I Need A Little Help From My Friends

I've already admitted I'm stubborn when it comes to joining in on the latest crazes. I'm still catching up with the rest of the world's Harry Potter fans and aside from the bits and pieces of info I've seen on television and in magazines, I still know nothing about Twilight. (The books are on my TBR pile.)

But I'm changing my ways. Truly, I am. Well, I'm trying...

So, now I realize I've been quite stubborn on another thing and now I'm wondering if I must cave in, bite the bullet, and take the plunge on an E-reader.

I've seen and actually played around a little bit on a friend's Kindle. My daughter has an E-reader app on her iPhone and I've noticed so many books and publications are available only through an E-reader. All this kind of has me feeling a little left out of the loop.

When E-readers first came out, I was immediately put off by them. I knew their invention and widespread use would drastically change the literary universe in one way or another, but I also felt sad. See, I love, love books. I love the smell of the paper, the sound of pages turning, the texture of hardcover boards (I always remove the dust jackets while reading and recover them for storage, the weight in my hand, and the way they look when I line them up like soldiers (in size order) on a shelf. I can't help it. I will never give up print books. Ever. Even if they become illegal to own, I'll be a criminal.

As E-readers grew in popularity, they piqued my interest. (See, I'm not THAT stubborn) I even seriously debated buying an iPad which would have been so much fun but financially, I couldn't justify the purchase at that time.

Now, I know there are a whole bunch of arguments on both sides of the print books vs. e-readers debates and I understand it all. E-readers are lightweight, (no hand cramps while holding the massive tomes I love reading) have built-in lighting and anti-glare, (great for my aging eyes) almost any book I want at my fingertips, (no more waiting for books in the mail or trips to the bookstore) and I know that anyone who owns an E-reader loves it.

I know, I'll love it, too. (And probably spend a small fortune, 99 cents at a time) But, here's where I need your help.

I want to hear how owning an E-reader will help in my writing career.

Can you help me?

No Longer Me



If you never tell someone
how much you care
you won't know they care about you.

If you never ask
you'll live in the dark,
with the false conclusions you drew.

If you're never honest,
to even yourself,
how can your heart know what's true?

If you never stop
and rest for awhile
your spirit will never renew.

If you never look
at both sides of the coin,
your views will be one-sided too.

If you never forgive,
hate can rot your insides.
Just let it go, start somewhere new.

If you never go anywhere,
'next time' may not come.
The chances we have are so few.

If you never fail,
how can you know joy
from success of the things you re-do?

If you never try,
you won't know you can.
You're cheating yourself of YOU.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Hello, my lovely blog followers.

I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last post. A few semi-catastrophes mixed in with a crazy/busy workload have hampered my writing schedule. I promise to be back on schedule next week.

Let me tell you about my week:

• Our auto repair shop is buzzing with business which means I don't have much free time to write at work.
• Hubby, John, has this allergic reaction thing going on. His hands swell and the itch is driving him crazy. His hands were so bad we resorted to a dreaded trip to the ER (we were only there 4 hours) to make sure it wasn't something really serious. We can't seem to pinpoint the culprit on our own so, we'll be paying a visit to an allergist as soon as I find time to get him there.
• I also had a rude (and boy, do I mean rude) awakening early Monday morning. A small toilet-induced flood on the second floor caused some ceiling caving and artificial lakes on the first floor of our beloved homestead. What a mess! Water is one of the most destructive things. It ONLY took 2 days for the insurance adjuster to call and the disaster cleanup company NEVER called. So, we cleaned up the water on our own. Needless to say, I've still got a whole lot of work ahead of me but most of it will be taken care of by professionals.
• Oh, and I got three rejections this week.

The week wasn't ALL bad, of course.

• We won 2 trophies for our show truck this past Saturday.
• Our auto repair shop is buzzing with business! This really is a wonderful thing.
• John also won a $50 American Express gift card in a raffle. He was only slightly itchy over the weekend.
• Even the whole getting-my-daughter-ready-for-college thing is going fairly smooth.
• AND I got an acceptance! (which outweighs the three rejections, by far)

So, I guess that's what they mean by taking the good with the bad.

How was your week?

Rituals

Some have a special place.

I have a preference of writing in my spare room but since it's temporarily unavailable, I can write anywhere--the kitchen, the living room, or my counter at work.

Some people wear special clothes.
I have absolutely no preference on clothing. I was once in a hotel room, wearing a black formal dress and high heels, minutes from boarding a shuttle to witness my brother's wedding, when an idea struck. Of course, I had a pencil and paper packed in my suitcase.

Some people need absolute quiet or special background music.
Sometimes, if I'm alone in the house, I'll listen to Dave Mathews but I can write during a Yankees game, an episode of Family Guy, or even during the dogfight in Top Gun. The only time I can't write is when someone in my family is talking, even if they aren't talking to me. 

Some people have a special pen.
My writing implement of choice is a pencil but when my muse whispers in my ear, I use whatever is handy.

Some people go through a series of motions to get themselves ready for a task.

I make coffee. Usually it gets cold while my pencil flows.

What are some of your rituals?

Happy Fourth of July!

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Independence Day!

Harry Potter (Book Thoughts)

I know. You're thinking, "She's a little late with this one."

I must confess, back in 1997, when my daughter, Amanda, came home with "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone," I smiled and nodded at her. She finished the book in one weekend. When she told me I should read it, I told her I'd get around to it.

When "Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets" was released, Amanda HAD to have it. Of course, I bought it for her. I like to invest money in books whenever I can.

Amanda and her friends became obsessed with Harry Potter and everything about the magical world. They went to bookstores and waited on long lines for the midnight releases. They argued over which 'house' was the best, and about how cool it would be if Hogwarts was real. Amanda has read each Harry Potter book multiple times. Whenever a new book or movie came out, she would re-read the entire series, timing it perfectly for the new release.

At first, I thought it was all cute but honestly, after a while, the whole Harry Potter thing annoyed me. Don't ask me, "Why?" I don't know. Maybe I was envious. I was definitely impressed with JK Rowling's ability to capture millions of people around the world, but I just didn't want to read the books. I'm the type of person who never gives in to hype. I usually wait until the dust settles before sneaking in the back door and investigating what the craze is all about. You guessed it--I still haven't read any of the Twilight books or seen any of the movies. I'll get around to it, though.

In my defense, I saw the first five movies when they came out. OK, I'm lying. I waited until they were released on DVD. Did I love the movies? Absolutely! But I still hadn't read one word of the first book. I used the excuse that the movie would ruin my view of the book.

Amanda came home from the Marine Corps in December. Along with tons of stuff she had accumulated and somehow stored in her barracks room for the past four years, she also brought home three large boxes of books. Inside one of those boxes, was the complete boxed set of Harry Potter.

I finally gave in to her pleas and picked up the first book. I told myself reading the story would be great research for my children's writing education. I read it in two nights. I finished the second book two nights later and the third book took me only four nights. Now, I'm hooked. Heck, I even tweeted about 'Pottermore.'

So, what are my thoughts on what I've read? Well, I'm probably wrong about this. What do I know? JK Rowling has sold so many books, she couldn't write them fast enough for her fans. But, I'm going to be honest here and say I noticed some passive voice in the first three books and JK uses 'had had' a few times, which I find difficult to read. Don't get me wrong, I'm not being overly critical. I just noticed those few things. Did they take anything away from my Harry Potter experience? No, not at all. In fact, I can't explain it but, these little quirks made me feel more comfortable. I realized this amazing storyteller who has captured millions of children and adults around the world is actually a real person.

Now, fourteen years later, the last Harry Potter movie is coming soon to theatres. Amanda is already timing her series re-reading to coincide with the movie's release. She will probably attend the midnight show and I plan on going with her, with a much better understanding of the wizarding world, wishing I could attend Hogwarts.

Three Words

I read a magazine article recently that said, "Describe yourself in three words." I thought this topic would make a good blog post but choosing just three words proved to be quite difficult for me. I'm a true Gemini, so along with multiple moods, I also have many facets to my persona. I have good qualities but I also have less admirable ones. I also wear many hats in my daily life as a wife, mother, business owner, and writer. How could I possibly pick only three words?

As a writer, I am: creative, curious, and earnest.
As a business owner, I am: humble, honest, and very hopeful.
As a mother, I am: proud, understanding, and guiding.
As a wife, I am: patient, kind, and loving.

Sounds like I'm a great person, doesn't it? Ah, but mix in my bad qualities and I'm less than amazing.

I am self-conscious, lazy, inconsistent, impatient, and tend to be very controlling. I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that immediately came to mind. I'm working on changing those bad qualities, but the transformation may take some time.

My goal is to describe myself as Patient, Positive, and Organized but for now I will be realistic and settle for: Ready Willing, and Able.

Are three words enough for you?