50 States of Pray

It’s been a very difficult year for me and I’m afraid I had let myself become worn down and bitter. Even a little depressed.  This month that has changed.  I’ve had too many examples of how blessed I truly am.   

Things can be hard, hopes and dreams may not be fulfilled.  But it doesn’t matter.  I am so very blessed in the life I have, in my family, in my home.  I’m so grateful for this season that reminds me of what’s important in life, and how lucky I am. 

I hope each of you are having a wonderful and blessed year end.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Happy Holidays!

Hey everyone! I'm going dark so I can finish up my class and spend the holidays with my family.  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Festive New Year, or whatever other good wishes I can send your way.  I'll see you in the new year!

Book List

I need suggestions, and I know I’m asking the right crowd. 

 My brother and his wife have asked me to put together a list of books for their children.  They have two boys and two girls ranging in age from about 6 to 14.  They are all voracious readers and my brother and his wife can’t keep up with them. My kids are so much younger I don’t have a lot of experience with this age group. 

I’ve started a list, thanks to the middle grade Mondays and other promotions that you all do, but, since I don’t know what they’ve already read I want to get as many books on the list as possible.  Can any of you suggest books for them?  I know Fablehaven and Harry Potter were big hits if that helps.   

It’s always wonderful to see kids who like to read and I want to help keep them in books. 

Thanks everyone!

Wrap Up

The end of the year is upon us and I’ve been evaluating my year.  A lot has happened, much of it unexpected.  Many of the things, in writing and in life, that I hoped and expected to happen this year didn’t. Life is always a surprise isn’t it?  I guess that keeps it interesting.   Still, I’m not disappointed.  I’ve moved forward. I’m in a different place than this time last year. I’ve learned and grown and survived.  And that, after all, is my ultimate goal. 

A while ago I found this over on the blog of Sarah Eden.

As long as I keep going, no failure is ever final.

That’s the truth. And that’s why I keep going. It’s why I keep living.  What happens may not be what I planned, but it will be a fun ride, and as long as I can keep trying again, I’ll never fail.

How was your year?  Did your expectations come to pass? 

Happy Thanksgiving

We have a holiday in The United States this week. Thanksgiving.  The name pretty much says it all. It's a day for us to remember our blessings and give thanks for all we have. Each year, the week before Thanksgiving, the engineer and I like to make a Thanksgiving tree.

We put a paper tree up on the wall. It doesn't cost much, some years we've used those brown paper grocery bags. The structure doesn't matter too much because ideally by Thanksgiving it will be covered by leaves.  Each leaf has one thing that we are grateful for. As you can see we still have a little ways to go, but there's still three full days till thanksgiving. And we have a lot to be thankful for.


It's a great way for us to really remember and visualize all our blessings and it's a great way to help the kids learn about being grateful.  I love this tradition. It helps make our week more than just the stress and hustle of preparing a huge meal.

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you. Wherever you are, and whether or not you celebrate this holiday, I hope you can find something to be thankful for this week.  If you'd like, go ahead and share it in the comments. 

I'd like to say I'm thankful for all of you.  My friends, and somedays the only adult interaction I get.  Thanks for being here, for your inspiration, and for being you! 

Make an Impression

Do you ever come across an author, maybe in something unassuming, a blog post, an article in an online publication, that touches you so much, that even though they don’t speak about their work, you need to check it out? I’ve found a few authors that way. People I wouldn’t have come across otherwise, but that I’m so glad I got to know. This article did it for me. It’s an amazing post, and should be required reading for all authors. It really shows how books can save people.

The post is well written, the language engaging, the flow smooth, but that’s not what got me to check out his work. If you’ve read the article (if you haven’t go do it now) you’ll notice he hardly references his books at all.  He doesn’t spout log lines or back covers. He doesn’t use a hook or describe them in tantalizing ways. He doesn’t even offer sage writing advice. He wrote about himself, and others like him. He wrote about those who yearn. He wrote his heart.  And his heart touched mine.  That’s what makes me connect to a book. And having that connection in an online post makes me believe it will be in his novels too. 

This is the way to get people to read your books. Care. Help others. Have something to say and stand behind it. When people find you, they will find your books on their own. Even better, you just might help someone else who is struggling.

So True

I think we've all been here. If not with sales rank than with queries, or hearing back on an important crit.