Busy Girls Guide To Getting Things Done by Jean Lauzier

Are you overwhelmed by all the tasks you need to get accomplished?

Does it seem like you have 900 things to do but don't know where to start? Then you'll love this Busy Girls Guide to Getting Things Done.

In this 30-day journal, Jean shares a simple system for getting things done that anyone can use. Even the busiest busy girl.

Preorder your copy here.

*****

Okay, I have to saw, this is my latest work and I really like it. If you need to get stuff done, then you'll love it.  Want an autographed copy? Email or message me.

Flight of Fantasy - Jean Lauzier

Let your imagination take flight...

Ride the Night Wind, converse with a dragon, join "Woof" as he stalks his prey. Will the mirror's revelation come true, and just what does one do with a chamber full of pumpkins?

Flight of Fantasy also includes a preview of Dragons of Blue Water, the award-winning sequel to Dragons of Jade. 

Order your copy here.

This is a collection of short fantasy stories, not a novel. 

Six Pack of Murder by Jean Lauzier

Murder happens –

And no matter the reason, there’s always a crime to be solved and a bad guy that needs to be caught. Within the pages of Six Pack of Murder, you’ll find good guys and bad along with those who strive to balance the scales of justice. Just beware; sometimes things aren’t as they appear.

Get your copy here.

*****

Since I wrote this, I naturally like it. Hope you do too. 

Dragons of Jade by Jean Lauzier

There’s no such thing as dragons.

Of that, Jade Delaney was sure.  She may not have known who she was or where she came from, but at least she had a plan for her future.

All that changes when a dragon summons her back to the world from which she came. There, she learns dragons are real, the truth of her birth, and just why she was abandoned as a toddler.

Now she must discover and stop whoever is killing the dragons, while avoiding the man who is hunting her.

*****

Okay, so this is my book. But since this is my blog, it seems fitting to put it here.  At least once in a while.  It is a stand alone, however, I am working on a sequel. It's going to be really good.

Get your copy here or if you'd like a signed copy, let me know and we'll work out details.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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

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. :-)

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?

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. :-)

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.

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?

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.

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

 

Time for another installment of Ten Things Tuesday! Here's ten things I'm thankful for. In no certain order of importance.

1. My hubby - There's so many reasons to be thankful...he works hard so I can stay home and write, he supports me in whatever crazy thing I'm doing, and is always there for me or the kids.

2. My kids -  I've got great kids, even if they aren't really kids any longer. They are smart, caring, giving, responsible and I'm so proud of each of them.

3. My church - I don't normally post anything of religious nature here but I'm very thankful for my church and church family.

4. Friends - There are several special friends who mean a lot to me. One who I've known for many years, that went through some hard times with me and one who is a new friend I'm looking forward to getting to know better.

5. Music - I love music.  All kinds...except hip hop and rap. Country, rock, blues, classical, gothic...I even like the occasional techno thing.

6. Mom - I left home for the Air Force when I was seventeen. And until about nine months ago, I haven't been home with mom, except for the occasional visit. In March of this year, we moved her to Longview with us.  Now, I get to see her several times a week.  It's fun reconnecting.

7. Purring Cats - I love a purring cat. Baggins thinks he needs to sleep right under my chin or be held. It's a good thing he purrs or he'd be out of luck.

8. Great Books - I'm thankful for books that let me escape 'reality' for just a bit and get away from what's going on in the real world.

9. Chocolate - especially Nutella on whole grain toast. YUM!!!  Chocolate chip cookies, hot cocoa, chocolate ice cream.  There's no such thing as too much chocolate.

10. Heroes - I'm thankful for the men and women who serve in Police and Fire departments and the military risking their lives for strangers and those who don't appreciate the sacrifice. For those who rush in to save a stranger without thinking of the cost.

And a bonus...

11.  Puppies - I love puppies...all kinds. But especially for Dobermann puppies which I'll be acquiring some time next year, early summer I hope.  I've got my name on a list with a breeder.  Can hardly wait!

Liebster Award

A short time ago, I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Judith Victoria Douglas.

Now that I've recovered from the Mystery We Write Blog Tour, I finally have time to take care of this.

Here are the rules for acceptance of the “LIEBSTER AWARD.” This is important because at the end I will be nominating eleven blogs for this coveted award.

The Rules:

1) When you receive the award you must post eleven random facts about yourself; 2) you must answer eleven questions posed by the person who nominated you; 3) you pass the award on to the eleven blogger friends you are nominating, making sure you notify them of their nominations; 4) you write up eleven new questions for the bloggers you are nominating (and you cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you); and finally, 5) you paste the award picture into your blog along with eleven random facts about yourself and your eleven questions and answers given by your nominator. (Not much different from the Next Big Thing)

Here's my eleven random facts about myself...

1. I tried barrel racing once...my horse refused to run. He wanted to check out the crowd. I was SO embarassed.

 

2. I used to train and show Dobermann Pinschers.

3. I owned 2 champion American Foxhounds.

4. I once owned a Thoroughbred. His parents were racehorses in Florida and did pretty well. I planned on training him for the track too but the Air Force sent us to Guam instead.

5. I spent almost 5 years in the Air Force as an aircraft mechanic.

6. I'm a secret nerd. I LOVE Big Bang Theory.

7. I could give up chocolate...but I'm not a quitter.

8. I love the smell of hay. Fresh cut or even dry and baled.

9. I need a greenhouse in the back yard for all my plants.

10. I like to turn up the volume and sing along with the radio in the car.

11. I'm going to Peru in July of 2013. I'm really excited about it.

Now here are the questions along with my answers.

1. If there was one person — real, fiction or fantasy — you could spend some time talking with, who would it be?

I think it'd be Benjamen Franklin.

2. If you could change anything about yourself, physical, mental, emotional, heritage-wise, anything, what would it be?

Easy....I'd get rid of my tendency to procrastinate and put things off. 

3. What animal, fish or bird, living or extinct, would you like to know more about, up close and personal, maybe even as a pet?

I love all the big cats, lions and tigers but definitely not as a pet. They are wild and need to be wild. 

4. If you could choose your last meal, and you weren’t in prison at the time, what would it be?

Hmmm...either steak or BBQ ribs, baked potato with lots of butter, corn on the cob, homemade yeast rolls, and chocolate pecan pie for dessert.

5. If English is your primary language, but you could instantly be fluent in another, what would it be?

Another easy one.  Spanish. I'm actually working on it but it'd be great to be instantly fluent.

6. Where in the universe, if not this planet, would you live if you had a choice and it was actually feasible?

 I used to watch the show Grizzly Adams as a kid and wanted to live in the mountains like he did.  I even checked to see where it was filmed...northern Utah.  Beautiful country...

7. What object, place or thing do you equate with your favorite color, and why? Please state your favorite color so your reasoning will be clear to your readers.

Hmmm...favorite color, sage green. I think probably that fresh cut hay would be a close connection.

8. What movie would you have liked to play a part, even a minor part if the top slot was taken by your favorite actor/actress.  Name your favorite actor/actress so your readers will be clear on this, as well.

I don't really have a favorite actor or actress but I'd have loved to had a part in any of the Lord of the Ring movies or The Hobbit.  

9. What book do you wish you had written?  Include why you picked this particular book.

 The Green Rider series by Kristen Britain.  Cause if  I'd written it, I wouldn't be waiting for the next one. :-) Seriously, the plotting is great, love the characters and setting.

10. What scientific or social (not political or religious) endeavor or event would most benefit mankind at this moment in time?  If you say a Space-Alien Invasion, please explain why.

Cure for childhood cancers.  We lost a 5 year old daughter to neuroblastoma years ago.

11. How would you explain to a blind person the difference between God and Santa Claus, if both were standing in front of you? This is like The Elephant and the Six Blind Men, but its only you telling one person the difference between the two.

This I'll pass on this one since there's no such thing as Santa. :-) And as a preacher's wife, I don't think I could come anywhere near describing God. 

Now...who do I nominate?  Let's see...

1. Evelyn Byrne

2. Gay Ingram

3. Kari Lynn Dell

4. K. Latham

5. Brinda Carey

6. C. R. Myers

7. Catherine Sellers

8. Simon Lang 
9. Jaleta Clegg

10. Jeannie Barber

11. Ken Farmer

Next...what do I ask? Hmmm....

1. When did you realize for the first time you really were a writer?

2. What writer has influenced your writing the most and why?

3. If you use a pen name, why? If you don't, why not?

4. What writer would you like to sit and chat with about writing? Why?

5. Do you have a writing ritual or routine? If so, tell us about it.

6. Do you use an outline or just get started with an idea and see what happens?

7. What real life occurrences have inspired your writing?

8. What have you learned from writing?

9. Does your writing have a message for your readers? If so, do you put it there intentionally or does it just sorta find its way in?

10. What is the best piece of advice you were given as a writer?

11. Tell about your current WIP or latest release.

I can't wait to read your answers.