IWSG: Goodbye Summer

Hello and Happy September! Today is the day for the monthly meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by our Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh. To view list members and this month's co-hosts, visit the IWSG page here.

I know I'm in a small minority, but I'm always so happy to see summer come to a close. I think I have some kind of reverse seasonal affective disorder, as I tend to become depressed and sluggish every year when summer rolls around. I wanted this year to be different, and had a good start in June, but by July my regular pattern had emerged.

In spite of that, there were some bright spots to the summer so I thought I'd focus on the positives.

1. I finished my 5k running program! In fact, running was the one thing I felt great about all summer. I can't believe it, but I now look forward to my runs and I feel out of sorts when I miss one. I'm focusing on increasing my distance and endurance now. I've made it to four miles and am working on getting to five. 
2. I participated in the August Write... Edit... Publish... bloghop and had a great experience with my story The Last Reunion. I had hit a brick wall while working on revisions for my new Alaska story and was feeling frustrated, so it was energizing and fun to write something totally different. I am now looking forward to the October hop and thinking about ideas for the Dark Places theme. 
3. Game of Thrones! My favorite show. EVER. 
4. Reading. I read some great books this summer, including one that instantly became one of my all-time favorites. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is an extraordinary read. 

A window box in Paris

Best of all, in the past week or so I've been inspired to start working on a new/old book idea - a short story collection called A Window Box in Paris. I first started thinking about this collection after visiting Paris in 2016, but my ideas were all vague and unorganized. I don't know what happened, but last week when I had trouble falling asleep I started thinking about the ideas again and they all started to crystallize and come together. I'm now making notes and working on characters, and I'm super excited to get started on the project. 

I'm struggling with the usual insecurities that come with working on something new and worrying that the ideas will amount to nothing, but I'm determined to push through those doubts and worries. My goal is to have a first draft completed by the end of the year. 

What are your goals or plans for the rest of 2017? 

WWW Wednesday and Goodreads Giveaway

Hump day means it's time for another round of WWW Wednesdays, hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?   

 What are you currently reading?

One Good Dog by Susan Wilson 

Slipstream by Michael Offutt

Really enjoying both of these so far!

What did you recently finish reading?

Nephilim Genesis of Evil by Renee Pawlish

I received a review copy of this book through the Knights of the Round Table group on Goodreads. I'm glad I did as it's a creepy and suspenseful read and I'm looking forward to reading more from Renee.

What do you think you'll read next?

Boomtown Craze by M. Pax

I'm really excited for next week's launch party for Boomtown Craze, the third volume in the Backworlds series by M. Pax. Yay, Mary!  

Have you read any good books lately? What's on your TBR list?

Finally, since we're on the subject of books and reading, I wanted to share that I am holding my first Goodreads giveaway and will be giving away three paperback copies of Polar Night. If you'd like to enter, just go here:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Polar Night

by Julie Flanders

Giveaway ends March 26, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

WWW Wednesday and Merry Christmas!

WWW Wednesday is hosted each week by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next? 

 After the craziness of NaNo in November, I've been catching up on reading during December and have read some books by writer buddies I've met here in the blogosphere. So I thought this weekly meme would be a great chance to help spread the word about these fantastic writers and their equally fantastic books.

What are you currently reading? 

Wish: The Awakening by Laura Eno

I received a review copy of Laura's book through the Knights of the Round Table group on Goodreads. I've just started it but have no doubt I will love it.








What did you recently finish reading? 

The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear by M. Pax

Locked Within by Paul Anthony Shortt










Both of these books get five stars from me! I know both have sequels in the works and that's great news as far as I'm concerned. 

What do you think you'll read next?

 

 

 

 

 

The Mistaken by Nancy S. Thompson

 

I've heard so many great things about this book, I can't wait to read it!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks as always to MizB for hosting this fun fest! 

 

This post is it for me until after Christmas, so I want to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!  To help get in the Christmas spirit, I'm sharing this video from my all-time favorite Christmas show, A Charlie Brown Christmas. These dancers never fail to make me smile!

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday is hosted each week by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next? 

What are you currently reading? 

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

I've reached Book 5 (and the last installment available for now) of the Song of Ice and Fire series and I am trying to read it as slowly as possible because I hate the thought of being finished with the series. I love Martin's universe and characters so much that I will be sad to say goodbye to the world of Westeros.

Since I got my dog Clancy nearly 5 years ago now, I've had more bad experiences with groomers than I can count. I finally decided to just give it a try myself. I got clippers and other supplies, and I'm now reading Margaret H. Bonham's Dog Grooming for Dummies. The title couldn't be more appropriate for me when it comes to this sort of thing, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that poor Clancy won't end up too humiliated to leave the house after I try my first clip.

What did you recently finish reading? 

Stopover at the Backworlds' Edge by M.Pax. This is the second installment in Mary's Backworlds series, and another great read. It was fun to get back to Craze and his adventures through Mary's imaginative world. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.

What do you think you'll read next?

 
When I first participated in this bloghop a few weeks ago, Tim at Life of Riles mentioned that he was reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. By coincidence, I had just ordered the book that same day as I had heard so much about it. Since then I've seen it popping up everywhere and I'm really looking forward to getting into it soon.

Last week my mom and I visited the Cincinnati Museum Center to see their current featured exhibit, A Day In Pompeii. I loved the exhibit and was totally fascinated by the glimpse into the lives of the people of Pompeii before the city was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius. I saw Robert Harris' Pompeii in the museum shop after viewing the exhibit and it caught my interest.





Thanks as always to MizB for hosting this fun hop!

Stopover at the Backworlds' Edge Launch Party!

Today is a great day for sci-fi readers and anyone else who loves a good read, as M.Pax's Stopover at the Backworlds' Edge is now available! This is the sequel to The Backworlds, which was released in April, and promises to be another fine entry in this excellent series.

Here's the scoop on the new book:

The sequel to The Backworlds is now available. Craze and his friends continue their adventures in Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge. See what role chocolate plays in the galaxy this time.

The interstellar portal opens, bringing in a ship that should no longer exist. A battleship spoiling for a fight, yet the war with Earth ended two generations ago. The vessel drops off a Water-breather, a type of Backworlder thought to be extinct. She claims one of Craze’s friends is a traitor who summoned the enemy to Pardeep Station. A betrayal worse than his father’s, if Craze lives to worry about it.

 

Available for all ereaders from:

Amazon / Amazon UK / B&N / Smashwords

iTunes and Kobo will be available shortly.

If you haven’t read The Backworlds yet, it’s available as a free read from many outlets. See HERE for links.

About the author:

Inspiring the words M. Pax writes, Mary spends her summers as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory in stunning Central Oregon where she lives with the husband unit and two loving cats. She write science fiction mostly and has a slight obsession with Jane Austen. Mary blogs at http://www.mpaxauthor.com/blog/

 

Congratulations to Mary!!! 

WWW Wednesday

I've been meaning to participate in this weekly meme for a while but kept forgetting each week until Wednesday had come and gone. So I'm glad I finally remembered and am able to join in this week.

The meme is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading and I learned about it from my buddy Susan Oloier's site.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading? 

Before I started watching Game of Thrones on HBO last year I'd never heard of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. I originally thought I didn't want to read the books because I love the show and didn't want it to be spoiled, but I got so addicted to the whole universe that I changed my mind and started reading the books. I'm glad I did, because I'm now on the third book and I love the books even more than I love the tv show. I am obsessed and a total Westeros fanatic now. :)

I was so happy to finally be able to order Carol's In Name Only yesterday, and it's a great read so far.

What did you recently finish reading?

Easily one of the best books I've ever read. I couldn't put it down.

What do you think you'll read next?

I did mention I'm obsessed, right? :D

I'm also looking forward to reading the latest from J.L. Campbell. I loved reading J.L.'s posts about her native Jamaica during the A-Z in April Challenge, and I know I will love her new book as well.

I've been doing a lot of reading this summer, which of course is never a bad thing, and I'm looking forward to participating in this meme and learning about more great books. Thanks to MizB for hosting!

Goodreads

"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." ~ Stephen King

I've been taking Mr. King's advice to heart lately, and focusing on reading more. This is not a hardship by any means, as I have always been a bookworm and I love to read, but for various reasons I haven't spent enough time doing it in recent years. It's great getting back in the habit, and to always have a book on my end table and on my nightstand.

I joined Goodreads at the beginning of this year but, as is typical for me, I didn't do much with the site beyond creating an account. As I've been reading more though, I've returned to the site, and am starting to become quite addicted to it. I've already discovered some great new (to me, at least) authors and books, and it's fun to hook-up with others and see what they are reading.

I've also been happy to see that several of the bloggers I visit are Goodreads Authors. Three of these authors have books that will be published this year, and it was fun to add their upcoming books to my "to-read" list. If you don't already follow Samantha Sotto-Yambao, Jennifer Hillier, and Talli Roland, I would highly recommend these blogs/authors. I can't wait to read their books!

If you're on Goodreads, (or even if you're not!) you can find me here. I'd love to connect there and see what everyone is reading.

Day 2: B is for Books

Day two of the A-Z Challenge, and I'm going with an easy topic for the letter B, Books.

I've always loved to read and, as a librarian, it's in my nature to love books. It's been fun to discover so many book bloggers, and read their great reviews. I've already added tons of books to my "to be read" list just in the few months I've been blogging.

It's hard for me to pick my favorite books as I've enjoyed so many, but one series that sticks out for me is the Thomas Lynley books by Elizabeth George. I love the character of Lynley, and have loved nearly every book in this series. When I learned that George was 40 years old before she published her first book, that was very inspiring to me.

Another favorite series of mine is the Tony Hillerman Navajo mysteries, as I am enchanted by the American Southwest and I loved the atmosphere of those stories. I've been to Arizona a few times and adored it, and I hope to some day travel around the rest of the Navajo area and "Hillerman Country."

Other favorite books that come to mind include Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively, Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, A Scandal In Belgravia by Robert Barnard, The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, A Place of Execution by Val McDermid, and the seven books of the Harry Potter series.

While I mostly read fiction, I love animal stories, and loved Marley and Me by John Grogan, My Dog Skip and My Cat Spit by Willie Morris, and the All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriot. Nothing can make me cry faster than a touching animal story!

In another break from fiction, I'm currently reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, after seeing it mentioned on numerous writing blogs. While I haven't read that much yet, I am loving the book so far, and would recommend it to anyone interested in writing. The title comes from Lamott's father advising her young brother to take a large project on birds "bird by bird," and I like how she applies this to writing. If feeling overwhelmed I think it's a great idea to take a project chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph, or even sentence by sentence.

I know I'm leaving out tons of favorites, but these are the books that came to mind while thinking about this post. What about you? What are your favorites? I'd love to have more books to add to my TBR list!

Interesting sites

I came upon a site this week called Wow! Women On Writing, and it seems like a great resource. They host a quarterly writing contest for short stories or flash fiction, and I think I am going to sign up for their Winter contest. The deadline to enter is February 28th so I've got some time to try and write something, and I noticed this contest is an "open prompt," so the topic can be about anything I choose. If I don't get a story done in time for this deadline, I will definitely try their Spring contest. I enjoyed participating in the WritersWeekly contest so much that I am anxious to try others.

In addition to the contests, Wow! just seems like a helpful site in general, with lots of articles, a blog, and other resources for writers. I'm definitely bookmarking it and looking forward to exploring it in more detail.

I also started an account at Goodreads this week and am anxious to participate more there. I work as a librarian so I'd heard of sites like Goodreads and LibraryThing before, and had even created accounts, but that was as far as it went, I never participated. I kept seeing Goodreads coming up on authors' blogs though, so I decided to check it out again.

I've always loved to read and used to read constantly, but in recent years I have gotten away from that somewhat. Not for any specific reason, mostly just because of time limits, but I hope this site will inspire me to get back into the habit of reading.

I only played with the site a bit, but I can see how it could become addicting. I started entering in some books I've read and liked, but my biggest problem is I have a terrible time remembering what I've read. Many times I've picked up a book and started reading it, only to find it seems very familiar. After a few pages, I realize I already know the story and the ending, as I've read the book before! Regardless, it's fun to go through and pick out some of my favorite authors and books, and get recommendations for others.

I also noticed the site has groups for writers to share progress and support each other, so I'm dipping my toe in those waters. I'm an introvert by nature and sharing my work is not easy for me, but I'm working on changing that as I know it only hinders my goals.

At any rate, I'm continually amazed at how many resources and sites are out there for writers. At times it almost feels overwhelming. But I look forward to continuing to explore and learn, and see what else is out there. And, I'm happy I made my three posts a week goal for the S.H.I.N.E Online challenge!