Forbes Arnone's Blog, page 12

A-Z Challenge ~ Zzzzzzz #atozchallenge

 

This is it!! I can sleep and take a nap now.

I’ve done it!

I’ve completed the A to Z Challenge and blogged every letter of the alphabet during the month of April. I did it even though I was on a rigorous trip with my son’s class, through homework, and my full-time job. I feel so accomplished!

I will definitely do this again and maybe even pick a theme next time. This year was my first and I winged it. But I did it!

It is difficult to find something to talk about daily, hence the reason some of my topics were random and possibly not that interesting. However, this did strike up a desire to blog more often than I did. Maybe even a couple of days a week is something I can do! Hopefully you’ll find something you can connect with and get to know me better. All of my posts this month have been me. Me in my easy way of speaking, no doctoring up and trying to make it pretty. I like sharing pieces of myself in a natural and easy going manner.

So, hopefully you all will stick around and keep coming back for more!

Thank you to all of those that stopped by and read my words. To those that commented and liked my posts! The support kept me going and made it easier to continue blogging.

What was your favorite post of the month?

Filed under: Writing

A-Z Challenge ~ Yummy #atozchallenge

YaY!! This is the 2nd to last A to Z Challenge post!! I’ve made it!

Anyway, Yummy!! What foods do you find absolutely Yummy?

Did I mention in any of my posts that I gave up sugar, bread, snacks, junk food of any kind during the month of February and did really well? I actually lasted more than two months until last week when I went on the D.C. trip with my son. It was difficult to keep a regulated diet on a trip like that when food was sometimes preplanned. It was either eat it or starve.

This is where I got the idea for the elimination challenge.

But about two weeks into that Challenge, I went out to dinner with my boys and my youngest ordered a Smores dessert. It was a warm chocolate brownie with big melted marshmallows on top and some vanilla ice cream. The smell alone made my mouth water. I kept reaching my spoon over to scoop off a marshmallow and the boys (my husband included) would yell, “Don’t do it!” LOL! They were my conscious and spoke up loud and clear. I didn’t eat any of it, but I wanted to … badly!

But really with time, it got easier. At birthday parties, it was easy to pass up the cake. I began eating more healthy foods like Greek yogurt and fresh fruits. I found myself not as hungry and didn’t feel the need to snack as much. However, I didn’t really lose much weight. Only 5 lbs. Although, my clothes did begin to fit loosely. I even started walking a minimum of 4 days a week, sometimes more.

Have you ever done anything like this before? How did you do? Let me know if you’re going to try this 21 Day Challenge?

Filed under: Writing

A-Z Challenge ~ Xylophone #atozchallenge

I’m probably showing my age with this post. :) But I love the toys I had as a kid. The things that made us use our imagination. Fisher Price made a bunch of toys   I remember having. Remember the people? You know, those oddly shaped people that fit into the cars or planes or boats? Yeah, I had tons of those. I don’t remember who made these, but remember Weeble Wobbles? Weebles Wobble but they don’t fall down! LOL!

I loved the Xylophone. Couldn’t play it worth anything, but it was fun and noisy.

The noise used to drive my mother insane. Anyway, I love remembering the toys of my past.

Which leads me to remember the street games we used to play. Hide and Seek, Catch, Kick ball, etc… In my novel, My Mr. Manny, it starts with the nostalgia of kids games and the innocence we had as children that possibly our children don’t have. They can’t run the streets and play like we used to that’s even if they want to. Now they have electronics to keep them occupied, we had our imaginations and lots of open space. But in my book, I used a street game to name the chapters and it was fun trying to remember them all.

What are some of the toys or games you remember playing as a kid? Oh, and today is my birthday. I’m 43 today!!

Filed under: Writing

Sneak Peek Sunday ~ Flawed Heart by April Emerson

A Flawed Heart

A New Adult Erotic Romance coming from Secret Cravings Publishing in July 2014 
by April Emerson
Summary:

Claire Brighton has just finished college and is abandoning her warm, southern home in favor of gritty New York City. She searches Craigslist for the perfect roommate and finds Lydia Taylor. Lydia lives a life of privilege in her father’s Manhattan penthouse, but like Claire, she’s ready to go out into the world on her own.

Claire and Lydia find a little apartment in the hipster mecca of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, not far from Lydia’s older brother, Jason. Claire is intrigued by Lydia’s stories of Jason, who is the black sheep of the family—and a musician. The minute Claire hears him sing, she falls for him. Though Jason is involved with someone else, Claire and Jason’s attraction is too powerful to be denied.

Claire thrives in her new urban surroundings, treasuring her time with Jason and exploring her new found sexuality, but both Claire and Jason carry shadows with them. They’re each fighting to move on from wounds of their past, but they learn that they will need each other to do it.


Excerpt:


Jason

takes a seat at the table where Lydia and Kat are chatting. I’m distracted,

watching his body move. I don’t want to get caught looking, so I focus on my

food. When I do look up, Jason’s staring at me with a sexy little grin on his

face. I feel a current running between us and I wonder why he’s affecting me with such intensity. I’ve never felt something like this, for anyone.
 I open my mouth to make small talk with Lydia,

but I don’t get the chance to get the words out.
“Are

you enjoying your sandwich, Claire?” Something about the way his mouth shapes my name is doing things to

my body.
 “Yes, thank you.”
I watch him as he eats. His lips are big and

pouty for a guy. He breaks a piece of the grilled cheese off and pops it in his

mouth. Rather than using his napkin he licks his fingers. His jaw

bone protrudes as he chews and his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. He slides

back in his chair and relaxes as he eats. When he finishes his sandwich, he

places his plate in the sink and walks out of the kitchen without looking at me

again.

“You

mind washing the dishes, Lydia? I can’t risk having the dish soap dry out my

hands before the show.” He calls back at us, and I hear him laughing.
“Dick,”

Lydia says.
The

door opens and in walks a guy wearing a Metalica shirt and green cargo

pants. He has short, dark hair, and from where I’m sitting, he looks like he’s

eight feet tall.
“What

up. I’m Ben.” He gives me a salute.
“This

is my roommate Claire. She’s from Georgia,” Lydia says.
“Welcome

to the jungle.” He walks toward the bed rooms.
 “That’s Jason’s roommate. You ready to get out

of here?”
 I

nod. “Alright, yeah, let’s go.”
 Lydia, Kat and I walk out onto the sidewalk

and Skye, Ben, and Jason join us shortly. Jason has his guitar case slung on

his back and he’s smoking a cigarette. Skye chats with Ben about someone named Alana and Lydia joins them. I reach into my bag and grab my cigarettes but I can’t’ find my

lighter and I fumble around with the zippers and pockets.
“Hey,

let me light that for you.”
Jason pulls out a Zippo. His thumb flicks it and it opens

with a flame. I wrap my lips around my cigarette, place the tip in the flame and look up at him. He looks from my eyes to my mouth and back to my eyes

again. The flame is reflected in his eyes and he still has that sexy grin

on his face. I puff and pull away from his light but not his gaze.
“Thanks,

Jason.”
Lydia

grabs my elbow and pulls me along with her, which ends the moment.
“Let’s

go get wasted.”
She squeals and tugs me along beside her.We

walk about ten feet ahead of everyone, her arm linked in mine. I look back over

my shoulder and Jason is holding Skye’s hand. I feel a lump rise in my throat.

“How

long has your brother been dating Skye?” I ask Lydia.
“Like

a week. I don’t think they’re, like, really a thing though. I

don’t think Jay asked her to go out, or whatever. She’s totally into him

and she’s like, mentally willing him

to be hers or something. I don’t trust her. She’s a typical groupie. She has a

boner for Jason because he’s a musician. Maybe she thinks she’ll be a rock

star’s wife one day or something. She’s pretty lame, but I’m sure Jason could

do worse. Ben, on the other hand, has been talking to Skye’s friend Alana.

She’s awesome. Oh, that reminds me—Alana wanted me to tell them she’ll be

coming late tonight. I’ll be right back.”

Lydia frees her arm from mine and runs back toward Ben and Skye. Jason is no longer

walking with them. He’s walking toward me. He takes long strides and quickly

catches up.
“Hey,”

he says.
“Hey,”

I reply.
His pace is even with mine. The

wind blows and I get whiff of his cologne. It smells spicy and I recognize this

smell from his pillow. I blush

at the memory, wishing now more than ever that my fantasy had been real.

“So,

you moved in today?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“Cool.

You have a job yet?”
“No.

I was thinking of looking into substitute teaching or something. I was an English major.”
“Really?”

he turns his head and looks me up and down. “I had you pegged you for a

dancer, what with your legs and everything.”
Just

then I trip over my own feet. Jason grabs my elbow before I eat the pavement.
“Shit.

Yeah, I’m definitely not a dancer. Beauty and grace are not my thing.”
His

gaze locks with mine and I’m once again caught in that crazy current. He lets

go of my elbow and slides his hand onto the small of my back. I startle at the

intimacy of his touch, and the closeness of his body. He brings his mouth to my

ear, and I feel his hot breath on me as he whispers, “Hmm. I don’t know

about that.”

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Filed under: Sneak Peek Sundays

A-Z Challenge ~ Writing #atozchallenge

 

Writing has been such a chore lately, which is one of the reasons I decided to participate in this challenge. Even though some of my topics may be boring, it has gotten me writing. :)

So, for Writing, I’ve decided to talk about how to get back into, and then hope I can follow my own advice.

Stop thinking about it. 

My method of writing is more like working through movies in my mind until I get them right then I go and put them to paper or computer. What I’ve noticed lately, is that I’ve spent so much time in my head that when I want to get it out, I can’t.

That tells me I need to step out of my head. I need to do other things, like read or watch a movie or something. I need to stop isolating myself and be around other people so I can’t hide in my mind. It’s not good to think about your writing too much, it’s too exhausting and when it’s time to write it out, you’re too tired.

Set a time

Think of it as a job, and set a time every day to write. Report to your computer or notebook at, let’s say, 7:00 AM everyday without fail. They say, it takes 21 days to create a habit, so eventually it will be. Remain strong and don’t take a day off.

Help

We all need support and a team to help us work out our stories. Find someone to bounce your stories off of and have them read each chapter as you write it. They’ll kill you if you leave them hanging and don’t give them another chapter. Some one to be accountable to.

You can also find someone to write with. Whether online or at a coffee shop, find someone that needs you as much as you need them. It’s almost like an exercise buddy.

Tools

Don’t stunt your ideas by not having an outlet. When inspiration strikes, make sure you have paper or a phone or a tablet to use. Get it out. This also might help you to stop dwelling on a scene until you’re exhausted.

 

 

I hope some of these help you get back to it.

Okay, so go write. Now to follow my advice.

Filed under: Writing

A-Z Challenge ~ Venice, Italy #atochallenge

 

Venice, Italy was the first stop on our Italy trip in 2010. I am sorry to say, I did not enjoy it as much as I should have. I think I fantasized the grandeur of Venice too much that when I saw it, I felt cheated, disappointed. It seemed too small and not as exciting as I thought it would be.

Gondola lined up at the docks.

I think it started with the hotel showing significant signs of mold and mildew on all the walls and the smell just about killed me. Not that we planned on spending a lot of time in the room, but sleeping became an issue because of the smell and our allergies. Yeah, I probably sound like a spoiled brat, but it was the start of my disappointment.

Our hotel room in Venice, Italy

So, as soon as we checked in, we ran out to go scope the place. I think we circled it in about 15 minutes. Well, that’s what it felt like. We found a small pizza place and I was extremely surprised to find that it was owned and run by Chinese.

Now, let me explain this … I’m Italian American and have always wanted to go to my home country–my motherland. LOL. I wanted to see my people. Not just those I grew up around. In Boston, Italian Americans and the off the boat Italians didn’t really associate that much. We weren’t good enough because we were Americans. So, I really wanted to see the real deal. You know? I had these ideas–the authenticity–Italian women cooking and Italian people that could barely speak English all over the place. Well, it seemed that it was no different than the U.S. that it was such a big melting pot. In Venice, there was a huge population of Chinese and Africans. Yes, there were Italians, but it just wasn’t what I expected. I guess it was too commercialized, touristy. Duh! It’s Venice. I know, right? But it ruined my fantasies.

Anyway, it was pretty. The architecture, the canals, the gondolas, and the gelato. That’s all I ate during that trip.

Me and my boys chowing down on gelato. My favorite is pistachio.

Pigeons and Antonio in Piazza San Marco

My favorite part was going to Murano Island to see how they blow glass.

Murano Island making Murano glass.

Our last day in Venice

After this, we rented a car and started our drive South. First stop, Maranello to see the Ferrari museum.

Have you ever been to Venice? What did you think of it?

Filed under: Writing

A-Z Challenge ~ Unanimous #atozchallenge

u·nan·i·mous

yo͞oˈnanəməs/

adjective

1.

(of two or more people) fully in agreement.

“the doctors were unanimous in their diagnoses”

synonyms: united, in agreement, in accord, of one mind, of the same mind, in harmony, concordant, undivided, as one More

antonyms: divided

(of an opinion, decision, or vote) held or carried by everyone involved.

Yes, we unanimously agree that everyone of the 100 of us on this trip are exhausted and ready to go home! It has been a wonderful trip, but an extremely rigorous itinerary.

Our last night we had a nice dinner and saw Stomp and then took a class picture in Times Square.

Next time I blog it will be from the comfort of my home, and Ill most likely be reflecting on this awesome trip I experienced with my son.

Filed under: Writing

A-Z Challenge ~ The Top of the Rock #atozchallenge

Last night we went to Rockefeller Center to The Top of the Rock. It was a beautiful view.

There were beautiful Faberge eggs decorated for Easter all around the Center.

Even with my fear of heights, I went all the way to the top of the building! Im so glas I did.

I might come back later and add pics of The Statue of Liberty. We’re on our way now. :)

Filed under: Writing

A-Z Challenge ~Sight Seeing #atozchallenge

This is day 5 on our 7 day trip. You’ll have to excuse any typos, I’m nlogging from my phone.

We’ve gone from Los Angeles to Dulles. From there we drove to Williamsburg, VA. Looked around Jamesown Settlement then Colonial Williamsburg. Next morning, we headed to Charlottesville, VA to visit Monticello. That placw was my favorite so far… The home of Thomas Jefferson it was absolutely beautiful.

We have the money shot here, you know, the house on the back of the nickle. It’s tulip season and every place we’ve gone has them in abundance. So beautiful.

After Monticello we went to D.C. to Arlington Cemetery where we watched the changing of the guard and 4 kids from our school were chosen to lay a wreath at the tomb of The Unknown Soldiers.

You can watch that here. After that emotional stop, we cisit several different memorials: Lincoln Memorials, Korean Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and the Iwo-Jima Memorial.

Next we went to Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington, which had the best view.

Yesterday I posted a few pics of the trip and of Ford’s Theater where Lincoln was shot.

We saw more Memorials the. Drove to Gettysburg, which was also incredible. Today we’re on our way to Philly and then New York. Maybe I can get some rest on the bus today. :) All in all, so far it’s been a wonderful trip and we have really seen so much and I’m learning tons of stuff about our history.

Widh me luck for the next few days :)

Filed under: Writing

A-Z Challenge ~ Rest #atozchallenge.

I’ve been on my son’s 8th grade trip to Washington D.C. since Thursday night. And let me tell you, we’ve barely slept a wink. We walk about 5-6 miles a day, but get to see some amazing sights.

We’re still here and my time is limited, but I’ll still be posting and not resting at all. I have to say it is so worth it though.

Filed under: Writing