Celebrate the Small Things

Not only is it time to smile because of Halloween and all that CANDY!!!!! (Yes, I have a sweet-tooth), but it's time
again for Vikki's bloghop. Over at Viklit, she sponsors this weekly meme to help everyone remember that it's the small things in life which really make the difference.

Luckily, she doesn't have to do this alone. Thanks,

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse !!!

So go on...lay back. . .and think. What wonderful, little things happened to you this past week? There were probably more moments than you remember.


This week, I'm celebrating. . .



1)  Peanut butter cookies. My oldest son decided to discover the baker in himself and took over my kitchen last night. The result were lovely chocolate chip, peanut butter cookies. Okay, he forgot to add the sugar, but as long as one thinks about that before biting in, they aren't bad at all.

2)  My favorite antique store in town was closed all summer long due to illness. And now, they've reopened! Not only am I happy to see the owner back on her feet, but now, I can waste time wandering through the packed shelves. There are so many neat things there. In celebration, I finally bought a cookie jar. . .great for #1 above.

3) My youngest daughter woke up in the middle of the night and laid a note on my night stand. "I love mom." Is there anything better to wake up to?


Now, it's your turn! What wonderful things put a smile on your face this past week? See a last butterfly? Smell some pumpkin pie? Find some unexpected change in your pocket? What are you celebrating?

What's Up Wednesday

It's WEDNESDAY!!! And  that means it's time for another episode of this wonderful weekly blog hop sponsored by Jaime and Erin. Through this hop, us writerly folks have a chance to touch base with each other and simply say What's Up!





This week. . .


1) What I'm Reading. ..

Every Monday until around mid-November, the lovely Crystal Collier is handing out virtual cheese and giving out free copies of her YA paranormal romance MOONLESS over on Amazon in celebration of the release of her 2nd book in the series SOULLESS. I've read both (am actually even reviewing this next Monday), but am in the process of reading them again. Yep, I like them.

Also, I'm reading THE LOST ORPHANS by N.W. Harris.


2) What I'm Writing. . .

Not much. Not good? Well, firstly, I've been sick (some stupid cold/flu thingy), and I can't write when that happens. But another reason is that I have the feeling I've been writing on my other two MSs SO long (due to that international move earlier this year) that I've driven them into the ground. They need a break. Big time. So I'm contemplating shelving them for a little while and working on something else to let in some fresh air.


3) What Works For Me. . .

Lol! Can I say nothing this week? I'll just say sitting back, drinking lots of hot tea and dreaming. The key word here is dreaming. Without those dreams and letting those wonderful ideas flow through our head, us writers are stuck on a storyless sand barge.


4) What Else I've Been Up To. . .

Those wonderful neighbors of ours called up this weekend and wanted to know if we would like to go collect walnuts. So now, I have 6 buckets of walnuts drying in my milk barn. Yes, these are definitely neighbors who help our food supply. . .and keep me busy.

Being sick. . .but that doesn't count.

Oh, I now have a Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/TDrecker/499386616859243
If you follow, drop me a note and I'll follow back. But I must warn, I'm new to this and don't really know what I'm doing.

Otherwise, life's been pretty quiet. Which is good too, sometimes.


And what about you? Like walnuts? Take a walk through the leaves yet? Picked out your pumpkin for Halloween?  What's up with you?

Time to Celebrate those Small Things!

Howdy!  And yep, I'm even tipping my straw hat to you. Another week has trotted on by. . .okay, trot is too slow. It went past with super speed. . .and that leaves us with another round of. . .

This is a weekly blog hop sponsored by Vikki over at Viklit. The sole purpose is to help us realize what small celebrations happen every day and add a smile to our lips. Luckily, she doesn't have to do this alone and has some awesome helpers:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse

Go on over to Vikki's and sign up on the linky if you'd like to join the fun.

This week, I'm celebrating. . .

1) Apples. Remember that wonderful neighbor who supplied me with all that corn? Now, it's gone over into apples. I can smell all the fresh baked wonderfulness already flowing through the house. Yum!

2) My husband has been pushing quite a few over hours lately, so yesterday he took the day off. When we headed into town to drop off something at the high school- a uniform my daughter had forgotten - we spontaneously decided just to keep on driving to a town an hour away. We spent a fun day visiting hardware stores (yes, we have an odd sense of fun), antique stores and lunch.

3) Cookies. My younger kids sold cookie dough as a fund raiser, and I ended up buying more than planned (why does that always happen?) So right now, every day means a fresh baked batch of cookies. Guess what? They disappear just as fast too.


What about you? Love the smell of apple pies? Maybe pumpkin? When was the last time you did something completely spontaneous and just kept on driving? (It's good for the soul) Love cookies? Want to buy several batches from us next year??? (just joking!)
In other words, what wonderful things happened to YOU this week?

Guest Post - Ilana Waters and Pubslush

Today, I'm skipping my normal Wednesday post because one of my writer buddies is determined (tugging at the shirttail, poking the arm, jabbing me constantly in the back until it hurts determined) to share something with all of you. (Truth: She's really not a pest at all, and I actually offered to help her out. . .)

 

 

But before I tell you anymore, I'll just introduce her (again!) and let her take over:

 

 

 

Here she is. . .

Ilana Waters!!!

 

 

Ilana Waters is a freelance writer who lives in New Jersey. When not creating content for clients, she can be found working on fiction—as well as nibbling string cheese. She once pet-sat an electric eel, and enjoys walking in circles around the park for no particular reason.
Her young adult and middle grade stories are available at Amazon, Amazon.com/uk, Barnesandnoble, Apple, Kobo, and Smashwords.

 

 

 

Hi Tonja! Thank you so much for having me on your blog! Again. I’m pretty sure you hosted me just a short time ago. ;-P

 

Anyway, I’ve been an indie writer for kids and teens for a while. But I wanted to tell everyone about the Pubslush campaign I’m running for my very first book for adults (yes, real-live grown-ups). It’s an urban fantasy called The Age of Mages. Here’s a bit about it:

 

I know a mage should be able to handle anything, but really, the circumstances are getting quite ridiculous.

What do you get when you cross a vampire with a witch? The vulgar might call it a half-breed or misfit. But the result is actually a magical creature with untold powers and numerous enemies.

In other words, a mage.

Joshua’s witch mother has been missing and presumed dead since he was a teen. Years later, when he learns she might still be alive, the only thing he can think of is finding her. His antagonistic vampire father agrees to help, but Joshua fears he may have ulterior motives.

The situation becomes even more complicated when they discover the reason for her disappearance: she possesses a mysterious crystal whose powers remain a secret.

Unfortunately, Joshua and his father aren’t the only ones interested in the crystal. As their search leads them from New York to Las Vegas to Rome, they’re pursued by the Paranormal Investigation Agency, the High Council of Witches, and yet more vampires. In the process, they uncover a plot to wake the deadliest vampire who ever lived.

If Joshua can find the crystal, he might find his mother — and stop a massacring blood-seeker from rising. But that involves not fighting with his father long enough to hold off adversaries both human and supernatural.

It might just be more than one mage can handle.

There’s also a nifty book trailer.

 

 

The Pubslush campaign is to get it into e-book format. Pubslush is similar to Kickstarter but geared more towards authors. Basically, this is your chance to support The Age of Mages and earn cool rewards!

Yes, about the rewards . . . in addition to getting a copy of The Age of Mages if the campaign is a success, my reward levels contain goodies like a mention in the dedication, social media promotion for your book or business, and newsletter sign up. But best of all are the heavily-discounted manuscript critiques.

 

Many writers (and aspiring writers) already know what professional critiques are, but if not, no worries. They're just something similar to what an editor might do to tighten up your manuscript (but are not the same as copyediting or proofreading). Critiques address plot, structure, characterization, and the like—what I call “big picture issues.”

 

Since I’ve been a full-time freelance writer for almost five years, I can offer something beyond what you get via reviews by friends, family, and beta readers. Not that those folks aren’t awesome, of course. But if you’re looking to take your manuscript to the next level, you need to go pro. ;-)

I’m even running a special deal—the next three people who donate at the $25 level will get the $50 reward, and the next three who donate at the $50 level will get the $100 reward.

Anyway, if you have any questions or comments, shoot me an e-mail me at ilanabethwaters[at]yahoo[dot]com. Here’s where I am around the web if you feel like trailing after me:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Wattpad

And here’s The Age of Mages Pubslush link one more time. :-)

 

Thank you again, Tonja, for having me on your blog!

Time to Celebrate!

It's FRIDAY! And that doesn't only mean the weekend is around the corner. Nope. It means it's Celebrate the Small Things! The wonderful Vikki over at Viklit sponsors this weekly hop to help us remember all those little things that happened this week, which put a smile on our faces. Because no week is only bad. Never.

And since Vikki needs reasons to smile too, she has some amazing helpers, who buzz around the blog and serve refreshments...uhh... as in comments and visits.

Thanks, Vikki... and...

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse



This week, I'm celebrating . . .

1) A new laptop!!! My son...*takes a deep breath*. . .yes, the oldest one who always tells me that writing is a waste of time and that I should get a real job. . .bought me a new laptop to better write with (mine was really really really slow). I dare anyone to figure these kids out (Thank you, Son of mine!!!!)

2) Our chickens are now laying 3 eggs instead of 2 on some days. Go chickens!

3) My youngest son has started a nature journal. His idea. I'll have to take a picture of it when he lets me. He's spending so much time putting it together. I love it.

4) The leaves are slowly beginning to turn. I hear that this is a gorgeous time of year here. Can't wait to see it really get underway.



Now, it's your turn to celebrate... and to help, you might want to head on over to the amazing, super fun, packed with YA authors (seriously, there are SO MANY involved with this)

There's fun, tons and tons of authors to meet (I know some of them, and can only say - go say hi!), and lots and lots and lots of books and prizes to win. http://yascavengerhunt.blogspot.com/



So, what things have put a smile on your face this week? Get some chocolate? Have a falling leaf glide past you? See a gorgeous stack of pumpkins? What are you celebrating???

Celebrate the Small Things!

The wonderful Vikki over at Viklit sponsors this weekly hop to help bring more smiles to the world. Yes, the world needs more of those. And she does this in a simple way! All we have to do is remember those small things this last week, which put a smile on your face. So go ahead. Head on over to Vikki's blog and sign on up. Because EVERYONE could use an extra smile.


This week, I'm celebrating. . .



1) More corn. This time, a farmer gave my neighbor tons of free sweet corn, which meant around 30 more ears for me. And that leads to the 2nd celebration. . .


2) Bundt pans.  Since I already have 36+ plus ears frozen, I thought I'd cut the corn off the cobs this time (for soups, casseroles and Co.). And I found this really helpful video on Youtube.

(Yes, even if you aren't into cooking and stuff, these little peices of information may prove useful in your life. Trust me. Life is wierd.)

Actually, I roasted the cobs in the over at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (husk and all), let them cool, took off the husks and then cut them. That way, the corn was ready for immediate freezing.


3) Wins! Have you ever heard of storycartel.com? Well, if not, head on over. It is a way for authors and reviewers to touchbase with each other. Anywho...they ran a contest last month for reader packages with books, chocolates, notepads, tea, coffee, chocolate....yes, chocolate is important. And I won! Now, I'm sitting here fevering for the postman to make the delivery.

4) Le Krunche. Never heard of it? I bet you haven't because my son came up with this word last night when my daughter's first self-made pizza stayed a little too long in the oven. He said, 'Mom, that pizza reminds me of a French spice." When I asked him which one 'le krunche' was his answer. Okay, we're cheating. The 'e' on the end is not silent. Not real French. But it's still tons of fun to say.



So have you discovered any cool cooking hints this last week? Invented a new word? Eaten enough chocolate? Coffee? Tea? or Milk?
In other words, what are YOU celebrating this week?

What's Up Wednesday

Every Wednesday, Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk sponsor this weekly hop, so that us writerly folks can touch base with each other. (You know how us writers are - always hiding with our head in some story cave).

It's easy to join. Just hop on over to Jaime's or Erin's blogs and sign up on the linky.

(Jaime and Erin have give What's Up Wednesday a little make-over (which I noticed just now), but still, I wanted to give this little robot one last day in the sun before grabbing a new button. He was so cute!)


So, this is what I've been up to:


1) What I've Been Reading:

I finished up the second book in the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meier, Scarlett. Yes, it was even better than Cinder, which is saying a lot. I'm totally blown over every time a series gets better with each book. Doesn't happen very often.

So now, I'm in the middle of book 3, Cress, and am really enjoying it.


2) What I've Been Writing:

I've finally found my groove. YAY! Last week, I wrote a chapter a day, and when I got stuck on my one WIP, I simply switched over to the other and kept writing. This weekend, I was hit by that little idea lightening bolt (no, it didn't hurt), which brought the first WIP back into full swing. My character had a sex change (gasp!) - girl to boy - and that seems to have added the missing touch at the moment. Now, I just need a new name!


3) What Has Been Working For Me:

When I get stuck or the words suddenly don't want to flow like they should, I grab a notepad and pencil, head out the door and take a walk. When I find a nice sitting spot, I stare at the world around me for about 10 seconds (no, I'm not a patient person), and then hit the scene again. So far it flows. Every time.
Oh, I should add that I only sit there for about 20 minutes. Then my idea breeze has ended and I head home to type up the new tidbits.
As I said, I'm not a patient person.


4) What Else I've Been Up To:

*takes deep breath* This week has been all over the place. Not sure where exactly, but it's been everywhere.
- We visited a church with my neighbors on Sunday, and then went out to a lunch buffet (Yummy!)
- I've been battling goats and worms. I now know why I prefer cattle. Those goats are a pain in the neck in SO many ways.
- One of our chickens has laid two eggs - our first eggs. Hope there's more to come soon.
- One of our cars broke down, so my hubs has been taking our 2nd to work. That leaves me stuck on the farm all day long. (Great for writing!) So my neighbor let me accompany her to the grocery store yesterday.

I guess, I could sum up this week with -

Good neighbors are worth their weight in gold.




And what about you? What have you been up to this week? Have you been sweating, sunning or enjoying the cooler weather? Any good eggs lately?

For Tina Downey

Today, bloggers all over the blog-o-sphere are joining in to remember a very special writer friend,

Tina Downey. Everyone will be posting a sunflower flower, a flower, which reflects the joy and happiness she gave us. 

She had a positive motto - 'Life is Good'.

And when I saw this sunflower growing along the edge of our pasture, I was reminded how closely life and death are interwoven.

Life is good and full of color,

It begins, and it ends - one with the other.

We will miss you, Tina.

A Downey Education Fund has been set up for her two sons. 

 

Celebrate the Small Things

The amazing Vikki over at Viklit sponsors this weekly meme. Why? Silly question! Not really - no question is silly.

She does it to help remind us that it's the small things in life that make a difference. So think back. . .really hard. . .was there something this week that put a smile on your face? Something tiny?

Well, then go ahead and share!


This week, I'm celebrating. . .



1) Rain! After 7 weeks without a single drop, it finally has started to rain again. Gosh, my cows are happy.

2) You guys! Various people in this writing community have been giving me little ideas, words of encouragement, and little tidbits, which have really made a difference in my writing and attitude this week. Thank you!

3) My husband's birthday! For the first year ever, he didn't mope around about getting older. But he didn't have time. We spent the day at Wilson's Creek (south of Springfield, MO) and learned about the 2nd official battle of the Civil War.

This family hid in their cellar when the North and the South decided to have at it in the cornfield - uninvited. Personally, I would have been so angry at both sides for ruining my land, I think I would have gotten my cast iron skillet and hit a few of them over the head.

Poor kids. Could you imagine hiding in the cellar like that?

(Yes, it was a very sobering moment to see the battlefield where a couple thousand men had died. . . ugh, can I add that my youngest son searched the dirt hoping to find traces of blood so he could analyze it with his microscope???)

My oldest was hoping these were made of bronze and was dreaming of playing bank robber. 

Seriously, what's wrong with my kids?

BUT after we survived the battlefield national park, we headed home where hubs received a very special present from my older son.

A campfire coffee pot, so he can make original cowboy coffee.

Hubs says that surprisingly enough, the coffee grounds floating in the cup aren't really that irritating.

I'll take his word for it.

So what about you? What wonderful things did you experience or see or hear or taste or smell or feel ...*takes deep breath* what put a smile on your face?

IWSG

Happy Birthday, IWSG!!! Yep, for three years now, this group has been saving writers everywhere. Thanks to super-ninja, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and this month's awesome helpers:

 My Baffling Brain, Mark Koopmans, Shah Wharton, and Sheena-Kay Graham

I bet this group will be around many more years to come (I hope!)


My insecurity this month is better described like this:


Me staring at the keyboard (now, full-time since all the kids are in school). . .

staring at the keyboard. . .

staring at the keyboard. . .


As you can see, this isn't only a problem for the two manuscripts - one which I'm determined to have polished and shinny around December/January - but also for my eyes.



And what about you? Feeling insecure about anything or are those words flowing right out of you? Are those edit bugs biting your butt or do you have them under control? Maybe you've gotten to one of those awesome stages where there aren't insecurities, only happy moments?