Significant Other Blogfest! Marcus

Okay guys, one of my amazing CPs, DL Hammons and the always wonderful Talli Roland are hosting a Significant Other Blogfest. Now this is no ordinary Blogfest...no ma'am! This is where our significant others (children, spouse, boyfriend, friends) are able to take over our Blogs today and share their thoughts on living with a writer! I know- what are we thinking? Well my adorable husband is going to be answering some questions and commenting today. His name is Marcus and he is very aware of the Royal Court, so no worries - he aims to please.

Please be sure to check out the other lovely significant others by visiting Mr. Linky

Well I will let him have the floor now...

Hi, I'm Marcus. The Prince. Well I used to be just the most popular Stable Boy in the Kingdom until the Princess finally married me. Of course I had to keep her on the hook for 10 years before we could make it official - got to date a decade I say! I am very excited to be in charge at the Kingdom today. Princess Courtney is quite nervous as to what I may say here, but I aim to surprise her by being brutally honest. So bring on the questions:

1. What food or drink is guaranteed to return your loved one to a good mood, even after a bad day writing?
Drink: Cherry Coke & Root Beer (separately) Food: Sno Cone & Coconut Cake

2. What one thing would you change about your others writing habits? She likes to read me things when football is on the television - I don't know why.

3. How hard is it to sit by and watch someone you care for struggle to attain a dream...knowing there's very little you can do to help? Courtney does not have that problem. She is always creating, if a story line has her stumped she gets up and cleans, redecorates, cooks, something! Her creative juices are always flowing.

4. How do you feel about being used as a "prop" for character study? Used. Vulnerable. Violated. Dirty.*insert snicker here*

5. What is it like to live every day with someone who writes? Its very freeing for me. She really gets in a groove sometimes and it allows me to get away with a few things. I get to play PS3 for hours, watch football, relax, but also know that I am there if she needs my advice or to bounce ideas off of.

6. What is your one favorite thing about living with a writer? The input. There is something very special about having someone ask you to take part in their creation. To know that they value your opinion so much about something as personal as their story. It is pretty awesome. Besides the conversations are hilarious when dining out - "He cheated! No, don't let him cheat, he's a murderer!" You should see neighboring tables!

7. How does living with a writer affect "your"dayjob? It's great. I have a personal spell check just a phone call away!

8. When you first started realizing that writing was going to be a big part of your relationship were you open to it or did you think it just a silly hobby? I was very open to it. When are we signing the papers for movie rights? :) Truthfully, I don't doubt Courtney doing anything. She will be exactly who she wants to be and writing has been a part of her long before I came along. It is one of the reasons I love her.

Okay, thanks for letting me on here today. I enjoyed this. Now - um you all do know that there is some football this weekend so I better get off of this thing so she can get to writing. Oh and thank you all, she talks all the time about each of you and I feel like I know you. It really makes me smile to see her getting to know such great people. Our Kingdom really loves all its Court and really enjoys that you all let us share this journey with you. Have a good weekend.

Wednesday Wants & Wonders..

Samantha: "Carrie, honey if it hurts so much why are we going shopping?"

Carrie: "I have a broken toe, not a broken spirit!"

-Sex & the City

***

Okay, Wednesday is going to shift themes a bit...I plan to do Wednesday Wants & Wonders. Don't worry the other days will still be focused on Writing this just will help break up the monotony of the week! A Blog day about things out there that writers might want/need/desire, etc. or sometimes just the odd items found in the retail world but also focus on the Wonders. Now I am using Wonders vaguely so that it can be a completely open idea. What is a wonder to me may not be to you and vice versa. So really who knows what could appear on Wednesdays but with it being the middle of the week, sometimes a little retail therapy can help with weekly doldrums... dontcha' think? ;o)

But FIRST I need to recap Birthday Week Shopping:

There is a possibility that you all know I celebrate Birthday Week (7 days of Birthday Bliss - no chores, all choices). Well it just so happens the lovely and beautiful Kristin turned 17 two days after my birthday, needless to say "Marcus needed your prayers." ;o)

Oh the shopping trip - A wonderful day spent with my mom! I look forward to seeing her every time I get the chance, throw in food & shopping and Watch Out!

As for the shopping: I went knowing EXACTLY the color purse I wanted but discovered something else and love it!:

L.O.V.E.

I have never had a printed purse like this (I know!) but for some reason this one spoke to me.

Oh Michael Kors...how I love you - this is beyond perfect for traveling.

Then there was the lovely cake selection. I first wanted polka dots...then I saw a cake similar to my final selection...and oh mama! Check out this beauty:

Even Peanut is amazed!

Then there is the discovery of something I did not even realize I wanted or needed...

My darling hubby sent these as a surprise...46 gorgeous petite roses. They are stunning! The week was also full of wonderful dinners, great movies, AWESOME PRESENTS!!! I have a necklace, some DVD's, gift cards...I mean my hubby knows me too well!!!

Now for the Wonders:

Okay Amazon, now I know you have everything but who would ever expect this -

Bacon scented car fresheners....yeah...I'm at a loss.

Then when you really just want to complete your breakfast ensemble, that cholesterol induced high stress episode or when that character in your story has REALLY made you angry you can enjoy this eggy wonder:

SMASH IT EGG YOLK STRESS RELIEF SPLATTER TOY!!

Well I cannot say I want it but I do Wonder about the creators...

Now this I DO want:

One of my amazing CPs has something akin to this and it is awesome!

LiveScribe Pen - AWESOME!! Check out the website! If you are interviewing sources then this pen would do wonders for you! Livescribe.com

I WANT THIS!!!! Would love it for home & the office!

The iHome version is on sale for $28.92 on Amazon

Oh and this is so cool!! Last but not least:

The Conceal Bookshelf!

Amazon.com - I am buying one of these! Only 14.95$

How about you? Have you discovered any odd & wonderful items lately?

Have a WONDERful Wednesday!

Monday Memos: Martha Washington

"Think of the magic of that foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It's a miracle, and the dance...is a celebration of that miracle."

-Martha Washington

***

It is quite normal for me to find myself in our kitchen singing along to music streaming from a local station.

I sing loudly and enjoy the feeling of the words bursting from within. They flow out and around me, forcing a smile, making me laugh or commanding a tear. My voice is not one you might hear on the radio or even on the stage. The melodies have me spinning in place, sometimes flinging cake batter or dropping a spoon in the process. Peanut, my precious dog who is always under foot, will stand on his back legs and "dance" around me. Marcus will more than often wander in, sing along and sweep me into a quick step or a slow turn. Our bodies do not move with the precision of a ballerina or the quickness of a contemporary dancer. Yet we dance often in our home, we sing more than most people would probably like, we create silly songs to familiar beats and we laugh - loudly.

Those words that come from the radio, those painstaking lyrics flying so simply with that beautiful melody are someone's dream. They are a piece of someone's vision. I dance in my kitchen surrounded by magic when the radio plays. I am celebrating a miracle with every awkward spin or silly dip.

Normally while whatever I was cooking is finishing up I wander into the living room and sit on the couch or a favorite chair and read a magazine or book. My mind imagines the characters or family faces, it enjoys the newest adventure or revisiting the old one. I might wander to my own work and continue the painstaking process of revision or creation. Again, I am seeing a dream. I am surrounded by magic when those pages turn and the images burn into my mind. I am celebrating a miracle with every sentence...with every phrase.

At night I often dream of the stories I read or write, of the memories a song reminds me of or the activities of the day. These type of things stay with me.

Take a few tidbits about Martha Washington, she not only followed her husband into battle to aid the troops and support the man she loved; she stepped into a miracle. She surrounded herself with the magic of perseverance and faith. Those men were painstakingly fighting for freedom, for a dream of a nation. Battle is brutal, friends are lost, friends are made, enemies are destroyed and families are missed. The smallest things in life are thought of as comfort. She is said to have led the men many nights in song or story, where each sitting together must share. Men said that those nights of words and melodies made a difference...yes words and melodies - their magic is like no other.

Think of the magic of the pen, the finger, the pencil...also comparatively small, upon which your dreams rest, the weight of that is immeasurable. It is also a miracle, and the words that you share? They are a celebration of that miracle...who knows where they will pop up: a kitchen, a living room, a battlefield....what a way to share a dream...

Happy Happy Tuesday!

(It's a Monday Memo, but we all celebrated another type of Dream yesterday ;o) )

Something Beautiful...

I awoke with a start this morning. The alarm clock blaring its call of daylight had me swinging my arm into the darkness. I turn to glance at the clock; as usual I am not surprised that the wretched noise is right on schedule, I don't know why I tend to hope the clock somehow got it wrong and I still have hours to sleep. That only happens in dreams. I cannot stop the grunt that escapes my lips.

***

January 3rd my calendar shows me....2011. My eyes want to blink it back to sometime before, anytime before. The new year has come. It is not waiting patiently for midnight to release the chimes, to drop the ball, to welcome the new beginning. No, the day of celebratory drinking, kissing strangers at the stroke of 12, singing loudly amongst people you may never see again, it is now in the past. As are the things I did not do, the time wasted...A chill falls over me as my wet hair clings to my forehead, I must get dressed and go back to work....another thing telling me the new year is here...2011.

***

A fast, fun beat fills my car as I travel the familiar road to work. My voice lifts on a chorus

Hey now, this is my desire,

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful...

Oh, oh, oh something beautiful.

I cannot contain the grinning... yes 2011 is here, we are all waiting...hopefully we are all in reach...at that moment I think of the blaring alarm clock, the want to sleep later and the chill of the morning air...how silly I can be..

Yes, 2011, I am always going to think about the speed the previous year traveled, the opportunities squandered by not having enough belief in myself, the people I was unable to see, the traveling I was unable to do...

It is not what we were unable to do that we should waste time on, it is not the sorrow of moments missed... it is the waiting...the expectation... the anticipation of something beautiful in the new year; for it will come, we will discover new things, make new goals, and if I am lucky, I will glare at the alarm clock next year, feel the stinging cold on my cheeks, sing as loud as I can and reminisce with the same smile on my face...

Welcome 2011, you are already something beautiful....

A Christmas List for All...

Christmas gift suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness

To an opponent, tolerance

To a friend, your heart

To a customer, service

To all, charity

To every child, a good example

To yourself,...respect.

-Oren Arnold

***

December 7, 2010.

The list seems daunting. So many things that in the moment we hesitate.

• Forgive an enemy? But they are the enemy....
• A good example? How do I do this and know that it is enough to make the child notice?....
• Tolerance to the one I am competing with...yeah those snarky comments about their slowness/lack probably is not tolerance...
• A friend my heart? Don't I do that, don't I always lend an ear....or do I?...
• A customer? I am friendly and try my best to work with my business associates in a serviceable manner - is it enough?
• Charity...for all? Did I ignore the bell and walk on in, hurrying out of the cold? Did I let the door slam on the couple as they entered the store?
• Respect...for me. For the one person who must look at the list and take in all its tasks, place them within my heartstrings and become better with each item...yes...respect:
• for the little girl in me who still stands amazed at the dazzling Christmas lights...
• for the teenage girl in me whose heart beats faster every time her beau holds her hand...
• for the young woman in me who marvels at the places in her life she has seen and excites at those to come...
• for the person I am who is a work in progress, a person who knows that every day she must accept her flaws and love them all the same, make decisions to be proud of and learn to accept the things we cannot change with dignity...

Yes, a list. A Christmas list that should last the whole year through. It may appear to be daunting, you may wonder whether or not you have checked it twice; but the most important part of all is that you acknowledge the list.

Memorize it.

I have many lists...this is merely one. Small and simple, easy to remember but quite possibly the hardest to complete - therefore my most important.

Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays...Happy Lists!

Monday Memos: ROYAL PROCLAMATION: BONUS EDITION - TAMARA HART HEINER!!!

OMG! Have you seen this yet?

Have you bought this yet? Is it on your shelf? Have you downloaded the ebook? Are you reading it right now? NO? WELL WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR...Oh, wait, some of you have not heard about it yet...well step into the Courtyard and lend me an ear...er...eye... ;o)

The Kingdom would like to welcome Tamara Hart Heiner to its lovely garden. (Isn't she just darl'n?) PERILOUS (released November 16, 2010 by WiDo Publishing)

Amazon's snippet: Jaci Rivera has plans for her sophomore year: go to regionals with the track team, make the honor roll, and eat too much pizza with her best friends, Callie and Sara. Her biggest concern is Amanda, the pushy girl who moved in a few months ago.What she doesn't plan for is catching a robber red-handed, or being kidnapped. The desperate thief drags her and her friends 2,000 miles across the Canadian border. They escape from his lair, only to find that he has spies and agents watching their path home, waiting to intercept them and take them back.Then Jaci finds something out about her family. Something which irrevocably connects her to their kidnapper, and makes her question their chances of escape.
Are you still with us or did you already grab your keys and head for the nearest bookstore? Still here? Good.

I was not sure what I was going to encounter when I was privileged to read this book before it hit the shelves. My reading selections are in no way predictable and Perilous fell right between finishing up a sci-fi fantasy and beginning a young adult paranormal romance. From the first few pages I was hooked. Jaci and her friends are much like the teens that I encounter with my own nieces. Their verbage and banter is believable in a way that sucks you back into days of your own youth. As you are introduced to the family you find a deeper tone. There are layers here that do not disappoint.

Tamara was able to weave a tale that at once excites and terrifies the reader. It could happen any time, anywhere, to anyone. The fact that it is teenage girls in situations that parents NEVER want to even imagine breathes life into the story - because it COULD happen and sadly as the news proclaims; it does.

I happily handed my own 16 year old niece this book and she gobbled it up in a day. After discussing the action, the twists, the turns, the surprises we discussed the dynamics of the girls. A chord that rang loudly is strength & perseverance. The friends discover a strength that pulls them through the trauma and propels them toward safer ground.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and happily flew through it in an evening. It is a quick read that takes the reader on an emotional journey, desperately wanting all clues, all secrets, all puzzle pieces tied up neatly by the final page...does it deliver that perfectly wrapped ending?...you'll have to find out.... ;o)

In case you are still too curious to slip out into the chill and head to the store, perhaps this link will provide something that will get you moving...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Tq3Rrj7uI

Well have I whet your appetite? Are you at the door, one eye on the screen reading this - the other on the doorknob ready to break free to the bookstore? Don't close those fingers around the knob just yet...there might be a few ways to snuggle up with Perilous...

The wonderful & sweet Tamara is hosting the following, awesome, amazing contests:

Any person who comments on any post during the blog tour will be entered into
a random drawing for a book. Which she can autograph, if you want. The
contest ends on Dec. 15.

Kindle giveaway: This contest is point-based and ends
Dec. 15. Whoever has the most points wins the Kindle. There will only be
one Kindle given away. Here are the points:
1 point: blog comment (can comment on all the blogs, multiple times, on
the tour)
1 point: follow my blog (http://tamarahartheiner.blogspot.com/)
1 point: retweet
2 points: blog about the blog tour
5 points: purchase the book (ebook or paperback, must email me the
confirmation email) if they actually buy the book in the store they can
mail me a copy of the receipt.
Add up all your points as well as your proof (links, etc) and
email it to Tamara at the end of the blog tour (tamara at tamarahartheiner dot
com)
People can earn an infinite number of points!

In addition to her contest, I also have purchased a copy of Perilous to place in someone's stocking! Yep so um that is like so many things to win, to enter..to tabulate (thank goodness Tamara must be good at math..;o) ) For my contest all you have to do is share this review (blog/Tweet/scream it out the window/skywrite it/whatever) this review and place a comment HERE on this post of how you did it! I will be using the honor system and on December 8 (hubby's birthday) will announce the randomly drawn winner! So go, get, spread the word and enjoy this edge of your seat debut!

HAVE A MARVELOUS MONDAY!!!

p.s there is a sequel... I know...I want it now too! ;o)

Feeling like a gopher...

Good Tuesday before Turkey Day everyone!

I feel like a gopher peeking out to see what's going on in the land above. These last few weeks have been C-R-A-Z-Y! Seriously.

NaNo, holiday preparations...family...friends...teenagers...is it possible to find a nice ruby red candy apple, a coconut & peach sno cone and a chocolate iced yellow cake anywhere all at once? If so, PUHLEASE draw me a map! Those are the foods I am craving while writing, working & wondering about my To Do list!

BUT! I decided to poke my head out of the ground for 3 reasons:

1. My hair is beginning to take on a life of its own and sunshine might be necessary for its survival.

2. It's almost Turkey Day & well I am getting antsy for the family time & wonderful foods.

3. For a Royal Decree. Yep you read it right a Royal Decree!...

On MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2010 be sure to wander by the Kingdom...as you recuperate from Black Friday madness and read about a wonderful writer, blogger & person:

TAMARA HART HEINER!

Oh yeah she's gonna be here - yep right here, on the steps of the Southern Tower, speaking to the masses and telling all about a tale that you DO NOT WANT TO MISS!!! If you don't know who she is then you are in for a real treat!

So please stop by, learn about a wonderful new book, a great author, watch a video and enter to win!

Now I must crawl back down the hole, my poor hair...all this dirt and such...ah well the characters need me... (at least I tell them they do ;o) )

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK EVERYONE!!

10 days in...Can you feel your fingertips?

"Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish..."

-John Jakes

***

My fingertips are beginning to rub the letters from the keys, to know the words before my mind even processes the scene, they are moving quickly then finding a slow ease to the lines that appear on the screen above them. They stretch languidly as my eyes dance along the pages...my heart speeds up as excitement turns to thrilling anticipation of the next paragraph.

My eyes dart to the clock and realize that I have to pause, to calm my heart and attend to the dayjob. I check the wordcount and smile. I have met my daily goal. I realize that I have not updated the site and chastise myself...but wait...the site is there to help me remain disciplined, to remind me of why this magical month is so wonderful, I know that updating is good but what is important is the words on the screen...the flow of the story...the discovery of the character and the passion that pours through the worn keys from heart, head & fingers....yes...I wink at the screen, sharing secrets and suppressing a smile. It is me on the screen, a part of me that knows danger, thrills at adventure, fears the unknown, loves with all its soul and defies the laws of nature...

My mind flickers to thoughts of you, dear Royal Court, and I frown. You are not forgotten, not put aside due to dayjobs, family time, or even lack of internet - you are actually my support group, my silent section of the stadium that waits patiently for the scoring drive, your faces are beautiful, your words are my comfort. I look forward to your posts even if I must visit while being invisible, must read quickly and take in your sage advice and humorous anecdotes.

Good Wednesday everyone...

it is 10 days into NaNoWriMo...

my fingertips are still tingling from the sheer joy of this month...

How are yours doing?