Jennifer Shirk's Blog, page 14

2014 Stinks

Hey, all

Happy New Year?
© Fred Goldstein | Dreamstime Stock Photos
2014 is not exactly starting very nicely for me. :(
I'm still recovering from a very nasty stomach bug, I have TWO viewings to attend today and unfortunately have just been dumped a big load of stress.

Is it wrong to wish this year to be over already?

On the plus side, I think I could squeeze into size two pants right about now, which is VERY slim for me, especially right after the holidays.
Thank you, stomach virus thingy.


Don't know if I'll be around much this week, unless I end up in bed again.

Have a good one and stay healthy!


Wishing for Rain with Rula Sinara!

Happy Monday, all!

Hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Christmas! (I did!!) But it was exhausting. On Christmas Day, I went to bed at 8PM and woke up at 7:30AM the next day. I think the last time I slept that long, I was in college! LOL

Anyhew, I'm so happy to have one of the nicest bloggy pals I know here today:
Rula Sinara.
In just a few days she will be a published author with Harlequin. Yay!! I'm so proud of her!

Take it away, Rula!


Jennifer, thanks so much for having me here today! I’m feeling a bit nostalgic, being here on the eve of New Year’s eve…a day symbolic of endings and new beginnings. You see, everyone, I ‘met’ Jennifer when I started blogging the summer of 2010. She was already a successful blogger and I was a newbie nobody, yet she reached out. I was blown away by how warm, welcoming and loyal she was to both her readers and fellow bloggers. I’ll never forget that she was there when I began that adventure.
And now here I am, ready to embark on a new one. Tomorrow night my life as an unpublished writer comes to an end and, on New Year’s Day, my debut Harlequin Heartwarming, The Promise of Rain, will be released.
Of course, I’m thrilled, but change—even the good kind—can be a scary thing.
Change forces an individual out of their comfort zone…out of the emotional, mental or physical sanctuary they’ve established for themselves. In The Promise of Rain, my hero and heroine both witnessed, at a young age, the death of a loved one. That kind of emotional trauma is devastating and not easily forgotten, even for the children of other species, like the baby elephants my heroine rescues when they’re orphaned by poachers. That kind of baggage can either hold a person back or it can motivate them to take action.  To make a difference. To step outside their sanctuary and dance in the rain.
Rain.
A catalyst for both life and death…but most importantly, it brings new life.
When it rained on my high school graduation day, my mother promised me it was a good omen. That rain symbolized both the washing away anything bad from the past, as well as a new beginning or phase of my life. A ‘fertile future’, as she put it.  I did end up with three kids, LOL. I know what she meant though. A new beginning with wonderful things to come.
So for 2014, I wish you all rain.
I love this! That is so sweet!!! Thank you, Rula!Rula's new sweet romance fascinatingly enough is called THE PROMISE OF RAIN.  Here is a little bit about it:

He wants to take her child out of Africa…

The Busara elephant research and rescue camp on Kenya's Serengeti is Anna Bekker's life's work. And it's the last place she thought she'd run into Dr. Jackson Harper. As soon as he sets eyes on her four-year-old, Pippa, Anna knows he'll never leave…without his daughter.

Furious doesn't begin to describe how Jack feels. How could Anna keep this from him? He has to get his child back to the States. Yet as angry as he is with Anna, they still have a bond. But can it endure, despite the ocean—and the little girl—between them?


Available here: Amazon –B&N – Harlequin -
 ***Find Rula HERE:

Website: www.rulasinara.com
Blog: www.awritersrush.blogspot.com
Twitter: @RulaSinara
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/RulaSinara***

Thanks so much, Rula! I don't think anyone has ever wished me rain before. LOL!

I wish you all a great week and a Happy New Year!

Any big plans for the New Year--either New Year's Eve night or the upcoming year?

Merry Christmas!

my treeHappy Monday-Almost-Christmas!

I have been done shopping and wrapped for days now. My cookies are all baked. Today, I will crank out a few pies, potato pancakes, and the sauce for the crab cakes (AND CLEAN THE HOUSE).

This Christmas has been one of those absolutely "low stress" ones. We decided to do a Pollyanna for the adults on my side of the family and we decided to just go out to a really nice dinner on my hubby's side of the family instead of gifts. It's been awesome.

I know a lot of you have taken off blogging this week (and in some cases, this month) so I'll keep this short.

Amazon has put GEORGIE ON HIS MIND on sale for 99 cents again.
Uh...Merry Christmas to me?

Next week, I have my friend Rula Sinara on my blog. She will be giving away a copy of her upcoming Harlequin Heartwarming release THE PROMISE OF RAIN . So don't miss that.

And reviewer Stella-Ex-Libris is having a LET IT SNOW BOOKS event all this month. There is a rafflecopter going on with a giveaway of  your choice of KISSING KENDALL or A LITTLE BIT CUPID.


And that is it for me.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Are you cooking for Christmas Eve? (I am) What are you making?

Winner Winner Christmas Dinner

Happy Friday, all.

Just wanted to pop in and announce the giveaway prize winner from Becky Povich's post.

The winner of Becky's memoir: From Pigtails to Chin Hairs is....

Karen Walker!

Congrats, Karen!
Please email me at Jennifer AT jennifershirk DOT com  with your mailing address and I will have Becky send it out to you.

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by!

Have a great weekend!

Pigtails, Chin Hairs and a Giveaway!

Happy Monday, all!
And it is a happy Monday for me--I'm done Christmas shopping! (and I'm half wrapped too)
Woo-hoo! Cookies will start being baked by the end of this week. (I like them fresh for Christmas Eve)

Anyhew...I'm so pleased to have my bloggy friend BECKY POVICH here today. She has a memoir out now called FROM PIGTAILS TO CHIN HAIRS and will be giving away a Christmas wrapped copy of it to some lucky commenter!
Double WOOT!

So please give a warm welcome to Becky!
******************************************************
  Hi Jennifer ~ Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog!
TO START OUT, TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
I celebrated a "big" birthday this past January when I became 60 years old. Sixty years old! I certainly don't feel that old and I like to announce that I feel 35, both mentally and physically.
I love listening to almost any kind of music, watching old, black and white movies, and breaking out into song at the oddest times….and of course, writing!
Although I'd always been an avid reader, and enjoyed writing letters to friends, pen pals, and family members, the thought of being capable enough of writing something worth publishing was never more than a passing thought. That is, until May of 2001 when my estranged father became gravely ill and wasn't expected to live. My startling emotions brought out the writer in me, and my fingers magically typed a piece about Dad. I was 48 years old and the rest, as they say, is history!

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BOOK From Pigtails to Chin Hairs: A Memoir & More AND WHY YOU CHOSE TO WRITE IT.
The idea to write my memoir came to me as I read the hugely popular, bestselling book by Haven Kimmel, A Girl Named Zippy. It was during the same time I was writing short, personal articles for a local newspaper, and the thought occurred to me that just maybe I had enough interesting/humorous/poignant times in my life, to fill the pages of a memoir. I certainly knew I wasn't anywhere near as talented as Ms. Kimmel, but my ideas began to take shape.
Even though that idea took many months/years to materialize, I never gave up. My road to completion and publication was a long, winding, ziggy-zaggy road, and I'm a perfect example of: You're Never Too Old and Don't Ever Give Up!


WHAT GENRES ARE YOUR FAVORITE(S)? WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS TO READ AND WHY?
My favorite genre is women's fiction, and to break it down --- I love beautifully written coming-of-age books, stories about women's struggles and accomplishments, and humorous versions of both, and funny books that make me laugh out loud.
Some of my favorite books are:
Joy School, by Elizabeth Berg   (coming of age)
Salt Dancers, by Ursula Hegi    (women's struggles)
The Cape Ann, by Faith Sullivan  (coming of age)
 The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd   (coming of age)
 Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott  (women's struggles and coming of age)
 Mrs. Kimble, by Jennifer Haigh   (women's struggles)
Bread Alone, by Judith Ryan Hendricks  (women's struggles)
Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris  (laugh out loud funny)
AND many more including books by: Philip Gulley, Mitch Albom, Michael Lee West, Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy, Fannie Flagg, Lorna Landvik, and Erma Bombeck.
 
WHAT THREE THINGS DO YOU NEED IN ORDER TO WRITE?
1)      Being in the mood to write
2)     Coffee and/or Diet Soda
3)     My laptop


WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO WHEN NOT WRITING?
Watching TV, blogging, e-mailing, reading, eating and sleeping!
 
HOW CAN READERS CONNECT WITH YOU?
I would love for readers to connect with me!
My blog: www.beckypovich.blogspot.com
My website: www.beckypovich.com
My Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Becky-Lewellen-Povich/e/B00GMWOOES/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1387118233&sr=1-2-ent
Facebook: Becky Lewellen Povich
E-mail: Beckypovich@gmail.com or Writergal53@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Becky!

*GIVEAWAY*:  Becky is kind enough to offer up a wrapped print copy of her memoir FROM PIGTAILS TO CHIN HAIRS to some lucky commenter. Giveaway will run from now until Thursday 11:59PM EST. Winner will be announced Friday here on my blog. Every comment will be an entry.  Giveaway is for U.S. and Canada only.

NaNo poop and other blog waste :)

Hi, all!

It's Christmastime, and who has "time". So let's jump in and talk NaNo.

I loved it. I hated it.

First the LOVE part. I loved how I was accountable to myself and friends and anyone else who happened to see my NaNo meter. I also LOVED the pep talks that would get emailed weekly. It was like they were reading my mind! I loved the enthusiasm and commitment I would see on the forums and twitter. It was all so motivating.

now The HATE part: November. What the hell? Who picked that month???? And then, I think I psyched myself out and couldn't get in "the zone". After 10,000 words, I convinced myself it was all crap and then the words became harder to put down. Then...all blank hit the fan around the second week and because I was dealing that personal stuff, it was much harder to get back into the story once I dealt with it and sat back down again. UGH.

However, I'm glad I signed up and because I know what is involved now, I would DEFINITELY sign up for it again and kick some major booty next year. :)

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In other news: I'm JUST about done Christmas shopping--minus a few knickknacks. I plan on wrapping this week!

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In other other news: Sox has been a really good boy and he is so sweet too. He's a licker and loves to be picked up. He hasn't had an accident in the house since that first week I brought him home. However, I can't let him leisurely stay outside for too long because that's where he gets himself into trouble (AKA digging).
Grr...

Who can resist that face?
*********************
It's been weird but I have really been enjoying the Christmas season right now. We had a little snow last night and I made hot chocolate and decorated the tree. I don't feel stress. I've really been drinking in the decorations and music everywhere. Maybe I should write a Christmas book right now since I'm in such a euphoric state. LOL

Oh, and ONE last thing. In case you missed this on Facebook, I made these last week for my church's Women's Ministry and they were as tasty as they were cute!
peanut butter reindeer cookies
And that's it for me!
Have a great week!

How's your Christmas going so far? Stressful or stress-free?

Back from NaNo and a Giveaway!

HI, all! I'm back!
Alas, I did NOT win NaNo (although truth be told, I never thought I would) but I got a little bit written into my book and had a nice break from blogging. So all in all, it's good.
More on NaNo next week...

Instead, today I'm so happy to announce that one of my good bloggy buddies, Karen Lange has a new non fiction book out right now! YAY!!!!

Essential co-op tools, tips, and options for today’s homeschool families.
Thinking about joining or starting a homeschool co-op? Not sure if a co-op is a good fit? Homeschool Co-ops 101 weighs the pros, cons, and creative options available for today’s homeschool family.
Section 1 includes essential, digestible info on co-op ingredients such as planning and organization, schedules, teaching, finances, and addressing conflict and burnout.Section 2 shares a sampling of co-op games and activities, andSection 3 contains five hands-on unit studies. These ready to use studies include lessons on Leonardo da Vinci, Birds of Prey, Public Speaking, Tall Tales, and Creative Writing, and are suitable for co-op or home use. This section also includes unit study guidelines that are easily customized to suit any topic.Section 4 offers suggested books, curriculum, and other resources.Karen Lange has gathered insight from years of co-oping and now shares her own and others’ experiences in this valuable and encouraging handbook.
Homeschool Co-ops 101 is available at: ~~~Amazon~~~ ~~~Barnes and Noble~~~ ~~~Kobo~~~About the Author Karen Lange, her husband, and three children were active in co-ops during their sixteen-year homeschool journey. Her experience includes serving as a local homeschool support group coordinator and consultant for a state homeschool network in New Jersey. Karen’s children have since graduated, and she is now a freelance writer and online writing instructor for homeschooled teens.
You can connect with Karen at her Blog, on Twitter, and Facebook.
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Giveawayis Open to US addresses only. One person will receive a $25 Amazon GC and a copy of Homeschool Co-ops 101.
Please use the Rafflecopter below to be entered:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The winner will be chosen from those entries and announced December 5, 2013. Good luck!
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as e-mailed, and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Diane at That’s What I’m Here For… and sponsored by the author, Karen Lange. The author provided me with a free copy of Homeschool Co-ops 101 to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a giveaway in return for the free book. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

What prompted you to write this book? Thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog! I’m looking forward to visiting with you and your followers. About ten years ago, I was encouraged by a good friend in the homeschool community to write a booklet about co-ops. She was the director of a statewide homeschool support network, and she knew people often asked me about how a co-op works. The booklet seemed like a good way to share the info, so I self published it. In May of 2013, Helping Hands Press offered me a contract to expand it, so here we are!

What can readers expect to find in the book? The book offers info on how to start a co-op and weighs the pros, cons, and creative options available for homeschool families. One thing I emphasize is that parents have options when it comes to co-oping. Co-ops come in all sizes and sometimes an existing one is not a good fit for a family. Parents shouldn’t feel bad or be intimidated if this is the case; they need to know that it’s okay to either not participate and even start their own co-op if they wish. Another thing to note is that HC 101's usefulness is not limited to just homeschoolers. The how to section offers helpful setup and structure tips for other K-12 student groups. The activity segment has lessons, games, and hands on projects that suit these groups as well.


Tell us a little about your homeschool experience. My husband and I homeschooled our three children (two sons and a daughter) in grades K-12. We chose to homeschool because, among other things, we wanted to personalize our children’s education and felt home was the best place to do that. During this time, we were active with our local homeschool support group’s events such as field trips and science and art fairs. Co-ops played an important role too. These activities helped supplement our studies, provided balanced socialization, fellowship, and fun. They also offered a broader worldview as our children interacted with not just homeschool families, but the surrounding community. If you happen to be interested in more info about the ups and downs of homeschooling, socialization, higher education, and other related topics, visit this link:
http://www.insanitek.net/ink/archives/865

What would you like readers to take away from the book? No one plan fits everyone, so I encourage families, whether they decide to co-op or not, to find the right balance and fit for them. My hope is that they would find ideas and encouragement for their children’s educational journey.
  Thanks again for sharing your space with me today.

It’s been a pleasure!

That's it for me today. Don't forget to enter Karen's giveaway and have a great week!

Hell is Probably Freezing Over at this Moment...

Hi, all! And happy Monday!

You may be wondering why hell would be freezing over at the moment.

That's because I have signed up for NaNoWriMo this year. 

(Eeep)

Usually, I'm on the sidelines, cheering everybody on and silently thanking God that I'm not doing that kind of writing. However, I need to get some work done and I thought I would give it a try, since the timing is good right now.

So away I go.


Right now, I'm plotting. And plotting. I want to have somewhat of a road map before I begin.
I'm very nervous because I'm normally a very slow writer. But maybe I need a good kick in the pants.

If you're doing NaNo, please buddy me and hold my hand!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news, I have news...  that I hope to be able to share soon.
I know. What a tease, right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And in other news news, because of NaNo, I WILL NOT be blogging until after Thanksgiving . I know boo-hoo. A lot of you are still able to keep up with the blog writing, but I'm not sure what I'm in for, so I figure it would be a good not to stretch myself too thin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One last thing I have to share. I recently took a writing seminar about tropes and category writing. It was really good but one thing stuck with me and that is this:

Category romance is one big cliché. They are all the same. HOWEVER, what makes one better than another is when the author CREATES SCENES AND CHARACTERS THAT ARE MEMORABLE.

I think that's really true. How many marriage of convenience stories are there out there? TONS. But some are more special than others.

Anyhew, I'll leave you with all that and see you after Turkey Day!!

Are you doing NaNo? Buddy me!
Have you ever done NaNo before? How did it go?

The Most Dreaded Time of the Year

Happy Monday, all!

As my post title says it's the most dreaded time of the year.

What is that?

Tax time? Nope

Writing a synopsis time? Nein

Mammogram time? Uh, no.

I wish!

I actually have... JURY DUTY.

See ya next week. (Hopefully) :)

Like Columbus I'm Traveling

Happy Monday, all!

And happy Columbus Day!

Hmm...I'm not sure what we're supposed to actually DO on Columbus Day (Besides, "Yay, Western Hemisphere!")  but I am at least guest blogging at The Hot Pink Typewriter blog! LOL

Stop on by.
I'm talking about the Best and Worst of Writing.

Have a GREAT week!

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Oh, and PS. I now will have a newsletter a few times a year.
Basically, for new release announcements, recipes etc..
However...
I will also do special secret giveaways for newsletter subscribers ONLY.
Oooh....

So what are you waiting for?
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Sign up to hear about my next release!


Also, I just found out that Amazon has lowered the price of
GEORGIE ON HIS MIND (this book came before Kissing Kendall).
It's now only 99 cents this week!

Grab it while you can!