The Sky Has Fallen!!

I'm sitting her looking through my window and I can barely see the house across the street. This is the thickest fog that ever settled in my neighborhood. I've driven through heavy fog, but never walked in it. So, I'm looking forward to something new this morning.

What I'd like to do is stay home and write. There's something so mysterious about fog. Things beyond your eyesight that could conjure up frightening scenarios. This to me is reminiscent of Stephen King's "The Mist." I could write about something happy. A woman hurrying to catch a bus runs into a handsome stranger and it's love at first sight. Or I could write a children's story about a little kitten who gets separated from her mommy and goes on an adventure with other animals to find her way back home. There are so many possiblities!

Too bad I have to go to the dreaded day job and sit in a windowless office which stifles my creativity.

Thanks for stopping by!

Having a Fat Day...

I must start listening to my hypnotherapy CD. I've slipped and now I crave Mexican food, burgers, sweets, and...I love food. I love food, but I let it control me instead of the other way around. Promising myself that I will get back on track. Writing it down helps to seal it into my mental to do list.

Not looking forward to sitting in a five hour meeting with senior managers today. The room we meet in is long and narrow, with an 18 foot oval table, 16 high back leather chairs, and hot! Imagine all that male testosterone sinking into the leather. The smell is atrocious. Not a good combination and me with a sinus headache to boot.

I just can't wait until the day I can walk away from the dreaded day job. Hey! That will help with my food fetish, too. We won't be able to go out to eat very often if I'm not bringing in the extra paycheck. Now if I can only convince hubby of that...

Thanks for stopping by!

I've Loved You Longer...

Last night I called my brother to wish him a happy birthday, um, anniversary. He's been having anniversaries of his birthday since he turned 39!

Our conversations usually go something like this:

My brother: "No matter how old I get, you'll always be older."

Me: "Maybe, but I have more hair than you."

"Yeah, but you're older than me."

"I might be older, but I don't have as many wrinkles."

"That's because you don't laugh as much as me."

"You're stepping on my last nerve."

"Then I must be doing something right."

"I have to go. Just wanted to wish you a happy anniversary of your birthday. I love you."

"I've loved you longer. I've loved you my whole life."

"I loved you when you were cooking in the oven."

"I loved you back then and couldn't wait to get out and kiss my older sister. So, I've always loved you longer and I'll never be as OLD as you."

**sigh** Why do I even try?

Thanks for stopping by!

Sometimes I Scare Myself...

Driving alone back home from Nationals, I didn't turn on the radio or play any CDs. Just me, the hum of the tires on the road, and characters and scenes playing through my mind. Kind of scary, huh?

Not for a writer. In fact, I plotted an entire book from opening scene to end. What an experience!

Interviewers often ask if I need certain music or sounds to "set the mood" when I write. Actually, I brainstorm best in complete silence. Well, no interruptions anyway. I need some "white noise" to keep the ordinary sounds from intruding. Usually I play a Creative Minds cd at home, but that's when I'm actually writing. I find I do my best brainstorming when I'm in the car. for instance, the story I wrote for Cup of Comfort came to me when I was driving on my lunch hour.

I guess the next time I get "stuck," I'll have to get in my car and drive around.

Thursday, I'll be interviewing with Joan Bryden with Port Clinton Radio host for "Food for Thought". August 1st, I'll be attending a booksigning at The Book Exchange in Port Clinton, and the authors are being promoted by the local radio station. The interview will air on Friday. I'm very nervous! The book I'll be signing is JOSHUA'S HOPE, so if you are in the area, stop by and see me! I'll be giving away hand crocheted cross bookmarks with each book purchase. HOpe to see some familiar faces there. It should be fun as there is a car and truck show benefit for cancer going on at the same time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Goodbye D.C.!

Thursday, July 16

I started out the morning by running into friends from my local RWA chapter in line to get a bite to eat and coffee prior to the Keynote Speaker opening session. Suddenly, I didn't feel alone! You can't imagine being in the midst of a huge hotel (which was previously three hotels) with over 2,000 romance writers and seeing no familiar faces! I love people watching, but come one!

Janet Evanovich gave the opening speech. After the RWA President introduced her, she hobbled onto the stage with a (in her words) Herman Munster boot. Her explanation: She fell stepping off a stage at a booksigning event and broke her ankle. Then, to top it off, two days prior to the speech, she lost her glasses! Her speech wasn't really a speech, but a question and answer session. The mc handed her a stack of questions and somehow she managed to read them, without her glasses. Her answers were witty, humorous, heart-tugging, and inspirational. Talk about a family business! Her husband is her business manager, her daughter is her web mistress, and her son is also involved. She writes until 3pm and then stops. Many nights her daugher and son in law come over and they have dinner together to talk business. I love my kids, but I don't think I would want to live that way.

After the opening session, I went to the "goody" room where I gathered up several books for the chapter. The crowd was pretty huge so even though I heard the room was filled with different and new material each day, I didn't go back again.

I came back to the room for a brief time and dropped off the books and then headed back to the ballroom for the luncheon with Linda Howard giving an inspirational talk. The food was pretty good and the staff very quick to serve thousands of people. We sat eight to a table and one waiter for each table. Our meal consisted of a greek salad, chicken parmesan and a sinfully delicious chocolate dessert. Linda Howard was hilarious. She should have been a comedian. Honest! She began by telling us about all the nuts in her family and describing them in such a way that everyone doubled over with laughter. If you ever see her, ask her to tell about her uncle, her aunt, and the tractor, wheelchair and bunge cord. I'm not going to spoil it by telling you here. You have to hear her do it in person! I left full and very relaxed after all the laughing.

I spent the afternoon workshops. The first one was "What Not to Write." I didn't get much craft wise that I didn't already know, but Eloisa James gave a humorous approach. The next workshop was by my all time favorite romantic suspense author, Brenda Novak. She gave fantastic examples of the way to invoke emotion into the sotry. The title of the workshop was "Emotion: the Heart of the Novel." She used examples from her novels, one of which will be released next month, but the publisher had released some early copies (with a cover which will be revised). Of course, I had to leave the workshop and head to the bookstore on site to get my copy! Then I went back to my room for a regroup. I changed into comfortable slacks and met some friends at a restaurant in the hotel for dinner. Decided to treat myself to a New York Strip steak! Yummy!

The rest is history. I came to the room, spent 45 minutes talking to hubby and mom and then collapsed in bed. I was asleep before ten.

Friday, July 17

Slept in and didn't get up until 7:00. Headed down to the deli for a ham, cheese and egg croussant and orange juice. I decided to skip workshops and opted to go to the Harlequin and Pocket book signings instead. The publishers invite some of their authors to sign books to give away to the RWA participants! Wow!! I filled up my bag and headed back to the room with all the Harlequin books and then went back and did the same for the Pocket books. I introduced myself to Roxanne St. Claire, who is going to be our keynote speaker at our COFW conference in September. Went back to room and dumped books! I have no idea how I'm going to get all these books out of my room and into my trunk! Guess I'll have to tip the bell boy a big bunch!

I ran into some friends and chatted for a while and then headed off to an 11am workshop: "Under Their Skin and Straight to the Heart:Creating Emotion with Significant Detail." Interesting and helped to show how to use details properly. The workshop very well followed what the description said. I enjoyed it and picked up a few tips. That, for me, is always a measure of a good use of time.

Next stop was lunch with Marcia James and writers who had attended a workshop I copresented with Marcia. It was fun to put faces to names. One lady brought her husband with her so that was fun, too! Our lunch speaker was Eloisa James. She shared a lot of inspiration about how to use examples from our real lives in our books to truly capture the emotions we have gone through. Lunch was delicious, but I was getting a bit tired of eating chicken.

After lunch, I headed off for more workshops. The first was "Face Off: The Many Faces of Suspense." I really thought it would be a better workshop, with each presenter giving a short speech, but instead the coordinator asked questions of a four person panel. I did gather a bit of information, but I sure was getting sleepy. Could have been the ibuprofen or too much chicken!

Next workshop, I ran into Laurie Kingery, my friend who I'd had dessert with on Tuesday night. The workshop was titled "The Threaded Synopsis." I really need help with writing a synopsis. I wasn't sure what to expect. The presenter provided a unique tool, which can be created easily in Excel, to track your chapters and the actions in the scenes. By continuing to fill in the information as you go along and make changes, it gives a great tool for writing the synopsis when you are finished. Also, it gives a snapshot to make it easy to do edits. Great workshop. I began to wake up a little.

One more workshop to go. I chose"What Came First, the Plot or the Character? The Yn and Yang of Creating Great Characters within Great Plots." This workshop was pretty good at cementing plot and characterization. I'd always thought characters were the most important part of the story, but these two authors showed how one drives the other and how important it is to weave them together. Though I was getting sleepy again, I enjoyed it and gathered a few tips to help.

I left the workshop with a sense of relief. It was over for me. I stopped and purchased a roast beef sandwich and tomato basil soup and brought it to my room. After eating, I felt a bit revived and decided to do some writing.

Saturday, July 18

Today, many of my friends will be enjoying workshops, sight-seeing, and later enjoying getting dressed in evening gowns for the gala awards banquet. Me...I'll be driving back to Columbus, Ohio. Goodbye, D.C.!

Thanks for stopping by!

Checking in from D.C.

For those who are following my D.C. RWA Conference journey, I promise to post later tonight.

Yesterday was an intensely full day and I was too pooped to blog. Heading out for Day Four now.

Thanks for stopping by!

Books and People Everywhere!!!

What fun! My day started at 5:30 am today. I spent time writing before getting ready to head down to the Leadership Retreat. The attendees of the retreat received a very nice manicure and grooming set and a thumb drive with Harlequin books to read! When I reached for my free gift I noticed it had a maroon dot on it, so I thought maybe it was for something special...namely not me. So I took the one next to it without the dot. Geesh, smack me upside the head with a big sausage! The person who had that gift won a Sony e-Reader!!!! Not a good way to start my day. : (

The retreat was a day filled with governance information, how to's, IRS regulations, and a nice lunch with a presentation by Heart of Dixie Romance Writers. I actually got to see Linda Howard up close and personal!

The literacy booksigning at 5:30 was beyond description. Five hundred authors and a bazillion more readers all crammed into one room! Luckily the authors were lined up alphabetically, making it easier to get to the ones I wanted to see. I really wish I hadn't been too tired to stand in Debbie Macomber's long line.

After leaving the literacy booksigning with three new purchased books, I met with fellow COFW member, Kris Branch, for dinner. We ran into Rhonda Penders, co-owner of The Wild Rose Press coming off the escalator. She recommended a little pub across the street from the hotel for good food at reasonable prices. Great recommendation!

Now I'm back in my room, tired, and wishing I had the energy to type up all the stuff I gleaned from the meeting today.

Tomorrow's events begin at 9am! So, it's off to bed for me.

Looking forward to posting pictures of the literacy booksigning. It's so interesting to see a sea of heads. LOL!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello D.C.!!

I drove to Washington D.C. yesterday for the RWA National Convention. What a beautiful drive! I love the trees and hills of West Virginia. The entire trip gave me fabulous scenery to enjoy. I'm grateful for purchasing the Garmin GPS, which brought me all the way without my having to watch for routes. Love it! The only weird thing is Garmin told me to turn left on Woodley NW, take the next first left and I had arrived at destination. Not true! I found my little Camry dwarfed by huge apartmen buildings on each side. That's when my heart started pounding. How in the world would I find my hotel? I must have put in the wrong address! I don't know how I wound up back on Woodley NW again, but headed in the opposite direction. I went across Connecticut Avenue to the opposite side and there was the hotel! The good Lord watched out for me.

First adventure was to wait for the concierge to help me load my luggage on a rack and turn my car over to Valet attendant. The concierge then stood holding my receipt until I handed him a tip. I knew it was coming, but he was so obvious! How much do you tip for a 50 foot walk into the hotel? I handed him a $5 and he gave me my red receipt.

I went to the registration desk where the clerk happily entered my name and took my ID and credit card. Then she told me the hotel had overbooked for that night and they would happily put me into another hotel and pay for the room. I could come back the next day and check in at the Marriott. She must have seen the total panic in my expression as I shook my head and said, "No, no." She smiled and said she did have a room with one queen bed that was ready. I accepted. "The room is available for your entire stay with us." Well, that was nice. I didn't want to change rooms or hotels! I couldn't believe it when I was assigned a first floor room. With 2,000 romance writers, getting an elevator would have been a nightmare!

The bellhop brought me to my room along with all the luggage, including a case of water which I'd purchased back in Columbus. Imagine my surprise to see a refrigerator in the room! Yay! Cold water for me.

After letting hubby know I'd arrived safely, I ventured out and checked out the huge hotel! Had a sandwich and came back to get my camera. The grounds surrounding the hotel are beautiful. I forgot to bring my camera usb cord so I can't post pictures until I return home. Anyway, I took some pictures of the landscaping and headed back to my room. I ran into a fellow author, Laurie Kingery, who writes for Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historicals. We had a nice chat over some food and I retired to my room for the night.

Hooked up my laptop and logged on. I found a google alert and when I followed the link I found that Sarita Leone had posted an interview with me. I thought it was scheduled for the 21st, so I was surprised. Anyway, if you check it out and leave a comment, you might be the winner of a free ebook copy of my latest release, JOSHUA'S HOPE.

http://saritaleonepages.blogspot.com/2009/07/welcome-carol-ann-erhardt.html

Thanks for stopping by!

Washington D.C., Here I come!

I'm leaving in 45 minutes for RWA National in Washington, D.C. It is my first experience with the Nationals. Looking forward to seeing writing friends and making new ones! The hotel is huge and gorgeous. I'm looking forward to not having the responsibilities of my day job, but I'll miss my family.

The next few days this blog will contain my experiences, so I hopw you will take the journey with me.

Since I'll be driving, I'm going to soak up all the beautiful scenery. I love the trees and hills in West Virginia and Maryland. But not looking forward to battling any of the semis along the Turnpike.

Thanks for stopping by!

What If It Isn't A Bad Hair Day...But Just Bad Hair?

If I were a man, I could shave my head and not worry. People would adore my shiny skull. Hey, it would go well with my hoop earrings, and maybe I could get one of those nose rings, too! Of course, it would mean having to shave every day. That would be a downfall. What if I cut my head in the process? They should make bandaids with bling. I mean, a bright, shiny gem would hide the blood and also show that I am a female.

But, since I don't have the guts to shave my head, I must deal with what God gave me. Hair. Hair that doesn't know what I want it to do. I've tried curly perms, loose perms, straight, color, short locks, medium locks, and long locks. Doesn't matter. It all looks the same...boring!!

For the past couple of days, I've used a large brush to blow dry. Result: hair that looks like it has never seen a conditioner...ever! Straw!!

Before, I used a smaller brush. Takes a long time and hair may not look like straw, but it looks as if it's never been styled. A mess of nothing.

I've tried letting it dry au naturale and it looks like I just got out of bed and forgot to comb it.

What's a gal to do?

I'm heading (pun intended) to a new hairdresser on Saturday. I don't know what to tell her to do with my hair. I want a style. A style that's me! What if me is nothing but a boring mess of (gasp) straw!

Maybe I should color my hair. When I did, it sure was easier to style. It had body and shine. Since I've let it go natural, it is so baby fine and uncontrollable that I can't do a thing with it. (Yeah, cliche intended).

I'm going to spend the day stressing over what to tell the hairdresser. Short? or Trim? I'm frightened. Very frightened...

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Learned From My Mother...

...in the last 30 days. Warning - Not recommended for hypochondriacs! Please read with a sense of humor!


1. Never lift a sofa while your husband works on the sofa legs. Causes total destruction of leg muscles--FOREVER!

2. Never take an antibiotic. Causes your system to split in half. One half will be healthy, the other will have serious defects--FOREVER!!

3. Never use a piece of exercise equipment that has moving bars for the arms. Causes a severe outbreak of Shingles! -- ALWAYS!!

4. Never take an osteoporosis medication. Causes your bones to turn black--FOREVER!!!

5. Never take a generic antacid tablet. Causes your bowels to become defective--FOREVER!!!!

This is how my mother has reached the age of 85 with all these conditions. I haven't yet learned what caused her heart valve to malfunction. When I do, I will add it to the list of warnings.

Thanks for stopping by!

Doctors, Self-Diagnosis, and When Not to Listen

For the past week I've had pain in my jaw from where I had the shots from the dentist. This is not common. Usually in a day or two the pain recedes. The pain has been intermittent, worse in the morning. Yesterday my ear on that side began to ache. I had a headache and pains shooting up the side of my skull above the ear. At times it felt as if I were on an airplane and my ears needed to pop. Afraid to go out of town and get sick, I gave up when hubby insisted I see the doctor. Not wanting to miss work I went to an Urgent Care facility.

My experience with the doctor: He looked in both ears and said he saw no infection. Without looking further or asking any other questions, he said the problem was most likely caused by allergies. He said he would give me two prescriptions, Biaxin as an antibiotic and a steroid pack. That's it. He left, sent the nurse back in with the prescriptions and I was dismissed.

Do you see a problem with this? I sure do!

I know I have allergies and I could feel my sinuses clogged, but no infection seemed to be plaguing me. Just the weird pain.

I know I have a problem with TMJ. The left side of my jaw pops when I open wide. So, I came home and forced my mouth to open wide. It hurt. I continued until I heard it pop. I moved my jaw a bit open and closed and from side to side. Before going to bed I took ibuprofen.

This morning my jaw hurt really bad again. I did the same thing with my jaw and now the pain has lessened. I still have aching in my jaw/ear but I believe ibuprofen will help. I've researched TMJ and I'm sure that's the real problem. TMJ can cause headache and stomach upset. I've had both recently.

I am not going to fill the prescriptions given by the doctor. I will take Mucinex for the congestion and allergies and ibuprofen for the pain in my ear. Then I'll call the dentist and have them look at my mouth. After all, the pain started after that brutal session.

Bottom line, it pays to do self diagnosis and do it BEFORE going to see the doctor. With the insurance companies and their policies, doctors are running people in and out of their offices in a constant stream, and writing prescriptions without doing any diagnosis. Please be cautious. After all, it is your body...and your money.

Thanks for stopping by!

Write the Ending...

I've heard other writers suggest writing the ending before you actually reach that point. That troubles me. Since I am a "seat of the pants" writer, I have no idea how the story is going to actually end! I want to be surprised...I think. But, I have gotten stuck in manuscripts with no idea of who the villain is or how to conclude the story. So, what does that tell me? Should I write the ending?

When I begin writing a new story, I always have an idea of who my characters are, the main plot, conflict and how I believe the story will end. How I get there is the surprising part. My characters lead me into new situations and exciting adventures along the way.

I suppose writing the ending wouldn't be a problem. But I just can't do it. Why? Because as I venture along in the story, I get to know my characters much better. I feel their emotions and it becomes easier to show them in action, building always to the climax. So, even if that elusive villain doesn't show himself or herself until the final pages, the stakes will be so high that the climax will explode with emotions and action. Writing the climax is when I'm embedded so deeply into the story that I can't be torn from the keyboard.

I suppose I do write the ending...in my head. But I could never capture it on paper until I reach...The End.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Fourth of July to My Friends in USA

Enjoy the long weekend! I have to work today, but I'm off on Monday. So looking forward to a nice long weekend.

Thanks for stopping by.

In the Dentist's Chair...

On Tuesday, I had to go to the dentist because my tooth broke while I was eating salad. I didn't bite the fork...just a mouth full of lettuce and dressing when suddenly, I felt something hard. Grossed me out when I saw part of a tooth, until I realized it was mine!

Okay, so I go to the dentist knowing that I will need to have a crown. That means lots of sitting and waiting, so I took along my "Fire in Fiction" by Donald Maass so I could spend the time learning how to fire up my manuscript. The doctor came in and looked at the tooth while her assistant prepped the torture instruments.

Next, she applied the nasty tasting pre-numbing solution. I saw her lean closer to read the cover of my book. She asked, "Oh, you are a writer?"

"Yes," said I. (Wondering if I will get something good out of this visit to include in my writing)

"That's interesting." Then she lifted the needle large enough to put a bull elephant to sleep in less than 3 seconds. She rammed it into my mouth and I tried not to jump. Since I was so good, she decided to twist it upward and try again. I did jump a little, hoping she would be satisfied and take the needle away. But, noooo, she jabbed it into my lower gum next. I hate needles!

Then, blessedly, she was finished. Whew. She raised my chair so I could read my book and told me she'd be back in a few minutes to see how I was progressing. Okay, I guess that means to see if I was getting numb. So, I proceeded to read and try to forget what would be coming next. (shudder)

About five minutes later the dentist appeared again with a smile bordering on that of Garfield about to squash Odie. All teeth. You know what I mean? She asked how I was doing. I told her I could feel tingling along my chin now. Wrong answer.

"I'm just going to give you a little bit more, baby girl." (Baby girl??? Now, I'm starting to get scared. Really scared.) So she gets a needle, which has grown in size, and shoots me up a little more.

A little more time reading and the walking smile returns.

Then, the drilling began. Oh, how I hate that sound! The dentist proceeded to stretch my mouth to an unnatural width, and her assistant stuck a fire hose into the opposite side of my mouth to siphen out the overflow (or to hide the blood?). I hear them chatting happily, while I'm verging on a migraine headache. Pain throbbing in my temples, while the drilling continues. I'm praying they finish soon. Not going to happen.

Next, they put a rubber thing between my teeth and tell me to bite down. That is supposed to keep my mouth just right for the drilling to continue. But, the doctor is having a problem getting to one side of my tooth. So, they change sides! Now the dentist is on my left and with a happy grin, says, "Ah, this is much better!"

They talk about how great I'm doing. How do they know? They have no idea I'd like to club both of them and shove the drill down their throats! Now I can smell something burning. And taste burnt residue in my mouth. Oh, please, I pray, haven't they reached my stomach yet?

Finally, they finish. Both are happily praising the wonderful job they did. The rubber thing is removed from my mouth and two Garfield faces look at me. "You're such a good patient."

I try to smile, know I'm smiling lopsided, and say, "Actually, I'm just preparing my fists to slug both of you."

Laughter. They think I'm kidding.

"Our patient is a writer," says the dentist. "Maybe we'll wind up in her next book."

I reply, "Oh, don't worry. You will. Both of you. I will kill you both. It's legal you know!"

More laughter.

Then they squirt a ton of mushy cold clay down my throat and tell me to bite down.

Have you ever heard a dentist rave about making a wonderful impression? Have you ever seen what those impressions look like? I have. My dentist showed me. She was so happy with the way it turned out. She explained everything, like "See this? This is where your gum is...and this is...oh, this is just so beautiful!" It looks like blue and orange brass knuckles to me.

After one more impression, the assistant finally seats the temporary crown and I'm free to go...after I pay $300 for the first half of the expense of having a permanent crown made.

Sigh...so much pain for so much money.

Then I have to go back to work. My throat is numb, my bottom lip is numb, my tongue is numb, the whole left side of my face is numb. I looked at myself and tried to smile. Nearly screamed. What a scary thing to behold! So, I stopped and bought myself a chocolate Frosty for lunch. I mean, what else could I eat? I closed my office door because I didn't want anyone to see how much trouble I had trying to slurp that ice cream off the spoon seated in the right side of my mouth. Then I looked down and saw a nice chocolate drip on my blouse. Thank goodness for Tide to Go. I cleaned that spot and then proceeded to eat again. Looked down and found another drip on my blouse. Cleaned that. Grabbed my little mirror and looked at myself. A big blog of chocolate was sitting on my chin. And I didn't even feel it!

A couple of hours later, I could speak with some clarity. Boss called me in. We chatted about a report and when I got up to leave he said, "Do you have any idea how you sound when you talk?" Then, this high faluting president said, "blubba, blub, blub, blubba!" My face must have shown my shock. Then he said, "Just kidding."

Oh, not funny. He will also be killed off in my novel.

Thanks for stopping by!

I Need Help...I Am A Perfectionist!

I admit that I am a perfectionist. I don't know if I can ever be cured.

Being a perfectionist keeps me from sleeping. Problems crawl around in my head like little parasites and won't leave me alone.

What am I to do?

I took the test on Discovery Health on Perfectionism. Click here to take the test: http://discoveryhealth.queendom.com/perfectionism_abridged_access.html

Their description of Perfectionism is below, followed by my score and what it means.

About Perfectionism
Perfectionism can be a healthy quality that drives a person to try his/her best and to make the effort to excel. Some people, however, take the strive for perfection too far...and there is a price to pay. Extreme perfectionists are forever dissatisfied; they can never fulfill their own expectations so, in their own eyes, they are always failures. Chronic perfectionism is driven by deep-seated feelings of inferiority and self-hate, and by nature it reinforces a negative self-image. Performing tasks or fulfilling goals becomes intimidating and unpleasant, since the perfectionist knows deep down that the finished product will never meet his/her expectations. So the perfectionist might have problems with procrastination. Perfectionism, then, can become a double-edged sword - the perfectionist is driven by a desire to succeed, as well as a fear of failure which leaves him/her paralyzed.

In all realms, striving for excellence can be beneficial and lead to a fulfilling professional and personal life. Accepting nothing less than excellence, on the other hand, can be emotionally scarring.




Results of Your Perfectionism Test

Perfectionism

Your score = 63




What does your score mean?
According to this test, you have some perfectionist tendencies that may be making you unnecessarily unhappy. You sometimes set high standards that are difficult to meet; either you impose those expectations on yourself, others, or a combination of the two. You may even think that others expect you to be perfect. While a desire to do your very best and strive to reach your full potential can bring you personal fulfillment, you have to learn when good is 'good enough'. It's important that you strengthen your ability to distinguish between reasonable aspirations and unrealistic demands. When you set unattainable objectives, you are being cruel to yourself and denying yourself the rewards and self-acceptance that you deserve.

A Dangerous Salad

Yesterday for lunch I wanted a salad. Boy, did it look yummy! A perfect day, warm and comfortable, sunny, and nice wind blowing. I usually sit in my car at lunch to just get away and do some quiet brainstorming or reading. It doesn't get better than this.

So, I took my very first bite of mixed greens and bit on something hard! I maneuvered it around until I could grab it and...it was a piece of tooth. A large piece of tooth. At first I was grossed out and ready to go back to the restaurant and demand my money back. Then...I remembered that cracked molar that I've been ignoring for a year and a half.

Wiggled tongue around in mouth and felt the sharp edges of broken tooth. Argh! The only good thing is it isn't causing any pain. Well, unless you count the place where my tongue comes in contact and is irritated.

Today will consist of a trip to the dentist. Now I'm only hoping they can get it crowned before RWA National, but there's little hope for that. Temporary caps and I do not get along.

And, I have a headache so going to the dentist does not bode well for me today.

On a lighter note, I just might stay home today and write. I'm not good with dentists, numbing meds, drilling, and swollen face. I suppose I could write this into my manuscript somehow. Maybe torturing one of my characters will make me feel better.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mental Blocks or Writing Blocks?

It started the day I knew my mother would move in with me. I hit a mental block about my writing. I chalked it up to having way too much on my plate. So, I stepped back and allowed myself some time to "take care of personal business."

Along the way, I'd open my manuscript, edit/write a page or two, get excited about the project, and... Something would come up and days/weeks would pass without my looking at it again.

Did I have writer's block?

No. A mental block is not writer's block. In fact, I've said this before. I don't believe in writer's block. I do, however, believe in mental blocks. Our internal editor entangles issues and fears in our brain that have nothing at all to do with our abilities, and the result is shutdown.

Case in point: I invited some dear friends to dinner. Having eight kids, trust me, I've never had a problem with cooking for anyone. But, after planning the menu, I stalled. As the day drew nearer, I couldn't imagine cooking anything. Everything seemed wrong. Inadequate. I even started searching the internet looking for menus. What happened to me? A simple cook-out meal should not be something to stress over. I had to dig deep for the answer. As a child, I never felt anything I did was "good" enough. My mother, bless her heart, wanted more for me than she'd accomplished. Unhappy with her lot in life, she alternated between being jealous of my accomplishments and pushing me to do more. Now she's living with me again. My mind is struggling with the confident adult and the incompetent child. Thus, I hit these mental blocks.

Opening my manuscript every day is mandatory.

How about you? If you think you have writer's block, maybe you should look deeper inside and ferret out the real problem. Only then can you overcome the obstacle.

Oh, yes. We had a great time, good food, laughter, and bonding with our friends. And, my manuscript is moving right along.

Thanks for stopping by.

Press Kit...Media...Pictures

I don't look like that! I'm the picture taker in our family, so rarely do I show up in any of our family shots. But when I do, I look like a dork!! I swear I don't look like those pictures. *sigh*

Now I need to put together a press kit, complete with picture. So, what's a gal to do? I understand there are copyright issues when you have your pictures made professionally and you aren't allowed to publish them. I'd rather not get into the issue, thank you very much.

I could ask my hubby to take a picture, but then I'd be headless. Trust me, the part below the head is much worse than the full face.

That leaves me to doing some creative things with the timer on my camera. The problem is getting it set up just right and the lighting just right and body angle just right and...

Forget it. I think I'll just use my cat's picture. After all, I'm a suspense writer. Why not keep the readers in suspense as to what I really look like!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weaving Romance, Suspense, and Inspiration...

...is not easy to do. How do you get the correct balance?

My latest manuscript is challenging me. I have a great conflict. The characters have gripped my heart.

But, when I thing too hard about getting the right balance of everything, it stops my progress. That dratted inner editor keeps whispering in my ear.

So, what to do? I decided to try something different. I'm going to finish the book focusing on the romance and development between the characters as they deal with the mystery/suspense that has drawn them together. I'm not comfortable with quoting scripture as some authors do.

Maybe I shouldn't classify my romance as an inspirational. True, my characters are christian, but I want them to be real people, not cardboard christians that I see in a lot of inspirational books.

Guess that means this book may never get published. But...it will get written, and when I'm finished, I can sing, "I Did It My Way!"

Have a great day. Thanks for stopping by.

Getting Prepared for Nationals

So many workshops, so little time.

I'm excited about attending the RWA National Convention for the first time ever. I'm probably one of the few who will be in a room by myself. Why? I get really stressed in crowds and I'm not a party person. Sooo, after a long day of attending workshops, I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet of my room. Hoping to get inspiration to work on my novel in the evenings and spend time talking to my loved ones at home.

But, how do I choose the right workshops? So many workshops, so little time....

Thanks for stopping by!

Writing is Cathartic

Writing for me is cathartic. I've used the method for years to cleanse the sad feelings from my heart. The first time I realized I could use my writing gift for this purpose was to cope with the death of a little baby. My best friend in grade school's brother and his wife had a little girl. She was so beautiful. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and unfortunately she had a disease which took her at a very young age of two. I was fourteen at the time. I remember sitting in my room, alone, crying and trying to make sense of the senseless. I picked up a notebook and pen and wrote a poem, pouring out all the hurt and anger about death.

Since then, I've found my release in words.

If only we could bottle up the extreme ends of our emotions and release them in the scenes of our novels, there would be a lot more best-selling authors.

Sometimes my novels start from scenes which are derived from the depth of an emotion. The actual book may or may not even contain that scene in the final version, but writing it down is cathartic.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sometimes You Just Have to Cry

And that's what I'm about to do right now, so I decided to blog about it instead. I'd forgotten that my childhood wasn't exactly a normal one. I don't think my mother ever really loved me...or my brother or sisters. She moved away from her kids when she got her second divorce. My brother went with his dad, my sister went to live with her uncle, and I went to live with my grandparents. My father was killed in the war when I was just a baby. So...I remember seeing my mom occasionally. A visit once or twice a year. But after she got remarried four years later, she came to get me. I spent a lot of time alone, reading, playing outdoors...a loner. I began spinning stories in my head back then. Books were my escape. I moved away from home when I was seventeen and only went back for a visit once a year.

For some reason, my mother has always seemed to resent me. She never said she loved me and nothing I ever did was good enough. I was second rate to my friends, my cousins, everyone. She says with a vengeance that she hated her own mother. Over the years I heard nothing but horrible stories about how her mother hated her. So, when my grandmother loved me and gave me things, my mother resented me even more. I remember her screaming and pulling my hair so hard that it came out in her hands. She would beat me with her fists on my back.

I suppose she felt that I had taken the love from my grandmother that she should have had. At least, that's my psychological take on it.

Then came the time when my mother could no longer keep her home. She had spent all her money, she was alone, and the doctors told her that due to her heart condition she shouldn't be alone. I've always told her she had a home with me and my husband any time she needed it. Finally, in January of this year, she said she'd made up her mind and she would come to live with us. Over the next few months, we remodeled and did everything we could to make our home more comfortable for her. But, she sounded like her life was coming to an end as the date drew closer.

Now she's here and she seems to be content. She smiles more. She has people to talk to, she loves the cats, but...she resents the fact that she has to live with me. She had to leave her home and a lot of her possessions behind. And, I know how hard that must have been. I try not to take it personally when she reminds me in a not so nice way that something she had was left behind. Before she moved here, she told me she really didn't want to move, and I told her it wasn't too late. Her response was a not so nicely toned, "Well, what do you expect me to do? I don't have any choice!" **sigh**

I really thought it would get better, and I suppose it has for her. But now I've reverted back to childhood emotions. My mother doesn't really like me. I can't please her. I try. Maybe I try too hard.

This is Father's Day. I told my hubby he could have anything he wanted for dinner. He chose to go to Bob Evans. At five, I told Mom that we were going out to Bob Evans for dinner and asked if she felt like going along. She said, "Yes." She said she'd been resting in the chair all day and felt fine. So I told her we would leave around six.

All was well, until we reached Bob Evans and she got out of the car and was walking to the door. Suddenly, she turned to me and said, "The next time it's hot like this, don't ask me to go out! I can't take this heat!"

I said, "Mom, you said you wanted to come."

She: "I know. But when it's hot outside, I say indoors. When I was in my own home, if I stuck my head out and it was hot, I went back inside and stayed there."

So, I asked if she wanted me to take her back home.

She declined.

Then, as we walked up to the hostess, mom looked at me and said, "Jessie used to go places without me. I didn't have to go with her all the time."

So what do I do? Sometimes I feel like I should just stay in my office downstairs and out of her way.

Nothing I do is right. I'm an adult now. Why does it still hurt me so much?

Cats...Intuitive Healers

Recently we moved my mother into our home. She had two furry cat babies, Maggie and Blacky. Both were elderly and Mom felt they wouldn't survive the long trip to Ohio, so she chose to leave them behind. It's hard to adopt out elderly cats, but we found a no-kill shelter and have hope that someone will open their hearts and adopt them. I know how sad she was to leave her beloved family home and her babies, but there there was no choice. She couldn't afford to keep up her home any longer. When she called with her decision, we immediately made plans to remodel and rearrange our home to accomodate her.
I'm so blessed to have her with me, and she's so much happier now with having people around her to talk to. But, I could tell how much she missed her babies. We have three cats, Charlotte, Wilbur, and Templeton (yeah, can you tell I'm a writer!). Charlotte, like most Divas, chooses the time she wants to spend with us mere humans. However, the boys are a different story. Inquisitive, and very loving, they are people cats. They sensed Mom's need for feline companionship. Wilbur sleeps with her, and when she's in her recliner watching television, he's either on the arm of the chair, in her lap, or laying on the back of the chair, swinging his big furry tail in front of her face. Templeton has been in her lap, too, but he's so much more inquisitive.
Yesterday something really cute happened. If I'd been home I would have taken a picture. He's been investigating her walker. It has a little area where you can sit things, or yourself, and a basket which she uses to keep things handy. Mom has taken over making our bed and hers. It's one thing she can do which makes her feel helpful. Anyway, yesterday Templeton jumped on the walker and was sitting on the little "chair" part. Mom got out of her chair and said, "Do you want to go for a ride? Come on, I have to make the beds." She proceeded to walk down the hall to our bedroom and Templeton just stayed on for the ride. He waited while she made that bed, then she took him into her room and, again, he just sat there watching. Finished, they both came back down the hall! Templeton now believes her walker is his domain, and quite fun, and Mom is so happy to have these furry buddies to help relieve the pain of moving.
We made a lot of changes to try and make her comfortable, but it took our cats to really lift her depression.
I love animals. Guess that's why I always include them in my books!

Facebook and Twitter

So, I've been feeling a lot of pressure to join Facebook and Twitter, I decided to join in the frenzy.

Now, can someone please tell me what I'm supposed to do with these? I know they are mainly social networks, but how does a writer go about using these to the best advantage to draw fans?

*sigh* I know just enough to be dangerous.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Outsmarting a Cat

Not an easy thing to do. When we moved my Mom here from Illinois, we were unable to catch Blacky, her seventeen year old cat. Blacky is very skittish and nervous. After Mom got her cat, Maggie, Blacky decided to make her domain the basement. She'd come out at night when Maggie would be asleep. Maggie ruled.

Consequently, poor Blacky became very antisocial...except with Mom. In order to capture Blacky, she set a trap in the kitchen. But Blacky outsmarted the trap and escaped before the door snapped shut. After that, she wouldn't go near the trap at all. We had to leave Blacky behind because we couldn't capture her. The plan had been to take her to a no-kill shelter because Mom decided neither of her cats would be able to withstand the trip due to their ages.

My cousin, who lives next door to Mom in Illinois, began a campaign to capture Blacky. Her final trick was to put a trail of food along the floor leading to the trap. Each day the food would be one step closer to the trap, then a little inside, and so on until the food was in the area where Blacky would have to step on the mechanism to set it off.

Last night...success! Blacky is now safely in a carrier with water and food in preparation for her trip to the no-kill shelter. Thank you, Lord! Mom is so relieved and so are we. The poor thing had to be so frightened. Left alone in a house suddenly with no one to care for her. I hope she fares well at the shelter, although I'm sure she won't trust anyone for a long, long time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Editing by Reading Aloud

If you haven't heard anyone say you must read your manuscript aloud, let me say it loud and clear right now. "Reading your manuscript aloud before submitting is vital to your success."

It's funny how our eyes skim over missing words and awkward sentences when we read to ourselves. So many times I've thought everything in my chapter was perfect, only to read it aloud and find mistakes. But, if you are like me, I'm always embarrassed to have someone overhear me reading to myself. Then I tend to whisper...which isn't effective at all.

My suggestion is to find a close family member or friend and ask if you can read your manuscript to them. My solution is to finalize a chapter and then ask. I only read one chapter at a time. Otherwise, my tongue refuses to work properly.

Since my mother can't read any longer, I asked if she would mind if I read her my story one chapter at a time. It's a great solution. I find mistakes as I'm reading and make marks, BUT I'm also able to correct it with the proper words AS I'm reading it to her.

Please try this if you haven't yet. You may be one of the lucky people who has that private time to read aloud without anyone distracting you. Take advantage!

Thanks for stopping by!

Win an AMAZON Gift Certificate!

If you're interested in winning a gift certificate from Amazon, please check out the contest I'm running on my website at www.carolannerhardt.com

My new Summer Newsletter is available. If you haven't yet signed up, you can do so by visiting my website.

Thanks for stopping by!

How to Confuse A Cat

For years, I've sat in a high-backed chair in my office. My cats love to jump to the back and lay at the top of my head. Charlotte's favorite thing is to nuzzle my hair and the fall asleep with her head touching mine. Wilbur likes to run and jump to the back and take us both for a little ride before settling down and wrapping his tail around my neck. Several times he's tried this when I'm not in the chair and both go flying to the floor.

I've been wanting to get a smaller chair to use while writing. My soon to be daugher-in-law brought one to me the other night. I love it. It's not big or elaborate, but it's sooooo comfy. I still have the bigger chair at the other desk, but I only use it when I'm going to settle down and watch TV in my office.

The problem is...I've confused my cats.

They meow and look up at me with these forlorn looks. They just don't understand why they can't rest at the top of my head while I'm writing. They've tried. In fact, Charlotte sat on the skinny arm of this new chair last night and put her paws on my shoulder to reach my hair. Wilbur climbs on my lap and stares in my eyes and asks "why?" Both are very distracting to my concentration. Ocassionally they give up and move to the back of the old chair where they stare holes in the back of my head and make me very nervous.

Actually, they probably aren't confused. Cats are very smart...and vindictive. I probably should watch my back.

Thanks for stopping by!

Creature in the Bush...

Oh, my! Yesterday while walking with my friend behind our work building, we spied a strange creature. At first I thought it was a small groundhog. She thought it might be a rabbit. The fur color was like a rabbit's. I didn't notice a tail, but it moved rather quickly under cover of a small patch of weeds in the corner of a fenced lot. I moved closer to get a better look.

Whoa! It didn't have a face like a rabbit. The snout was longer and more narrow. Small rounded ears. Beady black eyes. It stared at me. I stared at it.

**shudder** I believe it was a rat, a huge rat with a rather beautiful coat of fur.

However, I didn't notice any teeth showing as in most rats.

Of course, being a writer, I concocted a vision of some elusive organization operating in the vacant end of the huge warehouse--creating a new kind of intelligent mutant creature who could take over the world. Maybe I should be writing science ficiton instead of romantic suspense.

For non-writers, this is the way writers come up with ideas. We'll muse on events like this and tweak them until a scene develops, and magically a story begins to develop. Who knows? Maybe this will become a scene in my current manuscript.

Have a great day!

Patience, Lord...

My daughter tells me I shouldn't pray for patience or God will give me situations in which I must practice patience. *sigh*

Yesterday opportunities abounded in which to practice patience.

#1 - Hubby is a trustee at church and this is his month to lock up the church. NO problem. Our Bible Study group met at 12:30 right after the second service. Problem: We could not open the closet which housed the keys to lock all the doors--and every one was open. There was a Master Lock box on the door which required a code to open. Okay, no one told hubby about this lock box or the code. The person in charge of the trustees had not given him a walk-through of what to do, but we figured it wouldn't be a big deal to lock all the doors, provided we had the tools to do so. At 2pm in the afternoon, all alone in a vast church, the problem loomed quite large. So, I began calling people from the church directory who lived close by. Answering machines. What did I expect on a beautiful, sunny Sunday? Finally, I reached someone who gave us the code--which didn't work! What now? Back to the phones. I reached another lady I knew would be helpful. Guess what? She gave me the same code. *sigh* However, she did tell me to call if I couldn't get it to work because she had a key that would open the door. Ten more minutes of trying and I had to ask her to bring that key. She arrived, in a good humor, thank the good Lord. I had her check the code and sure enough, I had input it correctly. HOWEVER, no one ever told us a Master Box would drop open and reveal a "key" to open the door! She simpy pulled the lock box open and grinned. Well, geesh. Patience, Lord. Then, she showed me the master floor plan with different colored dots. Apparently on the first Sunday, all the fire extinguishers need to be checked and initialed. And all the thermostats need to be checked and set appropriately. Did I tell you VAST church. Our sanctuary seats 1800 people. There is a huge family life center, AND an attached academy for preschool through sixth grade! Two floors of classrooms. An hour later, with all the extinguishers checked, the thermostats reset, and all the doors locked, we made our way home.

#2 - Had to go grocery shopping so we could eat this week. Took Mom with me because she "needed a few things." Last week she bought a one pound package of cheese slices, of which she still had over half left. She kept asking me where the BOX of three packages of cheese slices were. That's what she always buys. Before I could find this box of cheese, she began a frustrated string of words about how she should have brought the two boxes from her refrigerator along with her. Patience, Lord. I explained again how we had no way to refrigerate the cheese on our ten hour trip from Illinois to Ohio and that's why we didn't bring it. Luckily, I found the box of cheese slices, and she's now happy.

#3 - Hubby walked into my office and looked at the box of 100 calorie Kudos. He looked inside, picked up a M & M bar and asked if the bars were mine. I told him to help himself (thinking, this is exactly what he asked me two weeks ago when he took an M & M bar). Then he proceeded to ask me where I got them. I explained I purchased them from GFS when I purchased the paper products for our grandson's wedding reception. He stared at the bar, turned it around in his hand, and smiled. I told him to help himself whenever he wanted...but then I slipped and said, "Just as I told you two weeks ago when you asked me about them and ate an M & M bar." He said, "Really? I don't remember seeing these before." *sigh* Patience, Lord.

Hypnotherapy--I'm Convinced

Four weeks, three sessions, and six-and-a-half pounds lighter. I love the new me. Not the outside me, but the inside me. Taking the hypnotherapy along with having all the stress in my life has helped to heal me internally. Believe it or not, I'm able to handle stress without going overboard and beating myself up, or shall I say, eating myself to death. Perhaps it comes from my upbringing where food became a balm to soothe hurts and tears.

Going through this hypnosis has given me a new lease on my emotions and why I eat. Now I'm in control, not food. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want, BUT, I seem to only want to eat at meal times. I'm satisfied easier, and I eat less and I'm not having the horrible bouts of heartburn any longer. I don't snack or cram down a whole bag of chips. Every day I make progress, and it's a "whole-body" experience.

I'll give another report a month from now. If any of you reading this blog is having a problem with weight, smoking, or anything you can't control, I highly suggest checking out hypnotherapy. Just make sure you find someone who is legit and comes highly recommended.

Thanks for stopping by!

How Do You Get Your Ideas?

I see this question asked over and over again by writers, readers, and aspiring writers. I've always found this hard to answer when I'm asked this in an interview. So, I did some introspection to try and find out what it is that gives me a story starter.

As I've proclaimed many times, I'm a true pantster. If I plot and outline, you can just bet I won't ever write that particular story. There's something about the process that freezes my brain and stifles my creativity. So, what is it that gives me the idea for a story? It's a mood, a feeling, something I absorb into my mind when I look out the window of my office or my car.

Today, the sky is dark, there is a breeze blowing the trees, and lone bird sits on a wire. No cars are moving, nothing else is stirring. This pulls my mind into a scene of being all alone. I feel a woman who is at the depths of despair over something that has happened or is about to happen. Then I begin typing out what emotions I'm feeling and believe it or not, scene develops. My story builds around this scene. I don't yet know where the story might go, but I do have a deep-rooted awareness of my heroine.

There's nothing magical, nothing formulaic, just a dumping of what comes into my brain. Hmm, perhaps that is magical to someone who plots.

Thanks for stopping by!

When to Learn and When to Write

When I first began writing, I never once thought about "learning" the craft. I had a knack of sitting at a blank screen thinking of a first sentence and then just writing, writing, writing and seeing how the story developed on its own. I could spin a story of 1500 words in less than an hour. Writing was fun!

Then a yearning began deep in my heart to write a novel. I'd already written the beginning of a scene a few years prior--a scene that haunted me. From that scene, I wrote Hit and Run. I spent many hours glued to the computer, typing and being surprised by the story which developed until THE END came at page 347 a short three months later. That's when I discovered "writer's groups" existed. Wow! I could take classes on-line and learn how to become an author!

Thus began a "muddling of the mind." So many rules. So many do not's. Immersed in learning my craft, I kept revising and revising my novel. Soon, I became so confused I lost my enthusiasm for getting published. How could I write with all these rules and guidelines squeezing my brain? My writing shelf overflowed with "how to" craft books. Many contradicted another. Egads!

At this point, I could have quit. But, I stepped back and realized that all the classes and all the books had something I could use. I only had to learn what worked for me. Each writer is unique. Each writer approaches the craft in a different way. Thank goodness! No one would read if each of us produced the same type of story every single time.

Writing is a solitary process. I need the comaraderie of fellow writers to keep me motivated and inspired--to help me know I'm not alone. I need to take a class or read a book, if it appeals to me, but I also need to write. In order to write, I need to forget all the so-called rules and let the story flow. For me, turning off the internal editor can be difficult. However, that's when my best comes out.

Here's my advice. Take classes, read books, learn the craft, but don't turn yourself into a perpetual student. Write, write, write. Apply what you've learned in the editing process. Separate the two things. It won't be easy, but it is necessary. Soon, you'll find yourself following the "important rules" unconsciously.

Don't lose the joy of writing.

Thanks for stopping by!

Getting Into the Zone (Writer's Talk)

If you are a writer who has been at the craft for a while, you'll know what I say when I mention getting into the zone. The first time it happened to me, I didn't know the first thing about writing a novel. Imagine my surprise when the words suddenly started flowing across my computer screen without my knowledge of what would happen next. I didn't stop and think about what I "should" or "would" write. The words just popped out one at a time at a rapid speed. That feeling is euphoric. AND, that's where you'll do your best writing. Well, maybe I'm speaking only from my own experience as a pantster (one who writes without a formal outline). I do believe that my lack of knowledge helped me reach this zone. When I try and plot out what should happen in the scene I'm working on, the words are slow to come. My inner editor is turned on stopping my creativity.

No matter how I seek to reach this zone, it only happens when I'm not consciously thinking about it. I once wrote a piece for Chicken Soup for the Soul entitled "Hands of Time." When I wrote this, I was inspired by looking at my hands and realizing they looked like my mother's hands. I started writing. The words flowed from my heart in less than a half-hour. That story has been published in three different Chicken Soup books now, much to my surprise. Nothing else I sent them has been published.

With the past few months of stress and planning behind me, I hope to get back into writing again. My horoscope for today says: "You need to get in touch with the deeper, less accessible parts of your mind, Write down your dreams, pay attention to stray thoughts or look for coincidences to help guide the way." Hmmm, I do believe this is another gentle nudge.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Book Recommendation - Steeple Hill Love Inspired - "A Soldier's Reunion" by Cheryl Wyatt

I've long been a fan of Cheryl Wyatt and her Wings of Refuge series. This latest installment, "A Soldier's Promise" was as good as the first two. Cheryl's characters are so fully developed that as a reader, I'm living the story. Mandy and Nolan, the starring characters in this book, made me root for them to get past their "past" and open their hearts.

A major bridge collapse brings these two back into each other's lives. Though they haven't seen each other in ten years, the spark still remains. Nolan, a pararescue jumper, left her once, and that destroyed Mandy's trust--in Nolan and in God. But, Nolan is a new believer, and now he wants to rekindle the relationship with Mandy. This story of broken vows, trust, and faith will warm your heart and leave you uplifted. I highly recommend it!

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm Outta Here!

I am closing this blog until June 1st! Vacation time.

See you in June!

Do You Want Your Face to Freeze That Way?

When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to say things like "Do you want your face to freeze that way?" when I would pout or cry or give angry glares. My mother used to say it, too, so I suppose she heard it when she was small. I probably said the same thing to my kids. The curse is true.

I've noticed that when I'm sitting here writing my face is all tightened up like a prune. Not sure when it happened. I'm afraid to look in the mirror and see the results. I try to ease the muscles and relax, but in just seconds everything is tight again. It worsens when I'm "in the zone" and speeding through a scene.

I wish she'd given me a curse like this: "Do you want to be thin the rest of your life?" or "Do you want to make your living writing those stories?"

Thanks for stopping by!

Skunked at Uno...Twice!

What a wonderful weekend we had with family! Nothing rejuvenates me or makes me feel more joy than spending time with family. Hubby's sister and husband visited us this weekend. We hadn't seen them in three years. We did a lot of eating, visiting, laughing, and relaxing. Every night we played cards and that brought even more laughter. I'm glad none of us take it seriously, especially me. When we pulled out Uno on Saturday night, guess who didn't score one point? My sister-in-law and I racked big zeroes. And on Sunday night, we played again. Everyone scored something...except me! Not one hand did I win. LOL!

Hopefully, soon I can get back to writing. I need to escape into another world.

Thanks for stopping by!

Author Interview with Wendy Davy

The audience applauds as the band concludes their opening number. The burgundy stage curtains rise and Carol Ann walks on stage. She stands in front of two comfortable looking burgundy leather chairs with a table between them holding two glasses of water.

"Good morning, Blog Studio audience! I'm so happy to be back in the studio and I have a fabulous guest author to bring onstage in just a few moments. Her name is Wendy Davy. When I spoke with her earlier here's what she told me."

I've been hooked on reading romances ever since I picked one up over twenty years ago. That's also when my own imagination started to roll and it hasn't stopped since. But, it wasn't until I realized that it was God who put it in my heart to write, that I knew my dreams of becoming an author could turn into a reality.I am a member of the Romance Writers of America and continue to be an avid reader. When not writing, I spend my energy chasing around my beautiful young children, enjoying my own real-life hero, and watching movies with friends.

"She's going to be talking to us about her new inspirational book, NIGHT WAVES. Please put your hands together and help me make welcome to the studio...Wendy Davy!"

AUDIENCE APPLAUDS AS WENDY WALKS ONSTAGE.



CAROL ANN: Hi, Wendy!

WENDY: Hello, Carol Ann. I'm so excited to be here in your studio.

CAROL ANN: We're delighted to have you join us. Have a seat.

WENDY AND CAROL SEAT THEMSELVES AND SMILE AT THE AUDIENCE.

CAROL ANN: Wendy, I love your book cover. Isn't it gorgeous, audience?

CAROL ANN HOLDS A BOOK FOR THE CAMERA TO PAN IN.



CAROL ANN: Tell us about your book.

WENDY: Night Waves is an inspirational story that began from one intense beach scene, and developed into a manuscript filled with emotion and suspense, and of course, faith.

Newspaper reporter, Cali Stevens, boldly walks into Sheriff Nick
Justice’s office, with one goal in mind: To find her best friend who
disappeared while vacationing. When the no-nonsense sheriff refuses
to give her details of the investigation, Cali takes matters into her
own hands and starts her own investigation. She never intends to fall
for the sheriff...or into the clutches of the Coral Isle’s first serial
kidnapper.

Coral Isle’s recent abductions give Nick Justice enough to worry
about without adding any complications into the mix, and his
attraction to Cali Stevens is definitely a complication. When Nick
encourages Cali to leave the island, she refuses. Now he must
manage to find the missing women while keeping Cali and the rest of
the women on Coral Isle safe.

CAROL ANN: Wow, that sounds great! I love inspirational romantic suspense. It's my favorite genre. I interview a lot of authors. For myself, I find the hardest part of being a writer is finding the time when I can write without being interrupted. Having a full-time job and a large family drains me emotionally and it's hard to have enough energy to devote to writing at the end of a long day. What do you find is the hardest part of being a writer?

WENDY: I agree, it's finding the time to write.

CAROL ANN: Sometimes I'm not sure how to answer the questions when someone asks me how I come up with the ideas for a particular book. For you what comes first?

WENDY: A scene comes first. Then the characters that fit the scene. I write out a sketchy plot, but rarely follow it. Sometimes I don't know what's going to happen until I sit down to write. But, that's the fun part.

CAROL ANN: What stumbling blocks have you encountered and how have you overcome them?

WENDY: Like you, distractions are a major stumbling block. But, I overcome them by setting aside specific time to write, and guard it against interruptions.

CAROL ANN: Despite all we have on our plates, it's important to keep our sense of humor. I love to laugh. Who can you count on to bring a smile to your face?

WENDY: My kids.

CAROL ANN: Do you believe the pen is mightier than the sword?

WENDY: It depends on the situation. I believe there is a time and a place for everything. And that includes both words and action.

CAROL ANN: You are sitting in a restaurant with several friends when someone thrusts a microphone in your hand. You have one minute to give a message of hope to the world. What will you say?

WENDY: I'd probably freeze and say something ridiculous. But, given the time to think about it, I would say...Pray first. Ask questions later.

CAROL ANN: Great advice! Quick. What do you have under your bed?

WENDY: **laugh** Carpet!

CAROL ANN: **laugh** Wendy, who is the real hero in your life?

WENDY: Jesus.

CAROL ANN: Wendy, thank you for joining us today. It's been a real pleasure to have you in the studio. I wish you many sales on your book, my friend. Before you leave, where can the audience learn more about you and your books?

WENDY: Thanks, Carol Ann. It's been fun, even though I've been a little nervous. Your audience can go to my website at www.wendydavy.com

Ouch!!!

That's all I can say after the fall last night.

The story:
The inside of the windows is finished. Yay! Before the workers left, I asked them to move my huge heavy desk back under the windows in my office. I'm so sorry that I designed this room to have the desk under the windows. I love being able to look outside, BUT...the desk is so large and I'm so short, especially my arms, that I can't reach the windows! So,in order to put the curtains back up, I had to climb on my desk. Which I did. First I stepped on my footstool--a little backstory on the footstool. I purchased it at a craft fair in Michigan about fifteen years ago. It has two solid wooden legs for the sides with cats painted on them, and a plaid cushioned "seat" area. This stool has served as a chair for children, adults, a resting spot for my weary feet, and lately as a stepping stool. Back to the story. So, I stepped up on the footstool, onto my swivel desk chair and onto the desk! Perfect. Fixed the curtains and then proceeded to step down. All went well from desk to one foot on the desk chair. Reached the other foot backwards to step on the footstool, putting most of my weight there, and heard a horrible cracking noise. The footstool collapsed, taking my body along with it. All I felt was a bump and scrape on my back and then...pain, horrid pain in my right big toe. I squirmed around but couldn't get up. The pain kept intensifying. Hubby upstairs couldn't hear me call him for help. I finally managed to look at my toe only to see blood. Lots of blood. Ugh. Hubby finally came downstairs and I got him to bring me a cold rag. Fifteen minutes later, I was able to see the damage. A huge chunk of my toe was gouged out. Managed to get it bandaged, which presents another dilemma.

I have to go to work and I can't get my foot into a shoe. It's supposed to storm today. Guess, I'll try using a flip-flop and hope that I don't get sent home for improper dress code.

As far as the cats, Wilbur entertained the workers yesterday catching flies that dared to enter the open window cavities. Templeton wasn't as freaked out. He would hide when they used the air gun, but otherwise he wandered around a bit. Charlotte hid under Mom's bed. I petted her last night, but I haven't seen her come out yet.

Will my life ever be normal again?

Thanks for stopping by.

Traumatized

My poor cat, Templeton, is traumatized. This cat is usually the first to greet strangers, demanding attention. He isn’t afraid of noises, storms, even power tools. In fact, hubby has to be very careful when he’s working on a project because Templeton is always watching every single movement and even puts his head close to the saw blade!

Not so yesterday. The poor baby ran under the bed because of all the strangers invading our house and the noise of saws cutting through metal. Yesterday we had a new furnace and central air installed along with new double hung windows. I’m glad I was at work. I can’t stand the noise of saws and sanders. It goes right through me—like someone who can’t stand the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard.
Hubby finally got Templeton out from under the bed and put him on the deck with our other cat, Wilbur, who was howling at being left all alone and not being able to get into the house. Templeton ran up into the rafters and wouldn’t come down. I tried and tried and finally enticed him to come down with his favorite treat of cheese. All the workers had left. Still, he heard a noise and scampered right under the bed and would not come out. Charlotte and Wilbur investigated all the changes and returned to normal (and they are the shy ones).

Sometime during the night, Templeton emerged. He ventured up onto the bed in his favorite spot. This morning he seems normal again, BUT…there are three more windows which need to be installed, trim to be put up, and shutters.

Poor baby.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hurray for Hypnotherapy!

This is day four and all I can say is I feel free! No more worrying about dieting. I know diets don't work for most people. I'm one of them.

Over the years, I've tried every new diet that has come along. I've tried health clubs, diet pills, exercise gimmicks, South Beach Diet, Atkins, and just plain calorie counting. Sure, they all work...short term. And then, guess what? All the weight is regained, plus a few more pounds. This is what is known as yo-yo dieting. (Raising hand here. I'm guilty.)

As a last resort I decided to try the hypnotherapy route. I didn't go into this without doing some research. I didn't want to do the group hypnosis thing either. This is a personal venture for me and I'm different from every other person. How can a group session be geared specifically to me? I knew it wouldn't work. But I found a wonderful lady here in my home town who specializes in hypnotherapy for various things, one being weight loss. We talked on the telephone for about twenty minutes before my first session on Thursday. I felt very comfortable with her and with her process. So, I scheduled an appointment.

When I walked into her office, I sat in a chair next to her desk. She offered me a water and then handed me several papers to fill out. One was to list all the family history diseases and to list any medications I'm currently taking. Then I read over a two page sheet of "symptoms" and highlighted every one that applied to me. These were the tools to help her focus in on my specific problems and needs. We talked for another fifteen minutes about why I was there, what I had tried and she explained why diets don't work. She also explained the hypnosis session, what she would be doing, and what I would be doing. I felt good to know that she wouldn't be in control of my mind, but that I would be in control all the time. I would be listening to her suggestions. Interestingly, I learned that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.

Next we went into a room which had low lighting and I sat in a wonderfully comfortable soft leather recliner. I could control how far back I wanted to recline. Once comfortable she turned on ocean sounds which were very soothing. Then she proceeded with the actual program. I was totally aware of everything she said and could remember each word and suggestion. They all made sense to me. Throughout I felt as if I were floating on a raft on a calm body of water. After she brought me out of the hypnosis, I wasn't sure I had truly been hypnotized. She said I had been a great subject and that my movements had shown her that I had accepted her suggestions and that I had gone under quite deep. Amazing!

I left feeling very positive. One of the suggestions she gave me before the session and during the session was to make a fist with my hand. The size of my fist is the size of my stomach. Then I opened my fist and that is the size of the food portions that would fill me up.

Armed with a CD to listen to each night and a book which explains the reason diets don't work, I am prepared to believe. I attest that it is working. I don't know about weight loss. I can't weigh myself for a month. But I cannot believe how much less I've eaten for the past three days. I get full and I'm satisfied. Best of all, I don't really think a lot about food. I can eat whatever I want! That in itself is freeing. I don't worry about the calories, the fat, any of those "diet" words. Thus, I don't feel deprived. I just eat less. It's a wonderful feeling.

Hubby took me out to eat for Mother's Day. I wanted to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant. I ordered my usual grande burrito, which I would usually eat. All of it. Every morsel. Not so now. I ate 1/3 and was full! The rest is in the fridge and will be my lunch for the next two days. Need I say more?

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

Happy belated mother's day to all the mothers who are reading my blog.

Writer's Block, Hypnotherapy, and Me Time

I don't believe in writer's block, but I do believe that real life can sometimes take so much mental energy that you have to allow yourself to step back and recoup. With all the things happening surrounding moving my mother from Illinois into our home in Ohio, my mental energy is truly tapped out. Couple that with having new windows installed on Monday, along with a new furnace and central air at the same time, company coming from Michigan on Friday, that's a lot. Sometime between Tuesday and Thursday, I have to clean the clutter, put all the furniture back and buy groceries.
The following week my grandson gets married on Saturday, then Sunday morning we are off to Illinois.

I'm giving myself permission to step back from writing until June. My best advice to you other writers is to know when you need to step away from the computer and tend to the issues that are most important. I know you've heard "write something every day." You can still do that. Just don't push yourself to come up with the next scene or chapter of your book. If you have a blog, post something there.

If, like me, you also have a full-time job, sometimes there just isn't enough energy left at the end of the day when you have other pressing issues. Remember, relationships are very important. In the long run, the relationships you build with people will bless you. Don't ever beat yourself up because you feel like a failure for not pushing yourself beyond your limits.

Last night I began the journey into hypnotherapy for weight loss. I'm happy that I did this FOR ME. I love the knowledge that it is the total package of mind, body, and spirit. No, she didn't hold a shiny watch in front of my eyes and tell me I was getting sleepy. It doesn't work that way. But the power of positive thinking can do wonders in anything you attempt. Yes, even in completing your latest manuscript.

Just received Patty Lacy's new book, "What the Bayou Saw" by Kregel Publications. I can't wait to read it. The cover is beautifully haunting. Patty has a way with characters. They reach out of the page and grab you by the heart.

Thanks for stopping by!

Help, Where Do I Live?

I reminded my hubby that I was going to be late coming home from work tonight because I am going to the hypnotist for my first session to help me lose weight. His response?

"How will you get home?"

I laughed. "What do you mean?"

"Will you be able to drive?"

"Sure. It's not going to have an anesthetizing effect."

"Well, I wasn't sure if you'd remember how to get home. Maybe you'll come in and not even know who I am."

Gotta love men.

Actually, I'm very excited about this opportunity. I've been thinking about it for a long time. I know the principles needed to lose weight, but I lack the will power. For instance, yesterday I had a box lunch at work. After four bites of the sub and a few bites of the macaroni salad, I was full. However, the food sat there and I felt that I needed to eat it. It tasted good, so I suppose it's a reward to stuff my body. But, in reality it's a punishment.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life! Wish me good luck.

Thanks for stopping by!

My Cat, The Spider Killer, NOT!!!

My cat, Wilbur, is on my "bad cat" list. While I was getting ready for work, he was sprawled almost flat on the floor his nose to the crack under the door to the closet under the steps. I figured he'd seen a spider crawl in there and I wasn't about to check it out. I don't do spiders. **shudder** So, I ignored him and went into the bathroom to get read for work. I remembered that I hadn't put the white clothes in the dryer, so I headed across the hall to take care of that. No Wilbur, although it didn't register at that point. After putting the clothes in to dry, I left the room and shut off the light.

Here comes Wilbur following on my heels. But then he slows down. I keep my eye on him and walk toward the bathroom. Wilbur now has his nose to the floor staring at the place where the floor and wall meet.

"Wilbur, are you chasing a bug?"

Wilbur looks at me and back to the floor. Uh-oh.

"Wilbur, you are supposed to catch them, not watch them. Go ahead and get the bug."

Promptly Wilbur looks at me as if, "Who are you to tell me what to do." Then he flips his tail, his incredibly long and fluffy tail, in the air and prances away and up the stairs. I look at the spot he'd been watching and saw...A SPIDER!!!! A black wolf spider not yet fully grown.

"Wilbur! You're supposed to KILL these things!"

Not Wilbur. He practically laughed at me. You know how cats get those smirky grins? Yeah. That's the one.

So, there I am. Standing in my terry wrap with pink terry slippers on my feet. How do I kill the spider, which by the way, is now staring at me with those beady green eyes daring me to try.

I look at my foot, look at the spider, and consider my options. If I press real hard, and move real fast, I might have a chance.

I raise my foot. The spider glares at me.

I stomp on the floor and pull my foot away real quick.

The spider moves closer to the wall. I swear it laughed at me, too.

Okay. My foot is a LOT bigger than that spider. The cat is snickering, now.

So, I go after that spider with all the strength in me. I stomp and rake my foot back and forth several times while the spider tries to elude me. I win!

Wilbur shakes his head and goes upstairs.

I look down in triumph and see one of those spider eyes shining in the light. **shudder**

That dreaded DEAD spider is still curled up in a ball on the floor.

I've got to get my husband, dubbed "spider killer" to take it away.

Wilbur, however, is not going to get his canned food for a week. That darned cat!

Thanks for stopping by!

Donald Maass - "The Fire in Fiction"

I'm a great fan of Donald Maass. I had the pleasure of attending one of his "Writing the Breakout Novel" workshops. He's an inspiring motivational speaker.

On one of my loops, someone posted a link to an interview on the NovelJourney blog. I'd like to share it with you.

And, I'd encourage everyone who is a writer to purchase his latest book, "The Fire in Fiction." I just bought it and it's full of wonderful advice and examples.

Here's the link to the interview:

http://noveljourney.blogspot.com/2009/05/novel-journeys-interview-with-donald.html

Thanks for stopping by!

I Am An E-book Author...and Proud of It

Sometimes I'm made to feel like a second class citizen because I am published in e-book format. Never mind that my books are also available in print. If I don't meet the standards of receiving an advance royalty, I'm not considered published by certain writing establishments. However, I'm considered published when it comes to entering any of their contests! Catch-22.

But, it doesn't matter. I write because I love to write. I love reading reviews and getting email from people telling me how I touched them with my stories. That's my goal. I don't do what I do to become the next NY Times Best-Selling author. I don't long to make tons of money and get world recognition for my books. I write because I can't NOT write. I enjoy telling stories. I love creating a book and the feeling it gives upon completion. Release day for me is exciting and scary. Just like it is for every "recognized" author.

However, with the economy changing and technology changing, the e-book is becoming more and more recognized, especially among the younger generation. I love reading e-books. They don't take up precious space in my house, and I can still hold my ereader in my hand and take it to bed and read. I can pack it when I travel without adding weight to my luggage.

Here's an interesting blog by Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Click to read

Ghost? Squirrel? Mouse?...gasp...Cat!!!!

Those who know me know I live with three very entertaining cats named Wilbur, Templeton, and Charlotte. Templeton is usually the one who is doing weird things...like when he stuck his head into a plastic bag to see what DH had purchased. In doing so he had stepped through the holes that make handles. Yep. The bag got stuck, the cat ran faster than a greyhound with hubby in pursuit. That was amusing.

Last night I carried my book to bed and while I was reading I heard a noise that sounded like one of the cats trying to open the closet door. Finally, annoyed, I got up and searched the closets. No cat. Strange. I crept back to bed and lay there, ears tuned to hear the noise again. Kind of creepy. Then I thought it might have come from the desk under the window. Got out of bed and flipped on the overhead light. Made a search. Nothing. Hmmmm. Checked the window to make sure no ghost was tapping on the window. That's a good sign. Then I looked up at the ceiling. Could a squirrel have gotten into the attic? No, the noise wasn't that far up. But...a mouse? Could a mouse be hiding in one of the closets? Would a mouse dare to come into a house where three cats reside? Well, maybe since my cats would probably just play with it. They don't have front claws so I doubt they would do much damage. Great! Now I had to go to bed and worry about a mouse being loose in the house. I walked out into the living room and saw Wilbur and Templeton snoozing around the stair railing. No big deal that Charlotte was nowhere in sight. She likes to hide.

Crawled back into bed with my book. No more sounds. Turned out the light and finally fell asleep. When the alarm went off at five, I turned it off and decided to snooze in for a few more minutes. But then...I heard that noise again.

I sat straight up in bed. Then I heard a soft pitiful "meow." I recognized Charlotte's voice so I called her. She replied from the same area where I'd heard that scratching noise last night. I walked to the far end of the bedroom and stared at the four drawer chest. I remembered having the second drawer from the top open last night when I pulled out a pair of jeans to wear today. The drawer had been open and I tried to shut it. Had to wiggle it to get it in right. Had Charlotte been in that drawer? Quickly I opened the drawer...no cat. Whew!

So I called her again and she answered. From the dresser. I opened the drawer again. No cat. So I pulled it all the way out and there she was in the drawer below near the back. Poor baby!

She didn't seem any worse for having spent the night locked in a drawer. In fact, she came out purring and acted like it was an every night occurrence.

Wish I'd thought to take a picture!

Brain Worms

I have brain worms. How they arrived I have no idea. But they are alive and thriving and multiplying. Each worm is wriggling with a wonderful story idea. Worms are like rabbits. They perpetuate...rapidly. While my fingers are busy working on a ms that needs to be finished, these worms wake up and start talking to each other. They won't leave me alone.

I need to come up with a plan of attack. I don't want to eliminate the infestation, just find a way to keep them dormant until I need them.

It's going to rain today. A perfect day to sit at my desk and watch the changing sky and write. But, I have to head to work and sit in a windowless cell and enter senseless figures into a spreadsheet. Over and over and over....

Ah, I see now how the worms gained control.

Hope you have a wonderful day. Don't let the worms take over. Thanks for stopping by!

Tweet, Tweet...

Okay, I hopped on the twitter bandwagon. Not sure why, but it's kind of fun seeing what my friends are doing without having to spend a lot of time on a social networking site. At one time I had a My Space, but I deleted it after finding it drew only other authors.

Not sure what the best way is to do marketing via the internet, which is the only method available to me at the current time. Well, except for the neat pens I ordered. How do I use them to market? Whenever we go out to eat, I sign the receipt and leave a pen! Pens are so much easier to hand out that business cards. I'm always passing out pens.

And now I've become a bird. Hear me tweet on twitter. If you're a bird, too, feel free to twitter me at CarolAnnErhardt.

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

I'm a Pack Rat

I have to admit it. I have too much stuff. Instead of throwing thing away, I hoard them...magazines, books, knick knacks, STUFF! I hold on to all my Writer's Digest books. Those articles are good. I may need to refer to one someday. I have all my RWRs. Those areticles are good. I may need to refer to one someday. I have a bowl of potpouri sitting on my desk. It's pretty, but it takes up space. However, there is nothing wrong with it, so I may use it someday. You should see my three, no make that four, cups of pens. Pens from other authors, banks, family members, different colored pens, markers, highlighters. Ack!!!

I'm hopeless.

My files drawers? Stuffed full of stuff that I rarely refer to. What to do?

I guess I need to do some spring housecleaning in my office.

Am I alone in this? Please tell me I have other kindred pack rat friends. Anyone have a solution to overcome this pack rat tendency? Leave a comment on my blog to be entered in a drawing to win a free pen to add to your STUFF!

Thanks for stopping by!

My Husband is a Trash Picker

Saturday I decided to do spring housecleaning on our deck. We had collected so many flower pots which had nothing in them and were simply sitting on the shelves collecting dust and bugs, that I decided to do a clean sweep. As I worked my way around the deck, I tossed things into a bag and later dropped them into the trash. Hubby was elated that I had cleaned the deck, which is normally his job. We headed out to buy two additional swivel chairs to match the ones we purchased last year. Since neither of us could carry the heavy box, we opened it on the truck tailgate and carried the chairs to the deck one by one where we assembled the bases. I drug the big box next to the trash can. Later in the day I saw hubby cutting it into pieces to throw in the trash. I never thought any more about those items I'd tossed earlier.

However, later he mentioned that I had thrown away his little duck planter. I laughed. I explained that we had too much stuff and that all these things only collected dust and served no purpose. He didn't comment further, but later that evening guess what I found on his workbench?

Yep. The little duck planter.

I have no doubt it will reappear on the deck, all cleaned up and with a brand new plant inside in just a couple of days.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tissue Alert...

It always warms my heart when a reviewer issues a tissue alert for JOSHUA'S HOPE. Yesterday, Karen Robbins reviewed my book on her blog.

Writer's Wanderings.

I'm so looking forward to this weekend! I'm planning on taking my computer to the park where I will walk and play through a scene in my mind then capture it while resting in the shade enjoying the beautiful weather.

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

Creative Minds Want to Know About...Hypnotherapy

As a writer, I'm always curious to experience new things to help me paint a better picture with my words. As a scorpio, I'm always curious to experience new things because it's my nature. I've always been interested in things that are "out there" so to speak. I've always believed things aren't just black and white. The gray area exists and it entices me to delve further into situations and issues. Usually able to see both sides of a question, I walk a narrow road at times. But, I'm diverting from my mission.

If you follow my blog, you know my battle to lose weight. I've tried so many things and the one and only one that seemed to make sense to me was the Paul McKenna "I Can Make You Thin" book and CD. And it works. That is, the left brain side of me understands the theory and why it will work. But this is when I'm consciously thinking about it. Problem: I don't always think about it. I'm busy. I'm in a hurry. I inhale my food and then go on about my business, only later chastising myself for not following his golden rules.

A friend went to a hypnotherapist to quit smoking. She highly recommended this person and I've been toying with the idea of doing this for some time. I listen to the CDs with the self-hypnosis. I just don't think it works for me. So, I thought about it for a long time and decided I should seek help one-on-one with a hypnotherapist and maybe then it would work. I'm not convinced I can be hypnotized...or allow my right brain to accept the suggestions which will remain with me and help me beat the weight loss thing. Right brain accepting the suggestions plus left brain understanding the concept should equal success. Right? After speaking with this lady, I feel very positive. In fact after I hung up I wondered if I had already had some messages planted in my brain because I've been energized and consciously thinking about what I eat and how I eat.

I'm going to begin my journey the evening of May 7, and I plan to share that journey with you here on my blog. I also plan to use this in my book. How? Well, I never tell the twists and turns of my novels before publication. So, have I created a little suspense here?

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!

The Cat and the Bags

Yay, sunshine here in Ohio today! Tomorrow I'll share my latest life choice and I'll be sharing the experience here in my blog beginning May 7th.

On a funny note, my cat Templeton is always a source for a good laugh. The other day hubby came home from the hardware store with two plastic bags filled with various screws and things. He sat them on the workbench and Templeton just had to get nosy. While trying to get his head inside the bag, he managed to get the handles stuck around his head and legs. When he tried to get out, and couldn't, that cat went sailing through the air and ran fast enough to rival any olympic medalist. So, here's the cat, head stuck, bags rattling, hubby chasing and yelling...a perfect Funniest Video Moment. I'm at work, unfortunately. One of the bags fell off and hubby was able to retrieve the purchases. The other was found under the bed, where Templeton decided to spend the rest of the morning with an expression that said, "I meant to do that!"

Thanks for stopping by!

Surprise For Me This Morning

I was busy writing my inspirational blog for The White Rose Press when I found that my free read, Lethal Legacy, is now available.

Download now for free

Have a fun filled day!

You're Never Too Old to Fall Out of Bed

I learned that this morning.

Pleasantly dreaming of the next scene in my chapter, I was rudely awakened by the blaring alarm clock. When it reached through the fogginess of my sleep-deprived mind, I rolled over to hit the shut off button.

(Side Note) I have been wearing wrist braces on both arms at night because of some pain I've been experiencing. These have metal splints on both sides and look a bit like the ones that bowlers wear.

Back to story. Anyway my brace didn't stablize when it hit my night stand and instead slid across the wood and knocked off the phone. Both of my legs cramped at the same time and I wound up on the floor. There I sat, legs stretched out, unhurt, with the alarm blaring through my head. Hubby jumped out of bed. Cats yowled. I couldn't believe I had just fallen out of bed!

I'm writing this blog now and still laughing at the silliness of the situation. Geesh! Maybe we do revert back to childhood as we grow older.

I know our children sometimes become just like us. My daughter is seriously in contention to take of my "crazy cat lady" title. Check out her blog entry for an "awww" moment. http://delanaknits.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a laugh at my expense today!