Wednesday, August 28, 2013

I'm a Thousand Miles Away...

visiting my daughter in sunny Florida,

(Ahh! This is the life!)

but I still wanted to check in with everyone and take a minute to welcome my new followers. Hello, and thanks so much for being here!

Summer will soon be officially over. Most schools have already been in session for at least a week. I'm looking forward to the cooler weather and the scents of Autumn. It's my favorite time of year!

Have you ever seen those Staples commercials where children are wearing long faces and the parents are dancing around the aisles as they shop for school supplies?


HA!

Yeah, that's one of my favorite commercials for a variety of reasons. When our children were younger, I looked forward to them going back to school. The music is quite festive, and of course, the stationery supplies. No explanation needed...

Well, it's time to get back outside and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Another Transformation

One of my biggest obstacles is being unorganized. The total chaos in my writing room hinders my production, and it's downright depressing. I'm on the verge of being featured on that show about hoarders.

Previously, my work area consisted of a computer desk and a regular desk. Since I didn't have the forethought to take pictures of 'before' the transformation, please bear with me.

The computer desk kinda-sorta looked like this:


And the other desk kinda-sorta looked like this:


Yeah. The effect wasn't pretty. They sat side by side against one of the walls. It seems like a whole lot of space, but I still had no room on the desktop to work. Crazy, huh? AND I had nowhere to put all of my books. I have a whole lot of books. 

I came up with the idea of a long worktable with two bookcases at each end. I recruited my hubby for the task. 

I should have taken photos of the room before I emptied out both desks, but it happened so fast, I didn't have time to think. The desks were removed from the room, all of my stuff (office supplies, reference books, magazines, and desktop doo-dads) was piled on the floor and the remaining furniture, and before I knew it, the worktable was built and installed!


(Sorry about the sun glare) This is my writing room from the doorway.

The octagon is a stained glass window. The worktable is built along that wall.

The futon, piled with an assortment of 'stuff' and the closet. The closet is another story for another day. We won't get into that right now. Besides, I can't reach the darn thing.

My bulletin board, TV, and sewing machine table (also piled with 'stuff')

The table is ten feet long by thirty inches wide--more than enough space. (I hope) I DO have a tendency to want to fill empty space...

The 'L' shape on the right hand side is the perfect space for my printer. 

Considering my husband is an automotive mechanic by trade, I think he did a really nice job. Don't you?


After spending the day in the room, banging into things and knocking 'stuff' over, my husband made numerous comments about all the 'stuff' I have. While I sputtered and explained, I took a good look around. I DO have a lot of stuff!

Visions of the A & E television crew knocking on my door has convinced me that I need to get rid of some things. At the very least, I need to hide it better. 

I'll keep you updated...

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

You Always Remember Your First...





Dear First Novel,

When we first met, you filled my days and nights with such joy. I wanted to spend every moment with you. I know the feeling was mutual--especially when you would tap me on the shoulder and whisper sweet dialogue in my ear, or wake me in the middle of the night to tell me your secret plot lines.


I loved you so much that I never minded all the late nights I spent caressing you. All of the early mornings, stroking and smoothing, gently prodding to bring out the real you. Your needs and wants always came before mine. I was there for you in your self-doubt, boosting your confidence, and reassuring your ego.

Then you became needy, and I abandoned my family and friends to lavish attention on you, but you still insisted we spend more time together. They say that love is blind, and I was surely blinded by your empty promises, and too much in love to see that even though we went all the way together, we could only go so far.



Embarrassed by your erratic behavior, I started making excuses for you, but that became tiring, and I no longer believed in you. I'm ashamed to say that even while I spent time with you, I found myself thinking of others.



And now, there is another. Another haunts my dreams at night--a carefree spirit that begs me to tell their story, and I yearn to write it. Yes, I know you think me fickle, but the attraction is so strong, so intoxicating, that I cannot ignore it.

Our time together was exciting, inspiring, and oh so memorable, and I will always remember what we learned about each other, but it's time to move on. I'll never forget you, or what we had together.. Who knows? Some day, perhaps fate will join us again. Until then, I remain...

Your biggest fan,

Denise



Tuesday, July 23, 2013

What I've Learned From Fasting...

The last time I posted, I told you all about my cleansing agenda. Thanks to everyone for your encouragement! It wasn't as rough as I thought it would be, and now that I've done it once, I'll definitely try it again. 

(I started out with 10 lemons for four days. It wasn't enough. Although the diet says NOT to use bottled lemon juice, I only used it the last day.)

The Master Cleanse was the scariest, but it was easy. Although I felt a little weak, I also felt fantastic. 
I did the Master Cleanse for three days. The night before I began the cleanse, I smoked my last cigarette. 

Here is what I learned from four days on The Master Cleanse:

  • It IS possible to quit smoking and diet at the same time.
  • Green tea lessens the headaches associated with withdrawals.
  • Pure maple syrup is expensive.
  • Even with microwaving, rolling on the counter, and squeezing like a madwoman, a lemon will only yield about 1/3 cup of juice.
  • It gets easier with each day.
  • Cayenne pepper is tasty and boosts metabolism. I sprinkle it on almost everything.
  • 2 tablespoons of salt dissolved in 2 cups of hot water tastes like broth, but you need to stay close to a bathroom.

On the fourth day, I added orange juice. I've never tasted anything so delicious in my life!
On the fifth day, I ate raw fruits and vegetables.

On the sixth day, I received my shipment of juices from Pressed Juicery.


Unfortunately, I had to have them shipped to my office. I couldn't lay around at home during my juice fast.

The juices were pressed in the morning, and then shipped via FEDEX overnight. Pressed Juicery uses an insulated bag that also contained ice packs.

I received 6 juices per day for 3 days. They're even numbered so I didn't have to think! Aren't the colors pretty? 


I also ordered the optional chlorophyl water and the aloe vera water.

The juice cleanse was expensive ($220.00 for a three-day cleanse), but for me it was well worth it. I didn't have to purchase the fruits and vegetables, I didn't have to chop, measure, and prepare, and I didn't have to clean a juicer. All I did was pop open the top and drink. It was a decadent purchase, but I'm worth it.

Here is what I learned after my Three-Day Pressed Juicery Cleanse:

  • Drinking 16 oz of juice every 2 hours is very filling
  • Cucumbers are overpowering when used in a juice.
  • Chlorophyll water tastes like cactus.
  • Five pounds of produce is used to make 16 oz of pressed juice!
  • I'm not a big fan of ginger.
  • My tongue turned so clean and a pretty shade of pink, I couldn't stop showing everyone.
  • My FedEx delivery guy thinks I'm nuts.



After all was said and done, I lost 7-1/2 pounds (just in time for a wedding!) 


(Me and Hubby)

my hot flashes have diminished, and have been smoke-free for 19 days. I felt alive and energetic, and even though I couldn't do anything too strenuous, my mind felt clear. I even went on a 2 mile walk--TWICE! And didn't feel like I was going to have a heart attack. 

Fasting helped rid my body of toxins and negative addictions, and helped start me off on a new lifestyle of eating fresh, healthy meals. 

So, what does this have to do with writing? Everything! Not only was the cleanse a major life event for me, )|(and all writers know that major life events are fodder for writing) but I also reassured myself that even at this stage of my life I am capable of accomplishing difficult tasks. 

I think I'll go back to writing that novel now...

Friday, July 19, 2013

Author Spotlight--Emerald Barnes

Today, I have a special guest!
Emerald Barnes is doing a blog tour to promote her beautiful new book covers.
She stopped by A Room to Write to talk with us about 'writing from the heart.'



Writing from the heart is important.  I think that we need to write things that are important to us.  They’re the stories that we hold dearest to us.  The stories that we can’t get out of our heads.  These stories will be what captures the attention of readers.  Why do I feel this way?  Because if something is important to us, it’s something that we will pour our passions into.  It will be something that people take notice of.
There have been stories that I wanted to write, but I didn’t have a burning passion at the time to see the words written out.  And every time that I would work on those stories, I’d get the “writing blahs.”  I wouldn’t want to write.  I wouldn’t want to plot.  I didn’t want to do anything, so eventually, I’d stop writing.  When I read back over the words that I’d written, I wasn’t feeling the story.
 So, I’d start writing on a story that had been consuming my mind.  Things I thought were just an idea and that I’d get to it later, but that story had other plans.  It needed to be written.  It had to be written.  So I wrote it.  The words fell out of my brain and onto the paper easily.  I fell in love with my protagonists.  I hated my antagonists.  These weren’t stories.  These were actual beings, actual situations coming to life.  And it was received better than the stories I thought I had wanted to write.  These were the stories that came from the heart.
 Try to listen to what’s on your heart.  If you’re struggling with writing the right story, listen to your heart, not your head.  Not what society wants you to write. This is you.  And if you write what you’re passionate about, then everything will turn out like it should.  What’s your heart telling you to write today?

 About Emerald Barnes:
Emerald Barnes graduated with a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing at Mississippi University for Women.  She resides in a small town in Mississippi and has the accent to prove it.
She mainly writes suspense/thrillers in the YA genre, but she dabbles in other genres and her books are enjoyed by all ages!  She's constantly working on new novels and has more ideas than she knows what to do with. 
She blogs at emeraldbarnes.blogspot.com and ebarnes23.wordpress.com which takes up more of her time than she anticipates but loves it so very much! She's also a volunteer at the World Literary Cafe which is so amazing!
She's an auntie to two beautiful nieces and two handsome nephews (and another unknown gender coming by the end of 2013) who take up the other half of her time, but she couldn't imagine spending her time in any other way!

She's a Whovian, a little bit of a nerd, a reader, a writer, and a family-oriented person.  God is number one in her life, and she thanks Him continuously for His love and favor.  
Stay up to date with her at her Website, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also find her on Goodreads, Google+, and stay up to date with her releases on her Amazon Author Page


Alexia Wheaton’s problems go far beyond picking a dress and a date for the homecoming dance.

For seven years, Alex has lived with a painful memory - the memory of her parents' horrific murder. As the sole witness, she has kept quiet about the identity of the murderer to protect herself and her family and friends, but when a journalist over hears her secret and writes about it in the local newspaper, Alex is plagued with fear that her parents' murderer will soon find her - and silence her forever.

Alex is catapulted into a race against time to save her own life and bring her parents' murderer to justice. She will face many secrets, lies, and betrayals before the truth about their murder is revealed.



Read Me Dead


It’s on the edge of her memory--like a word on the tip of her tongue, but Kandi can’t remember what it is to save her life.

Despite being a cop, Jimmy can’t protect Kandi from the one thing that haunts her. She’s in danger and doesn’t even know it. After it happened, her brain repressed her memories of the accident, and now, she’s taking a Biology class under a man who wants to see her dead. The memories have started coming back, and it feels like she’s miles away from him. How can he protect her when she doesn’t even know she needs protecting?

Can these characters pierce their way through the darkness?

Piercing Through the Darkness

Amazon US
Createspace

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Blue Bells/Minstrel Boy--We Have A Winner!

There were 40 entries for a Kindle copy of one of Laura Vosika's books. 

Unfortunately, we didn't make it 100 entries, so only one winner was chosen.

 Thank you to everyone who participated. 

And now, what you've all been waiting for....Drum roll, please...


Suzanne W. Cole


Didn't win? There will be a giveaway every week. Make sure you stay connected so you know when to enter.


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