A Sunday Stroll Through our Back Yard

Our grapevines didn't yield much this year. Since this is year three, we're hoping next year we'll have more. The major problem has been keeping the birds from eating them.

We have a lovely display of marigolds. We planted these in honor of my mother, who passed away last December. Last year she received a packet of seeds in the mail, and hubby planted them. When they bloomed, she was so happy! We continued the tradition this year as well.

I'm so grateful that we planted knockout roses. Even when the weather is not ideal, the bushes continue to bloom as long as you prune.

One of our stand alone rose bushes, continues to give us beautiful pink blooms.

Occasionally, we find a snake in the shrubbery around our pond. This one was pretty big!

Yikes!

The water lillies are gorgeous in bloom.

We didn't think them out this year, and they are really thick.

Thanks for joining me in a Sunday stroll through our back yard. I hope your Sunday is filled with God's blessings.

Storms are Coming...

The weather man is predicting heavy storms this afternoon. I'm planning on cleaning house this morning and then heading out to do a little shopping. But my real goal for the day is to really experience the ferocity of the storms. When writing, we get cliche about thunder crashing, lightning flashing and torrents of rain. I wish to write the real experience of the storm. What it feels like. What I feel like. What I see. How my body and mind reacts.

If you want to write a believable scene in which your reader truly experiences what is happening, then you need to bring that to the page. Guess you've figured out that a storm is brewing in my work in progress!

Hope you have an enjoyable weekend. Thanks for visiting.

Free Ebooks for a Year!!!!

My publisher is offering a very sweet deal for our anniversary Bash! Check these out. All it will cost you is a few minutes of your time!

http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/

Learn all about it: http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/pages/Cross-My-Heart-Free-Read

Truth is Stranger than Fiction - Creepy!!

One more reason for me to be afraid of spiders. My daughter's air conditioning has been out for the past two days. When the repairman came last evening, he searched and searched, recharged it, and then...found the reason. Are you ready?

A spider had gotten inside and made a web. The web was so big and heavy that it pulled one of the wires loose!!! No sign of the spider...

Yikes!!!!

Camping - A Tool for Writers

You're probably wrinkling your nose wondering what I mean by the title of this blog. If you've never camped, or think camping should be in a hotel with room service, then you haven't experienced the benefits of true camping.

Yesterday, while listening to one of my favorite Christian radio stations, my ears tuned into the benefits of getting away from telephones and other electronic devices. This is exactly why I loved camping with my hubby. We had the cell phone for emergencies only. We kept it turned off. Many places we camped were so far out we didn't have any reception unless we drove into town to purchase supplies. No internet services. I didn't take my laptop. Instead, I took my AlphaSmart. No chance of surfing the internet or reading emails. Believe me, it's relaxing to be cut off like this.

Sitting under a tree, with no interruptions, I could close my eyes and let my mind play out the scenes I planned to write. I would sit and write pages on the AlphaSmart without an inner editor reading back over what I'd written. If you've used an AlphaSmart, you understand why it's the perfect tool for writing a first draft. With only a three line display, you aren't tempted to go back and read what you've written. You just write, write, write.

I miss camping. With hubby's illness, we can't get away any longer. The closest I come is taking my laptop or AlphaSmart to our screened in deck on days when the weather is permitting.

Every writer needs a change of atmosphere from time to time to expand the brain cells. Any other campers out there? Care to share your experiences?

Oh, Those Query Letters...

Are you ready to submit, but don't have a clue what to put in a query letter? Don't freak out. It happens to all of us.

One thing is critical. Research your market. Make sure you target the right editor/agent and always, always address the query letter to a person.

That being said, you'll probably learn more by visiting this blog than from anything I can say:
Query Shark

Good luck with your submissions. Thanks for stopping by.

Below are the new book covers for my releases on Smashwords.

More Info

More Info

Movies, Books, and Coming Soon

The Wild Rose Press announces they were asked to supply paperback books for props in an upcoming movie, RED. The movie stars Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Richard Dreyfuss, Brian Cox, James Remar, Julian McMahon, Ernest Borgnine, Michelle Nolden, Amber Gaiennie and Audrey Wasilewski.

Read more and watch the video trailer here.

The movie opens in the USA on October 15th. We rarely go to the movie theater, but I plan to be at this one when it appears in my neck of the woods.

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September 1 is fast approaching. For me the date symbolizes the final days of summer and the soon to come cooler, crisper weather of fall--my favorite time of the year. Celebrate with me on September 1st for a guest blog  by LoRee Peery, and the launching of my newsletter, which will be available to anyone who visits my website. No need to sign up for anything.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ten Reasons I'm Smiling Today

Ten reasons for me to smile today.

• I'm attending a meeting with Central Ohio Fiction Writers.
• The sun is shining.
• God is good.
• I walked for an hour on my treadmill last night.
• I chatted with my sis-in-law on FB last night.
• It's a new day with opportunities awaiting.
• My bills are paid.
• I lost another pound.
• My daughter shared news that allows me to mark another answered prayer.
• The view out my window is gorgeous.

Share a smile today with a stranger. You will feel so good when they smile in return.
Have a blessed weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Prayer Request

I'm requesting prayers for a dear friend and fellow author, Sharon Ann Donovan.

Sharon has suffered a major heart attack and has undergone open heart surgery. Please pray for healing and mercy for her and her family.

Sharon is an inspiration to all who know her. Prior to losing her sight, she painted on canvas, after, she paints pictures with words. Learn more about Sharon by visiting her website: http://www.sharonadonovan.com/

Killer Mutant Weeds and the Lost Doggy

Yesterday I decided to tackle the killer mutant weeds behind our privacy wall. The wall is to hide the electric boxes and cable boxes which are in an easement in our yard.

This is the wall. We have vines climbing on the wall and a garden of day lillies in front of that. Poor day lillies have not had a good year with no rain. Um, and I see a few weeds I need to tackle in there as well.

This is the area behind the wall after the weeds were removed. Prior to that you couldn't see from where I stood to take the picture to the other side where the cable boxes are. The large green box is the electric box. All were buried in a jungle of mutant weeds. They were as tall as the privacy wall. I was able to cut the top halves off and but then I couldn't pull them out. They were too huge. So I asked my son-in-law to help. Bless him!!

This shows how thick the stalks were.

This is the root system!

I am now thankfully rid of those monsters. I will have to spray roundup faithfully over the next few weeks to make sure they don't grow back again. Don't understand how weeds can grow so quickly and my grass isn't thriving at all.

While here, my little granddaughter lost her stuffed dog which she'd gotten from a fast food kid meal. Though we searched and searched we couldn't find it. She went home in tears. But later, grandpa found it in the basement of all places. So, I called and made her happy by telling her that Dog was found. Dog rested happily on my desk...until this morning. When I came down here, the Dog was gone. I now know the culprits are the cats. None of them are talking. I've scoured the house this morning...and still can't find it. Somehow I must produce Dog since I promised to return Dog to my granddaughter this morning. Hmmm, maybe I should be superstitious about Friday the 13th.

Beep, Beeeeeeep, Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!

Yesterday we purchased an intercom system for our home. This way my husband can talk to me without yelling down from the upper level of our home to get my attention when I'm in my office working. What did I do????

This morning I heard the "call" tone and waited for him to say something, but instead he pressed the call tone a little longer.

"What do you need? You are supposed to talk not just press the button," I said.

"Good morning. I'm finished with everything up here if you want to take your shower."

"Thank you."

I return to my desk. Two minutes later, I hear the call button again. And immediately again, a long screeching tone, relentlessly summoning me.

"Why are you pressing the button? Talk to me!"

Nothing. No words. Nothing.

So, did the cat summon me this time? Guess I'll have to go upstairs and find out what's going on.

Oh, well, what did I expect from a man who will let my teakettle whistle, even though he's in the kitchen, until I make it upstairs to turn it off. And, then he laughs and says, "What good is a whistling teakettle, if you can't listen to it whistle? I like it."

Sigh.

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Stretching the Brain Muscle

I spent the afternoon yesterday formatting one of my out of publication books, FOXFIRE, to publish at Smashwords. Amazing how many things wind up incorrectly formatted in Word when you look at the coding. Honestly, I thought the file would be clean because it looked fine in print. Hah!

I spent at least four hours going line by line through the pages and removing tabs, and spaces before paragraph returns. Overall, the experience wasn't difficult. The hardest part was thinking in terms of one continuous flow instead of pages. Since Ebook readers are all different, you can't use page breaks. Also, it was different to look at single spacing. I have to look on it as a brain exercise. We all need to do that from time to time...stretch our brain muscles just like our body muscles.

Now all I need to do is create a book cover. Since, I love working with graphics that should be fun.

The experience taught me to be more cautious with future manuscripts. From now on, before I even send my work to an editor, I'll comb through for any unusual coding.

Any readers out there who have published on Smashwords yet? Care to share your experiences, insight?

Enjoy the day, and thanks for stopping by!

Horoscopes, Birds, and Authors Galore

My horoscope for the day: You've got to watch yourself a little more closely today, though that may not be easy. In fact, you may get too lost in your own internal shenanigans to notice when someone steps up to confront you.

Say, what?????

I suppose that means when I'm sitting and plotting with my eyes closed, my hubby will enter my office unheard and scare me. Okay, so I'm forewarned.

In the meantime, I'm watching two beautiful finches eating the seeds from the purple coneflowers. They are such beautiful and determined birds.

Not much to share today, it is Monday, after all! Be sure to check the listing of Author Interviews and Guest Bloggers I have lined up beginning in September.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Writer and The Bird

I've written before about the visitors to my garden outside my office window. Since the cone flowers are producing such lovely seeds this year, the birds are visiting more frequently. One little chicadee kept flitting past my window and finally decided to light and take a closer peek at me. Isn't he cute?

A little later I noticed a yellow and black finch enjoying a little snack. It was a little harder to snap his picture, but I finally managed. I think these are absolutely gorgeous birds.

Funny, how these distractions don't upset me nearly as much as human ones!

One, Two, Three...Whoa!!!

What happens when you have three separate stories running around in your head, screaming for you to write, write, write?

If you've never had this happen, you are probably more sane than me. I have three very different and very compelling to write stories all in various stages of completion. One has a plot issue...or at least I think that's the problem. It may be that I'm just not happy with where the characters took me and I have to learn to work with them instead of what I had planned. Another has great characters that I absolutely love. However, I need to make the plot a little more believable and a little scarier. The third has a frightening plot, so much so that I can only write for short bursts of time and then have to back off.

I thought I'd have trouble writing this way, but I've found that when I get back to each manuscript the story speaks to me and I have no problem working on the next scene.

Does anyone else write multiple pieces at one time? Am I the only crazy writer?

Overthinking When Writing a Scene

Occasionally when I want to jump start my creativity with developing a character, I pull out my deck of tarot cards. I have the Paulina Tarot deck, designed by Paulina Cassidy.

I'm currently trying to get a hand on my female protagonist. She keeps trying to change who I want her to be. So, I drew a card from the deck. It was the Eight of Pentacles. I see a lady dancer, with a smile on her face and a catlike creature sitting at her feet smiling and observing. It's a great visual and it fits with the current situation. So, my character is trying to tell me that she wants to project a facade to hide her true goal, while the hero is watching her carefully, not at all fooled by her. Ah, so now I understand what she was trying to tell me. This is just enough of a creative jump to move ahead with the next scene. Sometimes I overthink what is happening, and then I find myself questioning my subplot.

Do you ever do that? How do you move ahead?

Twin Cousins

My granddaughters, Ciara (left) and Sarah (right)

What a wonderful weekend! There's nothing like being around young, energetic young ladies to lift your spirits. The girls (twin cousins, they call themselves because they have so much in common) came on Saturday and we started our fun day with taking several bags of change to the local grocery store and dumping them in the machine to count and receive dollars in exchange. Our total? A grand-whopping $41.38!! Nothing like a little mad money to have a great time.

After lunch, we headed to Bath and Body Works. Once the girls reached the lip gloss section, they were hooked. I believe they tried every sheer color available. Since they were on sale for buy 3 get 2 free, we each picked one and then I let them pick their freebie.

While they pursed their lips in front of the mirrors, I wandered to the "soon to be released" specials. Surprisingly, even makeup is getting into the vampire craze. I found body lotion for a buck. The "fragrance?" Dark Kiss. The picture on their advertisement says it all. It has a black raspberry scent, so I bought three...one for each of us. We found a display with lotions 3 for $10, so we each picked out one of those.

The girls had a ball!

Next we headed to Michaels (a craft store). There the girls picked out a tote bag, stencils and fabric pens. They wanted to create their own bags to carry when we went out for dinner with Paa-Paa. What did we eat? Deep dish pizza, what else?

They were really cute! Inside? All the treasures from Bath and Body Works, of course.

Sunday morning church and brunch. Then they were supposed to go home. But, they were having so much fun, just like "twin" cousins do, and asked their parents if they could stay one more night. Plans for next sleepover include adding more time to the agenda.

Ah, I don't know who had the most fun...the girls or the grandparents.

Moselle's Insurance by LoRee Perry

It's release day Friday at White Rose Publishing. Here is today's new release with a special deal!

Release Day Special offer! Purchase any edition of Moselle's Insurance by LoRee Peery--The latest release from White Rose Publishing--and receive a $5 White Rose Publishing gift certificate FREE. Purchases must be made on 30 July 2010 to be eligible, so hurry before time runs out. http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/Moselle39S-Insurance


Creative artist Moselle Carson gives new life to old items, but she can’t seem to renew her shattered ideal of love. When she returns to her hometown to help with a new family business, memories of a broken heart and small-town gossip chip away the tough exterior she’s erected over the years. Now she’s forced to decide whether she’ll rebuild the wall or trust that true love never dies when it is ordained by God.


Generous insurance agent and vulnerable firefighter, Eric Todd, remembers too well how he mistreated Moselle and then set her aside. Now he longs for true love and the second chance to become a husband and father. Can he learn to forgive himself and still keep the secret that may redeem him in her eyes?

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LoRee will be one of my upcoming guest bloggers. I'm excited to be hosting her here so we all can get to know a little more about her.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Get Ready For Change

Beginning in September, my blog will undergo some changes. I'm reviving my Blog Morning Show where I will be interviewing authors in a "talk show" format. The first Monday of every month, I'll have an author join me for a fun question and answer session. This was a hugely successful venture before, so I'm looking forward to reviving it for my readers. If you are an author and would like to be on my Blog Morning Show, you can contact me using the form on my website at http://www.carolannerhardt.com/ .

Also, beginning in September, Wednesdays will be guest blogger day. Each and every Wednesday, my readers will enjoy reading a post from another fabulous person who has something to say. You don't have to be a published author to guest blog. If you are interested, please contact me through my website at http://www.carolannerhardt.com/ .

This all promises to be great fun, so be sure to become a follower, so you don't miss out!

I'm also reviving my Newsletter beginning in September. The Newsletter goes out to only those who subscribe from my website. If you are already signed up, you won't have to do a thing. For new subscribers, the link isn't up right now, but my webmistress will be updating after her return from RWA National Convention. My newsletter goes out four times a year...Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. I'll be giving away a free book or other gift to one of my subscribers in each edition of the newsletter.

Watch my blog for listings of upcoming interviews and guest bloggers!

KISS (Keep It Simple, Sweetie)

When selecting names for your characters make sure your readers will know how to pronounce them.

So many authors choose "exotic" names for their characters, but for me, I'd rather relate to a down-to-earth name. If I have to struggle to determine how to say the name out loud, I'm always detracted from the story itself.

Several of my character names have been: Beth, Jilly, Keith, Grace, Tyler, Hope, Zack, Jake, Amy, Joshua, Dolly, Brad, Tiffany, and Charlie.

I found a fun site to look up popular names by era. http://bit.ly/bD0qjk

Have fun selecting names, but try not to make them tongue twisters.

A Writer's Confession - Crawling from the Abyss

When tragedy strikes, a person can find themselves at the bottom of a dark abyss without knowing how they arrived. The realization of how far they've fallen arrives with terror--terror that grips with strangling tentacles.

I've been there. It's a hopeless place, dank and confining, like the dungeons where many perished long ago. Chains shackled me to a life of stifled hope.

Yet, I survived. Little by little, one word at a time. Each word became a cathartic stepping stone creating a handhold with which to climb out of the abyss.

The sword which drove me to despair became obsolete as the words began to flow. Then one day, I stood at the top of the abyss. I never looked back, for to do so would be foolish. Instead, my experiences became the fodder for stories.

I am a survivor. I am a writer.

How To Revise...

...a blank page.

Sorry, that is impossible.  Staring at a blank screen is daunting. It's...scary!  It's worse than the scariest horror movie!!!

How can a writer avoid the terror of staring at a blank page?

Some tips:

1. If you are beginning a new story, don't start by opening your software to a blank page if you have no idea of what you intend to write. Even pantsers need a vague outline of what their story is about.
2. Flesh out your characters. Utilize writer's tools to learn your main characters' goals and motivations. Learn what makes them tick, what their unspoken desires are, what their fears are, and how they react in various circumstances.
3. If you are in the process of writing your story, don't stop at the end of a chapter. Stop in the middle of the scene. When you come back to your scene again, you'll know exactly what should happen next.
4. Jot down the main things that happen in each chapter as you write them, and before you stop writing for the day, jot down what scenes should be next.

Whatever motivates you to get quickly back into your story, do it. Writers are not alike. Each must find what works for them.

Establish a pattern of writing and stick to it. And, never ever start with a blank page and no idea. You can always revise later, but you cannot revise a blank page.

"I Have a Plot" (He Said, She Said)

Recently hubby and I had dinner with my best friend and her husband. My friend and I always wind up chatting about our writing endeavors. Suddenly, her husband said, "I have a plot for a book."

"What is it?" I asked.

Here's the answer. "Two people are in a locked room and no one can get in. One kills the other with a knife carved from ice. When the dead person is found, there is no murder weapon."

My response: "Why did the one person kill the other? What was the motivation?"

"I don't know. It's just a plot."

A plot? Hmmm. People who don't write just don't get it.

Believable Romance, Believable Characters

As a writer, I'm also an avid reader. My bookshelves are lined with books of all genres, some romances of old. You know what I'm talking about...the so-called "bodice rippers" where the poor beautiful and well endowed heroine is at the mercy of a pirate captain but ultimately falls in love with him. Or some other equally inane plot, with the same sex scenes. Perhaps that was considered "romance" years ago. I also believe that's why romance is snubbed by many as being trash.

Real romance happens every day. People fall in love and get married. These people may not be the "beautiful couple" depicted on the covers of romance novels. But they have been on a journey of finding their soul mate.

I love books portraying ordinary people, in extraordinary circumstances, who find true love. It's the sigh when I read the last word that makes me want to read the book again. Love. Romance. Happiness.

I just finished reading Colleen Coble's Rocky Harbor series. I loved the characters and their journeys to finding love, the adventure, the suspense, and the wonderful dogs. I sighed at the end.

Have you read any great romance books lately?

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I've heard that old saying so many times, but as a writer, it has a meaning much different from what the quote's author might have imagined. "A picture is worth a thousand words." One would think it means there are no words needed to describe what one is seeing.

To me it means so much more. A picture might be a snapshot in my mind of something I've seen in the past which made an impact and a vivid memory. Or it might be something I'm currently viewing through my window, or it could be an actual picture taken with a camera.

A writer brings all of these to life with words.  A writer's paintbrush is words.

In the hands of a writer, a snapshot becomes a scene, and a scene becomes a story.

Yes, it's true. A picture is worth a thousand words...or more.

That's the gift of a writer.

Amazon's New 70% Royalty Option

Great news for those who publish their own works on Kindle. The announcement was made on June 30th that books meeting certain criteria, including a price between $2.99 and $9.99, will receive a higher royalty rate or 70%.

This new option will benefit authors, such as myself, who have the returned rights on previously published books.

I also read somewhere that Amazon's digital sales had surpassed print book sales. Another sign that e-books are here to stay.

While I love print books, as my bookshelves can attest, I've been purchasing all e-books since buying a Kindle. My husband is grateful.

Amazon's New 70% Royalty Option - Click Here to Read

Blank Screen Syndrome

Have you formed any habits regarding your writing? Sometimes we form them without planning. For instance, when I worked a day job, I carried my laptop and wrote during my lunch hour and breaks. Years of utilizing this way to write transpired to a form of writer's block when I made writing my day-time job.

Now, I had the time to write, a nice big widescreen monitor and spacious desk. However, I found myself staring at a blank screen. Nothing intimidates like a blank screen, fingers on place over the keyboard, and your mind unable to conjure any words. I'd find myself thinking "what should come next?" I tried to sketch the scene on paper, but it didn't transpire to new pages on that huge monitor.

Why?

The answer lay in formed habits. For years, my home office desk and computer had been for promoting, emails, blogging, Facebook, paying bills, etc. It wasn't for "writing." My laptop had become my writing tool of choice.

The answer for me? I set up a small area for my laptop and writing tools. Once I began using my laptop, the words began to flow again.

We are such creatures of habit. We begin establishing habits when we are young and continue all through our lives. Making writing a habit is necessary for any writer. It must be part of your day, every day. I realize my habits are not those of anyone else, but sharing what I discovered may benefit someone else who is suffering from "blank screen syndrome."

Thanks for stopping by!

Company, Cats, Birds, and Books

This week we had family visiting from Michigan. Hubby's sister and brother-in-law are such great people. Every time we are together we all say how much we wished we lived closer together. Hubby wants to visit Michigan again, so I'm going to see what we can do about getting portable oxygen concentrator and nebulizer so that he can have his wish.

One of our feral cats just walked by my office window and looked in at me. I think she is telling me they want breakfast. I'm still enjoying my view from this lower floor office. The flowers are in full bloom and each day brings new visitors in the form of bees and butterflies of multiple varieties. Most fun is to watch one of the feral cats try to catch a butterfly. Luckily they are too quick for her.

We put a new bird feeder in the back yard. It has two sides to hold two different kinds of seed. One side is for finches and the other for the birds with larger beaks. It's been too wet and rainy to know if the seed will draw them back or not. We used to enjoy sitting on the deck and watching all the different kinds of birds visiting our yard. Of course the cats became a deterrent, but with this feeder the cats can't get to the birds. Plus, we feed the ferals so well they don't seem to bother the birds at all...speaking of which, I better close off this post and feed the cats.

Have a great weekend, and thank you for stopping by to visit!

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Release Day Special offer! Purchase any edition of Rodeo Redemption by Teri Wilson--The latest release from White Rose Publishing--and receive a FREE .pdf of Teri's award-winning, "Cup of Joe." Purchases must be made on 16 July 2010 to be eligible, so hurry before time runs out. http://bit.ly/d4Tidv

Vacation

Taking a vacation from blogging until Friday...

Company visiting form out of state.  : )

A Time for Healing

Tamelia Tumlin's newest release is available for purchase today. White Rose Publishing is offering a special for today only.

As an active church member, Jaci Sinclair believes the Christian message that forgiveness is open to all…all except her, that is. Years ago, Jaci made a life-changing mistake, and now she’s sure she doesn’t deserve the one thing she wants the most—a family of her own. But when Hunter Grant walks into her life, her world is turned upside-down. Not only does he make her desire a family even more, he shines a lamp on the one thing she refuses to see.

Ex-FBI hostage negotiator, Hunter Grant, has lost the one thing he treasured the most—his family. Filled with bitterness and anger towards God, Hunter vows never to let anyone close to him again. He moves to Yellow Rose, Texas, trying to forget the tragic deaths of his wife and son—deaths he should have prevented. Wanting to lose himself in the sleepy little town, he is not prepared for the powerful feelings Jaci stirs within him.

As Jaci’s and Hunter’s worlds collide, neither is prepared to face the demons that haunt their pasts and hinder their future together, but for everything there is a season…even a time for healing.


Release Day Special offer! Purchase any edition of A Time for Healing, White Rose Publishing’s latest release, and receive a $5 WRP Gift Certificate FREE. Purchases must be made on 9 July 2010 to be eligible, so hurry before time runs out. http://bit.ly/9tE9DP

Confessions of an Author Who is Not a Mornning Person

I am so NOT a morning person. When I roll out of bed, my body and my voice do not want to work. I don't drink coffee. Instead, I stumble down the stairs, turn off the security alarm, retrieve the paper and climb back up the stairs. Then I head to the kitchen, out through the deck and down the stairs. (Luckily, our back yard is neighbor proof.) I feed the feral cats, give them fresh water, and climb back up the stairs. Grab a glass of ice water and head back down the stairs. I take my morning vitamins and head to my office.

By now my body is working much better, and my brain is waking up. I sift through emails, answer things that require immediate attention. Next, I view Facebook and see what's happening with my friends and family.

Then, I open Blogger. My brain is fully functioning and full of crazy ideas. I begin to type and whatever spills out becomes my blog for the day.

Next, I climb back up the stairs, try my voice by saying a few words to the hubby, and head for the shower.

Ah, now I feel alive. I'm ready to move into my day.

So, I'm off to the shower dear readers. Then back to reading the first 76 pages of my manuscript. I can tell you this. It's good! Reading and editing is how I shut the voices in my head telling me what I write is garbage. Slows me down, but keeps me on track.

Hope you have a great day!

Warm, Warmer, HOT!!!

Did you ever have one of those days when you just couldn't think of anything you wanted to do? I have so many things that need to be accomplished, but I'm sitting here with no ambition to tackle any of them.

I don't want to sit and do nothing either. It's just that nothing excites me today. The weather is hot and humid, another day just like the day before. I feel captive to my air conditioning.

The worst part of all is that my novel is set in a warm climate in a summer season. Why didn't I choose to write this story in the fall or winter?  *sigh* Maybe today I'll focus on writing a short story about snow.

I love warm weather, but not HOT!!!

Stay cool and thanks for stopping in.

My Husband is Tethered...Evil Grin...

My husband is on oxygen assistance 24 hours per day. What that means is anytime he goes outside the house, he must carry a tank of oxygen on his shoulder or over his back. These tanks only last about four hours, so we must plan our outings according to his "fuel" supply.

In the home, however, he has an oxygen concentrator. It's a machine that makes oxygen. It sits on the floor in the hallway between the living room and bedroom. He has a fifty foot length of tubing which tethers him to the machine, but allows him freedom to walk around the house at will.

See my evil grin? My office is on the lower floor of our home at the extreme opposite of the area where his concentrator sits. Our stairs creak when anyone walks on them. So, now when I'm writing, he doesn't have the option of interrupting me without me being fully warned.  And his tubing only reaches to the door of the office. Now, by the time he reaches me, I'm turned in my chair waiting to hear what he has to say. And, he makes very few trips down the stairs. : )  Ah, the joy of having long periods of uninterruption when I'm deep into telling my story.

Enjoy your day!

You Can't Please Everyone

"I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure--which is: Try to please everybody."


~Herbert Bayard Swope~

Wise words to heed in any area of your life. As a writer, this is something to remember.

Some writers get caught up in entering contests, lovingly known as contest junkies. Judges comments can very greatly. Why? Because it is hard to keep personal preference from weighing in on the numbers. I remember a particularly nasty comment from a judge which put an end to my contest days. Most judges were fair and gave wonderful feedback and comments to help me. But one just made nasty comments throughout. The coordinator told me to disregard the comments, because the judge was obviously having a bad day. They dropped that score, but the comments still stung.

Along the writing path, you will submit your work to critique partners, advance readers, editors, agents, and friends. My advice to you is to remember you can't please everyone. If you try, you'll fail.

Don't rewrite your story to please another person, not even to gain a contract. Remember, this is your story. Remain true to what you want to say. That doesn't mean you shouldn't polish it, or make changes to better your work. But don't "reinvent the wheel" (pun alert!)

However, if everyone is telling you that your character is unbelievable or cardboard, then you'd better look at that character. That isn't changing your story.

Keep writing, and remember...you can't please everyone!

Fitting it All In Your Suitcase

Have you ever packed for a trip and found you couldn't fit everything into your suitcase? I remember sitting on mine to close the locks because I'd stuffed so much inside. Then I'd find something else to add, and would have to decide how important that item was. I could leave it behind, or open that suitcase and try to find a spot for it, or I could remove something else to make room for the item.

How about your goals for the day? Do you find yourself adding new items, trying to stuff them in the short hours available? Eventually, something will not get done. Just like the suitcase, there is only so much room.

When I retired, I dreamed of sitting at my desk eight hours a day and doing nothing but writing. I envisioned it, I longed for it, and finally I had the opportunity. What I hadn't bargained for were all those daily things that get in the way. I still had a house to run, a husband to feed and care for, laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, yard work, and the added challenges of volunteer work for my church.

The eight hour a day dream didn't come to fruition. Some days I sit and wonder how I ever managed to get everything done while I worked a full-time job. What happened?

Some days my suitcase is so full there is no way to close it. Other days, I'm so tired from closing the suitcase the prior day that I leave it sitting open and empty.

The key is defining the important things I need in the suitcase and leaving others behind. That's hard. Especially when an item is something like watching my favorite television show. Something has to give.

I'd always thought that when my children moved out, I would have more time for things I wanted to do. Not so.  Enter the husband.

But that's another story. I'll talk about that on Monday. For now, I have an open suitcase with only one thing inside. I need to go prioritize what to pack today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Inspirational Words for Writers in Doubt

Recently, I read an email from someone on a loop who decided to “give up” writing. She felt she would never reach the heights of the others on the loop, that her writing was terrible, and she’d never get published. So, she was just giving up.


I heard her pain through the words she wrote. I’ve been there, too. I believe many of you might be empathetic as well. Some days the words come hard. I can spend an hour trying to get one sentence right. Other times, the words flow. These are the side effects of being a writer. No one ever said writing was easy…except for those who have never tried it.

Writers don’t choose to write because they know how. Writer’s write because they have something to say. There is a learning curve. Once you’ve written your masterpiece, you need to take classes and attend workshops where you can learn what POV is, how to show instead of tell, how to get into deep POV, transitions, conflict, goals, motivation, tension, and so much more.

The most important element of writing is reading. You must read books in the genre/sub-genre you are writing. How else can you learn what publishers are buying? Reading can show you how an author uses all the tools of the trade to create a page-turner.

Writers are constantly learning. We’re like teachers. We are always going to school. We learn from writing. We learn from our peers. We learn from NY Times best-selling authors. We learn from our rejections.

But writers don’t give up. Writers may reach that low point, curl up and lick their wounds, but they come back with a vengeance. I know all of you have heard the story of Noah building an ark. It didn’t happen overnight. And, it didn’t happen with everyone cheering him on either. He had a call to build. And he persevered, despite his friends and neighbors laughing at him for being a fool. We can learn a lesson from Noah. It takes a thick skin to persevere in spite of the odds.

My message to you is: When you feel as if you will never succeed, go ahead and allow yourself to be miserable. But don’t give voice to the misery. Bear it in solitude. Then dig deep inside and look at your dreams and goals. Don’t give up. Pull yourself back up out of the hole you’ve dug and get back to the joy of writing. The rest will follow.

Exercise, Patience, and Writing

I've been wanting a recumbent bike for some time. After reading reviews, I really want one. I need an exercise machine that is low impact and this seems perfect. Plus it will probably help hubby as well. Problem is, I'm not a very patient person and I need to wait until September to make the purchase. Other problem, they are HEAVY and require assembly. *sigh* I need to find one that is already put together and then convince my very strong son and son-in-law to carry it in.

I think riding the bike would be fun to do while watching television or reading a book. It's really hard to read a book while walking on the treadmill. I'd rather walk outside, but the weather is not conducive to doing that.

Hmmm. Looks like fall is going to be my time to exercise. Outdoor walking and recumbent bike. So, for now, I guess I'd better stop buying cookies, chocolate and ice cream. But, oh, they are so satisfying when I'm stuck on finding the "perfect" word for my manuscript.

It's amazing how long it takes to edit. That's the time when I find passages that need ramped up with body language or deep POV. After rewriting, then I go back and read from the previous paragraph or so to make sure it "sounds" good. I can pass an hour editing just a few pages! Amazing. And, all the while that crazy little muse is whispering to me to hurry up and finish. I've been looking for a muzzle that will fit.

Right Brain, Left Brain...Eeeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo...

Today, I'm going to tackle convering one of my "returned rights" books, HIT AND RUN, to be read on Kindle. Why? Because I can!

I excelled in math during my school years because logic problems stirred my brain. I loved the challenge of working my way through the formulas to get to the answer. I still love working logic puzzles or delving into something unknown. I love mysteries, mystical things, and creating things with my hands. There's something fulfilling in hooking up a new device to my computer and having it work, taking a rock and turning it into an animal with a paintbrush and ceramic paints, or creating a new world with words.

I've taken several of those "analyze your brain" tests, and I fall squarely in the middle. I'm not left or right brain dominant. I suppose that's why I lean toward many creative outlets.

So, today, I'm off on a new venture. I'll have the challenge of converting the book for Kindle and creating my own book cover. More to come...

Why Do I Write?

As I stare at the beautiful wooden name plate that declares I am a ~writer~, I ponder what that means.

Writers write. Plain and simple.

I love composing words and stringing them together to evoke emotions in the person who might one day gaze upon my creations. The joy of writing is in the physical action of placing one word after another, one paragraph after another, one page after another. The joy is in discovering new characters and entering into their lives. The joy is living in another world, shutting out the mundane, embarking on new adventures in my mind.

Writing give me a high. I'm energized, happy, and filled with a sense of accomplishment.

I breathe, therefore I live.

I live, therefore I write.

I write, therefore I am.

Character Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts

I've been playing around with a story in my head and I just can't get it to seem reasonable, or exciting. My brainstorming sessions with only myself seem to run in the same direction. My heroines seem to have similar backgrounds, baggage, and reasons for being in peril. So, is the wrong?

It can be, if the immediate goal is not worthy of drawing in the reader and making them care about the heroine or hero.

Goals, motivation and conflict are essential to writing a story that will sell. First comes goals, both external and internal. I'm very good at pinpointing internal goals. It's the external goals that seem to be less enticing. When that happens, the story is doomed. That larger than life external goal will move your character through the story and the subplots will come from that movement.

However, all six things need to be in place. Both external and internal goals, motivations and conflict. Anayzing my book Joshua's Hope the GMC looks like this:

Hope's External Goal: To gain custody of her stepson
Hope's Motivation: He's in danger
Hope's Conflict: Finding an attorney to represent her

Hope's Internal Goal: She wants to redeem herself
Hope's Motivation: She shouldn't have put her own needs ahead of her stepson by divorcing her husband.
Hope's Conflict: Guilt

Hope realizes Joshua is in danger, but since she's not his biological mother, no attorney will represent her. Danger makes the goal immediate. If she doesn't do something, her stepson will suffer the consequences. She feels guilty for saving herself without thinking of what might happen to the little boy she loves. Her own mother turned into a bitter soul after Hope's father abandoned them. Hope doesn't want to be like her mother, but fears she might. So, she works at two jobs and saves every penny to pay for an attorney, but none of them wants to take on a losing battle. If she wants to reach her internal goal and save her stepson, she'll have to do something drastic. Thus, the plotlines develop and the story moves forward with lots of conflict.

Once the GMC is determined, the rest of the story will flow. However, getting GMC right isn't an easy task. Allow plenty of time to work on this.

That's where I'm at, dear readers. I really need to find a brainstorming partner.

Squirted to Death...Tale of The Ugly Spider vs The Writer

The ugly black spider with a huge white spot on it's bulbous body crawled across the carpet into my line of sight. My gaze riveted on the evil enemy. How dare you invade my territory? The words spoken in my mind didn't make it to my lips. I didn't want to clue him in to his fate. My hand touched the cool door knob leading to the laundry and work room. Slowly, I opened it. I glanced at the spider to find him waiting. Come on, give me what you've got, his body language seemed to say. I retrieved the container of bug killer and squared off with him.

He took an aggressive stance. I took mine, with nozzle in one hand, container in the other. "You're going to die," I said aloud. "You realize your fate, don't you?"

No response followed. A slight movement of his legs showed me him ready to fight...or flee. Without giving him time to decide, I squirted him.

He ran.

I chased and gave him one more healthy dose of bug killer.

He slowed. Changed direction. Stopped.

I stared.

He moved.

I squirted him again. No sense taking chances. I wanted to give him a quick death.

He rolled over and remained still.

I continued to stare.

He moved and righted himself. Then he stood on his head.

I couldn't believe what my eyes saw. The ugly spider stood on his head. Really. His bulbous body stood at attention and the white spot seemed to be an eye glaring at me. I shivered.

He righted himself. And tried to run, his movements like a drunk, weaving along an imaginary white line.

Finally, he stopped. I figured he must be dead, but I couldn't bring myself to step on him. I put the bug spray back on the table and tore off two sheets of paper towels. I tossed the paper towels over his body and raised my foot, hesitated, then stomped.

Liquid filled the paper towel. Oh, gross!

I walked past the brutal scene of the crime several times before I got up the nerve to get more paper towels and dispose of the body. Tuesday, the deparated will become part of the county landfill.

Last night I dreamed of his relatives coming for revenge. Needless to say, I'm sleeping with one eye open tonight.

Thanks for stopping by!

Caution: Brain Dump Ahead

Still struggling with the standard keyboard. My fingers are just too close together and my arms are pressed against my sides. Totally unnatural for me. Yesterday, we browsed through WalMart and I took a turn around the computer accessory section. No split keyboards! Wah!!! I'm going to check at my local office supply store next week. In the meantime, I'm fighting the keyboard. So, sorry for the lack of posts lately.

Have you tried that Raid Bug Barrier? I used it outside to try and control the ants. It seems to have helped, but I'm beginning to see more creeping closer to the house. Sigh. We've had enough rain to wash it all away. How can it possibly last six months? I'm going to go outside and spray the Ortho Home Defense Max and see if that helps. I also killed an ugly spider in my basement. It was black with legs like those jumping spiders. It had a bulbous body with a big white spot and two smaller white spots. Ugh. And it was pretty big. About quarter size. UGLY!!! I have been trying to overcome my fear of spiders, but that one freaked me out.

As for writing, I am doing edits on my manuscript as I find that easier than typing long passages on this keyboard, or on my laptop keyboard. But, I'm making progress anyway.

Today, tackle bugs, do a little weeding and dead head the roses, and then...editing!

Thanks for stopping by.

Dead Keyboard Grumbling

Another rainy day. Rainy with brief appearances of sun. Makes for a very humid atmosphere. I wanted to mow the lawn today. It's getting so long that I'll have a rough time when I can actually get the task completed.

Speaking of tasks, I finally finished all contest entries. Hurray. It's so hard to judge other people's work when based on specific parameters. I tried to be as open and positive as possible. Some of my contest entries came back with such negative comments that I wanted to throw a chair through my monitor. But, I put it all in perspective and persevered. I hope that others do the same thing, but I do believe that judges should focus on giving constructive criticism and pointing out things that are done well.

Today, I'm battling a nasty headache. Top that with my favorite wireless split-key keyboard rolling over and kicking up its feet like a possum on the side of the road. Ugh. Yesterday, while I pounded at the keys I looked up and saw...NOTHING on the screen!!!  What???  I checked all the connections, replaced the batteries, rebooted numerous times, but it remained uncommunicative. I plugged in the standard keyboard which came with the computer and it worked fine. Now, I'm limited to typing slowly in an unnatural hand position. I guess that means a trip to the office supply store later.

Nothing exciting to talk about today, so I'll stop rambling. I'll focus my energy on editing today. Believe me, you wouldn't have been able to read this post, if I hadn't made numerous changes as I typed.

Hope you have a great day and thanks for listening to my grumbles today.

Beefing Up With Body Language and Critique Partners

Word for the Day: Focus

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe by Teri Wilson (okay, I've been really slow at reading lately. Lots of other things taking my energy.)

Picture of the Day:

The television in my office is to entertain me while I'm walking on my treadmill, which is directly opposite the screen and next to the wall. My cat, Templeton, likes to sit in the basket and watch whatever is happening on the screen. Isn't he cute?

I've been working with critique partners for an online class I'm taking on Body Language with teacher, Margie Lawson. I had no idea what to expect when we formed our group, but I've been delighted with how my partners have helped me to amp up my writing. Who knows? Maybe we'll continue on together. I wanted to share something from my current manuscript to show how together we took some rather "blah" writing and amped it up a notch utilizing the tools we have learned from the class.

BEFORE:

"What's going to happen to the baby?" she asked.

He glanced up and saw a look of concern pulling her brows close together.

"She'll be well taken care of. Her new parents will make sure of that.

"What makes you so sure they'll be good to her? What if they're perverts or
something? Did you check them out?"

What was this? The kid was making him angry. Why all the questions? He
hadn't thought she even cared if the baby got fed. Now she was worried about
the baby's future? Before he could stop himself, his hand cracked against
her cheek, leaving a vivid imprint of his fingers.

"Why'd you do that?" She glared at him and stepped closer, hands fisted at
her sides.

"Shut up. You talk too much." He rifled in the bag for the premixed formula.
Pain shot through his head, crumpling his legs, and he fell to the floor.

The girl stood over him, holding something in her hands. He opened his mouth
to speak, then the room spun into a black funnel.

AFTER:
"What's going to happen to the baby?" Something in her tone drew his
attention. He looked at her.

Her gaze riveted on his and she moved around the table, treading lightly like a cat walking sideways and sizing up its foe.

He attempted a smile to disguise his building rage. "She'll be well taken care of. Her new parents will make sure of that."

She placed her palms flat on the rickety wooden table.

He mimicked her position, and noticed a slight tremble in her skinny arms.

"What makes you so sure they'll be good to her? What if they're perverts or something? Did you check them out?" Her voice rose to rival the tone his mother used when he'd lied to her.

His teeth clenched. He stood upright, muscles tightening in response to his building anger. How dare she question him?

His hand cracked against her cheek with a satisfying jolt.

Her body jerked, her eyes widened and her hand rose to cover the reddened
handprint. "Why'd you do that?" she yelled. Tears glistened in her eyes, but she stepped closer, hands curling into fists.

"Shut up. You talk too much." Spittle flew with his words. Dismissing her, he riffled through his duffel bag and pulled out a can of baby formula.

Pain shot through his head, crumpling his legs, and he fell to the floor.

The girl stood over him, holding the cast iron skillet in her hands. He
opened his mouth to speak, then the room spun into a black funnel.


So, what do you think? Much better? I think so. I've never had so much fun working with critique partners before.

Thanks for stopping by!

Critiquing Isn't for Me

Word for the Day: Ugh

I'm not posting a picture today. Sorry. Couldn't find one that inspired me. Today I want to write about critiquing. I volunteered to judge entries for a contest in our local chapter. I want to help and encourage. However, I'm bound to a stupid numbered scoresheet. Sure, I can make comments, but putting numbers on a writer's work really is hard. I don't want to discourage anyone, but I have to act like an editor in order to help them.

I'm so wishy-washy when it comes to critiquing anyone else's work. Don't know why, but I've learned one lesson. I will never judge another contest. No way. Hate the numbers. Have I said that before? Well, I do.

My friend and I get together for lunch and we talk about writing. We brainstorm and talk about things that have us stuck. We toss around suggestions and that works for me. So, even though it's a rainy day, I'm off to shower and get ready to have lunch with my friend. I'll deal with the numbers later. Ugh.

Thanks for stopping by!

Best Friends, Laptops, and Furry Babies

Quote for the Day: The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had. ~Author Unknown

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe by Teri Wilson

Picture of the Day:

We brought our fur babies home when they were eight weeks old. This is Charlotte. I received an email from our vet on Sunday. Our fur babies are now seven year old! Hard to believe. They grow much faster than our human babies.

Yesterday, I finally got a handle on the "overwhelmed" state of my life. I feel like I accomplished quite a lot, including mowing the lawn and weeding. Today seems manageable. The only thing I wish to do is write, so I allow myself the morning to tend to a few writing tasks, which helps me face the mundane everyday tasks.

What a gorgeous day in Ohio yesterday! I sat on the deck for two hours with my laptop and wrote. It's my favorite place to be, especially when my laptop accompanies me. Making progress toward writing "the end."

Currently, I'm taking an online writing course on "Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist" taught by Margie Lawson. What a fantastic class, and very timely. I'm using all the lectures to power up my current manuscript. Margie's classes are always dynamite, and I mean that in the best way. She inspires me to "do it better." So, now I'm off to the mundane, so I can get back to the joy of writing.

Tomorrow I have lunch with my very best friend. And the quote above says it all about our relationship.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Mask of the Mundane

Word for the Day: Overwhelmed!!!

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe, by Teri Wilson

Picture of the Day:

Years ago, I belonged to an online women's group and we created signature tags for emails. One of my friends created the one above for me. It describes my mood today. I'm not sure who I want to be. I must do yard work, I must do laundry, I want to write, I want to sift through my lectures on an online class I'm taking.

Throughout my days, I seem to wear a lot of hats...or masks. I believed when I quit my day job, I could spend my hours doing things I wanted to do, fun things. How quickly the glamor was displaced by the mundane. I want to answer the question, "When's the next book coming out?" But, alas, I can't. Part of it is under my control...or is it?

Thanks for stopping by!

It's Electrifying!!!

Word for the Day: Tired

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe by Teri Wilson

Picture of the Day:

I love my book cover. It's "electrifying!"  Why am I posting it? Because if you haven't read Joshua's Hope, I'm inviting you to purchase it from my publisher, White Rose Publishing, or if you prefer, from Amazon.

Check out the latest review which posted on Associated Content yesterday:

Book Review by Sarah Coiner

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank Goodness for Laptops

Word for the Day: Stormy

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe, by Teri Wilson

Picture for the Day:

My hubby reading my first published novel.

Yesterday, we began working on putting a ring of red castle stones around the trees in our front yard. We found them on sale and purchased 88 of them. Talk about heavy dead weight! Those suckers weigh nearly 19 pounds each. Since hubby can't lift them (or rather shouldn't be lifting them), I took them out of the truck and put on a hand dolly to cart them four at a time to the area where he laid them. We finished one complete row and began stacking the second level before giving up for the day. Then about an hour later the storms began.

This morning it's still dark and stormy. Windy, thunder. Hmmm. So, my muscles get a reprieve today!

I'm planning on taking my laptop upstairs and writing most of the day. Wish I had one of those batteries that last longer than an hour. *sigh* Stormy days are great for creating darker scenes. Maybe I'll write the last chapter today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stepping Back Into The Past

Word for the Day: Burdened

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe by Teri Wilson

Picture of the Day:

Today I'm feeling burdened. I have this tendency to take on way too many projects and then stress about not keeping up. I agreed to start doing the Sunday bulletin for our church beginning this week, and I also signed up for two online classes. Add judging for a writing contest. Eeek!!! Why do I do this to myself?

I snapped the picture above a few years ago when my hubby and I visited a writing friend who had an old cabin built on her property in the woods. Her husband built the cabin using wood from his grandfather's barn. Inside, she has many antiques which replicate the kind of cabin my great grandmother might have lived in. My hubby and I actually spent the night in the cabin. No running water. No electricity. What an experience! We slept in the Jenny Lind bed pictured above. I decided to include a few more pictures below.

I wish I wrote historicals, because this experience sure brought history to life for me.

Thanks for visiting!