Jacqueline E. Smith's Blog, page 25

Busy Bee

I haven’t been a very good blogger these last few days. ��Part of the reason is because I have been under the weather and have had to practically force myself up off the couch to do anything. ��Blegh. ��But the other reason is because, despite my pitiful existence this week, I’ve actually been pretty busy.

I’ve been helping my friend Paula format her new children’s book,��Jack Learns to Grill. ��It’s an adorable book about her pet dingo, Jack. ��She’s planning a whole series and I’ve got to tell you, I can’t wait to see more of her books and where they can take her.

https://paulawalkerbaker.wordpress.com

I’ve also been in communication with a fellow blogger and future author, Danielle Miller, who is celebrating her third year in the WordPress community! ��As part of her celebration, she’s looking to get to know and promote authors and I’m honored to be a part of it! For more information, check out her blog here:��https://danielleelisemiller.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/stories-unfolded-blogiversary-free-promotion-for-authors/

Or follow her on Twitter:��https://twitter.com/elise_dani

Finally, I’m about halfway through with my Boy Band��revisions. ��I’m really excited about this book, y’all. I know I keep talking about it, but I’m REALLY excited. I really think it’s going to be awesome.

And on that note, I’m off to revise and listen to Disney music before I run off to a dinner meeting. ��Have a good weekend, y’all!

Lent

Today, Ash Wednesday, mark the first day of Lent. ��In the Episcopal church, we observe Lent by trying to better our lives and the lives around us by either giving up something or taking something on. ��For years now, I’ve given up Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook because I’m absolutely addicted and it’s a huge time-suck. ��Seriously, I’ve wasted hundreds��of valuable hours playing that stupid game. ��Every year I give it up, I think, “Maybe this will be the year I give it up for good.” ��Never happens. ��Every Easter, I’m right back on that game, trying to match as many gems as I can to get the high score.

This year, however, I’d like to do something a little more significant than giving up an online computer game. ��One of my goals for over a year now has been to live a less materialistic life and to donate things that I no longer use (books don’t count – I always reread books). ��I’ve actually been really good about cleaning out and finding things to give away, but every time I get rid of stuff, I feel like new stuff rolls in to take its place! ��I’m not sure if there’s some sort of strange universal equation that states that whatever leaves the house must be replaced, but something is up. ��For some reason, even though I donate bags and bags, it never feels less cluttered. ��I feel constantly burdened by things I don’t need, so this Lenten season, I’m going to really focus my time on cleaning out and donating.

For the record, my family donates all of our stuff to Operation Kindness, which benefits homeless animals. ��We’re big animal lovers.

My second goal is to visit every independent book store in the metroplex. ��Although I feel very involved in the online book community, I haven’t been as active in the real life book community, and that needs to change. ��I live in the third largest arts district in the nation. ��I know there are opportunities out there. ��I just need to be brave enough to go out and take them.

My other goals are pretty generic, and ones that I really have all year, like spending more time in nature. ��I’m always happiest outside. ��Nature is better for my mental and spiritual well-being than anything. ��Even more so than reading or writing. ��Yes, I said it. ��I’m so thankful that spring is just around the corner. Frigid temperatures really take a toll on my time spent outside.

So, there you have it. ��My goals for the next forty days. ��Of course, I’ll keep writing and revising. ��After all,��yesterday marked TEN WEEKS until��Boy Band��is released! ��I can see the finish line, but there’s still so much to be done! ��As always, it will all be worth it.

Weekend Recap

Hi, friends!

I hope you had a splendid weekend and Valentine’s Day full of love. And if not love, then at least full of chocolate. ��Since my boyfriend, Richard Armitage, is out of town shooting a movie or something, my mom and I had a Valentine’s Mother Daughter Date to the bowling alley! ��It was great.

It also got me thinking that a bowling alley would be a REALLY cool place for a book release party! ��I’m seriously considering it for the release of��Boy Band. ��But then, I also have a lot of cool ideas, decoration-wise, for the party, so it probably won’t happen in a bowling alley. ��But still.

Sunday, I celebrated Galentine’s Day with my BFF, Jessica. ��We went out to dinner and then went back to her place to watch a Disney movie and drink wine. ��Unfortunately, she does not have very good wine openers so I ended up prying the cork out with steak knives.

The lesson to be learned here? ��Nothing stands between an Episcopalian and wine. Nothing.

Yesterday was a blast. ��My other BFF, Hannah, flew in from California to visit her parents and their new farmhouse. ��I hopped in my car and drove the two hours to see them. ��I love being out in the country. ��It’s so free and open. ��No traffic. ��No big buildings. ��Just Earth and sky and road. ��Love!

Anyway, their land is amazing. ��It reminded me of how much I want a getaway cabin one day.

I love Texas. ��But you know what I love more than Texas? ��This puppy.

His name is Krager and he is the cutest, sweetest, most lovable dog you will ever meet. ��I wanted to steal him so bad. ��Sadly, my kitty would NOT approve. ��She likes being an only child and would probably try to banish me or something if I brought home a dog. ��Otherwise, Krager would have been mine. ��I would have found a way.

So, now that my weekend of adventures is over, it’s back to work. ��And I do mean WORK. ��I HAVE to get these revisions finished ASAP. ��I’m also in the process of helping my friend Paula format her first children’s book, which will be released very soon. ��You can keep up to date with her writings here:��https://paulawalkerbaker.wordpress.com

Tomorrow is also the first day of Lent. ��I’m aiming to make some big changes in my life. ��We’ll see if that actually happens. ��But I’m going to try! ��But more on that tomorrow.

I hope you all have a fantastic Shrove Tuesday / Mardi Gras. ��Go eat some pancakes!

Limitless

I follow a lot of authors on Facebook. ��One of those traditionally published authors just released her second book, a sequel to her��debut young adult novel. ��I really enjoyed her first book and I’m very much looking forward to reading the second.

Today, she posted an answer to the question: Will there be a third book in the series?

Her response surprised me. ��She said that there would only be a third book if the second book did well and if her publishing company bought a third book. ��She went on to explain that publishing is a business and a third book depended solely on how well the second book sells.

As proud as I am to be an independent author and to exclusively own the rights to my own books, of course, I’ve always harbored a bit of envy for those authors who’ve been traditionally published. ��I want my books to have the same recognition, the same level of success, as books that have been released by big publishing houses. ��It’s a long shot to be sure, but I believe that it can be done. ��It has been done.

What really got me thinking, however, was the part about how a third book would only happen if the second book did well. ��Even if the story, the characters, demand more, if there aren’t sales to back it up, the saga ends with book two. ��Now, I’m fairly certain her second book will do just as well as the first and that a third one is all but guaranteed (at least I hope… I really liked her first book!), but her answer made me realize just how much freedom I have as an independent author as opposed to an author bound to the revenue and regulations of a big publishing company.

It doesn’t matter how well my books sell. ��I’m free to write whatever I want. ��Cemetery Tours 3 could not sell a single copy and I’d still be able to write and publish��Cemetery Tours 4. ��As an independent author, yes, I’d like to make money and yes, I’d like for this to be my career and my livelihood. ��I want to spend the rest of my life writing books. ��But I’m free to write for myself. ��I am able to write the stories I want to write, not because of money or ratings or success, but because it’s a story that needs to be written. ��As of right now, the story is incomplete,��and until it’s finished, I’m going to keep writing. ��And I realize now that I am so lucky to be able to keep writing. ��As an author, I’m limitless. ��We all are. ��And isn’t that the way art, passion, life itself,��are��supposed to be?

A Dream is a Wish

So, I know I said I wouldn’t be posting at all today, but I got out of jury duty at 11. ��Seriously, it was so uneventful. ��I sat for three hours in this enormous room and reread��Mockingjay��for three hours. ��It was so boring, in fact, that it does not deserve its own blog post. ��But you know, when it comes to jury duty, I’m okay with boring. ��My number wasn’t even called. ��Never had to go back. ��I will take it.

That’s why, instead of writing about the three hours I spent doing absolutely nothing, I’m going to write about the new��Cinderella��movie coming out next month.

Y’all, it looks AMAZING.

Now, I didn’t see Disney’s first fairy tale brought to life, Maleficent, for a few reasons. ��First of all, I heard there was a lot of CGI battles and those bore me. ��Second, I don’t like the idea of trying to redeem the self-proclaimed Mistress of all Evil. ��That was part of what made her such a great villain in the original. She was so evil that she threatened to kill this kid just because her parents snubbed her. ��That’s EVIL. ��I don’t like that they tried to make goofy King Stefan the bad guy or make it seem like Maleficent really loved Aurora. ��Sorry, that just doesn’t work for me. ��But onto��Cinderella.

This movie looks awesome. ��First off, there’s no CGI or crazy battles. ��That’s an automatic plus for me. ��Second, the previews are absolutely gorgeous. ��Colorful, magical, amazing costumes, scenery, set designs… If nothing else, this will be a very aesthetically pleasing movie. ��The music in the previews is incredible as well. ��I get chills every time I watch the trailer (and I’ve watched it several times). ��It looks��that��good.

For another thing, it features an all-star cast. ��I was excited enough to see Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) as the Fairy Godmother and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) as Lady Tremaine, the evil step-mother. ��But then I realized that��Rob Stark (Richard Madden) is Prince Charming (he’s also SCOTTISH) and I thought my inner fangirl might actually keel over from all the amazing. ��What finally did her in, however, was finding out that Derek Jacobi, AKA��the BBC’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, AKA the greatest Shakespearian actor of modern times, if not all history, is playing the King. ��I cannot handle the greatness. ��I actually cannot.

As if all of that wasn’t enough of a reason to completely freak out over this movie, it’s directed by Kenneth Branagh. ��Not only another phenomenal Shakespearian actor (he played Hamlet in a film adaptation which also starred – wouldn’t you know it – Derek Jacobi as Claudius!), Mr. Branagh is also known in the Potterverse as the one and only GILDEROY LOCKHART. ��I’m telling y’all, I really don’t think my fangirl heart can take much more.

So, there you have it. ��My list of reasons why I am absolutely ecstatic about Disney’s latest cinematic masterpiece, and I do truly believe this will be a masterpiece.

The Revision Cycle

I think I’ve mentioned before that before any of my books go to my editors, they first go chapter by chapter to my sister. ��Every writer needs someone whom they trust to be completely honest, especially when it comes to what needs to be revised. ��For me, that’s my sister. ��For one thing, she doesn’t have to worry about telling me the truth or hurting my feelings because I have to love her no matter what. ��For another thing, she reads more than anyone I know. ��She reads more than I do. ��And I read a lot. ��But the thing about KJ is that she knows a good book when she reads one. ��She knows what it takes, what works and what doesn’t. ��I also know she’d never let me publish anything she thought was lousy, not for my benefit, but because she doesn’t want people reading it and thinking, “Wow, KJ’s sister sucks.”

Today, I received not only my newest manuscript (and let me tell you, she poured her heart and soul into it. ��She did a great job with��the��Cemetery Tours��books, but I think she’s REALLY excited about this new one) but a box full of Valentines presents – nail polish, earrings, a mix CD, a key chain, lip balm, markers, and a copy of a magazine full of One Direction pictures. ��All the makings for a perfect girls night. ��I just wish she was here to share it with me.

Now that the manuscript is back in my hands, however, the real work is about to begin. ��I love every part of the writing and publishing process, but revisions can be grueling. ��I try to stay as organized as possible when I go through and make changes, but it can get confusing. ��I can’t take too long with revisions, however, because I need to get this manuscript to my editors, especially since the book is due for release April 21! ��I’ve told y’all before, but I am really excited about this book. ��It’s so different from Cemetery Tours, but it’s so fun.

Of course, I’m still writing��Cemetery Tours 3. ��I started chapter 17 last night, and it’s taking some new and interesting turns that I didn’t expect. ��I hope readers like it as much as the first two. ��That’s something I worry about, you know? ��That it won’t live up to the others. ��That the first two were awesome but the third one is crap. ��I know writers are supposed to exude confidence and self-assurance, but I think the truth is we all worry about how our work will be received. ��We all want our book to be someone’s favorite book. ��One of my dreams is to have someone write fanfiction about my characters one day! ��When that day comes, I’ll know I’ve made it.

Have an awesome day, all! ��I won’t be posting tomorrow because I have my very first JURY DUTY. ��If you want to follow me on Twitter, however, I’ll try to do some live-tweeting. ��Not about the case or anything confidential, of course, ��but about how bored I am and maybe a picture of my shoes.

Twitter: JackieSmith114

Peace out.

Mars One

Yesterday, my friend told me about Mars One. ��If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a non-profit project and its goal is to send the first humans to Mars in 2024. ��Hundreds of thousands have applied to be a part of this historic movement and they’re currently in the process of narrowing it down. ��Sounds interesting, right? ��A chance for civilians to go to space? ��To be the first people on Mars? ��Why not?

Well, it turns out there’s a catch. ��This is a one way flight. ��You go to Mars, you don’t come back. ��History will remember your name, but you are destined to die on Mars.

Let me say that I really admire the people who’ve signed up for this project. ��It’s an enormous sacrifice to make in the name of human exploration, curiosity, and adventure, which are all very noble causes. ��I honestly think we need more people like that. ��That being said, however, my butt is never leaving this planet.

I’d be terrified of going into space even if I was guaranteed to come back. ��I don’t like flying. ��I don’t like small spaces. ��And I really like Earth.

As a species, we humans really take our home planet for granted. ��It’s something I think most of us are aware of, but it’s not something we really take the time to think about. ��Maybe because we can’t imagine a world where trees and oceans and blue skies don’t exist. ��But these��individuals who are volunteering to live and die on Mars are about to experience just that.�� No plants. ��No oceans. ��No nature whatsoever. ��Furthermore, they will be saying goodbye to everyone they’ve ever loved. ��I don’t know about you, but I could not get by without a cat. ��Or my family and friends, you know, but I really need a cat.

A lot of us complain about our lives. ��That might just be part of the human condition. ��We’re never fully satisfied with what we have, even though we’ve actually been given a great deal. ��Earth is a great place to live. ��It was designed that way.

What’s funny is this whole Mars One conversation comes only a day after I was forced to explain to my friend why I don’t like sci-fi. ��At least, sci-fi set in outer space. ��If��The Hunger Games��is sci-fi, then I love that, but outer space sci-fi is just not my thing. ��For some reason, it makes me feel really uncomfortable. ��I think it’s due to a couple of things.

First of all, I’m scared of aliens. ��Ironically, I love alien invasion movies,��Signs, The Fourth Kind,��etc… But movies with aliens that walk around like humans and are supposed to be your friends? ��They creep me out and I don’t know why. ��I love the aliens that are actually supposed to freak you out. ��But the Yodas and the Wookies and the other friendly extra-terrestrial types? ��Eeeugh. ��I’m not a huge fan of robots either.

Secondly, I don’t like not being able to see the ground. ��I remember watching��Star Trek��and��Star Wars��and wondering,��What is holding these space buildings up? ��Where is the ground? ��Here’s the thing. ��If you fall off the edge of the building or the sidewalk, you die. ��Or you get sucked into outer space and then you die. I like planets. ��I like the ground. ��The ground is good.

So friends, this concludes my��Why Earth Is The Best Planet To Live On��talk. ��For the record, I really do love learning about the planets and the stars. ��I think they’re beautiful and magical and wonderful and full of new and exciting mysteries. ��However, I will��be appreciating them from Earth. ��It’s just where I belong.

Not Mars, but the best shot of outer space that I’ve got.

Haunted Valentines

It’s almost Valentines Day. ��Even if you don’t have someone special, it’s still a great holiday. ��Well, maybe it’s not that great, but there is a LOT of chocolate, and I’m a big fan of chocolate.

Unfortunately, very few people, if any, associate Valentines Day with ghost stories. ��Unless, of course, you’re a��Ghost Adventures��fan and recall that one Valentines Day episode at the Longfellow’s Wayside Inn. ��That’s one of my favorite episodes, not because that capture any spectacular evidence, but because it’s hilarious.

Anyway, all last week, I was trying to come up with some way to connect Valentines Day and��Cemetery Tours. ��This is what I came up with. ��Yes, this is just for fun. ��No, I don’t think I’m clever.

Enjoy!

Shameless Self-Promotion Links:

Amazon:��http://www.amazon.com/Jacqueline-E.-Smith/e/B00F7BPXX6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1423510266&sr=8-1

Barnes And Noble:��http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/jacqueline-e.-smith

GoodReads:��https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7260466.Jacqueline_E_Smith

My Voices

Last night, I had a chat with the rational voice that lives inside my head. ��I think she was surprised. ��You see, I don’t consult her very often, mostly because she’s usually wrong. ��How weird is that? ��The voice that’s supposed to think clearly and look at all the facts is the one that usually ends up getting me in trouble or leading me to believe in something that simply isn’t true. ��I guess she’s optimistic that way. ��That, or she’s just not very smart. ��At least she tries.

As writers, we constantly live with different worlds inside or minds. ��It would only make sense, then, that there are several sides of all of us that contribute to these worlds. ��I guess my problem is that I’ve never known which of these sides of myself is my true side, or which one I should be giving the most attention.

First of all, we’ll start with the Writer. ��She’s the one that drives me. ��She’s the one that’s won out after twenty-seven years of competing with all my other selves. ��She often knows what I want to say before I know it myself. ��She also gives my characters words and actions that I didn’t know I had in me. ��I kind of love it when characters come to life like that and act in ways that I hadn’t planned. ��Unfortunately, the Writer in me also sees everyday life, not as real life, but as a story being acted out. ��She gives every person their own plot, their own motives, their own inner dialogues. ��When life doesn’t work out like a storybook, it confuses her. ��More often than not, however, it comes as a relief. ��A lot of stories have tragedies. ��No part of me likes tragedies.

Then we have the Outdoorsman. ��This is the part of me that loves being outside and hiking and kayaking and getting dirty. ��She loves nature and wants nothing more than to live in a cabin by��the lake and become one with the trees. ��She doesn’t care for the hustle and bustle of city life and more often than not, she dreams of simply running away and being free. ��She also might be kind of a hippie.

The Photographer and the Outdoorsman go hand in hand, but unlike the Outdoorsman, the Photographer likes all kinds of settings, city life included. ��She dreams of visiting places like New York and Colorado and Alaska and London. ��In fact, she’ll go just about anywhere as long as there’s something cool to photograph, and trust me, she can always find something. ��She loves seeing things and she loves capturing moments. ��She also loves taking those moments and making them entirely her own.

Then there’s the Beachcomber. ��This side of me wants nothing more than to be by the ocean 24/7. ��She loves everything about the ocean, from the reflection of sunlight on its surface to the countless creatures that call it home. ��She would give just about anything to be by the water constantly.

Next, there’s the Genealogist. ��Technically, I guess she’s not so much of a genealogist as she is a wannabe historian, but for whatever reason, she’s obsessed with my family history. ��She’s in love, not only with Scotland, but the idea of all of her homelands. ��She has a huge desire to explore those historic lands where my ancestors once lived.

Those voices or sides or pieces of self are all well and good, but there are other voices, like the Neurotic Overreacter, that I could do without. ��See, she’s the one that tries to convince me that I need to be worried about everything all the time. ��Thankfully, she’s not the most prominent voice in the bunch, but she’s still there, and every once in a while, she manages to push her way through the rest of the voices and remind me that she’s still there. ��And boy, do I hate her. ��I guess I still need her, because in a way, she does contribute to ideas for stories, but as far as my life goes, I would love it if she just stayed the hell away. ��She’s a control freak, she’s very demanding, and she bums me out. ��A lot.

That’s where my Rational voice comes in. ��She’s supposed to keep the Neurotic Overreacter in check, but she doesn’t do a very good job. ��She’s kind of timid and doesn’t have a lot of confidence in herself, whereas N.O. is convinced that she’s right ALL the time. ��It’s like, impossible to argue with her because she is SO convinced that she’s right. ��My Rational voice tries really hard, I think, but she’s more often lost over the shrill chatter of all the other voices.

There are several other voices that I haven’t touched on: the Good Girl, the Ravenclaw, the Rebel, etc… ��But I think you get the point. ��The road to self-awareness is a long one, and I’m not sure I’ll ever fully get there. ��I think there will always be something new to learn about yourself and how you fit into the world around you. ��Sometimes, your inclinations contradict themselves. ��I’m just trying to get by and find my place, and to live in a way that leaves me few regrets. ��It’s difficult, but I think I’m learning.

Feeling a Little Overwhelmed

Originally posted on paulawalkerbaker:

This week, I received 100 followers on WordPress. Thank you all so much for reading my little epistles. I don���t always have much to ��say, but I declare my right to say it all the same! So, thank you for choosing to read my thoughts.

Starting last week, I began the process of publishing my children���s book, ���Jack Learns to Grill.��� ��I am a bit overwhelmed by it all, but my good friend and author Jackie Smith, has helped me every step of the way. I can���t say how grateful I am to her.

Anyway, Jack of ���Jack Learns.. ��� books is a real live dingo that I adopted a few years ago. He is a curious, animated dog who is smart and has the warmest heart and the funniest expressions. His hero status in the ���Jack Learns������ books is merited by his empathy for those less fortunate than���

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