IWSG March 2016: 5 Reasons to Write, Flicker, and News

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the March 2 posting of the IWSG will be Lauren Hennessy, Lisa Buie-Collard, Lidy, Christine Rains, and Mary Aalgaard! 

And, let's not forget our Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh!

My insecurity this month: Can I keep track of what I need to do to complete my goals?

I don't know. I've tried putting stuff on the calendar. I've e-mailed myself.

The reality is that life is sometimes a little wild (two sets of wisdom teeth were removed in our house last month - not mine), and I get dizzy spells if I'm on my computer too long.

So, I have to reserve writing time, teaching prep time, and social media time separately, and that means it's a little hard to keep up with all of it.

How do you keep on track with your goals?

Flicker: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry is out! 

So, I'm kind of proud of this little collection that's taken me nearly 3.5 years to pull together - 90 short stories and poems, 49 of which were published in online and paperback publications over the last three years, some lighthearted, some dark and grim, some about superheros and some about human trafficking victims, a few about criminals and villains, and seven sonnets from the point of view of a depressed artificially intelligent robot who wants somebody to love. So, the collection is diverse and odd, and I'm still thankful for all the writing that went into it. In a way, it's my answer to the criticism, "you always write the same story," and the answer to the statement, "now that I've read your novel, I know exactly how you think." If you are over 15 (some PG-13 content), you could check it out. 

Readers wanted: 15+

Smashwords

Kobo

Nook

Kindle

Paperback

If you are interested in getting a pdf copy for review, please e-mail me at tyreantigger (at) gmail (dot) com.

There is no blog tour . . . my dizzy spells mean that I have to limit my blog time to once a week for posts, and random moments for visits. Random shout-outs and unexpected spotlights are always greatly appreciated. :)

And why can I tweet these days? - I've started (hangs head in shame) using an automatic feeder. (Please let me know via e-mail if I can add something into my tweet feed for you.)

Five Reasons to Write:  I am opening up my blog for more guest posts. Please see the 5 Reasons Tab above, because I'm looking specifically for posts that start with 5 Reasons to Write _____ (you fill in the blank). I have a list of possible topics, but new topics can always be created. :) I have about 5 guests signed up for the next four months.

News

Miss Jack Lewis Baillot has a new book coming out: Brothers In Arms. Check out her blog for top secret details and updates! Blog tour coming soon.

Shelley Sly has a new book coming soon! 

Typer Stockton should not spend her summer at Camp Caspar.

Camp Caspar is a “behavior camp,” full of delinquents. Kids who steal. Kids who beat up other kids. Twelve-year-old Typer may not have made the best choices during her sixth grade year, but she’s nothing like these wacko and hostile campers.
Yet, her parents insist that Camp Caspar is the consequence she deserves, so she’s sleeping in a bleak, nearly empty cabin for the next month. As Typer spends her days trying to earn “smiley points,” while avoiding some of the biggest jerks she’s ever met, she can’t help but wonder:
What is she doing here? How is it fair that she’s stuck at this ridiculous camp where she doesn’t belong?
Or, even worse, what if she belongs here after all?

Misha Gerrick also has a new book coming soon!

Tara Tyler has a new, awesome, unconventional project out: Jolissa - An Anti-Princess Story - in e-book and as an ongoing series on youtube - how cool is that?! (Extremely! Tara rocks!)

And, I belatedly made a donation to Peace Rehabilitation Center for all the sales of my Summer Vacation Devotions booklet from last year (and a few early sales from this year). My sales proceeds totaled around $27 and I gave them $50 because it is a really good group of people, helping the victims of human trafficking in Nepal. For those of you who purchased that book, I want to say - Thank you! You didn't just support me with that, but you supported women in desperate need. Thank you! I'm going to continue to donate to them and plan for the sales proceeds from that book to be a part of that process. 

And . . . in case you are curious, the book is actually a very lighthearted devotional book for families on summer vacation. It's kid-friendly and discusses God's word tasting as sweet as s'mores, and God's armor being like sunscreen. The only part about the work that Peace Rehabilitation Center does is in the back matter of the book and it doesn't get detailed. 

And, I'm sure there's more news out there . . . 

Do you have news? How do you keep track of your goals? Interested in Flicker?

And . . . from the mama "brag" files, there's this pic from all-winter training (family calendar explosion):

(my girls are the two on the far right - a high kneel canoeist and a kayaker)

A day on the water, training for the upcoming season. Most of this group have their goals set on competing in the 2016 Olympic Hopes Regatta this fall in Hungary. Can you spot Payton?
Posted by Gig Harbor Canoe & Kayak Racing Team on Monday, February 29, 2016

Do You Have Goals? Books and Movies Update

Many thanks to Misha and Beth for this blog hop!

If you are interested in joining, go here!

1. Write Strong!

 I fell way short of my 25,000 word per month writing goal, but I did keep writing. 

I wrote and subbed an article for the new IWSG newsletter, and Chris Fey accepted it! Yay! (It may be with this month or a forthcoming month newsletter edition). 

2. Market with Strength!

I'm still figuring out what this might mean. 

However, a friend of mine sold 15 of my books for me. (Wow!) I think I need to at least buy her a coffee. 

On a seriously sad note, the most encouraging and kind bookstore owner I've met has sold her business and closed shop. She's retiring and no one bought the bookstore from her, so I had three books returned to me. 

3. Publish with Strength!

Champion's Destiny is still getting its paperback cover . . . soon, soon, soon.

Flicker: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry is set to launch via Smashwords on March 1st - and the paperback might be ready that day, too. I'm kind of proud of it since over half of the 90 stories in it were published previously over the last few years. A little warning/taste for readers (especially those few younger readers who stop by my blog), Flicker is meant for readers 15 and up since some material is dark and there are a dozen stories that reference serious topics like human trafficking, depression, and serial killers (not all at once). At the same time, if you like truly dark stuff, it doesn't have that much of it - it has light-fluffy stuff like superheroes struggling with long capes in addition to the grim stuff. It's a combination of short, long, light, and dark - flickers of various genres and lengths of story-writing and poetry. 

Smashwords

Nook

Kobo

4. Live Strong!

I've walked 27 miles and biked 45 miles this month so far. I have cut back slightly on caffeine, and I've been feeling much better.

Sadly, vertigo has still been my companion if I use my computer too long. (This is why I haven't been asking for any blog book tour kind of help - I feel like I'm in the random zone of blogging time - 15 minutes in the am - 15 at noon, and then sometimes in the evening.)

5. Worship Strong!

I'm taking part in a Bible Challenge for Lent - attempting to read from Genesis to Revelation by Easter. I've fallen a few books of the Bible behind, but I think I can catch up . . . maybe. 

I'm also fasting from fiction, except for Sunday afternoons - so all of my fiction reading is going on in 2-4 hour spurts once a week, and the rest of the time I'm into the Bible and a few non-fiction books.

6. Gratitude = Grace (Strength Through Thanksgiving!)

I noticed that my attitude improved on day 5 of my Bible reading challenge. Maybe this was just coincidence, but I don't think so. I was a bit cranky while reading Genesis and Exodus - "really, God - using totally broken, messed up people to start the kingdom of God on earth?" but finally started feeling some thanksgiving - "so glad my dad comes to church with me, and sings off-tune right next to me." (Really, I would rather hear my dad singing off-tune over any professional singer - I love my dad's voice.)

7. Rest, as needed. (Rest Strong!)

Did this, again! Score! I know it sounds weird to add to a list of goals, but I have to remind myself that rest is a good thing. 

Books, Movies, General Fandom, and News

Books I enjoyed this last month:

Bill Bryson's African Diary is probably the shortest travelogue that I've read by Bill Bryson and one of the most serious as he highlights CARE refugee camps, but Bryson's humor still makes a showing on the small aircraft rides and train transportation sequences.

The Inquisitor's Mark by Diane K. Salerni takes off where the first book, The Eighth Day, ended, and it adds more twists and exciting turns to this excellently written adventure series. Highly recommended! 

Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible by Stan Lee is a unique comic book auto-biography of Stan Lee's life. I think I learned more in an interview of him in Costco Magazine. However, I got it from the library and it was fun. 

Pawn by Aimee Carter was a one-afternoon library read for me, and it takes the reader on an action-packed dystopian journey filled with political intrigue. The MC, Kitty, undergoes a total make-over of her life on a bone-deep level just to escape punishment for stealing an orange.

Movies and Shows I enjoyed this last month:

Fantastic Four, the newest remake, made for a wonderful family evening at home. We wished we had supported it in the theaters. While it didn't have quite enough Ben Grimm (Thing) screen-time for me, we all thought did a great job developing the characters and the background of the Fantastic Four. Sure, it only had one major action scene, but we didn't mind. This was a movie about friendship, not about beat-downs.

Hail, Caesar! by the Coen Brother is . . . a Coen brothers' film. I'm not sure how else to describe it. It's funny, thought-provoking, interesting, and enjoyable, but all at a slightly odd angle . . . or at least that's how I felt after I watched it. 

Flash has been in my docket of Netflix shows for a while, but I finally convinced my family it was worthwhile this last month and we raced through the end of season 2. My daughters had a half hour debate over how time travel issues might work. My husband managed to keep his "that's not within the laws of physics, engineering, science" comments fairly low, and we were all glad that this particular DC comic hero doesn't need to strip to the waist to do his stuff (cue: many more comments from the husband unit peanut gallery). 

An old youtube show that got picked up and had a three year run from 2012-2015: Video Game High School. I didn't expect much from it but I thought I would try it one night on Netflix, and the first episode is worth a watch, even if if you never watch the rest. I think it's pretty funny, and my family seems to agree. Enjoy ultimate gamer geekdom with this show! 

Current non-fiction reads (will report in a month or two, since I'm slow at non-fiction): The House of Sky by Ivan Doig, Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams, and Showing and Telling in Fiction by Marcy Kennedy. 

What are your goals? Your current reads? Best movies or shows watched recently? And, if you would like to dream big, please join this awesome hop!