Jacqueline E. Smith's Blog, page 44
March 25, 2014
Ready For the Weekend
Hi, friends.
Today has been a day of mixed blessings. I got a great new review and had some new sales also! Always a reason to celebrate.
Sadly, however, the time has come to say good-bye to my oldest friend, my sweet Jazzy cat.
I am heartbroken and I am going to miss her like crazy, but I know she’s going to be fine. I believe in Heaven and eternal life for all of God’s people and creatures. If you would, please just keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
Needless to say, I haven’t gotten a lot done today. It’s been a long one. I hate seeing my girl so sick. But part of loving our pets is knowing that we will probably outlive them. And we choose to love them anyway. I don’t think we can really help it.
Anyway, I don’t have much to say tonight. Thank you all for sticking with me, and I promise, I’ll be happy and upbeat in the next few days.
Love to all.
March 24, 2014
Hello Friends
I feel like it’s been a while. Life is busy. A little stressful. But good overall.
On Saturday, I fulfilled one of my admittedly odd lifelong ambitions. I went to the movie theater by myself. Again, I know it’s weird, but for some reason, I’ve always wanted to experience seeing a movie just with myself. I decided to go see Divergent. It was really good. For the most part, it stayed true to the book, though it was definitely watered down. For once, I was strangely okay with that. Maybe because I’ve only read through the series once and I’m not quite as emotionally invested in it as I am in Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. It could also be because Veronica Roth’s books are long and very intricately detailed. I’ll probably have to read through the trilogy again before the next movie comes out because I don’t really remember all that happened, especially in the second one.
One recently announced book-to-movie adaptation that I probably will not be seeing, however, is The Giver. I might change my mind as the release date draws nearer, but from what I’ve seen in the trailer… I’m just not interested. Nothing I saw in that trailer even remotely resembles the utter magic that the book held for me the first time I read it in middle school and every time I reread it after. That book is a masterpiece and one that really impacted me as a reader and, consequentially, as a writer. I’ll be curious to find out what other fans of the book think of it.
I also saw the new Hobbit movie again. I still think there are too many orcs, too may elves, and not enough Bilbo and the Dwarves. But what do I know?
On the book front, I finished reading The Amazing Crystal by Gerald Lizee.
I’m not a sci-fi reader, but I really enjoyed it! I posted reviews on both Amazon and GoodReads, but I thought I’d share it here too.
Here’s the deal. I do not read a whole lot of science fiction. In fact, I could probably count on one hand the number of Sci-Fi books I’ve actually read and enjoyed. Add The Amazing Crystal by Gerald Lizee to that list.
Set in a futuristic society, protagonist Lydia receives an amulet from her grandfather, who has gone into hiding our of fear that he may be robbed or kidnapped. This amulet, it turns out, possesses the ability to communicate with whom it chooses and influence the world around it.
Something I loved and that makes The Amazing Crystal very unique is that it plays out like an action show, with episodes instead of chapters. This makes for a fun and fast-paced read with no slow spots in the narrative. The descriptions are vivid and yet, Mr. Lizee tells the story in such a way that even those of us who’ve spent more of our time in the worlds of romance and fantasy will understand and enjoy.
Congratulations and 5 stars to Gerald Lizee. I look forward to reading his future works!
The next book that I’m reading and reviewing is The Calling by Louise G. White. It’s a fantasy and it looks right up my alley! I’m really looking forward to reading it!
Finally, I’m about two chapters in to my newest manuscript! While the sequel to Cemetery Tours is in the editors’ hands, I’m enjoying having something new to engage me. It’s really excited about the story, and even though it hasn’t been in my head very long, just since January, it’s already better developed than ideas that have been brewing for years. It’s kind of funny how the brain works like that.
Well, that’s about all I’ve got for today! Talk to you all tomorrow!
I
March 22, 2014
Thank You All!
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you, my friends here on this blog. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have your companionship, your words of wisdom, your support, and your encouragement. I have met so many kind, wonderful, intelligent, and passionate people here on this blog and I love that so many of us share common dreams and ambitions. I hope that I’m able to offer such support and encouragement to all of you as well.
I’ve kind of been slacking on the blog/replies this week. It’s been super busy! Most of it is good busy. Honestly, though, I do not think it is close to slowing down. And that’s fine with me. I’m ready for new adventures.
Have a great Saturday, everyone! Go read a good book or see a movie or spend the day with someone you love.
March 21, 2014
It’s the Weekend!
Three of my favorite words! Other than “Going to beach” or “Your book’s selling,” I love hearing “It’s the weekend” probably more than anything else in the world! Better yet, I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING planned this weekend. It’s such a liberating and wonderful feeling.
And yet I’ve come to realize that authors, particularly independent authors, never truly have NOTHING to do. There is always something that we can be working on. For example…
1) Although my latest manuscript is in the hands of editors and proof-readers, I could still be going back through, re-reading, and making sure I’m happy with everything. I could also be brushing up on my formatting, coming up with a blurb for the back of the book, investigating the ISBN, etc.
2) Researching my current WIP. I have six books that I need to read, or at least browse, for information on my newest manuscript. Four of those books are library books, so my time is limited on those.
3) Actually writing my new manuscript.
4) Finishing up The Amazing Crystal, the latest book that I’m reading and reviewing. PS – If you’re interested in a book exchange to read and review (I review on Amazon and GoodReads) leave me a note in the comments section!
5) Reading any of the other books that I have lying around. Reading is IMPORTANT for authors! If you don’t enjoy reading, how can you enjoy writing? Besides, there is always something to be learned!
6) Working on my new trilogy of paintings. Okay, that has nothing to do with being an author, but I don’t like leaving projects unfinished. And these paintings are going to be really cool!
So if I’m being honest, I’m actually in for a very busy weekend. In a lot of ways, being an author really reminds me of being in graduate school. There’s a lot of reading and libraries involved and the writing never seems to end. The only difference is now I’m reading and researching and writing what I want instead of being assigned something. I love it so much!
However, on the downside, there are no professors around to make sure you finish your work, and I’ve met plenty of aspiring writers who love writing but who have difficulties actually finishing a manuscript. I can’t judge them, because I have plenty of unfinished manuscripts lying around. It’s easy to think, “Oh, there’s no one holding me to finishing this. I can just take my time.” In the world of independent writing, you’ve got to hold yourself accountable. Set deadlines for yourself, and if you don’t make them, set new deadlines. That way, you’re always pushing yourself to keep going, to keep writing. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry about what anyone else will think. Write first and foremost for yourself and because you love it. There are so many people out there who will think you’re crazy for spending so much of your time writing, but the truth is, if you love it, you’d do it for free. For you, writing is fun. It’s a way of life, a release, a joy. I hope each and every one of us gets to the point where we can write for a living.
Life is a gift, meant to be loved and enjoyed. That’s why I write, because I want to live life the way I was meant to live it; thankful, in awe, and in love.
Happy Weekend, all!
March 20, 2014
Kindle eBook Sale!
Hi, all!
This is going to be short because I’ve got a lot of stuff to do, but I wanted to let you all know that CEMETERY TOURS is on sale on Kindle NOW! For a limited time, get CEMETERY TOURS for only $2.99 on Kindle!
Talk to you all soon! Sorry I’ve been sort of absent this week. Lots going on!
March 18, 2014
Tragic Flaws
Last night, I finished reading the Percy Jackson series. All in all, I loved them and I’m really looking forward to reading the Heroes of Olympus series. They’ve also really inspired me to get back into drawing. I used to draw all the time. When I was younger, I really thought I was going to grow up to be an artist.
This is one of my favorite paintings I’ve done. The light beams below the whale look kind of stupid, but I loved the whale and the stars.
Turtle sketch.
Now, for the record, I am nowhere near talented enough to actually become an artist. A photographer? I’d like to think maybe. But as much as I love to draw and paint, I’m not stellar. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it, however. Thanks to Percy Jackson, I really want to paint some Greek Mythology.
The books also got me thinking about the ideas of Tragic Flaws, the characteristic that could potentially be a hero’s downfall. In Percy Jackson, Annabeth’s tragic flaw is pride. Percy’s is his willingness to sacrifice the entire world in order to save one of his friends. The concept of tragic flaws does not strictly apply to the Percy Jackson. In Shakespeare’s tragedies, you find Othello’s jealousy, Hamlet’s unwillingness to act, and MacBeth’s ambition. This afternoon at work, I started thinking about what my tragic flaw might be. I came up with several possibilities, which, now that I think about it, might not be something to brag about, but I thought I’d share anyway.
1) Stubbornness
I am stubborn. Like, to a pigheaded degree. If I think I need to do something, I’m going to do it no matter what anyone else tells me. I very rarely change my opinions on anything and I am very loathe to admit I was wrong. I will admit it, but it’s VERY difficult. Still, I almost always think that I’m right and I’m very opinionated.
2) Defensiveness
Along those same lines, I am also very defensive. I hate being wrong or mistaken and I take criticism very personally (which is a TERRIBLE trait for an author). I blame this compulsive need to be correct on my time spent in a private elementary school where even the slightest lapse in perfection would result in a yellow card, three of which added up to a detention.
3) Overanalysis
I, like several girls, overanalyze EVERYTHING. A person could send me a simple text message like, “Okay,” and I’d immediately think, “Okay?! What does that mean? Are they mad at me? Are they happy? Are they simply settling to appease me? Do they think I’m a huge loser? Oh gosh, they must think I’m the most annoying person in the world!” It’s awful.
4) I Never Give Anyone the Benefit of the Doubt
This is one that I’m trying to work on, but I have a bad habit of assuming the worst. I think I can read people, so I am likely to believe that I know their thoughts, their motivations, and every bad intention that they have.
5) Impatience
I have no patience for anything. I hate waiting. It drives me crazy. I barely have the patience to write out this paragraph right now.
6) Self Pity
I’m not sure why, but there are times when my self esteem just plummets. It happened a lot more when I was in graduate school, but I still have my off days every now and then. Publishing my book helped a lot, but every now and then, I’ll be struck by that little voice in the back of my head screaming, “You’re so weird, you’re so useless, no one is going to like you the way that you are, you better get cool NOW.” Again, that has been happening less and less, but my self-esteem could still use a bit of improvement.
7) Laziness
I’m lazy.
8) Compulsive Need to Make Lists of 10, or at Least Even Numbers
I think this one kind of speaks for itself.
I know everyone has flaws and I know that this list doesn’t even come close to describing all of mine. However, I don’t think that focusing on the negative is a good idea (add Hypocrisy to the list). I’d much rather look for the good and the beauty in people, places, and things, than for the things that might not be so perfect. I say I’d rather do this because it’s very difficult for me. That another thing I’d like to start working on. My mom has the remarkable gift to see goodness in everybody. It’s something I really envy about her, because I’m simply not like that. I’m more like my dad, personality wise. The only personality traits I share with my mom are that I love cats and will tell anyone who will listen pretty much anything.
I hope spelling out all of my tragic flaws has not made you like me any less. I value honesty above pretty much any other virtue (If we lived in the world of Divergent, I’d be a Candor for sure). I guess sometimes, it’s easier for me to understand life when I think of it like one big storybook. Characters are easy to understand, but real people? I think to even begin to understand ourselves would take a lifetime.
March 17, 2014
New Reviews, New Goals, New Stories
Happy Monday, all. I hope you all had splendid weekends. My sister is home for spring break, so I might not be updating quite as regularly as I normally would because I want to spend as much time with her as possible. I do want to share with you some fun updates.
First of all, the sequel to Cemetery Tours is officially in the hand of all my editors (though I may have updated that last week, I can’t quite remember) AND my graphic designer is officially on the job for the cover! So exciting!
Speaking of Ben, he says, “Thank you for all the nice birthday wishes.”
Second, Cemetery Tours has 34 reviews now! Some of the new ones include…
I also have a new goal in mind. Right now, I’m aiming for the sequel to be out early to mid June. By that time, I want Cemetery Tours to have at least 50 reviews on Amazon. I don’t think that’s too unrealistic. I only need 16 more. Anyway, if you’d like to RSVP to the awesome possum Review Party on Facebook, here’s a link to the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/79372...
I’m excited to be able to say I’m currently in the midst of reading and reviewing a new indie book, The Amazing Crystal by Gerald Lizee.
He, in turn, is reading and reviewing Cemetery Tours. I love doing book exchanges with other authors. It’s a great way to connect with your peers and you get a cool new book!
I’ve also almost finished the Percy Jackson series. I just have one book to go, then I guess it’s on to the Heroes of Olympus series. I am seriously loving these books. I know I’ve said it over and over again, but Greek Mythology is just so cool. I have several friends who have been revisiting their artistic days, and that plus reading all of these books is making me want to draw and paint again. I just need to find the time!
The little spare time I do have, I’ve been dedicating to the next book. This will not be a Cemetery Tours book, though I am by no means finished with that series. I figure I have at least two more books to go.
It’s a little strange working on a new book. I love it, especially since I get to work with new characters, a new setting, and a whole new set of circumstances. No ghosts in this one. It’s going to be a lot more chick lit than Cemetery Tours. But I think it will be good and I’m excited about it. It’s weird not to be writing Michael, Kate, and Luke though. They’ve been with me for almost two years now. They’ve become like friends to me. They’re probably enjoying having a break. Plus, I don’t want to be known just for Cemetery Tours. I have so many other ideas. I want to have a lot of different books, several series, several stand alone novels, etc…
Hopefully, I’m well on my way.
March 14, 2014
Happy Birthday!
I would like to take this opportunity to wish the happiest of happy birthdays to my good friend and wonderful cover designer, Benjamin Durham!
Ben, you are awesome. Please don’t get too famous and forget about me.
March 13, 2014
Feels Like Home
This entire week has been kind of strange. Although I’ve gotten a lot done, I’ve also had a lot to worry about and I haven’t been feeling very good myself. I’m very ready for it to be the weekend.
However, this afternoon, I stopped by my friend’s house to drop off a copy of the new manuscript (she has graciously volunteered to be one of my beta readers). To my surprise, I saw several cars lined up outside her house, but they’re doing a bunch of construction around her neighborhood, so I didn’t think anything of it.
I know on the door, however, and she answers it to reveal a bunch of friends that I used to work with at my summer camp up at Texoma! I was so thrilled! I hadn’t seen several of them in so long! I got to stay and visit with them for about an hour, and even though I hadn’t seen several of them since last summer, it was like no time had passed at all.
Over the years, Camp All Saints has become like a second home to me. I began working there as a counselor in 2009, but I’d actually been there once before, in 2002, back when it was a Lutheran retreat. No offense to the Lutherans, but I did not enjoy it at all back then. We had to eat at an outdoor pavilion filled with wasps and the water in the fountains was yellow and disgusting.
Today, the camp is absolutely beautiful. I didn’t even know our church’s diocese took it over until I received a flier in the mail about it. I applied for a job there on a total whim and ended up working there for three summers. I’m going to go back in May also for a labor of love weekend. I honestly can’t wait.
I grew up in the suburbs, about a thirty minute drive from Downtown Dallas, so big cities have never been much of a thrill for me. To be honest, I really don’t enjoy them all that much. I’d much rather spend my time in a small southern town, outside, in the fresh air, on the lake, running barefoot through sprinklers.
Before camp starts each year, the small town of Locust throws a local fish fry. It’s probably one of the most small town things you could ever hope to do.
I also love hiking. I need to find more friends who will hike with me. Most of my friends are married and boring.
Just kidding, I love you guys.
Even if you are married and boring.
The Texoma skies are incredible.
And the wildlife is abundant.
And then of course, there’s the camp itself.
It was good luck to kiss the fish you caught, okay?
Finally, this is a picture of me and Kit Kat, my beta reader, at the fish fry. Kat is seriously the sweetest person I’ve ever met and this June, she will be leaving for the Peace Corps for two years! I don’t know what I’m going to do without her! I guess I’ll just keep writing.
I’m so grateful to have found a place like All Saints that will always feel like home to me no matter what, and to have made the friends that I did there. Seeing them this afternoon was exactly what the doctor ordered!
In writing news, I started on the new book last night. I swear, the hardest part of any book is the very first sentence. Do any other authors feel that way or is that just me?
Feel free to sound off in the comment section! Good night, all!
March 12, 2014
Good and Bad Day
Today has been busy and productive. I like those kind of days. I feel like I’m getting a lot accomplished, things seem to be heading in the right direction, and I’m pretty excited about a few new opportunities coming my way. I got the new manuscript to my editor and I’ve gotten several new lovely reviews on Amazon. I also bought some sunflower seeds. I haven’t planted anything since I was about eight, so I want to give it another try. And I just love sunflowers.
I’ve also started researching my next book. I’m pretty excited about it. I’m tempted to start working on two new ones, but I know that eventually I’ll have to pick one over the other. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! It feels strange not to be writing every day, so I want to get back to it as soon as possible!
The reason it’s been a bad day, however, is pretty lousy. My very oldest friend (seriously, we’ve been friends since we were three) lives in Lubbock and is married to an absolutely wonderful man who, unfortunately, has had his fair share of health problems. He is back in the hospital, and while I don’t know details, I know that they’re both having a really rough time and it kills me that I can’t be there for her. It’s weighing pretty heavy on my mind right now, so again, this will be a short post.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!
