Today is my first day participating in the MAYbe blog challenge (if you remember, I just finished the April blog challenge and the Bible in 90 day challenge-- I'm big on challenges... )
Every day, we are supposed to write on a certain topic. Today's topic is: May I tell you something about myself?
Well, I'm doing the 'easy' thing and doing Kelly-- A to Z...
A is for Author (so do you actually have to have a book published to be called an 'author'?)
B is for birthday (2/15)
C is for Color, favorite (purple)
D is for dancing (because it's what my oldest daughter is doing right now... )
E is for enter (I love to enter writing contest and submit stories)
F is for fanfics (yep, I used to write them... )
G is for Google, Dr. (because I have ever ailment ever invented when I use that certain 'physician')
H is for headache (when someone taps something repeatedly, it gives me a headache).
I is for interesting. (which I'm sure... someone... somewhere... thinks I am... maybe... )
J is for juggling (Mamas... and Daddys you know what I'm talking about.)
K is for Kelly (my name).
L is for lavender (a smell that makes me sneeze).
M is for marriage (I've been married for almost 9 years... to the same feller)
N is for "No." (Because I have an almost 2 year old).
O is for October (my favorite month. I've always wanted a baby born in October-- alas I got pregnant in October-- twice.)
P is for printer (because it was broke and I was all upset because I couldn't print my book-- turns out it had a Chex Mix stuck in it.)
Q is for Quiet (because that's what it will be when my kids go to bed)
R is for read (because it's something I want to do more of this summer).
S is for special education (because I'm a special education preschool teacher).
T is for three (because I have three kids)
U is for unique (because I'm trying to break into Christian Young Adult novels-- one of the most unique ie small genres there is).
V is for victory (because of Jesus)
W is for write (have I mentioned I like to write?)
X is for X-ray (because I've never had one.. unless you count ultrasounds).
Y is for yellow (a color I don't like to wear).
Z is for Zelda (because she zoomed off to Mars-- It's a song we sing at school).
So... that's it.. me from A to Z. Next Tuesday, I'll have more about me.
Wednesday's topic is: May I ask something about you?...
Today is a real treat :) I have Marsha Ward here today to talk a little about herself, how she writes, why she writes, and if she's a pantser or a planner... How did you become interested in the Civil War? Author Robert Newton Peck once said that every historical writer has their favorite war. While his was the French and Indian War, mine turned out to be the Civil War. I don’t know what sparked my passion for it. It could have been reading some of historian Bruce Catton’s work, or Gone With the Wind, during high school. My interest certainly did not stem from a personal or family issue, since none of my relatives fought on either side. If they had, they’ve have been Union soldiers, and my characters fought for the South. That said, my current novels actually have post-Civil War settings, dealing with the aftermath of that great struggle, so they fit more in the classification of Western Migration novels, or Settling of the West. Very cool. Tell us about your novels. The Man from Shenandoahbegins as Carl Owen returns from the Civil War to find the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother dead, food scarce, and his father determined to leave the Shenandoah Valley to build a cattle empire in Colorado Territory. Crossing the continent, Carl falls in love with his brother's fiancée while set to wed another girl, but he might lose everything if the murderous outlaw Berto Acosta has his way. Carl battles a band of outlaws, a prairie fire, blizzards, a trackless waterless desert, and his own brother-all for the hand of feisty Ellen Bates. Ride to Ratoncontinues from there: after losing the heart of his fiancée to his brother, James Owen leaves home to make a new life for himself. The turbulent world of post-Civil War Colorado Territoryis fraught with danger and prejudice that increase his bitter loneliness as personal setbacks threaten to break him. Then James's journey brings him into contact with another wayfarer, beautiful young Amparo Garcés, who has come from Santa Fe to Colorado to marry a stranger. Through a twist of fate, their futures are changed forever when their lives are merged in a marriage of convenience. James and Amparo undertake a hazardous horseback trek over Raton Passto Santa Fe, battling their personal demons, a challenging language barrier, and winter's raging storms. My third novel, Trail of Storms, goes back to tell the tale of a peripheral character from the first novel. Jessie Bingham and her family flee post-Civil War Virginia after her sister suffers a brutal attack, and together endure a perilous trek to New Mexico Territory. When she hears her former sweetheart, James Owen, has taken a wife, Jessie accepts Ned Heizer’s marriage proposal on the condition they wait until journey’s end to wed. But then Jessie encounters James again... and he isn’t married now! Spinster’s Follyis the fourth book in the series, and tells Marie Owen’s story. Marie lives in a land that is long on rough characters and short on fitting suitors. Her desire to get married before she winds up a spinster propels her into making hasty decisions that drive her into the arms of a sweet-talking predator, landing her in unimaginable dangers. Wow, all of those books sound like they would be great reads. How much research was necessary to make your books so historically believable and where did you conduct most of your research? Did you visit the locations where you set your novels? I read 150 books to research my first novel. Some I bought, but most came from the library. Over the years that I’ve been writing the series, I have been able to do some on-the-ground research, and I recently took a trip back East to visit Civil War battlefields and other areas in preparation to write my next book. I’ve also been amassing books on the Civil War in the last year. Lots of books! In the earlier years, I conducted several interviews with people familiar with the areas I wanted to learn about. Photographs were also helpful, as were the state guides produced as WPA projects during the Great Depression. I’ve found several very good online sources for research on my later books. Are you a pantser or a planner when you write? I definitely write by the seat of my pants, once I have an idea for a story and know who my characters will be. I’m doing more planning now than I used to, though, so I don’t spend way too much time rewriting. However, I’ll never again write a complete synopsis early-on. That doesn’t work for me, because my brain then thinks I’ve already written the book. While I’m writing, I make various charts and spreadsheets to help me analyze the number of occurrances of different points-of-view, and events within scenes. This helps the revision process goes faster. I now use a great writing software program called yWriter5, which allows me to focus on one scene at a time. This is important, so that I don’t become daunted by the vastness of the project. A huge upside to using it is that the software is free! I'm a writer too, so I like to ask other writers. 'What's your writing schedule like?' Very fragmented. I’m easily distracted, but when I’m white-hot in the initial draft, I can write for up to eight hours, broken up by short breaks. This is only possible because I live alone. I wish I had a better schedule. Almost every writer I know wishes the same thing!
I know I do lol... actually, I wish my fingers and eyelids kept up with my brain lol. Have you held a "day job" in addition to your writing? Yes. Through the years I mothered my children, and then worked as a journalist, an educator, and in a retail store. I’ve also volunteered with several organizations, doing websites, newsletters, and a multitude of other chores.
Something I'm always curious about... How do you promote your books? I have a website and a couple of blogs, I’m active on Facebook and other social media venues, and I’m always looking for ways to let people know I’m an author, such as giving talks and networking with various groups. I find that word of mouth from enthusiastic readers drives the most sales, though.
Advice to anyone contemplating writing a Civil War novel? Do thorough research, keep accessible notes, then let the fingers loose.
Finally, How would you like to be remembered? As a kind person who could write a little. Thank you so much, Marsha, for being on my blog today... and HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!!!!!
~*~*~*~*~
(I love that book cover!!) What exactly is Spinster's Folly? Marie Owen yearns for a loving husband, but Colorado Territory is long on rough characters and short on fitting suitors, so a future of spinsterhood seems more likely than wedded bliss. Her best friend says cowboy Bill Henry is a likely candidate, but Marie knows her class-conscious father would not allow such a pairing. When she challenges her father to find her a suitable husband before she becomes a spinster, he arranges a match with a neighbor's son. Then Marie discovers Tom Morgan would be an unloving, abusive mate and his mother holds a grudge against the Owen family. Marie's mounting despair at the prospect of being trapped in such a dismal marriage drives her into the arms of a sweet-talking predator, landing her in unimaginable dangers. This fourth book in the Owen Family Saga is infused with potent heart and intense grit.
Marsha Ward is an award-winning writer and editor who has published over 900 pieces of work, including three previous novels in the Owen Family Saga, numerous newspaper articles, and sections in books on the craft of writing. She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and American Night Writers Association. Born a while ago in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, Marsha grew up with chickens, citrus trees, and lots of room to roam. She began telling stories at a very early age, regaling neighborhood chums with her tales as they snacked on her homemade sugar cookies and drank cold milk. Visiting her cousins on their ranch and listening to her father's stories of homesteading in Old Mexico and in the Tucson area reinforced Marsha's love of 19th Century Western history. After many years in the big city, Marsha now makes her home in a tiny hamlet under Central Arizona's magnificent Mogollon Rim. When she is not writing, she loves to spoil her grandchildren, travel, give talks, meet readers, and sign books. Here are links to my author pages at Smashwords and Amazon: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/marshaward http://www.amazon.com/Marsha-Ward/e/B003RB9P9Q/ And links to my Social Media sites: Website: http://marshaward.com Author Blog: http://marshaward.blogspot.com Character Blog: http://charactersinmarshashead.blogspot.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarshaward Twitter: http://twitter.com/MarshaWard Online Book Release Event at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/333393153425853/
"What is Love?" Bible Study Week 8 "Why Do We Show Love?"
Verse of the Week: 1 Corinthians 13:7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. ************************************ This week, we are going to talk more about the actions of love-- how you can show love in every day life. Sometimes people don't always tell you they love you, but you know they do by their actions. That is our topic today. Before we get into the post, I'd love for you to go back and re-read what you wrote in your notebook for your daily verses leading up to this week. Do any stand out to you? James 5:19-20 really stood out to me. "My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings that person back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins." To help bring a sinner back to the 'good side' saves that person from 'death'. I had never thought of it that way before. How can we do that if we don't love them? If we just give up on them? Truthfully-- we can't. Can you imagine the people who would (and have) gone to Hell because people have given up on them? That's not a great thought. That's why Paul was so big on us loving each other. People take care of those they love. If you try to love everyone, you will try to help them-- no matter what (now the ways of helping will be totally different, but the idea is the same). So far, we have learned about what love IS-- patient, kind, keeps no record of being wronged.. And... what love is NOT-- jealous, boastful, rude, demands its own way. Today, we will learn more as we complete the "Love is.." portion of this chapter. 1 Cor. 13:7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Wow... that is a lot! A lot to take in-- and a lot to do!
But like we have talked about before, the point of this study is NOT to be perfect in this. It isn't going to make our heart magically grow 3 sizes and all of our actions show love toward all mankind. No. The point is to learn what love is so that we will be able to strive to show it well, and to know WHY we are showing love to others. (to encourage, to inspire, and to help to lead them to God) Notebook Question: Have you ever had someone in your life who you always saw the best in-- but everyone else thought you were silly-- even gullible-- for thinking that? What did you say to the 'naysayers'? How did it turn out? (Even if the 'world' was right and that person did end up treating you wrong, you did the right thing by showing them love. You can only do your part!) Paul said, "Love is always hopeful." Always hoping that today will be the day that that person gets their head out of the sand and changes. And it may never happen, we all know that. But we still have that hope. We have some people in our lives that will call us bat crazy for thinking like that! Paul didn't think you were crazy. He thought you were doing the right thing. He had the right idea. So, how in the world can we do (or attempt to do) all of these things? Truth be told, you can't do any of these things of the "world". There is no self-help book, no Dr. Phil show, no human device that can help you learn how to do it. It is through the Holy Spirit that we even have the chance-- the shot-- the attempt-- at true love (ok, that sounded a bit redundent, but you get the idea). I want you to think of certain situations going on in your life right now where you might need help showing love. Keep thinking of that circumstance as we go through each point in this verse and list ways we can show love based on it. If you have any other ideas, I'd love to hear them from you. You can leave them in comments if you'd like :) 1. Love Never Gives Up. *We've talked a little about this. If we love someone, we aren't going to give up on them-- HOWEVER, sometimes we don't have to keep giving them everything. Sometimes our prayers go along way past material things. Ideas on how to do this: *Continual prayers *Communication *Finding Available Resources to help that person 2. Love Never Loses Faith *It is so hard not to lose faith in someone, especially the 50th time they have done something to us. And the world may think we are crazy (and we might be), but Paul said that this is a part of showing love. Never losing faith-- and I'm going to add-- Never losing faith that GOD can/will change their life. Ideas on how to do this: *Pray *Believe in Matthew 19:26 (With God all things all things are possible.) *Sending encouraging messages 3. Love is Always Hopeful *Love always looks at the bright side... the glass is half full persona. Ideas on how to do this: *Look forward-- not backward *Never stops having faith *Be "Gullible" but not stupid 4. Love Endures through Every Circumstance *Everyone has bad days. Sometimes I feel like I'm having a bad week. We all have people in our lives that we just know that they have a gray cloud continually over their head (and it was probably put there themselves.) It is so easy not to show love to those kinds of people because (in our head) we know that it probably won't do any good. But our heart keeps enduring that hope that today will be the big turn around day. It may sound counterproductive, but it is what we are supposed to do. Ideas for how to do this: *Not being overwhelmed (a bit hard for me personally)-- even when the task seems large. *Know that "This too shall pass." *Focus on positive rather than negative Love can live on even through anger, bitterness, and sorrow. But it is like a seed that needs to be watered. If it is taken care of, it has strong roots that can endure strong wind storms. If its not, it will be washed away in a summer rainstorm. Through love, we can forgive, forget, and move on (not that it is easy). We can hope for the future, trust in the now, and rejoice in the truth-- that no matter what, God is God--- and God is good! Ok, during weeks 2-4 we studied why love was necessary-- Why we needed to love others. Then the past 4 weeks, we have discussed the actions of love. The verbs of love, if you will. For the remaining weeks, we will discuss the Supremacy of love. Why having and nurturing love in your heart for others is, in a word, awesome! Next week, we will be covering 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. Those verses fit so well together that it would be counterproductive to learn them apart.
Verses to Get us Ready for Next Week Tuesday~ John 13:34 Wednesday~ Ephesians 3:16-19 Thursday~ 1 Corinthians 13:8 Friday~ 1 Corinthians 13:9 Saturday~ 1 Corinthians 13:10
Psalm 15: Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip. or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be briged to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. ********************* My brag on God today is that even though we 'try' to be perfect and we 'try' to do all of these things, we fail so many times.We aren't worthy to enter his sanctuary. None of us-- But God is so awesome that He gives us a second.. third... forth... hundredth chance. He will forgive our sins as long as we ask (and as long as we have breath). That doesn't give us the right to automatically sin then say, "Oh God... sorry about that." then do it again. No. That means that we do something, think "OH! Why did I do that?! I'm so sorry." Profess to God we are sorry and forgive us then STRIVE not to do it again. And we may slip. We are human. Then we ask forgiveness again. The more we want to be closer to God, the more we won't want to gossip-- or talk bad about our friends-- or break a promise. Thinking on being a Mama, I'm not perfect... in... the... least! To top it off, my degree is in Early Childhood Education lol. I STRIVE to be a good parent, but I know I will make mistakes. I know I will learn from them and move on. That's the same way with God. We want to be a good sinner, but we will make mistakes. We know we will learn from them, ask forgiveness, and move on. We aren't worthy-- but Thanks to God, we can be forgiven. :) Much Love, Kelly Linking with: Reflections on Psalms @ singingpilgrimdancing and Brag on God Friday
Well, I have been black headed for a grand total of 3 days now, and I've noticed somethings. 1. I'm not as confident. I thought I would be, but darn if I find myself wanting to run and hide so people don't see me, which is difficult since, well, I have black hair and it KINDA sticks out!
2. Old people do not like black hair on a young sprout. Of the 3 people who absolutely hated my hair, all of them were 45 and older. The younger people really loved it. Yay young people!
3. The hair has now changed to an interesting chocolate brown color. I'm liking it more and more as it goes away from gothic black. I'm a closet goth... ok, I'm not. I have no idea how to be a 'goth'. I don't really want to be. I do, however, tend to wear a lot of black and not have dark hair... so whatever that means. Maybe it was yet another phase I didn't live out in my teen years.
Ok, now to other things... it can't all be about my hair.
I said yesterday that the OC ff fans are the best in the world, and they are. I love them all, especially those who write replies... BUT there is another group of ff fans I love.. the TWILIGHTERS!!! I have been nominated for a twilight award for a story I wrote called Shades of Gray. NOW, If you are one of those people who laugh and mock FF writers, then go ahead... we do too. I sometimes find myself sitting in my chair when the kids are asleep writing about Ryan and Taylor or Bella and Edward and thing to myself, "Self, you are in idiot for writing something like this when you could be doing something important with your time." My reply to myself? "I work all day. Come home and take care of 2 kids and a DH, I deserve some me time and if it's writing a sex scene with Ryan Atwood then so be it." I have yet to write said sex scene, but you get my drift.
OH, here is the link to the Twilight Awards http://fallingstarr-mora.blogspot.com/ I'm nominated in the first catagory and like I said, the story is Shades of Gray.
**I plan on writing a whole thing sometime about how I'm going to vote in the election... but not right now. Now I'm worrying about driving to the 'big city' 60 miles away to an inservice tomorrow and I have no idea how to get there... I have my trusty map quest and that's about it. Wish me luck. I may never be back to update this blog... I may disappear and a body might wash up in the river in 3-4 years... the only way to identify it? It's unnaturally black hair!
Well, I just happened to remember I had this, so I thought I'd use it for it's purpose... to talk about me. I figure I'd write all of the things I would normally write in to my friends on a message board, but most of it is very random and well, this way they don't have to read it if they don't want.
Today's thoughts:
1. The O.C. fanfiction people are the best in the world!!! And I truly believe that. They read, give feedback, are friendly, etc... and some of the stories they write are amazing. I love it. If you want to check it out, go to fanfiction.net and find OC stories. Now, if you don't like the OC, you probaby won't get any enjoyment out of it. But if you are new to it like me, then you'll probably love it. You will learn, if anyone ever reads this, that I tend to be about 3-4 years behind on what's 'in'.
2. Never go to Wal-mart to get your hair colored. You go in for brown and come out with jet black. Not fun. If I make it through tomorrow at school, then I'll be all set.. but man my eyes look pretty. They have never looked green before.
3. It's not right when your 2 kids wake you up at 3:45 am because one has peed in her bed and one has lost her fooler. It's not a fun way to start a day... especially when you've got newly black hair.
So you see basically what this will be is a place where I can write random stuff. I hope you like random LOL.
It's a little bittersweet. About a month ago, I started contacting blogs to see if I could possibly add them to my CROSSING THE DEEP book blog tour. Every blog, except maybe three that I never expected to answer anyway, either said they would OR they would do facebook/twitter posts.
All in all, I had EIGHTEEN blog stops! *thud*
Thanks to all of the blogs, the people who have put up with me for the past 2 weeks on this book blitz, readers, people who comment, buyers of the book, etc. It has been a pretty special 2 weeks for me. Here is a list of the participating blogs. Please go over and show them some love :) Oct. 8th Mom's Tool Box (How the Bible in 90 Days program Influenced me to write the book)
Oct. 9th: Shakin' the Foundation (Questioning your faith) Walking In Faith 4 Him (Forgiveness) A Word of Encouragement (Encouraging others)
Oct. 10th: K.Victoria Chase (Author Interview) Sweet Blessings (If God gives you the passion, He will give you the time.)
Oct. 11th: A Pause on the Path (Is your 'thing' what you expected?) Student, Mama, Cook (Time for yourself) A Song Along the Way (Young Adult Novels)
Oct. 12th: She Fancied Herself a Writer (How to manage -semi- chaos) I Love Devotionals (Unto the End of the World)
Oct. 15th: Undivided (When you see no way out)
Oct. 16th: Do This in Remembrance of Me (Alone in a Crowded Room.. or Forest) Daily Surrender to Jesus (Author Interview)
Oct. 17th: Imitation by Design (Why I write Christian Fiction for Young Adults)
Oct. 18th: My Daily Walk in his Grace (When We Know Better)
Oct. 19th: Just a Little Place to Write (A Wild and Crazy Ride to Publication) Keepin' It Real (Author Interview)
** THANKS TO LAURA from Beholding Glory and Cyndi from Walk in Grace and Beauty for tweeting and facebooking about the book release :) And, of course, it wouldn't be a book blitz without buy links ;)
BUY LINKS:Amazon Barnes and Noble Astraea Press Wow! A great read for teens or adults. Wonderfully written. From a great start to a fantastic finish. I can't wait for her next book.-- Review from AMAZONBought this book today and cannot put it down! I will be finished by tomorrow and I am so excited as each new chapter and character develops! -- Review from AMAZONKelly Martin is an amazing author! She really sets the bar high for her first novel. I really enjoyed reading this book. The descriptions of the Smokies alone make you feel like you are right there with the characters. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from her -- Review from Amazon... If you enjoy fiction (and even if fiction isn't really you're thing) you'll be entertained by this young adult novel. I would certainly recommend it for any lover of a good action/adventure story. -- Review from AMAZON
Today's letter in the A to Z challenge at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/ is...
R is for Rejection. We talked yesterday about how if you send query letters then you will (more than likely) get a few rejections. Rejections aren't fun (how dare they not like something you worked so hard on!), but they are part of it. You get sad, you move on, and you keep sending them out. Simple as that... But if it's not *that* simple for you, I've found a site that has the number of rejections famous authors have gotten over the years. The link is: Wavy Lines. Go visit because I'm not going to write them all... I found out that: Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling): Rejected 12 times Mary Higgins Clark: Rejected 40 times A Time to Kill (John Grisham): Rejected by 15 publishers and 30 agents Twilight (Stephenie Meyer): Rejected by 9 agents and 5 no responses (which equal no) Carrie (Stephen King): Rejected 30 times SO, the point is for you (and for me). Rejection doesn't equal bad or give up. It means to keep going and find someone who does love it-- if not, write something else and keep going :) That said... WELCOME TO THE VERY FIRST FAITH-FICTION FRIDAY!!!! *Balloons... confetti... streamers!!!* Because I'm sure this will cause some confusion, I'm going to give you the deets below. 1. I will post a picture. 2. You will get inspired by the picture and write a 100 word (give or take) story (either fiction or non-fiction OR devotional). 3. You will post your story in the comments section of this blog below. 4. You can post your blog on the link-up after you've added a story to comments. 5. Somewhere on your blog, put the Faith-fiction Friday button. 6. Since this is new, I'm asking, begging, pleading, kissing your feet, to please spread the word about this. I'd love for this to be a great place for people to read and write Christian fiction (believe me, there aren't many places on the internet that have it). If you have any questions, just ask. Like I said, I'd love for this to just be fun-- but it won't be fun for me (or anyone else) if no one participates (I'm paranoid that I'm going to check back after work and there be no comments or links up... ) Anyway... Here is today's picture:
Image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Linked with: Faith-Filled Friday Good luck and happy writing :) Remember to post your stories in comments and link up below.
Today's letter in the A to Z challenge at www.a-to-zchallenge.com is...
S is for Sweet, Sweet people. Sometimes, people do things and it makes you smile (I guess smile could have been our S word-- actually lots of words could have been.) I want to say a BIG Thank You to the people who participated in the first Faith-Fiction Friday. It actually did better than I thought it would-- especially for the first week. It will be a weekly event here at OTMA so I hope you come back and participate again. I LOVE reading short stories, and like I said, there aren't many places on the web for short Christian fiction. Please head over to that post and click on the people who linked up. Each have a wonderful blog and would appreciate the visits. Yesterday was also a big day for one of our FFF participants. She had a lot of firsts-- First blog party, First writing contest (though it not really a contest-- the ideas the same), and the first time she copied a button code. You can read all about her exciting day at Catching Foxes. I also want to thank the Sweet, Sweet People who have encouraged me and this blog (along with my other blog) over this past year. I would name you all, but I'm afraid I'd miss someone and I don't want too. And lastly, the Sweet, Sweet People who take the time to make blog hops every week to spread God's word. There are a lot more, but 3 I participate in are Laura's at Beholding Glory, Shanda at A Pause on a Path, and Tracy at My Daily Walk in His Grace. Those are just a few of the great blog hops around the web: OH yeah there's Courtney at www.womenlivingwell.org as well. Today's post is a little scattered, but I wanted to take time to thank the sweet, sweet people who I've 'met' while blogging. To all of the followers and commenters-- THANK YOU! For all you readers, thanks for taking the time to read. I know your time is precious (and short if you are like me). You didn't have to read, but you do. That means a lot. For all of the people who send me emails about adding your blog to the Encourage 365 Blog Directory -- you are so sweet. Your emails make me smile :) Jenifer at Sweet Blessings for giving me something to add to my bio when I sent my queries to agents. (My first magazine writing credits.) And to my big sister, Kathy, who reads (pretty much) everything I write. And sends me 'Oh wow' texts when I tell her about some "big" (to me) news. BIG SMOOCH! There are so many sweet, sweet people in the world. Who are the ones in your life? Is there anyone you want to thank for being sweet? Take time to do that today. :) Have a great Saturday :) Remember, Faith-Fiction Friday is still open if you'd like to add your story. Much Love,
Does anyone know where the quote in this post title came from? I'll give you a hint... it's from the best Keanu-Reeves-Bomb-on-a-bus Mega Movie EVER!
That's right... the most awesome movie of the 90s Speed. The scene I'm referring to is the one where 'The Bomber' is taunting Jack after he has killed Harry. (Sorry, spoilers if you haven't seen it, but really... it came out in 1994 so you SHOULD have watched it by now... just saying ;)). Ok, so 'The Bomber' (Howard Payne) is talking to Jack and says...
"A bomb is made to explode. That's it's meaning. It's purpose. Your life is empty because you spend it trying to stop the bomb from becoming. And for who? For what? You know what a bomb is, Jack, that doesn't explode? It's a cheap gold watch, buddy."
Now PLEASE don't call the cops on me because I'm NOT thinking of bombing anyone or anything (just thought I'd get that out there), but for some reason, that quote has been on my mind a LOT lately. And it relates to kids.
Why? And HOW would a quote from Speed relate to kids? Well, here is my take on it. My kids are live wires as all kids are. They are loud. They play. They make messes. They are KIDS. However, *I* feel like my life is spent trying to 'stop the bomb from exploding'. I constantly say, "You can't be so loud. Daddy is sleeping." or "Don't jump on the couch, you could get hurt." or "Ok, time to stop running. Time for the baby to go to bed... "
I mean GAH!
"Stop... " this and "Quit" that... what kind of a life is that for me OR my kids... so maybe MY life is 'empty' (for lack of a much better word) because I'm trying to keep the 'bomb from exploding' aka trying to keep my 'kids from being loud'. Maybe I should just 'let' them be kids and stop worrying about it SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much.
But how do I do that?
I'm terrified of everything. I'm afraid I will do or won't do something and my kids will get hurt (or worse) because of it and it terrifies me. That's why I try so hard to keep them in line... to try not to let them get hurt... to do what's 'right'... but what kind of life is that for my girls?
Am I doing right by trying to protect them or will they grow to resent me when they get older?
Sorry for the downer post. I've just been really thinking about this a lot lately. I keep telling my husband that I'm SOOOOOOO ready for that parenting manual to show up in my mailbox. I'm the type of person who wants to know I'm doing the right thing (at home, at school, in life), but 'in life' that's not really possible.
Anyway, that's today's ramblings. I was going to post my awesome couponing (well awesome to me) deal I got yesterday, but this wouldn't let me... hopefully I'll get to tomorrow or Friday. It was the best haul I've gotten.
Today's letter in the A to Z challenge from http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/ is... Q is for Query. Do you know what a query is? I had no idea what it was until I started trying to learn how to find an agent. A query is a letter, proposal, fight for your book's life that you send to an agent. It (in between 200 and 500 words) tells an agent everything they need to know about your 50,000+ masterpiece. In a word: it's difficult. I'm not good at them yet. I'll admit that, but I like it. I'd buy the book if I were an agent ;) The thing about sending a query is that you inevidably (unless you are extremely luckly) will get a rejection. (REJECTION will be our R letter tomorrow. I have a neat little post written for that letter-- stay tuned--). Are you good at writing queries? If you don't write them, are you good at summarizing? What resources did you find helpful? I LOVE absolutewrite.com. They have a great spot to post your queries (if you don't mind getting beat up a few times for it ;) ) Don't forget to come back tonight and tomorrow for the very first 'Faith-Fiction Friday' post/link-up/writing frenzy. Your support is humbly, beggingly, and lovingly appreciated. Much Love,
Here are my results of this week's quest... yes, I actually did it :) I enlisted the help of my girls... actually turned off the tv (I KNOW! It was strange without PBS kids for 2 hours)... and we cleaned. And had a GREAT TIME. I'm going to miss this when they get older and cleaning isn't as fun for them. Oh well... no sadness today... Ok.
Here is how our morning went...
THIS...
Is what their closet looked like. This is what he has honestly looked like for years. I haven't hung clothes in there... well, in about 4 years when the clothes rod fell and I just never put it back up (lazy much!). Their clothes are all in another room (dresses anyway). And this closet just ended up being a catch all for... well... everything. You can see there are 3 backpacks (2 are mine from about 9 years ago and 1 from my oldest daughter, our christmas tree (yes, our Christmas tree is a 4 foot, white, pre-lit tree... Don't judge), a carseat, some big toys, a train set (my grandfathers), just a jumbled mess of messiness.
Not a room fitting 2 little ladies.
And a waste of space. Nothing was being played with. Just being a big, messy, unusable eyesore.
Finally, with the girls help we got...
This.. . .
And
This..
ACTUAL dresses hanging from their ACTUAL closet.
I could do a happy dance...
And kick myself for not doing it sooner (sorry girls).
I know the walls aren't all that. I'll get to them someday. Maybe cleaning them up will be one of NEXT years Quests (because I KNOW you all are looking forward to next year ;))
Here is the final product (or at least, how I'm leaving it today..)
I think there is a big difference. I can't store the train or the tree anywhere else because I just don't have the space. I have another closet that I 'may' try to put them in later, but for right now, they are fitting ok in there. I know it's not 'perfect', but at least it's usuable.
However, today's confession is that... my kid have a lot of stuff. I didn't get a good before picture of their room previously, but lets say that we haven't been tidying it as we should this summer. It wasn't 'messy', just full of stuff. It's the catch all for all of my kids toys.
Here is an example of how much stuff they have in there...
(Um... no. Those toys aren't normally on their beds lol. I had the ladies put them on their beds so the baby could be in the room and not eat any of them. Those blocks there were what she played with.)
They have a LOT Of stuff.
I gave them 3 choices on all of it... keep, toss, yard sale.
And here are our results...
Much better :)
HOWEVER, I'd be a big liar if I didn't show you the reverse of this shot.
That's all of their stuff that we didn't want to give away or sell. I'm not entirely sure what to do with it. I mean... Hmmmmmmm... Any ideas from you awesomely organized Mamas?
So, there you have it :) The end of week 6 for me. YOU still have until Saturday to get your closet finished. Remember, you can pick which ever closet you want. This closet has been my nemesis all summer lol.
OH, and I just remembered that I said "Cleaning Was FUN!" And I meant it. My ladies had the best time playing with the toys that hadn't seen the light of day in years.
Especially...
We found this in the 'non used' closet. Now, to you and me this might look like some little baby toy. Not to my oldest 2 ladies. THEY decided it was a rocket ship. So all 4 of us (the baby included) spent a good hunk of time flying in outer space. We zipped. We zagged. We ducked (the 11 month old thought we were all silly doing that... ). We whirled. And my oldest daughter went all Dora on us because we had to listen and match the correct instrument to the correct sound... so the mole aliens wouldn't get us. (THANKFULLY, we knew what a drum, a trumpet, and a guitar sounded like! Shew!)
They have already made plans for our return trip tomorrow. I can't wait.
So, there you have it, ladies. Cleaning IS fun... especially when you find a really cool rocketship in your closet.
Much Love,
Kelly
(Linked with: The High-Heeled Housewife--Homemaking Link-Up
If you've noticed, I've been working behind the scenes in phases to change this blog around. I wanted to have an author site, but I already had 3 other blogs. That just seemed like a lot.
So, I've closed down Encourage 365 (well it's still there, but I won't be posting... devotionals will be written and posted on this blog now). I've decided to keep Encourage 365 open :)
I've bought a new domain name for this site: www.kellymartinstories.com (do you like it?) You will still be redirected here by typing www.ohthatmomagain.blogspot.com
I'm going to use THIS site as an author site and as a devotional site (I'm actually really excited about this!). Most things will stay the same except for the name and devotionals here and not on the other site. Plus, there will probably be more writing updates.
I hope you continue to stay with me as I go through these changes. I'll always be a mommy and will always write on it, but I wanted this blog to be about different kinds of stories too: my home stories.. bible stories... and fiction stories.
Today's Friday, so that means that the Faith Fiction Friday prompt is up @ Faith Filled Fiction... and the 5 minute Friday prompt is up at Lisa-Jo Baker's Gypsy Mama.
5 Minute Friday is simple. Lisa-Jo gives a prompt and you promptly (hehe) write on it for 5 minutes. No backsies, no edits (though I will spell check... because I just have too... )
Today's word is: Dance
GO
There is a dance going on inside of me, maybe inside of you too. It's a delicate tango between the "I want too" and "I can't... "
As I glide on the dance floor of life, these two dancers glide around inside of me, twirling until I am dizzy and run down.
The "I want too" is strong. I WANT to do a lot of things. Sometimes those things seem so big they will never happen. And sometimes they seem selfish.
The "I can't" is always there, following the "I want too", matching every step. I can't do... because I'm just me. Seems to be the typical dip. It seems logical enough. I'm just... me.
There is a dance inside of me, maybe inside of you too. A delicate tango between "I want too" and "I can't". Maybe it's time to find a new dance partner...
My 5 year old, Katie, loves Jesus. She loves him with her whole heart... even if she doesn't fully understand everything (really who does?). She 'tries' to understand (which makes it hard for ole Mama who is having to turn into a Biblical Scholar to answer all of her questions... but that's ok because I'd rather she ask me and to KNOW about Jesus than to NOT know).
Anyway, Katie always tries to be a good girl. She tries to take care of her little sisters. She is the typical oldest child who does too much for others.
But she is as sweet as can be.
Last Thursday, Katie came up to me and said, "Mama, I asked Jesus to come live in my heart. And he said yes."
Well, to be honest. I didn't know what to do. I was ELATED that my baby girl had thought enough to ask Jesus into her heart, but I was worried that she was so young that maybe she didn't know what she was doing, etc. I decided to encourage her, and to let her decide when/if she needed to be baptized (She's just 5 after all... but that is another story).
But I told her that I was so happy that she did that... and that she had to take care of Jesus now that he live in her heart...
And that is when, I think, this story took a wrong turn... (uh oh... anyone see foreshadowing????)
A few days later, my girls were play fighting. They are 18 months apart and sometimes they wrestle... laughing the whole time. I usually allow it for a while until they get too wound up. Apparently, I let it go a BIT too long that day.
Chloe, my 4 year old, hit Katie...
In...
The...
Chest!
OH MY WORD!
TEARS... BIG HUGE TEARS filled that girls face as she ran to me yelling, "CHLOE HIT ME! She broket my heart! She BROKET Jesus. And Jesus Ran AWAY!"
It was one of those mom moments that isn't funny... but telling it back later makes you chuckle.
I hugged her... she was REALLY distraught. She kept saying, "She broket my heart! She broket my heart! And Jesus ran away!"
I finally got he to calm down enough for her to listen to me. I wiped her tears away and said, "Katie. Jesus loves you. And even if Chloe 'broket' your heart in tiny pieces, Jesus would never want to leave. He would stay with you even if he could leave because he loves you that much."
Well, that seemed to satisfy her. She wiped her tears and went off to play.
And then, of course, I started thinking about us. How many times have WE thought we 'broket our heart and Jesus ran away'? But guess what, ladies? Jesus loves us. He would never want to leave us. He would stay with you even if he could leave... because he loves you that much!
As for Katie, well, she told me later that her heart had been fixed and now Jesus had a nice home in there again... at least until her sister breaks it again...
I saved $33.22 today at Walmart using coupons :) I DID end up paying 90.09 so it wasn't one of those huge percents of savings... but still. It was the best I've ever done. I didn't take a picture (honestly between shopping with the ladies and the hubs, I was just ready to put it all up lol). But I did save my receipt so I can tell you what I got... well, some of it.
**The = is after coupons...
Pantene ($3.00 off 2)= $3.78 for one, $0.78 for the second Gold Bond Hand Santizer ($2.00 off 1)= $1.97 each (bought 3) Dove Men's bar soap ($4.00 off 1)= $1.97 each (bought 2) Schick 4ct razors (Buy one Get one Free)= $5.97 for one (got other free) Lysol Wipes ($1.00 off 2)= $1.98 each + 2 free (bundle packs)
Those were the good ones. I had several $0.50 and $1.00 off ones.
All in all... it was a good trip :) The paper was well worth it this week... :)
How about you? Did you find any really good deals?
My friend Jennifer has a blog called Imitation by Design It is an awesome blog, and I'm not just saying that lol. It really is a great place. It has recipes, encouragement... and a little thing called "Meaningful Mondays"
I LOVE Meaningful Mondays! If she doesn't write it... I ask where it is lol. It's where she writes a devotional or something meaningful (hence the name). She has a real gift for this.
Now...
I've told her that she should do a Linkytool to her Meaningful Mondays so others can get in on the action. I'm not sure if she will or not... BUT I decided that I was going to do it anyway. We all need some uplifting. We all need some sort of encouragement. We all need something to think about. We ALL need something meaningful to read (What? You mean that 'In Style' I just read wasn't 'meaningful'? Um.. no. Informative thought it may have been... NOT meaningful... ")
I don't know if I'll do this every Monday, but I did want to make mention to you all about her site and what her Meaningful Mondays are :) ************************************ Here is my contribution to "Meaningful Mondays"...
Positive or Negative????
Have you ever been around a negative person?
Of course you have. We ALL have. You know those people who are NEVER happy. They could win $2 million dollars and still not be satisfied because they'd have to count it (ok, not REALLY, but you know what I mean).
The people who have been blessed by God and don't realize it.
The people who see the glass as half empty.
The people who when get good news, see only the problems that come with it.
The people who fuss in the grocery store because things didn't go their way.
Oh yes... we have ALL seen these people or been around them.
And how do they make us feel?
If you are around a negative person, you feel... negative.
Oh you didn't start off feeling that way. You WERE happy. JOYFUL even. You were excited about (insert something here... ). You were all smiles for miles.
And then...
You met them...
You talked to them...
You had a conversation with THEM...
And what happened?
You tried... you did... You TRIED to stay happy.
You worked hard to keep that positive attitude.
But their negativity... it just crushed you. It got into your mind and stole your joy. Do you know people like that???? How does it make you feel to be around them.
Oh...
Wait...
Proof-reading here...
OH, I wrote that wrong...
Let me go back...
Sorry about that...
Back to the top...
If Someone is around a negative person, they feel... negative.
Oh you (THEY) didn't start off feeling that way. You (THEY)WERE happy. JOYFUL even. You (THEY) were excited about (insert something here... ). You They were all smiles for miles.
And then...
You met them...
You talked to them...
You had a conversation with THEM...
And what happened?
You They tried... you They did... You They TRIED to stay happy.
You They worked hard to keep that positive attitude.
But their YOUR negativity... it just crushed you THEM. It got into your THEIR mind and stole your THEIR joy.
There...
Wow, proof reading that sure didn't make me feel very good.
We ALL know what it's like to be around negative people. It's, quite frankly, annoying. And it DOES steal OUR joy.
BUT what if WE are that negative person? What if WE steal OTHERS joy?
Whoa!
I don't want to steal joy... I want to give it.
I don't want to steal happiness... I want to give it.
I don't want to make someone sad... I want them to be happy.
I don't want to SOW negativity... I want to be positive not only for myself for others.
It's easy to recognize people who have a negative attitude, but can we say the same when the mirror is looking on us?
I admit that I'm not always the most positive person.. and I admit that when I'm around a negative person that I can easily turn that way. I need to pray about keeping a positive attitude. The world has enough negatives. Imagine if some positives came though?
That's NOT saying that we shouldn't talk to people when we are sad and down. The worst thing you can do is bottle it up. However, its good not to make a habit out of it. Look for the positives in life to counterbalance the negatives. A simple joy... a simple laugh can be a positive experience.
I was going to post about my AWESOME shopping trip where I bought enough food for a family of 5 (ie us) for about 7 days for $50 (I'm so excited about it!) and I will... but man, I'm not feeling so great today.
Hopefully, I"ll get the post up tomorrow. UNTIL THEN, Please head over to Faith Filled Fiction and read M.J. Wille's story for the week. It's got romance, heart, and faith. All things we need to read about sometimes. Much Love, ~*~Kelly~*~
Well, I've already posted about finishing Quest #5 (The Dreaded Baseboards). Now, its time to focus on Quest #6... Closet Calamity (dun, dun, dun!).
The basic premise of this is to pick *A* closet in your home, and clean it up. It can be in the living room, the bedroom, your child's room... whatever. You get to choose this week! (Yay you! ;) )
I, personally, am choosing to clean out my daughters' closet in their room. My oldest 2 (ages 5 and 4) share a room and... well... it needs help). Lots of help. I 'may' not get finished with it this week because it needs a full closet make over (it doesn't even have a clothing bar! I KNOW!). This one will take me a while, but I know I can get it done. :).
I'm really going to need some pushing this week, though, to get the basics done. It has became a catch-all for baby toys (and strangly Christmas ornaments). I really hope you consider participating in this challenge with me! :) The more, the merrier.
This is the last week to enter to win one of 5 free PDF Advanced Review Copies of THE DECEPTION OF DEVIN MILLER (coming out July 23rd). Click here to enter!
Blurb : Forced by his father into a marriage he didn’t want, Prince Alan soon finds that his bride isn’t the sweet, submissive creature he expected. Morgane has the heart of a dragon and beauty beyond compare, but she isn’t thrilled about the marriage either. When black treachery threatens the kingdom, Morgane and Alan embark on a perilous journey that has an excellent chance of ending in failure and death for them and all their people.
Excerpt : Morgane advanced on her enemy with deadly purpose. "No!" Alan roared. "She has a knife." Morgane tried to retreat, but it was too late. Aili's knife caught her in her thigh. Blood spurted as if from a fountain. Renweard was closer to her than Alan. His sword rose. Aili breathed her last as Morgane swayed and slipped to the floor. Alan ran across the room and cradled her in his arms. In seconds he was coated with blood. "ʺWe must stop the bleeding!" he cried. "Where are the healers?" ʺI will find one." Renweard left the room at a run with King Bowdyn right behind him. Morgane's eyes fluttered open. "Your arms around me. No heaven can compare.ʺ Alan pressed a kiss to her hair. "I love you, my brave Morgane." Morgane sighed. "I could not let you face this battle alone.ʺ Author’s Note : After spending most of the last ten years writing contemporary romance, I decided it was time for a change. So in the spring of 2012 I wrote my first romantic fantasy, The Enchanted. Several challenges immediately presented themselves. First, I knew that I didn't want the fantasy to overpower the romance which meant I'd have to balance my world building details with the romantic elements.
Challenge two was finding characters who'd fit into my newly created world. I didn't want plastic, stereotypical characters. I wanted real people with warts and human imperfections, people whose lives and problems would draw you in and make you care about them.
My third challenge was to craft a plot that included fantasy elements, yet at the same time allowed my characters to be in charge of their own destiny and in the process grow and change.
I'm pleased with the way it turned out. I enjoyed the experience so much I have another fantasy/sci fi romance in the wings waiting for December and its turn at publication. Given my new love affair with fantasy romance, will I write contemporary romance again? I sure will. I'm working on one right now, and I just love it. It will be my first full length romantic comedy. Author Links: http://www.elainecantrell.com http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com http://www.twitter.com/elainecantrell http://www.facebook.com/elainepcantrell The Enchanted is sold at most online retail outlets. Reviews: A sweet story, easy read, fairytale/fantasy/romance 5 stars. Teresa Cypher on Amazon A wonderful story that has swept into my heart. I will be remembering this one for a long time and reading it again. Tifferz Book Reviews on Goodreads
