...That's What She Said

Belated Liebster Award

Posted on 11:41 PM comments (5)
Labels: Award, Blog Hop

So, it has been several weeks... and I've had out-of-town visitors staying at my house over the past 3 weeks... but I'm finally able to get back on here to announce that I was awarded the Liebster Award from Nancy LaRonda Johnson at Writer's Mark! Like her, I'm very honored as this is also my first nomination for a blog award not related to a flash fiction or writing contest. I'm starting to get sucked into this little blogging community more and more... and I think it's a good thing!

Here are the rules:

Thank the blogger who presented this award and link back to their blog –

Thanks Nancy! This was just what I needed to get back into the swing of blogging & it's a fun way to get to know one another better.

Answer 11 questions posted by the presenter, ask your nominees 11 questions, and list eleven random facts about yourself.

Check.

Nominate 11 bloggers who you feel deserve this award and who have less than 200 followers.

Check.

Post the award on your blog.

And check!

Here are 11 *random* facts about me:

I am the only person I know who has successfully escaped a high speed police chase.
I have a pension for adopting defective animals - the more disease ridden, strange looking and/or neurotic, the better.
I met my mother for the first time when I was 24 years old.
I was inspired to track down my mother and start a relationship with her as a result of my love of watching my second favorite TV series, Gilmore Girls.
My first favorite TV series is Battlestar Gallactica.
The only broken bone I've ever had was a hairline fracture in my jaw, from being sucker punched in the bathroom of a country bar.
I don't like or listen to country music, especially since my one and only visit to a country bar.
R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People album was the sole reason I survived high school.
I find cat vomit hilarious... in fact, I'm giggling right now having merely typed the words.
I have been attacked, chased and/or bitten by the following animals: dog, cat, horse, bobcat, mole, squirrel, raccoon, barracuda, giraffe, goat, snake, hamster, rat, alligator, wolf spider and sand shark.
I've only had rabies once.

The 11 questions asked by Nancy with my answers are:

Does your name have a backstory? Were you named after someone, does it have a special meaning, etc.

I don't have a lot of info on any childhood backstories, unfortunately... so, I don't know if it's true, but my grandmother once told me that my name was going to be Dawn until my father met a little girl in the hospital who was dying from leukemia named Tanya while my mother was in labor. I do know that roughly translated, my name means "Russian Fairy Princess"... The princess part couldn't be further from the truth and I'm not Russian, but fairies are ok, I guess.

What’s the one thing you wish you could brag to everyone about?

Well, of course that would be that I am a published author, but I can't do that until I've finished a project worth publishing.

What’s your favorite word and why? Actually, "why" is my favorite current word... because it's so much fun to answer when my 4 year old son asks it.
If you could eat as much of anything you wanted without stopping until you could pop whenever you wanted, what would it be? Without hesitation, I pick NY style cheescake. Wait... maybe pizza... No, I'm going to stick to my soon-to-explode gut and say cheesecake.
What’s the one thing you wish you could say to your spouse/parents/siblings/best friend but haven’t? I'm pretty open with my spouse and best friends... but parents and sibling, oooh... that's a tough one... and personal, too... I will say that it wouldn't be something very positive.
If you could make someone in your family the MC in a book or story, who would it be and what type of character would they be? Well, my current WIP is a memoir, so they are all playing themselves.
If you could be a #1 NY Times bestseller for the one book you’ve written and can ever write, or be a relatively unknown writer of many books, what would you choose and why? I think my answer might be the opposite of most, as most people have tons of stories to share... Myself, on the other hand, I have many stories to put into a memoir that could very well turn out to be my life's work at the pace I'm going, so I'll go with the #1 bestseller for a single book... because I would be very happy to have that one thing do well.
Who’s your favorite actor and in what movie? I loved Tim Robins in The Shawshank Redemption, Robert Dinero in Heat, Brad Pitt in Fight Club, Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook... equally, don't make me pick.
If you could only have a TV or stereo system (and no other music playing device), which would you pick? This must be a trick question. Does this stereo system have a built-in MP3 player or how about satellite radio? I don't listen to the radio if it can be avoided, but I do prefer music over television these days since nearly all of my favorite shows are off the air.
Would you rather vacation somewhere hot or cold, and where would that be? I grew up in Miami, FL, where many people vacation, so I would love to take a trip to the mountains soon... Montana or Colorado.
What’s your most controversial belief? There are two things I never bring up at family dinners, and those same two things I generally keep out of my blog, too: religion and politics. But to not skirt the question entirely, I will say that I believe that both science and religion go hand in hand and should balance each other out.

The 11 nominees I am choosing to keep the Liebster Award going are:

And the 11 questions for my nominees to answer are:

Why did you start your blog?

Are you going to participate in the A-Z writing challenge in April? Why or why not?

Enough about writing, we talk about that all the time... let's get to know you! What was the very last thing you ate?

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

What book are you currently reading?

What is your least favorite thing about yourself?

What is your favorite thing about yourself?

What are your thoughts on happy endings?

What was the last movie you watched? Did you like it?

What is the farthest you've ever been from home?

Do you have any odd or special talents?

There we have it... let the Liebstering continue! I'm looking forward to sharing with some new people and making new connections, how about you? :-)

IWSG: Your Craft

Posted on 6:00 AM comments (8)
Labels: Blog Fest, Blog Hop, Blogfest, Insecure Writer's Support Group, IWSG

Thank goodness for First Wednesdays... and thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, it's the day we insecure writers come together to share our pitfalls and inspirations. To learn more and read other's posts, click the photo link!

For anyone following my slow progress, I am still editing my first work of science fiction. Over the past few IWSG posts, I've received some great feedback to calm my insecurities as well as a couple of comments that have spun a few of them into overdrive. I suppose that's what happens when you ask for honest critiques, and it's not always a bad thing. For better or worse, they make you think... and thinking about your work is good. The problem occurs when too much thinking leads to questioning your written voice. For this round, I'm going to do my best to share some inspiration that I've been tossing around in my head over the last month.

Just as an example, I learned a lot from the commentary being posted to competing stories in last year's Write Club challenge, but there were some voters offering up personal preferences instead of sharing unbiased critiquing. One such scenario was advice as to the tense used in a piece. Some people prefer to write in first person narrative, others in third, and others in a plethora of variations. One thing I've given some thought to is the definition of one's writing craft. Your craft is personal and any manner in which you purposely use words to display your ideas should be considered your signature. If you use first person narrative on purpose to make your point hit home, then it doesn't matter that I prefer a different style. Moreover, if you use all caps to make a statement and you purposely use it consistently throughout your writing, then who are we to tell you that it isn't grammatically correct? Do you love semicolons and oxford commas? You do? Well, then by all means, use them if it lends to your craft! And hey look, I just used an exclamation point! I bet you've read some writing books that tell you not to... but I say, listen to you heart... and always stay true to your craft. Your writing is meant to define you. You are what you write. Never let one critique create doubt in the style that represents your voice. Your editor will help you sell your book... just be careful not to sell your soul. There's a big difference between correcting grammar to reflect skillful writing and completely changing the fundamental style that makes you, well... "you". I suppose that's my long-winded way of saying that we should never make a change unless it feels right and true to our own personal craft. Happy writing!

Review of a Review

Posted on 9:20 PM comments (3)
Labels: Book Review

It is my opinion that a good book review will convey to potential readers why they would or would not enjoy a particular work without giving away the whole story. I've read quite a few reviews in the past year that have actually deterred me from making a purchase because I felt as though I'd already gotten the whole gist of it without actually reading a page of the novel. With that being said, here is my attempt to get more of you, as well as anyone who happens to scour reviews on Amazon, to purchase this book... I did, and it was money well spent:

YA Paranormal/Sci-Fi for ALL ages

Do you love Harry Potter and dislike Twilight? Do you listen to indie music instead of Top 40? After watching 'The Matrix' for the first time did you spend days thinking about all the "what ifs"? Have you ever lost someone that you wish you could connect with again? If you answered yes to any of those questions, I am willing to guarantee that you will like Provex City. For some strange reason, this book is...

Continue reading on Amazon.com

This review is from: Provex City (The Lorne Family Vault Series, Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

Provex City (The Lorne Family Vault Series, Book 1)
by Michael Pierce

(22 customer reviews)

Kindle Price:

$2.99

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The author, Michael Pierce, is in the midst of a blog tour for this book now, so grab a copy and help him reach his goal of 100 reviews on Amazon!

Beginnings Blogfest

Posted on 6:00 AM comments (12)
Labels: Blog Fest, Blog Hop, Blogfest

Happy Blogoversary to L.G. Keltner! Completing a first year in this writing community with just shy of 200 followers is an accomplishment in itself, but doing so while sending out enormous amounts of positive energy and dedicating tons of time to supporting fellow writers deserves some recognition. I'm a fan of this blog mostly because L.G. writes awesome flash fiction in one of my favorite genres, but also because her entries never fail to inspire me to focus on the positive side of writing. If you're not a follower, you probably should be! In celebration, some of us are participating in the Beginnings Blogfest... which you can find more info on by clicking the photo link to the left. As for my entry... It all began long ago in a far away place... no really, it did!

Much like another planet, I started my blogging journey on LiveJournal and by long ago, I mean December 22, 2004. Holy cow... now that I've put that in writing I feel SUPER old. Was that really 9 years ago? Yikes. I was 25 years old, newly (again) single and trying to find my way through transition. I complained about boys, friends who were boys and boys that I worked with. Basically, if I'd set my mind to it, I could have written the scripts for the new HBO series "Girls" back then. I had an audience of maybe 5 followers, but I wrote with dedication and ferocity just about every single day. The venting was my stress relief and the party recaps were my bragging rights. Then on March 19, 2005, I posted a goodbye to LiveJournal with the announcement that I was moving over to MySpace "in an attempt to make real friends, not just computer friends". Spoiler alert: it worked. My daily blog on MySpace was a hit... I received friend requests left and right... and I even got plagiarized once by an elementary school English teacher. Through that site I made a few life long friends and racked up a couple more ex-boyfriends. I fed off the energy of all the commentary and discussion threads that my posts ignited. Of course, my biggest fan was myself. I would go back and re-read how clever and witty my entires were and laugh to myself in the middle of the night. Yes, I truly was full of myself back then. Many of my favorite entries were transfered here to Blogger when MySpace died off and Facebook became supreme ruler of social networking. If you were bored and had about a week of free time on your hands, you could probably read through them all, as they were posted during the month of December 2009... but I wouldn't recommend it. Not a single one is about creative writing or anything truly constructive. So, years later, here I am with a repurposed blog focusing on my intent to get myself published (eventually) and I have to wonder... when would my "blogoversary" be? Surely, I can't count all the years spent pontificating my existence and making friends laugh within in a private circle. I guess I'd have to set my start date to May 24, 2012 when I shifted from a private blog meant for friends only to a public blog where I meant to join an online writing community. That was also the point when the complete and total confidence shifted to modesty and insecurity. No longer was I making jokes about my social life (partly because as a wife and mom, I no longer had one), but instead I was sharing my writing journey with *gasp*... strangers! Of course, I soon found out that these "strangers" were actually a group of the kindest, most supportive people I'd ever come into contact with. Alex J. Cavanaugh's IWSG blog hop every month was instrumental in pulling me out of my shell and forcing me not to give up, even when I'd slacked off for a week or two without posting a word. And there were several other flash fiction style blog hops that were a blast. It's been such a positive experience and I look forward to finishing my WIPs so that I can spend more time giving back to the blogging community that has helped me so much... but back to the point: this is about beginnings. In summary, I suppose you could say that my beginnings are really just beginning.

Thanks again to L.G. for not only hosting this blogfest, but also for providing months of inspiration and entertaining reading. Cheers to year two!

IWSG: Learning to Share

Posted on 10:12 PM comments (10)
Labels: Blog Fest, Blog Hop, Blogfest, Insecure Writer's Support Group, IWSG

It's a new year, but luckily, traditions carry over... thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, we insecure writers come together to share our pitfalls and inspirations on the first Wednesday of every month. To learn more, click the photo link.

My first IWSG installment is going to be a brief one, mainly because I won't be able to hop around to everyone else's posts to offer support and draw inspiration until the weekend after I've gotten some rest... that's right, if you actually read my previous post, you'll know that I'm still recovering from some minor brain trauma and the computer screen is not my best friend right now. That being said, I do have an insecurity to share and I'll stop back by in a few days to participate with a little more gusto. My question for those much farther along in their pursuit of becoming a published author is this: Where/how/when do you find good critique partners? I've finally completed one of my WIPs and I'm doing my first round of editing on the first draft. At what point to you take this work, this thing of your own creation, and just trustingly hand it over to someone? And where do you find that someone (or someones)... how many should there be?

Year End Recap

Posted on 11:22 PM comments (3)

I started last year with some champagne at home with the hubs in a strange new town over a thousand miles away from everyone we knew. Last night was more or less the same, but despite that, 2012 was the year of change. This Florida girl had to learn how to be a Texan, and at first I thought that would mean using hairspray, putting rhinestones on the butt pockets of all my jeans and saying things like "ya'll"(you all), "podna' (partner), "airs" (ears), and "unner-yunner" (underneath and over there). However, this was (thankfully) not the case. All I had to do was love red meat (check) and adapt to store clerks being genuinely friendly (still working on it). Wow... I just noticed the heavy parenthesis usage in this post. Sorry about that. It could be due to the beer I am drinking (I don't usually drink beer) or the mild concussion I am recovering from (I'm drinking the beer because it's the only thing helping the headache from the concussion)... but more about my head injury later.

Anyway, here is my list of highlights for prosperity's sake:

Survived the relocation from Florida and excelled at the new job in Texas.
Enrolled my kiddo in an artsy fancy-pants "green" preschool where he flourished and learned to read by the time he turned 4 (take that, Florida!).
Survived months of my spouse's unemployment and managed financial recovery (for the most part).
Adopted a defective, smelly, cross-eyed, asthmatic cat from a local rescue because I thought my old cat "needed a friend". They hated each other.
Had an awesome birthday with fantastic food when my mother flew out to visit. Then had 2 awesome visits back home to Orlando for BOTH of my best friends' respective baby showers (oh, now they start having kids...).
Did the Texas tourist thing by attending the Scarborough Rennesance Festival, The Ft. Worth Stockyards, the Grapevine Vintage Railroad (complete with staged robbery on horseback), and the Texas State Fair.
Decided to pick up my forgotten hobby of creative writing again and re-vamped my private blog that had been dormant for nearly a year. Then participated in blog hops and flash fiction contests for the first time and made a bunch of awesome writing connections in the blogging community.
Completed a 10 day juice cleanse and jump-started a healthier lifestyle by kicking my caffeine habit.
Finished my first ever sci-fi short weighing in at approximately 6000 words and began the editing process in preparation for publishing contest submission.
Adopted a seemingly normal, healthy and cute puppy... immediately labeled puppy as "worst family Christmas gift ever". After several nights of waking every two hours to let puppy outside, began drinking caffeine again.
Bonus: Experienced my first ever "White Christmas" and had an unsuccessful snowball fight with my family, followed a few days later by my first ever fall down a flight of stairs and resulting head concussion.

With that, let me say a fond farewell to 2012 and set some goals for the new year that started today:

Write more often. Finish my memoir style novel.
Find critique partners for my writing.
Attend dog training classes.
Save more money. Move out of our townhouse (with all the stairs) and into a house (preferably without stairs).
Work out more. Participate in the Run For Your Lives 5k zombie marathon.

And since I'm on this kick where I'm posting lists of things, I think I will now try another first and participate in a blog award related questionnaire. This one comes from a blog that I follow because it never ceases to make me giggle. You can check out the original post here: Tammy Theriault

11 QUESTIONS:

1. If you could interview one celebrity, who & what is your million dollar question?
This should be an easy question for me because I thought about it in great detail in the weeks before I was scheduled to meet Stephen King at a book signing just before I moved out here to Texas. I had it all planned out and not only was I going to thank him for his writing that showed me when I was growing up that there was beauty within darkness... but I had prepared my original question for him. I was going to ask if he had any rituals that he always practiced when he finished writing a novel (kinda like the MC in Bag of Bones). Of course, I was too emotional and perhaps star-struck when I finally met him, that I had to suppress tears and all I could muster was a meek, "Thank you for writing"... and all I got was a smile and a nod. Epic fail on my part. So, to answer this question, I'd like a re-do.

2. Did you ever carry a pager when they were cool?
Just how old do I look? Geez... I wasn't even allowed to drive or have a phone in my bedroom when pagers were cool. Of course, my parents were super strict, so I didn't get to have a car or a landline phone of my own until I was out on my own... and then, I got an answering machine instead. It was digital.

3. What is your fav home decor that you would be mad if I stole?
I am pretty attached to my handmade dining room table runner that I ordered from some lady on Etsy. I fixed up the dining room to compensate for the bachelor pad hollywood/movie poster theme thing my other half has going on in the living room. If you stole his 1000 DVDs, I would not report you.

4. Pet peeves?
It's a tie between bad grammar and bad driving. I take both very seriously and take pride in how awesome I am at both.

5. Fav magazine?
Not applicable. For what little time I have to read, I prefer to spend it on books.

6. Will you give me $100?
Yes, but only if you give me $100 in return. Fair is fair.

7. Furthest you've traveled?
As a Florida resident, I traveled to my birthplace of NY, as well as Mexico, and also Albuquerque, NM for a work conference. Each of those trumps the milage it took to move to Texas, but I couldn't tell you which one was the furthest, as I'm too lazy to Google it at the moment.

8. Do these pants make my butt look big?
It's not the pants that make your butt look big, Deary... it's the Holiday Hibernation Suit™ underneath.

9. What radio station is playing in your car as I drive off in it?
Not applicable. I've been asking Santa to put better music on the radio for like the last 8 years and I still haven't received that gift, so my iPod is hooked up in my car at all times.

10. What are you making me for breakfast because I'm not a morning person?
What wouldn't I make for breakfast? There are SO many delicious options... but I guess if I'm cooking to impress, I'd have to go with center-cut bacon and stuffed french toast.

11. How's that $100 coming along?
Show me yours, I'll show you mine. Hey, pervs... this is still about the money.

Well, that was interesting... or at least to me, since my head hurts. :-) I hope each and everyone of you out there in the blogosphere had a safe and happy holiday and cheers to a new year! I hope everyone has a prosperous and joyous 2013... and I'll see some (if not most) of you all later this week for IWSG!

Cheers, Cavanaugh Blogfest!

Posted on 2:00 AM comments (18)
Labels: Blog Fest, Blog Hop, Blogfest, Insecure Writer's Support Group, IWSG

There are a lot of blog fests happening this holiday season, but so far, only one has stood out enough to compel me to join in. In the spirit of giving, and more specifically giving thanks, who better to say "Cheers" to than a member of the blogosphere who has created a safe haven for aspiring writers, published writers and even dabblers to all come together and provide one another with monthly support? I do my very best to post on the first Wednesday of every month for IWSG, and sometimes it's that deadline alone that keeps me from completely losing track of my blog when life gets hectic... and generally the encouragement I receive just from those posts alone is what keeps me writing. And so, today is the day we all gather to collectively shower the founder of such a special networking blog hop with thanks, praise and possibly even severe embarrassment: Mr. Alex J. Cavanaugh a/k/a The Ninja Captain! With a handful of followers (that I'm very thankful for) and only portions of writing projects completed, one might ask how I know Alex or why such a small spec in this blog circle would participate. The answer is easy. I don't know him at all... but I'm joining in because Alex obviously cares about each and every writer he's connected to... even little ol' me. You can tell by the insane amount of commentary he leaves across hundreds of blogs throughout the month, as well as the thoughtful words he offers. Alex is never generic, never fake, never rushed... it truly is amazing. His words have meant a lot to me, so a public thank you is really the least I could do.

The rules of this blog fest are pretty simple... We all must complete the following:

1. In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like?

Like this, of course:

2. In +/- 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

Alex is so fast he cannot be caught on film, therefore, Morgan Freeman would have to play him via narration.

3. In +/- 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?

I'd have to say my favorite high school journalism teacher who always took the time to give one-on-one advice to every student.

4. In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts:

Cavanaugh
Ninja
IWSG
Cosbolt
Guitar

An Insecure Future

The girl touched her finger to the square labeled "5" on the digital calendar, marking the end of the fifth day of December in the year 2096. She fell into her reading chair and reached for her guitar, intent on strumming away the day's stresses. Her elbow caught the end of the small stack of books that called her end table home, and her less than ninja-like reflexes were of no help. As she cursed lightly under her breath and stooped down to gather them up, the title of the most weathered cover caught her eye. Her father had given her his copy of CassaStar over ten years ago. Byron the Cosbolt pilot had been an icon of adventure to her growing up, but now, nearly a woman, she felt a special kinship with the lone soldier. After the loss of her father, she buried herself in the stories told by Alex J. Cavanaugh. It wasn't until a year ago after researching the author a bit more that she discovered that he'd been the one that founded the infamous IWSG network nearly a hundred years before. Her desire to document her own struggles was fueled by the intergalactic support group that kept the written languages of thousands of different races alive. At times she felt as though fate had had put that old book in her hands instead of her father. She glanced up at the calendar again... it was Wednesday. Cursing a second time for the evening, she returned her beloved novels to the table with all thoughts of playing music forgotten... and rushed to log in to the reoccurring monthly meeting that gave her the courage to share with others.

For Bonus Points:
In +/- 40 words, leave a comment for Mrs. Cavanaugh - thanking her for sharing.

Considering that I have such a hard time dedicating time to my own writing let alone generating support for my fellow bloggers due to a husband, kiddo, pets and job to cater to... and considering that my own spouse often competes with my writing for attention... I can only imagine that Mrs. Cavanaugh must be a saint. Even if she's not Catholic. Seriously. Behind every great man, there is a great woman... and so I must thank you both for allowing this network of support and encouragement to keep on growing!

Want to read more tributes to Alex?

Of course you do, so click here!

IWSG: The Finish Line

Posted on 11:23 PM comments (6)
Labels: Blog Fest, Blog Hop, Insecure Writer's Support Group, IWSG

Well, it's that time once again... thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, we insecure writers come together to share our pitfalls and inspirations on the first Wednesday of every month. To learn more, click the photo link.

Has it been a whole month already? It seems like only a week ago that I posted about my procrastination insecurities, which turned out to be pretty therapeutic, actually. However, I must admit with some amount of shame that I have not touched my memoir style WIP. Before anyone skips to the next IWSG blog for fear of this one launching into a thousand excuses, let me explain that I only put it aside to work on my sci-fi short instead. Despite encouragement and feedback that did me worlds of good, I had to switch gears. Every time I sat down to compile my book, that unfinished short story loomed over me like a broken promise. Putting all procrastination aside, I finally made headway. I am 75% done with my futuristic tale of a utopia gone wrong and I my goal is to be done editing it by Christmas. My only lingering insecurity now is in finishing... and then soliciting people to read my first full work in over a decade. Sure, I've done well blogging and writing quick flash fiction... but a complete story, a final draft... to be judged and sent out into the world... I can't help but wonder how that will impact my book of a completely different genre. I sincerely hope that my science fiction won't put a label on me or discourage anyone from reading my slightly embellished non-fiction. But worries shouldn't deter me... this story obviously wants to get out of my head or it wouldn't have been bothering me so much lately, right?

Calling for Critiques

Posted on 11:43 PM comments (11)
Labels: Autoblography

In the last two months, on the occasions where I managed to log into my Mac at home after a stressful day in front of my dual screens at the office, I would check Facebook, email and then my Blogger dashboard. I'd committed to participating in Write Club 2012, a competition hosted by DL Hammons, where two short stories or excepts (500 words or less) were randomly selected to compete with voting determining the winners. With over a hundred entries, not all stories would be selected. I knew I would be ok if mine was never posted and I was determined to vote on every story to show support to my fellow writers. The stories were posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday... the three days I had hoped to put myself on a blogging schedule. And while it's not a good excuse at all, and while I only managed to vote on about 20 of the 36 rounds of competition, I must admit that after reading and carefully entering commentary that I thought might be helpful to the writers, I was just done for the night. When I did try to post, the blank screen of where my new post should have been written seemed to mock me and only worsened my case of writer's block. Exhaustion is a tough hurdle to overcome, especially when you don't have a whole lot of progress to report as to your creative writing efforts.

Well, the Write Club contest is just about over and the winners of previous rounds are all competing to be the final champion. There were so many great stories and I really did enjoy reading and offering my critiques... so much so that I began to worry that maybe I should have pursued becoming an editor instead of an aspiring author. However, I was thinking now that the voting commitment has lessened and my entry was not selected... perhaps posting it here and asking for critiques would be a good way to get back into the writing game and get myself motivated again to finish this book. So, for anyone interested in helping me, I am not in search of warm fuzzies (though they are nice to receive). I am hoping for honest and critical feedback on this excerpt. Ready, set, go:

My skinny, salt-covered legs were plodding across the heavily weeded yard back to the small beach house that offered a long awaited blast of cool air-conditioning. After a full day of being dragged behind the boat like shark bait, I wanted nothing more than to push past the sea foam green front door with the ridiculous starfish knocker and sprawl out onto the cold tile floor of the rental. A slurred voice shouted over my shoulder, breaking my focus.

“What was this one’s name again?” I turned my sun crisped body sharply as dread rose up and began to form an unsettling lump in my throat. My father’s eyes narrowed in conjunction with his drunken sneer. At his feet lay a red and white cooler and dangling from his outstretched hand, twitched my temporary pet of the day. When I’d first found her, I had silently hoped she wasn’t big enough to keep. Among all of the typical brownish red ones we’d caught that week, she was unique… and therefore I thought she should be spared. Unfortunately, Eugene-the-Pain had been watching me like an annoying little hawk through his cloudy snorkel mask and had scooped into his bag what I’d pretended to miss. On the two hour choppy ride back, I plucked one of the normal ones out of the cooler and inspected him. I decided that he would be called Fred and when I turned him on his back, he barked. I reached into the cooler again, carefully retrieving the one-clawed bright pink lobster and closed the lid. After settling in to my lone spot at the rear of the boat, I turned her over and she barked, too. Fred instantly barked a reply. I wondered how many other kids knew that lobsters could talk and smiled to myself.

My crustacean puppet show had been all fun and games until now. “It’s PINKY!” my younger brother squealed in delight as he waved a box of Ziploc baggies like a baton. He was leading the Tortured Sister Parade. My eyes welled with tears as I started to run back toward the dock. I was ashamed of myself for not throwing Pinky overboard when no one was looking. Surely I could have faked an accidental drop as we hit one of the waves without igniting my father’s wrath… but my lack of courage had sealed her fate. I stopped running across the sun-scorched yard, knowing that my tears would have no effect on what was about to happen. In horror, I watched as my father gripped Pinky’s head and abruptly twisted. With a loud snap, her body separated. Her little head was still barking as it flew through the air and hit the water.

“Well, now its name is Dinner,” said my father smugly as he slid the pink tail into a baggy and sealed it shut. A silent tear slid down my cheek as he wrote my name on the outside of the bag in bold black letters as if it were a school lunch sack.

And there you have it, a snippet from my memoir style novel... and also the reason why I don't eat seafood anymore. :-) Now, I know it wasn't the most uplifting story (I promise the whole book won't be like this), but the contest was supposed to be about writing skill, not so much content. I picked this because I thought it would evoke emotion in the reader. With that in mind, I would absolutely love to hear your feedback. Pretty please, and thank you.

IWSG: Procrastination

Posted on 6:00 AM comments (6)
Labels: Autoblography, Blog Hop, Insecure Writer's Support Group, IWSG

Today's entry is probably going to be less inspirational than my last, but I feel that I should at least start with an update. The juice cleanse did make a positive impact on my life. Not only did I lose fifteen pounds, but I got rid of my one addiction: caffeine... more specifically, coffee. For the first time in years, I haven't yawned during my entire drive to work and I can actually function prior to 10:00 a.m. I'm still amazed at how not drinking coffee has caused the exact opposite effect of what I'd thought it would do. I once swore I needed it to wake up and now, I see that a healthier lifestyle provides you with true energy... unlike coffee, which provided me with an artificial sense of motivation. And... about that motivation... yes, well, I haven't much writing to show for it unfortunately. Instead, I have been swamped at work with new projects and more responsibility. I'd like to blame my lack of progress solely on my demanding job, but alas, it wouldn't be the whole truth... which brings us to my IWSG post for November.

Procrastination - to put off or defer (an action) until a later time; delay - [from Latin prōcrāstināre to postpone until tomorrow]

I think this word is a perfect fit, as I'm always telling myself "tomorrow, tomorrow I will write" as I change from business attire into house clothes and settle in to watch recordings on my DVR. Then, later in the week as I stare at a blank draft, the guilt sets in. There are so many other writers out there with full time jobs (stay at home mom counts, too) and kids who not only find time to write, but have finished an entire book or two... yet, here I am with a bunch of sporadic chapters, not fully linked together. I don't think my problem is lack of inspiration or lack of skill... what I'm missing is the drive to finish what I've started. I can chalk this up to procrastination, but where does that procrastination really stem from? I skipped my October IWSG to continue the soul searching and at some point within the last two months of inactivity, I stumbled upon an image that really struck home. It had been a while since the Universe slapped me with an epiphany, so it took me a few weeks to process my thoughts. What it comes down to is honest to goodness insecurity. When I was in my early twenties, there were very few friends that I confided in about my past. However, those that did know me well all encouraged me to put my experiences in writing. I attributed this to the fact that I had a knack for putting a humorous twist on my sad childhood stories, which generally brought about a good laugh from whichever friend was my audience. I hid behind a wall of sarcasm despite claiming to be "an open book". It wasn't until I lost my grandfather just a few short weeks after he walked me down the isle at my wedding that I recalled the short story I'd written in the eighth grade about my first time seeing snow while living with my grandparents at the age of four. It was a memoir style short that focused on my grandfather, my aunt and the thought that snow was made of cotton. It won first place in my school's writing contest and went on to beat another middle schooler's retelling of her great-grandparents' holocaust trauma in a county competition. I was told that my story would be published in a collection stored at the White House. To this day, I don't know if that is true, but I do know that it was the first time I knew that my words could mean something to others. The problem was that this was one of my happiest stories... many of the rest were darker as a result of being removed from my grandparents' home at the age of five, just before my father re-married. To tell other tales from my childhood, I'd reveal secrets that I worried would tear my family apart... or worse, break the hearts of my grandmother and grandfather. When Grandpa died a few years back, I remember thinking that I could start writing with less fear... but I shouldn't dare seek publication while my grandmother was still with us. These are morbid thoughts, I know... but sharing the truth is the only way to face my insecurity, right? For the time being, I've tried my hand at a science fiction short story... and I've tried to tell myself that it's not a distraction from what I should be writing. Of course, I'm stumped on that piece, too. I continually think of segments for my Memoir, as those come more easily being based on experience... and when I don't make an attempt to finish the sci-fi short, I can't tell which work I'm betraying more with my ongoing procrastination.

So there it is... this aspiring writer has shared her true insecurities for the first time. I only hope that it doesn't minimalize my previous participation. Anyway, for anyone wondering what the image was that sparked these deep thoughts, here it is... I think it's a beautiful quote and I hope to use it as my new mantra to keep pushing forward:

Hopefully, if anyone else out there has similar insecurities about sharing parts of themselves through their writing, these words from Anne Lamott will be inspiring to them, too.

Spooktoberfest!

Posted on 11:01 PM comments (6)
Labels: Blog Fest, Blog Hop, Blogfest, Halloween

Click the photo link above for more details on this spooktacular blog hop that's sure to get you into the Halloween spirit... and if you dare, read on for my 300 words or less Flash Fiction entry containing five mandatory themed words:

*************************************************

The less than razor sharp blade sounded like velcro rubbing against corduroy as his cramped fingers continued the repetitious jigsaw motion along the lines of the pattern penciled onto the monstrous pumpkin. Grasping the tiny detail knife that had come with the jack-o-lantern carving kit with his large and calloused hands, he felt like a giant attempting to cross-stitch a blanket for a mouse. Earlier that evening, he'd flipped through the many carving designs with his son. He'd tried to coax him into choosing one of the patterns that had been labeled "easy".

"Look at this witch stirring her cauldron, or this spooky ghost," the father pointed out.

After a very brief consideration, the toddler flipped past both, hesitated on a giant, complicated looking spider with its legs spread across a spiral of cobwebs, then replied, "Nope, none of those."

A wave of relief rushed over him, but then immediately receded. In the mere two seconds he'd closed his eyes, a choice had been made. The signal had been a tiny squeal of glee followed by a rustling of paper. He looked at the sheet that his son was waving frantically in front of his face.

"This one is my favorite, Daddy... this one would be the most awesomest pumpkin in the whole world!"

The conversation had taken place over two hours ago. The little one had grown bored and been whisked away to bed by his mother. Surely his son was deeply asleep now, dreaming of trick-or-treating that was soon to come. But rest was not an option for the dedicated dad. With a heavy sigh, he continued his work with the smallest saw known to man on the haunted castle that had been identified as "extremely difficult".

*************************************************

Juiced

Posted on 11:29 PM comments (4)
Labels: Juice Cleanse, Juice Fasting, Mean Green Juice

On Friday, September 7th, I woke up to my very first day of a juice cleansing mission. I successfully avoided the break room and the coffee machine at the office and popped open the lid on my travel bottle containing freshly made Mean Green Juice as I settled in at my desk for the day.

After being so inspired by that documentary, and watching the filmmaker drink the stuff for 60 days, there was only one thing I was not prepared for: how incredibly disgusting it tasted. It smelled like yard clippings and tasted worse. It was nothing short of awful. It took me most of the day, but eventually choked it down. That night, I whined and cried that I wasn't going to make it two days... and our second batch that night was just as gross. I held my nose to suppress my gag reflex and the only thing that kept me from ordering Chinese was how nauseating that nasty juice was. It provided loss of appetite, I'll give it that.

Saturday morning, I awoke to the noise of the juicer grinding celery, cucumber and other green crap into less than pulp and I tried to close my eyes to go back to dreams of bacon. Eventually, I plodded down the stairs and followed my pouted lip into the kitchen. There, I found an apologetic husband who informed me that "I was such a trooper" and "he really thought it was kale that he'd bought, but in reality it was collard greens"... yuck. Day two went much better after that, especially after I found a Mean Green Juice Recipe that called for less kale, more spinach and the bonus of papaya. And though the taste was far better, I was still grumpy and headache ridden. The research I'd done had said there would be headaches... and that they were a good sign... a sign of toxins leaving your body. No amount of water alleviated the pain, so bedtime came early in the first three days. I was very glad that I'd been smart enough to start on a Friday so that the worst of the process took place over the weekend.

By day four, I was off to work with no yawning, no caffeine and an actual taste for the juice. That night I began my mile jogs at the gym. By day five, I felt healthier than I had in years and I'd lost 9 pounds. The downside however, was that the lack of protein was causing me to be a bit scatterbrained. I was having trouble focusing at work and I had to actually concentrate while driving, which worried me. And so, on day six I converted to a "modified juice cleanse" by eating a salad of raw vegetables for lunch, with almonds for a snack and the green juice for breakfast and dinner. I continued this for the remainder of the 10 days and overall, I think it was a success.

I have not had a drop of coffee (the only thing in life I was addicted to) in twelve days and I (almost) enjoy working out three nights a week now. I'm still drinking the juice for breakfast, eating a healthy salad for lunch and a dinner of meat a vegetables... quite an improvement over my previous 80% pasta diet (I am Italian, after all). Though I didn't have the energy to string a coherent sentence together, let alone write during those 10 days, I do feel motivated now. I've got some great new ideas for my sci-fi short that's been looming over me like a broken promise for the last three months. I think I'll actually finish it soon. All in all, it was a good experience despite the rough beginning. If anyone out there reading this feels like they could use a kick-start to get back on the track to healthier living, I say give it a shot. If a Starbucks fiend and pizza gobbler like myself can do it, so can you!

IWSG: The Reboot

Posted on 10:42 PM comments (5)
Labels: Insecure Writer's Support Group, IWSG, Juice Cleanse, Juice Fasting, Mean Green Juice

It's that time of the month again... no, not THAT... it's the first Wednesday, but I am feeling a little testy all the same because I've been slowly weaning myself off caffeine this week. Why would I do such a crazy thing? Well, read on and you'll see...

Today, I'm not going to complain about how I'm having trouble balancing life with my creative writing pursuits, nor will I focus on the negativity that can come with having your work judged by others. Instead, I'm going to elaborate on my plan to restore balance in all aspects of my life. It is my hope that the end result of this plan will get my creative juices flowing again... literally.

Last month, my husband was diagnosed with a bad case of colitis, very likely ulcerative colitis, though an upcoming colonoscopy is needed to confirm the condition. Having just started a new job, that an unexpected stay in the ER promptly put an end to, he did not have health insurance. Home, sick and worried, he stumbled across a documentary by Joe Cross called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". He was so inspired, that he asked me to watch it as well. In summary, it's the story of an overweight man with an autoimmune disease that medicine couldn't cure, who sets out on a journey to allow his body to heal itself. Joe trades in junk food for fresh fruit and vegetable juice... for 60 days. Now, two months is a bit extreme in my opinion, but the results were amazing. Even more amazing was the story of another man that Joe met along the way. I don't want to ruin anything for those interested in watching it (you can stream it on Netflix right now), nor do I want to sound like an infomercial. However, if you're feeling stuck in a rut, lacking a creative spark or if you've put on a few pounds recently by spending too much time sitting at your desk... maybe the best thing you can do to get back on track is to reboot... your body, not your computer. ;-)

This past weekend, I purchased a Breville Juice Fountain. This Friday, my husband and I will begin a 10 day juice cleanse. I've got my kale leaves, cucumber, spinach, celery, apples, lemon and ginger root ready to go. While my husband is seeking relief for heath issues, I'm participating partially for support, but partially because I think I need this almost as much as he does. If my body were a machine, and my brain an engine... my lack of story completion could very well be due to an overdue tune-up. And, of course, some actual laps around the block couldn't hurt, either! I'm not sure I'll have the energy to blog every step of the way, but I feel very good about my upcoming challenge. I look forward to feeling healthier, more energized... and with luck, inspired to write more often and with a greater purpose.

Wish me luck!

Refocusing Energy (Plus a book review!)

Posted on 10:39 PM comments (4)
Labels: Book Review

Boy, that last post was heavy with negativity, wasn't it? Didn't read it? That's ok. You're probably better off. Unlike some bloggers, I haven't dedicated my entire blog to self promotion... yet. Therefore, every now and then an entry will be just for me. Everyone needs to vent when stress levels hit a certain point, and my little family vacation elevated me to that level. While things got worse after the trip (news of my grandmother's death and my husband's loss of job resulting from the extended absence), there were still some good highlights that are worth focusing on. My sister-in-law was engulfed in wedding day happiness, which was a beautiful sight to behold, I danced with my son, my husband bonded with his sister after years apart... for every tense moment, there was another moment of laughs to balance it out. And, as with any trip involving planes, there was a book...

In about 4 hours total, I read a self-published novel for the first time. I purchased Michael Pierce's "Provex City" on Amazon and frantically downloaded it to my Kindle just hours before departure. I first became interested in this story during a blog hop where writers posted their first fight scenes from a current work, despite the fact that Mr. Pierce is a self-proclaimed YA Author. You see, now that I've entered my thirties, I feel weird reading books that were written for the teenage audience. I don't want to be the creepy, old lady in the corner at a concert. If I read a line about a girl fretting over what color lip gloss to wear to prom, my eye rolls are involuntary... truly, I can't help it. When I see grown women with a "Twilight book" in their hands, I want to grab it and bop them on the noggin with it like a bad puppy. "No, bad housewife! Very bad! This is for children!" But I digress. "Provex City" didn't strike me as a high school book due to the writing style I was lucky enough to sample during that blog fest... and I wanted to give the genre another chance.

What Michael Pierce created is a story about a young boy, faced with adult challenges and extraordinarily original supernatural dilemmas... all while awkwardly navigating some of life's firsts. When you're reading it, however, you don't feel that the book is directed at teens... instead, the message is universal and the intrigue has enough substance to capture the attention of minds both young and old. That is how YA should be written.

I don't want to go into too much detail about the main character, Oliver (who is the type of underdog you can't help but root for), the ghost in his room, the hilarious nick name, or where exactly Provex City is located because I'm one of those people who utterly despises spoilers. I fully intend to post a full review on Amazon in the very near future, where I'll likely go into specifics for those who hate surprises. For now, though, I think the best way I can show others why this book resonated with me the way that it did would be to highlight a theme that I not only relate to... but aligns with one of the pillars of my life philosophy.

First, please refer to the third paragraph (come on, just the third paragraph, I'm not even asking you to read the whole thing) of an old post of mine, here:

Come disconnect the dots with me poppet... (April 12, 2007)

Now... how do you feel about that concept? If you are interested even the slightest, then I firmly believe that you will enjoy "Provex City" as much as I did. Plus, it's the first in a series... so, if you're also like me in that you hate to see a good story end, have no fear; there's more to come! (Now, we are to the part where I give it 4 stars and tell you to go make your purchase on Amazon... so, what are you waiting for?)