It's less than a week before Father's Day and, once again, I'm feeling rather clueless. It doesn't matter if it's Christmas, birthdays or any other gift giving occasion, shopping for guy gifts stresses me out. Not because of lack of appreciation or desire to give them something, mind you. It's because I don't like giving generic gifts to someone special. I want them to love the gift and use it...not smile politely and slip it in a drawer.
This got me thinking...(stop laughing) wouldn't it be easier to shop for a fictional father? Hell yeah! Better yet, what if you didn't have to do the shopping? Think about the manuscript you're currently writing. If your hero is a dad (mine's a single dad widower), what would his kid or the heroine buy him for Father's Day? If he's not a dad, think ahead to after the HEA. Based on his character, job, hobbies etc...what would make a great gift? If your hero never plans on becoming a dad, feel free to come up with what your hero or heroine would buy their fathers/father figures in the story. From fiction to reality...to this Sunday. Let the ideas begin!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Have you heard?
You know that handy dandy 'replace all' feature in Word? Well, here's a story that'll take replace all to a whole new level...and put a grin on your face. I found the link at The Passive Voice, a blog that keeps everyone up to date on what's going on in the publishing world. Check the story out here. Let's just say it involves a little Nook-y. LOL. What'll they do next?
Also, if you're interested in reading through pitches, then seeing which ones ended up catching the interest of editors (and getting full requests), check out this link to the Entangled Publishing pitch fest that was held a few days ago at Romance University. The pitch is over, but being able to compare pitches and see which ones stand out is a worthwhile exercise.
Lastly, I turned off my word verification today (thanks to a post at Seeing Creative). I had no idea it was on, but I think my settings defaulted to it when Blogger's format changed. If it's still popping up, please let me know! And if you'd prefer not to have yours on, check out your settings. Word verification could be on without you realizing it.
It's the last week of school for my kids, so I have to run a pick up class party snack substitutes (the whole food allergy thing). I'll be sure to make time for blog visits though! See you around :)
Also, if you're interested in reading through pitches, then seeing which ones ended up catching the interest of editors (and getting full requests), check out this link to the Entangled Publishing pitch fest that was held a few days ago at Romance University. The pitch is over, but being able to compare pitches and see which ones stand out is a worthwhile exercise.
Lastly, I turned off my word verification today (thanks to a post at Seeing Creative). I had no idea it was on, but I think my settings defaulted to it when Blogger's format changed. If it's still popping up, please let me know! And if you'd prefer not to have yours on, check out your settings. Word verification could be on without you realizing it.
It's the last week of school for my kids, so I have to run a pick up class party snack substitutes (the whole food allergy thing). I'll be sure to make time for blog visits though! See you around :)
Monday, May 28, 2012
Happy Memorial Day!
My deepest thanks and appreciation goes out to all who have fought to protect our country and preserve our freedom. Wishing you peace.
I hope everyone has a great day of fun and relaxation! I made a pitcher of icy mint and cucumber water to keep me cool while on grill duty. Any plans? What's your favorite thing to eat or do on Memorial Day?
I hope everyone has a great day of fun and relaxation! I made a pitcher of icy mint and cucumber water to keep me cool while on grill duty. Any plans? What's your favorite thing to eat or do on Memorial Day?
Monday, May 21, 2012
Curing Diabetes
I apologize for being MIA and not visiting blogs last week. I'd lost a dear, dear friend to diabetes. The type of friend who is more like family. He was a big brother to me, and I'm sure I'll hear his advice and wisdom in my head forever. He believed in raising kids with love, respect and patience. He was genuine, kind and hated seeing anyone suffering or being treated unfairly. He was a hero in my book.
It so happens that he passed away the same month that Brenda Novak's Annual On-Line Auction for the Cure of Diabetes is being held. I know that my friend would want nothing more than to see others win the battle against diabetes. He'd want to prevent others from suffering.
Please check out the auction. My bid last year resulted in invaluable feedback from an editor. Not a writer? There are auction items for everyone, including kids. Hurry though. The auction closes May 31st.
Peace and good health.
It so happens that he passed away the same month that Brenda Novak's Annual On-Line Auction for the Cure of Diabetes is being held. I know that my friend would want nothing more than to see others win the battle against diabetes. He'd want to prevent others from suffering.
Please check out the auction. My bid last year resulted in invaluable feedback from an editor. Not a writer? There are auction items for everyone, including kids. Hurry though. The auction closes May 31st.
Peace and good health.
Monday, May 7, 2012
My latest craft book must have!
Cliches have met their match!
The Virgin Widow's Heart Stopped When She Saw the Book That Would Change Her Life Forever by Ellen Hartman and Sophie Gunn just released on Amazon (Kindle) last week, and I promise it really will change your life. Well, okay, your writing life, although it could inspire people everywhere to discover their individuality and revamp their social skills :). I mean, who likes a cliched pick-up line. Right? Seriously though, I rank this book up there with Debra Dixon's famous Goal, Motivation, and Conflict as a staple for all writers.
The book is based on Ellen and Sophie's popular workshop, which I attended at last year's RWA Nationals meeting. The room was packed with not only published and unpublished writers, but editors as well. You know the workshop where everyone laughs, takes notes like crazy, then they push and shove to get to the speakers and ask more questions at the end? Alright. Romance writers are more civilized than that, but yes, it's that great and this is your chance to find out their anti-cliche secrets, as well as their fail-proof way on how to find your voice. Whew, that was a long sentence! It's because my heart's racing with excitement! (Okay, that was bad ;)
This isn't just about killing cliched phrases. It's about fixing cliched characters, plots, situations, and even promo. I hate it when people point out problems but don't provide solutions. This book tells you how to un-cliche a cliche. It's full of examples and step by step approaches to making your writing unique. It's a fast-paced, funny read loaded with a phenomenal amount of information. Definitely a craft reference must have.
Buy it or find out more on Amazon.
Note: I'm aware that the word cliche has an accent, but I couldn't figure out how to make it happen. Let's just pretend that I'm wildly clever, and I left it off to symbolize ripping apart cliches :)
The Virgin Widow's Heart Stopped When She Saw the Book That Would Change Her Life Forever by Ellen Hartman and Sophie Gunn just released on Amazon (Kindle) last week, and I promise it really will change your life. Well, okay, your writing life, although it could inspire people everywhere to discover their individuality and revamp their social skills :). I mean, who likes a cliched pick-up line. Right? Seriously though, I rank this book up there with Debra Dixon's famous Goal, Motivation, and Conflict as a staple for all writers.
The book is based on Ellen and Sophie's popular workshop, which I attended at last year's RWA Nationals meeting. The room was packed with not only published and unpublished writers, but editors as well. You know the workshop where everyone laughs, takes notes like crazy, then they push and shove to get to the speakers and ask more questions at the end? Alright. Romance writers are more civilized than that, but yes, it's that great and this is your chance to find out their anti-cliche secrets, as well as their fail-proof way on how to find your voice. Whew, that was a long sentence! It's because my heart's racing with excitement! (Okay, that was bad ;)
This isn't just about killing cliched phrases. It's about fixing cliched characters, plots, situations, and even promo. I hate it when people point out problems but don't provide solutions. This book tells you how to un-cliche a cliche. It's full of examples and step by step approaches to making your writing unique. It's a fast-paced, funny read loaded with a phenomenal amount of information. Definitely a craft reference must have.
Buy it or find out more on Amazon.
Note: I'm aware that the word cliche has an accent, but I couldn't figure out how to make it happen. Let's just pretend that I'm wildly clever, and I left it off to symbolize ripping apart cliches :)
Monday, April 30, 2012
Paper, ebook and audio stats...what are yours?
We're all aware that ebook sales have been climbing like monkeys on caffeine, but I hadn't paid much attention to audio book sales until recently. Apparently, ebook publishers, such as Carina Press, are big on putting out audio versions of their books. I suppose it makes sense that, in an era where music is an ipod and earplug away, hands-free books would be popular as well.
Sure enough, according to data collected by The Association of American Publishers for sales between January 2011 and January 2012, audio book sales have climbed along with ebooks. For adult book sales, while mass market paperback dropped 22.5%, ebook sales rose 49.4% and downloaded audio sales rose 29.4%. More stats on adult book sales are available at the link above. Overall, all trade book sales went up, but what really jumped out at me was the enormous increase in children/YA ebook sales. It went up a whopping 475.1%!!! That's kids and electronic gadgets for you. But hey, if it encourages reading...
So this is where I admit that my percentage of ebook reading is less than 1% and audio is at nill. I'm still largely a paper girl. My kids are still paper readers (just because they don't have ereaders), but they have enjoyed listening to the Harry Potter books on tape while in the car with their dad. They've read the paper versions, but audio was the only way they could get their dad in on the series.
What about you? What are your ebook vs audio vs paper book reading stats?
Sure enough, according to data collected by The Association of American Publishers for sales between January 2011 and January 2012, audio book sales have climbed along with ebooks. For adult book sales, while mass market paperback dropped 22.5%, ebook sales rose 49.4% and downloaded audio sales rose 29.4%. More stats on adult book sales are available at the link above. Overall, all trade book sales went up, but what really jumped out at me was the enormous increase in children/YA ebook sales. It went up a whopping 475.1%!!! That's kids and electronic gadgets for you. But hey, if it encourages reading...
So this is where I admit that my percentage of ebook reading is less than 1% and audio is at nill. I'm still largely a paper girl. My kids are still paper readers (just because they don't have ereaders), but they have enjoyed listening to the Harry Potter books on tape while in the car with their dad. They've read the paper versions, but audio was the only way they could get their dad in on the series.
What about you? What are your ebook vs audio vs paper book reading stats?
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Tahini Tuna Salad
I'm pretty careful about how often I feed my family tuna (or other high mercury fish), but I have to admit that ever since I came up with this recipe, I've eaten more tuna than recommended. Okay, it has only been a month. I'm sure my craving for the perfect mix of creamy and tangy flavors in this recipe will subside. Or not :)
I do buy light tuna, since it's lower in mercury. I also buy a brand that is packed only in water and salt. Believe it or not, most cans that say 'water' are actually packed in chicken broth and other ingredients. Since I have to stay away from gluten, onions, garlic and other foods, I stick with simple. I also recommend that you stir the tahini (sesame seed paste) until smooth before using. Some brands chunk up at the bottom, leaving nothing but oil on top. Apart from that, I hope you enjoy this high protein, gluten/dairy free and 'healthy fat' version of tuna salad.
Ingredients:
3 cans light tuna in water
1/2 can of chick peas (drained)
2 roma tomatoes diced small
2 large celery stalks diced small
1/4 red bell pepper diced small
2 TBS white vinegar
2 TBS spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup tahini
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
Just mix it all up in a bowl and serve it straight up (my favorite way), on a bed of lettuce, as a sandwich with gluten free bread (try Rudi's multigrain GF bread toasted) or with a side of quinoa. It's a quick and easy meal that stores well in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!
I do buy light tuna, since it's lower in mercury. I also buy a brand that is packed only in water and salt. Believe it or not, most cans that say 'water' are actually packed in chicken broth and other ingredients. Since I have to stay away from gluten, onions, garlic and other foods, I stick with simple. I also recommend that you stir the tahini (sesame seed paste) until smooth before using. Some brands chunk up at the bottom, leaving nothing but oil on top. Apart from that, I hope you enjoy this high protein, gluten/dairy free and 'healthy fat' version of tuna salad.
Rula's Tahini Tuna Salad
Ingredients:
3 cans light tuna in water
1/2 can of chick peas (drained)
2 roma tomatoes diced small
2 large celery stalks diced small
1/4 red bell pepper diced small
2 TBS white vinegar
2 TBS spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup tahini
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
Just mix it all up in a bowl and serve it straight up (my favorite way), on a bed of lettuce, as a sandwich with gluten free bread (try Rudi's multigrain GF bread toasted) or with a side of quinoa. It's a quick and easy meal that stores well in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Hack Protection
I did survive April Fool's Day...sort of. My kids had friends over (all under 15) and they played outside most of the day. The house was pretty quiet until they sent the youngest in screaming that the others had hopped on my husband's John Deere and taken off to 7-Eleven. Soooo NOT okay! In a panic, I didn't stop to note that we never leave the key in the tractor. Nope, I just ran out, cell phone in hand ready to dial for help...and I ran right into the entire group of kids standing in the driveway cracking up. Very funny.
Not so funny is having your computer hacked and it's happening more and more these days. The Ruby Slippered Sisterhood, home of the Golden Heart finalists and a group of incredibly talented, intelligent and wise writers, has a must-read, two part post on hacker protection. It's called '10 Ways To Reduce Hack Risk' and part one was posted on Friday. Part two is up today. Very eye opening!
It's spring break in our area, so I have to go make sure the kids aren't planning more practical jokes. Maybe I should come up with a few of my own ... ;)
Not so funny is having your computer hacked and it's happening more and more these days. The Ruby Slippered Sisterhood, home of the Golden Heart finalists and a group of incredibly talented, intelligent and wise writers, has a must-read, two part post on hacker protection. It's called '10 Ways To Reduce Hack Risk' and part one was posted on Friday. Part two is up today. Very eye opening!
It's spring break in our area, so I have to go make sure the kids aren't planning more practical jokes. Maybe I should come up with a few of my own ... ;)
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