The Feathered Quill

It's been a while...

2012-01-26T11:14:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted anything for a while because I have been so busy. Thanks to my new little boy who is 9 months old I barely have time to sleep, muchless write anything, and I do mean anything. Even my husband has taken on the challenge of writing the shopping lists, which is confusing for me because he will put Water on the list but not what kind he wanted. Which results in me calling him while I'm shopping.

I haven't forgotten about writing, I still keep a journal for myself and that helps me sort through and process my day. A way to wind down after a busy day of breastfeeding, homework, cooking, laundry, and Lord knows what else. My days are a bit overwhelming to say the least.

On top of everything else we are curreently in the process of buying our first home. There are tons of stuff that is involved. It is a bit overwhleming to be honest. The biggest shock so far was how much the Home Inspection will cost us. $330! Wow huh? That doesn't even cover the septic,termite, and radon testing. Those will run us about an extra $225 bucks. Ouch. What got me was how quickly all the testing and inspecting has to be done. We have 10 days to get all this done. This after months of looking at homes, it seems like everything is in fast foreward. Were keeping our fingers crossed that everything will turn out well and we can be moving sometime in March.

If your writing everyday, even if it's a journal like in my case, keep on. Life will free up some and before you know it you will be writing that book that you always wanted to. Even if you just write down ideas once a week for your writing that's progress! See the cup as half full instead of half empty.

Spring Green

2011-04-04T08:06:00.003-05:00

This time of year, Spring, always leaves me awed. It's as if my eyes have never before seen the color green before. It's just not standard shade of green that has my eyes consuming the feast Mother Nature puts before them, but all the varying shades that make up the spring pallet, the combination of colors.

To me this time of year is the MOST important for the writer. Spring is the season of renewal, and new starts. I know how tempting it is to stay hunkered behind your laptop to keep pecking out one more chapter, but you need to get outside and experience this new season. If you just can't, gasp, abandon your laptop for an hour in the outside realm take it with you and write your impressions of what you see! A writer always writes best what they have experience with and to get experience that means getting out there in the world and well, getting some experience! Take notes on the weather, if it's a balmy 70 degrees take note of how your body reacts to it. Are you wearing a sweater and sweating your butt off? Did you forget that it rained yesterday and today you wore sandals and now your squishing through puddles? Write all of this down and it will help you when your stuck in writing.

Writing is tricky business. Your a living being trying to breathe life into a person that will never actually breathe or move in the real world. All that your character has to rely on for this amazing ability is you! Don't give your wonderful characters the short end of the stick, use what you know; the life you have been living since you were born to help your book get on it's feet. Remember how it feels to run till your sides hurt, how it felt the last time you stubbed your toe, and how good it really feels to take a real deep breath after a spring storm. If you have forgotten what it feels like to live take a writing break for a day and live! Your characters will thank you!

RWA 2011 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

2011-03-02T10:15:00.000-06:00

Romance Writers of America annual Conference for 2011 will be held in New York, New York from June 28- July 1 2011. The link to the page is http://www.rwa.org/cs/conferences_and_events . This year is the 31st Annual Conference and it will be held at Marriott Marquis in Times Square. This year the Keynote speaker is Madeline Hunter and the Awards Luncheon speaker will be Sherrilyn Kenyon, Meg Cabot will emcee the 2011 RITA and Golden Heart Awards Ceremony and Julia Quinn will speak at the Librarians Day Luncheon.

This conference will have OVER 100 workshops, plus panels and round -tables with publishing pros. They also will have one-on-one pitch sessions with a literary agent or editor available, but you must pre-register for this. They also have Scholarships available.

This conference is meant for writers, editors, agents and other professionals, but if you are a fan and want to attend they recommend you attend the “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing on Tuesday night, which features HUNDREDS of authors and is open to the public. For this you will NOT have to pay the conference fee to attend the book signing.

This is a HUGE conference and to be honest it is a tad overwhelming, but they understand this and have a GREAT FAQ’s page that is a must see if you are thinking about attending. They cover the cost, what to wear, what to bring with you, and heaps of other questions you may have.

Registration for this event has started, and the early registration for members of the RWA and non-members end on May 13, 2011. Late registration ends June 10, 2011. The big difference between members and non-members is the price. Of course you can do an on site registration, but it will cost you extra.

Workshops & Conferences 2011

2011-02-16T08:57:00.000-06:00

I just wanted everyone to know that I will be looking into this year's conferences and workshops for 2011. I will post about them ASAP and add them to the tool bar on the right. 'Tis the season for registering!

Valentine Blues

2011-02-14T06:41:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I know it's a day for L-O-V-E, and couples, but really it's not. For those out there that simply hate the day due to all the lovey dovey crap in the air, think of it as a day to cherish those you hold dear. It doesn't have to be a speical someone, wink, wink, but anyone who means something to you. Yeah, the coropate america wants you to send $150 on a dozen of roses that will die in a week and diamonds to make her sparkle. It doesn't have to be that way.

A simple card to a grandparent or a phone call to a friend you haven't talked to in ages will bring special meaning to the V-day if your a single. Or you could treat yourself! That's right, take all that money and spend it on YOU! Office supplies anyone?? Has all the typing on your new book made your nails crappy? If so treat yourself to a manicure! You deserve it! Can't remember the last time you ate a meal that wasn't pre-frozen due to the plot that your eye-balls deep in? Take yourself out to dinner!

See V-day doesn't have to be awful! If your cringing at the thought of actually going out on the hoilday don't. Stay at home and order in. It's amazing the things they will deliever now days. It's just a day, given a day with heaps on pink in it, but still just a another day.

Kindergarten Woes?

2011-02-09T09:02:00.000-06:00

Since spring is almost here a lot of parents have enrolling in kindergarten on their minds. This is a HUGE step in a child's life and in the parents. What to do first?? I will be honest in saying that if your child has been through some sort of a Pre-K program things will be easier, but if not there is hope!
First check with your local Elementary school to see when the OPEN ENROLLMENT is for Kindergarten, durning the enrollment make sure to turn in your paper work, if you miss the deadline DON'T PANIC, simply drop off your paper work at the school's office after they are open. Don't worry about the immunizations, you have all summer to get those if your child needs them, but check with the school about their policies regarding the deadline for when you can turn in your shot record.

In order to make sure your little guy or gal is ready for school simply play school with them at home! Make a table a desk for your child and have some fun projects planned that involve jumping, playing, and story time (they have to sit quietly while you read), and keep in mind the rules that a teacher would have. No talking in class, raise your hand, walk quietly in the hall, sitting still, and listening. Make it fun and use POSITIVE rewards, like "Wow! You really did a good job coloring!" then a sticker would be given, or a high five.
Of course play dates offer heaps of opportunities to seep in some more school rules. Sharing, team work, how to listen, how to treat other people & their property. Gentle reminders go a long way, "Hey, remember how we use team work to get a BIG job done?" then show them the first couple of steps and watch them absorb the concept and take off with it!

Now if your worried about that pesky kindergarten test at the start of the year don't be. It's not a real test. This is mainly for the teacher to know what level your child is on so they will know your child's strength's and weaknesses. Most school's will send you a copy of the results so you can work on their weak area's at home. No worries.

If you want to prepare your child for kindergarten so they are not swimming in the deep in go over basic skills.
Handwriting: how to hold a pencil, writing their first name, coloring semi-in-the-lines. As far as fine motor skills go they should be able to trace a cross, a plus sign, make a line, and make a circle.
Shapes: work on recognizing basic shapes, circle, triangle, square, rectangle.
ABC's: recognize letters in uppercase & lowercase, recite the alphabet
Numbers:count to 20, recognize numbers 0-20
There are some physical aspects also. Standing on one foot, hopping, telling left from right.

Enjoy the experience! Make sure to talk to your little one so they will know what's going on. Often they will be MORE excited than you would have expected!

Bio or not

2011-02-07T10:04:00.000-06:00

The worst part for me of writing is sending out those letters, you know what letters I am speaking of, those Query letters. You send them out and wait, and wait. This is after you fretted over what to put in your letter, how to phrase it and if it will hook that literary agent. It’s stressful to say the least. I am a FIRM believer in simpler is better. Make your letter easy to read, yet full of your voice as a writer.
The hardest choice is what info to include in the bio section of your query. Do you even need a bio? It’s a hard choice to make, because really it depends on the literary agent. Do some research on your agent before you submit or compose anything. Be smart about your query.
Here’s my take on the Bio section of a query. There are HEAPS of thoughts on this section of a query. It can be confusing.
If you have been published before, or if you have written a NON-FICTION book and you have expertise on the subject of your writings because of your education, background, etc., please include that information in your bio section because it will hammer in why you have experience on the topic.
For fiction previously published works, no matter how small can be a help, and a brief description of your education, did you go to Yale? If so toot your own horn for a few lines. Simple is better, do not overwhelm the agent with you education, or publishing history.
If you to choose to skip the bio section that fine too. It’s your query! Try to go by the agents guidelines so that your query can hopefully avoid the slush pile.
Keep in mind that your query letter should be ONE page total, no more. I know it’s a lot to squeeze into one page, but you can do it! Also keep your query’s appearance neat and basic. I know you LOVE, L-O-V-E those cute pink hearts around the edge of your paper, but it is not needed for your query. You want it to be clean and professional.
Hopefully this will help you choose on what to include in your Bio section, or if you even need one. It’s a frustrating detail that is required if you are not already signed to a Lit agent, but hopefully this will help you snag the agent of your dreams!

SOOKIE!

2011-02-03T09:49:00.001-06:00

I am a Charlaine Harris addict. Yes, I watch HBO's version of True Blood with a passion, (I mean who can resist all of those wonderful, lively characters?) and I read and have re-read the books the series is based on to make sure I have all my bases covered for when a new book comes out. This year is a BIG publishing year for Mrs. Harris And her devoted readers! I am proud to announce several up coming publications in the Sookie universe!

First up is "DEAD RECKONING" which is due out May 2011. She has yet to post any kind of a synopsis, but you can go to http://www.charlaineharris.com/DeadReck_1.html to read the first chapter of the book which is 19 pages. It begins with Sookie cleaning out her attic then moves onto her shift at the bar which starts out normally but as usual in the world of Sookie ends up haywire.

If you are a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse books you are very familiar with the beautiful art work that graces the covers. The artist Lisa Desimini is now selling prints of the Sookie Stackhouse art work on her website, www.lisadesimini.com , the paying option is through Pay pal.

August 2011 will bring the "Home Improvement: the undead edition", which is a collection of short stories by various authors and includes a new Sookie Stackhouse story. There is also no synopsis posted yet for this book.

Out in September 2011 is the Sookie Stackhouse Companion Book which will include an all NEW novella and an interview with the HBO True Blood director Allen Ball. This will help you keep track of all of those fairies, werewolves and vampires!

If you are new to the Sookie world books 1-10 are for sale and you can also watch HBO's True Blood seasons 1 and 2, season 3 has yet to be released on DVD and Blue Ray, and season 4 is slated to start airing this summer.

Spring Reading

2011-01-31T08:20:00.004-06:00

A new year equals a new look for The Feathered Quill. I also added a new feature for all of my lovely readers, now it's easy-peasy to share what you read on my blog on your Facebook & other sites!

I have been thinking about my spring reading list, and of course my up coming book store run. Being pregnant, very much so, makes me realize that come May I will not be able to read as much as I would like. In short my selections need to be precise, and this is also true for ANYONE who is on a budget, and these days who isn't? Here are a few books I am truly excited about reading.

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch

First published in Germany in 2008 as "Die Henkerstochter" this book has been quite popular there & now it has been translated to English by Lee Chadeayne! It's set in the mid-1600's in Schongau, a small Bavarian town, Jakob Kuisil is asked to discover if an ominous tattoo found on a dying boy means if witchcraft has come to their small town. Is the midwife to blame or someone else?
Keep in mind this is set in the time period when witchcraft was a SERIOUS offense, and that they used ANY means possible to extract a confession. What makes this book more than simple fiction is that the author Oliver Pötzsch is a descendant of the real-life Kuisl family, but he has clearly stated that this work uses his for bearer's name but is strictly fiction. I am sure this book will be full of plot twists & turns and will be a great read for historical fiction readers.

The Hangman's Daughter is available for purchase at book stores & on Amazon.com, there is a Kindle edition and paperback.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P9XMFI/ref=s9_ri_bw_fi1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-9&pf_rd_r=00VQACBT9WK9MD5XC6RD&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1279395682&pf_rd_i=283155

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

This book is set to be released on February 8, 2011 nation wide. Diana Bishop is a Yale historian who happens to also be a witch who discovers an enchanted manuscript that attracts the attention of Matthew Clairmont who is a 1,500 year old vampire. Due to the manuscript her life is turned upside down thanks to an assortment of demons, witches and vampires who all want the manuscript. She turns to Matthew for aide, and their research raises questions about the race of the undead and their romance raises centuries-old enmities.
This book may be able to fill in the publishing gap for those fans of Charlaine Harris, but it still promises to be a great read!
This title is available for pre-order, and will be sold in hardcover, audio book & kindle editions via Amazon.com, below is the link.
http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Witches-Novel-Deborah-Harkness/dp/0670022411/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296488198&sr=1-1

I hope these two books will get you through the winter hump and into spring when warmer weather will beckon us all to explore the world outside. I am ready for warm weather, flip flops and sun screen! I am sick of snow, freezing toes, and mud. I say bring on the sunshine!

The Purse

2010-12-02T21:55:00.004-06:00

The Holiday season is upon us, again. It's funny how just when you recover from last years holiday crap another one is here sucking you dry again. I am not a Scrooge, I've seen several of the movies and I am nothing like that old miser. I love Christmas actually. The lights, the cheery songs, the laughter of family, who could ask for more?

Sadly these days people just are not satisfied with a warm hug and good meal. You actually have to purchase stuff with your hard earned money. This is what gets me, you put a whole heap of thought and consideration into a gift & they act all grateful. Ask them 6 months after Christmas what they got and I bet half of them can't remember what they got.

Me personally I remember. To me I am impressed that someone cared enough to even think of spending their livelihood on me instead of buying groceries or paying a bill. That is truly special. The gift that made me smile, and still does, is the purse my dad gave me. He's a 51 year old tool & die engineer who is an avid coon hunter, huntsman, fisher, and 6 days out of the week is covered in grease for at least 10 hours a day. He's a manly man and he went into an upscale shop & bought me a purple & silver zebra stripped purse with a giraffe wallet. I could just see him stomping into the shop in his heavy duty steel toed boots with a smear of black engine grease on his forehead looking at all the purses and bags. That is priceless.

So this year instead of buying someone junk that they will forget about get them something that will stick in their memory and their heart. It doesn't have to be expensive or the latest whatever. If you have a friend that always wanted to go to Paris get them a mouse pad with some Paris sights on it, or if they have a child a gift card to a movie & the promise of a sitter would be perfect. Are they an avid runner maybe they could use some new tunes to run to, a burnt CD would be great. Simple things make the best gifts.

My Excuses

2010-11-23T20:43:00.002-06:00

I have not posted in a looong time. Summer has came and gone; winter is upon us. I had a busy summer filled with relations visiting from out of state, kids staying over for sleep overs, and my anxiety over my son's year in kindergarten, and for the first time in 2 years dealing with a new teacher that was not his pre-k teacher. That is a on going challenge, but after several meetings and game plan tweaks I think we have things down. It's like I can breathe for the first time since August 1st. Any parent stresses over a new school year, but for us it's different because he has Sensory issues. Meaning that he is VERY sensitive to loud noises, certain textures, smells, even the chance that his schedule could be changed or disrupted is a cause for upset. It's been a challenge for me and my husband to help him through this, but to throw in a teacher, who he spends 7 hours a day with, who hasn't a clue about what's what and that's a recipe for disaster.
Also we are expecting our 3rd child in May 2011. Call me Fertile Myrtle. I wasn't even trying and I still got an "A" in conception! GOOOO SPERMANATER! Were all excited, and we will have some MAJOR changes. Were currently in the process of house shopping, and car shopping. The car is easy, the new house not so much. First we have to make the choice if we are going to stay in the same area or move closer to my family. Which has a whole slew of subtexts, if we move will it disrupt his therapy? Will our oldest son be okay with leaving his friends for new ones? Is the school there paced the same as our current one? See crazy subtexts that give me a headache.
And then there's the most awful part; my laptop screen cracked! Yep, it's like trying to Google through squid ink. I will admit it, I cried. It happened on my birthday, and I had a broken toe. It was a stinky birthday this year. I still haven't gotten it fixed because HP wants the insane amount of $450 to replace the screen. I could by a new one for that amount! So I am also laptop shopping. Lots & lots of shopping. I hate shopping. I must be the only female on the planet that thinks that.
I know your wanting to know about my writing. Well, I have wrote a short story, and I have had the itch to work on my book, but it's in my shot laptop. I know it's an awful excuse, but it's true! I have read a few good books lately. I loved Stephen King's "Bag of Bones", and Charles Dickinson's "The Widow's Adventure's" I had read some flops too, and they were so bad I cannot recall their names.
I hope to keep posting as long as my sweet hubby will let me borrow is laptop. I have some ideas brewing about some new posts that should be interesting. Happy Thanksgiving!

New in Publishing

2010-05-13T08:36:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted anything about what is going on in the publishing aspect in a while. I realize that this single post will not cover everything that I have lapsed on, but I have found some interesting tidbits that made me go, "Hmmmmm." this morning.

If you don't know who John Grisham is I'm not sure if I can explain how BIG of a writer he is here in the States and across the world. Almost every single book he has written has been on the Best Seller List. One of his most famous books "THE FIRM", published almost 20 years ago, has been pitched as a TV SERIES to FOX,NBC, FX, A&E, TNT, and other channels. NO word on if any of them have snapped up the pitched series, but it has been put out there. This is not a new avenue of publishing for his works, he has had SEVERAL movies and TV series based on some of his other works. "THE FIRM" was actually pitched as a TV SERIES several years ago but was dropped before a pilot was made. Also in news of John Grisham he has 2 new books being released soon. 'Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer' will be released on MAY 25, 10 and it is written for younger readers.In October 'The Confession,' will be released.

Touchstone Fireside bought the U.S., Canadian and open market rights to the former GUNS & ROSES bassist Duff McKagan memoir. McKagan is the Co-Founder of the band and he spent 13 years with the band. The memoirs covers the time he spent with the band Guns & Roses, his battle with being sober, and of course life after G&R. No news yet as to what they will do with the memoir, but it will be interesting all the same.

I hope these tid-bits made you go "Hmmm," like I did. Till next week!

Help is needed now

2010-05-05T12:04:00.004-05:00

Water has begun to recede in some areas, in others water is still 6-7 feet in depth. Water conservation has been key the past few days, even in counties that were not as flooded as Nashville. Some residents have begun clean up, which is a massive undertaking. On the news last night I saw people literary ripping the walls out of their homes, carpet removed, every stick of furniture heaped up their yards in an effort to dry it out.
In Clarksville the damage on Riverside Dr. and surrounding neighborhoods is extensive. For me that is strangest part to watch because I used to work over there at Convergy's, which is located next door to the Kicker's night club. It's strange to see the Wendy's, the tire shop, the River Walk, and all the other businesses under water. When I worked in that area there had been sever storms that had flooded the River Walk and made driving on the road beside it a bit dodgy, but there has never been anything this bad as far as I can remember. Now I did hope that I would get a call saying that I couldn't go in for my shift because the river has taken it's vengeance out on my place of work, I mean really who hasn't hoped that after a bad day?
What is needed now to help recover what was lost is donations. Yep, money and time. I myself am donating baby clothes and a few baby items that I have left over from when my boys were little. I have an extra set of booster seats also that I am going to donate. They need tools for clean up, like rubber gloves, hand sanitizer, bottled water, food, clothing, diapers, baby formula, bedding, rakes, shovels, water pumps, wet vacuums, buckets and money. If your reading this and want to help Middle Tennessee recover and help people who have NOTHING left please go to http://www.cfmt.org/index.php, which is the Community foundation for Middle Tennessee. Also all Kroger's across Middle Tennessee are taking donations of NON-PERISHABLE GOODS. Help is needed now, next week and the weeks after that to ensure that people can regroup their lives and hopefully put this tragic event behind us. Please help!
Here are some photos of the flood.
This is a shot of Downtown Nashville

This is the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel, a few wings of it.

Flood

2010-05-03T15:54:00.003-05:00

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. The flood waters in Tennessee are spreading, meaning the rivers and creeks are beyond full and the ground is super saturated so the water is creeping wherever it can. We have counties that have received RECORD breaking amounts of rainfall measuring between 18-22 inches. I know for myself we have pumped about a foot (12 inches) of water out of our basement and we live on a hill. Today things are drying up for us, the sun is shining and the yard is drying out, bit MANY, MANY people are not so lucky.
Gaylord Opryland Hotel resort is currently under about 6 feet of water, Briley parkway is closed, those who live in the Opryland area are under water from the Cumberland River. It's terrifying. LP Field is flooded, the water is currently creeping up 2nd Ave. to 3rd Ave. People have been helping with water rescues by donating boats, canoes, life jackets, water, clothes, shoes, food and of course time and trying to comfort those who have lost EVERYTHING. This is Southern Hospitality at it's best.
I am feeling a mix of emotions currently. I have heard some good news from my best friend. She got in touch with her family in Coble, their homes are safe even though their yards is flooded. They have no power in Hickman, no clean water, and slowly their phones are being turned on. This afternoon around 1 PM Hickman County issued a Boil Water Order. The news media is of course focused on Nashville and Franklin because that is where the money is. Opryland and Franklin are big money earners for the state. They keep showing photos of the Bass Pro Shop, the Imax, and other shops underwater, yet we have almost no coverage of the other counties. I have seen 1 photo of Hickman County, and a few from Maury County. I that there was more information about these other counties.
Clarksville has finally been in the news. Riverfont is flooded. If you are familiar with Clarksville it is flooded over the road where Mary's Music is located at. The river is creeping up the hill towards Auistin Peay, and hopefully it will not reach the college. Everyone is waiting for for the rivers to crest and for the water to recede.
My question is where is the media?? This has been an on going tragic event for the past 3 days and yet hardly any media coverage other than local news can be found. I am sure the other states that were hit hard by this storm are feeling the same way. The media is more focused on other things like gossip. What has our country been reduced to?

I am still waiting on some photos of local areas. Hopefully soon I will have some to post.

Flooding in Tennessee

2010-05-02T15:08:00.003-05:00

It's wet, really wet here in Dickson Tennessee. It has been raining for 2 days, and boy has it rained. In Tennessee we had received RECORD breaking amounts of rain. Almost all of Nashville, Franklin, Maury County, Hickman County, Davidson County and most of Middle Tennessee are covered by FEET of water. We haven't received such large amounts of rain in 31 YEARS!
It's scary to be honest. I have called and texted friends and family to ensure that everyone is accounted for and is okay. Everyone seems to be making it with minor flooding issues. One of my aunts who lives in Southeastern Nashville has reported that the first floor of her house is under water, and that includes her driveway, yard and her street. She is staying at her in-laws until the water begins to receded.
My brother who lives and works on a farm in Maury County near the Natchez Trace Parkway has suffered major issues. Fields are flooded, they had to relocate an entire nursery barn so the calves would not drown, a $140,000 tractor is submerged up to it's cab in flood water in what was a freshly plowed field, cows have been moved to higher ground due to flooding. So far they still are counting 506 head of cattle, which is what they started out with before the rains began.
The most terrifying part is that my best friends family lives in Coble TN, which is in the middle of no where to put it nicely. It's a small community that has SEVERAL creeks running through it and is not too far from the Duck River. It is a low laying area, and the homes are older, most of them were built in the 1930's with newer double wide trailer homes. The only way to access the homes on HWY 50 is by boat, there is no electricity, no phones, no radio contact. They are essentially unreachable in a record breaking flood.
I an worried about their safety. I know that my best friend's brother has several small children under the age of 7 years old, and the community of Coble is made up of elderly, and young people with children. The news teams that are covering this of course are stuck just as the rest of us are, and so that leaves us wondering about our loved ones who do not live in Nashville, or Franklin. All we can do is hope and pray that they are surviving the flood.
In Dickson the main roads seem to be serviceable, there are of course flooded areas and down power lines, but my husband has ventured to the local movie rental shop and back in one piece. He did go by Buckner Park and of course the lake there is over-full. The parking areas and tennis courts are underwater, which is odd to see.
My parents live in Lyles and a local church near there home is underwater and the road to the church is gone. Not simply underwater, but gone. These are terrible times. We are in a state of emergency due to flooding. Stranded travelers, homes and shops underwater, power outages, downed trees, and not to mention road closures are what we are dealing with at the moment. It's all so surreal.
I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll have some photos of the flooding to post, and that we will have some kind of info about the people in Coble. Now that we have had all of this rain we are seriously considering purchasing a snorkel for our Jeeps. Be safe everyone!

FLOODING TIPS
DO NOT CROSS A FLOODED AREA IN A CAR, SUV OR TRUCK. Water can rise quicker than expected and can sweep you and your car into much deeper water.

IF YOU ARE GOING OUT KEEP A LIFE JACKET IN YOUR CAR. Think of your car as a boat with wheels on it. Better to be safe than sorry.

IF YOUR YARD IS FLOODING AND IT IS GETTING CLOSER TO YOUR HOUSE MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS A LIFE JACKET AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. Higher ground could be a roof top, a hill, a tree, a neighbor's home. Just get away from the water.

USE COMMON SENSE. IF YOU THINK THE SITUATION IS DANGEROUS THEN IT IS. FIND ANOTHER ROUTE IF TRAVELING, be helpful to other travelers, meaning if the way you just came from is flooded tell them before they get to the dangerous section of road.

IF YOUR CAR GETS MIRED IN FLOOD WATERS ROLL YOUR WINDOW DOWN AND CRAWL THROUGH IT BEFORE THE WATER REACHES WINDOW HEIGHT! It is easier to roll down a window than to open a car door against water pressure and water currents. If you need to climb of top of your car's roof to signal for help and make sure to put your life jacket on!

STAY AT A SAFE PLACE. DO NOT GO OUT UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. The less you are out on flooded roads the less of a chance you have of getting stuck or worse.

WARNING! WARNING!

2010-05-01T01:31:00.000-05:00

I am on a roll. 2 posts within the same week! I knew I could do it!
I have to say that my favorite part of having this blog is my flag counter on the bottom of my page. I check it and my guest book often. I do NOT care for people who sneak in advertising in my guest book. I LOVE reading what folks write in it because it can give me insight into my readers. If I wanted commercials I would watch NBC or some other TV channel. So be warned, if you leave a advertisment in my guest book your comment will be DELETED!
Please sign my guest book or leave me a comment. I LOVE them. If you are a writer, or just a fan of my blog let me know! Writing can be a lonely venture, but only if you allow it to be so.

Grow, Growing, Grown

2010-04-30T13:10:00.003-05:00

I know that when I began this blog around a year ago I had hoped to discover something about myself. And I have surprisingly. It's strange to think that a blog could give you some insight into yourself while you are intending the posts to be read by others.
I'm not sure how I can explain it. It's been a learning session for sure. I have discovered that I have issues with people who have their own blogs but do not keep up with it or even worse they mis-use words in the their post and have spelling and grammar mistakes. I can't read something that is chocked full of mistakes, I can't suppress my need to correct it. It's that way with books here lately too. If I'm reading a book and discover a typo, misprint or some other mistake I can't finish the book. I haven't bought any books in a while because of this, and I have only been re-reading books in my personal collection that I know are error free. I guess editing all those pages of manuscript has ruined me for life. It's even gotten to the point that when one of the teachers at my kid's school sent home a quick note I cringed because she misspelled a word, then corrected it by striking it out, then re-wrote the word next to the scribbled out mess of a word.
Since I have this terrible OCD word thing going on I haven't wrote a word for my book. I would be tempted to rip it apart and essentially ruin what is best about my work. I would despise myself if ripped it's soul out.
So in essence I have grown as person, as a writer and perhaps I have turned myself into a word processor on legs. That's sexy huh?

Back on the horse again

2010-04-22T12:03:00.003-05:00

It am the fist to admit that it has been a while since I have updated anything to my blog. I have been so busy with my kids, school projects, my husband's traveling for work to a trade show, and of course my hobby which is croheting. I have been knee deep in yarn for the past couple of months to be honest. I am hosting a booth at the Tennsco "relay for life Steele Hoping for a cure" yard sale/bake sale on Sat. April 24,2010. I have partnered up with my brother who has his own candle making business in the hopes of raising some money for this cause. I have even baked 70 cupcakes for the bake sale. 100% of the bake sale proceeds goes to the cause.
I haven't written anything for my book in a while. I swear I could a set of extra hands and a few more hours in the day. It's not that I have forgotten about my writing, it's quite the opposite. I think on my characters and plot lines everyday. I have even wrote down a few good ideas for other books also, a few of them are children's books. It's just that I have too many irons in the fire so to speak. So I have been taking one day at a time. If that day allows me some extra time to write in my journal so be it, if I have time to plan out the next stage for my book then I do it. It's just that I haven't quite enough time to tend to everything. I hate to say that I have moved some things to the back burner, but I have. Sometimes in the course of life you have to do that to be able to move froward.
So in my advice if this happens to you don't be discouraged. Once the tide has ebbed some get back into the flow. It's just like riding a bike, the grammar, the spelling, and skill are all there for you. You just need to put them to work!

I'm still busy like a bee so I'm not 100% sure about my posting schedule. I'm going to start back at once a week and go from there since I am dedicated to so many things. Feel free to check out older posts and leave me a comment if there is anything you would like me to post about. I can't for sure say I can answer request , but I can try. When in doubt Google it! ( I recommend reading my posts from '09's Venom Week, and the biting bugs since warm weather is here!)

If you are in the Dickson TN area come see me at my booth at the Tennsco Community Center (near Magic Wheels) from 8am-4pm. It's rain or shine!! Till next week!

When did Monday get here???

2010-02-22T12:10:00.003-06:00

This past weekend I did nothing that was writing related, well I take that back I did walk past a book store in a mall and I also read A LOT of price tags. Yep, I went shopping and dancing with some of my girlfriends. That's my version of making time for the writer for the week. My legs are still tired, my feet are feeling a bit recovered and I am sporting sore muscles that I haven't used since the last time I went and shook my booty all night long.
Now that Monday has slipped up on me like a ninja monkey in the night looking for my banana stash I am wondering if I will get any "official" manuscript work done today. I seriously doubt that I can include the scrubbing that I did to my kitchen as book progress unless of course I want to burn my pages over an open natural gas flame. Which will end in me having to re-clean it due to ashes from the burnt offering to my muse. It's a Monday what can I say.

Making time for the Writer

2010-02-19T02:34:00.000-06:00

Writing can be lonely and all consuming. As a writer you can spend hours and hours of your life haunched over a laptop or in my case a clipboard with a stack of loose leaf paper. You are consumed by the need to just tweek that chapter a little bit more, to do a spell check one more time, to make sure that phrase is worded just right so you can live with yourself. It's an ugly web we weave.
I read in one "how-to" writer book last year that we simply need to concentrate on our work and stay focused on that alone. The book actually recommenced to let things go, work till the paint peels off the walls and then you deal with life after your writing is done. To me that is not going to happen. Am I supposed to tell my five year old to wait a few years for that cup of water? Do I simply move my bed to be closer to my work station? No.
I know it is so easy to be wrapped up in your book/work and to let the world simply fall away. In doing that you loose connections with your family, friends, peers and of course yourself. Sometimes you simply have to "kick out" the people in your head and put yourself first. So that I am not consumed by my book I have special days. Thursday is nail night. I take the time to paint my nails and hang out with my husband after we tuck the kids into bed. I try to stick to this every week so that way I can connect to the people that mean the most to me and I don't forget WHY I wanted to write in the first place.
If you simply set aside a few nights or hours a week for "you" time it will help you feel more in touch with those around you and you can still get your work done. It doesn't have to be anything major. A bowling night once a month, a video game night once every couple of weeks, maybe you call a friend every Monday morning just to talk ( I do that one!), or you can simply snuggle up with a loved one and watch some TV.
What's important is that you still have a life after your book is finished and that you haven't lost yourself. Your characters are important, but when they start to take you over it's time to slack off and find yourself. What else this time off gives you is a chance to experience life. If it makes you feel better think of it as field research. Get out there and experience things. After you have had some time to yourself settle back in and work. You will be amazed how just a few simple hours away from things can change the way you think and feel. Pages will zip by and your characters will stand up and take notice. After all you are the one in charge, not them.

A Rant

2010-02-17T11:39:00.004-06:00

Since the Olympics have officially kicked off I have been glued to the TV. I love watching the skiing and of course skating. If your wondering I do NOT always support team USA, there are actually a bunch of athletes out there that are excellent from other countries. I do feel bad for the nations that have one one person there competing. I think they should get a medal regardless. I can tell that I am sooo a mom while I am watching because I will hear about an athlete that has several medals from past competitions and I'll think, "Man, they should share the glory with someone else. Give someone else a turn to win." So I am addicted to the Olympics for the next couple of weeks.

I have a rant. Yep, I bought a new flavor of Pebbles cereal. It's "Cupcake Pebbles", it's got a cute box and smells awesome when you open the box. The taste is what's wrong. It tastes like they forgot to add something. It's bland. To me it tastes like they were making the normal fruity pebbles and ran out of the fruit, and they needed to produce a product due to a quota and said, "Screw it! Well sell this stuff as a new flavor!" My kids love it for some reason, which is good because I wont be eating any more of it, but I felt slighted.

In my eyes the Flintstones have went downhill. I simply adored the Old School Flintstones cartoons. My dad got me hooked on them when I was a kid because it was one of his favorite cartoons. The Flintstones are a major part of TV history. Fred and Wilma were the first couple on TV to be shown in bed together instead of in separate twin beds.

To me the Flintstones downhill slide began when they had Bam-Bam and Pebbles all grown up. I mean really do we need to watch a cartoon about a goody-too shoes girl and her all too helpful boyfriend who isn't too swift but can lift uber heavy crap? I can do without it to be honest.
I mean really did Barney and Betty need to adopt a kid? Was that even a necessary plot line? Just because Fred and Wilma had one doesn't mean everyone on the block has to have a kid. That would be like me getting a Viper and then everyone on my road going out and getting a Viper too. Overkill.
Why can't people leave something alone when it's good and the formula works? If they are going to mess with Fruity Pebbles they might as well go ahead and give the poor Trix rabbit some stupid yogurt and a bowl of Trix cereal so he can move on with his life.

Okay, there's my rant. If your wondering about the weather here it's sunny out. The snow is melting and all the ice on the roof is melting quickly so it sounds like it's raining out. The sky is blue and the temp. is above freezing! Were having a heatwave! If it wasn't so muddy out I could lay out in my lawn chair and enjoy the weather. It's a sad fact that my yard is so muddy I could go muddin' in it.
If you have a rant about Flintstones or another cartoon please leave it as a comment. Also feel free to sign my guest book. I love to hear from my readers!

Here's a little something to make to snow day seem well less snowy.

This Video brings back memories of the times I have been muddin'. Nothing is quite like it, and for those out there that didn't know it this is how Moster Trucks got their start. One guy with a mud hole and a tuck with a garage. Amzing how things evolve.

Snow

2010-02-15T11:08:00.008-06:00

SNOW! It's snowing again and I am feeling a bit lazy while I watch the slow decent of the beautifully delicate flakes. It's hypnotizing really. The falling flakes can lure you into simply being content by watching their fall to the earth. I honestly can't remember a year when we got so much snow. Last week we got snow and now it's snowing again. This is year for the record books as far as Middle Tennessee is concerned. My hubby who lived in Wyoming for a year thinks all of this snow is small stuff. Yeah, it may not be feet of snow like they get in Jackson Hole WY, but for us it might as well be. In Nashville they have 5 snow trucks, that's including the salt trucks. Too funny! Miles and miles of roads to cover in salt and they only have 5 trucks. So for me to say that we are not really prepared for this much snow is really and understatement.
We have made a snowman, been sledding, had snow ball fights, made more snow angels than I can count and of course made snow creme! Now, I know what your thinking, "Snow Creme? What's that?" I am going to share a family recipe for a winter treat that is a HUGE family favorite. I have fond memories of my mom making it for me and my brother when we was growing up. We didn't look foreword to making snowmen, but to mom's Snow Creme.

Snow Creme is like ice cream to be honest. It's quicker to make than ice cream and it's a seasonal treat because you only get it when it snows. Here's a few simple rules that apply to Snow Creme. Number 1: DON'T USE YELLOW OR BROWN SNOW! Number 2: DON'T USE SNOW FROM THE FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON (this is because the first snow of the season catches all the pollen, dirt, smog and whatever else is in the atmosphere and you so do not want to eat that) Number 3: USE ONLY FRESH SNOWFALL( don't use snow after a couple of days after it fell.)

Now that you know the rules here's the recipe.

1 Big bowl of fresh snow (I sit out a large plastic bowl on my deck when it starts to snow that way I can ensure the snow is clean. If your car has been washed recently you can use snow off the hood too if it's still clean) Keep in mind that you will need a lot of snow!

Whole or 2% milk
Vanilla or another flavoring in liquid form (think an extract)
Plain granulated sugar

In a separate large bowl scoop out snow till the bowl is half full. Add milk in small amounts till the snow turns into slush. I add mine by the 1/2 cup while I stir with a large spoon. You may need to add more snow from your "collection" bowl to get a good constancy, it's okay if the slush has lumps.(Kids can help out!) After the snow is slush I add sugar and flavoring to taste. Start out small with the flavoring, it's always easier to add flavoring to the mix than to remove it if the flavor is too strong. It's okay if your extract has color, like a brown vanilla, it will not alter the color of the creme.
Then your done! It can be eaten right away or you can freeze it if you want your snow creme to be harder like ice cream instead of a slushy.

I usually put mine in individual servings (no hogging the snow creme!) and freeze them. If you want to add an extra treat you can add gummy bears or worms and bury them in the middle of the serving before you freeze it. This mix can be poured into Popsicle molds also. You can also add food coloring to make it fun to eat.
The main thing is to get the kids in the kitchen and have fun! This is an easy recipe that doesn't require sharp tools or a hot stove. It's kid friendly!

I hope this treat makes your snow day! Not only can you play in the snow but you can eat it too!

Here are a few PICS I took of the snow last week. I have yet to venture outdoors today, hey it's 23 degrees out! Chilly!

I, the murder

2010-02-09T16:40:00.004-06:00

Writing can be a complex job. There are heaps of things to keep in mind while you dip into your creative well. We all want to write a story that will inspire our readers, we want to hook them into the story so that they can't put the book down and are eager for more when they read the last page. We all want to inspire those feelings in our readers. I ask you what about the writer?
To me the writer should not "force" the words out or struggle with the story. If you are struggling with the story it's not right one for you. You should be able to write your story with ease, the words should flow from your mind like wine from the bottle.
I have been nit picking my story to death. Yes, it had a horrid death where every sentence was properly executed and the characters were as stiff as boards, they resembled the cardboard cut-outs in the movie store window in my mind's eye. My nit picking and poking sucked all the wonderfully brilliant quirks out of my characters. It's a sad piece of work at the moment. Yes the manuscript is so clean of errors that it squeaks, but in truth my pages lost their essence because I could not leave it alone.
Yes, I am going to correct this, but not now. Those pages make me sad, I accidentally killed a small part of me in my effort to make it perfect. I have learned that perfection is not always what you need to strive for in a story. I can see all of my wonderful characters lined up for their turn at a well used, gore crusted guillotine waiting for their moment under the blade. Gruesome, but true. How much more I can strip from them? Nothing. They are bare bones naked and they are empty shells of what they used to be.
In order to make myself more confident as a writer and as a person I have decided to get back to my roots so to speak. I think every writer should do this if you are struggling with a story. Think back to what stories thrilled you when you were growing up. What stories did you read and re-read until the cover of the book was worn and the spine creased so badly that it would no longer remain closed without the aide of rubber-band? That is the story that you should be writing. Whatever genre that had you hooked at the age of 12 or 13 and made you want to write in the first place is the type of novel you should write.
Start small if you feeling nervous about it. A short story is an awesome way to begin. If you feel comfortable with it then you can expand it later. I am doing this myself. I have a story burning in me that is screaming to be let out, and I just realized that it has been doing so for a long time. I am excited about it, and I want to jump into the middle of it right now, but common sense is telling me to slow down, take a breath and to savor the moment. Consider this new project therapy for the other characters that I have slain with my proper grammar and sentence structure.

Background Narration

2010-02-02T20:43:00.002-06:00

Everybody is a twitter about the new ipad released by Apple. I think it's cool and we'll leave it at that. I can't afford it so there's no need for me to go into it's merits which I am sure you have heard all about unless you have been living under a rock.
I have been coping with snow. Yes, coping with snow. I have two boys running amuck around my house since they haven't been to school since last thursday. A snow day is cool, but 4 snow days in a row gets weary. There's only so many things we can do in the snow, and it takes us longer to get dressed than we are actually outside because everyone gets cold quickly. Twenty minutes to get on snow gear= 15 minutes outside

This week has been messed up also because my dear sweet hubby had to travel to Nothern Kentucky for his job on Monday which resulted in him spending the night in a empty, creepy hotel before it was opened to the public. Empty hotel=spooky hotel
I don't believe it would of been so awful if he could of turned on a tv or even a radio, but they didn't have those set up yet and his ipod was dead.

So that leads me to today's post on writing. Have you ever watched a movie where in an intense scene there was no background music or noise, there was only silence. The silences intenifies the scene, as if sounds wouldn't dare intrude on such a "heavy" scene. In writing usually when we pen a scene we try to provide the background for the reader, an example would be:
"As Faye picked up her ringing phone the turned the volume down on the t.v. as a Price is Right re-run came on the screen."

So the reader knows she was watching t.v. and they can also visualize Bob Barker calling someone down and the crowd clapping wildly as she answers the phone. Take away the tv from the sentence and we can make it intense.

"As Faye walked through her front door the silence of the house was shattered by the ringing of her home phone."

How we use background narration is key in how the moment comes through to the readers. It leaves us the writers plenty of room to make the scene go as we please. Was Faye having a normal day? Did her home phone ring off the hook under normal conditions? Where is entering the house? Is she expecting a call? Background narration is just as important as the rest of the scene, and if we set up the background sounds and silences poorly it does influence the reader's view of the scene.
As a writer it's our job to ensure that the reader "sees" the entire scene. We need to ensure to encompass off the details. It doesn't matter if it's just a single sentence or a full on detailed paragraph the reader needs to know that is going on around the character(s).
If you having trouble with a scene or a section try reading it and if you find it has holes in it that need to be filled try adding background. It will widen your scene and make the pages seem fuller and more detailed. Dialouge is great, but a book cannot be written just with it alone. If your having issues with narration simply go outside and sit. Take a pen and paper with you and write what goes on around you. How is the weather? Are there people nearby? If so what is your impression of them? Is the traffic heavy? Use your senses. What do you hear, smell, touch and see? All of that is narration.
Background narration is the easiest thing in the world that you can do to help your chapters "pop" off the page for your readers.

Blog, blogging, blogged

2010-01-29T02:56:00.000-06:00

I have had several people ask me about blogging. I am thrilled that I may have inspired someone to want to start blogging. That is awesome. Blogging is challenge that is for sure. Somedays I draw a blank on what to blog about, and other days I can think of a billion topics but don't have the time. Heres's a quick how to guide to blogging for those that are interested.

First thing is to think of a name for your blog. Mine is "THE FEATHERED QUILL" because I like quills they speak of times past and the romance of writing also they are a writer's tool. Being that I am a writer I figured that fit me and my blog pretty well. Now this name doesn't have to be profound of speak volumes, it's just a name and most blogging sites will allow you to change it later if you need to.

Second pick a site to host your blog. You can google "blogging sites" and you will get heaps of results. I chose blogger because it doesn't require me to have webmaster skills and it's fairly easy to use and set up. Plus it's free. I'm all about the free. If your unsure if you want to go with a certain site check out some of the blogs that they host and see if they are what you are looking for in a host. What does their pages look like? How are they set up? Was the site easy to find? Are the blogs easy to manuver through? Think of all of this as you check out the different hosting sites, and if you need to make a list of important aspects that you want from your host.

Third set it up. For mine I set up an e-mail address just for my blog. That was all of my blog notifcations go into a single place and I don't have to filter through my personal e-mail to check it. I highly recommend this. Then if someone hacks your blog all they get is your blog e-mail and not your personal e-mail that may have your bank statements, cell phone statements and other important e-mails will not be affected. I thought the picking of the design was the best part. Make sure that whatever design you go with is easy on the eyes and is easy to read. You don't want to use a design that is fussy with a font that nobody can read or hard to navigate through. Simple is always the best.

Fourth blog. Blog about whatever floats your boat. If your a mechanic you could have a auto care tip blog. A teacher could set up a blog about how parents could help their children obtain their children's educational goals. A knitter could start a blog about knitting. The world is your oyster! Keep in mind that people sometimes don't have heaps of time to read blogs so keep it simple and short. You don't want to overwhelm a person with minor details that consume paragraphs. If your covering a topic that requires a lot of space, like say your a teacher and your blogging about how to start teaching a child how to read which may take quite a bit of writing to accomplish, simply split that single long blog into segments and parts. That way the reader has time to enjoy the article and advice and they are not overwhelmed.

Fifth keep it up. Blogging takes time. It takes time to build a readership, for people to find your blog and for you to get the hang of it. I've been blogging for 9 months and I am still building it up. Tell your friends and family about your blog, use facebook, Myspace and twitter to spread the word about your blog. Use all of your resources that you have to promote your blog. If your a writer consider this a test drive for promoting your book.

Sixth have fun with it! I added gadets like my Best Seller tool on the bottom of the page and my flag counter. There are tons of gadets out there for blogs and heaps of stuff on the web to discover. Keep in mind if you are not thrilled with your blog then more than likely neither is your reader. Make it fun and it will not seem like a task but more like a hobby. Keep things simple and clean; meaning to check your spelling and grammer. Also a tip I have is to give your readers plenty of options for subscribing and following your blog. The easier it is for them the more they are going to read your blog.

If your thinking on starting a blog I hope this helps. If it does leave me a comment and let me know! I love hearing from people! If you already have a blog and have some more tips to share post them in a comment.