Merry Christmas! Go to Greece! #WIN stuff! And a mini-break~

It's the most wonderful time of the year, reader-friends!

Merry Christmas!!! 

I hope all of you are getting ready for the holidays. My little brood and I certainly are... see how excited we've gotten --->

Since the girls will be off until after the new year, I've got a few announcements, and then I'll be calling it a Blog Break until 2014!

Here we go:

#1-Fabulous writer-friend Jessica Bell is organizing her amazing Homeric Writer Retreat again in Ithaca, Greece!

I swear, this is a dream getaway. Writing, talking shop, and meeting with literary agents! Please go here for all the details (link)!

#2-Amazing writer-friend Susan Kaye Quinn is still hosting a Fab Giveaway for the release of her new BollyPunk novel Third Daughter (link)! Go here to enter (link)!

#3-ALL of my books are in the Kindle Matchbook program (link)! This means if you buy the print version of any of my books on Amazon, you can get the ebook for Free or 99 cents! Check it out (link)!

#4-You still have time to WIN a SIGNED SET of the Dragonfly series! Go here to enter (link).

That's all I can think of... LOL!

I'll still be updating my Author Facebook Page (link) through the holidays. Please follow along and keep in touch!

I hope you all have a fantastic holiday season, my friends. Thinking of you all and sending warmest wishes and ((huge hugs))~

Veterans, Special Projects, and #99cent Sales

First, Happy Veteran's Day!!!

I'm so, so thankful to the brave men and women who risk their lives for our country every day, some of whom are friends and relatives!

I just realized when I wrote "special projects" that could be confused with "special ops." And I'm okay with that...

I am working on a special project at the moment--I'll give more information as I can.

In the meantime, check out this amazing Thanksgiving event hosted by the lovely Laura Howard I'm a part of...

Join this Event and get ALL the updates!!! (link)

They're giving away books, FOUR $50 Amazon gift cards, and tons of great prizes. Join the Facebook event (link) so you'll know whats happening and when!

And if you haven't started the Dragonfly series, now's a great time to do it!

Get Dragonfly for ONLY 99 CENTS right now (link)!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Here's a fun FAN-MADE picture-teaser that I LOVE~

On Amazon

And have a super holiday and week, reader-friends! ((huge hugs))

Scream for #HALLOWEEN, #WIN a Rouge audiobook!

Halloween is my all-time, absolute favorite holiday.

So in honor of the occasion, I'm RE-presenting my Top Three Favorite Halloween Memories starting from least scary to... well, most silly.

And Stay tuned... your chance to WIN! is at the end~

1. The Country Fair-McCue Road.

In elem-middle grades, I went to a private school that had a Country Fair every year on Halloween. There were games, dunking booths, crafts for sale, fair food, etc.

That was all fun when I was little, but when I got closer to high school, I realized the teenagers would always take off and run around to local "haunted" sites while all the children and parents were at the fair. (Back then you got your drivers' license at 15 and I had an older brother.)

There were two sites near where we lived that had several legends around them. The first was McCue Road. It led back into the woods and started off paved, but eventually it turned to gravel. Supposedly two dead bodies drained of all their blood had been found wrapped in garbage bags back on the gravel part. Naturally, that meant there was a coven of witches doing Black Sabbath rituals that we had to investigate.

The other was a grave at this Civil War-era cemetery in Zachary, La. I don't remember the name, but the grave had bars installed across the top because the legend was it contained the corpse of a witch. One by one the bars had been removed by... teenagers... and supposedly when the last bar was gone, she'd come back and kill us all.

All sorts of stories about cars going dead and then failing to start, power windows going down and not going back up, headlights going out and not coming back on, etc., were told by kids who'd tried to steal bars off the grave.

(To me that didn't make sense because wouldn't she want to come back? So why mess with the teenagers trying to release her?)

Nothing ever happened to us on these trips, but the memory of being 13 and allowed to tag along with the cool "big kids" on those adventures is still pretty vivid. It forms the basis of my Halloween love...

2. My Hero.

In college I dated a guy who was six-foot-two, 200 pounds--big guy. He stomped around town in Size 13 Docs, was the lead guitarist in a band. Mr. Cool, right?

He was also the youngest of nine kids--good south Louisiana Catholic family--and claimed when he was out running one night he saw the Spirit of Death (a dark shadow) rise out of a gutter and go into a house in his neighborhood. The next day (he said) the man who lived in that house died of a heart attack.

My boyfriend was also a major campy-horror-movie fan. Like the super B- variety. He made me watch The Evil Dead. And the sequels. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Piranha! (the original)...

So he and I went to this haunted house one Halloween--you know, the pretend kind where people dress up and try to scare you? Many of you have never seen me in person. I'm not so big. I'm about five-foot-four, and I weigh between 120 and 130 pounds, depending on if there are cupcakes in the house.

At one point on our haunted tour a fellow dressed as Leatherface with a chainless chainsaw ran out toward us. Immediately my giant boyfriend lifted me off the ground by my upper arms and threw me in front of him, at the guy with the chainsaw.

Me: What are you doing?!?!
Him: (panicked) They won't hurt a girl!
Me: They won't hurt anybody! It's all fake!

We all know that was a completely illogical response, btw. They always hurt the girl.

3. Trick or Treat.

We didn't celebrate Halloween at my house when I was a kid. Well, my paternal grandmother thought that was a lot of ridiculousness. So one year when my brother and I were visiting her at Halloween (we were very young), she decided to take us trick or treating around her small hometown of Liberty, Miss.

I was very much a pleaser as a child, and I just knew we weren't supposed to be doing this. Internally, I was all a-fret because "if Mom found out..."

I was also a pudgy little kid. I was never very tall and until I hit puberty, I was ... well, fat. There's just no other nice way to say it. I didn't like to sweat and I liked to eat. Two plus two equals four.

So we went to several houses, got bags filled with candy. Me: Hey, this Halloween business ain't so bad! Then my Mammaw said we had to go to one more house. It was someone she knew, but at the time, I wasn't aware of that.

My brother and I walked up to the door and knocked and "REEE!!!" An Evil Witch jumped out and released a blood-curdling screech! My brother took off like a rabbit, but I knew I'd never out-run her. I closed my eyes and started swinging my Halloween bag with all my might.

To this day I remember hearing nothing but a high-pitched shree and feeling all my precious candy falling around my shoulders and disappearing through the cracks in the porch. At some point, I took off running. I was not pursued because the "witch" was bent over, hyperventilating with laughter.

I remember seeing her talking to my grandmother through the driver's-side window at the car, and I crept back and got in the backseat. We had to drive a few blocks before we found my brother...

So there you go! My fave holiday memories... ***Now for the TREAT! Your chance to WIN!***

On Amazon

I'd love to hear your favorite Halloween memory.

Leave a comment, and on Monday, I'll pick ONE LUCKY commenter to WIN a copy of the Rouge audiobook!!!

Here's the description:

Romance, velvet, sequins, and murder...
 
Hale Ferrer is the rising star of the hottest cabaret in New Orleans. And her one goal is escape. Escape from the lies, from the crime, and from her growing fear that one day she'll have to earn her living in the secret back rooms, where the dancers do more than dance.
  
But she won't leave behind Teeny, the orphan-girl she promised to protect.
  
Freddie Lovel is rich, handsome, and in love with Hale, and he's ready to sweep her away with him to Paris. But her heart is captured by Beau, the poor stagehand with eyes as blue as Louisiana iris flowers.
   
Denying her fears, Hale is ready to choose love and a life with Beau, until a predator hidden in the wings launches a chain of events that could cost her everything--Teeny, their one hope of escape, and possibly even her life.

Yep! My dark and atmospheric tale set in New Orleans read by the lovely & talented Susan Eichorn Young is perfect for the season. You'll LOVE it~

So leave a comment, then get out, scare some children, eat some candy, watch a scary movie, be safe.

But most of all have a very, very

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Halloween Kisses #BOO!

I confess, reader-friends.... Halloween is my favorite holiday! 

I LOVE dressing up and being scared an the lovely fall weather. And I don't know, but doesn't everyone just seem to be in a better mood at Halloween?

It's all the candy, I know.

When I wrote Dragonfly, I wanted to have something Halloween in it. The book follows the first semester of senior year, which covers the holiday. (Watercolor is the second half, ending at prom.)

Since Dragonfly is on SALE right now for 99 CENTS (No tricks, all treats), Here's the fun, Halloween Hay Maze excerpt, which also involves a little smooching.

On Amazon

See what you think~

We handed over our tickets and started into the maze. Renee and Rachel were giggling nervously as we walked, waiting for something to happen. Jack held out his arm to me, and I took it, not minding a little temporary protection, regardless of the source. 

It was cooler inside the maze, and the height of the walls made it darker as well. Huge spotlights lit certain portions of the grid, but some corners were almost completely dark. Those were the tense spots, where you could feel the actors lurking, waiting to scare you. It was all in good fun, but I was glad we were going through it as a group.

We rounded the first corner, and from the shadows, I felt the swish of air as something ran toward us from behind. Rachel screamed as a fur-clad figure snarled at her. We scattered in six different directions, screaming and laughing. It was terrifying, and I couldn’t stop giggling. I ran as hard as I could from our grisly pursuer, thinking someone was with me, but after several turns, I stopped running and looked around. I was alone. Great.

I walked slowly through the dim-lit stacks, straining my ears for familiar voices. I thought I heard Rachel off to my right, and I followed the sound. But as I rounded the corner, it was a shadowy dead end. I doubled back and listened again. It sounded like they were just on the other side of the hay wall, and I started running straight ahead. My heart was thudding when the passage opened. I could go right or left. I waited and listened, and once again, I felt the swish of air as a figure came up behind me. I spun around ready to scream, but it was only Julian.

“Hey,” he said low in my hair, as his hands found my sides.

“Julian!” I laughed, hugging him in relief. He smiled and pulled me into a shadowy corner. “I hate being alone in these things, and I thought you were—” 

He leaned in and cut me off with a kiss. My heart had been racing from the fright and the running, but now it was flying for a different reason. Instinctively, I pulled him closer, not wanting to let him go, and he held me tighter in response. 

This time his kiss was not a question, it was a demand, and the part of me I’d been pushing down for weeks came rushing up to meet him. My arms were around his neck, and I slipped my fingers into his hair. I felt his lips curve into a smile against mine, and our mouths opened, tongues touched, and electricity raced to my toes. It was hot and breathtaking, and everything I’d expected returning Julian’s kiss to be like. His uncasted arm circled my waist, holding me strong against his body, then he lifted his head to look into my eyes. 

We were both breathing fast. Neither of us spoke, we only smiled, a little amazed and unable to look away. He leaned forward to kiss me again, and once more I kissed him back, open-mouthed and eager. Hungry. I felt confident and strong, and I didn’t want to stop ever. He held me back against the scratchy hay wall, and my hands moved from his shirt to his shoulders and then his neck. I wanted to touch his skin. I wanted to pull him closer. I wanted to feel his skin against mine. 

His lips moved to my jaw then my chin, and without thinking, I murmured his name. I dropped my face against him, inhaling deeply the faint scent of his cologne mixed with the straw all around us. We were swirling in a dizzying wave of adrenaline until I heard voices coming toward us. 

As if waking from the most amazing dream, I opened my eyes and reluctantly stepped away, out of Julian’s arms.

“I think I heard them over here!” Renee ran up and stopped short, the laughing others close behind her.

I turned away and tried to pick the hay fragments out of my hair. There was no denying what we’d just done, and I didn’t know what to say. 

* * *

Maybe "Oops!"--? (LOL!)

I know, all the Julian lovers in the house were like, "Yes!" And that's only the beginning for those two. If you haven't started the series, now's a great time!

Get Dragonfly (#1) TODAY for only 99 cents!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

And have a smoochy, spooky, SUPERFUN Halloween, reader-friends!!!

Memorial Monday

Happy Memorial Day, reader-friends!

Where we are, it's a big race weekend. Next year, maybe we'll go, but this year, we're just thankful JRM's getting closer to the end of being on crutches.

Summer's here!

Talking to my daughters yesterday, I asked if they knew what Memorial Day was all about. One said it's where we thank grandparents for being in World War II. (Actually, for her, it would be great-grandparents, most of whom are no longer with us.)

I agreed. We should always be grateful and say thanks for our World War II vets.

Memorial Day actually began as a way to remember all the Americans who died during the Civil War--Union and Confederate.

President Lincoln has been in the public eye a lot lately, and it's highlighted what a dark time that was in our nation's history. But we have many, many military service men and women to thank today.

I guess the most impressive thing I wanted them to understand was this holiday is about people we don't even know, who leave their homes and families to defend and serve our country. It's pretty impressive if you think about it.

It's cool to imagine a day when we don't need such brave folks risking their lives for us every day. In the meantime, a HUGE Thank You to all our military personnel.

Have a lovely holiday; I'll be back tomorrow with a new Dragonfly teaser~

Letting Go some Valentine's Kisses!

Happy Valentine's Day, reader-friends! Ready to get your smooch on???

The Indelibles' Indie-Kissing event has arrived, and for my entry, I'm giving you a kissing scene from my brand-new book The Truth About Letting Go (link), which releases in one week...

*breathes into bag*

This scene is the first kiss between Ashley and Jordan, and it's when they first discover their chemistry. (Their prickly romance is a main conflict in the story.)~

He grabs me around the waist, easily lifting me off the floor and through the door into his room. He puts me down, but his arms are still around me. They’re warm, and I’m surrounded by the smell of fresh-cut grass, the creek. My eyes travel from his blue shirt to his face, and his expression changes.

“Jordan, I—”

He leans down and cuts me off with a kiss. Soft, warm lips press over mine gently. I only hesitate for half a second before reaching up and weaving my fingers into his hair. I open my mouth, and the flavor of mint grows stronger as our tongues slide together. A burst of energy floods my chest, and suddenly, I’m kissing him again, faster, like I can’t get enough. He’s keeping my pace, and for the first time in months, the painful sadness is gone. In its place is this new feeling, this tense anticipation. I love it, this excitement canceling out that wretched sadness.

Our mouths break apart and we both gasp. He presses his forehead to mine, but my eyes are still closed. I’m smiling.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, pulling me into his chest. “I didn’t mean to—”

But I don’t want to hear that. I reach for his face again, pulling it down to mine. I want more of the good feeling. He lifts me, and my hands stay on his cheeks as I kiss him again and again. A noise comes from his throat, and it’s like gasoline on a fire. All of me is hot and desperate. I barely notice as we fall back onto his bed, me on top, my fingers searching for the buttons on his new shirt. They’re easy to unfasten and soon, I’m sliding my hands over his smooth chest.

I know, H-O-T, right? Well, then Jordan drops a bombshell a few paragraphs later that changes everything and sets up the basis of their ongoing "conflict."

But yanno. You'll have to read the book for that part (*wink*).

Want to WIN a free copy of The Truth About Letting Go (link)? Leave a comment here (link)!

To visit the rest of the Indie-Kissers, go here (link).

And have a lovely, lovey, weekend, reader- and writer-friends! *smooch* <3

One Weekend, 99-cent eBooks

Looking for gifts without breaking the bank? How about 20 Young Adult books at 99 cents each now through Monday on Amazon? 

Buy some books for yourself. Gift books to others.

Books are still the biggest entertainment bang for the buck, and there's SO many great titles to choose from. 

Romance, adventure, humor, or contemporary? How about Sci-fi, fantasy, or mythology? We've got you covered! 

  

Get me!

Pick me!

 

Get me~

Get me!

Get me!

Choose me~

How about me!

Choose me~

Get me

Date me!

Pick me~

Pick me!

Me, naturally

Pick me

Get me

Get me

Choose me

Get me

Rescue me

Get me

Last, but not least~

And don't forget to enter my fun, Rouge-New Orleans giveaway (link) ending Monday. And have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Happy Independence Day!

I hope my fellow Americans are having a terrific holiday with family and friends. It's a great time to think about history and freedom and what those concepts really mean.

Source

Hmm... that sounds terribly serious, and I don't mean it that way. Think about those things in a fun way while enjoying yourself.

I also hope my non-American friends have a wonderful week and weekend.
I'm away at the moment, but I'll be back next week with something deep and meaningful. Or something, at least!

Have a great holiday, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Kids & Writing by Dr. Q

First, let me say a heartfelt Thank You to all the men and women in uniform who've given their lives to keep us safe and free. Have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday.

And since this blog is also about being a mom, I'm super excited to welcome great bloggy friend Dr. Susan Quinn (link) who has a brand new book out (see below) and is guest posting on how to get your kids writing.

A great potential summer activity!

So without further ado~

Ten Ways To Get Kids To Write

by Susan Kaye Quinn

Getting my kids to write was slightly less painful than delivering them into the world, but a lot more frustrating. Because it goes on for years and years and years ...

When I tell people that my 13 year old son Dark Omen wrote a novel and is now working on the sequel, they give me this knowing look, like, Well, of course! What did you expect? You're a writer!

If they only knew.

None of my boys (ages 8, 11, 13) enjoyed writing when they were younger (in the case of 8 year old Mighty Mite, we're still in that nooooooo stage of the writing experience). But I'm a patient mom (er, sometimes), and in the spirit of my Twelve Tips for Reluctant Readers post, I've pulled together Ten Ways to Get Kids to Write:

When the boys were little, we had a mini-easel that was chalk on one side and marker on the other. It spread chalk dust like crazy and we were always having to clean it, but having writing materials easily available (Way #1) meant we could stop and draw letters or cats (lots of cats) at any time.

Later, when they were in school, there was lots of writing time during the year, but during breaks and summer, I stapled together pages of writing paper with a construction paper "cover." This "book" was theirs to decorate, but they had to write a sentence (or paragraph or page, depending on the age) in it every morning, setting a regular time for writing (Way #2) - interestingly, Dark Omen still does most of his writing in the morning.

Sometimes I gave writing themes (Way #3), like Christmas lights or going to the pool, but mostly I let them write whatever they wanted (Way #4), even if it was only "I hate writing." (They thought this was the height of funny.)

When they were older and could write longer passages, I enlisted the help of writing workbooks (Way #5) - get the good ones, they're worth it - with worksheets on grammar as well as narrative writing. To mix it up a little, I also gave them assignments (Way #6): write a letter (from a list of our relatives), write a poem, write a song, write a recipe.

Here it helped to have a variety of writing supplies (Way #7), from index cards to fancy stationary. The most inspiring writing materials were consistently any notebook or writing material of an odd shape or texture or origin (Way #8), whether tiny spiral bound notebooks or giant sized, cardboard-latched binders.

My boys even spent one hilarious night writing secret notes on the backs of fortune cookie slips.

As long as they were writing, I was happy.

Note: most of the time I was not happy because they were not writing. I tried to give them a journal (Way #9) - not a diary - but that was met with scorn.

My final Way is not really a technique, but an attitude: cultivate patience and don't give up (Way #10).

Kids all develop at their own rates and it may take time (a lot of time, years worth of time) before they reach the milestones you want. But just like reading, writing is an essential skill that will wither if not actively encouraged.

Now, I have to pull Dark Omen away from his spiral notebook that he relentlessly fills with words and characters and stories. I have to tell him to eat breakfast before writing, to make sure it gets in him before he has to run to the bus and Junior High. And if I had told my younger-parent-self  that my oldest son would some day be a novelist, I would have had a good laugh.

And I probably needed it, too.

If that's not enough ideas to keep you from tearing out your hair, Imagination Soup has ten more writing activities for kids.

May the Odds be Always in Your Favor.*

*Getting kids to write isn't quite as brutal as the Hunger Games, but somehow the analogy seems apt.

What ways have worked for you?

~~*~~

Closed Hearts (Mindjack #2)
$2.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble (ebook and print)

When you control minds,
only your heart can be used against you.

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA novel Open Minds, Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy, which is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes. The sequel Closed Hearts has just been released. Susan's business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist," but she mostly plays on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Green Eyed Monster

Happy President's Day! The girls are out of school, and if we were in south Louisiana, we'd be in the middle of celebrating Mardi Gras! Very distracting; I'll keep it short.

I was thinking about those negative reviews on Goodreads, and then I was thinking about competition in general.

My mind went down this rabbit hole after I encouraged a bloggy friend who's going out on submissions with a YA science fiction book.

I'm about to return to finishing my own YA sci-fi come March, and I told our bleep something like this: "I hope your book flies off the charts so sci-fi gets hot again."

I was only partly joking. Of course, I want her to do well because she's great, but it's good for all of us when fellow writers do well.

It pumps more cash into the system, gets more people buying and reading books, which in turn allows more deals to be made.

Sometimes in traditional publishing it feels like that day will never come, but I do everything in my power to resist feeling negative as I wait. Because--it's good for all of us when fellow writers do well.

I've got a head cold, so I'm probably not connecting the dots very well... This relates to those nasty Goodreads reviews because I heard it proposed that perhaps they stem from a feeling of, "Why this book and not mine?"

If that's the case, my heart goes out to the authors targeted. You can't fight jealousy.

Personally, I'd like to think I've made it past being insecure about my writing. Heck, I've written for newspapers, magazines, professional journals, educational materials... closing in on 20 years now.

But there's a layer in news. I'm removed. If someone doesn't like what I wrote, well, sorry. That's just what happened. I'm only the messenger.

Two years ago I started creative writing. I started making this stuff up. It comes from my brain, and part of it's invested with my heart.

And when someone says it stinks, that hurts.

Guess what? I have to suck it up and get over it. Because that's what we do as professionals, regardless of the profession.

But they didn't get the point.

Who said they would? Learn and do better.

But they're misinterpreting what I said!

Then maybe you didn't say it correctly, or maybe they're hearing it through their lens, or maybe they're just nutcases.

But I have to make them understand!

And no, that's where you're wrong. Because you will never make them understand.

Now they're just being mean.

So what did you expect? Kid gloves?

*

What I'm trying to say is as authors, we have to ignore the negative stuff. As much as it hurts. And if you're the one acting out of envy, see that part up there about how one's success helps us all.

Work hard, keep swimming, and  your time will come. It will.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! I'll be back Thursday with a good book review~ <3

You are here

There's just something about wanting to be there. Be a part of it. The whole Lost Generation, the beret-wearing allness of it.

The smooth jazz, coffee sipping, red-wine drinking, not caring about any of it It.

The whole, I believed. I gave everything I had. I've been lied to. I've lost it all. I have nothing left to lose...

I don't care if I lose it all. Just to be able to say I did...

The joy of it. The dance. The sipping and dipping and squeezing. The taste of eclairs or creme-filled croissants or seafood seasoned just delicately enough. Or meat, marinated for a good eight hours in garlic, red wine, onion, black pepper, and then cooked for another six hours on low heat...

The sounds of crashing waves and the feel of briny salt air on your face.

Nope. It's true. I still haven't seen Midnight in Paris.

But I have lived in south Louisiana and on the Gulf Coast, and well, I guess for us, that's about as good as it gets.

It's that weird break between Christmas and the New Year when anything's possible. When it's all suspended and everything's wishes and twilight.

I'd love to be in the writing cave, but instead I'm on the road. Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends. See you next week~ <3

Catchup and Cool Blogfest Envy

Shew! Catching up after being out of town is hard work! Especially at this time of year. But I'm back, and I'm making the rounds.

Where was I? Well, I tagged along with hubs on a work-trip to Scottsdale, Az., and I have to confess. Part of my motivation for going was superstition.

Superstition Mtns

You might remember this post (link) where I shared how I started writing my first book after returning from Scottsdale and visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West.

Something about the story of him really getting into his life's work, his passion, and designing his most famous buildings when he was almost 60 gave me hope.

It's never too late to start.

And we talked about how he died at his drafting table still working, happily, at 90-something.

Taliesin West

Then I told you about my visit to the cool souvenir shop and the freak hailstorm-40-degree temperature drop that occurred while I was in the American-Indian artificats gallery.

I revisited that place, too, on the way to Sedona so hubs could see the Red Rock formations this time.

But what I'd never done before, and what was really fun, was climbing all over the Camelback Mountains that are located slap in the middle of Phoenix.

So that's what I did. In other news, have you noticed the cool blogfests going on lately?

Camelback Mtn.

My friend DL Hammons (link) is hosting "Write Club," which pits short passages from writers against each other. Everyone votes, and the winners move on to the next round in February. Check it out! (link)

Then my other friend Jen Daiker of Unedited fame (link) participated in the Heroine Challenge where she had to defend a fictional heroine against another writer's choice. Everyone votes based on their arguments. Very cool. (link)

I hosted a blogfest once with Dr. Kang (link) where we all told jokes. But now I'm wanting to do something literary.

Like everyone picking and defending their most satisfying reunion scene from a book. Or their favorite couple. Or best literary battle. (I threw that battle one in for my male followers. You all know I'm a romance junkie, so I'd be more interested in something along those lines.)

Cactus Santa hats

But I think it could be fun and educational. Like it would help me as a writer to see what's most appealing to readers.

So what do you think? What's a literary blogfest you'd like to participate in?

Now let me get back to digging. Christmas is coming, reader- and writer-friends! Have a great weekend; get some shopping done. Til Monday~ <3

The Countdown

For the first time, we're visiting a church that observes Advent. It began yesterday, and for the rest of the month, we'll be counting down to Christmas.

I kind of like it.

The topic of yesterday's sermon was uncertainty, which I thought was an odd choice. We know without a doubt that in less than a month it will be December 25.

But as he spoke, I changed my mind. My little daughters are waiting to see their first snowfall. The weather lady said it might happen tomorrow night, but it could be Wednesday.

They're also waiting to see what Santa will bring them. And you know the song, a lot of that depends on how they act. (As if.)

As for writing, we face uncertainty from start to finish. Is this idea any good? Is this query any good? Will I ever finish revising this MS? Will I ever find an agent? Will I ever get a book deal? Will anyone besides my mom buy it if I do? Will I ever write another book? Will it be as good as that last one? And so on.

The point yesterday was that one's faith is strongest in times of uncertainty. That made me laugh (internally, of course) thinking of all the prayers said at those times.

I pray a lot regardless, so for me it seems uncertainty brings out my inner control freak. I start trying to do everything I can to make whatever it is happen. Right now.

Patience is hard for me. I don't even like making my daughters (or husband) wait to open gifts I've bought them. Christmas typically starts around the 23rd at our house--or sooner!--because Mommy just can't stand it anymore.

So we're all in this time of waiting and expectation, and things are very uncertain everywhere. How do you guys deal with times like these?

My youngest said she likes to daydream to make the time pass quicker. I agree with her. Maybe it's time to start another book...

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Til Thursday~ <3

Thanksgiving Break

Wow, the end of the year is zooming toward us. The holidays are here, it's time for family and for gifts... I haven't even started Christmas shopping yet. (o.m.g.)

I have to take off this week. Family's in town, the girls are out of school, and, well, I'm sure many if not all of you are in the same boat.

I'm so thankful for you, writer friends, for readers, for family, for good health, and for having the freedom to pursue an occupation I love. Even if it can be crazy sometimes.

Happy Thanksgiving, reader-and writer-friends. Til Monday~ <3

Patience & What I Did This Summer

If you participated, you know I forgot about our dear Michael DiGesu's blogfest where we all told how we spent our summers. (Argh!)

But as writers, we've learned the importance of patience (through much tears, wailing, and self-medicating--*wink*). Lucky for me.

As for my summer, well, I spent it moving 850 miles due north! 

In 2004, my Louisiana-native self left Indianapolis, Ind., with my little family and relocated to Spanish Fort, Ala. 

Hubs got a great job, it was closer to family, and we were less than an hour from this:

I just knew it was God's way of rewarding me for being such a great person... (...right?)

Seriously, though, I'd spent my life saying I would live at the beach. When we relocated, I figured it had happened, and I would never move again.

Just when you think that, right?

So hubs got a better job working with great friends, and since he makes the big bucks in our little family unit (and supports my writing habit), we headed back to the Midwest.

Before I left, though--literally, like the week before--I helped chaperone a few HS seniors on a seven-day Caribbean cruise.

I know. 

You have to understand when I was asked to do it, exactly one year ago today, I had no clue I'd be moving 850 miles due north nine months later (a.k.a., within a week of the cruise dates).

Clearly, I went anyway (it was too late to back out), and it was so great. I was able to visit with a friend I've known since before she was born, and it was a fun, fun week in an otherwise stressful summer.

And here we are, and things are moving forward again, albeit not as quickly as I would like. Which brings us to the patience part. 

First, there are two things I don't talk about here on the blog, and one of them is religion. I was brought up to be polite, so you can guess the other.

But I do pray. A lot. And patience is one of those virtues that gets me down. If I have to wait for any good thing to happen, I immediately fall down the negative spiral. 

You don't have to tell me, "Don't do that!" I know I shouldn't do that, but it's just my personality. No matter how many years go by, how many situations work out well, I still go straight for the worst reasons why whenever I'm forced to wait. 

I'm very When Harry Met Sally, in the whole, "If it's in my power to make something good happen, I want to make it happen as soon as possible." (Or something like that.)

So I've been feeling all negative-spiraley lately about how recent events have impacted my writing momentum, but we've started visiting this little church around the corner. On Sunday, the interim pastor read the following verse: 

"You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." (Jas. 1: 3-4, MSG)

I can't say that verse made me feel better, but it resonated with me. I hope it encourages someone out there reading this as well. Hang in there--that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

Til Thursday, reader- and writer-friends~ <3