Been there, done that.

Time Travel Trouble

2013-04-08T14:27:00.000+02:00

While many of my fellow bloggers have been riding the alphabet train, this year I decided to skip the A-Z challenge and focus my attention on my writing and time travel. You could say that I have been dealing with time travel. To be more specific, time travel trouble which was the theme for this year’s Banzai Convention (Banzaicon).

Banzai which means "ten thousand years" originated in Asia as an expression used to wish long life to the Emperor, and is typically translated as "long live" in English. Banzaicon embraces this phrase as several hundred youth gather to celebrate Japanese pop-culture in Larvik for 3 nonstop days. Dressed in an exciting array of costumes they seem to come straight out of comic books and into an arena of Games, Anime, Sci-Fi and Internet Culture. This year’s theme of time travel made an exciting background for the convention, of which Dr. Who of course played a huge part.

Banzaicon is an Anime Convention that just finished celebrating its fourth year here in Larvik. Open for all ages, young and old, this is the place to be if you share a common interest in Japanese pop-culture. There are many young people today that are not involved in sports or other activities that will get them out of the house and into a safe environment. Socializing for them is done through the internet where gaming often becomes their reality and for many, avatars their best friends. The youth in Larvik took matters into their own hands and created a non-profit organization called Rounin Events, which is geared towards this group of young people. Rounin Events has 200 members and is responsible for organizing Cosplay, Concerts and a variety of other activities geared towards the youth in Larvik. Banzaicon is meant to create an Intimate atmosphere for youth to socialize in, at the same time there are strict rules against the use of drugs or alcohol. There are over 100 volunteers helping out each year, among them are many specially trained in security, medics and the Red Cross. Safety is an important priority when there are so many people attending.

My son Kristoffer Ottem and friend Martin Severin, are both involved with Rounin Events and they are the lead organizers of Banzaicon. This is a role they inherited from its brainchild Martine Tufte, who now studies theater and film in England. Martine, also known as the “Mother” of Banzaicon, is still very active as the main events planner. Interest in Banzaicon has grown beyond everyone’s expectations and the surprises just keep coming. All 500 tickets were sold out, and several international artists continue to make the trip to Norway in order to perform. Next year’s convention is already in the planning stages.

So are you asking yourself where I fit in amongst this environment of Japanese pop culture? Can you see me role playing and dressed up in costume? This is my second year volunteering. As mother and friend, I have the honor of working in a team that feeds and cooks for all in attendance. Once a year I have the opportunity of being involved with this group of young adults that inspire me with their dedication, commitment, teamwork, creativity and spirit.

Now that I have some more time I will be traveling around to my friends blogs. I am curious to see how many of you are keeping up with the A-Z challenge and what the rest of you have been up to.

Have a great week!

Top Ten Movie Countdown

2013-03-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

Time to get your Movie Grove on with Alex Cavanaugh! Travel Blog Space with the Ninja Captain, and see what movies are selling popcorn and engaging the imagination of your friends. What makes you want to buy a movie ticket or love a movie so much that you have to own it, one that you could watch over and over again? Here is my top ten list in no particular order, I figure that since they are the first movies that came to mind, they warrant their place on this list:

The Green Mile
Based on a novel by Stephen King and staring Tom Hanks, two of my all time favorites. This is a story about death row and a mysterious inmate.
The Shawshank Redemption
Yes another prison movie written by Stephen King,This is a touching movie about finding redemption through common decency. Not much of a Tim Robbins fan but I love Morgan Freeman.
The lord of the Rings:The fellowship of the Ring
Needs no explanation. Peter Jackson knows how to make movies!

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Of all the Star War movies this one is my favorite. Master Yoda rules!
Forest Gump
Tom Hanks is a brilliant actor and his portrayal of a rather simple minded man is unforgetable.
The Matrix
The first time that special effects really amazed me. Love the philosophical undertone in the movie and of course Keanu Reeves is a hunk.
The Shining
Well what do you know, Stephen King once again with another great movie. This one gave me bad dreams for a long time. Jack Nicholson was absolutely terrifying. Last year I visited the hotel used in this movie and chills went up my spine the whole time.
Alien
The first Alien movie impressed me the most. I will never forget that scene...you know which one, talk about creepy!
The Pianist
Roman Polanski really tugged at my heart strings with this tale of a talented pianist trying to survive in a Warsaw Ghetto during WW2.

The Dark Knight
I love Batman! Christian Bale makes a great batman and Heath Ledger gave an unforgetable performance as The Joker. I love most of the batman movies, and although the latest one was great, (The Dark Knight Rises) I think this is still my favorite.

There you have it, a list of movies that I find worth remembering and there are so many more. Have you seen any of these, what do you think about them and what are your favorites?

Enjoy your week!

He said, she said! IWSG

2013-03-06T10:51:00.000+01:00

Another month has flown by and once again it is time for the Insecure Writers Support Group, a group created by Alex Cavanaugh for writers to share their frustrations and offer support to others.

Today I am seeking advice on Dialogue. I have reached what I believe is the half-way point of my book, Secrets of the Ash Tree, and I am stuck at a crossroads. Not sure which way to turn with my story I decided to go back to the beginning and start editing. What I noticed was how terrible my dialogue is. There are too many, he said or she said, and then he said…etc…etc…I don’t dare do a work count on the word Said in my document. Now I am looking for other words. You know, like this…Siv wiped a tiny tear from the corner of her eye and moaned, “Why do my characters have to talk at all?”

Another question I have is when do you write he said, before or after the dialogue?

Some of you out there have some valuable tips for me, I am sure of it! Let’s hear them please. I know that I cannot be the only one trying to wade through Dialogue Quicksand.

Have a great hump day everyone! Just think, spring is around the corner and the days are getting longer.

Blog Party and Runaway Bride Giveaway!

2013-02-20T11:38:00.000+01:00

My good friend Shelly is having a blogparty and a Runaway Bride giveaway that started yesterday and runs until tomorrow. For some reason my post yesterday did not update and go to feed so here is a link to that post, or you can just go visit Shelly's blog HERE Read all about the Secondhand Shoes Blogparty and get your free copy of the book today!

Runaway Shoes

2013-02-19T11:24:00.000+01:00

My good friend Shelly Arkon is having a blog party to celebrate the release of her new novel, Secondhand shoes!

Secondhand Shoes

The shoes didn’t fit. It was an omen.

Eighteen year old psychic-medium-germ-a-phobe Lila should have listened to her ghostly Gram’s advice the morning of her wedding, “Take off that dress and those shoes. And run.”

En route to the honeymoon, she decides to listen after too many disagreements with her groom. It doesn’t pay to go along to make everyone happy.

Still in her wedding dress and shoes, she escapes out a diner’s bathroom window into the Florida woods despite her fear of snakes and germs with her dead Gram’s direction.

So she begins a journey of finding her inner strength, putting her on a deadly run from her psychotic groom and his deranged friends.

Will she ever get past her fear of germs and snakes? Will she survive her honeymoon?

Who Is Shelly Arkon?

When she was nine, Shelly Arkon's mother advised her not to write a novel because no one would publish it...but she wrote it anyway.

Shelly Arkon has never stopped writing since she wrote that first novel as a child. In spite of more family drama than most of us could handle—as the mother of five daughters, drama is unavoidable--she's been writing most of her life. She says most of these stories, written in longhand in spiral notebooks, have been about vampires.

She now lives in New Port Richey with her husband and two dogs. She’s also a member of Florida Writer’s Association and Writer’s of Mass Distraction.

Currently, she’s working on a book series. It’s’about two grandmothers, one a New Age hippie, and the other, a Southern Baptist, their grandbaby, their grown children who are pill heads, their extended dysfunctional family, and a dangerous drug dealer.

The two grandmothers find themselves in a dangerous pursuit to save their grandbaby while finding an unlikely friendship between them.

Interview

Why do you write?

There is a constant chatter going on in my head all day. Ideas and dialogue come quickly where I have to write them down. If I don’t, I may miss an opportunity to get it down the way I heard it the first time. Even characters get perturbed when you don’t relay their information correctly. They want their stories told in the right way. Not to mention, all of my characters bug me until I do-I have a tendency to work on multiple projects at a time.

Can you explain the trials and tribulations of writing your first novel or writing in general?

There’s a ga-zillion of those. My first set of trials and tribulations began in the first grade when teachers stuck me in a slow class because I couldn’t grasp reading and writing like the other kids in my class did.

One afternoon, one of my teachers handed me a stool, an eraser, and a piece of chalk. I was to write, say each letter to my name, and then sound it out and repeat. This tiny feat took up an entire afternoon.

First grade through the third were the most tedious years of my life. But I’m thankful to all my teachers for their patience and persistence. By the fourth grade, I was further ahead than most my classmates in reading and writing along with my big love for both.

Once I took off in reading and writing, I read everything I could get my hands on. And I had an affinity for diaries, spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, and daydreaming. My imagination ran wild with stories and poems. I wrote non-stop as a child and teen.

Unfortunately, there were people and even myself who discouraged me from writing. Many times I heard ‘no one would publish you’ or ‘there’s nothing special about what you write’ or ‘so-n-so writes way better stuff than you do.’ Negative self-voices are the worst. So you have to find your positive self-voice to talk you out of the bad conditioning. This is something I’m always working on.

Not only do people and yourself get in the way of writing, but so does life. Marriages. Children. Divorce. College. Work. Mundane chores. Traumatic life events. These can really put a damper on one’s ability to sit in a chair and write out your characters’ problems when you have your own.

In 1998, I sat down one evening and wrote the first chapter to Secondhand Shoes. My thoughts were I would be able to finish it within a year, but I found myself suddenly a single mother of five. So I tucked it in a folder and stuck it in my closet. For years, I made notes and wrote dialogue for it and tucked it away.

Several years later, and down to two children in the household, I plunked myself back into a chair and wrote. I wrote it four times over. The first version, I hated and couldn’t relate to it at all. It was like reading a Monday night movie on Lifetime for Women. The second version, the protagonist was a real whiner. When I finally finished the third version, I could finally see the forest through the trees, and the fourth version of Secondhand Shoes was born.

Somewhere between the first and second version, in 2008, I became a member of the Florida Writer’s Association. Every second and fourth Monday evening, we meet at the Barnes and Nobles in Carrollwood. There, we edit and critique each other. The girls and one guy in the group are my checks and balances as I am theirs.

Once I got the okay from my group members that it was ready, it was onto the next stage in the writing experience. Finding an editor. Well, I had the gem of all editors. Kaye Coppersmith. She was a longtime member of Florida Writer’s Association and halfway through my manuscript when she passed. That was this past April. At the time, I felt like God and the Universe had stolen her from me. And the negative voices ate at me again.

But I rose above it, wiped my tears, and went forward. It wasn’t easy finding an editor who could keep my writing voice. So many editors out there try to change everything so much so they lose the characteristics of your characters and their voice. I also found a lot of people labeling themselves as editors, only to find out they didn’t know much about the profession.

And how did you publish?

I ended up going Indie (self-published). Yes. I did try the traditional route but after sending the requested manuscript to agents and publishers, most times I didn’t even get a rejection. Not getting a response bothered me more than not receiving one. It would have been nice to at least hear they didn’t think my novel was marketable. To this day, I haven’t heard back from one agent who requested my manuscript ‘as is’ in 2010. Getting published isn’t as easy as one thinks. No one writes a novel and becomes instantly published.

Let me tell you, self-publishing isn’t easy, either. Since I’m not a computer geek by any means, I thought many times I would throw my computer into the street over formatting. My eyes thought they were going to fail me over the many times I proofread. Right now, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with the marketing part. Indies are a one man or woman show wearing many hats while maintaining their day jobs.

Also, being self-published takes the cost of making a book out of your pocket. Nothing is free. One has to hire a cover artist, an editor, and someone who can format for an ebook. It all takes time and a lot of dedication.

My novel, Secondhand Shoes is now available on Amazon either in paperback or as an ebook. Paper back is $13.50. Ebook is $4.99. But from February 19^th through the 21^st the ebook is FREE to everyone. Here is the link!

ebook:

http://www.amazon.com/Secondhand-Shoes-ebook/dp/B00B1ZNQAO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361049290&sr=8-2&keywords=Shelly+arkon%2C+Secondhand+Shoes

Go ahead friends and tweet away!

Free books and prizes @ http://secondhandshoesnovel.blogspot.com/ Feb.19 to 21st #FReeBooks#KindleAmazon Please Retweet

For Facebook:

Secondhand Shoes is FREE Feb.19, 20, and 21st. Get your copy: http://www.amazon.com/Secondhand-Shoes-ebook/dp/B00B1ZNQAO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361049290&sr=8-2&keywords=Shelly+arkon%2C+Secondhand+Shoes

Feb. 19th, 20th, and 21st join us to Spread the News and Cheer on the Run Away Bride Give Away and Blog Party. You could win a 15 dollar Amazon card or an autographed copy of Secondhand Shoes. Visit http://secondhandshoesnovel.blogspot.com/

Spread the News and Cheer on the Run-Away-Bride Give-Away

BANG BANG!

2013-02-15T14:06:00.000+01:00

No, I am not talking about a gun. The bang… bang is accompanied by other sounds outside my “work space,” such as buzzzzzzzz and eeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuu. Yes my friends, once again my world is overrun by hammers, drills and the saw. You might wonder where I have been lately, now you know. I am stuck under a pile of sawdust and uncompleted writing projects.

View of an unfinished garage

Home renovations and additions have been going on here for several years now. Of course the end result will be worth the wait but in the meantime it is costing me the concentration I need to get work done. You are probably thinking I should move to another room and I would if there was another one unoccupied by a member of the family. As you might recall, my son has moved in again and what was to be my atelier-office has turned into his room. No, I am not complaining. I am just a bit frustrated because my headphones are broken, and the blinds we ordered for the room I spend most of my days in are missing.

Amongst all the toil and trouble there is a ray of sunshine. Finally I have found a wonderful and talented writer through this community, and a post through Alex Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group, to critique and help me get the first draft of my book finished. I couldn’t be more pleased!

So you see now what I have been up to, what about you? Do you have any major distractions that get in the way of your writing? I bet you do, tell me about it and where ever in the world you find yourself I hope distractions will not get in the way of you having a fantastic Week-end!

IWSG: LOST IN TRANSLATION

2013-02-06T12:07:00.000+01:00

There are many things that can make a writer insecure. Losing words in translation is one of them. As an American living in a foreign country I am faced with that problem every day, not only in my writing but in daily life. Language can be easily misinterpreted so learning how to deal with the confusion words can create on a daily basis can be frustrating and it affects my writing habits. My inspiration is fading and my support is nonexistant. Here I am writing and thinking English everyday while all around me another language is constantly intruding. My family and friends have no time for my words, nor do they understand them the way they should. Maybe I should just stick to making food, at least my cooking does not need to be translated and at least that is appreciated.

Do you ever feel misplaced and misunderstood? Do your words get lost in translation? This year marks my 25^th anniversary of moving to Norway and I have realized that even though I will never be completely at home here, I have learned to love and even hate at times this place and the words that leave me lost in translation.

Check out The Insecure Writers Support Group and visit some very talented and inspiring writers. Your words DO make a difference.

Wild West

2013-01-10T16:06:00.000+01:00

So what’s up? You may have noticed that I have not been around so much lately but the reason is that I have been extremely busy. I am trying to work on my book, writing a short story (once again, since I lost the whole thing during a computer fart) I am working suddenly fulltime, and I am writing a screenplay for my son’s LARP (Live Action Role Playing). First time ever musical LARP, which is quite a challenge. Not only that but our renovations at home are speeding up because my son needs to move back home until he finishes school. My so called future art room and office is being sacrificed for his disposal as a place for him to dwell. If you do not know this, my son is going to get his education as a sound technician and he works with theatre and film. Here is a fun example for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxOIgfhKKks&feature=youtu.be

As for my LARP musical, it is based on time travel and the old west. Here is what I got so far as a story line, let me know what you think.

Doc Holliday is my hero. The history books have everything wrong. How do I know this? I know this because I first met him in 2002 and fell in love with him soon after. Doc. Holliday was not born from the old west; he was and is from no time that we can measure. Doc. Holliday is lost in time; he travels back and forth in time depending on the mercy of the Norn sisters who rule the fate of Gods and Man. Why they picked him as their pawn in the events of history I do not know, but I promised that his story would be told, as I know it.

John Henry is his earth name; the facts about his early life have been fabricated because the truth is, he was not born on this planet but on another one far away in another galaxy. He first came to earth using his own invention of space travel and was captured by the Norn sisters who have held him hostage since. The Norn sisters use him for their own entertainment and wager on his survival through one time period after another. They seldom send him back to the same space of time but he lives in hope of finding once again his true love, his soul mate Kate, known to many in history books as Big Nose Kate.

Doc. Holliday suffers from time travel disease. He is not an alcoholic or drug addict as so many have claimed. He needs medicine and lucky for him it was Mary Poppins who found the cure for his time travel sickness. All he needs is a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.

---SONG---Spoonful of Sugar-------

If it had not been his friendship with Wyatt Earp and the renowned gun fight at the OK Coral Doc. Holliday would have passed through time unnoticed and as unfamiliar as I am now. The tiny newspaper that I write for is going out of business, as so many newspapers have in this new age of Internet news invasion. Reporting the events of the day in a day and age where no ink is required has made me obsolete, unnecessary… unemployed until I can afford a new computer. Doc. Holliday, however, will remain immortal, from stories of the Wild West; he became a legend born out of the myth that he was a mortal, a human being, a gunfighter, a gambler, and a dentist. He was and is so much more. Wherever he is now, whatever time he finds himself in I can only hope that he is one step closer to finding his Kate and freeing himself from the Norn sisters.

Annie Oakley was a sharpshooter with Buffalo Bills Wild West show. She was always getting into trouble and picking fights whenever she could. Wild Bill, Calamity Jane and the Doc attended one of these shows in which Annie decided to pick a fight with the Doc. Let’s just say that Annie had a huge crush on the Doc. and since he was in love with Big Nose Kate she was not handling it well.

---SONG-----I can do anything better------------

This is just the beginning but the characters I have in mind for this crazy time travel story are: Billie the kid, Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Wyatt Earp, Big Nose Kate, Anne Oakley, Princess Leia, Jennifer Lopez, Mary Poppins, Gordon Ramsey, Clint Eastwood, Terrance Hill, Bud Spencer, Mr. Spock. If any of you have any suggestions, go ahead and bring it on.

So that is what I am up to, what about you? I promise to get around to your blogs as soon as I get a moment to breathe. Until then, know that I am thinking about all of you! I will do my best to keep you all up to date.

Insecure and Stuffed

2013-01-02T13:49:00.000+01:00

The first Wednesday of the year and time once again for the Insecure Writers Support Group. Founded by Alex Cavanaugh over one year ago and still going strong, this group offers encouragement and support for writers, insecure or not.

How many of you are suffering holiday withdrawal today? After a month of preparations and celebrations it is not easy to hop back into the routines of normal every day. I feel as stuffed as the turkey we ate on New Year’s Eve and just as roasted. My writing has suffered during the holiday season and to make matters worse the one short story I wrote for a new anthology disappeared from my computer. All that remained was the title on a blank page, how I did that I have no idea. Most likely I have saved the wrong document and discarded the one I should have saved. Has that ever happened to you, and what did you do? I realize that I have to get beyond this computer betrayal, hopefully I have learned a lesson about not rushing things and to be more careful about what I save. Now I just have to get beyond that empty page, put the holidays behind me and get a grip. Any suggestions?

The Christmas Party

2012-12-13T13:36:00.000+01:00

Christmas celebrations in Norway have already started. The whole month of December is full of parties and the most renowned is the “Julebord,” The Christmas Table, which is a company party thrown for employees or other groups to eat drink and be merry. Long tables are set for a giant sit down dinner, almost like a wedding and they are not reserved for just week-ends. Since I have been working backstage for many years during these events, this has always been a time for me to make an insane amount of food, fold hundreds of napkins, pour drinks, carry heavy plates and smile a lot! The kitchen dance is an amazing dance. If you have ever worked in the food industry then you know what I mean. After a hard day or night on that dance floor it is difficult to go home and do a repeat performance but sometimes I surprise even myself.

There are no week-ends in December, here in Norway every day is a holiday. You can imagine what Norwegians are like at the end of this month…LOL… tired, hung-over and fat comes to mind. The other night this happy husband enjoyed a meal of filet mignon of deer, oven baked shallot onions and carrots, bacon seared brussel sprouts, sea salt damped baby potatoes, lingberries, and a wild mushroom/wine sauce. I was going to bake some cookies today but I am still full from last night.

Have you been to any christmas parties, if so what are they like? Have you ever been ""Backstage" during one of these events?" Enjoy your celebrations where ever they may find you.

ALEXFEST

2012-12-10T07:00:00.000+01:00

Hey! Cheers Alex Cavanaugh and a special warm greeting to his amazing wife, who I am sure about now has ducked around a corner somewhere, even though she must be extremely proud of Alex, she is just as much of an enigma as her husband.Thanks Ms. Cav for sharing him with us! So…In case you peeps have not guessed by now this is the “Cheers to you Alex Cavanagh” a SUPER spaced out Blog party hosted by Mark Koopman, Morgan Shamy, Stephen Tremp, and David Powers King! There are a lot of rules for winning prizes at this awesome party, so I will do my best to follow them, if you want to check them out for yourself then LOOK HERE. I am just here for the free food and drinks, however I do admire Alex the "Ninja" blogger…Why, you ask? Probably for the same reasons everyone does... he is a helpful and time giving blogger friend, blah blah, etc...etc...but seriously, he always knows the five "W's"and the one H so if I were to guess, Alex is much like our friend with a beard that has found a way to time travel. Think about it, how does he get around to everyone?

My guess is he looks just like Santa too…I would cast Santa as Alex in any future documentary but since he is always fully booked, I would have to go with John Petrucci.

Using no more than 100 words that must include Cavanaugh, Cosbolt, Ninja, IWSG, and Guitar; here is my Flash Fiction…

LET HIM EAT CAKE! (word count 97)

You could say I was surprised when Cavanaugh came into my café with his famous Cosbolt worn guitar slung over his shoulder and asked for a piece of my chocolate cake.

He flashed me pearly whites from under his big beard and said, “A jug of milk to go would be nice.” Before I managed to get his autograph, he disappeared with the speed of a Ninja. The sound of his music hung in the air, and from the window I saw him fly away with “IWSG ON TOUR” written on the side of his magic sleigh.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Merry Christmas Mr. and Mrs Claus! Have a great week everyone and don't forget to check out this great party by clicking the link on my sidebar!

Inspiration!

2012-12-05T16:47:00.001+01:00

Oops, this one almost got away from me. Can't have that, since I have not missed a post yet! So it is time for the Insecure Writers Support Group once again! I have been laboring with my book all day long and had almost forgotten that it was the first Wednesday of the month, pretty much as I have been trying to forget that Christmas is coming. I have been looking for Christmas inspiration as much as I have been looking for inspiration to write. 38,000 words and I wonder if I am saying anything at all. My American son tells me that no one cares about their family heritage. That a story about finding family in foreign territory is just boring, ok… so I bring gods and fairytales into this story… a children’s story it is not, but maybe I need more sex and battles. I don’t know. My family in Norway refuses to read my story so far, and I can see why…hard work to read a foreign language. To be honest I feel lately like I am just flapping my wings and each sentence I write takes longer. I may have a new critique partner, but do you ever feel like giving up? Sometimes words of encouragement are just needed. Here are mine to you! Find someone to tell you not to give up, and keep looking until you do.

My Crismas Calendar

2012-12-04T15:58:00.000+01:00

What are your favorite Christmas Movies? My calendar today opens this one...Enjoy!

And you are?

2012-12-03T15:12:00.003+01:00

The "And You Are...?" Blog Hop has arrived and to stay off Santa's "naughty list," I answered the following questions.

1. How many speeding tickets have you gotten?\NONE, I hate to drive so when I do I am one of those irritating people that go to slow, especially if it is dark.

2. Can you pitch a tent? Hello! I live in Norway and hotels are to expensive...Dahh, of course I can!

3. What was your worst vacation ever? Road trip with my parents. Route 66 and Howard Johnsens got real old real fast....I have three siblings and two of them wet the bed.

4. What was the last thing you bought over $100? A ticket for my son to come to Norway

5. We're handing you the keys to what? A vacation home in the states so I can spend time with my family there...Which state will take me awile to figure out.

6. What was the last meal you cooked that made even you sick? Long story.....The doctor said I was not allowed to serve food in my hotel...Guess Saminello followed me home from another bad vacation.

7. Fill in the blank: Oh my gosh! Becky, look at her butt! It is so big. She looks like Thanksgiving leftovers gone bad.

8. What was your first car? 1966 Mustang...........Elianor eat you r heart out!

9. Your best friend falls and gets hurt. Do you ask if he/she's okay or laugh first? Depends on if she fell on her ass.

10. What's the worst song ever? "Staying Alive" I want to kill myself every time I hear it!

Ok, I did this only because I liked the questions...What about you?

Advent Calendar Day Three

2012-12-03T09:48:00.001+01:00

The Christmas decorations are still stuck in the hole. I keep meaning to dig them out but the inspiration to do so eludes me. Disenchantment comes to mind, so what do you do when that sets in? Well…If you are like me you sit in your pajama pants and download a bunch of Christmas movies because you do not have to go to work today. Eventually I will have to get dressed, maybe comb my hair. I might even have to go outside and drive in that stinking snow to the store.

It is Monday after all and since the stores have been closed a whole day…we do need food and I really should mail my Christmas gifts to the states so they get there in time. Also I thought about buying some Christmas cards. Does anyone do that anymore or is it just me?

I guess barbeque season is over, how depressing is that?

Advents Calendar Day Two

2012-12-02T17:29:00.001+01:00

First Sunday in Advent and I suppose I should be hanging up the Christmas curtains, taking out the advent candles and putting some decorations around the house. Truth be told, after a long night with too much festivity in that bottle of wine, or maybe it was the aquavit…I am too lazy to do anything. Just the thought of digging in that hole (where we keep a thousand things,) to find anything having to do with Christmas wears me out. Last night my youngest son came over for Mom’s pot roast and Dad’s newly acquired Christmas Aquavit. Just so you know that is a Norwegian tradition not to be messed with!

So what am I doing today? NOTHING! and more of the same. It is already dark outside and the time is 4pm so what I feel like doing the most is crawling back into bed with a good book. So how are you spending this first sunday of advent? Have you already started celebrating christmas too?

Christmas in Norway with Minnie

2012-12-01T11:04:00.001+01:00

Dec.1, 2012 9am, just getting light outside. Yeah! Sun!

The first of December and as promised, even though advent begins tomorrow, my calendar opens the first window today with some christmas shopping. The days are short so before I get started, let's see what Minnie and her friends have been up to!

Black Friday

With unpolished old shoes Black Friday crossed the parking lot. Her handbag full of worn out plastic hung from her tattered jacket as she took out the keys to the back door of her favorite store and sneaked inside, where waiting for her was one of Santa's elves. He demanded to know why the earmuffs and bar soaps were not half price. When she tried to explain she didn't work there, he placed a red elf cap on her head and handed her a pricing gadget. "Fix all the prices in the store to half price."

Minnie's mouth fell open, and her cigarette landed on the floor.

"What are you standing there for?" Santa said. "Get your Kringle-jingle on, girl."

Minnie scratched at her red dress and headed straight for the beer/wine cooler! Once inside away from view of all customers, managers and Santa, Black Friday proceeded to sit down.
Right there on the shelf before her was her favorite wine, Wild Irish Rose, and just as she reached for a bottle, she heard a creaking sound.

Looking below the shelf she saw a little door, just big enough for a bony gal to crawl through...she got on all fours and crawled toward it.

Light poured out from around the little doors ill-fitting frame. She opened the door and peered in. A funny little man dressed in a green smock sat on a wonky three legged stool slurping from a bottle of beer.

"What yer lookin at?" he grinned exposing a set of broken teeth.

Black Friday knocked the little man out with his bottle of beer, stuck a sale sticker over his mouth and pushed him through the door with her unpolished old shoes. Throwing him into an empty cart she wheeled him straight out of the store. Free today only, said the sticker. Black Friday was very pleased with herself because now she had a matching pair of little green men, not to mention a red elf cap.

Patriots of standard word abuse(in order) this month are the following gibberlinguitics:

Minnie

Alex J. Cavanaugh

Shelly

Magical Mystical MiMi

Pearson Report

Suzanne Furness

and finally Minnie wraps everything up with a bow :) Feel free to take this banner or Minnie on the side bar. Thanks guys for playing!

Time for me to go do some real christmas shopping.

Today you can pick up your free copy of Fractured Fairy Tales HERE..Don't forget the book fair this week-end. Details on my previous post.

How are you spending your day?

Christmas Book Fair and Book Release

2012-11-30T07:00:00.000+01:00

We're proud to announce the publication of

Open Doors: Fractured Fairy Tales.

A socially conscious press, Wayman is dedicated to helping those in need. Much of the profit from this anthology will be donated to Primary Children's Hospital in the form of Christmas gifts we'll bring to the long-term patients staying there.

Welcome to the Christmas Book Fair!

Wayman publishing has teamed up
with many phenomenal authors
to bring you this December weekend event.

For three whole days

--December 2-3-4--
you can find these
e-books for great prices.

Amazon.com Widgets

. . . And . . .

Most of the profit from Wayman Publishing's books (12/1-12/20) will be donated to those in need!

Discover Upcoming and Recently Released Books which include Fractured Fairy Tales containing short stories by Myself, Roland Yeomans, Melynda Fluery, E.C.Stilson and many more!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Sydney's Song

by Ia Uaro

Giveaway ends December 20, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Click HERE to include on your Goodreads TO READ List Released: 12/2012
www.heaveneldeen.com
www.heavenliegheldeen.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/thedemonside Middle Damned Newly Released Cover! A Cat's Legacy Newly Released Cover!

. . . Also . . .
Enter to win FREE editing
or
some of the physical books
and many prizes shown below.

Amazon.com Widgets

Awesome prizes! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winners will be announced on 12/8.

The hosts would like to thank everyone.
Wayman Publishing
VoiceBoks

We hope you enjoyed discovering new authors and their stories
at our Christmas Book Fair.

Have a fantastic week-end!

Have You Been Blindsided?

2012-11-29T14:33:00.000+01:00

Kyra Lennon is having a Christmas Photo Bloghop to help promote her new book "Blindsided", she wants to see our Christmas dress-up photos! She says, " Whether you're dressed up as Rudolph, or simply wearing a tinsel scarf, I want to see YOU wearing something festive! The photo has to be either brand new, or from sometime over the last few years - childhood photos will not count! You can put in as much or as little effort as you wish - the only requirement is you have a bit of fun with it."

Check out this link for more details!

Here is a Picture of me in front of the Christmas tree last year. I am usually the one taking pictures so there are not so many of me, I had to work hard to find this one. You can't see much of it, but yes I am wearing a dress.

Now have some fun and go check out what our other friends are wearing at Chrismas.

If you have not seen Minnies Gibberish Shopping fun, it is not to late to add to her shopping trip. Check out the story HERE. It will be posted finished on Dec. 1st.

On another note, my good friend Roland Yeomans is having a contest with the most amazing prizes! Join his Victor Standish Contest by checking out his blog HERE

Roland and I have also contributed short stories in the anthology "Fractured Fairy Tales," which is being released on December 1st. More details about this and a fantastic Bookfair on my blog tomorrow so don't forget to come back. December is going to be a great month with so much happening and so much love to share! I hope you will spend some of that time with me as I share my Christmas Calander each day with all of you.

Question for all of you:
Have any of you noticed an increased problem with the spam of Anonymous posts in your blog? I hate word verification and have tried comment modification but am not to fond of that either. Any suggestions?

Shopping with Minnie

2012-11-26T11:51:00.000+01:00

In order to give more people time to play I am leaving this post up for awhile longer.

Minnie is here again stuffed with dreams full of left over turkey and ready to play Gibberish with all those shoppers and nonshoppers ready to take a break for some fun. Want to join her? Just keep the story going in the comments. Not sure how? Check out the rules HERE-

BLACK FRIDAY

Gibberish on a Black Friday

2012-11-23T16:07:00.000+01:00

Minnie is here again stuffed with dreams full of left over turkey and ready to play Gibberish with all those shoppers and nonshoppers ready to take a break for some fun. Want to join her? Just keep the story going in the comments. Not sure how? Check out the rules HERE-

BLACK FRIDAY

You have the week-end to play, so come back on Monday for the complete story. Hope you have a continued great few days! If you are looking for something to read my friend Melynda Fluery is offering a free e-book of Just Nonsence this week-end only. Guaranteed laughter on each page! Check this out on Amazon.

Forgetting the Turkey

2012-11-21T14:07:00.001+01:00

Christmas Eve 2011

Christmas sneaks up on me every year. If you know me it should come as no surprise that I try to avoid shopping centers or just going shopping period. So, today when I went into town and saw the Christmas lights already in place, dangling in the wind and the rain, I felt a slap in the face and woke up. There is no avoiding the inevitable holiday stress of shopping for gifts. Americans have this tradition called “Black Friday,” the day after thanksgiving huge sales attract swarms of consumer hungry people to stand in endless lines looking for the best buy. Shop owners, which are comprised mostly now of large corporations, and credit card companies jump up and down rubbing their greedy little hands in glee. For one day the economy is fat and stuffed like the turkey that was eaten the day before.

We have no Thanksgiving here in Norway and the turkeys in the frozen section are never bigger than 12 pounds. Still, as an American, I have carried the tradition of thanksgiving every year, until now. This year I am forgetting the turkey. My family is too busy to set aside the time to help me celebrate this part of my American heritage. Maybe I will make a turkey dinner later, but it would not be the same. Times like this are when I miss my family in the states the most. I miss having this part of my family around a large table, sharing a meal and celebrating what we are thankful for. So tomorrow when all of you give thanks, remember the most important thing to give thanks for, time spent with your family. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and family and for those of you that are planning on standing in “Black Friday” lines, good luck! You can be sure that I am grateful there are no such lines here in Norway.

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year, and what do you think of “Black Friday?” Make sure you come back on Friday for some Minnie Gibberish Fun, as she goes shopping and invites you to come along.

For the month of December I will be sharing my Christmas in Norway as each day I open my advent calendar. Hope you stop by!

You Inspire Me

2012-11-16T09:00:00.000+01:00

Today Alex Cavanaugh, Matthew McNish, and Andrew Leon have put together a special blogfest. The Oh, how I miss you blogfest features the bloggers we really miss and the ones we would! I believe all three of these hosts would be missed if they should disappear from the blogging world. Do you have a couple blogger buddies who aren’t posting as often? Those who’ve pulled back and seem absent from the blogging world? Do you have blogger buddies you are grateful they are still around and would miss if they vanished? Now is your chance to show your appreciation and spotlight them!

Here are the rules: List one to three bloggers you really miss and one to three bloggers you would miss if they stopped blogging. Then go leave a comment on those blogs. Time to let your blogger friends know that they are special! Make sure you join the party and visit other posts as well!

Since I started blogging almost two years ago I have not seen many bloggers disappear but I have seen some cut back. When I first started blogging I was unprepared for the friendships I would form and the extended family it would bring me. The first one that comes to mind is a dear woman that has become a good friend. Melynda Fluery and her blog Crazy World has been a part of my daily life since I first connected to this cyberspace. I have followed her and her family through small tragedies and victories, each one faced head on with passion, bravery and her never ending sense of humor. Her reflections on this crazy world we all live in always bring a smile to my face. Melynda has had to cut back on blogging because she has lost her eyesight, but there is no stopping this woman, even blindness cannot stop her from writing down her words and sharing them. A true friend, a giving humanitarian, a brilliant humorist and author of Just Nonsense, More Nonsense, and True Nonsense, please check out her blog and say hi. I know that my life is and always be richer with her in it.

There are so many of my blogging friends that I would love to mention today but there are two more that I have to mention because I cannot imagine my life without them. They are my two soul brothers Michael Di Gesu and Roland Yeomans. Both of these men inspire me on a daily basis to do better and to give more. Their passion for writing is never ending and their talent for prose never seizes to amaze me or touch my heart. I love them both and OH how I would miss them if they were to disappear.

So there you have it. Three amazing people who inspire me and who I truly appreciate every single day. Who inspires you and who would you miss?

On another note I would like to invite you to spend part of your Christmas in Norway. Everyday through the month of December until Christmas I will be opening up a window on my Advents calendar, sharing the Norwegian holiday season with you. Ever want to spend Christmas in Norway, here is your chance. Hope you stop by and visit.

Have a wonderful week-end!

LOOK OUT

2012-11-12T07:00:00.000+01:00

Another game of “Tag, you’re it” is circulating again. This time I have been tagged by Nancy Williams. The requirement is to copy one or several paragraphs from your current manuscript with the word 'look' in it and then Tag someone else. This excerpt is from my first draft, so I know that I have to change some things. Do you have any suggestions for replacing the word LOOK in the following paragraph?

WIP: Book One from “Gods and Fairytales, Secrets of the Ash Tree”

Setting: My MC Liv meets Loki for the first time

“You can make this easy and just give me the necklace. I know you found it…” On the verge of tears he pulled off a chunk of his hair and squawked, “Just look at what’s happening to me!” He then peeled away a small part of his face and exposed an open sore that oozed with puss. Slowly he composed himself and continued, “My own daughter Hel did this to me, and you my scared little rabbit are going to help me fix it. All I need is that necklace and I can get rid of this wretched curse!” Loki suddenly realized that Liv was just standing there with a stupid confused look on her face. He had expected her to react by now, maybe even change into something a bit more fearful than this human thing. He backed away and studied her closely, and then tilting his head to the side he said, “You don’t know what you are, do you?”

Run brother because TAG, YOU’RE IT! MICHAEL DI GESU…IN TIME

Have a great week and come back on Friday for the blogfest “OH HOW I MISS YOU” Hosted by Alex Cavanaugh, Matthew McNish, and Andrew Leon. It is not too late to sign up!

SWEET!

2012-11-09T18:12:00.000+01:00

Today there must be some kind of sweet magic surrounding me. Most of you already know that I blog often about food and that I have worked in several kitchens preparing food for tourists and locals alike. I am not a chef but somehow I always end up in a kitchen. I love food so getting paid to eat it and make it is more fun than work. My dream job would be to travel around as a food critique. Anyways I am getting off track. Today, out of thin air a friend asked me to help out at a small café at the museum nearby. I have been baking bread and cake all day and when I got home to read my mail what do I see but a SUPER SWEET BLOG AWARD from Nancy Williams. If you have not visited her blog then you really should. She is a wonderful person and her blog is full of helpful hints for the “Writing Inclined” individual. Here is the link, so go say HI!

Here are the rules for The Super Sweet Blog Award:

Answer a few questions about sweets. Pass it on to deserving bloggers.

1. What's your favorite treat, cake or cookies? At the moment I am sick of cake,today I made 4 chocolate cakes, 4 apple cakes and 4 carrot cakes. “Let them eat cake!” so I am going to say cookies! I love oatmeal, gingersnaps and peanut butter cookies.

2. Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla? Dah! CHOCOLATE RULES!

3. If you had a sweet nickname what would it be? Twizzler, I will leave that up to your imagination…ha ha ha!

Now comes the hard part since I believe all my blogger friends are deserving of this award. I will try to pick out a few that I think are super sweet. If you already have this award that means you are super- super sweet. Have a great week-end everyone!

MICHAEL DI GESU My sweet brother who loves sweets and is a real sweet heart!

MELISSA BRADLEY

The Sweetest cookie around who loves sports and movies, visit her Imaginaruim and have some fun.

ELLA Poetic sweetness on her very own edge. This is a girl with style!

BOSSY BETTY Don't let her name fool you! She is the sweetest person with a camera and her pictures of Monday Flowers are a must.