Road Trip!

Now that summer is almost upon us, the hubs and I are planning our annual road trip to Ocean City (NJ not MD). It's only a few hours from where we live but it is a world away. Quiet beaches, quiet dinners, quiet afternoon walks. You get the idea. It wasn't so long ago, though, that our road trips took days instead of hours.

One of our favorite trips was to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. We decided to drive instead of fly so we could enjoy the scenery along the way. BIG mistake. That year had record cold temperatures and the snow storms followed us all the way to the Louisiana border. It's a wonder we made it there and back in our old Chevy.

The longest road trip we ever took was to the Grand Canyon. It was the year after we got married and we were both between jobs. In no rush, we visited ten states as we meandered our way to Arizona. It was then that we knew our marriage would last forever - after eight weeks crammed in a car and eating fast food without killing each other, how could it not last!

What are your fondest memories of a road trip you've taken? Inquiring minds want to know.

Perchance to Dream

You wake up in the middle of the night, cold and shaking. What’s going on here?

You have just awakened from a dream, in this case a scary one. Did you know that most people have up to five different dreams per night. Some dreams last only a few seconds while others last up to twenty minutes, and they tend to get longer the more hours you are asleep.

Dreams have been seen as a connection to the unconscious. They range from normal and ordinary to overly surreal and bizarre. Dreams can have varying natures, such as frightening, magical, or adventurous. The events in dreams are generally outside the control of the dreamer, and can at times make a creative thought occur to the person or give a sense of inspiration.

Dreams are oftentimes where I get the inspiration for my fantasy short stories. Where else but my wildly vivid subconscious could I create far away worlds and situations?

Fellow witers, do you remember your dreams? Are they at the core of your stories? Inquiring minds want to know.

Spring is Here

Mother Nature has been kind this year to those of us on the East Coast. After one of the mildest winters that I can remember, she has brought us an early Spring.

Last week saw several record temperatures in New Jersey, prompting the trees to flower even though it is still March. All around town, I see the dogwood and cherry blossoms in bloom, and the green buds on other trees and bushes. It is a stark contrast to the winter of 2010-11 that seemed to never end. I'm not brave enough to risk a cold by going out without a sweater or jacket just yet, but I have forsaken my scarf and hat.

As I walk through the park today, the sights and smells of a beautiful morning make me want to rush home to work on my new novel. Thanks to the rain of several weeks ago, it had been taking on a somber tone but I now have the urge to go back and rewrite those scenes into more cheerful ones.

As a writer of contemporary romance, my novels are based on people I know and set in places I have been. Looking back, I also can see that the mood of the story took a cue from what was happening in my life. I can pinpoint my own highs and lows by how I described a scene or by the interaction of the characters.

Is this a writer's gift or curse? Is it harder to write an upbeat chapter when it is gloomy and grey outside the window? A good writer might try to put all else out of theirs minds and concentrate on the words before their eyes, but is it possible to completely blot it out.

Fellow writer, share your thoughts.

Guest Post by Brian Holers, author of the literary novel, Doxology

Please enjoy this guest post by Brian Holers, author of the literary novel, Doxology. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

Not just for Christians

One of the beauties of self-publishing is that the gatekeeper has been fired. In this new world of books made possible by the Internet, no one is left to guard the door. To tell the reader what is what. This state of affairs may introduce an element of confusion for dogmatic readers, but the good news is, new breeds of literature are being created.

Self-publishing allows literature to cross over in new ways. Traditional Christian fiction publishers, for instance, disallow most references to sex, and even the most juvenile profanity. Self-publishing changes this. Not to suggest a writer should ever debase a genre—as writers we are obliged to choose our words carefully. But the old Christian books kept many readers away. “I’m not going to read that. That’s Christian. It’s boring.” Still, nearly every Christian I know periodically swears, fights, and even becomes amorous from time to time. Christians like good stories too, with depth of character, excitement, whimsy, action. The success of a book like The Shack shows the need for stories of real people dealing with real problems, in a faith-based context. It doesn’t even have to be good literature.

As humans, we all look for answers. Stories are stories. Conflict builds to crisis, which leads to a form of resolution. Sure, some people never doubt their faiths, even in the face of horrible tragedy. Others do. Some never ascribed to a faith in the first place, and instead spend their days casting about for a context to this condition we call humanness. The problem with much traditional Christian literature is this; when a character is pushed to a crisis, and the only change we read is “he fell on his knees, then and there, and accepted Jesus into his heart,” that incident may describe a beautiful sentiment, and may have value to a real person in real life, but as a reader, it doesn’t tell me anything. A reader wants details. He wants to see the sweat break out. She wants to hear the thoughts and words that accompany the character’s condition. Literature is literature. We want to see development. We want to get inside the characters. We want to get to know them. That’s why we care. Regardless of the genre label put on the book.

Doxology is a story in between. The book has a religious message; given its primary setting in rural north Louisiana, that message is Christian. But the characters are just people. They experience the same emotions all people do—love, joy, loss. Their conflicts grow and grow until they must be resolved. Like real people, they go astray, take paths of separation from God, or just from what is good for them. They experience desires that can never be fulfilled, want things that can never be had or even understood. They discover the traits in their lives that aren’t working, and set out to find new habits that will work. Many Christian values are universal—a belief, despite evidence to the contrary, that our lives are worthwhile. An understanding that letting go, and learning how little we are in charge, makes life more manageable. A certainty that the kindness and compassion we offer to others is returned to us a hundredfold.

Some say God. Some say the universe. But we all–when we’re honest, and when we pay attention, have a sense of something looking out for us, giving us what we need. Putting people we need into our lives. We give credit for these gifts as we see fit. Good literature promotes a point of view by showing the reader how a character’s modes of operation and beliefs work for her (or don’t). Good literature, whatever its genre, lets the reader inside. Lets the reader do part of the work. Doxology, in this vein, is a story at the crossroad of God and man. It presents God as the characters experience God, and as real people experience God, looking out for them, giving them what they need. Coming to understand how God has been there all along.

Doxology is a love story. Faith plays a role, as it helps the characters find answers and resolution, improves their lives. Like Jody and Vernon and the others, we all look for redemption from brokenness of the past. They and we find it, as people both real and imaginary alike do, in family, friends, productive work, a sense of place, a faith in something greater. Doxology is a story, first and foremost. Its characters face problems. Their conflicts grow. They look for resolutions and ultimately find them, imperfect as they are. We the readers get to know them, and we care. We sympathize. They matter.



As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Doxology eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!



To win the prizes:

1.Purchase your copy of Doxology for just 99 cents

2.Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity

3.Visit today’s featured social media event

Help my blog win:

The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to VOTE FOR ME.

About the book: Fathers, sons and brothers reconnect over tragedy in this blue-collar Southern tale of love, loss, and the healing power of community and family. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About the author: An arborist by day and a novelist in every moment he can steal, Brian makes up stories from the treetops. Visit Brian on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Leap Day

Hollywood has given up many classic movies - Gone with the Wind, Titanic, and The Godfather to name a few. It isn't hard to convince my husband to take me to the movies for blockbusters such as these. It is quite another matter when the movie is a chick flick filled with sappy romance. Which is why I found it so surprising that he suggested we see the film Leap Year when it came out in 2010.
An Ireland-born Irishman, my darling husband found the movie hilarious. It seems this was not just a piece of Hollywood magic but based on an actual Irish tradition which allows women to propose marriage to their boyfriends on February 29. Who knew!

So sit back, enjoy the trailer, and then polish up your proposal speech, girls.

Happy Leap Day!

And the Winner Is ...

It's Oscar time again. I know of very few people who will not be sitting on the edge of their seats this Sunday, glued to their TV sets. Some will watch, eager to see the fashions that will grace the red carpet. Others will endure the endless speeches of gratitude, waiting to hear who wins the Best Picture award.

I've seen only two of this year's contenders.

I had to see War Horse because I had enjoyed the Lincoln Center production so much. There is much to be said for movie magic, but I thought that much of the drama of the play was lost in the sweeping cinematography. Not to mention that the actors who portrayed the horses in the stage play stole the show. Still, the movie did have its high points. There was no mistaking the Steven Spielberg touch.

The other movie was The Help. The book was great, the movie did it justice. It was a wonderful commentary on the world that was the South the in 60's. And funny as all you-know-what for those of us who grew up during that time and understood the inside jokes. What more is there to say?

What are your favorites for the top honor this year? Inquiring minds want to know.

Valentine's Day Creed

Comfort each other. Provide a refuge and sanctuary for each other from the chill winds of the world. Your marriage is a hearth, from whence comes the peace, harmony, and warmth of soul and spirit.

Caress as you would be caressed. Warm your loved one's body with your healing touch. Remember that as babies can die with lack of touching, so can marriages wither from lack of closeness.

Be a friend and partner. Friendship can be a peaceful island, separate and apart, in a world of turmoil and strife. Reflect upon the tranquility of the many future years you can share with a true friend, and beware of becoming battling enemies under the same roof.

Be open with each other. Bind not yourselves in the secretness that causes suspicion and doubt. Trust and reveal yourselves to each other, even as the budding rose opens to reveal its fragrance and beauty.

Listen to each other. Hear not only words, but also the non-language of tone, mood, and expression. Learn to listen to understand rather than listening to argue.

Respect each other's rights. Remember that each is a person of flesh and blood, entitled to his or her own choices and mistakes. Each owns himself, and has the right to equality.

Allow the other to be an individual Seek not to create for each other a new mold that can only fit with much discomfort and pain. Accept the other as they are, as you would have yourself accepted.

Give each other approval. Remember criticism divides, while compliments encourage confidence in the other. Hasten not to point out the other's mistakes, for each will soon discover his own.

Cherish your union. Let no one come between your togetherness, not child, not friend, nor possessions. Yet maintain enough separateness to allow each other his or her own uniqueness.

Love one another. Love is your river of life, your eternal source of recreating yourselves. Above all else, love one another.