Jacqueline E. Smith's Blog, page 43

Life is a Mystery (Machine)

This morning, I woke up in a crap mood.  Not a bad mood, a crap mood.  I’ve had two nights in a row of lousy sleep, the plumbing is all messed up at the house I’m watching for the next three weeks, and to top it all off, I saw two dead rabbits in the road this morning.  That just about did me in.  I had to force myself not to start crying while I drove.  It didn’t help that everywhere I looked, drivers all around looked just as miserable as I felt.  Sometimes I feel like to everyone around, life is not a gift, but an obligation.  We wake up every day with this attitude of, “Ugh, I just want today to be over.  I don’t want to do this.  This sucks.”  Life has become something of a nuisance, and that’s just not the way it’s supposed to be. 

Thankfully, life saw fit to remind me of that this morning on my way to work.  Driving down the street, just outside my window… was the Mystery Machine. 

No, seriously.   

 

I can’t tell you why, but that just made my entire day.  Isn’t it every kid’s dream to one day be cruising down the street and have Scooby Doo and the gang drive by, on their way to solve a mystery?  Okay, I’m not really a kid anymore, but that 8-year-old who watched Scooby Doo every single Halloween still lives inside of me, and let me tell you, she was ecstatic.  

After I texted the pictures to my mom, she mentioned that the lady who was driving the van probably thought it was a total creeper, but as I so keenly pointed out, if she doesn’t want people taking pictures of her car, she shouldn’t be driving around in the freaking Mystery Machine. 

 

The point of this post, and the point of seeing the Mystery Machine driving down the street, is that life is not a nuisance, nor an obligation, nor something that needs to be tolerated.  Life is awesome.  Life is fun.  Life is full of wonderful things and opportunities that are just waiting to be discovered and appreciated.  We don’t have to be serious or stoic or stressed out about life.  None of us were put here to be miserable or to just “get by.”  We were put here to live.  I’m hoping that I remember that next time I wake up in a “crap mood.”  

Of Ink and Editing

I had a pretty fun and active weekend.  I had a meeting with my primary editor.  I attended my friend’s daughter’s first birthday party.  I went bowling and played air hockey.

And I got my first tattoo.

For those who know me, this came as a huge shock.  I am not the kind of girl who gets tattoos.  I’m a goody-two shoes, nerdy fangirl.  Tattoos are just not my thing.  At least, they’re not supposed to be.

In high school, I spent most of my first hour classes drawing flowers and butterflies on my inner left ankle.  Of course, back then, I never considered actually getting a real tattoo.  Too painful.  Too rebellious.  Too permanent.

About six months ago, however, I started thinking about it.  I really couldn’t afford it, and I wasn’t entirely certain it wasn’t just a passing fancy.  I decided to give it six months.  If I still wanted one then, I’d get one.

Last week, I realized I still wanted one.  I began browsing design ideas and found one of a turtle with a flower on its shell.  I recognized the flower, but couldn’t name it, so I looked it up.  As fate would have it, it was Plumeria rubra acutifolia, or West Indian Jasmine.

I knew right away that was the flower I’d been waiting for.  Beautiful, tropical, and bearing the same name as my sweet Jazzy.  I drew up a design, and Saturday afternoon, my friend Kit Kat met me at Ink Inc in McKinney.  The idea of getting a tattoo is pretty nerve wracking, and I wanted someone there for moral support.

As it turns out, however, the pre-needle anxiety is the worst part of the entire process.  My tattoo artist directed Kat and me into one of the back rooms where I sat down on the operating chair (ha ha).  He sterilized my leg, set the stencil, made sure I was 100% happy with it, and then he opened up the needles.  I learned that was the most important thing you can do while getting a tattoo.  Make sure they open the needles in front of you.

My design has little dots on it, so he said, “Okay, I’m going to start with those.  Are you ready?”

I figured if I could survive the hell that was wisdom teeth extraction, I could handle anything.  So I said, “Go for it.”

For those of you who’ve always wanted a tattoo but are scared of the pain, let me tell you right now, I have had paper cuts that hurt worse than being tattooed.  I’m not kidding.  It’s just above my inner left ankle, which, I’ve heard, is one of the least painful places to get tattooed, but still.  On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most painful, I’d give it a 3.5.  Of course, that kind of pain really doesn’t bother me all that much.  Headaches and muscle cramps, now those almost put me over the edge, but getting tattooed?  Really no big deal.

Especially when the result is this:

Less than a minute after he finished.

Bowling

Today. Much less red and swollen.

Like I said, I am the last person on Earth anyone would expect to get a tattoo, so I got a wide variety of responses such as, “WAIT WHAT” “Is that your ankle?!!?”  ”Is that real?!  Is it permanent?”  and “Welcome to the club!  Look out, they’re addictive!”

I will admit, that I do not have any more planned at this time.  I really just wanted the one on my ankle, and I love it.  I designed it, I love flowers, I love summertime tropical things, and it has special meaning to me.  However, I am open to the idea.

In other non-tattoo news, I’m about ready to begin (or I guess the correct term is “continue”) the editing process.  I have two copies full of edits and suggestions to work with.  Also!  Before I forget, there is a blog called The Book Cover Project.  Authors, all you have to do is submit a picture of your book cover and a small blurb about it.  You can find Cemetery Tours‘ Book Cover Feature here: http://thebookcoverproject.blogspot.i...

Have a great Monday, all!

Answers Part II: Publishing

Hi, everyone!  It’s Friday!  YAY! 

Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, here are the answers to the publishing questions that you asked!  Thanks again to all who stopped by to comment!  You supplied me with a couple days of great blog material!  

Publishing

Does it matter if your book is traditionally vs. self vs. hybrid published?  

In a perfect world, I’d say no.  I’ve read independently published books that were infinitely better than some traditionally published books.  Then again, I’ve read independent books that were incredibly low-quality.  Even if the story was decent, the editing may have been poor, or the formatting sloppy, and unfortunately, that makes a huge impact when reading.  Having a great story and being able to write well is only half of what publishing is really about.  When you go the traditional route, a big company takes care of all of that for you.  When you independently publish, it’s all on you.  That was my main goal in publishing Cemetery Tours.  I wanted people to read it and think that it had come from a big publishing house.  That means professional cover, studying traditionally published books and their formatting, ISBN, PCN, bar codes, etc…  

Did you try traditional publishing before you went the independent route?

I did for about a month.  I queried a handful of agents, but after being rejected and/or never hearing back from them, I decided to go the independent route.  

What made you decide to self-publish?

I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t try very hard with traditional publishing, but I’ll also be the first to admit I am not a patient person.  I believed in my book and I wanted to get it out there.  I figured I could either waste months waiting around for something I was not guaranteed, or I could take matters into my own hands and publish my book the way I thought it deserved to be published, with care.  Independently publishing also means I own all the rights to my book.  It is mine and mine alone.  I love my book.  I think it’s a good story with great characters and I am proud to be able to say that I wrote it.  That’s something I never thought I would achieve, since I used to keep all my art and writings strictly to myself.  I would willingly share Cemetery Tours and it’s sequel with the world, though, and in the end, I think that’s what makes independent publishing so worthwhile, because it truly is a labor of love.    

Is there a special meaning behind the name of your company, Wind Trail Publishing?  

Not a special meaning, per se, but I was very careful and deliberate when coming up with the name.  I wanted it to be something that I would be willing to stick with for the rest of my life, since I do plan on this being a lifelong career and not just a passing fancy.  I also wanted something that reflected my location (Texas) and something I held near and dear to my heart.  I ultimately decided on Wind Trail because of my experience working as a camp counselor.  I love hiking trails, I love wind in my hair, I love being outside.  I value freedom very highly, and I never feel freer than when I am out in nature.  I’m also proud to be able to say I designed the compass logo for my company.  I sketched it out, at least.  Ben, my graphic designer, put it into the computer since I’m like, the least tech savvy person ever and I have no idea how to do that. 

What was your publishing experience like?

In a word, intimidating.  I had a few people offer me guidance and words of wisdom, but for the most part, I learned most of the stuff on my own, probably because I’m not a very good listener.  I don’t know why, but people talk and I just don’t understand what they’re trying to tell me.  It’s a lot easier for me to read and learn for myself than to have another person guide me.  I’m a very visual learner.  There is also a lot of decision making involved, and that’s something that no one can guide you on, because you have to make the best decision for you and your book and what you want to accomplish.  Now, looking back, it all seemed like a lot and it seemed like everyone was trying to tell me different things and oh my gosh, I’ll never get it all done and get published, but when you simplify the process, take out all the advice that other people offer you, and just do what you know you need to do to get your book out there, it’s really not that bad.  

Essentially, you need…

A cover, both front and back.

ISBN (go to https://www.myidentifiers.com for ISBN and Bar Codes.  My advice?  Buy ISBN in bulk.  I own 10 and it’s a great investment)

PCN (go to http://www.loc.gov/publish/pcn/ for everything you could possibly want to know)

Copyright

Formatting 

What do you do to promote books other than Twitter and Facebook?

Oh, book promotion, you glorious pain the butt.  To be honest, my book has only been out since September, and although it’s done fairly well, I still can’t quit my day job and move to Fiji.  Twitter and Facebook are great tools, but honestly, I think I’ve found the most success here on my blog.  It’s a great way to connect with readers and fellow authors.  Review swaps are also fantastic!  You get a new book and an honest review for yours.  Right now, I’m working on getting my book into libraries and independent book stores, but that means investing a lot of time and money into copies of the book while at the same time preparing my new book for publication, which is a task in and of itself.  GoodReads is one of my absolute favorite websites for book promotion and for meeting new people.  It’s like Pinterest for books.  Pinterest is also a great promotional tool.

(GoodReads/Shameless self promotion: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...) 

I’ve read about the importance of newsletters, but I’ve yet to figure out how to really accomplish that.  Reviews are so, so, so important, I can’t even begin to describe it.  My goal is for Cemetery Tours to have 50 reviews by the time the sequel is released in June, and I only need 14 more, so I think I can make it happen.  I hope I can, anyway!  There are several website, also, that offer promotional services for a fee, but let’s be honest here, some of us have student loans to pay off and if we can save a buck and do it ourselves, then that’s what we’re going to do.  

I hope this has been somewhat helpful and enlightening!  Thank you all for your questions and if you have any more, please don’t hesitate to ask!  I’ll always try to answer to the best of my ability!  Have a great weekend!  

Answers Part I: Writing

Hi, everyone!  

Thanks to all who commented on my blog post and left me questions!  Today (and probably tomorrow since there are a lot), I’m going to answer them!  I’ve broken the questions down into two different categories, Writing and Publishing.  Basically, two of my favorite things!  I think I’ll answer writing today and publishing tomorrow.  So, without further ado, here we go! 

Writing

Do you get mired in details during the writing process?

Yes and no.  A lot of writers talk about how the first draft of your manuscript doesn’t have to be perfect, and it won’t be.  If something isn’t right, you can go back and fix it later.  The important thing is to keep writing through to the very end and not to let minor details stop you from moving forward.  I struggle with this.  If I’m not completely 100% happy with something, I will dwell on it and stick with it until I fix it, and I do think that tends to hold me back a bit when I’m working on a new project.  It’s something I’m trying to work on, but it also might just be a part of my own personal technique.    

What inspires you?

Everything.  Music, books, other movies, places, people I love, pets I love.  Cemetery Tours was inspired first of all, by the sudden loss of someone I loved very dearly.  I needed to reassure myself that they were still close to me, so I decided to write a ghost story.  I’d always loved ghost stories and been fascinated by the idea of an afterlife, but I’d never felt compelled to write one until after he died.  I was also inspired by my love for old cemeteries, the television show Ghost Adventures, and a bridal barn where I once photographed a wedding.  I would list out all the inspiration for my current projects, but I don’t want to give too much away!  I can say they involve William Wordsworth, Doctor Who, and the San Antonio River Walk.  

Once I’ve got an idea for a story in my head, I do two things.  First, I make an iTunes playlist that serves as my writing soundtrack.  

Once I release a little more information about the sequel, I’ll post its soundtrack.  You can find my soundtrack to Cemetery Tours here: http://jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/2... 

After the soundtrack is finished, I head over to Pinterest and make an Inspiration board.  Several of these are secret and will stay that way until the books are finished.  However, you can find both my Cemetery Tours inspiration board and the Sequel teaser board on my site: http://www.pinterest.com/jackiesmith114/  

Is outlining really important or is there really a “right” way?

Confession: I’m a terrible outliner.  I prefer to do what I call a “brain-spill.”  I open up a blank word document and just type.  I don’t bother with things like punctuation or spelling or chronology or anything of the sort.  I just type until every idea surrounding a story is in writing for me to see.  I can always go back and organize it later.  I spill out characters, their relationships, their backgrounds, what’s going to happen to them, the world they live in, what’s going to happen.  To be honest, I don’t always know what’s going to happen or how a book is going to play out.  One of the projects I’m working on now is still surprising me and I love it!  That’s the problem I have with outlining.  You can plan ahead to an extent, but the truth is, you never really know where your story is going to take you.  In the sequel, one of my characters ended up in the hospital, and I never intended that to happen!  It just does.  As a writer, you have to acknowledge that you’re never fully in control.  It’s a weird thought, but sometimes the book is going to play out the way it wants to and you just sort of go with it.  Usually, it works out for the better.  I do try occasionally to plot out chapters, but they almost always end up changing.  Truthfully, I don’t believe there is such a thing as a “right” way to write.  Just like every book, every writer is different and what works for one person will not work for another.  I’m sure there are writers out there who would absolutely cringe at the way I do things.  In writing, do what works best for you!  

Does the 3-act structure have to be as blasted complicated as some authorities make it?

Again, answering honestly, I didn’t give the 3-act structure even a fraction of a thought.  When I write, I don’t think about what I’m “supposed” to do as a writer.  I just write out what I think will make a fun and interesting story.  I don’t remember where I heard this, but I read or heard somewhere, “Write the story you want to read.”  That’s what I try to do. I basically write stories for myself and hope and pray that others like them too.  I’m not a big fan of rules or structure, especially when it comes to something as personal and unique as writing your own story.  And if those authorities want to tell me I’m wrong, well, I have a Master’s Degree in Humanities, so surely there has to be some merit to the way I do things.   

What are your thoughts during the writing process?  

Oh, thoughts.  So many thoughts.  Usually, it goes something like this…

Hey, that’s a neat idea.  I should write a book about that.  But you have so many other projects already.  Oh, that’s okay, I can handle it.  Who should the hot guy in my story be?  You know there doesn’t have to be a hot guy.  Oh please, I’m a girl.  Of course there has to be a hot guy.  I hope no one else has written a story like this before.  What should the title be?  You can think of a decent title later.  Oh, but I like knowing the title.  You’re going to change your mind a million times.  Why don’t you get the story written and then think of a title?  Okay, fine.  What should my characters names be?  I suck at thinking up good names.  Those will probably change a million times too.  Alright, I’m going to write the first sentence.  I can’t think of a first sentence.  Writing a first sentence is the hardest thing ever.  Why can’t I just be brilliant like JK Rowling?  I’m going to check Facebook.  Okay, back to that first sentence.  I bet if I could just write one thing, the rest of the book would flow like that.  What if I end up hating my characters?  What if everyone thinks this is the worst book ever?  What if this becomes the next Percy Jackson series?  That would be so cool!  I wonder if people will write  fanfiction about my characters?  They won’t unless you actually write the damn book.  Oh, I have plenty of time to write.  Not if you want to be a New York Times bestseller by the time you’re 30.  I don’t want to be 30…

Yeah, that’s basically how it goes.  Sadly, I’m not trying to be funny with this.  Maybe I am a little, but there is not a whole lot of deep stuff that goes on when I’m trying to write.  I’m probably the most neurotic person alive and my writing style and technique reflects that.  However, if there’s one thing I know when I begin a manuscript, it’s that I’m going to finish it.  I like to think I’m a follow-througher.  I hate beginning things and not finishing them.  I’m not sure if that has to do with my control issues or the fact that I like to do what I say I’m going to do, but I will do everything in my power to see that manuscript through to the end.  It might take years.  The idea for Cemetery Tours was conceived in November 2010 and I wasn’t fully satisfied with it until 2013.  I started writing it at least 4 or 5 different times before I was finally convinced yeah, this is the story I want to write.  This is the direction it needs to go.  Writing is hard.  Anyone who thinks you’ve chosen an easy path by dedicating yourself to writing is wrong.  You might have to try several different methods or pathways before you figure out what your story needs to be, but when it’s right, I promise you’ll know it.  I remember the exact moment I realized exactly what Cemetery Tours needed and I had the first chapter written that night.  It’s all a journey, but it’s always interesting, and that’s what I really love about it.  I don’t do well with stagnancy.  I need things to be constantly changing and evolving and moving forward.  Writing gives me all of that and more.  I’m never in the same place twice.  I’m free.

Thank you all for your questions and stay tuned tomorrow for Answers Part II: Publishing. 

See you then! 

 

Questions

Here’s the deal.  I’m a writer.  I’m a creative soul.  I have a Master’s Degree in the arts.  I should be able to come up with some pretty decent blog posts.  But like with most character names, I find myself resorting to things like Blog Idea Generators to come up with good ideas for blog topics. For the record, all of its ideas were worse than mine.    

So here’s my idea.  What do you want to read about?  I have a wide variety of stories and experience, both writing/publishing and miscellaneous.  Since most of y’all that I know here are also writers and if not published authors than soon-to-be, do you have any questions?  Any thoughts?  I can’t promise you the best answer in the world, but I will promise you an answer!  

For the record, questions about the meaning of life will immediately be discredited.  Other than that, the mic is open!  

TGFE or Thank God For Editors

Yesterday, one of my three editors/beta readers returned my manuscript, full of little notes and corrections.  I’m always nervous to find out what people will think.  Even though I’ve hired them to be honest and to tell me what works, what doesn’t work, where I wrote “their” instead of “there”, etc., I still get jittery.  What if I don’t like what they think?  What if they think I’m a total idiot because I forgot to add a comma?  What if they think the story sucks and that I just need to rewrite the whole darn thing?  

Fortunately, she loved the story and made several quite useful suggestions.  It’s so nice getting an outside perception.  ”No, you don’t need this.  You need to expand on this.”  I know what’s going on in my head in the story, but having someone who doesn’t know let you know what’s missing or what is not needed… oh my gosh, this is why writers have beta readers and editors!  

(Not mine… I wish!)  

My favorite part is that the program she used to edit allowed her to go through and add in little corrections that I’d missed!  DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH BUSY WORK THAT IS GOING TO SAVE ME?!  I’m not even going to lie to you.  I am a lazy person and I hate going back and fixing every itsy bitsy little detail.  I will, because I want my book to be professional quality, but oh man!  I am so excited about that.  I can’t even tell you.  

Her final note on the last page of the manuscript really made my day. 

Now I am even more excited to get this book done and out there!  

In other news, I’ve been thinking about my newer projects.  I will be working on getting the third CT book started, but I also want to get some new stuff out there.  There is one story I’ve had in my head for ages, and I’ve tried multiple times to get it started, but somehow, something always feels off.  That’s not a new feeling.  It took me four failed attempts and two years to get Cemetery Tours right.  In the first draft, Michael Sinclair’s character was named Nick Tanner and he had to travel all across the country to find a dead guy’s fiancee.  I definitely like the story better now.  

I realized today that one of my problems with the new story is my female protagonist.  She’s very serious and very quiet, and it’s hard for me to write characters like that because I am so the opposite.  That’s something I love about writing Kate from CT.  She’s so funny and neurotic and outspoken.  That’s the kind of female character I enjoy writing.  When I write the timid, serious characters, I think, “Oh my God, how do you have friends?  You’re so boring and annoying!”  I think this character has a lot of potential, but she needs to be more fun and interesting.  I also realized that I’ve been trying to write the story as an adult novel while, in all honesty, I’m pretty sure it’s more of a YA.  Some reconfiguration might be in order, but you know, when isn’t it?  The most important thing is to keep writing and to keep moving forward.

Road Trip Weekend

My weekend of miniature road trips began last Thursday.  I drove out to Denison (around Lake Texoma) to meet a friend for a celebration of art and wine.  All the stores and art galleries stayed open and had wine and refreshments set out for visitors.  I had no idea what to expect, I just knew there would be art and wine.  That was good enough for me.  

I arrived at Denison’s Main Street about thirty minutes early, so I decided to park my car and walk around a bit.  As I strolled, I remembered that I had been baptized in a church in Denison, so I called my mom to find out which one.  Denison is a pretty small town, after all.  It was probably within driving distance.  She told me I was looking for St. Luke’s Episcopal.  I typed the name into my GPS and lo and behold, the church was exactly one street over from where I stood.  

It wasn’t open, and I’d forgotten my camera battery at home (dumb!), but I did get a few pictures on my iPhone. 

I hope to go back sometime to visit when the church is open.  Maybe I can even attend a service there.  It’s such a cool and apparently historic building!  

After my quick trip to the place of my spiritual rebirth, I headed back into town and explored a few of the stores until my friend joined me.  

One of the stores I stopped in was called The Book Rack, a huge independent book store that sells both new and used books.  I got to talking to the two ladies working there, and, long story short, they want Cemetery Tours for their store!  I’m so excited!  They also offered to have me come back sometime in the summer to do a book signing!  I really hope that happens, because that would just be so cool!  

After finally meeting up with my friend, we perused a few more galleries and stores.  I ended up with three new books, one from The Book Rack and two antique books to add to my collection.  I met several artists and witnessed some incredible works.  I didn’t sample any wine, sadly, as I had a long drive home, but that’s alright.  My friend and I also stopped in a huge antique store.  We are both big believers in ghosts, so we had a fun time exploring and searching for spirits amidst the artifacts. 

Around that time, we began to hear thunder rumbling in the distance, so I decided to head out before the weather got too hazardous.  I did get some pictures of the small town sunset, though.

Saturday was another busy day.  I was up uncharacteristically early, 7 AM, to help with my friends’ yard sale.  It was fun, but oh my goodness, I am so sunburned.  I didn’t even think to put on sunscreen!  It’s still March and it was so early!  Alas, two days later, my poor skin is still simmering.  Lesson learned. 

I also spent some time planting sunflower seeds.  Unfortunately, the next day, I went out to water them and discovered several little holes where an animal (okay, a SQUIRREL) had dug up the seeds and left behind their empty shells!  How are you supposed to protect your poor baby seeds from squirrels?!  I’m going to have to get clever, I think.  

Later Saturday, however, my best friend texted me and asked, “How do you feel about the lake?” 

There is only one appropriate response when a friend asks you to go to the lake, and that response is “Yes.”  So, we drove out to the lake. 

As much fun as I had, however, yesterday, everything caught up with me.  I slept 12 hours straight before finally dragging my achey, sunburned self out of bed.  Then, I really didn’t do anything except watch Catching Fire and color.  It was pretty nice.  

Today, however, I am very ready to hit the ground running.  I’ve received my first copy of my rough draft from one of my beta readers, so I need to go over her notes.  I also need to get back to writing the new manuscript.  Then, of course, there are emails to answer, reviews to post, and goals to set.  I’ll tell you this much, the life of an indie author is NEVER boring!  

I hope you all are having a fantastic Monday and last day of March!  Beware of April Foolers!  

 

 

Refreshed

Hi, everyone.  Well, I am still recovering form the week I just had.  It’s taken a little longer than I thought it would, but the good news is I have been able to stay active and busy.  I’ll tell you all more about it in a later post.

I did finish reading The Calling by Louise G. White.  It was an excellent fantasy, and you can find my reviews on Amazon, GoodReads, and Barnes and Noble.  However, I thought I’d share it here as well.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18985976-the-calling

I love fantasy, so I was quite eager to read Louise G. White’s debut novel, The Calling.

Like several fantasy books, it takes a few chapters to really begin to understand the dynamic and workings of the world, but once you’re in, you’re captivated, and I can guarantee you will not want to leave it behind.

The Calling is beautifully written with strong characters, especially the protagonist, Carolyn. So often, I’ve found female leads irritating, sometimes downright unlikable. But Ms. White has created a powerful heroine in Carolyn, and you can’t help but root for her as she embarks on a journey to save her mother and her brother.

On a personal note, Ms. White and her book came to me at a time I desperately needed a distraction, an escape. The Calling was perfect, truly one of the few bright spots in a week of sadness and loss. I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I was to have this story, this world, waiting for me.

The Calling is a colorful, suspenseful, sensual, magical tale that keeps you wanting more even after you’ve turned the final page. I am very much looking forward to the sequel, Chasing the Demon, which will be released later on this year.

Thank you so much, Ms. White. Your world, your characters, your story, is a joy and a genuine privilege.

I am also thrilled to announce that my blog was nominated for another award!  I’d like to personally thank Lydia and Anastasia at Cupcakes and Popcorn for nominating me!

You can find their blog here:   http://cupcakesandpopcorn.wordpress.com

“The LITWA was invented in 2012 by Barbara Matteo, a fellow blogger who publishes posts about women’s creativity, spirituality and issues affecting the female gender on the blog idealisticrebel. The blog award’s full title is in fact “Being a Light in the World Award.

Barbara created the LITWA to celebrate those wonderful people in our world who spread light, love, hope and peace in the name of humanity. Bloggers receiving this award are encouraged to continue promoting these virtues and work as a force of peace and light in the world, touching their readers’ hearts and making a difference in their lives, no matter how small. The award has as its background a scene of a beach taken at sunset with holidaymakers enjoying themselves. This picture was taken by Barbara herself. Just as the sun in the picture brings light and sustenance to the earth and is the reason why any living thing can exist on our planet in the first place, the LITWA is a gift to those bloggers who help shine the light into other people’s worlds, giving them sustenance, hope and happiness through the venerable dialogue of blogging.

The LITWA has the following rules for nominees to follow:

1. Thank the person who gives you the award;

2. Spread this award around to the people who you know who are doing this work, so that the work continues and the light is spread;

3. Let your nominees know of their nomination;

4. Never give up on your fellow human beings.”

My nominees for the Light in the World Award are…

http://raulconde001.wordpress.com

http://christinecarternovels.wordpress.com

http://dragoneystory.wordpress.com

http://thinaby.com

http://greenembers.wordpress.com

http://theparanormalist.wordpress.com

http://nikbarnabee.weebly.com

Thank you all for your kind words during a particularly painful week.  I’ll never forget them.

 

Interview!

This week, I had the honor of being interviewed by my friend and fellow author, Heather Ellis!  For some reason, WordPress is not letting me reblog the interview, so I thought I’d post it here as well as a link to her blog!  She’s an amazing young lady, a published author at 10, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for her. 

Here is the link to her blog: http://heatherellisbooks.wordpress.com/

Here is the Interview:

A few months ago a very kind lady called Jacqueline Smith from America found me on WordPress. She helped me lots, to review my books and we became friends! She is also an author (but not of the same type of books as me). I was really interested in her books and how she writes and I came up with a list of questions which turned into an interview.

Well, here it is. It’s a very interesting read for everyone. =)

Check out her books and BLOG, the links are below!

First of all I can ask who are your writing inspirations?
One of my earliest writing inspirations was JK Rowling.  Shortly after the fifth Harry Potter book came out, I realized that I needed more Harry in my life, so I started making up my own stories (Yes, I wrote fanfiction…).  Other inspirations include John Green and Meg Cabot. 

At what point did you stop and think about really writing a book?
Spring break of my third year in college.  I had a terrible upper respiratory infection and spent the entire week coughing and reading books on the couch.  I’m not sure if it was the fever or the decongestants, but halfway through True Believer by Nicholas Sparks, I thought to myself, “Hey.  I could do this.”  And from that point on, I decided I was going to write books! 

My books are a bit different to the types of books you do, for younger readers but I have to ask if it is different… I wondered how long does it take for you to write a book? 
It really depends.  Cemetery Tours and its sequel, both around 75,000 words, took about 5 months each to write.  I have another manuscript for a short non-fiction book, however, that I finished in about a week.  Then again, I’m still working on the first manuscript I ever started, back in 2010.  For some reason, I just haven’t found the right formula for that one.  But I think I’m getting closer!    

What are your favourite and most difficult parts of writing your own book?
I love character development and I really love dialogue!  I like to think I’m a witty person, so writing smart, snarky characters with attitude is a lot of fun for me.  The most difficult parts are action scenes.  They’re fun, but they are tricky!  I’m also really bad at coming up with good names! 

What was the biggest thing you learned from your experience of writing your own book?
I learned to stop and breathe.  There is a lot to process when writing and publishing a book, and it is a lot of hard work, but in the end, it is worth it.  It’s very scary and can be intimidating, and I really admire everyone who believes in their work and loves it enough to go through this process, because it is a big job. I’ve also learned pretty much everything there is to know about the publishing process, which is really cool!      

I spend quite a lot of time thinking about my characters and their names and personalities. Can you see any of your family and friends in any of your book characters?
Yes, absolutely.  I especially see my mother in Michael’s mom.  She sees the goodness and beauty in everyone and everything, and in turn, everyone knows and loves her.  I think it was one of the rarest and yet most profound and wonderful gifts.   

Who designed your book covers? 
My good friend and professional photographer/graphic designer, Benjamin Durham. 

I’ve seen some of your paintings on your blog, they are pretty awesome – Have you ever thought about designing your own book covers?
Thank you!  As much as I love to paint, I am a terrible graphic artist! I actually tried to design quite a few ideas for the cover, but Ben took one look at them and said, “Why don’t we start from scratch?” 

What advice would you give to authors starting out writing their own books?
Don’t let anyone discourage you.  Believe in yourself and in your ideas, because they are worth the world. Don’t stress over the details, especially in the first draft.  You’ll have plenty of time to rework them during the editing process.  Most importantly, if you get stuck, keep writing! I’ve met so many writers who succumb to writer’s block because they think that because they get it, they’re not meant to write.  NOT TRUE!  All writers hit bumps along the road.  No one can just sit down and write out an entire book in one sitting.  The only way to get through it is to keep writing!  

You mentioned you are working on a new book, how is that going?
Excellent!  This is a whole new book, not related to Cemetery Tours (though I’m sure I will go back to it one day).  I’m really excited to be working on something new.    

When will we be able to buy it?
The sequel to Cemetery Tours will be out sometime this summer!  As for the new one, I’ve only just started, so it will at least be another six to eight months. I’m really excited about the sequel and I can’t wait until I can talk more about it! 

Link to Jacqueline Smith’s book Cemetery Tours: 
http://amzn.to/1guWp6v 

Link to Jacqueline Smith’s BLOG:
http://www.jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/ 

Thank you, Heather!  I can’t wait to read your next book! 

At Peace

My sweet Jazzy is at peace.  She passed last night in her home, surrounded by her family.  For that, I am so thankful.  She was always so scared of the vet, and I did not want her last experience to be fear and a needle.  Although I am relieved that she is no longer in pain, her death has hit me a lot harder than I thought it would.  Although I believe, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that there is eternal life for all of God’s creatures, the pain of her loss is still very fresh and I think it will take a few days at least before I’m myself again.

Thankfully, I still have my Midnight with me.  Although I’ve got to say, she’s not been very much help.  You know how pets are supposed to be able to sense when you’re sad and comfort you?  Yeah, Midnight doesn’t do that.  She doesn’t understand why I should ever feel anything other than complete and utter joy for being deemed worthy of her love and presence.  She’s sort of a diva.

On the bright side, I do have a few fun things planned in the next few days, so I’m hoping that will help me to heal.  I know Jazzy is happy and home and that she wouldn’t want me to be sad.  She was always a lot more in tune to emotions than any of my other cats.  She always hated being held, but the day her mommy died, I was sad and she just let me hold her for as long as I needed to.  I’m going to miss her so much.  I already do.

I need to stop writing about it, because if I keep it up, I’m going to start crying again, and I really hate crying.

In other, happier news, I will be posting a review of The Calling by Louise G. White hopefully within the next couple of days.  All my work has sort of taken a back seat these last few days.  I realized that when I’m grieving, I drop everything and turn to shopping for comfort.  That’s odd, because I am not a huge shopper most of the time.  Occasionally, I’ll treat myself to a new outfit, but I’m usually pretty good about the way I spend and save my money.  When I’m sad though?  Oh man, I don’t even care.  I will buy anything I want if I think it will make me feel better.  Deep down, I know that drowning your sorrows in materialism is not the answer at all, but I’m rarely sad enough to splurge, so I figure what the heck.

I’m really trying to talk myself out of getting a tattoo though.  I kind of want one, but I definitely do NOT have the money for it.  I might just have to settle on a new cardigan to go with a dress I want to wear tomorrow.  And cookies.  Lots of cookies.  And maybe shoes.

Anyway, please say a prayer for me (and for my bank account).  And God bless and keep you and all your animal friends.