Sherry Ellis's Blog, page 102

Tricky Chicken

Today I decided to try something a little different for dinner:  Chicken Kiev.  For those of you who have no idea what this is, it's a chicken breast stuffed with a buttery sauce.

I put the dinner in front of my kids and told them to eat it.  My son cut into it first. Guess what happened?  The sauce squirted right up his nose!

"Mama!" he yelled.  "What the heck?"

My daughter was next.  She cut into it and got a nice squirt on the shirt.  "Mom!  Why do you have to always have these stupid food experiments?  Why can't you just make normal things like macaroni and cheese?"  

"Okay.  I'll make mac and cheese tomorrow - with cauliflower thrown in."

Hee hee. 

A Tree Named Evelyn

"Mom," my daughter said.  "I saved a tree!"

"You saved a tree?"  I asked.  "How did you do that?"

"I put it in a pot."

"That's a good trick," I said.  "Did it fit?"

"Yeah, it's just a baby.  Look."  She walked me over to a pot that was sitting on the kitchen counter.  Inside was a young pine tree.  Under the whole thing was a sign:  Evelyn.

"This is Evelyn the tree?"

"Yeah.  Isn't she cute?  Daddy was going to run her over with the lawnmower, and I saved her life.  Can we keep her?"

"Yes we keep her, but she has to go back outside in the spring."

So now ladies and gentlemen, we have a new pet in the house:  a tree named Evelyn.    

Gifted

My daughter is a typical teenager.  She always has the music cranked up in her room, and when she's not in her room, she has earbuds in her ears listening to iPod music.

This evening, she came downstairs rapping to one of Nicki Minaj's songs.  I couldn't understand a darn word she was saying.  (I probably didn't want to understand, either.)

"How the heck do learn that stuff?  It sounds like a bunch of jibberish," I said.

"I learned it all in two hours."

"Two hours?"  I couldn't believe it, because there's no way I could learn it in two hundred years. "You should spend that time on your school work," I said.

"But Mom," she said.  "I is already doing fine in school.  I is gifted."

Yeah, you is!

Let's Go Fly a Kite

"Mama," my eight-year-old son said.  "I'm going to go fly a kite."

"I thought your kite fell apart last year and ended up getting tossed," I replied.

"It did.  I'm going to make a new one."

Okay.  I knew this was going to be interesting.

It was indeed interesting.  I went out to the garage about fifteen minutes later and discovered my son playing with his fishing rod.  At the end of the line was a paper dangled from the hook.

"Do you like my new kite?"

I looked at that thing.  "Does it fly?"

"Yeah, watch."

We went out into the wind.  The paper blew into the air and whipped around, just like a kite.

Impressive!  

Crazy Daisy Award

Tara Tyler stopped by the other day, and gave me a pretty flower.  She must've known how much I like flowers.  Thank you Tara!

For this award, I have to tell you seven weird things about me.  That shouldn't be too hard to do, because you probably already know how crazy I am!

Here we go.  Seven weird things:

1.  My cell phone is 10 years old.  Ancient!  I think I need to get with the program.

2.  I never attended a rock concert until I went to see Taylor Swift two years ago, with my daughter (although I had seen plenty of orchestra concerts).  Truthfully, although Ms. Swift was a fantastic performer, I wouldn't want to go to another concert.  Even with earplugs, it was way too loud, and it hurt my ears!

3.  When I was in college, I used to practice the viola 6-8 hours a day.  Crazy, huh?

4.  I write all my manuscripts by hand before I type them into the computer.

5.  I am allergic to most cats.  Oddly, I am not allergic to my own, although he's a tabby - one I should be allergic to.

6.  I don't like pop/soda, coffee, or beer.

7.  I never thought I'd be an author.

Told you I was crazy.

Now I'm supposed to pass this on.  Let's see.  Who of you out there is crazy?

1.  Junie Junebug  I don't know if she's crazy, but I just love this lady!  She even offered to make me chicken soup when I wasn't feeling good :).  So I just had to give her a daisy!

2.  Pat Hat  This guy is definitely crazy!  (Sorry, Pat, you are!)  But his rhymes are so funny.  Sometimes they're a little off color, (you've been warned), but it never ceases to amaze me the stuff this guy can pull out of his hat.

3.  Crack You Whip  This lady has a great sense of humor.  You have to stop by and read some of her stuff.  ( I don't know if she's still blogging, because her last entry was in August, but you can still get a laugh over some of her previous posts.)

That's all I'm going to list.  If any of you want this award because you're crazy, or because you just like flowers, feel free to grab it.

  

Builder Boys

"Mama," my eight-year old son said.  "I'm going to build a house on the hill in our backyard."

"Okay," I said.  "I'm sure it will have a great view."

I watched the boy go to work.  He had his toolbox and shovel.  I watched him collect tree branches and rocks.  I could tell this was going to be a masterpiece.  Soon, my son's buddy came over.  He decided to pitch in, too.  It was a major production. 

The boys worked diligently.  Schultz, our German Shepherd, stood by the door and watched all this activity with great interest.  I could tell he wanted to join in.  Finally, I let him out of the house.     He ran like a madman over to the construction site.  As soon as he got there, he picked up a  giant branch.  He trotted around the yard with that thing in his mouth. 

"Schultz!"  my son yelled.  "Stop it!"

Schultz didn't listen.  So I went outside.  "Come here, Schultz."  The big furry beast pranced over to me with the branch swinging from side to side.  I led him to the construction site.  "Drop it," I said.

The dog dropped the branch right in place. 

"See," I said.  "He just needed some on the job training."

Finding Nemo

First of all, I'd like to say thanks to all of you who stopped by for author, Virginia Wright's guest post.  You left some wonderful comments for her!  The winners of the giveaway are Winnie and Vanisha.  Congratulations!

Second, my commenting and posting here is going to be sporadic for the next few days.  We're having our entire house painted, so our main computer is down, and our Wi Fi connection is not always available.  I'll do my best to post and comment on everybody's blogs, but if I'm not here, you'll know why.

Now, for the story.  A couple of months ago, one of our angelfish disappeared.

"Mama, where did it go?" my son asked.

"I don't know," I said.  "Maybe it went into the castle and died.  Fish do that sometimes."

I never saw the body, so it was a bit of a mystery, until yesterday.  We had to move the fish tank so that the painters could get to the wall behind it.  And guess what was lying on the floor behind it?  Yep.  The dead angel fish.  Apparently he wanted to head for the open sea, like that fish in the movie, Finding Nemo.  One of his buddies decided to jump out of the tank, too.  So there were two dead fish on the floor.

My husband looked at them and laughed.  "They should've watched Finding Nemo to figure out a better way to get to the sea!"

Yeah, something like that.  I personally think they got a look at Schultz's big head when he stuck his snoot by the the tank.  He probably scared the heck out of them, and they died trying to escape!

Mama Drama

I have concluded that I am a certifyable nutcase.  But you probably already knew that. 

So here's what happened.  My husband decided that we needed to unload stuff we hadn't used in a year or two.  That was fine.  I agreed to go through things and come up with a pile for donations.  One of the things my husband wanted to get rid of, was a huge pink Victorian doll house that my daughter got from her grandparents when she was five years old.  This thing weighs at least 40 pounds.  It's made of wood and has all kinds of cute wooden Victorian furniture in it. It was also custom-designed by my daughter.  She had picked out the floor patterns and wall paper to match our first house - the house where she was born.

My mother-in-law, a nice lady from Poland, was so happy to give this to her granddaughter.  "I never thought I'd be able to give my grandchildren something this nice," she had said with tears in her eyes. 

I told her I would pass it on to her great-grandchildren.

It didn't look like that was going to happen, because the doll house now sat in the donation pile.  I wasn't too happy about it, but I understood that a forty pound doll house that wasn't used anymore was a big thing to lug through life.  "I'll ask the neighbors if they want the doll house for their girls."

I marched to the neighbor's house with my daughter, and asked them if they wanted it. 

"Sure," they said.  "We'll be over in a little bit to look at it."

Meanwhile, my daughter and I went home and took pictures of the doll house that was now in our garage.  My daughter told me about how she picked out the wallpaper.  And about how Grandpa picked out the wallpaper in one room.  And how she didn't like his choice.  But now she does.  And I remembered playing dolls with her when she was little.  And then I remembered  our old  Victorian house - the one I never wanted to leave.  And I remembered what Granny had said. 

I started to get a little emotional.  

A little while later, the neighbors came over with their girls.  Of course the girls liked the house.  "We'll go get our car and take it to our house."

Fine.  I went back in my house and hid in the office.  I didn't want to see it go.  My husband happened to notice that I looked a little upset.  "What's the matter?" he asked.

"I just don't want to get rid of the doll house," I said.  "Too many memories.  Or maybe I'm just being hormonal."

"Are you pregnant?"

Huh?  Was I that bad when I was pregnant?   Okay, maybe I was.

"No.  As far as I know, I'm not."

"Should I go out there and tell them we changed our mind?"

I didn't want to disappoint the little girls who thought they were getting a doll house.  "No," I said.  "Just let them have it."

Then I had a meltdown.  I was just so upset about that doll house.

"Okay," my husband said.  "We won't get rid of it.  Apparently this thing means a lot to you."  He went outside when the neighbors arrived and told them we changed our mind.  Fortunately they were cool about it.  We gave the girls some talking stuffed animals to make up for it.  They were thrilled.

So now the doll house sits in our basement to collect dust for the next twenty years.  Am I crazy, or what?

Genre Favorites Blogfest, Author Virginia Wright, Giveaway

It's a busy place at my pad, today! First, we have the Genre Favorites Blogfest, hosted by none other than Ninja Captain, Alex Cavanaugh. Then we'll have an interview with children's author, Virginia Wright, and then if you'd like, you can be part of Virginia's book giveaway.

So let's get started! For this blog hop, I'm supposed to tell you my favorite genre of music, movies, and books, and then add a little guilty pleasure to the mix.

Favorite Music: Classical! I am a professional musician, so this kind of music is my life. I prefer music from the romantic period (Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky), but on piano, I love playing the music of Debussy, which is from the impressionistic period.

Favorite Movies: Chick flicks. Wat can I say? I'm a female and I love sappy love stories that make me cry.

Favorite Books: Middle grade fantasy. I'm a big kid who never grew up. I love reading this stuff, and I love writing it. Books like Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, or Harry Potter, or some of Kate DiCamillo's books are right down my alley.

Guilty Pleasure: I'd have to say sitting down with a box of dark chocolates, watching a romantic chick flick would be it. Good thing I don't have much time to do it, or I'd weigh like two tons.

What about you? What are your favorites?

On to the interview with Virginia Wright. (This is a repost from yesterday, so if you've already read it, you can skip to the end. The giveaway goes until September 19th.)





I am very excited to introduce you to Virginia Wright, children's author, and one super-nice lady!

About Virginia:
Born and raised in Belfast, ME, children's author Virginia Wright began her writing career at an early age in a diary with lock and key given as a gift by her mother.After graduation from high school in 1976, she took coursework in journalism and writing. Later, as a mother and homemaker, her writings were published in local publications and newspapers, as well as online. A military family, the Wrights have lived in countries all over the world and in seven different states. Her five grandchildren and being a preschool teacher in Mississippi gave her inspiration to write children’s book.

Books to check out:

•BuzzzzzzzzWhat Honeybees Do (2010)
•CryingBear (2011)
•ThePrince and the Dragon (2010)
•ThePrincess and the Castle (2010)



I asked Virginia some questions about her writing career. Here's what she had to say:

1.Tell us a little bit about your background and how you became a children’s book author.
Ever since I was a young girl― I put words to paper. I can remember sitting on the veranda of my parent’s house writing, first it was a little diary with a lock and key, later, as I started growing up it was a pen and pad in hand—back then, I wrote mostly Poetry and Haiku’s. My excitement for writing was realized in 1981, when I sold my first writing to a regional publication Washington County Magazine, but the excitement for writing didn’t stop there, it continued to grow!

That is so cool that you started writing when you were a kid, and that you're still doing it and love it!

2. What do you like most about writing for children?
While I consider myself a mixed genre writer, children’s writing has definitely taken front and center the last couple of years. What I like most about children’s writing the reactions from children when they listen to my stories and turn the pages of my books. If I see their smiling faces, it was all worthwhile to me.
Aren't kids the best? I love that, too!

3. Tell us about Crying Bear Yes Bears Cry Sometimes Too. What inspired you to write it?

Crying Bear was the name of a stuffed bear that I had when I was a little girl, and she became the inspiration for the title of my latest children’s book. Crying Bear was a furry red, chubby bellied, stuffed bear. It had tears that were manufactured on the face that ran down onto the cheek. A very special little toy of mine for certain.
Description: Join this very adventurous little bear cub, as she wanders too far from the den in the snow covered mountains of Maine.

I've read Crying Bear. It's a sweet book! It's nice to know about the inspiration for it.
4. The world of children's book publishing is extremely competitive with many authors hesitating between trying their luck with a traditional publisher or self-publishing. What advice would you offer writers who are oscillating between these two publishing venues?

My personal best advice to authors trying to decide between traditional publishers or self-publishing is to― just write! Then for inspiration, Google John Locke, Amanda Hocking, and Colleen Hoover. John Locke is the eighth author in the world, and the first self-published author in history―to have sold 1 million eBooks on Kindle! All three of Amanda Hockings books in her Trylle Trilogy-Switched, Torn, and Ascend-were originally self-published, but were later re-released with St.
Martin’s and Pan Macmillan Internationally. Her trilogy also made the USA Today Bestseller list, the New York Times Bestseller list and was recently optioned for a film. Colleen Hoover self-published her book, Slammed and in just a few short months signed a contract with Simon & Schuster.

Self-publishing was taboo just a few years ago and self-published authors were shunned by traditionally published authors. Now, many self-published authors are widely accepted in the writing community and publishing world.

With that said, self-publishing is definitely worth a try, especially putting words into digital format (e-Book), because who knows…one day a traditional publisher may come along and offer you a seven-digit book deal that is too good to pass up. I’m still waiting on mine, and I never give up hope. **Smiles**
I'm still waiting for that seven-digit book deal!

5. Do you have any other works in progress?Can you share a little about them?

I’m looking forward to the release of my next children’s book, The Christmas Secret, in late fall 2012.It feels like it is working into a Christmas classic to me—it is about two little boys, Mikey and Charlie, who learn the real meaning of giving through one boy’s selfless act.

I’m not sure where my writing will take me after that, I have given some thought to write a Young-Adult (YA) fiction; perhaps, a cookbook, or maybe a romance novel is in the works too. Stay tuned…
I can't wait to see your new book. Good luck with your other writing endeavors!

To one commenter I will be giving away an autographed paperback copy of Crying Bear! To another, I will give away a copy of my non-fiction, Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do, in eBook version.

Thank you for having me as guest author this week.

-Virginia Wright

You're welcome. It was fun having you here!

There you have it.  If you are interested in receiving one of Virginia's books, please say so in the comments.  Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Author: Virginia Wright Interview and Giveaway

 
Today we have a first at my pad. A guest author! Drum roll, please.

I am very excited to introduce you to Virginia Wright, children's author, and one super-nice lady!
About Virginia:
Born and raised in Belfast, ME, children's author Virginia Wright began her writing career at an early age in a diary with lock and key given as a gift by her mother. After graduation from high school in 1976, she took coursework in journalism and writing. Later, as a mother and homemaker, her writings were published in local publications and newspapers, as well as online. A military family, the Wrights have lived in countries all over the world and in seven different states. Her five grandchildren and being a preschool teacher in Mississippi gave her inspiration to write children’s book.

Books to check out:

• BuzzzzzzzzWhat Honeybees Do (2010)
• CryingBear (2011)
• ThePrince and the Dragon (2010)
• ThePrincess and the Castle (2010)

I asked Virginia some questions about her writing career. Here's what she had to say:
1. Tell us a little bit about your background and how you became a children’s book author.
Ever since I was a young girl― I put words to paper. I can remember sitting on the veranda of my parent’s house writing, first it was a little diary with a lock and key, later, as I started growing up it was a pen and pad in hand—back then, I wrote mostly Poetry and Haiku’s. My excitement for writing was realized in 1981, when I sold my first writing to a regional publication Washington County Magazine, but the excitement for writing didn’t stop there, it continued to grow!

That is so cool that you started writing when you were a kid, and that you're still doing it and love it!

2. What do you like most about writing for children?
While I consider myself a mixed genre writer, children’s writing has definitely taken front and center the last couple of years. What I like most about children’s writing the reactions from children when they listen to my stories and turn the pages of my books. If I see their smiling faces, it was all worthwhile to me.
Aren't kids the best? I love that, too!

3. Tell us about Crying Bear Yes Bears Cry Sometimes Too. What inspired you to write it?

Crying Bear was the name of a stuffed bear that I had when I was a little girl, and she became the inspiration for the title of my latest children’s book. Crying Bear was a furry red, chubby bellied, stuffed bear. It had tears that were manufactured on the face that ran down onto the cheek. A very special little toy of mine for certain.
Description: Join this very adventurous little bear cub, as she wanders too far from the den in the snow covered mountains of Maine.

I've read Crying Bear. It's a sweet book! It's nice to know about the inspiration for it.

4. The world of children's book publishing is extremely competitive with many authors hesitating between trying their luck with a traditional publisher or self-publishing. What advice would you offer writers who are oscillating between these two publishing venues?

My personal best advice to authors trying to decide between traditional publishers or self-publishing is to― just write! Then for inspiration, Google John Locke, Amanda Hocking, and Colleen Hoover. John Locke is the eighth author in the world, and the first self-published author in history―to have sold 1 million eBooks on Kindle! All three of Amanda Hockings books in her Trylle Trilogy-Switched, Torn, and Ascend-were originally self-published, but were later re-released with St.
Martin’s and Pan Macmillan Internationally. Her trilogy also made the USA Today Bestseller list, the New York Times Bestseller list and was recently optioned for a film. Colleen Hoover self-published her book, Slammed and in just a few short months signed a contract with Simon & Schuster.

Self-publishing was taboo just a few years ago and self-published authors were shunned by traditionally published authors. Now, many self-published authors are widely accepted in the writing community and publishing world.

With that said, self-publishing is definitely worth a try, especially putting words into digital format (e-Book), because who knows…one day a traditional publisher may come along and offer you a seven-digit book deal that is too good to pass up. I’m still waiting on mine, and I never give up hope. **Smiles**
I'm still waiting for that seven-digit book deal!

5. Do you have any other works in progress? Can you share a little about them?

I’m looking forward to the release of my next children’s book, The Christmas Secret, in late fall 2012. It feels like it is working into a Christmas classic to me—it is about two little boys, Mikey and Charlie, who learn the real meaning of giving through one boy’s selfless act.

I’m not sure where my writing will take me after that, I have given some thought to write a Young-Adult (YA) fiction; perhaps, a cookbook, or maybe a romance novel is in the works too. Stay tuned…
I can't wait to see your new book. Good luck with your other writing endeavors!

To one commenter I will be giving away an autographed paperback copy of Crying Bear! To another, I will give away a copy of my non-fiction, Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do, in eBook version.

Thank you for having me as guest author this week.

-Virginia Wright

You're welcome. It was fun having you here!