Finding Something Friday: Humor, Books I'm Reading, Contest, Writing Tips

That's not a very catchy post title, but it does pretty much sum up the day's catch.

If you'd like to read October's column in Modern Senior Living, check out page 13 for "My Not-So-Smart Phone." (I could probably write a book about phones at the Hall house. One time, I walked into Juniorest Hall's room and found this mangled mess of wires and such on his bed. Just before I threw it out, he yelled, "Wait! That's my phone!" Which he was actually still using. It was the phone I'd purchased 24 hours after I'd bought his first phone--but that's another story.)

As you may remember, October is National Book Month, and I thought I'd update you on what I'm reading now: Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley (a middle grade novel with fairy tale overtones) and Bodies of the Dead And Other Great American Ghost Stories (Did you know Edith Wharton wrote a ghost story? Neither did I, but there she is with Ambrose Bierce, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Willa Cather, and Harriet Prescott Spofford. I don't know Harriet Prescott Spofford from Adam's house cat, but how many times do you come across a name with that many double consonants? When I finish this scary book, I'm giving it away in the All Hallow's Read Giveaway. Don't forget to mention BOOk in a comment if you want your name in the cauldron.)

Janet Reid (yes, the literary agent, again) is having a contest. You have till tomorrow (at noon) to write a 100 word themed Halloween story with the words she's posted. You can win a critique from Barbara Poelle, and that's pretty awesome for a micro-fiction story. (You get bonus points if you work in the word "insalubrious". And yes, I know that you know what insalubrious means, but I thought I'd give a quick definition for all those folks who may have taken a siesta during 10th grade Vocab drills: insalubrious=not conducive to health, unwholesome.)

Finally, just a quick mention of the writing tips you can find over at Finders & Keepers this week. I mentioned that I attended an SCBWI conference and I wrote a "what I learned from whom I saw" post. It's packed with stuff you can use, whether you're a children's writer or not. (Seriously. It's kind of a long post. But no one will know if you skim it.)

And now, as my insalubrious tale won't write itself, I have a story to find on this fine Friday. I'm pretty sure it's rattling around in my head, somewhere.

A This 'n That Thursday on Reading

So I came across Neil Gaiman's bloody brilliant idea the other day on Twitter: All Hallow's Read.

It's pretty simple. Just give someone a scary book to read on Halloween. It doesn't have to be brand-spanking new. It doesn't have to be just for kids. It doesn't have to be written by Neil Gaiman, even.

Just go watch the short video and hear what Neil has to say. But you'll probably be distracted by the zombies in the background and not really listen. Or maybe that's just me.

Anyway, I love this idea. In fact, I love it so much that I'll give some lucky blog reader a scary book. Maybe I'll give away a couple of scary books. I guess that depends on how many scary books I can round up. In the meantime, leave a comment with the word "BOOk" in it and you might get one from my personal stash of creepy favorites!

Also, whilst piddling...um, make that business networking, on Twitter, I came across a very funny site about the value of our libraries. If you're familiar with the book, Go The F*** To Sleep, and have a wondrous imagination, you'll know where I'm going with this site. And why I can't actually mention it in a G-rated blog. You'll just go and laugh and laugh and laugh.

Or again, maybe that's just me.

A This 'n That Tuesday (or Yay! A Market, a Publisher, and Free Books!)

So, yes, this is one of those posts where I throw stuff out there and you are free to pick and choose. Speaking of free, let's start with your opportunity to win bunches of books!



I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and I Read Banned Books are hosting this humongous Banned Books Week Hop. And when I say humongous, I mean 250 blogs humongous. That's 250 opportunities for you to win some banned books (which also happen to be some of the best books out there). I've already espoused my opinion on this subject here and here (and not to go on about it, but the 2010 post was one of my better efforts), so I'll just say read a banned book today and grow your mind.



Next up is a submission opportunity at Big Pulp. I'm sorry I didn't throw this paying magazine out there sooner--the window is only open till the end of September! But if you have a fantabulous fantasy, horrid horror, mystical mystery, awesome adventure, super science fiction, or robust romance then you've got a chance at Big Pulp. (Just so you know, I've absolutely been slashing adjectives out of my manuscript, but it didn't seem right to waste all those perfectly fine modifiers. Not to mention adverbs.) And do let me know if you get accepted. I'd love to read your scintillating story!


And finally, if you've got a robust romance that is actually a full manuscript, then you might want to zip over to Mills and Boon New Voices. They're looking for a new voice in romance and they're giving away grand prizes, too. That is to say, the prizes are grand for the Top 20, but they also have one Grand Prize package. You have till October 10th on this opportunity but that doesn't mean you can dilly-dally about sending in that first chapter. Pull that manuscript out from under-the-bed and give it a polish. And please, let me know if you're over there so I can dash to your cozy chapter and give a comment!


That should keep you busting-out busy for the week. (And yay! I've used up my daily quota of adjectives.)

Thursday Tips on Writing and Editing

So I zipped over to Cynsations (Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog) this morning to read this lovely guest post from Deborah Halverson on Why Perfectly Nice People Make Perfect Bad Guys. It's well worth the read, whether you write flash, short stories or novels, because characters can make all the difference in whether you end up with a good story or a bad story.

And as is so often the case, I found all sorts of other interesting writerly things to check out. Like the giveaway at Cynsations for Deborah Halverson's Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies (just read to the end of Deborah's guest post!).

And then, of course, I had to zip over to Deborah's site called Dear Editor.com where she's having a virtual book launch for Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies. And she's giving away a a first chapter manuscript critique for a couple days. (It must be a middle grade or young adult first chapter.)

And then, I nosed around the site to read a few of the Dear Editor questions and answers. Again, you don't have to write for the kidders and teens to appreciate Deborah's advice.

Honestly, it's not even lunch and I'm feeling scads more writerly brilliant than I did at breakfast. Though I have no idea why I would say "scads."

Thing One and Thing Two OR Writing Advice and Reading Awesomeness

Long before I ever read Stephen King's quote, "Read a lot and write a lot," I followed that advice.

One thing that I read a lot of is writing advice (What a coincidence!). And it just so happens that I came across a whole list of great quotes of writing advice (How serendipitous!). Truth be told, I've already posted about this fabulous list over at Finders & Keepers. But I found it so nice, I'm discussing it twice! So Thing One is this list from Online College of 101 Words of Wisdom from Famous Authors. Something tells me I should take another look-see at F. Scott Fitzgerald's advice ("Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own joke.")

Yes, well, on to Thing Two. I got a heads up today from Jodi Webb who's participating in a blog hop. (Notice I did NOT use an exclamation point. I wanted to, but as per the above advice, I restrained myself. Honestly, it feels as if something is lacking. Something like a big, fat exclamation point.)

If you're looking for a chance to win a TON of books, this is the blog hop for you. Over 200 blogs are participating and giving away all sorts of prizes. So here's your chance to follow Mr. King's advice and read a lot, assuming you win books. You have till the 24th to join in the fun, so hop over now and start signing up. (!)

(I know you're probably wondering about that fox squirrel. Because usually, I have a way of bringing a totally unrelated pic like that into a post and making a brilliantly witty remark by post's end. But this whole exclamation point thing has me off my game. Blame it on Fitzgerald.)

There Can Be Only One (Winner)

I really enjoy the WOW! Blog Tours. I've read some wonderful books, and met some truly wonderful and generous writers. I love just about everything about the tours, except for...having to pick just one winner in the giveaways.

But as the Highlander would say, "There can be only one."And SALLY is the one who won The Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life!

As for the rest of y'all who stopped by, hoping to win, you know you can get this amazing book through your favorite bookseller. And honestly, you're all winning literary ladies to me. I often stop by your blogs, just to "meet" the folks who've dropped in here, and I'm always amazed at the fine writing I find.

Maybe your book will be cruising around on a WOW! Blog Tour someday and I'll host you! Thank goodness, there can be more than one (author).

Finding Something Friday: Books, Books, Books, Award!

When I typed in that post title, I thought of that childhood game "Duck, Duck, Goose." And in a way, I found a few spots all about books for you to zip over to, click on, and then run back to whatever it was that you were doing before you dropped in here. So off we go!

At first, I thought the Gwinnett Library's page over at Facebook wouldn't have much significance for anyone but us Gwinettians. But then I had one of those aha! moments when I realized that ALL of my friends, wherever they are, can like this page and help our library get over 1600 Dummies books.

I've picked up a few of the Dummies books for the not-so-scathingly-brilliant Halls so I know how helpful these books can be. (Okay, okay. I read the Dummies books, too. Brilliance like this doesn't grow on trees, you know.) And if your library is participating in the same promotion, let me know and I'll happily like your page, too. Dummies books for everyone!

Now, a quick reminder that you can still comment to win Nava Atlas' gem of a book, The Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life. I cannot guarantee that you will be a scathingly brilliant writer after reading this book, but I can say unequivocally that you will be the richer for the experience. Type your comment (with your fingers crossed) on this Hall of Fame post.

And now, for all of you poetry enthusiasts (and I'm including myself here), you still have time to dash over to Donna's Book Pub where she's giving away Tanka Moments: A Man's Journey by David Lee Kirkland. She's shared a few tanka (just in case you need a little refresher, and I'm including myself here, also, on what exactly a tanka is).

Speaking of the wise and witty Donna, she's bequeathed upon me one of the inaugural Sisters of the Quill Awards. As such, I have been recognized as a quill-driver, a writer, a scribe, and let's see...oh, yes! A schrivener and an author worthy of recognition. That's very humbling, isn't it? I had no idea I was all that. But on the other hand, who am I to argue with the wise and witty Donna? Stay tuned for whom I pass the award on to next.

As you can see, Gladys, my muse of a goose, popped in today because she thought we'd be playing games and talking about her. It's scathingly brilliant books, books, books, and an award, you silly goose. And now, isn't it time you dashed off yourself?

The Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life (Wheee!)

Ooooh! I’ve been excited about sharing The Literary Ladies from the moment I met them!

Technically, I’ve known the literary ladies from Nava Atlas’ wonderful book, The Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life, for many years. I met a few of them when I was just a gangly teenager with braces. Reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice made me feel quite elegant, and curling up with Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre introduced me to gothic romance (so much more exciting than skinny, pimply boys falling off surfboards at the beach).

Still, I didn’t know the literary ladies like this, their writerly and not-so-writerly whys, and whats and hows of the women behind the books. Nava Atlas did her homework to bring us an inside look at The Literary Ladies, and I’m thrilled to be able to share some of her insights today at this, Nava’s last stop of her WOW! blog tour. So on to the questions!


With the perspectives of all these literary ladies, your book is unlike most guide-to-writing books, and yet it contains an abundance of advice and guidance! So which came first—choosing the literary ladies or finding all that brilliant writing wisdom?
It was definitely finding the wisdom first, then narrowing it down to the twelve authors. I was looking not only for wisdom, but for writings about the universal concerns and obstacles inherent in the writing life, viewed through the experiences of authors who eventually surmounted these difficulties.

It took several years of occasional delving into diaries, collections of letters, interviews, and memoirs to amass enough material for a full-length book. I’m quite a library geek so I loved having an excuse to bury myself in dusty volumes and archives.

As you researched, did you find women writers you hated to leave out? Who didn’t make the final cut, and why?
Above all, I hated to leave out Zora Neale Hurston (ca. 1891-1960). She was not only a literary pioneer with a distinctive voice (best known for Their Eyes Were Watching God), but studied anthropology in the 1920s at Barnard College, where she was the sole black student.

She seemed to be such an exuberant, courageous spirit, but her efforts were always undercut by money troubles. She died alone and forgotten, but then Alice Walker helped resurrect her legacy. Now her books have sold in droves and she is studied widely. However, I just couldn’t find enough about her writing life (other than her money woes pertaining to such) to weave through the chapters.

I almost used Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1896-1953), author of the children’s classic The Yearling, as she did leave a fair amount of writings on her life as a writer, but there was some indefinable thing about her that somehow didn’t resonate with me; she often seemed to have some axe to grind. Ultimately I thought that twelve was a better number than thirteen, and not just due to superstition!


So many interesting and surprising tidbits of these writers’ lives are included that I’d love to share all the secrets! But since my book efforts are in children’s literature, I’ll go with Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women. Can you divulge a shocker or two about sweet Louisa?
Louisa May Alcott was a hard-working, strong woman. The biggest surprise for me was that she wrote lots of anonymous thrillers and gothics before her classic Little Women was published. She did them because she needed the money to support her mother and sisters. She thought of Little Women as just another job, cranking it out to make a quick buck. Both she and her publisher were surprised at its immediate success. One of the anonymous thrillers she wrote, A Long Fatal Love Chase, was republished just a few years ago with her real name. I read about 90% of it; sorry to say I didn’t think it was very good, and LMA may well have agreed with that assessment.

What I like about Alcott was her determination to earn a living from writing and not being wimpy about demanding her due. It took decades of slow but steady progress, but she did finally earn not just a living, but a tidy sum from Little Women and the books that followed. Unfortunately, she only lived to the age of 55, and was pretty well worn out by overwork and illness by then.

If you could sit down and have tea and a chat with any of these women, with whom would you choose to share an afternoon? (Goodness, reading this book has already improved my literary skills!)
I notice lately that some women with whom (see that?) I have been in touch have revived the word “whilst.” So maybe there is a trend toward better grammar and classic vocabulary!

It would be hard to choose, of course. I would have loved to meet them all and do the things they enjoyed doing—go to the opera with Willa Cather (though I found her to be a bit intimidating); stroll with Edith Wharton in Paris, visit with George Sand and all her famous literary and musical cohorts at her lovely estate in central France; and see how Edna Ferber went about transforming her novels into movies and Broadway shows.

I’ve been asked who I would like to meet if I could choose but one, and that would be Charlotte Brontë. Her use of the English language was so exquisite that I imagine she’d be a good conversationalist. She also seemed so tough and determined in persevering not only on her own behalf, but that of her literary sisters, Emily and Anne. She sometimes invoked her small stature, and as another very petite woman I would enjoy looking her in the eye!

I’m sure it’s hard to pick a favorite piece of writerly (Oops! Maybe I’m not as improved as I thought.) advice or inspiration from these literary ladies, so I’ll just ask you to leave us with the quote that resonates with you today.
You know, the word “writerly” (and even “writery”) has come up several times in conversations about this book. My word processing program doesn’t highlight it as an error, so I think we can safely use it; it’s a great word!

Since you’re interested in children’s literature, I’ll leave you with a quote by Madeleine L’Engle (1818-2007), best known for the YA classic A Wrinkle in Time. As both a writer and visual artist, I remind myself that it’s important to take risks, even though it feels like I’m constantly trying to reinvent the wheel:

“Risk is essential. It’s scary. Every time I sit down and start the first page of a novel I am risking failure … We are encouraged only to do that which we can be successful in. But things are accomplished only by our risk of failure. Writers will never do anything beyond the first thing unless they risk growing.”

—From Madeleine L’Engle Herself, 2001


You. Will. Love. This. Book. If you’re lucky, you’ll win the copy I’ve pored over. Leave me a comment about your favorite literary lady, or if you have a question for Nava, she’ll be checking in today with answers. On Monday, I’ll draw a name.

If you’re not so lucky here, don’t despair. Nava has assured me that there are plenty of copies available of The Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life. So either way, make room on your shelf for this wonderful book. Seriously, you'll whee for excitement, too.

Um, you know what I mean.

(P.S. Just heard from Nava that she'll be making another WOW! blog stop, so we'll ask her to leave details in the comments. But that doesn't mean you can slack off here. A wheee in the hand is worth two wheee's in the future blog.)

And More Writer's First Aid Goes To...

This always happens when I host a book giveaway. I read the comments and want to give the book to everybody. If I ever get a book published and do a book giveaway, I'm giving the book to everybody!

Um, maybe not everybody. Maybe ten lucky commenters. But what if I'm doing a blog tour? Okay, maybe five lucky commenters. Still, that could be like...100 books. What am I? Made of money? One book per giveaway, y'all. I think that's both generous and practical.

Well, I'm glad that's settled. My work here is done. Oh! I should probably tell you which lucky commenter won More Writer's First Aid by the generous (and practical) Kristi Holl: Gayle!

Now my work here is done. (And now, I should probably get cracking on that book I'm going to give away someday.)

Finding Something Friday on Reading (Fun) and Writing (Freebies)

(You'll enjoy this first bit more if you sing it to the tune of "My Favorite Things." P.S. You might want to hum if you're at work. Or tone deaf.)



"Reading and writing, they all fit together! Letters make words sing like birds of a feather.

Paper and colored pens having their flings! These are a few of my favorite things!"



Ah, how I love the sound of music in the morning! Just about as much as I love reading and writing. And as much as I love Share-A-Story, Shape-A-Future!



All week, folks have been "Unwrapping the Gift of Literacy" though blog posts, and tweets and Facebook comments. Today's the last day, but you can still zip over to illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba's blog where she asks a ton of authors how they fell in love with reading. And perhaps win her giveaway! Isn't that a fun and wondrous thing to find on a Friday?



Then you can zip over to All Freelance Writing and find a ton of writing freebies. There are ebooks, and writing tools, and business and blogging templates, all for free! Maybe today's the day you'll get serious about freelance writing.



Or maybe you'll just curl up with a great book or write a lovely little poem. It's all good.



"When the kids gripe, when the bills sting, when I'm feeling bad...I simply sit down to my favorite things. And then I don't feeeeeeeeeel so bad!"

What Not To Do Wednesday on SPAM! (And a Birthday Winner!)

So, grasshopper, we meet again to discuss the perils of the writing world. And by perils I mean SPAM. But I'm afraid that whenever I hear the word SPAM, I must hie away to Monty Python and watch this video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE

Or play this SPAM game here.

Hahahahaha! Okay, enough SPAM. Down to email SPAM business.

One of my wonderful writing friends, whom I sometimes do writing business with, recently hopped over to my bad side when she didn't respond to an important email. Totally not like her, so I sent a follow-up. She responded promptly and we got back on track. Or so I thought.

Until I sent another email. Again, no response. Grrrrrr. It turned out that, for reasons only the email gremlins can answer, some of my emails were sporadically zipping into her SPAM file. Naturally, she was upset. I mean, I'm not that important. But who knows whether someone truly adorable, like Tony DiNozzo, senior agent on NCIS, had emailed her?

Now, I know this writer probably gets a ton of SPAM. Me? Not so much. So it's no biggie for me to check my SPAM folder regularly. 'Cause about once a week, an email will pop up there that should be delivered to my regular inbox. Who knows why? I'm just glad that I don't get a ton of SPAM. It makes checking the SPAM folder easy.

So, two things, grasshopper. Oh, make that three. First, consider setting up another email account. If I need to provide an email address, say for a restaurant promotion, I use the non-business account. Then when the advertising starts pouring in, I don't have to worry about it clogging up my inbox.

Secondly, don't assume that everything in your SPAM folder is SPAM. Check that SPAM once in awhile. And finally, don't knock Spam, Spam, bacon and eggs and Spam until you've tried it.

(P.S. Almost forgot the Birthday Giveaway winner: Becky! Though I could never forget scathingly brilliant Becky. Send me your email and I promise, I'll respond!)

Birthday! Giveaway! Bookmark! (Um, yeah. Bookmark)

So, I'm wrapping up the October Things Giveaway with the last Birthday freebie...a bookmark!

Oh, not just any bookmark, friends. This is a special, one of a kind bookmark, made for yours truly when I attended the JapanFest in my fair city. Er, county.

It's Japanese writing and it says...CATHY!

Um, yeah. I know. It's just my name. Wouldn't it have been swell if I could have had that lovely Japanese woman write "Cathy C.'s Hall of Fame"? But that would have cost about ten bucks, and that seemed like a bit much for a bookmark. Whereas CATHY was just a quarter.

But I'd like to add my own message for you, whenever you use the bookmark. "When this you see, remember me." I won't mess up your bookmark, adding that message on the back. You'll just have to think "When this you see, remember me" when the bookmark arrives.

Thinking of that quote and my name reminds me of Google Alerts. You can get an email, alerting you whenever your name pops up out there in web world. Sometimes it's nice to check out where everybody knows your name (and they've been writing about you!). And sometimes it's important to say, "Hey! You can't just put up my essay or blog post on your blog without checking with me first!"

Well. You get the point. There are all sorts of good reasons to use Google Alerts. And bookmarks, too.

(Leave a comment to enter your name in the Birthday Giveaway. You could win a book, a lovely bookmark, and the birthday thingies that grow and grow and grow. Contest ends at midnight, October 31st. Which coincidentally marks the time I shall begin writing for NaNoWriMo.)

Finding Something Friday: Birthday Extravaganza! And a Writing Tip!

What's the next best thing if you can't be with a fantabulous friend for her birthday celebration? Why, the Birthday Extravanganza, of course! So, I'm throwing this neat little package of um, shrunken party stuff into the Birthday Giveaway!

But you can't win if you don't comment. So join the party, join the Giveaway! And come back next week, 'cause I have one more b'day gift I want to share. That means more chances for you to win. And celebrate with me! (Though to be honest, I'm going to celebrate anyway.)

Okay, now for those who've skipped down to get to the writing tip: READ.

I know it seems ridiculously simple. But after attending that last conference, I realized that not everyone pays attention to that part of the writing process.

Maybe I should expound a bit on what I mean by READ. Read in the areas you write, and hope to get published in.

If you want to get your essays published, read as many great essays as you can find. If you want to get your short stories in print, read the markets, read the genres, read collections of short stories. And if you want to get your YA novel published, read the hottest best-sellers in YA right now.

Not only will you get a grasp of what editors are looking for, but you'll also know what editors are talking about at conferences. At the SCBWI conference, The Hunger Games was the book that every presenter used as an example. Whether they were talking about plot, characters, voice or point of view, Hunger Games was the go-to sample.

Boy, was I glad I'd read The Hunger Games. I really enjoyed Suzanne Collins' series. But I learned something about pace when I read those novels.

Honestly, I learn something about writing every time I pick up something to read. It's that simple.

Sometimes You Win and Sometimes You Have a Birthday Giveaway!

It's my Birthday! Oh, yeah! I'm the Birthday Girl!

Um, technically, it's not my birthday. But it's coming up, any day now. And honestly, I'm one of those people who birthday out for a few weeks. So for the October Things Birthday Giveaway, I'll be adding things as we merrily go along. Wheeee!

First off, I'm giving away a wonderful novel called The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. One of my dearest friends gave it to me, and I devoured every single word. Every single word. I loved the characters, I loved the history, I loved the story. The only thing I didn't love was that it ended too soon.

Now, when I receive a lovely gift book, I can't stand the thought of it sitting on my bookshelf, waiting for the day when I may pick it up again. I want to give it away, share the joy, and share the wonder of those beautifully rendered words. So I hope you win.

And if you've already read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, then you can give your book away and keep the other prizes in the Birthday Giveaway. They'll be along any day now. Any comment on any Birthday post qualifies you for the drawing. Which will be...when the Birthday Girl starts singing.

So blog about the contest, become a follower, tweet or comment. You can't win if you don't join the party! Which reminds me. The Baseball goodies will be on their way to Donna! Thanks to all for playing the The October Things Giveaway!

Finding Something Friday: Off to a Conference!

I'm in a bit of hurry this Friday, what with a SCBWI conference on my schedule! But I had to drop in and check on the October Things Baseball Giveaway. I sorta, kinda forgot when the giveaway closed and the winner was supposed to be drawn.

So I took a few minutes to read all those swell writing tips. How serendipitous! A tip or two was just what I needed to pack for the conference.

From Donna over at Donna's Book Pub: "Sometimes you have to "play ball" with editors and agents to get published.

From Barb Hodges at God Whispers in My Ear: When we network, someone else may go to bat for us.

From Jodi (who's doing a conference, too!): Baseball is like writing because we're both wacky superstitious!

Which reminded me that I need my lucky boots on the trip with me. Along with Cathy-on-a-Stick, my business cards, and my courage.

Perhaps courage is what I need to find the most this Friday. When I attend big conferences, that little, shy girl who never opened her mouth all through first grade seems to grab a hold of my hand once again. But since I go to conferences to network and make new friends, speaking is required.

So, I'll be packing my smile, my Southern charm, and a few prayers, too. And then I'll start introducing myself.

(P.S. Since I'll be conferencing, I'm extending comments on the Baseball Giveaway till Sunday. Drop in here this weekend for a chance to win -or maybe read the swell writing tips yourself!)

October Things Giveaway Two: A Bounty of Baseball

I am not gonna lie. I wanted my team to still be in the playoffs when I featured baseball on my October Things Giveaway. But you can't always get what you want, as the song goes. Which brings to mind another song I've prepared for the occasion of Bobby Cox's retirement. We'll get to the baseball giveaway goodies, but first a little baseball philosophy...



A Tribute to Bobby (Sung to the tune of "My Way")

And now the end is here, and Bobby faced the final showdown.
My friends, I'll say it clear, I wished we'd had more of a hoedown.

He gaves us fits, he gave us thrills,
He gave us cheers along the highway.
And more, much more than that,
He did it his way.

For what is a coach, without a team?
If he can't yell, or really scream?
To say the things he truly means,
Get thrown from games and make big scenes!
The record's done, his Braves sure won!
Doing it hiiiiis waaaaay!

I'm seriously a little farklempt here. So I better move on to the goodies you can win:

1. A really neat sports card album from 2000's FanFest (AllStar game tie-in). Juniorest Hall filled up one album, but never used the other. So wheee for you! Um, you'll have to get your own cards.

2. A crafty Braves pin that you can wear next year...or try making one with your favorite team's colors. Honestly, I thought I'd get my preschoolers or Girl Scouts to try this craft, but as those kids are 20ish now, the time has come to give up on this idea.

3. A shiny baseball charm bracelet that I thought I'd wear when Juniorest Hall played baseball. Then he switched to golf. So, yeah, never quite got around to wearing it. But I polished it nicely for y'all.

Now, I know what you're thinking. What's this baseball stuff have to do with writing? If you want to win, leave a comment by October 16th telling me how baseball and writing connect. Then we'll all know.

(P.S. Want extra chances? Sign up to follow me, send a friend over, tweet about this post...oh, you know the drill.)

October Things Giveaway Winner One is...

Nicole! Who's in for a real chocolate treat! She'll also be getting Neil Gaiman's book, M is for Magic, a collection of spooky tales for the young (but I like them, too!).

Pssst! A little secret for y'all...I had intended to write up the Giveaway post yesterday, but at the last minute, I dashed off to see Chip Coffey, the psychic, medium and spiritual counselor. I'd watched Chip on Paranormal State (on A & E) but was totally surprised to find that he lives right in my backyard.

Okay, not actually in my backyard. More like my neck of the woods. So there he was, the perfect opportunity for me to get some research for my YA novel, which just happens to be a mystery with haints, humor, and lots of psychic and medium stuff. I've always wanted to see a medium and psychic, doing his/her thing. And being able to write off the ticket as a business expense was just icing on the writing cake.

Bottom line, I had a very strong feeling that I should go see Chip Coffey. He answered lots of questions, and did quite a few readings. But he didn't say a word about the Atlanta Braves' chances in the playoffs.

Stay tuned for the next October Things giveaway, when I share my feelings about baseball and the Braves. You'll find out about the next treats you can win. Hmmm...I'm getting a very good feeling about that.

If It's October, NaNoWriMo Must Be Right Around the Corner

I'd like to say that I've been working hard all week, thus missing my normal posts. I'd like to say that, but I can't. I've sorta, kinda been playing hooky.

Then I found an email in Ye Olde Inbox from the NaNoWriMo folks, reminding me that in just a few short weeks, the writing frenzy will begin. Egads! I don't have a plot idea! I don't have any protagonists rattling around in my Closet of Characters! I don't even have a single, scathingly brilliant sentence simmering!

So, no more hooky for me. I've got some thinking and planning to do. And a whole month of Giveaways to start um, giving away. If you haven't left a comment yet, you still have a day left to win a scary book and a hunk of chocolate. Dash over here and type your thoughts. Then check out NaNoWriMo's info to get a head start on thinking up your splendiferous novel idea. 'Cause that's what I'm going to do. Right after the playoffs.

Finding Something Friday: October Things and a Giveaway!

October Things (Sung to the tune of My Favorite Things)



Pumpkins on porches and black cats on ladders,
Mummies and werewolves and spiders and adders,
Chocolate, presents and World Series rings,
These are a few of my October things!

When the muse leaves, when the NO! stings,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my October things,
And then I don't feeeeeeeel so bad!




Yay, October! How can you not celebrate candy and creepy stuff, baseball and birthdays? Well, you simply can't. Which is why for each of my October things, I'm having a giveaway!

First up, we'll celebrate all things spooky and speculative! I love to write twisted, macabre tales and if I could write them like Neil Gaiman, I'd be rich, rich, rich! Alas, I cannot. But I can learn from a master storyteller, which is why I read his books. Fortunately for you, I have a copy of Mr. Gaiman's, M is for Magic, a collection of tales to chill and amuse the young reader.

Unfortunately, it is not autographed. I purchased it so Neil (as his friends call him) could sign it when he was here last year for a visit. But I had to leave. Which, now that I think of it, may be fortunate for you. I probably wouldn't give away an autographed copy of M is for Magic.

Just keeping it real, folks. Anyway, I am giving away his lovely, albeit unautographed book during the October Things Giveaway! And I'll throw in a delicious chocolate bar, too! All you have to do to win is leave a comment! Tell me who your favorite mystery or horror writer is, and oh! I'd love a reading recommendation. I'm always looking for a good, creepy story during October!

And if you spread the word, on Twitter or Facebook or your very own blog, let me know, and I'll give you an extra entry for each shout out. Oh, oh! And if you're not a follower and sign up, I'll give you an extra entry for that, too.

So, off you go! Fly, my little pretties, and bring me back a good book to read! (But do so by the 8th. I'll be drawing the winner on Finding Something Friday next week!)

P.S. Is it just me or does there seem to be a totally inordinate number of exclamation points in this post? I'm just so freakin' excited!!!! October! Yay!

The Quick and The Thread Winner!

Sew, we're all gathered back here to find out who won Amanda Lee's embroidery mystery, The Quick and the Thread.

The suspense has my stomach tangled in knots. In fact, I'm on needles and pins! But I'll try to pull myself together.

MADELINE! You've won! And believe me, The Quick and the Thread will keep you in stitches.

(Really, if you want to blame someone, blame Gayle Trent. She shouldn't have written such a clever book that worked so well with me tying in all those sewing terms.)