Christ's Resurrection - READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR

The Death of Jesus and Judas Hangs Himself

THE LAST SUPPER - Matthew 26 - Reading the Bible

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR-1st Samuel Chptr. 13

READING THE BIBLE - 1st Samuel Chapter 12

5-Minute Bible Study

Reading the Bible this Year: Samuel Anoints Saul as King

The 7 Woes - Parable with Warnings from Jesus

The Wedding Parable-READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR

Jesus Enters the City on a Donkey - READING THE BIBLE

DIVORCE-What does the Bible Say

The Supernatural Ark of the Covenant-READING THE BIBLE

The Ark of the Covenant-READING THE BIBLE

READING THE BIBLE-1st Samuel 3-The Lord Calls Samuel

Hannah's Prayer-READING THE BIBLE-1st Sam. Ch. 2

Reading the Bible This Year: 1st Samuel Chapter 1

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR-Matthew 15-Jesus Heals

Jesus Walks on Water-Matthew 14

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: Matthew 13

READING RUTH CHAPTER 4

Reading the Bible this Year: Ruth Chapter 3

5-Minutes in the Bible-Ruth Chapter 1

Curious about Demons? Join us as we Read the Bible

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Judges 20

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Judges 19

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: Judges Chapter 18

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Matthew 10 - Jesus Sends Out the 12

What does the Bible Say About Judging Others?

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: Micah's Idols

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Samson & Delilah

Read the Bible with Us-Matthew 5-The Beatitudes

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR-John the Baptist Prepares the Way

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR-The 3 Kings

Reading the Bible this Year: Judges 14-Samson's Marriage

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: Judges 8

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Revelation Chapter 22

Forgiveness in the Bible

READING THE BIBLE - REV. 20 - SATAN'S DOOM

Hallelujah! - READING REVELATION 19

Curious What the Bible Says about Prophesy?

Reading the Bible - Revelation 17 - The Woman on the Beast

7 Angels & 7 Plagues - The Tribulation in the Bible

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim - Reading the Bible

666 - The Number of the Beast - READING THE BIBLE

Joshua's Farewell-Reading the Bible this Year

The Woman and The Dragon - READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR

The Two Witnesses for God - Revelation 11

The Angel & The Little Scroll - Revelation 10

Misunderstandings Can Start Wars - Joshua Chapter 22

Cities of Refuge: Joshua Chapter 20

END of DAYS: DEMONS & DESTRUCTION

The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 5

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Joshua Chapter 21

Revelation Chapter 2 - Angels, Stars, & the Future

HAVE A PEACEFUL WEEKEND - Read the Bible With Us

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: Joshua 18

Revelations Chapter 1 - Hope in Crisis

Reading the Bible-The Division of land of the Children of Israel

Our Daily Reading of the Bible

CHAOTIC TIMES - READ the Bible with Us for Peace

Join Us As We Read Through the Bible This Year

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Lies, Trickery & Deception

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: Ai Destroyed

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Joshua 7 - Greed, Theft & Punishment

Reading the Bible- Talking about Atlantis, Math & More

Angels...? We're Reading the Bible Today: Joshua 5

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: The Death of Moses

Generosity and Divorce are themes as we Read the Bible this year

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: History of the Children of Israel

The Nation of Israel - Reading the Bible in 1 Year

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Mischief - Raffle to Help Fight Cancer

Editorial Ass't has posted an entry on her blog about one small way we can all help one of her friends. Let's join the team and fight together. We can win this one and it's for a VERY good cause.

Cancer is a horrible disease and we can all work together to help win this battle.

I feel strongly about this topic because I lost my aunt to cancer in April of '08 and my mother-in-law just had a double mastectomy. She has finished her chemotherapy and radiation and is now on the road to healing.

Let's see if we can't help this woman win her battle too!!!

Sustainability - Top 50 Green Cities in the USA

Blogging conferences aren't the only reason to come to Portland. And though Portland might not be perfect, it's definitely great and it's green. If you don't take my word for it, read it here. We are #1 in the country for living green. And, if you want to read more, click
here
.

TOP 50 GREEN CITIES IN THE COUNTRY:

The 2008 SustainLane U.S. City Rankings (2006 Rankings in Parentheses):
1) Portland (1)
2) San Francisco (2)
3) Seattle (3)
4) Chicago (4)
5) New York (6)
6) Boston (7)
7) Minneapolis (10)
8) Philadelphia (8)
9) Oakland (5)
10) Baltimore (11)
11) Denver (9)
12) Milwaukee (16)
13) Austin (14)
14) Sacramento (13)
15) Washington (12)
16) Cleveland (28)
17) Honolulu (15)
18) Albuquerque (19)
19) Atlanta (38)
20) Kansas City (18)
21) San Jose (23)
22) Tucson (20)
23) Jacksonville (36)
24) Dallas (24)
25) Omaha (37)
26) San Diego (17)
27) New Orleans (32)
28) Los Angeles (25)
29) Louisville (35)
30) Columbus (50)
31) Detroit (43)
32) Phoenix (22)
33) San Antonio (21)
34) Miami (29)
35) Charlotte (34)
36) Houston (39)
37) Fresno (37)
38) El Paso (31)
39) Fort Worth (46)
40) Nashville (42)
41) Arlington (41)
42) Long Beach (30)
43) Colorado Springs (26)
44) Indianapolis (45)
45) Virginia Beach (48)
46) Memphis (43)
47) Las Vegas (27)
48) Tulsa (40)
49) Oklahoma City (49)
50) Mesa (47)

I had to share this good news.

Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference - Portland, OR with Greg Pincus

IF YOU WON’T PROMOTE YOURSELF
WHO WILL?. . .


You can start small, with a few simple steps.

The Butterfly Effect describes how one small action can ripple out and create an enormous reaction later.

Here are a few suggestions:

1) Send out a few email blurbs to your family and friends;
2) Simply ask those people to share your website/blogsite with one or two other people. This will start to grow your reading community. Remember, though, patience is a virtue.
3) Email listservs (e.g. SCBWI) and tell them about your blog/website and ask them to check it out.
4) Give your posts strong names (See Marketing Mentor Greg Pincus in the vlog for more on this).
5) Get involved – be part of the conversation.

According to Greg Pincus, “It is very hard to get attention whether you’re selling something or giving it away. But it’s definitely harder to get attention if you’re not out there in the first place.”

Monday, September 29, 2008

Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference - Portland, OR - Part 9

After lunch, Laini Taylor and Jen Robinson had a Q and A session. Here is a little taste of what they talked about during this Kidlit '08 talk.

For me, it boiled down to making this writing experience a personal journey and to remember to keep it personal, with an individualized touch, when submitting because no one wants to feel like a "Mr. Blogger" or "Ms. Book Reviewer".

Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference - Portland, OR - Part 8






The Kidlit Blogging Conference began with Bridging Books and Blogs. It was a panel discussion filled with some heavy hitters: Mark Blevis, Alice Pope, Dia Calhoun, Lori Ann Grover and Betsy Bird of Fuse #8.

Here is a photo of the panel.

Together they explained how kidlitosphere blogging is an open community for everyone and anyone out there. And, they said, that even though “Sphere” may seem like an exclusive term, it isn’t.

What does “osphere” mean?


They explained some people don’t know. But the word is meant to feel open and inclusive.

Tips from the panel for new bloggers:

1) Find your niche and write in that niche.
2) Learn things about technology: Photobucket, and Youtube because photos and videos can make your blog a richer reading experience.
3) Blogging requires a long term investment, so be prepared.
4) Blog consistently.

Mark Blevis of Just One More Book said, “A house starts with one brick. . . Get in the conversation.”

He also said, blogging and audiocasting can:

1) Help you get and feel connected.
2) Help you form lasting friendships.
3) Help you gain personal strengths such as better writing and speaking skills.

One of the comments I really enjoyed was from Readergirlz. Their purpose is to help girls reach out. Through Readergirlz, young women gain love, faithfulness and truthfulness.

How much better could it get?

Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference - Portland, OR - Part 7

Colleen Mondor who writes her reviews on the blog known as Chasing Ray and Jackie Parker told us about "Making the Most of the Community: Blog Tour Events." They do a group Summer Blog Blast Tour and a Winter Blog Blast Tour (which is closed to their blogging group for control purposes). Colleen said she likes to give the craziest bit of the interview as a teaser to entice readers to read more.

Jackie Parker said, "Part of playing the game is playing the community."

So, get in there and play together, linking to one another is a great way to grow your community.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference - Portland, OR - Part 6

Mother Reader had a wealth of wisdom to share with all of us beginning and seasoned bloggers.

She gave tips, hints and suggestions on how to "Be a 'B' List Blogger." And one of the best things she said was if you don't want to be a highly committed blogger, "That's okay."

She also said, "Simplest is best." And, "You don't want text, text, text."

As writers, we might want to sit in our rooms and write but she says to get out there and, "Comment, comment, comment." But make sure it's adding value and not just some random post. Otherwise, it will lead to blog dumps.

She also said, it might be a good idea to set goals. One goal could be to read three blogs a day and make two comment posts. Remember to keep it simple.

Another bit of good advice was to have three reasons why you're blogging and to remember those core values when you post.

Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference - Portland, OR - Part 5

Greg Pincus a/k/a Marketing Mentor to Wanna be Writers of the World read his poem Web 2.0 at the conference. And, admittedly, the quality of this podcast is not the best but the poem is. So, if nothing else, play the video and close your eyes and listen. I promise this one is worth it.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Kidlitosphere: Mark Blevis of Just One More Book

Mark was a great speaker, full of energy and entertaining but that doesn't even begin to describe all the information he was sharing with all us newbie and senior writers.

You'll have to listen for yourself to hear a bit of what he had to share. One of his main points, though, that I really enjoyed hearing was that growing a community takes patience and, maybe, a little sunlight.

Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference - Portland, OR - Part 3

Lisa Schroeder of I Heart You, You Haunt me and a member of the Class of 2K8 was talking about Group Blogging and reaching out rather than reflecting back in toward yourself.

Day 2- Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference in Portland, Oregon


I have so much information I want to share with all of you. I can't possibly get it into one or even two posts. I feel like I was bombarded with information - which is GREAT but there's so much. I want to start by sharing just a few photos and then I will begin uploading podcasts I took of the guest speakers, who were all amazing!

Here is Newberry Prize winning author Kirby Larson, check out Newbery Honor Book, Hattie Big Sky. Kirby Larson is pictured with Michele Kophs.




I've also included a few other photos. Author Eric Kimmel, is shown.









Here is Lisa Schroeder of I Heart You, You Haunt Me, with Lisa Madigan and another photo of
Roseanne Parry, Lisa Schroeder and Zu Vincent.










Mother Reader was there too.

And these are only a few of the photos I took. I'll post more later. But there was Mark Blevis of Just One More Book, Alice Pope of CWIM, Dia Calhoun, Lori Ann Grover and Betsy Bird. You'll have to check out Readergirlz. But that's just the beginning. Jackie Parker, Colleen Mondor, Anastasia Suen Laini Taylor, Jen Robinson, and Sara Zarr were all there.

Now, that I've bombarded you with photos and links to check out, I'm sure you'll be busy for a bit but pop back over later and check out more.

It was an amazing conference and I still have more to go.

Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference - Portland, OR


I went to the blogging conference at the Sheraton Hotel at the airport in Portland, Oregon, on Friday night. It wasn't far for me to go, about 10 minutes from my home. It was a perfect night for us to meet at the hotel and head downtown to Powell's Books. We mulled around chatting and checking out the books. Maureen Kearney was here from California, she's a children's librarian. Visit her at Confessions of a Bibliovore. Alma Alexander rode with us to Powell's. Then everyone was going to go on over to The Deschutes Brew Pub for dinner and a drink. Tomorrow the actual conference begins. I can hardly wait. Jone MacCulloch and Laina Taylor (author of Faeries of Dreamdark) put this entire conference together. Laini's husband, Jim Di Bartolo, was there too. He did the cover art for her book.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Earth-Friendly Friday!!! Green Roof Gardens

ANSWER TO YESTERDAY'S BLOG QUESTION: Because there are more ducks in that line.

Okay, that was cheap - but it's funny. And tomorrow I'm hoping to post some pictures and maybe even a podcast of the blogging conference here in Portland, Oregon to make it up to you writer friends. Check it out here.



So you say you want to be sustainable...Try a "Green" roof garden.

My friend, Diane Cooper, is a certified master gardener. This is what she has to say:

"My new roof will hold rainwater and let it evaporate back into the sky. The water it can’t hold will be clean when it hits the gutter and our streams. The roof will keep my building 20 degrees cooler in the summer; will lower sound inside by 8 decibels, and will attract living creatures. It will erase the building’s footprint. Most of all, it will last three times longer than a conventional roof. We know all of this because homes in Europe have had beautiful green roofs for decades."

Thursday, September 25, 2008

THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY



DUCK ?

Everybody has seen ducks fly by overhead, in the familiar "V" formation.

QUESTION: Why is one line always longer than the other???

ANSWER: On tomorrow's blog.

_________________________________________________
Commonly confused words - thanks to John Potter:

"Lie (to rest)
Lay (to place)

Sit (to rest)
Set (to place)

Commonly confused adjectives and adverbs:

Almost (adv. – nearly)
Most (adj. – greatest in amount)

Farther (adv. – actual distance)
Further (adv. – additionally)

Fewer (adj. – refers to numbers (you can count the item))
Less (adj. – refers to amounts or quantities (you cannot count the item))

Good (adj. – desirable)
Well (adv. – satisfactorily)
(adj. – health) as my English teacher says, you can’t feel badly because we don’t feel goodly."
_________________________________________________________________________________

And for all my writing friends, who don't write for the young adult or children's market, check out these links:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
http://community.compuserve.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=start&webtag=ws-books
http://romancedivas.com/main.html
See http://www.bksp.org/upload/index.php

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Greek Mythology - Eurydice and Orpheus



My husband, Lars, and I went to see the live performance of EURYDICE on Friday night, at the Artists Repertory Theatre.

It is a Romeo and Juliette story of two people in love. Tragedy strikes, they should be reunited but life (and death) get in the way just in time to ruin everything.

Jennifer Le Blanc played Eurydice and was an amazing ballerina in one scene. Dangling from the ceiling like a Circe de Soleil performer. That was the absolute best scene of the play. However the stones were fun too. And, Todd Van Voris was a wonderful Nasty Man. Orpheus was played by Gilberto Martin Del Campo and David Bodin was great as the father.

I love live theater.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

One Year Birthday Present - Boxes








My friend, Jessica, is celebrating her son's one year birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY E.J.!

We love to give homemade gifts, whenever we can.

Here is what my husband and I made for him: a table and two little stools. His stool has his initials on it: E.J. (not pictured because we already gave it to him) and a chair for his best friend (PAL). We are still working on the present.

I have to show you a couple chairs we gave the neighbors last Christmas, so you can see the finished product: here is Annie, Emily and Kara's chairs.

Sturdy stools with nice little handles so the kids can carry their chairs wherever they want them: my boys still have their little chairs and those are about 15-20 years old.



Monday, September 22, 2008

Voice for a Writer

Voice can be a difficult concept to explain. Essentially it is when people speak in a unique and distinctive way.

Everyone has their own mannerisms, attitudes, and body language. These are the attributes that make human beings different from one another.

In the Charlie Brown comic Peanuts, Linus always carried around his blanket, sucked his thumb and had his own unique ways of expressing himself. Some people call these things "tags" and they are an extension of voice.

Nathan Bransford said it well: "The other thing I'm noticing about dialogue is that it is most effective when it is very clear it is the voice of a very particular character or characters saying the words, rather than words that could be said by anyone. Everyone has their own way of speaking in real life, but with dialogue on the page it seems even more important to counter expectations, to avoid cliches, and to make it sound original." You can read his entire post here.

Even if characters are using the exact same words, no two people would ever say anything in precisely the same way.

Watch this short clip to see exactly what I mean.



I hope this helps explain voice. If you have any comments or suggestions to add, please click on the comments section and add your thoughts about voice.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

TAG - I'm It

Kelly tagged me so here goes:

1. What are your nicknames? Kimbo (from my sister), Mo (from my daughter), Sweetpea (my husband)

2. What game show and/or reality show would you like to be on? What Not to Wear (I belong on that show)
This isn’t a game show or reality show, but it’s my reality. My kids always tell me “Don’t wear that.”

3. What was the first movie you bought in VHS or DVD? Bambi for the kidsI

4. What is your favorite scent? I love the smell of flowers. Flower Bomb.
5. If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on yourself, what would you do with it? A new boat, I love being out on the water – and a killer swimsuit that would hide my fat thighs – that would be worth a million bucks.

6. What one place have you visited that you can't forget and want to go back to? The Grand Canyon. We rode mules half way down. The kids have to be over 12 to ride to the bottom and at the time Kara wasn’t. So, I’d like to go back, ride to the bottom and spend the night – just like the Brady family ;-)

7. Do you trust easily? No. I work in a law firm, so, I guess it’s a hazard of the trade.

8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think? I think before I act, but talk (sometimes) before I think. …

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days? It’s been a hard year. My Aunt passed away, then my father-in-law, then my husband’s uncle, then my Mom. All within six weeks.

10. Do you have a good body image? No. But, I’m working on it. Riding my bike to work and all those water sports – I’m hoping.

11. What is your favorite fruit? Every one. No blackberries – see my blog for my organic-volcanic blackberry jam recipe.

12. What websites do you visit daily? Verla Kay's (Blueboard) and Rachelle Gardner’s blogsite.

13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately? Blogging – at least that’s what my husband says.

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is? Super friendly and outgoing with a great smile!!!

15. What's the last song that got stuck in your head? Phantom of the Opera’s Past the Point of No Return – absolutely love it!

16. What's your favorite item of clothing? My slippers

17. Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy? Who doesn’t, when they are mixed with marshmallows and melted butter!

18. What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground? I would grab it and then look around to see if it was anyone’s.

19. What items could you not go without during the day? I’d find it hard to get by without my laptop and coffee.

20. What should you be doing right now? Sleeping – I’m always tired – cause I stay up waaaaay 2 late

Here are a few of the people I tagged, I forgot to add each address and then forgot who I tagged - getting old:

http://summerfriend.blogspot.com/

http://renajjones.blogspot.com/

https://www.randomactsofunkindness.blogspot.com/

http://rachelwrites4kids.blogspot.com/

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Time is Short - Tell Someone You Love Them


With my birthday just around the corner, I’m reflecting. Mom had nine kids: Doug, Brook, Steve, Frances, Jeff, Todd, Toni, Kim, Tammy. Today there are only five of us left:

Doug, Steve, Brook, me and Tammy

We need to remember time is short. Tell someone you love them – today.

This is an old photo we had made for Mom, when we could all get together.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Earth-Friendly Friday!!! Yeah - Captain Planet


I rode to work and back home on my bike today (10 miles)!!! I’m just trying to save the world, one ride at a time.

And, just in case you’re worried about toxins leeching into your body (or your little ones) from poisonous plastic water bottles - who needs dioxins - or if you’re interested in saving the planet by limiting plastic wrap for sandwiches and bags, and useless utensil waste, check out this environmentally friendly option for an eco-healthy lunchbox from the Oregon Environmental Council. Click here.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

BLOGGING BRAINIACS - Share their advice

I’m new to this wonderful world of blogging and the one thing I’ve noticed is it can be very addictive. Meeting new and interesting people who are willing to share words of wisdom and advice for FREE!

I’ve only been blogging for about two months so, being a newbie, I want to learn more about this forum. I’ve signed up for the Kidslit Blogging Conference here in Portland, Oregon. If you want to read more about it, check it out here and here.

I am so hoping to meet up with so many people.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Harvest Moon - What does it mean?


My daughter, Kara, and I were driving home from downtown, after spending an hour shopping for my niece's birthday present.

Sorry Serena, we didn't find anything. And September 22, is the official end of summer. The Autumn Equinox is when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator.

But this is the sight we saw from the freeway of the Harvest Moon.

In Norse mythology, the Harvest Moon is said to be the most powerful of all moons.

The reddish colored orb hanging low in the sky is an amazing site. This blood-red moon is said to give Loki his power to grant a good harvest.

Next month, during October, we will have to look for the Hunter's Moon.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Another Beautiful Night on the Water



Writing, reading, playing: there are so many things I want to do. I hate to see the summer come to an end. Just a few short weeks ago we could be out on the water until 9:30 and on the way home by 10:00. Now it's dark at 8:00. Doesn't leave much time to do everything we want to do. At least it was another beautiful night on the river.

It was Ellen's first time wakeboarding.














I'm so glad Jake could get away from work.

Monday, September 15, 2008

A Sunday Afternoon Drive - By Bike

It was a beautiful day. Probably about 95 degrees. Lars and I got up early and went berry picking at the top of Mt. Tabor Park. Make sure you scroll through this link to see how really beautiful Mt. Tabor and Portland really are.

This is a park built on an extinct volcanic cinder cone. There are only two of these parks in the United States and the other one is in Oregon too, in Bend.

So, I'm going to make more of my Organic-Volcanic Blackberry Jam. But before I pulled out my berries, Lars and I rode our bikes down to the city. I want to start riding my bike to work - trying to be green, save gas and the environment. It was a great work out. Here's my husband, when we stopped at Starbucks to refuel.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Summer Comes to an End - Almost

It's probably one of the last weekends of summer weather. We wanted to spend the time, out on the boat, with friends.

Here is my daughter, Kara, wakeboarding.













Janice chose to stay on the boat and soak up the sun - rather than getting soaked.
















Darryl is an obvious boarder - whether its skate or wakeboarding.













Here's my husband, Lars, riding the waves.








I kind of look like a frog.







Then we came home and had a cold drink by the warm fire, sitting on the patio chatting. My brother, Steve, joined us and Kara and Jake hung out on the deck.

How did you spend the weekend?

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Movie Night - The Other Boleyn Girl


This was a great show but so sad. Women were traded like cattle and used like assets. Fathers traded their young daughters for monetary gain.

My husband, son (Jake for his college graduation) and I visited Hever Castle (Ann Boleyn's childhood home), when we were in England last year. We saw paintings of Ann hung on the walls. Having seen her home and family paintings, makes this story/movie seem tangible and real. It was very emotional.

And, in reality, Ann Boleyn looked a lot like my niece, Serena. At least I think so, what do you think?





What a rough world it was. Thank God we’ve come a long way baby!

Here are a few photos we took of Hever Castle.





Friday, September 12, 2008

Query Letter Help from Book Ends

Book Ends gives some helpful hints about queries. Read it here.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Won't You Be My Neighbor?




People come and people go but a neighborhood is more than comings and goings. It's a community of people who care about each other and go out of their way to get to know one another. One way that our neighborhood does this is by hosting Welcome to the Neighborhood parties and Christmas Cookie Exchanges. There are other ways too but here are a few pictures from one party where we welcomed Jen, John and Jackson.

These cyber neighborhoods are important too. We make friends and get to know one another over the net. So, grab a cup of coffee and sit and share some news with me. I've got a variety of posts to share with you. Hope you enjoy your visit into my on-line life.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Self-Editing Help - and other useful links

Here's a great post from Kelly Mortimer with a lot of helpful writing information. You can read the entire post here.

And if you want to find topics to write about, here is a list of 7 ways to track trends. Thanks to Writer's Digest. Check it out here.

Here's another useful link to read: Face-to-Face with an Agent, from Writer's Digest. Read it here.

Here's one more great post, which gives a list of agents accepting queries from children's literature writers, which was current as of March of '08. Check it out here

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

VIOLET RAINES ALMOST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING


Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning
By Danette Haworth

I read this book Saturday night and thought it was super cute. I loved spunky Vi. And with the teaser on the jacketflap, of coral snakes and alligators, who wouldn’t want to read Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning?

It was 162 pages of awesome attitude twirled into a fun-filled story.

I enjoyed the fish fries, which brought back childhood memories for me. My own Dad hunted and fished to feed us kids. With 9 of us, he had too. But, I hated watching the fish get cleaned, just like Melissa.

I could totally relate to Vi’s jealousy. When I grew up with my best friend, who lived across the street, I too, just like Vi, was jealous whenever new girls came into the picture. I felt left out some times but never considered how my friend felt, when I was hanging out with my sisters and brothers or other friends.

I especially loved Vi’s word collection. Taradiddle, magniloquent, jubilant, and serendipity were all great, but my own personal favorite was a word my mom and grandma used to use all the time: persnickety. Now, isn’t that a cool word for a kid?

The tree cave was a cool idea and the bridge crossing was always hanging around in the back of my mind.

All around, a very fun story.

Monday, September 8, 2008

WOGGING INSTEAD OF BLOGGING this morning




This morning (Sunday 9/7) my sister and I did the Pints to Pasta, 10K run. Okay, it was really more of a wog (Walk/Jog) than a run. But it was over six miles and we finished! Plus, it helped raise money for two wonderful causes:

1) Raphael House, this agency offers domestic violence intervention for women and children made homeless by domestic violence.

Read more about it here:

And,

2) The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training

Read more about it here.

We finished and rushed over to watch my niece compete at skating. Serena took third place. She was skating to Van Helsing. We call her a Fanpire, especially after reading the Twilight series.



Then it was off to dinner for my son’s (Jake) and daughter’s (Kara) birthday party. It was a Thai dinner and then cake and ice cream at home with MacKenzie playing Happy Birthday on the violin.



It was a busy day.



Hope you all had a fun filled and eventful weekend.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

T-Mobile Isn't the Only One With a Fav-Five

Top Five Energy-Saving Tips

1. Turn thermostats down by 3 to 5 degrees on your furnace and water heater. Yes, this may mean wearing more clothes in the house. That's one of things they're for. And if you can't hold your hand under the hot water, it's too hot!

2. Turn the heat down further when you leave the house for the day, and turn it down when you sleep at night. If you have a programmable thermostat, even better - you can program it to do this for you, and set it to bring the heat up before you get home and before you get up.

3. Get your furnace tuned and cleaned every other year; replace the air filters at least annually if not seasonally. Make sure heating units or registers are free and clear. There's no sense in heating the back of the couch.

4. Next to space heating, water heating uses the most energy. Wrap your water heater with insulation. Wash your clothes in cold water. Consider whether it's necessary to shower every day (Heresy!), especially in the winter. Take shorter showers when you take them.

5. Turn off the lights when you leave the room, even if it's just for a moment. In rooms with track or recessed lighting, where multiple bulbs go on and off from a single switch, consider removing some bulbs or lowering wattage.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Contest: Win a Mentorship Program for One Lucky Winner

Mortimer Literary Agency Announces its Yearly Mentorship Program. I received this information via Kelly Mortimer's newsletter:

"And awaaay we go! I'm ready to tell y'all about my mentorship program, started because I'm mental. I wanna help writers. I can't help everyone, but I can help ONE. It could be you.

You'll get more details later, but here's the overview.

I'll choose a writer and starting with chapter one of their finished manuscript, help them transform the work with the end goal being a contract for representation and the sale of the manuscript.
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The mentorship program isn't meant for those with one foot in the door, but for someone with a great idea or voice, that ain't getting' pubbed until they learn all the fun rules we have.
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The program is open to the first 100 applicants who satisfy the requirements TO THE LETTER. If ya can't follow simple directions, ya need more help than I can give.
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I have a lot of friends, and I wanna keep it that way. I'll be judging blind. Your application will go to someone else, contest style. The only info I'll receive will be the genre and word count. Sooo, you haveta send something unrecognizable to me. Something you haven't submitted before.
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You'll need to send the app form, one page of your manuscript (250-words computer program count, 250 words in Courier New font, or 300 words in Times New Roman font), and a one-page essay on why you should win the mentorship. If ya give me any clues to who ya are, you're outta there!
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I'll be accepting the submissions from October 1-31, 2008. If ya send your app in a minute before, you're outta there!
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The actual program will start in the second week of January."

That's a direct quote

Friday, September 5, 2008

PAX - My sons went to the Penny Arcade Show



On August 29, 30, and 31st Luke and Jake went to Seattle to the Penny Arcade Conference you can read more about it here. Luke spent a lot of his time playing video game challenges and finished 8th.

Jake ran around and checked some of the stuff out, when he wasn't cheering for his brother. He even met Felicia Day who played Vi on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.

Jake and his buddy Aaron had their pictures taken with the star.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

It's Finally Here! Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning


Borders didn't call but I stopped by during my lunch hour and checked to see if Danette Haworth's new book was finally in. Hooray!!! It's finally here. And I had to climb into my "garden" and start it right away. And with talk of coral snakes and alligators on the jacketflap, before I even made it to the first page, I can tell you, I'm excited to see what will be popping out at me from these sheets of pen and ink.

I'll post more in the next day or two with what I thought about the entire story - but just reading the jacket, I'm sure I'm going to love it.

If you want a chance to win a copy, all you have to do is click on this link to Angie Frazier's blogspot and read all about the contest: here.

Random Acts of Photography from the Summer






These are photos of friends. First Jess and EJ, then Pintado and EJ, then Jess innertubing. And here's one random sunset over Portland, Oregon.