Rachel R. Smith's Blog, page 22
August 12, 2015
August 10, 2015
National Book Lovers Day
In honor of National Book Lovers Day (albeit, belatedly) I thought I would share some “shelfies”. I really don’t get into the whole concept of selfies, even if the word has been added to the dictionary. But, shelfies? Now that’s a social media trend I can get on board with.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, shelfies are pictures taken of one’s book shelves. Many of the book shelves I’ve seen shared are stunningly decorated. Warning: mine are not an example of this level of elegance. I have more books than I have room to store them in. To put a twist on an old biblical phrase,”My shelf runneth over.” The spare bedroom of our house is dubbed “The Library” (don’t tell Sumo, he thinks it’s his room). I don’t even have room for all of my bookcases in there, so I even put one of them in the closet!
Most shelves are packed two rows deep and stacked across the tops of other books to maximize capacity. You may notice that the majority of the titles on my shelves now are manga. In recent years, I’ve switched over to buying E-books and audiobooks for my “traditional” book reading. But for manga, there’s just no substitute for the physical book. For books that I really love, I make a point of buying hardback copies–I try especially hard to get first edition copies if I can (like Memoirs of a Geisha down there on the third shelf).
The closet bookcase. I would just like to point out what an amazing coincidence it is that the entire Wheel of Time series fit perfectly if the width of this book shelf!The small bookcase on the left in the picture below is dubbed “The Pile of Shame”. These are the books I’ve bought, but haven’t read yet (excluding those that are on my Kindle, that is). It’s a bottomless pile. Somehow I manage to buy new books just as fast as I can empty them from the Pile. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! ^_-
August 6, 2015
August 3, 2015
Writer’s Little Helper (Video)
Today I’d like to share with you a video of my little helper. Sumo is my secret weapon to combat writer’s block. You see, when I get stuck, he’s more than happy to chime in with some suggestions. Since it’s hard to type when you have paws, he dictates and I write. ;) Today we’re working on revisions for Chapter 11 of Reflection: Harbinger of the Phoenix.
Or maybe he just wants a treat. Either way, we both win! ;)
July 30, 2015
July 28, 2015
Refrigerator Comics
Refrigerator art: chances are if you have a refrigerator, you’ve got pieces of paper stuck to it with magnets. Maybe it’s coupons. Maybe party invitations or reminders. Maybe it’s your kids’ artwork. I know my mom’s fridge was always covered in one masterpiece or another that my brother and I created. As we grew up, the pieces slowly disappeared and were replaced with sticky notes, phone numbers, a white board, grocery lists…and these three little gems. My mom snipped these comics from the local paper over the years that I’ve been working on the Records of the Ohanzee series. She even modified the caption in some cases. They’ve been on the fridge for awhile. How long? Long enough to turn an ancient-looking shade of yellow. It took almost all of my photo editing skills to turn them back to a white background for your viewing pleasure. ;) What gems are hanging from your fridge?
July 22, 2015
July 21, 2015
Sumo’s Favorite Book
This is Sumo’s favorite book! He wonders why everyone isn’t reading it. (He’s just a little bit biased, but dogs are known for their loyalty, right? ^_- )
He is not a fan of his “little monster” t-shirt. But, he does like to take a nap in his furry carrier after a nice, long walk.
What are your favorite things?
July 19, 2015
What kind of sprinkles do you want?
That was the question that I posed to my hubby. His answer? Without hesitation: “All of them!” Guess which sundae is his? ;)
Happy National Ice Cream Day!
July 15, 2015
Prime Day Promo!
In honor of Prime Day on Amazon, my short story Shattered Sugar Dreams is free today. If you didn’t get a chance to download it last time it was available for free, now is your chance!
Get your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0104MZ9A4
Synopsis:
It’s Charis’ birthday and Nerissa, the Heiress of Chiyo, wants to bake her best friend a cake. Nerissa has never made a cake before, but with the help of Pan, the best baker in Chiyo, how hard could it be?
Author’s note: Shattered Sugar Dreams is a short story that is set three months before the beginning of Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror. The events that take place are outside of the main plot line of the Records of the Ohanzee series, so it is not necessary to have read Reflection to understand and enjoy this story!
