Lisa M Potts

Next Year Has To Be Better, Right?

2011-12-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

I realize my posts have been sporadic of late but I swear it's not my fault. At least not directly. A gremlin (I suspect the same one that William Shatner kept seeing outside his airplane window) has climbed inside my hard drive and caused all sorts of evil things to happen.

I was planning on buying a Mac with my tax refund, but I don't know that I can survive with just my iPad for two whole months. We will see. Forgive what may seem like slacker behavior on my part during that time and know that I will continue to visit your wonderful blogs when I can.

On a more pleasant note, I just finished Stephanie Perkins' second novel, Lola And The Boy Next Door, which made me feel all melty inside (review to follow soon). Damn that woman can write! So I wondered if any of you have read anything lately that caused a strong reaction, good or bad. Please share.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Movie Review

2011-12-22T20:50:00.000-05:00

Let me just start by saying I'm not a big action movie fan. At $7.25 for a matinee ticket, I usually look for something more character driven to sink my box office bucks into. But I'm also one of the millions of people who check out www.rottentomatoes.com to get a consensus review for a movie. And with a whopping 93% "fresh" rating and comments praising it as the "action movie of the year", Ghost Protocol was hard to pass up.

I'm not a rabid follower of the franchise, although I did see the first one back in the 90s. Don't worry, you won't have any problem following this one even if you haven't seen any of the others.

You do want to pay attention once the lights go down, though, because the pace is fast and you might miss something if you are away from your seat. If you aren't on the edge of it during the briefcase scene toward the end of the movie, then you haven't been paying attention.

Ghost Protocol is fun for the whole family (no sex and not too much cursing). My daughter loved all the cool gadgets and asked on several occasions, "Do they really make those? Where can you get them?"

My son loved the cars. I told him to save his money.

BMW i8 hybrid

And I enjoyed seeing how well Tom Cruise has held up over the years (he'll be fifty next year). After the whole couch fiasco, I think this might just be the movie that redeems him. Even my kids thought he was cool and that's saying a lot.

Hello, Maverick.

And if you're one of those people who like rating systems, I'd give this one four stars, 8 out of 10 and a highly recommended.

Since I won't be posting again until after Christmas, I would like to wish you all a very merry holiday. And remember, one out of four presents are re-gifted. Think about it.

Bah Humbug Blahg Fest!

2011-12-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

Better late than never, I always say! I got my days mixed up and thought this was supposed to post tomorrow. Try as I might, I couldn't come up with 12 things I disliked enough to talk about, but I did want to mention my top five:

1. All those self-righteous people who say, “You're not finished Christmas shopping yet?!” You know the ones. The aspiring Martha Stewarts who not only finished buying presents in November but who also make their Christmas cookies from scratch and string popcorn for their trees.

2. Non-peppermint candy canes - who thought this was a good idea?

3. The Bell Ringers – This is not a reflection on The Salvation Army as a whole, just the internal conversation all these “Santas” stimulate every time I pass them on my way to spend money that I don't really have (or would rather be saving to spend on myself later). Oh gawd, do I have any change? Is it wrong to give a handful of pennies? Look at him with that smug smile on his face. I bet he hasn't put any money into that kettle thingy. How does he know I didn't give to the last guy I passed? Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact, don't...sh!t, now I have to give him something. They better not change shifts while I'm in the store because if I have to go through it again with a new guy, he's getting this gum wrapper.

4. Remakes of classic Christmas songs - As much as this will break my daughter's heart, I don't want to hear Justin Bieber sing anything, but especially not a Christmas classic like The Christmas Song. Don't mess with tradition.

5. The local mall - I suggest avoiding it completely between September and February. Amazon RULES!

May all of us finish our Christmas shopping before Christmas Eve (that's what I'm shooting for anyway).

Have a great weekend!

Let It Snow Book Review

2011-12-13T22:14:00.000-05:00

From Goodreads:

Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks.

Thanks to three of today's bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

I really enjoyed this one. John Green is one of my favorite authors (Will Grayson, Will Grayson is FABulous) and this was my first chance to read Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle.

The thing I enjoyed the most about this collection is that the characters are interwoven throughout the stories. All of the protagonists attend the same high school and know each other by varying degrees.I loved the way each of the authors played off the other sections of the novel and it had me wondering how the writing process worked on this one.

All of the stories were sweet and funny with just enough setting thrown in to really put me in a holiday mood. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a Christmas themed story or a good contemporary YA romance.

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

2011-12-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to do a book review on the blog today. This was supposed to be an average, ordinary Thursday. But if I've learned anything over the years it's that life sneaks up and clobbers you when you least expect it. And maybe that's what keeps us all from dying of boredom.

My dad walked out of my life twenty-five years ago this past summer. Within a year, he'd divorced my mom and remarried his secretary. I got birthday cards for a couple of years and then nothing. I heard he moved out of state and was raising a family with his new wife.

I never tried to contact him because it hurt too much to even think about what I would say. I remained deeply angry until I had kids of my own and managed to forgive him which I would compare to being able to take a deep breath again.

Today, our family lawyer called. He'd been contacted by my dad's wife stating he was very ill and wished to speak to me. When Mom told me I began sobbing. I don't know where the pain came from but it overwhelmed me. I became that young teenage girl who wondered if she'd caused her dad to leave and why I wasn't worth his time - the young woman who stayed in a bad marriage for far too long because I was determined my relationship wouldn't end up like theirs.

And as I reapplied mascara before work, I wondered if I should call him. Would it do either of us any good? Would it be worth it? I imagined how the call would go. I ran through different scenarios in my head. None of them ended up helping me make a decision and I still haven't.

I don't usually talk about anything too personal on the blog but I wanted to get these feelings out in the open because I've learned it helps me work through them. I know some of you may have gone through similar experiences and I would love to know how you ended up dealing with it.

Christmastime Is Here...

2011-12-06T22:58:00.000-05:00

...as if you haven't noticed.

Hello elves and elfettes! I've missed blogging over the past few weeks but really needed the break. I've been decorating the house and catching up on all of the upcoming blogfests.

Even with all the warm fuzzies, it seems the holidays are never complete without a dollop of frustration, but I'm saving that list for The Bah Humbug Blahg Fest hosted by the one and only Grumpy Bulldog. If you haven't signed up yet, you should consider it.

There is also DL's DeJa Vu Blogfest where something old will be new again.

Last on my list today is a plea for help. I've been reading quite a bit of erotic romance, one of my guilty pleasures, and after all of that steamy dialogue I've found the male voice on my GPS is lacking that certain something (and if I'm not mistaken, he yelled at me today when I missed several turns in a row).

I would love to make driving in the car more enjoyable. So if any of you have found a sexy male voice (perhaps with a French accent) please share him!

Tournez à gauche, s'il vous plaît.

On second thought, I may have a wreck.

Thankful And Looking Forward

2011-11-25T18:33:00.000-05:00

Dropping in from my hiatus to express my gratitude to those of you who have "checked in" on me cyberwise and to also wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

I've been perusing your blogs, and I'm constantly entertained by all of your witty, wise and heartfelt posts about everything from writing to parenting to relationships and beyond.

Along with Christmas decorations (which I'll be putting up tomorrow), this time of year brings out all of the new reading challenge posts for the remainder of 2011 as well as the year to come. As I've almost reached my Goodreads goal of fifty books this year (only one to go!), I thought I would get my goals in writing for the upcoming month to keep my scattered brain on track.

I'm going for the "Buddy The Elf" level and planning on reading 5-9 holiday themed books before the end of December.

I'm aiming for the "Serial Mistleto-er" level here.

I'm going with the "Christmas Tree" level on this one which is 5 or more holiday books by January 6th. And I'll probably throw in the "Fa La La La Films" bonus level because who doesn't like Christmas movies?

I've already got some wonderful books lined up to read:

Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris

Miss Read's Christmas by Dora Saint

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

A Christmas Memory & One Christmas by Truman Capote

A Child's Christmas In Wales by Dylan Thomas

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The Gift Of The Magi by O. Henry

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

I'll be returning to regular Tuesday and Thursday posts starting December 6th. Talk to you all soon!

An Apology And A Hiatus

2011-11-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

To all of my bloggy friends out there I would like to apologize for being a bad neighbor. I have failed to comment on any of your blogs for the past couple of weeks, although I've visited when I could.

Unfortunately, things going on in my life unrelated to writing/blogging have left me emotionally and physically drained. Almost as if my creative juices have been sucked out by some sparkly vampire.

For that reason, I'm taking a hiatus from blogging for the rest of November to recharge, which makes me feel a little guilty as I didn't even consider NaNo this year. I hope to be back to normal by December and ready to celebrate the season with all of my wonderful writing buddies.

I hope you all have a magnificent month and that those of you participating in NaNoWriMo reach your goals.

Spooktacular Hop Winners!

2011-11-04T09:35:00.000-04:00

Congrats!

Angela D. - Dracula

Jennifer S. - The Haunting Of Hill House

Kristi H. - Signed ARC of The Replacement

All winners have been notified by email.

Thanks to everyone who entered and have a wonderful weekend!

YA SPOOKTACULAR - STORY 2 PRIZE PACK!

2011-10-27T00:01:00.012-04:00

Welcome, ghosts and goblins, to the Story Two prize pack giveaway. I hope you've all enjoyed the YA Spooktacular this year as much as I have. Are these spooky tales great or what? And there's more to come!

If you missed the beginning of Story Two just click on the banner below to be magically transported.

And if you missed Story One click below to start from the beginning:

I'm really excited be part of the YA Spooktacular for a second year, hosted by Frenzy of Noise & Wicked Awesome Books.

Yesterday, you got to follow along with Story 2: PARTY TIME. Today, you can enter the Story 2 Prize Pack.

Let me remind you of the awesome stuff up for grabs:

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children book/poster
Quirk Books Tote Bag
Signed copy Swoon/Swear by Nina Malkin
finished copy of Fury by Elizabeth Miles
signed copy of Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
After Obsession (ARC) by Carrie Jones
signed copy of Ashes by Ilsa Bick
Entice/Need/Captivate by Carrie Jones
signed copy of Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
copy of Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
finished copy of Darker Still by Leanna Renee Heiber
SWAG

Told you it was awesome! All you have to do to enter is fill out the FORM.

Don't forget to check out Story Three: The Corn Stalker tomorrow at Page Turner's Blog and remember to enter for the grand prize drawing at either Frenzy Of Noise or Wicked Awesome Books starting October 31st.

And if you got lost anywhere along the way and don't want to miss out on all of the bonus "tricks and treats", just click on the YA Spooktacular banner at the top of this post for a summary of all the creeptastic fun. Good luck!

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!

2011-10-24T00:01:00.013-04:00


Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & The Diary Of A Bookworm for hosting

I've been discussing haunted places in my hometown all month long on the blog, so I thought it was about time for a "treat".

What better way to share my love of the Halloween season than by giving away some of my favorite creepy reads?

Here's what you can win:

THE classic vampire story

If you've only seen the movie,
you don't know what you're missing

SIGNED ARC

There will be three winners and the only thing you're required to do for entry is to give me your name and email address on the FORM. If you would like extra entries for following and tweeting, just enter those in the appropriate fields as well.

Contest runs from now until midnight on Halloween. I will announce the winners on November 3rd. And please don't forget to visit the other fantastic blogs participating. Find the complete list HERE.

The Scariest Destination Of All

2011-10-20T20:36:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for visiting My Haunted Hometown with me this month. I've had a blast introducing you to all of these creepy places this Halloween season.

Unfortunately, my own home has turned out to be the scariest place of all this past week as my youngest is suffering from pink eye and bronchitis while my oldest is in bed with pneumonia. And that is the main reason for this succinct post.

I will be back next week with a couple of great giveaways. I wish you all a happy and healthy weekend.

My Haunted Hometown - Waverly Hills

2011-10-18T09:50:00.000-04:00

'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world.

~William Shakespeare

In the early 1900's, Northern Kentucky was ravaged by an outbreak of the "White Plague" otherwise known as tuberculosis. This prompted the construction of a new state of the art TB hospital.

The building that still stands in Louisville, Kentucky, was opened in 1926 with 435 patient beds, but by 1932, patient numbers had increased to 480 with nearly 100 applicants on a waiting list.

The sprawling 160,000 square foot facility was comprised of five stories and a basement. Like other tuberculosis sanatoriums, it was situated on a hill because elevation to drier, purer air was thought beneficial to sufferers.

Nearly 8000 patients died there from 1926 to 1961 when the hospital was closed. In order to keep up patient morale, a body chute was constructed to dispose of the dead so they would not be visible to the remaining patients. This "death tunnel" stretched 525 feet underground to the bottom of the hill where the bodies of the deceased were collected by the family or cremated.

The sanatorium currently hosts tours with all proceeds going to restoration of the building. The current owners plan on turning it into a bed and breakfast for ghost lovers. If you visit Waverly Hills today, there is a good chance you might run into the spirit of a child that haunts the third floor and has been known to play with toys brought in by visitors. You might also hear the disembodied voices of children chanting "Ring Around The Rosy" up on the roof, encounter an apparition of one of the two nurses who died in room 502, or cross paths with the shadow people of the fourth floor.

The sanatorium has been featured on Ghost Hunters, Scariest Places On Earth, Most Haunted and The Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures.

Waverly is open to the public year around for tours and overnight stays. And don't expect to be able to go whenever the mood strikes because there's a waiting list.

Are you adventurous at heart? Would you spend the night at Waverly Hills?

My Haunted Hometown - Colville Covered Bridge

2011-10-13T21:39:00.001-04:00

Gravedigger, when you dig my grave could you make it shallow so that I can feel the rain?

Dave Matthews, lyrics from "Gravedigger"

Just a short ride to the East brings us to the next location on My Haunted Hometown tour, The Colville Covered Bridge in Bourbon County, Kentucky.

Built in 1877, the bridge is 124 feet long, 18 feet wide and crosses over Hinkston Creek near the city of Paris. It is one of the few Kentucky covered bridges still passable by car.

Of course, traversing through this piece of history is not for the faint at heart.

In the past eighty years, at least three travelers who entered on one side, never emerged from the other, and it's said their spirits haunt the space in between.

All three deaths occurred in the 1930s. A young couple on their way home from prom lost control of their car and plunged into the water below. They were found the next morning drowned in the front seat.

Then there was the elderly Sarah Mitchell who headed out across the bridge by foot on the way to the doctor, but fell dead before she made it to the other end.

Even today, nighttime travelers make their way to the center of the bridge only to see light coming through the floor beneath them as if a car had gone into the creek and the headlights were shining up through the water. Or they hear an elderly woman coughing and crying out for help.

I doubt the living linger too long though. Would you?

My Haunted Hometown - The Seelbach Hotel

2011-10-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always -- take any form -- drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!

Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

The Seelbach Hotel, located in Louisville, Kentucky, was opened in 1905 with an original cost of approximately $990,000.

The rich and infamous have visited the hotel over the years, including Al Capone and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who even featured the hotel in his novel The Great Gatsby as the location of Tom and Daisy Buchanan's wedding. The Hustler starring Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman featured scenes shot in the old Seelbach billiard room (now known as the Oakroom, the hotel's 5-diamond restaurant).

But perhaps the most famous resident of the hotel is Patricia Wilson, also known as the lady in blue. In 1936, Wilson, age 24, had moved to Louisville from Oklahoma with her husband. His work schedule wreaked havoc on their relationship and by 1940 they were separated.

In an attempt to work things out, the couple agreed to meet at the Seelbach for a romantic weekend, only Patricia's husband never showed. He was killed in a car accident on the way to their rendezvous. Patricia was devastated by the loss. Later that day, her body was found at the bottom of a service elevator shaft in the hotel. No one seems to know whether it was an accident or if she deliberately jumped.

In 1987, different staff members reported seeing Patricia Wilson on both the Mezzanine Level and the eighth floor. In both cases, a woman in a blue dress with long black hair was seen walking into the elevator, despite the fact that its doors were closed.

In April 2004, a couple on their honeymoon awoke to find their room freezing cold and the overpowering scent of a woman's perfume in the air. Others have reported disembodied footsteps in the hallway and electrical objects turning off and on. The sightings continue to this day.

For over 100 years, the Seelbach has been a place for the weary traveler as well as the unexplained.

I've been there several times including my senior prom, but have yet to experience the lady in blue. While it's thrilling to think about, I would probably be terrified. I'll stick to watching Ghost Hunters.

My Haunted Hometown - Fairview Cemetery

2011-10-06T11:55:00.000-04:00

It's no accident that the church and the graveyard stand side by side. The city of the dead sleeps encircled by the city of the living.

Diane Frolov, Northern Exposure, Lost and Found, 1992

Historic Fairview Cemetery, New Albany, IN, started as five acres of land on the edge of the city. First known as the Northern Burying Ground, it is the final resting place for the majority of the town's earliest families.

Now covering 85 acres, the cemetery holds the entire Culbertson family, whose house we visited earlier in the week, fourteen victims of the Lucy Walker Steamship Explosion of 1844, and several Revolutionary War soldiers.

One of these soldiers, Richard Lord Jones, born 1767, joined the army as a fifer at the age of ten and served three years during which he was captured by the British. Legend says after dark you can still hear him playing his music throughout the cemetery grounds.

It is my plan to visit Fairview on All Hallow's Eve to see if we can pick up anything digitally if the kids don't chicken out on me before then ('cause I'm not going out there alone).

Has anything not easily explainable ever happened to you in a cemetery?

My Haunted Hometown

2011-10-04T22:58:00.000-04:00

Behind every man now alive stand 30 ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living.

ARTHUR C. CLARKE, 2001: A Space Odyssey

The Culbertson Mansion in New Albany, Indiana, was the home of William Culbertson, once the richest man in the state. Built in 1867 at a cost of $120,000, this French Second Empire-style mansion has 25 rooms within 20,000 square feet, and was completed in November 1869.

Features within the three-story edifice include frescoed ceilings, a carved rosewood and mahogany staircase, marble fireplaces, fabric wallpaper and crystal chandeliers. The tin roof was imported from Scotland.

The house has seen many owners and changes since Culbertson and his family roamed the hallways. At the time of his death, William Culbertson willed the home to his third wife who sold it at auction in 1899 for $7,100. During the past century it has belonged to the American Legion and would have been torn down to make way for a gas station if the local historical society hadn't intervened in the late 1960's.

In 1985, the carriage house behind the mansion was opened as a haunted attraction during the month of October. It has raised nearly $600,000 since, with all the proceeds going to a restoration fund. The first floor of the mansion is completely finished and the second floor is well on its way.

Every year, the kids and I head over to the main house for ghost stories. For the admission price of two dollars, we get to trek by candlelight up the long winding staircase to the attic. There we hear about all the odd happenings that have taken place in the mansion including a small stuffed doll that moves from bed to bed in the children's room, and Misty the ghost cat, a favorite of the Culbertson family, that has been seen walking up and down the main staircase when the moon is full.

There have been inexplicable noises -- footsteps, murmurs, and doors slamming -- and sightings of a ghost dubbed the "lady in gray" that some believe is Culbertson's second wife, Cornelia, who died of cholera in 1880. Of his three wives, she lived in the house the longest.

Cornelia Culbertson

The creaky floorboards and the wind whistling through the lone attic window always add to the experience. Every year as we're making our was back down the steps, I tell the kids not to step on the cat. I've never seen Misty, but I figure it's good to be prepared.

I'll be back with another spooky stop in my haunted hometown on Thursday.

Wait...What Month Is It?

2011-09-29T20:10:00.000-04:00

Every October* I look forward to pulling out the horror DVDs and working my way through both the classics,

and some more recent favorites before the witching hour on Halloween.

But in recent years, I've also tried to add some horror novels to my fun-stuff-to-do-in-October list. Besides Stephen King, I haven't read too much of the spooky stuff so I'm asking for your help. Are there any books about things that go bump in the night that you'd recommend? I'm looking for stories that forced you to leave the light on long after you finished reading. The stuff nightmares are made of.

The only new one I have so far is The Woman In Black by Susan Hill that will soon be released as a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe (Pssst...if you haven't seen the trailer yet, you should. It has everything a creepy movie should have, freaky moving toys, little girls reciting weird rhymes, and dead people popping up beside you at the window).

Last year I did a popular series of posts about my haunted hometown and I plan on bringing those back from the grave this October. Plus I'll fill you in on some new creepy places I've found this year. And at the end of the month I'll be participating in the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop because who doesn't love to win stuff?

Have a wonderful weekend!

*Yes, I'm aware it's not technically October, but I love it so much I figured close enough!

Book Review - You Are My Only

2011-09-27T09:36:00.000-04:00

From Goodreads:

Emmy Rane is married at nineteen , a mother by twenty. Trapped in a life with a husband she no longer loves, Baby is her only joy. Then one sunny day in September, Emmy takes a few fateful steps away from her baby and returns to find her missing. All that is left behind is a yellow sock. Fourteen years later, Sophie, a homeschooled, reclusive teenage girl is forced to move frequently and abruptly from place to place, perpetually running from what her mother calls the “No Good.” One afternoon, Sophie breaks the rules, ventures out, and meets Joey and his two aunts. It is this loving family that opens Sophie’s eyes, giving her the courage to look into her past. What she discovers changes her world forever…

The riveting stories of Emmy and Sophie—alternating narratives of loss, imprisonment, and freedom regained—escalate with breathless suspense toward an unforgettable climax.

When I read Beth Kephart's last novel, Dangerous Neighbors, I knew I'd found a unique gem and told everyone who would listen to go out and buy it. I eagerly awaited her newest release, You Are My Only, and I wasn't disappointed.

As I read her luscious descriptions and insanely poetic use of the English language, I found myself hoping the story would never end. You Are My Only is a heart-wrenching mystery, full of intrigue and just a touch of romance thrown into the mix. As near to perfect as I've read in a long time. I urge you not to miss this one. Highly recommended.

You can pre-order from Amazon here - You Are My Only
And for the stories behind the books, you can also visit Beth's blog here.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation Blogfest!

2011-09-23T09:12:00.000-04:00

First, I want to thank Michael for hosting this blogfest. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else did during the summer months.

I, unfortunately, did not travel to any exotic locations over the summer due to lack of funding despite the fact that I logged 2700 hours at my day job during the season (I'm asking Santa for a raise this year).

That's not to say my summer wasn't a productive one. From June 21st through September 22nd I read twenty books, wrote four short stories and five flash fiction pieces. I posted to the blog 25 times, including four blogfests and three book reviews. I also celebrated my one year blogoversary and have been doing some heavy volunteering for my daughter's softball league (Go Hurricanes!).

We spent quite a few days at the newly renovated waterpark just up the road from us.

And I did manage to plan a day trip recently to a local orchard/winery/petting zoo where I sampled the spiced apple wine and the kids got licked by goats (Ewww). So we all had a great time!

That sums up my summer “staycation”.

What was your favorite part of summer?

Worst Movies Ever Blogfest!

2011-09-19T01:00:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Alex for hosting another fun blogfest!

I normally can find some redeeming quality for every movie I see. But some are so disappointing that I feel the need to warn people about them. You know the ones. You exit the theater feeling like you've been violated. And it's even worse because you paid money to feel that way.

Even if you can see them for free, the five movies I'm about to list will rob you of precious minutes of your life,

First on the list is Jaws 3 originally released in 3D. This was the first 3D movie I had ever seen and I was so excited. I expected things to jump off the screen at me, to be nearly able to feel the teeth of America's longest standing reason not to go into the water. What a crock. The 3D was laughable and the plot even more so. By the end, I was hoping everyone would be eaten.

Epic Movie - I guess we have Scary Movie to blame for all of these lame spoof films that came after it, but this one was particularly agonizing to sit through. I didn't crack a smile the whole 86 minutes of seemingly endless torture.

I watch a lot of horror movies and I've seen some real stinkers. But Leprechaun tops my list. Even with my fear of little people in creepy makeup, this one just didn't do it for me. Most famous quoted line from this movie, "I NEED ME GOLD!" 'Nuf said.

Son Of The Mask - I got roped into watching this one by my kids and I may never forgive them. Although I did find the baby scarier than the little guy in Leprechaun.

And last but not least I've chosen My Sister's Keeper - The acting wasn't bad and even people who hadn't read the book expected to bring tissues to the theater, but the reason this made my list was because they completely changed the ending of the story from book to screen. And this wasn't a minor change - a different character died! Unforgivable.

If you've enjoyed this post, I'm sure you will love visiting all of the other participating blogs. That's what I'm off to do.

What's the worst movie you've ever seen?

Wrap It Up, I'll Take It!

2011-09-15T20:04:00.001-04:00

As you know, I'm a Campaigner and I've really enjoyed visiting all of the wonderful blogs in my groups over the past two weeks. The first challenge was so much fun and since I've always been a statistics freak, I thought I would pass along some info I noted while travelling through the massive linky list.

80% of the Campaigners took part in the first challenge.

Out of the 384 entries, I found 45 wordpress blogs and 266 set up through blogspot. The other 73 consisted of actual domain names, there were some through Weebly, and a couple directly linked to social networking sites (i.e. Facebook).

Roughly 75% of the participants stated they didn't normally write flash fiction and approximately 25% said this was their first ever flash piece.

I say kudos to all of the participants because I read some really great flash entries.

In other news, the wonderful Blogger Formerly Known As has given me the One To Follow award. I would like to recognize five other blogs that I believe are very worth following:

Sara @ http://crowriverwriter.blogspot.com

Rosie @ http://eastforgreeneyes.blogspot.com

Kate @ http://kate-swenson.blogspot.com

Nadja @ http://nadjanotariani.blogspot.com

Shelley @ http://shelleykoon.com

I also received The Irresistibly Sweet Blog award from K.T. Hanna and I would like to pass this one on to the following five blogs:

Crystal @ http://www.littlebundleofcontradictions.com/

Sarah @ http://emptywhitepages.blogspot.com

Dawn @ http://dawnmalone.blogspot.com/

Claire @ http://www.clairemarriott.com/

Marie @ http://marieandrewsauthor.blogspot.com/

If you haven't visited their blogs yet, you should head on over and introduce yourself. You won't regret it.

After being tagged last week, I was glad there were no rules with these two awards to list quirky things about myself because I'm actually pretty boring and I don't think I could have come up with anything else.

I'll be back on Monday with a special post for Alex's Worst Movies Ever Blogfest. If you haven't signed up yet, there's still time.

May your weekend be glorious and your muse submissive!

Tag Me, Baby!

2011-09-13T21:58:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged by Allie and it couldn't have come at a better time as I was drawing a big nothing when I sat down to do blog posts this week. Here are 10 random facts about moi:

1. I find things innapropriately funny. Like when people fall down. My kids included.

2. I have trouble spelling certain words with repeating consonants. I always repeat the wrong one and have to correct. Like ~~dissapoint~~ disappoint. This annoys my friend ~~Jeniffer~~ Jennifer.

3. I've always wanted to belong to a huge family with tons of brothers and sisters that are forever in each other's business.

4. ~~Midgets~~, ~~Dwarves~~, Little people freak me out. If they 're wearing clown make-up, even worse. I had a bad experience at the circus once.

5. I eat my M&Ms two at a time by color and find it very disturbing when someone just rams assorted colors in their mouth at the same time.

6. I dropped out of college my Junior year to get married (although I'm single now). I've thought about going back and finishing, but I haven't convinced myself that it would be worth my time at this point in my life.

7. While I was married, I hardly ever read a book. After the divorce, paranormal romance got me back into reading, JR Ward's Black Daggar Brotherhood to be exact. These days I read what I write, YA.

8. I once lost a pet in a lawnmower accident. My dad ran over my hermit crab, Hermie (original, I know) when I was eight.

9. There are certain movies that the family and I watch on a regular basis: Galaxy Quest, So I Married An Axe Murderer, Haunted Honeymoon, Clue and Arachnophobia.

10. I love lists!

Now I would like to tag five of my new Campaign buddies. You should definitely check out their wonderful blogs. These ladies ROCK!

Shari - http://sharibird.blogspot.com

Jodi - http://jt52weeks.blogspot.com

Angela - http://angelawritenow.blogspot.com

Christy - http://christyfarmer.wordpress.com

Clare - http://clarekirkpatrick.wordpress.com

See you all back here on Thursday!

First Campaign Challenge!

2011-09-08T00:01:00.006-04:00

I hadn't even seen the challenge until Tuesday when I visited one of my fellow campaigners and noticed their entry. When I went to Rach's site for the deets, there were already over 100 linkys! Call me impressed. You campaigners are really on top of things. I just hope I can find the time to read them all because the few I've seen so far have been awesome.

The rules:

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)

For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!

My entry is below and I managed exactly 200 words.

Hear No Evil

The door swung open. A brutal November wind invaded the kitchen and ushered in the last of the dead leaves that had gathered on the porch. They crunched under my feet as I hurried to close the one entrance I'd left unblocked. Our only way out.

Jake looked pale, much worse than when we'd arrived. The blood had soaked through his shirt again and his breathing seemed shallow and forced.

I sat down beside him on the floor and held his hand.

“It won't be long now. Help will be here soon.” I hated lying to him. How many times had I wished he'd never been born? I'd take it all back if I could. Trade places with him right now. Nobody deserved what he was going through.

“I'm so cold,” he said opening his eyes. “ I wish Mom was here.”

“Me too.”

I slid the last of the antibiotics under Jake's tongue and quietly picked him up.

Stillness coated the house, but I knew what to listen for. I must have missed a way in.

They were moving fast now. I thought I heard their whispers when we slipped out, braced against the cold as the door swung shut.

Don't miss the other entries at Rach's and have a great weekend!

Award Winning Reads Challenge Wrap-Up

2011-09-05T11:05:00.001-04:00

This is the last day in the challenge and I am thrilled to say that I read all of the books on my original list and reviewed all but On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, only because I just finished reading it today (talk about cutting it close).

The challenge was to read as many Newbery and Printz award winners or nominees as possible between Memorial Day and Labor Day- May 30th until September 5th.

There were 4 levels of participation-

Level 1- Underachiever: Read 3 books

Level 2- Nerd: Read 6 books

Level 3- Brainiac: Read 9 books

Level 4- Teacher's Pet: Read 12 books

I signed up at the Brainiac level and the nine books I read are:

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead - my review
The Giver by Lois Lowry - my review
Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - my review
Going Bovine by Libba Bray- my review
On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler - my review
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - my review
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison - my review
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King - my review

I really enjoyed this challenge and hope the lovely ladies that put it together will do so again next year. My favorite book by far was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Since I'm done with this challenge, I could really use some suggestions of what to read next. What has been your favorite read this year?

I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, And Gosh Darnit, People Like Me!

2011-09-01T22:53:00.000-04:00

An excerpt of a post on Blogher.com by Caitlin Boyle regarding body image:

There are two ways to determine your self-worth: You can base you sense of self-worth on how highly other people value you, or you can determine your own value. Many of us never take the time to consider how and why we value ourselves; we base our self-esteem entirely on outside opinions. If we don’t make the "beauty spectrum" in the media, we must not be beautiful. If no one else asks what we think, we must not be smart. If a friend walks all over us, we must deserve it.

The trouble is that everyone sees life through their own unique filter. How they perceive you is too wrapped up in how they perceive themselves. Waiting for people who are inundated with negativity to decide you’re good enough is ridiculous. Who says you need their validation? You don’t.

Powerful words. I thought about them this weekend when my daughter asked me if I thought she needed to lose some weight.

I feel the need to give you a bit of that dreaded backstory here. Growing up, I was the fat kid in my family. Always on a diet and never happy about the way I looked. Then one day a few years ago when my kids pulled out the old family photo albums and I started leafing through the pages, I had a moment of clarity. The “fat” kid I was looking at hadn't been fat at all. Not even close. So why had I felt that way my whole life? Because that 's the feedback I received from others.

Mainly my mom.

There is no one in this world I love more or who has been more supportive of me over the years in every other aspect of my life, but the more I thought about it, the more I recalled little comments about my weight and comparisons to some of my smaller friends that I hadn't noticed at the time or at least hadn't given much power to. That is, until she overheard my daughter's question this weekend and commented that she would look even prettier if she lost a few pounds. Not downright insulting, but the message came through loud and clear to me even if my daughter hadn't caught it. You are not good enough the way you are.

So I sat down and had a talk with my mom. It was hard. But it turns out she never realized how her comments about my weight had affected me all these years. I didn't completely change her way of thinking, she has always lived by the motto that you can never be too rich or too thin, but she agreed to be more conscious of the things she says and that's really all I can ask.

It turns out my daughter wasn't considering losing weight because she thought she looked bad, but because she wanted to increase her base running speed in softball. I told her we could talk to her coach and see what kinds of drills would help her meet that goal. And if she loses weight, she loses it, and I expect it will be a by-product of the increased exercise which makes her a stronger competitor in the sport she loves to play, not because someone tells her she should.

Have you ever had a life-changing revelation?

Book Review - The Book Thief

2011-08-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

From Goodreads:

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Narrated by Death, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she discovers something she can't resist- books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found.

With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

I can't say enough wonderful things about this book. It is not only the best book I've read this year, but it also makes the top ten list of my all-time favorites. I will enjoy reading it again and again.

Death is a heart-wrenching narrator and the foreshadowing in this tale is some of the best I've read. It intrigued me that our MC is a German girl, as I have so rarely seen that perspective in stories surrounding World War II. The supporting cast of characters explode from the pages as Zusak expertly weaves a tapestry of love, hope and the darkest despair.

At its heart The Book Thief is about the power of words, so I wanted to finish this review with an alphabetical list of the ones I would use to describe a story that in my opinion is a YA masterpiece.

Absorbing, Brilliant, Colorful, Descriptive, Elegant, Fragile, Gracious, Haunted, Innocent, Judicious, Kindhearted, Lyrical, Meaningful, Necessary, Outstanding, Personal, Quiet, Respectful, Sympathetic, Tearful, Unnerving, Valiant, Willful, Xanthocomic, Youthful, and Zoetic.

I urge you to pick this one up. You won't be disappointed.

Buy From Amazon

On The Campaign Trail!

2011-08-25T09:55:00.000-04:00

Want to connect with other writers that share your struggles and triumphs? Want to find that perfect crit partner or beta reader? Then you need to check out Rachel Harrie's fabulous Platform Building Campaign. This is my third year and I can tell you from experience that it is well worth joining. But hurry, you only have until August 31st to sign up!

WriteOnCon was wonderful. I'm still trying to catch up on all of the fabulous posts and vlogs. This one by author Alan Silverberg was especially touching. Go on and read it and see if it doesn't make you tear up. This vlog by author Beth Revis on perseverance was inspirational too. You can view all the archives at the main site www.WriteOnCon.com.

We have a new anchorman on our local Fox affiliate station and he sure doesn't look like Ron Burgandy. Can you say, hello gorgeous?

I saw The Help last weekend and I can tell you it was just a smidge less enjoyable than the book, although the casting was spot on. It's been a while since we've been to a crowded theater, and even longer since people clapped during the credits.

There are several things I'm excited about that are rapidly approaching:

Fall

Halloween (I so want to try this)

The Walking Dead on AMC

Do you see a pattern here?

What things are you looking forward to?

WriteOnCon is coming!

2011-08-13T11:23:00.002-04:00

The kids are back in school on Monday and I am all geared up for this year's festivities. I'll be taking the next week off so I can immerse myself in the awesome. See you on August 23rd!

Countdown Creator Progreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Be there or be square!

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-08-09T22:01:00.000-04:00

Thought I would share some things that made me feel warm and fuzzy over the past weekend.

Oreo

Just one of the many adoptable dogs at our local Floyd County Animal Shelter.

http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/

What a terrific organization. I'm saving my money to buy one of these little beauties and plan to put it at the entrance to our subdivision.

The eighties!

No, not the decade although it will always hold a special place in my heart.

We're talking high temps for the next ten days! Although I'm sure summer will rear it's ugly head once more, I pledge to enjoy the outdoors for a while without fear of sticking to the pavement.

And last but not least,
Bookshelves

I have rearranged my bedroom and now have room for a much needed bookshelf. Imagine the possibilities...

So what things have made you smile this week?

Blogoversary Winners!

2011-08-04T21:25:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for the overwhelming response and well-wishes for my Blogoversary. I LOVE all of you.

Please help me congratulate the winners:

Miranda H.

The Duff, Extraordinary (ARC) and Cryer's Cross (ARC)

Donna S.

Across The Universe and The Limit (ARC)

Julie F.

Trapped and The First Five Pages

Jeanne F.

Brother/Sister (ARC) and On Writing

Erin S.

Awaken (ARC) and Daughters Break The Rules (ARC)

Brooke D.

You and the pre-order of Lola And The Boy Next Door

You have all been contacted by email. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I did.

Have a wonderful weekend. I plan to be writing and reading. How about you?

Novel Films Blogfest Part Deux

2011-08-02T09:00:00.009-04:00

WARNING: The second part of my Novel Films Blogfest may cause severe shock to some writer friends of mine. Just remember these are my opinions, so feel free to disagree.

From my list of twenty novels to films from yesterday there are three movie versions I thought were better *gasp* than the books.

A Simple Twist Of Fate based on the novel Silas Marner by George Eliot. The novel was quite a slog to get through with lots and lots of telling and the pace of a turtle. But I found the movie charming and it makes me cry every time I see it.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I almost put this book down fifty pages in because I kept nodding off and although it did liven up after that, the movie is one of my favorites. I love the actors, especially Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya. He is quoted in my house at least once a week, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Silver Bullet based on the short story "Cycle Of The Werewolf" by Stephen King. I chose this one not so much because the movie was great, but because the written version read more like an essay than a narrative and I thought the film did a good job of fleshing it out in places.

There are three other movies from my list that I think are at least as good as the books.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. Classic. And who can resist Boris Karloff as a narrator?

The Shawshank Redemption based on Stephen King's short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption". The short story was wonderful and the movie was everything I'd imagined while reading it.

Stand By Me based on another of Stephen King's short stories, "The Body". The movie actually used dialogue straight from the book in several key scenes. Why mess with brilliance?

There are a couple of movies that I am anxiously awaiting to be released on DVD so I can compare them to their written counterparts, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen.. I am also looking forward to The Hunger Games due out next year based on the book by the same name by Suzanne Collins.

Are there any novel films you're looking forward to?

My Baker's Dozen Blogoversary Giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight so if you haven't entered yet, please do. I'll be announcing the six winners on Thursday, August 4th.

Novel Films Blogfest

2011-08-01T06:00:00.037-04:00

Thanks to the lovely and talented Madeleine of Scribble And Edit for hosting this fun blogfest.

Today, I'm going to list the novels that I have also seen as films, and tomorrow I'll be back to tell you if any of these films lived up to their original written form.

The name of the novel is listed first and if the film's name is different, I've listed that as well.

Angels And Demons by Dan Brown
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer
The Mist by Stephen King
Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr, Seuss
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
"Cycle Of The Werewolf" by Stephen King / Silver Bullet
Silas Marner by George Eliot / A Simple Twist Of Fate
"The Body" by Stephen King / Stand By Me
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
"Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King / The Shawshank Redemption
Watchers by Dean Koontz

I'm sure there are some I've forgotten about. Perhaps one of you will jog my memory as I visit the other participating blogs. And I'll admit, as a tease, a few of these films were as good as or better than the book in my opinion. Can you guess which ones?

If you haven't entered my Blogoversary Baker's Dozen Giveaway, you have precious little time left.

See you tomorrow!

My First Blogoversary!

2011-07-26T23:43:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's been a whole year! When I started last July, I had no idea what I was doing and certainly never imagined I'd have as much fun as I've had so far.

I've met so many great people through this blog, from writers to book bloggers to agents, and I can't express how grateful I am that you take time out of your busy lives to drop by and say hello every now and then.

I'd love to give you all great big hugs (but not those creepy hugs that linger just fifteen seconds too long where you don't know whether to move your hands or just act like a statue), but since I can't do that, I'm offering a great big slice of this,

and maybe a jumbo sized one of these,

and some great books that have debuted over the last year plus a couple of others geared toward writers simply as a "thank you" for being YOU.

Hardback


ARC

ARC

Hardback

ARC

Hardback

ARC

Paperback

Hardback Pre-Order

A little something for everyone, yes? And for my many international friends, how about two books of your choice (up to $20.00) from the Book Depository?

All that is required for entry is your name and email address, but there are opportunities for extra chances too. Just fill out this FORM. The giveaway will end on August 3, at midnight est.

There will be six winners. The first name chosen will get their choice of three books, the second through sixth names chosen will each receive two books. I will try to get everyone their selected choices, but if everyone wants the same thing, that will not be possible.

I'll be taking the rest of the week off to get the kids ready to go back to school, but I'll be back on August 1st - 3rd for the Novel Films Blogfest. So have a great weekend and don't forget to check back in on August 4th for my Blogoversary winners!

It's Bleeping Hot!

2011-07-21T22:06:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while should know that I hate to sweat, and barely tolerate it during exercise. If I'm not working out, I avoid it at all costs.

But today, wonderful bloggie friends, I found myself sweating after walking ten feet into my backyard to water my tomatoes.

I haven't seen weather like this since my brother's wedding in New Orleans fifteen years ago when the oppressive heat and humidity turned all of us bridesmaids' hours of hair and makeup to a fuzzy dripping mess simply by walking from the house to the limo.

I realize I am not alone after seeing our local weatherman, let's call him Mr. Obvious, excitedly pointing to the flaming red blob covering half of the United States (you KNOW weathermen take sadistic pleasure when this kind of crap happens because they get more face time).

So for all of us sweltering in this awful stuff, I'm posting some healing pictures. Take a deep breath (unless you're outside, 'cause nobody needs to suck that sh!t into their lungs) and let it out slooooowly. Now enjoy.

Better? Alrighty then.

Be back next week because I'm having a BLOGVERSARY party and you're all invited! There will be reminiscing, cool swag and probably some heavy drinking. We can throw confetti on each other. So put those party hats on and I'll see you Tuesday!

Please Ignore Vera Dietz - Book Review

2011-07-19T21:07:00.001-04:00

I chose this book as part of my Award Winning Reads Challenge as it was a 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book, and it absolutely deserved the recognition.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

From Goodreads:

Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

My Thoughts:

This book had me at hello. Vera is such a strong character and most of the book is told from her point of view. She lives with her father after her mother abandons them both. And Charlie, her best friend since childhood, dies before she can tell him that she loves him.

After Vera's soul searching and chapters alternating between the past and the present we come to understand the guilt she feels about Charlie's death as well as the childhood secrets both have kept about their own families and each other.

The icing on the cake for me was the author including chapters from Charlie's point of view, or his spirit at least as these were given after his death. After the things he'd done to Vera, it was difficult to believe she could still have feelings for him, but his chapters redeemed him and I liked that. I could understand why Vera had loved him which made the ending even more poignant.

This was not a feel good book, although it did have a lot of humorous moments, but I found enough hope and growth in the end to be a very satisfied reader. Highly recommended.

Inspiration Blogfest and a Winner!

2011-07-18T09:00:00.006-04:00

Blogfest 2011 has come to a close with over 300 entries on my humble little stop. I've chosen a winner using random.org for the $20.00 Amazon gift certificate.

Congrats to Sarah from I'm Loving Books!

Today is also the Inspiration Blogfest hosted by Summer at My Inner Fairy.

The rules are to post an inspirational writing or photo prompt and to visit everyone else's blog for some inspiration. I must admit I cheated a bit because I've listed three photos because I just couldn't pick one.

I think they are all beautiful in their own way and bring to mind so many inspiring possibilities for tales to tell.

I'm off to soak up some inspiration from all the other participating blogs!

BLOGFEST 2011!

2011-07-14T23:28:00.001-04:00

I'd like to thank Cinnamon from A Journey Of Books for hosting this HUGE blogfest. There are nearly 200 participants.

While my main reading and writing focus is YA, I enjoy a wide variety of genres and didn't want to limit those of you that stop by to a certain type, so I've decided to award the winner a $20.00 gift certificate to Amazon so you can choose whatever you enjoy reading.

The next five stops on the fest if you're going in order are:

Lisa Sanchez Romance Author

Lisa's Loves(Books of Course)

Live To Read ~Krystal

Lori's Reading Corner

Love To Read For Fun

And if you like to skip around like I do, you can keep track of where you've been by going HERE along with the chance to win an additional giveaway.

I'll be back on Monday to announce the winner and take part in Summer's Inspiration BlogFest. Good luck and have a great weekend!

I've made this simple. Just fill out the form below. Following is not required, but very much appreciated, so it will get you an extra entry.

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Channeling The All-American Rejects

2011-07-12T21:52:00.000-04:00

Wanna hear my dirty little secret?

I haven't been writing anything but blog posts and book reviews lately. Not only that, but I drift from self-loathing to just short of happiness because of it.

One reason behind these polar opposite feelings I've been having is the amount of stuff I've now had time to read: fiction, non-fiction, YA, MG, memoirs, best-sellers, the list goes on and on. I love it and my to-be-read pile is finally shrinking (a little).

Also, I'm a pantser but that doesn't mean I don't churn stuff over and over and over again in my head before I start writing it. I do that a lot. So I'm thinking that this small break is my brain chewing the cud of my current story so I won't get stuck in the middle (oh, who am I kidding?) as has happened before. Yeah, let's go with that.

In other news, I found the perfect birthday present for my daughter.

You can click for a better view, but it says "...Then Buffy staked Edward. The End."

I've transformed her into a rabid Buffy fan and I couldn't be happier. I've tried to shield her from how the actors look now. If she knew they were all my age, she may never watch it again.

So tell me blog buddies, have you ever taken an extended break from your WIP? How did it work out for you?

Have you ever found the perfect birthday/anniversary present for someone special?

10 Things We All Should Know By Now

2011-07-07T21:20:00.000-04:00

1. Vampires are terrific in bed. What's a little blood loss between lovers? Pale is the new black, you know. But that whole sparkle in the sun like a diamond thing? Total myth. You're never leaving the bedroom so that shouldn't be a problem, right?

Can I get an Amen!

2. Plush towels don't actually dry you better than not-so-plush towels. I've found they tend to just push the water around on your skin until it evaporates instead of actually absorbing it. And don't get me started on the fuzz that comes off of those suckers until they are washed about 800 times.

3. 99.9% of all hotel room bedding and mattresses are nasty. I'd advise day trips from now on.

4. You will grow up to have children that are just like you as your mother predicted when you were younger. This in inevitable. Be afraid, be very afraid.

5. You should never leave the house without sunscreen slathered in layers all over your body. Have your vampire boyfriend help you with that.

6. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath. Take THAT, child that acts exactly like I did when I was her age.

7. Don't bite your nails. That whole tearing and spitting thing is disgusting and we are tired of stepping on your nail nubs while walking barefoot through the house. Also, there will come a time when your own life or someone else's hangs in the balance and you will need at least some sliver of a fingernail to escape that fate. Oh yeah, it's coming.

8. Zombies, while entertaining to watch, will never take over the world. Even I can run faster than they can and none of them are as smart as my dog.

First a treat, then WORLD DOMINATION!

9. There's a sharp-toothed snail living in your nose that will chomp your finger off if you try to stick it up there. It's true. I read it in a book.

10. The best things in life may be free, but that doesn't mean you are not still going to have to work damn hard to get them. Others have said it better than I could and here are a couple of my favorite quotes,

Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb but how well you bounce. ~Vivian Komori

Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before. ~Jacob A. Riis

Persevere, my lovelies.

Where Am I?

2011-07-05T20:52:00.000-04:00

I've been at the day job eleven hours today and I've got nothing. I'm asleep on my feet bloggie friends, but there are a couple of things I wanted to pass along to you.

Alexandra is having the first part of her ALA giveaway (I'm so ENVIOUS of everyone who got to attend) so be sure to visit and enter.

Ebyss is having an awesome Revision Contest which will be judged by the lovely Natalie Fischer from the Bradford Literary Agency. Only the first fifty entries will be accepted, so hurry!

Andrea is having a Three Good Things Book Giveaway where she will be giving away one wonderful Middle Grade novel per week for the next three. The contest for the first book ends Saturday July 9th.

There were a lot of book birthdays today but two in particular that I've been looking forward to reading:

A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie

and

Creep

I'm also closing in on my 1st blogversary and there will definitely be a PARTY in celebration of that momentous occasion.

What books are have come out recently or will be released soon that you can't wait to get your hands on? Do you have a contest going on that I missed?

What Have You Got In That Thing?

2011-07-01T09:21:00.000-04:00

When I got home from work last night I realized my shoulder was killing me. I didn't have to look far for the cause of the problem. My bulging hulk of a purse (yes, it's black and it's summertime. Unfortunately, fashion is extremely low on my list so I don't even know if I'm committing a faux pas.) It's a wonder the strap hasn't just snapped off from the weight.

I know it's fuzzy, but that reads 9.5 pounds.

I thought this might be a good time to clean it out. Here's the before shot,

I never realized it looked like a face from the side.

And here's the after.

In case you can't see it clearly, it contained:

Jane Eyre My book borrowed from a friend at work whose daughter had to read it for class.

Water For Elephants A library book I just finished.

Tick Tock I checked this out from the library for a friend and she gave it back last week. I just never took it out.

Sony e-reader

Wallet

Sunglasses

Address Book

Cell phone

Calculator

Digital Recorder

Cottonelle Fresh wipes (5)

Keys (2 sets)

Lip Balm (2)

Lip Gloss (5) What? Have you seen my avatar?

Gum

Mints (2)

Hand Lotion

Emory board

Notepad

Pill case

Pens (3) Pilfered from work

Make-Up bag Obviously too small for all that lip stuff

Allergy eye drops

And that large pile of folded papers contain manuscripts (mine and others) in various stages of editing. I prefer to edit from a print version.

I encourage all of you who carry purses to dump them out and take pictures to post online so that we can all see what you have in there.

Last but not least, some exiting news from the uber talented John Green. The title of his new book due out May 1, 2012, has been announced and he has promised to sign all Amazon pre-orders. I've already added mine to the old shopping cart. Click below to get yours.

The Fault in Our Stars

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

A Rant

2011-06-28T20:21:00.001-04:00

After six torturous weeks of watching ABC's The Bachelorette, I've come to the conclusion that this show is degrading to everyone. That's right, I said it.

I'm a reality show junkie but this season has become so shameful, that I'm embarrassed not only for the bachelorette, but the sorry men who are waiting in the wings every week, hoping for a little bit of face sucking time.

If you don't know the premise, let me sum up. A desperate, dejected girl looking for love among a group of equally desperate guys, none of whom can seem to find someone the old fashioned way (Match.com), thrown together for our viewing pleasure.

This season our lovely bachelorette (Ashley, the dental student) was forewarned that one of the bachelors (the Now Infamous Bentley who will henceforth be referred to as The NIB) had less than honorable intentions (no, not sex, they can get that during the "overnight" date portion of the competition). Apparently, The NIB was just in it for the exposure, ahem, free advertising he hoped to bring to his business.* So who do you suppose poor Ashley was particularly smitten with? Yep. The NIB.

After several weeks of pretend fawning and confiding on camera that he'd rather the bachelorette had been anyone but Ashely, The NIB decided he just "didn't give a shit about her" and hit the road, leaving her heartbroken and sobbing under a blanket in the dark.

Good riddance, I thought, until Ashley confessed two weeks later to the show's ~~pimp~~ host that she just couldn't move forward because she'd gotten no closure with The NIB. She even felt guilty about mentally "cheating" on the remaining guys, although making out with each of them in turn while in full view of the others never seems to weigh on her mind at all.

I've always understood the appeal of the bad boy in fiction, wanting what you can't have or know isn't good for you, it just annoys me to see it play out for real. I'm officially swearing off The Bachelorette.** I'm replacing its time slot on Monday nights with writing.

Have you ever given up a guilty pleasure for writing? Ever been obsessed with a bad boy? A bad girl?

*I wonder who taught him douchebaggery translates to sales?

**Please, please, please someone tell me who wins in the end. I might die if I don't know. Seriously.

A Rave Review

2011-06-23T07:51:00.000-04:00

Wait...what day is it? The calendar tells me it's Thursday which means I completely missed Tuesday, blog post and all, and I apologize.

No, I wasn't having a breakdown even though the kids are out of school, I was just absorbed in a spectacular book, The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder. I've never read a verse novel before but I found it gorgeous. I LOVED it.

The Day Before

The prose is both concise and lyrical.. It reminded me of a series of flash fiction pieces all put together to create a complete story. The entire novel takes place in the span of a day. I don't do spoilers so I'll only tell you there's sorrow, happiness, love, longing and hope within its pages. I read parts of it twice. Highly recommended.

I would also like to take a moment to wish my mom a happy birthday. She is my best friend, my strength when things get tough and I don't know what the kids and I would do without her. Happy Birthday, Mom!

I will be back Tuesday with a rant of sorts regarding a certain reality show that's become a real annoyance to me. Until then, may your days be sunny and your writing go forth and multiply.

I'm IT!

2011-06-16T22:01:00.001-04:00

Well, I've put this off longer than I should have and, truth be told, I've been tagged more than once. But the first one came from Danette, and if you haven't been to her blog, you should definitely check it out.

1. Do you think you're hot? Smokin'.

2. Upload a picture or wallpaper you're using at the moment.

This picture provides a view of tidal flats and channels near Sandy Cay, on the western side of Long Island, and along the eastern margin of the Great Bahama Bank, on the islands of Bahamas. The continuously exposed parts of the island are brown, a result of soil formation and vegetation growth. To the north of Sandy Cay, an off-white tidal flat composed of carbonate sediments is visible; light blue-green regions indicate shallow water on the tidal flat. I find it gorgeous.

3. When was the last time you are chicken meat? Yesterday. Moo Goo Gai Pan from my favorite Chinese restaurant. Yummy.

4. The songs you listened to recently. Stuff by Adele, the Black Eyed Peas and Pink, among others.

5. What were you thinking as you were doing this? I'm constantly running "to-do" lists through my head. Some work related, some writing related, some neither. Like right now, I'm thinking about what I have to buy at the grocery store later.

6. Do you have nicknames? What are they? Red (because of my hair color), Wonder Tech (I'm such a geek at work) and Queen of Procrastination (this one I gave myself).

7. Tag five blogger friends (I know some of you have been tagged already, so feel free to ignore. I mostly just wanted to talk about you):
    1. Madeleine
    2. Old Kitty
    3. Rogue Mutt
    4. Kari Marie
    5. Erica & Christy

Who's listed as No. 1? Madeleine, whose poetry brightens my dreariest days.
Say something about No. 5 I love them both equally and that is why I've chosen to list them together. Their blog is both informative and fun.
How do you know No. 3? I've known RM longer than any of the others on the list. We "met" several years ago on writers.net. Despite his gruff exterior (although I think bulldogs are simply adorable) he's my most loyal commenter.
How about No. 4? We met through Rach's first Writer's Crusade. Her comments and blog always make me smile.
Leave a lovey-dovey message for No. 2 You're blog pictures warm my heart. Please give Charlie a big smooch from me.

Hope you all have a wonderful and productive weekend!

Super 8 - Review

2011-06-14T21:53:00.000-04:00

The kids and I went to our local drive-in to see Super 8 over the weekend. Knowing it was about an alien and a train wreck, the tracks that run beside the drive-in's property line added to the ambiance.

I'll admit I went in with gigantic expectations for this one after reading some of the reviews. We're talking Steven Spielberg, after all, and a movie set in an era I grew up in (Side note: the soundtrack was money).

To say I was disappointed is too harsh because the storyline about the kids making a movie to enter into a local film festival I found very entertaining. There were a couple of terrific performances by young actors I'd never seen before (Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney) and the special effects were also phenomenal.

But unlike Stand By Me, one of my all-time favorites about a group of kids the same age as those in Super 8, I didn't care what happened to anyone by the end of the movie, including the alien. I couldn't have told you one character's name after the credits rolled (Another side note: make sure to stay for the credits because the kids' movie they were filming throughout is played in its entirety).

It's as if the editors axed all the character development scenes and left them on the cutting room floor.

This was Raiders Of The Lost Ark meets E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial meets Transformers and I didn't really connect with any of it.

Now, if you asked my kids for a review, they would say they loved it. There was no “down time” and it kept their attention throughout. But with the price of movies, I wish I would have waited for the DVD.

We Have A Winner!

2011-06-09T20:44:00.000-04:00

I would like to congratulate Alison Miller of Left Brained By Day; Write Brained - All The Time on snagging a copy of Jandy Nelson's The Sky Is Everywhere. The pay it forward campaign is still alive!

I am in the middle of a beta read that I hope to finish over the weekend for the phenomenal Ray Rhamey and I've started The Giver as part of my Award Winning Reads Challenge. For next week's posts I plan on tagging a few people and hopefully reviewing Super 8 after seeing it at the drive-in on Saturday.

Anyone else have any fun plans for the weekend?

Where I Opine

2011-06-07T22:06:00.001-04:00

Today, I would like to say Happy Book Birthday to Possession, the wonderful novel by Elana Johnson.

I had the pleasure of reading Possession last month when I received a copy from Simon & Schuster.

The book hooked me from the first page. The premise is original and the book had an ending I didn't anticipate. I love unpredictable finishes and this one left me wondering how long I'd have to wait to find out what ultimately happens to the MCs. I don't think I can stand it. It reminded me of how I felt as a youngin' watching Han Solo, frozen in carbonite, being whisked away to God knows where, and wait...I don't get to find out what happens? It's over? That's not fair! A wonderful frustration.

Elana is one of the most generous people I've come to know through blogging and I wish her the success she deserves with this fantastic first novel.

The second thing I wanted to address is the recent Wall Street Journal

article titled Darkness Too Visible. Today I am commenting as a parent of a thirteen-year-old avid reader.

No two children are the same, even in the same family. What one teen reads, another may not be ready for and I don't think every YA novel is appropriate for every teen. Age alone should not be the deciding factor. I also believe that no one should be able to decide what a child reads or doesn't read except that child's parent or guardian.

Writing about the darkness in the world does not encourage it, just as removing it from books would most certainly not discourage it.

I read a lot of YA, so it's easy for me to recommend books to my son that I think would interest him. I can usually answer questions that might come up about the subject matter, but if I can't, even better, we research it. What a great way to get a dialogue going with your teen!

I know many parents don't read at all, much less YA, but there are websites out there such as readingteen.net and parentalbookreviews.com that can help them make informed decisions if they would simply take the time to check them out.

I wonder what the writer of the article would recommend as a solution. Book ratings? Who should be appointed to decide how dark is too dark?

Let's just save everyone the trouble because we already have those systems in place. They're called parents. And in the words of Forrest Gump, “That's all I have to say about that.”

Award Winning Reads Challenge

2011-06-02T22:25:00.000-04:00

Here's the deets. The challenge is to read as many Newbery and Printz award winners or nominees as you can squeeze in between Memorial Day and Labor Day- May 30th until September 5th.

There will be 4 levels of participation-

Level 1- Underachiever: Read 3 books

Level 2- Nerd: Read 6 books

Level 3- Brainiac: Read 9 books

Level 4- Teacher's Pet: Read 12 books

No matter which level you chose to participate in, you must read at least one book from each of the award lists. You can focus primarily on one or the other, but there must be at least one Printz honor/award and one Newbery honor/award.

And there are prizes, people! This is co-sponsored by Ashley at Books From Bleh To Basically Amazing and Jacinda at The Reading Housewives so I want to thank them both for this extra incentive to clear out my TBR stack.

I've signed up at the Brainiac level and the nine books I'm planning on reading are:

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

My kids have read several of these already and they were thrilled when I showed them my list. They immediately told me which ones I should read first and how much they liked this character or that one. I love to see them get excited about books. I hope they'll end up reading the ones they haven't already read yet too.

Have you read any of these? Did any of them make your favorites list? Are there any award winners I'm missing out on that I should add to my list?

Things That Excite Me, Including A Giveaway!

2011-05-31T22:19:00.002-04:00

Hope all my friends in the states had a great Memorial Day! It was hot and muggy here, but at least there was no rain or hail.

I wanted to talk about three things today that have me excited.

First, I want to give a big shout out to the beautiful Emily White who recently announced that her book Elemental will be published by Spencer Hill Press. Yay, Emily! Drop by her blog if you haven't already and congratulate her.

Second, have you seen the perfection of Ryan Reynolds in all his green splendor? I hope the movie is as good as the trailer implies, but let's face it, I'd see it regardless.

Last, but not least, I won a copy of The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson a few weeks back in a wonderful pay it forward campaign to support the book started by Casey McCormick. So here's the blurb:

Lennie plays second clarinet in the school orchestra and has always happily been second fiddle to her charismatic older sister, Bailey. Then Bailey dies suddenly, and Lennie is left at sea without her anchor. Overcome by emotion, Lennie soon finds herself torn between two boys: Bailey's boyfriend, Toby, and Joe, the charming and musically gifted new boy in town. While Toby can't see her without seeing Bailey and Joe sees her only for herself, each offers Lennie something she desperately needs. But ultimately, it's up to Lennie to find her own way toward what she really needs without Bailey. A remarkable debut novel perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block.

I wanted to read the book before I had the giveaway, but life got in the way and I haven't been able to yet. I will, but I wanted to keep my end of the bargain as stated in the rules. And since anyone who enters to win will have to adhere by the same requirements, here they are:

1. You MUST have a blog or Facebook or somewhere you can give the book away and be clear about the rules (Twitter can’t support it, for example).

2. You MUST be willing to hold this exact giveaway on your blog or Facebook in which you purchase this book for someone else (or give away the one you receive from me, IF you don’t love it) and require that YOUR winner do the same. Preferably within TWO WEEKS of receiving the book from me.

3. If you win, I ask that you PLEASE enter your giveaway into the linky widget on Casey's blog and have YOUR winner do the same on that original post (not on your blog), so we can track how long the chain lasts and how many purchases we achieve.

4. U.S. entrants only.

5. The contest will run May 31st to June 6th at MIDNIGHT. I will announce the winner on June 7th and the chain will commence.

Entry is simple. Just leave a comment that you want to win and an email address if you don't have one on your blogger profile so I can get in touch with you if you do.

Also, feel free to tell me about things that get you excited in a PG-13 sort of way (the kids do occasionally read my blog...when they're bored).

Slow And Steady...Or The Biggest Loser Fatback Phenomenon

2011-05-26T21:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry I was AWOL on Tuesday. The weather has not been kind to our region. We've had widespread power outages and let's just say the local tornado sirens are not my friends.

I've always used reality TV as a distraction and for the times we had electricity, this week was no different. Oprah said farewell, and there were winners crowned on Dancing With The Stars, American Idol and The Biggest Loser.

As I watched the finalists weigh in on The Biggest Loser I couldn't help but wonder what they would all look like a year from now. The National Institute of Health has estimated that dieters can expect to regain two-thirds of their weight within a year of completing their diet plan. And if that wasn't bad enough, these dieters will probably gain back all of their weight, and possibly more, within 5 years.

That's why we don't see most of the previous contestants from the show ever again. They balloon back up to their starting weight or beyond. Okay, so I'm a pessimist. But why shouldn't they? During the show, they lose pounds at a ridiculous rate. These people are dropping nearly half their body weight in a matter of six months. Can you imagine exercising six hours per day? Very few can keep that up and live a regular life with the demands of family, friends and a job.

As someone who's been on a lot of fad diets, I've learned it's better to go slow and steady (hail to the turtle). Practice makes perfect and all that, just look at our writing journeys. We've all heard stories of the Premature Querying Syndrome, or *gasp* the even worse I-Just-Wrote-This-Tonight-In-A-Drunken-Haze crit request.

I beg you not to let yourself be called The Biggest Loser for all the wrong reasons. Revise, revise, revise. Find wonderful blogging buddies to ask advice from and if you're lucky, find a great crit partner or two that can hold that beautiful balance between cheerleader and brutally honest hardass. BE the turtle.

Have a wonderful and productive weekend. I don't know about you, but Mother Nature owes me one!

A Group Of Fours

2011-05-19T22:34:00.000-04:00

I borrowed this from Geoffrey at Misanthropology 101 because I thought it was a lot of fun.

               1. Four shows that you watch:
                   The Closer
                   The Good Wife
                   Dexter
                   Reality TV

               2. Four things you are passionate about:
                   Writing
                   Reading
                   Chocolate
                   Learning something new every day

               3. Four phrases you say a lot:
                   "Stop teasing your sister."
                   "Stop hitting your brother."
                   "Never give up, never surrender."
                   "Because I said so."

               4. Four things you've learned from the past:
                   Writing is fun
                 Friendships are priceless
                   Kids are not a good reason to stay in a bad marriage
                   Anyone can be forgiven

               5. Four places you would like to go for the first time:
                   Ireland
                   Egypt
                   Paris
                   Greece

               6. Four things you did yesterday:
                   Wrote
                   Revised
                   Read
                   Worried

               7. Four things you are looking forward to:
                   Friday. Every Friday for always and eternity.
                   A productive Summer of writing
                   Finding an agent
                   Sleeping in when the kids are out of school

   8. Four things you love about Summer:
                   Staring at the sky and picking out shapes in the clouds
                   Grilling
                   Warm nights at the ballpark
   The magnolias in bloom

I could have probably given more than four answers to any one of these, but that's not the way the game works. Do we have anything in common?

Hope you all have a terrific weekend and somehow coax that muse of yours to come out and play!

Book Review - Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers

2011-05-17T21:21:00.000-04:00

From Goodreads:

When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he seemed to find inspiration in everything he saw? And, most important, why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on...but are some questions better left unanswered?

This is the first book I've read by Courtney Summers, although after this small taste, I will pick up her others. It has one of the best opening lines I can remember in a long time, “My hands are dying.” What a great set of questions that one raises. The grief Eddie feels throughout and the conflicting emotions that go along with it are expertly conveyed to the reader. I felt what Eddie felt due in no small part to the perfect selection of words chosen by the author.

The book is relatively short (224 pages) but doesn't skimp on the character development. The only thing I felt myself wishing for as a reader was a look from Eddie's best friend, Milo's, point of view. Then I stumbled on this link the other day from one of Courtney's blog posts where she had written a short story just prior to the release of Fall For Anything told from his perspective (no spoilers) and really enjoyed it. You can also read the first five chapters for free here.

So have you read any YA lately dealing with edgy subjects? Or do you tend to stick to the HEA endings?

Pay For This And Still Respect Yourself In The Morning

2011-05-13T21:27:00.004-04:00

Help Write Now - A writing community auction to benefit Southern storm relief. Because the April 2011 storm outbreak affected so many areas, they are donating auction proceeds to the Red Cross General Relief Fund.

You should see some of the great things up for grabs: agent critiques, signed books and ARCs, Nooks, gift cards, and an offering from Steph Perkins, who just happens to be one of my favorite YA authors, for a custom scene consisting of one written conversation of your choice between Anna and Étienne, the main characters of her novel ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. If you win, you’ll send her a topic, and she'll write a short scene in which Anna and Étienne muse upon it.

The scene will be added as a permanent “Extras” feature on stephanieperkins.com, and she'll list your name (and link to your website, if you have one) as the dedication. She will also print a copy, sign it, and mail it to you. I wish I'd won some money on the Kentucky Derby, because I would love to be able to bid on this one. I still might scrape up enough to manage it (kids, guard your piggy banks).

Did you know ~~today is~~ yesterday was National Doodle Day? Well, it was and the wonderful people at http://doodledayuse.org are raising money for NF, Inc., an organization dedicated to providing support to individuals and families affected by the genetic disorder, neurofibromatosis. They have a whole gallery of doodles by celebrities, authors and illustrators including David Duchovny, Neil Gaimon and Ron McFarlane. And if you have any extra cash lying around you can bid on all of these doodles through their auction site on ebay through May 23rd.

So there you go. Two chances for guilt free spending.

Have a wonderful weekend! (Not you Blogger. I'm still mad at you. Bad Blogger.)

And for those of you who voted for my little story in Cherie's Flash Fiction Blogfest, I'm sending hugs and kisses because I won! Hence that winner's badge over there in my sidebar. How cool is that?

Reflections and Rewards

2011-05-10T08:08:00.000-04:00

Another Kentucky Derby has come and gone with a new record crowd of 164,858. Congratulations go to the connections of Animal Kingdom, who managed to win even though he had never raced on a dirt track before. Archarcharch was pulled up in the stretch with a fracture to his left front leg, and while his racing days are over, his life was saved through surgery.

There were millions of dollars bet on the Derby, but perhaps one of the most intriguing bets was made by four authors, Brian Farrey, Andrew Smith, Catherine Ryan Hyde and Kimberly Pauley. There was no money involved, but it turned out to be a whole lot of fun to follow the smack talk on Twitter under the hashtag TheBet. The best part is that we will all be privilege to the aftermath. For more information, check out this post by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

I would like to say thank you to Susan Oloier for giving me the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award. And now, in accordance with the rules, I will share seven things about myself:

1. I have a secret crush on a guy at work. Shhh.

2. I hate to sweat and will avoid it at all costs. Probably why my weight loss efforts have never been my greatest successes.

3. I am currently reading three books: Possession by Elana Johnson, Wither by Lauren DeStefano and The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I normally do not attempt this but they are all so good! Plus, two are from the library and therefore have due dates.

4. I check my email about one hundred times per day. Seriously.

5. My mom is my best friend.

6. When I'm around someone who is crying I can't help but join them. I wasn't like that before my kids were born.

7. And last, but by no means least, I am a finalist in the wonderful Cherie Reich's Flash Fiction Blogfest. There are only six of us and all of the entries are short by definition so please stop by and vote for your favorite. I've read them all and they are terrific.

Until next time, may your muse be submissive!

Flash Fiction Blogfest

2011-05-05T22:57:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Cherie of Surrounded By Books for hosting this fantastic blogfest. My entry was inspired by many recent weddings I've watched, Royal and otherwise. I hope you like it, and feel free to crit to your heart's content.

Congratulations

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Ashley Sue Johnson and Donald Alan Hope.

The couple will be married at St. Augustine's in downtown New Albany even though the groom is not Catholic and refuses to convert despite pressure from Diane Johnson, mother of the bride.

Diane will cry throughout the ceremony hoping no one notices that the fabric of her only daughter's gown is tight and puckered across the stomach, especially not the groom, who just last Thursday received a hero's welcome after returning from his extended tour in Afghanistan.

The Hope family will hold the reception at their sprawling estate in Dover Hills, making one last attempt to exploit the class difference between their family and the bride's.

Eleanor Hope, mother of the groom, will graciously entertain questions from friends and family about what her son was thinking by marrying that white trash girl who's slept with half the men in town.

The couple plans to honeymoon in Maui where the bride will swear the baby was conceived, and Donald will hit her for the first time when she asks him why he sits alone in the dark.

We look forward to seeing you on this happiest of occasions.

May God bless and keep them.

I look forward to reading all of the other entries over the weekend. Until next week, happy writing!

On This Day In History

2011-05-03T22:46:00.001-04:00

I haven't done one of these posts in a while so I thought I'd share some interesting things I dug up.

1921 - West Virginia imposed the first state sales tax, to which I say BOO, HISS.

1937 - Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for "Gone With The Wind". Well deserved, in my opinion.

1469 - Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian politician/writer (Prince) was born.

1926 - Napoleon Victor Bonaparte, Prince, died at the age of 63.

1971 - National Public Radio broadcast for the first time.

1991 - 356th & final episode of CBS 2nd longest running series Dallas, 2nd only to Gunsmoke

And in honor of the Kentucky Derby coming up on Saturday...

On May 3, 1986, 54-year-old Willie Shoemaker, aboard 18/1 shot Ferdinand, becomes the oldest jockey ever to win the Kentucky Derby. The victory was just one of Shoemaker’s 8,833 wins, a record that stood until 1999, when it was broken by Laffit Pincay.

I hope you've enjoyed this stroll down memory lane. Until next time, happy writing!

Winner!

2011-05-01T19:38:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all of you who entered my Kentucky Derby Contest of Awesome and helped to spread the word.

I won't keep you in suspense any longer. The winner chosen by random.org is...

Michael of In Time...

Michael, you should have received an email from me.

Thanks again. I hope everyone will watch the Derby on May 7th. It airs on NBC in the states and coverage should begin around 4:00pm.

The Kentucky Derby Part 4 - The Hooch...And Other Traditions

2011-04-28T22:58:00.001-04:00

The Official Mint Julep

The Mint Julep has been the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century. Each year, almost 120,000 Mint Juleps are served over the two-day period of Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs. That requires 1,000 pounds of freshly harvested mint and 60,000 pounds of ice.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Sprigs of fresh mint
Crushed ice
Kentucky Whisky

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Garland of Roses

The original type of rose garland first appeared in 1896 when the winner, Ben Brush, received a floral arrangement of white and pink roses.

In 1904 the red rose became the official flower of the Kentucky Derby. The garland as it exists today was first introduced in 1932 for the 58th running won by Burgoo King.

Each year, a garland of 554 red roses is sewn into a green satin backing with the seal of the Commonwealth of Kentucky on one end and the twin spires and number of the running on the other. Each garland is also adorned with a "Crown" of roses, green fern and ribbon. The "Crown", a single rose pointing upward in the center of the garland, symbolizes the struggle and heart necessary to reach the winners' circle.

The Kroger Company has been the official florist of the Kentucky Derby since 1987. After taking over the duties from the Kingsley Walker florist, Kroger began constructing the prestigious garland in one of its local stores for the public to view on Derby Eve.

My Old Kentucky Home
By Stephen Foster

Although there is no firm date showing when the Stephen Foster ballad started as a Derby Day tradition it is believed to have begun in 1921. The Courier-Journal in their May 8, 1921 edition reported, "To the strains of "My Old Kentucky Home" Kentuckians gave vent their delight. For Kentucky triumphed in the Derby." The story refers to the victory of Behave Yourself, a horse born and bred in Kentucky.

A report by a Philadelphia newspaper provides evidence that 1930 may have been the first year the song was played as the horses were led onto the track, “As the horses began to leave the paddock and the song 'My Old Kentucky Home' was coming from the radio, the cheering started."

Since 1936, with only a few exceptions, the song has been performed by the University of Louisville Marching Band.

The song describes a scene of life on a slave plantation and the original lyrics were altered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1986 so as not to “convey connotations of racial discrimination that are not acceptable”. The word “darkies” from the original below was changed to “people” in the altered version. This is just the first verse and chorus, the part that is sung during the post parade for the Derby.

Original Lyrics

The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home, 
Tis summer, the darkies are gay; 
The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom 
While the birds make music all the day.

The young folks roll on the little cabin floor
All merry, all happy and bright; 
By'n by hard times comes a knocking at the door
Then my old Kentucky home, Good-night!

Weep no more my lady 
Oh! weep no more today! 
We will sing one song for my old Kentucky home
For the old Kentucky home, far away.

There are so many more traditions associated with the Derby that I just didn't have time to get to, but I hope you've enjoyed reading about the ones I covered. And if you're serious about following all the Derby coverage, there's an app for that:

Click HERE to download

Please don't forget about The Kentucky Derby Contest Of Awesome. Entries must be received by midnight on Saturday, April 30th, and I'll contact the winner on May 1st with all kinds of helpful tidbits on picking their Derby horse.

The Kentucky Derby Part 3 - The Hats

2011-04-26T13:00:00.007-04:00

Hats have played an important role in the history of horse racing for centuries, dating as far back as the world famous Royal Ascot in the United Kingdom, where it is decreed that “all guests within the Royal Enclosure adhere to a strict dress code: male attendees must wear full morning dress including a top hat, whilst ladies must not show bare midriffs or shoulders and must wear hats”.

It didn't take long for a somewhat less stringent dress code to catch on at the major racetracks in the United States, including Churchill Downs. And on Derby day, hats of all shapes and sizes can be seen both in the infield and on Millionaire's Row. Here are just a few from the silly to the sublime...

See anything you like?

Thursday we'll be talking about alcohol and chocolate when my Kentucky Derby posts conclude. And don't forget to enter The Kentucky Derby Contest Of Awesome HERE. There are only five days left!

The Kentucky Derby Contest Of Awesome!

2011-04-23T16:02:00.005-04:00

I hope you've enjoyed my Kentucky Derby series so far. At this halfway point, I thought it would be appropriate to introduce...

I have such magical memories surrounding The Kentucky Derby that I wanted to pass some of the awesome on to you. I wish I could fly all of you here to experience the excitement and traditions first hand, but since I can't, I still wanted you to be able to experience the thrill of the race. So, I'm offering up the following:

A 137th Kentucky Derby Festival Collectors Pin

An official 137th Kentucky Derby Program

and...

A $20.00 win bet on the Derby horse of your choosing

so you can cheer on your horse during the big race.

You're probably wondering how much a $20.00 win bet on the Kentucky Derby might pay. Well, the lowest payout of any Derby winner for a $20.00 bet was $28.00 and that happened twice back in the 1940s. The highest? Donerail paid $1829.00 on a $20.00 win bet in 1913, sent off at odds of 91.45-1, which is still the highest paying winner ever in the Kentucky Derby. Odds are this years winner will fall between the two. So what are you waiting for?

I usually open up all my giveaways to my international followers, but unfortunately, this one is for US only. The only requirements are that you are 21 years of age or older and a follower of my blog. There are some ways you can get extra entries, like tweeting, a blog mention, or being a friend on Goodreads. You have one week. The contest closes on April 30th and I'll announce the winner on May 1st. Just fill out the form below to enter.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

The Kentucky Derby Part 2 - The Horses

2011-04-21T21:50:00.000-04:00

The current Kentucky Derby field consists of twenty horses, all three years of age. They get in based on their graded stakes race earnings. The top contender this year, Uncle Mo, has already earned his owners 1.3 million.

Fillies are welcome to run, thirty-nine have started, although the ladies have only beat the boys three times in Derby history: Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1980) and Winning Colors (1988).

Secretariat and his jockey Ron Turcotte

The Derby has produced several superstars, spawning books and movies about their lives. Probably the most famous of these is Secretariat. He was the first to break the two minute mark in the Derby and still holds the fastest finish time ever, clocked at 1:59.40. ESPN listed Secretariat 35th on the list of the 100 greatest athletes of the 20th century.

Eleven Derby winners have gone on to win the Triple Crown, a series of three races consisting of the Kentucky Derby (Louisville, Kentucky), The Preakness (Baltimore, Maryland), and The Belmont (Elmont, New York).

Triple Crown Winners:
1919 Sir Barton
1930 Gallant Fox
1935 Omaha
1937 War Admiral
1941 Whirlaway
1943 Count Fleet
1946 Assault
1948 Citation
1973 Secretariat
1977 Seattle Slew
1978 Affirmed

Why so few? Well, the races are run close together and they get progressively longer. The Derby is 1¹⁄₄miles, then in two weeks comes the Preakness at 1³⁄₁₆miles, and the Belmont finishes the trifecta just three weeks later at a distance of 1¹⁄₂ miles.

Next week I'll tell you about the traditions surrounding the Derby including sights, sounds and tastes. We'll make fun of some of those crazy hats too.

I'll be doing a special post featuring my Kentucky Derby Contest Of Awesome on Saturday because I want to give you a whole week to enter. You won't want to miss it.

Kentucky Derby Part 1 - The History

2011-04-19T20:39:00.000-04:00

It's been called the most exciting two minutes in sports, the run for the roses and the first jewel of the triple crown. Around here the Kentucky Derby is a pretty big deal. We have parades, steamboat races, hot air balloon festivals and fireworks. Chow wagons, bed races, marathons and galas, all leading up to the big day.

Back in 1875, the year of the first Derby, an estimated 10,000 people watched the race live when the track was still known as the Louisville Jockey Club. The land the track was built on was leased from the owner's uncles, John and Henry Churchill, but was not referred to as Churchill Downs until 1883.

The largest crowd ever to watch a Derby at the track was in 1974, the year after Secretariat won the triple crown, when 163,628 crammed into the infield. After 1974, a large turf track was added inside the dirt track which drastically cut the amount of spectator space.

The famous twin spires seen in this picture weren't constructed until 1894, and despite the marketing campaign to get people interested, the track didn't show a profit until twenty years later.

The first radio broadcast of the Derby aired on May 16, 1925, and 1952 marked the first time the Derby was shown on network television.

This year marks the 137th consecutive running of the Kentucky Derby which makes it the longest running continuously held sporting event in the United States.

In 1943, with World War II going on, the government put pressure on Churchill Downs to cancel because of the wartime restrictions on strategic materials; rubber for tires and gasoline for cars. Colonel Matt Winn, the President of Churchill Downs at the time, vowed to run the Derby even if only ten spectators showed up. Working with Louisville local government, he organized public transit to Churchill Downs and the "street car" Derby was held. (Won by Count Fleet, who went on to win the Triple Crown.)

It's surprising to meet anyone from this part of the country who hasn't watched the Kentucky Derby either live or on TV. Have you seen it? Maybe even had Derby parties in your neck of the woods? I'll have parts two, three and four this week and next, and you'll want to tune in for The Kentucky Derby Contest of Awesome coming up next week. The prizes are really spectacular.

Back To The Future

2011-04-14T21:51:00.000-04:00

Wuthering Heights by Emile Bronte, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte are two of my favorite classic books. My current read is The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. This is the first I've read of her novels, and as I normally find with books from this time period, it starts out pretty slow. It's always a bit jarring to get into the rhythm of a classic after reading so many contemporary novels. Sometimes I want to scream "Get to the point already!"

For example:

"If you think you have wronged me by giving me your friendship, and occasionally admitting me to the enjoyment of your company and conversation, when all hopes of closer intimacy were vain - as indeed you always gave me to understand - if you think you have wronged me by this, you are mistaken; for such favours, in themselves alone, are not only delightful to my heart, but purifying, exalting, ennobling to my soul; and I would rather have your friendship than the love of any other woman in the world!"

Romantic? Yes. Swoon-worthy? Maybe. Long-winded? Definitely.

We all know literature reflects the time in which it's written. If a time traveler on a maiden voyage to our planet compared a novel published in the 19th century to a novel on the shelves today would she think we've all dumbed down, or at the very least become lazy? Or would the literature of her time be so different that both would be unrecognizable?

Perhaps, like my clothes from the 80s, the language of literature will come full circle and all books will again be written like the above tidbit. What do you think? Inquiring minds want to know.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back In The Water

2011-04-12T22:40:00.002-04:00

A picture taken last year at Thunder showing the fireworks rainbow
coming off of the bridge connecting Indiana and Kentucky.

One of the largest annual fireworks displays in North America, Thunder over Louisville, kicks off the Kentucky Derby festival this weekend and Old Man Winter is not cooperating. The high temperature is predicted to be forty-two degrees. Burrrrrr. I guess the 700,000 people who normally head to the festivities will have to bundle up, myself and the kids included.

I managed to snag the mystery prize pack from the Write Hope auction and will gleefully let you all know what I receive as soon as it arrives. I LOVE surprises!

I want to direct you to a wonderful blog post by Steph Sinkhorn. It's all about common YA cliches and how to avoid them.

Cherie is hosting a flash fiction blogfest on May 6th. You should all sign up. It's going to be a blast.

I'm a bit off my game this week and I apologize in advance for not having a more entertaining entry today.

Until next time...

Brotherly Wisdom...Or My Latest Parent Fail

2011-04-07T22:12:00.000-04:00

Well, it's happened. The one thing I hoped would not be passed down from me to the kids has reared its ugly head - the paralyzing fear of public speaking.

My son had escaped, so I thought it might have skipped a generation or better yet been wiped completely out of the gene pool, but it appears I was mistaken.

Today the daughter came home with her own debilitating account of a book report gone horribly wrong. She told me about the insects tromping through her stomach and her shaking hands made all the more noticeable by the paper she was holding like a life raft. Just hearing about her experience made my palms sweat.

That's when I realized I couldn't help her. She sat there looking at me with those big blue eyes, pleading for some kind of magical cosmic wisdom on how to beat this and I had nothing. Nada. A big goose egg. Sure, I could have told her to imagine the audience ~~naked~~ in their underwear, but I knew from experience that was nearly impossible with all of your energy focused on not vomiting.

My outgoing brother who grew up to be a salesman once told me to pretend I was in the shower.

"Wait," I said, "Why am I in the shower?"

"Because the shower is relaxing, stupid."

I'd had my doubts, but I'd tried it. It had made things worse. Now I was the naked one, standing barefoot as my upchucked breakfast pooled around my feet.

Somehow I managed to make it to graduation by telling myself I would never have to do it again unless I wanted to. So far, that's worked pretty well for me, but my elementary student still has years of torture ahead of her.

Have you overcome your fear of public speaking or found any strategies that at least keep you from passing out? If so, my daughter would love to hear them, because she sure isn't getting any help from yours truly.

Death, Love and Blogging

2011-04-05T23:43:00.003-04:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that I'm working hard on my Derby posts and a phenomenal contest to go along with them. I think you'll like it.

Hearts broke across Indiana last night as the Butler Bulldogs fell in the NCAA final to the UConn Huskies, although after watching the game I'm not sure either team really looked like championship material.

I spent the day tidying up my Google Reader. I found over thirty blogs that had died at the end of last year. I always check for hiatus notification posts before deleting them, but was surprised at the number since the last time I cleaned up my feed. It seems very sad to me for some reason and I can only hope they were all whisked away to something bigger and better.

I've enjoyed reading the A to Z Challenge posts that all of my blogging buddies have been writing. If you're still on track, good for you, and if you're not, well, that's okay too. I still love you.

Go, Go, Bloggers, Go!

2011-03-31T21:14:00.001-04:00

For those about to participate in the A to Z Blogging Challenge, I salute you. I will be cheering you on and visiting as many sites as possible during the month of April. And while I didn't sign up myself (because I can barely post twice a week much less six), I wish all 927 of you the best of luck.

I was sad to read the farewell post of D.L. Hammons. He is an all around nice guy and judging by the works of his I've read, a talented writer. I hope he can revive his writing dream one day. We will miss Cruising Altitude.

As a finalist in the 2nd Crusade Challenge, I would like to say it was an honor just to be nominated, but come on...I wanted to WIN! Seriously, the winner, Bess Weatherby, and the runner up, Sandra Ulbrich Almazan, both had terrific entries and the picture on Bess's blog post today made me giggle. Congrats, ladies!

I hope you all have checked out the auctions on Write Hope. I plan on sneaking in on a couple at the last minute and taking the prize, so watch out.

Have a wonderful April Fool's Day and an even better weekend. May the muses be with you.

Decisions, Decisions

2011-03-29T23:02:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about the Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference? Here are the details:

The Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference is being held April 13-17 and we are very excited to have some fabulous publishers involved and to be offering thirty audio panels, numerous forums, and chat rooms. The best part is you can attend from the comfort of your home!

We will be giving away books to all bloggers and reviewers attending and all the panels are recorded so that if you miss any live you have a month to catch up. Learn how to work with publishers and get review copies, where you can attend live events, what other bloggers are doing to promote their blogs, and gain a better understanding of how the industry works.

Publishers Participating
Simon & Schuster, Penguin USA, Bloomsbury, Sourcebooks, Bell Bridge Books, Egmont, The Wild Rose Press, MLR, Lyrical Press, Breathless Press, Ravenous Romance, Dreamspinner Press, Dark Castle Lords, and 15 more.

Registration is $45 for 5 days - Depending on Genre You will receive more than the price of admittance in free books - Shipping of $7 or under may be added for the shipping on the large print giveaways. If money is an issue please email us and see about helping with the conference in exchange for attending.

I am intrigued, but still on the fence about it (forty-five bucks would buy a lot of books). I'm not technically a book blogger, but there do seem to be some really interesting discussions lined up including:

Is YA White Washed? Are the characters in Young Adult novels realistic? Are the themes bland or do they push the limit on what is acceptable?

YA Blogging Over 30? 40? 50?

Self Publishing is Changing - What do we think?

Promoting Your Blog

Blogger Burnout and How To Conquer It

And, let's face it, I'm a giveaway whore. Any chance to win free books is hard for me to pass up.

How about you? Have you ever been to a conference that was slightly outside your ideal fit?

Crusade Challenge Part Deux

2011-03-24T20:07:00.000-04:00

The Challenge:

Write a flash fiction story (in any format) in 100 words or less, excluding the title. Begin the story with the words, "The goldfish bowl teetered". These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional, and not part of the judging criteria), see if you can write the story in your own genre.

My entry at 100 words exactly:

The goldfish bowl teetered and fell as I bumped against the nightstand on my way to the bathroom. Blood dripped on the carpet. Shit. My stepmother would freak. Bad enough that I'd broken her mirror, cutting my arm in the process, now I'd defiled her Berber.

I applied bandages and surveyed the damage. It looked like a botched suicide. I'd need long sleeves for school. Lucas was enough of an asshole to imply our breaking up had pushed me over the edge.

He was wrong.

I'd live, which is more than I could say for that fish he'd given me.

I couldn't come up with a title, so I left it off. Any suggestions?

Review - The Mockingbirds

2011-03-22T13:00:00.008-04:00

From Goodreads:

Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.
Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

I knew a little bit about this book going in. I knew it was about date rape, and I knew it made reference to Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, one of my all time favorite books. The author brings an important authenticity to this book because she lived through a similar situation while at college and therefore is able to convey the complex emotions felt by Alex, our MC throughout the story. She also shows how icrucial it is to reach out to others for help when something terrible like this happens. Whether it be family, friends or teachers, it's important to the healing process to talk about it rather than let it devour you from the inside out.

The self-doubt felt by Alex throughout the book is something all of us can relate to and it makes her journey of remembering exactly what happened to her that night all the more haunting.

The message in this book is a vital one and I think every girl should hear it. Bravo, Daisy Whitney.

Awards and more Awards

2011-03-17T09:00:00.002-04:00

I don't deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either.

Jack Benny

First, I would like to thank Have Mercy! Killer Reviews for giving me The Stylish Blogger Award.

I would like to pass this award onto the following bloggers I have met through last year's Write On Con and The Crusade. Some of them may have already received this award which wouldn't surprise me because they are all wonderful.

Lynda at lyndaryoung.blogspot.com
Angela at whimsywritingandreading.weebly.com
Nina at jr-williams.com/blog
Laura at laurajmoss.com/laurablog
Dominic at dominicdemattos.blogspot.com

Next, I would like to thank Rogue Mutt, a fellow writer/blogger that I met what seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, for passing along to me a new award that he created:

It's a beauty, isn't it? I love the pacifier. The rules that go along with this award are to first answer these three pointless questions:

Favorite Condiment: Mayo (real mayo, not that awful Miracle Whip nastiness)
Favorite ’80s Song: "Take On Me" by A-Ha (Only one? One? That's just cruel)
Which Simpsons Character Do You Most Identify With: Lisa, of course.

And then to pay it forward to five other blogs that don't suck:

Diane at www.digillette.com/index.html
Becky at whatsyourthoughtonthat.blogspot.com
Jen at whatsonthebookshelf-jen.blogspot.com
Pam at pamparker.wordpress.com
L.L. McKinney at tangynt.wordpress.com

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

The Vampire That Is Bracketology

2011-03-15T20:00:00.001-04:00

March Madness is upon us, and if you thought Twitter was a gigantic time suck, it's nothing compared to the NCAA tournament here in Big10 country.

After filling out forty brackets for various local and national contests like we do in my house each year, it feels kinda like all of your creativity and will for life has been sucked right out of you. My daughter asked me to give her a synonym for great and my frazzled brain drew a complete blank. I told her to Google it.

From past experience, we've learned it can take a few weeks to recover (good thing there are basketball games to watch). But I don't think I could stop if I wanted to. Each of those little bracket lines whispers my name, promising this will be the year I triumph. I will win money, possibly oodles of it, and receive accolades from friends and co-workers because of my uncanny ~~luck~~ skill at picking winners.

Now on to some fantastic news about a fellow Hoosier and blog buddy of mine..

Please join me in congratulating the beautiful Carolina Valdez Miller on snagging agent Vicki Motter. She's having a party to celebrate and you are all invited! Hop on over and join in the fun. There are awesome prizes and fun to be had by all!

So do you obsess over the NCAA brackets? Whose your pick to take it all? I could just tell you who's going to win, since I already know, but what's the fun in that?

Until next time, happy writing.

Klingons, The Master of Thornfield Hall and the Great White Bear

2011-03-10T21:57:00.000-05:00

Well, the Star Trek exhibit was pretty amazing, except for the fact that they didn't allow ANY PHOTOGRAPHY WHATSOEVER. WTH?

You could get your picture taken in the Captain's chair and on the transporter by the museum staff for "only twenty-one dollars," said the little man dressed like Spock and SO not pulling it off. But after the forty-six bucks we paid to get in, I just couldn't justify the additional expense.

What surprised me the most as we wandered through the weapons display was how closely they resembled the toy guns my kids have at home. We learned that the creators of said weapons only gave them enough detail to look good on television, which meant they looked kinda cheesy in real life.

This weekend I'm planning on getting my English governess on when I go see the latest adaptation of one of my favorite books of all time.

I can hardly contain my excitement! Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes look very encouraging (Yes, I look at reviews. Yes, I've taken a lot of crap about it from all the anti-review moviegoers out there including my kids. Rest assured, reviews are only one small factor I use in deciding whether or not to see a film). I'm taking my stash of Kleenex with me. I always feel very refreshed after a good cry at the theater.

Before I go, I saw this short piece on 60 Minutes last week that fascinated me so I thought I would share...

Anyone seen a good movie lately? Any films you're eagerly awaiting?

Hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

Bullying

2011-03-08T21:01:00.000-05:00

Fellow Crusader Louise Wise brought this terrific book to my attention and I wanted to pass it along to you.

Seven authors (Jo Davis, HD Hatcher, Omegia Keeys, Autumn Prince, Lisa Rusczyk, KJ Thompson, and Vogue) have joined forces to send one message. That message is, You are not Unloved! Unloved is an anthology dedicated to those who have been the victim of bullying, or know someone who has been bullied.

Bullying can take on different forms. Bullying is not just a physical act but can also be an emotional, written, or verbal act as well. Bullying can take place in the workplace, school, online, and even while we are traveling in our vehicles on the road. Bullying is a form of abuse that has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and civilized nations across the globe.

All proceeds from Unloved will go to charities in support of Bully Prevention and/or Suicide Prevention.

For more information, please visit: www.hdhatcher.com or www.passionatewriterpublishing.com or visit the Unloved Facebook page.

I wanted to tell you a personal story about being bullied. In sixth grade, a girl physically stuffed me into a locker and wouldn't let me out because she thought I was checking out her boyfriend. She covered up the little slats at the top and told me I would soon pass out from lack of oxygen. Being in honors science, I was fairly certain this wouldn't actually happen, but I was borderline claustrophobic and doubt began to set in.

It was her boyfriend that ended up letting me out a couple of minutes later (he was my neighbor and my lab partner which made it impossible to avoid looking at him).

When I think back on it now, I wish I would have slugged her. She wasn't that much bigger than me and it probably would have put an end to the whole situation. Unfortunately, the bullying continued the entire year until my family moved and I started going to a different school.

So what are your experiences with bullying? Are you the parent of a child that's been bullied? Have you experienced bullying first hand? How did you handle it? How have you taught your kids to deal with it?

So right and SO Wrong

2011-03-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

RIGHT - The wonderful and talented Anne Riley has released her first novel, The Clearing, into the world. The story:

Natalie Watson doesn't believe the reports about the way her parents died. In fact, she's not sure she believes in much of anything these days. But after moving from her home in Georgia to her aunt's boarding school in Maine, solving the mystery of her parents' deaths is just one of several things on her mind. When she's not fending off attacks from the popular kids or taking refuge in the pages of a novel, she ponders the rumors circulating about a certain boy in her math class... a boy with fiery red hair who never speaks to anyone.

Despite suspicions that he may have murdered his sister a year earlier, Natalie finds it impossible to stay away from Liam Abernathy - especially when he confesses to knowing something about her parents. Soon she's following him into the forest, where things happen she doesn't understand... things that shouldn't be possible....

As Liam's story unfolds, Natalie realizes she's more connected to him than she ever thought - and not everyone she counts as a friend can be trusted.

Sounds great, right? Well you can own your very own copy in paperback or e-version.

WRONG - I couldn't do one more blog post without mentioning poor Charlie Sheen. I recall a fresh faced youth, on drugs and sitting in a police station in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.


Well, well, well. It seems we've come full circle now haven't we?

I hope you all have a glorious weekend. I'll be taking the kids to see the Star Trek exhibit at our local science center (I'm such a fangirl). They have the Captain's chair from the original TV series! I promise to take pics and share them with you next week.

Hello Happy Midget Derby

2011-03-01T22:52:00.000-05:00

First, I would like to say hello to all of my new Crusader friends. I've enjoyed your comments and all the blogs I've visited so far have been wonderful.

Next, I would also like to give a shout out to the beautiful Lisa and Laura Roecker. Their first book, The Liar Society, was officially born today. Happy Book Birthday!

I watched the Oscars as I do every year and wondered the same thing...

Why does Nicole Kidman keep marrying such short men?

And last, but certainly not least,

We're getting ready for Kentucky Derby season in my part of the world. I'm planning on giving it some blog love. It may be the fastest two minutes in sports, but around here the celebration lasts for three whole weeks.

Until next time, happy writing!

Would I Lie To You?

2011-02-23T23:36:00.000-05:00

Can I just say how impressed I am with the entries I've visited so far! I wouldn't want to be a judge for this challenge.

Are you dying to know just how tragic my past really was?

The only lie I'm guilty of is nearly losing a finger to a sea duck. I have nothing but pleasant memories of feeding them on our family trips.

My secret was that poor little rabbit. I'd kept it to myself all these years thus saving not only Barbie, but Ken too.

I am addicted to reality TV, I'm my kids' worst grammar nightmare and I can juggle multiple tasks at the same time with no problem. I steer clear of fuzzy costumed people and still get cold sweats when I step into a vet's office.

Those small tragedies have been fuel for many a story over the years. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm grateful for them, but they gave me invaluable emotional experiences to draw from.

Congrats to those of you who spotted my untruth. I don't think I've correctly guessed one of yours yet.

Oh, How I Love A Challenge

2011-02-21T20:09:00.000-05:00

First Crusader Challenge

In 300 words or less, tell us:

*one secret
*one lie
*one interesting quirk
*one annoying habit
*one of your best character traits
*one of your favorite things in the whole world

The post can be in any format, including poetry, but must include the random words, "bloviate", "fuliguline", "rabbit" and "blade".

Since I believe in balance, I've included both light and dark tales for your reading pleasure.

Here are my answers in no particular order, because that wouldn't be any fun at all...

I love reality TV. Can't get enough. From The Bachelor to American Idol, I'm there.

When I was eight, my best friend's brother forced me to watch him skin a rabbit with a rusty blade (he was holding my favorite Barbie Doll hostage). I cried for a week and vowed I would become a veterinarian to stop all of the terrible injustices perpetrated against the animal kingdom. Sorry, didn't mean to bloviate.

During high school, I helped out at our local vet's office during the summer for some early experience. One day a family brought in their beautiful German Shepherd with a gaping hole through its side. The son had been cleaning his shotgun but had forgotten to remove the bullets. The dog died in my arms. I'd never seen so much blood. I looked like Carrie at the after-prom party. Traumatized=understatement. I knew I'd have to pick a different profession.

Although I love animals, I'll admit I'm a bit leery of anything fuliguline. I nearly lost a finger to one during an unfortunate feeding incident while vacationing on the coast. It took ten stitches to close the gash and I've never quite gotten all of the sensation back.

I correct my kids' grammar constantly. Whether it's written or spoken, I just can't help myself.

I am terrified of costumed characters. To this day, I still have to duck into the nearest bathroom whenever I see one. Our trips to Disney were horrific. Sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap? Fuggedaboutit.

I have mad organizational skills. I take multi-tasking to a whole new level. Don't believe me? I'm running on the treadmill while watching the eleven o'clock news right now. Yep. That just happened.

I consider myself truthful, but one of those things up there is a flat-out lie. Can you guess which one? I'll be back Wednesday to tell you if you're right.

Just A Quick Note

2011-02-17T09:00:00.009-05:00

My very first interview is up on Michelle's blog today. So check it out and leave a comment if you have a spare moment so I won't feel like a total loser.

To all of the Bernard Pivot blogfest participants, I am slowly making my way through all of your answers, and so far they are terrific! My son has gotten a big kick out of reading all of your comments about his answers also.

Crusaders, I have added you all on Twitter and will be visiting your blogs starting this weekend. Talk to you soon!

Have some chocolate on me!

Bernard Pivot Blogfest

2011-02-16T00:01:00.003-05:00

Thanks so much to the beautiful Nicole Ducleroir for hosting this blogfest. I had heard of the Questionnaire before, but never attempted to answer it myself. I treated it as one of those exercises where you write down the first thing that pops into your head because I didn't want to overthink it.

1.What is your favorite word? Serendipity

2.What is your least favorite word? Stupid

3.What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Music, nature, art

4.What turns you off? Body odor

5.What is your favorite curse word? Fuck

6.What sound or noise do you love? Wind chimes

7.What sound or noise do you hate? Car alarm

8.What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Veterinarian

9.What profession would you not like to do? Nurse (God bless them, but I couldn't do it)

10.If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Nobody's perfect, but I know you did your best.

I also asked my thirteen-year-old son to take a stab and I thought his answers were interesting so I've posted them too.

1.What is your favorite word? Epic

2.What is your least favorite word? Raunchy

3.What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Music

4.What turns you off? Silence

5.What is your favorite curse word? Shit

6.What sound or noise do you love? Robot voices

7.What sound or noise do you hate? Styrofoam rubbing against Styrofoam

8.What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Video game programmer

9.What profession would you not like to do? Teacher

10.If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Halle-freaking-lujah

So those were ours. Did we match any of your answers?

Make sure and check out all of the other blogs participating and have a wonderful hump day!