P.G. Shriver's Blog, page 6

Brainwrecked

I was involved in a brainwreck yesterday.

Yes, that's what I said, a brainwreck.

Before this ride begins, I must thank the Texas Association of Authors for their participation and planning of my brainwreck.

After a grueling seven hour drive to a beautiful place well worth it, I had my first book signing yesterday.

Of course, I was nervous.

Of course, I hoped for a huge success--which made me more nervous.

I've never read my work to strangers before... to myself out loud, but never to strangers.

I had no idea what to expect.

I researched and planned and researched and questioned and then brainwrecked.

This quaint, welcoming, little bookstore on an island in South Texas was the most wonderful place for my first signing of The Gifted Ones The Dream. I believe in meant-to-be's and mysterious ways and all of those other wonderful, mystical ideals that fantasy writers delve into. I believe that when Houston took too long to respond and forced me to choose another location--Paragraphs Bookstore on South Padre Island-- that it wasn't my self longing to return to a beautiful place remembered from my youth. It was a higher order leading me to that selection. I believe, it was meant-to-be.

The fabulous, inspiring, intelligent conversation and connection that happened between all parties involved was definitely worth more than anything else on the trip--well, it was right up there with my happy toes in the wet sand on the beach.

The communion between minds so similar and so different, of beliefs so incredible and passionate, of prophesy from past and present became the centerpiece of a "sort of" roundtable between readers and author.

I am a writer, yet after this event I find myself grasping for ways to explain how I felt when I left South Padre Island (which I now refer to as the Greenwich Village of Texas). I couldn't even put it into words for my husband on the grueling seven hour drive home! When he asked what I was thinking about, I could only tell him that I couldn't explain it. As I write this, tears blur my vision over the amount of creative stimulation I received during that two hour signing.

I am overwhelmed.

I want to run away from that which overwhelms me, but I won't.

That creative stimulation... that beautiful conversation that left me brainwrecked... is forcing a decision and letting go will not be easy, for we type A personalities love control and responsibility.

Yet, this time in my career has been coming.

I've known it.

I've fought it.

I've feared it.

I've reasoned out it.

I've distracted myself with various other activities to forget it.

I've made stupid decisions to sabotage it.

I've been responsible all of my life.

I've taken chances in every aspect of my life except my career.

I've overworked myself to the point of losing every precious moment with those I love.

Maybe I'm just tired this morning, but tears trickle from the corners of eyes as I remember the conversation, remember the self discoveries on the drive home, and consider what must happen in order for me to effect the change that is coming in my career.

I know what to do.

I have been brainwrecked, and I must start over.

Off-track synapses are firing out of control as energies fill me!

There's no more pretense that I can do it all.

The many years of struggle trying to find out who I am and how to get where I've longed to be have ended.

I am a writer.

It was meant to be.

Wonderful Things!

Julie Andrews sang about Favorite Things. 

Great...

Now "When a dog bites, when a bee stings ..." is stuck in my head. My ear worm of Favorite Things for today! That's okay. I love the song!

I love Wonderful Things , too, especially when the timing reminds you there's more to life.

A wonderful thing is happening in the state of Texas next week, and it is perfect timing for me. Mysterious ways and all that...

Why is it perfect?

Because yesterday, I visited my NRT for a check up. I've been feeling a little fatigued lately. When I sit down to rest, I start to fall asleep. After my scan and talk with my NRT, Rachel, I learned why.

Rachel: "Have you been sick lately?"

Had I?

I really had to think about that. I knew I was sick recently, but how long ago? Wow!

Me: "DUH! All of Spring Break!"

Rachel: "Do you have a time when you rest?"

Me: "Like, sleep?"

Rachel: "No, rest. Like day of rest, like Sunday?"

Again, I had to think about that.

NO!

I don't rest until I go to bed. There's too much to do! I used to rest on Sunday, but now I don't. I work on the farm. I wash clothes. I write. I cook.

Rest? What is that?

Rachel: "You need rest. Not talking sleep. Do something you enjoy and let your mind and body rest. God rested."

Oh, my! I used to rest on Sunday, a long time ago...

When did I become such a work-a-holic? When did I start associating rest with laziness and sloth? When did I start to forget about stopping and smelling the roses?

Whew! My visit yesterday was an eye opener. I realized that I haven't sat down to read a good book, spent an entire day reading (one of my favorite activities) in a long time. I haven't taken a nap on Sunday, like I used to, which sometimes happens when I spend the day reading.

"One day," Rachel reminded me. "Just one day a week."

WAH in me is saying, "But that's an entire 16 hours!"

I wondered, like me, has our society forgotten how to rest? Then my analytical mind throws in reason after reason why. Reasons aren't important, though. REST is.

So, a Wonderful Thing is happening next week that brings reading to the forefront of my to-do list again. DEAR Texas is happening April 12--a day to drop everything and read a book... and rest. I will be working and traveling that day, but before I leave Paragraphs to come home, I'll pick up a good book. I've decided to take Monday, April 13 off to rest... and read. If you live in Texas, or are visiting for vacation, check the Dear Texas list of participating cities and bookstores across the state.

Go see a Texas author in your area... pick up a good book... and go home, read and rest for the evening.

We all need to rest.

Volunteering=Euphoria

Volunteering produces a euphoria beyond any synthetic stimulant grown or manufactured...

Yesterday morning we kicked off the framing and wall raising of a Habitat for Humanity home. I've never been involved with a wall raising. My husband and I build various items at home, and I love to build, but this was different--emotionally different. The wall raising ceremony, after hammering for two hours and helping build numerous walls, brought tears to my eyes. I don't know if anyone else cried, but I did.

My family to the left of the homeowner, Hope, who told us, "A family that hammers together, stays together." We worked on the house behind us last month and the owners now live there.

Then it was back to work. We framed more walls and raised more walls, and by noon, all the walls were up. We left at lunch time, but now the exterior walls are up and the house is beginning to look like a house... in one day!

Habitat is such a wonderful program. Even if you've never held a hammer before, there's something you can do along the way to help a deserving family afford to buy a new home. And they do buy them. After volunteering 300 hours to other Habitat homes, they buy them with a no interest mortgage. I tell my readers this because I didn't know this until I started volunteering for Habitat.

Volunteering leaves behind a sense of accomplishment that no other activity provides. I can't wait to start painting!

Take a Break! Live Life! Did Somebody Say Puppies?

A little life break from The Gifted Ones series.

Who has puppies?

We got puppies!

Four of our little darlings (possibly five) are already placed. They are full blood Great Pyrenees puppies and what fun we are having now with the little ankle (and shoe... wait, and everything) biters!

These little ones are seven weeks old and so smart. I love to go sit in the puppy pen and get kisses, wet shoe strings, and pinned down by nine furry, fat, puppies! We try to get as many videos and pictures as we can before they leave for their forever homes to guard their new charges. Here's the latest video with the grandchildren. As I watched them playing soccer, my writer mind went wild with book ideas.

Now, how could I work this into the third book of The Gifted Ones? Because that is on my mind right now. May is around the corner, I will be off for four months, and writing full time is what I will be doing. For now, I am writing the third book part time, enjoying this beautiful litter of pups, and living... because we all should do that sometime!

I love being a writer and living life. Combining the two makes me the happiest.

Take a break! Live life, and enjoy our puppies in this video...


                  

Newest "Gifted One" Reveal

Are they superheroes?

No.

But they might be in the future. It's been suggested to me by a reader.

Of course, nobody could replace the guy above!

When I took my series, The Gifted Ones The Fairytale and The Gifted Ones The Dream, to Waco ComiCon '14, three young men stopped by my table, asked about the books and the characters, and proceeded to offer suggestions for the third book--which is in the drafting stage.

One suggestion was that one of the twelve Gifted Ones in the third book wear spandex.

I replied with, "That's an interesting concept. I'll see what I can do."

After much thought on the subject, I decided it was a great idea, so... I opened the third book with a "Gifted One" in a superhero ComiCon costume. Yes, he's dressed like Batman, but of course, he's not very hero like at the moment. As a matter of fact, he's sitting in the rain right now, feeling sorry for himself because he couldn't stop the death of his foster sister. And like all heroes, and the other six Gifted Ones, he's lived a tragic life so far. I bet he would like it if I wrote him out of the rain right now.

Many ideas are fitting together for the third book, and it's really nice to have the general outline done so I can work in suggestions I like from readers of fantasy.

The Gifted Ones are going to some signings in the next few months and so is a new concept I've come up with for reader involvement.

Perhaps you'll see me and find out what I'm doing with the third book!

2 For 5

I will be very busy with author visits, new projects and book festivals over the next few months, so it's likely I won't be blogging much. I wanted to share this new information with everyone before my busy time begins next week, so...

The Gifted Ones The Fairytale and The Dream have been reduced to help build the scholarship amounts for Spring '16.  Here's how the sale works:

Get 2 for $5- Buy the Kindle Versions or visit Smaswords and get both eBooks for $5.00

Sign up at my website and receive a welcome email with a coupon code and link to purchase both the paperback books for under $20. You may also receive emails with contest information, but not many. (I don't like to bombard mailboxes with unnecessary stuff!)

There you are. I will be out of blog zone for a while, as my writing time will be spent doing just that, so if you are in the mood for a new trilogy, feel free to take advantage of this special pricing and help out with The Gifted Ones Scholarship program.

Have a wonderful Spring... if it ever gets here... it's very cold in Texas today.

Tick, Tock... Tick, Tock

My newest picture book project is progressing nicely.

Ordering introductory T-shirts in the next two weeks.Rough draft keeps improving.Talked to TWWBF committee chair about getting a member to write a forward about the festival.Sally is forming in my mind and will come to life in the next few months.Every day, every thought, every viewing brings about more ideas for marketing.Scheduled to attend Author/ Poet luncheon on the 27th where I will give away Sally T-shirts for promotion.Website saddle list keeps growing.Invitations to select schools for a free reading presentation on my book tour in FA15 ready to mail.Scheduled to attend Take 190 West where I will give away two shirts through a drawing--and hopefully sell some books.Books ordered and shipped for Take 190 West signing.I am a busy, busy lady between home projects, work projects and writing projects! Next on my list? Get together with marketing designer to discuss copy for my Houston book signing in April.Complete the rough draft for the third book in The Gifted Ones series, appearing in this magazine February-May...I need some more writing time.

I need to add about two hours to every day.

Can that be done?

I wonder...

I keep thinking how my college days of a full class schedule and working three jobs set the pattern for my current life... Hahahaha!

What was I thinking?

No matter!

I will succeed!

I will beat the clock and make it happen.

Back to work...

Win a Free Character T-Shirt

Howdy, folks!
Sally the Travelin' Saddle is excited to begin her trip to TWWBF in September!She's already packed up and left the barn!
Sally's so happy to leave that dust-covered barn that she wants you to win this FREE limited edition T-shirt to celebrate her new travels. You can enter to win here beginning 1/31/15 at 12:00 am:https://www.geanpenny.com/contact.html
If you like Sally's style and want to order more character T-shirts, you can order as many as you like here:geanpenny.com
They're only $10 (XXL and XXXL are $15)!
Purchasing a T-shirt will also allow you to have a name entered on Sally's Saddle!You could chose to add the name to Sally's Thank You pages in the back of her first book, too!
What are you waiting for, cowboys and cowgirls?The T-shirt giveaway ends 2/7/15 at 12:00 am.
Hop into the back of that truck--Coco's too old to take ya'--with Sally!
Let's get going down 77 South to Giddings! 
Sally wants to be there in September 2015!

Introducing Sally and My New Picture Book Series

Yep! That's right. I have begun an adventure to commemorate book festivals in the U.S.

Though the first book in my new picture book series focuses on a specific locale in Texas, the second may be centered on your area...


You can follow Sally's adventure from now through September 2015 by collecting these great looking Texas T-shirts sold on my website. There will be five total shirts documenting Sally's location as she travels to TWWBF in Giddings, Texas for the 10th anniversary of this fabulous festival. 
Not only that, but when you purchase this shirt, you can also have a name (first name, last initial only) added to Sally's saddle. 
More? 
You want more? 
Okay, you can have that same name added to the Thank You page in the back of Sally's book!
How's that?
Will the folks at the Giddings Public Library let Sally in the door?
Will they allow her to stay in the library during the festival?
Find out in September when Sally's new picture book arrives!
Know of a book festival that will soon be celebrating a big anniversary? Contact me and I'll plan a visit to collect information about the festival and maybe, just maybe, write a picture book about that book festival, too!
Would you like Sally and me to visit your school on Highway 77 for a reading in August or early September? Contact me and schedule it now. Bookings will be scheduled for Monday or Friday in August through September 7.

Whatever you decide about the T-shirt, Sally is stirring up folks in Texas. Watch her video below. Sally loves the dog!

Please Help This Book Project

Hoping my followers will contribute and share this book project about book festivals in the U.S. The first book in the series commemorates the Texas Word Wranglers Book Festival in Giddings, TX. I've attended the festival three years in a row with different books, and this year is their 10th anniversary of hosting this book festival that recognizes Texas authors and hometown heroes.

The people of Giddings, the Library staff, and everyone involved are such wonderful people to know. This book project recognizes the 10th anniversary, acknowledges the wonderful people, and offers a bit of a story to the decor of the public library. It's a great altruistic project to back--plus, you can get a whole lot of swag! (like possibly the first autographed book out of the first box in the first print run, which usually goes to the author)

Thanks in advance for helping get this hardcover book published for the city and the library of Giddings, TX!

There's only 25 days left to back it!