Roxann Delaney's Blog, page 8

School is in Session

When we think of learning, we think of school.  But that's really narrow-minded.  School is only one part of learning and not even the first part.  We begin to learn the moment we're born.  We shouldn't stop until we breathe our last breath.

We learn by instruction, doing, and keeping our eyes, ears, and minds open.  That last--keeping ourselves open, is probably the most important, because without it, instruction and doing will often fail.

I'll be the first in the line...

Summer's End

What?!  It's Friday again?
Yes, we're days away from one of the biggies:  Labor Day, the "official" end of summer.  Come Monday, you can put away your white shoes and start thinking of the new fall fashions.  We can all sit back and enjoy the next three days, free from toil and trouble.

Right?  Uh, no.

Have you happened to notice all the Labor Day sales in the newspaper, online ads and email?  Somebody has to be in those stores to take your money or answer questions...

Life's Little Adjustments & Changes

Roll With the Changes.  Or so says REO Speedwagon.

Changes are hard, and the older we get, the harder it is to make changes.  But let's face it.  Trying to fight change is an effort in futility.  It's much better to roll with the changes and make the adjustments needed.

That's where I am.  Rolling.  Making adjustments.

We're finishing up our second week of school today, so life is getting a little smoother.  I have four trips each day to two different schools,...

In My Little World

It's official.  Yesterday was the first day of school in my little corner of the world.  Okay, in my little corner of the prairie.  With it comes changes.  No longer will I be chasing children up and down the street or climbing on the trunk of my car with a tree limb in my hand to knock down a pair of tied-together tennis shoes, stuck high up in a tree.  Yes, sad as it is, the tennis shoe incident may have been the highlight of the summer.

Last week's blog went unwritt...

Romance is for Everyone

It's National Read-A-Romance Month.  Yes, an entire month dedicated to reading romance novels.  Who wudda thunk it?  The answer is simple.  Romance writers and readers.

Romance Industry Statistics
(From Romance Writers of America-RWA.org)
POPULARITY OF ROMANCE FICTION
(source: Business of Consumer Book Publishing 2013)Romance fiction generated $1.438 billion in sales in 2012.Romance was the top-performing category on the best-seller lists in 2012 (across the ...

Summer is Winding Down

You know when the beginning of  a new school year is just around the corner, when school supplies start appearing in stores.  Because I'm big sucker for all things that can be stuffed in an office, I've been scoping out what's available in the Back-To-School aisles for a couple of weeks.

Grandkids have spent the summer confiscating my pens, so trying to find a tool to jot down a note or make a simple list has become an effort in futility.  I've already replaced two of four of m...

Anything Is Possible

First, a quick note that Bestselling Author Kathie DeNosky (Harlequin Desire) is giving a workshop on Harlequin's website this week.  It's part of Camp Wannabe, created especially for those who aren't attending RWA's Conference in Atlanta.  Kathie's topic?  How to Plot Your Book the Easy Way.  Those participating are raving about it!    

Yes, it's true.  Anything is possible.  There's a catch, though.  It takes hard work and something else:  A...

So You Want to be a Writer...

Millions of people think of becoming a writer.  Only a small percentage actually do.  There are probably as many reasons for both.  It looks like fun, but the truth is that it's hard work and not for the faint-hearted.  It can be brutal, it can be fabulous!  But there's no way of knowing which and when will happen, because both do.

I'll be upfront and honest and say without qualms that I am not a NY Times Bestselling Author.  I don't have awards stretched along my...

Post Holiday Reflections

I had every intention of writing a blog post yesterday, first thing in the morning.  After that, my plan was to write.  And write some more.  But plans often go awry, and I ended up doing updates on a website that took longer than planned, and then I started reading the blogs of other writers.  By the time I started writing, it was late, and the evening was filled with booms and bangs.  Let's face it, except for watching a well-done, aerial fireworks display, I'm not...

Hits and Misses

Thanks to a 24+ hour power outage, due to a storm on Thursday, this blog post is late.  It is what it is. :)

One thing we all have to accept is that everyone has an opinion.  Everything in life is subjective.  One person likes blue, another doesn't, and yet another likes a different shade of blue.  Some people like broccoli, some don't.  Some people like to read, and some don't.  Those who do don't always agree on what they like to read.  It's the same all ov...