Christmas Lights



Today I've got a guest post at Jack Lewis Baillot's blog. Jack, in her amazing sweetness, has a book blog party for her book, Haphazardly Implausible, in which she has offered a spot on her blog to other authors . . .instead of asking us to host her. I'm hoping she'll give me the opportunity to return the favor early next year - if you haven't met her yet, she's a gem.

Another bright gem of a blog friend, Tara Tyler, awarded me with an amazing new blog banner . . .that I have yet to put up. But it's awesome, and it looks like this:

 I'll either figure out that tiny technicality of putting it up today or another day. It's a result of winning the 300 follower giveaway that she had with Cassie Mae. I meant to have a huge announcement in BIG LETTERS, but this will have to do:
TARA TYLER AND CASSIE MAE ARE AWESOME!!!

 

Every one of us is unique, amazing, truly one of a kind.

I believe that each of us as the opportunity to shine, to light up dark circumstances, to brighten a regular day, to bring warmth to each occasion.

Each of you that has visited here on my blog, commented, been a blog buddy, given helpful advice, invited me to participate in a blogfest (or several), has been a light in my life.

Thank you.

I believe that God created each of us for the unique way that we call all fill a singular purpose - to shine the light of hope and love in other people's lives.

Keep Shining.

Together we can light up the world.

Merry Christmas!!!


BTW, I will be taking a sleigh ride around the blogsphere this week, stopping by for a jingle here and there, but this is my last "real" post of the year. I'll be back January 2nd for IWSG, which I have the honor of co-hosting with the renowned Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh and Jamie of Mithril Wisdom.


Remember to check out Jack Lewis Baillot's blog today.

A Sleepy Hobbit Movie Experience Review, and a Thank You

Sleepy Hobbits wandered in a daze through our house and a myriad of activities on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and then after over-sleeping on Monday, rushed out of the house abruptly for expected journeys to an orthondontist, and to the last day of our homeschool co-op before Christmas break.

Despite experiencing sleep deprivation over a packed full weekend, we loved seeing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning. The theatre rocked with Hobbit and LOTR enthusiasts, many of whom dressed in full costumes as hobbits, elves, a number of Gandalf impersonators, a few trolls, and a Dad we know dressed as a Nazgul. (Not my hubby but a friend of his) The joy of watching the movie with a dozen or so old friends, and several hundred new friends (made while chatting about all our favorites parts of the book for three hours before the movie started) was eclipsed only by the movie itself.

After several charade and skit renditions of LOTR scenes, and a rousing rendition of The Green Dragon song, the lights went low, voices lulled to mere murmurs, and then cheered as the first glimpse of the Shire came into view.

The history and richness of Middle Earth was played to the full through Jackson's direction. Bilbo's character and conversations came to life with the excellent acting of Martin Freeman. We were "Good Morninged" properly, sung to by Dwarves throwing plates and then more somberly around the fire, left with a sense of emptiness when Bilbo awakes to discover the Dwarves have already left without him . . .and then the adventure kicks into high gear. I don't want to spoil it for you, if you haven't already seen it, but I highly encourage you to go, even if you haven't read the book.

You really, really need to read The Hobbit. I don't care if you can't make it through LOTR's massive pages of description, at least read The Hobbit. I feel (and I'm being completely subjective and biased about this) that it's Tolkien's best book ever. It was the first one I ever read, and I read it for the first time near the end of my third grade year. Then I read it again and again, and again, and again. In fifth grade, I pulled my first all night reading session over a re-read of The Hobbit. It's also the best Tolkien book for reading aloud to your loved ones, or listening to on cd/tape/MP3.

Having said that, you might realize that I am a bit of a Hobbit purist. In other words, I had a tough time with the fact that Jackson brought in all those other parts of Middle Earth history and background to the movie. I want to watch it again, just knowing that it will be there. I should have known going in, but I still found myself muttering under my breath "but that didn't happen in the Hobbit" at different points in the movie. Thankfully, I was sitting next to a few other purists who were doing the same thing so they didn't think I'd gone Gollum on them.

Speaking of Gollum, I loved the riddle scene although I think at least one riddle was left out. I have to check my book on that.

If you want a more unbiased, less Hobbit-centered review, check out Jamie's awesome review at Mithril Wisdom. He has a better take on Jackson's directorial decisions, and I found myself wishing I had read his review first.

I did see it in 3D with all the fancy stuff, but since I'm not fond of 3D and only watched it that way for my kids, and of course the green Hobbit 3D glasses with the quote inside them, I can't give a review on the technical aspects.

One last thing today . . .and definitely not the least,

 I want to say thank you to Cherie Reich! I won an autographed copy of The Nightmare Collection, an autographed copy of Gravity: The Complete Trilogy, and a $10 gift card!!! WOW!!! THANKS for the early Christmas present, Cherie!!!

Hobbit Fest and Free Souls

Hobbit Fest is Here!!!! I'm so thankful that M. Pax joined me in hosting this event. She created the really cool pic, and set up the linky list! Make sure you check out her post, her funny Leonard Nimoy video, and say thank you!

I'm writing and posting early since I'll be going to the 12:01 a.m. showing of the movie. My kids insisted (really, it was them and not me), and I didn't want to cheat on my last answer. I'll probably update tomorrow with a short (promise) review. Update below

What is your favorite hobbit characteristic/or the one that you think closely resembles you . . .?

Well, I am really short, and slightly rounder than I would like. I happen to like second breakfasts since I get up two hours before my kids . . .at least that's my excuse. (I have been going to the YMCA and running their indoor track lately so I am becoming slightly less Hobbit-shaped)

If you could choose between a scrumptious second breakfast and a perilous unexpected journey – which would you prefer?

Oooh, I made this question up thinking of the hard choice between peach covered pancakes, and a day on the ski slopes - although that's not really that perilous.

I would like to say that I would take the unexpected journey, but I know myself too well. If there's peril and unexpectedness, I'm more likely to curl up in a quilt and stay at home.

I like my adventures managed in size-able chunks. I have snorkeled with Manta Rays, but that was a few years ago now and I researched the whole thing first . . .you see what I mean. I weighed the pros and cons and tried to take out any peril or unexpectedness, and so I had a good time.

Have you ever left behind something on a journey (expected or unexpected) and wished you could have it over and over again? (a pocket handkerchief?)

Too many times to count. I usually forget my toothbrush, but the worst forgotten item was a can opener on a camping trip when my new (17 years ago) hubster and I brought canned chili for dinner.

What is your Favorite part or quote from the book that you hope will be in the movie?

 Another hard question . . .why did I make up ones like this? Umm. I really want the runes on the map to be cool, and I'm looking forward to the dwarves showing up in ones, twos, and threes at Bilbo's door. There's so much that it's hard to choose. I'm looking forward to hearing the dwarves sing, and Bilbo's first touch of the ring, and the riddle contest, and Beorn, and the eagles.

I guess I hope the movie does a really good job with Beorn.


UPDATE!!! PARTIAL MOVIE REVIEW! Stayed up really late, woke up late for my own Hobbit Fest, loved the movie, and loved seeing it with an enthusiastic crowd of Hobbit lovers!!! No, it doesn't follow the book exactly (I can be an exacting purist with book to movie renditions), but The Hobbit is beautiful, striking, and exciting. The acting is superb, the graphics are awesome, and the soundtrack is wonderful. Hope you all go and enjoy it soon!
In other awesome exciting news . . .

Free Souls, the final book in the Mindjack trilogy by Susan Kaye Quinn, is out now!!!! Just in time for Christmas! The question is, can I wait for my hubster to give it to me, or do I buy it right now? The whole trilogy has been a family favorite (meant for YA, but my 11 year old who eats and breathes books loves them).

Available at Amazon

 And Jack at However Improbable has her first book out today! Check out:

 

 

 

Cheers, Cavanaugh Pt 2 Trivia Answers

Many Thanks to Alex, and Many Best Wishes for Christmas for Alex and the Mrs. C!

Here are the answers for the trivia questions:

1. "Two Dollars. I want my two dollars." Better Off Dead
2. "Doc, you built a time machine... out of a Delorian?" Back to the Future
3. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop & look around once in awhile you could miss it".
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
4. "Greetings Starfighter. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada." The Last Starfighter
5. "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold". The Outsiders

Of course, if you didn't know this already - Alex got all the answers on Monday. I kind of knew he would.

So, here's to hoping that Alex knows we (whole blogsphere) are all happy he is alive and well and not being chased by paperboys on bikes down ski hills; we know he must be from the future to comment from all the posts each day; we hope that he gets a fun day off with Mrs. C on a regular basis; we wish his Starfighter Byron well in all his endeavors; and we know he'll stay gold, because that's just the way Alex is.

Cheers again to Alex!!!

Last Reminder for Hobbit Fest this Friday!!!

I'm teaming up with M. Pax so it's going to be awesome!

What is your favorite hobbit characteristic/or the one that you think closely resembles you . . .?

If you could choose between a scrumptious second breakfast and a perilous unexpected journey – which would you prefer?

Have you ever left behind something on a journey (expected or unexpected) and wished you could have it over and over again? (a pocket handkerchief?)

What is your Favorite part or quote from the book that you hope will be in the movie?

 

 

Cheers, Cavanaugh and Movie Trivia

Ever attended a Christmas party where you bump into the person who was always there for you during the last year. You’d thank them for being such a RockStar, right?

If there’s one person in the Blogisfear who you want to say cheers to, who would it be?

For us, it was a no-brainer: Alex “no hyperlink needed” Cavanaugh.

Alex is an awesome blogger who’s helped hundreds of us via book releases, guest posts, guest interviews and always positive comments. While we can’t have a live part-ay for the Ninja Captain, we can host a BlogFest.

In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like? He's lean, medium height around 5'8" to 5'10", and has dark brown hair just above collar length.

In +/- 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary? (Living or dead.) Viggo Mortensen

In +/- 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?

Alex reminds me of a family friend that we’ve known for years. He’s just a comfortable guy, someone you want to hang around on a regular basis.

In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts:

Cavanaugh
Ninja
IWSG
Cosbolt
Guitar

This is where the fun begins . . .mwahaha. Just kidding. :-)

Ninja Captain Cavanaugh flew his Cosbolt on a mission of utmost importance: to bring good cheer and encouragement to planet Blog.

Fighting off the evil villains of doubt and insecurity with ease, but Ninja Captain Alex wanted to share the fight, so he recruited pilots to help him with a monthly IWSG.

Leading his squadron each month, Alex used  his telekinetic powers to subdue his foes, and taught all in his squadron to do the same.

At the end of the long fought battle, Alex celebrated the victory with a rockin’ guitar solo.

 For Bonus Points:
In +/- 40 words, leave a comment for Mrs. Cavanaugh - thanking her for sharing J

 

Dear Mrs. Cavanaugh, Thank you for sharing Alex with the blog world. I hope that you get to spend lots of time with him daily. I know you must be a tower of strength and encouragement for him. Thank you.

Rules:
Join the Linky List
Be a follower.
Post your 200 (total) word contribution Monday, Dec. 10.
Have Fun!

Two winners – chosen by Alex – will each win one prize:

FIRST PLACE: A signed copy of CassaStar. (Or CassaFire)

In further honor of Alex, I have a few movie triva questions from 80's teen movies. A few of these should be pretty easy. What movies are these quotes from?

1. "Two Dollars. I want my two dollars."
2. "Doc, you built a time machine... out of a Delorian?"
3. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop & look around once in awhile you could miss it".
4. "Greetings Starfighter. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada."
5. "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold".

Answers will be listed on Wednesday.

The Hobbit is here Friday! M Pax and I are hosting Hobbit Fest, and we would love to know the answers to these questions:

If you could choose between a scrumptious second breakfast and a perilous unexpected journey – which would you prefer?

Have you ever left behind something on a journey (expected or unexpected) and wished you could have it over and over again? (a pocket handkerchief?)

What is your Favorite part or quote from the book that you hope will be in the movie?

Writing Prompts, pt. 5

Writing Prompt Friday:

1. The gleam of a trophy from years ago

2. Tap shoes, sitting sideways on the floor

3. Dampness all around

4. A dance of leaves in the wind

IWSG, NaNo report, and Sleep-typing?

It's IWSG - that awesome time of month where writers everywhere in blogland take a moment to reflect on their insecurities, or to give inspiration, or maybe just give a rambling report on the state of writing? (no, that's not official that's just me this month)

Remember to stop by and Thank the Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh for his awesomeness - he started and continues to lead IWSG each month!

It seems like road blocks have been cropping up at regular intervals for my writing journey. I start, get up to speed, and an orange road block sign jumps out at me from behind an innocent looking bend in the road. I slow down, navigate my way through the orange cones and around the detour,  then creep up to speed again. (no, not the kind of speed that got me those speeding tickets mentioned in the And You Are Blogfest – I try not to do that anymore)

These road blocks have come in different ways: emergency trips to the hospital for my dad and my father-in-law, a friend whose daughter had a much needed spinal surgery needed some friends to sit with her in the waiting room, my oldest daughter’s intense dislike of the distributive property in algebra (solved now), two family Thanksgiving dinners on two different days, a need to rest and just read. (really that’s a need for me), my husband preparing to “do” video for three different winter dance recitals, a different dance class schedule (my youngest switched from four days of ballet to only one day of tap – should be easier but any change throws me off), upcoming ski and snowboard weekends to prepare for (do the ski pants fit, where did those poles go?), a Christmas tree, my friend’s homecoming for her daughter from the hospital, and silly things like having a very sleepless night because of our two dogs barking at an animal outside our fence, followed by a night of sleepwalking and possible sleep-typing.  I woke up by my laptop at 1a.m. and hoped I hadn’t updated my facebook status with gibberish or something even more embarrassing.

Somewhere in all of that, my NaNoWriMo project The Identity of Captain Wrath derailed, and my characters were complaining that I wasn’t writing them correctly. On a positive note, for NaNoRevMo, I did get quite a bit of work done for Champion in the Darkness. Two of my beta readers have declared it ready for sale, but I still need to give it a final read aloud for typos, grammar errors, and then I’ll be onto formatting.

So, one would think that in the midst of all those road blocks, the derailment of one project and the plain slowness of another I would feel really insecure, right?

Strangely, I don’t. Why not?

1.       Because of you, you, you, and all of you. (You know I’m talking about You, right?) Your support and encouragement has been huge!!! Thank you!

2.       Because I am still getting something done, a little bit at a time. Champion in the Darkness will be ready for February. I know it.

3.       Lots of prayer. Bible study. The sureness that God has a plan for me, and even if it’s looks a bit blotchy at close range, I’m sure that it will turn out good at a distance like a Monet.  (not because I’m beautiful but because Jesus is)

4.       I’m working on a new plan for The Identity of Captain Wrath. Have you ever seen any of the books that are released chapter by chapter in episodes? Well, I think (still in thought process) that I may be doing something like that. . .crazy? Maybe. If I go that route, I plan to release one chapter at a time every two weeks, and then at the very end compile it all together into book format . . .thinking that 24-36 episodes should be about right. I’ll be making up my mind on that over Christmas break (yes, I’ll be taking one of those from December 20ish to January 1^st).

 

5. Because of you . . .yes, I'm back to you. Really, your encouragement brightens my day.

 

Remember to Give Back to Alex with the Cheers, Cavanaugh Fest!

And please feel free to join M Pax and I for Hobbit Fest on December 14th!

 

 

 

Baby Faces, And You Are and Make Believe

Trisha at Word + Stuff is celebrating her blogiversary with Baby Faces Blogfest
Here's my entry:

 I'm not sure exactly how old I was here . . .I was 4 pds 7 oz when I was born . . .so I think this is when I was between 6-9 months. I'll have to ask my parents for earlier ones someday.

 

Happy Blogiversary Trisha!!!

 

 

Emily and Tammy are hosting the And You Are? Blog Hop today!

These are the "And You Are...?" questions:

1. How many speeding tickets have you gotten? umm, do I have to answer this? I got three before I turned 18, and I've gotten three since then. 

2. Can you pitch a tent? It depends on the tent. If you mean one of the small, fancy ones with interlocking tent poles, then yes. (but not as fast as my husband)

 

3. What was your worst vacation ever? I love vacations, so this one is hard. Have I had a "worst" vacation? Umm. Once I slept for over 27 hours, sick from an allergic reaction on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere, but the rest of the vacation was good so that still doesn't count. I think getting sick over Christmas year after year when we visited my cousins (when I was a kid) was the worst. I thought for a while that I was allergic to Christmas. (my food allergies were unknown at that point - but ham, wheat, mayo (eggs), and corn all played a large role in Christmas dinners at my Aunt's house. Ham makes me puke repeatedly, and the others make me nauseous or break out in rashes, or worse)

4. What was the last thing you bought over $100? Groceries. Oh, you mean, a single ticket item . . .umm, each of three family season ski passes - my husband teaches lessons so his season ticket is less than $100, but the girls and I get the big ticket ski pass)

5. We're handing you the keys to what? Too many dream cars . . .a convertible VW bug, a Jeep Wrangler, or a Dodge Viper - all preferably stick shift, not automatic.

6. What was the last meal you cooked that made even you sick? A Hobo Stew I made about three years ago that not even our beagle dog would eat . . .it was really bad.

7. Fill in the blank: Oh my gosh! Becky, look at her butt! It is so big. She looks like ____? A rap guy's girlfriend? Or the back of a moving van? Or unfortunately, me. Must return to diet.

8. What was your first car? a Mazda GLC - it was an awesome car, and the one in which I received the most speeding tickets.

9. Your best friend falls and gets hurt. Do you ask if he/she's okay or laugh first? It depends on the fall . . .if it's a tripping kind of fall, then laughter.

10. What's the worst song ever? Lady in Red . . .really, it's way too slow of a slow song, and I don't like the tune.  I know that so many people love it, but I just don't. Really, really don't. The singer's voice gets on my nerves as he holds out reeeeeeeeeeeeed. AAAAGH. The bad part of this is that my husband really likes this song. Our taste in slow music is so different that we didn't have a special slow song at our wedding . . .and I love dancing with him (even cheek to cheek as long as it's not that song).

 

 

 

Lynda R. Young at W.I.P. It is celebrating the publication of her short story, Birthright, with the Make Believe Launch Party!

 

Exciting news! Lynda R. Young’s short story titled Birthright has been published by J. Taylor Publishing in the Make Believe anthology launched TODAY! Virtual cake for everyone!! Make Believe is currently available in e-book format and includes Paranormal Romance and Fantasy stories inspired by the image on the cover. This will make great holiday reading.

Birthright by Lynda R. Young
Christa can mask the pain and hide the scars, but running from a birthright is impossible.

She’s tried to escape her grief by fleeing to a small town in Florida. Much to her frustration, the locals think they recognize her even though she's never been there before. To make things worse, a man named Jack spouts outrageous theories about her.

Both spur Christa to bolt, to start fresh yet again, but there’s something about Jack that intrigues her enough to stay. The only problem? Someone else wants her to leave, and they won’t stop until she’s dead. 

Blurbs from all the stories included in Make Believe can be found on the J. Taylor Publishing website HERE.

 

About Lynda R. Young:

Lynda R. Young lives in Sydney, Australia, with her sweetheart of a husband who is her rock, and a cat who believes world domination starts in the home. She writes speculative short stories and is currently writing novels for young adults. In her spare time she also dabbles in photography and all things creative. You can find her here: Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Also

Donna Hosie’s Newest book, The Fire of Merlin is out and ready to read!

and

David Powers King is having a 800 Follower Build Me a Blog – Hop!

Now, I'm off to teach, and will be back to blog hop in the afternoon . . .

U Got the Look

I've been tagged for the U Got the Look meme by Ilima Todd!

All I have to do is go to my current WIP, hunt down the word "look", and post the surrounding paragraphs. I've had two projects going this month, my NaNoRevMo project: Champion in the Darkness, and my NaNoWriMo project: The Identity of Captain Wrath. So I thought I would give you a "look" at both.

From Champion in the Darkness:

He smiled at her, and then looked down at his papers. “You’re expected,” he said. “Although you’re younger than I thought you would be.”

Clara merely nodded, knowing that she was younger than most students who entered their mastership. At fifteen, she had already passed up students two to three years older than herself. But as Salene had pointed out, she had been under the tutelage of two unofficial masters, as well as her assigned Master teacher.
“You’re to wait there, by the doors to the Chamber,” said the sword guard.

“Thank you, sir,” said Clara. She walked slowly over the doors, which she had been looking at every day since her first day as an apprentice seven years ago. The doors were carved with several scenes, the history of the Champions of Septily, with the first Champion overlapping the two doors at the center. Champion Elar had fought back the divisive forces of the Dark Sisterhood and brought seven kingdoms together to form Septily itself. Space around the scenes left room for future Champions.


From The Identity of Captain Wrath:

“Would anyone care to wager on the outcome?” asked Doug, looking around the crowded barracks.

“You’re going to bet on your own fight?” asked Wistar, his Elvanen friend, who stood taller and leaner than the rest.

“Well, that would be cheating,” said Doug slowly, “so of course not.” He smiled at Reynad. “But if you,” now he looked at Wistar and their other friend Smith, “would like to place a wager on me, I’m sure you’ll get your money’s worth out of it.”

And I would like to pass this meme on to Julie Luek at A Thought Grows, Allison at Geek Banter who has a new blog look today, and Jack at Hapharzardly Improbable.

Thanks everyone for your graciousness yesterday!
I will have a final update on project goals on Wednesday next week for IWSG.

Life keeps being interesting around our house and within our family - my father-in-law spent a few hours in the hospital the other day for some heart issues - we joked later that he was just jealous of the attention my dad got (they know each other pretty well). Thankfully, everyone is on the mend, and we all still have our humor intact.

Despite all that's going on, my family and I are taking a day off today to see the King Tut exhibit. I'll be in blogland for a bit this morning and this evening. Then this weekend we plan on getting our Christmas Tree, and doing some decorating around the house . . .so we have a packed weekend ahead of us.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

In Which Time as I Make VERY HUGE MISTAKES and have to apologize to everyone

You know the old chapter titles in books that start with a description of events like "In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Into a Very Tight Place."

Yeah, that title fits me right now. Big mistake, Huge Embarassment, Tight place.

So, I hosted a giveaway for Emily Ann Benedict's book. She and I exchanged a flurry of small e-mails.

It turns out that I thought she was giving away a copy of The Father Christmas Confessions when in actuality she was giving away a copy of her book Only Angels Are Bulletproof.

Umm, oops.

And then it turns out that she legally can't give away a copy of The Father Christmas Confessions.

Yikes.

So, Livia is still the winner of an Emily Ann Benedict book, just not the one that I thought she won.

And I owe everyone who entered and Especially Livia and Emily, a HUGE APOLOGY.
Already I've already sent a red-faced e-mail,  but I thought I should say I'm sorry here too.

Please forgive me. 

And the Winner Is . . .

Livia is the winner of The Father Christmas Confessions Giveaway!!!

Remember, if you didn't win, The Father Christmas Confessions can be found at Amazon.

And I have to admit that I forgot something, or well, a couple of somethings, on my Monday post:

Emily and Tammy are hosting the And You Are? Blog Hop on Monday, December 3rd. It's going to be a fun fest.

Monday is a very busy day, but the more the merrier, right?

Then on Wednesday we have IWSG by Ninja Captain soon-to-be-roasted Alex.

And Thursday is the first ever Writers 4 Writers event!!!

 

And the linky list for Hobbit fest being closed? It's fixed!!! Please sign up today! Either go to my last post, or hit the tab on the top of my page labeled Hobbit Fest!

Today, I'm working at catching up with all of you in blogland, NaNoRevMo, and a little more for NaNoWriMo. You may have noticed that those numbers for NaNoWriMo haven't moved in a long, long while . . .yeah. I've noticed that too.

I didn't crash Wonder Woman's invisible plane again, but I decided I needed to prioritize, and getting Champion in the Darkness completely ready for publication in February 2013 is taking the top of the list (well, after family and stuff like that).

I love The Identity of Captain Wrath, but I don't think I'm winning NaNoWriMo this year with that book. I have a new plan for that book - more to be revealed on IWSG, next week.

Our dear friends' daughter Jessica who has been in the hospital since early September, and who has been through two major spinal surgeries, will be coming home tomorrow. It's a bittersweet homecoming.  There's an ambulance ride involved and Jessica will be on complete bed rest and unable to move her back/spine even to sit up for the next six weeks. They are basically moving the hospital room equipment into the living room of their house. So . . .I'm hoping to stay involved in blogland, and get my writing done, but I feel like I need to be there for them too. If my attention is a little divided, I hope you understand.

All your prayers for my dad's recovery from pneumonia are greatly appreciated, and if you could pray for Jessica for the next six weeks, I would really appreciate that too.

Giveaway, Giving Back, and FESTS!!!

The Father Christmas Confessions Giveaway is starting right here and right now!!!

Emily Ann Benedict is giving away one kindle copy of The Father Christmas Confessions this week, and all you have to do is write a comment below to enter! I'll be putting your names into a hat, literally, and then having one of my kids pick one out - I know this isn't tech-savvy, but it works. The drawing will take place late Tuesday night and the winner will be announced Wednesday morning (Pacific time).

So, first, who is Emily? She's a really sweet blog buddy of mine who I've known since the beginning of my blog days when I had no idea what I was doing. I used to lurk around her blog to see how a blog really worked. She gave me one of my first awards, and she's a fantastic writer. In addition to The Father Christmas Confessions, she's also the author of Only Angels Are Bulletproof, a sweet romantic mystery.

I asked Emily how The Father Christmas Confessions started, and this is her answer:

"My family has a very serious tradition every Christmas. We simply try to watch as many Christmas movies as we possibly can. Whether it is a big Hollywood hit or a simple TV movie, we’ll watch it just so long as it is about Christmas. I guess one year I must have overdosed, because I starting thinking about how I would write a Christmas story. Well, with a head full of Christmas history and Hallmark Channel amusement, I started with the idea of re-writing the Santa Claus legend and it all went downhill from there."

 

Official blurb for The Father Christmas Confessions:

 What if Santa Claus isn’t one man? What if he is a secret organization?

Jeremy Ogden has 25 days to accomplish his mission and a list of people whose lives can be changed forever if he makes it to them in time. He just has one big problem…And her name is Virginia.

Virginia Kipyard is the last girl Jeremy wants holding his family’s ancient secret, no matter how many times his mother suggests she’s “the right girl.” But if he wants to save the life of the next man on his list, he might just need her help.

The “season of miracles” is about to take on a whole new meaning, even for Father Christmas.

If you don't win a copy, I highly recommending purchasing one for .99 at Amazon.

GIVING BACK

Julie Luek has invited all of her blog-friends to give their love for books to First Book, and has created this cute button:

First Book donates books to children, contributing to the efforts of literacy everywhere. What better way for writers to give back than donating books and nurturing the love of reading in children?

And now onto the LONG LIST OF FESTS

Trisha at Word + Stuff is celebrating her blogiversary with Baby Faces Blogfest on December 2-3!

 

Lynda R. Young at W.I.P. It is celebrating the publication of her short story, Birthright, with the Make Believe Launch Party on December 3rd. (two celebrations in one day, no problem, right?) She's also starting her book blog tour that day!

 

 



 Mark Koopman, Morgan Shamy, Stephen Tremp, and David Powers King have teamed up for the Cheers, Cavanaugh Fest.

     In Mark's words:
Ever attended a Christmas party where you bump into the person who was always there for you during the last year. You’d thank them for being such a RockStar, right?

If there’s one person in the Blogisfear who you want to say cheers to, who would it be?

For us, it was a no-brainer: Alex “no hyperlink needed” Cavanaugh.

Alex is an awesome blogger who’s helped hundreds of us via book releases, guest posts, guest interviews and always positive comments. While we can’t have a live part-ay for the Ninja Captain, we can host a BlogFest.

In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like?

In +/- 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

In +/- 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?

In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts:

Cavanaugh
Ninja
IWSG
Cosbolt
Guitar

For Bonus Points:
In +/- 40 words, leave a comment for Mrs. Cavanaugh - thanking her for sharing J

Rules:
Join the Linky List
Be a follower.
Post your 200 (total) word contribution Monday, Dec. 10.
Have Fun!

Two winners – chosen by Alex – will each win one prize:

FIRST PLACE: A signed copy of CassaStar. (Or CassaFire)

GRAND PRIZE*: A picture of Alex and a download of him playing the guitar. (There might be another prize… all depends!)
This fest runs December 10-12th!

Plus, Don't Forget Hobbit Fest!
I'm teaming up with M. Pax for this fun fest on December 14th! Check out the tab on the upper right for more info!

 

What is your favorite hobbit characteristic/or the one that you think closely resembles you . . .?
If you could choose between a scrumptious second breakfast and a perilous unexpected journey – which would you prefer?

Have you ever left behind something on a journey (expected or unexpected) and wished you could have it over and over again? (a pocket handkerchief?)
What is your Favorite part or quote from the book that you hope will be in the movie?

 And Steampunk Author Jack Lewis Baillot's Book Blog Party starts December 17th!

 

Have you signed up for these fests and celebrations? Planning to give back in some way this December? and are you ready to win a copy of The Father Christmas Confessions? Be sure to comment below!

And again, many thanks to those who prayed for my Dad last week . . .he's out of the hospital and getting good rest at home.

A Very Happy Thanksgiving

My dad was released from the hospital yesterday in just enough time to make it to our family Thanksgiving Feast. He didn't stay too long, still feeling tired, but I'm very glad that he made it, and felt well enough to come and even tell a few stories.

His main priority is rest for the next few months.
So I'm giving him a few books to read . . .like whole series of books . . .

I hope all in blogland had a very happy Thanksgiving too!!!

Oh, and I won the awesome 500 follower giveaway from Cassie and Tara - Thanks Ladies!

Wreck It Ralph, Road Dancing, and Thanksgiving

from IMDB

Wreck-It Ralph is definitely a movie for gamers who like a redemption style hero's journey.

Yes, it's a Disney movie, but it's just a little different all the way through, and I liked that. I got the sense that most of the movie critics that they didn't really know or understand half of the game references so don't go by professional reviewers opinions.

Altogether, my family thought the movie was extremely clever, and held a few unexpected twists that we enjoyed.

So, Huzzah to Wreck-It Ralph, a Disney movie for 80's gamer nerds . . .and maybe their kids too.


Road Dancing What is that you might ask? Just this thought-provoking fun quote from Tim Hawkins, comedian:

"Make the world a better place today. Instead of responding with road rage, try road dancing. They won't be expecting it."

So, as we go into Thanksgiving weekend in America, with huge dinners, and sometimes long miles traveled, or if we celebrate Black Friday (the biggest shopping day of the year), I suggest we all try a little road dancing, or turkey dancing, or mall dancing. The world won't be expecting it.

If you would like a fresh perspective on Thanksgiving, check out Julie Dao's post, Stuck in Traffic . . .Or a Reality Check!

And . . .this added after I wrote the post - please pray for my Dad. He has pneumonia, a high temp, and will be in the hosptial for the next three days. On a good note, he still has his sense of humor and it was funny hearing him tell the admitting doctor about all of his injuries - mainly because he kept not mentioning them, and the doctor would move on, and then my dad would tell him about another one. I'm thankful that he is in good spirits and he's in good care.

Psalm 69: 30 "I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 150
"Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,

 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord."

An Interview with Nickie Anderson

Way back in May, or June, Susan Kaye Quinn had a post that included a critique partner match up.

Thanks to Susan, I met Nickie Anderson of Here's the Story, and we became critique partners. She's been a huge help to me, and I've had the privelege of reading her book Bright Star.

So, although I posted about her release on Friday, I just had to interview her, to find out exactly what her secret is for awesome writing.

Tyrean: What are the steps you took to create your novel? Are you a plotter or a pantster? Did you create the world first or the character?

Nickie: By nature, I am a total pantser. I first tried writing a novel back in 2008, a YA paranormal with mummies. I just wrote, wrote, wrote, and after about 20,000 words I realized all I had was a hot mess.

I tried rewriting a few times, changing the POV and so on, but each time I realized that what the story was actually missing was a plot. That's kind of important.

Writing fell by the wayside when I was in college, but after I graduated and had some free time I wanted to try my hand again.

For 'Bright Star' the world came first, but the characters took over! In fact, I had to do some major rewrites in the first draft because a few of my characters refused to cooperate with my original plot. (I liked their ideas better, though!)

Tyrean: I loved seeing Sadira grow as a character throughout the book. I was impressed at how you showed her becoming more confident in herself as she uncovered more secrets about the world that surrounds her.

Was that part of the plan from the beginning, or did her character develop as the story progressed?

Nickie: I wanted to show some kind of character growth from the beginning. I feel like I've seen too many YA novels with protagonists who are super strong, deadly, butt-kicking machines. What about the rest of us? It's not a relateable character. It seems like it's almost taboo for the character to be scared.

With Sadira, my goal was to create a more realistic teen, one who would be terrified by the events in the story. Her strength isn't hand-to-hand combat -- it's pushing forward even when she's scared to take another step. And with each successful step, she has a little more faith in herself.

Tyrean: Do you feel your book falls under one category more than another? YA, Dystopian, SciFi, Adventure, Fantasy?

Nickie: I feel like 'Bright Star' straddles a few categories. It's definitely YA, but has hints of all these other sub-genres, especially dystopian and sci-fi. One of the most fun trends in YA today is the mashup of different sub-genres, the mixing of different ideas to create entirely new worlds. For example, 'Blood Red Road' was an awesome blend of dystopian, action, and fantasy. I hope that trend continues.

Tyrean: As a writer, who/what encourages you to write?

Nickie: I've always enjoyed writing, but until this last year I never really considered writing a novel. But here's the thing -- it isn't a chore at all. Those characters have come alive for me, and they're constantly giving me new ideas, encouraging me to share their story. We'll be seeing more of Sadira -- she still has a few more stories to tell me.

My biggest inspiration, though, is being a part of the age-old tradition of story telling. It doesn't matter if it's a book, movie, TV show, play, or song -- we all love hearing a story, love that moment of being able to step outside ourselves.

It's bad enough that Sadira Pascal's father doesn't make it home to celebrate her fifteenth birthday. He might be a busy hovership engineer pulling overtime on a new design, but he's always been home for the important things. It's worse when she discovers her father decided to ride on the maiden voyage of his newest ship, the CAS Bright Star, without even telling her. But things really fall apart during Sadira's field trip with her class to observe the hovership launch. Instead of a successful flight, she watches the Bright Star fall out of the sky.

The Central government confirms her father's death, leaving Sadira to pick up the pieces of her former life. While she struggles with her loss, Private Baruj Haddad tries to convince her that her father and the rest of the Bright Star crew are still alive. At first, Sadira doesn't believe there's any hope. But then she stumbles across a message that makes her think maybe, just maybe, her father is still alive. As she digs deeper into the Bright Star's crash, Sadira uncovers secrets about her father's work, secrets that put her and everyone she loves in danger.

 

Bright Star can be found at: Amazon B&N and Smashwords

 

You can also put it on your to-read or read shelf at Goodreads

 

Nicke is running an Indie giveaway of Bright Star this week on her blog. Go check it out at Here's The Story!

 

 

Thank you Nickie for being an awesome critique partner!

 

 

If you haven't seen it yet . . .I also have to give a huge shout out for this awesome blogfest for the most encouraging blogger I know:

Details can be found at several sites . . .I don't have time to list them all at the moment, but you can stop by the very embarassed Alex's blog and find out more.

 

 

I Miss You Blogfest, Bright Star Release, and Jousting!

It's here, the Oh How I Miss You Blogfest, co-hosted by Ninja Captain Alex Andrew and Matthew.

Three bloggers I really miss:

Melissa from Through the Looking Glass hasn't blogged since May 2011, but I still haven't taken her off my blog roll list. Why? Because I miss her humor, her wonderfully fresh and honest posts, and her sparkling personality. I don't know what happened to her, but I miss her presence in blogland.

Carissa Taylor is a blogger I found just last year near the end of A to Z. I felt like I just started to get to know Carissa and her sense of humor, and then she disappeared. Come back Carissa!

Nikki at Inspire Nordic dropped off the blog-sphere unexpectedly in September. Again, I was a fairly new follower. I admit I probably didn't stop by often enough to let her know how much I liked her Nordic, family, and writing inspired posts.

One of the many bloggers I would really miss if he stopped blogging:
The Amazing, Spectacular, Always Encouraging Ninja Captain Alex!
I know this is a given. Every blogger I know could name Alex. Why? Because he is always supportive, always upbeat, always encouraging, always helpful. His posts are witty, and he always takes time to highlight other writers and bloggers. He rocks the word encouragement like no one else I know in the blogworld.

Thank you Alex, Andrew, and Matthew for hosting!!!

and in other news . . .news that I wish I had released earlier in the week . . .


Bright Star Book Release
My awesome critique partner Nickie Anderson released her newest book Bright Star.

It's bad enough that Sadira Pascal's father doesn't make it home to celebrate her fifteenth birthday. He might be a busy hovership engineer pulling overtime on a new design, but he's always been home for the important things. It's worse when she discovers her father decided to ride on the maiden voyage of his newest ship, the CAS Bright Star, without even telling her. But things really fall apart during Sadira's field trip with her class to observe the hovership launch. Instead of a successful flight, she watches the Bright Star fall out of the sky.
 

Available at Amazon B&N Smashwords and listed on GoodReads

I highly recommend this book. I've read it twice, and I plan on reading it again! Nickie has created a new and interesting world with compelling characters with secrets to uncover.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! This is the last day to participate in M Pax's Jousting Tournament. Pray tell if you have stopped by and given a loud Huzzah to your favorite knights this week. Knight Light has been flickering in and out of action, but I'm still on the field (I think). Pray tell is the phrase you need to double each Huzzah!

And Tara Tyler and Cassie Mae are having a 500 follower giveaway with awesome prizes!

Thanks for your Prayers . . .and other news

Thank You for your prayers for Jessica!

Jessica's surgery went well, and she is recovering in the ICU (as expected). She has a four month long recovery ahead of her, with at least a month of it in the hospital. Your continued prayer support would be awesome.

I had the privelege of sitting with her parents yesterday for a few hours, and I am, as always, amazed by their strength and their faith. They had to wait two hours between each update from the surgical team, and the surgery went for 8 and 1/2 hours. With the two hours Jessica spent with the doctors and nurses pre-operation, and the time she spent with them post-operation, her parents had to wait 12 hours before they could be with her again. Even after running that marathon of waiting, they took the time to update their caring bridge site and give thanks to everyone for all their prayers.

So, again, thank you!

In other Thanksgiving News, Angie from Notes from the Writing Chair is hosting a Thanksgiving blogfest called Putting Thanks and Giving into Thanksgiving.

 

Also, this Friday, Ninja Captain Alex Andrew and and Matthew are co-hosting the Oh, How I Miss You Blogfest.

 Be sure to check it out!

 



Plus, Jessica Bell's book, Show and Tell in a Nutshell is out!
Available at Amazon US Amazon UK and Kobo
In Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing you will find sixteen real scenes depicting a variety of situations, emotions, and characteristics which clearly demonstrate how to turn telling into showing. Dispersed throughout, and at the back of the book, are blank pages to take notes as you read. A few short writing prompts are also provided.

Not only is this pocket guide an excellent learning tool for aspiring writers, but it is a light, convenient, and easy solution to honing your craft no matter how broad your writing experience. Keep it in the side pocket of your school bag, throw it in your purse, or even carry it around in the pocket of your jeans or jacket, to enhance your skills, keep notes, and jot down story ideas, anywhere, anytime.


In NaNoWriMo-land, I struggled to get any writing done. If you look at my word count meter on the right side, you'll see that I'm far behind. I'm ok with that on the days when I feel like my writing went well, but yesterday was one of those days, when nothing seemed right. For instance, even my characters were realizing that they were out of character yesterday.

“That horrible parrot?” said Telli. “That thing could bite off her finger, and dwarvans don’t have puny fingers.”

“He’s actually a very nice bird, if you treat him right,” said Doug.

“You’re definitely going to have to work on getting into character,” said Reyla. “Captain Wrath would never describe Mr. Polly as a ‘very nice bird.’”

Doug sighed. “You’re right.” He went to run his hand through his hair, but stopped when he touched the greasy wig. The glue was still itching him, or maybe it was just the nasty hair.

In NaNoRevMo-land, I revised three measly paragraphs worth of writing. On the upside, I don't think I need to revise those three paragraphs again.

 And Knight Light is still jousting at M Pax's Jousting Tournament - so please stop by and give me a Huzzah and a Pray Tell!

And Julie Luek put together a post full of revision tips, and one of mine made it into the post! However, I think you want to go to her post here, and check out what all the other awesome writers had to say about revision.

And my awesome critique partner Nickie Anderson released her book, Bright Star. More info on Friday and next week when I host her on my blog.