Closing Off One Year – Believing in Another

Believing

Hardship (Photo credit: StormKatt)

Well these last few weeks have been filled with challenges for many people I know, including us. This is a wonderful time of year and makes me aware of all our blessings. Sometimes you just have to let life happen and deal the best we can. I have a dear dear friend who believes in dealing with the hand we are dealt and she is one of the most positive people I know.

Regardless of What or Who you believe in, I think Belief is necessary. It is strengthening.  Now anyone who is reading this and is anti-Christian, or Atheist, or agnostic, don’t get your girdles in a knot.  Belief is a very personal matter for each of us; God, Jesus, Creator, Universe, Oneself.  The important thing is that we believe.

Our beliefs give us Hope and Hope is the Life Saver, that allows us to not only survive but to do it well.  Sometimes you just have to hang on to the side of the dingy while it tosses us around on stormy seas.

No one gets through life free of strife.  Sometimes we can have a mind set that gets things flowing in a positive peaceful way but most times its just getting through the difficulties.  That’s where faith and hope and belief come in.  Faith in yourself, your own strength.  Faith in a Creator.

Hardship is owned by each of us.  We may go through years of relative calm and then, oops here comes Life.  Belief is our Strength and while I cannot change the path many of us are on I can certainly be there to provide support which doesn’t necessarily ease the pain, but sometimes it eases the mind and/or soul.

There will be better days.  Maybe just not for awhile.  No one can set a time limit on trials and tribulations.  Back in May of ’80 we started with the death of my grandfather.  Thereafter at least every six months for a period of six years we lost many family and friends and most of them too young, way too young.  In that time there were good things, good times, but the shadow remained for a long time.

Since August we have had five deaths of friends and family, we have had lots of illness and upset.  We shall survive and we will do it with good cheer and a healthy dose of gratitude for what we do have and did have.

Life for me remains good and if we did not have pain, how would we recognize that good?  I am not sure how I feel about that last sentence as I am pretty sure I could recognize the good without pain and suffering to contrast it, however I am trying to remain very sporting of this Thing called Life.

 

Tis The Season

I don’t know of any other time of year when we get to say ‘Tis and Twas so much. I notice as I scroll through the TV guide that many of the shows have to do with Christmas – of course. There is touching, funny, scary, sentimental, moralistic teaching, ….

Each year I have my favorites as do many of you. Number one, the one I stop no matter what I am doing to view, is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation which is so extreme with Sparky‘s foolishness (Clark Griswold aka Chevy Chase) that it can only be enjoyed if you suspend any claim to reality. The first time I saw it twenty three years ago I decided it was too silly to ever watch again. I guess back then I had a more serious kind of humor. Anyway I fine myself watching it every time it comes on TV, cheering at the tree selection, the multicorded lights which illuminate one house and cause a nuclear plant reset, Uncle Louis’s rug and even the sizzling kitty.
It always amazes me to view complete destruction of windows and walls when the next scene shows everything cleaned up awaiting the next disaster.

This year G2 at four is in awe of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (even though he calls it Redolph the Rudenosed Reindeer) and G1 at nine is on the fence about whether he believes or not.  He made an extreme request for a computer of his own and something else that cost $500 and when I mentioned those were very expensive requests he said I shouldn’t worry because it came from Santa for free.  He has been notified that Santa does not bring computers to nine year old children.

G2 did turn a little pale when he received an email from the jolly fellow himself.  Isn’t the web wonderful? PNP is a great site and I had fun sending it to adults also!

There is one disappointment for me – so far anyway – and that is A Christmas Carol.  Sure it has been on a few evenings now but its just a poor copy of the original.  The original starred Alastair Sim – well to be perfectly honest it was a remake at that time also – in 1951 complete in black and white.  Part of the charm of the film is that in one scene Scrooge looks at himself in the mirror and if you are very quick you can see the camera man behind him filming.

This story has been filmed and remade so many times but for me there is only one true version.  Perhaps someone will show it this week.  I do have the movie on tape VHS – remember those?

I’ve been noticing TV story line trends for a few months now in my scrollings and so often, regardless of season, the story is about some big city man or woman who goes back to their small town for some reason and there finds true love that they had not noticed before.  How many twists can there possibly be?  Rather tiring I think.

Oh by the by..my new theme is an actual photo I took LAST winter..so far we have had no snow here in this part of Southern Ontario and I so wanted to feel the season so like many things through out my life I shall just pretend. HO HO HO

DP Challenge: Hindsight Rewriting that First Post

Todays Daily Post Prompt is Hindsight and suggests “Now that you’ve got some blogging experience under your belt, re-write your very first post.” So I took a look at December 19, 2010 and have to say since it is one of my fave stories to tell I just could not bring myself to rewrite it. Hmm now I must go and deal with the fact that in almost 2 years I have learned nada.

bridgesburning

Dating by the light..of a burning bridge

One cannot be single for a significant number of years and not have experienced dates spawned no doubt from some weird alter universe.  Well that may be exaggerating just a bit.  But oh my, where do they come from?

One chap whose given name will not be used, but who I called Eyore for reasons soon to be made obvious, I met on a dating site.  After the initial on line chats he suggested we meet for coffee.  I agreed and we set a Saturday afternoon for our first, and what became our last encounter.

Now I think the folk who work at every Williams, Second Cup,Starbucks and yes even “Timmies” suddenly have the most fun jobs in existence.  Internet dating and the perfunctory first meeting have made these centers the place to be.  Take the time to grab that cup of java…

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Daily Prompt: Connect the Dots (To the Moon)

Gravity (Photo credit: eat more toast)

Today’s Daily Prompt was just too enticing to pass it by. Open your nearest book to page 82. Take the third full sentence on the page, and work it into a post somehow.

Well the first book I grabbed was a notebook so with a little extra lean in the opposite direction I picked up my latest read.  Once I saw it I was tempted to go for another but figured that wasn’t fair.  After all what is the poiont of a game if you don’t follow the rules?

Many years ago I fell into the ‘buzz’ trap getting all caught up with my friends when Weight Watcherswas a relatively new program.  Oh my we counted our proteins, fats, and breads, adhered to three fish meals a week, and made sure we ticked off every wee box for water, milk and fluids.  Our social get togethers amongst the women folk were all about what and how we achieved and discussions ensued on the validity of the program (after all it was over seen by physicians) and how well we were doing.

Weight Watchers company logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now belonging to  an active weight loss club is a lot like being addicted to, say, gambling.  When the scales are not in sight the conversations can be all about your success – how much you lost (or gained when it comes to gambling),-  with little discussion about your set backs or losses.

‘Why you know I lost 25 but must confess I gained a bit back but then I lost it again and I feel wonderful!’

Meanwhile you think to yourself, Honey, I saw you when you joined months ago and the only difference I can see is your hairstyle.

*Actually the program works fine as does any weight loss program **if you follow the plan.

But this post is not about losing or gaining, about succeeding or failing.   It’s about perception and the why of things.  By the way I did all right on the program then and each of the ten times I joined in the following decades.  Matter of fact I will never again even see my initial joining weight (which I thought was soooo huge) but now lies 25 pounds ago quite happily.  This is because I choose to believe the medical data that says an elderly person (well as close to elderly as damn is to swearing) should not be stick thin.  It’s healthy to carry a little weight.  I would also like to say it is all behind me  now (get it? get it?) but that would be way too much of a stretch because in fact it is all in front. haha

But now I realize I can believe pretty much anything I choose..so my hypothesis is that food intake has nothing to do with a generous middle.  It all has to do  with Gravity and the moon, tides and oceans, and because we are 90% water – salt water that is- well we reflect mother earth which lends credence to “‘This is the main reason for the tidal bulge on the opposite side of the Earth to the Moon.” *Gravity by Brian Clegg page 82 third full sentence.

It is quite humorous decades later to laugh or chuckle at our youthful worries and thoughts.  It is also quite satisfying to find joy in the me of now and quite like how I am.  What a difference a little age and wisdom makes.

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Hypothesis for Today’s Living – Electrically Charged

Smart Meter, Boring topic (Photo credit: miheco)

As many of you know my thoughts get to bubbling and boiling now and then on issues of truth.  What is truly true?  What is financially profitable for those who declare truth?  Why are we so ready to believe authoritative statements of so called fact just because they have access to media, speak louder and longer, and often sport impressive degrees utilizing just about every letter of the alphabet?

I have been knocking back three or four books a week lately and the latest was an interest book by Brian Clegg called Gravity which is intriguing as long as I jump over some statements such as, ‘It says that the square of a planter’s orbital period is proportional to the cube of it semi-major axis.’  Clegg then goes on to explain that sentence that in no way added clarity for me, but aside from that the book really does hold worthwhile information that my plebian brain does understand.

Now don’t run off yet because here comes the crux of my thoughts.

Science, which I once thought was solid is probably the least solid of any subject matter.  The current definition of Hypothesis is: 1.  A supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation   2. a proposition made as a basis for reasoning, without any assumption of its truth.

I love number 1!  ANYONE can make a supposition on the basis of limited evidence!  and do!  And in many cases the public buys it.

Basically hypothesis is my favorite question – What If.

See I used to think Sciences were confirmed truths and I am not the only one.  It seems folks just like to grab onto an idea and declare it truth: the earth is flat, the heavens rotate around the earth, man is the center of existence.  Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Huygen, gradually dispelled these ‘hypothesis becomes truth’ ideas though not without effort.    I find it amusing that scientific truths that change as new discoveries are made are heralded and brand new discoveries. Yipee! When the fact is that the truth has always been there, we just haven’t noticed it yet.

Cover of Timeline

Michael Crichton, in one of my fave books TimeLine says in the Introduction;  ‘By the end of the nineteenth centyr it semed that the basic fundamental principlels governing the behavior of the physical universe were known.’  And the same was true at the beginning of the twentieth century.  But explosive new information continues to change the world.  Man as in HUman continues to be surprised.  Perhaps the surprise is at their own ability to continue uncovering layers of knowledge.

But I digress – badly – horribly.  What really got me on this train of thought is not ever changing scientific principles but ordinary every day things we take as truth.  I’ve said it before and will continue to say it, she says with that more dinosaur rather than guru wisdom, we, the people need to embrace some of the mindset of the sixties – question everything and believe nothing you are told with out careful examination.

Take something as simple as our Hydro (electricity from water), although most of you probably just call it electric as sources include nucleur power, wind generated power..etc etc.

Now here in Southern Ontario, sometime ago suppliers started advertising that the cost of power would increase dramatically but the common folk should rejoice because the government was going to install Smart Meters.  Why to prevent the increased cost you just had to let your life be guided by Smart Meter.  Occassionally someone on the six  o’clock news will say that regardless of when they use electricity the prices have skyrocketed.   So I took a look at the ‘rules’ to save money on the Smart Meter.

Smart Meter Hungry Meter

My hypothesis for this one is:  The robotic acceptance by the public is directly influenced by the degree of fecal matter dished by profit making government and non-government agencies to feed the illusion that consequential high costs are generated by that same robotic public. *Bridgesburning 2012

Hypothesis are fine as long as they are not accepted as truth.  The truly great minds intended, I believe, that they be a jumping off place for investigation, but gosh darn we are so hungry to feel “Truth’ we want to leap frog over the points and make it true by saying it’s true.

Now just to explain Mr. Smart Meter’s secret plan for winter – our current season:  (keep in mind a family of four as an example).  If you wish to be truly cost effective you can only use hydro from 9pm to 1am.  That’s the time to run appliances, heat, cooling, cooking, bathing/showering, laundry.

Now lets look at the most expensive time to run hydro: 5pm – 9pm and 1am to 11am  Seems to be that pretty much covers essentials like eating, bathing unless you insist the evening meal be taken at about 4pm and keep the kids up til 9ish for perhaps a snack because nothing else can be gotten until after 11 am (late late brekkie).

Summers are pretty good and weekends and holidays are also reasonable.  But the big nasty gobbling everything we have hydro company makes winter the most distasteful season and the most expensive.  Just think if we could spend November to May each using no electricity we might actually have some money in our pockets to head south for 6 months not for luxury but necessity.

*And NO Ontario Power /Hydro – I will not accept your definition of the highest used times for winter.  You would have to do some mighty big talking to get this girl back on the robotic farm of truth acceptance.

 

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What Kind of Champion are You? Sprint, Middle or Long Distance?

English: The lonliness of the long-distance runner(s) These two runners had just finished running along the foot/cycle path that runs along the side of the A14 here – which can’t have been too nice for them. I passed them again about 40 minutes later in the heart of Felixstowe, still running – I hope they were nearly home! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Misty May-Treanor Wheaties (Photo credit: GeneralMills)

I have wakened between four and five each morning for a while now. Usually I lie and consider the warmth of my bed, snuggling in a little deeper and give thanks for my comfort, and then, turn over for another couple of hours of comfort. Always a quick little thought intervenes that says, rise, spring up, start the day with vigor and through much self-discipline I stay abed. Simply because I can. This morning was a little different as a softer thought gently wafted into my brain. How about getting up just to see what the day might hold for you? No rush, no fuss, no muss. So here it is, 6:18 am, showered, sipping a cup of tea, and considering some very Important Thoughts. (I have mentioned before that my early early morning thoughts seem to carry concepts and originality the rest of the day never sees.)
So what wonderous pervasive notion has captured my mind today?

Champions or perhaps non-Champions or perhaps some kinds of Champions.  (No I have not been eating ‘Wheaties – The Breakfast of Champions lately’)  What has been on my mind of course is NaNoWriMo as it is for many in this magical month.  And that got me to thinking – great thoughts (depending on the time of day of course).

Now you won’t find any whining and snivelling oh poor me here.  This is a journey of discovery.  Yep,  I have the concept, the plot, story, beginning, and ending.  Like all people, many of whom have full-time jobs in addition to this commitment, time is a challenge and my life much like yours is going through a period where the fates have increased the drama quotient by whirling up a stew of deaths, heartaches, illnesses, more illnesses, strife between people, stressors (none of which are mine personally, but family and friends) all  in the last ten days, stirred it all with the mighty universal spoon, thrown in our bowls and said, “Now deal with it.”

Now the scene is set.  No excuses to be had as life tends to do that to all of us sometimes, and while we look at our own set of problems there are way too many dealing with much much more.  Now setting all this in its place comes the crux of the matter.

I like to write.  I will finish this story because it deserves to be told.  I will  finish it on time.

It did get me thinking about different kinds of Champions though and my mind turned to running and races.

There are for instance Sprints, 100, 200, 300 meters which require a quick and large output of speed and focus on the athlete’s maximum attainment of speed.  Whew even the thought leaves me breathless and my heart feels like it should start pounding explosively. ( I won’t let it of course – much too old for such nonsense).  But the Sprint is pretty much what we bloggers do on a daily basis.

Then there are the Middle Distance Runners at 800 or 1500 meters.  This takes a little more strategy in accomplishing a win without blowing all your energy in the first quarter or half.  Different mind set.

Then, aha!  The Long Distance Runner.  Now that’s what I am talking about.  Going the distance.  The Novel.

My ever trustworthy and sharing friends at Wikipedia  have this interesting tidbit of information.

Stride rate and types

Exercise physiologists have found that the stride rates are extremely consistent across professional runners, between 185 and 200 steps per minute. The main difference between long- and short-distance runners is the length of stride rather than the rate of stride.^[15][16]

During running, the speed at which the runner moves may be calculated by multiplying the cadence (steps per second) by the stride length. Running is often measured in terms of pace^[17] in minutes per mile or kilometer. Fast stride rates coincide with the rate one pumps one’s arms. The faster one’s arms move up and down, parallel with the body, the faster the rate of stride. Different types of stride are necessary for different types of running. When sprinting, runners stay on their toes bringing their legs up, using shorter and faster strides. Long distance runners tend to have more relaxed strides that vary.

Reaching the finish line.

It’s wonderful to have dallied all these many many years thinking what a wonderful novelist I would be.  The thought first arrived on a sunny June afternoon about fifty years ago (oops a little of my procrastination side showing here).  I think it is pretty much time to find out and the ‘have to’ of a deadline makes it exciting.  Push come to shove I may just find out I am a Sprinter, in which case I shall devote all energy there.  Lord knows I am in exemplary company there.

English: Kensuke Takezawa is a Japanese long-distance runner. 日本語: 竹澤健介は日本の長距離走選手。 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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*Women Who Write – A little NaNO Inspiration

NaNoWriMo

I think it was last week that someone getting ready, set, go, was wondering about ways to prepare for National Novel Writing Month and someone in the comments (I do apologize for not being able to give credit where due) suggested just read favorite inspiring writing.  The library has kept me busy the last few weeks with my faves with some new additions including Peter James and Stefan Bollman and Zoe Sharp ( I am finally getting to the Charlie Fox Series!)

Anyway – back to my preparation and ‘Women Who Write’.  Sometimes when I am unsure what to do or how to do it, I Get Stressed.  And of course this foray into unknown territory might have started to create some stress except for the wonderful advice as above. READ.

Well that’s about the easiest advice, for me, there is to follow.  Each Wednesday morning I traipse off returning one set of treasures and gathering new.  Yesterday I wandered somewhat aimlessly waiting for inspiration to beckon, and it did, in spades.

The first book was Shirley MacLaine‘s ‘I’M OVER ALL THAT’ published by Atria Books that was inspiring, funny, and thrilling (largely I guess because we are not too far apart in age).  I love her books, they are never dull!  At 218 pages it was a perfect afternoon’s read.  MacLaine feeds my sense of adventure in literary unknown because she is so brazen.  Brazen enough to tell it like it is, her perception, with out sounding pompous or weird or egotistical.  She feeds my bravery in daring to express.

Then tucking aside Zoe Sharp’s ‘Second Shot‘ published by Thomas Dunne books as it is definitely dessert in this literary repast of mine, and I want to get through my delicious hors d’oeuvre and main course before I can savor this sweet treat so I turned to nonfiction.  I often have no idea exactly what I am after but aisles are walked, directions changed and before you know it I have in my hand exactly what I needed.

I don’t mind nonfiction but my style is to choose fiction first and then possibly stroll elsewhere.  For now and the immediate future, like the next 30 days, my interest is in writing fiction so that has been my literary diet for sometime.  The point is that my search took me to the nonfiction section and directly to a section on Writing.  There, practically leaping off the shelf and into my hands, was ‘WOMEN WHO WRITE’ by Stefan Bollmann published by Merrell.

Now this large size book, sort of in the style of the Coffee Table Book seemed insistent at coming home with me.  I considered the weight, the size and whether it would fit in my bag and put it back on the shelf to see what other offerings there were.  Nothing.  I kept picking it up, sort of like a puppy at a pet store that cries, ‘take me hooome!’  So I did.

Francine Prose did the Foreword and her first line was as gripping as the rest of the book: ‘A writer, any writer, is dangerous enough.’  HAH!  I was hooked.  The stories are incredible, the photos breathe life and when you open the cover the essence of these women writers, the ones who had to use male pen names, the ones who died in German concentration camps (more than I ever imagined), the ones whose brilliance was too bright too remain in this life and chose to exit, and the ones who lived successful lives that touched worlds.

Inspiration?  Yup, I think I have it.  And tomorrow, November 1st it begins.  Our own journey – Men and Women.  I only drifted to Women Who Write as that is my own inspiration.  So off we go all!!

What is your Inspiration?

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Foggy Foggy Morning

This is what it looked like this morning as Mommy walks G2 to his Junior Kindergarden class.  I still tend to think that 4 years old is too young for school but oh my he is loving it…now.  It’s a good thing Daddy always has his camera at the ready.

Meanwhile G1 takes off in the other direction to call on his best friend.

Fog has a feeling of comfort for me like I’m all wrapped from head to toe and I love walking in the fog.  The sounds are all muted and while it feels like I am alone for some reason I feel more connected to the earth, to the universe.  It isn’t really a separation in spite of the isolation.  More like an inclusion – in everything.

We’ve had two days of early morning fog and it may be awhile before we see anymore of it.  Meanwhile I just choose to savor the feeling of oneness. And now of course I have this beautiful photo to revisit the moment.

 

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Published Books Do Happen with NaNoWriMo

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

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NANOWRIMO Getting Ready

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!

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