Monday, November 23, 2015

I'm Falling Apart, I'm Falling Apart

When I was a young girl, my sister had this adorable little doll. Its body and head were connected by a cord. When you pulled it apart, it would shimmy back together while chanting, "I'm falling apart, I'm falling apart." We loved that crazy doll and even now sometimes will repeat her words.

As evidenced by my somewhat lackadaisical approach to blogging over the past couple of weeks, "I'm falling apart, I'm falling apart." The holidays are difficult. I like to keep it simple, but the people I love prefer a whirlwind of busyness that sucks up my not-so-ordered life and spews it in all directions. Even with the Accountability Partnership I'm lagging behind.

I have read a few books, though, as I put my youngest to bed. They're mostly light reading, fun reads that you come away from with a little happy sigh.

Under the Mistletoe Collection by Heather B. Moore, Sarah M. Eden, Julie Coulter Bellon, Annette Lyon, Jennifer Griffith, and Cindy Roland Anderson (I received this in exchange for an honest review)





Cookie Girl Christmas (my personal fave) by Christene Houston





The Mariposa Hotel by Heather B. Moore, Julie Wright, and Melanie Jacobson  (I received this in exchange for an honest review)


and





Sarah M. Eden British Isles Collection by, of course, Sarah M. Eden (I received this in exchange for an honest review).







I recommend all of them.



Thursday, November 5, 2015

Two Weddings and a Book I Can't Wait to Read

You already know that my daughter got married, but 11 days later, my niece got married. Crazy schedules and family in town and tons of fun and beautiful gowns and slacking on blogging. So this is going to be quick.


Four ways to get Banished from the last surviving city on earth are: 1. Cut out your emotion tracker, 2. Join a religious cult, 3. Create a rebellion against the Legislature, 4. Fall in love. Jezebel James does all four.


For the next 29 days, Kindle Scout is open for nominations of books they're considering for publication. There is one by Jane Redd (click to see how to win $100 Amazon gift card, titled Solstice.

I cannot wait to read it.

I read the excerpt that is available and wanted to keep punching the down arrow for more when it was over. Check it out

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/19YG70FO7KJU7.

And, if you like it,  nominate it when you're done.



Monday, November 2, 2015

Turned Out So Lovely

The wedding day was amazing and so grateful to have Jamee Edwards do the photography because it is phenomenal. Here are a few pictures:

 

 





Monday, October 26, 2015

Pornography: To Write It or Not to Write It.

The American College of Pediatricians has posted an article about the Impact of Pornography on Children. The article also cites studies that show a negative impact on young adults and adults alike. No one is unaffected. Please take the time to read it, to ponder how to protect our young people, and to commit to being a force for good in what you write.

In the article, Miriam-Webster is cited as defining pornography as "the depiction of erotic behavior (sexual display in pictures or writing) that is intended to cause sexual excitement".

Consumption of pornography is associated with many negative emotional, psychological, and physical health outcomes.2

You can write whatever you want. But before you do, read this article. I know the lean is not toward clean or proper romances, but when we understand how pornography (written or in pictures) affects our society, maybe it's time to take a stand. Stand with me for clean literature, for novels that don't need sex to sell, and against this erosion  that is so readily available.


There is a wonderful book listed in the Resources, Good Pictures Bad Pictures by Kristen Jenson and Gayle Poyner, available that you can read with your children that gives them tools to deal with exposure to pornography. 



http://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/the-impact-of-pornography-on-children; "www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pornography Accessed 6/4/15"

2 http://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/the-impact-of-pornography-on-children


Monday, October 19, 2015

Advice from Author of The Book Thief

It's easy to hand out advice, to play cheerleader, to pretend I know something about the craft of writing. But what if it came from someone who had actually published a best-seller, a book made into a movie? Enter, Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, in an interview by Sarah Kinson.

His advice

"Don't be afraid to fail. I fail every day. I failed thousands of times writing The Book Thief, and that book now means everything to me. Of course, I have many doubts and fears about that book, too, but some of what I feel are the best ideas in it came to me when I was working away for apparently no result. Failure has been my best friend as a writer. It tests you, to see if you have what it takes to see it through."

The secret to writing according to Mr. Zusak?

"The best ideas come to you when you're sitting down, working. That's when most of the breakthroughs occur--simply by doing the work. If someone wanted to be a runner, you don't tell them to think about running, you tell them to run."

So if you're gearing up for National Novel Writing Month (affectionately referred to as NaNo or NaNoWriMo), get your outline (even if it's a very rough sketch), your meal plans, and your calendar ready. If you're not, set a goal to write every day, even if it's just 100 words. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and you have to get moving if you want to reach the finish line. 

Write On, my friends! 




Monday, October 12, 2015

Lofty Goals

"Shoot for the moon. If you miss it, you will still land among the stars." --Norman Vincent Peale

Well, here goes, I'm shooting for the moon:

BMO HARRIS PHOENIX HALF-MARATHON






Sometimes we have to set our goals so lofty that we cannot escape the work that goes into it every day. I know that if I want to run (or walk, as I am doing) a half-marathon (or even a full), that I have to commit to an exercise regimen six days a week. It's okay to miss a day here or there, but never two in a row.

Writing isn't any different. If we want to write that novel, we have to commit to writing a little bit every day. SO much easier said than done. Life gets in the way sometimes. But you know what? Every day except Sundays and the occasional day I have an early appointment, I am walking 3-4 miles. My husband goes along too, he's my walking Accountability Partner. If I'm tired or don't feel like walking, he's there, encouraging me to put my shoes on and get out the door. (I love our long walks, so it's a pretty easy persuasion).

Find an Accountability Partner for your writing. Set personal goals. Do a little every day. Make it a habit. Our writing group has a goal of 2300 words before we meet again. It's only 100 words a day (excepting Sundays). Easy peasy, right? But if I want to reach it I have to change my ways and start writing just a little every day. I'll be reporting to my APs, my group, and here on my blog. Would love to have you join me. Leave a comment and let me know what your goal is. As always, Write On my friends!











Friday, October 9, 2015

The Dress (Mid-Week Post)

Short post today, but thought I'd post the wedding dress for those who wanted to see it. (You will also see why I'm a writer not a photographer.)


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!