Celebrate the Small Things

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

I'm late with this one today, but I bet I'm not the only one to have fallen into chaos this last week.

Here's wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!!!

See you in 2018!!!

Celebrate the Small Things. . .and a little rambling too

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.


This week, I'm celebrating. . .

1) Christmas decorations are all up and gifts are done! Which leaves Christmas cards. . .but we're ignoring that for the moment. My mind's determined to make me believe that Christmas is coming earlier than it is this year (I keep feeling like it's mid-next week, although I know it's not). But that means I'm ahead of schedule too. For once. I know. Wonders never cease.

2) Sending a MS to the shelves. Again. I've been revising a MS (for the 100th time) thanks to the poking of my kids, but revisions have been forced and painful. Every word. My youngest son was showing me his new favorite series, Magisterium by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare, and it kind of falls in a similar genre as my MS (which the same son claims is so awesome). When I asked said son if my MS is at the same level as the Magisterium, he immediately said "No. But you'll revise it a ton more, right?" That stamped the quick ticket to the shelves, and a huge wave of relief. I didn't think the MS was where it should be and have doubted the entire time that I'm at a point where I can fix it.  It's time to head off to other MSs (heaven knows I have enough waiting) and have some fun!

3) My entire family is going to be home as of tomorrow! My daughter comes back from college, the rest are off from classes. Need I say more?

4) (I'm going to go proud mama here for a moment...so beware!) My son graduated Magnum Cum Laude (a 3.98 GPA) !!! He finished up his Associate's degree and is going to continue on to his BA. Usually, I wouldn't scream this to everyone quite as much as I have been (yeah, the whole world slowly knows about it), but this is the same son who was told in Germany that he was too stupid to ever be more than a low level worker (think painter, basic mechanic and such) and that any aspirations higher than that were not only ridiculous but offensive. (Grrrr...if I've ever wanted to punch people in the nose, it is those teachers and school officials...) So. . .Take that, Germany!!! My son is not a lost cause.

And finally.
A dear writer friend of mine is bringing out a new book in January, and in celebration, is having GIVEAWAYS!!! Congrats, Ilana Waters!!!

Head here for her awesome excitement (and a chance to win).

*takes deep breath*
That wraps up this week's moments o' happiness.

What about you? What put a smile on your face this past week? Sneak some chocolate? Celebrate National Cocoa Day? Find a great book? Discover an amazing spot to hide out?

What are you celebrating this week?

Celebrate the Small Things

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.


This week, I'm celebrating. . .

This has been one of those weeks, where I run around and am not sure what is up or what is down. What happened this week? Honestly, I have no idea, but I do know it's been little things here and little things there.

1) A Christmas table cloth! I buy one every year because they only survive one year in my household. I love putting it on the table and peering at the cute trees and Christmas colors every meal time. 

2) Christmas baking! Monday was my declared bake day. . .which happened to also be International Cookie Day. For fun, I decided to put every recipe on my author FB page with a book recommendation for audiences 18 and under. I don't get a lot of traffic on FB, but then, I don't post much there (not my thing). Still, it was kind of fun. You can see the recipes here . Oh, and it includes Weihnachtsstollen—German Christmas bread. I bake 12 of these every year as presents and for us. The one below has a little bit of marzipan in the middle.

3) A lovely cup of tea! I drink a lot of tea and savor every cup. It never fails to put a smile on my face and brings such a comforting feeling of peace, even if it's for the fraction of a second.

What about you? What put a smile on your face this last week? Join in on IWSG? See a snowflake? Take a bite of a big, fat, juicy apple? What are you celebrating?

The last IWSG for 2017!

IWSG (the Insecure Writer's Support Group) is a wonderful group of writers, who come together to share, encourage and support each other. As writers, we sometimes need a shoulder to lean on or are ready to assist others on their writing journey.

We post on the first Wednesday of every month and talk about our doubts, fears, or triumphs with fellow writers. To find out more about how it works, head on over here.

Special thanks goes to the never relenting, always amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh (this is his brainchild) and to the other co-hosts this month:  Julie Flanders, Shannon Lawrence, Fundy Blue, and Heather Gardner!

You can also find us on Twitter at @TheIWSG and hashtag #IWSG

**********

Can you believe it's the last IWSG of 2017???

That means it's time to lean back and consider this last year's ups and downs on the writing front with this month's question:

As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently? 

First, I'm going to take a sip of hot tea and contemplate.

Hmmmm...

Hmmm...........

Hmmmmm....  (contemplation is a long process, right?)

My answer is. . .

*finger drum roll, please*

Nothing! I wouldn't change anything. Well, pretty much, anyway.

Of course, I wish I would have gotten more writing done, but that's a no-brainer for writers. Honestly, how many writers have you run into who say, "Boy, I wrote way too many words this year!" 

I'm betting you could count them on one hand. . .*ahm* one finger?

In other words, us writers never write or publish or do enough. At least, not in our minds.

My novella, A Glowworm,  was published as a Ubook, which was unexpected and definitely exciting.
And I had another short published in FULL DARK. Of course, the publishing front could have brought even more (remember: one finger no-brainer?), but I'm more than satisfied.

I dove into some new writing areas this year. Several very different ones. Maybe I could have done more research on some of them. Maybe I could have written more concise or more carefully or not have procrastinated on some projects as much as I did. But even here, each expedition into those new areas was a huge learning experience. Nope, I wouldn't change a thing there either.

I would have liked to decorate my writing room a little more. Does that count?

Ugh! Now, it's time to start planning next year's goals! Up the word count? Push up that publishing line? Go on a month long safari and conduct some serious research for a new plot? All right, maybe not the safari thing. At least, not in January.


So, what about you? What would you have changed this year or hoped to have done differently? Or are you super satisfied?

Celebrate Those Small Things!

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

This week, I'm celebrating. . .

1) No road trip! Life can be pretty crazy. Really crazy. The trip was cancelled at the last minute, so we changed to a few days of something much calmer and family orientated. Which was lots of fun too—a super-mini holiday with small trips from home.

2) Son's hip fracture nicely healed! For those who might recall, my son broke his hip completely through on the very last mile of the very last run of boot camp/IT training. Luckily, they let him graduate, but he had surgery with three screws put in. Yesterday, he got two thumbs-up from the doctor and can start training again and head to his unit next month.

3) A cheap transmission! My hub's 'hunk-o-junk', (*ahm*) pick-up w/ lots of character, needed a new transmission, but it wasn't worth fixing. A friend of my son just happened to be parting out his old pick-up, and wouldn't you know it? It was exactly the same year and model! So we ended up getting a transmission for very cheap. My son now has a 'winter project' (that's what he's calling it), and my husband can proudly roar (it does roar rather loudly) around town again whenever he gets the urge.


That wraps up this week!

What put a smile on your face? Survive Thanksgiving? Survive the first week of Advent? Sing your favorite holiday song in the middle of the store and draw all sorts of looks from people? (I'm going to have to try this one!) Talk to someone you haven't heard from in a long time? Or did you indulge in a delicious treat this week?

What are you celebrating???

Celebrate the Small Things - until next week!

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

Here's hoping that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

After stuffing my stomach full with wonderfully delicious foods, a sudden decision was made to head on a big road trip (820 miles one way) to northern Minnesota for the baptism of my new nephews, an adorable set of twin boys. 

We're only going for 2-3 days, so this will be quite the drive.

Hoping to share pictures next week.

Until then, have a wonderful week and don't forget to celebrate all those small things.

Celebrate the Small Things

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

This week, I'm celebrating. . .

1) Wedding anniversary! It's our 22nd today. My how time flies. I won't see my husband but maybe for a few minutes (explanation following) today, which is fine. I'm sure we'll have many more days and years to come.

2) Hunting season! This is why my husband is going to be out and about today. It started last weekend. And while he enjoyed romping through the forest and scouting deer with my brother last weekend, he wasn't very successful. So he's going to give it another go. Honestly, he's not a big hunter but does it more for the time outside and to spend quality time with my youngest brother. Luckily, he doesn't have to be successful either. My freezer is already set since my other brother was kind enough to give us one of his bucks earlier this week. (something important since I really do count on the meat).

3) Lots of writing time! Life has been calmer. . .always is this time of year on our farm. . .so I've been revising away. I'm treating it as my Nano contribution, which obviously makes for an impossible word count. But I figure the MS is just about 50,000 words and by the time I get done revising it (it's an in-depth revision, not a light one), that's got to count for the 50,000.

Also. . .

. . .blogger buddy, D.A. Cairns, has brought out a new book this week!

 (I need a book birthday song or gif or something for these)

Anyway, here it is. . . .

*drum roll*

Which you can find

here

Angus has battled an obsession with sex throughout his adult life. Although outwardly a model husband and father with a respectable life and a well-paying job, he has a shameful secret life which he has become highly skilled at hiding.

Cassy is married to Angus and has no idea about his secret life. In fact, with her own worries she has been pulling away from him, emotionally and physically which is making his behaviour worse. Although she does not know it, Cassy is fanning the flames of an inferno which threatens to destroy their marriage.

Lovesickness: the eternal bane of humanity, the inescapable affliction which we simultaneously crave and fear. For Angus and Cassy, already in the thirteenth year of their marriage, the painful journey to true happiness has only just began.

Love Sick Love is a brutally honest and confronting story of love, sexual obsession and hope.

So, what about you? What put a smile on your face this last week?

Find a pair of woolly gloves? Meet someone kind on the street? Did something small catch your eye for just a second, something which made you smile?

What are you celebrating???

Celebrate the Small Things

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

This week, I'm celebrating. . .

1) Wood burning! We had two piles of branches, debris and such from fence cleaning, flood cleaning and the such, and now, they're gone! It took my son and  myself 15 trailer trips and tons of fire watching, but we got it done. And I didn't even find one snake under the piles...a very happy surprise.

2) My husband is home from Germany! That brings more life into the house, and lots of treats too. He had a great time (his cheeks glow in every picture he's in). And I'm not complaining about the whiskey he bought for me in the duty free shop either. Not one little bit.

3) More writing time! This comes thanks to that time change. I'm not a huge fan of the time change (who is?), but this is one aspect I love. It gets dark early, which means that the farm life slows down. No light. No work. The kids are also more ready to relax and calm down. In other words, life is now quieter and with it, more time in the evening for me to type away.

What about you? What put a smile on your face this last week? Did you see any pretty autumn trees (ours shed within a few days, so not much here)? Did you find a pretty pen or notebook? Did someone give you an unexpected compliment? 

What are you celebrating this week?

Celebrate the Small Things

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

Last week, I was lame and didn't get to visit everyone. Honestly, life just went crazy for a few days and I'm just now catching up. But I plan to make up for it this weekend.

This week, I'm celebrating. . . 

1) IWSG! It's always great to see so many words of encouragement out there and so many amazing writers. 

2) Full Dark came out Monday! I've been shouting this out quite a bit lately, so I might as do it one more time. 

What happens in the dark will come to light. Full Dark is a collection of eleven short works with impressive depth and range. Twisted tales of ghosts, villains, and the paranormal await you—mystery, heinous fantasy, and pure suspense. Acclaimed and award-winning authors as well as a few talented newcomers have joined forces to be your guide. Venture into the dark if you dare. Just A Matter Of Timeby Loni Townsend Forerunner by David Powers King Taking Care Of You by Carrie Butler The Apartmentby Lisa Buie-Collard The Caricature by Nick Wilford Shifting Sands by Elizabeth Seckman Shadows Falling On Rainbows by Celeste Holloway Meringue, Murder or Marzipan by Tonja Drecker Haunted Lake by Michelle Athy Soul Coin by Laura Rich Retribution by Melissa Maygrove FULL DARK is a benefit anthology. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization that does many wonderful things for our country's active military, its veterans, and the countless first responders who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.
ON Amazon here


3) Husband off to Germany! He hasn't been back for over 3 years, so it was time. He's having a great time visiting family, and I have a little more free time here. A win/win if you ask me!

4) Halloween and Trick or Treating! This was the first time my kids went trick-or-treating and they loved it. They even gave me a couple of their candies. Yay!


And what about you? What put a smile on your face this last week? Carve a pumpkin? See a lovely bird? Receive something nice in the mail?

What are you celebrating?



OH!!! One more thing. I'm running a giveaway over on my review blog ...well, there's always giveaways, but this one is really through me. . .

This picture book is up for grabs, and what a funny one it is. Especially great for those kids with siblings who love to tease them about monsters.

Anyway, go on over here. All you have to do is leave a comment! (Think low entry because these really always are.)

It's time for IWSG

IWSG (the Insecure Writer's Support Group) is a wonderful group of writers, who come together to share, encourage and support each other. As writers, we sometimes need a shoulder to lean on or are ready to assist others on their writing journey.

We post on the first Wednesday of every month and talk about our doubts, fears, or triumphs with fellow writers. To find out more about how it works, head on over here.

Special thanks goes to the never relenting, always amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh (this is his brainchild) and to the other co-hosts this month:  Diane Burton, MJ Fifield, and Rebecca Douglass!

You can also find us on Twitter at @TheIWSG and hashtag #IWSG

********

This month, I learned something new. 

I rolled up my sleeves, and dug into the world of crime and mystery only to discover that it is much more difficult to write than I expected. This is not my usual genre. So, it was another plunge outside of the comfort zone. And what a plunge it was!

I was surprised how difficult it is to weave in small clues here and there without ever letting them seem overly obvious. Little things like emotions, reactions or even a single word in the dialogue can make or break the entire mystery. It felt like building a puzzle and having to rearrange the pieces over and over again to make them fit just right. I've never paid that much attention to detail before, and to watch everything so closely was a real eye-opener for me—and a great exercise.

Now, to see if I can take that lesson and remember to use it in my next project. . .why is that always the hardest part?.

And to this month's question:

Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?

Some years, I join in on NaNo. Some years, I don't. Since most of my writing is intended for middle graders or falls into the short story category, the 50,000+ words doesn't fit what I'm looking for. Sometimes, I've finished my projects. Sometimes, I haven't. It's not something I really worry about but use more as an extra push in those years that I feel like I've hit a slump.

But I love to cheer all NaNoers on and hope they reach their word count goals!!!

Are you joining in on NaNo?

Guest Post Patricia Josephine

A blogger friend is celebrating the release of her new book, and I'm thrilled to be able to shout it out to the world!

MISTAKES OF THE PAST

by Patricia Josephine

NA Urban Fantasy

Luc seeks atonement for the actions that banished him from his home. Living as a priest in a small town, he strives to show how much he’s changed with the hope that one day he can return to his family.

Haunted by the guilt that destroyed her family, Rose has shut her heart off. She vows to never let anyone near again lest she hurt them. When she meets Luc, she can’t deny the draw she feels to him.

But the past is not easily forgotten. When Luc’s past finds him, Rose is caught in the middle. Forced to face who he used to be, Luc must decide if he’s willing to give up his chance at redemption to save Rose. But doing so means he won’t be able to hide who he is. Will Rose be able to reconcile the man she knows with the devil he used to be? Or are the mistakes of the past too damning?

Buy Links:

Amazon–– https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0768T62H5

Smashwords–– https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/754277

B&N–– https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mistakes-of-the-past-patricia-josephine/1127262701?ean=2940154593783

Kobo–– https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/mistakes-of-the-past

iTunes–– https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/mistakes-of-the-past/id1298802560?mt=11

A devilish hero

There was a note from my editor when she was working on Mistakes of the Past. It said she hadn’t expected to have a crush on Luc. It was the reaction I was looking for, and I gotta admit, I may have cackled evilly a bit.

You see, Luc is usually the bad guy. He doesn’t often get to be portrayed in a good light. Usually, he’s out to take over the world and it’s up to the heroes to stop him. I’ve even done that myself. In Path of Angels, Michael and his brothers are trying to stop Hell from being unleashed.

This has caused some trepidation for me. I’ve wondered how people will react to Luc. Can they accept him as the good guy on a mission to redeem himself? Or is that too farfetched. But this fact made Luc a blast to write. When he gets cheeky, he gets really cheeky in an attempt to live up to his reputation. It also causes him to seriously doubt himself and wonder if he should even bother. He thinks he doesn’t deserve forgiveness.

I want the reader to know who Luc is without him stating it. There are hints throughout the novel, but it was important to not reveal the truth until the end. Until Luc comes to terms with it himself.

It’s strange to write someone that is usually a villain as the hero. It makes you approach them differently. You explore them more. You also get to get into their heads during when they’re the baddie, and that in itself is fun to write.

And here she is. . .

Patricia Josephine never set out to become a writer. In fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was all about art. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head. That was the start of it and she hasn't regretted a moment. She writes young adult under the name Patricia Lynne.

Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow, and an obsession with Doctor Who.

Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/plynne_writes

Website: http://www.patricialynne.com

Newsletter: http://www.patricialynne.com/newsletter.html

Books: http://www.patricialynne.com/my-books.html

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108938106639683446081/posts/p/pub

Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/patricialynne07

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13460894.Patricia_Josephine

Happy Book Birthday, Full Dark: An Anthology and a Teaser Parade!

Today, it's the release day of. . .

What happens in the dark will come to light.

Full Dark is a collection of eleven short works with impressive
depth and range.Twisted tales of ghosts, villains, and the paranormal
await you—mystery, heinous fantasy, and pure suspense.
Acclaimed and award-winning authors as well as a few
talented newcomers have joined forces to be your guide.
Venture into the dark if you dare.

FULL DARK is a benefit anthology. 100% of the proceeds will be donated
to the Gary Sinise Foundation,an organization that does many wonderful
things for our country's active military, its veterans, and the
countless first responders who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.
 


Available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble
https://obsidianbooks.weebly.com/books.html
Cover designed & donated by Dark City Designs

And for a bit of fun. . .
because a celebration has to have some fun. . .
here is a run-down of ALL the beautiful, thrilling, amazing teasers—one for each story!


Just A Matter Of Time by Loni Townsend

Forerunner by David Powers King

Taking Care Of You by Carrie Butler

The Apartment by Lisa Buie-Collard

The Caricature by Nick Wilford

Shifting Sands by Elizabeth Seckman

Shadows Falling On Rainbows by Celeste Holloway

Meringue, Murder or Marzipan by Tonja Drecker

Haunted Lake by Michelle Athy

Soul Coin by Laura Rich

Retribution by Melissa Maygrove