Run Gwen, Run! Write Gwen, Write!

First Campaigner Challenge

2012-02-20T13:29:00.001-08:00

This is the first campaigner challenge in Rach Harrie's Fourth Writer's Platform-Building Campaign.

AND THE FIRST CHALLENGE IS:

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), do one or more of these:

end the story with the words: "everything faded." (also included in the word count)
include the word "orange" in the story
write in the same genre you normally write
make your story 200 words exactly!

We are to see how whacky, creative and original we can get.

I've met all of the requirements and added challenges.

Here is my story.

Beware the Shadows

Shadows crept across the wall as the orange moon rose higher in the midnight sky. Darkness enveloped me like a second skin, fear trapped in every pore. I crept along, one with the shifting darkness...

Snap!

I whirled. “Shhh!” I hissed in a loud whisper. “Someone might hear us.” I turned back to the wall and edged along the shadows.

“Sorry,” Simon whispered back. “I can’t bleedin’ see. “Ow!” He tripped and stumbled into my back. “Tell me again what we’re doing here in the middle of the night?”

I sighed. “I told you. I didn’t get to shake his hand. If I could just hold something of his, grasp it in my hands, I might be able to read the energy from it and figure out what he’s up to.”

“Just what is it you suspect him of?”

I shivered. “Murder.”

We shimmied the wall and dropped to the other side, landing in a crouch. Taking the lead, I hurried toward the dark house. I skittered onto an oval mound of loosely packed dirt and sank down like an anchor, a rotten odor spewing up.

Simon snagged a shovel from against the wall.

I grasped the handle.

Everything faded.

As a side note, the energy the MC talks about reading is Psychometry, a way of reading the energy of an object to reveal it's history.

To check out all the entries, GO HERE. I am #52 if you want to "like" mine:)

Yay! My Very First Kreativ Blogger Award!

2012-02-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

A very big thank you to Crazy California Claire for awarding me my very first Kreative Blogger Award! I never get tired of it. Really, I don't! My blog awards have their very own page and everything! Sheesh, look at all the exclamation marks!! I should be showing, not telling.

*great big cyber hug to Claire*

So now I have to tell you ten things about myself, and pass on the award to six of my blogging buddies. Here goes:

1) I've lived in California, Florida, California, Oregon, California, Arizona, Colorado, Virginia, California and Colorado. Pretty sure I'm not done yet. ~~Tiger~~ Gypsy blood!

2) I currently live at 9200 ft. elevation on 10 acres of woods in the mountains. We can't see our neighbors, but I have seen deer, elk, rabbit, squirrel, fox, bear, coyote and porcupine. We also have mountain lions, but thank goodness I haven't seen one!

3) I miss the beach. Ever see a dolphin or whale swimming in the ocean? It's awesome.

4) My 24th wedding anniversay is this month! How can that be? I'm not that old!

5) Daughter of a vet, wife of a vet, mother-in-law of a vet (sorry if I'm repeating myself - some of you already know this).

6) I love everything British: The pubs, the theatre and Andrew Lloyd Webber, the black cabs, the underground, double-decker buses, the accents, the architecture, the Cotswolds, cozy mysteries, A Christmas Carol and Charles Dickens, Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost, Midsommer Murders, Gavin & Stacey, The Vicar of Dibley, Harry Potter, Fish 'n' Chips, Toad-in-the-Whole, Bubble & Squeak, Bangers and Mash, the weather, walking along the Thames, ginnels and snickets, cobblestoned streets, The Beatles, the Royal Family. And of course my friend Claire Hennessy from Crazy California Claire who gave me this award!

7) I am a freak of nature: I don't like beer. (anything else, though, lol).

8) I love to travel. I've been to: England, Ireland, Scotland, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Innsbruck and all points in between. Briefly into Canada and of course Mexico - I grew up on the Mexican border in San Diego. I'm pretty sure I got cussed out by a Catholic priest at Notre Dame in Paris. I watched a student riot with barricades, tire fires and riot police from my hotel balcony in Paris. I had cappuccino on the Spanish Steps in Rome without knowing it. I boarded a train without a reservation in Stuttgart Germany. Sleeper trains are awesome! When I become a world famous author, I want to travel a lot!

9) I am a book ~~whore~~ hoarder:)

10) Living in the moutains, we have to make our own fun. So - we have Japanese Night (Udon, chopsticks, Japanese music on Pandora), Mexican Night (burritos or enchiladas, mexican beer and mexican music on Pandora - especially on Cinco de Mayo and Dia De Los Muertos), German Night (bratwurst and German potato salad, German beer and German music on Pandora), Irish Night (especially on St. Patricks Day, corn beef and cabbage, Guinness, Jameson and Irish Music on Pandora) and Italian Night (bruschetta, pasta, wine, candle stuffed in a chianti bottle and Italian music on the DVR).

AND, HERE ARE THE SIX BLOGGERS I'M PASSING THIS ON TO:

1) Loralie at Apathy's Hero. She's currently hosting the Critique Partner's Blogfest for us. Thank you, Loralie! What a "Kreativ" idea you had.
2) Sarah Pearson at Empty White Pages who writes and posts musical stories that I love. And because she's always so supportive.
3) My new friend and follower Maria Zannini for her kind words and versatile blog.
4) Deborah Walker who actually has two blogs, HERE and as Kelda Crich HERE.
5) Sharon Bayliss at The Blue Word who blogs about writing AND updates us on important contests and opportunities.
6) Joshua at Vive Le Nerd for his "Kreativ" rescue when I deleted all my comments!

11 Questions from the Platform-Building Campaigners

2012-02-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

11 Questions ...Make that 22 ...Er 33

Thanks, Melissa Maygrove, for tagging me in the 11 Questions game. We Platform Building blog campaigners are having some fun playing the blogging writer's version of 20 Questions. So sit back and enjoy.

Here are the 11 questions given to me by Melissa:

1. If you were given a yacht, what would you name it?
Hmmm, sea vessels are always named after women. I'd name it after the name my husband gave me: The Lady Gwendolyn. Or after my dog, HRH Koko "Puff."

2. If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
I'm presuming you mean something legal - wouldn't it be fun to freak people out by driving?!

3. Where's your favorite place to write?
I write in my loft. Two picture windows looking out on ten acres of pine and aspen (snow-covered at the moment).

4. Give us a sample of a conversation you might have with one of your characters:

Me: "Tell me the truth - do ghosts watch us undress? It's just that, you know, male relatives coming back for a visit...."

MC: "Get a grip, Gwen. Just because you write me, doesn't mean I have to answer silly questions."

Me: "No, but really...."

MC: Rolls her eyes.

5. What punctuation mark best describes your personality? Why?
Oooh, good question. I'm pretty "lower keyboard." Probably the question mark because I'm always questioning everything.

6. Just like "Everybody Wang Chung tonight!", what action would your name be if it were a verb?
Runner!

7. What's one thing you'd like others to know about you?
I write YA Paranormal Romance and I like to read it too. But I also read classic literature, british mysteries and spiritual/inspirational books.

8. What's one misconception people tend to have about you?
That I'm standoffish. But really I'm just quiet and socially inept.

9. Who cares if the glass is half empty or half full. What's in the glass?
Cabernet Sauvignon. Oh and I like one of those little charms on the stem, too. The Eiffel Tower is my favorite.

10. Name one of your strengths when it comes to writing?
I'm think I'm pretty good at writing mishaps:)

And last, but not least...

11. What's the most unusual or outrageous thing you've ever done to understand and perfect a character's POV? (Let's see if Carrie will answer this one honestly. *Gotcha Grin*)
I'd rather hear this from Carrie!

I am tagging some of my new followers from the campaign (your questions follow!):

1. Elodie at commutinggirl

2. Dawn Montgomery at The Write Way, My Way

3. Kevin Hiatt Graphophobia

4. Nick Hight at Writing Fire

5. Alynza Smith at The Write Journey

6. Yvie Gonya at wandering on the edge of paradise

7. Ruth "inluvwithwords" at Out on a Limb

8. Shannon at Green Monkey Tales

9. Gina Carey

10. Melissa at have your heard?

11. Jess at Write. Skate. Dream.

Consider yourselves tagged!

Here's your 11:

1. What is your secret weapon of choice?

2. If you could sit down for coffee with any historical figure, who would it be?

3. Any "famous" figures in your ancestry? Who and what did they do?

4. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

5. What was the #1 song the day you were born?

6. What is your favorite genre to read and why?

7. Who is your favorite literary character and why?

8. Besides reading and writing, what is your favorite pastime or hobby?

9. If you could switch places with one person for 24 hours, who would it be? Why?

10. What is the area you live in most famous for?

And last, but not least...

11. What are the top 5 programs you watch on television?

*When you've posted these questions with your answers on your blog, come back and leave a comment letting us know. ; )

Critique Partner Blogfest

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Need a Critique Partner? Loralie Hall over at Apathy's Hero is hosting this awesome Critique Partner Blogfest. Between February 10th and February 13th, post the below information. Then visit the other participants sites which can be found HERE and comment. If you see someone that is a fit for your needs, let them know you are interested. If you don't find a fit, that's okay, too. No obligation.

So here is my entry into The Critique Partner Blogfest:

Genre, Age Group, Book Title:
YA Paranormal Romance
12-18 age group
Givin' Up The Ghost

Story Status:
I am halfway through editing my first complete novel. I think it needs lots of help. I hope to pitch it to an agent or publisher in April at a Writer's Conference.

Feedback I'm Looking For:
I am looking for overall thoughts or recommendations on a per chapter basis. What are the strengths and weaknesses? What's missing? Is any part of it confusing or not working? Are any of the parts boring? Anything that I might not be seeing myself.

My Pitch:

Indigo Eady was NOT clumsy. At least, not until she moved to Sabrina Shores. Could she help it if she’d been off-kilter since moving to a medieval village in England? Who knew it would be teeming with afterlife? After all, this was the 21st century! It was like she had a foot in both worlds, straddling the no-man’s land in between. She just had to learn to keep her balance, that’s all.

So it wasn’t her fault that she somehow managed to bowl Badger over every time they met. She was becoming hazardous to his health, not to mention her own. If it weren’t for the murdered spirits and interfering ghosts vying for her attention, her life would be so much easier!

To top it all off, why did Badger have to be so cute? That was no doubt the problem. Mix needy dead guys and very-much-alive cute guys, and you had the ingredients for a world totally out of whack. But neither of them had time for love right now. They had a murderer to catch. Even so, sparks were flying in more than one direction!

If only she could Give Up The Ghost and leave all that otherworldly stuff behind. Then she could be a normal teenager, who did normal things. Like dating. And holding hands. And even better, kissing! Not like that kiss she shared with Badger to throw off those goons who were following them. Although for a fake kiss, it was really, really good!

First 500 Words:

“What the...” the boy sputtered, finding himself inextricably lying flat on his back. I lay sprawled across him, our eyes locked in stunned surprise, our bodies entwined in a tangle of arms and legs. My breath was coming in rasps so I couldn’t speak, but it was just as well. I mean, what was I going to say? Nice day for a run?

I don’t know who was more shocked, him or me. Luckily it was still early and the market square relatively quiet. I didn’t think anyone had witnessed my current fiasco. Now I could add bowling over cute guy to my growing list of mishaps. I sighed.

I chanced a quick glance back toward the alley I had just barreled from, but the thing was gone. Not a very graceful escape, I’ll admit. But all things considered, this new situation I suddenly found myself in was a vast improvement, if hugely embarrassing.

I suddenly realized the dude beneath me was beginning to squirm. “I’m sorry,” I gasped, still trying to catch my breath. Now I had to extricate myself from this current predicament. Trust me, it wasn’t easy. Our entwined limbs and clothing became like a massive pile of clothes hangers. The more I tried to untangle, the more things got caught.

Plus, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t doing much to help me with the problem. In fact, based on his grin, I’d say he was enjoying himself way too much.

A frown appeared between my eyes as I tried not to grin back. I should have been thankful he wasn’t mad, but this was no laughing matter. I was extremely uncomfortable, on more than one level. And the few people out and about were starting to stare at the young couple lying on the rain-soaked pavement.

Attack was the best defense, I’ve heard tell. “You could help me, you know,” I chastised, working a strand of my braid - still attached to my head I might add - from his jacket zipper. But with one strand down, I was still attached by another good-sized clump, preventing me from getting up - unless I was willing to rip out chunks of my hair - which I wasn’t. I was rather attached to it, actually.

“Oh, sorry. Here, let me.” With gentle fingers he eased long black locks of hair from the zipper, strand by strand. While he worked, I studied his face. He looked familiar. A slight scar above his right brow, about an inch long. Dark brown hair, slightly messy and overgrown. Golden speckles in brown eyes that...

...were now viewing me with amusement.

Crap. Busted, checking out the dude I just bowled over. So not cool. Plus, I had the feeling I totally missed something he just said.

“Sorry, what?” I asked, dumbly.

“You’re loose,” he repeated.

Fourth Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Once again it's time for Rach Harrie's Writers' Platform-Building Campaign. This is the short version which will run from February 6, 2012 to March 17, 2012.

It's easy to sign up. Just CLICK HERE and fill out the form. Then to sign up for specific genre groups and see the lists of campaigners, CLICK HERE.

Participating in this campaign is an excellent way to make contact with other writers and to build your following. Just visit and comment on as many blogs as you can, and they will return your visit. If you are a new blogger, this is the best way to get followers. I got over 100 followers just by participating last August! Generally, if you follow someone, they'll follow you back.

You will meet a lot of awesome writers and bloggers who are at various stages of the writing process, from beginning writers all the way to published writers. The more bloggers you follow, the more access you will have to just about anything you want to know about writing, publishing and editing.

I encourage you to join in the fun. You won't get better support and encouragement anywhere else. Plus, there are contests and prizes!

Here are some of the Key Dates:

This Fourth Campaign will be a mini-Campaign, and will run from today until Saturday, March 17, 2012.
The List of Campaigners will close on Wednesday, February 15th, so make sure you sign up before then.
The First Campaigner Challenge will begin on Monday, February 20th and end on Saturday, February 25th.
The Second Campaigner Challenge will begin on Monday, March 5th and end on Saturday, March 10th.

I hope to see you on the campaign trail!

World Cancer Day: Welcome Guest Blogger Liz Davies

2012-02-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today is World Cancer Day and this years theme is "Together We Are Stronger." The first thing you can do is go here and sign the World Cancer Declaration (or click on the icon in the sidebar), a petition to end cancer globally.

And I have a special treat for you today. In support of a cure through better exposure I have Liz Davies visiting today as my guest. Liz is a recent graduate interested in all things health related. In honor of WCD 2012, Liz has written an awesome article for us about assisting cancer patients suffering from insomnia.

Welcome Liz! I am so happy to have you here as my guest today!

So, who is Liz? Read on:

Q) How did you become interested in the topic of cancer and treatment/exercise for insomnia?
A) I have been interested in the way exercise affects cancer patients since I started working at my school’s recreation and wellness center. It is very motivational being surrounded by people interested in health. I also have history with cancer in my family and I have always been interested in ways cancer patients can face their difficulties in a positive way.

Q) What did you receive your degree in? Is it health related?
A) I received my degree in Communications and although I do not have a degree in a health related field I have always been interested in health and have educated myself on many topics.

Q) Now that you’ve graduated, what is your career path?
A) I hope to influence people through my writing. I have a friend that plans on starting a business and I would love to do Public Relations for her.

Q) You mention that you’re an aspiring writer. What genre are you interested in writing?
A) I am interested in writing about topics that can help people and give them more information than they had before. I love reading news articles and inspirational pieces so I want to be able to write things that people will love to read.

Sweet Dreams for Cancer Patients through Exercise (by Liz Davies)
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are three times more likely to be affected by insomnia than those without cancer. Insomnia can be prevalent for multiple reasons, one of those reasons being a high level of stress felt by cancer patients. But research has also found that these sleep problems can continue though remission.

Insomnia has extremely negative effects on the human body. This can include affecting the cardiac and immune functions of the body. Cancer patients often already have issues with this so insomnia adds more unhealthy weakness to the body. For cancer patients, it is very hard to fight off unexpected problems so this extra stress makes it more difficult to fight their main focus, cancer.

Insomnia affects all cancer patients differently. Lung cancer patients were found to have the highest level of insomnia and colon cancer patients had the least. This could be due to the different types of chemotherapy taken throughout treatment or the different levels of stress found with different survival rates. Patients who have generally higher survival rates like those suffering from breast cancer, are going to have different stresses from those with cancers with typically lower survival rates, like mesothelioma.

When trying to cure insomnia is it important to find and address the underlying issue. Patients who were diagnosed with insomnia were also found to have more incidences of depression and exhaustion. The number one symptom of people suffering from depression is insomnia but treating depression did not help cure the insomnia.

There are many medications that are given to cancer patients as sleep aids. Many patients do not want to add one more pill to their plate. One way to naturally cure insomnia is through exercise. Exercise reduces stress and nervous and muscle tension while increasing the production of endorphins which creates a sense of well-being and relieves pain.

At first a daily exercise program might feel more tiring than anything but after the body adjusts, the body will be able to go into a fuller sleep and therefore become more well rested than previously. It is important to try not to exercise directly before trying to fall asleep because this will cause sleep disturbances. Many believe exercise is the number one treatment for cancer survivors. Article written by Liz Davies.

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.

Thank you, Liz, for being my guest today. I loved your article and your drive to assist cancer patients get through very difficult times. Gwen.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

2012-02-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

I have just joined the Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex Cavanaugh the first Wednesday of every month! Basically it's a blog hop where you post your writing concerns and doubts and then receive the support and encouragement of those who are there, been there, or are going there!

To read the other posts or to join the fray, CLICK HERE.

(It's not that writers are neurotic, they're just, um, .......different. That's right, different! In a good way.)

My fears? That my book, Givin' Up The Ghost, won't be ready by April when I'll have a chance to pitch it at the Pikes Peak Writer's Conference. The first draft is complete and I'm halfway through the edit. But the middle is totally sagging!

I've also never pitched a book before so I'm at a complete loss.

Okay, rant over! How're you all doing?

All Dogs Go To Heaven: A Tribute to Nina "Bean"

2012-01-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

The world has lost one of the loveliest doggie souls today, my grand dog, Nina “Bean.” Nina had a real “dog’s life” until my daughter and son-in-law adopted her about a year and a half ago. She spent the first four years of her life as a “bait dog.” Baiting or dog baiting most commonly refers to the act of setting game dogs against a chained or confined animal for sport. It’s a cruel and vicious blood sport.

Nina was “rescued” and spent the next five years in a no-kill kennel. The only reason she wasn’t snatched up was because she was a pit bull. Without getting into the debate about the dangers of pit bulls, I will just say that it’s my belief when dogs are raised to fight and kill, that is what they will do.

Nina was just waiting for the right family to come along and that’s when she was rescued by my “kids,” Amber and John. When she was adopted, Nina was already nine years old, stiff legged, gray whiskered and scarred with dog bites, her jaw slightly askew having been broken, no doubt during the baiting.

Nina smiling in her sleep while basking in the sun

You’d think she would have been mean, distrustful, scared of people and other dogs, especially male dogs. But she wasn’t. You’ve heard the saying that the eyes are the window to the soul. You had only to look in Nina’s big brown eyes, straight to her soul, to see how lovely and kind she was.

Nina loved steak, cookies, her pink Princess collar, playing with her new brothers (Chance and Delgado, both 80 pound rescue dogs), belly-rubs, kisses and basking in the sun. She loved the freedom of using the doggie door and roaming the house and the big fenced yard. She loved her family.

Despite the hardships that Nina endured, her life was successful. How do I know? Because she was loved. Because people cried and grieved at her death.

It is too sad to look back at her past, so we will remember the joy she had with her new family and remember the coming joy because everybody knows that all dogs go to heaven.

RIP precious Nina “Bean.” You are loved and will be sorely missed.

Givin' Up The Ghost, Playlist, Promotion

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

(My pick to play my MC would be Jennifer Lawrence)

I'm finally treating my MANUSCRIPT like a REAL book!
Here are some of the things I completed last week:

After two years, I finally named my MS: Givin' Up The Ghost
I added a description of Givin' Up The Ghost, which you'll find under the Writing tab above.
I created a Playlist for Givin' Up The Ghost, see Playlist tab above.
Researched actors who could play my characters in the movie (gotta be prepared, lol!).
Created a rough draft of my book pitch for the writer's conference in April.
Researched business cards for the writer's conference in April.
Researched website information should I decide to use my domain name, gwengardner.com.

Can you tell I'm getting ready for the PPWC in April? There is so much to do - first and foremost to finish editing my book! And I'm having so much fun with it! Last week I decided to pair a scene from my MS and music/video from YouTube. And then when I was visiting Michelle Picketts blog, I discovered that she had created whole playlists for her books Concilium and Concilium: The Departure. I was so inspired that I just had to create a playlist for my own book, Givin' Up The Ghost. Check out my new Playlist and Writing tabs above. Michelle, who won second place in my Judge and Jury Blogfest, is an awesome writer. If you are a member of GoodReads, you'll want to add her books to your TBR list.

What are you doing to have fun with your writing? What are you doing to get an agent/publisher? What are you doing to promote your book?

As always, I welcome any advice you have on: conferences, pitching, business cards, website, description, playlist recommendations, etc.

ZZ Top And A Running Scene

2012-01-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a little ZZ Top called "Legs," to go with a scene I've written from my Work-In-Progress. I like the song for the scene, even if the video doesn't exactly go with it. But all in good fun! And I'm feelin' in need of some fun today.

So to set the scene: A young adult sort-of-paranormal-romance-mystery novel, if you call talking to ghosts "paranormal." The main protagonist is psychic and can speak to ghosts and she's agreed to help find the murderer of her friend's dad. This is a scene where two of the protagonists are walking through a riverside park at night and discover they're being followed.

A Scene From:

Givin' Up The Ghost

We walked through the lamp-lit park, along a meandering pathway, the illuminating yellow glow casting halos upon the wet pavement. Halfway through the park I felt tingling on the back of my skull.

I took a deep breath. “Badger, don’t turn around, but I think we’re being followed,” I whispered.

He glanced my way. “How do you know, did you see someone?”

“Nope.” I shrugged. “Just one of those crazy feelings I get.” I waited for him to laugh or make fun. He didn’t.

“Okay.” He linked his arm through mine. “Do you trust me?”

I surprised myself by nodding my head - no hesitation.

“Then just follow my lead, okay?”

He took hold of my good hand and I came to a stop, facing him under the halo of a street lamp. He put his arms around me. “We’re just a pair of young lovers out for a walk, right?”

Quick to understand the game plan, I put my hands on his chest and looked up into his face. “Right. Now what?” I stepped closer and ran my hands up over his shoulders and around his neck.

“I’m going to kiss you.” Badger leaned in for the kiss, turning me slightly, while sweeping his eyes across the park in the direction we had just come from. His lips were soft against mine. Not too soft, but just-right soft. He lifted his head and looked down into my face.

“Well?” I whispered.

“Nice. Very nice.” He smiled.

I laughed softly. I’m glad it was dark so he couldn’t see my face going red yet again. “Thanks. But I meant...”

“Oh! Right. Two of them. Near the entrance. And doing a pretty bad job of hiding behind a tree,” he answered.

I took the opportunity to peak down the path without averting my head. “It’s starting to rain again. If I’m not mistaken, it’s about to pour buckets, so we can give them the slip by pretending to run from the rain.”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “But that would take all the fun out of what we’re doing now.”

I laughed again lightly, feeling his heartbeat beneath my palms.

“Seriously, though,” I said.

“Did you know your eyes are the color of indigo?” he said, his eyes searching mine, for...something.

“Focus,” I reminded him.

“Oh. Right. Running it is, then.”

“Do you think you can keep up?” I teased.

“That sounds like a challenge,” he said, kissing my parted lips gently.

I grinned up at him and hoped he couldn’t read the expression underneath. My very first kiss. Okay, not a real kiss, but for a fake one, it was really good.

A crack of thunder and lightning, followed by torrential rain came right on cue. I gently pushed away from Badger and took a few steps back, turning with a playful swagger, and a catch-me-if-you-can smile thrown back over my shoulder. I threw my long mane of wet hair back and crooked a finger at him playfully, inviting him to chase me, totally into the game now. And then I turned and ran for all I was worth, Badger on my heels.

We dashed across the sodden grass, through bushes and trees, toward a park exit. I sprinted toward a slit between buildings which lead into a rundown historic area.

The alleys here were narrow and dark. As we raced through the twisting passageways, the buildings grew closer together, nearly touching overhead as they leaned toward each other. The corridors became almost cave-like; dark and damp, as we ran further and further, and ever downward into the maze of passages. I hoped that we would be able to find our way out again. I hadn’t seen anyone, but saw muted light coming through some of the windows. The further down we ran, the more I noticed the odors; cooking smells mingled with rotting garbage, and the faint odor of urine.

It was impossible to tell how close our pursuers were at this point, between the sound of our own harsh breathing and the mist and fog distorting the sounds which bounced off the stone walls.

The ground beneath us was cobbled and slick from rain, and we struggled to stay on our feet, using the stone walls to keep our balance. I hurtled around a corner and ducked into a dark stairwell, dragging Badger behind me. We tumbled further up the stairs, breathless, into the shadows. I hoped that we hadn’t trapped ourselves. We tried to control our heavy breathing as we peered into the alley below for the two men.

There was a crashing noise, as if someone had run into a garbage bin and sent it rolling down hill. Then we saw the two men below passing by the stairwell, and heard their raspy breath, chests heaving, a voice saying, “We lost them.”

Still we waited. The only sound in the dark stairwell was our heavy breathing, when out of the shadows above us, a voice said, “Are you two going to sit in the dark all night, or are you going to come inside?”

I WELCOME POSITIVE CRITICISM. WHAT DO YOU THINK? I'VE JUST CHOSEN THE TITLE - DO YOU LIKE IT?

The Next Chapter

2012-01-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

Looking back on 2011, it was a pretty awesome year.

I accomplished two main goals to go along with my blog theme, Running and Writing:

1. I ran my first half marathon,
2. I finished the first draft of my first novel.

For me, these accomplishments are huge. In my younger days, I would never have dreamed that I would do either of these things. I didn't learn until later in life that I had options. Somewhere along the line, a light went off. Realizations and epiphanies occurred. With my husband's encouragement, I went to college and graduated (Class of 2001) with a degree in English at 41. People always asked, "Are you going to be a teacher?" The answer was always, "No, I want to write."

I am a slow starter! I didn't start writing until 2009, again, encouraged by my husband. Something happens when you're pushing 50 and you realize that the time is NOW! I made a lot of changes. Quit a good, stable job. Moved out of state and bought a home in the mountains. It was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

So what's the Next Chapter?

Here are my goals for 2012:

1. Finish editing and publish my novel,
2. Complete the first draft of my next novel,
3. Run another half marathon,
4. Exercise, lose weight, get healthy.
5. Travel!

2012 is going to be a great year! I can feel it - the forward momentum, the positive energy, the right people at the right time will be in the right places to help me achieve my goals. Ever get that feeling that things are unfolding as they should?

What are your goals for 2012? Are you a runner? Or a writer? How did you get started in either?

A Look Back at 2011 Non-Resolutions

2011-12-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be interesting to go back and take a look at my Non-New Year Resolutions from last year to see if I completed any of my goals. It turns out that all of my goals were health-related!

Of course, a year ago is when my blog was strictly about running and getting healthy. Now I blog about running and writing! My 2012 goals will be a mix of both, but that's another blog post.

I did meet some of these goals. Some of them I met and then reversed. Most of the goals will be brought forward to 2012. I haven't given up, only delayed some of them a bit. The goal that I accomplished that I am most proud of was running the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in San Diego!

HERE ARE LAST YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS:

Welcome, 2011!

While 2010 was a good year, I’m happy to move on, because I’m very excited about the future and to see what it has in store.

Although I consider myself an expert in New Year’s Resolutionology, (move over Sarah Palin, you’re not the only one who can invent new words!) having made so many myself, I am not officially making any New Year’s Resolutions this year. Did you know that studies show that 36% of New Year’s Resolutions are broken by the end of January? And by the end of six months, over 50% are broken. Those are not good odds, so I’m not taking them; the bet is off. Instead, I am making promises to myself:

1. To get in shape (I've always thought that pear is a very nice shape).

2. To listen to my body (especially when it’s screaming at me to put the doughnut down!)
3. To lose weight (where does it go when you lose it? You know it’s hiding somewhere, because it always comes back).
4. To not get frustrated when my body isn’t cooperating with my plans (I am normal, supermodels are not).
5. To not listen to all the so-called diet experts (snack on carrot sticks when you’re hungry? Seriously?!!)
6. When life gives you lemons, make ~~lemonade~~ Greyhounds (oh wait….that’s grapefruit juice….Oh well, I’m sure it’ll work anyway)
7. When I’m ever-so-slightly ~~lying about~~, ~~overemphasizing~~, embellishing my weight loss, I’ll tell myself what a very good ~~liar~~ storyteller I am.

I didn't accomplish all of my goals last year, but I got a pretty good start. I ran 406 miles! I lost 40 pounds (and gained back 10). To those people who say that you can eat whatever you want as long as you're exercising, I say ~~LIAR~~. It is sooo NOT true! That's all I have to say about that!

Looking back through my calendar I can see where I slacked off, and where my best months were. I can see where I was motivated, and when I lost it (hiding under the couch cushion – I didn’t look there), I can see where my weight was steadily decreasing (before I started gaining and quit recording it – if you can’t see it, it isn’t there!). Yes, I am one of those kooky people that record inane details on a daily basis. Which is a good thing, because my drill sergeant daughter (my own self-appointed personal trainer) gave me a Runner’s World Training Journal for Christmas, “a daily dose of motivation, training tips & running wisdom for every kind of runner – from fitness joggers to competitive racers.” She filled it with six months of training plans so that I can get ready to run a half marathon in June. She also gave me moleskins (for blisters), Spa Lavender Foot Soak with Aloe-Infused Lounge Socks (for sore and calloused feet?), and a book of 100 Stretches (I can touch my toes if I bend my knees).

She took me to the Air Force Academy to show me their 13 mile trail that she says I’m going to run in a few months. It is forested with trees and brush, mountainous, and desperately desolate. So now I’m scared. Reallly scared (that’s me, scared, over on the right. Note the terrified eyes and vacant expression).

What in the world does she have planned for me?! I don’t think she realizes that I’m 50! That’s 50 years old, people! And fat! And all sorts of other things, besides! (Please refer back to my previous blog on ‘excuses’). She’s only doing it because ~~it’s payback time~~ she loves me…. right?

On the lighter side, here are some words of wisdom that I have learned over the years:

Happiness is there for the grabbing; use both hands.
Apply life lessons learned; they are proven guides.
Pick good friends for life’s journey; it makes the trip easier.
Perspective takes time; step back and think first – things will look differently tomorrow.
Years fly by quickly; don’t wait for tomorrow to pursue your dreams.

New beginnings come with every new day; take advantage.
Enjoy small things as well as the big; good things can come in small packages.
Wealth is a frame of mind; material things don’t belong there.

You are unique in all the world; there is nobody else like you; you are special!
Excellence is overrated; it’s more fun to laugh at your mistakes.
Always follow your heart; it won’t ever let you down.
Resolve to be kinder to yourself; you deserve it.

2010 was my practice year, and now I’m ready for the real thing!

To my friends and family: I may joke, but I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your love and support, without which I couldn’t take the first step.

May you have Hope, Health, Humor and Happiness in the New Year.

God Bless and Godspeed.

I'm Just Writing and PPWC Anyone?

2011-11-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

I haven't disappeared, I'm just writing! Sort of. I think.

What do you call it when you change your entire completed book from third person POV to first person POV? Besides pure craziness, I mean.

Because that's what I've been doing. I changed my book from third person to first person, which was totally crazy, and a lot of freaking work! My MC wasn't in every scene, so I had to write her into the two chapters she didn't appear, which seemed to be the easiest way.

Why did I do this crazy thing?

Because I experimented with taking part of my book and writing a short story in first person point of view and liked it better. And my critique partners agreed.

And because I don't know what the heck I'm doing! I certainly didn't choose the easy path, either. Me, a total newbie, started with a novel as my first project. No short stories, essays or articles for me! Nope! A full-on novel. Pure Craziness!

I never have done things the easy way. *Big Sigh*.

I just hope that all the "How To" books I've read, studied and outlined will be enough. I have also learned a lot from the blogging/writing community, too. Thank you all very much!

So now I keep reminding myself that learning to write well is a process, that I'm learning a craft, and it takes time, just like any other craft.

However,

I'm running out of time! I need to finish my editing/rewriting/fixing/making-sense-of-what-I'm-doing because I've signed up for my first writer's conference! I'm am really excited! I will have the chance to pitch my book to a editor/publisher/agent - I think I will have eight minutes. Yikes!

It's not until April, but I have a lot of work to do and I know how time flies!

Are any of you bloggers going to the Pikes Peak Writer's Conference in Colorado Springs? I'd love to meet you!

So - what I really need is advice. Things like, should I have business cards made up and how many copies of my MS should I take?

Like I said, I'm a total newbie, and I'd love to hear from all of you who are more experienced than I am!

I am a Rugged Maniac!

2011-11-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

The good news? I wasn’t dead last.

The bad news? I was last in my age group.

Sigh. That’s just how it works, I guess.

I finished 2199 out of 2230 people. There were 31 people slower than me! Like I said, I wasn’t dead last! But darn near.

Here is some interesting information. Every year I run I have a better chance of winning or placing in my age category, because the older you get, the smaller the group. There were 9 people in my age category this year; 5 female and 4 male.
If I was just four years older, there would have been only two people in that age group, both males. I would have placed first for the women in the category! Yes! There is still hope for me!

Me, shaking at the top of the Cargo Net Climb

Amber on the Cargo Net climb

Putting results aside, the run was fun, but really hard. Only 5K (3.1 miles), it was way harder than the half marathon (13.2 miles) I ran last June! I couldn’t have done it alone. I lost count of the number of people who helped me over, under and through obstacles.

Amber on a hill

Everywhere I turned, there was always a helping hand reaching back for me, sometimes my daughter Amber, sometimes a stranger. Oh, the kindness of strangers! They tugged and pulled and boosted me over seven foot barricades, 20 ft. cargo net walls, up muddy hills, through worm-hole tubes filled with mud and water and under barb-wire covered mud holes and down a high-speed suicide slide into a muddy water hole where I had to pull myself over big round floating tubes that blocked my way. Did I mention the hills? Lots of hills! Did I mention the water? Cold freaking water!

Yeah. Totally fun, LOL!

I could be in better shape. I’m still working on it. But here’s something I like to keep in mind, and it can be applied to anything and everything in your life:

Dead Last Finish
Beats Did Not Finish

Which Greatly Trumps Did Not Start

Unknown Author

Amber on the Suicide Slide

Did I want to quit? Hell, yes. Especially when I severely bruised my ribs halfway through the course trying to get over a wall. But there was no way I was going to quit unless they carried me off on a stretcher. You just can’t quit in front of your kids, right? So I’m glad I finished!

Even so, it’s more important to start. You will never know what you can accomplish unless you start! Even if you fail, at least you tried.

Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”

Wow, that is perseverance! What would the world be like if Edison had quit?!

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon and Team Trix Cheerleading

2011-10-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon is all about promoting literacy. As the title implies, a bunch of people are doing nothing but reading books for the next 24 hours.And where there's a marathon, there has to be cheerleaders! To do my part, I've signed up for both cheerleading and reading.

I've been assigned to the Team Trix Cheerleading Squad, which covers R-Z on the linky list. I am starting at the bottom of Z. That way, people at the end of the list will not be forgotten. So for the next 1+ hours, I will bloghop around and cheer the readers on. I know that the participants all love to read, so I'm sure they're having so much fun - and they have a darn good excuse to sit around reading all day! Does life get any better than this?!

I've signed up to do my reading bit, too, but it will have to be later when I'm through cheerleading!

Today, I hope to finish The Legend of Victor Standish by Roland Yeoman. It is a new release and I have to say that I started it the other day and could hardly put it down. I would have finished it at one sitting if I didn't have a darn rib injury from doing the Rugged Maniac 5K last weekend!

Here is the excerpt taken from Roland Yeoman's blog:

There are strange tales told by the vagrants of the French Quarter when midnight descends. The hours fade as the shadows creep closer. The tales are not to amuse, but to keep weary eyes from closing. For the creeping shadows are hungry. One such tale is THE LEGEND OF VICTOR STANDISH.

If you want to buy it, you can do so here at Amazon. I don't have a Kindle, but did you know you can download the app on your PC for free? It's so easy. Then you can read it from your computer, laptop, or whatever other apps that are compatible.

If you don't know Roland, you should definitely check out his awesome blog, Writing in the Crosshairs.

HERE ARE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED FOR THE READ-A-THON:

1) Where are you reading from today?

Mostly in bed due to injured ribs - in my house in the Rockies! It's a clear, cool and breezy day.

2) Three random facts about me…

I like to read British mysteries as a genre, and YA fiction.

I began writing in January 2010 and jumped right in with a book.

I'm a pretty big hermit.

3) How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

About one is all I can handle today. The Legend of Victor Standish.

4) Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

I am trying to a visit to all the blogs listed under R-Z, but I don't know if I'll make it! That's a lot of blog visits and will end up way past the 1-hour cheerleading I volunteered for.

KEEP ON READING!

Third Campaigner Challenge: Show Not Tell

2011-10-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Rachael Harrie's Third Campaigner Challenge has been announced, and this is how it rolls:

Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:

• that it’s morning,

• that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach

• that the MC (main character) is bored

• that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting

• that something surprising happens.

Just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: "synbatec," "wastopaneer," and "tacise." (NB. these words are completely made up and are not intended to have any meaning other than the one you give them).

Entries in the Third Campaigner Challenge will close on Monday, October 24th (at 11.59pm EDT).

I BELIEVE I HAVE INCORPORATED ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS!

TO SEE THE OTHER ENTRIES, OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOTE FOR ME, CLICK HERE. I AM NUMBER 65!

IN HONOR OF HALLOWEEN, HERE IS MY ENTRY!

Running From The Grim

There’s this boy I like, see. And he likes to run on the beach. So here I am at the butt-crack of dawn, alone on the beach.

I yawn in the early morning gray, the damp, tangy sea salt tickling the back of my throat. Tucking wisps of humidity-clouded hair behind my ears, I begin to jog. Glancing around, I still don’t see him. I don’t see anyone...

I hit the cold spot at the same time as the roaring fills my ears. Voices – agonized, moaning, screaming. Like trapped souls of the dead.

My stomach sinks. A familiar tingling creeps up my spine. A quick glance over my shoulder confirms what my senses have already told me. The Grim Reaper has announced its own horrid arrival.

Swirling clouds of unnatural vapor, thick like a London pea-souper, enshrouds me on all sides. With my heart racing, I flee as fast as I can. Running fast through sand is like trying to squeeze thick honey through a bear-bottle. Visibility near zero, I frantically search for an escape route that will end with my soul intact.

My foot catches on driftwood and I go down hard, gritty, damp sand imbedding into my hands and knees. Scrambling to my feet, I risk a quick glance back, and stifle a sob. Still there, a tactise wastopaneer, and growing bigger, taller, wider, darker. A foul stench assaults my nostrils, invades my mouth, triggering my gag reflex. Rotting flesh and fear. The smell of death.

Racing until my lungs are about to explode, I burst through some kind of synbatec barrier...

“What the...” the boy sputtered, finding himself flat on his back. I lay sprawled across him, staring into startled brown eyes.

All things considered, this new situation I suddenly find myself in is a vast improvement.

The Results Are In! Check Out The Winners!

2011-10-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Judge & Jury Blogfest is over and the results are in! This is the fun part for me; awarding the prizes! It was a close contest, and I know that we all had a tough time choosing our favorites due to the high quality of the submissions.

I know, once again, blah, blah, blah, get on with it. So, without further ado:

Nadja Notariani WINS FIRST PLACE!

And a $15 amazon.com gift card.

WE HAVE A TIE!:

Michelle Pickett WINS 2ND PLACE, and,

Caitlin WINS 2ND PLACE!

They both win $10 gift cards at amazon.com

Clarissa Draper WINS THIRD PLACE!

Clarissa will receive a $5 amazon.com gift card.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

I have a $10 amazon.com gift card booby prize for Hywela Lyn for being my 100th follower.
Each of the jurists below have earned $5 amazon.com email gift cards.

Congratulations to all the WINNERS! And a great big THANK YOU to everyone who participated, and a special THANK YOU to the jurists for choosing the awesome winners!

TO THE WINNERS AND JURISTS:

Your amazon gift cards will be delivered to your email, so please keep an eye out!

Teaser Tuesdays: The Graveyard Book

2011-10-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teaser:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

"It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you."

CONGRATS TO THE SEMI-FINALISTS!

2011-10-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

The votes are in! And I have to say that it was really, really, close. The quality of the entries was just so high, I knew that I'd have to go back to the drawing board with my (non) entry. My inexperience is totally showing here. But I'm learning so much from everybody since I started blogging a year ago. Anything I want to know about writing? I can find right here in the blogging community. And everybody is so supportive. And, I just want to say, THANK YOU!

I know, blah, blah, blah, get to the point already! So here we go with the top six semi-finalists, in no particular order:

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SEMI-FINALISTS! Please be sure to visit their blogs and leave some comment love. And come back on Friday to see the winners and the prizes awarded!

TO THE SEMI-FINALISTS: I altered the blogfest badge and made it into a semi-finalist badge, so please feel free to post it on your blog. I know my graphic designer skills are lacking, but like my writing, it's a work in progress!

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?! My original plan was to have you take these six semi-finalists and have you vote again for the top three. But after thinking about it, I've decided to make it easier on everyone and just use the votes you've already made.

And so...I will post the first, second and third place winners based on the entries with the most votes on Friday, October 14th. This will give the six semi-finalists a chance to ~~boast~~ post about their accomplishments before the top three winners are announced!

I've had such a blast hosting this blogfest. Thank you so much everyone for hanging in there with me. I really appreciate it!

Just Join! You know You Want To!

2011-09-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

JUST A QUICK REMINDER! The Judge and Jury Blogfest has been extended until Friday, 9/30/11. Come on and join! You know you want to! It's going to be loads of fun! And did I mention the Prizes? Yep, loads of prizes. All you have to do is click down below, then scroll down and enter your name on the Mister Linky. To enter, write a 300 word (or less) defense scene. The Jury (the first 12 to sign up) is already in place, and there are still 3 prizes to win - first, second and third place - if you defend yourself well, that is! And I use the term "defense" loosely. It can be as traumatic or as light as you choose to make it. Defend a stolen kiss or a brutal murder. It's up to you.

Are you up to the challenge? If so, click here!

Help!! I @!*!%&#! Deleted All My Lovely Comments!

2011-09-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Why do I do these things? I know just enough technology to be dangerous. I should know better.

I was on my blogger dashboard, just surfing around, and clicked on the "comments" tab. Wow, I thought. There are almost 700 comments in here. I should delete them so my blog will be faster. And so I did. Not realizing that these deleted comments would also delete the comments that showed up on my posts. And now all my posts are bare, naked, unloved!

I want them back!

Can anybody help me? Anyone? Any............? *Big Sigh*

Just Join! You Know You Want To!

2011-09-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

JUST JOIN ALREADY!
THERE ARE LOTS OF ~~BRIBES~~ PRIZES!

There have been a couple of changes. The entry date has been extended to 9/30. Obviously the trial dates have changed, too, so please check them out below. Also, since I'm not really on trial here, I revised my entry for those who care to re-read it. I'm practising revising and I think the revision is loads better!

EXTENDED TO ALLOW MORE ENTRIES!
NOW UNTIL 9/30!

SIGN UP NOW

FOR THE JUDGE AND JURY BLOGFEST!
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY 9/5 - 9/10 30
USING THE MR. LINKY AT THE END OF THIS PAGE.

Finally the Judge and Jury Blogfest is here. It started out as a celebration of my first blogoversary, but now I have a few more milestones to celebrate as well!

My First Blogoversary
Completion of the First Draft of my First Novel
My First 100 Followers!

As you'll see below, there is a New Follower booby prize. And someone has already won it. Who better than my 100th Follower, the awesome Hywela Lyn! Congratulations - you have won a $10 gift card from Amazon.com. A special thanks to Rach Harrie, whose platform-building campaign really gave me a big boost to meeting other bloggers. I had 35 followers at the start of her campaign, and now, as of this writing, I have ~~111~~ 147!

NOW LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!

All Rise! The Judge (me) enters the courtroom. My Jury consists of the first twelve (12) bloggers to sign up for this Blogfest. Now – Round Up the Usual Suspects and we’ll have a trial!

Everyone who enters the Blogfest is a Suspect (including the Jury – they’re not getting off with a slap on the wrist. But not me – cuz I’m Da Judge). The Jury will vote on the Suspect guilty of writing the best defense scene. Any tie votes will be decided by the Judge.

HOW DO I PLAY?

Every Suspect (remember, this includes the Jury) must write a short defense scene in 300 words or less (a short intro to the scene is acceptable). It can be about anything legal or illegal, minor or major. A stolen kiss, cheating, robbery – even murder! It does not have to involve the law or court. Feel like sharing a scene from your manuscript? Cool! Or maybe a scene from a short story you’ve written? Awesome! It only has to be a scene where someone defends themselves against something.

WHAT ARE THE RULES?

The blogfest will run from Monday, September 5 – ~~Saturday~~ Friday, September 10 30.
At 12:01am Monday, September 5, a linky tool will go live on Run Gwen, Run!
Post your entry on your blog and then add a direct link to your post to the linky tool on my blog before 11:59 p.m. September ~~10th~~ 30th.
Come back on Wednesday, ~~September 14~~ October 5 to see the six finalists (chosen by the Jury), and then again on ~~Saturday, September 17~~ Monday, October 10 to see the winners!
All genres and forms are welcome.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO?

Copy the Judge and Jury badge and post it as a link in the sidebar of your blog
Tell all your blogger friends about the blogfest
Go to the other contestant’s blogs and give them some comment love during the challenge week 9/5 – 9/10 30.

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

Each of the 12 Jurors will receive a $5 Amazon Gift Card since serving on the Jury is compulsory (According to the Judge, this should in no way be construed as a bribe!)
A $10 Amazon Gift Card booby prize will be awarded randomly to a new follower – I’ve already picked out the Follower’s number. You may already be a winner!
Third place prize is a $5 Amazon Gift Card
Second place prize is a $10 Amazon Gift Card
FIRST PRIZE is a $15 Amazon Gift Card
All prizes to be awarded at the completion of the blogfest.

MY ENTRY

Technically, I'm not entering the blogfest as a contestant because that would be a conflict of interest, right? But I still want to play! I modified a scene from my YA novel - removed a couple of characters from the scene and changed it from third to first person. It's really tough to figure out what to cut so that it's less than 300 words! I ended up with 311 - close enough, methinks! And since it's a defense scene, I ended up with a lot of dialog. I'm not sure if the scene works, but here it is! Constructive criticism is welcome, please!

A Scene from Secrets and Lies

Drop-dead silence filled the room. My stomach sank right down to my toes, anchoring me to my chair. I stared at Badger and Simon in turn, my mouth working, like a fish gasping for water.

Use your words, Indigo, use your words, I told myself. Calmness is what we need here. I can do that. I’m calm. See? This is me being calm. I took a deep breath. Rested my hands on the table.

Unfortunately my mind is not attached to my butt. I sprung from my chair, which slammed into the kitchen wall behind me, providing the catalyst for the eruption that followed. Suddenly all on our feet, voices exploded into the room.

“WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAPPENED OUT THERE?” Sometimes being the loudest helps.

I found myself on the other side of the table, glaring up into Badger’s furious face.

“What the hell do you think?” he yelled back, almost as loud as me. “You think we caught up to him, beat him bloody, then threw his limp and bloody body into the bloody river? Is that what you think?” he demanded.

He banged his mug on the table. It bounced, coffee splashing across the tablecloth. A spoon clattered to the floor, but nobody moved to pick it up.

“The dude is dead, Badger. Don’t you get it?” I ran my fingers through my tangled hair and began to pace. “You must know how this looks,” I insisted. “Did anyone see you?” I stopped and looked from Badger to Simon. “More importantly, can you be identified?”

The boys exchanged a look. Two formerly red faces drained of color simultaneously, instantly deflated, like tires hitting a spike strip across a road.

They were bloody well seen. They were suspects. We all were.

Simon was the first to speak. “We wouldn’t have had time to kill Billy and get back here ten minutes after you did. You can’t possibly believe we had anything to do with his death. We wouldn’t. You know we wouldn’t.”

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More Bloggy Love: Yay! You Love Me!

2011-09-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

Like I've said before, receiving awards just doesn’t get old! Receiving awards means receiving bloggy love and support. And guess how much bloggy love I received this time?!

Six! Yes – six of the loveliest blog awards! Two more Versatile Blogger Awards, one more Liebster Award, One Lovely Blog Award, an Irresistibly Sweet Blogger Award and a Roaring Lion Award!

Yay! You Love Me! And now I'm going to love you back! Because I've got lots of awards to pass on to a group of people who deserve it so much!

I received the Versatile Blogger Award from Aaron at The Blogger Girlz. Check out her blog that she shares with some other awesome blogger girlz. I received another Versatile Blogger Award, a Liebster and a One Lovely Blog Award from Michele over at A Wanderer in Paris. AND, my blogging buddy Crystal over at Little Bundle of Contradictions is handing out the Worlds’s Sweetest Blogger and Roaring Lion awards to those who follow faithfully and leave comment love. Yep, that’s me!

I am lovin’ this SO MUCH! And I also love passing them on. So bear with me while I ~~make up stuff~~ think up new and interesting things to tell you about myself.

In the meantime, here are the rules for the Versatile Blogger Award and One Lovely Blog Award:

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post. Done.
Share 7 things about yourself. Done.

Pass this Award along to 15 recently discovered blogs and let them know about it. Done.

Here are my 15 Picks, once again working my way back from the end of my Follower List:

The Liebster Award is intended to show bloggy love to blogs with fewer than 200 followers. Here are the rules for the Liebster:

Show your appreciation to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them. Done.
Reveal your five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog. Done.
Post the award on your blog. Done.

Here are my five picks for the Liebster:

Here are the rules for the Roaring Lion Award and the World's Sweetest Blogger Award:

Thank the person who gave it to you. Done.
Post the award with the link to the person who gave it to you. Done.
Know that you are awesome! Done.
Pass the award on to as many people as you want. Done.

Here are my picks for the Roaring Lion and World's Sweetest Blogger Awards:

Here are the 7 things about me. Since I recently received other blog awards, I had to think really hard about 7 NEW things, but here they are:

1. I’ve had the same 6 best friends for 38 years. One of us is gone now (see #5), but I still count her in. When we get together? Fun, chaos and shenanigans.

2. Speaking of 38 years, that’s how old I was the last time I went Trick or Treating. I love Halloween and have such fond memories of Trick or Treating that I wanted to experience it again. Plus, I love candy. Just wear a mask and hide your hands! They'll never know *shhh*

3. My only house plant is a barrel cactus. He was an inch tall when I got him in 1995, and now he’s about 6 inches tall. Cacti live for a very long time, so I’m pretty sure I’ll have to assign a guardian for him in my will. We call him little Joe, AKA Cactus Joe. He can be a bit prickly. But when he gets blossoms in the Spring? He's gorgeous and he knows it!

4. I have a very flat and monotone type of humor/personality. (Read: I am not bubbly, never have been). Sometimes people don’t know how to take me. But I swear, I'm really nice!

5. I am faithful, trustworthy and loyal. If I am your friend, I am a friend for life. See #1 above.

6. We absolutely adore our dogs. Their names are Koko and Tuffy - Pit/Australian Shepard/Mutt mix. They are brother and sister, 6 years old. When they were pups I was teaching them to fetch and poop at the same time (no, not simultaneously). But Tuffy was a bit confused one day. When I told him to go poop, he fetched me a piece.

7. My dirty secret? I watch Jersey Shore. I know, I know - don't hate.

Second Campaigner Challenge

2011-09-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

It's time for Rachael Harrie's Second Campaigner Challenge! You gotta love her sense of humor - wait until you see the words she gave us that must appear in this post. I looked every one of them up on Wikipedia. This is a clear lesson in vocabulary - or little-used words, I'm not sure. You can read and vote for your favorite entry here. I'm number 34.

The Challenge is:

Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should:

• include the word "imago" in the title

• include the following 4 random words: "miasma," "lacuna," "oscitate," "synchronicity,"

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional and included in the word count), make reference to a mirror in your post.

For those who want an even greater challenge (optional), make your post 200 words EXACTLY!

I MET THE CHALLENGE AND THE EXTRA OPTIONS!

AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE THIS POST IN ORDER TO GO LOOK UP THE WORDS, I POSTED THE MEANINGS BELOW:

Imago: Insect in its sexually mature adult stage after metamorphosis.
Miasma: Noxious atmosphere.
Lacuna: A gap or space.
Oscitate: Gape or Yawn.
Synchronicity: Events that happen together by chance.

AND HERE IS MY POST.

Imago of a Lost World

AirShip America Log, September 22, 2075.
24:00 hours.

Reached Mariposa. Declared international martial law upon discovering mixed human/alien race in apparent distress. Subsisting mostly in an area called Lacuna, below ground, the unsustainable miasma being above ground. They are barely surviving. The race is surely facing extinction. Entire planet is beginning to oscitate in large areas and increasing daily.

I tapped the pen against my lips. I hadn’t quite figured out what to do with an entire race from a defunct planet.

“What are you planning?” asked First Lieutenant Carmenski. Clearly uneasy, she wanted to begin doing something. Anything.

“They must be evacuated, obviously,” I said, annoyed. I don’t like being rushed into any decision, especially one as important as this.

“But how?” she pushed. Our ship will only carry five hundred more.”

She sat next to me, commanding my attention. “Don’t you think it strange the AASA sent us here? I don’t believe in synchronicity. I think it’s all smoke and mirrors. They knew what they were sending us into.”

“Perhaps,” I said. But I secretly agreed. We landed on a dying planet. The American Aeronautical Space Administration surely knew about it. And sent us all to certain death.

Death of a Bookstore: RIP Borders

2011-09-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

I know that we, as writers, are watching the unfolding changes that are happening in the world of books and publishing pretty closely. First the struggling indy bookstores, and then the fall of some of the bigger conglomerates. What's next!

I fervently hope that we never see the total demise of bookstores, lost to the world forever due to economy and technology. One of my very favorite things to do in the world is to visit bookstores. Any bookstore. As long as there are books, I’m there. The nearest bookstores to me are an hour away, so I really appreciate them when I can get there.

But anymore when I go, there are always changes. It started with outfacing books which showed the covers. A twofold strategy, I think. One, to fill up the empty spaces on the shelves, and two, the cover has to be a great marketing tool. I’m always drawn to covers.

On my recent visit to Barnes & Noble, there were major changes going on.

First, they were in the midst of a major rearrangement. The teenage section, which was tucked away at the back of the store, was being moved to the middle of the store, next to fantasy and science fiction. And the teenage section was suddenly HUGE! I was quite surprised. I thought that with new technology, especially with teens, that they’d be buying online ebooks. So then I wondered, who’s buying all these books, then?! And my answer was, people like me. I am an older adult (can’t bring myself to say middle-aged, but…) who reads young adult fiction. It is a huge escape from the everyday reality that we live.

My point is that the teenage section, (read: YA) was easily the biggest section in the whole store, which means a lot of people are reading this genre, and not just teens. That’s excellent news for us YA writers. Woo Hoo! At least 75% of the blogs I follow are YA writers. I think we're in the right genre at the right time.

Second, although they’ve always had a games/puzzle section, they’ve expanded on that. In addition to that, they were making a special section for kid’s games and puzzles. Also, they must now have a relationship with Lego, because they had a whole section of new Lego shelving going up.

Third, the educational section seemed to be increasing. Now there are several aisles of teaching supplies for K-8.

But what section do you think was smaller? Reference. I don’t know why, but my guess is that they are expensive, they aren’t good sellers, and you can usually find what you want online for free.

Anyway, with $50 gift card in hand, I picked out 3 books and carried them around the store for an hour. Then I put two back, ever mindful of the economy and how much I was spending. I ended up with a YA fiction novel by Kiersten White, called Paranormalcy. Kiersten is awesome! You can check out her blog at Kiersten Writes .

When I walked out of Barnes & Noble, I looked up to see Borders across the street, with a big banner that said, Final Days. I knew they were selling everything and going out of business so I decided to go over and see what they had.

When I went in, it had been pretty well picked over, but with everything 80-90% off, there were still quite a few people shopping for a bargain.

The first thing I noticed was that people were rushing around with huge stacks of books. They looked like looters during a blackout. Others, like me, quietly perused the remaining titles on the shelves, respectfully, like reading headstones in a cemetery.

It was the final four days of their existence, and somehow, what was happening just didn’t seem right.

Even so, I bought $30 worth of books for $6, put my dark glasses back on, looked over my shoulder surreptitiously and slunk to my car like a thief in the night with my loot.

It was very sad, especially with B&N across the street, busy with all their bustling, new changes. Or maybe I should say "scrambling"?