Tag Archives: FITFS

Authors, Blogs, Books Books and more Books

FITFS Following in the Footsteps of Darlene Foster Supermegawoman

34 Comments
Darlene Foster
Darlene Foster

  “Never let a day go by without a dream”  Darlene Foster

My favorite series is the FITFS – that is Following in the FootSteps of my blogging heroes.  These are all people I admire and in some way or really in many ways and would like to emulate them.

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to a Supermegawoman at least according to her grandson -“My grandson calls me “super-mega-woman-supreme” and finding out just a little about this amazing lady confirms the moniker is accurate.

 

According to the archives Darlene Foster first posted on her site June 19, 2010 and titled it “Hello Dreamers”.  Darlene’s platform through much of her work is about dreaming, but not Just dreaming.  Its about making dreams come true.  One of her dreams, Hot Air Ballooning came true that very month.

Author Darlene Foster
Author Darlene Foster

Two days after that first foray into wordpress land Darlene announced publication of her first book Amanda in Arabia.  See?  A dreamer making her dreams come true.  I don’t have to say it but I will – YOU INSPIRE!

Since then two other books have been published about Amanda – In Spain The Girl in the Painting and In England The Missing Novel.  Now being for YA and I am definitely OA I had not read the books, however, after reading a couple of adult reviews I now have them on my list.

She is pretty modest about herself and says, “A bit about me. I am a writer of children’s stories, an employment counsellor, an ESL tutor, a wife, mother and grandmother. I love travel, reading, shoes, cooking, sewing, music, chocolate, walking on the beach and making new friends.”

Now before you get all excited about her perfection I must tell you she does have a quirk or two.  It seems, and keep this just between you and I, her best friend is, well,  oh I guess I just have to come out and say it – her best friend is Flat Ruthie.  And not because she has no personality.  I mean her best friend is FLAT.

Flat Ruthie
Flat Ruthie

Ya see what I am saying here?  AND last summer she also hosted Andy the Traveling Armadillo, who I have mentioned previously but if you need a refresher just pop over here.  So obviously our fave author here has, shall we say, a strange taste in friends although she seems to manage okay with those of the human species.  So you are safe to pop over, have a look, say a little hello and get to know this incredible, incredible, woman.  I have poached photos and words liberally and she has so much more to say and to show you.  Awww I haven’t even mentioned recipes and…and….oh boy..

 

You can contact me at darlene.foster@telus.net
My website is http://www.darlenefoster.ca

 

Author Darlene Foster
Author Darlene Foster

perf5.060x7.810.indd

Related articles
Blogs, Following in the FootSteps

FITFS is back and Everyone Needs a Little Harper Faulkner in Their Life

18 Comments

Yup I have been way to negiligent in carrying out my Friday tributes to my favorite bloggers.  This Fridays Following in the FootSteps post is about Harper Faulkner.  Now just think for a minute about his name.  HF actually did a blurb on his name (darned if I can find it now although I have looked)  and how he got it laced with his usual dose of humor….which reminds me where did he get all that gut busting rolling on the floor with just a word or two humor?  But lets revisit the name thing.

So a wee darling baby boy is born.  His folks gaze upon that angelic face and decide he deserves a moniker bigger than he is.  I suspect they suspected that he would grow into it and by all that is holy he did.  Did he ever carry on relentlessly as a child forcing his mother to say, ‘Now Harper quit harping you are driving me crazy.’  To which I can imagine him saying, ‘I have to harp you named me and now you and the rest of the world must live with it.”

And live with it we do with great relish and delight over virtually everything that comes out of this man.  I have tried to choose a favorite for you to read (in case he is a stranger to you this moment) but damn as soon as I read something and pick myself up off the floor thinking it is the best I get all caught up in another post that I am sure is my fave.

Footsteps
Footsteps (Photo credit: courosa)

Now more than just I like to harp on Harper.  In March of this year Mike Silvia dedicated a post to good old HF.The man gets noticed. I am still not sure if Mike’s post is for or against but one thing is certain;  there is no way anyone will be mediocre about HF. By all accounts he adores his wife and family including the long gone Cousin Buster or at least he remembers him, sort of.  His worth it seems is in his fertile creatuve mind – man of mystery (Clive) and his height. Give yourselves a wonderful gift all wrapped up in wit and intelligence and pop over to say hello.  Just hello, now I wouldn’t you all to start harping about this genius.  That’s his job after all!Love you HF!!

Authors, Uncategorized

Published Books Do Happen with NaNoWriMo

30 Comments

Well it seems I have been blogging less to get ready for the Magic Month of November.  You know ‘National Novel Writing Month‘.  How do I prepare?  Pretty much by reading everything available for advice and direction.  Thinking about chapters, beginnings and endings and of course middles.  Its the middles that have me in awe and I am pretty curious as to how I will handle it.

There are those of you that are already wonderful writers – well I guess pretty much everyone in my FITFS group of heroes.  So I got to wondering if any of the NANOWRIMO creations have ever been published.  Guess what?  Lots have so I am including the link here and also listing them below.  Because guess what?

When I need encouragement.  When I need hope.  When I need to know success is possible.  Well – all I have to do is look here!

 

I have copied the list from the Office of Letters and Light as also found in the link above.

 

Rebecca Agiewich— BreakupBabe (Ballantine Books, 2006). Contact: www.rebecca.agiewich.net

Jocelyne Allen—You and the Pirates (The Workhorsery, 2009). Contact: www.theworkhorsery.ca

J. Rose Allister— (Note: Contains adult content) Their Secret Paradise (Eternal Press, 2009), Kata Sutra (Siren Publishing Inc., 2010), and A Grand Seduction (published under Lisa Logan by Eternal Press, 2009). Contact: jroseallister.com

Laura L. Alton— Las Vegas Chew Toy (Fireside Mysteries, 2009). Contact: www.lauralalton.com

Jacob and Diane Anderson-Minshall— Blind Curves: A Blind Eye Mystery (Bold Strokes Books, 2007) Contact: www.boldstrokesbooks.com

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes— Persistence of Memory (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2008). Contact: www.randomhouse.com/features/atwaterrhodes

Robyn Bachar— Blood, Smoke and Mirrors (Samhain Publishing, 2011). Contact: robynbachar.com

Jill Baguchinsky— Spookygirl (Dutton Juvenile, 2012). Contact: mintconspiracy.blogspot.com

Jenna Bayley-Burke— Just One Spark (Mills & Boon, 2006). Contact: www.jennabayleyburke.com

Katherine Bell— Amaranth: The Preterhumans Book 1 (Cacoethes Publishing). Contact: www.KatherineBell.net

Hannah Biemold— In het hooi (Uitgeverij Vuurpapier, 2010). Contact: www.vuurpapier.nl

B.A. Binns— Pull (WestSide Books, 2010). Contact: www.babinns.com

Megan Bostic— Never Eighteen (Graphia, 2012). Contact: meganbosticbooks.com

Gayle Brandeis— Self Storage (Ballantine Books, 2007). Contact: www.gaylebrandeis.com

Ophélie Bruneau— Et pour quelques gigahertz de plus (Ad Astra, 2012). Contact: histoiresdoph.blogspot.com

BethAnn Buehler— Broken Together (Rebel Ink Press, 2010). Contact: www.bethannbuehler.com

Jessica Burkhart— Take the Reins (Simon & Schuster, 2007). Contact: www.jessicaburkhart.com

Geonn Cannon— On the Air (P.D. Publishing, 2007), World on Fire (P.D. Publishing, 2009), and Confused by Shadows (P.D. Publishing, 2011) Contact: P.D Publishing.

Kathy Cano-Murillo— Love Shine (Grand Central Publishing, 2007) Contact: www.CraftyChica.com

Teryl Cartwright— A Sensible Match (Vintage Romance, 2007) and Courting Constance (Vintage Romance Publishing, 2010). Contact: forthcoming.. Contact: www.terylcartwright.com

Dave Casler— The Story of the Great American Flying Broomstick, Book 1: Genesis (Mt. Sneffels Press, 2007). Contact: www.americanflyingbroomstick.com

S. Christopher— Gigapolis (Onyx Neon Press, 2009). Contact: www.onyxneon.com

Elaine Corvidae— Daughter of Snow (Mundania Press, 2010). Contact: www.elainecorvidae.com

Julia Crouch— Cuckoo (Headline UK, 2011) Contact: juliacrouch.co.uk

Lisa Daily— The Dreamgirl Academy (Plume/Penguin Putnam, 2008). Contact: stopgettingdumped.com

Martine Daniel— Legacy of Lies (Chipmunka Publishing, 2010). Contact: martinedaniel.co.uk

Corinne Davies— (Note: Contains adult content) Believing is Seeing (Siren Publishing Inc., 2010), and Believing is Trusting (Siren Publishing Inc., 2010). Contact: www.corinnedavies.com

Farhan Devji— Hockey Farmer (Cacoethes Publishing, June 2008). Contact: Cacoethes Publishing

Saranna DeWylde— How To Lose a Demon in 10 Days, How to Marry a Warlock in 10 Days, and How to Seduce an Angel in 10 Days (Kensington Brava, 2012). Contact: www.sarannadewylde.com

Sarah Dooley— Livvie Owen Lived Here (Feiwel and Friends, 2010). Contact: Feiwel and Friends

Moondancer Drake— Worlds Collide (PD Publishing). Contact: www.moondancerdrake.com

Delphine Dryden— Snow Job (Ellora’s Cave, 2008), When in Rio (Ellora’s Cave, 2008), How to Tell a Lie (Ellora’s Cave, 2009). Contact: www.delphinedryden.com

Cecile Duquenne— Entrechats (Voyen, 2010). Contact: entrechats.over-blog.net

Hallie Durand— No Room for Dessert (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012). Contact: authors.simonandschuster.com/Hallie-Durand/46783748

Julia Durand— Segredos do Submundo: A Herdeira (Minerva Coimbra, 2010). Contact: minervacoimbra.blogspot.com/

Erastes— Standish (P.D. Publishing, Inc., 2006). Contact: www.pdpublishing.com/standishendpage.html

Mette Finderup— Blink: En kærlighedsroman (Gyldendal, 2009). Contact: www.finderup.dk/blink

Anthony Francis— Frost Moon (Bell Bridge Books, 2010) and Blood Rock (Bell Bridge Books, 2011). Contact: www.dresan.com

Edgar Franzmann— Millionenallee (Emons-Verlag, 2009). Contact: www.franzmann.de

J.M. Frey–Triptych (Dragon Moon Press, 2011). Contact: www.jmfrey.net

Colin Fullerton— Like A Road (Blaurock Press, 2008). Contact: www.blaurockpress.com

Donna Gephart— Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen (Delacourte Press). Contact: donnagephart.blogspot.com

Terie Gerrison— SpringFire (Dragonspawn Cycle, Book 3) and SummerDanse (Llewellyn Worldwide). Contact: www.TerieGarrison.com

Ann Gonzalez— Running for My Life (WestSide Books, 2008) Contact: www.AnnGonzalez.com

John Gorman— Shades of Luz (All Things That Matter Press, 2009). Contact: www.shadesofluz.com

Erin Grace— The Indefatigable Wright Brothers (Jumping Duck Media, 2008). Contact: www.jumping-duck.com

Anna Scott Graham— Drop the Gauntlet (FEP International, 2009). Contact: www.annascottgraham.com

Bosley Gravel— The Movie (BeWrite Books, 2009). Contact: BeWrite Books.

T. Greenwood— The Hungry Season (Kensington, 2010). Contact: www.tgreenwood.com/thsindex.html

Sara Gruen— Flying Changes (HarperCollins, 2005), Water for Elephants (Algonquin, 2007) and Ape House (Spiegel & Grau, 2010). Contact: www.saragruen.com

Rebecca Hart— Call of the Sea (Inkspell Publishing, 2012). Contact: rebeccahartwriting.com

Abigail J. Hartman— The Soldier’s Cross (Ambassador-Emerald International, 2010). Contact: Scribbles and Ink Stains

Elizabeth Haynes— Into the Darkest Corner (Myriad Editions, 2011), Revenge of the Tide (Myriad Editions, 2012). Contact: www.elizabeth-haynes.com

Simon Haynes— Hal Spacejock No Free Lunch (Fremantle Press, June 2008). Contact: www.spacejock.com.au

Liz Hegarty— Salt River (Scholastic New Zealand, April 2009). Contact: www.scholastic.co.nz

Eric Hendrixson— Bucket of Face (Eraserhead Press, October 2010). Contact: eraserheadpress.com.

Rachael Herron— How to Knit a Love Song: A Cypress Hollow Yarn (Avon, 2010). Contact: www.rachaelherron.com

Harry Hol—Bagage (L.J. Veen, 2010).

Denise Jaden– Losing Faith (Simon Pulse, 2010). Contact: www.denisejaden.com

Kathleen Kaufman— The Tree Museum (Way Things Are Publications, March 2009). Contact: www.WayThingsArePublications.com

Heather Kuehl—Promises To Keep (Eternal Press, 2010). Contact: heatherkuehl.blogspot.com

Suzanne Lazear— Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles) (Flux, 2012). Contact: www.ageofsteam.wordpress.com

Amy M. Levy— Welcome To River Street (Fey Publishing LTD, 2010). Contact: wtrs.info

C.J. Lines— Filth Kiss (Hadesgate Publishing , 2007). Contact: cjlines.com

Kimberly Llewellyn— Cashmere Boulevard (Berkley Books, 2007). Contact: www.KimberlyLlewellyn.com

Marissa Meyer— Cinder: Book One in the Lunar Chronicles (Feiwel & Friends, 2012). Contact: marissameyer.livejournal.com

Greg McCarthy— The Price of Life (Otherworld Publications, 2010). Contact: www.otherworldpublications.com

Maureen McGowan— Cinderella: Ninja Warrior (Silver Dolphin Books 2011). Contact: http://maureenmcgowan.com/

Jon F. Merz— The Destructor (Lawson Vampire Novels) (Pinnacle Books, 2003). Contact: Pinnacle Books

Erin Morgenstern— The Night Circus (Doubleday Books 2011). Contact: http://erinmorgenstern.com/

Ian O’Neill— Endo (BookStrand Publishing, 2008). Contact: www.bookstrand.com

Paula Offutt— Butch Girls Can Fix Anything (Yellow Rose Books, 2006). Contact: www.paulaoffutt.com

Jacqueline Paige— Mystic Perceptions (Class Act Books, 2010). Contact: www.classactbooks.com

Stephanie Perkins— Anna and the French Kiss (Dutton Juvenile, 2010). Contact: www.stephanieperkins.com

Nathan Poell— Post-Apocalypse Dead Letter Office (Oscura Press, 2011.) Contact: http://p-adlo.com/

Kalayna Price— Once Bitten (Bell Bridge Books). Contact: www.Kalayna.com

Prem Rao— It Can’t Be You (Cedar Books/Pustak Mahal). Contact: http://itcantbeyou.com/

Rashbre— The Triangle (Trafford Publishing, 2010). Contact: ashbre2.blogspot.com

Lani Diane Rich— Time Off for Good Behavior (Warner Books, 2004), Maybe Baby (Warner Books, 2005), and Wish You Were Here (Warner Books, 2008). Contact: www.lanidianerich.com

Vanitha Sankaran— Watermark: A Novel of the Middle Ages (Avon A, 2010). Contact: www.vanithasankaran.com

Francesca Segre— Daughter of the Bride (Berkeley Books, 2006). Contact: www.FrancescaSegre.com.

Yolanda Sfetsos— Shade of Grey (Eternal Press, 2010). Contact: www.yolandasfetsos.com

K.C. Shaw— Jack of All Trades (Ancient Tomes Press, 2009). Contact: www.kcshaw.net

Anna Sheehan— A Long, Long Sleep (Candlewick Press, 2011). Contact: www.annasheehan.com

Arianna Skye— Wings of Desire (Eternal Press, 2010). Contact: www.ariannaskye.com

L. Neil Smith— Sweeter Than Wine: A Story of Love, Sleuthing and Vampires (Arc Manor/Phoenix Pick). Contact: www.elneil.com

Diana Sousa— Início (Temas Originais, 2010). Contact: www.temas-originais.pt

Keris Stainton— Jessie Hearts NYC (Orchard Books, 2011). Contact: www.keris-stainton.com

Ransom Stephen— The God Patent (Vox Novus). Contact: www.thegodpatent.com

Amber Stockton— Promises, Promises (Barbour Publishing, 2008), Copper and Candles (Barbour Publishing, 2009), and Liberty’s Promise (Barbour Publishing, 2010). Contact: www.amberstockton.com

James R. Strickland— Looking Glass (Flying Pen Press, 2007) Contact: www.jamesrstrickland.com

Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen— The Compound (Feiwel and Friends, 2008) Contact: www.rockforadoll.com

Kyle Michel Sullivan— Bobby Carapisi (The Nazca Plains Corporation, 2009). Contact:Nazca Plains Corporation

J.H. Trumble— Don’t Let Me Go (Kensington, 2011).

Pamela Turner— Death Sword (Lyrical Press, 2011). Contact: PamelaTurner.net

Catherine Wade— Let’s Dish and Another Time Around (Samhain Publishing, 2009). Contact: www.samhainpublishing.com

Alayna Williams— Dark Oracle (Pocket-Juno Books, 2010). Contact: www.alaynawilliams.com

David Niall Wilson— Vintage Soul (Five Star/Gale, 2007) and The Mote in Andrea’s Eye (Five Star/Gale, 2006). Contact: Five Star/Gale

Nora Zelevansky— Semi-Charmed Life (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2012).

Magdalena Zschokke— Maybe Tomorrow (Windstorm Creative, 2007). Contact: www.magdalenazschokke.com

Back to “About”

Related articles
Authors, Blogs

NANOWRIMO Getting Ready

20 Comments

Well here I go getting ready for this year’s event.  I chose not to do it in 2011 – fear of success or fear of failure sort of thing you know.  A few or perhaps many of my heroes I brag on each Friday in FITFS series are taking part, and since I praise not just for the sake of praise but also to somehow emulate the brave folk they are I am jumping in with both feet and all attached parts.  The NANOWRIMO site is full of information so today I shall try to sort that out.

Once I signed in I tried to put my photo in the appropriate spot but for some reason it will not upload, so those others who are participating can use your own imaginations as to what I look like.  I have chosen my badge for the event.

30 days.  Wow.  I know many of you have been successful so that is encouraging.  Also my dear Celi is taking part and I think my friend Joss is also so I could not be in better company.

I am not sure how to connect to community yet but will get that done today.

How many of my VCH (Very Classy Heroes) are also joining in?

 

WHAT I HAVE TO REMEMBER

I just have to remember this is only thirty days so it does not have to even last as long as Kim Khardashian’s marriage.

I can join as many regions as I like – (must do today)

It may be difficult at first but will get better as the days go by and the word count increases.

Being a Marathon of sorts I can get some sponsers to contribute to – “NaNoWriMo is run a tiny team of eight novel-loving souls at the Office of Letters and Light (OLL), a grassroots nonprofit, and is funded almost entirely by participant donations” – which seems like a good idea and good motivation.

There is lots of great information at this link so please do look it over and please my VCH do let me know if you have signed up.  Your very presence alone will inspire me!

Related articles
Being, Blogs

FITFS Our Soul Dipper Amy

15 Comments

Amy Nora Doyle. is how she signed off her About page but we mostly just know her as Amy.

Soul Dipper and Spirit Builder by Design.  When I write these few words I feel the completeness of Amy and her world.  However for any of you who are not familiar with her, please allow me to lead you.

On January 9, 2010 Amy took to the written word and the last words of that post are:

Embrace your highest source of power and love.  Focus on it; carry it with all your being.  With that power, no matter what life puts in your path, there you will stand – strong in the face of adversity.  And that is called SOUL.

We fuss and worry and scoot along our lives regretting the past sometimes and fearing the future, when there is an opportunity to embrace our strength, our power, our love, that will allow us to weather what comes.

Understanding does not depend upon, nor does it denigrate any religion, or belief systems.  It is a message of love.

It matters not whether you choose to believe, visiting Soul Dipper is always a peaceful experience.

Amy lives in one of the most beautiful parts of Canada.  I spent some time there a few years ago…long before I found the Blogosphere and all my dear ones in it and the near by ocean and beautiful trees vie for beauty in the gentlest rains I have ever seen.

We give celebration to the important things in our lives, as you know, I do this each Friday by honoring my own list of heroes one at a time.  These are all people worthy of FITFS – Following in The FootSteps – for me and while I cannot ‘become’ I can try to emulate them in some way.

Soul Dipper is not at all ever serious or encumbered by weighty soul sucking problems, she is funny as in her post on The Secret to Why Men Don’t Ask for Directions  or it can be about  a fab dinner.  Well I could go on and on but that would be just replicating or trying to replicate the perfection of what is.

Please do stop by, say hi, and allow yourself a moment of peace.

 

Related articles
Authors, Blogs

Oh The Plots We Weave for Monday Sept. 3, 2012

4 Comments

 

by tamo_konichi photobucket Oh the Plots We Weave

 

It seems there is so much to tell you about my week on the prairies and so little time. Actually I’ve figured there has been lots of time but I am using it poorly.  Definitely unproductive.  Why?  Because of my old friend Fibromyaligia who insists on showing up and demanding attention every time I take flight, whether it is for two hours or eight hours.  My energy levels are depleted and probably floating at 35,000 feet looking for a home.  So there you go.  By last evening it looked like Mr. or Ms. F. might have just a short visit, but this morning I knew….

Enough of the Whining and Snivelling.  I shall try to at least get back on schedule so we now look at a couple of true life reports from our local newspaper The Spectator.

1) London England hosts a $250 million tantrum between two Russian Billionaires.  This could be a rather dull story of he says, she says, however being at the billion dollar level the extravagance and the Scarlet O’Hara drama of it all it may make a good movie.  So to start:

At the cost of $200 – $250 million dollars in legal costs Boris Berevosky is pouting that he was ‘menaced’ (brilliant word here), into accepting $1.3 billion dollars from Roman Abromovich for his Sibneft holdings.  Abromovich then sold his shares four years later for $11.9 billion dollars.

I am thinking that the only person who could make a good story about this, as at its base it is such a pathetic nauseating story, would be Quentin Taratino who could pulp up the fiction and turn it into a dark comedy with a get what you deserve ending.

2) And then of course also from Russia with not so much love there is the ‘Pussy Riot’ message in blood story.  Seems a Moscow university  instructor, Igor Danilevsky killed two women in an apartment and left a message in blood to free members of the Pussy Riot feminist punk band who had been sentenced to two years in prison.

First ‘What if’ : Igor claims he wrote the message to mislead police when in fact it was a simple crime of passion.  Now this could be plot twisted every which way from Sunday but suppose it was a cover up of a cover up.  It was a crime of passion but not involving the victims but the members of the punk band as originally presented but not for obvious reasons.  Hmm I wonder…..

Second ‘What if’…Igor made a statement saying ‘I confess to everything.’  I don’t know about you but left over sentiment of the cold war and James Bond would deem this statement as manufactured.  Too clean.  Too easy.  Intrigue is just oozing out of each printed word begging to reveal….

Third ‘What if’…. What if Igor had discovered indiputable proof against both London case Russians Roman and Boris that would have lead to each of them having to play nice in the sand box of billionaire lives, who had poor Igor framed and having to live life forever associated with a punk band of less than charming title?

Any thoughts?

Congratulations again to Katherine Gordon Levine for being last Friday’s FITFS hero.  And condolences to Celi and all the fans of Mary’s Cat who is MIA.  I still remember when Mary’s cat showed up at the farmy.  I like Celi’s advice not to be sad and regardless of the time together, “This is just as great a love.  One years is as good as twenty, if we are wide awake.”

Authors, Blogs, Books Books and more Books

Friday’s FITFS …..Linda Cassidy Lewis

14 Comments
FITFS
Linda Cassidy Lewis The Brevity of Roses

 Each Friday I write about somone in the blogosphere who teaches me lessons, is supportive, and like all my Following in the Footsteps heroes is someone I would like in some small way to emulate.

How do I choose my FITFS?  Selecting first, or second, or third would be nigh unto impossible.  In addition to wanting to  honor those who I admire it seemed the easiest way would be to select those who take the time to comment on my posts first.  If you have ever commented then it is quite likely that some Friday, ‘when you least expect it you’re elected’ as the song from Candid Camera goes, you will be highlighted here.

 

 

This theme takes a better defined form  each time I do it. FITFS started out as a blanket praise and is evolving into delicious declarations of each writers’strengths, my fave posts or quotes (cause fave posts are almost impossibloe to choose), and what I have learned or what has inspired me.

Linda Cassidy Lewis is a California girl originally from Indiana.  Artistically she began expressing her creativity through drawing and eventually portaits with clientele in the US, Europe, and UK.  She is the consumate artist, drawing, living art, beading, and of course that fave expression of each of us – writing.

Certainly LCL (don’t her initials even seem poetic?) is dedicated, tenacious, persistent and very talented.

It is almost impossible to choose a favorite post – there are so  many.  Her first post was I believe October 13, 2008 in which she discusses how the Ms. Perfect side of her being judges everything she writes as garbage and with she posted a quote by C. J. Sherryh; ‘It is perfectly okay to write garbage as long as you edit brilliantly.’

My fave quote by Linda herself is; ‘When  you hoard imagination it suffers a sad, lonely death, so, as an act of mercy, I write fiction.’  Bloody brilliant I say!

See this author is all about inspiration so how could my own Ms. Perfect even think of holding me back.  So far Linda  Cassidy Lewis is the Doer and I with toes in the frigid unknown seas of publication stand poised and ready to jump in, getting braver every moment by her display of bravery.

She has a number of literary projects on the go and is the published author of ‘The Brevity of Roses. and I quote from Michelle Davidson Argyle author of ‘Monarch’; Told in gorgeous poetic tones, The Brevity of Roses will take you on a journey delving into the unique characters as delicate and beautiful as a rose itself.  Lewis’real understanding of relationships is phenomenal.’

Do yourself a favor and visit the mulitalented, multifaceted gem of a writer, and please click a ‘like’ or leave a wee comment for her.  Something we all appreciate!

I am now off to the last supper for our Scots cuz who alas must depart tomorrow!

And once again in case that linky thing isn’t working or I have made a mistake, please find LCL at lindacassidylewis.com

 

Authors, Blogs

This Writer: Facing the Fear of Excellence

22 Comments

Some of you have noticed my sporadic attendance in posting these last few months, and I thank you for your encouraging words.  I have been occupied by an annoyance of sorts: no not defending the universe from hoards of bad guys, not working out twenty-five hours a day to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics, and certainly not sitting in my vault at Gringots counting my wizard gold.

I have been facing an impenetrable wall called The Fear of Excellence and trying to figure out a way over, under or through.

When I first started posting on WordPress.com I had no idea what I was doing and frankly the first couple of months were nothing.  Aimless actually.  Then in February 2011 I started getting comments.   Well first it was ‘comment’ and that came from Tricia at the domestic fringe on February 25, 2011.  Then Joss popped in, then Pat Cegan and then Colleen.  That original group is still with me along with a few others.  That’s when I started writing to an audience.  So for the rest of 2011 I started posting whatever popped into my cranium.  I cheered on my blogging friends who achieved the sacred Freshly Pressed status and began to toy with the idea that I too might make The List.  Then the persistent thought became rather annoying and I decided not to focus on it at all.

I kept reading successful bloggers trying to determine exactly what ‘successful’ meant.

The IT happened.  The Wall.  The Wall of Excellence.  Well I was thrilled!  I spent days reading every post, my heart pounding with excellence as I viewed HER body of work.

First emotion – Joy – – Inspiration, excitement.
Second emotion – Laughter –Yes!  That is the standard I seek!
Third emotion – thread of caution  – um….maybe
Fourth emotion – Fear – I can’t do that! (this one lasted quite a long time)

Convinced I wanted to raise the bar, but gripped by The Fear of Failure or The Fear of Success I stopped regular posts. And even worse I stopped working on my novel, ‘Propagation’.

Have you ever lost your footing? Your grip? Your mind? Due to fear?

That Fear, that Excellence has a name and it is Cecilia at thekitchensgarden.

After wrestling with the demons of the dark side I finally found inspiration again.  I discovered I wasn’t afraid of Celi or her talent.  I was afraid of myself but succeeded in calmly thinking things out.  Now it might seem that calmly thinking took but a few minutes but it took ages.  Simply ages.

Finally going full circle I decided I could raise the bar by working at getting better.
First I needed a theme and to find it started a series of FITFS – following in the footsteps – writing about bloggers I admire and discovering what makes them successful.
Second for the ‘Oh The Plots We Weave’ series I looked at news stories and considered the possibilities for fiction.
Third I discovered a desire to do a ‘This Writer Series’ for all other subject matter.

Next I needed to commit to a schedule.  Three Themes – Three days.  It will look something like this:

Monday Mayhem – Oh The Plots We Weave
Wednesday – This Writer
Friday – FITFS

With a number of changes, challenges and events I have not been able to think about Propagation for months.  Characters and story lines sit patiently waiting to be given a voice.  Now that I am doing all this bar raising I have a sense of purpose and direction.

So what bars are you raising?

*I know this is Tuesday not Wednesday but ‘This Writer” just could not wait one more day.  When a plan comes together, one simply must act.