Thursday, January 24, 2013

I Have a Confession

I have a confession. I really am a terrible housekeeper. My husband, on one occasion asked, "Do we even own a vacuum?" It's true. "Yes, dear. It's in the closet." The closet is a great place for a vacuum, I think. That being said, I have attempted since last fall to turn over a new leaf. Shortly into the venture, Fate--never one to miss a chance to throw a wrench into things--handed me a broken vacuum.

Did I cheer and do a victory dance over the dead vacuum? No. I got my screwdriver and extra vacuum belt and attempted to fix it. Turns out, it wasn't a broken belt, but a broken part. Not one to be deterred once I set my mind to something, I got online and looked for a part. I found it, but cheapskate that I am, I hesitated buying one. Instead, I borrowed the vacuum from my husband's office. (Not to worry, he owns the office and I was not hauled away for stealing).

December and a house-party came around. I ditched the office vac for my steam cleaner. It was like I was 8 1/2 months pregnant and suddenly nesting. I was cleaning everything. I steam-cleaned all the carpets, dusted, organized, decorated. Exhausting, but invigorating at the same time.

A few weeks later,  early on Christmas morning, we opened our gifts. Guess what Santa left me? A new VACUUM. It was like the year I got a ten-speed bike. COOL! Minutes after opening gifts, I was waving my arms and shouting for everyone to get their stuff off the floor so I could vacuum. I instantly fell in love with my Dyson.

Here's my next confession: I'm still a lousy housekeeper, but I have vacuumed more in the last month than I did the entire previous year (maybe even eighteen months). What is it that has made the difference? I think there have been three key things: Goal, Determination, and Tools. I left tools for last, because I think it has made the biggest difference.

When we have the right tools, it's easier and a lot more FUN getting the job done.

Writing is no different. When we have good tools, our writing journey will be easier and more fun. Some of my essential writing tools are: my laptop, my dictionary/thesaurus, my ANWA chapter, writing conferences (ANWA and StoryMakers are a couple of favorites), and online newsletters from writing oriented places like Writer's Digest and Copyblogger.

What are some of your essential writing tools? Or, the essential tools of your craft?

I hope you will leave a comment. Write On!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

24 Days with the Savior

My friend, Connie Sokol, has come up with a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas by focusing on the Savior.

Here's what she has to say:

"It's been the neatest, unexpected thing. I started posting a daily blog about the Savior, to have a more Christ-centered Christmas. Then ended up having many requests for the full "24 Days with the Savior". So with the help of great people, it's done and live, for this week at only .99 so that it's available to everyone, and we're donating ALL the profits to local food banks.

"If you're interested, you can check out the link below. 

"This has already been a great way to have a more Christ-centered Christmas, AND give to a great cause!" 


Thanks,
Connie Sokol
www.conniesokol.com


24 Days with the Savior

Do you desire a more Christ-centered Christmas?

Spend "24 Days with the Savior." For each day of December you'll find a scripture excerpt and an inspiring thought about one character trait of Jesus Christ. Simple, thoughtful, focused. Feel the peace and joy of the season by knowing Him more fully. Now available on e-book at Amazon.com, ALL profits are donated to food banks.  

24 Days with the Savior

 
 
 
 

Monday, December 3, 2012

Forged in Flame Anthology

Isn't this cover gorgeous? I love it!

From the back of the book: 


Forged in flame, wrought in blood, bone and steel, from the bowels of the earth and the inner most chambers of the heart, dragons arise. Fired by their passion, inspired by legend, six talented storytellers delve into realms of myth and fantasy as they explore what it means to be human.

First Flight: Vanderson Egilhard yearns to fly, but when he discovers his father’s secret, the fate of his family and perhaps the world falls into his young hands.

A Dragon’s Honor: When ancient alliances fail and friends stand alone to face certain doom, one dark secret and Calrym’s courage spell the utter destruction or dawning new age of two failing nations.

Birth Pains: Bellalinde made a terrible sacrifice for love. Years later, her choice sends her and her granddaughter on a journey from which only one can return.

Golden Legacy: Hated, hunted, marked for extermination, when a young assassin hunts down Zachariah, he must decide which of them truly deserves to live.

Heart of Steel: When murder steals his wife from Gideon Hendry, lust for revenge fires his passions. Only his fantastic creations know if he can escape his obsession before it seals his fate.

A Chink In The Armor: Blessed by the gods, Job has never lost a battle. He has triumphed over every challenge from man and nature. Arrogant? Yes, but he's invincible. Or is he?


My take: Fantasy ranks toward the top of my list in preferred genres, so I was excited to read this anthology. The stories are each unique, although some were a little dark. There are a couple of the stories that are steam-punk, but I thought it added to the story. 

I am not a huge fan of short stories, mostly because I end up wanting more. This was true of a couple of these stories from wanting more information to wanting the story to be fleshed out a bit to wanting the story to continue. 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book. No other compensation was given.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Calling All Shoppers

It's a CYBER MONDAY DEAL! (and Tuesday).

For .99 you can purchase The Archer's Hollow at Smashwords. Use coupon code RR65U.

It's a fun, fantasy romance. A perfect way to ease your holiday stress AND a great gift for your friends. Buy one for you and one for a friend (or two or three). Easy, inexpensive, and you can cross a few names off your list. Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Words


I have been fascinated by words for as long as I can remember. I love words that are fun to say, like 'antediluvian' and words that sound funny like 'ululate' (which really isn't funny). I remember loving Mary Poppins' song 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' and how cool I thought I was that, like Mary, I could say it backward. What a fantastic word. (I also grew up on games like Scrabble and Boggle, so maybe that explains part of it, too).

So, when one of my writer friends gave a writing lesson recently, I was excited to learn it involved words. (I know, what's a writing lesson without words, but be patient whilst I explain). One of her classes required extemporaneous speaking ('extemporaneous' might be a fun word if it didn't strike fear into the core of my being). The teacher would give them two seemingly unrelated countries and they had to find the commonality. So our exercise for the lesson was to pick two words out of a 'hat' that she'd prepared and come up with a question for our characters. It was a great exercise and very illuminating. Something you really could have fun with. Don't stop at one question or one answer (typically your first answer will be cliche' because, unfortunately, that is what is at the forefront of our imagination).

Your writing challenge for today: Open the dictionary to a random page and without looking, point to a word. Open your eyes and write down your first word. Repeat and write down your second word. Now, come up with a question for the characters of your WIP.

I would love to have you post your question(s) in the comments! Dont' forget to have fun with this.

Write on, my friends, write on.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

It's a Blog Hop


What is the working title of your book? Narysian Treasure
Where did the idea come from for the book? Umm, my grandma was a florist, and so I started with my protagonist being a florist. The rest just unfolded as I went.
What genre does your book fall under? Sci-fi romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Zac Efron for my hunky hero and Mia Wasikowska (say that five times fast) for my beautiful heroine.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? A bounty-hunting alien encounters an unexpected treasure in his hunt for the Fertility Guardian from his home planet.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-pubbed (I just self-pubbed my first book, The Archer's Hollow--a fantasy romance--on Smashwords in October of this year).
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? I'm still working on it, but I've discovered I'm a better pantser than I am an outliner. I hope to finish a first draft early next year.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Maybe A Wrinkle in Time but with romance. 
Who or What inspired you to write this book? My grandma and my husband.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? That there just may be life out there other places in the universe and maybe they're like us in more ways than not.

Monday, October 29, 2012

ANWA Writers Conference Contest

Spread-the-Word Contest!

It's that time of year when we gear up for the annual ANWA Time Out for Writers Conference held February 21-23. The fun and learning will happen at the Hilton Hotel in Mesa, Arizona (be sure to let them know you're with ANWA when you reserve your room).

We have some great things happening this year. Some returning stars: pitch opportunities with agents/editors, the Beginning of Book (BOB) contest, wonderful workshops, the All-Star Breakfast, the bookstore and the fabulous James Owen as our keynote speaker. New stars to the line-up: the Protagonist Ball (come dressed as your favorite protagonist and have a great time mingling with attendees and presenters).

We want to let as many people know about the Time Out for Writers Conference as we can so we're hosting a week-long contest to Spread The Word. The winner will be randomly picked. You can earn multiple entries using the Rafflecopter below. The prize: a $25 Amazon gift card!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Sale!

Need some sweet romance to sigh your way through the holidays? Here you go: Merry Christmas and happy wishes for however you celebrate!