Kathryn R. Biel's Blog, page 17
July 26, 2013
Dare Me
In this day and age of YouTube and instant fame...
"There is no doubt that one of us will die."
Okay, do I have your attention now?
One year, three kids, ten dares and YouTube. What could possibly go wrong?
Find out in the latest novel by Eric Devine:
Available 10/8/2013. If you cannot wait, you can pre-order here:AmazonBarnes and NobleBooksamillionIndieBound
I know you may be confused. Usually I'm discussing my epic housekeeping/parenting failures or pressuring you to buy my book. Today, Biel Blather is taking part in a Blog Blast, sponsored by Book Nerd Tours. I could say that I volunteered to participate because I went to high school with Eric Devine.
But that would not be the full reason. The full reason is that Eric is a damn talented writer, and you, the reader, will be missing out if you don't read this book.
To read an excerpt, you can visit Eric Devine's blog. All of his fancy contact information is there, including his Facebook and Twitter links, so you can follow him that way as well. (If I had ever been able to figure out the whole Twitter thing, I would have linked you directly. Sorry.)
Obviously, the powers that be are so confident in the power of this book that it has its own t-shirt.
Eric is also the author of Tap Out and This Side of Normal. In addition to being the author of fearless teen fiction, he is a high school English teacher and father of two beautiful daughters. To find out more, visit here.
Remember, Dare Me is on sale October 8, 2013. Read it...I dare you.
"There is no doubt that one of us will die."
Okay, do I have your attention now?
One year, three kids, ten dares and YouTube. What could possibly go wrong?
Find out in the latest novel by Eric Devine:

Available 10/8/2013. If you cannot wait, you can pre-order here:AmazonBarnes and NobleBooksamillionIndieBound
I know you may be confused. Usually I'm discussing my epic housekeeping/parenting failures or pressuring you to buy my book. Today, Biel Blather is taking part in a Blog Blast, sponsored by Book Nerd Tours. I could say that I volunteered to participate because I went to high school with Eric Devine.

But that would not be the full reason. The full reason is that Eric is a damn talented writer, and you, the reader, will be missing out if you don't read this book.
To read an excerpt, you can visit Eric Devine's blog. All of his fancy contact information is there, including his Facebook and Twitter links, so you can follow him that way as well. (If I had ever been able to figure out the whole Twitter thing, I would have linked you directly. Sorry.)

Obviously, the powers that be are so confident in the power of this book that it has its own t-shirt.
Eric is also the author of Tap Out and This Side of Normal. In addition to being the author of fearless teen fiction, he is a high school English teacher and father of two beautiful daughters. To find out more, visit here.
Remember, Dare Me is on sale October 8, 2013. Read it...I dare you.

Published on July 26, 2013 17:57
July 23, 2013
Vacat-aaaaaah-n
For being summer vacation, things have been pretty hectic around here. I may have overscheduled things a tad bit. The first two weeks the kids were off, they had swimming lessons every day. Granted, it was only 45 minutes, but it was something. Most of those days, we went swimming afterwards as well. The second week they were off (and still in swimming), I was back at work, which made things interesting. I worked Tuesday and Wednesday in summer school, so I had to employ my parents to shuffle the kids all over the place.
The third week of vacation, Sophia was in dance camp each morning. I was at summer school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, and worked in my outpatient clinic Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. That meant I had to bring her to camp, figure out what to do with Jake, run into work, pick her up, and then go back to work at the other job.
Oh, and I'm trying to sell my current book and work on my next one.
By week four, I was pretty burnt out. It was also hotter than Hades. But awesome mom that I am, I had another camp lined up. This time, it was horseback riding camp, 15 miles north of here. But I had a plan for this. I would drop them off at camp, park myself in a coffee shop with my computer and write. It worked like a charm on Monday. I wrote about 5,000 words that day. I had momentum. I was on a roll. At that rate, my book would be finished in two weeks. Then came Tuesday. I was sitting in the parking lot, making arrangements to get my broken windshield fixed (that story is here), when I got the call that I needed to go into school. So, into school I go, and then haul it back up north to pick the kids up. Then I had mandatory meeting that afternoon. I tried to keep writing and got a little done. Wednesday, I was back on track and type, type, typing away. Then, due to the heat, we got the option to postpone the last two days of camp. That meant no more quiet time. But those two days were the first days of summer that we didn't have to do anything, and it was nice. So nice. We did do some fun things, and I got some writing in.
Then the weekend hit. We drove down to Jersey for my cousin's son's first birthday. We were those people who showed up two hours early, but we forced them into letting us help. Heat aside, it was a great time.
The birthday boy and his awesome mom
All the kids in the pool
Sophia, my aunt and her grandson
My uncle and his youngest grandson
Since we were already halfway there, we continued to head south to Cape May to spend the night. We went to dinner at the Cape May Beach House, which is where I took the cover picture for Good Intentions, the last time we were in Cape May. The kids were pretty worn out, but were revived by a walk on the beach, hunting for seashells.
While we were walking on the beach, we spied dolphins.
Also, there was something floating in the water that we could not identify. I'm fairly certain that I saw a different type of dorsal fin checking it out...
I woke up pretty early the following morning. I was out on the beach, walking around by about 6:15 a.m.
I love when my feet get flip flop tan lines.
This is our hotel, The Stockton Inn. We've been staying there since I was 13.When I got back, my dad was up and sitting outside. We got coffee and sat on the promenade until it was time to wake the others to go to breakfast at Uncle Bill's Pancake House. Can you say snickers pancakes? Yum-o! We then headed to the beach for a while.
The dolphins were there again, just off shore. I even got to see one jump fully out of the water. We had to check out of the hotel, but were able to hang in the pool for a while after the beach. We hit Dairy Queen and The Fudge Kitchen in the Washington Street Mall and were back on the road.
Pat did all the driving. I read a book (or two). The kids were good as gold in the car. Jake started off travelling with my parents, but switched to our car about an hour into the journey. There was no horsing around, no bickering, no fighting. They didn't even watch a movie until the last 90 minutes. I know not every day will be like this. I know not every travel experience will be like this. But I realized, that for that brief 36 hour period, we were in the sweet spot.
We're now as tired as can be. I have lost all momentum on writing. This week starts the mayhem of the kids in VBS, with me working Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon/evenings. Pat and I are pooped out. But for those 36 hours, to have my toes in the sand, to watch the kids together, to smell the ocean and feel the spray, it was all worth it.
When can we do it all again?
The third week of vacation, Sophia was in dance camp each morning. I was at summer school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, and worked in my outpatient clinic Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. That meant I had to bring her to camp, figure out what to do with Jake, run into work, pick her up, and then go back to work at the other job.
Oh, and I'm trying to sell my current book and work on my next one.
By week four, I was pretty burnt out. It was also hotter than Hades. But awesome mom that I am, I had another camp lined up. This time, it was horseback riding camp, 15 miles north of here. But I had a plan for this. I would drop them off at camp, park myself in a coffee shop with my computer and write. It worked like a charm on Monday. I wrote about 5,000 words that day. I had momentum. I was on a roll. At that rate, my book would be finished in two weeks. Then came Tuesday. I was sitting in the parking lot, making arrangements to get my broken windshield fixed (that story is here), when I got the call that I needed to go into school. So, into school I go, and then haul it back up north to pick the kids up. Then I had mandatory meeting that afternoon. I tried to keep writing and got a little done. Wednesday, I was back on track and type, type, typing away. Then, due to the heat, we got the option to postpone the last two days of camp. That meant no more quiet time. But those two days were the first days of summer that we didn't have to do anything, and it was nice. So nice. We did do some fun things, and I got some writing in.
Then the weekend hit. We drove down to Jersey for my cousin's son's first birthday. We were those people who showed up two hours early, but we forced them into letting us help. Heat aside, it was a great time.




Since we were already halfway there, we continued to head south to Cape May to spend the night. We went to dinner at the Cape May Beach House, which is where I took the cover picture for Good Intentions, the last time we were in Cape May. The kids were pretty worn out, but were revived by a walk on the beach, hunting for seashells.


While we were walking on the beach, we spied dolphins.

Also, there was something floating in the water that we could not identify. I'm fairly certain that I saw a different type of dorsal fin checking it out...
I woke up pretty early the following morning. I was out on the beach, walking around by about 6:15 a.m.







The dolphins were there again, just off shore. I even got to see one jump fully out of the water. We had to check out of the hotel, but were able to hang in the pool for a while after the beach. We hit Dairy Queen and The Fudge Kitchen in the Washington Street Mall and were back on the road.
Pat did all the driving. I read a book (or two). The kids were good as gold in the car. Jake started off travelling with my parents, but switched to our car about an hour into the journey. There was no horsing around, no bickering, no fighting. They didn't even watch a movie until the last 90 minutes. I know not every day will be like this. I know not every travel experience will be like this. But I realized, that for that brief 36 hour period, we were in the sweet spot.
We're now as tired as can be. I have lost all momentum on writing. This week starts the mayhem of the kids in VBS, with me working Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon/evenings. Pat and I are pooped out. But for those 36 hours, to have my toes in the sand, to watch the kids together, to smell the ocean and feel the spray, it was all worth it.
When can we do it all again?
Published on July 23, 2013 17:04
July 11, 2013
You Are Not the Only One
I got into blogging, and was truly inspired by my former college roommate, Jessica. Jessica is a rock-star mom, OT, is working on her PhD, and now is selling toxin-free household and kid products. And let me clarify that rock-star mom thing. She has FIVE boys, all ages four and under (a four year old, two year old triplets and a newborn). And she cooks and cleans and gardens and does all this super-cool stuff. I wish she didn't live all the way in Michigan so that we could see each other (and drink wine together). Anyway, yesterday, she was having this kind of day.
We've all been there. And if you say you haven't, you're lying.
So, today, it was my turn to have that kind of day. Today was my only day this week that I had "off." It's summer vacation, so no mom is truly "off." We're entertaining and refereeing and shuttling and picking up. I'm actually working two jobs this summer (summer school and in an outpatient clinic). This week they collided so that I had two days where I went from on to the other, which makes my day 9 am-7 pm. Sophia is at camp 9 am-noon this week, so there is the shuttling her to and from there. Jake is not in camp, so there is the providing care for him. One day he came to work with me. One day I had to get a sitter. One day I had to drop him off at my dad's work. My parents have been pitching in, picking the kids up, or staying with them while I'm at the second job. It's just been a crazy week.
So, today was my day "off." Here was my day: Cats very loud 4 am-5:30 am, when they both decided to sleep on my chest. Oversleep. Have to run through the shower so that Pat can get in the shower in order to get to work. Get an e-mail from a local radio person who had expressed interest in the book, but now no longer has time to read it. Kids fighting, I lose my schmidt and scream, all before breakfast. Run Sophia to camp. Bring Jake with me to Post Office to mail out review copies. Get into Post Office, grab envelopes and fill them out, and then realize that window is not open. But since I've already written on the envelopes, Jake and I must sit there for 15 minutes waiting for window to open. Successfully mail the books, but now filled with anxiety that the reviewers will pan the book.
Home for about 30 minutes. Get a little writing done, but despair that my book is not selling better. Also despair because I cannot get through current Candy Crush level. Go pick up Sophia early from camp to go to ENT appointment. Kids are again fighting on way out of camp, causing me to offer to sell one of them to the guy behind the desk. Drive 25 minutes to ENT. Sophia does indeed have an ear infection (her ear has been draining for 5 days). Sophia freaks out when the PA vacuums her ear out, causing her to be that kid in the office. Yep, and I'm that mom with her. She continues to freak out as the PA prescribes ear drops.
I begged my dad to leave work in Clifton Park early to meet me down in Albany so that I could attend my mandatory inservice for my per diem job (the TWO HOUR inservice on core values and mission statement, that I must attend or will be fired. Oh yeah, I was supposed to do it by July 1.). We successfully meet up and I even find a parking spot. I get into the building only to be told that there was not a 12:30 inservice. There was one yesterday. I have the complete and total wrong day. I totally missed the one I was supposed to go to. There was an inservice at 1 pm, but they said it was too full, so I have to reschedule for next week.
Decide to get my oil changed and my car inspected. My check engine light keeps coming on, so hope that they can tell me about that. It turns out, they cannot inspect my car with the light on, as it would fail inspection. The guy "looks" at it, and tells me the light is out, but it's not. It's still on. Also, they didn't reset my oil-o-meter, so my car still thinks it needs an oil change.
I come home, and diligently return to writing (people are asking for more of my work). That lasts for 20 minutes before my dad returns with my kids. I decide to be proactive for dinner. I take pork chops out of the freezer, and fill the sink with water to defrost. An hour later, I realize that the stopper was not all the way in, and the water promptly drained out, and the pork chops are still mostly frozen. I have a wake to go to, and I'm getting ancy. Pat is not scheduled to be home until at least 5:30, and the wake only goes until 7. As it is a priest and former teacher, I expect there to be quite the crowd, and want to get there earlier. My mom tells me to bring the kids over to her office. She'll be leaving about 15 minutes after I drop them off, so they can hang with her until then. I load up the kids, and head over to her office. I then fight rush-hour traffic, going from the airport to Clifton Park at 5 pm. I get to the wake, find my brother, say goodbye to Father Turnbull and am outta there in 20 minutes. On the way home, the car in front of me kicks up a stone, which cracks my windshield. Since I was not able to get the car inspected today, I will now need to get that fixed before the end of July so my car can pass inspection.
I get home, and realize that I forgot to pick up Sophia's prescription. I plead with Pat to go pick it up while I'm cooking dinner. He must realize that I've had one of those days and goes to CVS. But then he calls me on the cell. Never a good sign. The ENT office called in a prescription for antibiotic ear drops that is not in our insurance plan formulary. They are $146. You wouldn't mind, but Sophia had an ear infection (the other ear) 6 weeks ago, and also used antibiotic ear drops. They were $10 and worked just fine. Anyway, we have to refuse the prescription, and now I have to figure this out in the morning. The ENT did the same thing when Sophia had her tubes in two years ago. They must like the brand name stuff. But that means Sophia is one more day without the antibiotics.
I almost lost it. Pat tried to comfort me. I told him that I totally failed today. His response was, "Everybody fails sometime." He's right. Yesterday was Jessica's day. Today was mine. Tomorrow (hopefully) will belong to someone else.
The kids have finally calmed down. I'm about to crack open a beer. And I'm posting these pictures of Jessica and I, from times when we were young, not truly sleep-deprived, and without a care in the world. (Oh yeah, and we were hot).
So Jess, when you get the boys put down, take a fun walk down memory lane with these pictures, know that you're not the only one who has those kind of days, and raise your glass because I'm toasting you all the way from NY.
We've all been there. And if you say you haven't, you're lying.
So, today, it was my turn to have that kind of day. Today was my only day this week that I had "off." It's summer vacation, so no mom is truly "off." We're entertaining and refereeing and shuttling and picking up. I'm actually working two jobs this summer (summer school and in an outpatient clinic). This week they collided so that I had two days where I went from on to the other, which makes my day 9 am-7 pm. Sophia is at camp 9 am-noon this week, so there is the shuttling her to and from there. Jake is not in camp, so there is the providing care for him. One day he came to work with me. One day I had to get a sitter. One day I had to drop him off at my dad's work. My parents have been pitching in, picking the kids up, or staying with them while I'm at the second job. It's just been a crazy week.
So, today was my day "off." Here was my day: Cats very loud 4 am-5:30 am, when they both decided to sleep on my chest. Oversleep. Have to run through the shower so that Pat can get in the shower in order to get to work. Get an e-mail from a local radio person who had expressed interest in the book, but now no longer has time to read it. Kids fighting, I lose my schmidt and scream, all before breakfast. Run Sophia to camp. Bring Jake with me to Post Office to mail out review copies. Get into Post Office, grab envelopes and fill them out, and then realize that window is not open. But since I've already written on the envelopes, Jake and I must sit there for 15 minutes waiting for window to open. Successfully mail the books, but now filled with anxiety that the reviewers will pan the book.
Home for about 30 minutes. Get a little writing done, but despair that my book is not selling better. Also despair because I cannot get through current Candy Crush level. Go pick up Sophia early from camp to go to ENT appointment. Kids are again fighting on way out of camp, causing me to offer to sell one of them to the guy behind the desk. Drive 25 minutes to ENT. Sophia does indeed have an ear infection (her ear has been draining for 5 days). Sophia freaks out when the PA vacuums her ear out, causing her to be that kid in the office. Yep, and I'm that mom with her. She continues to freak out as the PA prescribes ear drops.
I begged my dad to leave work in Clifton Park early to meet me down in Albany so that I could attend my mandatory inservice for my per diem job (the TWO HOUR inservice on core values and mission statement, that I must attend or will be fired. Oh yeah, I was supposed to do it by July 1.). We successfully meet up and I even find a parking spot. I get into the building only to be told that there was not a 12:30 inservice. There was one yesterday. I have the complete and total wrong day. I totally missed the one I was supposed to go to. There was an inservice at 1 pm, but they said it was too full, so I have to reschedule for next week.
Decide to get my oil changed and my car inspected. My check engine light keeps coming on, so hope that they can tell me about that. It turns out, they cannot inspect my car with the light on, as it would fail inspection. The guy "looks" at it, and tells me the light is out, but it's not. It's still on. Also, they didn't reset my oil-o-meter, so my car still thinks it needs an oil change.
I come home, and diligently return to writing (people are asking for more of my work). That lasts for 20 minutes before my dad returns with my kids. I decide to be proactive for dinner. I take pork chops out of the freezer, and fill the sink with water to defrost. An hour later, I realize that the stopper was not all the way in, and the water promptly drained out, and the pork chops are still mostly frozen. I have a wake to go to, and I'm getting ancy. Pat is not scheduled to be home until at least 5:30, and the wake only goes until 7. As it is a priest and former teacher, I expect there to be quite the crowd, and want to get there earlier. My mom tells me to bring the kids over to her office. She'll be leaving about 15 minutes after I drop them off, so they can hang with her until then. I load up the kids, and head over to her office. I then fight rush-hour traffic, going from the airport to Clifton Park at 5 pm. I get to the wake, find my brother, say goodbye to Father Turnbull and am outta there in 20 minutes. On the way home, the car in front of me kicks up a stone, which cracks my windshield. Since I was not able to get the car inspected today, I will now need to get that fixed before the end of July so my car can pass inspection.
I get home, and realize that I forgot to pick up Sophia's prescription. I plead with Pat to go pick it up while I'm cooking dinner. He must realize that I've had one of those days and goes to CVS. But then he calls me on the cell. Never a good sign. The ENT office called in a prescription for antibiotic ear drops that is not in our insurance plan formulary. They are $146. You wouldn't mind, but Sophia had an ear infection (the other ear) 6 weeks ago, and also used antibiotic ear drops. They were $10 and worked just fine. Anyway, we have to refuse the prescription, and now I have to figure this out in the morning. The ENT did the same thing when Sophia had her tubes in two years ago. They must like the brand name stuff. But that means Sophia is one more day without the antibiotics.
I almost lost it. Pat tried to comfort me. I told him that I totally failed today. His response was, "Everybody fails sometime." He's right. Yesterday was Jessica's day. Today was mine. Tomorrow (hopefully) will belong to someone else.
The kids have finally calmed down. I'm about to crack open a beer. And I'm posting these pictures of Jessica and I, from times when we were young, not truly sleep-deprived, and without a care in the world. (Oh yeah, and we were hot).


So Jess, when you get the boys put down, take a fun walk down memory lane with these pictures, know that you're not the only one who has those kind of days, and raise your glass because I'm toasting you all the way from NY.
Published on July 11, 2013 17:14
July 5, 2013
Now Available In Paperback...
I spent an incredible 4th of July relaxing with family, but now back to work ...
Good Intentions is now available in paperback.
Let me say that again, and a little more loudly:
Good Intentions is now available in paperback!!!
As exciting and nerve-wracking as it was to publish an e-book, this is even more thrilling. There is something totally surreal about holding your creation in your hands. About seeing your name in print. I took the cover photo while on vacation a few years ago, and seeing that out there is a bit surreal as well.
But it is hard to put yourself out there, just awaiting criticism. I've received a lot of positive feedback from friends and family (and if you liked the book, please write a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads), but I wonder how the book will be received by someone totally unrelated and unknown to me. I've been biting my fingernails a lot while checking sales and reviews. I expect this behavior to get worse, as I have a few bloggers who have agreed to review the book for me (thank you!).
I used a company called Create Space to print my book. They are owned by Amazon, and they are definitely geared towards the self-published/indie authors who are trying to make it on their own. I have fifty copies ordered for myself so that I can send them out for reviews, as well as try to take them to local bookstores for consignment.
Because I'm doing this on my own, without the benefit of an agent or publicist, I beg you all to keep spreading the word. Keep forwarding this. Keep telling your friends.
Right now the paperback version of Good Intentions can be purchased in two locations: Directly from the CreateSpace e-store or from Amazon. Through expanded distribution, your local bookstore will be able to order Good Intentions for you, but this may take up to 6 weeks to get going.
To celebrate the paperback release, I'm launching a giveaway on Goodreads. I've also dropped the price of the Nook version of the e-book to $1.99 for you bargain hunters out there.
Happy reading!
Good Intentions is now available in paperback.
Let me say that again, and a little more loudly:
Good Intentions is now available in paperback!!!
As exciting and nerve-wracking as it was to publish an e-book, this is even more thrilling. There is something totally surreal about holding your creation in your hands. About seeing your name in print. I took the cover photo while on vacation a few years ago, and seeing that out there is a bit surreal as well.
But it is hard to put yourself out there, just awaiting criticism. I've received a lot of positive feedback from friends and family (and if you liked the book, please write a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads), but I wonder how the book will be received by someone totally unrelated and unknown to me. I've been biting my fingernails a lot while checking sales and reviews. I expect this behavior to get worse, as I have a few bloggers who have agreed to review the book for me (thank you!).
I used a company called Create Space to print my book. They are owned by Amazon, and they are definitely geared towards the self-published/indie authors who are trying to make it on their own. I have fifty copies ordered for myself so that I can send them out for reviews, as well as try to take them to local bookstores for consignment.
Because I'm doing this on my own, without the benefit of an agent or publicist, I beg you all to keep spreading the word. Keep forwarding this. Keep telling your friends.
Right now the paperback version of Good Intentions can be purchased in two locations: Directly from the CreateSpace e-store or from Amazon. Through expanded distribution, your local bookstore will be able to order Good Intentions for you, but this may take up to 6 weeks to get going.
To celebrate the paperback release, I'm launching a giveaway on Goodreads. I've also dropped the price of the Nook version of the e-book to $1.99 for you bargain hunters out there.
Happy reading!
Published on July 05, 2013 05:06
June 20, 2013
Soundtrack for Good Intentions
When I came up with the idea to write a novel, I had a thought in my head. The "what if this happened ..." type thing (that exact idea would be a spoiler, so I don't want to go into too much detail). Then I needed characters and settings. I decided to go with the advice of "write what you know" so the character of Maggie is very loosely based on me. The setting of Boston is from my own experience there. Trying to figure out how Maggie lived and moved about the city, I pictured back to my own college days spent in Allston-Brighton and Boston.
One of the things that most helped me go back to that time was listening to music. As luck would have it, I had just gotten an ipod for my birthday and I had uploaded from my collection of CDs from the mid to late 1990s. I belonged to BMG music club (for those of you who don't remember this, it was a club where you got 13 CDs for $0.01, and then had to buy or return CDs every month), so I had quite a few. I then hit the itunes store and downloaded a lot of the songs from college, some of which I only possessed on cassette tape. Holy crap, I feel old. At the same time, a new local radio station that only played music from the 1990s launched around here, and in between Christmas and the Superbowl, it played music without DJ's and virtually commercial-free. Between my ipod and 105.7 FM, there was a lot of 90s music that helped me set the scenes for the book.
If I had to come up with a soundtrack or playlist for Good Intentions, based upon my frame of mind, the scene, and specific songs referenced, here is what it would look like. Hope you take a listen, and think of these songs as you read. Enjoy!
1. Good Intentions by Toad the Wet Sprocket
2. Dancin' In the Light by Entrain (This is a horrible audio, but for some reasons, the other, better ones would not upload. Check out Entrain. Can U Get It? was my favorite CD during all of college and I used to go see Entrain live all the time)
3. I Like To Move It by Reel 2 Real
4. Cotton-Eyed Joe by Rednex
5. Thank God I'm a Country Boy by John Denver
6. Wannabe by Spicegirls
7. Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite
8. Laid by James
9. Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band
10. Say Goodbye by Dave Matthews Band
11. Better Man by Pearl Jam
12. Black by Pearl Jam
13. Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson
14. Changes in Attitude, Changes in Latitude by Jimmy Buffet
15. The Thong Song by Sisqo
16. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham
17. Ground on Down by Ben Harper
Hope you enjoy the somewhat eclectic music selection that motivates and moves Maggie Miller. If you haven't read the book yet, keep these songs in mind while reading.
Good Intentions is available on Nook, Kindle and Kobo. It will be out in print hopefully in the next two weeks!
One of the things that most helped me go back to that time was listening to music. As luck would have it, I had just gotten an ipod for my birthday and I had uploaded from my collection of CDs from the mid to late 1990s. I belonged to BMG music club (for those of you who don't remember this, it was a club where you got 13 CDs for $0.01, and then had to buy or return CDs every month), so I had quite a few. I then hit the itunes store and downloaded a lot of the songs from college, some of which I only possessed on cassette tape. Holy crap, I feel old. At the same time, a new local radio station that only played music from the 1990s launched around here, and in between Christmas and the Superbowl, it played music without DJ's and virtually commercial-free. Between my ipod and 105.7 FM, there was a lot of 90s music that helped me set the scenes for the book.
If I had to come up with a soundtrack or playlist for Good Intentions, based upon my frame of mind, the scene, and specific songs referenced, here is what it would look like. Hope you take a listen, and think of these songs as you read. Enjoy!
1. Good Intentions by Toad the Wet Sprocket
2. Dancin' In the Light by Entrain (This is a horrible audio, but for some reasons, the other, better ones would not upload. Check out Entrain. Can U Get It? was my favorite CD during all of college and I used to go see Entrain live all the time)
3. I Like To Move It by Reel 2 Real
4. Cotton-Eyed Joe by Rednex
5. Thank God I'm a Country Boy by John Denver
6. Wannabe by Spicegirls
7. Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite
8. Laid by James
9. Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band
10. Say Goodbye by Dave Matthews Band
11. Better Man by Pearl Jam
12. Black by Pearl Jam
13. Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson
14. Changes in Attitude, Changes in Latitude by Jimmy Buffet
15. The Thong Song by Sisqo
16. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham
17. Ground on Down by Ben Harper
Hope you enjoy the somewhat eclectic music selection that motivates and moves Maggie Miller. If you haven't read the book yet, keep these songs in mind while reading.
Good Intentions is available on Nook, Kindle and Kobo. It will be out in print hopefully in the next two weeks!

Published on June 20, 2013 15:06
June 11, 2013
Teacher Accountability
With the school year wrapping up, some reflection is expected. Tonight's discussion was about teachers. Despite my son's unique educational needs, he's been very fortunate to have excellent teachers so far. We know that is not always the case, and were discussing how lucky he has been. His educational course has not been what we initially wanted, but it has allowed him to have access to phenomenal teachers in two different schools that have been the best fit for him.
This is a story of teacher accountability. The whole idea of teacher accountability is not a bad one. However, the execution of it in New York State this year has sorely missed the mark, but that is another topic for another day. Teachers wield a lot of power. They can make or break a year for a child. They can make or break a child.
I was educated in the Catholic Schools of the Albany Diocese. I don't know if it is still the case, but when I was in elementary school, the catholic schools got a lot of new teachers. This can be good, but for me it was very bad. While my son has had the most wonderful teacher this year (we love you Mrs. Hippchen!), I had a horrible third grade teacher. It should not come as a shock to anyone who knows me, but I was pretty caught up in grades. In the third grade, your grades were given as descriptive categories (Excellent, Good, Average, Poor and Fail). All year long, I got 'Average' grades, especially in spelling. I had never had something in the middle category before. I was a very good student. My older brother made sure to point out that 'Average' was essentially a 'C' grade. I was devastated. My mother was enraged. She met with the teacher over and over. She met with the principal. What was the big fuss? I never got below a 95% (but mostly got over 100% with bonuses) on my spelling. Yet that teacher graded me as 'Average.' When my mother questioned her on it, her reply was, "Well, that's average for her." It made me doubt myself. I felt sick to my stomach all the time. I hated school. Looking back on that year, I still get a pit in my stomach. I can only be thankful that Jake's third grade experience was as positive as mine was negative.
I also think to my math teacher that I was oh so fortunate enough to have for 6th, 7th and 8th grade. She didn't like me. It was pretty obvious. I was probably somewhat pretty obnoxious to have as a student. I'm pretty sure I was a Tracy Flick kind of student who thought they knew it all. Math was not my favorite subject, and I often rushed to get through it, making careless mistakes. However, I can, with distinct clarity, remember the day that she told me that I was horrible at math, and that I would never amount to anything.
She said this in front of the whole class.
Some 25 years later, I still think about that. I thought about that as I made Dean's List in a Tier I PT program. I thought about her on May 13, 2006, as I received my Doctoral Degree. I think about her when I get a next-to-impossible wheelchair approved for a student. I think about it when my kids tell me I am a great mom. I think about her now, with my first novel out. She did not say it to challenge me to slow down and do better. She said it because she did not like me.
For a few years, it broke me. Afterall, she was my math teacher for 3 years. I got into high school and had some really great math teachers. Mr. Corbeil restored my faith in myself. Sr. Kennan (RIP) never took 'no' for an answer. My senior year, I took two honors math classes, one the prerequisite for the other, and managed to get straight A's.
But along the way, I also had some really great teachers. Miss Norton, Mrs. Morrissey, Sr. Mary Catherine, Sr. Frances Celine, Miss Hoagland, just to name a few. I was also lucky enough to have parents who valued education, and who did not let the negative words of a poor teacher impact the rest of my life. In those same moments listed above, I think of them with gratitude.
So to all the teachers out there who are fried, and just need the year to end, don't break your students. Help make them. And to the teachers who spend every day trying to make their students, thank you.
This is a story of teacher accountability. The whole idea of teacher accountability is not a bad one. However, the execution of it in New York State this year has sorely missed the mark, but that is another topic for another day. Teachers wield a lot of power. They can make or break a year for a child. They can make or break a child.
I was educated in the Catholic Schools of the Albany Diocese. I don't know if it is still the case, but when I was in elementary school, the catholic schools got a lot of new teachers. This can be good, but for me it was very bad. While my son has had the most wonderful teacher this year (we love you Mrs. Hippchen!), I had a horrible third grade teacher. It should not come as a shock to anyone who knows me, but I was pretty caught up in grades. In the third grade, your grades were given as descriptive categories (Excellent, Good, Average, Poor and Fail). All year long, I got 'Average' grades, especially in spelling. I had never had something in the middle category before. I was a very good student. My older brother made sure to point out that 'Average' was essentially a 'C' grade. I was devastated. My mother was enraged. She met with the teacher over and over. She met with the principal. What was the big fuss? I never got below a 95% (but mostly got over 100% with bonuses) on my spelling. Yet that teacher graded me as 'Average.' When my mother questioned her on it, her reply was, "Well, that's average for her." It made me doubt myself. I felt sick to my stomach all the time. I hated school. Looking back on that year, I still get a pit in my stomach. I can only be thankful that Jake's third grade experience was as positive as mine was negative.
I also think to my math teacher that I was oh so fortunate enough to have for 6th, 7th and 8th grade. She didn't like me. It was pretty obvious. I was probably somewhat pretty obnoxious to have as a student. I'm pretty sure I was a Tracy Flick kind of student who thought they knew it all. Math was not my favorite subject, and I often rushed to get through it, making careless mistakes. However, I can, with distinct clarity, remember the day that she told me that I was horrible at math, and that I would never amount to anything.
She said this in front of the whole class.
Some 25 years later, I still think about that. I thought about that as I made Dean's List in a Tier I PT program. I thought about her on May 13, 2006, as I received my Doctoral Degree. I think about her when I get a next-to-impossible wheelchair approved for a student. I think about it when my kids tell me I am a great mom. I think about her now, with my first novel out. She did not say it to challenge me to slow down and do better. She said it because she did not like me.

For a few years, it broke me. Afterall, she was my math teacher for 3 years. I got into high school and had some really great math teachers. Mr. Corbeil restored my faith in myself. Sr. Kennan (RIP) never took 'no' for an answer. My senior year, I took two honors math classes, one the prerequisite for the other, and managed to get straight A's.
But along the way, I also had some really great teachers. Miss Norton, Mrs. Morrissey, Sr. Mary Catherine, Sr. Frances Celine, Miss Hoagland, just to name a few. I was also lucky enough to have parents who valued education, and who did not let the negative words of a poor teacher impact the rest of my life. In those same moments listed above, I think of them with gratitude.
So to all the teachers out there who are fried, and just need the year to end, don't break your students. Help make them. And to the teachers who spend every day trying to make their students, thank you.
Published on June 11, 2013 17:10
June 9, 2013
The Best Laid Plans...
Up here in the Northeast, the Biel household, like most others, are counting down the last days of school. Because I work in the schools as well, I'm counting down just as much as the kids are, maybe even more. My kids have nine days left of school (and some are not even full days). I have about seven work days left (holy crap, how am I going to get everything done in seven days?!?). I'm not sure who is looking forwards to summer vacation more.
On the other hand, 11 weeks of unstructured time is very daunting. Kids get bored, they fight. They terrorize each other and trash the house. But the summer is when I have more time. This summer, I'm going in with a plan. I'm pretty sure it will last about 2 weeks before it is totally abandoned, but here goes:
Chores. Every day, something will get done. I'm working with each kid on a list of chores that they will do. Some are daily. Some are every other day, and some are once a week. I reserve the right to add more chores at any time, and successful completion by the kids will result in a financial reimbursement. We're all going to do our chores together, and something will get cleaned every day. I'm tired of my house never being all cleaned at once, and I, myself, want to keep more on top of things.Reading. The kids are really going to read every day, I swear. Sophia's reading is not where I think it needs to be for her to be successful in 1st grade, so we need to improve it. Jake is an excellent reader, but lacks fluency. Also, I'd like him to read for enjoyment, as a hobby. Books are a wonderful bridge for discussion with other people. I have a list I want to read as well.Responsibility. This kind of goes with the chores, but I really want to instill in the kids a sense of responsibility for their own belongings. This will mean picking up after themselves, including dishes. My hope is that with constant reminders, by the end of the summer and into next school year, it will be more habit.Peaceful co-existence. I know they're going to fight. I would like it to be kept at a minimum. That being said, I don't want to be yelling and nagging all the time either. I would like us all to have a personal respect for each other and our boundaries that keeps bloodshed and screaming to a minimum.Summer milestones. Jake will ride a bike without training wheels. (In his defense, while the training wheels are on the bike, they are so far off the ground that they really don't do anything) Sophia will go under the water. Both kids will improve swimming. I will exercise at least twice a week and hopefully fit into some shorts that are a bit snug.Sweat, but not the small stuff. We need to spend lots of outdoor time to achieve #5, but I want for myself to be a little (ok, lot) more laid back, which may help with #4 as well.Have fun!! The kids have some camps scheduled, but I want to do fun things too, like go to Howe Caverns, the Great Expense Escape and other various things. We don't have our vacation scheduled yet, as I'm still trying to figure out my work schedule, with summer school and per diem work.
I know the homeschool moms, the true veterans of having kids at home, are laughing at my plans right now, just waiting for my colossal failure, but this seems reasonable, right? I know this may not work, and by Labor Day (or August 1st), I may be looking to sell my children to the lowest bidder. I hope not. I love not having to set an alarm. I love not having to rush everyday to get out of the house. I love that the lunch boxes do not occupy space on the counter and the backpacks are hung up and put away. I love that we don't have homework or tests. I love that Jake can be off his medication.
I hope with the extra time, I can also work on getting my book in print form, selling it (both online and in bookstores), and on writing the next one. I wrote the bulk of Good Intentions two summers ago, so I'd like to try and repeat that. I'm about 20-25% of the way in, so hopefully I can run with it.
Preserving my sanity starts with a plan. T-9 days and counting...
On the other hand, 11 weeks of unstructured time is very daunting. Kids get bored, they fight. They terrorize each other and trash the house. But the summer is when I have more time. This summer, I'm going in with a plan. I'm pretty sure it will last about 2 weeks before it is totally abandoned, but here goes:
Chores. Every day, something will get done. I'm working with each kid on a list of chores that they will do. Some are daily. Some are every other day, and some are once a week. I reserve the right to add more chores at any time, and successful completion by the kids will result in a financial reimbursement. We're all going to do our chores together, and something will get cleaned every day. I'm tired of my house never being all cleaned at once, and I, myself, want to keep more on top of things.Reading. The kids are really going to read every day, I swear. Sophia's reading is not where I think it needs to be for her to be successful in 1st grade, so we need to improve it. Jake is an excellent reader, but lacks fluency. Also, I'd like him to read for enjoyment, as a hobby. Books are a wonderful bridge for discussion with other people. I have a list I want to read as well.Responsibility. This kind of goes with the chores, but I really want to instill in the kids a sense of responsibility for their own belongings. This will mean picking up after themselves, including dishes. My hope is that with constant reminders, by the end of the summer and into next school year, it will be more habit.Peaceful co-existence. I know they're going to fight. I would like it to be kept at a minimum. That being said, I don't want to be yelling and nagging all the time either. I would like us all to have a personal respect for each other and our boundaries that keeps bloodshed and screaming to a minimum.Summer milestones. Jake will ride a bike without training wheels. (In his defense, while the training wheels are on the bike, they are so far off the ground that they really don't do anything) Sophia will go under the water. Both kids will improve swimming. I will exercise at least twice a week and hopefully fit into some shorts that are a bit snug.Sweat, but not the small stuff. We need to spend lots of outdoor time to achieve #5, but I want for myself to be a little (ok, lot) more laid back, which may help with #4 as well.Have fun!! The kids have some camps scheduled, but I want to do fun things too, like go to Howe Caverns, the Great Expense Escape and other various things. We don't have our vacation scheduled yet, as I'm still trying to figure out my work schedule, with summer school and per diem work.
I know the homeschool moms, the true veterans of having kids at home, are laughing at my plans right now, just waiting for my colossal failure, but this seems reasonable, right? I know this may not work, and by Labor Day (or August 1st), I may be looking to sell my children to the lowest bidder. I hope not. I love not having to set an alarm. I love not having to rush everyday to get out of the house. I love that the lunch boxes do not occupy space on the counter and the backpacks are hung up and put away. I love that we don't have homework or tests. I love that Jake can be off his medication.
I hope with the extra time, I can also work on getting my book in print form, selling it (both online and in bookstores), and on writing the next one. I wrote the bulk of Good Intentions two summers ago, so I'd like to try and repeat that. I'm about 20-25% of the way in, so hopefully I can run with it.
Preserving my sanity starts with a plan. T-9 days and counting...
Published on June 09, 2013 14:42
June 7, 2013
Risk-Benefit Analysis
Taking a break from pushing my book (although it is still for sale) to talk about a family issue. As I have disclosed in the past, my son has Attention Deficit Disorder (without Hyperactivity). This is not an excuse for his behavior. He is a very, very bright young man, but he simply cannot stay focused. He twitches and fidgets, he stares off into space. He loses track of what he is doing midway through the task.
Part of his difficulty is that he processes information slowly. In fact, I think his brain is actually working in overdrive when he receives information. He's considering it, studying it, and developing theories about it. A great example is one his Kindergarten teacher gave me. She is one of the best teachers ever, and she really understood how he worked, which is why she was such an efficient teacher for him. They were going around the room doing letter sounds. This was in the first part of the year, but Jake was already reading. Jake picked the letter 'A' and just sat there. She knew he knew what the letter was and what sound it made, but she could not figure out why he wasn't responding. After giving him some wait time (also very important), she gave him a gentle prompt to tell her the letter sound. He finally said, "Well, A has two sounds. It says "A" and "ah" because it is a vowel. The other vowels are e, i, o and u."
Very basic, but you can see what I mean about his mind working in overdrive. But because of this thought process, we think he strays off and forgets what the original question was. If left to his own devices, he is a future absent-minded professor in training. But that's not what I want him to be. I want him to be pulled together.
After careful consideration, many inter-marital disputes, and an awesome data-collection by his teacher, we finally decided that Jake would probably benefit from a trial of some medication for his ADD. Due to his slowness, it was thought that a stimulant might be the best type for him. Since February, he's been taking Adderall XR. He started on a low dose, and has had one dose increase. His teacher has commented that he is finishing work in a more timely manner, and needs less prompts to stay on task during lengthy writing assignments. Jake asks to take it before school. He has said that he notices a difference and that he feels better at school when he takes it. He did say a drawback is that now he can pay attention, and the school stuff is really boring, so he just pays better attention to his daydreams.
But we are seeing some negative reactions as well. Jake is a skinny kid to begin with. There's nothing to him, and the Adderall has killed his appetite. He's now complaining of frequent headaches and stomach pain. He's had an episode or two of vomiting, although it is usually in the middle of the night. We give him a break from the medication on the weekends, just so he'll eat better, and we're planning to take him off it for the summer to try and beef him up a little. Even on the weekend when he hasn't had the medication, although his appetite is improved, he's still sick to his stomach a lot.
This is where I'm so torn. I just received a call from the school nurse, because Jake was in there complaining of nausea. He was probably just overheated, but I know he's feeling crappy a lot of the time. I also know that academically, he needs this to help him succeed in school. He's going to get a break from it, but I have a feeling we're going to be trying different medications out.
I know that with any pharmaceutical use, one needs to perform the risk-benefit analysis. We know how important the benefits are for Jake. I just wish the side effects did not impact him the way they do. Not sure what we'll try next, or if we'll just give him the break and see if that helps.
I just wish I could fix him.
Part of his difficulty is that he processes information slowly. In fact, I think his brain is actually working in overdrive when he receives information. He's considering it, studying it, and developing theories about it. A great example is one his Kindergarten teacher gave me. She is one of the best teachers ever, and she really understood how he worked, which is why she was such an efficient teacher for him. They were going around the room doing letter sounds. This was in the first part of the year, but Jake was already reading. Jake picked the letter 'A' and just sat there. She knew he knew what the letter was and what sound it made, but she could not figure out why he wasn't responding. After giving him some wait time (also very important), she gave him a gentle prompt to tell her the letter sound. He finally said, "Well, A has two sounds. It says "A" and "ah" because it is a vowel. The other vowels are e, i, o and u."
Very basic, but you can see what I mean about his mind working in overdrive. But because of this thought process, we think he strays off and forgets what the original question was. If left to his own devices, he is a future absent-minded professor in training. But that's not what I want him to be. I want him to be pulled together.
After careful consideration, many inter-marital disputes, and an awesome data-collection by his teacher, we finally decided that Jake would probably benefit from a trial of some medication for his ADD. Due to his slowness, it was thought that a stimulant might be the best type for him. Since February, he's been taking Adderall XR. He started on a low dose, and has had one dose increase. His teacher has commented that he is finishing work in a more timely manner, and needs less prompts to stay on task during lengthy writing assignments. Jake asks to take it before school. He has said that he notices a difference and that he feels better at school when he takes it. He did say a drawback is that now he can pay attention, and the school stuff is really boring, so he just pays better attention to his daydreams.
But we are seeing some negative reactions as well. Jake is a skinny kid to begin with. There's nothing to him, and the Adderall has killed his appetite. He's now complaining of frequent headaches and stomach pain. He's had an episode or two of vomiting, although it is usually in the middle of the night. We give him a break from the medication on the weekends, just so he'll eat better, and we're planning to take him off it for the summer to try and beef him up a little. Even on the weekend when he hasn't had the medication, although his appetite is improved, he's still sick to his stomach a lot.
This is where I'm so torn. I just received a call from the school nurse, because Jake was in there complaining of nausea. He was probably just overheated, but I know he's feeling crappy a lot of the time. I also know that academically, he needs this to help him succeed in school. He's going to get a break from it, but I have a feeling we're going to be trying different medications out.
I know that with any pharmaceutical use, one needs to perform the risk-benefit analysis. We know how important the benefits are for Jake. I just wish the side effects did not impact him the way they do. Not sure what we'll try next, or if we'll just give him the break and see if that helps.
I just wish I could fix him.
Published on June 07, 2013 12:29
June 4, 2013
Humility Block
In the artful world of Amish quilting, there is what is known as the Humility Block. Myth says that it is a mistake, purposefully placed in the quilt to remind the quilter that only God is perfect, and to attempt a perfect quilt is exhibits too much pride.

This is my humility block.
With exuberance (and perhaps with a bit of pride), I published my novel, Good Intentions, via Nook and Kindle last week. Despite having read the manuscript (and read it, and re-read it), and having other people read it, apparently some typos/errors have gotten though. It seems the majority of them are the kind that your eye skims over, because your brain knows what is being said. For example, there was the word 'of' when it should have been 'on.'
So, on the one hand, I'm thrilled that Good Intentions is slowly but surely selling (and THANK YOU!!). But on the other hand, I'm a little bit mortified that there are this many errors. The great thing about the digital world is that I can update the books on both Nook and Kindle and fix the errors. Nook updates immediately, whereas Kindle takes about 10-12 hours for the changes to be updated.
I am looking at publishing the book in physical form, and would like to have as few errors in there as possible. So, here's my proposal:
Read Good Intentions. If you find errors, keep track of them (by chapter would work best). Comment on this blog post with the errors. As incentive, the person who finds the most errors ("the winner") will have a character in my next book named after them. I'll also hook you up with a free signed copy of the physical book once it gets published.
Get reading and help me out!
Good Intentions, available on Nook and Kindle.
Michele, this does not count for you, because you already made me name a character after you.

This is my humility block.
With exuberance (and perhaps with a bit of pride), I published my novel, Good Intentions, via Nook and Kindle last week. Despite having read the manuscript (and read it, and re-read it), and having other people read it, apparently some typos/errors have gotten though. It seems the majority of them are the kind that your eye skims over, because your brain knows what is being said. For example, there was the word 'of' when it should have been 'on.'
So, on the one hand, I'm thrilled that Good Intentions is slowly but surely selling (and THANK YOU!!). But on the other hand, I'm a little bit mortified that there are this many errors. The great thing about the digital world is that I can update the books on both Nook and Kindle and fix the errors. Nook updates immediately, whereas Kindle takes about 10-12 hours for the changes to be updated.
I am looking at publishing the book in physical form, and would like to have as few errors in there as possible. So, here's my proposal:
Read Good Intentions. If you find errors, keep track of them (by chapter would work best). Comment on this blog post with the errors. As incentive, the person who finds the most errors ("the winner") will have a character in my next book named after them. I'll also hook you up with a free signed copy of the physical book once it gets published.
Get reading and help me out!
Good Intentions, available on Nook and Kindle.
Michele, this does not count for you, because you already made me name a character after you.
Published on June 04, 2013 19:18
June 2, 2013
"When did you write a book?"
If I had a nickle for everytime I've heard that one this week...
I guess I surprised a lot of people with my sudden "coming out" as a writer. I still don't know that I would consider myself a writer, yet. I feel I'm more a person who writes. Just like I identify myself as a person who dances, but not a dancer. I guess I feel that those artistic talents, writing and dancing, are crafts that are mastered and perfected. I dabble in both as enjoyment and recreation, but do not feel that I have any sort of mastery.
Anyway, a lot of people have asked me when did I write Good Intentions. I finished it two summers ago, but now, I can't remember when exactly I started it. I think sometime the winter before. I wrote a little, and then let it go until the summer, when I was able to bang the rest of it out. Unfortunately for and unbeknownst to me, the end of the summer is when the publishing world goes on vacation, so the first 20 or 30 agents I sent it to probably did not really even consider it.
I like to read. And since I've had an e-reader, I read a lot more. There are new books at my fingertips all the time. However, I'm also a little cheap when it comes to buying books. I don't like to spend a whole lot, so I tend to get the free or inexpensively priced books (usually under $5). I read pretty fast, so if I bought higher priced books, I could end up going into serious debt. I've read some great books, but I've also read some not fabulous books. I realized that Good Intentions would be perfect for the e-reader market. An inexpensive book that is an entertaining, light read. Somewhat humorous, somewhat serious, hopefully enjoyable.
Even though I'm going the self-publishing route right now, I still have dreams of a book deal with an eventual physical book that I can hold in my hands. I'm hoping that the people who buy Good Intentions (and enjoy it) write favorable reviews, and it takes off selling. I'm looking into getting some physical copies printed so that I can send them to different media outlets to get more word of mouth.
I sat on my bed, computer on my lap, 90's music in the background and wrote Good Intentions. But getting the book out there has become a community effort, and I need to thank those people. I had some great readers to help with editing, making sure things make sense, and just plain encouragement that this was worth pursuing. Michele, Sue and Mom, thanks for being the first to read it! Cahren and Maureen, I know I jumped the gun with publishing, but you guys can read it now and write some nice reviews (or if you hate it, please DO NOT write a review).
I also got some (ok, a lot of) help from some fellow Catholic Central High alum who are successful published writers in their own accord. After you finish Good Intentions, check out Dennis Mahoney and Eric Devine. Dennis' debut novel, Fellow Mortals, was wonderful, and Eric is about to launch his third book, Dare Me.
Thank you to everyone who has purchased the book so far. Thank you for taking a chance on me. Thank you for telling your friends and trying to spread the word.
Thank you all for helping one of my dreams come true.
On sale now for Nook and Kindle
I guess I surprised a lot of people with my sudden "coming out" as a writer. I still don't know that I would consider myself a writer, yet. I feel I'm more a person who writes. Just like I identify myself as a person who dances, but not a dancer. I guess I feel that those artistic talents, writing and dancing, are crafts that are mastered and perfected. I dabble in both as enjoyment and recreation, but do not feel that I have any sort of mastery.
Anyway, a lot of people have asked me when did I write Good Intentions. I finished it two summers ago, but now, I can't remember when exactly I started it. I think sometime the winter before. I wrote a little, and then let it go until the summer, when I was able to bang the rest of it out. Unfortunately for and unbeknownst to me, the end of the summer is when the publishing world goes on vacation, so the first 20 or 30 agents I sent it to probably did not really even consider it.
I like to read. And since I've had an e-reader, I read a lot more. There are new books at my fingertips all the time. However, I'm also a little cheap when it comes to buying books. I don't like to spend a whole lot, so I tend to get the free or inexpensively priced books (usually under $5). I read pretty fast, so if I bought higher priced books, I could end up going into serious debt. I've read some great books, but I've also read some not fabulous books. I realized that Good Intentions would be perfect for the e-reader market. An inexpensive book that is an entertaining, light read. Somewhat humorous, somewhat serious, hopefully enjoyable.
Even though I'm going the self-publishing route right now, I still have dreams of a book deal with an eventual physical book that I can hold in my hands. I'm hoping that the people who buy Good Intentions (and enjoy it) write favorable reviews, and it takes off selling. I'm looking into getting some physical copies printed so that I can send them to different media outlets to get more word of mouth.
I sat on my bed, computer on my lap, 90's music in the background and wrote Good Intentions. But getting the book out there has become a community effort, and I need to thank those people. I had some great readers to help with editing, making sure things make sense, and just plain encouragement that this was worth pursuing. Michele, Sue and Mom, thanks for being the first to read it! Cahren and Maureen, I know I jumped the gun with publishing, but you guys can read it now and write some nice reviews (or if you hate it, please DO NOT write a review).
I also got some (ok, a lot of) help from some fellow Catholic Central High alum who are successful published writers in their own accord. After you finish Good Intentions, check out Dennis Mahoney and Eric Devine. Dennis' debut novel, Fellow Mortals, was wonderful, and Eric is about to launch his third book, Dare Me.
Thank you to everyone who has purchased the book so far. Thank you for taking a chance on me. Thank you for telling your friends and trying to spread the word.
Thank you all for helping one of my dreams come true.

Published on June 02, 2013 08:58