IWSG, Labor Day, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:  Rebecca Douglass, T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman, Natalie Aguirre, Karen Lynn, and C. Lee McKenzie!

This month's question is: How do you define success as a writer? Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?

First off, money has never been a deciding factor of success for me. Sure fortune (though I'm not sure about the fame) would be nice, but it's not necessary. For a long time, I thought success meant having a book published. But somewhere a long the way someone said, if you've been published, no matter the media, you are a successful writer. That kind of put a little kick in my step because I realized the first things I ever got published were in my high school year book: a poem on the flyleaf and two short articles - I was after all the yearbook editor. Since then I've had many stories and articles published in newspapers, newsletters, and magazines. So, self-publishing my books was kind of like the chocolate syrup on my chocolate ice cream. 

Speaking of magazine articles. Way back in 2019 I wrote an article for the 2020 edition of the prestigious travel magazine, Destination. (You can read that article HERE.) Due to COVID and travel restrictions, no 2021 edition was printed. But guess what? I've been asked to write an article for the 2022 edition! So I'm excited about that and the subject matter is very dear and close to my heart.

***

On this Labor Day Weekend, I send out my prayers to all those affected by Hurricane Ida. They will be laboring for a long time and this weekend will not be one of rest. Please consider donating money and or goods to a reputable and legitimate charity. Here's and article on how to donate safely. My favorite place is the Salvation Army. You can donate HERE. 

***

Being Thankful

I'm thankful that we have not had a single 100 degree day this summer. It has been a very nice, though unusual, summer. Rather balmy and more humid. I think our hottest day was around 94. 

What are you thankful for? How do you define success as a writer? Any Labor Day plans?

IWSG, Ray Bradbury, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:   PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox!

This month's question is: What is your favorite writing craft book? Think of a book that every time you read it you learn something or you are inspired to write or try the new technique. And why?

I love Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. I have first edition (1990) copies in both hard and paper back. I used to do an occasional blog post called "Titles to Write By," the idea for which came directly from Bradbury's book.

Back in August of 2016 I wrote this post, which I'm sharing part of here, because 1) I'm lazy. 2) It's appropriate.

Titles to Write By

"Titles" is an occasional blog post in which we play with a single word and turn it into, what else, titles! Afterwards the object is to pick one of them and write a little something.

It was Ray Bradbury, in his book ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING, who taught me about making lists of words and turning them into titles. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it.

For no particular reason today's word is: 

Olympic

Well, there is a reason for using Olympic. One is that I've watched more of the Summer Olympics this year than I ever have in the past. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because there's been nothing better on TV. Whatever the reason, it's been a delight to see so many records broken, so many gold medals won. The U. S. women's gymnastic team,  the women who won gold in the relay race, watching  Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky swim for gold, all were awesome. And lastly, getting to see Usain Bolt win his 9th gold for Jamaica was icing on the cake.

So, here are some titles to write by using the word Olympic and its various variations. 

Sunrise at Olympus Mons
Say Olympic Enough Times and it Starts to Sound Funny
Olym Pic, Photographer
Olympia: The Winner Who Limped to Victory
Olympic Hurdles Writers Face and How to Hurdle Them
A Visit to Mount Olympus: How I Survived The Gods
The Olympic Garden
The Olympic Heart


Her heart leapt, an Olympian sized pole vault, when he leaned in and whispered, "I love you."

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for

MORE RAIN!

I am also VERY thankful that hubby is doing much better. I was more than a little frazzled last month, but things are settling down and we are both breathing easier. 

Thank you, everyone, for all your kind words last month. 

What are you thankful for? What's your favorite book on writing? Have you been watching the Olympics? Do any of my titles inspire you? Care to share some titles of your own? 

Missing in Action

I know it's IWSG day. But I'm missing in action. Health/back issues, not me, the hubby. One doesn't realize how much one does until that person is not able to do it. 

Please send prayers for healing.

IWSG, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:   J Lenni Dorner, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, Lee Lowery, and Rachna Chhabria!

This month's question is: For how long do you shelve your first draft, before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt?

Usually I let the first draft rest for a couple of weeks before I delve into revisions. But that's when I'm seriously working, which I haven't been, in which case a story can sit around for years and years and....

***

I have nothing to say. I feel myself falling away from this wonderful, supportive blogging community. I am uninspired, lazy, procrastinating, and generally in a long slump. I should care, but I don't.

"The trouble is you think you have time." – Buddha 

That's me... I think I have time.

I could say something about it being my birthday this month and that maybe I'm feeling like I'm getting too old to bother.

Oh woe is me... Pay no attention to these moanings and groanings. But that's kind of a lie as I've just written it out here and have posted it. (Hypocrite!) Am I looking for sympathy or what?

***

Being Thankful

On a bright note, today I'm thankful that we've had more much need rain. Although we're getting a bit tired of the days and days of overcast which covered the lunar eclipse. 

Our yard is blooming and the grass is green.

There are a couple of Cooper's Hawks nesting in a tree in our neighbor's yard. We've been enjoying watching their comings and goings (and the talking they do to each other) and are looking forward to see how many babies they have. This is the second year we've had a nesting pair in the same tree. Last year they had one baby.

(Not my photo)

What are you thankful for? Do you let your story rest before beginning revisions/edits? Are you in a slump?  

Bad Fairy Strikes Again, Book Tour, Elaine Kaye

***NEW RELEASE***

***99 CENTS***

 

 Series: A Bad Fairy Adventure (Book 2)

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Pages: 60

Ages: 7-12

 

BLURB:

Will Thistle ever escape the nickname Bad Fairy?

Thistle Greenbud thought the nickname Bad Fairy was behind her, but she can't escape it. Someone is spreading a rumor about her that just isn't true and can ruin all of her hard work in getting into Advanced School. What fairy would do such a thing?

As if that's not bad enough, Thistle's dad goes missing. Not a single fairy in Tinselville has seen him. He's vanished like pixie dust. Her mom is distraught, and Thistle is worried. Where could he be?

Thistle and the Flutters, along with Dusty and Moss, are on both cases. Can they find out what happened to her dad and solve the Bad Fairy rumor? Thistle hopes so!

 

BOOK LINKS:

Amazon / Nook / iBooks / Goodreads

Thistle’s Chocolate Chip Sunflower Seed Cookies:

Ingredients:

½ cup softened butter

6 tablespoons white granulated sugar

6 tablespoons packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup roasted, salted, shelled sunflower seeds

 

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until creamy.

3. Add the vanilla extract and egg. Mix.

4. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips and shelled sunflower seeds.

6. Drop the mixture by full tablespoon onto greased cookie sheets.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

8. Makes about 36 cookies.

9. Let cool.

10. ENJOY!

OKUM SOKUM!

You can watch the book trailer HERE

EXCERPT:

My name is Thistle Greenbud. Sometimes I’m known by other fairies in Pine Cone Grove as Bad Fairy, but I’m not all that bad. Honest.

Today is the Spring Festival, which is a celebration that happens every May. Dancing and singing fills the air while fairies enjoy the festivities. This year, the flower fairies are hosting the festival in Petal Patch. Mom and Tumble, the pixie Mom hired to help out at home, are as busy as bees preparing for the fun. The kitchen table contains all kinds of goodies, from my favorite chocolate chip and sunflower seed cookies to dripping bites of honeycomb, and jugs of different herbal teas.

After everything is packed, Mom, Tumble, and I carry a basket as Dad pulls our wagon, leading the way through our small grove. We pass homes made of pinecones, twigs, and tree bark. Each one is decorated with colorful streamers in honor of the festival. We follow the pebble-covered streets. The sun filters through fern, bushes, and vines that hide our grove from human eyes.

“Come on, Orla,” Dad shouts to Mom. “I see a good spot to display your goodies.”

Mom shakes her head as Dad bounces like a flea.

We laugh, trying to catch up. Today is going to be so much fun!

Get Book 1 for 99 CENTS!

BAD FAIRY: Amazon / Nook / iBooks / Kobo

 

***GIVEAWAY*** 

PRIZES: 3 signed paperback picture books (Pea Soup Disaster, The Missing Alphabet, Slow Poke), three handmade bookmarks, plus a goodie bag and worksheets.

Eligibility: International

GIVEAWAY LINK: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76132e0224/?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elaine Kaye is the author of A Bad Fairy Adventure series AND A Gregory Green Adventure series. She first created Gregory Green after her son, who loved her homemade pea soup, thus inspiring the story Pea Soup Disaster.

Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher’s assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home. She is a grandmother of three boys.

Amazon / Goodreads / BookBub / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter

My review: This second in the series of Bad Fairy Adventures is a bit more serious than the first. Thistle's father has gone missing. Fairy dust is being stolen. And there's another rumor going around about Thistle that simply can't be true! How is she going to discover the truth about it all? That, of course, is what this story is all about.

The lessons remain the same; friendship and acceptance are what is important. 

IWSG, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:  Erika Beebe, PJ Colando, Tonja Drecker, Sadira Stone, and Cathrina Constantine!

This month's question is: Have any of your readers ever responded to your writing in a way that you didn't expect? If so, did it surprise you?

I am often surprised that people seem to like my writing. Sometimes I thinks that's just false-modesty. Other times I'm truly baffled. But always, always, ALWAYS, I'm humbled and honored and grateful for the many kind words.

***

On the 19th of this month I'll be participating in a book blog hop to help Chrys Fey's mom, Elaine Kaye, promote Bad Fairy Strikes Again, her newest addition the the Bad Fairy series! 

Hope you will stop by.

***

With it being spring and all, and birds fledging right and left, 

I thought this would be an appropriate quote.

You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.

Ray Bradbury

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful that after a 3 day stay in the hospital last month

 -- due to Crohn's Disease -- I'm doing well! No surgery required!!

I'm also thankful to Mother Nature for the much needed 6 inches of rain we got at the end of April

What are you thankful for? Have your readers ever surprised you? Have you read any of  Elaine Kaye's books?

IWSG, Wild Swans, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:  PK Hrezo, Pat Garcia, SE White, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diane Burton! 

This month's question is: Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

I've been working on and off on a book for almost 20 years that is radically different from anything I've ever thought about writing. I mean...writing an historical fantasy about Tibet on the eve of the Chinese invasion is pretty different from my usual tropical settings. I've done tons of research and I'm still very attached to the story, and those few who have read it think it's a good story. But will it ever get published? I don't know... I'm currently stalled out with edits and revising. 

***

I hope everyone had a blessed and happy Easter!

***

April already... Where did March go? 

Oh...got a new roof put on because of damage done to it during the hellacious hail storm of May 2020. 

Got my first COVID vaccine shot - Moderna. 

My sister turned 75, which is just weird... 

And, we lost two greats, Larry McMurtry and Beverly Cleary. But aren't we blessed to have the books they left behind?

Also in March I read Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China...

...the heart-wrenching and horrifying biography by Jung Chang about her, her mother and grandmother who lived through Japanese occupation, WWII, the Chinese civil war, Moa's rise to power and the Cultural Revolution. BLOWN AWAY. I learned a whole lot about what was going on there. I think this is a book high school juniors and/or seniors should read as part of their history classes. I think it's a book everyone should read because how in hot f**k does a leader brainwash and indoctrinate a country of (at the time) nine hundred million people and get them to do the horrific things they did to each other? Because, you see, it wasn't a military force that terrorized the people. It was the people who terrorized the people. It was children who terrorized adults.

"An engrossing record of Mao’s impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love, Jung Chang describes the extraordinary lives and experiences of her family members: her grandmother, a warlord’s concubine; her mother’s struggles as a young idealistic Communist; and her parents’ experience as members of the Communist elite and their ordeal during the Cultural Revolution. Chang was a Red Guard briefly at the age of fourteen, then worked as a peasant, a “barefoot doctor,” a steelworker, and an electrician. As the story of each generation unfolds, Chang captures in gripping, moving—and ultimately uplifting—detail the cycles of violent drama visited on her own family and millions of others caught in the whirlwind of history."

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful that I didn't grow up in China in the 1960s. Yes, the 60s were tumultuous and unsettling here in US (three assassinations, riots all over the place...) but I'll take that any day over what was happening in China. 

Today I'm also thankful for the rain we had in March. 

Not a lot, not enough, but at least some.

It's dry here, folks.

What are you thankful for? Every take a risk with your writing? Have you read Wild Swans? Do you have favorite McMurtry of Cleary book?