Ahead of the Holiday

MOOD STATUS: "Happy". Had a wonderful Thanksgiving and blogging/computer break.

Happy... post Thanksgiving-pre Christmas!

Yes! It's almost Christmas and I AM IN THE MOOD ALREADY.
And it isn't even December!

Since I'm feeling so festive, I need to share two things with you:

1) I went out on Black Friday. I know. But I did it anyway.
At first, I decided against it because I heard there were only a handful of laptops at Walmart and I knew there would be no way I'd get there in time to grab one. But then...I woke up at 5:50AM and decided to shoot down to Staples instead since it's so close. So I threw on some jeans and managed to pick up a $699 laptop for $399.
(Not too shabby) I have not had a chance to take it out the box yet, so I'll be playing with it today.

PS:I was home before the sun came up--and in one piece.

2) I'm completely decorated for Christmas. Yes. No lie. COMPLETELY DECORATED. Outside lights on and Christmas tree up and decorated. Yes. And I'm exhausted.

PS. I was not aiming to have the Christmas tree up or decorated but my daughter BUGGED us until we could not take it anymore!!
Now there is peace in the house again. :)

As you might have guessed, we have a fake tree. But it's 9 ft of beautiful greenery. I do like to put the tree up early so I can enjoy it--not necessary November early, but early. I have friends who wait until Christmas Eve to put up theirs. I couldn't imagine waiting until the last minute like that, but for them, it's tradition.

I'm doubly excited this year because after fourteen years of marriage I FINALLY have white lights on my tree. They look lovely. In exchange, we now have colored lights outside... *cough cough*

It's all about compromise, folks. :)

When do you like to put up your tree?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

IN THE NEWS: A Massachusetts woman is seeking donations from fellow pet lovers to help pay for eye surgery for her turkey named Jerry. Read more HERE.


I'm off the kiddo's school for a little Thanksgiving day party.
(I'm bringing the popcorn, FYI)

I hope everyone has safe travels and lots of good food tomorrow. I'm heading off to my brother's. He's frying his turkey, and in exchange I promised to bring his favorite pie: pecan.
(But I'm also bring an apple pie, too)

I always get requests to make the pecan pie. I really don't know why. To me, it's the easiest of pies to make, but my family thinks I have the knack. Actually, what I really have is my mother-in-law's recipe. And I'll share it with you now:

Kentucky Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 TBsp rum
1 heaping cup pecan halves
1 pie shell, unbaked, 9-inch

Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, butter, and vanilla; mix well. Add slightly beaten eggs and blend well; stir in pecans and rum. Pour into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes, or until set. Cool pecan pie and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Yum.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving day!

Psalm 106:1
Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,for his steadfast love endures forever!

A Winner...and a Website

MOOD STATUS: "Awesome!". I'm finally running two miles.

I know you're all in suspense, so I'll be quick in announcing the winner of Julie Cantell's children's books. And the winner is...

Wendy! (at blog All in a Day's Thoughts)

Congrats, Wendy! (You owe my daughter a hearty thanks for picking your name out of a bag) Please e-mail me your mailing address, and I'll send these books out to you a.s.a.p!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other suspenseful unveilings...my website is finally finished! Whew! (But you might have already guessed by the look of my matching blog) :)

Special thanks to Jo at GlassSlipper WebDesigns who was truly a sweetheart to work with.

Check out what she did for me: http://www.jennifershirk.com/

I wanted something light and fluffy. (Ya know, like what I write) :)

I think it's SO me.

What do you think?

Contest Reminder

Just a reminder: If you'd like to enter the drawing to win these two WONDERFUL picture books by Julie Cantrell...

Leave a comment HERE.

Have a great weekend! :)

Harlequin: Talk of the Town

IN THE NEWS: Police: Teens taped themselves stealing presents. Read more HERE.

Well, everybody and their mother has been talking about the lowdown with Harlequin, so I thought, "Hey, why not bring it here, too."

It seems just a few days after the launch of Harlequin's Carina Press, Harlequin Enterprises announced Tuesday the launch of Harlequin Horizons; a self-publishing partnership with Author Solutions, Inc. (ASI) — the world’s leading self-publisher. More of the press release HERE.

Um, this little announcement has not made authors happy. As you can see HERE.

Harlequin tried to address concerns.

Here's what they had to say:

What is Harlequin Horizons? Self-publishing is one of a suite of publishing options an aspiring author can choose from these days; with the launch of Carina Press we can provide the flexibility of a digital-only press, and Horizons offers a self-publishing option.

How is this related to Harlequin? Horizons will be a division of Harlequin, operated by Author Solutions. Authors published with Harlequin Horizons are not published by Harlequin. The books will carry the double-H Horizons logo on the spine.

Why is Harlequin launching a self-publishing business? Many aspiring authors choose self-publishing as a way to see their work in print - to give copies as gifts, to have a bound copy to help in finding an agent, or simply as a keepsake. Horizons will make it possible for thousands of authors, whose manuscripts Harlequin or other traditional publisher cannot publish, to see their books in print. This offers aspiring authors an opportunity not only to be published, but to grow and develop as writers and refine their personal brand.

Why is this branded Harlequin? We're proud to offer this option to those who choose to self-publish, and for aspiring romance authors, an association with the Harlequin brand makes sense. The brand, however, is only author-facing; Harlequin will not be branded on the books or in any of the metadata or sales information accompanying the book. We hope to discover new authors through this service and welcome them into the Harlequin brand family proper.

Isn't this misleading for aspiring authors? We are not misleading people, but simply offering a Harlequin-approved option for those authors who choose to self-publish. This does not change our commitment to finding, publishing, and developing new authors through our series and imprints. Our partnership with Author Solutions is not an endorsement of self-publishing over submitting to a publisher or press; but if you choose to self-publish, we endorse Author Solutions through our partnership with them.

Why would authors submit slush to us if this is a better option for them? For the same reasons they have always submitted slush - not just for the chance to be published by Harlequin, but with the hope of beginning long and fulfilling career as a Harlequin author.

Will Harlequin and Author Solutions work together? Yes and no. The self-publishing house is a separate business with separate staff, website, contract, etc. However, if a title sells very well, Harlequin can acquire the title for future print publication.

What's going to happen with the slush Harlequin currently receives? We will continue to welcome unsolicited manuscripts from aspiring authors. All standard/form/template rejection letters will include a short note about Harlequin Horizons as a self-publishing option for the aspiring author. Author Solutions will not have access to the author contact information in our eHERS database. No one from Author Solutions will contact any aspiring authors unless they opt-in through the website (http://www.harlequinhorizons.com/).

Will eHarlequin.com sell these self-published books? No

A lot of established Harlequin authors feel their credential of being a Harlequin author won't mean as much now.

And then the RWA said this:

With the launch of Harlequin Horizons, Harlequin Enterprises no longer meets the requirements to be eligible for RWA-provided conference resources. This does not mean that Harlequin Enterprises cannot attend the conference. Like all non-eligible publishers, they are welcome to attend. However, as a non-eligible publisher, they would fund their own conference fees and they would not be provided with conference resources by RWA to publicize or promote the company or its imprints.

A yikes.

I think Harlequin got a little greedy with this endeavor. However, because of the size of the company, I'm not so sure this will really hurt their sales. It will be interesting to see Harlequin's response to this bold move by the Romance Writer's Association.

Do think this was a smart business move by Harlequin or do you think they're trying to have their cake and eat it too?

Do you think it will hurt their sales in the long run?

Zonderkidz Book Review & Giveaway!

Hey, ladies and gentlemen!

The director of marketing at Zonderkidz was kind enough to send me these picture books by Julie Cantrell to review and was also kind enough to supply an extra set for a giveaway!! Woo-hoo!

REVIEW: I can't tell you how thrilled I am with these books. FINALLY a picture book set that really gets it right. I wish my little one was still little because I would have LOVED reading her these books.

The pictures of the animals are sweet and tender and sometimes funny. But the main message is so beautiful: that you are loved, you are protected by God and you are to trust in Him when you are afraid. Ms Cantrell's books are a heartwarming way to introduce God's character as well as Bible verses to your toddler. This set (God is with me through the Day and God is with me through the Night) would make a great gift for a new baby!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Cantrell is a certified speech-language pathologist with years of experience helping children develop communication skills. As a freelance writer, she has written countless articles on the topics of parenting, family, faith, child development, education, and health. She also wrote for MOPS, Intl. (Mothers of Preschoolers) for nearly a decade, where she served as contributing editor for MOMSense magazine. She currently writes for Princeton HealthCare System and FNC, Inc.

Julie's first picture books, God is with Me through the Day and God is with Me through the Night were published this year by Zondervan to help young children overcome fears while building their faith in God.

Learn more about how to help your children overcome fears by visiting Julie's blog. There, you'll also find themed activities for parents and teachers of young children--plus lots of fun ideas for families!

Q&A with Julie Cantrell on God is with Me through the Night and God is with Me through the Day:

Why did you write these picture books?

When my daughter was young, she had a hard time sleeping in her own bed. She was afraid of the dark, and she suffered from terrible nightmares. She loved to read, and she loved animals – so when she was five years old, the two of us worked together to create a bedtime story just for her.

We found stock photos of animals, and we wrote simple text to reassure her that even when I tucked her into her bed at night, she was not alone. I wanted her to feel secure that I would never leave her in a place that wasn’t safe, and that God was always with her—even in the dark.

How did the books become published?

I never intended to publish the book. I wrote it to help my own daughter overcome her fears while building her faith in God. When her friends would sleep over, they all enjoyed the book and wanted me to print copies for them. Then the neighborhood kids asked for copies. I was working in a preschool as a speech-language pathologist at the time, so I read the story to my students. They all reacted positively to the story, so some of the other teachers and parents asked for copies. Their reactions made me think seriously about sharing the story to children on a bigger scale.

I had been working as a freelance writer for many years, so I decided to look for an agent. Several publishers expressed serious interest in the books, and we ended up signing a contract with Zonderkidz (the children’s division of Zondervan).

I was thrilled when they asked for a partner book to help children cope with fears such as separation anxiety and shyness through the day. God is with Me through the Day and God is with Me through the Night were released simultaneously on March 1, 2009.


How did your professional background help you write these books?

Aside from writing articles on the topics of faith, family, and child development for nearly a decade, I am also a certified speech-language pathologist. I’ve spent years helping children of all abilities/disabilities develop their communication skills. This includes not only their speech, but their reading and language skills as well. I was certain that young children preferred books with big pictures, simple text, and repetitive prose. Plus, I knew that most kids love animals.

Still, I conducted extensive research on children’s picture books. I was surprised to read studies that indicated children prefer color photos to illustrations. With real-world reactions from children, data to support the design of the books, and a gut instinct that families would enjoy reading these aloud time and time again, I decided to move forward with publishing. I am excited to share this universal message with children around the world.

How have children reacted to the books?

It’s been amazing to see children’s reactions as I read to school groups and story time groups. They laugh at the funny photos. They say “awww” when there’s a sweet photo. And they show sad expressions when the animals express fear or loneliness. I encourage them to talk to the animals on the pages. “Tell the goat, ‘Don’t be scared. Go play with your friends.’” Or “Silly kitty. That’s just a shadow!” They really interact with the book and always ask me to read it again.

Through the use of realistic, natural photos, the children can understand that all of God’s creatures feel afraid at times. It helps them cope with their emotions so they feel confident to explore their world or sleep through the night.

How have parents reacted to the books?

It’s been wonderful to hear feedback from parents after they’ve bought the books, especially to hear that this is sometimes the first book their child could read independently. As a mother, author, and speech-language pathologist, that’s an amazing compliment.

One of my favorite stories was from the parents of a three-year-old daughter. They emailed me to say they ran to her bedroom door because they had heard her screaming. When they got there, they realized she was yelling, “I am safe! I am loved!” which are phrases used repetitively in both books. Another huge compliment has been to hear that children carry these books around with them in the car or that parents have had to tape the pages back together because the books have been so “loved.”

I am thrilled, honored, and grateful that these stories are reaching so many families. If there’s one thing I want everyone to know, it’s that they’re loved and that they’re never alone. If I can share that message with even one child a day, then I am very blessed.



**Parents and teachers can find fun and developmentally appropriate activities to go along with the books at Julie's blog.

**Readers can also join the facebook group, God is with Me through the Day and Night.


****If you'd like to win a copy of these two children's books, please leave a comment on this post.



This contest will run until midnight Saturday, November 21. I will then draw a commenter's name out of a hat and post the winner on Monday, November 23. :)

Drink to Better Writing

MOOD STATUS: "Upbeat". Got a lot done on my little blog break. :)

Last week in church I was talking to one of my vegan friends. (You know the type: never sick, thin, not a slave to chocolate or Cheetos, etc...)

Anyhew, I was asking her about natural alternatives to some health problems and that landed us on the topic of WATER. Well, by the end of our conversation, my hubby and I were completely sold on the benefits of it. And we also realized we don't drink enough of it--nor do we drink enough fluids in general.

I've thought about my not drinking enough in the past--especially since the last few times I've been hospitalized I've been told I'm dehydrated (despite drinking my normal amount).

So, right now the hubby and I are drinking about four 16 oz glasses a day and feel really good--despite the constant bathroom breaks. One of the things I've noticed alread is that I do feel much more alert, even with my going with the half caffeine coffee!

Here are some things that made ME decide to drink more water:

**since you're brain tissue is 85% water, your brain functions rely heavily on an ample water supply.
(Maybe you're not really getting old and forgetful; you just need more water.)

** Our energy level is determined the amount of drinking water we consume. Medical proof states that just a 5 per cent drop in fluids of the body will typically cause from 25 to 30 per cent loss of energy.

**Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

**A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

See a connection here with writing? :)

As a result, I've been keeping a pint glass of water (with straw) on my writing desk and drinking throughout the day while I work.

Do you drink enough water?

Awards and Another Break

IN THE NEWS: Woman drives into aquarium at Tampa airport. Read more HERE.

It's Blog Awards Time!

Seeing that I have been the recipent of many blog awards over the last few weeks and have not reciprocated, I figured now was the time. (Before people stop awarding me any more!) :)

First up: Roni over at Fiction Groupie was so kind to give me the HELPFUL BLOGGER award.

The Helpful Blogger Award Rules
Include the award logo in your blog or post.
Link to post where you received the award.
Nominate seven blogs that you feel are helpful to others.
Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
Let them know they've received the award by commenting on their blog. check
Share one thing that no one knows about you & quote a sentence from your favorite book.

ok...

1) I don't think anyone knows that my favorite candy bar is Twix.

2) A sentence from ONE of my favorite books, Honey Moon by Susan Elizabeth Phillips:

He looked down at the fingernails on his free hand, then began an elaborate show of inspecting and buffing them while he waited for her to speak.

I'm giving these seven bloggers that award:

1) Jill Kemerer

2) Cindy R. Wilson

3) Shelli at Market my Words

4) Patricia at Readin N Writin with Patricia

5) Sierra Godfrey

6) Jeannie at The Character Therapist

7) Joanne at Whole Latte Life

Next is the HUMANE AWARD given to me by T. Anne at White Platonic Dreams.

Blogging Award Rules
1) Accept the award and post a link back to the awarding person.
2) Pass the award on (the rules differ here; sometimes you pass on to one person, five, or even more).
3) Notify award winner.

And my nominee's for the Humane award are:

1)Sherrinda at A writer Wannabe

Next is the Love Ya Award given to me by Stephanie Faris from Steph in the City blog.

I'm passing this award off to:
1) T. Anne
2) Chelle Sandell
3) Chicki Brown


Next, Diggestive over at Writing about everything and a few lists was nice enough to give me the BEST BLOG AWARD.



I'm supposed to pass this to 15 blogs, but I'm being a rebel and giving it to three.
1) Susan R Mills
2) Jessica Nelson at BookingIt
3) Heather Sunseri

Lastly, Kristen Torres-Toro at Write in the Way gave me the HONEST SCRAP award.

I'm giving this award to these five bloggers:


1) Tess Hilmo
2) Stephanie Newton
3) Scott at A writer's blog
4) Beth at This Mommy's Life
5) Diane at That's what I'm Here for

Whew!!! I'm done.

Thank you to everyone who gave me an award!

And now, I'm done blogging until Monday.
I have a few deadlines to meet, so I'll be a little scarce on the internet.

So try not to post anything too brilliant. :)

Have a great week!

Prologues: bad rap or ditch worthy?

MOOD STATUS: "Bored". I desperately NEED to start a new story.


I promise this is the LAST bit of conference talk I'll do...

until the next conference, that is. :)

I can't remember exactly, but I think Jenny Crusie might have talked about prologues in her Beginnings and Endings workshop. It was either there or her pre conference workshop. But regardless, there I was--innocent little me sipping my tea and thinking about how much I would like a scone to go with it--when she blurted out, "Never write a prologue."

(She also said never write an epilogue, too, but that's another topic)

I think I was the only writer in the room who gasped.

Although I'm not a big fan of prologues and have never written one, I found it shocking to be told not to do one. So I anxiously looked around to see if anyone else was having the same kind of reaction but no one blinked. Sheesh.

Wouldn't you have found that shocking advice?

Maybe some didn't find it shocking, because they've heard and read on blogs about how so many agents wrinkle their noses at them. Even Kristin Nelson said, "99.9% of the time, the prologue is vague or doesn’t really give me a sense of the writing or the story that’s going to unfold. I skip them as a general rule."

Eeep. Poor little prologues... Why are they so unpopular? Is it misuse?

Well, author Maeve Maddox gives a litmus test (of sorts) to see if your prologue is up to snuff:

Ditch your prologue if…

1. …it seems boring even to you and you can hardly wait to get to Chapter One.
2. …it’s a lengthy narrative of back story that could more effectively be doled out in small bits as the story progresses.
3. …all it does is create atmosphere without having much to do with the story.

Here's Ms Crusie's reasoning against them:

Think of your story as a party. You welcome the reader in with open arms as soon as she reads the first sentence and the party immediately begins.

When you have a prologue, you're basically saying to your reader,"Hi, so glad you could come to my party, but you see, I can't let you in yet. Wait here on the step because there's a few things I need to tell you first before I think you'll be able to have a good time at my party."

I thought she made an interesting point.

At least one more thing to keep in mind when writing a prologue!

Now I've read some really good prologues that didn't read like "prologues" at all; the authors did a wonderful job of establishing character or setting up conflict with them.

But...I've read some stinky ones that seemed to be wrapped up more in setting the mood than really telling the story. Because I've been burned by them, I don't skip them but I do tend to skim them at first when I'm reading--unless something interesting is happening.
But that's just me. :)

How do you feel about reading prologues? Love them, hate them or indifferent?

Have you ever written one? If so, do you think it should still keep it?

A Break...and a Cake!

IN THE NEWS: Ohio man dressed as Breathalyzer accused of DUI. Read more HERE.

I'm officially on break. (Until Monday) :)

The kiddo is off from school (teacher's convention) and the hubby is taking a half day, so we're going to spend some time doing...something. Not sure what yet, but we are going out to breakfast now. Woo-hoo!

So I'm leaving you with a cake recipe. Carrot Cake to be exact.

I made this last weekend for my church's luncheon. I was asked to bake the cupcakes. I said, "Sure!"

72 cupcakes and 6 hours in the kitchen later...I began thinking, "WHY did I say 'sure'?"

But they were a huge hit! I even colored some of the frosting and made little "carrots" on top.
So cute!

Anyway here's the recipe:

Carrot Cupcakes
Bake in preheated oven 325 degrees for 45 minutes for cake layers and 35 minutes for cupcakes.

1 1/4 cups canola oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups grated carrots (about 1 pound)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins (I omitted because I forgot to buy them and I wasn't going back out again)

Combine sugar, oil and eggs. Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon, add to the sugar mixture and beat well. Add vanilla, carrots, pecans and raisins. Bake in 3 - 8" layer cake pans which have been well greased.
( Made over 24 cupcakes in regular size cupcake pans lined with cupcake papers.)

Amanda's Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
6 cups 10X sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Have a great weekend!

Do Your Characters Have Motto?

MOOD STATUS: "Alert". Not sure if it's because I just came back from running or it's because of the Monavie I've been drinking.

Anyhew, moving right along on my conference recapping...

This is the second seminar (in a short list of four) that I really enjoyed--and I've even been trying to apply this one to my own editing.

The seminar was called "You Say Tomato, I Say To-Motto: How character motto influences Plot, Conflict, and Other story elements". It was given by Harlequin Super Romance author Susan Gable.

First let me say that I did take a similar seminar by her at last year's conference. Or maybe it was the year before. Regardless, when I heard she was doing this workshop last minute, I changed my schedule to make sure I could take it again. It was THAT interesting.

What is character motto?

According to Ms Gable, it's a deeply held personal belief, stemming from the character's back story that impacts the way she or he views the world and the way she or he behaves.

Interesting already, no?

Well, here are some of her examples:

* appearances aren't everything, they're the only thing
* do the right thing
* what's in it for me?
* he who dies with the most toys wins
* life's short, eat dessert first
* success is the best revenge

She went on to explain how each of her characters have a motto. But the motto has to come from some sort of back story. Because those kinds of life views aren't just innate. They have to come from some sort of experience. Then, if you know your character that well, you can go and apply details about your character through setting, their behavior, choices and actions.

How are motto and theme related?

According to Gable, your motto is your character motto and your theme is your book's motto.

How can motto drive plot?

If you know your character's motto, you can use it to drive your character's growth arc. What your character has to learn by the end of the book will depend on your character's initial motto in the beginning of the book. By the ending, your character should modify their motto or adopt a whole new outlook on life.

I confess I LOVE this idea! (Which is why I had to hear the workshop again)

What a wonderfully easy way to understand your own characters. I'm trying to apply what I learned with the worksheet Ms Gable gave us as I'm editing through my rough draft. I have my hero's motto no problem. But I feel as if my heroine is kind of flighty and I really don't understand why she does certain things.
This is what I'm working on today: layering in motivation and back story.

If you're interested in more of what author Susan Gable has to say on that subject, check out her website for article and handout links.


What do you think of this technique?
Do your character's have mottos?

Halloween Recap

IN THE NEWS: NH restaurant sets meatball record. Read more HERE.

Don't ask me why I had let myself get roped into to trick-or-treating. I just... did. But this is how it happened:

Weeks ago, my daughter decided to be Daphne from Scooby Doo. Well, then she talked her neighbors into being Scooby and Freddy. Then we talked another neighbor into being Shaggy. And well, we just couldn't talk my daughter's five year friend into being Velma. So...

Before I knew it, I was agreeing to "take one for the team" and be Velma.

Of course this was decided two hours before trick-or-treating was to start!

My crafty neighbor had all the kids help paint and make The Mystery Machine, which she then attached to a wagon that we pulled around with us.


That HUGE Velma is me with my little 'Daphne'. My costume is really lame. My friend brought over a wig, which I cut. I had the glasses and found an orange top. I couldn't find orange knee-high socks, so I had to use my hubby's black ones. I think it did the job.


What do you think of it?

Did you dress up for Halloween?