Esther Spurrill Jones's Blog, page 30
October 3, 2013
OctPoWriMo 3 - Words From the Heart
Today, I decided to write a cinquain for the prompt that asked us to share our own story, our own journey with poetry. And, since I like to challenge myself, I added rhyme.
I don't remember when I began to write poetry. I feel like I've always been a poet.
Words From the Heart
PoemWords from the heartBreaking, teaching, healingThe deepest, purest form of artFeeling
I don't remember when I began to write poetry. I feel like I've always been a poet.
Words From the Heart
PoemWords from the heartBreaking, teaching, healingThe deepest, purest form of artFeeling
October 2, 2013
OctPoWriMo 2 - Newspaper Blackout Poetry
Today's prompt asks us to find where poetry hides. I found poetry in the newspaper. I created a newspaper blackout poem.
October 1, 2013
OctPoWriMo 1 - I Love Fall
Call it Autumn; call it Fall;
I don’t care—I love it all:
Pumpkin lattés, yellow leaves,
Longer pants, and shirts with sleeves.
Winter’s cold and Summer’s hot;
Spring is muddy—Autumn’s not.
Prompt here.
September 30, 2013
OctPoWriMo 2013 - It's almost here!
Tomorrow is the first day of October. That means OctPoWriMo (October Poetry Writing Month) begins again! I did this challenge last year, and had so much fun and learned so much. I'm so excited to do it again!
If you're wondering what it's all about, we write a poem a day for the 31 days of October. Each day will have prompts on OctPoWriMo.com that you can use or not, and each day will have a Linky list to enter if you've shared your piece on your blog.
I'll be poeming; will you?
September 27, 2013
Follow Fest
Name: Esther Spurrill Jones
Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction
What genres do you write? Speculative fiction (Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror), Romance, Poetry, Fanfiction
Are you published? Yes (see sidebar)
Do you do anything in addition to writing? I am a wife, a sister, and a friend. I am a reporting assistant.
Where can people connect with you?
Blog: I Just Live Here
Twitter: @EstherSJones
Facebook: ESJ, Word Artist
YouTube
Google+
Author pages:
Goodreads
Amazon
Smashwords
Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
I am willing to post cover reveals and book releases and giveaways.I review books sometimes.I love Jesus.I write music.I am an introvert.I have seven siblings.I love my husband.Okay, I'll stop now.
September 21, 2013
Halloween eBook Giveaway
It's the time of year when thoughts begin to turn to scary things. Ghosts and witches, vampires and zombies leer at us from every store window. (In actual fact, my local dollar store started to set up their Halloween displays in August. In my mind, that's a little bit early.)
How would you like a free short story eBook to fit into the Halloween themes? I have three available, and I'll let you choose which one you'd like. Just leave a comment on this blog post before midnight Central Standard Time on September 30 with your choice and your email. (So I can send it to you. I promise I won't add you to a mailing list.)
1. Vampires
"When Lance accepts his twin brother's offer of immortality, he does so against his own better judgement. However, he has no idea of the horror to come.
When Peter's first hunt is successful, and he kills his first vampire, he believes that he has become a man. However, nothing could prepare him for what he will become."
No sparkling here. Just some good angsty feels and maybe a fight or two. Oh, and blood. You can't have vampires without blood.
2. Zombies
"Jerome held his breath, pressing up against the side of the deserted building, praying to whoever or whatever might be listening that he wouldn’t be seen, wouldn’t be heard. Groaning and shuffling reached his ears, heralding the approach of the hordes of undead."
My first attempt at writing about zombies, this was written for Joe Konrath's 8 hour fiction challenge.
3. Fairy tales
This one's a little different. It's a classic fairytale with a twist, and there are no supernatural creatures: just
humans acting like monsters.
So, which one catches your interest? Let me know below. I can email you an attached file in any format you like, or I can provide a Smashwords coupon for 1 or 3. Falling to Pieces is not available on Smashwords yet, unfortunately.
How would you like a free short story eBook to fit into the Halloween themes? I have three available, and I'll let you choose which one you'd like. Just leave a comment on this blog post before midnight Central Standard Time on September 30 with your choice and your email. (So I can send it to you. I promise I won't add you to a mailing list.)
1. Vampires"When Lance accepts his twin brother's offer of immortality, he does so against his own better judgement. However, he has no idea of the horror to come.
When Peter's first hunt is successful, and he kills his first vampire, he believes that he has become a man. However, nothing could prepare him for what he will become."
No sparkling here. Just some good angsty feels and maybe a fight or two. Oh, and blood. You can't have vampires without blood.
2. Zombies"Jerome held his breath, pressing up against the side of the deserted building, praying to whoever or whatever might be listening that he wouldn’t be seen, wouldn’t be heard. Groaning and shuffling reached his ears, heralding the approach of the hordes of undead."
My first attempt at writing about zombies, this was written for Joe Konrath's 8 hour fiction challenge.
3. Fairy tales
This one's a little different. It's a classic fairytale with a twist, and there are no supernatural creatures: just humans acting like monsters.
So, which one catches your interest? Let me know below. I can email you an attached file in any format you like, or I can provide a Smashwords coupon for 1 or 3. Falling to Pieces is not available on Smashwords yet, unfortunately.
September 18, 2013
This is Who I Am
I have something to reveal. Those who know me well already know this, but if you've never met me, this may be a surprise.
I've always been good with words; I even call myself a word artist. I am a writer, a poet, a songwriter. I give words life so they can dance and sing. I sculpt and paint with words. Yet, I often find it difficult to find the right words when talking to people.
Ay, there's the rub: people. When I'm alone with paper and pen (or a computer), words flow freely. They may play hide-and-seek at times, flirting and teasing, but they always return to me. I express my innermost thoughts and feelings with ease. When I am speaking aloud to another person, words flee and hide themselves in the shrubbery, refusing to give me the time of day.
I am an introvert.
Is anyone shocked? If you've known/talked to me for more than a few minutes, you're not at all surprised. I've been called "quiet" by nearly anyone who has ever been asked to describe me; it's usually the first word that comes to mind.
It's difficult for an extrovert to even begin to understand an introvert. Extroverts love being around large groups of people—they find it energizing—and they hate being alone. Introverts find it tiring, even exhausting, to be around large groups of people: the larger the group, the more exhausting it becomes.
Some introverts love people, but usually we would add the qualifier "some people." It's not that we don't enjoy parties and group outings; we just need time alone to recharge afterwards. If I have to go out three or more nights in one week, I get fatigued just thinking about it. My favourite kind of week is when I go out once or twice (or even not at all). My favourite kind of Saturday is when I get to sit at home in my pajamas and read, play games, and/or watch Netflix. On Sunday, I go to church and often out for lunch with friends and/or family.
When I was a child, I was painfully shy. I was terrified that others wouldn't like me, so I hated starting up conversations with others. Now, I hate starting up conversations because it's just so exhausting. I have to have a reason to do it, or it feels like a waste of time and energy.
Small talk is the worst. Why does anyone bother with it? Most people who ask how I'm doing don't care how my day is going. They just ask because they've been taught that's the polite thing to do. And most people lie and say they're fine even if they're not. It feels so superficial to me. I can do it, but I hate it. Why should I waste my precious introvert energy on something so useless?
Image from http://questionablylate.tumblr.com/post/17227500725/my-design-but-not-my-list-how-to-care-forMy name is Esther, and I am an introvert. I like people, but I often prefer to be alone. I feel physically ill when people laugh at me (not with me—that's fine) or rebuke me. I like to think before I speak. I like change, but I'm not very spontaneous. I get confused easily. I learn new things quickly and easily. I have a very few really close friends that I would trust with my life. I don't fit the above image perfectly, but that's okay. I am an individual.
I am an introvert, and that's okay.
I've always been good with words; I even call myself a word artist. I am a writer, a poet, a songwriter. I give words life so they can dance and sing. I sculpt and paint with words. Yet, I often find it difficult to find the right words when talking to people.
Ay, there's the rub: people. When I'm alone with paper and pen (or a computer), words flow freely. They may play hide-and-seek at times, flirting and teasing, but they always return to me. I express my innermost thoughts and feelings with ease. When I am speaking aloud to another person, words flee and hide themselves in the shrubbery, refusing to give me the time of day.
I am an introvert.
Is anyone shocked? If you've known/talked to me for more than a few minutes, you're not at all surprised. I've been called "quiet" by nearly anyone who has ever been asked to describe me; it's usually the first word that comes to mind.
It's difficult for an extrovert to even begin to understand an introvert. Extroverts love being around large groups of people—they find it energizing—and they hate being alone. Introverts find it tiring, even exhausting, to be around large groups of people: the larger the group, the more exhausting it becomes.
Some introverts love people, but usually we would add the qualifier "some people." It's not that we don't enjoy parties and group outings; we just need time alone to recharge afterwards. If I have to go out three or more nights in one week, I get fatigued just thinking about it. My favourite kind of week is when I go out once or twice (or even not at all). My favourite kind of Saturday is when I get to sit at home in my pajamas and read, play games, and/or watch Netflix. On Sunday, I go to church and often out for lunch with friends and/or family.
When I was a child, I was painfully shy. I was terrified that others wouldn't like me, so I hated starting up conversations with others. Now, I hate starting up conversations because it's just so exhausting. I have to have a reason to do it, or it feels like a waste of time and energy.
Small talk is the worst. Why does anyone bother with it? Most people who ask how I'm doing don't care how my day is going. They just ask because they've been taught that's the polite thing to do. And most people lie and say they're fine even if they're not. It feels so superficial to me. I can do it, but I hate it. Why should I waste my precious introvert energy on something so useless?
Image from http://questionablylate.tumblr.com/post/17227500725/my-design-but-not-my-list-how-to-care-forMy name is Esther, and I am an introvert. I like people, but I often prefer to be alone. I feel physically ill when people laugh at me (not with me—that's fine) or rebuke me. I like to think before I speak. I like change, but I'm not very spontaneous. I get confused easily. I learn new things quickly and easily. I have a very few really close friends that I would trust with my life. I don't fit the above image perfectly, but that's okay. I am an individual.I am an introvert, and that's okay.
September 13, 2013
Whether vs Weather
The Spelling and Grammar Templar has a post up today regarding the commonly confused words 'whether' and 'weather.' Pop on over for an explanation!
September 4, 2013
Could you write a book in 8 hours or less?
Joe Konrath issued a challenge a few days ago: write, edit, and publish an ebook in 8 hours or less.At first, though I wanted to do it, and I thought I could, I had no idea what to write. Then, with less than a day left before the midnight August 29 deadline, I started writing.
I wrote madly through the workday, on breaks, and between customers, and then I sent it to my sister to beta read. After work, I edited like crazy, then uploaded to Amazon, enrolling in KDP Select so I could go free for the first few days.
Amazon gave me a message that it could take up to 12 hours for the book to go live. 12 HOURS??!! I didn't have half that much time left. I sent off a quick email to Joe letting him know the situation, and begging for more time to get the Amazon link to him.
I got up for work August 30, and sent off another email with the now live Amazon link. Crossing my fingers that I was in time, I headed out of town for the long weekend.
On August 31, I checked Feedly on my phone, and there was Joe's post with the winners of the challenge. Over 140 writers had done it. I scrolled down, and down, and down, until... there! My entry had made it! After a little happy dance, I put away my phone and enjoyed my vacation.
Falling to Pieces, a short zombie story, is free on Amazon right now. Today is the last day it will be free, so if you want a copy, now is the time to grab one.
Amazon.comAmazon.caAmazon.co.ukDo you think you could do it? Or am I crazy?
August 31, 2013
Book Release - Falling to Pieces
Falling to Pieces went live on Amazon yesterday, and is free today for five days. I wrote this on Thursday as part of Joe Konrath's 8 Hour eBook Challenge.
A man tries to deal with the horror of a zombie outbreak.
"Jerome held his breath, pressing up against the side of the deserted building, praying to whoever or whatever might be listening that he wouldn’t be seen, wouldn’t be heard. Groaning and shuffling reached his ears, heralding the approach of the hordes of undead."
I've never written a zombie story before, so I'd love to hear if I've done the genre justice.
