The QoP ~ Wishing you all a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!!

Hello, my awesome blogger friends! 

Yes ~ I'm still alive.  You know, in case your were wondering.  ;)  And I miss you ALL, of course!  I've just been trying to manage through some personal stuff.  Nothing to worry about - but, it needs my attention.  And since my time management skills kind of...suck (I'm thinking of a word that starts with "p"...)  ~ I'm sacrificing my blogging time for a little while.  No worries ~ I'll be back soon, and lurking around to see what's happening with my favorite people in the blogosphere.

But, I wanted to pop in today to wish you all a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!  And for my friends out there that may not celebrate Thanksgiving - I wish you ALL the BEST!

And I'm not leaving you totally empty handed!!!  I wouldn't think of it!!! So - here's an awesome recipe I'm making as an alternative to traditional pumpkin pie for my family's Thanksgiving Feast:

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake from all.recipes.com

Ingredients:


2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.

3. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.



YUM - right????  :)

And what Holiday would be complete without a few jokes:

Sooo morbid - but, I just love this one!!!  (source)

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~ Warm Holiday wishes to you all - from Donea Lee :)

Writerly Wednesday ~ The Fairy Tale Twist

I'll have to admit...I've been in a bit of a funk, lately.  (HI!  btw... :))  Maybe you've noticed?  This blogging thing is HARD sometimes!  The thing is ~ I wandered into this lovely blogging community and I've met some wonderful people and I don't want to lose contact with you.  So - I hope you'll forgive my "good-blogger" shortcomings and stop by to say "hello" from time to time.

BUT ~ on to the post!!  I admit it.  I watch FAR too much television.  I'm kind of a TV-junkie.  My poor dvr...  My husband is frequently exiled to the bedroom to watch his sports on the small screen, while I get the big TV in the living room ALL to myself!  (I know...mean...sorry sport-lovin' hubbies out there...)

A few new shows I'm trying out lately are twists on fairy tales.  These appeal to me, of course, because I happen to be writing a twisty fairy-tale based story.  Plus - who doesn't love a good fairy tale???  And I humbly maintain that watching copious amounts of TV is good research for writers.  I mean - a good show schools me on dialogue that works, humor, drama, character development, transitions from story to story - ALL sorts of stuff!  Here are the shows:

Once Upon a Time:



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 and Grimm:

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It's too early to decide which one I like better.  They both have their take on the Grimm fairy tales, but completely different approaches.  I do like the flashbacks to the fairy tales, themselves, in Once Upon a Time.  But - the cop angle of Grimm lends to more possible stories...I think.  Maybe.  :)  Plus, the reformed "Big Bad Wolf" in Grimm is pretty funny.  What I like the best, I think - is that they are taking stories that the whole world knows and putting a whole new twist on them.  Because - really...that's what writers do.

Have you seen these shows?  Have a favorite yet?  What's your favorite fairy-tale twist?  Please share!

And I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Haunted Blogfest ~ Reminiscing about Flo

Hello, my blogger friends!!  I'm back.  Sorry I missed you all last week.  But, I'm here in full force today to participate in Bish Denham's:

The challenge is to write a haunted story - preferably real - in 300 words or less.  I fear mine is more of a reminisce/short vignette - but, it's a fun memory from my teenage years.  I hope you enjoy!

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Florence Louise Grange, or as she’s more famously known as, “Flo”, was the ghost of ghosts back in the day. The best way to get Flo to come out and play was to drive to the top of her cemetery lane at night and park the car with the headlights pointed down towards her headstone. A brave volunteer would walk down to her headstone, recite the words carved on it precisely, then turn and walk back up the lane without looking back. Flo would erupt from her grave as a glowing green ball and follow (or chase) you up the street. (*TIP: this is where a date comes in handy, because I had a good excuse to fling myself into his arms…)



She would hover and hang around for a while. And if you got lucky, she would even morph into her original form – a sad young girl in a long dress. I only ever saw her as a ball of light. But, she’d say “hello” often, as often as we went to see her.


As more and more people started to visit Flo, the cops started to patrol the cemetery in force. My friends and I had a way around that. Instead of driving in, we would park in the neighborhood across the street and walk into the cemetery. This was an even bigger rush, at least for us. Not only were we excited to visit Flo – but the added “cool” factor of dodging the cops just amped up our fun. We dived behind headstones a time or two, leaning into the shadows and away from trolling patrol-car searchlights.


But, Flo never seemed to mind. Headlights or not – if we held to the ritual, she’d appear. As a grown-up with my own teenager, I can’t say I’d recommend this date/hang-out activity to my daughter. I’m a parent, of course. That would just be…wrong. Of course, if my stories and reminisces of my youth spur her to seek out these haunts on her own? I hope she’ll tell my old friend Flo that I say “hello”.

 
I hope you'll all click on Bish's name above to visit the others participating in the blogfest.  And thanks, so much, for stopping by.  Happy Wednesday!!

Pay it Forward Blogfest!!!! (not forgotten...just a little late!!)

Hi my fave bloggers/followers/friends ~

First of all I want to thank Matthew Macnish over at The QQQE for his tactful, round-a-bout reminder that I signed up for this blogfest ~ :)  (doh!)  I haven't been on track all week... (sorry if you stopped by for Writerly Wednesday or Find the Story Friday and found nothing...)  #Doneafail.

But, better late than never, right?  And I certainly don't want to miss the chance to Pay It Forward to some wonderful bloggers I know.

#1 - Alex J. Cavanaugh (who's also co-hosting this blogfest, of course!!)  He's seriously one of the nicest, pay-it-forward-est, sci-fi awesome, movie buffs and bloggers out there.  If you don't know Alex, go visit him.  NOW!  (pretty please?)

#2 - Michael Di Gesu of In Time...  another super nice guy/blogger.  Michael always seems to have just the right words I need to hear (read) when I need to hear (read) them.  Plus, he's a kick-a designer and illustrator.  Again - if you don't know Michael, VISIT!!!

#3 - Shannon Whitney Messenger.  This gal REALLY knows how to pay it forward.  She's always passing on her precious arcs, her knowledge, and sharing her wonderfully fun and funny personality.  I get a kick out of every single one of her posts.  You should visit her blog.  Today is good.  :)  Like, now.  I'll wait...

You're back?  Ok - I think I only needed to list 3.  I could list MANY more!  This blogger community is pretty darned awesome.  If anyone ever wants to organize a face-to-face blogger meet-and-greet one of these days, I would seriously consider coming!  (oh, you know I'd love to meet any one of you in person!)

I wanted to pay-it-forward to one more person, though.  That's my cousin, Amy Richardson.  She's new to this whole blogging thing - and I'm hoping if I can drive followers/readers her way, she'll keep at it.  She should.  She's a great writer/person with some wonderful ideas and talent to offer.  (LOVE you, cous!)

Please know that I think all of my blogger friends ROCK!  And if you'd like to discover even more great blogs and read more pay-it-forward blog tributes, make sure you click above on Matthew's or Alex's links for the full list of blog participants.

And I hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend!!

Find the Story Friday ~ The Journey

First of all - I just wanted to thank everyone for their kind and encouraging words on Wednesday's post.  You prove my point time and time again - this blogger community ROCKS!!!  :)  As my daughter would say, "I <3 U!"

And so, as I was scrolling for pictures today, I came across this one:

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Writing/Publishing a novel ~ it's a LONG road.  Sometimes - it almost seems there is no end.  But, if you can just make it around that bend - hopefully what you see is a new path and a new adventure.  This applies to any goal, really.  Any dream.  And I'm happy to share the journey with AWESOME people like you.

Of course - for my writing friends out there,  you'll know that it's essential for your characters to make journeys as well.  Please share - What journey are/is you/your character taking right now??

And, as always, I wish you all a WONDERFUL weekend!  Happy Writing/Living ~ :) 

It's OK to HATE the world today....

....as long as you forgive it tomorrow.  :)

I'm joining the rest of Alex J. Cavanaugh's IWS groupers today, because it's just been one of those weeks, you know?

For the most part, I try to stay really upbeat and positive.  Anyone who's been following my blog for awhile - at least, I hope you'll agree with that statement?  (If you don't, can I bribe you with a cookie?)

But, it's hard sometimes.  I am ALWAYS my own worst critic.  I think I, well...pretty much suck, most of the time.  I can get the best critiques in the world one day, and then turn around and find myself in tears the next day, cursing every darn word I tap/write out on my MS.  I ride this emotional roller-coaster FAR too often.  I'm always sure that maybe - I'm just not that good.

The thing is ~ this is no way to live life.  This line of thinking will NOT get me closer to my dream.  I KNOW this - and, yet - I still have those off days.  Perhaps, aspiring writers are just predisposed to doubt.  I do realize how foolish my doubt is.  And I'll continue to persevere.  I'll keep writing because it's what I LOVE to do!  I know it's never too late.  And I've got this wonderful writing community at my fingertips, if I need you.

I don't know that too many people know this, but my doubts and my fears kept me from really writing for YEARS!  Since I've been blogging, I've met so many wonderful, positive, inspiring people!  You guys keep me going.  Really.  You do.  So, I just wanted to let you know that if you've ever had an off day like I have, you're not alone.  And also just wanted to say, "Thank you."  :)

Find the Story Friday ~ OCTOBER!!!

Ok, well I might be a little early for October...(just a day, though - c'mon, now!)  But, it's a month I happen to LOVE!

The weather is nearly perfect.  My mountains are absolutely gorgeous with all the fall colors!  And there's one or two days this month that I can go out in public looking like death and totally get away with it!! :)  I'll admit - I'm a sucker for anything Halloween-related.  I've got Haunted House night planned with my favorite gal pals.  I'm planning to get tickets to a fun Witchapalooza dinner theater.  CORN MAZES!!  Let me tell you - they're a BIG DEAL in Utah!  A local dance company does a production called "Thriller" that's absolutely amazing!  There's fall festivals, pumpkin patches, Witches Night Out, Oktoberfests ~ so much fun.

So, here's my pic of the day ~

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Does this picture evoke some spooky fun in you??  Any Halloween/Fall stories to tell?  Please share!!

And, as always, wishing you much happiness and a Fabulous Fall Weekend!!  Enjoy!

Writerly Wednesday ~ An Excuse...Limerick Style

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There once was a girl named Donea

Who wished to be Dax, named Jadzia

‘Cause it’ll take lifetimes to do

All the things I need to

“Ah, heck. Quark? Give me a Sangria!”

 
(my apologies, blogger buddies - BUSY week!!  I'll have something better for you on Friday.  AND - I'll catch up my visiting this weekend.  Have a good one!!)

Find the Story Friday ~ I know what I did last Summer...

:)  Today, Michael at In Time... is hosting the "What I did on My Summer Vacation Blogfest"!!!!

Click here to see ALL the participants!!!

Well, those of you who've been around for a few of my recent Find the Story Friday posts will already know about my trip to Canada.  Yep - that was the family vacation this year.  And I'll have to admit...I sort of make a bee-line for the local cuisine when I go on vacation:



Poutine!!!

  

Ok...not exactly "local" but the schnitzel was divine!!


 

Sweets are a must...it's inevitable


And you simply can't go into the National Parks of Canada and not see some of the local wildlife:



Ahhh, look at all the babies!!!! :)



 And if you're ever in Banff...you ABSOLUTELY MUST GO to the Banff Springs (haunted) Hotel!  So cool:

My niece (left) and daughter (right) - gorgeous girls!!

And, of course, the scenery all around is just absolutely gorgeous:

The mysterious Hoo Doos...

Brrrrrrr....

I usually throw a few more little trips into my summer plans - hit a few farmer's markets, festivals, there's the 4th of July with friends and family, etc.  There's always something!!  And I try to go somewhere different, some place I've never been before, each and every year.  Southern food is calling my name lately...does anyone know of a nice place to stay down South???

What did you do on your summer vacation?

Happy Friday, all!

Writerly Wednesday ~ Blogfest, Contest and a Question!!

Welcome to Writerly Wednesday, Friends!!

So - I'm short and sweet today.  Or, well...my blog post will be.  (although, I am admittedly short...5' 3 1/2"...*sigh*)

My good bloggy friend, Michael, of the In Time...blog is having a blogfest on Friday, Sept. 23rd:

You should TOTALLY sign up for this!!  What's better than summer vacation pics and LOTS of them???  :)  You can read all about it by clicking HERE.

And now for some contest news ~ this one just sounds amazingly awesome!!  Miss Snark's First Victim blog is gearing up for the 2nd Annual Baker's Dozen Agent Auction!!  If your logline is picked - you could have agents warring over who gets to read and possibly represent your book!!  BIDDING WARS, my friends.  And all logged on-line for the world to see.  It's open to Adult and MG/YA submissions - so if you've got a pretty polished novel - I'd do a quick spit-shine and hustle on over to MSFV's site STAT!

And finally, a question.  Does this font make my prose look big?  :)

Happy Hump Day!

The Worst Movies Ever Blogfest!!

Captain Ninja Alex's army is out in full force today, my friends!!  He's hosting The Worst Movies Ever blogfest today ~ and if you want to peruse some other sure-to-be awful movie posts - please click HERE.

As for me ~ I have a feeling some of you are going to look at my list and go, "What the???  Is she crazy???  That movie is a CLASSIC!  Classic, I tell you!!!"  Or, perhaps, you'll think I've hit the nail on its crap-tastic head.  I have friends who have LOVED a few of the movies I'm going to list here... so, clearly - it's all totally subjective.

#1 - Dance Flick:

Oh, those Wayans brothers...  I could probably fill my list with films that the Wayans have had a hand in...I'm not a huge fan of the Scary Movie franchise, either.  Any movie that has to resort to gratuitous gross-outs for a laugh, sexual or otherwise, just ain't my thang.  Plus, this particular movie was NOT FUNNY!  Or interesting, or ANYTHING.  I'll just come right out and say it ~ It sucked.

#2 - Hot Tub Time Machine:

I soooo wanted to like this one.  I mean, c'mon.  Flash back to the '80's?  John Cusack?  Alas, no.  Another pet-peeve of mine...when the F-bomb dominates the overall dialogue in the movie?  I'm thinking there was probably a problem with the script to begin with.  Just sayin'... :)

#3 - Step Brothers:

Will Ferrell is a hit and miss for me, most of the time.  On the one hand, I LOVE him in Elf.  On the other hand, this movie was TERRIBLE!  The premise...it sort of had potential.  Sort of.  The execution?  Gross.  Not funny.  At. All.

#4 - Natural Born Killers:

This is one of the few shows I can remember, where I actually wanted to leave the theater in the middle of the movie.  I haven't watched it since that first time, and granted...it's been 17 years ago...(and wow, just realized Quentin Tarantino wrote this...explains a lot!) but I think it was the blatant, conscience-free violence in this that really turned me off.  I'm almost scared to admit it, I know there are a lot of Tarantino fans out there...but, I seem to have a similar reaction to most of his shows.  So twisted.  So violent.  Although, strangely enough, I really liked the Kill Bills...  go figure.

#5 - Showgirls:

This movie?  I just have to ask...why?

#6 - White Chicks:

Another Wayans movie...this one wasn't the worst EVER, necessarily.  But, they just looked soooo fake in their white chick suits.  Seriously?  Who could believe they were for real?  And something about the eyes looked uber creepy.  Another pet-peeve - movies that propose something to be real that is just far too unbelievable...and yet people believe it anyhow.  I call it the "duh" factor.

#7 - Howard the Duck:

I waver back and forth on this one.  It's so deliciously campy.  And ridiculous.  The cheese factor is a 10+!!  And yet....it's a fake-looking duck from outer space trying to get it on with Lea Thompson.  Yeah...this one flickers from "worst" to "secret cult-classic love" rather frequently.

#8 - Phantasm:

This one just makes me laugh.  I knew I had to put a "horror" flick on here.  And I use the word "horror" loosely.  I rented this for a birthday party when I was a kid, based on my dad's recommendation.  He told us it was one of the scariest movies he'd ever seen!!  My expectations were high for some creepy, movie fun.  Well...there was fun.  My friends and I still have a running joke about how not-scary this movie was.  *Interestingly enough, though - this movie has a 4 1/2 star rating on Amazon.com.... and I'll admit.  I still avoid mausoleums at night.  Oh, and tall, creepy funeral directors.  OH, and pointy, flying spheres of death.

#9 - Jaws 4: The Revenge:

So, funny story.  When the 1st Jaws movie came to HBO, I BEGGED my parents to watch it.  Today?  I'm lucky if I touch a toe in the ocean.  I'm TERRIFIED of sharks!  But, I love the first movie.  It's a true classic.  Unfortunately - I can't say the same for the sequels.  #4 had to be the worst.  I mean...seriously?  Was it the 1st shark's second-cousin's fraternal twin's brother on his mother's side that was coming after Mrs. Brody this time??  Too much.  Oh, and Mario survives that kind of attack?  Lame.

#10 - Gigli:

Ha!  Just kidding.  I know some "lists" out there report this to be the worst movie in creation.  I've actually never seen it.  My real # 10 is:

I don't know - I'm having a hard time with this one.  I keep coming back to funny-man shows that just aren't that funny.  Steve Carell doesn't always do it for me.  Jim Carrey can be annoying.  I wasn't initially a fan of Adam Sandler's...(although, I quite love him now!!)  Pauly Shore.  Remember him?  So, here's a few options for the worst:   The 40-year-old Virgin, Bio-Dome, Airheads, Billy Madison, The Cable Guy...  Which one would you choose?

I know I've forced myself through some other horrible feats of film-making, but these are the ones that came to mind.  Tell me, do you agree?  Disagree?  Have anything to add?  (btw - all movie posters copied here from imdb or amazon.com)

Thanks to Alex for hosting a fun blogfest!  Can't wait to see what other BAD movies are out there!!  But, here's hoping the next flick you catch is a GREAT one!!  Happy Monday ~ :)

Writerly Wednesday ~ Read any GREAT books lately??

Hi, all!  No tips, today.  But, I'm asking for tips from you:  Have you read any particularly GREAT books, lately??  If you're anything like me ~ your TBR list is already toppling over and you feel a strong need to cover your eyes when you look at it...

source

There are just SOOO many wonderful stories out there, waiting to be discovered!  But, do you have any suggestions that might need to jump to the top of my mounting TBR list?

As it stands, Aprilynne Pike's "Wings" series is the next set for me.

What about you?  What are you reading?

Whatever the story may be, I hope you enjoy it!!  I know I'm looking forward to mine.  Happy Writerly Wednesday, my friends! :)

MONARCH ARC Winner!!!!

Happy Saturday, all!!  As promised, the winner of my MONARCH Arc is....

(per random.org) 

Lucky # 7!!!!  Caitlyn Robison!

Congrats!!!

And I actually already know where this one needs to go, so Cait ~ you'll definitely get your copy before Monarch's release date on 9/15.

To everyone else - thanks for reading, commenting, and entering.  I wish you the best of luck on your next giveaway.  And rest assured ~ I'll have another one of these sometime down the road.  Have a great weekend!!

Find the Story Friday ~ Jury Duty....

I have been the worst blogger friend EVER!!!  Lately...  My sincere apologies for not visiting you all like I want to.  My intention is that will change...as soon as possible.  :)

Anyhow...I'm curious today ~ have any of  you seen one of these in action?
 

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I've spent the last day and a half serving my first stint as a juror.  It's an interesting process!  Kind of funny ~ after we watched the introduction video and were taken into the courtroom, I found it interesting that the potential jurors were actually randomly selected by the clerk picking names out of a box.  I figured I was safe, for sure!!  When it comes to drawings....my name is NEVER pulled!  The universe is funny that way...apparently my name is only never pulled when a cool prize is at stake.

And even then - there was a 50/50 chance that the lawyers would pass on me, too.  Nope.  I must have an objective face or something...?? :)   After initially hoping I'd get out of it, however - I found the process interesting and felt a bit jipped today when they held us in the holding room for 3 hours only to tell us later that the lawyers worked out a plea agreement.  I didn't get to deliberate or come to a decision at all!!!  Ah, well.  A learning experience, none-the-less.

Have any of you ever been called to perform your civic duty in a courtroom?

Anyhow, Don't forget to check out my MONARCH review and chance to win the ARC by clicking HERE.  Contest ends midnight, tonight!

And I hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend!!!

Writerly Wednesday ~ MONARCH Review and ARC giveaway!!!

Hello, my peeps!!  I have the great honor of reviewing Michelle Davidson Argyle's novel, MONARCH, on my blog today.

Check out this cool cover:

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Spys and butterflys?  Awesome.  :)

Here's the back cover descrip of the book:

Nick's life as a CIA spy should be fulfilling, but it has only given him unhappiness, a wife who committed suicide, and two daughters who resent everything he has become. Now, stuck in the Amazon on the last mission of his career, he must track down Matheus Ferreira, a drug lord and terrorist the United States has tried to bring down for years. If he succeeds, he'll have the chance to start his life over again. Just when he's on the brink of catching Ferreira, he's framed for a murder that turns his world upside down. His only chance of survival lies in West Virginia, where Lilian Love, a woman from his past, owns the secluded Monarch Inn. He's safe, but not for long.

 

AND a little bit about Michelle:

 

Michelle Davidson Argyle has been writing since a very young age. She graduated from Utah Valley University with a BA in English and creative writing in the winter of 2002. To date, she has completed five novels. Bonded will be released in fall 2012 by Rhemalda Publishing. She currently resides in the Rocky Mountains. Michelle is an avid blogger and currently runs her own blog, The Innocent Flower, as well as The Literary Lab, which she coauthors with the amazing Scott G. F. Bailey and Davin Malasarn. She is also an editor and publisher of the Literary Lab Presents series of anthologies, an annual nonprofit publication that donates all proceeds to charity.  (woot woot - a fellow Utahn!!!)

 

*I'll admit - adult thrillers aren't typically my genre of choice.  And as I read the first page, the image of a dead guy's blood pooling like butterfly wings ~ simply because I'm just not a blood&guts gal ~ had me a little worried.  But, the worry was for nothing.

 

As I delved deeper into Nick's, Lilian's, and Devan's stories ~ Michelle's deft descriptions and lovely words had me turning page after page after page.  And I soooo want to stay at The Monarch Inn!  And have some of Lilian's cake!!!

 

MONARCH mixes so many interesting elements ~ Nick's life as a spy is something many of us can't even begin to imagine - the sacrifices, the loss, the danger.  Lilian's divorce and the aftermath and her hopes for the future were touching and identifiable.  And Devan's loyalties to his mom (Lilian) and his sense of wonder about his future made him a lovable character.

 

With a thriller ~ it's hard to review too much of the plot.  I don't want to give anything away.  I'll say that, as a thriller, MONARCH does its job of keeping the reader guessing and pushing us to want to know what happens next!  I really enjoyed it.

 

And you can, too!!!  I'm giving my ARC away to one lucky commenter.  The book officially releases next week, Sept. 15th.  But, I'd like my winner to get it before then - so, entries will be accepted until this Friday, Midnight MDT.  I'll contact the winner bright and early on Saturday and (hopefully) get this mailed out to you ASAP!  (sorry - US residents only.)  Otherwise, I encourage you all to show a fellow UT-gal some love and pick up a copy of Michelle's book when it releases on the 15th.

 

Happy reading!!

Find the Story Friday ~ Today is a gourd day!

I love autumn.  It's my favorite season of the year.  And I know we're not quite there, yet...  But, September does herald the season in.  I can't wait to cruise through the mountain passes and take in the canvas of burnt leaves all around me.  The picture I have for you today isn't of fall leaves, but of something else that also reminds me of autumn ~

~<3

~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3

~<3

I'm not sure this picture does them justice ~ the vibrancy of color, the mishmash of unique shapes is what drew me to this bin of gourds in the first place.  Somewhere in there, a disembodied arm is giving me the thumbs up!  :) 

What do you see?

And here's me wishing you all a glorious Labor Day Weekend!!  Of just a good old weekend for my out of country friends ~ :)  Happy Friday!



Writerly Wednesday ~ Consistency!!!

CONSISTENCY!

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Consistency is what I SERIOUSLY lack these days... *sigh*  And I know it's sooo important... especially for a writer.

Like cake batter ~ if the consistency is too thin?  So is the story.  Too thick?  Well, I don't want to choke my (future) readers to death!  I'm working towards the perfect consistency ~ the kind that makes for a moist, delicious, good-looking cake...err...story!  But, it's something I struggle with.  Blogging, writing, sleeping, cleaning the house, taking my meds...yeah, it's that bad sometimes.  I think about how nice "consistency" in all aspects of my life would be.  I'm working on it ~ :)

What about you?  Do you struggle with consistency in writing (or life in general)?  Be it the voice, the style, the time you dedicate to it on a regular basis?  Or is there something else you struggle with?

With that ~ I wish you ALL THE BEST working through your current struggles.  There's a bright light out there.  No worries ~ we'll find it.  Happy Wednesday, my friends!!

Writerly Wednesday ~ A QoP Poll... :)

Hello, friends! As writers - it's always good to know what appeals to the masses. Right? :) So, I thought I'd give you a little poll and find out:

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No, No!!  Not that kind of pole!!!  This kind of poll:

So, tell me ~ did any of these results surprise you? (granted you're not the first person voting, of course... :p)  And, thanks for playing along!! I hope you all have a wonderful day of writing/reading/living out there today! :)

STAR TREK Blogfest!!!

The inspired Ellie Garratt has declared Aug. 22 as "The Day of Star Trek Love!!"  Ok, well...I might have rearranged her phrasing a bit...but, if you pop on over to her blog HERE, you will see a whole list of people blogging about their favorite Star Trek episodes and characters.

And if you aren't familiar with Star Trek....well.  I was going to type that "you're lame", but that seemed kind of mean, so I'll go with:  "You're totally missing out!!!"  Anyone who appreciates imagination will appreciate Star Trek.  :)

I'm supposed to list my five favorite characters and episodes.  But, I decided I needed to also include my 5 Trekkie crushes:

#1:  Ensign Wesley Crusher  - oh, yes.  Wes started it all!  I have a thing for a man in a Star fleet uniform to this day!  :)

#2:  Commander William T. Riker - dude.  Ok, I know he's happily married to Laura (of Luke and Laura fame), but I still have dreams about this man from time to time.  Can't seem to help myself.

(source: found google images)  Yeah, I'm totally PRO facial hair!

#3:  Captain Jean-Luc Picard - what can I say...I'm a sucker for accents.  Plus, he's one slick Captain!

#4:  Dr. Bashir - tall, dark and doctor-y.  Yum!

#5:  Chakotay - (it was totally the tattoo...)

FAVORITE CHARACTERS: (in no specific order)

#1:  Jadzia Dax ~ the lovely Terry Farrell.  She was just so versatile!  She could hang with the guys, she could hang with the gals, and with any number of alien species.  And they all loved her.  And, seriously - who couldn't appreciate a few lifetimes worth of knowledge??

#2:  Again - have to put Jean-Luc here.  He was just the perfect captain.  So authoritative, loyal, majestic, really.  To put it plainly - PICARD ROCKS!

#3:  Captain Kathryn Janeway.  Of course I have to give props to the only female Captain to head a Star Trek spin-off.  And I thought she did a GREAT job!!

#4:  Data:  I just had to pick this adorable android.  Most of the time I just wanted to give him a hug.  I had fun watching his journey towards becoming more human.

#5:  Worf:  the big guy just kind of grows on you.  PLUS - his dedication to Star Fleet command is more than evident.  I think his character has more screen time in the entire franchise of anyone!  Kudos, Mr. Dorn!

Ok - so, at this point I know some of you might be wondering why you don't see the names of any "originals" in my lists so far.  Well...(not sure I should admit this...) my love for Star Trek started with TNG.  I've never entirely been a fan of Kirk and Spock...(don't hit me!)  I know - it's practically sacrilegious to admit.  But, I did like some of the movies.  That counts, right?

Anyhow - onto FAVORITE EPISODES:  (again, in no particular order)

#1:  I SOOO wish I had a holo-deck...  So, naturally - my 1st pick features this wonder of future technology:  Star Trek: TNG  Season 2: Elementary, Dear Data.  Sherlock/Data at his finest!

#2:  Aside from maybe, Voyager's Vidiians...the BORG have got to be the CREEPIEST Star Trek villains!!  And imagine my shock when my buddy Picard was made one of them!!!  I give you Star Trek: TNG's "The Best of Both World's: Part I".  The AWESOME cliff-hanger episode of Season 3.

(source: found by googling image - Locutus)

#3:  Star Trek: DS9's: Tears of the Prophet, the end of Season 6 and also of Jadzia Dax.  This was such an emotionally charged episode!!  And I remember being SOOO upset that they killed off Jadzia!!  Plus - the release of the Pah Wraith...creepy.  And Gul Dukat was at his creepy best!  But, then they juxtaposed all this heart-ache with humor.  Poor Quark and Bashir...they just never had a shot with Dax. Great episode!

#4:  Star Trek: Voyager's: Fair Haven, from Season 6.  I always felt a little sad for Kathryn... the only guy hitting on her was Q - and she'd have NONE of that!  She got so lonely that she had to create the perfect man for herself. 

#5:  (see, I've slipped Capt. Kirk in here somewhere!!)  The movie:  Star Trek: Generations.  Even though James T. met his end in this movie - it was just AWESOME to see him and Picard working together to defeat the bad guy.  Probably not THE favorite movie among many, but I really liked this one.

So, there you have it!!  Have I picked any of your favorites?  And if not - please share one I might have missed!!

Write long and prosper!

Find the Story Friday!!! When Nature's got my goat... :p

Hi, everyone!!  How's it going?  I hope all is well in your worlds ~ :)

OK...so, I'm flipping through more Canada pics (umm...yeah, I took a lot!) and I came across these photos of some mountain goats we had the pleasure to be near, as we drove through Kootenay National Park.  The males were separated from the females.  Perhaps these pics will help you see why?  (And guess - who's who?):

Dude!  What's up with that????  :D  In case you're not sure....the top pic is of the males - all majestic and slick looking.  Look at those BIG horns!!

The second pic...those stragglers with the grass on their faces and bad hair...umm, yeah.  The females.

Is it any wonder the cosmetic companies make a killing????  Sorry, gals - nature kind of screwed us.  It's the same for peacocks (those struttin' males with the big colorful tails!!!) and lions (I would KILL for a mane of hair that thick!) and humans, apparently.  My husband can roll out of bed, throw on some shorts and leave the house in a blink!  Me?

"I'll catch up with you in an hour, honey!!"   *sigh* 

(But, don't worry girls.  We tweak the right look and the men are putty in our hands...mwah, ha, ha, ha!!! >:x)

So, tell me - what would your story be about this?  (P.S. All those natural beauties out there that don't relate to this at all...this one's for you ~ :p )  (p.s.s. - but, I still love you all, of course!)

And, I hope you all have a BEAUTIFUL weekend!!