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Thursday, October 30, 2008

We are the Champions!


What a great week this is!!! So many exciting things going on. I decided to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time. I gave notice and I will officially retire next month. October 2009 was too far away and the negative energy at Camp Swampy was pulling me down. Right now I feel like someone who’s been let out of prison after 26 years. I plan to enjoy every minute of freedom.

One of the things I planned to do in November was NaNoWriMo. I signed up but I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it. Between the full time day job, the new workshop that starts November first and my WIP (work in progress) I wasn’t too optimistic about sticking with it. Now I can give it a real shot. I’ll post my progress here on my blog. Wish me luck.

I’m sure you know by now that our Philadelphia Phillies are world champions. After a suspended game that left us biting our nails for 46 hours the Phillies vanquished the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3. Closer Brad Lidge was perfect, striking out Eric Hinske to cinch the win. The city went nuts. It was a great moment – one we’ll savor for a long time.
So October 2008 ends on a great note. I hope everyone’s November gets off to a bang-up start.




Monday, October 27, 2008

Halloween Treat from Juno Books

Sunday night was another great night for the Philadelphia Phillies. They trounced the Tampa Bay Rays 10 to 2 and Joe Blanton became the first pitcher in 34 years to homer in the Series. Here's hoping they wrap it up tonight!!!

I got a newsletter from Juno books offering a free download, and asking me to share the wealth so here's the blurb:

As a special Halloween treat, Juno Books has a FREE ebook (PDF format) for you! Five frightening classic tales--all written by women--that should send a shiver or two down your spine. FIVE CLASSIC GHOST STORIES: A HALLOWEEN TREAT FROM JUNO BOOKS includes "Let Loose" by Mary Cholmondeley (1890), "The Striding-Place" by Gertrude Atherton (1896), "The Lost Ghost" by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1903), "Kerfol" by Edith Wharton (1916) and "Spunk" by Zora Neale Hurston (1925). Enjoy!

Download now: http://www.juno-books.com/Juno_ghost_stories.pdf

Sunday, October 26, 2008

What a Night!

The Phillies won game 3 of the World Series in the bottom of the ninth -- at 1:47 a.m. We stayed up to watch and saw the crowd go bonkers after Eric Bruntlett ran home with the winning run.

The game started at 10:00 after a rain delay. We saw the end of "Shallow Grave" and turned it on in the second inning. What a night!

BTW, that's a damn good movie. It was directed by Danny Boyle in 1994. I couldn't believe how young Ewan McGregor looked. Also starring Christopher Eccleston who went on to become the ninth reincarnation of Doctor Who and Kerry Fox, a New Zealand actress.

These three play obnoxious roommates who finally find someone they think is worthy enough to share their flat. But the guy OD's in his bedroom and leaves a suitcase full of money. The trio decide to get rid of his body and keep the money. This leads to all kinds of grusome situations; paranoia sets in and they slowly go crazy. It's a well-done story about greed and how it affects friendships. Highly recommended.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Let's Go PHILLIES!!!

We're cheering on our team - the Philadelphia Phillies - while we wait for them and the Tampa Bay Rays to kick off game three of the World Series at 8:35 – if the weather cooperates.

It’s been raining off and on here at the beach. From what I’m reading on the internet Game 3 hasn’t been officially delayed yet but the clubs don’t expect to start at 8:35. It’s looking more like 9:30 but they will play.

The teams are tied at one game apiece. Here’s hoping a return to their home park will help the Phillies’ slumbering bats.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Putting Another Book on the Shelf

I’m adding another book to my Writer’s Bookshelf. “The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile” by Noah Lukeman, the author of the Amazon Short "How to Write a Great Query Letter."

Mr. Lukeman is a literary agent and he shares his years of experience to help writers stay out of the slush pile.


From his introduction: “There are no rules to assure great writing, but there are ways to avoid bad writing. This, simply, is the focus of this book: to learn how to identify and avoid bad writing.”

Overburdened editors and agents are just looking for an excuse to reject your manuscript. This book will help you identify and correct the mistakes that will send your work to the round file.
The chapters are arranged in logical order to show each step in the rejection process from presentation to style.

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Fireside (January 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0684857435

Saturday, October 18, 2008

NaNoWriMo

I signed up for NaNoWriMo. What is NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month.

According to the website - http://www.nanowrimo.org/

"It's a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly."

I might have too much on my plate right now to even attempt this but I have until Nov. 1 to decide so we'll see...

My goal in doing this would be to teach myself to write a first draft without going back and doing endless edits.

I know it would be worthwhile but I'm still on the fence.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Contest News

A reader in Newport, OR won a copy of "A Cup of Comfort for Families Touched by Alzheimer's." Congratulations!

"Having a spouse, sibling, or parent with Alzheimer’s affects a family in every way possible—and can leave people feeling like they have nowhere to turn. The moving stories in this new collection help readers recognize they are not alone—and provide comfort for those who need it now more than ever. Readers will be inspired by the husbands, wives, sons, and daughters who put their own needs aside and sacrifice everything for love. This story collection shows how compassion and loyalty prevails when a loved one has Alzheimer’s."

My own story is titled "In the Valley of Denial."

Please check back - here or my website.


http://mysite.verizon.net/bookworm.gp/

There will be a new contest soon for a copy of "A Cup of Comfort for Divorced Women."

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Implosion

Recently I watched Children of Men starring one of my favorite actors, Clive Owen. It envisions a bleak England in 2027. People have stopped reproducing, although we’re never told exactly why, and humankind is facing extinction. Society is in chaos and the only hope is to get the last pregnant woman to a group called The Human Project in the hopes of finding a cure. Theo (Owen) is enlisted to deliver the woman and a violent, pulse-pounding adventure ensues.

The plot started me thinking of a book I read many, many years ago. I was thrilled to find it still in my collection because so many of my old books have gone MIA. I rarely get rid of books, but I do lend them out. Hopefully they’re in someone else’s collection and not in a landfill.

At any rate I did find the book I was thinking of – IMPLOSION by D.F. Jones. My hardcover edition was published in 1967. Wow that was over forty years ago! How can that be? I’m not a day over thirty-nine. Nuff said.

Dennis Feltham Jones was a British science-fiction author who died in 1981. The film Colossus: the Forbin Project was based on his book Colossus.

IMPLOSION is also set in the United Kingdom. A scientist from an Eastern Bloc country produces a drug, Prolix, that decreases fertility. Britain is targeted and the minister of health is forced to create concentration camps for women who are still fertile; one of whom is his wife. Other countries become involved and at the end it’s discovered that the women who can still reproduce will only give birth to boys; mankind is doomed to become extinct.

Aside from having a slightly sexist tone, (consider the year) it’s still a good read.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

My Milestone Month

This is a milestone month for me and I don't mean because it's the month I was born.

I'm a Libra. Sign of The Scales - September 24 to October 23
According to
http://www.astrology-online.com/libra.htm my traditional Libra traits are:
Diplomaitic and urbane

Romantic and charming
Easygoing and sociable
Idealistic and peaceable

On the dark side I'm:
Indecisive and changeable
Gullible and easily infuenced
Flirtatious and self-indulgent

I'm sure my husband and children would argue the easygoing part, but I'm definitely a romantic.

Anyway back to the milestone. I finally have less than a year until work release. As of right now the countdown calendar says: 11 months, 23 days, 12 hours, 29 minutes and 34 seconds.

Next year at this time I will be writing full-time. Yay!!!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Follow me on Twitter

What is Twitter?

TWITTER: To utter a succession of light chirping or tremulous sounds; chirrup; To speak rapidly and in a tremulous manner.

On the internet Twitter is a free service for social networking and microblogging. It enables you to stay in touch with friends and send and read updates. Updates are displayed on your profile page and delivered to followers – the people who have signed up to receive them.

Today I finally had an incentive to open my own Twitter account. Holly Lisle is running a contest and everyone who follows her on Twitter can win a prize. Well I love Holly and any time I get a chance to win one of her books or courses I’ll take it.

So now I have this account and Ezine is linked up with it and will announce any new articles I write. So if you have a Twitter account or wanna get one – scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on my Twitter updates and follow me.

I’m a newbie at this myself but I found a Beginner’s Guide to using Twitter at
WebGuild

Check it out and learn what Twittering is all about.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Watch the VP Debate - Help Alaska's Wolves

Tonight, Governor Sarah Palin will take the national stage at the vice presidential debate. Please tune in. I hope she will be questioned about her position on the brutal aerial killing of wolves and other wildlife.

Voters need to learn about her real record as Governor of Alaska, especially the barbaric killing of wolves from airplanes and the plan to pay $150 bounties for the severed legs of dead wolves.

Defenders of Wildlife will be running an ad on TV and targeted websites in opposition to her shameful policies.

Watch the ad here and please help by donating:


Defenders Action Fund