morning ritual and sense of humor with us. Thanks to all of you for stopping by today. You can find more about Mike through his blog Miked Up! and follow him on Twitter @mmj5170 .

If you would like more info about this series, or would like to be a guest please follow this link Writer Wednesdays: The Intro .

Kristin : )

Memoir Monday: Mini Memoir of Scotty the Man Hater

2010-05-17T08:39:00.007-04:00

For this week's Memoir Monday I am trying something different. I will be sharing a personal story, kind of like a mini memoir of my own. This is one of those stories our kids ask to hear every few years and it still makes me laugh. I hope you enjoy.

In the early years of our marriage my husband wanted to get a bird, not just any bird, he wanted a cockatiel or a parrot. He was convinced it would be easier to care for and more entertaining than a dog or cat. We looked into buying a baby cockatiel or parrot. They were very expensive. The idea was put on the back burner when we found out I was expecting our second child. A few months later I ran into a friend from school. She invited me and my son to her daughter's 1st birthday at her parent's home. Turns out her parents had a cockatiel and they were looking for a good home for it because they were moving to Florida and couldn't take it with them. They wanted very little money, as they were more concerned about the bird living out his last few years in a good home. Scotty was his name, and according to my friend's parents, he was already 12 years old.

Looking back I should have known something was up when they led me down a dark hallway to a large cage covered in a sheet. Beneath it you could hear strange grumbling sounds and hissing. The sheet was lifted only enough for me to be sure it was actually a bird in the cage and not a snake, or some horrible mutant animal. They were quick to explain that Scotty didn't like crowds. We would have to keep him covered when we had a lot of company or he would become too stressed. Ok, I thought, we could do that.

I left for home that day with a cockatiel, a beautiful big cage, and two separate raised platforms that looked like mini playgrounds. I was told how much he loved to be out of his cage, although they didn't dare remove the bread ties that held the cage doors shut.

My son and I arrive home to surprise my husband with Scotty. He happily helped make room for the huge cage in the living room and then we set up the bird playgrounds on opposite ends of the the first floor of our apartment. One by the front window and the other beside the sliding glass doors. Scotty loved the sit and look out the window, we were told. When everything was set up, and the last swinging bell hung, we untied the cage door to let Scotty out in his new home.

He didn't move. My husband reached in to help his bird out. Scotty squawked, bit his finger, and shrank back into the corner of the cage hissing. We assumed he was scared and left him alone for a while. My son, not yet 2 stayed at the cage. I was afraid the bird would bite, but it calmed right down. Before we knew it Scotty was making soft whistling sounds and saying, "Pretty Bird." My son was giggling, all was good.

A few days later we try again. I open the cage and this time Scotty hops right on my hand. My husband turns to say something from the kitchen, Scotty's feathers bunch up on the back of his neck like a cat ready to fight, he suddenly flies straight for my husband. He ducks, I scream, my son is giggling, and Scotty is flying around in a complete panic. With visions of Alfred Hitchcock's movie The Birds in my head I run to protect my son's eyes. Scotty takes another swoop at my husband, squawks, and crashes into the sliding glass door. He falls to the floor. The apartment is silent. I'm still holding my hands over my son's eyes and my husband and I can only look at each other in utter shock over what had just happened.

My son breaks us from our trance with a one word query, "birdie?" I give a look to my husband that sends him to investigate. He looks back at us and says, "he's moving." My son and I go closer as my husband bends down to pick up Scotty. The bird hops to his feet and starts hissing, angrily, and running at my husband in some crazy bird warrior pose.

We finally did get Scotty back into his cage and, after similar scenes played out over the next few months, we called the previous owners. They admitted that he had not actually been out of his cage for a long time. They also admitted that Scotty, the bird I got FOR my husband, might have some slight issues with men. The irony of this still makes me laugh. We were told to give him time, he would get used to my husband.

Over the years my husband was diligent with Scotty. He kept his cage clean, fed him, and changed his drinking and his bath water daily, but Scotty remained staunch with his dislike of him. He hissed and spit every time my husband got within a foot of the cage. And if my husband were so bold as to lie on the floor with me or my son to watch television, Scotty would open the cage, drop silently to the floor, and sneak up like a bird ninja to my husband's feet and snip at a toe. Or sometimes he would sneak up and just hiss at his feet, which I found hilarious because my husband would just about hit the ceiling every time. Imagine looking down as the feathery head dress pokes over the top of my husband's foot and beedy little accusing eyes stare at us.

It became clear that my friend's parents were less than honest on a few things. They never did move to Florida, Scotty never came around to like my husband, and he lived much longer than anyone ever expected. When we got him he was around 12 years old, he lived another 12 years. Also, there was nothing slight about his issues. He may have been suffering from a bird form of schizophrenia. Turns out cockatiels are very intellectual birds and can suffer from depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia.

Scotty is still missed by us all, even my husband. Thankfully, he kept his hatred focused only on him. My three boys, he would sing to and talk sweetly. He even learned how to say my oldest son's name. To my daughter and I, he was always a gentleman/bird. He would whistle when ever we walked by, the sexy whistle, and say' "Hello." To my husband, he remained a full blown man hater until the sad day his angry little claws pointed toward the sky.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our almost fond memories with Scotty.

Kristin : )

Review: Ways To Live Forever by Sally Nicholls

2010-05-15T05:14:00.001-04:00

I came across this novel, or I should say, I was intrigued by the summary my 12 year old son gave about it. He was doing a report for school and was explaining Sam's story. Later that night, after the report was finished and my kids had gone to sleep, I picked up the book. I knew it was sad and I honestly had no intentions of reading it. I was just kind of curious.

First page starts with Sam's list about himself.

1. My name is Sam.
2. I am eleven years old.
3. I collect stories and fantastic facts.
4. I have leukemia.
5. By the time you read this, I will probably be dead.

I did not put the book down until 1:00 AM, and only did then because I had finished it. This book moved me, it made me smile at times, and cry at many other times. I knew I had to do a review, both to share this story with others and to put words to all of the emotions it touched in me.

Ways To Live Forever is written from Sam's point of view. This also makes it all the more heartbreaking. He knows what his fate is, as do his parents, but the way we know this is through his observations. His father trying to avoid all talk and act like everything will be OK. His mother, nervous and overwhelmed with it all. His little sister tormenting one second and clinging to him the next. The time frame is just a few months, but the writing allows you see glimpses into their past and future of this family. You forget they're fictional.

What I liked:

The story was told by Sam, a child. It's done so well that we know and can feel what almost everyone around him was thinking and feeling just by the ways they acted around him.

What I disliked:

The one character that I wanted to know more about was Sam's tutor, Mrs. Willis. I thought she was one of most important characters. Without her Sam would not have started his book and his family would have slowly died along with him, all stuck in their solitary ways of dealing or avoiding his illness. She allowed him to ask anything and then, instead of answering, prompted him to find the answers for himself.

Some other reviews of Ways To Live Forever:

Livemint.com

keris.typepad.com

Ways To Live Forever by Sally Nicholls was published in September 2008 by Authur A. Levine Books. It is listed for readers ages 9 - 12, although I think older kids would get a lot out of this story also.

Thanks for stopping by. I'd love to hear your opinions on this book.

Kristin : )

Blog News

2010-05-13T17:25:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a busy blog day. As you know I had the talented duo, Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant, as my Writer Wednesday guests. If you haven't read how they have written 7 books together and remained best friends, you should. Scroll down, check it out. While they were awing everyone with their writing process I was a guest on Jamie Debree's blog. She's got this great series called, Everyday Romance.

Stop over to see my idea of Everyday Romance. After writing it I realized what a cheap date I am :)

Everyday Romance

Hope you enjoy and please share what your idea of romance is.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant

2010-05-12T05:42:00.001-04:00

How We Do It

When it comes to writing, the question we are asked more than any other is "How in the world do two people write a book together?" Although we’ve been at this gig for twenty years, and the “how” of this process seems hardly noteworthy to us, it remains the thing people are most curious about. In the beginning, we were really surprised by the question—we hadn’t thought about the “how,” and were completely unprepared with an answer. For us, writing in tandem evolved in the same completely organic, and equally inexplicable way as our friendship had—so it seemed perfectly natural.

Although we met in a profession where we should have been rivals (We were both plus-size models—the only two blacks in our NYC agency and therefore direct competition.) but we realized quickly that we had a lot in common—including a love of books, and we cracked each other up. We cooked up a number of projects together (a fashion newsletter and a short-lived magazine) before we got around to writing Tryin' to sleep in the Bed You made, and discovered that we work seamlessly, almost like we shared halves of the same brain. When the magazine folded without any notice, (and we got over our pity party) we knew that we had to keep working together.

Months and dozens of ideas later, we found ourselves back at the beginning--something we each had fallen in love with as children--fiction. We had both been English majors in college, but more than that, after years of gobbling books like popcorn, we each had strong feelings about what made a good story—and what didn’t. And for reasons we still can’t quite figure out, we decided to attempt writing a novel together. Who had the idea first? Your guess is as good as ours. But no tried to talk us out of it, we talked ourselves into it.

Now seven co-written novels later, before we begin a book, we do the same thing---get together and talk--something we do endlessly anyway. Our conversations lead to a plot, and characters we end up knowing as well as we know each other and eventually an outline. And no--our stories are not autobiographical although we use our own emotions and experience to give the characters reactions that feel real.

In order to make the process work we have to be in the same place. That's how the vibe happens. Sometimes we're side by side at the desktop PC, sharing the keyboard---passing it off to whoever has the hot hand. Other times one is at the laptop and the other at the desk and we're both writing the same section. We come together, read each other's material and weave them together, a sentence or two at a time. We can also write within the same chapter, one going from the beginning to the middle the other from the middle to the end. Then, we exchange sections, add at least two cents to what the other has done, and finally join them. The crazy part is we never know how it will progress each day—we sometimes use all of these methods in a single session. Our aim is for the book to have one, coherent voice. People are often sure they will be able to detect a change in style, or guess who wrote a particular part, but so far, nobody has, not even our editor.

Both our personal friendship and our professional relationship hinge on caring, trust and respect. When we write, our egos are checked at the door. We shed our selves and move into the plot, characters and language of the story. The work is never about us, it's about crafting a story word by word, sentence by sentence, that makes the reader care, maybe even makes them angry with a character. And based on the thousands of letters and emails we have received we know how strongly readers relate to the struggles, life lessons and thick-and-thin relationships we give our characters. That means we’re doing our job. We know that each of us could write a book on her own, but it's a special gift to be able to do it together and we hope we’ll be tag team storytelling for a long time.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thanks Virginia and Donna for taking time out of your busy schedules to be this week's Writer Wednesday guests. I think it is amazing how well you both write together. After reading Uptown and then your writing process I was even more amazed. There is no point where I could detect a change in style or perspective.

More information about Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant:

Website: http://deberryandgrant.com/

Blog: http://twomindsfull.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://Facebook.com/deberryandgrant

Twitter: http://Twitter.com/deberryandgrant

Thanks also to all of you who took time out of your day to stop by. Your support is always appreciated.

If you would like more info about this series, please see Writer Wednesday: The Intro

Kristin : )

Review: Hailey Twitch is Not a Snitch by Lauren Barnholdt

2010-05-08T04:59:00.002-04:00

Hailey Twitch is the typical second grader. She likes the friends she has and doesn't want any more. So when her teacher pairs her up with Addie Jokobeck she is not happy. For one thing, she wanted to be partners with Antonio or Russ. For another, Addie Jokobeck was a lover of rules and Hailey didn't think that loving and following all rules sounded very fun. To make her day even worse, Antonio was paired up with Natalie, the meanest girl in school. She was going to loose her friend to Natalie and be stuck making boring old french fries and following all the rules with Addie. Hailey was having a bad day.

Sitting in her room, trying hard not to stomp or yell about her bad day, Hailey hears something in her toy castle. What could it be? It's a tiny sprite named Maybelle. She was banished to live in Hailey's castle until someone made a wish for fun, which Hailey did. The problem is, Maybelle was banished because she didn't know how to be fun. She would be stuck living in the toy castle forever if she didn't find a way to help Hailey have fun.

This is a cute story about how children can be short sighted when it comes to friends sometimes. She thinks that the only way to be a friend is to boss them around. She quickly finds out that doesn't work. She also thinks friends don't tell on each other, so when Maybelle starts causing trouble, thinking it will be fun, Hailey takes the blame. Hailey has a lot to learn and gets in a lot of trouble before she learns it.

What I liked:

Hailey is spunky and makes mistakes, like most 2nd graders, but she also learns important lessons about friendship, sharing, and doing things for others.

What I disliked:

The ending was abrupt. It left us wondering what happened with Maybelle. Maybe we will need to get the sequel to find out? My daughter has already said yes to that possibility.

A few other reviews of Hailey Twitch is Not a Twitch:

Keep Reading to Your Child

Cindy's Love of Books

Hailey Twitch is Not a Snitch by Lauren Barnholdt and illustrated by Suzanne Beaky was published on May 1, 2010 by Sourcebooks. It is listed as chapter book for children 9 - 12 years old. I think some younger readers would love this story too.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kristin : )

Review: Uptown by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant

2010-05-06T08:52:00.004-04:00

Avery Lyons leads an exciting life of world travel. She has learned to live simply so that she could uproot and move on at a moments notice. A phone call from home brings her back to Harlem, New York, and closer to the family and issues that fueled her far away journeys.

Her mother, Forestina was in a serious accident. Avery assumed she could breeze in, make her expected appearance and be gone before any of her long buried past could be brought back to life. She was wrong. Her mother did not recover from her injuries and she had to find out from the last person she wanted to see, her cousin Dwight.

Avery should have known it would not be easy to avoid Dwight and all of the past they shared. It wasn't just the close proximity of their houses growing up, or the fact that their mothers were both sisters, that connected them. They were as close as siblings, friends even, until Dwight went to college. Something happened then that ripped a hole between them that would last for 20 years. Avery must find a way to come to terms with her past, but she has to learn how to stay still long enough. This means coming to terms with all that has been accepted and rejected by her and others in her family.

Uptown is a powerful drama that pits politics, wealth, and greed against loyalty, family, and pride.

What I liked:

Avery was a strong, independent woman, but still able to eventually look deeper at herself. She took responsibility for her own mistakes and accepted some blame for the way things turned out. Dwight, on the other hand, seemed strong, but was actually weak. As much as I wanted to hate him the authors did a good job of making him human enough for me to read on. In a strange way, the whole Dominatrix thing did that the best. He could live with the things he was doing because he was already punishing himself.

What I disliked:

There were scenes that dragged a bit for me. Admittedly, the high stakes real estate world is so far from the life I live or usually read about. My own inexperience in this field kept me from connecting with the story during those points. But the strength of Avery's character and the desire to find out what happens to her and the family pulled me back.

Uptown by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant was published in March of 2010 by Touchstone, a division of Simon & Schuster.

A few different reviews* of Uptown:

apooobooks.com

Seattle PI Books

*This is something new I'm trying in reviews. I will offer a few other links to reviews of the same book. Since reading and reviewing are so heavily swayed by our own opinions, why not offer a few more. I'd love to know if you think this helps you in your decision to read a book or if it does not.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesday: Nancy Lynn Jarvis

2010-05-05T05:49:00.001-04:00

I’ve been a Realtor for the past twenty years in Santa Cruz, California; I still own a small real estate company with my husband, Craig, although we haven’t been actively working for the past couple of years. Before that, my career was checkered. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, I worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News, as a librarian, and later as the business manager of Shakespeare/Santa Cruz. My work history reflects my philosophy: people should try something radically different every once in a while. That said, before 2007 it never occurred to me to try my hand at writing, especially not a book.

You know what happened to real estate in 2007: it began an unprecedented decline. Even in modest downturns the market becomes a cruel, painful and frustrating place for sellers and for buyers; I didn’t want to work through a collapse because like my protagonist, Realtor Regan McHenry, I tend to become emotionally involved with most of my clients and I knew I would be as unhappy as they were. I decided to take a time-out.

Within a week I got bored with my elected break. I was doing Sudoku and watching Friday night mysteries on PBS — maybe that’s where the idea came from — but somehow the thought crept into my head that it would be an entertaining puzzle solving exercise to see if I could write a mystery.

I had just finished reading all of Tony Hillerman’s books and loved that he let the reader explore a real location, the Big Reservation, and learn about a culture through the eyes of his protagonists, Leaphorn and Chee, two Navajo policemen. I decided to set my book in Santa Cruz, a location I knew well after living there for forty years, and make the protagonist a real estate agent because the world of real estate certainly is its own culture and most people don’t know much about it. Also, I had a stockpile of funny, interesting, unusual, and odd things that had happened during my twenty year career to use as background material.

I had a Realtor friend whose family had originally come to America from Iran after the Shah fell in 1979. He told me he once had a seller client who disappeared two weeks before escrow was to close and was never heard from again. For me, that was all I needed. I decided to put my friend and his background in a story and use my imagination to figure out what happened to his vanished seller. The result was The Death Contingency.

Writing a mystery turned out to be more fun than anything I had ever done before — so much fun that I immediately started on a second book, Backyard Bones. But writing, you’ll remember, was a game for me. I never intended to do anything with what I wrote.
That changed when a friend who always wanted to see her name in print was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. Possibly because my husband and I had a long history of being small business owners, we decided to set up a micro publishing company, dedicate The Death Contingency to her, and get some copies of out so she could have her wish fulfilled before she died.

We know a woman who was an editor in a former life; we got her to edit the book. We designed a cover and found elements for it that were either free or very low cost. Craig is a computer whiz; he formatted the PDF’s necessary for copy and cover. We bought a bank of ISBN numbers, trademarked everything, and went with a bare-bones POD printer who only charged for printing. Our first run was 100 books, about ninety more than I thought we would ever need. Charlotte had a book in hand and saw her name in print before she died three months after her diagnosis.

And I was hooked on all aspects of being a writer. The actual getting a story I want to tell on paper is unbelievably fun, but so is cover designing, getting publicity, and talking at book signings. The fact that I enjoy speaking at book signings and on the radio is a real surprise to me because when I don’t have a book in my hand, I’d rather die than open my mouth in public.
It’s because of surprises like that and all the other marvelous surprises I’ve had along the way that I’ve made my time – out permanent. What are some of the surprises I’ve had? The hundred books sold in a day. Every bookstore owner I’ve met is nice. If you do goofy things it’s possible to get on the Toilet Paper Entrepreneurs website. Costco Magazine will do an article about you but not allow your books in their stores. (Go figure.) People will buy your books when they are on Amazon! Strangers will send you email and say nice things about how much they enjoyed reading the story you wrote. You will become friends with people you would never have met if you didn’t write.

The biggest surprise I’ve had and one of the most entertaining things I’ve experienced during this adventure is that sometimes the characters I make up take control of the story I’m writing. In Backyard Bones for example, it turns out the character I thought was the killer wasn’t. The real killer had been giving me clues to his identity throughout the book, but just like my protagonist, I missed them for a time. What a kick.

But then, you write; you know what I’m talking about don’t you? Aren’t we lucky to be writers?

Read the first chapters of The Death Contingency and Backyard Bones at http://www.goodreadmysteries.com/.

Buying Murder, the third Regan McHenry mystery will be out later this year — the first chapter will be available for you to read soon. Just for fun, while you are at the website you may want to pick up a free recipe for “Mysterious Chocolate Chip Cookies.” Regan is a Realtor… Realtors are known to bake cookies at open houses. ..and so it goes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thank you Nancy for being this week's Writer Wednesday guest and sharing your journey and your sweet recipe. Thanks to all who stopped by today. If you would like more info about this series, please see Writer Wednesday: The Intro

Kristin : )

Some Book News

2010-05-02T10:50:00.004-04:00

Just a quick post today. I wanted to share an article about one of my favorite funny authors, Dave Berry. He has a new book coming out on Tuesday too, I'll Mature When I'm Dead.

http://nyti.ms/aXj3h2

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. I'm heading back to the porch with my cup of coffee and my book. Just about finished reading Uptown by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant. It has taken me a while, but only because I've been juggling a few books. Sometimes it's necessary, but does slow down my progress.

Kristin : )

All Jokes Aside

2010-04-30T09:19:00.006-04:00

As you may already know, my first novel was published in November 2009. It's been an exciting and nerve racking year and a half. I have been trying to learn as much as possible about this new (to me) world called publishing and at the same time also learning so much more about myself; what I'm capable of, what my downfalls are. I'm learning it's important to build a fan base, a platform, and maintain an on line presence that is welcoming and offers something useful to others. The questions I keep coming back to are, How much do readers, online friends, and fans want to know? and How much am I willing to divulge?

This whole on line life is completely new to me, and at my age new things don't come so easily, so I wrestle between openness and privacy and often end up hiding behind humor (cheesy humor at that). This is something I've slowly come to see in myself. Seeing our own faults don't hit as fast as say, seeing faults in others. It's more of a process, like grief, that until we get to a point where we can accept we can not work on making necessary changes. That is where I am, accepting and deciding on how to make the changes.

It's not that I see a sense of humor as a bad thing. It's gotten me through a lot of tough times and helped me to view life less critically. But it can also be a crutch, a way of avoiding something uncomfortable or stressful. When it becomes a crutch it actually builds a wall, a protective barrier, between me and the world. I know this, and believe I have found a good balance with this in my real, off line life. Online, well that's another story. Online, I know that my tendencies toward humor can make me look fickle and even unprofessional at times. This is a problem, because I started this whole on line adventure to learn and enhance my professional writing life, not hinder it. At the same time, I don't want to completely lose my sense of humor in the process.

So, now that I know and accept this, how do I begin to make changes? I'm not sure. I know a big part of it is forcing my self to be more honest and open. I follow some incredible people and blogs online that have both inspired and forced me to look deeper at myself as a person on and off line. There is a difference between the two, for me anyway. I admire the people that can open themselves up to the world, that's not me. I'm a private person by nature. I do pour myself, heart and soul, into my writing, but I think knowing there's a cushion of fiction surrounding those raw exposed parts of me that live in every character I create allows me to do so.

There are no easy answers to this. It's going to be, like most everything in life, a series of trials and errors. I'm just beginning this journey, and know that I will get to a place that allows me to be more open yet keep some degree of privacy, which I think is vital in keeping mine and my family's life sacred and special to us. All I can ask for is patience (from myself and others) while I figure this all out.

My question to you is:

How much do you, as a reader, want to know about the author?

Thank you for stopping by. I do appreciate the time you take out of your own journeys to listen to mine.

Kristin : )

National Poetry Month: The Road Not Taken

2010-04-29T06:27:00.000-04:00

We have come to the end of my celebration of National Poetry Month. It was nice to revisit some of my favorite poems by Robert Frost and find a few I new ones. I'll cap off month with Frost's most popular.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference.

I hope you have enjoyed. Thanks for stopping by.

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesdays: Jamie DeBree

2010-04-28T06:25:00.000-04:00

The Path to “Writer”

Jamie DeBree

I’ve wanted to be a writer for a long time. I guess some would say I’ve *been* a writer for a long time, just with some very long growth and research periods thrown in (though I never dared use the title until just this last year). I started writing in high school with pages of passionate purple prose that garnered my first negative critique and a suggestion that I not pursue writing as anything more than a hobby. It was a sentiment echoed by well-meaning (and perhaps correct) family members, though their reasons were more practical – according to my mom, a woman should always be able to take care of and provide for herself, no matter her marital status. Wise words to this day, I think.

I’ve always had a very clear understanding of what it is to be self-employed, because my father has run his own business from home since I was very young. Growing up with that made me very much aware of the “feast or famine” lifestyle that any full-time writer would probably face, it’s just the nature of self-employment and contract work. So I had already dismissed the possibility of being a full-time writer…at least not until far in the future when I would be retired and no longer in need of a steady income.

I went off to college, working two, sometimes three jobs to pay for a degree I was pretty sure I’d never use and always, always in the background was the itch to write something more than essays and term papers. I didn’t have time to write back then, but I thought about it almost constantly as I went about my practical life. I’d occasionally jot down a story idea or a few chapters of something, and then walk away from it again as “real life” took over.

After college I got a “real” job, and started working 8-5, amazed at how much *time* I had left over in the day with only one job and no classes or homework. I finally indulged my desire to write, throwing myself headlong into National Novel Writing Month and shocking myself by completing a 50,000 word novel. It was supposed to be a mystery-thriller, but turned into a mish-mash of all the genres I routinely read (romance, mystery, thriller, horror, and even some literary elements). It was bad (it’s still bad, actually), but it soothed that deep, aching need to write that I’d been carrying around for years. I still knew that writing wasn’t a “practical” career, so my writing would only be a hobby, but I wrote several more NaNo novels after that, each one improving. I dabbled a bit with editing, but it was overwhelming, and I couldn’t quite get motivated to put that much work into a “hobby”. I even tried to just give it up – quit writing altogether, but then November came around again, and I…just couldn’t stay away. Pretty soon I started the serial novel on my blog…my first novel written “in public” so to speak, and the first fiction I’d shown to anyone since high school. I got a few encouraging comments, and started meeting other writers – it felt good. It felt “right”…like I was doing what I’d been meant to do all along.

Last March, I decided to buy a netbook. A new story was percolating in my head at the time - I wanted to write, and I didn’t want to be stuck back in my office doing it. The week it got here I started writing the novel I’m currently editing for submission this summer. I've been writing regularly ever since – I just needed to be able to do my writing with the rest of the family (my husband and dogs). I really rebelled against locking myself away to work on my novels.

I also started interacting with other writers…and reading everything I could about the publishing industry. My practical side was downright giddy when I learned that there were authors out there who really did make a living selling their books. The key, it seems, is to be prolific, and most self-sufficient authors either sell the big bestselling thrillers, or romance novels. I read a lot of both, but my own novels lean heavily toward the romance side, so it was pretty easy to choose romance as my main genre. My romances are contemporary, but I can’t seem to write one without some sort of suspense element, so I’m calling them romantic suspense for now.

At this point, I'm working hard to set myself up to be successful not only in telling good stories that will entertain people, but also in publishing and selling enough books to earn a comfortable living. My current goal is to publish four books per year, and see how close that will get me to earning what I currently make at my day job. We'll see how that goes, but I'm optimistic. I'll start submitting my first “good” novel (my fifth completed ms) this summer. And that will be the start of a whole new journey.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thanks Jamie for being a guest for this edition of Writer Wednesdays and thank you to all who took time to stop by and read Jamie's Path to Writing. She also has a great blog that displays some of her work and offers excellent advice to writers Variety Pages . You can also follow her on Twitter @JamieDeBree .

Kristin : )

If you would like more info about this series, please see Writer Wednesday: The Intro

Memoir Mondays: On Writing Well by William Zinsser

2010-04-26T06:04:00.000-04:00

On Writing Well by William Zinsser is not exactly a memoir, but it does have a chapter on Memoir writing. So, for that it has earned a place on my Memoir Monday shelf.

This is "an informal guide to writing nonfiction". It is intended to help the nonfiction writer with things like, improving your lead, how to interview and critique. It covers writing about Science, Technology, Nature, Business, Humor, and, of course, Memoirs. In addition to all this I think it offers great advice to all writers.

It's important for all writers to know that "rewriting is the essence of writing" and the best way "you learn to write [is] by writing". Those quotes from the book may sound redundant and simple, but they are true. The more you write, the better you will become at it and that goes for rewriting too. Zinsser puts it perfectly with this thought, "Nobody becomes Tom Wolfe overnight, not even Tom Wolfe."

My favorite part of this book is that Zinsser respects there are "... all kinds of writers and all kinds of methods, and any method that helps people say what they want to say is the right method for them."

Some other great points I took from Zinsser was to simplify as much as possible, grab the readers attention right away, keep focused on what you're trying to say, and if you don't have passion for what you're writing you shouldn't be writing it.

I'm going back over my WIPs now to apply some of these. What do you think of William Zinsser's advice? Have you read On Writing Well, or any of his other books?

Thank you for stopping by.

Kristin : )

Bo Obama: The White House Tails

2010-04-24T05:38:00.001-04:00

Bo Obama, if you don't already know, is the First Dog at the White House. Not the first dog to ever live there, but a member of the Presidential family. His owners are none other than President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle, and daughters Malia and Sasha. He is an adorable Portuguese Water Dog and the narrator of this story told in Graphic Comic form.

In Bo Obama: The White House Tails, Bo tells about his history and how he ended up becoming the newest member of the Obama family. He also explains what it's like living in the White House. The story then goes on to discuss all of the pets that have lived in the White House through out history.

I recognized some, like Socks Clinton and Millie Bush, but there were some very interesting pets. President James Buchanan had a dog, two bald eagles, and a herd of elephants as pets. The elephants were a gift from the King of Siam.

Bo Obama: The White House Tails was written by Paul J. Salamoff, the artwork was done by Keith Tucker, and the lettering by Wilson Ramos Jr. It was published by BLUEWATER COMICS

This is a great way to bring non fiction to kids. They love the Graphic Comic style and adding the first person narration of today's First Dog, Bo will only add to the appeal. I think this would make a great addition to any school or home library. It teaches children history and entertains them.

Let me know if you have or plan to purchase this book. I am also curious about what you think about the new trend in nonfiction Graphic Comics.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

National Poetry Month: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

2010-04-22T06:56:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday, which means it's time for another Robert Frost poem. This is a well known one and another one of my favorites.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of the easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesdays: Dani Harris

2010-04-21T05:14:00.003-04:00

Hi, I'm Dani. I am a Twitter friend of Kristin's and quite honored for her to have invited me to participate in her guest post series by writers. To be honest, I'm stunned because I just started my blog in February 2010 and only began writing in January 2010. I write haiku, senryu, verse....not the rhyming type of poetry.

My journey into writing actually began on Twitter when I accidentally started following writers and poets. If you are not familiar with the Twitterverse, it is quite amazing. It is the perfect medium for short verse with it's limit of 140 characters, and the poetry "community" is very active with several group haiku challenges every day. The general definition of haiku is a verse of three parts made up of 5 syllables/7 syllables/ 5 syllables. There actually are more requirements, but this is the basis most used on Twitter. A word is selected and anyone who would likes can tweet a haiku containing that word, and individuals will randomly tweet haiku, too. I fell in love with the art form and eventually got enough courage to tweet my own words.

Quite to my surprise and delight, the writing and poetry communities both embraced me, which led to starting my own blog haiku love songs. It's also quite unexpected because I've never done any type of writing before and I'm 58 years old. {{cringe}} A young 58-year-old grandmother. I have no formal education, or really even any basic knowledge, of writing. What I do know is that the words are here now and I must write.

I was quite intimidated to attempt this post and was discussing it with another poet/Twitter friend. He said I write from my heart, and I do. The verse may not have anything to do with my real life, but every word contains a piece of me. Sometimes it can leave me feeling quite raw and exposed emotionally. Most of what I write is triggered by a song, or a bird or something I'm doing, like unbraiding my hair....usually there is an urgency to get to the computer or a pencil and paper because the words start flowing. {And I have a really bad memory, being so old and all.}

Once in a while when I read the finished verse, it doesn't feel right so I put it away and go back to it later. Occasionally, I sit down to write without anything in mind because I need something to post to my blog. But 95% of the time, the words flow... through me, not from me....and I just leave them alone.

So, am I a writer? I write. Why do I write? Because the words are forcing their way out. Am I any good? That is something beyond my ability to judge, but I'm having a lot of fun doing it.

Thanks again to Kristin for so generously inviting me here. The final moral of my writing story is that it's never too late to start.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You can enjoy Dani's poetry by following her blog: haiku love songs And you can also follow her on Twitter: @ddh77 .

Thank you Dani for a very inspirational post and perfect timing since it is National Poetry Month. Thanks also to all of you who have stopped by today.

Kristin : )

If you would like more info about this series follow this link Writer Wednesdays: The Intro .

Female Force: Stephenie Meyer

2010-04-17T05:23:00.000-04:00

This is a must have addition if you are a die hard Twilight fan. Female Force: Stephenie Meyer is a biographical Graphic Comic narrated by, can you guess? Yup, a vampire.

You get a look into Stephenie's past, her family, and what made her decide to write in the first place. Something I didn't know was that Twilight was originally titled Forks. After the town of Forks, Washington where the novel takes place. It was later changed to Twilight with the help of her Literary Agent.

It didn't take long for Twilight mania to sweep the nation and it's still going strong with book sales and movie deals. I wouldn't be surprised to see this Graphic Comic become a collector's item.

There is also a history of Forks, Washington included in the back. It covers everything you want to know about town filled with fictional vampires.

Female Force: Stephenie Meyer was written by Ryan Burtan, artwork was done by Dave MacNeil (Penciler), Kirsty Swan (Colorist), and Jaymes Reed (Letterer). The History of Forks section was written by Darren G. Davis and Matt Bellisle.

Please let me know if you have or plan to purchase this book.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

National Poetry Month: Robert Frost + The Outsiders

2010-04-15T05:22:00.001-04:00

I'm honored to be part of Savvy Verse & Wit Blog Tour to celebrate National Poetry Month. Thanks to all of you who stopped in today. Some of you have been here before (thank you for your continued support) For others just landing here for the first time... welcome :)

Poetry is what first grabbed my creative attention as a child and has led me on my path to becoming a writer. One poem that really took hold was by Robert Frost.

I, and every other preteen in my world, was completely obsessed with The Outsiders when it came out in 1983. I had one friend that would rush home to rewatch it everyday after school. I was not that obsessed, but would occasionally tag along when lured by snacks. We actually talked out a life plan of moving to Tulsa, OK and becoming taxi drivers (she had really good snacks LOL). It's funny what a kid thinks is an exciting career. Quotes from the movie became our vocabulary for an embarrassing amount of time. "Stay Gold Pony Boy," is possibly the most remembered line. It was the last words spoken by Johnny before dying, but that fact alone did not sear that phrase into my mind. For me it was what he was referring to that has stayed with me ever since. Johnny had shared a poem with Pony Boy as they watched the sunrise while hiding from the police. The poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

It's one of Frost's shorter poems, but to me, one of the most powerful in message. Enjoy the beauty in life, it is short lived. This poem, seamlessly folded into a pop culture movie lead me to read more of Frost's poems and then other poets, and so forth. It grabbed hold of my young heart and pushed me down the path that I am still trying to find my footing on today.

I still love Robert Frost and play around with prose when the mood hits, although more for me that for anyone else. Writing has been a passion and past time for me since, but has just recently became a career possibility. In November of 2008 I had my first novel published, The Truth Lies in the Dark. I am working on many writing projects now and hope to see some of them made public soon.

To celebrate National Poetry Month I will be posting a different Robert Frost poem every week in April and of course, I'll be hopping over to many of the blog tour stops to read more poetry stories and celebrations.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesdays: Jen Knox

2010-04-14T05:34:00.003-04:00

Musical Chairs: From Journal Entry to Publication

I’m honored to be here, sharing my story as a writer and as a woman who’s learned to give voice to her past. Here’s a little about me: I am a quiet girl with a lively past. I grew up in Ohio, and I live in Texas with my incredibly handsome husband and my “kids” (a Blue Heeler named Buddy & a cat named Cheese). Currently, I teach English at San Antonio College, and as Fiction Editor for Our Stories Literary Journal. Writing is a sort of spirituality to me. I’ve had numerous short work published, but Musical Chairs is my first published book.

So, how did it all begin? Well, my memoir began to come together long before I knew I wanted to write. It began with journals, some of which resurfaced as I was returning to
school to get my GED. In a therapeutic sense (far from literary), I began to reflect, reading and writing feverishly about my past—years I would've preferred to forget, years I felt compelled to revisit. Many years later, after obtaining a degree and writing constantly, fiction and essays, my past continued to come up in my work; consequently, my book began to take shape. I decided my story needed to be told and finally, I was ready to tell it.

Notes on the Process of Writing a Memoir:

It took five years of rewriting, cutting and adding scenes, and revision; and it took a lot of well-deserved rejection. Writers who
reevaluate their work, rather than just keep submitting until it’s accepted are the ones who grow.

Writing my story was a largely cathartic and difficult experience, but it was also gratifying. I think that the actually publishing process was a far more traumatic experience for me. I remember signing with ATTM Press, feeling elated. Then, a few hours later, wanting to call and cancel. Even though I had been pursing publication for a few months, I was unprepared for the reality of acceptance. Was I really ready to share? This is a story about running away from home, about abandoning family and being unable to keep friends. It is a story that recalls my experience as a stripper—a profession that many people believe is demeaning. I began to worry nonstop about backlash; however, the support from readers has been wonderful. Many people have contacted me and said their daughters’ or their own lives have run parallel paths, and they thank me for writing my story. There have also been many people who have written me expressing pity or their personal diagnoses (none of whom, I must note, were psychologists or psychiatrists). But, this variety of responses—the personal responses that memoir invites—has proven that I now have a voice, which is the very thing I so craved during the times I write about. For that, I am grateful that I told my story. Every woman has an important story to tell; we just have different ways of telling them.

About Jen’s Writing:

Jen Knox is the author of Musical Chairs, a memoir (ATTM Press). She is a graduate of Bennington's Writing Seminars and works as an English Professor at San Antonio College and a Fiction Editor at Our Stories Literary Journal. Her work has been published in Flashquake, The Houston Literary Journal, Short Story American, Slow Trains, SLAB, and Superstition Review. She has earned awards from Glimmer Train's Best Start Competition and The ECC Literary Competition. Jen grew up in Ohio, and lives in Texas, where she is working on a novel entitled Absurd Hunger.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

More information about today's guest can be found on her website, Jen Knox, and you can follow Jen on Twitter, @Jenknox2 . Thank you Jen for being a guest on my Writer Wednesday series and thanks to all who stopped by to enjoy today's post.

Kristin : )

If you would like more info about this series please follow this link: Writer Wednesdays: The Intro

Memoir Monday: A Gift From Brittany

2010-04-12T06:00:00.005-04:00

A Gift From Brittany by Marjorie Price is a great memoir about an artist, mother, wife, and friend. Although these titles do conflict at times in her life. Her husband, an artist from Paris sweeps Marjorie off her feet and off to the remote countryside village in Brittany, France.

The move from Paris to their run down 1/2 of hamlet (basically a small village in itself) was a hard transition for Marjorie. There was a lot of restoring to do before they would have any of the comforts they were used. Slowly it became clear that her husband demanded the artist spotlight. He expected Marjorie to raise their young daughter and nurture his art career and turn her back on her own lifelong dream of being an artist.

While her relationship weakened between her and her husband another relationship was growing. Marjorie's friendship with a elder neighbor, who seemed to exist completely in the distant past, taught her how to fight for her own future.

I found two main messages in this memoir. 1) You have to follow your heart when it comes to living out your dreams, and 2) Life is a delicate balance between what you want to have and what you must let go of.

Ms. Price works with watercolors mostly, but also showcases some beautiful acrylics. Her artwork is currently on display from April 3 through April 24, 2010, at the

Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center40 South Carroll Street, Frederick, Maryland.

If you would like more information or to take a look at some of her pieces you can stop by her website http://www.marjorieprice.com/ .

Thanks for coming by today's Memoir Monday featuring artist and author Marjorie Price.

Kristin : )

* This memoir was sent to me by a publicist. No money or promise of a positive review was exchanged. All opinions are my own.

Blog Tour: The Tighty Whitey Spider

2010-04-10T04:48:00.000-04:00

The Tighty Whitey Spider is perfect to review for National Poetry Month. It's a book of silly animal poems written by Kenn Nesbitt and illustrated by Ethan Long.

First of all, the main little critter is sporting nothing but his tighty whitey underwear. This alone had my kids giggling. Then there is a dog that doesn't bark, a cat that can fly, sky diving elephants, and flying pigs! That's just some of the silliness Nesbitt has packed into this 97 page book and CD.

Kenn Nesbitt is celebrating his newest release along with National Poetry Month by doing a blog tour. As an added gift he is offering everyone a look at his first book, My Hippo Has the Hiccups. So follow the link and check it out. The offer ends on April 30th.

In addition to his hilarious books, Nesbitt is also the founder of one of the most popular kid's poetry websites, Poetry for Kids.

I'd love to hear what you and the children in your life think of Kenn Nesbitt and his silly poems.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kristin : )

Healthy Fear

2010-04-09T08:31:00.003-04:00

As a mom of four, I know how hard it is to raise kids today. The never ending battle to teach them right and wrong, sympathy and empathy, good and bad, safe and dangerous. There are a million opportunities and ways to do this each day. Whichever methods or words we choose, we all have to go to bed knowing we have done the best we can to keep our children safe, healthy, and happy. A recent trip to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles aka Defunct Meandering Vexationstation) got me thinking.

A Grandmother was sitting next to me with her 3-4 year old granddaughter. The little girl (donning adorably huge fuzzy bunny ears) was singing songs and reciting her alphabet, with her grandmother encouraging her to sing louder. It was very cute. I made sure to look up after each segment of her impromptu show, just to smile. Kids love an audience. Other people nearby cheered and complimented the little girl. It's funny how bureaucracy can strike up these kinds of kinships.

Where the day took a turn for me was when the little girl started asking her grandmother about strangers. She pointed at the woman who clapped, the nice gentleman who said good job, and me who had smiled, and asked if we were strangers. Her grandmother answered yes, which we were. She went on to ask if everyone around her were strangers, which prompted another obvious yes from the grandmother. Then the little girl announced that her mother said ALL strangers wanted to steal her.

"Do all these strangers want to steal me away?"

" Yes, " her grandmother replied again. "You are just a little girl. You can't talk to strangers ever."

I couldn't help but glance up from my book to see her eyes widen as she looked around again. Her songs and dancing stopped. Can you imagine the fear pumping through that child's body at that moment? I could see it.

I'm not in the position to say that it was the right or wrong thing to teach that little girl. Kids are inherently trusting and it's scary to think how easily they can be manipulated into dangerous situations. But I do admit that hearing that type of blanket fear being taught worries me. What happens when that little girl grows up? Will she harbor this underlying wide spread fears that her mother and grandmother have taught, and obviously at some level still believe? That is not only sad, but scary. Fear is the foundation of prejudice and hate. I'm afraid that teaching our children to fear everyone and everything will set the stage for some serious problems in the future and a huge backslide for humanity (that was a bit dramatic, but you know what I mean)

Anyone who really knows me is snickering at parts of this post. I am pretty much the most paranoid parent around, second only to my husband. I am cautious, sometimes overly so, but I try (or at least I hope) to convey to my kids that there are possible rewards and consequences in every situation. There is a balance, a healthy amount of fear needed to keep children aware and careful, but still able to grow into open and trusting adults. That is what I want most for my kids, because I believe that's where they'll find happiness.

So, maybe the key is adding another goal to my nightly ritual. When I lie down to fall asleep knowing that I've done everything in my power to keep my children safe, healthy, and happy, I will also be more aware of teaching them something that helps them become a better person out in the world when they become adults.

Just think of the possibilities if our kids could be just a little more respectful, accepting, and understanding to each other as adults. Imagine them acting and thinking from these emotions and not from fear.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

National Poetry Month: Into My Own

2010-04-08T06:35:00.000-04:00

Here's another good one by Robert Frost

Into My Own

One of my wishes is that those dark trees,
So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze,
Were not, as 'twere, the merest mask of gloom,
But stretched away unto the edge of doom.

I should not be withheld but that some day
Into their vastness I should steal away,
Fearless of ever finding open land,
Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand.

I do not see why I should e'er turn back,
Or those should not set forth upon my track
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I held them dear.

They would not find me changed from him they knew--
Only more sure of all I thought was true.

To me this poem is about plunging into the unknown, setting aside the fears and uncertainty of the future, of what lies on the other side of that journey through the dark forest.

What does it mean to you?

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesdays: Lane Stephens

2010-04-07T05:43:00.002-04:00

Me? A Writer?

Lane Stephens

My entire professional life has been involved with design and art. From the age of 10, when I won my first art competition, I knew I was going to be an artist. College, then advertising agencies, magazine publishing, retail advertising, and restaurant design were the fields in which I flourished, holding positions as designer, illustrator, Art Director and then Creative Director. I was one of those people who excelled in anything artistic. I have since left the cutthroat corporate world to become a free-lance designer/illustrator and painter, working from a studio in my house.

And through all this, I was a reader… a voracious 2 to 3 book a week reader of fiction. When my husband and I vacationed, I’d drag a tote bag of books along with me and plowed through them. While sitting on a deck overlooking the glittering waters of Cape Cod, I’d just finished a wonderful book, Peace like a River, so lyrical in its prose, it made my heart sing. I closed it and sighed. My husband looks up from his own book (I had gotten him hooked on reading by then) a question on his face. I said, “You know, I think I might have a book in me.” I put my pens and paint brushes aside and plopped myself in front of the computer.

For three years I’ve been on a path I’m determined to see to the end. I have written a novel. It’s a novel of character-driven suspense with an element of the supernatural and an interwoven theme of covetousness throughout…the wanting of that which you cannot have. I sent this grand piece of work to literary agents in a flurry of queries with high expectations of landing an agent. The impersonal form-letter rejections, notes, emails and even a rejection on a post-it slip did not deter me.

It took one kind agent to open my eyes and rob me of my innocence, taking the time to write that though my writing was intelligent and compelling, a first novel -- a morbidly obese one of 197,000 words -- was not going to be picked up by any agent or publisher.

I knew my manuscript was long by industry standards, but surely the quality of the writing would be seen! I revisited my work due to that nice man taking the time to address a newbie with some actual feedback. I cut and rewrote and cut some more. I have tightened and sharpened the prose and rethought scenes… and cut some more. At present, it is still a hefty 178,000 words. My big fat great manuscript is resistant to change.

A lovely publisher at a small publishing house took an interest in me, for whatever her reasons, and reviewed the first chapter. Her input was invaluable, though she declined to option me. She took the time to make page by page suggestions, showing me what an editor looks for and what criticism I might expect. She too, said it was too long, but I was thrilled to get a glimpse of the future. I am again taking my corpulent copy and am dieting it down even further. Every time I can delete a that or a beloved, fluffy ly word is a small triumph.

It’s an all-consuming, on-going process. I reached the point where I could not look at the story one more time without my eyes glazing over. It crowds my dreams with possible plot changes and subconscious nonsense involving it. I cringe when friends ask, “What’s going on with your book?” having heard of it since its conception. My husband calls home and asks, “What are you doing?” and my reply is still “I’m working on the book.” Yes, I am still working on the book and will continue to work until it is a lean, toned and trim piece of intelligent, compelling and publishable literature, regardless of how long it takes. Bear with me, family and friends… I am still working on the book.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I'd like to thank Lane for being the first guest on Writer Wednesdays and thank all of you for stopping by to celebrate and support her writing journey.

Kristin : )

For more info about this series please follow this link: Writer Wednesdays: The Intro

Happy Spring & Easter

2010-04-02T10:47:00.002-04:00
I had planned on starting the Raising Kids in a High Tech World series today, but seeing how it's a holiday weekend for my family, I've decided to postpone it until next week.

If you're celebrating Easter this weekend have a beuatiful one. If not, have a great weekend anyway.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

National Poetry Month

2010-04-01T06:03:00.003-04:00
April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate I'm posting a different Robert Frost (one of my favorite poet) poem each week. I am also taking part in a celebration blog tour set up by Savvy, Verse & Wit . Make sure to stop back on April 15th for my post about how Robert Frost and The Outsiders influenced and led me to the writing path I am on now.

Today's poem by Robert Frost is perfect for the Spring

A Prayer in Spring

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.

This Robert Frost poem was copied from a book I purchased for my kids, in hopes of igniting their inner creative whims. Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost

What's your favorite poet or poem?

Kristin : )

Writer Wednesdays: Intro

2010-03-31T06:07:00.002-04:00

Last week I mentioned my new series, Writer Wednesdays (name inspired by a Twitter hash tag) was starting in April. Here's a brief description of what it is and why I'm doing it.

As a writer, I know how hard it is to make a living in today's writing market. Not to mention that we enter this market with our hearts on our sleeves, well, embedded into our manuscripts anyway. It is a personal rejection every time, no matter how many times you're told otherwise.

Rejections are something all writers have to learn to deal with. It's part of the business. I can say from experience that it does get easier, but it never completely loses that sting. And, to be honest, it shouldn't. How do we write with passion day after day and then not care when it is rejected?

Learning the craft of writing is a process, and so is learning the business of writing. There's a lot of trial and error and a lot of rejection. It can be overwhelming, especially to new writers, but I've talked to some seasoned authors who still find it difficult to switch gears from writer to book marketer. So I wanted to take a day a week to put that aside and focus on something positive.

That's why I wanted to start this series. Not to complain about the state of publishing, not to cry about rejections, but to remember the good parts of writing. Why we started; what made us want to write in the first place, and what keeps us writing despite all of the other stuff.

I want to celebrate the writer. Whether we're aspiring, newly published, or seasoned, we all have our own writing story. I hope that this series inspires us all to keep writing with passion and keep heading toward our writing dreams.

So, please stop by next Wednesday for the first guest post and cheer on a fellow writer, and if you would like to share your own writing story let me know.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Blog Vacation

2010-03-23T20:43:00.003-04:00
I am taking a brief blog vacation to get organized. I will start posting the new blog schedule on April 1. Until then I will continue working on my 40 Posts in 40 Days challenge underground, or would that be undernet? I am excited about the changes coming. Thanks for all your support and I hope that you stop by to see all the new things going on for April.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

And the winner is...

2010-03-22T08:17:00.004-04:00
Thanks to all who stopped by to read my review of The Beautiful Dead. One of you brave commenters has won my review copy of the book and a signed copy of my book, The Truth Lies in the Dark.

I won't keep you guessing any longer. The winner is...

Melissa

Congratulations. I will mail both books to you as soon as you email the address you would like them sent to.

Thanks again everyone.

Kristin : )

Book Tour: The Beautiful Dead

2010-03-19T05:59:00.004-04:00

Beautiful Dead: Book 1- Jonas is the first story in a new YA series by Eden Maguire. I'll have to admit, initially I had a hard time with the whole limbo idea of being caught between life and death. I was worried that it would promote more recklessness in teens who haven't fully grasped mortality. Then I remembered that this book was not written for me, a mom of teenagers and tweens. This book was written for them.

Once I faced that simple fact reading became easier and more enjoyable. By the end I loved the story and found that instead of encouraging recklessness in teens it actually offered insight into losing someone close. And yes, a nice cushion between that loss and having to let go. That is not such a bad thing.

The story begins with the tragic deaths of 4 teenagers (Jonas, Arizona, Summer, and Pheonix) in less than a year. Everyone at Ellerton High is devasted, especially Darina. Her boyfriend Pheonix was the most recent loss. She begins to see the deceased teens. Are these sightings just figments of her grieving mind or was she chosen to help them find out the truth about their deaths?

Darina learns that the teens are part of a group called the Beautiful Dead. They each have only 1 year to discover the mysteries behind their deaths. She must come to grips quickly with both her own grief and the unbelievable miracle that has brought part of Pheonix back to her. Jonas only has a month left to his time in limbo and Darina is the only one that help him find the answers he needs to pass on to a peaceful eternity.

I finished this book looking forward to the next in the series, Beautiful Dead: Book 2 - Arizona. Eden Maguire writes about the intensity of feelings teenagers experience with respect and understanding. I think this series will be very popular.

If you have read Beautiful Dead or plan to I'd love to hear your opinions. For more reviews you can check out the Blog Tour schedule posted on the Teen Fire website. Other blog stops today are Bookalicious and the Portland Books Examiner.

You've made it to the end of my review. Now it's GIVEAWAY time!! That's right, one lucky commenter will receive my review copy of Beautiful Dead: Book 1- Jonas. And...

Yup, there's more...

As an added bonus I will also send a signed copy of my book, The Truth Lies in the Dark along with the copy of Beautiful Dead. 2 books! All you have to do is leave a comment below and you could be the winner.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck.

Kristin : )
* My review copy of Beautiful Dead was sent to me by a publicist from Sourcebooks. There was no payment nor promise of a positive review exchanged.

10 Things You Don't Know About Me

2010-03-18T08:34:00.008-04:00

When my Twitter friend Dani whipped sweetly presented this award to me I was honored. Then I started thinking, what could I possibly say that I haven't all ready? So, after some time I came up with these. A few may shock you, while others you may already know or guessed. Whatever the case, after all is said and done, if you think differently of me I'll understand ;)

10 Things...

I am a loyal friend.

I can be a royal pain in the a** (this is one that may shock!)

I am a fierce protector of my family. I will rarely post personal info about them (& always ask before I share a story) It is my choice to live out loud on line, not theirs.

I am a hands on person & love restoring furniture. I occasionally get carried away. Turned a canopy bed into a baseball bat post bed for my son.

I have my own tools (2 sanders, jig saw, power drill, and an assortment of hand tools) & I know how to use them :)

I love to laugh (another shocker!) I love sarcasm, snark, and all types of silliness (as long as it's not hurtful. I may aggravate people with my humor but it's never meant to be malicious. All in good fun. Life is too short to be serious all the time.

I am in my 30's. I had to add that because in 3 months I will never be able to say that again. I am in my 30's...I am in my... ;)

I don't like routines, schedules, charts (pie or otherwise). I follow them when I must, but it hurts my inner free spirit :)

This one is not yet released for public knowledge (inspired by Dani) Have to leave some mysteries ;)

I use way too many smiley, winky, frowny faces on line. I can't help it. It's an addiction, an emoticon addiction (I'm sorry you have to suffer through it). :) ;) :( :0 :~)

So that's it. I hope I haven't scarred you with any of this. I'll understand if you can't look me in the eye for a while. Just keep stopping by, the awkwardness will pass ;)

And my chosen victims I mean nominees are...

Leah Braemel: Author of steamy love stories ;) http://www.leahbraemel.com/

Jen Knox: Author of emotionally raw memoir http://www.jenknox.com/
Lisa Pietsch: Author of kick a** military novels http://lisapietsch.com/
Nick Daws: Author, freelance copywriter, & all around good guy http://www.mywritingblog.com/
Denise Robbins: Author of techno-romantic thrillers http://deniserobbins.blogspot.com/

Feel free to share some TMI about yourself below ;) I dare ya. I double dog dare ya!

Thanks Dani. It was fun and only slightly painful. For Dani's list of nominations and to see her 10 Things stop by her beautiful Haiku blog Haiku Love Songs .

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Script Frenzy

2010-03-17T06:21:00.000-04:00

As I hinted yesterday, I'm thinking about joining another writing Challenge. I know, it's crazy. I can't help myself. In November I did the NaNoWriMo (50,000 words in 30 days). When I was finished I hated what I had produced. It was mainly dialogue and every time I tried to expand on the scenes it was like throwing a wrench into the story's flow. It took a lot of stressful hours, and a few close calls with the fireplace, for me to realize that maybe this WIP was not meant to be a book at all. That is when I started looking into turning it into a script for a movie. I know, once again, it's crazy. But, why not?

I knew nothing about script writing, but that's what google is for right? I googled and I bought a few books and eventually was comfortable enough to download a script writing program. I have been slowly (very slowly) plugging along since. Recently all progress has stopped. Turns out my inner critic for script writing is a tough cookie. It couldn't wait to remind me on a daily basis that I know nothing about writing a movie. Just when I start believing this, I come across an email from the fine (albeit insane) people who brought NaNoWriMo to life. There's a new challenge coming in April. It's called (of all things) Script Frenzy .

My inner critic read this email, contemplated, and hit delete. Next thing you know I'm pulling it out of the virtual trash can and thinking... I really don't know what I was thinking. Still don't. But I know I love the story and the characters so this could be just the push I need to finish this. Then, and only then can I really know if I can do this or not.

I won't be able to officially win this contest since I started the script before the April 1st date, but I can use it to kick me into gear.

Wish me luck. I could use all the cheering I can get. If you have lost all senses like me and are contemplating trying this challenge you call find me on the website under KCBOOKS.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Life after Monday

2010-03-16T08:26:00.004-04:00
Whew! Yesterday was a tough one. I'm sure it was obvious by my post. A lot of little things went wrong, but it was all amplified by the fact that I am very frustrated with my current computer situation. When the new laptop arrives I will be so happy. It will be liberating to be able to take my writing out of the house again. My old one (the dinosaur) had to be kept within 4 feet of a plug at all times. Even after trying new batteries, it just refused to hold a charge. So to say I'm excited about the new laptop is an understatement. I'm running to the door every time I hear a large truck approaching.

The Ides of March was not just tough for me. It seemed that everyone I talked to was having an off day. My kids came home from school with stomach turning news about a rat being found in a fryer that was used to cook lunch. You can imagine the thoughts that come to mind. It's not just gross, but extremely unhealthy. Thankfully, my daughter's version of the incident was more dramatic than the actual story. The school principle said there was a mouse found in one of the heating dishes. It was under the pan that held the food. Gross, YES! But, not likely to get anyone sick.

My daughter will not be eating hot lunch for a while. She did return to school today looking only slightly green. My son, on the other hand was fine with it all. He just assumes there's mouse in every school meal now. This is certainly proof that the male brain works so differently than the female's. My daughter and I are dry heaving and he's upset he wasn't allowed to see the remains. His day was not all fun though, he came home with a nasty knot on his head from bending over too fast and too close to his desk.

These are just some of the things to go wrong. But, enough about yesterday. Kids are resilient and mishaps will happen. Onward with today. The sun is out, which is great to finally see, and it's another day closer to one when the Fed Ex truck actually stops and places my laptop into my hands.

While I wait for that day I'll share what's going on in other areas of my writing. My new blog schedule will begin within the next few weeks. I'm very excited about the new series and hope you can make it back to check them out.

I've been working on some ideas for children's books and have recently started querying agents (holding breath). I will continue writing adult fiction, but have always wanted to write for children. I've worked with kids as a preschool teacher, volunteering, and more recently as a substitute for years. I am sending out some writing to children's magazines, in a effort to build my portfolio in this area.

Another big project I'm working on has to do with the WIP I started during last November's NaNoWriMo. I will be blogging about this more tomorrow.

April is going to be a busy month for me, but I'm starting to think I perform better under complete chaos :)

Have a great day and thanks again for stopping by.

Kristin : )

Monday, I'm through with you!

2010-03-15T14:15:00.004-04:00
It's a trifecta of gloom today. The date is March 15, the Ides of March we have been warned to be wary of by Shakespeare (& we all know what happened to Caesar when he didn't heed that warning). Some of us have lost an hour due to daylight savings time. Which seems to take a perfectly planned schedule and toss it upside down, leaving it there to struggle like a turtle on it's back. Not to mention that it's Monday, the day that always comes as a shock to the senses after a nice relaxing weekend. As if all of that was not enough, the Connecticut skies have decided to match this ominous date with a bone chilling, wind driven rain.

This vortex of dismality (is that even a word?) has spread through my house. The kids woke up cranky, clothes have mysteriously disappeared (or are stuffed in deep dark crevices), my old laptop is circling the drain while the new one is lost somewhere in shipping land, and that cute little saying, What can go wrong will go wrong, is running around like a 2 year old swinging a pinata stick.

So, what is there to do but plod on, through the dark clouds, around the venomous warnings, over the stereo typical Mondayness. Gently pick up that turtle and set him on his feet again and take a deep breath.

It's going to take more than the fall of a Roman Empire and some storm clouds to stop me, slow me down yes, but it won't stop me ;)

I'm going to look toward sunnier skies, toward kinder days, and leave this one here to sulk by itself.

Who's with me?

Thanks for stopping by and listening to me vent :)

Kristin

Oh look who just showed up. It's my dearest old friend Brutus. He looks like he's having a bad day too.

"Et tu Brutus?" heh heh

Daylight Savings

2010-03-14T18:42:00.003-04:00
I'd like to blame yesterday's missed post on Daylight Savings Time, but I can't. I will blame it for other things though. Why not?

If I had that hour back...

I would have one more load of laundry done.
I would have walked around the block twice.
I'd be 50+ pages further in my book.
I would have eaten more fruit.
I would have learned some new Spanish words.
I could have cleaned out the garage.
I could have baked a cake.
I should have went grocery shopping for the week.

So, I guess after looking at what I would have, could have, and should have done I'm kind of glad for the time change. Because what I actually did today was so much more relaxing. Hope your Sunday has been good.

What could you have gotten done if you had that extra hour back today?

Thanks for stopping by,

Kristin : )

New Blog Schedule

2010-03-12T09:03:00.003-05:00
Happy Friday! I feel great today. Had the best night of sleep since before I had kids. It's amazing what a full, uninterrupted night of sleep can do for you. I feel so good I'm not even that upset with myself for skipping yesterday's blog post. Well, I do feel a little bad. But it is just a blip in the 40 Blog Posts in 40 Days challenge.

But, on the bright side for you loyal readers (you know who you are) it probably wasn't going to be anything blog worthy anyway. I was too tired to think yesterday. I'm back on today and the gears are going at full speed.

Here's my tentative *new and improved* blog schedule. After my 40 Day Challenge is over I will not be posting everyday at first. I'd like to focus my energy on the new series I'm starting and on the existing ones.

Monday - Will remain Memoir Mondays. There are endless amounts of inspirational memoirs out there. My only problem is finding the time to read and get them up on the blog. My goal, and part of my new year resolution, is to post at least 2 a month.

Wednesday - Writer's Wednesdays. A new series highlighting all types of writers (beginners, freelance, published and seasoned authors). Inspired by the kind people on Twitter who do a special shout out to writers every Wednesday. More details on this soon.

Friday - Raising Kids in a High Tech World. This is another new series. It's something I deal with everyday with my kids and think it needs to be discussed. Click Here for the post that explains more. Notice that the title and the week day has changed. Originally this series was planned for Tuesdays and was going to focus on Teens. But as I write the first posts I realize this involves kids of all ages.

Saturday & Sunday - This will be reserved for reviews and blog tours for books I've read.

That leaves Tuesdays & Thursdays as free days to talk about my own writing or new book news. Basically whatever I want, or nothing at all. It's kind of nice to leave myself a few days like that. I admire the writers out there that can post something new everyday, but have to be realistic with my schedule and how I choose to split my writing time.

I hope that you stop by for some of these discussions. If you are a writer and want to participate in the Writer Wednesdays series let me know.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

If you give a wife a chef...

2010-03-10T14:49:00.003-05:00
I love a good home cooked meal, but I get tired of being the one who makes it every night. I often fantasize about having my own chef to prepare meals. Ahhh... but then I thought about one of my kids' favorite childhood books, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.

If you give a wife a chef
She'll smile and jump for joy
But soon she'll want a dishwasher
She won't mind if it's a girl or boy
When the dishes are cleaned and put away
She'll probably want the perfect accompanier
That will bring out the flavor of the meal
For that she'll surely need a trusty sommelier
Next she'll put her feet up
A kick off her Jimmy Choos
So you better get the phone book
and look up the best masseuse
So remember this silly ditty
The next time your wife wants a rest
Cook a dinner now and then
But don't get your wife a chef.

*This poem is not for my husband. He is free to get me a chef* ;)

Thanks,

Kristin : )