"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Disney

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Merry Christmas 2021!

I apologize for my absence on social media. This past month, or so, has been full of major life events and changes. Hopefully, all for the better in the end.

However, as with most major changes, many things have had to fall by the wayside including much time to write, socialize, etc.

So, I am taking some needed time away. I hope you are able to do so as well.


This picture was taken in the front yard of my old house a few years ago. So far this year, we haven't had any try freezes since February. I'm sure we are due some.

Wherever you are, whatever your situation, I pray you all enjoy a beautiful holiday season. 

Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Holiday Freebies and Traditions


Whether you're shopping for yourself, a loved one, or for holiday ideas - this list has something for everyone!

1) FOR KIDS - If you have the Amazon app, you can download some children's Christmas books for FREE. To learn more: http://www.amazon.com/iMarvel-Christmas-Story-Books-Free/dp/B0062NFLBM

2) FOR KIDS - Interested in more free books for kids? This site offers both holiday and other popular reads for free: http://www.kcedventures.com/blog/free-kids-holiday-and-christmas-books-online

3) FOR MUSIC LOVERS - iHeartChristmas Classics offers a free variety of traditional and contemprary tunes to get you in the holiday spirit: https://www.iheart.com/live/iheartchristmas-classics-6137/

4) MOVIES FOR ALL AGES - 28 of the best Christmas movies on Youtube in time for the 2018 season:  https://www.lifewire.com/watch-christmas-movies-on-youtube-3486071

5) 10 SHORT CLASSICS - some of my favorites are in this list: https://ebookfriendly.com/christmas-stories-free-download/

6) 31 BEST CHRISTMAS READS - Classics most everyone will recognize and love:  https://www.bookbub.com/blog/2017/11/21/classic-christmas-books-to-read

7) CHRISTMAS RECIPES - nothing puts me in the Christmas spirit faster than some of my favorite holiday foods. Check out these free recipes: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/187/holidays-and-events/christmas/








15) Free Christmas Sheet Music











Are there any freebies out there that you want to recommend? What are some of your favorite holiday traditions? 

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

IWSG: Writing Stressors


I
t’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.


DECEMBER QUESTION - 
In your writing, what stresses you the most? What delights you?

MY ANSWER - The thing that stresses me the most is finding the right balance of details in my storytelling - providing enough for interest, but not so much to create mundane situations such as those that may arise from too much telling instead of showing. What delights me the most is trying to flesh out a new tale from one of the many story ideas that are constantly circling in my mind.

How about you? What stresses or delights you the most?

Friday, November 26, 2021

10 Great Titles for the Men in Your Life

It's Black Friday in the United States which means the Christmas season is full upon us. If you're wondering what to get the guy(s) in your life, try the below:

1) A is for Armageddon: An illustrated Catalogue of Disasters by Richard Horne - A brilliantly funny, thoroughly factual and stunningly illustrated guide to every feasible disaster scenario — from plague, drought and famine, to animal flatulence, obesity and World War III, from economic collapse and terrorism to ozone depletion and chemical sink — accompanied by a critical timeline for when we might expect to die — now, soon, later, or too late. . . it’s already started.

2) As a Man Thinketh by James Allen - This is a self-help book by James Allen, published in 1903. It was described by Allen as "... [dealing] with the power of thought, and particularly with the use and application of thought to happy and beautiful issues. I have tried to make the book simple, so that all can easily grasp and follow its teaching, and put into practice the methods which it advises. It shows how, in his own thought-world, each man holds the key to every condition, good or bad, that enters into his life, and that, by working patiently and intelligently upon his thoughts, he may remake his life, and transform his circumstances. The price of the book is only one shilling, and it can be carried in the pocket." It was also described by Allen as "A book that will help you to help yourself", "A pocket companion for thoughtful people", and "A book on the power and right application of thought."

3) Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing - Experience one of the greatest adventure stories of the modern age: The harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole. In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton boarded the Endurance and set sail for Antarctica, where he planned to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, after battling its way through a thousand miles of pack ice and only a day's sail short of its destination, the Endurance became locked in an island of ice. Thus began the legendary ordeal of Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men. When their ship was finally crushed between two ice floes, they attempted a near-impossible journey over 850 miles of the South Atlantic's heaviest seas to the closest outpost of civilization. In Endurance, the definitive account of Ernest Shackleton's fateful trip, Alfred Lansing brilliantly narrates the harrowing and miraculous voyage that has defined heroism for the modern age.

4) Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear. Throughout his life, the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius kept notes for self-improvement, and Meditations is a collaboration of these notes ranging from a single sentence to long paragraphs. Segmented into twelve chapters, or “meditations,” Marcus Aurelius’ famous philosophical work chronicles 12 important times in his life and provides a modern understanding of stoic philosophy that was prevalent during the Roman Empire.

5) The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven PressfieldA succinct, engaging, and practical guide for succeeding in any creative sphere, The War of Art is nothing less than Sun-Tzu for the soul. What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do?Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece? Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline. Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself. Whether an artist, writer or business person, this simple, personal, and no-nonsense book will inspire you to seize the potential of your life.

6) Manhood in the Making: Cultural Concepts of Masculinity by David D. Gilmore - What does it mean to "be a man" in different cultures around the world? Anthropologist David D. Gilmore explores this question in "a provocative, rewarding cross-cultural survey." (Publishers WeeklyIn the first cross-cultural study of manhood as an achieved status, anthropologist David D. Gilmore finds that a culturally sanctioned stress on manliness—on toughness and aggressiveness, stoicism and sexuality—is almost universal, deeply ingrained in the consciousness of hunters and fishermen, workers and warriors, poets and peasants who have little else in common.

7) Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul by John Eldredge - God did not create men to be nice boys. He created us to live a life of passion, freedom and adventure. To be dangerous men living in a really big story. God designed men to be powerful. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: to be a hero, a warrior, to love a beauty, to live a life of adventure. But sometime between boyhood and the struggles of yesterday, most men lose heart. All those passions, dreams, and desires get buried under deadlines, pressures, and disappointments. Christianity feels irrelevant to the recovery of their heart. No wonder most men leads lives of quiet resignation, meanwhile looking for a little “life” on the side. In this provocative book, Eldredge invites men to wholeheartedness by

  • recovering their true masculine hearts;
  • healing the wounds and trauma in their stories; and
  • delighting in the strength and wildness they were created to offer the world.

In this updated and expanded edition of the timeless, bestselling classic, John Eldredge calls men—and the women who love them—to discover the true secret of a man’s soul and embrace the danger, passion, and freedom God intended for every man.

8) Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl This seminal book, which has been called “one of the outstanding contributions to psychological thought” by Carl Rogers and “one of the great books of our time” by Harold Kushner, has been translated into more than fifty languages and sold over sixteen million copies. “An enduring work of survival literature,” according to the New York Times, Viktor Frankl’s riveting account of his time in the Nazi concentration camps, and his insightful exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of the worst adversity, has offered solace and guidance to generations of readers since it was first published in 1946. At the heart of Frankl’s theory of logotherapy (from the Greek word for “meaning”) is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but rather the discovery and pursuit of what the individual finds meaningful. Today, as new generations face new challenges and an ever more complex and uncertain world, Frankl’s classic work continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living, in spite of all obstacles.

9) Sovereignty: The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Men by Ryan Michler - Every man is born with just one thing: his sovereignty—his power to respond to his environment and his circumstances. Unfortunately, most men have spent much of their lives giving away that sovereignty. Every time a man passes blame or shirks his responsibility, every time he makes excuses for his performance, and every time he trades his unlimited potential for a little perceived safety and security, he willingly submits himself to the mercy of others. Is it any wonder that men, in general, seem to have lost their way? You don’t have to look very far to recognize that men don’t seem to possess the same amount of vigor and purpose they once did. Take one sobering statistic—the rate of suicide in men—and you begin to see how damaging the effects of the voluntary subjugation of men to their families, their businesses, and their governments can be. It’s not hard to understand why we give up control to others—it’s easy and we’re expected to. Sovereignty: The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Men is a call for men to once again rise up and establish themselves as they once were—a revolution if you will. Inside the pages of this book, we’ll uncover the battle each man will inevitably engage in, the external forces fighting against the call to masculinity, and the internal struggle all men must overcome. But make no mistake, this revolution is not a call for men to go their own way and rally against society. It’s a call for men to become fully the men they are meant to be so they may more adequately take care of themselves and those they are responsible for. Men have always been expected to protect, provide, and preside over themselves, their families, their businesses, and their communities. By embodying the thirteen Sovereign Virtues we detail inside, every man will be more capable of fulfilling his masculine duties and responsibilities. The words in this book go well beyond principle and theory, however, as we build the framework for establishing a battle plan to combat the external and internal threats to our masculine power and give every man the tools, resources, guidance, direction, and ability to reclaim what has always been his: his sovereignty.

10) An Astronaut's Guide to Life by Chris Hadfield - Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has logged nearly 4000 hours in space. During this time he has broken into a Space Station with a Swiss army knife, disposed of a live snake while piloting a plane, and been temporarily blinded while clinging to the exterior of an orbiting spacecraft. The secret to Col. Hadfield's success-and survival-is an unconventional philosophy he learned at NASA: prepare for the worst- and enjoy every moment of it. In An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Col. Hadfield takes readers deep into his years of training and space exploration to show how to make the impossible possible. Through eye-opening, entertaining stories filled with the adrenaline of launch, the mesmerizing wonder of spacewalks, and the measured, calm responses mandated by crises, he explains how conventional wisdom can get in the way of achievement-and happiness. His own extraordinary education in space has taught him some counterintuitive lessons: don't visualize success, do care what others think, and always sweat the small stuff. You might never be able to build a robot, pilot a spacecraft, make a music video or perform basic surgery in zero gravity like Col. Hadfield. But his vivid and refreshing insights will teach you how to think like an astronaut, and will change, completely, the way you view life on Earth-especially your own.


How about you? Do you recommend any great reads for the guys in our lives?

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Happy Thanksgiving 2021!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

              -Psalm 107:1 NIV

We are heading toward the week of Thanksgiving in the United States. I’ll be spending time with family, and hopefully doing very little actual work :-). I also plan to enjoy some of my favorite foods, reading, and writing time! 

I feel so very blessed. Despite the craziness of 2020, and major life changes in 2021, I have so much for which to be thankful. Just as many of you probably do, this is the time of year 
I enter a particularly reflective mood. My heart is full of gratitude for so many things: I still have a job I enjoy, a home I love, and a family I adore. 

For some fun reading, here are ten reasons I'm thankful to be a writer.

I'm also extremely thankful for my online family. As a thank-you to my readers and fellow bloggers, I wanted to share a short Thanksgiving romantic fiction piece I wrote a few years ago (it's about 800 words long). I hope you enjoy! http://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/2017/11/thankful-every-day.html

Want to impress your dinner guests? Try: https://parade.com/1072705/jessicasager/thanksgiving-trivia/

I pray you all enjoy a wonderful week full of what you need. Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for having in your life?

Monday, November 8, 2021

Writing By and For Veterans: Submissions Open

Happy Veterans Day (Week)!

Thank-you to all veterans and active military. We may not show it enough, but you are so very appreciated!

A few years ago my interview of Vietnam War Veteran and author Tim O’Brien appeared in Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors, Volume 2.  The publishers have since continued the tradition of supporting our troops. 

This yearly anthology presents essays, fiction, poetry, interviews, and photography by military-service personnel, veterans, and their families. It is an annual series published by Southeast Missouri State University Press in cooperation with the Missouri Humanities Council's Veterans Projects and the Warriors Arts Alliance.

"The stories and poems of service and sacrifice are essential in understanding what has so broadly been termed 'the American experience.' For me, Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors is required reading and worthy of a thousand tears."     ―St. Leger Monty Joynes, veteran, Vietnam

Books can now be ordered from the Southeast Missouri State University Press and Amazon.

Interested in submitting to Volume 11? They are already accepting submissions which are due by May 2, 2022. Contests and prizes will be awarded in each of the five categories. To learn more, please visit:  http://www.semopress.com/events/proud-to-be-writing-by-american-warriors/

Want to check out more "support America" reads? Chicken Soup for the Soul publishers have several books honoring veterans and their families as well. Try some of their titles such as: Military Families and The Spirit of America.

How about reading more veteran related material? Try Noir and Returning War Vet Sub-Genre, or Being a Veteran.

Have you thanked a Veteran for their service? Have you written with our military in mind? What military reads would you recommend?

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

IWSG: Titles, or Blurbs?


It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.


NOVEMBER QUESTION - 
What's harder to do, coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?

MY ANSWER - This one is difficult to answer. I think it depends on the project. In one case, I had a title long before I had written the piece. It came from a phrase I heard in a song, and my mind wouldn't let it go. It took me weeks to develop the story that went with the phrase which remained the title. In other cases, I've had to come up with a blurb in order to encourage me to complete the story, and then I still struggled with what to call the tale. I've also participated in writing exercises, or assignments where I was given a blurb and had to create a story based on the guideline.

How about you? Which do you find more difficult to come up with - a title, or the blurb?

Sunday, October 17, 2021

Seasonal Fun and Reads

Fall temperatures are finally arriving in our area. Orange decorations, and pumpkin everything seems to be surrounding us. We usually stay busy all month long with many seasonal activities. For instance, in addition to the many Fall festivals, we just enjoyed a trip to the Texas Renaissance Festival.

If you prefer to stay home cuddled up with a good book instead of heading out to crowds celebrating seasonal festivals, try one of my suggestions from 10 Scary Reads to Terrify Your Inner Child.

I also recommend my short story "Lights Out" which can be found in Road Kill, Texas Horror Volume 4 from Hellbound Books Publishing: here.

If you're looking for something a little lighter, try my romantic Halloween short story (about 800 words): Madame Tooshkas Spell.

Interested in FREE scary books? Try one of these!

Need a few scary good costume ideas? Try one of these 10 Minute Literary Halloween Costumes and dress like your favorite characters.

How are you celebrating this season?

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

IWSG: Drawing a Line

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.


OCTOBER QUESTION - 
In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language?

MY ANSWER - I suppose I draw the line at sex scenes. I'm not opposed to the publication of them, or even of reading them - some of my favorite authors, in a variety of genres, include them. However, I've never felt the need to write one. I have written pieces full of attraction and desire, but the actual act takes place of the page. I'm not sure that this has been an entirely conscious decision on my part, it's just worked out that way. The only time I remember it being a very deliberate omission is when an editor asked me to add one to a story I had submitted. I felt strongly that it wasn't needed. She refused to publish it if I didn't add it. That story is still sitting in my drawer, and computer.

How about you? Where do you draw the line in your writing? How about your reading?

Friday, October 1, 2021

October Pledge

Confession and accountability time. Since the pandemic began nearly two years ago, my writing has declined greatly.

I'm hoping to jump start my creativity this month as I'm teeming with new ideas, and motivated to try new projects. To celebrate my newly rediscovered zest for the craft, and in an effort to keep the momentum going, I'm committing to the Author Publish pledge. "I pledge to write at least one page every day in October."

If this works out for me, I may increase this each month going forward. One thing at a time.

So, anyone want to join me and take the pledge? Have you ever found yourself in a slump, or overwhelmed with ideas? If so, you might enjoy reading about 20 Things Only Highly Creative People Would Understand.

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Banned Books Week 2021

September 26 is the beginning of "BANNED BOOKS WEEK 2021". Below is a couple of lists of ten of the most frequently challenged books.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.

The Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged books list is compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and is based on or derived from communities across the United States. According to their data here, the ten most challenged books of 2020 were:

  1. George by Alex Gino
    Reasons: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”
  2. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
    Reasons: Banned and challenged because of author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people
  3. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”
  4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
    Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity
  5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author
  6. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
    Reasons: Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views
  7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience
  8. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students
  9. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
    Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse
  10. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
    Reasons: Challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message
You can also view the previous years lists as well at OIF. The list of the most banned books for 2021 will be available in April of 2022. However, if you're curious about the most frequently banned books for the last 100 years in America:

TEN OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED BOOKS IN AMERICAN HISTORY:

Some books have been repeatedly banned or challenged throughout history. This is a list of books that appear the most often on THE UNITED STATES banned books lists.
































If you would like more information about banned and challenged books, contact the Office for Intellectual Freedom at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4220, or oif@ala.org. Another god source of information on banned books is the "Libraries and Center for Academic Technology" site by Butler University: https://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217684