Jacqueline E. Smith's Blog, page 30

The Pros and Cons of Cold Weather

Ladies and gentlemen, it is that time of year again.  The time of year where I will start every single blog post complaining about how cold it is outside.  As a Texan, this just comes as second nature to me.  We southern folk tend to prefer heat.  It’s just what we’re used to.  And even though cold weather usually comes around every year, somehow we’re always so shocked when it actually happens.

Believe it or not, there are things I actually like about cold weather.  Before Christmas, anyway.  After Christmas, cold weather can take a hike back to hell where it belongs, but before Christmas I actually appreciate it.  Parts of it, anyway.

So, in no order in particular, I present Things I Like and Dislike About Cold Weather.

What I Like About Cold Weather

Christmas Socks

Christmas Music

Christmas Movies

Basically Everything Christmas

Drinking Hot Chocolate

Scarves

Christmas Lights

The Smell of Fireplaces

Guys in Sweaters

Baking Desserts

The Smell of Cold Weather

I Really Appreciate My Warm Bed

Pretty Snow

The Fact that I was Born in the Middle of a Rare Texas Snowstorm

My Snowflake Necklace

Thanksgiving

The Annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Kiser/Smith Holiday Festivities:

http://jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/its-the-holiday-season/

http://jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/so-how-was-your-christmas/

Cuddling with Blankets and my Kitty

A Sense of Home and Coziness

Winter Sunsets

Things I Don’t Like About Cold Weather

It’s Cold

I Have Terrible Circulation

Icy Roads that Kill my Car

Cold Makes my Nose Run and my Ears Hurt

Getting Out of My Warm Bed in the Mornings is The Second Worst Thing in the World

Cold Toilet Seats are the Worst

I Actually Have to Wear Pants and Socks and Closed Toed Shoes to Go Outside

I Like Shorts and Skirts and Flip Flops

Again, It’s Cold

Power Outages

After Christmas Cold Weather is Just Dull and Awful and Cold

Looking at my list, it turns out that there are more things I like about cold weather than dislike… at least before Christmas. Take away all the holiday joy and cold weather is just a drag.

Thankfully, the holiday season is officially in the air and I will be enjoying the weather and the festivities until December 26!!!

Stay warm, everyone!

My Idea of Heaven

Today, a friend said to me, “I notice in Cemetery Tours, you fall short of describing what Heaven is like.  Have you ever written down what it might be like?” And I realized, no, I haven’t.

Have I thought about it?  Of course.  I think that anyone who has ever lost someone close to them has wondered where they are.  Or perhaps wondered where, as mortal beings, we’re all going after we die.  I know some believe that there is no after.  We die, that’s it.  We cease to exist.  But I don’t believe that.  I can’t believe that.  If that’s the case, then what’s the point of anything?

Seriously, have you ever thought about how the human body works?  Heck, how life itself works?  The fact that our bodies work at all is a miracle.  Life is too brilliantly designed to end with death.

That leads me to my idea of Heaven.  I’m not sure I can tell you what I think it will look like or how you get there.  I’ve read multiple accounts of Near Death Experiences, including 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper and Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon.  I notice that with all of these accounts, however, the description of Heaven itself isn’t as visual as it is experienced.  Instead of a physical description, all these authors describe a feeling of warmth, love, and exceptional joy and happiness.  They know that they are in the presence of their loved ones who had gone before them and in the presence of God.  It’s a very comforting thought.

Whenever I personally think about Heaven, I think first about the people (and animals) I will get to see.  I’ll get to see my Mimi again.  I’ll get to finally meet my grandfather, Jack, for whom I am named.  I’ll get to hold all my kitties again.  I’ll get to ask all the questions that I’ve carried with me throughout my life.  I’m really hoping I’ll get to meet Shakespeare and John Lennon and Steve Irwin and Walt Disney.  I’ll probably be just as much of a fangirl in Heaven as I am here on Earth.

As for what Heaven looks like, I’ve always kind of had the idea that it will look like Earth as it was intended at the dawn of Creation.  Perfect nature: crystal blue oceans, towering mountains, vast, endless forests.   When I was in college, I took a philosophy class.  For the life of me, I can’t remember who the philosopher was, but he said something along the lines of how he felt closer to God amidst the trees and nature.  Nature is a tabernacle hand-crafted by God.  It’s His own temple.  That really resonated with me, so I imagine that, just as we are crafted in His own image, our Earth was crafted in Heaven’s image.

As for the experience, I imagine Heaven will be awesome.  I fully intend to swim with killer whales all day long without having to take a breath.  I imagine I’ll be able to run freely as fast as I can without having to worry about time or place.  I’m really hoping I’ll be able to fly, or at least glide from one place to another.  I’ve always been told that Heaven is a place of perfect happiness.  That leads me to believe that Heaven will be what we want it to be.  It also means that there will be animals.  I’ve been told far too many times in my life that Heaven is not a place for animals.  I can’t even begin to fathom a place of eternal happiness without them.  They’re God’s creatures, and the only ones who exhibit unconditional love.  How could they not be welcomed into Paradise?

So, there you have it.  My idea of Heaven.  I’m very happy here on Earth and I hope I get to stay here for a while, at least another fifty or sixty years, but I do believe that Heaven is waiting, and that it’s going to be amazing.

Catching Up

Today’s blog post is cancelled due to a pressing need to catch up on Cemetery Tours 3 and #NaNoWriMo.

Keep writing and keep reading, friends!

New Beginnings

This was a busy, busy weekend.  It actually started Friday afternoon when my mom and took my baby kitty Midnight to the vet for her check-up.  Midnight does not like the vet.  At all.  She’s very vocal about this.  Thankfully, after her check-up, the vet gave her a clean bill of health, except for her heart murmur for which she is being treated.  So yay! I have a healthy kitty!  And she even seems to have forgiven me for manhandling her and taking her to the doctor.

Saturday was a big day, not really for me personally, but for my church.  I’ve touched on my faith here in this blog on occasion, but since this is a blog intended mostly for updates on my work as an author, I don’t delve into personal topics very often.  My relationship with God falls under that category.

I’ve been a member of my church since before I was born.  My grandparents were founding members and my mom has been a member there all her life.  As it turns out, my mom is even BFFs with the Bishop of our Diocese (who also bought a copy of my book… Oh Lord…).  I could probably write a book just about growing up in that church, the people I’ve met, and the adventures I’ve had as a result.  However, the book would also include some less pleasant stuff, stuff that I really don’t want to go into for the sake of my church and the people it involved.  If they read this blog, I’m sure they’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.  Hopefully, they don’t.  It was nothing illegal or taboo or anything.  But it was hurtful.  And it was wrong.

The incident that I’m talking about ignited a part of me that, honestly, I wish didn’t exist.  It’s the part of me that holds grudges and doesn’t forgive easily.  It also marked the beginning of a time when, honestly, I did not feel all that welcome in the church.  I still went, but the atmosphere there changed.  I no longer felt God’s presence.  It all seemed a show.  I’m glad I had my camp in the summers, because I felt closer to God there than I have anywhere else on Earth, except perhaps Scotland.

I could ramble on about this forever. The point is, our church went through a phase where I was not proud to be a member.  However, on Saturday, we welcomed our new Rector, and let me tell you, this guy is the real deal.  I don’t know him very well, but just from having heard him speak, I know he’s going to do good things for our church.  The energy he exudes and the energy he ignites in the congregation is extraordinary.  Once again, I’m feeling hope and excitement and joy inside our church.  I feel God’s presence there again.  I’m so thankful to have our new Rector and to see our church revitalized.  I think he’s going to do amazing things, and I hope he inspires our church to do amazing things as well.

That night, I went and hung out with my dear friend and editor Kit Kat and her new boyfriend and some of his friends.  We played Cards Against Humanity (always a fun time) and then we built a campfire and sat around and drank hot chocolate.  It was lovely.

And of course, all the while, I’ve been hard at work on my #NaNoWriMo project.  I’m still working on Cemetery Tours 3 also, which I think is going well.  My primary reader AKA my sister seems to be liking it, but she’s really liking the NaNo project.  I don’t know.  I might just have to publish it under my real name.  And why not?  I’m kind of proud of it.  It’s fun.  It’s SO different from Cemetery Tours but you know what? That’s not a bad thing.  I’m proud of both of them.  I think they’re both pretty awesome.  I should, I’m the author, but still!

I’m sure I’ll do a more in-depth update on NaNo later on this week.  For now, have a pleasant Monday!  And sound off in the comments section how your NaNo project is going!

Looking Back

Last night, I had a dream that I was going backwards in time.  Back to old places, old relationships, old states of mind, none of which were necessarily good for me.  Halfway through the dream, I realized that I didn’t want any of it.  I didn’t want to go backwards.  I’m happy with the way my life is going.  I want to keep moving forward (Meet the Robinsons, anyone?).  To quote one of my favorite bands ever, “I’ve got my heart set on what happens next” (Switchfoot).  I want a career.  I want to keep finding my way in this world.  Going backwards is the last thing I want to do.

That being said, just because I don’t want to relive my past, it doesn’t mean I can’t look back on it every once in a while.  In fact, sometimes I think it gives me the confidence I need to keep going.

A few years back, there was a time I felt I had absolutely no say over what happened in my life.  I felt trapped. I felt anchored.  I felt like I had to follow this one path that everyone else thought was right for me.  I reached the point where I was so depressed and feeling like I had no control that I cut all my hair off.

You read that right.  I grabbed a pair of scissors, I stood in front of the mirror, and I hacked off my long, curly hair.  Right up to the shoulder.

It was a time in my life I never want to relive, but I’m surprised to say that looking back on it now fills me with hope.  I learned a lot about myself during that time.  I learned that I love photography.  I learned that maybe the things that make other people happy don’t necessarily make me happy.  Most importantly, I learned that I’m brave enough to make changes.  I found myself in a situation where I was not happy.  In fact, I was the polar opposite of happy.  I’m so proud of the fact that not only was I able to recognize it, but that I was able to tell myself that I deserved to be happy.

It was hard, but I know I’m better for it.  I’ve never once regretted any of the decisions I made.  And I know, I’m being terribly vague, but I don’t want to project my own experiences out there just in case someone reading this can relate to it.  I also don’t want to go into details out of respect for those involved in my life at that time.  They might not have even realized what I was going through at the time.

That’s why, from time to time, I do look back.  I see the person I was back then and it makes me appreciate the person I am now.  Best of all, it makes me proud of who I am now.  I’m hoping that I’m not done learning or growing.  I hope that the best is yet to come.  And I think it is.

Characters and Controversy

I don’t remember if it was an article I read or simply a comment on Facebook or Twitter, but someone made the point that just because a character is saying something does not mean that it reflects the views or opinions of the author.

I’ll admit, this is something I’ve worried about.  For example, one of the antagonists in the first book could very will be misinterpreted as some kind of social statement on my part.  I’m here to tell you, it’s not.  I write books to entertain, to tell a story, to create characters.  I am in no way trying to inflict any sort of world views or insult anyone.  I haven’t received any notes or indications that readers believe I am, but it’s something that’s been on my mind recently.

Last night, I was working on my #NaNoWriMo project and one of my characters used the word, “Bimbo.”  I’ve never really given the word very much thought before other than to think it’s kind of funny, which might be an insult to my gender, but whatever.  For the first time, I stopped and thought, “Well, maybe I shouldn’t use that word…”  Then I thought back to that article and reminded myself, “Hey.  You’re not the one using that word.  It’s your character.  You might not use that word, but she totally would.”

Being a writer is weird.  It’s like having a hundred different people inside your head at the same time.  You have to think like all of them in order to create a believable world and story.  The weirdest part, perhaps, is that you’re able to.  You can’t think about how you’d react in a situation.  You have to think about how your character would react.  It’s fun.  It gives you the opportunity to be someone else for a little while.  But it’s still weird.

Writing Writing Writing

Hi, friends!  Just a quick note here because as it turns out, #NaNoWriMo really keeps you busy!  I’m not only working on my NaNo project, I’m also keeping up with the new Cemetery Tours.  Needless to say, my fingers are quite tired from all the typing.  But it’s so much fun!  I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy National Novel Writing Month!  It really gets you to open your mind and explore new ideas.  I’ve even been asked, at the end of the month, to come speak to a writing group about it!  How fun!

That’s all I’ve really got to share for now.  Just a lot of writing!  I need to start reading more, also.  I have so many books that I’ve received from friends and indie authors that I want to read and review.  I wish there were more hours in the day!  I wish I didn’t need sleep!  And I really like sleep!

I also wish this dark rainy weather would go away.  I know we need the rain, and it finally feels like fall, but it makes me feel so sleepy and unproductive.  Blah!

Anyway, keep on and carry on, my fellow #NaNoWriMo authors!  5 days down!

Hello, November

Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope you all had a spooktacular Halloween filled with fright, laughter, and small children requesting candy on your doorstep.

A few girlfriends and I celebrated by dressing up, eating a lot of junk food (and one surprisingly delicious organic and gluten-free pasta dish) and watching Hocus Pocus, only the greatest Halloween classic of all time.

Here’s what I looked like:

At first, I’d intended to go as a zombie, but then, I found this old veil that my sister had used for something, so I decided to go as Grace, the ghost bride from Cemetery Tours.  How cool is it to be able to dress up as a character from your own book?

After a super successful Halloween, I dove right into #NaNoWriMo.  Well, first I drove out to Fort Worth to hang out with my BFF, but then I dove right into #NaNoWriMo.  I’m happy to announce that I have since earned my 5000-Word Badge.

Remember, the book I’m working on is NOT another Cemetery Tours installment.  I am working on that as well (Chapter 12 is actually about to make me cry… It’s really sad…), but this #NaNoWriMo project is something that I’m working on strictly for fun and my own entertainment.  If I like it, then yes, I will probably publish it, but I haven’t decided whether or not it will be under my own name or my super secret pen name.

Finally, Halloween may have come and gone for another year, but ghost stories are fun to read all year round!

Happy November, everyone! How are your #NaNoWriMo projects coming?

This Is Halloween!

Halloween is finally here!  Since I have so much I need to be doing before the witching hour begins, this shall be a very short post.

I did want to let everyone know that in honor of Halloween, aka one of my absolute favorite holidays of all time, BOTH Cemetery Tours and Between Worlds are available on Kindle for $0.99!!!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

It’s Okay to be Single

A lot of books, movies, and stages shows have one thing in common: Romance.  It either ends happily with the lovers together or not so happily with someone walking away or maybe even dying.  Either way, being with the person you love is one of the driving factors in plots all throughout media and history.

I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for romance in books and movies.  I love reading it and I really love writing it.  Michael and Kate, hello!  In real life, however, I am happily single.  And to a lot of people, that’s weird.

I recently read an article encouraging young people (even younger than me) to take the plunge, get married, and have kids in their twenties.  That’s worked for a lot of my friends.  Several of them married very young and most are still happily married.  Although I’ve always wanted to be married and have kids eventually, it’s never been my main goal in life.  For guys, that’s okay, but for some reason, it’s strange for a girl to feel that way.

I can’t count the times I’ve been asked about my love life before anything else.  It’s never “Have you seen any cool new places” or “Learned anything new and interesting?” It’s “So are you dating anyone yet?”

No.  No I’m not.  And that’s okay.

Even as a little kid, I was very driving and career-oriented.  Back then, I wanted to work with marine mammals (and I still do) and I spent every waking minute I had researching whales, dolphins, and pinnipeds.  As soon as I realized that my true calling was writing, I sat down and began working on ideas for novels.  Yeah, I’ve dated.  I even had one serious boyfriend when I was 20, but unlike the rest of my friends who were itching to earn their M.R.S., the idea of marriage terrified me to the point that I actually broke down in tears at the thought of walking down the aisle.

Granted, I wasn’t with the right person and now that I’m older, the idea doesn’t make me cry anymore, which is a good thing.  But I’m still in no hurry.  I have so many other things that I want to experience.  Yes, I could experience them with a husband, but there’s something so liberating, so wonderful, about being independent.  I like making my own decisions and I like being able to act selfishly.  Perhaps that’s not a good thing to boast.  After all, one of the major criticisms for single people with no children is that we are selfish.  But I’ve always kind of thought that our twenties are the time to be selfish, to learn and explore, to travel, to set the foundation for our lives.  For some of us, husband and kids are a huge part of that.  For others, we’re happy going it alone.

And again, that’s okay.

The world is changing.  Women no longer have to marry for financial or societal reasons.  We have the privilege of being able to settle down and marry when we want and who we want.  Again, I do want marriage and a family… eventually.  But right now, I’m happy to write.  I’m happy to travel.  I’m happy to be able to do what I want, when I want.  I’m happy to hang out with my sister and single friends just as much as I am happy to hang out with my married friends.  And I’m happy to write.  God, I am so happy to write.  Right now, my main priority is getting more books out there and, if my dreams come true, to maybe because a NYTimes Bestselling Author by the time I’m 30.  That’s my real dream right now.  If a guy comes along before then, then awesome!  If not, that’s okay too.

If you’re like me, don’t let anyone pressure you into anything before you’re ready.  I’ve been asked so many times when I’m getting married and when I’m giving my parents some grandkids to spoil.  The answer is “I have no idea.  For now, they’re just going to have to be happy with grand-books.”

On that note, please join me tonight at 8:30 Easter (7:30 Central) for The Truth in Lies One Year Anniversary Celebration! Several authors (including me!) will be answering questions and posting giveaways all afternoon long!  In fact, I think it’s already begun!  https://www.facebook.com/events/1481550198784895/?ref_notif_type=plan_mall_activity&source=1