Goading the Pen

Flowers for Sale!

goadingthepen — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:20:57 GMT

One of the many hats I wear is the Senior High Youth Group leader at Bethel United Methodist Church. Each year we take the kids on a mission trip. We have done state side missions as well as international. Next summer we will be travelling to Costa Rica where we will be partnering with Strong Missions to build a feeding center for children and constructing a dormitory for teenage mothers.

This trip is going to cost approximately $1,500 per student. Our church is home for many lower income families and fundraising is essential for them to be able to attend.

We are doing a Flower Power fundraiser. It is quite simple. We have a page where you can purchase flower bulbs that are to be planted in the fall. The company delivers the flowers to you and the youth program receives 50% of the profit. We have set a goal of $3,000 for this sale.

If you are going to be planting bulbs anyway, would you please consider purchasing them here:

http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/campaign?campaign_d=8664

Bethel UMC Senior High Youth - Summer Mission 2011

Help a library...pass it on.

goadingthepen — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:41:51 GMT

You could win a signed copy of AFTER OBSESSION and DEAR BULLY, both.

How??? Go over to carriejones Livejournal to find out exact details.
Basically there is a library out there somewhere, namely Cherryfield, Maine and they need our help.

Here is the link to the library's Facebook appeal. For everyone who comments on Carrie's livejournal, according to the rules, Carrie will donate a dollar. Hmmm. I hope Carrie has deep pockets. =)

A Call For Picture Books

goadingthepen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 02:05:18 GMT

Dear Friends-

I just found out about a Navy Family in our area who lost everything to a fire. They have 4 children ranging in ages from 1-8.
I am still getting information, but if you are willing to donate a book to help fill their book shelf back up please let me know!

Thanks!

Dear Authors,

goadingthepen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:11:01 GMT

When authors take the time to respond to a child's interest in their books, it is a BIG deal. Just saying.

(I'm not talking about the "Will you do my homework?" kind of letters.) The genuine, your book really means something to me, kind of letters.

Thanks for taking the time.

Today

goadingthepen — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:58:24 GMT

Today- hug your kids instead of complain about them. Tell someone how special they are instead of finding fault. Life is short and if you do not believe me take a look around. Don't let your regret tomorrow be that you spent so much time today regretting yesterday. Sending all my prayers and love to those suffering today. May God wrap you in the love of his arms!

Happy New Day!

goadingthepen — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:53:53 GMT

My New Day's resolutions include: Clearing away clutter, setting up my desk, doing laundry...writing. Every new day should include writing! Happy New Day to You!

Happy New Day!

goadingthepen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:32:49 GMT

There are many New Year resolutions floating around cyberspace. My only resolution this year is to treat each day as if it were a new year. There is something about the new year that seems to motivate us, gives us a renewed spirit to let go of our failures and try again. A fresh start! I think that each day deserves a fresh start and this year I am not going to let failure or disappointment pile up.
HAPPY NEW DAY!!!TO YOU!

What are you doing to prepare for NaNoWriMo?

goadingthepen — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:10:08 GMT

My first step: Outline (Kind of obvious)

Step Two: Trying to tidy up a bit. Get the house under semi-control so I am not completely stressed out.

Step Three: Menus - I am making up a menu for November. I am including kid friendly recipes and cold cereal nights! I'm posting this in the kitchen so that I won't be bothered by the "What's for Dinner?" whine. (The exception is Thanksgiving of course. Who's idea was it to do this in November?)

Step Four: I am clearing a space for me. I don't have a writing space. SO, I am making one. I am also making a DO Not Enter Sign to post on this space. Perhaps getting a Novel Under Construction sign to post while I am working.

I have forewarned the family and adjusted my expectations a bit. I started with the goal of 1667 words a day. Then realized there will be days I don't/can't write. So I have upped my daily goal to 2,500.

Are you doing anything heading into this??

NANOWRIMO

goadingthepen — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:33:10 GMT

I did it!
Never done it before.

I am ready to be a winner.
I am ready to stop making excuses.

I am ready to drive my family insane.
Hope they all still love me at the end of November!

Suicide x 4 (Something HAS to change.)

goadingthepen — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 23:37:27 GMT

We got the news today that the 4th student in our county committed suicide this weekend.

The 4th student in a month.

The first three were boys from another school, the 4th a girl from my son's school.

In response a girl posted this on facebook today:

"i kinda wish everyone would stop assuming bullying was the reason this happened to (Name left out). did anyone think that maybe she just wasn't happy?"

I had to read this a few times. But then I started thinking about Jay Asher's book 13 Reasons Why

It was not one horrible act that caused Hannah, the main character in Jay's book, to commit suicide, it was a string of events. Events that any one of us could find ourselves a part of.

It is easy to push so much off to the bullies, and it is true they are responsible in so many ways. But, the message in Jay Asher's book, at least what I took from it...is that we are all responsible. And we are.

Stop the bullying! I agree with all my heart, but don't sit idle in the process. Go out of your comfort zone and tell someone how great they are. We might not be able to immediately control what others are doing but we have complete control over what we are doing. The easiest way to get rid of a negative is with a positive.

I wish that I could supply copies of Jay's book to every single teenager that I know, and don't.
I wish every teenager, and adult for that matter could read it, had to read it.

We need more organizations like this adding positive to deal with the negative:

To Write Love on Her Arms

Though you may not know these kids, we only know them by their names in the paper and on notes being sent home from school, send out prayers. To their families and friends, to the community, and especially to any other kids who may be considering following in their footsteps.

And most importantly, be nice to someone today. Take a minute out of your crazy, busy schedule and tell someone what a great job they are doing, how beautiful they are, that you love them, that YOU care!

SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Conference

goadingthepen — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:42:19 GMT

I was inspired, excited, and challenged...and that doesn't even include what I took home from the speakers. I love conferences because they always leave you with that drive to do more. It's like stopping at a gas station and filling up with Premium Gas!

Kathy Erskine - she was GREAT! In so many ways. There was just something in her presentation that clicked for me. Like someone finally turned a light on, my WIP became suddenly clear. (That is no small thing since I have been struggling with it for 3 years.)

Lisa Yee- Oh. My. Gosh. She is hysterical. I have never read her books but after hearing her talk I ran back and bought 4! If she writes half as well as she speaks I am in for a treat. I love her energy, her attitude and her drive.

Both Authors made this reference in almost identical words:
Writing your first draft is like barfing (I think one may have said vomiting) your entire story out on the page. You can come back and clean it up later!

And what really hit home for me was a quote by Lisa Yee:

"If you keep making excuses, it's not real enough for you yet!"

Finally I am SO thankful for friends who do not let you make excuses. Make you smile even if you only see them every few years. And make you feel like you are important. No matter who YOU are.

AND NOW I AM WRITING AN OUTLINE!!!! Ciao for now.

Writing...

goadingthepen — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:22:16 GMT

Have been absent...so it goes...and so it goes. No excuses just haven't been on.

Still writing.
Working on PB.
Turning 40 tomorrow. Hmmm.
Perhaps I will spend the day tucked away somewhere writing. Took the day off.
First things first. Must renew drivers license.

Hope all is well with you!

I can't resist!

goadingthepen — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:18:14 GMT

I think I should really avoid this blog: Princess Bookie

Not that it is bad...but she has too many of these: Re-Create a Cover Contest!

I have a hard time resisting anything that lets me play creatively in Photoshop!
So here is my entry for the current Re-Create a Cover Contest.

The Book: Denise Jaden's ~ Losing Faith (Available September 2010)

Summary: When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.

As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.

Original Cover

My Re-Cover

(This pic was two photos taken from my photo archives. The girl is my sons girlfriend, taken last summer, and the church photo is one that I took last summer when we were on a mission trip in Jamaica.)

It's Voting Time

goadingthepen — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:25:36 GMT

All the covers are up and the voting starts today for crowd favorite. (These are re-covers for Many Hubbards book You Wish. It will be out on August 5th!)

www.princessbookie.com/2010/08/voting-round-1.html

This was my entry:

As you will see there are some amazing entries though. Please stop by and VOTE for your favorite!
The top five covers will move on to the next round.

Thanks!!

Re-Do...Re-Cover

goadingthepen — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:44:01 GMT

Alright I posted a cover that I created yesterday. I rushed because there were only 20 slots available and I wanted to play! =) Today, they upped the contest to 50 slots. They also gave those of us who rushed a chance to re-do. With that in mind I went back to the original cover I was working on but didn't have time to finish.

Contest Here: http://www.princessbookie.com/2010/07/re-create-cover-contest.html

So to do it right here is Mandy Hubbard's book that will be released August 5th.

And the description as posted on Amazon:

Kayla McHenry’s sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla’s secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin’ do.
Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year’s supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla’s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend’s boyfriend.

And....Here is the cover I am entering for the contest:

The little boy is my 7 year old, the two girls are best friends. They were walking home from the Spring Dance. They stopped on a hill to play with their balloons. One of the girls has a huge crush on my son and proclaimed to the world that he was her boyfriend. The proclamation did not come without protest from him. The other one quietly smiles when she sees him and tells her mom, "He is not her boyfriend, he is my best friend."

I'm glad I got a second chance to use this one. Even if it doesn't win it was fun! And looking through old photos has invoked some great writing ideas.

Re-Create a Book Cover Contest

goadingthepen — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:59:34 GMT

I couldn't resist this one:
www.princessbookie.com/2010/07/re-create-cover-contest.html

The challenge is to re-create Mandy Hubbard's You Wish book cover. I can't wait to read this one. Here is my attempt.

The cake on the cover is a picture of a cake my husbands cousin baked for her daughter. Fun!

I was going to...

goadingthepen — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:44:01 GMT

meet up with some REALLY AWESOME authors at ALA this weekend.

Now, I am going to attend a funeral and finish getting ready for a week long mission trip to Taylorsville, North Carolina with my Senior High Youth Group. Departure time 3AM Sunday morning.

For everyone heading to D.C. this weekend for the ALA conference HAVE FUN!

If You're Interested

goadingthepen — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:45:59 GMT

I'm putting two more videos under the cut if anyone is interested. These are both on the Behind Our Eyes CD.

Shameless Mommy Bragging.

goadingthepen — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:47:34 GMT

Last night my son's HS Record Label had a CD release concert. Behind Our Eyes is the second compilation that they have released. He has 3 songs on this years release. Turbulence /Take Flight / Hopeful

This song "Times Infinity" isn't on the CD but is one of my favorites. Enjoy!
(This song was co-written with Rand Schneider - Female Vocals: Barbara Ballve)

It is very cool to see his music popping up on iTunes:

Happy Book Birthday Latteya...

goadingthepen — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:50:04 GMT

Happy Book Birthday Tara!

goadingthepen — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:33:12 GMT

I can't wait to add this to my collection!

Scrivener

goadingthepen — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:28:01 GMT

The other day I was looking for writing programs for a PC equivalent to Scrivener.
Today I convinced my son to sell me the Mac he got a few years back for $50.
Of course I paid him 4 times that! Still worth it.
He loaded Scrivener for me and brought me the computer. He even threw in a tutorial.

If you use or have used Scrivener and have any pointers they would be greatly appreciated!

Motivation In Not So Unlikely Places

goadingthepen — Sun, 16 May 2010 22:14:00 GMT

I was reminded recently, through a facebook post by kathyerskine , about an article that annemariepace wrote on her blog.
Avoiding the Wanna-Be Trap

If you haven't read it, it is well worth the read. I used to link to this article from an old critique board I ran. I had forgotten about it until Kathy posted a link to it.

Then there is this, posted today by m_stiefvater :
Maggie' Excessively Long Post on Time Management

Put them together and what you get is a swift kick in the...well you know what. It is time to stop being a wanna-be, stop making excuses and be a writer. Regardless.

So, if you are a writer than write. If you are not, then don't. Just make up your mind and do it.

I choose to be a writer, how about you?

P.S. Special thanks to kathyerskine annemariepace and m_stiefvater whether you know it or not you are a constant source of motivation and highly admired as both friends and writers!

Writing Programs

goadingthepen — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:20:30 GMT

Does anyone out there know of any good writing programs for a PC? I would love to have something comparable to Scrivener. How sad it is only on Mac. =(

Another Cool Trailer by Maggie Stiefvater

goadingthepen — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:10:15 GMT