Guess What I Found?

Laura Howard is about to release her debut novel "The Forgotten Ones" on May 15, 2013 and I am one of the fortunate ones to recieve an early viewing.  *does the happy dance*

By the looks over the cover I was sure I was going to go down a journey of love, you know what I mean.  Woman falls for Man, Man is pig, Man changes ways and Woman changes Man, they live forever...yada, yada, yada....WRONG!  Not by any twist of the imagination are you going to find that tired line in this book.  The Forgotten Ones is a breath of fresh air as it walks that slim line between romance and fantasy.  I would urge you to pick this up and enjoy a quiet afternoon relaxing while taking the journey Ms. Howard has painted with her words. 

In fact this book is more about finding your roots, finding love, finding courage, and finding out about life!  You can't put this book into any one category. 

I am willing to tell you that this mom of four New Hampshire resident knows how to spin a tale, and when I came to the end of the tale I was ready to go hunt  down said New Englander so I can get a glimpse of book two.  If you have the chance you should check out her bio page on Goodreads.  

Good job, Laura!  I can't wait to read more about Allison and her journey of discovery!!  

I forgot to update everyone!!  I am having a drawing for my new book "The House"! Yup, just to go my Facebook page, like the page and click the blue Giveaway button on the top.  The Drawing will end on the last day of the mont.  On 5/1 I will annouce the winner!  *facepalm* HOW EASY IS THAT?  LOL...ok, ok....enough already.  Have a great Saturday! 

Ice Cream..............

First and foremost I want to say my prayers and heartfelt sympathies go out for those in Boston, Mass and West, Texas!  

Now, I want to touch on those who find excuses.  Yup, that is my post today.  I am sick of hearing the excuses.

"I can't because..." and then some lame excuse flows out of their mouth.  I want to shake them, rattle their brains and make them see the only person holding them back is themselves!  Really, it's true.

Think of it this way.  You want something say...an ice cream, just for example.  The ice cream mans truck comes through the neighborhood and you don't make it in time but there is a mini market say a couple of miles down the road.  You really want that ice cream but it's too late since the ice cream man has already come and gone while you were counting your change out. You can whine about the ice cream man leaving before you could get out there or you can put on your shoes and walk a couple miles down the road and get yourself the ice cream that is just as good if not better than what you could have gotten from the ice cream man at the same price. What am I hearing?  Oh, sorry still hearing the whining about being left behind by the ice cream man instead of DOING something about it. Right!  Ok, now let that go, we are now moving on...

Yes, you heard me. That is what I said.  STOP whining.  Why not just suck it up and take plan B? Because that requires WORK!  OMG!!  Yes, real honest to goodness work.  Which to me makes the ice cream that much sweeter, tastier and colder.  However, that isn't what some in the younger generation wants. For some reason they believe that it should be handed to them gift wrapped with a bow and a pony. 

You know it's true.  Why bother to fight it?

The million dollar question is how do we fix it?  We make them work for the ice cream.  Nope, sorry we don't do short cuts.  Work for it.  Take the walk.  Where there is a will there is a way!  You want that creamy cold goodness then you will put your shoes on and you will take the first step.  You will travel those miles and that will make it more sweeter for you, more refreshing, and more satisfying.  

How do we make them work for it?  We don't just give in and give it to them.  Sorry, no I will not chase down the ice cream man and demand he comes back to you.  I will walk with you.  I will cheer you on.  I will ENCOURAGE you, but I will not do it for you.  

So how does this work into writing?  I am so glad you asked.  I have younger people ask questions in groups I belong to all the time.  I love the questions.  I love their thirst for knowledge, but I refuse to just give an answer.  I answer their questions with questions.  I want them to think.  I give them pebbles of knowledge and urge them to chase down those pebbles and make them become rocks, then boulders and finally it's their knowledge.  They worked to find it and that means they will treasure it.  They will remember it.  They will USE it! That is the goal. 

We need those who are willing to work to answer their own questions. Find and treasure those answers, expand upon them, use them and make them their own.  Encourage the younger generation to chase their dreams.  Let them know that they have to work to find the answer but that answer...oh, that answer is well worth it.  How sweet when they come back triumphantly waving that knowledge, sharing it with others that they..THEY found it!  

We need that not just here in America, we need it all over the world.  The independance, the intelligence, the self confidence that they can DO it.  They don't need anyone to hold their hand, they can REASON out a solution, find the answer and grasp that knowledge triumphantly!  We need to allow our younger generations to break sterotypes,  seek out and learn the truth behind everything and everyone.

We don't just need that for ice cream.  We don't just need those truth seekers for future authors.   We need those truth seekers, those hard workers, those self confident individuals in every single aspect of the world today.  If we don't have them I worry what will happen to us when the zombies take over and humanity must fight for life and to rebuild the world again.

Can't is NOT in my Vocabulary!!

I can not stand the word "can't".  I had a discussion today with my son, who happens to be 19 and about ready to graduate high school.   It seems his phrase of the day lately is "I can't...."  Doesn't matter what it is that is what comes up.

I am fed up with hearing that word.  Anybody who says it needs to suck it up.  Remember YOU CAN!  Who says you can't?  People who choose to not do something.  

I live by a few simple rules and one of them is "Where there is a will there is a way!"  If I had listened to everyone out there who said I can't  I would have never done the following:

1. Had a child.  Doctors said I couldn't carry.  Guess what I can prove I could and I did.  I love him and he is my proof of I CAN! (That isn't why I had him, but he is still proof! LOL)
2. Publish a book.  Nobody but 2 people said I could.  Everyone else in my life had no faith in me.  Guess what I have not one but 4 out there to prove I can.  I also happen to think (with a few others by the way) that I am pretty darn good at it.
3. Moved from Nevada to the East Coast.  Yup, I was told I can't.  Guess what?  I don't live in Nevada.  Guess I can!
4. Made management at my last job.  Yup, I was told I couldn't.  Guess what, I did.  And I think most of my employees would tell you (and fellow managers) that I was pretty darn good at that too.  

and the list goes on and on....

I think the point of this is only those who want an EXCUSE not to do something uses that word.  If you want to write and publish a book.  YOU CAN!  If you want to walk across the US or whatever country you live in YOU CAN!  If you want to make a music video, be a singer...whatever you want to do, YOU CAN DO IT!  Don't talk about it, don't think about it, just DO IT!  YOU CAN!! 

It seems that many of the younger generations have forgotten that or maybe they were never taught.  Why?  I don't know.  It seems they have lost their will to achieve anything in their life. I hear nothing but excuses.  YOU CAN DO IT!  YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR IT! 

Then again maybe I am being too hard on the younger generation, but I can say that from some of the kids my son has made friends with...*shudders*  I am afraid to grow old.  I don't want these people running my country and taking care of me in a nursing home.  *stops in thought* No, I am not being too hard on them.  They are being TOO EASY on themselves!   

It's time to take control of your destiny!  It's time to do whatever you desire (within reason.  No crimes, please, something productive!).  Write and publish that book.  Go to College.  Be a productive member of society.  Be kind to your fellow man.  Most importantly, when someone tells you that you CAN'T, remember YOU CAN!! 

Me + Twitter = Confused, Confused, Confused!!!

Wow!  I looked at my twitter account and I have 41 followers. LOL  Pretty good for making like maybe 5 retweets or tweets in the last few days.

Let me tell you, I had to resort to asking my 19 year old son how to use the darn thing.  No joke.  I am just not as young and hip as I used to be.  I have found this out the hard way!

Our conversations go something like this:

Me:  What does the hashtag thing work?
Son:  *heavy sigh*  Really?  Ok, so (and then I fade out and hear) blah blah blah....are you listening to me?
Me:  Yes, of course.
Son:  So what did I just say?
Me giving him a blank look
Son: See!  Now pay attention.  It's not that hard.
Me:  eyes roll into the back of my head
Son:  Just give me your laptop. *sigh*  What did you want to say?
Me: I don't know....
Son gets up and leaves the room with no further conversation.
Me calling out sadly:  No, please don't go...I am so confused!
Son:  Later Mom.
Me: *heavy sigh*

So I may have figured out how to set the darn thing up, figured out what some of it is but ya know, the rest of it confuses me.  

Not just confusion, major loss.  I stare blankly and read other's tweets all the while chuckling at what they are saying, clicking their links and then thinking to myself 'Why can't I do this?'  So I have determined that it's not my age (a very young 40ish) it's my mind.  Twitter does not seem as straight forward to me as say Facebook was or myspace *yes, I still cruise around there sometimes* .  I don't understand the rules.  I have found some awesome articles that direct me on proper usage, how to get peoples attention. 

One article by Derek Halpern tells me that I should be funny or informative.  I cock my head to the side and become thoughtful.  Me...funny?  Hummm, is that possible.  I am not seeing that.  My confusion about some of the "simple" things in life that my son finds amusing when I take them on others probably would not.

So what was the other article you ask?  Oh, that helpful nugget was written by Michael Hyatt and where I find his article a source of inspiration I wonder if this will ever sink in?  He says "link with others" which I take to share with the world and the world will be interested in sharing with you.  With those I follow and that is many (not nearly as many as some I have noticed!), I see they like to share.  I have no problem enjoying their posts.  Would they really want to read about my struggle with twitter?

I don't know but I suppose we are about to find out.  I am going back to study their articles again. *raises glass of coke* Here's to teaching this well aged dog new tricks.

*calls out* Son, Son, how do I post this on twitter again???

Why do I do it?

I woke up this morning wondering why?  Why do I write? What propels me to put my thoughts out there for everyone to see.  Some view them kindly, others are critics. Why?  Since I agonize so much over the reviews of my critics, why not just stop?


I can't.  I can't stop telling my story and this is why.

I want you to see what I see.  I want you to feel what I feel.  I want the world to have the option of a mind vacation (which is what I see a good book or story as being).   I want those words to sensuously wrap themselves around you, titillate your senses and make you gasp with surprise, squeal in delight, smile with warmth, cringe in horror, or simply to bask in the warmth of love.  I want to take you on a roller coaster ride of emotion.

I want you to visit those places that inhabit my mind.  Those places I visit often during the day for a mini escape.  I want you to see the sandy  barren escape of my childhood home in Nevada, which is partially why I wrote Nevada Free.  I want you to see the tiny town of Misplaced Legends, the location of my book Misplaced Legends, that I have filled with mystical creatures of all kinds that I built in my mind after wandering through Wyoming briefly many years ago.  I want you to shudder with the coming of the mist, the sky darkening with me as the ghosts come to visit as they do in "The House" (due out in a couple of weeks).  

I write to offer an escape, a mini vacation.  I do not write for fame or fortune, I leave that to the big name authors.  I do write so that someone out there is inspired.

Yes, INSPIRED to pick up my book and smile.  Or to read and say "If that 40ish, but very young looking 40ish, woman can do this and self publish, I CAN TO!". 

I write, my friends, followers, loved ones, and in spite of my critics because I do.