Sunday Craft: Reuse Rethink it with Yarn

I took a few hours off from working on my wip this weekend to help reorganize my kid's rooms. Both my daughter and my son need shelf space. Who doesn't, right?! 

Since I wasn't real excited about going shopping for something new, I thought about rethinking/reusing stuff we already had. I poked around the garage and saw this old wicker set of drawers collecting dust and rust. It wasn't being used very well so, I emptied it out, dusted it off, and thought the drawers would make great box shelves for my son's room. All it needed was some wooden backboards that I cut out and painted and--that was it! 

I cut out wooden backboards mainly to make
it easier to nail into the drywall in my son's room.

Pretty easy and I really like the result.

 Weaving using leftover twine I
had in the garage.

But then, I was left with this metal frame and a daughter who still needed shelf space. I thought about cutting more wood panels but my ribbon saw won't cut wide enough to fit the frame and you really don't want me anywhere near a hand saw! So, I picked up some twine and tried weaving it into the frame to see how it would turn out. Well, I liked the result and if I had had more twine, I would have woven the rest of it the same way. But, I didn't. I did however, have a bag full of brightly colored leftover yarn my mother had given to me a while back...humm...I tried the yarn and ended up using that for the rest of the shelves. The neat thing is, it really didn't take that long to weave. One shelf took me about 30 minutes to finish and that included the countless times I dropped the ball of yarn and had to stop to rewind what had unraveled.  Grrrrr!

Anyway, here it is finished! 
I liked it so much, that I spent 10 minutes 
trying to convince my daughter she really 
didn't need it.  Yeah, that didn't work.

Here it is set up in my daughter's room before she
put her books in it. The only other thing I added, was 
some plastic laminated sheets on top of the yarn to give it a little more rigidity.

And Voilà! (:

Now, back to my WIP. *crack!*

And Happy Father's Day to all you great dads out there.

Have a wonderful day!

(((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))

Bloghops Make Me Lazy

I like participating in bloghops. Since the beginning of the year, I've signed a few linky lists, co-hosted a couple hops, and even organized a joint bloghop with the lovely Michelle over at Writer in Transit, not to mention taking part in the mega of all bloghops, A-Z.  I find bloghops (or blogfests, never really knew the difference between the two) appealing for several reasons:

• Good way to show support for your fellow bloggers,
• discover other blogs of varying interests and/or,
• meet other like-minded bloggers,
• build your platform,
• increase the number of interesting blogs to follow,
• increase your followers,
• AND, you don't have to think of a creative post on the day of the hop. Someone else has done all the thinking for you, and all you have to do is follow their guidelines.  

I think it's the last point that has gotten me into trouble. First, bloggers have gotten creative in coming up with fun and interesting themes, and I've found myself wanting to sign-up for more than I could possibly handle. And even though bloghops are a lot of fun, they are time consuming when done right. I enjoy posting but also visiting people on the sign-up list, and that's where most of your time is spent--visiting other bloggers. 

After finishing my 3rd round of edits (as of two days ago *happy dance!*), I'm in rewrite hyperdrive. But to finish my rewrites before the end of the summer, Mamma's gonna need more time. So, I decided to put future bloghopping on hold for a couple months. The up side is, not having to post for a bloghop has freed my mind to blog about whatever I wish. The down side is, I've forgotten how to blog (not that I ever really knew how in the first place). I've relied so much on other bloggers to come up with a theme, that with the reins back in my hands, I've forgotten how to steer the horse. In other words, bloghops have made me a lazy blogger! Now don't get me wrong, I have had a few ideas for posts, but the voice in my head keeps telling me it's a stupid idea and no one would give a flip about it so think of something else...' and then my mind just goes blank. 

So now what? Well, looks like I'm going to have to get back into blogging shape, which means--I need more coffee or, another bloghop!!

Happy blogging everyone. 

:)  

A Message From Superman

Faerie Prince blog tour

I'm excited to have Rachel Morgan here today as part of her Faerie Prince blog tour. She's going to talk about her Creepy Hollow series and her idea of a real-life movie cast for her characters. As writers, we usually have a pretty good image of our characters formed in our mind. Trying to match that idea to a real-life person isn't always easy, but it's fun when we finally do find a good match. 

Do you have a celebrity you think would be a good fit for one of your characters in your book? 

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Creepy Hollow Fictional Movie Cast

I think it's a given that every author has, at some point or another, dreamed about their book being made into a movie/TV series.Which, of course, leads to them imagining who the lucky actors and actresses might be who get to play their characters.

I've always had a hard time imagining real-life people as my characters. They're kind of unique in my head. But I decided to do some searching online (thanks Google and IMDB) and YES, I managed to find some awesome actors and actresses who would suit the roles for Vi, Ryn, Nate and Tora (the four characters who probably have the most "screen" time so far in the series).

So ... here they are!

To read more about the characters that inspired this fictional movie cast, get yourself a copy of the newly released YA paranormal fantasy The Faerie Prince, second novel in the Creepy Hollow series. You can find it at the following online retailers (and if you haven't yet read the first book, The Faerie Guardian, you can find out where to get it on this page):

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Apple iBookstore

CreateSpace (print)

~  ~  ~

Rachel Morgan was born in South Africa and spent a large portion of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making. After completing a degree in genetics, she decided science wasn’t for her—after all, they didn’t approve of made-up facts. These days she spends much of her time immersed in fantasy land once more, writing fiction for young adults.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

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IWSG

I remember my March IWSG (not ISWG (;) where I boldly announced I'd get my edits finished before the A-Z challenge in April. 

HA! 

Jokes on me because it's almost mid-June and guess what? I'm still doing edits. For the whole month of April and May I didn't touch my wip. I know, how scandalous of me. Bad, bad writer! By the end of May, I found the more I ignored my wip, the easier it was to ignore, make up excuses, procrastinate, and feel even more insecure about it--until last weekend. 

A good friend of mine is an artist. She paints using different kinds of medium and it's amazing how talented she is. Anyway, she was leaving town with her family for the weekend and she offered her house up to me as my very own writer's cave for a whole day. That meant a whole day of uninterrupted writing, no distractions, no telephone, no internet, no little people, no big people, no pets, no gardening, no laundry, no cooking, no housework--just hours and hours of writing. I scrambled to get myself organized on the home front then packed my stuff up that morning, and spent the day at her house. It turned out to be an amazing day and one of the best gifts I've received in a long time.  But what's even better is that I made real progress with my wip and edits. Don't get me wrong, I'm still suffering through them, but I can see the finish line and guess what? I fell in love with the story all over again. Having that amount of alone time with my wip rekindled a spark that I hadn't felt in a while. 

So my point with today's post is this: sometimes, all it takes is a change of scenery and a few uninterrupted hours with your wip to have a breakthrough that'll bring you closer to the finish line. 

I'm So Sick Of Words

These last few days I've been in turbo mode, killing page after page of corrections in my wip. I haven't come across a single page that doesn't have some kind of red mark, strikethrough, warning label or personal threat to my safety if I keep making the same mistakes over and over again.  Actually, I am exaggerating a tad, can't you tell? I did come across one page that didn't have a single notation on it. I was so surprised that I held it up to the light like an X-ray to make sure I didn't miss the edit mark. After ten minutes of searching for Waldo, I decided my editor must have accidentally skipped this page (pg 236). (;

So right now, I'm sick of my words and having to correct the most asinine things that I should have caught myself! But no, only I can mix US and UK English as if the Declaration of Independence never happened, write desert for dessert--twice, have multiple ways of writing the em-dash, as for compound words--never use them when I should. Consistency? Never heard of it. Palette and  palate? Close enough. *facepalm* 

Anyway, Eliza pretty much sums up my current feelings about words and yet, she still has the audacity to remind me that I need to show not tell.     

WIP IT GOOD!

DL Hammons at Crusing Altitude 2.0 and I welcome you to WIP IT GOOD a bloghop intended to spotlight your [W]ork [I]n [P]rogress. 

I'm actually working on three projects that are in different stages of the writing process. The first one, is an epic fantasy that's still incubating. I want to keep this one all to myself for now. The second, is starting to crawl on all fours, but already has so much potential it makes me want to scream about it from the top of the blogosphere. But alas, this one is still top secret.  (; So that leaves me with my final project to share with you guys today. 

WIP Title: The Falling Witch

Word Count: current: 110,571: projected ~85-90,000. 

I know what you're thinking, that's a lot of words to slauter. Luckily for me, I know which ones to murder. Muwahahah.

Genre: N/A Paranormal/Romance

How long you've been working on manuscript: Too frickin long, which for me means 3.5 years.

Elevator pitch line (if you came across an agent in an elevator, what couple of lines would you use to summarize your book): 

Ok, so if I came across an agent in the elevator I'd say: 

"Represent me or I'll stab you in the eye with my click pen."   *clicks twice for effect.*   

How's that? You don't look convinced. Am I giving away too much? I've been told I have a tendancy towards melodrama. . . 

Fine. Then how about this (the super short version):

Twenty-three year old Edessa Scottwood would do anything to find her mother's killer, even if that means becoming a powerful witch and falling in love with the wrong vampire. 

Brief synopsis (250 words or less)

Ok, I suck at writing synopses so here's a brief blurb/description that I was still rewriting this morning! ugggg.....

Under the influence of an evil spell, twenty-three year old Edessa Scottwood had parts of her memory erased. Gone were questions about the mysterious Anchor Protein her mother was working on or the contact who tried to retrieve the protein after her mother was murdered. The spell had Edessa convinced suicide was her last option. She found herself at the edge of a cliff, and jumped. But instead of meeting death, someone or something saved her.  

In a secluded safe-house, Edessa’s estranged aunt reveals the truth about her lineage—Edessa is a witch like all the women in her family before her. With help from her aunt’s coven and a vampire named Ayden, Edessa will unlock her hidden powers and retrieve lost memories. She realizes the only way to get revenge for what happened to her mother is to uncover the importance of the Anchor protein and its connection to a warrior-like witch who is being hunted by a secretive group of vampires. Edessa will do whatever it takes to find the Anchor Protein before it gets into the wrong hands, even if that means traveling across the world with Ayden, a vampire with dark secrets of his own. Many lives depend on Edessa’s success—witches, vampires, and possibly the whole human race. 

Beta reader? Yes! This wip is currently going through a few more targeted rewrites but I'll be looking for one courageous Beta reader willing to suffer read through my ms sometime near the end of July.  

Thanks to everyone sharing with us today and for stopping by and showing support! DL and I are looking forward to reading all about your projects. 

Oh, and one more thing . . . because it's been a while since my last Friday crackmeupology, I decided to post this--

Have a great weekend everyone!

:D

Get Healthy Bloghop

Good Health: The slowest way to die

I want to thank Stephen Tremp, L. Diane Wolfe, Michael Di Gesu, and Alex Cavanaguh for hosting this blogfest. Eating healthy and trying to live a  healthy lifestyle is something I feel very strongly about and I wish more people would take their health and diet more seriously. Most of what I'm going to say are things that people reading this blog already know, which is why I'll try to keep this short because YOU know what's good for you and what isn't. But what baffles me is despite this knowledge, many people still choose to eat foods that are destructive to their health and the environment. Why? Why do that to yourself? Is it a false sense of security in modern technology that makes you think if you get sick, there's a pill you can swallow that'll make everything all better? You have to know that in the long term this is crazy thinking. Right? On top of that, a lot of people who don't value their health are folks I know, they are people I care about, people I consider my friends, it may even be you and you know what? I'd like you to stick around for as long as possible and in the best possible condition. Seriously.

I grew up on a western diet, and having lived in the States for almost twenty years (I now live in France), I'm convinced that the western diet promotes obesety, lifestyle diseases, and puts the planet at risk. One of the problems is that people on a western diet eat too many animal products (by a factor of 10) and don't eat enough plants. Plus, they eat far too many calories than necessary, and most of these calories are absorbed from foods that promote diseases instead of preventing disease. While I'm mostly concerned about people living in the States, the trend is spreading world-wide and is showing up here in France. 

Bottom line, if you want to live longer, in a healthy body, and in a healthier environment, your eating habits must change. And for change to happen, you must make life changing decisions. Getting on a diet is not going to cut it because diets don't work. If you're serious about improving your health and leaving behind a postive impact, you must be willing to change your behavior and your philophy about food. I've made a lot of changes to my eating habits since moving to France. I buy organic (about 80-90% of everything I buy is organic), we have a vegetable garden, I don't own a microwave and haven't used one in over a decade (shocking I know, but you can survive without one).  I cook our meals and have reduced our consumption of red meat. Plus, we don't eat meat at night. Another important thing is EXERCISE. I just recently started exercising six days a week. Anyway, I'm not going to detail all the aspects of my eating habits because it's not perfect and I'm not perfect however, I will leave you with this one piece of  advice for those willing to change their eating habits and get healthy:

INVEST IN A SIMPLE STEAM COOKER

My steamer and cast iron skillet. 

It doesn't have to be fancy with a lot of buttons that'll eventually break down. Simple is best. A steam cooker is easy and versitile. I  make soups in it, cook vegetables in it, and use it to reheat the occasional dish. This is a picture of mine and I use it practically every daily. For cooking vegetables, all you do is put about 1/4 water in the bottom, place your vegetables in the basket on top, cover, and steam cook your food for a few minutes. Vegetables taste different when they are steamed--they taste good, they taste like vegetables! <===this is a good thing! 

Your health is important people. 

You are important. 

Get healthy.

3Ups Bloghop: Krystal Jane

Click HERE for the complete bloghop list. 

As part of Randi Lee's 3Ups bloghop, I have the pleasure of spotlighting writer and blogger Krystal Jane at The Narcissistic Rose: Writer of the Fantastical, Supernatural and Magical. If you don't know Krystal or Randi, please head on over to their blogs. They are both really nice and great bloggers to get to know. 

I recently met Krystal, but after reading some of her posts, and interacting with her a few times, it's clear I'll be stalking keeping a close eye on her blog.  Krystal's posts are well constructed, and articulate, and I think she has what it takes to become a successful writer. 

First, she's a determined and motivated individual. That quality jumps right off the page and it's those kinds of writers that are going to be successful. 

Another quality I like about Krystal is she's honest about her writing. We all go through our little successes and failures along the road to publication and Krystal isn't afraid to talk about what worked and what didn't work for. The writing community is about sharing and helping each other out and Krystal gets that. :)

I also think it's great that she's willing to experiment with her writing. I wish more writers were like that. In some of her more recent posts, she talks about an experiment she did involving the dreaded query process. She also talked about the breakthrough she had when she her main character convinced her to change POV in her story. What I'm trying to point out here is that experimenting, taking risks, and moving outside our comfort zones, will help us grow and develop as writers, and I think Krystal already knows that. 

I'm happy to have gotten the chance to get to know Krystal better and I want to thank Randi for putting together and hosting this special bloghop. You ladies both rock! Oh, and I can't leave without mentioning one more thing. Krystal has a cat named Hamlet, and that, my friends is purrrr awesome.   (= 

CHASING MEMORIES by Tia S Bach

I'm excited to share with you, Chasing Memories by the very talented, Tia Silverthorne Bach. I was lucky enough to beta read an early version of Chasing Memories a few months ago and immediately saw great things ahead for Tia. It's an exciting and well written YA book that weaves in the paranormal with elements from the human psyche--a nice twist for the genre. And check out her amazing book cover designed by Jo Michaels--isn't it great?! 




"E, get out of the way! You're distracting from the cover."

"Oops. Sorry. I can't help it, just look at those eyes! And did you notice the symbol in the letter 'g' of the title?"

"Yes, I did."

"Well I know what it is, but I'm not telling you! You'll have to read the book to find out." 

"Looking forward to it. But can you get off the screen somehow or maybe duck down behind the book cover so we can get a better look at it?"

"Ok. Is this better?"

"Perfect. Now stay."

"Ruff." 

Expected Publication Date: June 10, 2013

Below, is a little more about Chasing Memories to wet your appetite, and some information about the author, Tia Silverthorne Bach. If you don't already know Tia, check out her site over at Depression Cookies. She's a talented writer and an award-winning published author. Plus, she's a genuinely nice person who simply loves the craft. I wish Tia tons of success with Chasing Memories!

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About Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy, Book 1):

There isn’t another way; not now. The others are coming. I can’t let them have you…

Seventeen-year-old Reagan has a problem: She can’t remember what happened the night her brother was taken. Now, the dreams haunting her from the incident are becoming more intense by the day. All the while, the lines between what’s real and what’s a product of her paranormal-obsessed mind are becoming blurred.

Is she losing her mind or has she just stepped into a world she thought only existed in books? 

Caught in a web of worried parents, competing boys, Wiccan relatives, protective amulets, and psychiatrist babble, Reagan must determine the truth before it’s too late.

Add Chasing Memories on GoodReads

About the Author:

Tia Silverthorne Bach is an avid reader, sometimes runner, involved wife and mother, and rabid grammar hound in addition to being a multi-genre writer. Her three daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels fortunate to have called many places home. She's the award-winning co-author of Depression Cookies, a coming of age story written with her mother. Tia's office is wherever her laptop takes her and any place that's conducive to allowing a wild imagination like hers to flourish.

Please visit her at her blog, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.