This is a long list at our house! We have well over 1500 books in our library at the moment. My to be read new releases are on another shelf in the living room. And the range of genres and books vary greatly! Some may think we have ADD when it comes to making book choices. Our last trip to the book store included buying Abrham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith, Atremis Fowl books 5 & 6 by Eoin Colfer, Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult and Burned by Ellen Hopkins. We also purchased What to Expect when you are Expecting and What to Expect When your Wife is Expanding. This is not a very cohesive reading list to most people but it works for us.
I enjoy popular fiction by strong female authors. Being a writer of mainly young adult fiction, I read as many different authors as I can in this genre. My secret passion lately has been H.P. Lovecraft. My Kindle is stocked full of his works. The varying degree of subjects and genres keeps me interested and reading at least a book a week. When this shelf empties out, I will head to my library to tackle novels my husband has collected which includes Shadowrun books as well as several Dungeons & Dragon franchise novels. We run the gambit here and do not discriminate.
The list of books is extensive so I can offer a short list of the authors that represent multiple books at once. Jodi Picoult, Eoin Colfer, John Green, Ellen Hopkins, H.P. Lovecraft, Shakespeare, George Orwell, Sarah Dessen and Julie Kenner. There are many others among the ranks but I will leave it here. All I can say is I read all the time and have no favorites!!!
This blog was inspired by Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour brought to you by Forward Motion for Writer, a free web-based community for serious authors. Our topic this month was What's on your To-Be-Read List? Please head over to Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour to see what other members are reading right now. Our next blog will be by G.R. Colorado. Stop by The Literary Hub to check out the To-Be-Read list.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
It's all about the words...
Books, words, stories, plots, characters. These are all the things that have accompanied me as long as I can remember. Each night before bed, I would kneel before my bookshelf and run my hands over all the spines of my favorite stories and my friends. The likes of Mickie Mouse, The Littles, My Little Pony and, of course, The Berenstain Bears. My dad would sit on the edge of my bed and read the same beloved stories time and time again. As I got older, I started holding the books and reading along. Until one day, I was able to read them by myself. At that point, I never stopped. I would devour a book in an afternoon and pick up another. Then another after that one. It was a passion. An escape. The characters WERE my friends. I felt their pain and happiness. The butterflies fluttered in my tummy during Charlotte's Web. Their world was my world.
My passion has always been the written word. Technology has advanced but the touch, the feel and the smell of a bound book comforts me. Turning the pages reminds me of those childhood years when I had no cares. This love made me the student I was as I wrote papers, stories and poetry for my own amusement and for assignments. In the beginning, I had many start and stop stories. More of thoughts and outlines to go back to later. My poetry was the number one thing for several years. I read every book I could get my hands on but my writing was poetry. Reaching the middle of high school, I ran out of academic classes to take so I signed up for Creative Writing. The first day of class we were handed 5 1/4" floppy discs to save our work on before we printed it off on dot-matrix printers. The sound of that printer kicking into action excited me. My words on the paper for others to read.
Almost 20 years later, I am still typing in front of a computer. My ideas flowing into a story. The birthing of a novel is a strenuous job. And I love it. My creativity can flow and I can say whatever I want. No one can tell me what is or isn't supposed to be in my stories. I am free to explore the depths of my mind. And I love it.
This month's topic for Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour for Forward Motion is "Why am I a writer". My answer quite simply is: I love words. I cannot think of another reason better. Writing a story is setting down words to convey what is in my mind. Without words, there would be no writers or books to read. I am thankful to my dad for instilling the love of reading and the importance of it at a very young age. It has been a light in dark times. A beacon to show me my way through the mist of sadness. The time spent with a book is never wasted but a cherished time with old friends. Til we meet again...
Please go visit the writings of my fellow writers at Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour and see why they became writers themselves. Tomorrow will bring the writings of G R Colorado. Until next month, happy reading!
My passion has always been the written word. Technology has advanced but the touch, the feel and the smell of a bound book comforts me. Turning the pages reminds me of those childhood years when I had no cares. This love made me the student I was as I wrote papers, stories and poetry for my own amusement and for assignments. In the beginning, I had many start and stop stories. More of thoughts and outlines to go back to later. My poetry was the number one thing for several years. I read every book I could get my hands on but my writing was poetry. Reaching the middle of high school, I ran out of academic classes to take so I signed up for Creative Writing. The first day of class we were handed 5 1/4" floppy discs to save our work on before we printed it off on dot-matrix printers. The sound of that printer kicking into action excited me. My words on the paper for others to read.
Almost 20 years later, I am still typing in front of a computer. My ideas flowing into a story. The birthing of a novel is a strenuous job. And I love it. My creativity can flow and I can say whatever I want. No one can tell me what is or isn't supposed to be in my stories. I am free to explore the depths of my mind. And I love it.
This month's topic for Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour for Forward Motion is "Why am I a writer". My answer quite simply is: I love words. I cannot think of another reason better. Writing a story is setting down words to convey what is in my mind. Without words, there would be no writers or books to read. I am thankful to my dad for instilling the love of reading and the importance of it at a very young age. It has been a light in dark times. A beacon to show me my way through the mist of sadness. The time spent with a book is never wasted but a cherished time with old friends. Til we meet again...
Please go visit the writings of my fellow writers at Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour and see why they became writers themselves. Tomorrow will bring the writings of G R Colorado. Until next month, happy reading!
Friday, June 29, 2012
The art of Flim Flam
So, today is my day to rant about the treatment of women by the automobile industy. Women are not inferior to men. Each individual has strong points and weak points. Our skill sets are different. It is just human nature. All that being said, I see women being treated as less intelligent when it comes to car purchases and repairs. This morning was a perfect example.
My husband works Monday through Friday from 8:00am until 5:00pm or later. This left the responsibilty of purchasing tires to me. Not generally a problem. We priced the tires and went to the local Discount Tire and asked for a price match. No problem there. I made an appointment and made my way to get the new tires. All was going very well until I was paying and the salesman offered to add an additional 2 tires for a total of 4. He explained that there was a rebate if we purchased a full set. I agreed and made my purchase for four tires of the specifications that I originally requested. No problems there.
After waiting for the tires to be installed, I got into my truck and came home. The ride was nice and I realized how badly the tires were needed. The problem came next. My husband came home for lunch and immediately said, "Those aren't the tires we asked for. How much did he charge you and what did he say he was selling you?" I pulled out the receipt and sure enough, he had changed the tire model to the cheaper tire without telling me and did not adjust the price to reflect the change. A total difference of $62 after we repriced the tires we received. Would this have happened if my husband had went to the tire shop? I highly doubt it because he would have known they were wrong before he left the shop. He would have known to ask if they had enough of the correct tires in stock. I am not blaming being female on the swindle but my lack of knowledge. However, I do blame the salesman for flim flamming. He knew I didn't know much about tires because I did say so. I realize my limitations and he exploited that fact.
My lesson was learned today. Firstly, that I need to be more aware of the reciepts when I handle car related transactions. Secondly, that Discount Tire is known for flim flam sales. And thirdly, I know my limitations and need to refuse to handle transactions that are outside of that scope.
My husband works Monday through Friday from 8:00am until 5:00pm or later. This left the responsibilty of purchasing tires to me. Not generally a problem. We priced the tires and went to the local Discount Tire and asked for a price match. No problem there. I made an appointment and made my way to get the new tires. All was going very well until I was paying and the salesman offered to add an additional 2 tires for a total of 4. He explained that there was a rebate if we purchased a full set. I agreed and made my purchase for four tires of the specifications that I originally requested. No problems there.
After waiting for the tires to be installed, I got into my truck and came home. The ride was nice and I realized how badly the tires were needed. The problem came next. My husband came home for lunch and immediately said, "Those aren't the tires we asked for. How much did he charge you and what did he say he was selling you?" I pulled out the receipt and sure enough, he had changed the tire model to the cheaper tire without telling me and did not adjust the price to reflect the change. A total difference of $62 after we repriced the tires we received. Would this have happened if my husband had went to the tire shop? I highly doubt it because he would have known they were wrong before he left the shop. He would have known to ask if they had enough of the correct tires in stock. I am not blaming being female on the swindle but my lack of knowledge. However, I do blame the salesman for flim flamming. He knew I didn't know much about tires because I did say so. I realize my limitations and he exploited that fact.
My lesson was learned today. Firstly, that I need to be more aware of the reciepts when I handle car related transactions. Secondly, that Discount Tire is known for flim flam sales. And thirdly, I know my limitations and need to refuse to handle transactions that are outside of that scope.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Life's a Balancing Act
In the month of June, Forward Motion's Merry Go Round blog topic is balancing life and writing. It is a tough topic for many reasons but everyone can relate. So, it is time to delve into my experience with the balancing act.
From the minute we are born, we must learn to divide our time amongst different tasks. The young baby has only a few things to balance: sleep, eat, cry... It is simple and the baby never has a worry because these things settle in well together. That is until they grow and need to learn new things like crawling, feeding themselves, walking and talking. The lesson begins.
Life prepares us slowly for the busyness of adulthood. We start out like that infant with limited abilities and needs. Slowly, new skills are learned and we grow to learn to balance physically as well as figuratively. Once you get the physical balance down, you start to run and never look back. Seems awesome, right? But what are you running towards? Adulthood. Responsibility. A life to balance all of your own roles in it.
I am a wife, an aunt, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a homemaker and a writer. These are just the roles I fill today. As we start our family, a mother's role will be added. I toss my juggling balls into the air and hope for the best every day. My feet it the floor each moment with the sole purpose of not disappointing anyone in my life, myself included. However, I am the first person I sacrifice to take care of others. My time alone, my time to read and, of course, my time to write, These are the first things to go. My husband is taken care of as well as our home. My parents have been checked in on. My friends and other family members have all claimed their piece of me for that day. The quiet of evening takes over and the time to write turns into zoning in front of the TV to relax. But no more will I let my life run me!
My new resolve in life is to balance the personal life and my writing life so that each is fulfilling. I have a to do list each day. It includes the household activities that need tending to as well as my objectives for my writing. I am not looking at each aspect of my life as a chunk of time but as each task getting the attention it deserves. Today is writing this blog. Tomorrow I will start to create character profiles for my next project. Will I fail some days? I am sure of it but I still toss those balls in the air every morning. Hope for the best and expect the worst. You end up happily surprised at the end of the day.
From the minute we are born, we must learn to divide our time amongst different tasks. The young baby has only a few things to balance: sleep, eat, cry... It is simple and the baby never has a worry because these things settle in well together. That is until they grow and need to learn new things like crawling, feeding themselves, walking and talking. The lesson begins.
Life prepares us slowly for the busyness of adulthood. We start out like that infant with limited abilities and needs. Slowly, new skills are learned and we grow to learn to balance physically as well as figuratively. Once you get the physical balance down, you start to run and never look back. Seems awesome, right? But what are you running towards? Adulthood. Responsibility. A life to balance all of your own roles in it.
I am a wife, an aunt, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a homemaker and a writer. These are just the roles I fill today. As we start our family, a mother's role will be added. I toss my juggling balls into the air and hope for the best every day. My feet it the floor each moment with the sole purpose of not disappointing anyone in my life, myself included. However, I am the first person I sacrifice to take care of others. My time alone, my time to read and, of course, my time to write, These are the first things to go. My husband is taken care of as well as our home. My parents have been checked in on. My friends and other family members have all claimed their piece of me for that day. The quiet of evening takes over and the time to write turns into zoning in front of the TV to relax. But no more will I let my life run me!
My new resolve in life is to balance the personal life and my writing life so that each is fulfilling. I have a to do list each day. It includes the household activities that need tending to as well as my objectives for my writing. I am not looking at each aspect of my life as a chunk of time but as each task getting the attention it deserves. Today is writing this blog. Tomorrow I will start to create character profiles for my next project. Will I fail some days? I am sure of it but I still toss those balls in the air every morning. Hope for the best and expect the worst. You end up happily surprised at the end of the day.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
You've got readers!
Who is my Ideal Reader? That is a very good question. January is Ideal Reader month on the Forward Motion Merry-Go-Round blog. Each writer needs to take time and figure this out to see if they are meeting the needs of the reader.
I am lucky to be able to answer this question without a doubt. When I started writing, I wrote about what I knew. I know all about mentally ill pre-teens and teens. I also know a great deal about mental illnesses and how to deal with them. My first character came from past experience as well. I thought it would be awesome if teens could read about characters that are dealing with real life issues. Their issues! Hence, a target audience was born.
Will this work for all of my manuscripts? The answer is, of course, no. Over time things change in your works. The style, subject matter and audience all are looked at in a new light. We, as writers, should remember to adapt and examine our works. Then, and only then, can we know who our Ideal Reader really is.
Check out other writers Ideal Writers at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com/
I am lucky to be able to answer this question without a doubt. When I started writing, I wrote about what I knew. I know all about mentally ill pre-teens and teens. I also know a great deal about mental illnesses and how to deal with them. My first character came from past experience as well. I thought it would be awesome if teens could read about characters that are dealing with real life issues. Their issues! Hence, a target audience was born.
Will this work for all of my manuscripts? The answer is, of course, no. Over time things change in your works. The style, subject matter and audience all are looked at in a new light. We, as writers, should remember to adapt and examine our works. Then, and only then, can we know who our Ideal Reader really is.
Check out other writers Ideal Writers at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com/
Monday, December 26, 2011
Holiday Cheer!
December brings many holidays to celebrate to everyone in our world. So this month, the Merry Go Round Blog Tour is discussing holidays. I will focus on what I know, Christmas. It is a blessing and a curse every year in so many ways. But no one wants to hear about the bad...
This year, my family descended upon my home yesterday afternoon. We have a very long yet narrow living room full of 15 people. The youngest was 3 months old all the way up to my grandma who is in her 70's. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Which is always a blessing because that means there are no arguments. My mom loves a peaceful holiday. Missing, of course, was my brother so it wasn't a perfect day.
My 3 year old grandniece was so precious. Every gift was special. Each outfit received a snuggle before it went on mommy's lap. Every toy opened was followed with the large eye, open mouthed "yay" even the books I gave her. It is so refreshing to see the enjoyment of the young ones.
I would be remissed if I didn't hit on the reason we celebrate Christmas. It is a time of year for giving and caring. As a Christian, we remember the birth of Jesus and the sacrifice he was born to make. We draw together as a family and give thanks as well as enjoy each other's company.
I hope each of you has had a blessed holiday no matter what religion or holiday you celebrate!
This year, my family descended upon my home yesterday afternoon. We have a very long yet narrow living room full of 15 people. The youngest was 3 months old all the way up to my grandma who is in her 70's. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Which is always a blessing because that means there are no arguments. My mom loves a peaceful holiday. Missing, of course, was my brother so it wasn't a perfect day.
My 3 year old grandniece was so precious. Every gift was special. Each outfit received a snuggle before it went on mommy's lap. Every toy opened was followed with the large eye, open mouthed "yay" even the books I gave her. It is so refreshing to see the enjoyment of the young ones.
I would be remissed if I didn't hit on the reason we celebrate Christmas. It is a time of year for giving and caring. As a Christian, we remember the birth of Jesus and the sacrifice he was born to make. We draw together as a family and give thanks as well as enjoy each other's company.
I hope each of you has had a blessed holiday no matter what religion or holiday you celebrate!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Inner Workings of a Writer
November is self-interview month on the Blog Tour. So I will attempt to ask creative questions and give honest answers. I hope this will offer insight into my mind for myself as well. Here we go:
What genre do you read?
I mainly read Young Adult novels because that is what I tend to write. I do read Chick Lit as well as Classics. However, I feel it keeps me current in topic and dialogue if I read what is being published now.
Do you have a favorite author?
Yes and no. Since writing in first person is hard for me, I greatly admire Barry Lyga. He does so with such style. A true inspiration. In general, though, I tend to like several authors. Jodi Picoult, Stephen King, Maureen Johnson, Alice Walker and many more.
Where do you get your subject matter from?
Simply from the state of affairs in our society today. As well as watching things in my own life unfold. My husband always says your life is the best writing fodder. I agree. A very awesome story came out of a birthday dinner last year. Look all around. There are stories everywhere.
What topics are the most important to you?
I tend to deal with mental issues in teens. From cutting to homosexuality to eating disorders. I have seen at least one deal with each of these types of issues. I know how the real situation occurs and I attempt to offer a learning experience that does not mirror that one but is also not a "happy" ending. I do not believe sugar coating the consequences teaches teens anything.
Who is your biggest supporter?
My husband, Dan, of course. He is my writing drill sargent. He keeps me going and makes it possible that I can write. I have friends also who are supportive which helps.
I hope this look into my brain and the logic I follow has enlightened you. Right now I am writing about Bulimia which is a subject near and dear to my heart. I wish you all a great weekend and healthy eating.
What genre do you read?
I mainly read Young Adult novels because that is what I tend to write. I do read Chick Lit as well as Classics. However, I feel it keeps me current in topic and dialogue if I read what is being published now.
Do you have a favorite author?
Yes and no. Since writing in first person is hard for me, I greatly admire Barry Lyga. He does so with such style. A true inspiration. In general, though, I tend to like several authors. Jodi Picoult, Stephen King, Maureen Johnson, Alice Walker and many more.
Where do you get your subject matter from?
Simply from the state of affairs in our society today. As well as watching things in my own life unfold. My husband always says your life is the best writing fodder. I agree. A very awesome story came out of a birthday dinner last year. Look all around. There are stories everywhere.
What topics are the most important to you?
I tend to deal with mental issues in teens. From cutting to homosexuality to eating disorders. I have seen at least one deal with each of these types of issues. I know how the real situation occurs and I attempt to offer a learning experience that does not mirror that one but is also not a "happy" ending. I do not believe sugar coating the consequences teaches teens anything.
Who is your biggest supporter?
My husband, Dan, of course. He is my writing drill sargent. He keeps me going and makes it possible that I can write. I have friends also who are supportive which helps.
I hope this look into my brain and the logic I follow has enlightened you. Right now I am writing about Bulimia which is a subject near and dear to my heart. I wish you all a great weekend and healthy eating.
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