Casi McLean's Blog, page 58
November 23, 2013
What’s In Your Character?
I am not a perfect friend. With the best intentions, I still forget birthdays, lag with email returns, fall short on connecting through social media. I’m not a coddler or a social butterfly, but I’m there in a heartbeat when a friend needs me. Call at 3:00 in the morning, two states away and I’ll drive to help without a second thought. I’m reliable, forgiving, trustworthy and will always have my friends’ backs. Like the characters in my writing I have unique strengths paired with human flaws and am a constant work in progress.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Perfection dwells in the imagination––thank God. How daunting, arduous life would be if we had to endure perfection in a friend or mate. So why do we pass judgement so easily? Is it our own insecurities that trigger fragile defense mechanisms deep within our souls? Are we really born with dominate personality traits––alpha, beta and omega––that blossom or wither in the trail of dust that cultivates our frame of reference . . . then becomes our lives? Traits or actions that are acceptable, even attractive to some, pour salt in the wounds of others.
Some say that speakers and writers espouse wisdom on the very topic they need most. I conceive my characters the same way, drawing on flaws and strengths I’ve seen in myself and others. I feel blessed that writing gives me a unique insight into both, making me a better friend and more loving partner. The past is filled with fragmented memories, obscure decisions and broken relationships. Past patterns may be an insight into future behavior, but should it be a life sentence? As different as we are, we have common threads that bind us together. There is no magical algorithm like Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon devised. We all evolve, like characters in our favorite books.
Casi
November 13, 2013
The More Things Change
Dear Rachel,
I look forward to your marriage and lovingly pass this advice to you. Ask not for perfection in your mate. You will not find it, and it’s just as well. Living with a saint can be very tiresome. Let your love be stronger than your hate or anger.
Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend a little than break. Believe the best rather than the worst. People have a way of living up––or down––to your opinion of them.
Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship. The person you choose to marry is deserving of the courtesies and kindness you bestow on your friends. And please hand this letter down to your children and your children’s children. The more things change, the more they are the same.
Love, Grandma
Grandmother Joyce Wells
Baltimore, Maryland
May 2, 1886
My father passed this letter on to me many years ago and when my own grandchild was born a few weeks ago, I pulled it out and read it again. What better advice could anyone give today? Time constantly ticks forward and change is inevitable. Technology brings the world into our homes. A tweet instantly reports worldwide events. Facebook and FaceTime reach to the corners of the Earth connecting long lost friends and distant family. A whole new language evolves through cyberspace. And we don’t know what we’d do without smartphones, GPS, computers, tablets and inventions we we didn’t know we needed a decade ago.
But Grandma was right. The more things change, the more they are the same. We all love, hurt and bleed the same. I cherish Grandma’s letter, whispers of wisdom from an all but forgotten era. Love doesn’t change. It is eternal.
Casi
September 11, 2013
September 11, 2001~A Day That Lives In Infamy
This morning I awoke like any other day, turned on my computer, checked my email then, preparing breakfast, I routinely switched on the news. Within seconds I knew it wasn’t just another ordinary day.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The world stood in shock, stunned while the media blasted the news over television and radio. Glued to TV, we watched the World Trade Center collapse and thousands of innocent men, women and children perish. September 11, 2001, recorded as the most tragic terrorist attack in American history, still haunts us. But we should remember and make sure our children and their children keep that tragedy seared in their minds along with the horror and loss America endured.
It has been twelve years since that fateful morning. But we remember––and today, we honor all those who lost their lives.
August 30, 2013
Honest Engine
Imagine . . . You’re pulling onto a major highway, press the accelerator . . . and your transmission blows out. Not a great way to start your day. At least my car rolled down the ramp and I pulled off onto the narrow shoulder of the road. I was spoiled. My Toyota Solara had never failed me before. Alas, all good things come to an end. Surprise, fear, relief and frustration all washed over me within a matter of seconds. We’ve all been there. But As a public service I have to post what happened next.
Who ya gonna call?
I sat there, my engine idling and air-conditioner blasting, while annoyed drivers whizzed by me casting disgruntled looks my way. I glanced over at Jango, my pomeranian, curled in the passenger seat. “Now what?” I ask him, hoping for at least a sympathetic whimper. He just stared for a moment, then closed his eyes.
Maybe it was a fluke . . . I grabbed the gearshift . . . reverse, low, second, drive . . . nothing engaged except park. Should I leave my car and walk up the ramp to the gas station? No, I had no leash––of course––and it was 85 degrees. I couldn’t leave Jango.
I’m not sure how any of us survived before the invention of smartphones. After my initial shock wore off, I weighed my options, grabbed my Iphone and pulled up transmission repair. You know, the nationally advertised specialists who swear to provide quick, reliable, inexpensive service. Then I called my tow service . . . and waited.
On impulse more than knowledge, I turned off my ignition then restarted my car, hoping to reboot the vehicle like I do with my computer. And it worked. That meant––in my logical but inexpert opinion––that the problem involved the electrical system as well as the transmission, so instead of driving to a random transmission specialists, I headed to Appalachian Auto, mechanics who had been referred to me by a friend.
When I arrived, I explained what had happened. Bob Mundy, promptly connected an electronic gadget underneath my dashboard and reported that my “direct clutch speed sensor” was faulty. Of course . . . why didn’t I figure that out? After all, my check engine light had been glowing for months. Happy to have a reason for my transmission failure, I asked him how much it would cost, then held my breath.
Since the part I needed was sold by dealers only, Bob made a few phone calls, checked under my hood, then came back with an approximate price. The part could be delivered in a few hours and if I brought my car in by 8:00 am the next day, he’d have it repaired and back to me within an hour. That sounded great, but I’d never used the guy before so I decided to check his price against the “Big Two” transmission specialists.
Wow, was I shocked. I asked them both how much it would be to replace my “direct clutch speed sensor.” After a few calls both came back with prices almost three times higher than Bob Mundy’s quote, and I’d have to wait several days for the repair.
I was so lucky to have talked to Appalachian Auto first! Too many companies take advantage of desperate drivers, routinely ripping people off. Whether you are male or female, beware! Do your research and when you find an honest mechanic, spread the word.
Appalachian Auto installed my sensor the next morning and I was on my way by 8:45 am, car fixed and check engine light off. It’s nice to be able to trust a mechanic and know they are honest. If you live north of Atlanta, try Appalachian Auto. (They specialize in Acura, Honda and Toyota.)
My deepest appreciation to:
Southern Appalachian Auto Inc
670 Old Norcross Rd
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
(770) 962-9468 (Ask for Bob Mundy)
Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am – 5 pm
February 23, 2013
Carousel Déjà Vu
Carousel Déjà Vu is an anthology written by several incredibly imaginative authors with nine short stories centered around a magical carousel. My contribution is called The Promise:
Abandoned as an infant, Katlin Harris was shuffled through endless foster home’s. The only love she’d ever known emerged in mystical childhood dreams––or were they memories? When she inherits a home from a woman she’s never heard of, her life spins in a whole new direction––and changes forever.
After dusting off a picture she finds hidden in the attic, she realizes the portrait was of the man in her dreams. If that wasn’t odd enough, she stumbles upon a carnival tucked into a hidden vale in the North GA mountains and is drawn to an antique carousel. “If you catch the brass ring, your dreams come true,” her best friend, Jake, had told her. Ever since she moved into that house, strange things had happened. Could Katlin’s dreams really come true? If so, she was in for the ride of her life.
Come to Carousel Déjà Vu if you dare. Jackson Nighttraveller just might see a need for you to travel back in time. Reach for the brass ring, grasp it . . . and hold on for the ride of your life.
January 28, 2013
The 7-7-7 Game with Beneath The Lake
Lake Lanier, GA is the setting for my new time travel romance, Beneath The Lake.
Linda Joyce tagged me to play The 7-7-7- Game.
Please check out her blog and read her seven lines of Bayou Born, the first novel in her Fleur de Lis series which will make its appearance mid-April.
Directions to play the 7-7-7 game:
• Go to page 77 of your own book or manuscript.
• Count down seven lines.
• Copy and paste the seven lines that follow.
Then, Tag seven authors to do the same.
(Checkout my Facebook post. I’ve tagged my seven.)
My 7-7-7 offering is from my new manuscript, Beneath The Lake, a time travel romance, with strong historical elements; think Back To The future meets Time Traveler’s Wife. Lacey Montgomery’s life is riddled with rejection and abandonment. When she walks in on her boyfriend’s affair, she drives off in the throes of a torrential storm, hydroplanes and is hurled into the depths of an icy black lake. She awakens in the arms of a strange man, in a town she’s never heard of––34 years before she is born. The desperation to find her way home shifts as Lacey falls in love with a town destined to be erased from the face of the earth, and Bobby Reynolds, the man who vows to protect it. The struggle to save them both heals her internal conflict, while restoring Bobby’s belief in true love, spinning a star-crossed love story that defies time, as Lacey tries to prevent her new life from slipping beneath the lake.
Here is my 7-7-7 entry:
“What’s so interesting in the news this morning?”
“Nothing much.” I folded the paper before handing it to him. “Here, you read and relax while I start breakfast.” Standing, I poured a cup of hot coffee, then set it in front of him. “Now, which would you prefer, eggs and bacon, pancakes, French toast?”
“Surprise me,” Bobby said, glancing down at the headlines. “I guess you’ll be heading home soon. It looks like you’ll be able to get ahold of Piper by tomorrow night.”
A lump tightened in my throat. “Yes, it does, doesn’t it?”
*****
Stay tuned for more updates about Beneath The Lake
January 14, 2013
Why Take The Chance?
Have you ever dreamed about what your life would have been like if you had only changed just one big decision? Just think about it. What if you had a do-over––got that one chance to go back in time and take the other fork in the road––the one that could have changed the course your life?
Click here to view the embedded video.
I love the concept. It inspired my soon to be published time-travel romance, Beneath The Lake, as well as my new short story, The Promise. (Stay tuned for more details.) But alas, fantasy isn’t reality. No one can actually go back in time, but a do-over is definitely within the realm of possibilities. How? Well, my destiny unravels . . .
through the choices I make every day––and they all matter. If I don’t like where I am right this second, I can go STOP what I’m doing and CHANGE directions. It’s easy to physically walk away. But what about the bigger picture? It’s not so easy to make major changes––changes that would alter the course of my life. I have responsibilities; commitments, people who depend on me––and besides, there is no magic wand to miraculously change my circumstances for the better. So why rock the boat? Things might not be great, but they are okay . . . and that’s life, isn’t it?
Well . . . maybe not. Each and every choice I make moves me in a linier direction that determines where my life is headed. The lunch I have, the money I spend, the people I hang out with. When I think about it, every part of my life has its own linear direction; my health, finances, relationships, faith––and my choices determine the direction of each of them.
I think one of the greatest ahhh-ha moments in my life was when I heard my pastor, Andy Stanley, say that the choices I make, write the pages of my life and unlike a book, once written, they can’t be edited. His words will always be seared in my mind, “When you write your story remember you only get one draft so make it a masterpiece.”
It’s easy to flashback on my life, but what if I flashed forward. Years from now when I look back on these moments, what will I see? I know that the choices I make today––right now, determine my future. I have the power in my hands this very moment to change what I’ll talk about when I look back on this chapter of my life. God truly directs my destiny. He opens doors of opportunity every day, but I have to choose whether I want to walk through them, or not.
Okay, let’s face it, change is hard, especially when it involves other people, finances, property etc. And besides,
demons. What if I try to change something and I end up worse off than I am now . . . what if I make a mistake, or fall flat on my face. Why take the chance?
Well, I think the answer is pretty cut and dry. As long as I strive for mediocrity, that’s precisely what I’ll get. That’s not what I want for my life. And even more importantly, it’s not the legacy or example I want for my children! I can’t let the “what ifs” hold me back. So when something in my life needs tweaking, first I consider the pros and cons. If the rewards outweigh the risks, I swallow my fear and take a chance. Like Nike’s old theme, I just do it! Do you?
Casi
November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving
What greater gift can we offer our family and friends but love. “Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.” To focus on kindness, is to feed the soul of humanity.
Today, Thanksgiving 2012, my family has lost a lot and many of my friends are in pain. The economy has ripped away our sails and left us adrift, but it is the times that try our souls that make us stronger. So I’m thankful, not only for the love, freedom and happiness I’ve experienced, but also for the pain I have survived.
And if I learn from that pain, I hope I’m able to pay it forward and spark a light in the heart of someone else.
It’s true, “My life amounts to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean. Yet what is any ocean, but a multitude of drops?”
We all can make a difference, not only in our own lives, but in the lives we touch. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Casi
Quotes from David Mitchell.
November 18, 2012
Dawn Of A New Day
I finally completed my new manuscript, Beneath The Lake, and had a fabulous time writing the story. Even the research was fascinating, learning the eerie lake lore surrounding Georgia’s Lake Lanier.
Kristen Stewart was so fabulous in the Twilight Series. If my new book, Beneath The Lake, were to ever become a movie, she would be the perfect actor to play the part of the heroine, Lacey Madison Montgomery.
Beneath The Lake is a time travel romance with strong historical elements; think Back To The Future meets Time Traveler’s Wife. Lacey Montgomery’s life is riddled with rejection and abandonment. (sound familiar?) When she walks in on her boyfriend’s affair, she drives off in the throes of a torrential storm, hydroplanes and is hurled into the depths of an icy, black lake. She awakens in the arms of a strange man, in a town she’s never heard of––thirty-four years before she was born. The desperation to find her way home shifts as Lacey falls in love with a town destined to be erased from the face of the earth, and Bobby Reynolds, the man who vows to protect it. The struggle to save them both heals her internal conflict, while restoring Bobby’s belief in true love, spinning a star-crossed love story that defies time as Lacey tries to prevent her new life from slipping beneath the lake.
Of course, once a story is written the real work begins. Editing, agents and the publishing process will take time, but your encouragement will keep me motivated. In the mean time, I’m officially rejoining the real world again and hope to spend more time with my friends through this blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and actually in person. Be sure to check out my Pinterest Books & Writing board to get some insight on Beneath The Lake. Thanks for all of your support through my hibernation. I’m back!
March 26, 2012
Take A Moment-It Could Change Your Life!
Busy lives have us dashing from one appointment to the next with a seemingly endless to-do list. Life can be so hectic. We have to be here, then be there—sometimes it's hard to slow down long enough to catch our breath and "just be"—to take time to relax, love, live and soak in the beautiful moments of our lives—like watching a sunset with someone you love, a precious moment with your child or friend. We don't stop often enough to enjoy a rain storm, a crackling fire or waves crashing to the shore.
Click here to view the embedded video.
We can miss wonderful moments that take our breath away—holding hands, a passionate kiss or gazing together at a starry sky. It's those moments that are the essence of life. Goals and dreams are wonderful as long as you remember to always take time to stop and smell the roses along the way.
I received a gift a few years ago that literally changed my life. It was a small gift, a book that many would have just tossed aside and never read. I'm so thankful I took the time to read through the pages and discover its powerful portal to happiness. The video I have on my blog today, The Dash by Linda Ellis, was the inspiration for my small gift.
This simple poem touched my heart because it reminded me that no one knows how long they have on this earth—that love, laughter and the special moments of our lives are the greatest gifts that life has to offer. In the blink of an eye we'll all be years older—and in those golden years of life, no one ever wishes they had worked longer hours or owned more toys. They think of love and laughter—they long for more of their precious moments.
It's easy to get so wrapped up in the pace of our lives—in our endless to-do lists and goals to build empires, that we lose track of what is really important. It's not what we accomplish, how much we own or what we do—it's who we are, how much we love and how we touch the lives of others that truly makes a difference in our own lives.
I hope you remember the essence of life the next time you dash from one appointment to the next and slow down just a little—think of a different DASH—and schedule in some time to smell the roses along the way.
Casi
Source: simpletruths.com
