FATAL FORTUNE Review

Wanted to share with you a lovely review for FATAL FORTUNE. Hope you enjoy it!

 

Lottie (Madame Carlotta) Baldwin’s flamboyant ways ruffle the feathers of the small town in which she is a decided outsider. She is outspoken, claims psychic powers, and lives in a house designed for a witch. Worse, she reads the Tarot. Accurately. None of which endears her to the stolid citizens of Cheyenne, ND, and least of all to Sheriff McCarthy, who rejects and resents everything she stands for.

This creates a problem for McCarthy’s Chief Deputy, Harlan Erickson, because he is madly in love with Lottie. Unlike his boss, he trusts her intuitive senses and has often relied on them in difficult cases. But now Harlan and Lottie must join forces to investigate a murder and rescue a kidnapped child.

Elizabeth Delisi creates a cunning story of deceit, resentment, jealousy and greed in Fatal Fortune. Through it all she weaves a thread of the Tarot. Whether or not you accept the validity of the cards, you will be engrossed in the plot and in Lottie’s interpretation of the patterns she lays out. The cards serve as both meditation and foreshadow, but it is up to Lottie to pursue the clues they provide. With or without Harlan’s cooperation, she puts herself in danger to solve the mystery and prevent further mayhem.

Fatal Fortune is an engrossing read, replete with the intricate web of small-town connections and an understanding of what drives people to extreme actions. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

For more information or to buy/download:

http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Delisi_Elizabeth/fatal-fortune.htm

~~~Nikki Andrews, writer/editor

Framed

Chicken Bones

A Windswept Star

www.nikkiandrewsbooks.com

www.scrivenersriver.blogspot.com

FATAL FORTUNE Now Available

FATAL FORTUNE, a paranormal mystery and the first in the Lottie Baldwin mystery series, is now available in multiple electronic formats from Tirgearr Publishing.

Here’s the blurb:

No one in Cheyenne, North Dakota believes in Lottie Baldwin’s psychic abilities; especially not Harlan Erikson, Lottie’s boyfriend and Chief Deputy in the Sheriff’s Office.

When a friend’s husband disappears, Lottie can’t leave it to Harlan to discover what happened to Harry.

Armed with her courage and her tarot cards, Lottie tries to solve the mystery herself, regardless of who attempts to stop her: Harlan, her friend—or the criminal.

Go to my page on Tirgearr Publishing to read an excerpt or purchase your copy. Happy reading!

Life

Oh, I love this! Hope it gives you a laugh, too.

 

Word Play

“Can bees fly in the rain? Not without their little yellow jackets!”

--sign seen on local business

Hee hee hee! This really made me laugh when I  saw it. It’s a clever play on words.

Writers need to come up with original phrasing in order that their prose won’t be trite or a repetition of everything that’s come before. Yet it’s a delicate balance between originality and reaching, painfully, too far. Some of my students are so in love with similes and metaphors that they weaken their writing with strained analogies.

I just heard a bit of a show on NPR talking about Shakespeare and all the original words and phrases he invented in his work. Check it out here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/09/15/140520535/things-we-say-today-and-owe-to-shakespeare

Who’d have thought one man could so affect the English language? He even came up with the beginning of that classic joke: “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?”

While we can’t imagine how these new phrases must have sounded to Shakespeare’s audiences—did they say, “How clever!” or “What the heck does that mean?”—we can be careful to be sure our own prose says what we mean without being too flowery or too obtuse.

To practice, take a standard saying like “as sweet as pie” or “as mad as a wet hen.” Remove the pie or wet hen and come up with your own variation. Example:

As sweet as honey.

As sweet as a baby’s smile.

As sweet as a first kiss.

And, there’s no need to keep the intent or meaning of the original phrase. Try these variations:

As sweet as a tax collector.

As sweet as a dentist’s drill.

As sweet as a tornado.

Just be sure you don’t overdo it with too much description, or comparisons that everyone might not recognize:

As sweet as iced tea with six tablespoons of sugar.

As sweet as an entire pound package of Oreos.

As sweet as my mother.

Have someone else read your prose and let you know how the metaphors and similes work for him or her. Remember, you don’t have to be Shakespeare…but it’s a worth goal to aspire to.

MIRROR IMAGES Free Today

My short story collection, MIRROR IMAGES, is free today at Amazon in Kindle format:

http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Images-ebook/dp/B0045EOO2M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332361818&sr=8-1

Check it out! And if you like it, I hope you’ll consider posting a review.

Description & Setting Course

I’m teaching a course on description and setting at Writer’s Digest University, beginning February 23. Here’s the course description:

“In this course we’ll consider the importance of description and setting in creating a fully believable, fully realized fictional world. More importantly, we’ll consider what makes description effective—how precise language, combined with surprising ways of looking at familiar things, creates a full experience for a reader—and how you might begin employing these techniques in your own work to create characters and settings which hum with life.

“Using Ron Rozelle’s Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting as your guide, you will see how striking, yet credible, description is formed—and what such description allows you to accomplish in your own work.”

For more details, or to sign up, go here: http://wdu.register.fwmedia.com/Course?CourseId=1077-10

Hope to see you in class!

New Cover Art

The publisher of my two short story anthologies, Books We Love, has done new cover art for  my books. I just love them! So I had to share.

Here’s the cover art for PENUMBRA:

I think it’s very evocative, and really captures the spirit of the stories…in particular, the first one, which happens to have been written by my great-grandfather.

And here’s the new cover art for MIRROR IMAGES:

This one definitely goes well with the title and story of the same name.

What do you think?

Free Book Today

Today, the Kindle version of my short story collection, MIRROR IMAGES, is free on Amazon. Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Images-ebook/dp/B0045EOO2M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326303005&sr=1-1

Go pick up your copy while it’s still free. Enjoy!

New Website

I’m so excited to announce, I have a new website! I had my old one redesigned, and I just adore how it looks.

Check it out here:

http://www.elizabethdelisi.com

I’d love to hear what you think, if there’s anything else you’d like to see, if you have trouble navigating any of the links.

It was done by Tirgearr Design. You can contact them at http://www.tirgearr.com if you want to have your website redesigned, too.

It’s Not Nice to Insult Mother Nature

Okay, I guess my last post must have made Mother Nature angry. She dumped two feet of snow on us, and since it was a heavy, wet snow, there were trees down everywhere, taking out lots of power lines. We had two days with no power, trying to stay warm in a 47-degree house. Brrr! But we’re lucky as many people are STILL powerless, three-plus days after the storm.

I heard it was the third worst storm, considering how many people lost power, in New Hampshire history. The first and second worst storms were also within the past few years. Global warming, anyone?

It’s amazing how much we depend on electricity for heat, hot water, lights, clocks, computers and the internet, hot food, keeping food cold or frozen, washing clothes, coffee, not to mention charging up all our electronic equipment. You sure don’t realize how much you need it till it’s gone!

It’s also amazing how many hours of darkness there are when you have no electric lights. Candles take the edge off, but really don’t provide much usable light. Flashlights are good when you need to go from one room to another without breaking a toe, but if you run them steadily, they eat up batteries. I suppose before electricity, people slept longer?!?

I am SO thankful to have the power back. I just hope this storm wasn’t a warning shot across the bow, letting us know Mother Nature has a doozy of a winter in storm for us. Fingers crossed.

Surely You Can’t Be Serious?

October 27-28.

Srsly?!?

Along Came A Spider

Last summer, a very…um…interesting spider appeared in our garden. At first, it terrified me. I mean, it was an inch and a half or two inches long, black and  yellow, and evil-looking. I did some research on the Internet, though, and found out it’s harmless—to humans, anyway.

I intended to take a picture of it, but somehow I never got around to doing so, and before I knew it, it was fall and she was gone.

This year I’ve been looking for it in the same spot every day since spring, to no avail. Then, the other day, I was looking at a flower in a different part of the garden and there was that distinctive spider with the unique web. So you better believe I ran for the camera, and here it is:

Creepy, eh?

It’s a Black and Yellow Argiope, or Black and Yellow Garden Spider. You can read more about it here: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/black_and_yellow_argiope.htm

Fun facts to know and tell: the Black and Yellow Garden Spider builds her web in a spiral out from the center. The zigzag portion is built by the smaller, drabber male spider. Also, she eats (yes, eats) her web every night and builds a new one in the morning. Talk about a fanatical housekeeper!

She dies after laying her eggs…sad. The baby spiders (up to a thousand—no wonder she dies) spend the fall and winter in the egg sack, then hatch in the spring and head out to find their own bit of garden. You better believe I’ll be looking for them next spring, and I’ll tell them all how much they look like their mom.

Saying For The Day

Here’s an optimistic view on life that we’d all do well to adopt!

“I plan to live forever. So far, it’s working.”

It’s Not Easy Being Green

I received this in my e-mail. Not sure of the author—if anyone knows, let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.

Enjoy!

Sentimental Journey - The Green Thing

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts of electricity -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Hope for Soaps

My dear husband, bless him, brought home an article from the Wall Street Journal, as he knew I’d be interested.

You bet I am! It says the two soaps ABC is cancelling, “All My Children” and “One Life to Live,” have been licensed to Prospect Park, a company that produces original scripted shows shown strictly online. Prospect Park says they expect to pick up the story lines and continue from where they leave off.

Now, there are a lot of questions about an online show: will we have to watch it at a set time or can we view it any time of day? Can we copy/download it to view later? Can we get it through a game system, perhaps, to show on our big-screen televisions?

There is a suggestion that the “production budget” will be lower. I assume that means cheaper sets, budget wardrobe, fewer exotic locales, etc. Frankly, I don’t care. It’s the stories and characters that count. Erika Kane can wear a burlap bag and live in a cave, and I’d still watch every day.

So, I’m cautiously optimistic that the soaps I’ve watched for 30+ years will continue. And I’ll be right there watching for the next 30!

Sign Up Now For Accelerated Fundamentals of Fiction

Summer is the perfect time to take a writing course. And what better course to take than an accelerated one, that lets you finish in record time?

I’ll be teaching “Accelerated Fundamentals of Fiction” starting Thursday, July 7, and it runs for six weeks. Here’s the info:

In this course you will:

• Develop effective creative writing techniques that can be applied to any long or short fiction form
• Develop believable characters and let them speak—and act—for themselves
• Learn how to set the stage, and make readers feel as if they are right there with your characters
• Discover the basics of plot—enough to prepare you to tackle any kind of fiction project.

Who should take this course:

• Beginning writers who want to start writing now
• Writers interested in Fiction (any genre)
• Writers who want to learn numerous time-tested techniques and the key components of successful fiction writing

To check it out, or sign up, go here: http://fwmedia.gosignmeup.com/dev_students.asp?action=coursedetail&id=3058&main=Online+Workshops&sub1=Show+All+Workshops&misc=448&courseinternalaccesscode=&coursetype=0?utm_source=wdukrsite063011Workshop-widget

Let’s write!

Still Time to Sign Up

My section of “Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting” at Writer’s Digest University has been pushed back to start on May 26, so if you hurry, you can sign up for it!

It’s a great course for both beginner and experienced writers, with something for everyone. If you’ve never tried a Writer’s Digest University course, this is a great one to start with as it’s not too long and at a level that works for everyone.

Workshop Length: 8 weeks

You will learn:

• How to attune your writer's radar to interesting details and story ideas from real life
• How to balance showing and telling in constructing a convincing narrative voice
• How to build your fictional world and descriptions so they serve and illuminate character, motivation, tone, and theme
• How to engage the senses—and even allow them to cross and overlap—in order to form compelling, potent descriptions, and
• How to balance the familiar and the unfamiliar in description and setting in order to show the everyday in clear, and surprising, new ways

Who should take this course:

• Beginning writers who want to strengthen their description and setting skills
• Novel writers of any genre
• Short Story writers
• Creative Nonfiction writers

For more information, or to sign up for the course, go here: http://fwmedia.gosignmeup.com/dev_students.asp?action=browse&main=Online+Workshops&sub1=WGF%3A+Description+%26+Setting&misc=143

Hope to see you there!

Description & Setting Course

I’ll be teaching a section of “Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting” at Writer’s Digest University. The starting date is May 12, so if you hurry, you can sign up for it!

It’s a great course for both beginner and experienced writers, with something for everyone. If you’ve never tried a Writer’s Digest University course, this is a great one to start with as it’s not too long and at a level that works for everyone.

Workshop Length: 8 weeks

You will learn:

• How to attune your writer's radar to interesting details and story ideas from real life
• How to balance showing and telling in constructing a convincing narrative voice
• How to build your fictional world and descriptions so they serve and illuminate character, motivation, tone, and theme
• How to engage the senses—and even allow them to cross and overlap—in order to form compelling, potent descriptions, and
• How to balance the familiar and the unfamiliar in description and setting in order to show the everyday in clear, and surprising, new ways

Who should take this course:

• Beginning writers who want to strengthen their description and setting skills
• Novel writers of any genre
• Short Story writers
• Creative Nonfiction writers

For more information, or to sign up for the course, go here: http://fwmedia.gosignmeup.com/dev_students.asp?action=browse&main=Online+Workshops&sub1=WGF%3A+Description+%26+Setting&misc=143

Hope to see you there!

Another Place to Protest

Check this out: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2011/04/18/6492909-hoover-sides-with-soap-opera-fans

I’m not the only one upset about the impending cancellation of AMC and OLTL. It seems Hoover, a major sponsor, is pulling ads from ABC in protest. Yay, Hoover!

They’re also gathering e-mails protesting the cancellation. Please click on the link above, where you will find the article and e-mail address to send your protest notes to.

At least we’re not going down without a fight!

Protest! Protest!

I know this is supposed to be the Friday Happies, but I am seriously peeved.

Why?

ABC has decided, in their infinite wisdom, to cancel two of the three soaps I watch, “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” I’ve watched those two shows for 31 years, since 1980, and they are a cherished part of my life. And from all the negative comments posted on their website, I know I’m not alone in feeling that way.

ABC’s reasoning for the cancellation? A vague “the changing viewing pattern of the audience.” The shows to replace AMC and OLTL? “The Chew will focus on food from EVERY angle -- as a source of joy, health, family ritual, friendship, breaking news, dating, fitness, weight loss, travel adventures and life's moments” and “The Revolution, a daily show about health and lifestyle transformations.” Just what we need, another two cookie-cutter “reality” shows.

But if you go here: http://abc.go.com/site/abcdaytimenews and check out all the comments protesting their decision, you won’t find a single “Wow, great new shows!” All you see is, “What were you thinking?”

If you’re as unhappy as I am to see these long-standing veteran soaps disappear, please go to the above URL and let ABC know what you think. At least we’ll have the satisfaction of making our thoughts known.

Okay, crawling back into my little well of gloom.

Friday Happies 3/25/11

Given how Monday’s snowy picture made me grumpy, it’s a cinch to figure out why THIS picture makes me happy.

Crocuses blooming = spring on the way!

Oh, I was SO happy to see them starting to come out. It always seems like the first sign of spring. Brave little crocuses, poking their little heads out when the snow is barely melted.

We should all be like the crocuses! Go for all the life we can get!

Okay, enough philosophizing. Just wanted to share the joy.

Monday Gripes, 3/21/11

First day of spring.

Snowing heavily outside.

Ugghhh.

Two Upcoming Courses

I have two courses I’m teaching coming up shortly, so I thought I’d share the info with you.

First is The Essentials of Mystery Writing:

Do you read mysteries and think "I wish I could write that?" Well, you can. Work with a published mystery writer to learn about the subtleties of the mystery genre, and begin working on your own page-turning mystery. By the conclusion of the workshop, you will have written 2500 words and had critiqued up to 2500 words of your mystery novel or short story. Workshop starts Thursday, March 17th.
Learn More!

And second, Writing the Breakout Novel:

Discover what makes a novel stand out from the rest in all its aspects—from premise to plot to character to theme—using Donald Maass' bestselling Writing the Breakout Novel as your guide. Breakout novels are built from the foundation up, beginning with a breakout premise which is plausible, original, emotional, and rich in conflicts to explore … and which will inspire and guide you as you build on that foundation. This workshop, then, will begin with the premise and build over eight weeks just as the breakout novel builds: with careful attention to craft and an openness to those creative leaps which will make your novel exceptional. Workshop starts Thursday, March 24th.

Learn More!

Hope to see you at one…or even both!

E-Book Sale

In honor of Read an Ebook Week, March 6-12

All BWLPP titles regularly priced $2.99 or higher are on sale for half price at Smashwords! Find the coupon code on each book page, and have fun shopping!

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookswelove

Mystery Writing Course

Another course I’m teaching. This is always a fun one.

Featured Workshop: Essentials of Mystery Writing
Do you read mysteries and think "I wish I could write that?" Well, you can. Work with a published mystery writer to learn about the subtleties of the mystery genre, and begin working on your own page-turning mystery. By the conclusion of the workshop, you will have written 2500 words and had critiqued up to 2500 words of your mystery novel or short story. Workshop starts Thursday, March 3rd.
Learn More!

Hope to see you there!

Monday Gripes, 2/28/11

You’ve gotta know by now that my gripes lately are about the weather. And today is no exception. On top of the weekend snow accumulation of somewhere between 8 and 10 inches in two separate storms, today it’s sleeting and/or freezing rain. It’s switched to all rain now, but with the temperature hovering near freezing, it’s making an icy, slushy mess of everything. Just had to go pick up the car at the garage (it wouldn’t start on Saturday so had to be towed), and I could only get it halfway up the driveway on the way home. (sigh)

But! Something that happened over the weekend is still giving me a smile. We visited our daughter and grandchildren on Saturday. When we got in the car to take them out to lunch, the two grandkids were arguing about who would sit next to whom at lunch.

Our daughter said, "Everyone will be nearby, so don't worry about it. You’ll be able to see everyone."

I added, "You'll be close enough to make faces at anyone you want."

There was a brief silence, and then my seven year old grandson said, "Why would I want to do that?"

I said, "Because you're a kid."

He retorted, "Yeah, but I have manners!"

That was good for quite a laugh.

Friday Happies, 2/25/11

Well, the term “happies” is relative. We’re having yet another snowstorm, with sleet and freezing rain thrown in for good measure. I’m happy we “only” lost power for two hours and hope that’s the end of that issue, because you never realize how much you depend on electricity until you don’t have it.

For instance, we have oil heat—the oil burner heats up a big tank of water, which then circulates to the radiators. But it has an electric ignition, so—no electricity, no heat. No hot water, either, which means cold showers or no showers.

We have an electric stove and of course the microwave, so no power, no hot food. Or coffee. And no power to the fridge, which means you should avoid opening it if possible, so no cold food, either. How long can we live on peanut butter and raisins and chips from the cupboard?

The computer has a battery so I can work for a while offline, but no way to recharge it with no power. And of course, no Internet connection with no power.

No lights with no power, unless you’re into candles. And no TV, which doesn’t seem bad until you don’t have it!

No washer or dryer, so you better hope you’re stocked up on clean clothes.

And no telephone, since we only have cordless phones. (Well, we do have a cell phone for emergencies, but once the battery runs out, no way to recharge it.)

I guess I would never make it as a pioneer woman.

Still Time to Sign Up for Description & Setting Course

Guess what? You still have time to sign up to take “Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting” at Writer’s Digest University. The starting date has been pushed back to February 24, so if you hurry, you can sign up for it!

It’s a great course for both beginner and experienced writers, with something for everyone. If you’ve never tried a Writer’s Digest University course, this is a great one to start with as it’s not too long and at a level that works for everyone.

Workshop Length: 8 weeks

You will learn:

• How to attune your writer's radar to interesting details and story ideas from real life
• How to balance showing and telling in constructing a convincing narrative voice
• How to build your fictional world and descriptions so they serve and illuminate character, motivation, tone, and theme
• How to engage the senses—and even allow them to cross and overlap—in order to form compelling, potent descriptions, and
• How to balance the familiar and the unfamiliar in description and setting in order to show the everyday in clear, and surprising, new ways

Who should take this course:

• Beginning writers who want to strengthen their description and setting skills
• Novel writers of any genre
• Short Story writers
• Creative Nonfiction writers

For more information, or to sign up for the course, go here: http://fwmedia.gosignmeup.com/dev_students.asp?action=coursedetail&id=2943&main=Online+Workshops&sub1=Show+All+Workshops&misc=337?utm_source=wdupromo&utm_medium=site&utm_campaign=wdusite02032011-widget

Hope to see you there!

Friday Happies 2/11/11

First of all, I’m happy it’s Friday. TGIF! Who isn’t?

And second, I’m happy it’s NOT SNOWING. This winter has been miserable, and there are still snowdrifts piled up everywhere over my head. Plus the below-freezing temps means there’s ice everywhere. I think I’ll stay in bed with the covers over my head till spring.

At least the sun is shining today and it seems possible there will be a spring, sometime. Someday. Maybe the groundhog was right?

How many of you have seen “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray? And how many of you watch it every February? I love it…so much fun. Someday I’m going to go to Punxsutawney and check it out in person.

But winter tidings aside, today I’m especially happy about what’s going on in Egypt. A peaceful demonstration (for the most part) leading to a peaceful change in government…that’s a wonderful thing to witness. That’s what democracy means, and I wish the very best to the Egyptian people with their new government. May they grow in peace, prosperity and joy.

Description & Setting Course Starts Feb. 10

I’m teaching a course for Writer’s Digest University beginning February 10. It’s called “Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting” and is a terrific course both for beginning writers, and for experienced writers who want to brush up on their descriptive techniques.

In this course you'll consider the importance of description and setting in creating a fully believable, fully realized fictional world. More importantly, you'll consider what makes description effective—how precise language, combined with surprising ways of looking at familiar things, creates a full experience for a reader—and how you might begin employing these techniques in your own work to create characters and settings which hum with life.

Using Ron Rozelle's Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting as your textbook, you will see how striking, yet credible, description is formed—and what such description allows you to accomplish in your own work.

For more information, or to sign up for the course, go here: http://fwmedia.gosignmeup.com/dev_students.asp?action=coursedetail&id=2943&main=Online+Workshops&sub1=Show+All+Workshops&misc=337?utm_source=wdupromo&utm_medium=site&utm_campaign=wdusite02032011-widget

Hope to see you there!

Friday Happies 2/4/11

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

NOT.

Oy. I am so sick of snow! Check out this picture out my front door. See that little lump there? That’s the top of the head of  my three foot tall lion statue, barely poking out and wearing a snow cone cap.

And that was before it finished snowing. And before the additional inches we’re due to get tomorrow.

At least it’s not snowing TODAY, for which I’m very grateful. And I’m thankful we haven’t lost our power, and the roof hasn’t caved in! All good things.

And I’m happy the Steelers are playing in the Superbowl this weekend. Go, Steelers! I’ll be rooting for you! Wish I had a Terrible Towel to wave.

How has Mother Nature been treating you? How much snow have you  had, or are you one of the lucky few who hasn’t had to deal with flakes?

Monday Gripes 1/10/11

I’m horrified by the shootings in Arizona. How can a man so obviously mentally disturbed be allowed to buy a gun? Changes need to be made. What will it take for us to learn that?

My thoughts and prayers are with Rep. Giffords, and the victims and their families.

Friday Happies 12/31/10

It’s a lovely day today, unseasonably mild, and that makes it a nice day automatically. 51 degrees and sunny; the snow is melting.

Tomorrow we start a new year and for once, I’m not making resolutions. I’m just going to try to stick with the good habits I’ve developed this past year (mostly out of necessity, for health reasons) and try not to beat myself up too badly about those I’m still working on.

Sticking to my exercise plan got easier when my husband and daughters bought me a Wii and the Wii Fit Plus system to go with it for Christmas. Now I have a lot more variety in my exercise. I particularly like the balance activities; my balance can sure use improvement. And if I ever feel I need a particularly hard workout, I still have the treadmill.

As 2010 ends, I have to say, I’m happy it’s over. It’s been a rough year, or rather, a rough 15 months…starting with losing our dog Max last September, losing my brother-in-law Dave last December, losing our cat Burt in February, then being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in August. That’s a lot of loss, a lot of grief, a lot of stress.

So instead of that resolution (“This year I’m gonna lose weight! Really!”), I’m going to start the new year grateful for all the good things I have, especially my family and friends. Oh, and I’ll cross my fingers that 2011 goes more smoothly!

Are you making resolutions? Just wishing wishes for the new year? Here’s hoping 2011 is your best year yet.

Monday Gripes, 12/27/10

I really have very little to gripe about today. Only the ton of snow that’s fallen on us last night and today, and the shoveling that awaits if I want to get the mail out of the mailbox…

Oh, and all the pounds I’ll be putting on from all those leftover Christmas yummies! My willpower absolutely disappears at holiday time.

Christmas was definitely a wonderful day. My two daughters and two grandchildren were here, which made for a great time for Dan and I. Christmas is best when viewed through the eyes of a child! The excitement, the wonder, the joy…that’s what Christmas is about.

Of course, that’s not to say *I* wasn’t excited, too. Family, fun, presents, food…what’s not to like?

So now it’s hard to return back to work from such a lovely break. But I’m trying.

How was YOUR Christmas? Was it just as wonderful as you hoped?

Monday Gripes…But Not Really

Today I’m supposed to gripe. But I’m feeling so good, due to finding out I don’t need a biopsy after all (long story that I won’t go into here), I just can’t find anything to grumble about. The sun is shining, the weather is fine, and I’m healthier than I imagined.

I can, however, find something to laugh about! Here’s a sign we saw on a recent drive, at a combination gas station/convenience store/food stop. See if it gives you a laugh too:

It made us laugh so hard, we had to stop and take a photo.

What has made YOU smile today?

Friday Happies…and Stocking Stuffers!

Like many Americans, my “happy” for today is remembering yesterday, gathered around a Thanksgiving table with my husband, mom, sister, daughters and grandchildren. When we can be together, problems fade into the background as we enjoy each other’s company. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving also, with lots of family, friends, food and fun.

And for those of you braving the Black Friday crowds today, I have a terrific alternative gift idea for you that won’t require leaving the house and fighting the crowds: an e-book!

It just so happens that two of my books, MIRROR IMAGES and PENUMBRA, have been recently re-released for sale in many e-book formats, so you can read them on just about any electronic device you choose. MIRROR IMAGES and PENUMBRA are short story collections, tales you might encounter in the Twilight Zone.

PENUMBRA:

Travel deep into unknown territory, where life and death are not as they seem; where machines dominate your days; where you have to be careful what you ask for, because you might get it; where magic is the norm, and stars really do grant wishes. These stories will take you beyond the realm of the solid and real, into the deepest, darkest corner of your imagination. Don't forget to bring your flashlight...

MIRROR IMAGES:

When Cassie buys an antique compact, little does she know it can foretell the future--her future. Marjorie, a Florida girl unwillingly transplanted to Vermont, learns there's more to fear from the alien snowfall than just the cold. Neil Dallas's jagged descent from rock and roll singer to drug-addicted has-been is unstoppable...or is it?

Let these eerie tales take you to a place where nothing is as it seems--where the only thing you can rely on is unexpected.

* * * * *

For more info or to order  your copies, visit the Books We Love Publishing Partners blog: http://bwlpp.blogspot.com/2010/11/sweet-holiday-specials.html Only $1.99…how can you beat that?

Let the holiday shopping begin!

Monday Gripes, 11/15/10

Another gray day today. I don’t think it causes my anxiety and worry, but it sure complements it.

I am SO sick of feeling anxious and terrified and worried about things that either don’t deserve worry, or that can’t be controlled. I want to be strong. I want to be tough. I want to be happy. Not hysterically happy…just calm, pleasant, relaxed. I’d gladly give up those infrequent glorious highs in order to get rid of the frequent depressing lows. No question.

I wonder why mornings are so rough. Maybe it’s because during the day, I worry for  a while and either finally make peace, or just run out of adrenaline. Whereas when I’ve just woken up, it all hits me anew after a night of peaceful sleep.

(sigh) Oh well. I’m still in there swinging, and that’s something.

Got my mom moved up to my sister’s place over the weekend. I wasn’t allowed to do much because of my back, so I did small things and paced a lot. She’s moved in now, not unpacked of course. That will take time. But the hardest part is done.

Regardless of all my worries, I’m so grateful for my husband, my children, my grandchildren, my parents and my sister. Family is one of the best things you can have in this world, and I hit the jackpot with mine. Definitely something to counteract the woes!

What are YOU grateful for in your life?

Blogging is sooooo complicated...

Trying to import (export? copy?) this blog into the blog on my Amazon author page. There used to be a unique blog there, but I guess they got rid of it.

Anyway, it asks me to put in the address to the feed. To me, "feed" is when I sit down to dinner. :-) I know in the vaguest sense that there are different types of feeds for different blogs. I believe this blog uses atom. (Which I learned about in high school science class. Hah.)

But. I have no idea how to find the correct address to use. So I took the blog address, added "atom.xml" to it as they showed in an example, crossed my fingers and gave it a shot. Supposedly it's done...we'll see if it works. I guess I'll know if/when this entry shows up on my Amazon page.

I desperately need a course in the technical aspects of blogging, creating and maintaining a website, creating book trailers, etc. Anyone have a great suggestion?

Monday Gripes, 11/8/10

I have a confession to make. I fell off the exercise wagon over the weekend. Admittedly, I was busy; Saturday helping my sister paint in preparation for my mom moving up there this weekend, and Sunday doing all the work I didn’t get to do on Saturday. Besides, painting is exercise, right?

Apparently, my nervous system doesn’t agree. Had a few twinges of anxiety over the weekend, but nothing big. Today, though, was worse. Getting out of bed to start my day was a Herculean effort. So I guess it is true that exercise helps chase the anxiety away. Got back on the treadmill today and will try (again) to keep going.

But tell me this: why is it that I have to do something I hate to avoid something else I hate? Exercise is, at best, the lesser of two evils.

Of course, it only added to my problem that it’s a gray, rainy, cold, blustery day. And because of turning the clock back Saturday night and being on the edge of a time zone, it’s 4 p.m. now and nearly dark. Oy!

So I’m griping in fine form today. And hey, never let it be said I’m not good at it.

What’s your best negative talent?

Windows Live Writer

I just downloaded Windows Live and am trying out the Writer component. But to tell you the truth, I don’t know why I would use this program over going to my Blogger dashboard and posting a new blog entry there. Does anyone have tips?

 

A sunset image. I played with it a bit with the Photo Gallery app, but can’t get it as colorful as it was in person. Still, it’s improved.

I do like the ease of inserting a photo here, rather than going through an upload process, and also how simple it is to resize the photo.

Okay, will try hitting the “Publish” button and see what happens.

Hmm. I wonder if I could list all my blogs, and publish to all of them at once?

Friday Happies 10/29/10

Sometimes it's not a question of happy; it's a question of laughing at yourself, or crying.

I bought a new windbreaker jacket a few weeks back. Have worn it several times, most recently yesterday morning while taking a walk.

Today I passed it, hanging in the laundry room, and saw it still has a price sticker prominently displayed, hanging from the back of the left arm.

Hahahaha. At least it wasn't toilet paper stuck to my shoe, right? (eye roll)

But I do have things to be happy about. I'm looking forward to seeing my grandchildren in their Halloween costumes and going trick-or-treating with them (and my daughter).

I'm happy to be able to watch the Steelers play on Sunday night.

I'm glad my Christmas knitting is coming along!

And I'm delighted to have a house to live in (even if it is teeny), food to eat, a place to sleep, safety, and love. What more can you ask for? (Besides a big bag of money. Still working on that one...)

Monday Gripes 10/25/10

I'm trying to think of a gripe, but I can't because I'm still on a humor-induced high.

My daughter Helen and I had an awesome time in Concord on Saturday at a booksigning for Red Green, real name Steve Smith, the star of the long-running PBS comedy, "The Red Green Show." Set in the fictitious Possum Lodge, the show features Red and his friends, always good for a laugh and ready to fix anything with a roll of duct tape, "the handyman's secret weapon."

I can't believe how many people were there...we waited in line an hour and there were as many people behind us when we got up to him as had been in front of us at the start.

My husband couldn't come, but he had given me a good question to ask. So when I went up to Red, after shaking his hand and saying what a pleasure it was to meet him, I said, "My husband says the Man's Prayer every day, and he'd like to know if there's a Woman's Prayer." (For those of you who have never seen the show, the Man's Prayer goes like this: "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess.")

He looked pleased and smiled and said, "You know, there was one episode where a woman's group took over Possum Lodge and they did have their own prayer."

I asked what the prayer was and after our picture was taken and while he was signing our books, he said the prayer was: "I'm a woman, hear me roar, I'm in charge, get used to it." Then he laughed and said, "You know, at one of these events, a woman showed up with the entire thing written out on her t-shirt."

I told him I'd never seen that episode, and he said, "You will." I told him how we'd loved watching his show in Kansas, but it wasn't on when we moved here to NH. Then it showed up recently. He said that was because he'd starting touring and part of the money for each appearance went to the local PBS stations. ;-) So I said, "Please keep touring, then! We want the show to stay on."

And then the store employees who were handling the whole thing hustled us on so the next in line could move up.

He was very pleasant and friendly, and didn't seem at all tired although he must have been, from all the pictures, signing, and smiling.

So there you have it...the story of the event! And the reason why I'm still smiling today.

If you're looking for the perfect gift for the home handyman (or handywoman) in your life, pick up a copy of Red's book, How to Do Everything, From the Man Who Should Know". And to check out his Facebook page (doesn't everyone have a Facebook page these days?) go here: Red Green.

As Red would say: keep your stick on the ice!

Friday Happies 10/22/10

What is there to be happy about today? Well, let's see. First, although some trees are leafless now, there's still enough color to make any view rival a Monet. It's cold (45 degrees right now), but sunny and a perfect fall day.

Another happy: going to lunch and to a booksigning with my daughter tomorrow. That should be fun.

Whose signing are we going to? Why, Red Green, of course! Check it out:

How to Do Everything.

Red Green is the star of a long-running hilarious show on PBS, set in the fictional Possum Lodge in Canada. Do yourself a favor and watch it if you can find it on your local public broadcasting station's schedule. If it's not there...write them to demand they show it!

For more info on the show, visit the Red Green News website.

Okay, off my soapbox. What are you going to do with YOUR weekend?

Keep your stick on the ice.

A Spooktacular Halloween Contest from BWLPP

Books We Love Publishing Partners is committed to bringing to our readers new and vintage books that meet the criteria for quality and desirability that has long been the hallmark of the Books We Love community.

We invite you to visit our website and browse the genre index for all the titles currently available. More books and short stories will be added weekly until our official Grand Opening, Jan. 2, 2011. Books We Love Publishing Partners

Enter our Spooktacular Halloween Contest by visiting the BWLPP Blog and either subscribe to or follow the blog via Google Follow or Facebook. Each subscriber/follower will be entered for a chance to win the ebook of his or her choice from the BWLPP available titles, plus a Halloween Tower from Rocky Mountain Chocolates!

BONUS ENTRY ~ Visit the Books We Love Author group site and vote for your favorite Books We Love Author. Receive one additional entry into the contest for every vote submitted.

Hurry, you must enter by midnight C.S.T. on Oct. 30.

Winner will be announced on Halloween, Oct. 31, 2010.

Monday Gripes 10/18/10

It's hard to find anything to gripe about when the day is sunny and brisk, and the leaves are so gorgeous, they make you cry. But you know me...I found something. :-)

As a writer and editor, some of the things that bug me the most are grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. No one's perfect, but some things should be obvious.

For example: the word "nuclear." This word is NOT pronounced "nuke-you-lar." Pronounce it with me: it's "nuke-lee-ar." Say it three times, or until the urge to mispronounce it goes away. Because pronouncing it incorrectly really does make you sound uneducated...

And another word I find particularly irritating when it's misspelled, as that means it's also mispronounced. That word is "probably." Meaning, "it's probable." I can't tell you how many people write that word as "prolly." It's like fingers on a chalkboard to me. Aarrgghhh!

So it's "pro-ba-blee," spelled "probably," and "nuke-lee-ar," spelled "nuclear."

There. I feel so much better now!

Friday Happies 10/15/10

This is what keeps distracting me out my office window. What more can I say? Fall in New Hampshire makes me happy.

Friday Happies 10/8/10

Okay, it's not Friday, it's Sunday and my happies are late. But, better late than never, right? It's always time for happies. ;-)

It's GORGEOUS out, cool sunny weather with the leaves changing into a myriad of brilliant fall colors. I can't drive anywhere or even look out the window without gasping in delight. I do so love fall in New Hampshire!

Saw a funny bumper sticker the other day that made me smile: "My karma ran over your dogma." Heeheehee!

Went on the New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour yesterday with my two daughters and my sister, and my sister's friend. We had a lovely time driving the gorgeous back roads, and of course buying lots of beautiful yarn! And a lovely lunch out as well.

Here's info about the Wool Arts Tour, which is going on today and tomorrow as well: NH Fall Wool Arts Tour.

And here's where we had our lunch: Tooky Mills Pub.

Then, we came home to where my husband was on grandchildren-babysitting duty, and they had made pumpkin and pecan pies. Yum! So we forced in a bit more food and had a lovely dinner, with delicious pie and whipped cream for dessert. Can't beat a day like that!

How is your holiday weekend going? Take some time out for yourself!

Monday Gripes 9/27/10

Well, it IS raining today, while makes me a bit glum. Though I know we need it, so I'm trying hard to be okay with it.

It's also kind of chilly, but that just means it's time to pull out a comfy shawl. Right?

I was up in the middle of the night, sick as a dog, no idea why. That's my main Monday gripe. Thus today I've been eating very, very light. Not that it's a bad idea to eat light...but the house is full of lots of yummy birthday goodies, none of which will sit well on a sick tummy. (sigh)

So I'm trying to focus on other things, like work, and knitting. With mixed success.

Another gripe: just when I get to like a new show, they pull it. Last year I really enjoyed "Eastwick," for instance. It doesn't appear to be on the fall schedule, so I assume it's not returning. Why not? It was SO much better than many things that are returning. At least, so says Liz. ;-)

I also loved Flash Forward. A very clever show, that left me wanting more each week. And don't you just hate it when a show ends, never to return, and they don't tie up all the loose ends during the final episode?

I guess that's it for grumping today. Hope you all are having a tolerable Monday!

Friday Happies 9/24/10

Happies are often made up of many little mini-happies, rather than one large one. Here are mine for today.

My blood pressure is back to normal. Yay!

The leaves are starting to change and gorgeous color is popping out everywhere.

Seen on the road: license plate frame saying, "Once a Marine, always a Marine." The license plate itself read: "TNKRBL" Heeheehee!

Koko the parakeet has become a regular chatterbox, letting loose streams of words, whistles and chirps that last five minutes or more. In there I sometimes pick out new phrases. Today's new phrases: "You are the best boy, Koko" and "It's me, Koko" (the latter usually said when I enter the house, so he doesn't freak out).

Last but not least: licking the frosting spatula for the Shaker Pie my wonderful husband just finished making for my belated birthday celebration on Sunday!

Hope you're having a happy-full day too.

Friday Happies 9/17/10

Today is my birthday, so that's a reason to be happy right off the bat, right? I'm one of those folks who's never grown up in terms of holidays and celebrations. I love 'em all.

I've also been feeling better the past few days, so that helps my long-term outlook as well. Maybe I'm climbing up out of the pit I've been in and getting back into the sunlight. Yay!

With that improving mood, I am trying to get back into the things I care about, like knitting. And writing. I hope it's a self-feeding cycle where the more I do, the more I want to do.

I'm continuing regular exercise and administering reading, chocolate, music, knitting, and loved ones as needed.

I have found, though, that my taste in some things has changed. For instance, although I've always enjoyed romantic comedy movies, they are much more helpful and enjoyable to me now. I need to laugh, and to have a happy ending. That gives me hope. Suspense and mystery movies I'm less interested in now, and horror is right out! I watch TV and read books to get away from the negative aspects of real life, not to immerse myself in them and get depressed all over again.

And those endless medical lawsuit/OTC medication commercials? I mute 'em. I have my own issues to deal with. I don't need to start worrying about someone else's. ;-)

Monday Gripes 9/13/10

Well, it's Monday. That's gripe-worthy all by itself, isn't it? Especially after a nice, if rainy, vacation.

It's gloomy here today, but I hope we DO get rain because unlike the northern part of the state, we sure need it. The rivers and ponds are quite low, some nearly dry, and some towns are putting water restrictions in place. While that was quite common in Kansas, it's unheard of here in New Hampshire, at least since we've been here.

Of course, I don't want it to go the other way and then we end up with floods. Yeah, I'm picky.

Today's gripe is road work. They've been working on the road I have to travel on to get to...well, just about everything except the yarn store. (That's one bright spot, at least.) At first they were just working on the bridges, of which there are several, but now they're repaving everywhere.

What irritates me is, they have repaved the lane going in one direction, but not the shoulder. Since they're paving the lane going the *other* way now, those orange cones direct us off onto the shoulder so the oncoming traffic can drive on "our" lane. But the shoulder isn't quite large enough in spots where there's a guardrail, so I end up driving with one tire on the new pavement and one on the old shoulder, with all that loose tar flicking up under the car. (eye roll)

Today I took the long way home from physical therapy, just to avoid it (though that involves navigating a traffic circle--a stupid invention if you ask me). And I drive a small car. Wonder how the 18-wheelers manage? I just hope they're done paving soon.

And the other related gripe is about people who feel that even though we're driving on the shoulder, half on and half off the new lane, with orange cones all around and oncoming traffic a few inches away, not to mention construction workers and their equipment, we should STILL be able to go at full normal speed, and they get irritated when I have the audacity to follow the construction zone speed limit. Sheesh.

Okay, back to work. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Friday Happies 9/10/10

Okay, I'm a little late with the happies. But bear with me. We just returned from vacation yesterday, and if you look at this photo, it pretty much tells you about two of the three things our trip involved:



One of the two things is a little subtle, so I'll point it out. It was raining. It rained the entire time we were there, and rained on poor Dan on the few days of his bike trip the previous few days. I was starting to worry it was ark-building time.

But the second item--the moose!--was the end of a multi-year quest to finally see one. We were beginning to think they were mythical and only mentioned to entice tourists to visit.

We took a long drive Thursday morning out in the middle of nowhere, getting our so-not-made-for-muddy-dirt-roads car all messy, and after two+ hours were ready to give up. But we tried one more road and, voila! A moose! He looks like he's lying down, but really he's standing down in a water-filled ditch, eating watery plants.

Obviously, the rain didn't bother him a bit.

After we watched him for a while, he got annoyed with our presence, turned around and started walking away. We followed him slowly, and he began to trot. He whipped around a corner and when we got there, he had disappeared into the woods. This was the last we saw of him:



The other two things we did a lot of during the vacation were read, and eat. Well, what else IS there when you're stuck inside due to inclement weather?

But despite that weather, we had a nice, relaxing time. Maybe more relaxing than it would have been had the weather been sunny. So, happy time!

Friday Happies 9/3/10

Well, I'm happy the pre-recorded message from State Farm, telling me Hurricane Earl was headed my way and to board up the windows, was wrong. (eye roll) I need more stress like I need a hole in the head.

However, my mom, who might actually live near a spot that will get hit (i.e., Connecticut coast) and who is a State Farm customer, didn't receive a call. Go figure.

I'm happy to hear from my doctor that not only does exercise up my dopamine level, which should make me feel better, but she confirmed my belief that so does chocolate. She said it would take about an hour to kick in...but somehow I think eating chocolate has an instant soothing effect. I'll gladly do a study of this myself and see how it turns out!

I'm glad the Internet provides me a route to contact friends and family who don't live nearby. I wrote a lot of letters in my youth to family members, but friends I'd moved away from usually fell by the wayside as letter-writing was laborious and lengthy before you'd get a reply. Because kids just aren't that motivated to hand-write letters.

I guess we are the society of instant gratification.

So at least now, a friend can stay a friend for life. More contact beyond the annual Christmas card and those newsletters no one reads.

And now, beyond the magic of cell phones, we also have Skype. So you can call a friend on your computer, and see her too! Reminds me of the good old days of TV when a picture-phone was all the rage in all the sci-fi stories. And didn't Maxwell Smart of "Get Smart!" have a watch phone? I know he had a shoe phone...

Phew. Glad I don't have to take off my shoe to make a phone call.

Monday Gripes 8/30/10

It's hot here. 90+ degrees. And we all know how much I love heat, right? NOT. I am perpetually thankful for the invention of air conditioning. Thank you, oh wise inventor, whoever you may be.

But even before the heat hit today, I woke up feeling really blue. No particular reason...just, that's what I got today in the dice-roll of life. (sigh) After a few hours moping around in my bathrobe, I'm finally up and doing fine. I don't know why mornings are so hard. They ARE getting better, but darn it, I just want everything to be happy. Is that so much to ask?

So I'm still working at the happiness-creating. Chocolate works sometimes. Knitting works once in a while. Music can work. Having my husband here, or some other family member, definitely helps. Koko the parakeet helps too! Even though he doesn't know it.

I just have to find the way to inspire myself to TRY those things when morning seems like it's not worth facing. Because some days, lying in bed until I fall back to sleep seems like the only reasonable option.

What do YOU do when you want to improve your mood? All suggestions gratefully considered!

Friday Happies 8/27/10

As soon as I opened my eyes and saw the sun shining, that was my first "happy." We needed the rain--heck, we need more--but the gloomy, damp weather really affects my mood.

I'm looking forward to my daughter coming over this evening after work for a night of pizza, movies and knitting. I'm so happy to have a good relationship with all my kids, especially my girls. It just makes me pleased as punch to know they like me and actually want to spend time with me!

I'm delighted that my husband will be back tomorrow from his backpacking trip. I know he loves the outdoors and the more strenuous the hike, the more he seems to like it. So I don't begrudge him his outings. But I'm sure happy when he comes home.

And lastly, today seems to be spiderweb day. I have seen not one, but two perfect ones today. One is between the arm and back of the rocking chair on the porch. Must be made by a small spider as the silk is quite delicate, nearly invisible. I have avoided sitting on the rocker as I don't want to ruin it. Sooner or later, it will have to go; but for now I just enjoy the artistry.

I found a second perfect spiderweb over the license plate on the back of my car. It could have been made by the first spider's sister...very similar. Unfortunately, a little of it was pulled off when I opened the trunk to stow my groceries, but most of it is still intact.

There are so many small things in nature that hold such beauty, if we would not only take time to see them, but take time to FIND them, which isn't always easy. The next time you go out, look at your world from a different angle--kneel down, or tilt your head, or look way up or straight down. I bet you'll find something awesome you didn't know was there!

New Classes Available

I'm teaching two courses starting on Thursday (8/26), and I hope you'll join me for one--or both! Here's the info.

ESSENTIALS OF ROMANCE WRITING

8/26/10 - 10/7/10

Does a deep love story live in your soul? Could you join the ranks of the Bronte sisters, Nora Roberts, Judith McNaught, Danielle Steele, or Nicholas Sparks? Discover your romantic writing roots while you familiarize yourself with the specific factors that create a successful romance story.

Essentials of Romance Writing

~~~~~~~~~~

WRITE GREAT FICTION: DIALOGUE

8/26/10 - 10/7/10

Dialogue may be the most important characterization - but most difficult to master - tool at a fiction writer's disposal. Stiff, unnatural or overdone dialogue will doom the liveliest characters or stall an exciting plot. Effective dialogue propels your characters and story off the page, deep into the imagination of your reader.

In this workshop, you will gain a thorough understanding of effective dialogue in fiction, including the functions of dialogue to develop characters, expose motives, reveal setting, create tension and suspense, speed up scene and more.

Abolish your fear of dialogue and access your story's unique voice!

Write Great Fiction: Dialogue

Hope to see you there!

Monday Gripes 8/23/10

Rain. Clouds. Gray. Fog. Mist.

Yuck!

It is SO dark and gloomy today, it's hard to stay positive. I'm trying, because I really need to keep a positive attitude. But the weather has a definite effect.

We do need the rain, I admit. We've been in a bit of a drought. The Souhegan River is so low, you can see all the rocks at the bottom.

But isn't it a shame it can't rain from a blue sunshiny sky?

That said, I just had a cheerful little interlude.

Every year, a little local boy comes around, selling gourmet popcorn as a Boy Scouts fundraiser. I only see him once a year, but he's bright and talkative and has no trouble chatting with an adult. He showed up just now at my door...riding his bike, despite the rain...and he sure has shot up in the past year! I had to remark on how much he's grown.

We had a lovely chat. He asked about our dog and cat, and I told him that sadly, we'd lost them both within the past year. He related that he, too, had lost both a dog and cat recently, but added they now have a new one of each. I introduced him to Koko (the parakeet), and he was absolutely fascinated. "That's so cool," he said. "He's so little. I want a bird!"

It was a small thing, but it really cheered me up. So even the Monday blahs can be chased away, with the right medicine! A little human contact is all it takes.

New video

Can't resist sharing this:



And check out all the "Simon's Cat" videos. They're great!

Friday Happies 8/13/10

The past two weeks have been a challenge. Too dang depressing to call them gripes on Mondays, and too stressful to have anything to be happy about on Fridays.

Two weeks ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. I knew it was a possibility, but naturally it wasn't the answer I was hoping for.

Since then, I've struggled with trying to get through depression to acceptance. It's not an easy path, though I've had valuable tips from people who have walked their own roads of accepting a difficult diagnosis. I'm still working on it, but I've learned a few things so far.

Diagnosis or no, I still have a lot of things to be grateful for. Supportive family and friends, a comfortable home, a job I can adjust around my condition and schedule, a saucy little parakeet to keep me company, a beautiful state to live in...I'm grateful for them all, and more.

Exercise helps improve my mood, as long as I can get over the horrible hump of getting out of bed and getting started on it. Just moving around can give me a boost.

Singing helps. Listening to music helps. Sunshine helps. So does chocolate!

By far the most helpful thing is my family and friends. Hearing their voices, seeing their smiles, feeling their hugs, all help me put things in perspective and go on with my life, one step at a time, one day at a time.

I'm trying to get my life back on track, including posting regularly. I know I'll have challenges to face, but I can only tackle them successfully with a brave smile and courageous heart. So I'm working on it...

Happy Friday the Thirteenth to all of you!

Sting of Rejection

Check out this great story of an unusual rejection letter:

Sting of Rejection

Makes you look at them in a different way!

Monday Gripes 8/2/10

Saw the neurologist today about my neck issues. As of tomorrow, I launch into a new round of physical therapy, to try to at least not lose any ground I've gained with the two spinal cortisone shots. And, if I'm lucky, perhaps the PT will give me even more relief. Fingers crossed!

It's a big pain in the neck, though (literally and figuratively) to drive over to PT twice a week--half hour drive, half hour appointment, half hour drive home. I already have other activities going on, and this basically fills up the rest of my schedule. Oy.

On the lighter side of Monday, check this out. It'll give you a much-needed laugh!

Friday Happies 7/30/10

Today is my son's 27th birthday, and that's a good reason right off the bat to be happy. He has a lovely wife, a great job, and a new house--he, and we, are very blessed.

We just returned from a family reunion/vacation. First stop was Hershey, where we met with many members of my mother-in-law's extended family. Naturally, we also toured the chocolate factory, and took advantage of the many activities Hershey has to offer. Here's a picture of my grandchildren having fun at Hershey Park:



Then, we headed for Gettysburg with just our daughters and grandkids to continue our vacation. Definitely less interesting to the younger set! But an important spot in history. It is indeed a somber place, with so much blood spilled everywhere.

We learned as much as we could before going, so we would understand what we were seeing. Some highlights included the Pennsylvania monument:



and my favorite monument of all, with an Irish Wolfhound on it:



It was terribly hot and humid, which pretty much knocked the stuffing out of me. I spent mornings doing various touristy activities, and afternoons hunkered down in the air conditioned hotel room.

The trip home was long but uneventful, and we're all happy to be unpacked and back to our normal routine. Especially happy is Koko, to be ransomed from the bird boarding facility and back in his own comfy cage!

Now it's back to work, but with many good memories to think back on.

Hope you have a fun trip planned this summer!

Friday Happies 7/16/10

I was thinking about skipping today's Friday Happies, since I'm not too happy. Have been sick all week with a virus in my inner ear, making me dizzy, nauseous, running a fever, etc. But then I saw this video on another blog and couldn't resist sharing it. If it gave me a laugh in my current state, I should pass it on.

Signing in the Waldenbooks

It's hilarious, yet all too true. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. (sigh)

So I've made a promise to myself. If I'm ever in a bookstore and there's a book signing going on, and there is NOT a big line at the table, I'm going to buy a book--even if I couldn't care less about reading it. (Naturally, I won't reveal my true motive.) No author should have to go home without making at least one sale.

Anyone want to join me in my promise? Authors everywhere will thank you!

I Write Like...

I found a fun website for writers and wannabe writers. Go to I Write Like and paste in a few paragraphs of your writing, and it will analyze it and tell you which famous writer your writing style resembles. Obviously, it's not scientific, just for fun.

I pasted in a blog entry and got this:

I write like
Margaret Mitchell

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

And then I pasted in a few paragraphs of my time-travel romance novel Lady of the Two Lands and got this:

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Hey! Two of my favorite authors. Maybe there IS something to this analysis after all. Let's make it three for three. I'll paste in a few paragraphs from my paranormal novella Restless Spirit and see what I get.

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Woo hoo! I guess I'll quit while I'm ahead.

Friday Happies 7/2/10

If you...or I...just look around, there are always happy things. Sometimes we have to dig to find them, but they're there.

I was able to knit a whole, long row on my shawl last night without pain. That makes me happy.

The sun is shining and it's a comfortable 74 degrees. That makes me happy.

Koko the parakeet is getting braver, talks and squawks (if only he would enunciate!) and is very amusing. Another happy thing.

I have two shawl kits coming in the mail. A VERY happy thing! Yes, I am haunting the mailman.

This weekend I'll see my daughters and grandchildren for an Independence Day celebration, complete with food, fun, and fireworks. Oh, and the annual Pots and Pans Parade! Good thing I don't plan to sleep till it's over. ;-)

I have good friends and lovely family, and right now they are all relatively healthy and happy. That's a fine thing indeed.

Oh, and way back when, someone developed chocolate. That is definitely a happy-maker!

So, what makes YOU happy today?

Monday Gripes 6/28/10

Today has been humid. Moist? Sultry? At any rate, it's been hot. As I often say, "It's hotter'n Tophet."

But what just is Tophet, anyway? Why are there so many mysterious sayings and words of wisdom featuring words we don't know? Is the wisdom intended only for the initiated few? I mean, I have a suspicion about what "Tophet" means. So why not just say, "Hotter'n hell?"

Well, Liz, just go look it up. So, I did.

According to Wikipedia, "Tophet is believed to be a location in Jerusalem, in the Valley of Hinnom, where the Canaanites sacrificed children to the god Moloch by burning them alive. After the practice of child sacrifice was outlawed by King Josiah, the valley became a refuse site where animal carcasses, waste and the bodies of criminals were dumped, with fires permanently burning to keep disease at bay. Tophet became a synonym for hell." Read the rest of the article here.

I really did not want to know that. Geeze. Yeah, too much knowledge can be...um...depressing.

Well, off now to ruminate on all the possible interpretations of "forbidden knowledge."

Friday Happies 6/25/10

Well! I'm back. It's been a wild week. I received a call Monday that there was a cancellation Tuesday morning and I could go in and have my x-ray guided cortisone shot. With great trepidation, and a spark of hope, I said "Yes."

The shot went well, if you don't count my anxiety beforehand. Oh, and if you don't count that two nurses couldn't find my vein for an IV, and where they eventually placed it turned out NOT to be in a vein, so I ended up with a big bulge of fluid under the skin of my arm. (sigh) But, my veins are notoriously hard to find.

I do think the shot is helping, some, and I'm hoping for more as I'm only now at the beginning of the time period when I might notice the full effects. They've set me up for another shot in three weeks, which I can cancel if I'm doing great. Otherwise, that will continue the healing process.

So I am cautiously optimistic and a teensy bit happy for my Friday Happies. Keep your fingers crossed for me that soon I'll be once again working in my office...knitting...shopping...sleeping comfortably...and all those other things I haven't been able to do since this debacle started. Here's hoping!

Monday Gripes 6/14/10

Okay, I've missed a few gripes and happies. Sometimes life interferes.

So I'm set with a cervical cortisone shot. That's the happy part. (And the worry part, as I try not to think about needles. Oy.)

It's not till mid-July--that was the earliest opening they had. That's the gripe. Another month to hang on and try to fight the pain. But at least I'm on track for getting some relief in the not-too-distant future.

In the meantime, I'm bonding with Koko, my parakeet. He's a little nut. He loves to imitate whistles, and he's trying hard to talk. He's quite an acrobat, hanging upside down from the roof of his cage and climbing everywhere.

Lately, when I take out his seed cup in the morning to refill it, he jumps on and comes along for the ride. To make sure I fill it properly, I guess! Here's a photo of him.



Okay, I guess he pretty much looks the same in every photo. Maybe I should tell him to put on a different suit or comb his hair differently next time...

My biggest gripe, connected to the wait for the shot, is that I can't knit. And that's just a sample of the things I can't do right now, because of the pain. I can't go grocery shopping (luckily I have a terrific husband who's jumped in to do it), can't drive any great distance, can't even stand up or walk for long due to the pain. Sitting on the couch with my arm resting on my middle and my wrist resting on the laptop is the only comfortable position.

Well, no, I lied. There's another comfortable position, but that's with my right arm draped over the top of my head, so it's not good for much!

Anyway, I hope this will all be over after the shot, and then I can think up new things to gripe about. In the meantime, wishing you all a gripe-free day.

Monday Gripes 6/1/10

Ah, June. The month for weddings. At least it's OUR anniversary this month...32 years. Nothing to gripe about there! I'm married to my favorite person in the whole world, and I treasure every moment together.

Mostly, these days I'm griping about my shoulder pain. Not much can be done until I see the neurosurgeon in a week. I fear surgery will be what he suggests, and that definitely scares me.

First, the idea of an IV freaks me out. I get panic attacks over them...probably because my veins are small, or roll, or both, and thus are hard to pin down.

Next, anesthesia frightens me. The idea that I won't be breathing on my own makes me wonder, what if my body "forgets" how to breathe and won't start up again? I know that's extremely rare, but logic always gets squashed when in a fistfight with panic.

Then there's the surgery itself. When working on or near the spine with sharp, pointy objects...heck, what's NOT to worry about?

And, what if I go through all that and it doesn't fix me after all? What if I can't ever be back to normal and work at my desk comfortably, knit without pain, sleep easily?

Oy.

I'm trying to tell myself the surgery is what I WANT, to fix the constant pain. And I know once it's over, and I feel better, I'll be terribly thankful. But right now, I'm just in the "terrible" part, scaring myself silly. Sheesh. What a wuss...

So, what scares YOU silly?