Overcoming Obstacles

I'm writing this post for myself. Kind of a little pep-talk. I'm in a slump. A hole I can't seem to dig myself out of. I'm filling my jar with pebbles rather than rocks. It's dragging me down.

What do you do to get out of a slump?

Here's my A-list, my rocks if you will (in order of importance to me):

Husband and Kids
Spiritual Growth
Church responsibilities
ANWA responsibilities
Business responsibilities

My B-list, or pebbles (in no particular order):
Dinner
Cleaning the house
Reading
Laundry
Down Time
Grocery Shopping
Mail
E-Mail
Blogging (hah!)
Lunch
Exercise
Bills

Unfortunately, things like grocery shopping and laundry aren't easily put off, they demand my time. And in their defense, I let them. I have talked about putting A-list things first or designating them with an "A" when I send my list to my Accountability Partners. But, I haven't done that yet. It mentally exhausts me to think about it. I told you I was in a bad spot. The only person that can get me out of it is me and God. Perhaps if I trust more in His grace and think less of my own frailty and neediness, maybe I can pull it together. Maybe. (My faith is lacking).

Here is what I want you to know: God knows you and loves you. Whatever the challenges we face, He is there to help us through. I see His hand daily in my life and in the lives of my family. Rely on Him, get through your challenges, your slumps, your dark night of the soul, and like a bright light, Write On my friends. We can do this!

Post-Conference Blues

I love writing conferences. I have been closely involved with the ANWA Time Out for Writers Conference for the past several years. This year's conference was many things from educational to inspiring, from fun to serious, from agents to editors and best-selling authors. I cannot say enough good things or thank-yous to the people who put it together.

There wasn't one class block that didn't offer a class I wanted to attend. (I think that's a first for me.) The two keynote speakers were Brandon Mull and Regina Sirois. W-O-W! Both inspired and touched me.

The bookstore: I spent more money than I planned. What a great group of authors were represented there. Super excited to read them (as soon as I'm done with the four I have committed to read over the next week--how does time go so quickly? Yikes! I guess I should read a little today).

Thank you Conference Co-Chairs, Janette Rallison and Rebecca Lamoreaux, and your fabulous Conference Committee! Well done.

Write on my friends (and start stashing $15/month so you can attend next year).

Over on Five Pages of Something, a blog where I contribute, we are giving away a copy of Stephen Wilbers' Mastering the Craft of Writing. All you have to do is follow via email (enter your email address on the right hand side...easy peasy). Promotion ends soon, so sign up today.

Conference

As you can see to the left, my countdown widget is almost at zero. Hooray. I love writing conferences and the ANWA Time Out for Writers Conference is always fun and educational. I am able to network with peers and editors and agents as well as learn new things about the craft of writing. Speaking of the craft of writing, if you head over to Five Pages of Something and follow by email, you will be entered to win a copy of Steven Wilbers' Mastering the Craft of Writing--one of my favorite books on improving your craft. Join me at Conference this weekend or over on FPS and let's share this writing journey. Write on my friends.

Helping Hands

"Many hands make light work." They same is true for easing burdens of others. One of the members of our writing community, Lu Ann Staheli underwent surgery last year and it was discovered she had cancer. Her family now has substantial medical bills. Any help you can give will make a difference. You can read more about her story and donate here: http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-luann-staheli-cover-the-costs-of-fighting-cancer/303130.

Thank you Heather B. Moore for making us aware of Lu Ann's situation and thank you J. Scott Savage for organizing the fund raising campaign. What an amazing group!

Author's note: Lu Ann Staheli passed away shortly after this post. You can still contribute to help her family cover the costs of her medical bills.

Finding Balance

This is something I have struggled with for many years now. I used to feel like, aside from housework, the things that needed doing got done. Somehow it all unraveled. My accountability partners can attest to this. But this isn't a Debbie Downer Pity Party. It's a How to Get Back on Track party.

What do you do to keep the balance in your life?

In one of the classes in my unfinished Master's program, our teacher talked about the many hats we wear and responsibilities for each. I sometime categorize my life like that. I wear many hats: Wife, Mom, Sister, Daughter, Friend, Primary Secretary at church, Author, HR/Payroll Administrator, Business Owner, ANWA Past-Executive President, not to mention, Cook, Laundress, Vacuumer, Lawn Mower, Closet Organizer, and the list goes on. Obviously some of those "hats" overlap. Most of them are listed them in the order of their importance to me.

One thing that has helped keep some semblance of balance is my Accountability Partners. And maybe by balance I really mean productivity. My APs are my cheering squad and knowing they care about the mundane as well as the exciting is what keeps me going on the rough days.

Something I need to change, though, is the priorities on the list. I'm great at getting to the unimportant things like loading the dishwasher, but not so great at going to the store and buying a birthday present for my husband (I hate shopping, but really, he's the most important person in my life, I should be putting everything aside and putting that at the top of my list. Birthday over, maybe next year).

So, from now on, I'm going to indicate priority on my list with a $. Show me the money baby=I'm making progress in the right direction.

What does this long ramble have to do with writing? My writing time now gets a "$". Write On with me my friends!

Ask For What You Want

Recently I read James A. Owen's trilogy Drawing out the Dragons (also available at Amazon and BN). I had heard the author speak and one of the things that stood out was to have the courage to ask, because we just might get what we ask for. Thank you, Mr. Owen for the wisdom behind that and for inspiring courage because recently something really good happened to me and my writing/critique partners.

It actually started about a year ago. I discovered a craft book, Mastering the Craft of Writing, by Stephen Wilbers. It's a wonderful book divided up into 52 lessons on writing. I asked my writing friends, who are also critique partners, if they wanted to do a 52 week challenge. We started and sputtered and then summer came and it went by the wayside.

We decided late in the year to try again, but to blog about what we did each week as a motivation to keep going. We set out the parameters and blog schedule. But we were concerned about copyright and what we could include on our blog. We decided to ask permission to use excerpts from the book on the blog. Not long after we asked, Mr. Wilbers very kindly granted us permission. I cannot describe how I felt. I think it was a cross between awe in the honor he gave us and sheer joy that he'd said yes. We have started the blog and you can check it out at Five Pages of Something.

It's Almost Here

What's almost here? ANWA's annual Time Out for Writers Conference in sunny Mesa, Arizona. I have participated in this conference several times and always come away with new and usable information.

Conferences are expensive, so choosing one is something to be done with care. No matter where you are in your writing journey, I think you will find something that applies to you. Class descriptions can be found on ANWA's website.

I hope you'll join us, it's going to be another great Conference. If you aren't able to make it, keep learning and Write On my friends!

Creativity Brings Joy

I love the quote by Elder Richard G. Scott, "Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings."

Last week I spent many hours creating. Nothing in the way of the written word, but in the assembly of fabrics. I made two Halloween costumes for my oldest daughter and her friend.

 They wanted to be Christine Daie and Meg Ghiry from The Phantom of the Opera. I took a look at the pictures and went to work. Many trips to the fabric/craft stores, long days, and a couple of late nights all produced fun (and granted, they would never be used on Broadway) but pretty close to the real look costumes. There's something about finishing a huge project that is beyond satisfying. Now, I really need to apply that to my writing.

Let's gear up for a huge project in November: National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known as NaNoWriMo, or NaNo for short. When your cramming 50K words into an already busy schedule, who has time to say the whole thing... I'm in. Are you in? Then let's Write On my friends!

Strange and Lovely

It's a paranormal giveaway.

Well, not really, it's actually a giveaway of paranormal short stories. You can buy Strange and Lovely at Amazon but you can also win a free copy. How do you do that? It's easy, just enter below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Validation

Validation. It's a personal thing. Much like your fingerprint: everyone's is different.

I grew up constantly seeking validation, approval, if you will. My parents are wonderful people and I love them very much, but I never felt like this happened. Then, I went away to college. I don't remember much of what I learned, except that at some point in my Psychology class I came to the realization that there is one and only one validation I need. That validation comes from God. This changed my life. No, I'm not going to go all religious in this post. But I will say that my life is so much better when I feel in tune with God. He knows my greatest potential. He cheers for me every second, minute, hour of my day. He makes up the difference when I fall short. His gift allows me to write. 

Perhaps, subconsciously, I chose to self-publish because I didn't want to face the rejection of the people who don't think it's good enough. Perhaps, which is my story and I'm sticking to it, I'm lazy and didn't want to go to all the work of creating a query, seeking agents, creating a synopsis (really?), etc. I just want to write stories. The best I can. I'm sure at some point I will look back and laugh at my amateur attempt, but guess what? I wrote a book. I will write another one. And I pray that my stories will lift and encourage others, that they will be what God wants them to be. Really, what else is there?

What's Your Favorite?

We all have favorites: favorite colors, favorite animals, favorite books, movies, food, and the list could go on for many pages.

How about a favorite phrase? Or word? Sometimes in our writing we overuse phrases or words. The difficulty comes in identifying those phrases or words (perhaps because we love them, we overlook how often we use them). When I did one of my final editing runs for The Archer's Hollow, I used a list of commonly overused words (that, just, etc.) and discovered not only did I overused them, but there were some phrases I really liked. You can't find these phrases with a read-through. Holy cannoli, by the time I did that edit, I think I'd read that manuscript a hundred times. OK, so that is a bit of an exaggeration, but it felt like it. When you go through and find specific words, you are able to see the manuscript from a different perspective. It's a good thing, I promise.

After your first and maybe second drafts (or even your fifth or sixth), go through searching for those common words and see if you can find your own Pet Phrases. In the meantime, Write On my friends!

Do It Right

I want to share a contrast with you. All the houses I have lived in during my married life have involved rock in the landscaping theme. The first one didn't have any water to the rock except from the rain. In Arizona, that isn't often, so clearly nothing grew there. The next three houses had either black plastic or black weed prevention mesh stuff (I don't know the name), very little grew there and if it did, it was usually after a rainstorm. The bonus being that those weeds were usually super easy to pull. The house I am currently in has lots of rock. Nothing but hard Arizona soil under those rocks, but you know what? Weeds grow there. And not just a few. A. LOT. I don't think millions would be an exaggeration, but it obviously is. How is it possible that every day I am pulling weeds out of the rocks only to find many, many more the next day. When people say their kids grow like weeds, this is what they're talking about: day one, a tiny sprout, day seven, nearly a bush. Can you feel my frustration? Are you thinking "Weed killer, duh!"? Oh, I've tried weed killer. I know, I need a different kind, one with pre-emergent stuff in it. I'm not too confident that even that would work.

How does this apply to writing? Funny you should ask. A proper foundation, or doing things right, saves so much time and work in the long run. Learn your craft, never stop learning it, set a good foundation for your writing, and Write On my friends.

Christmas in July

What do you do when you're about to melt from the soaring temperatures of summer? You dream of cold weather and pick up a good book.

Accomplishing both, my friend and fellow writer, Bonnie Harris, is doing a Christmas in July give-away. Head over to her blog to check it out.

My book, The Archer's Hollow, is featured. If you don't already own it, sign up to win a free e-copy and enjoy a fantasy adventure with romance, of course.

Proper Inflation

The other day my son's bike tires were a little low. After filling his with air, I attached the pump to my own bike tires and inflated them to proper levels. Big deal, right? Right you are!

What I found was that it took a lot less effort to get places with my tires inflated than it had when they were below optimal psi. Which got me thinking. I had heard how proper inflation is important not only to bikes, but to cars. But I had sort of dismissed it. Oh, everyone knows that, my tires look fine, what difference can it really make?, my tires still get me down the road, etc.

I think you know where I am going with this. Even though we hear things or know things as we progress on our writing journey, it's important to pay attention to the little details. Everyone knows you have to have a hook, right? But how seriously do I take having a great hook at the beginning of my story? That's just a tiny example (unfortunately there are more). What things do you overlook? What area of your writing can you improve today. Focus on it--like a laser! This is all about self-discovery and getting better as we go. Having the right things in place makes the journey--writing or biking--much easier.

Write on my friends, write on.

Finding Sheba by H.B. Moore

Finding Sheba
by H.B. Moore

Back of the Book: 

An ancient legend is reborn . . . One that might prove the Bible false. 

For centuries, historians have theorized the Queen of Sheba as only a seductive legend, and scholars have debated over the legitimacy of King David or King Solomon. When undercover Israeli agent, Omar Zagouri, stumbles onto a tomb in Northern Jerusalem he unknowingly finds the final clue that threatens to overthrow government claim to the Holy Land, pits wealthy collectors against one another, and sends ruthless archaeologists scrambling to find the queen’s secret burial place. An assassination attempt on the Coptic Pope, His Holiness, Patriarch Stephanus II, is only the first in the chain of lethal crimes. Omar must find a way to prevent the greatest discovery of the century from becoming the most deadly. 
My take: 

I love when history and fiction come together to weave an interesting tale. This was a fascinating book. My only regret is reading it sporadically over the holidays. There were a lot of characters and I had some difficulty keeping track of  who was who. Other than that, I liked the characters, was sometimes frustrated by what they chose, but ultimately I really enjoyed this novel that brought the Middle East, the Bible, and its characters to life. Finding Sheba is a clean and interesting read that I recommend.

I received a free copy of this book. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.

The Tenth Circle by Jon Land

The Tenth Circle

Back of the Book:

Blaine McCracken races to stop terrorists from unleashing an ancient weapon of unimaginable power at the president’s State of the Union speech

Blaine McCracken pulled off the impossible on a mission in Iran, but his work has just begun. Returning to the US, he faces another terrible threat in the form of Reverend Jeremiah Rule, whose hateful rhetoric has inflamed half the world, resulting in a series of devastating terrorist attacks. But Rule isn’t acting alone. A shadowy cabal is pulling his strings, unaware that they are creating a monster who will soon spin free of their control.

Finding himself a wanted man, McCracken must draw on skills and allies both old and new to get to the heart of a plot aimed at unleashing no less than the tenth circle of hell. A desperate chase takes him into the past, where the answers he needs are hidden amid two of history’s greatest puzzles: the lost colony of Roanoke and the Mary Celeste. As the clock ticks down to an unthinkable maelstrom, McCracken and his trusty sidekick, Johnny Wareagle, must save the United States from a war the country didn’t know it was fighting, and that it may well lose.

I love when history and fiction come together brilliantly and that's what Jon Land accomplishes in The Tenth Circle. I really enjoyed this book's twists and turns and the way the author intertwined everything. A difficult read during the busy holidays because I read sporadically, but when I wasn't reading I was thinking about what was happening. There were an abundance of characters, and for me, keeping track of who was whom was sometimes a bit of a challenge. There is a bit of language, some graphic violence and a vague sex scene. If those don't put you off, I highly recommend this one.

Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and many fine bookstores.

De-Stress Your Holidays

I realize that hate is a strong word but it really is how I feel about December. I love Halloween and Thanksgiving (candy and comfort food--who knew?) but I dread what follows. Connie E. Sokol's new book, Simplify and Savor the Season gives me hope. Hope for a more Christ-centered holiday, hope for peace during the holidays, hope for organization of the typical chaos that rules the month for me. Her new book contains formulae for creating the holiday YOU and your family want and a take-along workbook that completely simplifies the whole process is also available. 

Make this holiday season one to remember and Savor. (I know I'm going to!)


EXTRAS:

Leave a comment here and be entered in a hat-drawing for a free copy of the e-book Simplify and Savor the Season. 

You can also enter to win the Back to Basics Holiday Gift Set. This festive collection includes three e-books, each with a specific tool to create a meaningful season:Simplify & Savor the Season to organize; 40 Days with the Savior to spiritually focus; and the Life Is Too Short collection to lighten up if you need to. 

Visit www.conniesokol.com and either 1) email a way you’ve simplified the holidays, or 2) sign up for our weekly e-letter. Winners chosen weekly!

BACK of the BOOK:

Ready for the holidays? Would you like to be?

This year, organize and re-energize with Simplify & Savor the Season, a three-part holiday planner to help you savor the celebrations!  

First, get ready by brainstorming what’s needed for each of the Big Four—Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Then detail the to-dos, including menu and gift planning, with quick tips on how to lose the unnecessary and focus on the essential. Keep all your notes in this book or its workbook companion, Simplify & Savor Take-along.

After organizing, sit back and enjoy the season with “5 Holiday Juicers”—tips that teach how to keep life joyful, not stressful. Then curl up and relax with “Savory Suggestions, Snippets, and Stories,” a collection of laugh-out-loud anecdotes including “How the Real Halloween Fright Happened the Next Day,” “Thankful for Warbling,” and “Let Go of the Cookie-Cutter Christmas.”

Make your holiday celebrations meaningful and memorable as you Simplify & Savor the Season!

What people are saying:

“Connie's inspiring stories and practical tips will help you do exactly that. She has a wonderful way of speaking to women's souls, and de-cluttering our minds and hearts.”

–Trina Boice, author of How to Stay UP in a DOWN Economy

“Reading Simplify & Savor the Season is like getting an early holiday gift: permission to let go of meaningless frills and pageantry and instead, focus on family and love. And it helps the most diehard procrastinators get organized in time to enjoy the holidays.”

—Elyssa Andrus, author of Happy Homemaking: An LDS Girl’s Guide

“Love it!  I don’t have to hold my breath anymore. Connie is the master at bringing clarity to the chaotic. This book brings to light the little things that make all the difference. I want to tell all women that serenity during the holidays really can happen. What a gift!

–Kalli Wilson, International Wellness Coach

Upcoming Release (May 7)

 

W.A.R.P. Book 1
The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer
 
Riley, a teenage orphan in London, is apprentice to illusionist Albert Garrick. Garrick uses unique skills to enter victims' dwellings. On one such outing, Garrick brings the reluctant Riley. Finding their intended vicitm, Garrick pushes Riley to commit the murder. Riley hesitates and they discover that the victim is a scientist from the future. Riley is transported through a wormhole to modern day London followed closely by the angry and vengeful Garrick. 

Upon arriving in the modern day, Riley is helped by nineteen-year-old Chevron Savano, a pseudo-FBI agent who ended up in London as punishment for an undercover operation that went wrong. Working together they must evade Garrick, who has been become more powerful--absorbing the knowledge of the scientist--and evil through some genetic altering that happened as a result of his travel through the wormhole. Garrick will stop at nothing to find Riley and get the timekey Chevie possesses in order to get back to Victorian London where he can literally change the events of history.

YA Paranormal/Time Travel

A lot of tense moments in this book, some were a little graphic and violent for me. I thought the characters had good development and worked well together to create the tension and conflict that kept me turning the pages and thinking about this story after reading the last page. I'm looking forward to more stories from the Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (aka W.A.R.P.).

Available May 7 at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

The Buttersmith's Gold

Doesn't this look fun? Read on, but be warned, you're going to want to dive in to this tale.

The Buttersmiths' Gold

BATTLES. BLUEBERRIES. BOVINES.

TORBJORN AND STORFJELL’S HISTORY UNFOLDS IN AN EPIC EVERTASTER NOVELLA.

Everyone knows the most coveted treasure of the Viking Age was blueberry muffins. Blueberry muffins so succulent that if you sniffed just a whiff, you'd want a whole bite. If you bit a bite, you'd want a batch; if you snatched a batch, you'd stop at nothing short of going to war just to claim them all. 

Young Torbjorn Trofastsonn comes from the clan that makes them. He's a Viking through and

through – he's thirteen winters old, larger than most respectable rocks, and most of all, a Buttersmith. That's what he thinks anyway, until a charismatic merchant makes Torbjorn question his place among the muffin-makers. When Torbjorn lets the secret of his clan's muffin recipe slip, he calls doom and destruction down upon his peaceful village and forces his brother Storfjell and his clansmen to do the one thing they are ill-prepared to do: battle for their lives.

About The Buttersmiths' Gold

The Buttersmiths' Gold is a spin off novella in the Evertaster series that tells the story of two Viking brothers and their adventurous past. The Evertaster series (Book #1 released June 14, 2012) is about Guster Johnsonville, who goes searching for a legendary taste rumored to be the most delicious in all of history. Along the way he meets a slew of mysterious characters, including two Viking brothers Torbjorn and Storfjell. The Buttersmiths' Gold is their story. 124 pages. By Adam Glendon Sidwell. Published by Future House Publishing. 

Evertaster, Book #1:

A legendary taste. Sought after for centuries. Shrouded in secrecy.

When eleven-year-old Guster Johnsonville rejects his mother’s casserole for the umpteenth time, she takes him into the city of New Orleans to find him something to eat. There, in a dark, abandoned corner of the city they meet a dying pastry maker. In his last breath he entrusts them with a secret: an ancient recipe that makes the most delicious taste the world will ever know — a taste that will change the fate of humanity forever.

Forced to flee by a cult of murderous chefs, the Johnsonvilles embark on a perilous journey to ancient ruins, faraway jungles and forgotten caves. Along the way they discover the truth: Guster is an Evertaster — a kid so picky that nothing but the legendary taste itself will save him from starvation. With the sinister chefs hot on Guster’s heels and the chefs’ reign of terror spreading, Guster and his family must find the legendary taste before it’s too late.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fun stuff, right? Have fun with this and be sure to enter the giveaway!

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!