When Anxiety Strikes

Tags

anxiety, losing focus, stress, vacations, visitors, writing

I can feel it. Panic. Stress. Nervousness settles in my bones, making my mind whir.

It happens.

I can tell you why. Today is June 30th. HOW DID IT GET TO BE THE LAST DAY OF JUNE? July is going to be a whiz-bang of a month.

My sister, her hubs, and their two fabulous girls are coming to visit on Thursday! They live six hours away, so this is good. I am excited! There will be 4th of July fireworks, a trip to the zoo, and laser tag to celebrate my son’s 13th (yes, teenager, *hyperventilates*) birthday. There will be water balloons and hopefully swimming in our pool (if I can whip it into shape). Before the fun. the work lurks. Cleaning. Meal planning and shopping (and pool cleaning). BWAAAAAHHHH! *flails* What if I can’t get it done, what if the house isn’t clean, WHAT IF?

Breathe.

So our visitors leave on Tuesday the 8th. BUT WAIT! We leave for vacation bright and early on the 10th! And not just any vaca, dear readers, a long 12 days filled withdriving, hiking, and camping in Yellowstone! Eeeek! It will be so fun. But first, I have to find and assemble all the camping gear, clothes, food and get it packed in the truck. And hubs will be gone … GONE IN ANOTHER STATE… for the two days before we leave. Ug. Understand, until we drive off in the car, I will hold in my panic at leaving and thinking… we should stay home, home is good, we can stay.

I question why I opened the pool. Really, we could have just left that drama out of the equation. Some of you might get the stress of an above-ground pool. In the past, I have had little luck balancing chemicals in this sucker. So I am not confident in my attempt. But I will try because pools are fun! If I keep saying it I will believe it.

Amidst this pressure, I find me slipping away. I lose who I am and who I am striving to be when anxiety hits. I give up on workouts because I can’t focus. I start to eat whatever because I just don’t care. I don’t write because… that focus thing. Why do I let stress steal my power?

I DON’T KNOW! All I know is that I am constantly wondering what I am forgetting, what I should be doing, which means I fall further behind.

I will get VERY LITTLE writing done in July. I will work on edits for Reuts’ anthology. Hopefully I will blog a couple of times. And this is frustrating because I am close to having Doors ready to query. AND I WANT TO QUERY IT!

Breathe again.

I want to workout, write, be me, but anxiety takes it away. Take me out of my comfortable rut and I FREAK OUT.

So…

Let it go. Right? Get done what I can get done and forget the rest. If there isn’t enough food? Go to the store. If my house isn’t spotless? Who cares? So I miss workouts. I do a bit of stress eating. I obsess over the pool. And the words will be there when I get home. July will be fun-filled! My sister is coming! I’m going on vacation!

But still I wonder … aren’t I supposed to be doing something?

*flails* *runs hither and yon*

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When Everyone Else Jumps Off a Bridge …

Tags

books, cancer, change, death, fear, John Green, living, love, The Fault in Our Stars, thoughts, trying new things

Soooo … every once in a while, I’ll go see a movie or read a book because EVERYONE ELSE DID AND THEY CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!

Sometimes this backfires *cough*Twilight*cough* … other times it leads me down a path I never would have traveled. A marvelous path.

John Green’s ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ followed me home from the store one day because everyone was loving it. And I had to see what all the fuss was about. Now, let’s be honest. This is not the type of book I would choose. There is no magic, no ghosts, no demons, no fairies … no paranormal creepy, horror strangeness. And I like dark evil wrapped up in words.

And there is cancer. Since my sister’s battle with breast cancer two years ago that word causes fear and tears.

But, I had to see!

I finished the book. Today.

And wow. Just wow. I gave it a short, simple five star review, which is odd for me. I reserve those five stars for books that leave me changed, that wind through my soul and dig their emotions into my being, that give me a different view of the world.

What is that meaningful wisdom I scooped up? I suppose everyone takes something different from books. It’s art, that’s the way it should be.

Like most people, I am afraid of death. I do believe in that ‘capitol S-Something’. There is more to the universe than our limited existence. But what waits for us after we die? I don’t know and that unknown is what makes me shudder. Hazel showed me that maybe it’s not about fearing what happens to us when we die, but what happens to those we love. Will they go on and be the best possible them? Will they carry the memory of us as they live their lives to the fullest? They better.

And dear Augustus offered his view of life. We can’t make choices based in fear only in love. Never be afraid to love something because it will fade, because you might lose it. Love is never lost and it never fades.

Live your life knowing fear is not real, but love is forever.

“I do, Augustus. I do.” ~ Hazel in ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ by John Green

I love it when I find a book like this. I have found a few. And thanks to the masses, ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ is among them. I climbed out of my rut and read something different. Holy wow, maybe I’m not a hermit. Well … maybe.

Any books out there that touched you? If you’ve read TFIOS, what did you take from its pages?

 

The Magic of Who You’ve Been

Tags

being yourself, embrace the past, fond memories, kids, past, teens, thoughts, truth

So … I have an addiction to Facebook quizzes.

Do I want to know which character from Lord of the Rings I would be?

Do I want to know which type of book I would be?

Do I want to know in which fictional world I should live?

YES!

Why not? It’s fun. And some of them are semi-scarily-accurate.

Recently I took a quiz to see if the masterminds behind these quizzes could guess my age.

They said I was 29. 29! Ooooh!

For the record I am 41.

Oh, so long ago, I turned 29 on December 31st, 2001. Let’s see …

Hubs and I had bought a new house a month before. Ug. Two mortgages. And we were deep into remodeling so we could move in. Because when we bought it … ew.

I had no idea I wanted to be a writer.

My son was a week shy of being six months old. So I had just begun my life as stay-at-home mom and had not a clue what to do with the little bugger.

Weeks before, I had discovered that I was pregnant. Surprise! Not planned. I cried. For. Weeks.

So I was a bit stressed.

When I look back on that person, I cringe, I sigh. You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to being her. Heck no amount of money would get me to travel back to any period of my life. Awkward, shy teen-me with all her self-worth issues (some of which I still battle). Newly-married-scared-lost-me, who went a few rounds with depression. New-mom-me who stared at her kids and prayed to survive. The me who wet the bed until 11. The twenty-something-me who never told anyone what she really thought because they’d think she was crazy.

My kids roll their eyes whenever I tell them a story about when they were little, point out a cute cartoon they used to love, or pick up a once favorite book. Do they want that part of them to have never existed? Maybe. So I tell them to always accept who they were, where they have been, what they loved because that made them who they are. Never be ashamed of past you. Ever.

I embrace past-mes, making me who I am today. The most awesome-est version. Okay, possibly I exaggerate.

I am a work in progress. Always. Forever. I search for experiences to learn and grow.

What will 50-year-old-me think of 40-something-me? Don’t ask her. I don’t want to know yet.

Deep down, my core remains constant, the truth of me that I believe has always been and will always be there. Through all the changes, my truth doesn’t waver.

Everyone. All together. Give past-yous a hug. We needed them.

Any age, dear visitors, that you care to remember fondly … or not so fondly?

I Like it Here

Tags

babies, fears, flaws, Harry Potter, Me, self-love, teaching, thoughts, worries

Today is one of those days when I stare at my blog and hope for a bit of magic. Presto. Poof! A blog post!

*waits* *nods off*

Well. It seems the faeries have left the area and taken their dust … leaving the magic of me.

Let’s face it, I’m not the most spectacular specimen of wacky fun. Mostly I don’t leave my house. Heck, I rarely leave my couch. I like it here.

Here are some fun facts about me.

1) I worked as a lifeguard and swim teacher for my high school and college years. I taught many kids (and a few adults) the joy of the water. I love the water. I love swimming. My sisters and I used to live in our backyard pool each summer. Mom called us fish and would check us for gills. My mom doesn’t swim so she vowed that her kids would be able to. Swimming lessons were an integral part of summer vacation.

I was pretty darn good at it. Kids like me. The silliness that fell from my mouth tended to entertain them (and their parents).

Kid: Kathy, the pool is REALLY hot today!

Me: Well, yes, we’re making kid soup today.

Now, most kids would giggle. A few would completely ignore me. But there was always one or two who would gaze at me in terror. My sarcasm didn’t compute.

Each one made me smile. Each one holding something special, just theirs, to use to make the world better. Do any of them remember me? Did any of them go on to become swimming stars or teach lessons? I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. I hope I gave them a bit of fun, imparted a bit of wisdom.

2) I have a collection of replica Harry Potter wands. Eighteen of them. And I have my own from Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They are mounted on my wall, accented with HP movie tickets, house crests ornaments, my Hogwarts acceptance letter (THANKS TANA!) and my 3-D glasses from seeing The Deathly Hallows Part 2 at midnight with my sisters. Harry Potter nerd!

3) I worry about what people think about me. I am afraid people are ‘just being nice so I will go away’. Don’t compliment me. I can’t deal with it. My brain might explode.

4) Dolls scare me. They look at me. Ever since the movie Poltergeist … well, yeah. That and a nightmare I had when a group of dolls came after me and dragged me down the stairs. *shudder*

5) I am not a baby person. I don’t need to hold them. I don’t think they’re cute. I had two kids and desperately wanted the baby phase to be over. Heck the toddler phase wasn’t much better. I am happy I still have hair … my sanity, however, is questionable. Bring me your five-year-olds and up. Believe it or not, I like teenagers more than babies.

There is a bit more about me. Too much? Maybe. But I like it here … being me. Everyone should love themselves. All the quirks and flaws. You’re the only you the world gets … SO BE AWESOME!

Now I bow out gracefully. *trips and falls*

 

Pacing, Squealing, Stalking

Tags

acceptance, editors, life of a writer, rejection, revisions, thoughts, waiting, writing

Ah, the magic of waiting, of biting your fingernails, of right at the edge of stepping into a dream!

Writing means rejection. Believe me, I’ve seen plenty of those. They hurt. They cause sobbing, self-doubt, and overall panic.

But, there is another side of writing. Acceptance. It’s a little harder to find, but will cause ear-splitting screaming.

Last November, I entered a short story contest ProjectREUTSway put on by Reuts Publications because it sounded like fun. Take a fairy tale twist it, crumple it up, add some strange paranormal element and BAM! awesomeness. I needed a break from all my revisions. I wanted to write, new stuff, weird, scary, creepy stuff. So for four weeks, I read the assignment on Sunday, wrote something, and send it in by Thursday. Then I waited for Saturday when Reuts would post top looks, excerpts from their favorites from that week. I waited with my heart in my throat.

I was doing it for fun! Except I wasn’t. The prize called me. Those top look spots haunted me. At the end of the contest, winners would be chosen … those stories would get a spot in an anthology. I wanted to be published. I WANTED IT SO BAD.

Well, week three an excerpt from my story appeared on top looks. I screamed. I cried. I celebrated with my Twitter friends.

When the contest was over, I waited for what seemed like forever for the list of winners. A list of authors whose stories had been chosen as winners to be in the anthology or runners up to be posted on Reuts’ blog.

I WAS ON THE LIST! I screamed. I cried. My entire body shook with excitement.

But it wasn’t enough to be on the list. I needed to know how many of my stories had been chosen and for what … the anthology, the blog. AH! I waited another month for the list of stories to appear.

I wanted … I NEEDED at least one of my stories to be in the book. (pretty much like EVERYONE else)

The morning of the announcement, I thought I was going to puke … or have a heart attack. I hadn’t slept well the night before, I couldn’t focus. It wasn’t just me, right … all my Reutser friends? When the post went up, I stared at it, afraid to look. Not looking meant not knowing and that allowed hope to live. If my stories weren’t chosen to be in the anthology, that was okay. Right?

No.

So I looked. I held my breath. I pushed aside my nerves.

Two of my stories were chosen as winners. One was chosen as a runner-up … which was just posted on the PRW Runner-up tour last week http://blog.reuts.com/prw-runner-tour-liar-liar-kathleen-palm/. EEEEEKK!If you heard screaming on the final day of January. It was me.

Even more exciting, last week I received e-mails giving me the name of the editors I will be working with to make my stories awesome. So I keep running over to my Google Drive to look at my words waiting for comments. Nothing yet. I am so flippin’ excited! I can’t even … *flails*

Anyway, what about that fourth story I wrote? I revised it with the help of my fabulous CP Elsie Elmore   (http://elsieelmore.com/  and @ElsieWriter on Twitter) and sent it to a magazine. Fingers crossed, kids. I should hear from them next month … maybe. Hopefully.

So I wait. Someone should have warned me about all this insanity-causing waiting before I joined the club. Seriously. *headdesk*

But we submit. We wait. Because we write. Sharing the words is important. *high five*

Even though this post is all about me … that’s all I got, people … so many of us have these stories. The tales of triumph, tales of heartbreak, tales of thinking your head will explode with all the wondering and panicking. The life of a writer. Who would do this to themselves?

Anyone want to play a game? I have Dr. Who Monopoly and HP Clue.

Hangovers … No, not THAT Kind.

Tags

amusement parks, Cedar Point, Disney World, family, memories, roller coasters, thoughts, thrills

My head is buzzing. My body tired.

I am suffering … okay, not really.

Roller coaster hangovers. They exist, reminding of a glorious day at an amusement park.

Let’s travel back in time. A long time ago, in a city far, far away, I rode my first roller coaster at the Heart of Illinois Fair. You know the type, up, down, round and round and done. It was awesome. And my roller coaster journey began. My dad loves these monsters. A long time ago they were wooden beasts that clacked and clanked and whooshed. Now with the help of computers and brain-numbing mathematical genius they soar to great heights and unimaginable speeds on metal rails of fury. They roar with a life all their own, they gaze at you with menacing eyes, challenging you to ride on. The moment when you float above your seat when you reach the top of a hill before rushing back down … the moment when you peer over the top of a hill and can’t see the track … the wind against your cheeks … the bugs in your eyes …

Through out my childhood, we visited amusement parks … not often, these were special occasions, demanding that we arrive at the park before it opened and stay until it closed … in between those hours lived the magic of riding. Ride after ride, hurrying from line to line, never stopping.

Six Flags, St. Louis … Valley Fair in MN. … Disneyland … Disney World … Universal Studios … and Cedar Point hold fond memories for me.

Have I been to every park? No. But I have been on some super rides. Fast. High. Upside down. Twisty-turny awesome. I am a rider. And I thank my dad for passing on this love, passion, obsession.

Some of my fondest memories of my dad are from amusement parks, endlessly riding. Two years ago, my mom and dad went with us to Disney World and Universal. My dad witnessed my two kids’ experience their first ride and fall in love with roller coasters. My heart nearly exploded with joy. Seriously … *sniff*

Earlier this week, my parents drove the five and a half hours to visit us. Last Tuesday, my dad, my kids, and I (my mom does NOT ride those ‘awful machines’ and my hubs gets a headache after too much amusement park fun) drove the two and a half hours to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. We arrived when the park opened and rode coasters until the park closed.

AHHHHHH! WHAT A GREATABULOUSLYFANTASTICALLYMAGICAL DAY! *flails* I RODE THE MAVERICK FIVE TIMES … FIVE TIMES! (and happily picked a bug from out of my teeth!) AND IF YOU HAVEN’T RODE THE GATEKEEPER IN THE VERY FIRST SEAT … YOU HAVEN’T LIVED. Twenty-four rides that day, kids. *collapses*

*waves from the floor*

I love the magic of speed, the twists, the loops. YES! But the metal monsters don’t just offer the thrill of being shot forward at 120 miles/hour, being flipped upside down, or a two hundred foot drop. They bond us together with fun. My kids will have memories of riding coasters with my dad and me, and, hopefully, they will look back on these days with as much fondness as I remember riding with my dad and sister.

What brings tears of joy to your eyes?  What memories do you treasure and how do you pass those on? Any riders out there? Can I get a WOO HOO?

 

Let’s Talk about Sex … YA Style

Tags

fantasy, reality, relationships, romance, sex, teens, thoughts, writing, YA

*climbs on soap box* *clears throat*

A recent blog post sent my mind spinning. Because it hit so close to the mark of what has been bothering me and the portrayal of sex and relationships in YA books. http://yatopia.blogspot.com/2014/05/lets-talk-about-sex-in-on-screen-ya.html Go read it, I’ll give you a sec.

Does sex and relationships belong in YA?

Yes. It is a part of the life of teens. It is part of the transformation into adulthood. Teens make personal connections, find relationships, explore new emotions. IT’S THRILLING … IT’S MIND-BOGGLING … IT’S WEIRD!

YA writers should stay true to the teen experience.

As a teen, do I remember lusty nights where some hot, muscled guy ripped my clothes off?

Ummmm … No. I remember being so nervous I thought I’d puke. I remember my brain spinning do fast, I thought I’d explode. I remember not having a clue!

Are adult fantasies creeping into the books? I don’t know. Maybe.

As a teen, sex is exciting, but SCARY! It’s a big deal. The anxiety! The fear! The self-doubt! Why have I not read books linking those feelings to sex? Personally, I like to stay away from the romance-y stuff. When I come across a lusty scene in a book, I cringe, I curl up inside of myself hoping it will go away. It doesn’t feel real to me. It feels like a fantasy.

Should we show teens these sexual fantasies that, when they grow up, don’t exist? Or if they do, I’ve never discovered them. Possibly, I’m sheltered, naive … so be it. But I want teens to relate to sex as a real, scary, but incredibly exciting experience – a marvelous connection between two people.

When these kids grow up and become adults (whatever that means) there are plenty of books out there where they can dream of sexual fantasies with hot, muscled men and gorgeous women. For now, I want to give them reality … well, reality with a whole lot of weird like magic and faeries thrown in, but reality. I want them to revel in the awkward. I want them to relate to the confusion and self-doubt. I want them to know that all those crazy, new feelings are okay … they’re real.

And it’s awesome.

So consider sex and relationships. Okay, romance-nuts, what do you like to see in YA? And everyone else? Are we venturing too far into fantasy land?

Lost in the Magic … Read, Revise, Repeat

Tags

critiques, focus, lost, revising, take a break, thoughts, Twitter, writing

So, I got a little lost.

Where?

In my manuscript. Yes, I’ve been writing. Revising. Editing. Deleting. Adding. Ignoring my family and workouts. Pretty much losing my mind. No worries. It happens.

My ms Doors crawls closer and closer to being ready to query. And I am READY! Until I get rejections … then I’ll rethink that. I can’t remember when I wrote the first draft. I do remember the idea popping in my head and scribbling it on a piece of paper. So long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I had a couple of first drafts in my computer … the beginning of what will be a series. Way back then, the common thought was that first-time authors would have less luck trying to query a series, so I searched the world for a stand alone idea. And it hit me … what if you could go anywhere in the universe.

What if there was a door?

Piece by piece, I uncovered the rest of the story. I exist in the belief that stories linger out in the grand space of everywhere, waiting to be found. If you are quiet, they will talk to you. If you force them into places you what them to go, they will rebel. If you open your mind all will be revealed.

So, I wrote it. Then I left it. I like to let first drafts sit in all their problems, marinate in all the plots holes and lost description. I go back, after I forget what I wrote, when the story calls to me, and its easier to find all the problems.

When I joined a writers’ group, The Summit City Scribes in Fort Wayne, IN., I bravely volunteered to read and brought the first chapter of Doors. Weeeellllll, it confused everyone. I had started it in the wrong place, I didn’t have enough world building …

RED ALERT! STEP AWAY FROM THE MS!

So I set it aside. It wasn’t ready and I had no idea what to do with it. But I didn’t fret. It would tell me what to do, eventually, so I moved on and wrote another ms.

Eventually, Doors tugged me back. I knew where to start it … I thought. Years later, I brought it back to the Scribes … no go, people.

BUT!

The comments from that critique, sent my mind spinning. After a few days, I knew where I needed to start it.

Magic has happened! Finally, I believe in it. I have done a few read-throughs and it now sits with some VERY KIND AND GENEROUS people who volunteered to read it and TELL ME ALL THE THINGS! Thank you all my Twitter friends! Seriously, if you’re a writer and haven’t found the marvelous support on Twitter … GO NOW AND FIND IT!

So, I wait. And I am not buried in words … wait … what? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW? The panic lasted for a moment, but I decided to give my brain a break. I will not think of Doors. Instead I shall run off on an exciting adventure of drawing and short stories, of critiquing for others, which is the best thing EVER.

How do you take a break? Anyone else climbing out of a sea of words?

Cupcake, anyone?

Oh My Magical Wow … Someone Mentioned Me!

Tags

acceptance, blogs, friends, honored, life, magic, The Versatile Blogger Award, thoughts, Twitter, writing

So when I first ventured into Twitter and then blogging, I decided to do it for fun. I mean if it’s not fun … why? I’m old enough to know that being yourself and being able to state your opinions is a gift. Life should be fun, exciting, full of all the happy. Share what makes you YOU and … just be.

When I suddenly had followers on Twitter, I nearly died. Why would anyone follow me? But hey, I am having fun so everyone is welcome! I began to make friends on Twitter. An e-mail popped up, saying so-and-so mentioned you on Twitter, I fell on the floor.

During Pitch Madness, I made connections. When I participated in ProjectReutsway last November, I felt as if I had been accepted into the fold.

Through Twitter I began to find blogs. And then last February, I started this one. I am new here. *waves*

I met the fabulous Debbie Vega while we entered a short story each week in November for that fantastic ProjectReutsway contest with Reuts Publishers. We laughed, we cried, we celebrated, trying to keep everyone in the mix sane. She nominated me for the Verastile Blogger Award … wait … what? Holy wow, Batman. I am completely honored. So, I need to do a few things. First …

Thanks Debbie! Go check out her blog. http://debravega.wordpress.com/ I love her focus on everything entertainment.

Second … I’d like to pass on some of my favorite blogs. I’m supposed to name 15 … let’s see …

Rena Olsen is a fabulous writer … read her latest short story Envy! http://penandmuse.com/spring-fling-envy-rena-olsen/ So good! She is always there with a smile. Follow @originallyrena on Twitter. Her blog is funtabulous. http://renaolsen.com/

Jamie Adams http://jamieadamswriting.wordpress.com/ is another Twitter friend (@Jamie_Adams22)! Her blog is honest and fun! Just a fabulous person.

TA Brock http://ta-brock.blogspot.com/ (@TA_Brock) is a fellow ProjectReutsway writer. Her book Fatal is a unique take on zombies and I really enjoyed it. She supports her writer friends and is an all around great person.

Elsie Elmore http://elsieelmore.com/ (@elsiewriter) helped me with one of my ProjectReutsway entries. Since then we have connected as CPs. What a great writer and friend. Her blog is full of inspiration and honesty, book reviews and cover reveals. I look forward to reading her upcoming book … The Undead: Playing for Keeps. I can’t wait for the cover reveal on July 23rd!

Jamie Ayres http://jamieayres.com/ blog is pretty awesome, as she’s always willing to share her thoughts and support a fellow author. You can find her on Twitter @jamiemayres and be sure to check out her books 18 Things and 18 Truths.

Judy Post http://writingmusings.com/2014/06/01/writing-time-the-illusion-of-control/ is the fearless leader of my writers’ group. If you need a kick in the pants to get writing, she’ll be happy to give it to you. Her blog is full of thoughts on writing and life. Her books are full of magic! Follow her on Twitter @judypost

Kisa Whipkey http://kisawhipkey.com/ is an editor extraordinaire, writer, and artist! Her blog has oodles of info on editing, writing, laughter, and if you need advice on writing fight scenes, she’s your girl. Find her on Twitter @kisawhipkey.

Summer Heacock’s blog http://www.fizzygrrl.com/ will make you laugh and smile with her stories of life. Find her on Twitter @Fizzygrrl.

Ami Allen-Vath http://amiallenvath.wordpress.com/ blog is one to visit. Fun and honest, you’ll get to know a great person. Follow her on Twitter @amilouiseallen.

Carrie Rubin http://carrierubin.com/ blog can flip from writing to medical, cause she’s awesome. Find her on Twitter @carrie_rubin.

Drew Hayes http://www.drewhayesnovels.com/ needs a super hero cape. He has a hand in everything. He is revealing his writing process by writing a book on his blog. He is helping authors learn the art of writing web serials. He was also a ProjectReutsway writer! He has a book coming out this July called ‘The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant’.  @DrewHayesNovels on Twitter.

Heidi Norrod http://heidinorrod.webs.com/apps/blog/ will always share a smile and teach you to laugh in a bajillion different languages. Follow her on Twitter @HRNorrod. Join her in her quest to write 10 short stories this month!

Emily Toynton (@emmyshine) http://emilytoynton.wordpress.com/ is well into her 90 day writing challenge, so go check it out.

Tanager Haemmerle (@dreamoffire) http://writingrevelations.blogspot.com/ is just a fun and magical artist and writer. She’s always off creating, so be patient with her twittering and blogging. She is a fellow ProjectReutsway illustrator!

Felicia Anderson (@fifi_the_Ninja) http://fifitheninja.wordpress.com/[/embed] is a fellow ProjectReutsway writer! Great blog and great person. I got to trade first pages with her along ago and have my fingers crossed to read her ms as a book someday.

Oh my gosh. I think that’s 15. *collapse*

Third … I am supposed to share seven things about me.

*takes a deep breath* I am really boring, so try not to fall asleep.

1) I believe in faeries. No need to clap. They’re there, existing beyond the limits of our vision. Yup. I have plans to build a faerie house.

2) My obsession with Little House on the Prairie borders on weird. I own all the books and the entire TV series on DVD. I have been to Laura and Almanzo’s house in Mansfield Mo., I STOOD WHERE LAURA STOOD! I nearly cried.

3) My BA in art sits tucked away on a shelf. I wanted to be an illustrator. With my drawing set to be published in the Reuts twisted fairy tale anthology, my dream has come true. Someday I would love to write and illustrate a book.

4) I am a stay-at-home mom of two. My son and daughter are 13 months apart and no, that wasn’t planned. And yes I nearly lost my mind during the first five years. I made it, not sure how. It’s all a big blur.

5) Where ever I go, I end up surrounded by kids. They seem to like me. I will choose to join a group of kids rather than adults. Possibly because I think more like the kids than the adults, but no one will hold that against me. Right?

6) Roller coasters rock! I will ride all day, non-stop.

7) I played the violin from 5th grade to 12th grade. I love classical music. Sitting in the middle of an orchestra playing Wagner sends tremors of joy up my spine. My music of choice is movie soundtracks … epic, powerful soundtracks. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Narnia, Indiana Jones … you get the idea.

I am completely in awe of the friends I have made on Twitter. I am shocked when I am asked to participate in blog hops and critique stories. It’s like magic. And I believe in magic.

And that’s me. Still awake?

Smiling? Yes?  Good. Life is better with smiles.