Chynna T. Laird's Blog, page 18

In the Spotlight - Book Review for Marital Advice To My Grandson, Joel

We don't usually do book reviews for our 'In The Spotlight' segment, but we are making an exception in this case as it truly is a must-read.

I have a huge weakness for books where there is a strong grandparent figure. The person may not be a main character, but their presence is felt throughout the story. They are always there to be a pillar of strength, offer sound advice from their own years of experiences and offer unconditional love that can't be found through anyone or anything else. And...

Writing Sample Wednesday - Spiderman Shoes

I am often asked to write articles or do interviews on the subjects of SPD, children and youth with mental health struggles and advocating for these kids from a parent's perspective.

God knows, I'm no expert on any area. I am merely a parent whose entire focus was not only to help these children cope as much as I could with the hurdles they faced on a daily basis, but also to learn all I could about these hurdles - from experts, fellow special needs parents, research and other resources - to b...

Music Mantra Monday ~ Beautiful, Creepy Love Songs

Every band that exists has written at least one slow song. It doesn't matter if the genre is rock, country (well...DUH!), metal, punk or somewhere in between, they've all slowed things down once.

I have a few favorites that I've loved over the last few decades. I sang along to them, sometimes getting teary-eyed as memories from hearing the song came to the surface. Then I finally got around to reading the lyrics, really paying attention to the words, and think, "Um...wow."

One song in particula...

The Power of Youth ~ Organizing With Humor

Well, this is the second week in a row where I have no kids to post so, again, I'll take over.

They've been enjoying their summer going camping, road trips with their friends, having tons of sleepovers and other fun stuff. That's what kids are supposed to do on their break. They are creating memories.

That being said, they seem to need a little push in remembering that when they're home, it's always nice to have them help around the house. You know, at least doing their part. After all, I'm not...

Writing Prompt Saturday ~ Start That Novel!

Okay. I know what some of you might be thinking.

"Easy for her to say. She's already got books out there!"

Well, it isn't as easy as you'd think. Even some of the best selling authors out there face hurdles in their creation of their books. And it doesn't matter what genre you're in or if it's fiction or non-fiction, the hurdles are still there.

It all stems from an idea, whether it came from a dream, a life experience, something you've witnessed or heard about or a focus that is absolutely uniq...

Foodie Friday ~ Tofu Egg/Chicken Salad

For today's Foodie Friday, I'm going to share a wonderful breakfast or lunch recipe that I came across, then tweaked it. And it's made with tofu.

Yes, I've probably lost a few readers already but, seriously. It's pretty good! Tofu doesn't really have much flavor so it takes on the flavors of what you cook it with or spice it up with.

Since I'm on a high protein/high calorie/low sodium diet, I've been trying to find new ways to get that protein into me. Meat is great, and I am surrounded by 'mea...

Writing Sample Wednesday ~ Through the Eyes of a Psychopath (Out Of Sync)

As many of you are aware, Out Of Sync stemmed from a dream I had. The awesome thing about dreams is that you get to see everything and everyone from an omniscient perspective. That's what I wanted to give in the novella.

Although head-hopping is considered one of the biggest 'no-no's' in writing, presenting a scene from the view is not. I've done this style in a couple of my books, but readers really seemed to connect with this particular story as I gave them insight from the eyes of the psych...

Music Mantra Monday ~ Crying With Roy Orbison

Usually when I post a song, it has some significance to stuff going on in my life. Today, I simply wanted to put this up because it's been in my head a lot for the last few weeks.

I'm a sucker for artists who have gone through horrendous tragedy in their lives on one level or another but have always had the ability to pull themselves back up and move forward. Yes, some of their experiences probably occurred due to poor choices and decisions they made at one point. Yes, some tragedy probably ha...

The Power of Youth ~ Raising A House Full of Preteens

Ahh...the joy of tweens and preteens. What happened to my babies who were just happy playing at the park, being close to me and listening once in awhile? In what seems like within a blink of an eye, they went from needing me on every level, to being embarrassed to have me around.

I have two tweens and two teens and they are all very different. Obviously, someone up there feels I deserve some payback for the joyous teen I was many years ago (yes, there may be a bit of sarcasm in there). The mos...

Writing Prompt Saturday ~ Things That Make You Go Hm...

I thought we'd go down a fun road this morning with our writing prompt. Trust me, I have a lot I could write about on this subject, but I'll tighten it.

Every person on this planet is unique in their own way. That involves how they see the world, their interpretations of things, situations and conversations, how they choose deal/cope with things, what their priorities are and how aware they are of how their actions and reactions effect other people.

I mean, there are those people who are so tun...