In Twitter and In Life

In Twitter and In Life

1. There are no do-overs.

2. Think before you speak. (And try to spell-check)

3. Just because nobody answers you, doesn't mean they aren't listening.

4. Don't be annoying. If you keep saying the same thing over and over, no one will listen.

5. If you ask a question, and someone answers, be kind enough to acknowledge that person.

6. Be nice to people.

7. There will always be cliques. If you're not in a clique, it's okay. Really. If you're in a clique, see #6.

8. Don't ignore people unless they're annoying or not nice.

A Short List of Friendly Twitter people to follow:

Me, of course! @deestan62

Belinda Witzenhausen (writer & editor) @BWitzenhausen

Andrea Buginsky (YA writer) @AndreaBuginsky

Ksenia Anske (writer) @KseniaAnske

Lydia Aswolf-Cary (writer, blogger, dispenser of #tweettreats) @LydiaAswolf

Cheryl Kaye Tardif (writer) @CherylKTardif

Freeange (an uplifting and friendly soul who loves to read) @poemgal

Lisa Rodrigo (daytime soap opera blogger) @thesoapspiel

Cheri Lynn Frye (lover of Outlander novels) @CelticFrenchFry

Tablo Publishing (publishes e-books) @tablopublishing

Brickstone Publishing (publisher) @BrickstonePub

Carol Marrs Phipps (Fantasy writer) @Car01am

Sarah Allen (writer & blogger) @SarahAllenBooks

Khara House (poet) @ourlostjungle

Elyse Salpeter (writer) @elysesalpeter

My Not So Real Life (teen book blogger) @MyNSRL

So tell me--What life lesson has Twitter taught you? Don't forget to share your twitter name. We'll be sure to follow you too!

SHOW & SHARE--Workspaces--Anne E. Johnson

Anne E. Johnson

Where the Magic Happens

by Anne E. Johnson

I can’t really call this my writing space. Almost all my first drafts are born of pen meeting paper in the corner of a coffee shop, on a subway seat, or on my living room couch. This picture shows my revising and editing station. However, as any writer knows, that’s the stage when the magic in a book is uncovered and allowed to flourish.

Yes, yes, it’s a mess. Insert famous quote here (attributed to Einstein) about the importance of clutter to the development of genius. But in this junkyard are buried countless comforting items and features that keep me seated and working for hours at a time. 

Inside info? Why sure! Here are two elements of my workspace philosophy:

The “desk” itself is not a desk. My ancient laptop sits on a sewing machine table from the 1940s that my great grandma used for its original purpose when I was a little kid. It’s beat up and even squeaks a little, but I love it. 

Perpendicular to that, forming what’s called an “ell-shaped desk” among hifalutin types, is a truckload of notes and manuscript pages (and a box of Kleenex for when a sad scene makes me cry) dumped onto an aluminum TV-dinner table. 

For an extra chuckle: the long cardboard box you see behind the computer contains a “real” desk that simply needs assembly. That box has been sitting there for years because I won’t give up my sewing table.

I need company, protection, inspiration, humor, and comfort while I’m working. Therefore I keep myself surrounded by a bevy of friends: 

For company and support, there’s a picture of my husband. 

For protection against the lethal brain drain of negative thoughts, there’s a poster and action figure of The Wolverine. 

For inspiration when the idea factory threatens a strike, there’s an ever-changing gallery of creative people I admire. At the moment I’m watched over by playwright Terrence McNally, painter Keith Haring, and dancer/director Tommy Tune. Of course, I’m inspired by books, too, but we own over a thousand; only a tiny percentage of them are stored near my work station.

For humor, there’s a giant plush pineapple, a clock shaped like a chicken, and two friendly monsters named Nerdyworm and Plum, painted by a company called Kudu-La.

For comfort, especially in the winter when the office gets very cold, I keep a pair of fluffy pink slippers in front of my chair.

Visit Anne's website to discover all the magic she creates!

Twitter-- @AnneEJohnson
Facebook-- https://www.facebook.com/anne.e.johnson.9
Blog-- http://anneejohnson.blogspot.com/

Anthology Angst

A few years ago, I wrote a short story. The story was one of those "what if" ideas that popped into my head and wouldn't leave. I had no particular market in mind. Every so often, I would pull out that story and revise and submit. Eventually it found a home as part of an anthology with a small publisher.

In December 2013, the book was finally completed and offered through Lulu.com. I was so excited! I ordered a single copy for my personal bookshelf. When it arrived in the mail, I performed all of my book rituals--I ran my hand across the glossy cover, I brought the book up to my nose and inhaled the wonderful scent of paper and ink, I gently fanned the pages a bit to check out the black typeset on the cream colored pages, then, I closed the book and hid it between two other books in my to-be-read pile.

That's right. I said I hid it. Why? Well, I don't know. I knew what my story was about. I knew I proofread my work before it went to print, but I didn't know the other authors. I didn't know the other stories. I break out into a cold sweat when someone reads my work. What if people hate it? I know, I know. I had put it out there for the world to see. That's the chance I chose to take.Suddenly I felt shy and unsure of myself.

I've heard people say that being a writer is a lot like parenting. Our stories are like our children. Having one of those stories in an anthology is like a parent bringing their child to their first day of school. All the parents stand around, holding onto their child's hand, knowing they should let go because it's time for them to leave the shelter of our homes, get out into the world, and hopefully become a source of pride. But we also fear whether our child will be accepted. We don't want them to be criticized. 

As writers and parents, we can only hope we did the best job we could, forming and nurturing our offspring. I know I need to own this thing. I need to grab that book out of its hiding place, do some marketing and tell the world all about it. 

It's pretty cool really. I was part of this project that brought 14 writers together. Our stories, just like our children, may be individuals, but in an anthology, they meld together into a group with a common purpose. I am a part of this book of stories, in all its glory and even with its flaws. 

On the first day of school, once the children are coaxed into their classroom, the parents stand around, feeling awkward. So I decided that I'll be that one parent who invites the others over for a cup of coffee and some conversation.

I hope they come. We'll see what happens.

In the meantime, check out our collaboration: Contrary Cats (my baby is on page 55)

Fun Facts--CHARLES DICKENS

Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812. He published 15 novels and numerous short stories, non-fiction, poetry and plays. Charles Dickens is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian Period.

I found this beauty in a used book store.

Dickens was a critic of poverty and social stratification in Victorian society. His novels were often works of social commentary.

Writing at his desk.

Dickens preferred blue ink as it dried faster than other colors, eliminating the need for blotting.

In his Gad's Hill Place home, Dickens had a door built to look like a bookcase. Behind the door was a secret room.

If you're a fan of Dickens, you may enjoy the Charles Dickens Museum Gift Shop where you can purchase dip pens, bottled ink, quills, blotting paper, and other Dickensian objects like this Oliver Twist bowl .

Did You Know?

• Charles Dickens loved magic and would perform for friends.
• He was an epileptic.
• His first business card listed his occupation as a shorthand writer.
• Dickens enjoyed cold showers.
• The Arabian Nights was the book that inspired him most.
• Dickens was obsessive-compulsive and frequently re-arranged the furniture in his home.
• He was friends with Hans Christian Andersen.
• Charles Dickens would walk 20-30 miles a day. (The fact that he and his wife had 10 children may or may not be the reason.)
• He preferred to write in the wee hours of the night.
• Dickens sometimes combed his hair a hundred times a day!
• He preferred sitting and observing the poor and lower middle class than to dine with the upper class.
• Dickens was an insatiable cigarette smoker.
• Dickens died on June 9, 1870 and is buried in Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey.

SHOW & SHARE--Good news!

SHOW & SHARE is one of the new features for 2014, where writers can share photos and news. This feature will have its own tab at the top of the page to make it easy to find again and again. Have something to share? E-mail me at deestan62 @ gmail . com, with 'Show & Share' in the subject, and I'll be sure to post it for you. 

Laura Vosika would like to share her good news: The Water is Wide, book three of the Blue Bells Chronicles, was recently released!

World-renowned musician Shawn Kleiner vanished in the night among the ruins of a Scottish castle. While the world searches, one woman, the mother of his child, knows the truth: he is trapped seven hundred years in the past. While they struggle to reunite across the centuries, an unseen shadow crosses their path—an evil that will threaten the life of a child prophesied to protect history. An evil from the past walks today....

You can pick up a copy at:

Buffalo Books, 6 Division Street East, Buffalo, MN; (763) 682-3147

Borders Books, The Shoppes at Arbor Lake, Maple Grove, MN

Directly from the Blue Bells Trilogy Site 

Blue Bells of Scotland at Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords Available in many electronic formats: online, dowloads, palm readers, Sony readers, Stanza reader, and more.

Nook and Kindle

Book Share for the reading impaired

Northern Lights Roadhouse gift shop, Beaver Bay, MN (great food, too!)

Lakewalk Books, 1427 London Road, Duluth, MN Carl Casperson specializes in signed, first editions, and now has several signed first editions of Blue Bells of Scotland for sale.

And if you haven't read them yet, be sure to pick up your copy of 

and

Laura Vosika is the author of the Blue Bells Trilogy.  In addition to the Trilogy, she is working on several other novels and a non-fiction book on raising a large family. Laura grew up in the military, visiting castles in England, pig fests in Germany, and the historic sites of America's east coast.  She earned a bachelor's degree in music, and worked for many years as a freelance musician, playing trombone for pit orchestras, ballets, and symphonies, and flute and harp for other venues.  She spent three years as a member of the Buz Whiteley Big Band and Farragut Brass Band in Bremerton, WA.     After earning a masters degree in education, she took a job as a music teacher and band director.  She has also taught private lessons on wind instruments, piano, and harp, for twenty years.  In her spare time, Laura likes to play piano, harp, and flute, do sudokus, and learn Gaelic. She currently lives in Minnesota with her  nine children, and assorted menagerie.

Just an update...

Apologies. It has been almost a month since I last posted here. I have a few new tricks up my sleeve for 2014, but unfortunately, I'm not in the least bit organized right this moment.

Since Christmas, my life has been a series of ups and downs, and just this week my sister-in-law lost her battle with the big ugly 'C' word. Memorial services are being held tomorrow and Friday.

Although I have a blog post scheduled for tomorrow, I won't be completely coordinated until next week. I'm hoping you'll bear with me until I can think clearer.

For now, here's a photo taken at a wedding we recently attended. This is my sister-in-law Patricia and her husband Stan. She was a wonderful person, and I'm sorry you never met her.

Rest in Peace

Celebrating A Scottish Christmas with Willa Blair

Would You Like to Celebrate a Scottish Christmas?

While Christmas, or Yule as it was once called, is celebrated in modern Scotland with many of the same trimmings as in America, it’s a more subdued affair.  Christmas was banned in Scotland in the mid-16th century because it was seen as a Catholic holiday by the Protestant Reformation.  That ban lasted nearly 400 years, until the 1950s. 

During that bleak time, a few old traditions survived, most derived from ancient midwinter celebrations.  Candles in windows were once meant to light the way to warmth and safety for travelers out in harsh winter weather.  Now candles are everywhere, from windows to Christmas tree branches, though we’ve modernized that fire hazard into strings of LED lights.  

The yule log was borrowed from the early Norse invaders to light the longest night of the year and provide an omen, good or bad, of the coming year in its ashes.  Scots also believed that the fire burning all night kept spirits and sprites from coming down the chimney and entering the house to do mischief.  No wonder Santa Claus didn’t visit. 

How things have changed!  We’re more likely to eat a yule log than light one on fire.  There are many versions of yule log cakes, from the simple jelly roll to gorgeously decorated holiday cakes.

          

So if Scots didn’t celebrate Christmas, what did they do?  Scotland has a long history of trade with France due to the Auld Alliance, and the term for Scotland’s New Year celebration, Hogmanay, is believed to have been derived from a French phrase for Christmas. Gifts were given for Hogmanay rather than Christmas, and special feasts celebrated it.  On New Year’s Eve, houses were cleaned to clear away the old year.  Candles lit the way for the First Footer, a tradition that survives today.  The first person to enter the house after midnight on New Year’s Eve/Day, preferably a tall, dark-haired, male bearing a gift of food, fuel, or whisky, brings good luck to the house and those within it.  The preference for dark hair may come from the time when light hair was associated with Norse invaders.

Yule logs, outdoor bonfires, and other fire ceremonies may have fallen out of favor, but the modern equivalent - fireworks - are a big part of New Year’s Eve celebrations all over the world. 

Nowadays, Scots celebrate Christmas, Hogmanay, Boxing Day, all the way through Twelfth Night.  So if you want to celebrate the holidays in Scotland, be prepared to stay a while.  If you just want to celebrate like a Scot, stock up on food and single malts, light some candles - or the LED equivalent, invite your friends, and enjoy! Merry Christmas, and have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Cheers!
Willa

HIGHLAND HEALER  available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, B&N, iBook and others

Highland Seer available NOW on Amazon 

www.willablair.com

www.facebook.com/willablair

www.twitter.com/willablair

Goodreads: http://ning.it/Vswn8D