Keep Me Accountable - the 12th day

Ack! No writing today. And, I lost some words in edits. (I edit as I go along, then go back again and edit more.)

***
Current Word Count 42,470... The goal is still the same. To finish the book!!
***

But I had an enjoyable lunch hour with a great friend. Margaret is actually my brainstorming buddy. We don't brainstorm much now, though. We don't see each other as much.

About 7 or 8 years ago, Margaret and I decided to get fit and we started walking after work. Our offices are barely a block from each other and the area is full of sidewalks in a park-like setting. When you walk with someone, you talk. The more we talked, the more I realized I missed writing. I had stopped writing when I entered high school. Traded the pen for the stage and loved every minute of drama class. Yet being an actress wasn't practical and when I met the love of my life, I decided I didn't want to go to New York or Hollywood as I planned. (Thank God!)

Anyway, Margaret and I would meet after work, walk a couple of miles, and talk up whatever story I had in my head. She was my very first reader and continues to be a person I trust with my stories, even in their young stages. She's an avid reader of more than romance, so her opinion matters a lot.

Who is your biggest supporter?

Tuesday Tip: BELONG

(this photo is from Club Getaway, a resort in Conneticut.)

Here's your tip for Tuesday. Whether you're a writer, artist or musician, it's good to have friends in the business. These friends seem to always filter into our "normal" lives which is a good thing. When you're serious about a dream, you can't help for the worlds to collide.

Once I started interacting with others in my writing groups both in person and on Internet loops and blogs, I began to understand the business better. My perspective changed.

When I talk about friends in the business, I don't mean that these friends help you further your career. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't look at having these friends for that purpose. And usually, your "friends" can't do anything for your career. It's up to you to do that.

Friends in the business understand you. They understand your struggle with finding time to hone your craft. They understand how difficult it is to find a balance with day-to-day activities and the things you'd rather be doing - like writing or painting or working on lyrics for a new song. As far as writing friends are concerned, I know people I can call to help me pull together a proposal. I have a group of dedicated friends who are there to give me advice, pick me up when I'm rejected, and pray for me through it all.

I received an email from one of my critique partners yesterday. In it, she was thanking me for looking over her latest chapters but she also told me what she hoped to accomplish that day. She also shared that she may be just a few chapters away from finishing her manuscript. I was happy to read about her progress, but in turn, it helped me remember I have a manuscript to work on too. Reading about her progress gave me the nudge I needed to hurry and work on my WIP this morning.

After I've attended a writer's meeting, I'm always inspired. It's fun to share experiences with people who are on the same road you're on. It's a boost to hear from published authors who've been in your shoes and are walking on the next level. Some are published, some are very close.

I'm a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and their local chapters. I'm on an email loop through ACFW where writers across the country post questions and updates. There is usually some bit of information that is helpful. From RWA, I receive a quarterly magazine that gives updates in the business and articles on the craft of writing.



Beyond writing, there are groups everywhere. You may belong to a book club, a quilter's club, a Bridge club. You may be a Star Trek fan and go to the conventions I've heard about.



Even my husband belongs to a club made up of folks who love to fish. They have an Internet forum and share advice about good fishing holes and tips on catching the big one. Their all striving for the same goal and I'm sure they grow in their abilities by learning from others.



Do you have a hobby or an interest beyond your family and 9-5 job? I'd love to hear about it. Have you found your interests and your family life mesh from time to time?

Maggie Awards, Saturday October 3, 2009

The Georgia Romance Writers held their Moonlight & Magnolias Conference this weekend and Saturday night was the Maggie awards.

A very special treat for me... my hubby came along as my date. Here we are before the Awards Ceremony.

And here are the results:

1st Place ~ Keli Gwyn, Violets & Violins

Kelli was in California and unable to attend the Maggies. She gave a wonderful acceptance speech from her cell phone, while our own GRW member, Walt, held the phone to the microphone. If I'd been using my head, I would have taken a picture of Walt holding the phone to the mic!

Congratulations, Kelli! I know we've seen you visit the FAITH blog in the past! We're celebrating with you!

2nd Place ~ Christine Johnson, The Aviatrix

3rd Place ~ Belinda Peterson, Dreaming of You


Look how beautiful she looks!!! Lindi is such a wonderful encourager! I will never forget my second GRW meeting (the first had been about 2-3 years earlier and I'd been too afraid to return until 2006). I sat down beside Lindi and she made me feel like we'd been friends forever. And then she introduced me to Missy, another great encourager, and ACFW... The rest is history. Congratulations, my friend!


4th Place ~ Cara Slaughter, Love on Assignment


Honorable Mention
~ Christy LaShea, The Bridge Between
~ Dianna Shuford, Racing Against Time

~ I was honored to have tied with my critique partner.

It was an honor to have been a Maggie finalist, especially with these two great ladies!

What are you celebrating? I'd love to learn about it and celebrate with you!

The Lemonade Stand Award

Angela Breidenbach nominated me for the Lemonade Stand Award. Thank you so much Angie! Now it is my turn to nominate!

1. Post the logo on your blog
2. Nominate blogs with great gratitude/attitude
3. List and link your nominees
4. Alert them of their nomination on their blog


My nominees for The Lemonade Stand Award are (in no particular order):
Haley Padgett
Julie Padgett
Tami Brothers
Joanne Allison
Kimi Radich

Trunk or Treat - West Hall Baptist Church - Oakwood, GA

(picture courtesy of petthreads.com)















Please join us tonight at West Hall Baptist Church for our annual Trunk or Treat celebration!


We'll have a fun house, candy, hayride, and will show an outdoor movie "Flywheel" to conclude our fun festivities.

Trunk or Treat starts at 6pm.

West Hall Baptist Church is located at 5314 McEver Rd Oakwood, GA 30566
Phone (770) 532-9537
Get directions here.

ACFW Conference 2008 - Wednesday!

I flew into Minneapolis around 5:30. I wasn't alone for long. There were a lot of ACFW folks waiting for the hotel shuttle. Once we settled in at the hotel, a group of about 15-20 of us invaded the Olive Garden for dinner...


Here's two of my good friends, Amy Wallace(Author of Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises) and F.A.I.T.H. girl, Jennifer Hudson Taylor




And here's my roomie, and fellow F.A.I.T.H. Girl Mindy Obenhaus with new CBA author Beth Wiseman (Author of Plain Perfect)




And with F.A.I.T.H. Girl Angie Breidenbach is her Agent Tamela Hancock Murray.




Texas Ladies Anne, Dawn and Lena Nelson Dooley (Multipubbed author of more books than I have room to mention here!) share a delicious Gelato!



And here's the whole gang! I know the good people of Olive Garden were glad when all of us chatty authors left. But we had a great time. If you're ever in Minneapolis, visit the Olive Garden not far from the Sheraton. Don't ask me how to get there. I couldn't begin to tell you....But we sure had fun!

Beautiful, heartbreaking, forever-fighting...

This is a biomedical mom.

My friend Therese told me about her website a few months ago. Procrastinator that I am, I put it off. I would forget, or email bogged me down, or there was always something going on.

Tonight I am online going from one site to the next and I decide to visit this website. Biomedicalmom. Therese is an intelligent woman, a stay at home mom who reluctantly accepted that position. She has two beautiful children. Her oldest has Autism.

I spent Sunday evening at a birthday party for Therese's youngest. Sawyer turned 2 and her older brother Parker was surrounded by all girls. He didn't care. He wanted Sawyer's birthday card and in the end, got one of his own. There were seven kids there, ranging from 10 years to 2.
At one time they found Parker's sauna and decided it made a pretty cool doll house.

The kids didn't care that Parker and Quince have Autism.

But as I hung out with the adults and heard two mom's sharing stories about the response they received from parents, at school, at church, I was upset and amazed.

I suppose I expect everyone to do the right thing. To act in a mature manner. I don't like to think about the fact that adults will keep their kids away from other kids. If they have a learning disability, they may be toxic to their kids, right?

Wrong.

How we act in grade school, how we treat others in high school, isn't always a far cry from the way we treat others as adults.

I am blessed to have a daughter who is typical.

But I am even more blessed to have such a wonderful friend who has such precious children. These are kids that my daughter calls "friend."

If you'd like to learn more about Therese and her family, and being a biomedical mom, visit her site. Sign her guest book and tell her how you learned about her. I can't wait to see her smile!