PWD? What does that stand for?
Persons with Disabilities. The abbreviation is ironic, though. The idea was to stop using labels and start using "people" first. The initials have a risk of becoming a label themselves.
I was part of the disability rights movement, promoting things like the. Americans with Disabilities Act, for example, before I realized I was a person with disabilities. Did you know that before the ADA was passed in 1990 it was legal in this country for a store owner to exclude a person who used a wheelchair because they took up too much room in the aisles? I went to a public meeting in Kansas City in the late 80s and heard one person after another tell of the discrimination they faced because of their disability. The ADA is a matter of equal justice for people with disabilities.
Most of my early career, like Paige's (Paige is the heroine in More Than a Job), was with people with developmental disabilities. We were working for the right of people to live in the community and not in institutions. While group homes as opposed to individual apartments are not always the best solution, sharing a house and staff can work for some folks, so that is the setting that Paige works in. I have certainly seen poor health care for people with disabilities. Some of the people you run into don't give the same level of health response, and as in the story, sometimes advocacy with them has to be pushy.
My disability is a chronic pain condition. Does it impact my life day to day? Sure. Does it keep me from living the life I want? No. You adapt, cope, figure out better ways to do things. I see that same tenacity and success to live independently in most of my friends who have disability.
The belief in the disability justice community is that every person has a right to community life and their disability is part of who they are. Think of disability as a characteristic like nationality, gender, height, weight. Each of us is different, and most of us who live long enough will experience disability at some point in their life. It is part of the whole of who we are.
Lynette Endicott, Author
Desert Breeze Publishing
"Where starting over is the path to romance".
Just Released - More than a Job
Coming August 21, 2012 - Animal Instincts
First of the Time after Time Saga with Tami Dee
Coming October 15, 2012 - Return of Joy
http://www.lynetteendicott.blogspot.com/
http://www.lynetteendicott.com/
March 7, 2012
March 6, 2012
More Than a Job -- tickle tease
-- Let's tickle your senses with this teaser --
Paige Hamilton is a survivor, forced into seeking a new life when her job and ten-year career end at the hands of a new company owner. Joshua Robinson, a handsome stranger, is the first to help her through that transition.
Joshua relocates to Missouri from New Mexico – at least temporarily – to help his family assimilate the newly purchased group homes. As a nurse he is uniquely qualified to examine the direct services provided to residents of the dozen locations where people with mental retardation live. His first day on the job he startles a sobbing woman in the parking lot, causing her to fall. After picking up her spilled belongings and patching up her skinned hands and knees, he is pleased that she writes her phone number on his hand.
Will Paige hate the man who cost her a job or choose to take the chance of falling in love with her rescuer?
March 5, 2012
What's Up This Week ...
Make no mistake, this is not a how to guide for dummies.
Lynette tells me that she was born in Illinois, went to college in Nebraska, moved to Kansas as a newlywed and stayed 25 years. Now she and her husband are in Fresno, CA.Oh, and while she was in Kansas she got her Masters degree from the University of San Francisco.
Lynette and I are offering a chance to win a free ebook copy of More Than a Job. The rules are simple -- visit Lynette's blog www.lynetteendicott.blogspot.com and become a follower, then leave a comment reminding Lynette that you have done so and her week of review here. Become a follower here and mention it in your comment and you are entered a second time. Easy. Lynette will assign her dog to select a winning name and the winner will be announced on Saturday, the 10th on both blogs, so be sure to check back to see if you won!
If you are reading this on your computer, Lynette can send the copy through your email and wala! You don't have to wait for the post man, you don't have to run to your favorite bookstore!
March 2, 2012
So you're wondering if you should Epublish ...
Just keep in mind that there was a time that any book not published by one of New York's big houses wasn't considered a real book either. Times are a changing folks and I'm not the only one saying so. I just have to share this with you. The following is by Gail Delaney, Editor-In-Chief of Desert Breeze Publishing (one of the up and coming Ebook publishers) in an informal discussion among authors of the publishing house.
… Mind you, there are some exceptionally successful self-published authors. Did you know Eragon -- a hugely popular YA fantasy novel -- was technically self-published? The parents of the young man who wrote it created a publishing company to produce it.
I realize as the owner of the company, some might see my view as tainted -- but remember, I was first an author with other houses.
Ebooks are your money makers. Book for book, you will make more on an ebook than a print book. That goes for traditional publishing, small press, wherever. The cost of producing an ebook is realized mostly before the book is published, and while it takes the sales of a few books to make up for the cost to the publisher it's not the same as a print book.
Print books have upfront costs, distribution costs, and manufacturing costs. The manufacturing costs hit every single book produced -- POD or not. We made the decision to keep our print prices on the lower side to encourage sales. Yes, both DBP and you make less per book, but if we SELL more books because they're more competitively priced then the bottom line is more attractive. Rather than making $1.00 a book for five books sold, you might make $.75 per book but sell twenty. You're ahead of the game.
When I tell people we publish ebooks, I never ever use phrases like "Only ebooks", "Just ebooks", etc. That diminishes the ebook. Present it from the get-go as the best possible means of reading a book and you'll convince people. "My book will be available in multiple electronic formats" sounds better than "It's an ebook."
Personally, I hardly EVER read print anymore. I find it cumbersome. And I like having a bunch of books to choose from at any given time on my iPad or Nook. And I tell people that. I tote the benefits, pluses, and reasons for ebook.
Gail R. Delaney
Editor-In-Chief
Desert Breeze Publishing
http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/
In the same discussion, an ongoing discussion I might add this from one of our most successful authors.
Stepping back from my personal opinions and feelings, to look at the industry, I see this.
Book stores wouldn't have declined if sales hadn't dropped. Thriving businesses don't usually close their doors. There were reports of reading being down, of younger people not reading.
We may look back and see that eBooks saved the print books. It could be the best thing that ever happened to books. Book stores, libraries and reading had all declined to a certain degree.
Young readers love ebooks. I know seniors who do too. And ebook sales are up and still climbing. I see this as a good thing. More people reading and individuals reading more books.
Debra Parmley
western historical romance:
Dangerous Ties, release Feb 15, 2012, Desert Breeze Publishing
A Desperate Journey, March 2009, Samhain
contemporary romance:
Aboard the Wishing Star release Oct 2012, Desert Breeze Publishing
http://www.debraparmley.com/
… Mind you, there are some exceptionally successful self-published authors. Did you know Eragon -- a hugely popular YA fantasy novel -- was technically self-published? The parents of the young man who wrote it created a publishing company to produce it.
I realize as the owner of the company, some might see my view as tainted -- but remember, I was first an author with other houses.
Ebooks are your money makers. Book for book, you will make more on an ebook than a print book. That goes for traditional publishing, small press, wherever. The cost of producing an ebook is realized mostly before the book is published, and while it takes the sales of a few books to make up for the cost to the publisher it's not the same as a print book.
Print books have upfront costs, distribution costs, and manufacturing costs. The manufacturing costs hit every single book produced -- POD or not. We made the decision to keep our print prices on the lower side to encourage sales. Yes, both DBP and you make less per book, but if we SELL more books because they're more competitively priced then the bottom line is more attractive. Rather than making $1.00 a book for five books sold, you might make $.75 per book but sell twenty. You're ahead of the game.
When I tell people we publish ebooks, I never ever use phrases like "Only ebooks", "Just ebooks", etc. That diminishes the ebook. Present it from the get-go as the best possible means of reading a book and you'll convince people. "My book will be available in multiple electronic formats" sounds better than "It's an ebook."
Personally, I hardly EVER read print anymore. I find it cumbersome. And I like having a bunch of books to choose from at any given time on my iPad or Nook. And I tell people that. I tote the benefits, pluses, and reasons for ebook.
Gail R. Delaney
Editor-In-Chief
Desert Breeze Publishing
http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/
In the same discussion, an ongoing discussion I might add this from one of our most successful authors.
Stepping back from my personal opinions and feelings, to look at the industry, I see this.
Book stores wouldn't have declined if sales hadn't dropped. Thriving businesses don't usually close their doors. There were reports of reading being down, of younger people not reading.
We may look back and see that eBooks saved the print books. It could be the best thing that ever happened to books. Book stores, libraries and reading had all declined to a certain degree.
Young readers love ebooks. I know seniors who do too. And ebook sales are up and still climbing. I see this as a good thing. More people reading and individuals reading more books.
Debra Parmley
western historical romance:
Dangerous Ties, release Feb 15, 2012, Desert Breeze Publishing
A Desperate Journey, March 2009, Samhain
contemporary romance:
Aboard the Wishing Star release Oct 2012, Desert Breeze Publishing
http://www.debraparmley.com/
March 1, 2012
Getting to know Joyce DiPastena author of Dangerous Favor
Me: So here we sit, me in my fuschia and blue and you in your fuschia and teal. Romance authors at ease.
I just have to know, since we like similiar colors, do we like similair writing background noises too? What music groups/artists blast from your CD player, if any, blast while you write?
Joyce: I can’t write to music or any noise in the background. I write my best in silence. (I guess I have enough voices going on in my head to keep me company!)
Me: Me too. I'm smiling and ask: What or who inspires you to write?
Joyce: Reading other books. I guess creativity feeds creativity.
Me: So true, Joyce why did you begin writing?
Joyce: I had this story in my head that I wanted someone to write so I could read it. I remember in college how I kept going to the bookstore and looking for that book, but none of the ones I found ever came close to the story I had in my head. I finally decided if I wanted to read that story, I’d have to write it myself. At first, I never intended to share that story with anyone, but of course, once a writer finishes a book, that almost irresistible itch to share it sets in.
Me: Tell me about your latest book, how did you come up with your premise for Dangerous Favor?
Joyce: I had a pair of secondary characters from an earlier book, two young men who were best friends, and I decided I wanted to write a dual romance for them. It’s hard to say where the premise came from beyond that. I always start with some characters who intrigue me, but I rarely know where they’re going when I begin a story. They prefer to reveal that to me along the way.
Me: For those who are not familiar with this story, would you please give us the blurb?
Joyce: Mathilde de Reivelle's father has been accused of stealing from the king, an allegation that has reduced her family to poverty. She has one chance to find and marry a man who can help her prove her father's innocence. Lord Therri, heir to a rich barony, has the wealth and connections Mathilde needs to delve into the mysteries of her father's past. Furthermore, Therri embodies all her romantic dreams.
Etienne, the younger son of a disgraced family, has neither wealth nor connections, but is smitten with Mathilde at a glance. She finds the knight intriguing, but believes he is only out to seduce her. While she seeks for a way to win Therri's attention, Etienne tricks her into granting him her favor, an embroidered white ribbon, for a tournament, setting in motion a dangerous chain reaction of events. Can Etienne save Mathilde from a nightmare from her past and prove himself the true hero of her dreams?
Me: How did you decide on the setting?
Joyce: I’ve always been fascinated with the Middle Ages, and with King Henry II of England in particular. Henry also ruled large areas of France, and when I decided I wanted to set a book during his reign, I realized that all the exciting political action was taking place in his lands in France rather than in England, so I thought that would prove a fertile playground to set my characters in.
Dangerous Favor is available right now on Amazon for $18.99. http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Favor-Joyce-DiPastena/dp/159992806X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328493177&sr=8-1 (But often it’s on sale, so check.) It should also be available soon on BarnesandNoble.com, DeseretBook.com, and in Deseret Bookstores.
Joyce Twitters
Twitter: @JoyceDiPastena
I just have to know, since we like similiar colors, do we like similair writing background noises too? What music groups/artists blast from your CD player, if any, blast while you write?
Joyce: I can’t write to music or any noise in the background. I write my best in silence. (I guess I have enough voices going on in my head to keep me company!)
Me: Me too. I'm smiling and ask: What or who inspires you to write?
Joyce: Reading other books. I guess creativity feeds creativity.
Me: So true, Joyce why did you begin writing?
Joyce: I had this story in my head that I wanted someone to write so I could read it. I remember in college how I kept going to the bookstore and looking for that book, but none of the ones I found ever came close to the story I had in my head. I finally decided if I wanted to read that story, I’d have to write it myself. At first, I never intended to share that story with anyone, but of course, once a writer finishes a book, that almost irresistible itch to share it sets in.
Joyce: I had a pair of secondary characters from an earlier book, two young men who were best friends, and I decided I wanted to write a dual romance for them. It’s hard to say where the premise came from beyond that. I always start with some characters who intrigue me, but I rarely know where they’re going when I begin a story. They prefer to reveal that to me along the way.
Me: For those who are not familiar with this story, would you please give us the blurb?
Joyce: Mathilde de Reivelle's father has been accused of stealing from the king, an allegation that has reduced her family to poverty. She has one chance to find and marry a man who can help her prove her father's innocence. Lord Therri, heir to a rich barony, has the wealth and connections Mathilde needs to delve into the mysteries of her father's past. Furthermore, Therri embodies all her romantic dreams.
Etienne, the younger son of a disgraced family, has neither wealth nor connections, but is smitten with Mathilde at a glance. She finds the knight intriguing, but believes he is only out to seduce her. While she seeks for a way to win Therri's attention, Etienne tricks her into granting him her favor, an embroidered white ribbon, for a tournament, setting in motion a dangerous chain reaction of events. Can Etienne save Mathilde from a nightmare from her past and prove himself the true hero of her dreams?
Me: How did you decide on the setting?
Joyce: I’ve always been fascinated with the Middle Ages, and with King Henry II of England in particular. Henry also ruled large areas of France, and when I decided I wanted to set a book during his reign, I realized that all the exciting political action was taking place in his lands in France rather than in England, so I thought that would prove a fertile playground to set my characters in.
Dangerous Favor is available right now on Amazon for $18.99. http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Favor-Joyce-DiPastena/dp/159992806X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328493177&sr=8-1 (But often it’s on sale, so check.) It should also be available soon on BarnesandNoble.com, DeseretBook.com, and in Deseret Bookstores.
Joyce Twitters
Twitter: @JoyceDiPastena
February 26, 2012
Joyce DiPastena's Bio
Joyce DiPastena moved from Utah to Arizona at the age of two, and grew up to be a dyed-in-the-fur desert rat. She first fell in love with the Middle Ages when she read Thomas B. Costaine’s The Conquering Family in high school. She attended the University of Arizona, where she graduated with a degree specializing in medieval history.
Joyce loves to play the piano and sing for her own amusement, and sings in her church choir. Other interests include reading, spending time with her sister, trying out new restaurants, and, unfortunately, buying new clothes. The highlight of her year is attending the Arizona Renaissance Festival, which she has not missed once in its twenty-four years of existence.
Joyce enjoys hearing from her readers and may be contacted at jdipastena@yahoo.com
You can also visit her on her website at http://www.joyce-dipastena.com/
keep up with her latest news on her JDP NEWS blog (http://jdp-news.blogspot.com/)
or follow along as she researches her novels at Medieval Research with Joyce (http://medievalresearch.blogspot.com/)
Joyce loves to play the piano and sing for her own amusement, and sings in her church choir. Other interests include reading, spending time with her sister, trying out new restaurants, and, unfortunately, buying new clothes. The highlight of her year is attending the Arizona Renaissance Festival, which she has not missed once in its twenty-four years of existence.
Joyce enjoys hearing from her readers and may be contacted at jdipastena@yahoo.com
You can also visit her on her website at http://www.joyce-dipastena.com/
keep up with her latest news on her JDP NEWS blog (http://jdp-news.blogspot.com/)
or follow along as she researches her novels at Medieval Research with Joyce (http://medievalresearch.blogspot.com/)
February 25, 2012
What's up next?
We get to meet Joyce Di pastena and find out about her latest release. I'm posting her bio tomorrow and an interview on the first of March. Don't forget to mark your calendars!
February 24, 2012
Where is Your Heart? by: Dorothy R. Crofts
also available at Barnes and Noble
February 23, 2012
Update:
My biography is posted with Desert Breeze Publishing this morning. Click on by to read it!
http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/ShaunnaGonzales/Page.bok&ct=ga&cad=CAcQARgBIAEoBDAAOABAzsKX-gRIAVgAYgVlbi1VUw&cd=U6Uk335ARkc&usg=AFQjCNEc1KItfClA7Cgmwj-JxrmN3vixGw
Really long link --- visit my author FB page for a shorter link.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Shaunna-Gonzales-Clean-Romance/230758263679200
I would love it if you decided to "like" my author page while you're there. Have a good day on me!
http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/ShaunnaGonzales/Page.bok&ct=ga&cad=CAcQARgBIAEoBDAAOABAzsKX-gRIAVgAYgVlbi1VUw&cd=U6Uk335ARkc&usg=AFQjCNEc1KItfClA7Cgmwj-JxrmN3vixGw
Really long link --- visit my author FB page for a shorter link.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Shaunna-Gonzales-Clean-Romance/230758263679200
I would love it if you decided to "like" my author page while you're there. Have a good day on me!
February 20, 2012
An Award! Why thank you.
Lynnette Endicott, a romance writer, has bestowed upon me what is called the Liebster Blog Award. What is the Liebster Blog Award?
Legend has it that The Liebster Blog Award originated in Germany. Liebster means dearest or beloved, and Liebe is love. The award is meant to encourage readership of small, lovable blogs with fewer than 200 followers. (Lovable! My blog is lovable! )
In accepting the Liebster Blog Award, the recipient agrees to thank the person who gave them the award, link back to that person's blog, a reveal five (5) snippets about themselves that readers may not know.
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Thank you to Lynette at http://lynetteendicott.blogspot.com/ for this award. It is nice to be acknowledged by ones peers. Visit Lynnette and become one of her followers, especially if you like clean reads!
Now I get to tell you 5 things about myself Hummm...
1) Although I am mobile (that means walking, not in a wheelchair or scooter), I've had Multiple Sclerosis for most of my life (first onset at age nineteen.)
2) My hubby and I will celebrate our 27th anniversary this May.
3) I am the mother of four beautiful children.
4) My mother's parents were both from Germany.
5) My family (mine and my hubby's) is a his and our family. His two daughters and our four children. Do I get to count three grandsons?
Legend has it that The Liebster Blog Award originated in Germany. Liebster means dearest or beloved, and Liebe is love. The award is meant to encourage readership of small, lovable blogs with fewer than 200 followers. (Lovable! My blog is lovable! )
In accepting the Liebster Blog Award, the recipient agrees to thank the person who gave them the award, link back to that person's blog, a reveal five (5) snippets about themselves that readers may not know.
.png)
Thank you to Lynette at http://lynetteendicott.blogspot.com/ for this award. It is nice to be acknowledged by ones peers. Visit Lynnette and become one of her followers, especially if you like clean reads!
Now I get to tell you 5 things about myself Hummm...
1) Although I am mobile (that means walking, not in a wheelchair or scooter), I've had Multiple Sclerosis for most of my life (first onset at age nineteen.)
2) My hubby and I will celebrate our 27th anniversary this May.
3) I am the mother of four beautiful children.
4) My mother's parents were both from Germany.
5) My family (mine and my hubby's) is a his and our family. His two daughters and our four children. Do I get to count three grandsons?
February 15, 2012
Interview with Donna Hatch, author of Queen in Exile
Q: Donna, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Donna: I guess I should say right off the bat that I’m a certified loon. Not only am I an author, which means I hear voices in my head and my characters are more real to me than most “real” people, but I am also the mother of six children. And yes, I did that on purpose!
Q: Tell us a little bit about your fantasy, Queen in Exile
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Donna: The last surviving member of her family, a princess must place her life, and the fate of her kingdom, into the hands of a trained killer. But accepting her destiny and her own dark powers will mean losing the man she loves.Q: Where does your inspiration come from?
Donna: Inspiration can come from anywhere, a song, a movie, a secondary character in another book. Sometimes I can’t trace where the story actually began; it often just starts as a seed of an idea and then expands. I’ve yet to have started a story based on a dream, though ;-) But for Queen in Exile in particular – this is going to sound super lame – (cringe) but I actually was inspired in part by a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Yes, I was one of those geeks who played that game. I’ve always been a fantasy reader, and I’m so glad technology is up to the level needed to produce a truly spectacular fantasy movie. The story itself for Queen in Exile came from somewhere in my heart, but the setting is more of a Tolkien-type world.
You're not a geek, some of my neices and nephews probably "played" with you!
Q: Some writers say that they have a story that has to be told, others say that the characters come to them and demand that their story be told… how does it work for you?
Donna: Both ways, I suppose. A character usually comes to me and tells me the main idea of their story, and then I go to work fleshing out both the plot and the characters. Once or twice, I’ve started with a concept, or a problem, and then found characters to deal with it. Really, my characters drive the story; the plot, or the problem, is just a hardship for them to overcome so that they can really grow and shine and ultimately triumph.
Q: What is your favorite thing about writing romance?
Donna: I love the happily ever after. If a book doesn’t have a good ending, I feel like I’ve wasted my time because I read to escape my problems. I want to know good always triumphs over evil and love conquers all – not be bummed because all was lost. I also love watching the romance unfold and, of course, the euphoria of falling in love.
Tell us about your contest:
You can win a free copy (and you have four chances if you do all four):
1. Go to my website http://www.donnahatch.com/ and then find out what is the name of the hero of Queen in Exile (hint, read the backcover blurb underneath the book cover), then send me an email at donnahatch29@gmail.com, telling me the answer to the question and put "Queen in Exile for Free" in the subject line
2. Follow my blog, then send me an email at donnahatch29@gmail.com, telling me you're now following me and put "Queen in Exile for Free" in the subject line
3. Leave a comment here. Then send me an email at donnahatch29@gmail.com and put "Queen in Exile for Free" in the subject line.
4. On Facebook, 'like' me, (http://www.facebook.com/people/Donna-Hatch/1053967713#!/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1053967713) then send me an email at donnahatch29@gmail.com, telling me you're now my friend on Face book and put "Queen in Exile for Free" in the subject line.
That’s it! Remember, for each thing you do, you have another chance to win. Good Luck!!!
Thank you, Donna for joining us. You can find Donna’s book, Queen in Exile, at Amazon, Costcos across the country, any Deseret Bookstore, all Barnes & Noble, and Borders. If you don’t see it on the shelf, be sure to ask them to order it for you and they’ll ship it to you with free shipping.
February 14, 2012
Wish for you on this LOVELY Day!
Wishing all of you a Happy Valentine's Day. Those visiting for the first time and those I know personally and everyone in between. Take time to show those special ones in your life just how much you care. It doesn't have to be with $$. Why not give them a hug, a phone call, an email, a smile when the frown just won't do? Pay the smile forward! Or the word of encouragement. You can do it, I know you can!
Need a kiss today? In the column to your right, scroll down and check out "Sizzling Kiss." Hey, it's from Dark Days of Promise before the final edits. Happy Valentine's Day.
Stop by tomorrow for the interview with Donna Hatch and check out her latest release Queen in Exile! Wow, I think I'm falling for her leading man!
Need a kiss today? In the column to your right, scroll down and check out "Sizzling Kiss." Hey, it's from Dark Days of Promise before the final edits. Happy Valentine's Day.
Stop by tomorrow for the interview with Donna Hatch and check out her latest release Queen in Exile! Wow, I think I'm falling for her leading man!
February 9, 2012
The future is here. Are you onboard?
I came across this blog through a repost from another author. Yeah, if you are a consistant follower and reader here, you've met her. I feel it is worth reading for anyone looking to use the internet for business purposes and am sharing it here. Blogs and facebook are the future of advertising. Amazon knows it, Barnes and Noble knows it and I dare say Fortune 500 does too. No, I am not quoting them, so don't quote me. Just visit the link I've provided.
http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/category/writing/social-media-platform/
http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/category/writing/social-media-platform/
Valentines Day
With Valentines Day just around the corner you can't help but get bombarded with hearts full of chocolates and cute furry snugglies if you step into a store these days. Even the grocer has his share of suggested items to show that special someone that you love them. I caught a glimpse of a lady buying not a dozen but three dozen or more small red hearts full of chocolates and wondered if she bought for every one of her grandchildren (lucky woman) or a classroom of wonderful children (which of course would include at least one less favorite child --the trouble making cutie!) Whatever her list or whomever the receivers she got me thinking. Wondering really, How do I intend to show those I love, my affection for them? How do you?
February 8, 2012
-- Visual Arts --
One of the sweetest gifts an author possesses is to take the mundane of daily life and craft it into an entire scene, binding the reader to the experience through different eyes allowing him/her to live it vicariously. To do so takes practice and patience and a really good eraser!
February 4, 2012
Updates: New FB page
For those interested the "city" was first lit by atomic power in 1955. No, I wasn't around yet, but some of my siblings were.
February 1, 2012
Interview with Debra Parmley author of Dangerous Ties
Debra has traveled extensively and worked as an independent travel consultant for several years. She has visited thirteen countries. She has also worked in banking, newspaper advertising, as city recycling co-coordinator, as an office manager, and as a belly dance instructor.
What’s your favorite place you’ve visited? Do you have a “must see” destination on your bucket list?
Oh my. Well I have set foot in thirteen countries so it is very hard to choose. I would have to say the islands of French Polynesia. Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora are all lovely. As for my bucket list, (laughing) I learned after working as a travel consultant and traveling all over, the list of 30 places I want to see before I die never gets any shorter. Cross one off and another jumps right in.
Can you tell us something behind-the-scenes about Dangerous Ties that the readers would love to hear?
In the Wild West banks often created their own bank notes and in some cases they weren't worth the paper they were printed on. Without the gold to hold their worth, what happened to the townsfolk in Dangerous Ties could easily have happened. There was no one to step in and save them if a banker decided to take off with their money.
Fascinating. How does it feel when you write?
It feels different each time I come to the blank page. In this way, it reminds me of yoga, or dance, for our bodies and spirits can be different depending on the day. For me, the best days are when I can step into the joy of writing, caught up in the flow of it. These are the days when I can forget to eat, or to drink the water that is sitting right next to me. Other days I am happy to be writing, but not as swept away into story. Editing days are task oriented and give the satisfaction, which comes from completing a task.
Debra, it sounds like writing is about joy for you.
Yes, the joy of creation and the joy of connecting with readers. It is one of my greatest pleasures to hear from my readers.
Debra’s first novel, A Desperate Journey, a western historical romance, was a finalist in the Bobbi Smith Creative Writing Challenge. Not long afterward it was a finalist in the American Title II contest. For those not familiar with the contest, she describes it as similar to the American Idol contest, but for authors. Readers voted online and the prize was a publishing contract. A Desperate Journey was published a year later by Samhain Publishing. Debra's second book, Dangerous Ties, will be published by Desert Breeze Publishing.
How is it that you decided writing romances, are what you do best?
Romance is my favorite genre, because a romance will always end with a happy every after. There were many genres I tried as I was starting out as a writer, partly experimenting to see what I could write and partly because I read widely across genres. I wrote my way into the genre and the stories I wrote decided for me. My first short story was published in a local horror anthology called More Monsters From Memphis. I wrote a vampire story and the editor told me it had a strong romantic element. Then, at a writer's convention several of us were challenged by Dusty Richards, who is a western author, to write our first novel and make it a western. He offered a contest and the prize was a full reading by his agent. I jumped at the challenge, wrote A Desperate Journey, which wanted to be a romance. When I let the story be what it wants to be, it always has some element of romance it in.
Tell us something about Dangerous Ties.
Dangerous Ties is the first novella I ever wrote. This story has had an interesting ride because I was trying to please my former editor, while learning the shorter form, instead of listening to what the story wanted to be. I think the greatest lesson I learned there was, never try to pull your story in a direction it does not want to go. Thankfully they are somewhat like mules and will dig in their heels until the writer comes to their senses.
What heat rating would you give Dangerous Ties? Sweet
Where can we find you? http://www.debraparmley.com/
One last question and fast becoming my favorite to ask a fellow author is: What’s your current writing space like?
My writing space has changed over the years. I now write on my laptop only and my writing space is wherever I decide it is. I have written at the desk, the kitchen table, the couch, in bed, at the library, the airport, the hotel room, in the car. I have even written on a legal pad while camping in an old fort at a medieval re-enactment. I'm looking forward to taking my first train to Chicago in April for the RT convention and suspect 'on a train' will soon join the list of places where I have written.
What’s your favorite place you’ve visited? Do you have a “must see” destination on your bucket list?
Oh my. Well I have set foot in thirteen countries so it is very hard to choose. I would have to say the islands of French Polynesia. Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora are all lovely. As for my bucket list, (laughing) I learned after working as a travel consultant and traveling all over, the list of 30 places I want to see before I die never gets any shorter. Cross one off and another jumps right in.
Can you tell us something behind-the-scenes about Dangerous Ties that the readers would love to hear?
In the Wild West banks often created their own bank notes and in some cases they weren't worth the paper they were printed on. Without the gold to hold their worth, what happened to the townsfolk in Dangerous Ties could easily have happened. There was no one to step in and save them if a banker decided to take off with their money.
Fascinating. How does it feel when you write?
It feels different each time I come to the blank page. In this way, it reminds me of yoga, or dance, for our bodies and spirits can be different depending on the day. For me, the best days are when I can step into the joy of writing, caught up in the flow of it. These are the days when I can forget to eat, or to drink the water that is sitting right next to me. Other days I am happy to be writing, but not as swept away into story. Editing days are task oriented and give the satisfaction, which comes from completing a task.
Debra, it sounds like writing is about joy for you.
Yes, the joy of creation and the joy of connecting with readers. It is one of my greatest pleasures to hear from my readers.
Debra’s first novel, A Desperate Journey, a western historical romance, was a finalist in the Bobbi Smith Creative Writing Challenge. Not long afterward it was a finalist in the American Title II contest. For those not familiar with the contest, she describes it as similar to the American Idol contest, but for authors. Readers voted online and the prize was a publishing contract. A Desperate Journey was published a year later by Samhain Publishing. Debra's second book, Dangerous Ties, will be published by Desert Breeze Publishing.
How is it that you decided writing romances, are what you do best?
Romance is my favorite genre, because a romance will always end with a happy every after. There were many genres I tried as I was starting out as a writer, partly experimenting to see what I could write and partly because I read widely across genres. I wrote my way into the genre and the stories I wrote decided for me. My first short story was published in a local horror anthology called More Monsters From Memphis. I wrote a vampire story and the editor told me it had a strong romantic element. Then, at a writer's convention several of us were challenged by Dusty Richards, who is a western author, to write our first novel and make it a western. He offered a contest and the prize was a full reading by his agent. I jumped at the challenge, wrote A Desperate Journey, which wanted to be a romance. When I let the story be what it wants to be, it always has some element of romance it in.
Tell us something about Dangerous Ties.
Dangerous Ties is the first novella I ever wrote. This story has had an interesting ride because I was trying to please my former editor, while learning the shorter form, instead of listening to what the story wanted to be. I think the greatest lesson I learned there was, never try to pull your story in a direction it does not want to go. Thankfully they are somewhat like mules and will dig in their heels until the writer comes to their senses.
What heat rating would you give Dangerous Ties? Sweet
Where can we find you? http://www.debraparmley.com/
One last question and fast becoming my favorite to ask a fellow author is: What’s your current writing space like?
My writing space has changed over the years. I now write on my laptop only and my writing space is wherever I decide it is. I have written at the desk, the kitchen table, the couch, in bed, at the library, the airport, the hotel room, in the car. I have even written on a legal pad while camping in an old fort at a medieval re-enactment. I'm looking forward to taking my first train to Chicago in April for the RT convention and suspect 'on a train' will soon join the list of places where I have written.
January 29, 2012
A Night of Talent
Who had a clue? I and my family are surrounded by talented people. Last evening we gathered with our church family. Okay, so some think we're a stuffy group on Sundays but are we really?
We had quite a display of visual arts including some that are dying in these days of store bought clothing. It wasn't just the occasional girls dresses, but prom formals designed and sewn by some of the women. I know where my daughter goes to get her prom dresses! Beautiful!
The sewing included quilts and baby blankets, sewn, crocheted and knitted and would you believe knitted socks? Oh they looked warm and colorful! Knitted sweaters from more than one accomplished knitter and that is not where it stopped. Displays also included photography, imaginations of youth in the form of paper and Styrofoam guns (they actually looked like barrettas - more than one - and an m16), canned foods (another dying art), many edible baked goods and homemade dipped truffles! We had a lot of artists sharing their work from the beginners to the wonderful in watercolors and oil paintings. We even had an author sharing some of her work (me). There were several that due to the difficult weather last week felt able to attend but not bring their work. That was just the visual arts.
On to the performing arts from rap to "How Great Thou Art", gymnastics to a break dancing battle, guitar soloist to an impromptu band that closed the evening with the Beetles and the King of Rock 'n Roll we even danced to Blue Suede Shoes. And get this, the evening was free!
We even had a great emcee. Loved it all!! Come join us next time, won't you?
Oh! Did I mention The Night Dancers?
We had quite a display of visual arts including some that are dying in these days of store bought clothing. It wasn't just the occasional girls dresses, but prom formals designed and sewn by some of the women. I know where my daughter goes to get her prom dresses! Beautiful!
The sewing included quilts and baby blankets, sewn, crocheted and knitted and would you believe knitted socks? Oh they looked warm and colorful! Knitted sweaters from more than one accomplished knitter and that is not where it stopped. Displays also included photography, imaginations of youth in the form of paper and Styrofoam guns (they actually looked like barrettas - more than one - and an m16), canned foods (another dying art), many edible baked goods and homemade dipped truffles! We had a lot of artists sharing their work from the beginners to the wonderful in watercolors and oil paintings. We even had an author sharing some of her work (me). There were several that due to the difficult weather last week felt able to attend but not bring their work. That was just the visual arts.
On to the performing arts from rap to "How Great Thou Art", gymnastics to a break dancing battle, guitar soloist to an impromptu band that closed the evening with the Beetles and the King of Rock 'n Roll we even danced to Blue Suede Shoes. And get this, the evening was free!
We even had a great emcee. Loved it all!! Come join us next time, won't you?
Oh! Did I mention The Night Dancers?
January 24, 2012
Digging out from the Winter Storm of 2012.
Oops! The week’s flown by and I’ve finally caught up on all the emails while the power and internet were out so I can spend some time writing instead of shivering to stay warm in a dark house.
I’m currently proof reading and critiquing a rough draft of a friend’s novel that I’m excited about as well as critiquing several queries and synopsis’s. Oh the joys of a writer’s life and the hours willingly spent to help peers toward their publishing goals. Doing these things helps to sharpen my abilities and so I’m happy to do it for friends. (Now don’t you all flood me with emails asking me for the same service.) My answers to your requests will be to join a writer’s group and learn there first.
On my writing front, I have a few irons in the fire. The first is my novel Dark Days of Promise (e-book) due to be released September of 2012 through Desert Breeze Publishing. Next, a short that I hope to have available for e-readers early this summer and the other is a full length Inspirational Romance.
I am a discovery writer, which means that I’ve learned to be careful not to plot and plan in detail for once I do, I tend to lose interest. It’s so much more fun to take the journey and solve the character’s problems as they jump from the fire to the frying pan! I find that creating these problems is almost as fun as digging out of them! Creating the fiery problem is easy, but getting Miss Main Character out of said problem in a believable manner may take me a lot longer to figure out than it takes you to read about it. I’ve been known to take days, weeks, and even longer to solve a particular problem. (My daughter still hasn’t forgiven me for leaving her favorite character, the Romantic Lead, hanging on the face of a cliff. Don’t worry, he’s not there now. I let him sit down to dine with the villain, his brother, until further notice. But maybe the Romantic Lead is the villain, hum …) I still haven’t figured that one out to my satisfaction.
I much prefer to write romance than science-fiction. I think I’m a romantic deep down. (Hence the Romantic Lead in each of my novels.) The sci-fi demon at our house is my personal Romantic Lead and love of my life. Once asked if all my Romantic Leads are patterned after my hubby, I couldn’t resist answering with this. “If they are all gorgeous and look half their age (which he did at his last birthday, and still does), yes.”
Hmmm . . . (me rubbing my chin as if I had a beard shadow.) Maybe there’s a story in that. Of course my publisher and I agree that I should write Sweet or Warm Romance, not Steamy. That genre is for someone else.
‘Til next time -- take a mini vacation -- read a book!
I’m currently proof reading and critiquing a rough draft of a friend’s novel that I’m excited about as well as critiquing several queries and synopsis’s. Oh the joys of a writer’s life and the hours willingly spent to help peers toward their publishing goals. Doing these things helps to sharpen my abilities and so I’m happy to do it for friends. (Now don’t you all flood me with emails asking me for the same service.) My answers to your requests will be to join a writer’s group and learn there first.
On my writing front, I have a few irons in the fire. The first is my novel Dark Days of Promise (e-book) due to be released September of 2012 through Desert Breeze Publishing. Next, a short that I hope to have available for e-readers early this summer and the other is a full length Inspirational Romance.
I am a discovery writer, which means that I’ve learned to be careful not to plot and plan in detail for once I do, I tend to lose interest. It’s so much more fun to take the journey and solve the character’s problems as they jump from the fire to the frying pan! I find that creating these problems is almost as fun as digging out of them! Creating the fiery problem is easy, but getting Miss Main Character out of said problem in a believable manner may take me a lot longer to figure out than it takes you to read about it. I’ve been known to take days, weeks, and even longer to solve a particular problem. (My daughter still hasn’t forgiven me for leaving her favorite character, the Romantic Lead, hanging on the face of a cliff. Don’t worry, he’s not there now. I let him sit down to dine with the villain, his brother, until further notice. But maybe the Romantic Lead is the villain, hum …) I still haven’t figured that one out to my satisfaction.
I much prefer to write romance than science-fiction. I think I’m a romantic deep down. (Hence the Romantic Lead in each of my novels.) The sci-fi demon at our house is my personal Romantic Lead and love of my life. Once asked if all my Romantic Leads are patterned after my hubby, I couldn’t resist answering with this. “If they are all gorgeous and look half their age (which he did at his last birthday, and still does), yes.”
Hmmm . . . (me rubbing my chin as if I had a beard shadow.) Maybe there’s a story in that. Of course my publisher and I agree that I should write Sweet or Warm Romance, not Steamy. That genre is for someone else.
‘Til next time -- take a mini vacation -- read a book!
January 15, 2012
Southern Superstitions released this weekend as e-book.
Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions by B. J. Robinson. She says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."
http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6
http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6
Snow in the Pacific Northwest
We woke up to snow this morning. Not a big thing for Western Washington, or the Rocky Mountain states we've called home. But here in the Puget Sound Area it is a big deal. No 4-wheel drive? No go nowhere. We see that my hubby is the third vehicle out in our neighborhood and gee . . . church is canceled! Mind you, we have less than 2 inches on the ground. (I planned to insert a photo here but my digital has given its last.)
The dogs, little shih tzus, don't want to play out side. Guess they get cold toes, too.
My oldest son, who recently spent 5 years in Idaho, is looking for snow playmates. Count me out, I'm fighting a cold.
No school tomorrow and if the forecast is right, we'll have snow through Wednesday. . . That means school will be canceled, my son will get his wish in spite of having to go to work, and I'll have more than my cold to battle.
Enjoy your January!
The dogs, little shih tzus, don't want to play out side. Guess they get cold toes, too.
My oldest son, who recently spent 5 years in Idaho, is looking for snow playmates. Count me out, I'm fighting a cold.
No school tomorrow and if the forecast is right, we'll have snow through Wednesday. . . That means school will be canceled, my son will get his wish in spite of having to go to work, and I'll have more than my cold to battle.
Enjoy your January!
January 13, 2012
January 13th -- Friday the 13th
I'm not superstitious but really folks, I'm grateful to be religious! We prayed this morning before my youngest son pushed out the door before daybreak. My daughter and husband were already gone. The frost on the lawn lay thicker than usual, portending of things to come. Now, six hours later, police choppers hover overhead while the email in-box and the phone issue recorded messages. Both of my children's schools are under lock down until further notice. This isn't the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last. I know my children will come home safe, if not on time. The sky has fallen silent. The phone has yet to ring. The in box shows no action. What news will either bring? --Nothing.
I will be left to wait for news from my children. Sometimes they are aware of these lock downs, sometimes they are not.
Choppers overhead again. Hunting. Will they fly the grid pattern today? I can hear the blade rotation as it flys closer. The search pattern seems to be widening. Will the neighboring elementary join the lock downs? I have no way of knowing for sure. I hear no children at play as I usually do this time of day. The dogs are silent. The chopper moves on. Blast it! My husband should be home by now. He called from the other side of the school. Dogs bark, a sound at the door. Relief, I recognize his voice -- and yet, I'm left without a choice. I must wait.
The phone rings -- my son's school is released from the lock down, but not the high school, golf course - my husbands interest, or the neighboring school. The sky is quiet again yet in the distance I think I hear the chopper. . . yes, it's getting closer. Now further away. Who are they looking for? What have they done? How many schools will be locked down?
An hour passes. the phone rings with an update. There has been a shooting at a local coffee shop, the one my daughter visits after school. The shooter hasn't been apprehended. Officers with AK47's dot the golf course. How long will students be held? Wait.
Eerie silence. The neighborhood looks abandoned. No movement. I check the doors and bring the dogs inside. They lay at my feet, thankful for the warmth.
A knock at the door. A friend arrives. The phone rings. The lock down is lifted. I sigh with relief. My children will be home shortly.
I will be left to wait for news from my children. Sometimes they are aware of these lock downs, sometimes they are not.
Choppers overhead again. Hunting. Will they fly the grid pattern today? I can hear the blade rotation as it flys closer. The search pattern seems to be widening. Will the neighboring elementary join the lock downs? I have no way of knowing for sure. I hear no children at play as I usually do this time of day. The dogs are silent. The chopper moves on. Blast it! My husband should be home by now. He called from the other side of the school. Dogs bark, a sound at the door. Relief, I recognize his voice -- and yet, I'm left without a choice. I must wait.
The phone rings -- my son's school is released from the lock down, but not the high school, golf course - my husbands interest, or the neighboring school. The sky is quiet again yet in the distance I think I hear the chopper. . . yes, it's getting closer. Now further away. Who are they looking for? What have they done? How many schools will be locked down?
An hour passes. the phone rings with an update. There has been a shooting at a local coffee shop, the one my daughter visits after school. The shooter hasn't been apprehended. Officers with AK47's dot the golf course. How long will students be held? Wait.
Eerie silence. The neighborhood looks abandoned. No movement. I check the doors and bring the dogs inside. They lay at my feet, thankful for the warmth.
A knock at the door. A friend arrives. The phone rings. The lock down is lifted. I sigh with relief. My children will be home shortly.
January 11, 2012
January 11, 2012
This morning I'm saluting a friend who just happens to be an awesome photographer in her spare time. Any photographer that can get me to relax and really smile deserves a round of applause. (I'm thinking the type we share at cub scout pack meetings. :D) My new blog photo is one she took just this week.
My thanks to you, girl. I'm sure the publishers will love the one sent to them (and my readers, too!) for the dust cover.
My thanks to you, girl. I'm sure the publishers will love the one sent to them (and my readers, too!) for the dust cover.
January 7, 2012
NEWS BULLETIN--JANUARY 7,2012
Imagine that tella type of the newsroom in the background.
. . . . . . News just released to the general public this morning . . . . . .
. . . . Shaunna Gonzales has signed contract for the release of her Romantic Suspense novel, Dark Days of Promise . . . . .
. . . . . . The projected release date is September of this year . . . .
. . . . . . Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. has not yet made a news release but sources say they are excited to have Shaunna on board . . . . .
. . . . . The book will be released in e-book format with the possibility of paperback printing should there be a demand. . . . . .
. . . . Sources also claim that e-readers may reach high demand levels with this release . . . .
. . . . . Get yours now in preparation . . . .
. . . . . . News just released to the general public this morning . . . . . .
. . . . Shaunna Gonzales has signed contract for the release of her Romantic Suspense novel, Dark Days of Promise . . . . .
. . . . . . The projected release date is September of this year . . . .
. . . . . . Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. has not yet made a news release but sources say they are excited to have Shaunna on board . . . . .
. . . . . The book will be released in e-book format with the possibility of paperback printing should there be a demand. . . . . .
. . . . Sources also claim that e-readers may reach high demand levels with this release . . . .
. . . . . Get yours now in preparation . . . .
November 28, 2011
Are 'Mormons' Christians?
Yes!
We must be bold in our declaration of Jesus Christ. We want others to know that we believe He is the central figure in all human history. His life and teachings are the heart of the Bible and the other books we consider to be holy scripture. The Old Testament sets the stage for Christ’s mortal ministry. The New Testament describes His mortal ministry. The Book of Mormon gives us a second witness of His mortal ministry. He came to earth to declare His gospel as a foundation for all mankind so that all of God’s children could learn about Him and His teachings. He then gave His life in order to be our Savior and Redeemer. Only through Jesus Christ is salvation possible. This is why we believe He is the central fig¬ure in all human history. Our eternal destiny is always in His hands. It is a glorious thing to believe in Him and accept Him as our Savior, our Lord, and our Master. (L. Tom Perry, November 2011 Ensign, p41)
We must be bold in our declaration of Jesus Christ. We want others to know that we believe He is the central figure in all human history. His life and teachings are the heart of the Bible and the other books we consider to be holy scripture. The Old Testament sets the stage for Christ’s mortal ministry. The New Testament describes His mortal ministry. The Book of Mormon gives us a second witness of His mortal ministry. He came to earth to declare His gospel as a foundation for all mankind so that all of God’s children could learn about Him and His teachings. He then gave His life in order to be our Savior and Redeemer. Only through Jesus Christ is salvation possible. This is why we believe He is the central fig¬ure in all human history. Our eternal destiny is always in His hands. It is a glorious thing to believe in Him and accept Him as our Savior, our Lord, and our Master. (L. Tom Perry, November 2011 Ensign, p41)
November 24, 2011
Giving Thanks
Today I give thanks for the health to prepare this feast that my husband has had the health to provide for our family and to our Heavenly Father for allowing us to do so. I thank Him for my family, some who join us for the feast and just as many who can not. For the blessings too numerable and personal to share, for all this i give thanks.
May each of you be so blest.
May each of you be so blest.
November 21, 2011
Wisdom and Power
Sister Eliza R. Snow “taught that individual women could receive inspiration to guide them in their personal lives, their families, and their Church responsibilities. She said: ‘Tell the sisters to go forth and discharge their duties, in humility and faithfulness and the Spirit of God will rest upon them and they will be blest in their labors. Let them seek for wisdom instead of power and they will have all the power they have wisdom to exercise.’” Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 45.
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This wreath I just finished. For sale at $25.00. Comment if you are interested in buying or if you were looking at another of my creations! ...
