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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

"Tis the Season Anthology

Need something to read but not sure just what you're in the mood for?

Try the East Texas Writer's Association Anthology! There's a story for every reading mood along with poems.

I have a short story and a poem in this anthology.


All funds go to the East Texas Writers' Association to fund events, pay for guest speakers and such.


You can get your copy on Amazon, either paper or for your Kindle.


If you'd like an autographed copy...email me and we'll work out the details.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Onomatopoeia



Yep, big word for the day and means a word that sounds like itself. (Basically.) Examples include, bang, pow, tick, oink, meow, clack and lots more.



Here's the link to Dictionary.com so you can hear it pronounced and find out what it means.

And here's a link to Wikipedia with some cool info about onomatpoeia.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

New Old Stuff...

Yesterday my youngest daughter and I moved my desk from the garage into a corner in the living room. It's been in the garage ever since we moved here in December of 2011 and I've really  missed it.

See, this house is a bit smaller than our last place and there really wasn't room for it. I've been using the kitchen table for a desk but that really hasn't been working for me. For some reason, I just don't feel like a writer sitting at the table. Maybe it's 'cause I've always had my desk.

I even thought about getting a new, smaller desk but there's just something about this desk that I love. Maybe it's 'cause it is really wood instead of some particle board thing. Maybe it's because I've had it for so long...close to 25 years.

Or maybe it's the size. This thing is huge. And weighs about 900 pounds (Not really but try moving it and you'll think so.) The main area is 3'x6' and has a smaller L attached to it that's 2'x3'. Plenty of room to spread out plus have my computer and printer close by.

Anyway, I have my desk again. And, I'm happy. Which leads me to the point of this post...

What makes you feel like a writer? Do you feel more like a writer at certain places, wearing certain clothes, or at writer events?

I'd love to hear from you so comment and let's chat.

Monday, April 8, 2013

GymBox


Toward the end of last year, GymBox announced they would be opening in Longview. Now, I've been wanting to join a gym for a while but they are so costly it was hard to rationalize the money.  Thankfully, GymBox is different.

Their basic plan is only 9.99 a month. I joined, my oldest daughter joined and so did my mom.  We've really enjoying going and have gotten stronger and shaped up a bit.

The people are great, the facilities are clean all the time and there are plenty of machines for everyone.

Here's some gym humor for you.


Sunday, April 7, 2013

Flowers

I love spring.  Especially all the flowers and plants.  I even bought a small greenhouse this year so I could start buying plants early. There's just something about spring that compels me to get out and play in the dirt.

 Here's what it looked like a couple weeks ago. Since then I've added 5 Oleander plants, several cacti, a couple tomato plants. In the red pot is a giant elephant ear bulb I'm eagerly waiting to sprout.




                                         I even have lettuce, red leaf and green.

I have two strawberry plants that are blooming.



                                                                                     Snapdragons...







I've added a couple more since I took these pix and will have to share them later. 

And while I didn't buy this one, I really thought it was cool.



I saw this at a "home and ranch" store Saturday and really, really wanted it. I just knew if I brought it home something horrid would happen to it.


So, what's your favorite flowers?




Saturday, April 6, 2013

Ergo...


Definition: Hence, therefore...

Synonyms: accordingly, consequently, so, thus, wherefore

She drives like a maniac ergo I'm not surprised she totaled her vehicle.


As a writer I like words. I've decided ergo is my word for the week and will try to use it as often as possible.

What about you? Do you use new words often? Got a special word you like a lot?

Thursday, April 4, 2013

DUH...

Got things that need to be done?

Here's a nifty little system for getting things accomplished I discovered several years back. I'd forgotten about it over the past several moves and all the things happening in life so for those who have seen this before, hopefully you'll enjoy the reminder. And, for those of you who haven't, give it a try, see how it works for you.

D - Do it first.  Don't wait around, do it and get it over with. 

U - Understand it might not be fun.

H - Hurray! Now celebrate, you did it!


Don't you just hate ending the day knowing you didn't get the things that needed to be done taken care of? I do. I'll lay awake berating myself for not getting everything accomplished, feel guilty and be miserable.  When I apply D, I don't have that problem. The important things are done and I can move one to the things I want to do without all the guilt.

The "U" reminds me I might not enjoy some things. But the satisfaction of marking things off the to-do list sure is nice.

And we need to remember to celebrate. We need to celebrate our accomplishments. And not just the big things.

So, what do you think? Will DUH work for you?

I'd love to take credit for DUH but that goes to Margie Lawson.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Comma, Comma, Comma...

That's right, commas. I really dislike 'em. Seems I never have enough. And the ones I do are in the wrong spot most of the time.  (I debated about putting a comma after do in the last sentence but decided not to.)

I figure I'm not the only one with comma issues so here's a few links that may help.
  

Basic Rules of Commas in Writing

10 Simple Rules for Using Commas

5 Simple Comma Rules to Live By

Grammar Girl


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Bloons TD 5



Time for another confession... I enjoy killing bloons! 

Bloons TD 5 is a tower defense game, meaning you set towers along a course to defend whatever needs to be defended.  In BTD5, you want to keep the bloons from getting to the end of the course.

You do this with different monkey towers, each with different abilities. There's the simple, dart-throwing monkey, the ninja monkey and many others to choose from. Each with different upgrades.

I'm at level 55 now. I've beaten most of the levels on easy and medium...except the advanced and extreme levels. I'll go for hard later. It's a way to let the brain relax for a few minutes and de-stress.

You can give it a try here or on Kongregate where I play. Just don't get addicted. :-)

Monday, April 1, 2013

All Right or Alright

Today is the first day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge which was started by Arlee Bird.  This is my third year to take part so a big THANKS for coming up with such a great idea and sharing it with us. Y'all can check out Arlee's blog here. Now to this year's first post.

Confession time... 

I use alright a lot. And while it's alright with me, it may not be all right with those who use proper grammar. Several sources say it's a  misspelling of all right and probably stems from already and altogether, which are all right.

So...is it all right to use alright? Again, some sources say sure, some say nope. My critique group lets me use it in dialogue but make me change it the rest of the time. My advice, check with your editor. The English language is always evolving so it may become all right sooner or later.

Here's Grammar Girl's take on it. 

What about you? Do you use alright or all right?


Friday, March 1, 2013

March Madness - take two



Last March, I had fun with a March Madness theme and figure it'd be fun to try again. Here's a link to the first post from last year. 

So... In like a lamb or lion? Today the sun is shining, the skies are a beautiful blue and the wind has finally calmed from the last several days. It's still quite cool, down into the mid 30's. My better half told me yesterday to make sure I close the door on the greenhouse tonight cause it is supposed to be seriously cold. (One of his friends even rented a tent heater for his greenhouse which is why he knew to tell me.) I won't heat it but, I'll close the door. I need to share pix of my plants with y'all later. :-)

Did you know March first marks the start of the meteorological Spring? And apparently the start of the "storm chaser" season.  Now, I admit I like a good storm but I'm not sure I want to go chasing after one. 

Is March coming in like a lamb or lion where you are?

And speaking of madness...did you see where they are taking bets on who the next pope will be? I mean, really!

Next...do you follow the actual March Madness? Got a favorite team in the playoffs? I don't really care for basketball and neither does my better half, at least not until March. For those of you who don't know how it works, here's a nice article on the process.

Here's something I just discovered today.  Southern Writers Magazine. Looks like a nice resource. They have a short story contest going on too...deadline is midnight tonight.

Leave a comment, sign my guestbook and we'll do something special at the end of the month. I've got some books to give away. :-)



Monday, February 18, 2013

Who Says You Can't Go Home


The last couple days, I've been pondering home and what makes it home. I think there are as many different answers as there are homes. :-)

Since my hubby and I were in the military, we were away from home for a long time and it was a special treat to go back and spend time with family. And while it was still home, it wasn't exactly like I remembered. Towns change, people come and go. Favorite places go out of business.

In Where The Heart Is, Samantha left home in the middle of the night and years later has to go back. But it's not the home she remembers.

Has that happened to you?

As we end this blog hop, I leave you with Bon Jovi and Who Says You Can't Go Home. It seems like the perfect bit of music to close with.

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

What Makes Home





Home... It's a special word...a special place. But what makes it special? My first thought would be family and those you love. Someone on another post said home can be anywhere. And that's been true for me. 

In the military, we traveled a lot. North and South Florida, Texas, Guam, Missouri then finally back to Texas. And while we called those places home, they never really became the place we thought of when we thought of home.

For me, home was always Texarkana, Arkansas. I was born there, mostly raised there, and most of my family was there. Whenever we had the chance, my better half would take leave and we'd go home...to Texarkana. Even though he and I had never lived there together, and my family had moved from the places I'd grown up...it was still home.

As I think about what makes home special, besides the people, I think of the memories. Holidays spent with parents and grandparents, summer trips to the local lake and even winter mornings listening to the radio hoping for the occasional snow day.

So, my question is... Do you have any special memories that make home really home?

Friday, February 15, 2013

Where The Heart Is

This is the story of Samatha James who left home in the middle of the night headed to the 'big city' and excitement. Sam, as she is affectionately called by her friends, hasn't been back since she left. Now, after her sister and brother-in-law's death, she is forced to return for their funeral. Naturally, the first person she sees upon arrival is Marcus Keller, her high school sweetheart. And, naturally, sparks fly.

Home for Sam is a mixture of emotions. She had a great childhood growing up on a small ranch, swimming in the lake, playing in the barn, riding her horse as well as spending time with family and friends.

But she wanted more. She didn't want to grow up to be another wife and mother living in a small town. So, she left home follow her dreams.

Just like Sam, many of us leave home to chase dreams and find excitement only to find that home wasn't so bad after all.

As the wife of a military man, we traveled a lot so home was where we were at the time. I've got some great memories of where we've been but through the years, I've always carried the memories of home where I grew up.

What about you? Got a favorite memory of home? Share it with us in the comments and be entered to win something fabulous. Probably chocolate...and a book or two.

Sign my guest book and get a second entry.

Be sure to stop by the other blogs on the hop. You can find a list here.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Home is Where the Heart is...

It's Valentine's Day and time for some romance. So, for the next four days, I'll be taking part in the "Home is Where the Heart is" blog hop. There are nine of us so you won't be overwhelmed trying to visit each blog.

You can find all the details on the blog hop here.

There's also prizes. You can enter through the form on the right side of the page. I'm not sure exactly sure how it works but go for it. :-)

Also, if you leave a comment on any of my posts, you'll be entered to win something special from me.

Sign the guestbook and get an extra entry. :-) It's on the right side, at the top. It's something I'm just now trying so we'll see how it goes.

Tomorrow, we'll start by meeting Samatha James, star of my romance serial, Where The Heart Is.

Here's a list of the other bloggers taking part.

Gloria Harchar She writes steampunk.  (I love steampunk!)
Emerald Barnes
Prism Book Group
Catherine Chant
Pauline Creeden Inspirational Blog
Bonnie Blythe  Christian Romance
Just For Laughs
Cause Everone Needs Romance