Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thankful...

So here we are on the eve of Turkey Day! (sorry no ToFurkey, Frankie :o( ). I have had the weirdest last week and well, lets just say I have so many things to be thankful for.

This year is different. I am not in the Big C celebrating with my siblings or parents. I am in Ttown at my home with one of my best friends, Tracy, & her family (Mike & Isabel) hosting Thanksgiving. To be honest this was unorthodox at first for my mind to process. I mean, I am the family girl, I NEVER miss a holiday with my parents & siblings. This year though we opted to stay home. Not that there are any issues with the fam, on the contrary, we are in great spirits with our immediate families. We decided that Thanksgiving really is about being thankful. Tracy is family. She always has been. The opportunity to celebrate a holiday with her was something I did not think twice about.

Though my immediate family won't be crowded around my table, I will feel them in every recipe that I complete. My mother's dressing sits waiting in the fridge for tomorrow beneath a beautiful sweet potato casserole. I was up until midnight last night making a Whipping Cream Poundcake that my mother is known for. We plan to watch football, the Macy's parade & veg out. All the traditions I experienced growing up are built into my psyche. They travel through my hands as I add each egg to the cake batter. I feel them as I think about that Southern Cornbread Dressing. Yes my family is two hours away, but again in many ways they are right here.

I am thankful for that.

For Tracy, Mike & Isabel who traveled from St. Louis to Bama away from all their family for a vacation & chose us as their destination.
For my mother & father who taught me that blessings are never the items we receive but the love passed from giver to recipient.
For brothers & sisters that gather around the table to share memories of our youth.
For Marcus & his amazing acceptance of who I am.
For Peanut Butter (my dog) for his unquestioning love for me no matter how grumpy I might be. For my other sister: Stacie. A friend who has been there through so much that I wonder sometimes if we have ever really been apart even though distance reminds me we have.
For gifts intangible: my writing, my art, my perception.
For blogging: I am thankful for all my followers, for all my readers... you all make me want to check my blog constantly! ;o)
For this moment. This time to be on earth and type an entry. No matter how trite - time is precious & moments are fleeting.
For reminding me that family is always with me no matter where I am and that family is more than blood.
For the friends I have made on here & Twitter. Truly amazing people who I now cannot imagine my life without. Thank you.
For a manuscript I am really enjoying!
So now that my list is long and lengthy I leave you with this thought:
As each day rises to be met, may you meet it with an open mind and heart.
As the minutes pass may you remember the feeling, the passion, the love around you.
As the night falls around your shoulders may you recount the days' events with a smile.
As yours eyes close and dreams weave into your mind may you welcome the sweet release of sleep that comes from a day in a life worth lived.
As the night becomes the day may you welcome the new dawn with an optimistic mind, eyes ready to see the good and a heart that welcomes the new as it discovers the best of the past.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The NeverEnding Shelf's Thank You Contest!!

check out an awesome contest over at The Neverending Shelf!

So many things to win!!! Woohoo (if you don't follow her blog - you definitely need to!)


Saturday, November 21, 2009

Whew moments...

Whew.

One word.
One expression.
One sound made when spoken.

But a whole mess of meaning can come from that word.

I say it right now for many reasons. The past week has been one of the weirdest. I have a house full of company for the next week (it began Thursday). I also express it for the way my feet feel after cooking most of the day (with a trip to the grocery store as well).

Then it also explains the fact that sitting right now on my couch with my laptop on my knees I feel better. I say it while my chest rises and falls. The air slips between my lips and a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. My fingers are typing on the keyboard and it feels wonderful. I am sitting here with 5 other people in the room, I can hear the Nebraska/Kansas State game on the giant television, chatter is filling the room, a dog is playing with two little girls in my dining room but my mind, my heart is here on the screen.

That 'whew' wipes out everything around me and allows me a bit of needed solitude. Yes, solitude. Whether I am clicking away at a few blogs or looking up a word on dictionary.com or working on my manuscript or reading another writer's wonderful WIP - It always makes me grin how when my fingers are moving across the silver keys my breathing relaxes, my mind opens and I find myself learning so much.

It can't last forever though. Other things must be done, of course, due to the fact that sometimes I have to close the lid, sleep or eat, or shop or whatever, it makes me appreciate my "whew" moments even more.

So in a few clicks I will be uploading this post but you should know that my 'whew' will last a bit longer - I have a book to write so the next hour is all about my fingers as they listen to my characters and lead them to their destiny.

Before I go, I would love to know what is your best 'whew' activity? What is it that you like to do for those few moments of chaotic solitude? Do you read a magazine, text, blog, read a book? What do you do when the day has knocked you out but you still want to DO something? Even when there are people around, what do you do?

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Balancing the Internets & Manuscript Progress...

It was brought to my attention by someone wonderful & uber famous *cough*Frankie*cough* that I have been away from the Internets (Il Primo prefers the s) lately. Actually I have beenghosting the internets. You know - where you are hopping on quickly viewing your favorite sites then slipping away barely noticed. Though it would be more effective if I would quit leaving comments on blogs... but then how would I show my love for USC lessons (http://tiny.cc/pWgBJ ) or friends who receive famous shoutouts (http://tiny.cc/n2WIh) or new releases & contests ( http://tiny.cc/HIntN ) or anything else that I love so much!!!!

The reason for my ghosting is actually simple. My day job has been crazy lately & I realized it is almost December! IT IS NOVEMBER 18TH!!!!!! Can you hear me as I shriek those words? My hairbrush is embedded in my hair, my eyes are bloodshot and I am sitting at a computer typing about the date! THE DATE! November is over halfway gone. It is 37 days till Christmas for crying out loud!

It hit me two days ago when someone doing NaNoRevismo posted about how quickly November is slipping by. They were right. I immersed myself into my manuscript and proudly resurfaced this morning with many words in and pleased with the progress. My biggest issue is holding off on major revisions - no, holding off on any revisions - until I am done. It is hard. Little things jump out at me, but I would rather free flow write & then work back through the roughest draft possible.It is better than getting bogged down revising seven chapters. It is dangerous for me to get stuck in revisions. I would have beautiful first chapters then an incomplete or crazy rough remaining chapters or the scariest possibility - lose all interest in the story as a whole.

So my ghostly visits were merely so I could focus on my 'right now work' but it hit me as I read an entry (the one about a certain friend and her famous shout out) that cutting myself off from the internets is more harmful. The release of just enjoying chatter with other writers, discussing 6 foot tall adverb killing armadillos, vegan cookies, and everything else we Tweet/Blog/Text about allows a fresh look when I turn back to my work. My mind is better rested & I seem to find my groove better after taking a break. I just have to remember it is a BREAK, not a reason to let my work slip away from me. So I just have to find the right balance.

I also realized that Il Primo gives me actual nightmares. He appeared in one last night. Talked about how if I don't get my manuscript complete their won't be need to think about any revisions... he scares me, but -

Il Primo will just have to get over it when I minimize my work, grab a snack and let my mouse click away for small increments throughout the day.

I mean unless he has a major issue and comes inside the house therefore wreaking havoc on my computer, husband and dog... he wouldn't would he?

He would.

Let's just keep this between you & me.

If he thinks I am on the internets, I can just tell him that Frankie & Shannon said something about his shell being too small & that he smells....

then he will just terrorize them...

yeah, that'll work... hee hee

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Kingdom's Sunday Scribbles...

Welcome to
The Kingdom's Sunday Scribbles!

I decided that since Sunday is a day I spend a great deal of time dedicated to my manuscript, I would start doing something called The Kingdom's Sunday Scribbles... Every week, I will post a quick blurb about how things are going & maybe some links to a few things I have found interesting. There are so many wonderful things out in the Blogosphere, Twitterverse, Cyberworld that it can be overwhelming! Granted there are a million things I miss just because not enough hours in the day to visit them all or to even learn they exist! So here goes...

1.) Bama won yesterday 31 -3 against Mississippi State ROLL TIDE ROLL!

2.) A wonderful virtual friend of mine, Frankie, whose blog has been quoted/linked by Publisher's Weekly! GO FRANKIE! To read her account and see how amazing she is click here: http://tiny.cc/uB1Gs Oh & be ever so jealous as you read her account of the awesome author event she attended!

3.) Have you met Ninjadillo yet? You haven't? Well be prepared for a possible attack if you are an adverb lover like me! Head over to Shannon's Blog for his video debut! http://tiny.cc/kbDpA

4.) CONTESTS!!! Woohoo at the books to win:
a.)Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stone! This book sounds awesome! Via the Reading Nook! enter to win here: http://tiny.cc/O8NSf
b.) ARC of FALLEN by Lauren Kate via Frankie's blog: http://tiny.cc/nQMIX

c.) Signed copy of Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler over at Laura's Review http://tiny.cc/dLWs8

d.) TONS of SWAG & BOOKS over at Michelle Zink's site: http://tiny.cc/zNIs4

e.) Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams : http://tiny.cc/fcw63

5.) ALWAYS check RKCharron's blog - talk about keeping you up to date on book releases, contests, everything!! It is wonderful! Some great articles & tips too! (There is one she posted about Imagery & the Third Eye by Stephen King that is AWESOME) http://rkcharron.blogspot.com/

5.) A great article/reference on the need or not need of Literary Agents on Distraction 99 blog (Nova Ren Suma author of the awesome book Dani Noir) http://tiny.cc/F59mz Also just peruse her blog - she has some great honest entries about being a published author!

6.) A fun & good blog about all things Literary Management! Check out Dystel & Goderich's blog: http://dglm.blogspot.com/

Progress Report: My manuscript is going well, I cringe at when it comes time for revisions, but I am pleased with my direction so far. You should know that these characters are so much fun to hear! Granted many arguments in scenes have occurred, but overall I think they like where they are going.

I also want to thank so many other bloggers/followers out there that post comments on my blog. You all are so wonderful & supportive. I love hearing from all of you & cannot wait to meet everyone new that stops by!

Okay whew! The Kingdom is full of craziness & fun this week. The sites listed are just a hand full of the ones I visit. There are tons more, but these stood out the most as I thought about this week's entry. (By all means run through my blogroll on the left to find even more fun places to visit) So go on, click on some links, enter a few contests, read up on the publishing world, follow some Tweets & stop by the Kingdom anytime!