Day Dream Believer

Okay bear with me folks.  This is something new that I am trying out.  If you like it tell me.  If you don't tell me.  But for my weekend post I would like to do some 'free' writing.  Just some creative writing that is inside of me.  And have a place to put it and get a lil feed back.  I do not promise it to be good.  I do not promise it to be of your taste.  But I do promise it has been inside of me for years and trying to get out.  


So here we go!

My eyes opened up.  Fear had clutched me.  Everything was dark.  I remembered to take a breath.  Ahhh. Okay I am in bed.  It is okay.  Yes, that was just a dream.  One that had me scared to move.  But it is not real.  Not anymore.  I know I should get up, get my day started.  Work on normalcy so it will all fade away.  Forget what really happened to have these dreams attack me.  At the same time I want to lay here and try to rest just a lil bit more.  Breath in and out.  Let go of the fear.  Know I am safe, sound, whole.  I made it through.

He can not attack me again.  He is not even the same man.  Age has softened him, thank goodness.  And the beast that held his grip for so long has left.  Did it hurt?  Oh so badly, took over my whole childhood.  Was it horrid?  Enough to make me detach from myself to get through it all.  But did it kill me?  No, it did not.  I am strong and wise from the whole event.  And I learned how to do the most important thing ever.  I learned how to forgive with my whole being.  That is what brought me peace.  What keeps me whole.  That one act took years to learn.  To fully let go of anger.  And to love once again. 

I have not forgotten what has happened.  My dreams would never allow me to anyway.  I make sure to stay safe now.  But I have a better life from all the pain.  They say a fire makes iron stronger.  Well the fire of that life made me stronger.  It made me know myself better than anyone could.  The hurt left scars inside.   But the life I have now filled with acceptance, kindness and true desire to help is worth the scars.  I wish it had never happened but since it did, I am glad that it made me ready and  open to help others.

Yeah the dream had me going.  But it is just a dream.  Just a fleeting memory.  The past, way back there somewhere.  Time to get up, get moving, start my day.  Coffee to be made.  Dishes to do.  Laundry to fold.  The usual day to day life.  Yes time to start smiling again.

Kiddies Weekend & Giveaway

This weekend was wonderful having spent time with the Grandbabes. I loved seeing them again. And that they are both so grown up now. Remember this was their birthday weekend. So it was fun. We took my in-laws with us and made a road trip out of it. Thankfully I had our Xlear with us. (You pronounce that Clear by the way.) It has been up and down with the weather around here. My sinuses having been having a bit of a time. Of course the dust in the air with the road trip messes me up too. Xlear is a saline nasal spray with Xylitol and is wonderful for cleaning the nasal passages. Having the allergies that I contend with I love having something to moisturize my sinus passages. I also use this on my grandbabes. It is all natural and is not a prescription either. You may have heard of the using xylitol in candies, as a sweetner and in dental products. It seems to be the next new thing out there. Thanks to Karen for sending this new product on to me.

I also had time to share a few goodies with my grandbabes. One of them was Sukey's Circle!. Katie sent me this goodie. This was a great way to get all the kiddos up and moving around. And also burn off some of that pent up energy. Gosh you know how it gets with tons of kiddos and a birthday cake in the same room! But we enjoyed These are my Eyes and Tick Tock. Isn't it fun to watch a group of kids get all excited and laugh and giggle. I loved it. And the running around "extra-sizing" was fun. Yeah that is how Miss Emma says it. This was great to get the blood pumping for the kiddos. I wish I had the energy they have. Aunt Rene and Tammy....this is a good one for your groups of daycare kiddos!

Next we shared a great story time. "Once Upon a Baby Brother" by Sarah Sullivan was just perfect. It was Grandbabe boy's actually birthday as Grandbabe girl's birthday was the day before. It was so fun to hear the fantastic stories that Lizzie makes up. But with a new baby brother in the house it is harder to get anyone to notice her. But never fail Lizzie can come up with a great new story. If you would like to find out for yourself then pop on a comment here. We are doing a giveaway of "Once Upon a Baby Brother". Tell us your favorite story of your brother or sister. Are you older, younger or an only?

Here is a lil Q & A we had with Sarah Sullivan on her writing. College Girl listen up.....this is how it is done.
1. How did you get the idea for Once Upon a Baby Brother?
As often happens, the first few lines came into my head. I heard the voice of a young girl telling her stories. It soon became clear that she had certain issues with her younger brother Marvin. Sadly, the entire story did not come so easily. Once I had the beginning, it took a lot of plain, old-fashioned work to find my way to the end.
2. Once the idea came to you, what happened next? Did you jot it down right away? Let it simmer?
I took down those first few lines right away. Then I jotted down various lines that might fit somewhere, not necessarily in the order in which I was writing them down. I knew that Lizzie would make Marvin the villain in her stories. And I always knew it would be a funny story But, I had trouble with the dramatic structure, (a common problem for me), until Melanie Kroupa expressed interest in the manuscript. With her expert and inspired guidance, the story started to develop the dramatic arc it needed.
3. What did you find the most challenging about writing this book? The most rewarding?
The most challenging part of writing this story . . . hmm. There were two major challenges. The first challenge was figuring out how to integrate the home story with the school story in the space of a 32-page picture book. The second challenge was figuring out how to succinctly tell the story of turning Marvin into a comic book hero. My editor and Tricia Tusa had A LOT to do with making that work! Creating a picture book is truly a collaborative enterprise!
4. How did the illustrations come about?
People are often surprised to learn that writers do not select their own illustrators – ( at least, not usually). Once Melanie and I finalized the text, she began looking for an illustrator. As you might imagine, I was THRILLED when she mentioned Tricia Tusa's name and was DOING BACK FLIPS when Tricia agreed to illustrate the book. As time passed and I had the opportunity to see sketches and then, proofs with color art, the joy and excitement continued to grow. 5. How did you know you wanted to become a writer? (Or: When did you begin to think of yourself as a writer?)
I guess I have a little bit in common with my main character in that, like Lizzie, I have always loved to tell stories. The writing fever really took hold once I learned to read in first grade. I started reading everything! Books, magazines, comics in newspapers, cereal boxes, the courtesy light sign on the dashboard of my grandfather's Oldsmobile – everything! And I started writing stories too. My first story was about a dead bird I found lying in the grass in our yard. I know that sounds a bit morbid, but the bird was so lovely. It was a cardinal and it made me sad to see it lying there so still. I had to write about it. I suppose, then, like now, a lot of my motivation for writing came from a need to try and understand why things happen the way they do.
Later on, my best friend, Nelle, and I had a secret club in a room in the basement of her house in Colorado. We collected Sugar and Spike comic books and wrote comic books with our own characters. Wait a minute -- This is starting to sound familiar . . .
I still have trouble calling myself a writer, even though I write every day. But, I have come to understand that, no matter what I call myself, I will always write. I will always tell stories. It's a need. I'm unhappy if I don't write.
6. What advice do you have for young writers—especially those with little brothers ;-)?
There is no better training for a writer than to read. Read all the time. Read all different kinds of things. And then follow your passion and, as one of my writing teachers, Jane Resh Thomas, advises her students, write what moves you. Write about things that you care passionately about.

College Girl Snatches Gift

College Girl stealing mom's blog again to tell y'all about a book that, in exchange for this review, became my early birthday present. : ) As soon as I heard about it, I knew this was the book for me. Of course, I'm getting a little ahead of myself. I haven't even told you the title yet, have I? Whoops. Let me try this again. ;)

How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book: Everything You Needed to Know Explained Simply - sure, the title's a little long, but Cynthia Reeser has done most of the heavy lifting for any authors hoping to break into the young writer's market. As promised in the forward written by Lisa J. Michaels, an author and illustrator in her own right, ""Reeser has done your homework for you...[this] book gives back years that you otherwise would've spent researching, questioning, and floundering through the process..." Beginning with a history of children's books in the forward, the book delivers what it promises.

Reeser's book goes through the entire process, beginning with an explanation of the children's book market. From picture books to educational texts to juvenile fiction, it all has its own little subdivision, each with its own rules and dos and don'ts. Chapter 2,
which focuses on writing for children, walks the prospective author through the process of developing an idea. One recommended and easy exercise is to return to your own childhood and examine your own memories to help with story development or ideas. In addition to discussing the needs of a younger audience, sources are scattered throughout the book. From publishing houses to resource mailing lists to personal experiences re-told by other children's authors, the various sources give multiple starting points. Two appendices that include sample manuscripts, cover letters, and press releases as well as lists of organizations for writers and illustrators give this book
even more resources to assist the hopeful or already published author
at every stage of the game. There is even a chapter dedicated to e-publishing and another for self-publishing.

For all the information and spectacular resources in this book, How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book is, perhaps, most successful in its simple language and thorough explanations of each aspect of the process, from publishing to agents to authors that are their own illustrators. I didn't grow bored while reading it & loved the ease with which the information flowed, smoothly from one chapter to the next. Another big selling point, for me, was when I opened the front cover and saw the small paragraph dedicated to Bear, the rescue dog owned by a family at the publishing company. Having recently lost Bear, his owners decided that a portion of the profits from Reeser's book would go towards the Humane Society of the United States. As an animal lover myself, one who has owned a few rescue pets through the years, I loved seeing the dedication in the front of this book. It was the icing on the cake!

We wish to thank Cynthia Reeser, Atlantic Publishing and Meredith Wynn for sending this book on to us. As College Girl stated, this became her early birthday present. And was quite well received.

Green

As a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson, I have the privilege of reading many different styles of writing. But I have to give my applause to Ted Dekker for his novel Green.

I love a well written mystery, drama and suspense. And I also am a fan of a well told story. In Green you will be rewarded with all of this. Also in this epic you will discover that Ted Dekker has created a new series of stories, the Circle Series.

Green brings full meaning to the Circle Series as a whole, reading as both prequel to Black and sequel to White, completing a full circle. This is Book Zero, the Circle Reborn, both the beginning and the end. The preferred starting point for new readers . . . and the perfect climax for the countless fans who’ve experienced Black, Red, and White.

If you are already a fan of Ted Dekker's Circle Series then you will be ready for the climax. If your new to Ted Dekker's Circle Series then your can get in on the beginning. What a fantastic concept.

Now for Green. Green is a story of love, betrayal, and sweeping reversals set within the apocalypse. We learn how Thomas Hunter first enters the Black Forest and how it changes history. Here in this new land, yet one that is oh' so familiar, life begins and the story continues. It is the beginning: the truth behind a saga that has captured the imagination of more than a million readers with the Books of History Chronicles.

And there is also the web site The Circle. Here fans of the Books of History Chronicles have a whole world created. Ted Dekker joins his fans in a community that shares in the stories, blog and currently looking for new books of Green that Ted has left in hidden places. Look for clues here to find one near you.