Wordless

A variety of links...

If you're a Jane Austen fan, you might like The Republic of Pemberley:
http://www.pemberley.com/

Writers In The Storm offers some good suggestions for overcoming writer's block:
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/07/19/writers-block-the-thought-between-the-music-and-the-motion/

The Writer's Refuge shares lessons learned about writing, from Paul McCartney...
http://thewritersrefuge.wordpress.com/2013/07/19/what-paul-mccartney-taught-me-this-week-about-writing/

Editing is coming along.

Saving Lisa has taken a few unexpected turns.

May God bless your week.

One of my favorite dishes...

When I lived in Thailand, I used to eat khai yat sai on a regular basis.

Stir fry ground pork or chicken. Set it aside. Stir fry vegetables. In the US, I used zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Set it aside with the meat. Fish sauce and soy sauce and garlic are added during the cooking, but since I didn't keep fish sauce on hand and my tummy isn't a huge fan of garlic, I only used soy sauce and only sparingly. Pour in 1-2 beaten eggs and roll the pan so the egg  spreads out into a thin layer, like crepe batter. In a minute or two, it will be cooked because it's so thin. Add the meat and veggie mixture in the middle of the egg "crepe." Fold the sides over the top, making an envelope or pocket. Serve over rice.

Fun trivial moment...

Last Sunday, I noticed my Christmas cactus, Chris, was drooping a bit. I don't always remember to water him. He's a cactus, so he doesn't need a lot.

I slid him under the faucet and turned the water on, maybe a little too hard. Okay, it was too much.

I informed Chris, "Consider it an Arizona monsoon cloudburst," and returned him to his spot on the windowsill.

Moments later, I glanced at him and noticed water dripping of the roof outside my window, blue skies beyond.

My first thought was, "Oh, shoot. Why do we have water flowing off the roof What went wrong?"

Shifting my position, I was better able to see out side.

Hey, what do you know?

The street and the sidewalk across the way were wet. Taking a closer look, I was able to see the rain coming down. I moved to a different window.

Blue skies, sunny, and raining.

It took some maneuvering to finally see the clouds, but they weren't what I expected. Instead of dark and ominous (what we usually see around here when rain is involved), white fluffy clouds dotted the sky.

Thanks God for the rain without lightning. I appreciated it.

Sharing this week's links...

My friend Patricia Johns shares her excitement: A book in print (it's on my TBR list).
http://patriciajohnsromance.com/2013/07/08/425/

Writers In The Storm shared an awesome post on Fearless Pitching, not my strong suit:
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/fearless-pitching-part-1/
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/07/12/fearless-pitching-part-2/

Over at Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud, she shares a fantastic post by Elizabeth Maddrey:
http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/2013/07/11/ill-fix-it-myself/

Holley Gerth shared an important reminder:
http://holleygerth.com/no-matter-what-youve-done-god-is-not-done-with-you/

Over at Writer's Refuge, ideas on finding more time to write:
http://thewritersrefuge.wordpress.com/2013/07/11/how-to-write-on-the-run/

J. Morgan has written a YA with superheroes:
http://vintagevonnie.blogspot.com/2013/07/confessions-of-geek-by-j-morgan.html

And finally, an encouraging list well worth reading over at We Are One:
http://weareone-ruth.blogspot.com/2013/07/list-i-wish-i-had.html

Enjoy your week, and may God bless you.

Wordless

Enjoyable read...

Lynette Endicott's Starting Over series Book One More Than a Job intrigued me and kept me turning pages until I finished it, in one sitting.

Trying new authors is a hobby. I did not realize this until recently. More books than I could possibly read in six months are queued in my Kindle and shelved on two bookshelves, if all I did was read. Choosing which book to read next is agonizing. Sometimes, it's a matter of not being able to bear the pileup anymore, so I dive in with the intent of reducing the piles. I'm successful, to an extent, until new books show up. Interestingly enough, if my piles dwindle too much, anxiety sets in and the next thing you know new books are shuffled onto my Kindle or show up on the doorstep.

I chose to try Lynette's book because she is a fellow Desert Breeze author. More Than a Job is a contemporary, spicy, inspirational read. The instant attraction between Paige and Josh drew me right in. I HAD to see how it all worked out. I wasn't disappointed.

I loved the support systems both Paige and Josh enjoyed. I was fascinated with how Paige goes about handling her world blowing up in her face. I even took notes for future reference. :-) Josh's honor endeared him to me forever. :-)

This week's links to share...

Everyone should be blessed with a friendship similar to the one Patricia Johns shares with someone she's known a while:
http://patriciajohnsromance.com/2013/07/01/a-personal-touch/

Number One London has been sharing an amazing travel log; her trip to England with her husband. It's brilliant. :-)
http://onelondonone.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-couple-in-england-day-8.html

This week, Number One London also had a guest post by M. Denise C., who  shared her first visit to London:
http://onelondonone.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-my-first-trip-to-london.html

Jennifer Slattery has compiled a group of inspirational stories in Sweet Freedom. Here's the link to her blog:
http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/2013/07/03/now-free-on-kindle/
It's free on Kindle through 7 July. I've downloaded mine and look forward to reading it.

Brettworks shared an interesting piece on writing:
http://brettworks.com/2013/07/03/notes-on-some-kinds-of-writing/

Holley Gerth celebrates Independence Day opening her gift of Freedom (short and well worth the read):
http://holleygerth.com/enjoy-your-freedom/

At Writers In The Storm, Steena Holmes talks about Newsletters:
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/the-how-and-why-of-author-newsletters/
I confess: I don't have one yet.

Independence Day...

May God bless us with courage to stand for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

May God bless those who choose to fight for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

May God bless the families of those who gave all in the defense of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

(Photo from a free share site)

One of my favorite inspirational authors...

I recently finished Teri Wilson's latest book, Alaskan Hero. It's the second book in her Alaska series. The first is Alaskan Hearts. She writes very sweet romances with strong Christian themes. Her stories lift my spirit, always touching something going on in my life at the time.

Of course, there's an extra special place in my heart for her stories because she always includes dogs.

The first Teri Wilson book I read was Cup of Joe. I loved it and have purchased every one of her books I could find.

Wordless

Sharing links...

NikonSniper is one of my favorite photographers. My sister introduced me to his website. He is a fellow Christian. This past week he shared a call to follow Jesus and an article by John MacArthur. It gave me the opportunity to examine where I am in my faith. Am I still endeavoring to follow Jesus, or am I becoming complacent? It was good to see I've grown and strengthened my faith.
http://nikonsniper.blogspot.com/2011/07/do-you-know-christ-today.html

Awesome post by Pamela Morsi over at Writers In The Storm. Well, it was awesome to me because I write like this:
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/the-maze-to-amazing-organic-layering/

Delores Goodrick Beggs shares a charming memory of her mother:
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/2013/06/guest-delores-beggs-and-her-newest.html

A.R. Norris, Sci-Fi romance writer, is involved in a blog hop, with book giveaways:
http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/2013/06/blog-hop-excerpt-teaser-yes-another-one.html

Sandra Sookoo shares a snippet of her book being released on July 11th, over at her blog Believing is Seeing. I'm a bit of a foodie, so it caught my attention and landed on my wish list:
http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/hump-day-hook-19/

Writers In The Storm had a final review of Falling in Love, including links to the first four parts:
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/why-we-and-our-characters-fall-in-love-part-five/

God bless.

Introduced a new hero on FB...

Eric: Why is James pacing?
Benjamin: He awaits edits.
Richard: I've heard tales of horror visited upon wayward souls.
Jack: I have heard our lady is more to be feared than any editor.
James: Humbug.
Richard: You cannot deny the truth.
George: One need look no further than my own narrative.
Eric: I hate Regency English.
Fitzgerald: Watch yourself, sir. You are surrounded.
Richard: We've endured this discussion before.
Benjamin: Not so long ago.
Eric: Fine! Speak American.
Fitzgerald: You ask the impossible.
Jack: It won't help. Trust me. The century is all wrong.
James: You need a comrade in arms.
Eric: I'm the only contemporary hero here.
Fitzgerald: You forget to whom we owe our very existence.
James: When she settles on the name, the next hero will appear.
George: Rumor is she mulled over a name the other night.
Fitzgerald: How did you hear of this?
George: What else is there for me to do?
Fitzgerald: Pity you do not survive for our tales.
Jack: Don't spill the soup!
Eric: There's soup?
Fitzgerald: Of course not.
Eric: Jack said--
Benjamin: He meant don't spill the bag.
Eric: What bag?
Fitzgerald: You're hopeless.
James: Stubble it. Someone is here.
Jack: Who, pray tell, are you?
Ian: Ian Morgan.
Eric: When does your story take place?
Ian: 1986.
Jack: There you are, Eric, a fellow knight, at last.
Ian: Brilliant.
Eric: You sound English.
Ian: I am English.
Jack: Eric, it is pathetic and mildly disturbing watching a hero cry.
Fitzgerald: I'm uncertain if he is weeping or laughing so hard tears are streaming down his face.
Jack: Never underestimate our lady's sense of humor.

Arizona Dreamin'...

My report, at last.

It was amazing!

My sister, bless her, helped with picking people up at the airport. We both liked knowing people we care about made it safe and sound. It was also a lot of fun. She did the driving, and I knew what everyone looked like: Perfect team. :-)

We started with Buildin' the Dream: A writer's one-day conference. It was the first time. There were a lot of excellent workshops and, unfortunately, not enough time to attend them all. Pick and choose.

The Friday Night start-off for the Readers' Conference was amazing. I laughed a lot.

Saturday was packed with events, again. The Book Clubs, where you meet with a favorite author in half hour increments, were fantastic. I met a favorite author for the first time and enjoyed visiting with a couple of favorite authors I've met before.

There are goody bags, food, and a couple auctions. Lots of fun.

Best part: The people. Catching up with friends I only see at Arizona Dreamin' and making new friends.

The hotel is very nice.

There was plenty of food.

I'm one of those alphabet soup types, i.e., C-PTSD, OCD, yes, you get the picture. I was able to manage it all and came home energized and inspired. I stayed an extra day and used it to write and plan the next manuscript.

I will definitely be attending next year.

Will you?

http://www.arizonadreaminevent.com/p/may-31-june-2-2013.html

Me with Lance, my pick for the Man of Our Dreams contest and the cover model on Kris Tualla's book Loving the Norseman.
http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Norseman-Hansen-Series-Rydar/dp/1456562118/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1371736985&sr=8-15&keywords=kris+tualla

More links to share...

Jude Urbanski hosts Rebecca Vincent aka Becky Yauger. A touching read about birthdays:
http://judeurbanski.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-writer-owning-her-scars-and-her.html

A few people have encouraged me to self-publish. It isn't for me. Orly Konig-Lopez expressed it well over at Writers In The Storm:
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/the-evolution-of-the-modern-writing-dream-part-1-2/

I'm adding Brenda Whiteside's list of words to check when editing to my own list:
http://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-list-of-words-to-jump-start-my.html

Over at The Writer's Refuge is a great post for writers on patience:
http://thewritersrefuge.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/do-you-have-one-of-the-most-important-skills-of-a-writer/

Sophie, of the Cuffe Sisters, shares a relaxing bit of Backyard Musings:
http://cuffesisters.com/2013/off-the-cuffe/backyard-musings-by-sophie/

God bless.

Wordless

Yesterday on FB...

Benjamin: George, what are you doing here?
George: I was invited, of course.
Benjamin: A bit awkward, don't you know?
Jack: Indeed?
Benjamin: Decidedly.
James: What's George doing here?
Benjamin: He says he was invited.
James: Awkward that.
Eric: Why?
Benjamin: He's dead.
Eric: He's what?
Benjamin: He's dead.
George: I'm not dead yet.
James: Yes, you are.
Benjamin: You died at Waterloo.
James: It was 1815.
Richard: All of our stories take place in 1816 and 1817.
Eric: Not mine. Mine's in 1985.
George: In which case, all of you are dead, but Eric.
Benjamin: Do not complicate matters.
George: Wouldn't dream of it.
Benjamin: And yet, here you are.
George: Our lady decided my story was worth being told, so here I am.
Richard: She does have a way of complicating matters all on her own.
Benjamin: Still awkward.
Jack: And I thought my life was complicated.

A group question was sent out...

What advice would you give new, upcoming authors?

This was my answer:

Learn your craft. Read what you want to write. Know your genre. Write. Write. Write. Find someone who will pick your work apart. They don't have to be nasty about it. Listen to them. My first MS went through a lot of editing. It was rejected, not because the book wasn't any good but because my query letter was horrible. My first rejection was on the query letter. There are sites that offer help writing them. I entered the story in a contest. The judges advised I learn about POV. They were right. I re-wrote the story; approximately half of it was new. I asked for more help from professional authors. I submitted the first three chapters and was asked for a full MS. I thought I wanted to write with this publisher. As the months slipped by, I was doing my homework on the publishing companies. I realized I did not want to work with this publisher. I was grateful when they rejected me. I talked to other authors, and one recommended a company they wrote for. I did my homework and wanted to work for them. I queried and was offered a contract. I thought I'd grow more comfortable with each book. I haven't. Each one is a terrifying, frustrating, hair-pulling experience. I have sacrificed social activities, television, reading, sleep, and eating. The royalty checks are not compensation; they are testament I'm a professional, an extremely poorly paid professional. Give up writing? Sure, when I give up breathing.

Sharing links...

Kris Tualla and I met at our local chapter (Desert Rose) meeting. Thank you RWA (Romance Writers of America). I've watched her energetic enthusiasm for her books. I've also read her books and enjoy them. May 30 - June 2, I attended Arizona Dreamin' for my second time and loved it! One of these years, I'm going to be one of the authors. She chose a charity to support and wrote a little bit about how it came about:
http://romancingthegenres.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-charitable-plan.html

I loved Patricia Johns' post:
http://patriciajohnsromance.com/2013/06/10/a-full-plate/ 

Writers In The Storm Blog is continuing the series on author legalities, this time instead of wills it's trusts:
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/06/14/who-can-an-author-trust-trusts-in-the-author-estate-plan/

J. Morgan celebrates June:
http://jennmorgan69.wordpress.com/

Nike Chillemi pops in over at Gina's World of Good for an interview:
http://worldofgood-gina.blogspot.com/2013/06/welcome-author-nike-chillemi-crime.html

A.R. Norris shares an amusing bit about being a writer:
http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/2013/06/freedom-at-last.html?m=1

Phoenix Rising Book Two: Triad by Gail R. Delaney

Riveting. Breathtaking. Paging turning. I devoured the book in two days. My only justification for putting everything on hold: the book was my reward for completing a project on time.

I would recommend reading the first series, The Phoenix Rebellion, and then book 1 of Phoenix Rising: Janus. The story line flows from one book to the next, each book a satisfying read though it leaves me wanting more. The cast of characters are diverse and rich, creating a world both vast and intimate.

When I read the premise of Triad, I confess I was leery. There were so many directions this could go. Gail stayed true to her style and though there were numerous twists and turns I reached the end with only one complaint: I have to wait until December for the next book!

Brava!

http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/phoenix-risng-book-two-triad-epub/

http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Rising-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B00DBMRBR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371007359&sr=1-1