tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55231768797718758152024-03-18T23:41:33.602-05:00Digging Out of DistractionChristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.comBlogger735125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-37739944327572021952014-07-05T13:38:00.003-05:002014-07-05T13:38:44.708-05:00I've Moved!!! Hi Everyone:<br />
<br />
My darling College Kid redesigned my website for me and she gave me an entirely new blog as well. The blog has all my old posts and archived posts so you can still read earlier blogs about my journey toward publication.<br />
<br />
So if you want to pop in and see the new updated blog, come on over and visit me here.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.christinegloversite.com/">http://blog.christinegloversite.com/</a><br />
<br />
And be sure to check my new website for news about my books and my world. Just pop on over and check it out here.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.christinegloversite.com/">www.christinegloversite.com</a><br />
<br />
This has been a thrilling and exciting time for me. I can't wait to see what's happening next.<br />
<br />
All the Best!!<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-52883652879100714832014-06-30T00:01:00.000-05:002014-09-15T15:08:16.938-05:00Break Out the Bubbly & Dark Chocolate: Celebrating Christine Glover's Debut Novel The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq0nJ_hlanrspxvDg6cqXzRCQPhacIHPaECscgHnyroqUJb7SeTOFxt42yqMpo-3mZA1dLKV1IpZfX8ua3ydt2Elqol0hr2bDfbmVHetVduUu_gXR7Zz5Q6D4rTR08fqbROJjj0ddwCQ/s1600/TMRHR_Cover1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq0nJ_hlanrspxvDg6cqXzRCQPhacIHPaECscgHnyroqUJb7SeTOFxt42yqMpo-3mZA1dLKV1IpZfX8ua3ydt2Elqol0hr2bDfbmVHetVduUu_gXR7Zz5Q6D4rTR08fqbROJjj0ddwCQ/s1600/TMRHR_Cover1600.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love my cover!! Thanks Entangled!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well the day has finally arrived where I can say I am officially a published author! I am still quite a bit in shock about it all. But the last year has been an incredible journey from the first sale moment until now. This is a dream come true and proves that no matter what you should never give up your dreams. I almost did and look where I am today. So I'm celebrating in style and enjoying every positive moment about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Mavericks-Reunion-Entangled-Indulgence-ebook/dp/B00KUY4D04" target="_blank">The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion</a>'s release. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pop*Fizzle*Pour and raise a glass of Champagne to this big day as I share a little bit about my writing journey with y'all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>1. How did I end up becoming a
writer?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was born to be a writer, but pursuing it full time didn't happen until after I became a stay at home mom. At first I was busy volunteering in the classroom and doing what a lot of parents do with a growing child. But by the time my daughter was in the fourth grade, I needed more. I dusted off my old dreams and my laptop to begin writing my first story. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>2. What is my favorite genre to
write?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Contemporary romance hands down. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>3. Am I a plotter or do I follow the muse?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am a hybrid writer. I loosely plot the emotional turning points after I figure out my characters' goals, motivations, and conflicts. But I usually don't know how the story is going to be in the end until I've written a first draft and revised it at least twice. Then I send it to my CP <a href="http://pammantovani.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pam Mantovani </a>for her input. After she sends her PAs (Picky Alerts) to me, I get back to work. I love revising so this is the fun part for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>4. How do I relax after a writing
day?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wine and conversation with my CP Pam, the Physicist & the College Kid. I also love to cook so that's fun for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>5. What do I read? What are my favorite genres? Who are my favorite authors?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I read all genres except for horror stories. I love historical romances by Eloisa James and romantic suspenses by Lynn Raye Harris. I also enjoy reading new authors and the other Indulgence line authors at my publishing house, <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Entangled Publishing</a>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>6. What is my current project?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm revising the prequel novella to The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion. It's about Michael's middle sister Jessie and the man who steals her heart. I am also working on the first draft for the sequel to The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion. This story is about Caleb and Hannah's journey toward love. I hope to have the first draft ready for a pre-Pam Mantovani PA attack by the end of July. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>7. Any new releases? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jessie's story, tentatively titled Beauty and the Marine, will release before November. It's set six years prior to The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion. You'll get to meet Michael just after his big triple Olympic gold medal wins in the swimming events and watch Kennedy and Zach exchange their first kiss. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>8. Where do I get my ideas for my stories?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I get my ideas from everywhere. Newspaper stories, overheard snippets of conversation, characters that pop into my head might give me a scene to start with and then I ask a lot of "what if" questions to brainstorm each story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>9. How long was I trying to get
published before I got the “call?”</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">I'd been writing contemporary romances for about nine years, but wasn't actively pursuing publication until 2009. Once I got super focused and treated the writing as a career then things began to move a lot faster. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>10. How did I celebrate the new
book contract?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Champagne!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>11. How did I celebrate the
“call?”</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was on my way to Zumba so I told my friends in the class before it started. Then that night we went out with friends for Chinese food. The server gave me a piece of cake when she learned I had sold my first book. It was a fun day!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>12. Was the “call” an actual phone
conversation or an email or a snail mail?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I got an email from my new editor. The best email of all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>13. Do I have an agent?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">No. But maybe one day I will have an agent. So many factors are dependent upon that kind of decision. Right now I'm very happy with the way I've been treated by my publishing house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>14. What advice would I give
aspiring writers?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Write every day even if it's just a word. Treat this as a profession long before you sell. And always build on your knowledge about the craft. I still take classes because I have a lot to learn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>15. What encouragement can I give
writers who face rejection?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well, I have a funny way of looking at rejection. I've called every rejection a "trying to get published badge of courage." I also paid myself for every rejection. A dollar for a rejected query letter. Five dollars for a rejected partial. And ten dollars for a rejected full manuscript. I saved that money and used it to pay for annual conferences, writing costs, etc. I also allowed myself one day of mourning which always included a call to my CP and wine. But you have to move past it. Truthfully, I'm already receiving a different kind of rejection. Not every reader likes my book. And that's okay. It's a subjective business. I just tell myself there are people who do like my story and focus on the positive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>16. What is the most difficult part
about writing for me? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Writing the dreaded synopsis! Blah. But I am getting better at tackling that beast. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>17. What is the most surprising
thing I discovered after I received the call?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That the doubt and fear doesn't go away. It is still with me, on my shoulders, and trying to tell me I can't do it. I still have to battle those demons. I still have to fight for every word. And I still have to tell myself that the only way I will get a story written is to write the thing and revise it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanks for sharing all the fun and excitement about my first sale today!! I am popping champagne and playing over in my Facebook land from 12-8PM with lots of author friends. There will be giveaways, prizes, and just plain fun!!! You can check it out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/586308194817982/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
Here's the back cover copy for The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
<i>Can he satisfy his craving
without losing his heart? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
Corporate Maverick Zach Tanner
returns to North Carolina to rebuild his dying friend's resort. He's got the
money, the power, and the will to transform Sweetbriar Springs into a premier
spa for the glamorous, but he doesn't count on the woman he once loved…and
lost…to handle the construction contract. Zach thought he'd buried his desire
for Kennedy five years ago. He was wrong, and now he’s determined to satisfy
his craving... <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
Construction company owner
Kennedy Gibson is eager to restore Sweetbriar Springs, but when she realizes
Zach is her new boss she's terrified he'll learn the truth about their breakup
so long ago. She vowed never to hurt him again, but she can't deny the passion
he reignites in her. She wants to believe she has a chance for a different
future with him, but will her secret threaten to destroy their red-hot reunion?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
Buy Links:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in; text-autospace: none;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mavericks-Red-Reunion-Entangled-Indulgence-ebook/dp/B00KUY4D04/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1402326719&sr=8-2&keywords=christine+glover"><span style="color: #386eff;">Amazon</span></a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mavericks-red-hot-reunion-christine-glover/1119702440?ean=9781622665815"><span style="color: #386eff;">Barnes and Noble</span></a> <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/the-maverick-s-red-hot-reunion/IIwl063eOEafetsEUeU-9Q?MixID=IIwl063eOEafetsEUeU-9Q&PageNumber=1"><span style="color: #386eff;">kobo</span></a> <span style="color: #386eff;"><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Mavericks-Red-Reunion-Entangled-Indulgence-ebook/dp/B00KUY4D04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402326840&sr=8-1&keywords=%22the+maverick%27s+red+hot+reunion%22">Amazon.ca</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Born in the Netherlands, Christine moved to Canada where she spent her formative years. Then she married her Texan Alpha Physicist, moved to the United States and she has lived both south and north of the Mason Dixon line. Now Christine resides in Alabama with her husband, two insane cats and her wonderful daughter. She enjoys finding the silly in the serious, making wine out of sour grapes, and giving people giggle fits along with heartfelt hugs. When she’s not writing, you can find her traveling the world, cooking gourmet food, and desperately seeking a corkscrew.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Email: <a href="mailto:christinegloverauthor@gmail.com">christinegloverauthor@gmail.com</a></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Blog: </span><span class="s2">www.christinegloverauthor.com</span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Facebook Page: </span><span class="s2">www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Glover/158387587541698</span></div>
<div class="p2">
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/cjglover63">https://twitter.com/cjglover63</a> </div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Tumblr: <a href="http://christinejhglover.tumblr.com/"><span class="s2">http://christinejhglover.tumblr.com</span></a></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Pinterest: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/cjglover63/"><span class="s2">http://www.pinterest.com/cjglover63/</span></a></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">website: </span><span class="s2">www.christinegloversite.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
</div>
<div class="p4">
Join my newsletter here <span class="s3">http://eepurl.com/L8Yh5</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 28.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let's start this party off right. One lucky commenter will win a gift card today!!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-50475572435148856632014-06-23T00:01:00.000-05:002014-06-23T09:14:54.796-05:00Christine's Writing Process Tag Blog: The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion Pre-Release Fun<div class="p1">
Hi Everyone,</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I’m so excited to be tagged in this Writing Process Blog tour. Many thanks to my <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Entangled Indulgence</a> Line sister author Miranda Liasson for including me. I encourage everyone to check out this 2013 Golden Heart Finalist’s blog <a href="http://mirandaliasson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. And there’s one subject that I love to talk about a lot: writing. So this is a fun way for me to share what’s going on in my corner of the romance world.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
1) What am I currently working on?</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Currently, I’m working on the sequel to The Maverick’s Red Hot Reunion. I’m super excited to work on Hannah and Caleb’s love story. He’s an incredible dark knight in shining armor and Hannah’s always relied her best friend’s older brother to protect her. That is until she’s eighteen and tells Caleb she’s in love with him. Eight years later, Caleb and Hannah are forced to work together at Sweetbriar Springs. Sparks fly, but these star crossed lovers have to move beyond the wounds of their pasts if they are going to have the future they deserve.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I like to write deeply emotional stories about two strong characters, but they’re filled with pops of humor and light. My hope is that a readers will be moved by their journey, but I also want my readers to laugh out loud. Joy is necessary even in the darkest of times. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
3) Why do I write what I write? </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I was a romance reader long before I became a romance writer. Romances offered me an escape, and they empowered me. So when I sat down to write my first ill-fated manuscript I gravitated to romance. I like writing stories about strong heroines who won’t settle for second best when their hero can be their perfect match, warts and all. That’s life. That’s love. I still read romances to escape life’s worries and troubles. And when I am finished reading them, I have good feeling in my heart. That’s why I write stories that end on a happily-ever-after note. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
4) How does my individual writing process work?</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Honestly? I think it’s ever evolving. Every book I’ve written has undergone a different way of getting to the end. Some of that is based on where I was in learning the craft. Some of that is based on the characters and how they choose to drive the plot. I do have a basic way of starting. I get an idea and a scene pops into my head. I start thinking about what ifs. I flesh out my characters with birthdays, physical attributes, backgrounds, careers, and try to lock in their flaws. I work a lot of this out with my critique partner <a href="http://pammantovani.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pam Mantovani</a>. Once I feel like I know my characters, I start looking at the internal, emotional journey they’ll take toward each other. I loosely plot. I often have a blurb and basic synopsis and log line. Then I start writing. I am not the best first draft writer. I’m a layer-in writer. And I revise. A lot. Eventually, the story really reveals itself during the revision process.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I had fun sharing my writing life with everyone. The Maverick’s Red Hot Reunion releases on June 30. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VB-bpgqEVuNZZGJqY6dbsCqA8Eb766PsvAZ-FzJAeFzxOmMJnLLmcXkESjtvgTFT5gTEcb0L9HvwlVaNV26PPbZvNKqajNwybDC2L7N5RquHE6aLu0yrACiyZvzbjXo0M0ajXEcyHRc/s1600/TMRHR_Cover1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VB-bpgqEVuNZZGJqY6dbsCqA8Eb766PsvAZ-FzJAeFzxOmMJnLLmcXkESjtvgTFT5gTEcb0L9HvwlVaNV26PPbZvNKqajNwybDC2L7N5RquHE6aLu0yrACiyZvzbjXo0M0ajXEcyHRc/s1600/TMRHR_Cover1600.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My debut book cover from Entangled!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>Can he satisfy his craving without losing his heart?</i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Corporate Maverick Zach Tanner returns to North Carolina to rebuild his dying friend's resort. He's got the money, the power, and the will to transform Sweetbriar Springs into a premier spa for the glamorous, but he doesn't count on the woman he once loved and lost to handle the construction contract. Zach thought he'd buried his desire for Kennedy five years ago, but he's still drawn to her. He's determined to satisfy his craving to get her out of his system...</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
Construction company owner Kennedy Gibson is eager to restore Sweetbriar Springs, but when she realizes Zach is her new boss she's terrified he'll learn the truth about their breakup. She agrees to work with the one man she vowed never to hurt again, but can't deny the passion he reignites in her. Soon she believes she has a chance for a different future with Zach, but her secret threatens to destroy their red-hot reunion.</div>
<br />
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION will be available from <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Entangled Publishing</a> and other fine booksellers. </div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-21314289641170579092014-06-11T08:00:00.000-05:002014-06-11T08:01:11.134-05:00Turn Up the Volume: Playlist for The Maverick's Red Hot ReunionI love to listen to music when I am in various stages of developing my stories. I used to listen to random music, but I've begun to make specific lists for each story. Sometimes the music between each story overlaps because the themes are similar. I tend to write in hour long sprints, so my playlists usually run about an hour. I've added a lot of music to my library via listening to my Sirius XM or I'll hear something during a Zumba class that strikes me and I'll ask my instructor for the name of the song and artist/s.<br />
<br />
Not all of my songs have titles--they're just tracks numbers because I got them from the College Kid. So the following isn't a complete list, but I hope you enjoy taking a peek into my playlist titles.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion's Playlist</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1. One by U2</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2. Someone Like You by Adele</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. Who Says You Can't Go Home? by Bon Jovi</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4. Run to You by Bryan Adams</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
5. Irreplaceable by Beyonce</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
6-10: Track Numbers without titles--but they're all good.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
11. Set Fire to the Rain by Adele</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
12. Wake Up Call by Maroon 4</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
13. Always by Bon Jovi</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
14. Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
15. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
16. Landslide by Fleetwood Mac</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
17. Glad You Came by The Wanted</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Do you listen to music when you're creating new stories or other things? Does it inspire you and help keep you focused? Who are some of your favorite musical artists?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-80758114552797629812014-06-04T07:43:00.000-05:002014-06-04T07:43:05.827-05:00Baskets, Books, & Bling: The 2014 Heart of Dixie Readers' Luncheon Open for Registration<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWfIgvo1OyKV8D39mRFimopZ9L9KppqxX2gfBnH_Y1h1AWmGUgPozg0MEYkwEqo0KyKDnH4NjcU1K4BhmtKWZG8dnF4YyNvCIGi7eGsrXyQz9MD5xtcUjPAHM4QRPhfmNTXxbWEJci90/s1600/TMRHR_Cover1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWfIgvo1OyKV8D39mRFimopZ9L9KppqxX2gfBnH_Y1h1AWmGUgPozg0MEYkwEqo0KyKDnH4NjcU1K4BhmtKWZG8dnF4YyNvCIGi7eGsrXyQz9MD5xtcUjPAHM4QRPhfmNTXxbWEJci90/s1600/TMRHR_Cover1600.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first book cover.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm so excited to be part of the <a href="http://www.heartofdixie.org/" target="_blank">2014 Heart of Dixie Readers' Luncheon</a> this year. I'm attending this event and co-hosting a table with author <a href="http://www.kelseybrowning.com/" target="_blank">Kelsey Browning</a>. The College Kid will be there and so will my critique partner <a href="http://pammantovani.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pam Mantovani</a>. And I'm stoked to hear Eloisa James speak because she is so inspiring.<br />
<br />
If you live near Huntsville, Alabama and want to attend this fabulous event, there's still time to register. Just go to <a href="http://www.heartofdixie.org/">www.heartofdixie.org</a> and you'll find all the details.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
There are lots of fantastic reasons to go to the luncheon. Here's short list:<br />
<br />
1. Books, books, books.<br />
2. Meet your favorite authors and have lunch with them.<br />
3. Bling!<br />
4. Goody Bags filled with books and swag.<br />
5. Author Basket Door Prizes.<br />
6. Over 35 Raffle Baskets filled with books, swag, gift cards, and more.<br />
7. Support literacy.<br />
8. A $5 coupon good toward buying a book.<br />
9. My Debut Novel Author Basket for the Maverick's Red Hot Reunion is waiting for a lucky winner.<br />
10. Eloisa James is in the house!<br />
<br />
I can't wait to see who wins the my basket this year.<br />
<br />
Hope to see you there!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-5278034851413284492014-05-28T00:01:00.000-05:002014-09-15T15:13:33.128-05:00Retro Blog: Fate, Fortune Cookies, and Faith<b>On May 30, 2013 I got the call from my editor at Entangled Publishing. This blog first aired June 5, 2013. Now I am poised to release my debut novel THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION on June 30th, 2014. It's a dream come true. Here's the story about what happened on May 30th, 2013. </b><br />
<br />
I got what we writers like to say is "The Call." In my case it was an email. And I was sitting in my trusty Ford Escape getting ready to go to my morning Zumba class when it arrived on my iPhone. So what did I do after my new editor at <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Entangled Publishing</a> sent me the email that stated my manuscript was approved?<br />
<br />
Frankly, I trembled. It was unbelievable, surreal even, after all these years of seeking a home for my stories.<br />
<br />
I emailed her back-thanked her so much and then I forwarded it to the Physicist and my critique partners, <a href="http://sharonwray.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Sharon Wray</a>, <a href="http://sosaloha.blogspot.com/2011/02/aloha-to-kem-johnston-and-big-boys-dont.html" target="_blank">Karen Johnston</a>, and <a href="http://pammantovani.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pam Mantovani</a>. Sharon and Karen have worked with me since 2006 and they're talented writers whom I value beyond measure. Pam and I met through a contest that she was coordinating in 2009: the Maggies for the Georgia Romance Writers RWA Chapter. I finaled that year and the following year I wooed her to become my category romance writing partner. We haven't looked back. She's an incredible writer, a fantastic critique partner, and a dear friend.<br />
<br />
I would not be the writer I am today if fate had not lead me to these women. Our relationships are special, and I love them all.<br />
<br />
Fate also lead me to a fantastic writing group. The Romance Writers of America. My first manuscript was requested by an editor at Harlequin and then rejected. Rightfully so. It was a hot mess and I needed to learn a lot. But in that rejection, the editor encouraged me to join RWA. So I did. Then I found Karen and Sharon. Two years later, I found more writing chapters with my subsequent move to Alabama. Southern Magic, Heart of Dixie, Music City Romance Writers and Georgia Romance Writers of America have given me so much support throughout these long years. Fate also led me to a fantastic group called GIAMx4 (Goal in a Month) after I emailed the loop's creator about a PRO post. <a href="http://www.amyatwell.com/" target="_blank">Amy Atwell</a> is a dynamo and I adore her for including me in this group. They are so good to me. Finally, fate also sent me a multi-published author who literally took me by the hand and said she'd read the first three chapters of the book I just sold because she knew how hard it is to get published. I finally plucked up the courage to send her this book and she fell in love with it. Though it didn't suit her publishing house's line, it lead me down an interesting pathway. And her faith in my writing kept me going when times got dark and I wanted to give up writing for a shopping vocation.<br />
<br />
But I couldn't quit writing because then I would be--as Sharon so wisely and gently said--rejecting myself.<br />
<br />
This brings me in no clear way to Fortune Cookies. For some reason I like saving certain fortunes that come in the cookies. I've kept two in my jewelry box for at least four years. I used one in my short bio because it suits me to a T. I kept the other one because it describes my internal motivation. Here they are:<br />
<br />
<i>Your ability to find the silly in the serious will take you far.</i><br />
<i>Your skills will accomplish what the force of many will not.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>There were days when I'd open my jewelry box to get my hoop earrings and heart necklace and I'd read these fortunes just to jump start my day and keep my motivation going.<br />
<br />
I came home and showed the College Kid the email who then promptly hugged me three times in a row (a record!) and said she was proud of me. I still get all weepy when I recall that moment. Then it was off to PF Changs because the day I sold to Entangled Publishing, the Physicist and I had already arranged a SWG with one of our favorite couples at the restaurant to catch up. SWG stands for Scotch Working Group. The servers there keep The Marine and The Physicist's favorite scotch on hand and know them by name. So one minute I was signing a contract and the next I was off to eat Chinese and hang out with friends while the College Kid started fooling around with my Tumblr account to make it look better.<br />
<br />
When the Marine and his wife learned the news they were very excited. But really? I was so dazed, I was almost overwhelmed. They insisted on me tooting my own horn a bit. So we had a big piece of cake on the house (because the server was happy for me after they told her I had sold a book). After we ate the cake (which was super yummy and completely sinful) the fortune cookies arrived. We each opened ours and I'm saving them all in my jewelry box. Here's what they said:<br />
<br />
<i>You will receive a surprising gift very soon.</i><br />
<i>You should have a talk with a friend today.</i><br />
<i>Treasure what you have.</i><br />
<i>A small gift can bring joy to the whole family.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Somehow, in the dim glow of the low lights at PF Changs these fortunes reflected my entire day. I loved that moment when each member of the table read their slip of paper, then handed me their fortune.<br />
<br />
Their friendship leads me to Faith. I could not have gotten to this point without the company of faithful friends and without faith in something greater than me guiding my destiny. My family, my dearest and oldest friends (two who read the first ill-fated manuscript and encouraged me to go forth), my new friends, my Zumba Sisters, my writing friends, my awesome critique partners, the mentors and teachers who have guided me (<a href="http://www.marybuckham.com/" target="_blank">Mary Buckham</a>, <a href="http://www.authordiannalove.com/" target="_blank">Dianna Love</a>, <a href="http://www.margielawson.com/" target="_blank">Margie Lawson</a>, <a href="http://www.storymastery.com/" target="_blank">Michael Hauge</a> to name a few), the published authors who have given me so much encouragement--all of them have filled my internal faith jar with hope for the future.<br />
<br />
And I have a real faith jar. Years ago someone gave me a prayer jar. You write down your prayers on slips of paper and date them, then you put them in the jar and let them sit there. When things change, you check the jar and pull out the prayers that have been answered. OK, so now I'm crying as I write this because this weekend I pulled out two slips of paper. Here's what they said and the dates they were written:<br />
<br />
<i>I pray that someone will publish my works </i>2005<br />
<i>I pray for strength to write strong even when I'm not published. </i>2012<br />
<br />
The top of my jar is inscribed with the following words:<br />
<br />
<i>Faith is the substance of things hoped for... </i>Hebrews 11:1<br />
<br />
It's been a long journey from that first tiny slip of paper to today's new slip of paper. The journey's not over, it's just different. I'm making new connections and finding new friends who are in this extraordinary world that I've just entered. But I'm so glad that the companions I have known throughout my life will be cruising on this pathway beside me. They are why I have the courage to sit down to write stories which believe in the power of love binding two hearts together.<br />
<br />
<b>A lot has changed since I first wrote this blog. I lost my dear friend Karen Johnston to an inoperable brain stem tumor in March 2014. I'm grateful that we were able to celebrate my sale last year. She was an amazing person, and I will miss her forever. Still, she's with me every day in spirit cheering me on with her boundless enthusiasm. And there's been good news despite the sadness that has passed our way. Pam Mantovani sold her first book to Belle Books in July 2013. And Sharon Wray is a Golden Heart finalist for the fourth year in a row. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>One thing that hasn't changed is my faith jar. It still has prayers in it. Slips of paper with bits of hopes and dreams written on them.</b><br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-88106342203123796202014-05-21T00:01:00.000-05:002014-06-10T13:56:55.043-05:00From My Pinterest Recipe Board: Tried It & Liked It<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfSQtZ3JAZdpOT_HlEUUTWKqwzZ94FzsiGkmQEdoT8Ee7ptGHdskGoO2ZzodgMPbu-yZ2HzNtKGICH9EmW_Jc0cLwN1XKSC43sNtrl9oMwu56JzejsCIZDpG8aPzDnkJirkdAAze0_Ow/s1600/IMG_1970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfSQtZ3JAZdpOT_HlEUUTWKqwzZ94FzsiGkmQEdoT8Ee7ptGHdskGoO2ZzodgMPbu-yZ2HzNtKGICH9EmW_Jc0cLwN1XKSC43sNtrl9oMwu56JzejsCIZDpG8aPzDnkJirkdAAze0_Ow/s1600/IMG_1970.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moroccan Meatball Stew. So yummy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I love Middle Eastern food and Moroccan food. When I saw this <a href="http://www.nlrockrecipes.com/2013/01/moroccan-meatball-stew.html" target="_blank">recipe</a> on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div id="lws_0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="linkwithin_outer" style="border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="linkwithin_inner" id="linkwithin_inner" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 596px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
Moroccan Meatball Stew with a Christine Twist</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
Serves 4 - 6<br />
<br />
Soak together:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Planko crumbs)</li>
<li>1/4 cup milk (I used skim milk)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Add:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>2 lbs ground lamb (or beef)--I used Costco's ground turkey<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>1 tsp dry oregano</li>
<li>1/4 tsp ground nutmeg</li>
<li>1 beaten egg</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp black pepper</li>
<li>2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VhtIcr3m2tY3bCObIpTLEZxDWTQ0FxDgpFUQ5-juAROEVY7JY1svKU4LKO6CQG-5XJVkT1buXwTnDgfC1CyINjIAMp_AStSIIxCLA4j0X2ObSuNnRZNPwT6U-jYwK22oIz0XwEPPazE/s1600/IMG_1965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VhtIcr3m2tY3bCObIpTLEZxDWTQ0FxDgpFUQ5-juAROEVY7JY1svKU4LKO6CQG-5XJVkT1buXwTnDgfC1CyINjIAMp_AStSIIxCLA4j0X2ObSuNnRZNPwT6U-jYwK22oIz0XwEPPazE/s1600/IMG_1965.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turkey Plops--Note the missing Plop. Feline naughtiness.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Mix well and form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Fry the meatballs in in olive oil to brown on all sides. Remove meatballs to a covered, oven safe pan.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
Note: I didn't make balls, the turkey was too soft. Plus I decided to bake the meat rather than fry it. So I basically had to drop plops of the turkey onto a lightly oil sprayed cookie sheet. I baked them for 35 minutes at 350 degrees, the brought them out to cool. Only one went missing because a naughty cat likes spicy food, too. Who knew?</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
Then I took my Dutch oven and put a little olive oil into it and cooked the following ingredients.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 diced carrot</li>
<li>1 stalk diced celery</li>
<li>4 cloves chopped garlic</li>
<li>1 diced red onion</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBQ1b7KZWe_DA-lN7T7MYhJnIw08rSDF30FPHCd-_20z5bmimApLlqAauoeGQtz6VkUzXVfKNeuDDhgBbCwEi_DMGp03l1zafKeTpZrJCHA8kXFx_ZnNuIdptFsR_sQkJaZoTDUh3JVo/s1600/IMG_1966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBQ1b7KZWe_DA-lN7T7MYhJnIw08rSDF30FPHCd-_20z5bmimApLlqAauoeGQtz6VkUzXVfKNeuDDhgBbCwEi_DMGp03l1zafKeTpZrJCHA8kXFx_ZnNuIdptFsR_sQkJaZoTDUh3JVo/s1600/IMG_1966.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking the veggies. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li><br /></li>
</ul>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
Saute together until the onions soften, then add this mixture to the pan with the meatballs along with:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>6 cups diced canned tomatoes</li>
<li>3/4 cup currents -- my local Alabama grocery store didn't have currents, so I got golden raisins and regular raisins instead. Still yummy, but would love to have currents in my pantry.</li>
<li>1/2 cup raisins</li>
<li>3 bay leaves</li>
<li>1 tsp ground coriander</li>
<li>1 tsp ground cardamom</li>
<li>1 tsp turmeric</li>
<li>2 tsp ground cumin</li>
<li>4 tsp ground cinnamon</li>
<li>1/4 tsp ground cloves</li>
<li>1/2 tsp ground nutmeg</li>
<li>1 small red chile minced or 1 tbsp chili paste</li>
<li>2 tbsp brown sugar</li>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBa9tdVxXpRpQLZeX0dA2_vExvgKta-E2ADaWDmKWcoR_khore7fWrhGiWSXl-DhO7Nm4pejNL534EeXW3DLk3hZApbwaF1Y-OfmBE74OJXKd6guKQX8Xkk2ehREvPL8U4Xh05izXiPQ/s1600/IMG_1967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBa9tdVxXpRpQLZeX0dA2_vExvgKta-E2ADaWDmKWcoR_khore7fWrhGiWSXl-DhO7Nm4pejNL534EeXW3DLk3hZApbwaF1Y-OfmBE74OJXKd6guKQX8Xkk2ehREvPL8U4Xh05izXiPQ/s1600/IMG_1967.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the delicious ingredients combined. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>salt and pepper to season</li>
</ul>
<br />
Place in a 350 degree oven, covered for about and hour, then add:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Return to the oven for an additional hour at 325 degrees F. In the last 10 minutes of cooking time you can add:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 cup olives (optional) I left out the olives. I didn't think they were necessary and might have overpowered the meal. Had I added olives, I would have added black pitted ones.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Serve over couscous.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" trbidi="on">
I LOVED this recipe. So aromatic and delicious. And really easy to make. I might try to make it with lamb next time, but I liked the ground turkey plops just fine. Hope you try it and while you're waiting for the stew to cook through, check out my heroes on my Pinterest board <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/cjglover63/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-5980672574567780532014-05-14T00:01:00.000-05:002014-09-15T15:15:32.975-05:00Juggling Multiple Balls While Balancing on a TightropeLife has been crazy busy these past few weeks. I've always been self-disciplined about setting goals and personal deadlines. I have no problem working toward one that's given to me. Actually, I like to send requested materials earlier than the due date because that's how I roll.<br />
<br />
And I bet that makes my editors at <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Entangled Publishing</a> very happy.<br />
<br />
But here's a secret: I love revising. I LOVE LOVE LOVE fixing problems on the page even if the solution isn't always an easy one to find. So revising is like playing with my words and it's fun.<br />
<br />
First draft writing? Um. Well. Twirl toe in carpet and look away. Um. I like to finish the story so I can revise it and make it stronger. That's been a bit of a problem lately because the first book has a release date (stay tuned--I'm sharing it today). I've got to wrap my brain around revisions on book B, copy edits for book A, and how I will market the debut so that it succeeds.<br />
<br />
I can't do it all in one day. Each book deserves my full attention, but now they're queuing up in a different order. I did give myself permission to work on my sequel to the MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION through this Sunday. I wanted to get a good handle on Caleb and Hannah before I put them aside to work on another round of revisions for my prequel to the debut novel.<br />
<br />
So here's how I'm juggling and walking a tightrope.<br />
<br />
I'm not.<br />
<br />
I have decided that I will dance to a different tune every day, but I have scheduled my rehearsals so I can dance efficiently. Some days the music will be fast, and I'll have to move quickly, working on the projects my editor at Entangled gives to me first. Other days the beat will be slower. I'll use the time to flesh out my next story, staying on course until I finish the first draft. Having a rehearsal schedule allows me to play every day with my words at the best time for capitalizing on my creativity. It also gives me time to organize my marketing/business life when my inner administrator takes over my brain.<br />
<br />
Of course, I've only figured out how to dance to my new writing life's tune. The housework will simply have to suffer. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for my career. And now here's the debut release date for THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION!<br />
<br />
Drum roll.... JUNE 30TH!!! Super squee time!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-72230447476752440742014-05-07T00:01:00.000-05:002014-05-07T07:20:12.394-05:00Lunch with Romance Authors Featuring Eloisa James <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjBunD2c1cDlMXdOvNUn6FG38TUiSdg9qJEEdx8jWdHZIDPV64NykmMmYaGJXHIO7p0Kx_thLYUasF57b4mHpySpUt7KBxvDNBdYlzSyHgTVWO6Xl38OSKVtyFFmAjEiHt43WCVLGewg/s1600/Readers'+Luncheon+Postcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjBunD2c1cDlMXdOvNUn6FG38TUiSdg9qJEEdx8jWdHZIDPV64NykmMmYaGJXHIO7p0Kx_thLYUasF57b4mHpySpUt7KBxvDNBdYlzSyHgTVWO6Xl38OSKVtyFFmAjEiHt43WCVLGewg/s1600/Readers'+Luncheon+Postcard.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></div>
The 2014 Heart of Dixie's 17th Annual Readers' Luncheon featuring <a href="http://www.eloisajames.com/" target="_blank">Eloisa James</a> is open for registration. As a Heart of Dixie member, I've attended the luncheon and volunteered wherever I can to help make this luncheon a fun event for romance readers.<br />
<br />
This year I am excited about attending the luncheon on Saturday, June 14th from 11-3 PM because I've got a brand new book releasing in June.<br />
<br />
Oh. Not just brand new, but my first published book! My debut novel THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION is off to my <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Entangled Publishing</a> editor as I write this post. And I'm waiting for my first cover art to be sent to me for approval.<br />
<br />
It's a dream come true.<br />
<br />
Even better, I am a big time Fan Girl of Eloisa James. Not only is she a fantastic author who writes rich, steamy and poignant historical romances, she is an amazing speaker. I heard her speak at my first RWA Annual Conference. She moved me to tears. After I returned home, I emailed her and thanked her for her beautiful speech. And she emailed me back! L'il ole me!<br />
<br />
Fast forward a few years and Eloisa James is a 2013 RITA finalist. She had been a finalist before, but had never taken home the coveted statuette. I was a Golden Heart date that year with the fabulous and talented writer Gail Hart. We dressed to the nines, got our bling on, and walked to our table where I saw Eloisa James' name.<br />
<br />
I nearly fainted. Gail had never seen me without the power of speech. It was a powerful moment. And that night I watched Eloisa James win her first RITA. I'll always remember how happy she looked when she came back to the table with her golden RITA.<br />
<br />
Now she's coming to Huntsville, Alabama to give a keynote speech during the 2014 Heart of Dixie's Annual Luncheon. It's as if I've come full circle. From the first time I heard Eloisa James speak when I was an unpublished new writer until now when I get to listen to her poignant words again as I attend the luncheon waiting for my first book to be released.<br />
<br />
I plan on celebrating, and I hope to see you at the luncheon this year. You can register for the luncheon at <a href="http://www.heartofdixie.org/">www.heartofdixie.org</a> or call 931-625-9355.<br />
<br />
See you in June!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-56657664061016146252014-04-30T00:01:00.000-05:002014-04-30T00:01:00.765-05:00From my Pinterest Recipe Board: Tried It & Liked ItI made this for the Physicist a few weeks ago and it will become a regular in our house.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Greek Chicken</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ingredients:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 cup plain yogurt</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4 cloves of garlic, minced</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Juice of 1 medium Lemon</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (optional)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 1/2-4 lbs. chicken (I used chicken breasts, 2 lbs, thinly sliced through the center)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Combine all ingredients except the chicken, mix thoroughly and pour into large gallon bag or other container. Add chicken to bag, making sure to cover all pieces well. Refrigerate for up to half a day, then remove from fridge and bring to room temperature.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can grill them which is awesome! Or bake them in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. Serve hot, with minced parsley, or green onions on top.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Super yummy. Definitely a do-over. And I know the College Kid will love it!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Come see what my favorite heroes look like on my <span id="goog_1871700124"></span><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/cjglover63/" target="_blank">Pinterest board here.</a><span id="goog_1871700125"></span></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-139055408074464642014-04-23T07:04:00.001-05:002014-04-23T07:04:19.765-05:00Time Out for TravelI'm off to see my CP <a href="http://pammantovani.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pam Mantovani</a> today. We're writing, brainstorming new books, and attending our <a href="http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/" target="_blank">Georgia Romance Writers of America's</a> <a href="http://www.margielawson.com/" target="_blank">Margie Lawson</a> Workshop on the 26th of April. Pam and I have worked together for almost 4 years, but we met 6 years ago when she was the Overall Coordinator of the Unpublished Maggie Awards. I called her to ask a "I'm form challenged" question and we immediately hit it off. Then I finaled in the Maggie that summer and I went to the Moonlight & Magnolias Conference along with my dear friend and Critique Partner <a href="http://sharonwray.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Sharon Wray</a>.<br />
<br />
I didn't win the Maggie that year, but I did win the jackpot in a bigger way. Though I was working with Sharon Wray and Karen Johnston via long distance critiquing, and they certainly made me a stronger writer as a result of our collaboration, neither of them wrote in my genre. I was in the market for a contemporary category series romance critique partner and it turned out that Pam was targeting the same publishing houses as me.<br />
<br />
Over the next two years, we developed a strong rapport as writers and as people. I'd read some of her manuscripts and I knew this Maggie winning writer would make an excellent critique partner: if she'd generate more pages and be willing to take a chance on working with me. In January 2011 I drove out to Georgia to ask her to work with me.<br />
<br />
She said yes.<br />
<br />
And I hit the jackpot.<br />
<br />
Through the days and months that have followed we've worked on multiple manuscripts together via long distance brainstorming on the phone, emailing documents back and forth for critiquing, and driving to and from each others' houses to work together. There's something special about the synergy that is created when creative minds share the same space.<br />
<br />
We've grown as writers, pushed ourselves beyond our self-imposed limitations, and we've supported each other through the many ups and downs of being unpublished writers. Imagine how cool it was for both of us to sell within 6 weeks of each other.<br />
<br />
It was very cool. <br />
<br />
I believe Pam is a very gifted story teller. A master at pointing out the Picky Alerts. And I'm the lucky girl who gets to work with this <a href="http://www.bellebooks.com/shopcontent.asp?type=PamMantovani" target="_blank">Belle Books Debut Author. </a><br />
<br />
Writing is often a solo enterprise, but if you open yourself up to the possibilities, you might just find wonderful companions along the way. I didn't walk away from my other CPs. Karen Johnston and I continued to exchange quick critiques and talked often about the industry and getting our product out to the market.<br />
<br />
Sadly, Karen passed away from an inoperable brain stem tumor in March 2014. But I still feel her fierce and encouraging presence with me whenever I start getting scared. She was bold, beyond strong, and she always made us believe we could do anything we put our minds to accomplishing.<br />
<br />
Sharon and I also continue to work together as friends and writing partners, but in a different way. We encourage each other with daily texts, we exchange information about the craft of writing, and we have exchanged manuscripts or partials for quick read throughs. We cheer each other on, and I'm blessed to know this sensitive, talented and dedicated woman both as a writer and as a dear friend.<br />
<br />
So choose your writing companions carefully. Each one brings a different strength to your writing world. Karen taught me to be brave, Sharon teaches me to keep learning and growing as a writer, and Pam keeps me tethered to reality with her sage advice, wisdom, and empathy. I would not be the writer I am today without any of them.<br />
<br />
So now I'm heading off to Georgia in my trusty little Ford Escape with my laptop in hand and my writing journals and brainstorming supplies tucked into my briefcase. I can't wait to get there!<br />
<br />
See you all next week!<br />
<br />
:)Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-41393484373897048992014-04-16T00:01:00.000-05:002014-09-15T15:17:06.040-05:00Quotes that Keep Me Going StrongI love motivational quotes. They help me regain my focus and my drive whenever I grow weary or worry about the tasks at hand.<br />
<br />
When I was struggling to get through the publishing door, I read a Donald Maas book HOW TO WRITE THE BREAKOUT NOVEL. He made me think a lot about my goals and my motivation for writing. This quote is on my inspirational wall:<br />
<br />
<i>I hope that your measure of success will be not be the gratification of getting an agent or seeing your name on the cover, but putting together a novel of real depth--of having something to say and saying it in a story with lasting power. </i>Donald Maas<br />
<br />
When I was feeling negative and getting caught up in the noise that rattles in the publishing world's cave from time to time, I read James Scott Bell's book THE ART OF WAR FOR WRITERS. He wrote:<br />
<br />
<i>Every moment spent whining about your writing career is a moment of creative energy lost... turn grousing into energy by writing. </i>James Scott Bell.<br />
<br />
He's a smart man. There's always noise. There will always be complainers and whiners and mean girls and more, but I just keep my head down and write. That's what I do best. And it keeps me out of trouble :)<br />
<br />
I love Delle Jacobs quote:<br />
<br />
<i>The object of goals is getting there... the object of dreams is the journey. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Delle Jacobs reminds me daily to focus on the journey. And I would add this to it, don't ever put obstacles in another person's path as a means of achieving your end goal. There is room on this road for everyone. Be kind, generous, and encouraging to others. That will make the journey all the better.<br />
<br />
And a few years ago, a friend sent me this quote because it reminded her of me.<br />
<br />
<i>The master at the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.</i> Author James A. Michener<br />
<br />
That she thought of me in this light truly humbles me. I don't know that I always succeed in mastering the art of living, but I do try to find joy every day. And I'm blessed to have this desire to write planted in my soul. I love writing. It's like breathing to me. The process of crafting the stories, unraveling the difficulties within the plots and understanding the characters' deeper motivations and conflicts is exciting.<br />
<br />
So maybe the master at the art of living is a person who has found his or her passion and is actively pursuing it every day.<br />
<br />
What's your passion? What do you want to do every day and what brings you joy?<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-61952741783470034072014-04-09T00:01:00.000-05:002014-04-09T00:01:00.205-05:00Retro Blog: Busy-ness Can Lead to Dizzy-ness First Aired June 9, 2010<b>I wrote this blog June 9, 2010. As my writing career begins to transform into one that includes lots more writing, revision passes, marketing and promotion of THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION, and my ongoing volunteer activities, I needed this reminder to slow down every once in a while and just breathe.</b><br />
<br />
People's lives are busy. Some people actually define their lives by saying, "I'm so busy, or too busy or these are busy days." They revel in the busy-ness of their lives. They revel in the going out and about to do a zillion errands, or projects, or luncheons. They revel in being seen as "busy." Busy-ness defines their lives.<br />
<br />
But sometimes I wonder if these people who are so "busy" are actually just avoiding themselves. Avoiding personal introspection. Avoiding examining who they are, or where they need to go. Other times I wonder if these busy people are busy because it makes them feel important. The busy-ness defines them.<br />
<br />
Ever met somebody like that? I've met a few. I may have actually been guilty of committing the act of "busy-ness" myself. Heck, I was young once. I did my fair share and plus of extra work when I was employed outside the home and afterward. I remember an incredibly intense time after I became a Mom where I spent about 6 or 7 years volunteering in the school, the church, the neighborhood--basically did it all. For free. But then I think part of my motivation was the free babysitting *grin*.<br />
<br />
Yup. I was a "busy" person. And I knew a lot of "busy people." It wasn't until I was forced to sit down and take stock that I truly began my inner journey. I admit that I was a self-help book addict for years. Heck, with the crazy dysfunctional background I came from, who wouldn't be? But I never really examined who I wanted to be until I couldn't be out in the world being, well, you know, "busy."<br />
<br />
Yup. I couldn't be busy because I got this weirdo bug in my ear that made me dizzy. Beyond dizzy. I had a serious cases of perpetual vertigo. It was the kind of vertigo that made me sick, caused blackouts, and had accompanying bouts of tremenous heat and frightening moments of disorientation. The only way to beat it back was to STOP BEING SO BUSY.<br />
<br />
I was felled by a tiny bug in my inner ear for 6 MONTHS.<br />
<br />
At first I was so sick, I didn't have much energy. I napped. This was unheard of in my house. I am a "get up and go" kinda girl. Naturally, after I had a few months of serious downtime, I got bored. You know boredom is not always a bad thing. Boredom means you're healing. Boredom means your mind is getting ready for the next creative adventure.<br />
<br />
Now if a "get up and go" girl can't really, uh, go anywhere in the real world, what is she going to do? Oh, hmmm, any good guesses out there? Oh, yeah. Write. And experiencing that illness is how I rediscovered what I know I was always meant to do. Write. I started to write my first novel. It was an escape, a joyful experience, and I fell in love with my childhood dreams all over again.<br />
<br />
That was a wonderful year. The said book was finished, queried and requested by Silhouette Desire BEFORE I even knew about Romance Writers of America, writing craft, Goals/Motivation/Conflict, plots, revising, and more.<br />
<br />
Fast forward almost five years. I'm still focused on the writing. I love it. I have four books under my belt (though I call them 8 given all the recent plot revisions), and I am submitting, being requested, and happily involved in all my RWA/PRO/Chapter organizations. I am also blogging, FaceBook connecting (imagine if they'd had Facebook back when I first got DIZZY? I might not be writing because I'd be "busy" connecting with my social network), TWEETING, helping with an online workshop, volunteering to help with the PRO Retreat, judging contests, entering contests.... YIKES! I am afraid I might get dizzy again.<br />
<br />
And yes, before you ask, I am blonde. Let the jokes begin now.<br />
<br />
But I won't get DIZZY. You know why I believe in my heart I won't get dizzy? Because all my "busy" stuff is what I want to do for my career (and my family--which comes FIRST). I have learned the fine art of saying "no." Or better, "let me get back to you about that request after I think about it." Or better yet, "I would like some help with this please."<br />
<br />
Most of all, I've given myself permission to walk away from my commitments and take a deep breath. When dinner starts, if the phone rings, I don't answer it. Period. I keep my commitments to a set amount and I don't feel obligated to be perfect (losing perfectionism is a great way to give up the "busy" life). I don't say "yes" to make someone think better of me. And I don't say "yes" to gain approval or puff up my ego. Frankly, I don't consider saying "yes" to anything that does not reflect my Top 5 Priority List.<br />
<br />
Ah, the Top 5 Priority List. I shared this list with you in January. I learned about this method of establishing boundaries from a LIFE MAKEOVER book I read when I was dizzy. I reevaluate it every quarter. Usually it stays the same, at least the top 2 items stay the same. The bottom 3 vary depending on season, where I am in my life, and how the rest of the family is faring.<br />
<br />
But what is a priority? What does this word mean to you? Here is a brief dictionary explanation:<br />
<br />
Priority Defined:<br />
<br />
Noun:<br />
<br />
*A thing that is regarded as more important than another.<br />
<i>The housework didn't figure high on her list of priorities.</i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i>Seriously? It never does figure high on my list of priorities. Sure I want to prevent my toilets from being deemed toxic & hazardous, but if my house is dirty and you want to come over because you're down or need a friendly face, I'm your girl!</i></span><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>*</i>The fact or condition of being regarded or treated as important.<br />
<i>The safety of the country takes priority over every other matter.</i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Or in my world the health and welfare of my family, and myself, is regarded or treated as important. If I am trying to do too much everyone suffers, including me. </span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i><br /></i></span>
*The right to take precedence or proceed before others.<br />
<i>Priority is given to those with press passes.</i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Now I love this. The items/things/people who take precedence or proceed before others in my life are my family first, my writing (actual writing, not blogging or stuff of that nature), my health, my dearest friends, my spirit and my soul. Everybody and everything else must wait in line. Period.</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i><br /></i></span>
This getting your priorities straight isn't a perfect process. Sometimes I revert and nibble off a bit more than I can chew. Usually the first thing that suffers is my health. So I get a pretty quick reminder to get my priorities sorted.<br />
<br />
Ironically, my weirdest time to keep my priorities straight is through the summer months. I've got these writing goals, but I scale them back a bit, or make room for flexible writing time, during this time of year. Darling Daughter is underfoot, we've got summer travel plans, and I want to enjoy my family during these lazy days. I don't stop writing, but I do break it up differently. And my priority is to work on my MS or WIP in Revision. If I'm not on Facebook or I miss a blog post, well that means I'm focusing on my first priority: the health and happiness of my family. We're probably at the pool, or shopping, or visiting some museum. And that's okay.<br />
<br />
That's the key to maintaining your priorities and boundaries: telling yourself it's okay to let something slide or go slack every once in a while. REALLY!<br />
<br />
<b>Here I am 4 years later with even more books written, a publishing contract, the Darling Daughter off to university, and still writing as much as I can every day. I'm involved in the Heart of Dixie's 2014 Readers' Luncheon as the Raffle Basket coordinator and my debut novel releases in June. My priorities are still the same: take care of my health and my family's welfare, write another book, prepare for my career to launch, and then I will work on my volunteer duties. And that means asking for help because I will need extra hands to get this job done.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I will also say "no" to any other requests for my help until I have cleared my plate of the tasks currently at hand.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>How do you prioritize your life? Do you say "yes" before thinking it through? Do you say "no" without guilt? </b>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-68855699427884076392014-04-02T00:01:00.000-05:002014-04-07T13:47:08.425-05:00My New Wall Art: Puzzles, Books, & FriendsI love putting together puzzles every Christmas. It's become a tradition in our family. Recently, someone I met through the Southern Magic Readers Luncheon and online wanted to meet me in person. She had a present for me that she thought I'd appreciate.<br />
<br />
I couldn't meet Carol empty handed, so I brought her a gift as well.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdF_Q_UBmtCy-bMB3copjyMOtmxXjGxetun51cSL7ClUs5esEa4509X1RU7HiKlH_dMJpocgGXUaWrdvZHxiYPKGLPLjeP32D7ftos99KVNzhZ135631Lcei1Q0icYp0OQzHao6OJymA/s1600/IMG_1895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdF_Q_UBmtCy-bMB3copjyMOtmxXjGxetun51cSL7ClUs5esEa4509X1RU7HiKlH_dMJpocgGXUaWrdvZHxiYPKGLPLjeP32D7ftos99KVNzhZ135631Lcei1Q0icYp0OQzHao6OJymA/s1600/IMG_1895.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I put together an author tote bag with a personalized author post it note pad. She'll be getting a copy of THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION when it debuts in June 2014 from Entangled Publishing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Carol Bibb sent me a little picture of her gift. A puzzle that she'd glued together and framed. It has all kinds of cool titles on it. More about that later. The Physicist and I drove down to Birmingham a couple of weeks ago so I could attend the meeting and visit with my chapter mates. We stopped just outside of Birmingham to meet Carol and her husband at a McDonald's parking lot.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2m8q6043yfb6DhYuKeHrvltckBZfMnnnR0Jxiq1Hc2PbkJSspSMUZDyp53KlQh7CzUV24B1b1CQTl_LbBHvkQEyNzsHbpbJx6R20T8RuOojZx_RWyncmk0yZyXL8-2Nc2h9y6XQIONXw/s1600/IMG_1896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2m8q6043yfb6DhYuKeHrvltckBZfMnnnR0Jxiq1Hc2PbkJSspSMUZDyp53KlQh7CzUV24B1b1CQTl_LbBHvkQEyNzsHbpbJx6R20T8RuOojZx_RWyncmk0yZyXL8-2Nc2h9y6XQIONXw/s1600/IMG_1896.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carol Bibb and me at the McDonald's parking lot. Isn't that picture super cool?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXT_yePzWb1X2ZO-diQmWuHv4rfKOkjWPV1TzmvmnZdK2RSmueUC4SQx6H7fwKMzQsWbgIZyRwA17X2nEXO_5UUTCxnZIImYPPwZ3J3Z712gcEk4NFtt4t-Pmi2FMajQXMto9M2GN7dkg/s1600/IMG_1897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXT_yePzWb1X2ZO-diQmWuHv4rfKOkjWPV1TzmvmnZdK2RSmueUC4SQx6H7fwKMzQsWbgIZyRwA17X2nEXO_5UUTCxnZIImYPPwZ3J3Z712gcEk4NFtt4t-Pmi2FMajQXMto9M2GN7dkg/s1600/IMG_1897.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had such a lovely meeting. I smiled all day. Carol is a wonderful, beautiful person. I'm glad we got to visit .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Sometimes people do special things and they don't even realize how much they impact other people's lives. I lost a dear friend on March 4th and I was heartbroken. But meeting Carol and her husband just outside of Birmingham brought me such joy. I truly appreciated this gift, not just the puzzle picture, but the person who took the time to think of me and give my spirits a lift. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97TDiqwnJfMm3-rgHin9zKUKWOEGj4vBD1gKwsimfwpchHqQDtzI7JNWaQB4rkuHbkzoVt1Xm-a8qUXNSsZpEMYurjY5ZwLppKo9tjiBaKYaeIS2-BnYGi7y0csAjYpOiC0zFPncjkeA/s1600/IMG_1906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97TDiqwnJfMm3-rgHin9zKUKWOEGj4vBD1gKwsimfwpchHqQDtzI7JNWaQB4rkuHbkzoVt1Xm-a8qUXNSsZpEMYurjY5ZwLppKo9tjiBaKYaeIS2-BnYGi7y0csAjYpOiC0zFPncjkeA/s1600/IMG_1906.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I put the puzzle picture smack dab in the center of my Happy Wall. Every morning when I sit down to write, I look at this and smile all over again.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Acts of kindness and generosity can make a difference in people's lives. This one sure did make one on me and reminded me about what is important in life. Bring joy to others and you will be given the same in turn.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">How do you bring joy to other people? Did anyone ever surprise you with a random act of kindness on a day that you really needed to be reminded about what is good in this world?</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-31544495034397603062014-03-26T00:30:00.000-05:002014-09-15T15:19:15.723-05:00Tips to Stay BICHOK: Butt in Chair, Hands on KeyboardThere are days that I don't want to write. I never know when they're going to happen or why. But they do happen and I have to force myself to sit down and write instead of acting on my impulse to run away to the hills and play with my friends. Here are some ways I stay BICHOK which might help you as you struggle with writing on the dark days or the sunny days or the "gee I really don't feel like writing" days.<br />
<br />
1. Set a timer. Oh, what a love-hate relationship I have with my microwave timer. Still, it works. Like a charm. I set my timer for one hour. I am not allowed to leave the chair during that time unless a tornado siren blares. Even if all I write is one sentence, I have written it. It works. My daily goal is 3-4 hours of writing/revising/staring at the blank screen and bashing my head against the keyboard. It works. Sometimes it feels like forever until the timer beeps. But sometimes I find the timer's beeping a huge intrusion. Either way, I get words written and the story moves forward. <br />
<br />
2. 100x100. This is a great way to generate words on a daily basis if you have a lot of other life factors interfering with your writing. Write 100 words for 100 days. That's a lot of words. That's like almost a story! Right? Write! Try it.<br />
<br />
3. A very wise soul once told me that just touching the manuscript counts. In other words, don't walk away for days and expect to come back full throttle with new words. Your head has to be in the game or your characters fade. The story fades. And your enthusiasm fades. We all get stuck. The trick is figuring out how to get unstuck. On bad writing days, I tell myself, just look at the work in progress. Read over it. Revise one piece. Play with a new sentence structure. Brainstorm a scene. Anything to get those creative juices flowing. It's what I have always told the College Kid: think with your pencil in your hand. It makes a difference. Really. Try it!<br />
<br />
4. Reward yourself. Anyone who knows me has heard about my typing for quarters which I totally took from <a href="http://authorkellylstone.com/" target="_blank">Kelly Stone's</a> workshop and embellished. She's awesomeness in the motivation of writing business. I love everything she has taught to me about staying in the chair. Here's the biggest thing: a writer paid herself a quarter per page so she'd meet her writing goals. Me? I take it a step more. Well, honestly, I have run the distance with this one. I pay myself a quarter for every hour I spend in the chair, for working out because a healthy writer is a strong writer, for every goal I check off my writing to-do list be it writing a blog, sending a query letter, pumping up my social media presence (more about that later). Those quarters add up!! I made a pretty tin, got a roll of quarters (I have added to the quarters over time), and every time I make a goal I drop a quarter into the tin. When the quarters are gone, I buy them back with $20 and $10 bills which go into a box in my office (be warned would be thieves-I have an Attack Cat and a security system). I pay for my conference fees and contests and other such writerly stuff with my accrued funds. It works for me! Might work for you. (Just don't tell the Physicist that I raided his change basket once because I thought he owed me a few quarters--make of it what you will).<br />
<br />
5. Plan for a break. Tell yourself that you can take one day off a week to rejuvenate your mind and soul. Play. Have fun. Talk about real life stuff and not the people in your head. Meet new people. Go to a movie. Read a great book. Call a friend. Just give yourself permission to relax.<br />
<br />
These tips work for me. Maybe they might work for you. Do you have any other ways to add to my "Bichok" advice? Leave a comment and share! Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-81409275231038523522014-03-19T06:48:00.000-05:002014-03-19T06:48:32.969-05:00Retro Blog: The Outside World Presses In-First Aired April 22, 2013<b>I signed my first publishing contract with <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Entangled Publishing's INDULGENCE</a> line a little over a month after I wrote this blog. The only thing that has changed since I went from being an unpublished writer to an author with a contract is that I have real deadlines. The demons are still here. The questions and doubts still surface. The job is still very solitary which, for an extrovert such as myself, can be difficult. How can we overcome these realities? Read on:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Writing is a solitary profession. Period. Yes, we can meet with our
writing colleagues at meetings and gather at conferences, but for the
most part we act alone. No one can write our books for us. No one can
revise our first drafts for us. And no one can force us to query or
submit even when we are filled with doubts about achieving our goals.<br />
<br />
Published
or unpublished, we all fight demons. For the published authors there
are real deadlines. That's great. Puts a fire under one's bottom and
presses that author to work.<br />
<br />
But me? No one is waiting
for me to meet any deadlines right now. So I have to set my own
deadlines which, to be honest, have been shifting daily due to outside
world pressure and different expectations of myself as a writer.<br />
<br />
I'm
working hard, but real life has pressed in and I've had to fight for my
writing time. Occasionally, I have to surrender to the outside pressure
because it's immediate and important and intrinsic to the well-being of
my family. And every interruption to my schedule impacts my ability to
get back in the chair and diligently pursue a publication career.<br />
<br />
And
then there are my own demons. Personal ones that every writer,
published and unpublished, struggle with all the time. Am I good enough?
Have I really got what it takes to write well and write much? Did I say
no to an opportunity only to lose the one chance I might have had to be
published? Did I start too late? Is the story I'm working on right now
good enough? Am I wasting my time? Am I wasting my family's time? Will I
ever get paid for sitting here at this computer for hours on end to
generate stories and ideas and more? <br />
<br />
Do I care about
the answers to these questions? Of course I care. However, I live in a
delusional, imaginary world so I propose my own answers to these
questions all the time. I need to otherwise I might quit. And if I quit,
I reject myself.<br />
<br />
Here are my answers: I become a
stronger writer every time I sit down to write. I am a self-motivated
and self-disciplined person who has the drive to work hard and work
smart. There's more than one way to get published, and I'm not shy about
looking down every avenue. I have a wealth of experience to draw from
whenever I sit down to write a story. My current story will become
better as I continue to revise it and mold it into shape. If I am happy
doing what I am doing, the time I put into it doesn't matter. My family
is proud of my endeavors and they support me just as I am proud of their
endeavors and support them. I will get paid for generating these
stories because I have a plan of action which I am actively pursuing
every day.<br />
<br />
How do you beat back the world pressing in? How do you fight the demons of doubt and despair?<br />
<br />
<b>Today, in 2014, the questions have changed a little, but my worries are about the the first book I've sold. I don't even care about the money part of this book selling. I care about reaching an audience of readers and my story resonating with them. I hope that I will touch a person's life in a positive way. I care about the characters in THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION. I love their struggle to find each other and discover home. And if their struggle to deserve each others' love and their ultimate happily-ever-after creates a deep connection with readers, then that is a measure of the heart of the story.</b><br />
<br />
<b>On this day I still answer my questions and fears and doubts much the same way. </b><br />
<br />
<b>I become a
stronger writer every time I sit down to write. I am a self-motivated
and self-disciplined person who has the drive to work hard and work
smart. I have a wealth of experience to draw from
whenever I sit down to write a story. My current story will become
better as I continue to revise it and mold it into shape. If I am happy
doing what I am doing, the time I put into it doesn't matter. My family
is proud of my endeavors and they support me just as I am proud of their
endeavors and support them. I will get paid for generating these
stories because I have a plan of action which I am actively pursuing
every day.</b><br />
<br />
<b>And because I am willing to open my heart and share an emotional journey with my readers, my stories will resonate in their hearts, too.</b><br />
<br />
<b>How do you answer the questions you have today as a writer?</b><br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-57876950229376933562014-03-12T00:30:00.000-05:002014-03-12T00:30:01.630-05:00College Kid's in the House: Time to Have FunHey Y'all, it's Spring Break!!! I'm so excited because the CK is home for the week and we are having a blast. We're shopping, going over my website design, and generally making mischief. She's a great girl and I cherish every minute I have with her.<br />
<br />
And she's a big part of why I have the courage to write my stories. The CK is a brave, wonderfully talented, take it on the chin and get up again kind of girl. I guess you could say she's a Spunky Kid with a big heart. The girl is on fire and I love her energy, enthusiasm for life and the world around her.<br />
<br />
Remember that no matter how important we think our work is that cherishing our families and our friends is far more important. At the end of my days, I hope that this is the lesson that my girl carries forward.<br />
<br />
Who do you cherish? What crazy, fun things do you do together? If there was one person you could talk to again from your world, a family member or dear friend, who would that person be? For me it would be my Oma. I miss her. She was a Spunky Kid, too!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-13435592578679050302014-03-05T00:30:00.000-06:002014-03-05T00:30:00.082-06:00From My Pinterest Recipe Board: Tried It & Liked ItThe Physicist and I are on a "life transformation" plan. This means we're trying a lot of new recipes, eating less red meat, and exercising more. I wish I could say the pounds are sliding off, but they aren't. However, I feel so much better and part of the reason is the great new recipes I've found and tried on Pinterest.<br />
<br />
Here's recipe I pinned on my recipe board that was wonderfully created by the Shugary Sweets <a href="http://www.shugarysweets.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Santa Fe Peppers</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ingredients</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3/4 lb ground turkey breast (I used a pound and it came from the 4 pack at COSTCO--love it!)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 tsp. salt (optional)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I can (28 oz) Crushed Peppers</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 can (15.25 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 can (15.5 oz) sweet corn, rinsed and drained</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 cups Jasmine Rice cooked (I made 2 cups brown rice and only used 1 cup)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
8 fresh Sweet Red Peppers (I had the 6 pepper multi-colored red/yellow/orange pack from COSTCO and they were awesome--had leftover stuffing)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 cup reduced fat Colby Jack cheese (I used reduced fat Mexican blend cheese shredded)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 green onions, sliced</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Instructions/Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1. Wash peppers and slice the tops of each pepper, remove the seeds. Stand each pepper up next to each other in a large baking dish (13x9 if you have 8--slightly smaller if you have 6)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
2. In a large skillet brown ground turkey until fully cooked, drain and return to skillet. Add cumin, salt, tomatoes, black beans and corn. Simmer about 15 minutes.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. Meanwhile cook rice (I cooked mine first--it would also be a great way to use leftover rice).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4. Add cooked rice to skillet (start with a half cup and go from there--this recipe makes loads of filling) and combine completely. Remove from heat and fill each pepper with the mixture. Cover dish with foil and bake for about 40-45 minutes. Remove foil and top with cheese. Bake an additional five minutes until melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with green onion pieces. Serve and enjoy.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Man, y'all this stuffed pepper recipe was A HUGE HIT and I absolutely will make it again. I think it is good for when company's coming and it's easy on the wallet. Give it a try and let me know what you think about it. And check out the Shugary Sweets blog for more recipes. This gal can cook!!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Oh, and after you're finished eating this yummy meal, come see me on Pinterest and check out my favorite heroes and heroines over <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/cjglover63/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-29812912657789461922014-02-26T00:01:00.000-06:002014-02-26T00:01:00.942-06:00Retro Blog: Resolved to Battle the Demons of Fear and Doubt (first aired 1/9/12)<b>Feeling low? Been rejected again? Feel like giving up? Don't! Here's a retro blog from January 2012. I almost quit. Read and see how I conquered the Demons of Fear and Doubt to find the will to keep on trucking.</b><br />
<br />
<br />
January 2012:<br />
<br />
Usually when I say I will embrace positivity and all things light and wonderful a serious case of doubt, fear and anxiety follows. Despite knowing that the universe will challenge my resolve, I continue to state my desire to be positive and conquer the beast.<br />
<br />
Why? Why do I risk this battle? This battle which will call into question my belief in myself and my drive and my hopes and my dreams?<br />
<br />
I wish I had the answer, but I don't. I just know that I do enter into these battles almost as right of passage. It's as if I must call into question my resolve to succeed in order to prove to myself that I will not let the dark days kill my passion for writing and crafting books.<br />
<br />
The Physicist has wisely learned to nod and say nothing when I wage these wars. I will be honest here: I'm not quiet about it. My CPs have learned to let me rant a bit and nod their heads then say it is the nature of the beast. My beast, my achilles heel is my impatience.<br />
<br />
I am not patient. I like answers, results, follow through information in a timely manner. That being said, the flip side of this is that I provide all the above in a timely manner. I am fast, efficient, organized, driven, reliable, committed to giving my best. So if you hire me, you'll get a great worker. Or writer (hello? publishing world? can you hear me now?). Give me a deadline and I will meet it barring death or major catastrophe.<br />
<br />
Trust me on this. I won't let you down.<br />
<br />
But the writing world doesn't operate on Christine Time. It operates on a time wheel which I have yet to understand. I don't like this time wheel. It's maddening to me. And waiting. Oh, the endless waiting and waiting and waiting drives me insane.<br />
<br />
Over the weekend--after embracing positivity--I had a huge meltdown over it. By Sunday I was ready to QUIT. Yes. QUIT. Seven plus years--four of them extremely high paced--of shooting for the stars, the moon, the sun. Countless dollars spent on conferences, contests, classes, workshops, membership dues, travel, proper clothing, paper, pens, office equipment, gas, hotels, postage. Hours upon hours slaving over stories that might never be read.<br />
<br />
It all seemed like a grand waste of my time on Sunday. I ranted about my frustration. My beasts of fear and doubt raging through me and out of me in great bursts. I rebelled. I began shopping on-line. I went to stores and looked at pillows. I did anything BUT the writing.<br />
<br />
The Physicist just nodded. He didn't try to fix it (good man that Physicist). The CPs just texted me with little one liners and LOLs and gentle reminders about how I can't control anything but the writing and submitting. And then I came to meet myself in the mirror of all my angst and anger and anxiety.<br />
<br />
And I said to myself, OK, you've hit the lowest point. Now what? Well, there's nothing else for me folks.<br />
<br />
I have to write. I can't not write. I want to win. I will find a new way to achieve my goals while continuing to work on the manuscripts. I will surround myself with positive, loving, understanding people who GET ME and MY DREAMS. I will not give up despite my weaknesses as a person and a writer.<br />
<br />
I do embrace positivity. I also embrace the fact that sometimes I will need more than my own will to get through the dark days. I will need my friends and my support system in place.<br />
<br />
Surround yourself with people who support you. Don't just embrace positivity. Embrace people who can be positive FOR YOU.<br />
<br />
January 2014:<br />
<br />
Guess what? The last three paragraphs will always be true. Never give up. Never surrender. Don't quit. Because if you do, you reject yourself!<br />
<br />
And if I had quit? I wouldn't have had the thrill of signing my first ever publishing contract to <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Entangled Publishing</a> in May 2014.<br />
<br />
Once again because it can't be said enough:<br />
<br />
<b>Surround yourself with people who support you. Don't just embrace positivity. Embrace people who can be positive FOR YOU.</b><br />
<br />
Happy Writing!<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-65294748296541475052014-02-19T00:01:00.000-06:002014-02-19T06:58:45.200-06:00CP Shenanigans: Pam Mantovani in the House!I would not be where I am today as a writer if it weren't for my incredible relationship with <a href="http://www.pammantovani.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pam Mantovani</a>. She's more than a critique partner, she's a friend dear to my heart. I've got other amazing writing friends and readers, but Pam is my primary partner in writing crime.<br />
<br />
We met through the <a href="http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/" target="_blank">Georgia Romance Writers of America</a> Moonlight & Magnolias Maggie Contest, which she chaired in 2009. I called to ask for help with their first ever online form and the rest is history. One Maggie final and five years later and we're sharing an incredible writing partnership.<br />
<br />
Pam arrives today for one of our super charged critique partner weekends. We'll write, brainstorm, muddle our way through understanding technology together, and do it all over again. Three days to work together and encourage each other is a gift of time that I cherish. I only wish we could meet more often.<br />
<br />
The key to a great critique partnership isn't just ability or talent, it's TRUST. I trust Pam Mantovani with my stories, the heart that I pour into them, and with ME. All of my vulnerabilities, highs and lows as a writer are entrusted to her.<br />
<br />
This is where being a writer has been such a blessing to me. The friendships I've made with other like-minded souls. And Pam is one in a million.<br />
<br />
Best of all, we get to share the "we sold" dream together. Pam Mantovani's debut novel COWBOY ON HER DOORSTEP releases from <a href="http://www.bellebooks.com/" target="_blank">Belle Books</a> in July 2014. If you love cowboys and romance, you'll love her story. Trust me. I've read it.<br />
<br />
Are you in a critique partnership? If you're not a writer, who would you consider your best partner in fun and crime?<br />
<br />
:)<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-40697254595536279612014-02-12T00:01:00.000-06:002014-02-12T00:01:00.458-06:00From My Pinterest Recipe Board: Tried It and Liked It<br />
I love Pinterest. It's like scrapbooking without all the stickers and hole punches (but I still love to think about scrapbooking). My hero and heroine and romance boards give me plenty of inspiration for my stories. Sometimes when I'm stuck during a first draft issue, I go to my story boards and that helps unglue the plot mess and get me pumped to go forward.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But sometimes I just get deliciously lost in the amazing recipes that I find on Pinterest. I have a recipe board and I'm determined to make more of the recipes this year. If I try it and I like it, I'll share it with you!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's this month's selection from My Pinterest Recipe Board:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Roasted Garlic Lemony Broccoli</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ingredients:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2 heads broccoli, separated into florets</div>
<div>
2 tsp. extra virgin oil (I probably used a tad more)</div>
<div>
1 tsp. sea salt/coarse salt</div>
<div>
1/2 tsp. ground pepper</div>
<div>
1 clove garlic minced</div>
<div>
grated parmesan cheese (not the fine kind--this is a combination of two recipes so do with it what you will)</div>
<div>
freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half to one lemon depending on how much broccoli you have)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Directions:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper till coated.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. Bake on cookie sheet (I cover mine with foil and spray with Olive Oil cooking spray first) until florets are tender enough to pierce stems with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving bowl (or not--I don't). Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli and sprinkle with parmesan) then serve.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is really good stuff. I've made it many times for the Physicist and the College Kid. I consider this a "Company's Coming to Dinner" dish.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Try it. You might like it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And follow me on Pinterest to see who I think makes the perfect hero!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
http://www.pinterest.com/cjglover63/</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-55559338443203247012014-02-05T00:01:00.000-06:002014-02-05T00:01:01.000-06:00Entangled Publishing is 3: Celebrate all Month<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnTM0dnLvAsxOOw9q_rMg5g_FREOmklIflefj5QXHZCrFhEgu0MYXd-rg874FHihyHLYblgrG6HscIcdPPjeqqY2RIOjwnPRmV3414SMNQbklsuaIC3-NLI0dOUhZc7VNyvhxcwngwMQ/s1600/EntADS-3yrAnni(160x200).gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnTM0dnLvAsxOOw9q_rMg5g_FREOmklIflefj5QXHZCrFhEgu0MYXd-rg874FHihyHLYblgrG6HscIcdPPjeqqY2RIOjwnPRmV3414SMNQbklsuaIC3-NLI0dOUhZc7VNyvhxcwngwMQ/s1600/EntADS-3yrAnni(160x200).gif" height="320" width="256" /></a>My publisher is celebrating it's third birthday!! Happy Birthday to <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Entangled Publishing</a>. And my category line, INDULGENCE is celebrating it's 3rd Birthday as well.<br />
<br />
Join the party!<br />
<br />
And all month long you can buy any Entangled Publishing book for .99 cents!! That's a great deal.<br />
<br />
I'm new to the Entangled family and proud to be part of this big birthday bash.<br />
<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-1012100084112909162014-01-29T00:01:00.000-06:002014-09-15T15:21:09.264-05:00The Career-Focused Writer<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: center; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: 0.5in;">The February edition of the
RWA Romance Writer’s Report’s Presidential message by Terry McLaughlin stated a
renewed emphasis on “focusing on the fundamentals, building the cornerstone of
our organization: the career focused writer.” She went on to ask the following
question: “Do your romance writing efforts qualify as a career or a hobby?”
Why? Because as she emphasized, you may be asked to prove to the IRS that you
are career-focused and actively seeking to make a profit from your endeavors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s
great if you’re already published and making an income as a published author,
but how do you go about proving you’re a career-focused writer if you’re still
unpublished, or PRO, or published but still haven’t earned PAN status? More importantly,
how do YOU prove to YOURSELF that you are a career-focused writer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Easy.
You behave like you’re already published.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s
right. Behave like you’re already published and making an income from your
writing efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">How?
Well, I’m not an IRS expert and I’ve only recently signed a publishing contract
with an e-publisher so you can bet the only money I’m earning right now is a
quarter per goal met. The quarters add up, but they really don’t constitute an
income. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">However,
the quarters do constitute A COMMITMENT TO PROFESSIONALISM.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yup,
you read it right. LONG before I signed a contract, I made a commitment to
treat myself as a professional and to treat my writing as a job. Period. Here
is a list of some of the things I did BEFORE I signed the dotted line with my
publisher. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.
I had a writing schedule. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.
I committed to writing 6 days a week every week except for scheduled vacations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.
I joined the RWA, local chapters and attended RWA meetings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.
I took online writing workshops as well as career-oriented workshops.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">5.
I attended regional and national writing conferences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">6.
I set clear and defined goals: daily, weekly, yearly, and more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">7.
I entered writing contests, which gave me clear deadlines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">8.
I queried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">9.
I pitched at conferences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">10.
I followed up on all requested materials.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">11.
I kept a spreadsheet of all my queried responses, targeted agencies and
publishing <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>houses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">12.
I volunteered for my local chapters but ONLY IF THAT TIME DID NOT <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>INTERFERE WITH MY WRITING TIME. This is
important. Writing must come first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">13.
I networked with authors and agents and editors, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">14.
I tracked my business expenses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">15.
I had professional business cards and used them at all events where applicable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
is a short list of what I did to prove to the government that I was and always
will be a career-focused writer. And guess what I’m going to do now that I have
a publishing contract? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">All
of the above with minor changes based on where I am in my career as a writer.
Are you still not published, floundering on Facebook and Twitter with your
writing friends, and making writing the last thing you plan for instead of the
first thing you plan to do? Then I issue a challenge to you. Take your writing
career seriously in 2014 and make it a priority because you are a CAREER-FOCUSED
WRITER.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">What are some of the things you do as an unpublished writer to remain focused on attaining your goals?</span></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-2393201092364526452014-01-22T00:01:00.000-06:002014-01-22T00:01:00.083-06:00Tourist Time: Jack Daniels Distillery Last week I had a great visit with my friend from Virginia. She keeps a daily blog and loves to go on adventures so that the blog is fresh and interesting for her readers. As part of her visit, we decided to go to the <a href="http://www.jackdaniels.com/" target="_blank">Jack Daniels Distillery</a> in <a href="http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/historic_lynchburg_square/" target="_blank">Lynchburg</a>, TN before she caught her flight back to Virginia.<br />
<br />
It was a cold day, but the sun was shining and the skies were blue when we left for the distillery. My handy GPS system completely lead me astray, but we used a smart phone app to find Jack Daniels and all was well in our world.<br />
<br />
We toured the facility with a small group lead by a man who has an interesting Western Outlaw name. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_James" target="_blank">Jesse James</a>! Or so he said... we started the FREE tour with a video about how this amazing young boy Jack Daniels bought a still from his employer, a preacher, and became the 13 year old entrepreneur. Then we boarded a bus to the distillery with two British young men and a family of three from Florida. <br />
<br />
First we went to the outside burning area which created the wood charcoal the clear alcohol was "mellowed" through--big flames, heat and more. We walked by the cave of spring water that Jack Daniels has used to create its bourbon since its inception. Finally, we climbed a lot of stairs, saw and the mash, smelled the liquor and tasted it in the air, then concluded our tour in the bottling of single cask bourbon.<br />
<br />
If you're ever in the Middle Tennessee area, I highly recommend taking a side trip to tour the Jack Daniels Distillery. And if you have Jesse James as your guide, tell him I said hello!<br />
<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523176879771875815.post-36775334553812967472014-01-15T12:01:00.000-06:002014-01-15T12:01:00.209-06:00Travel Bug Hits AgainI love to travel and explore the world, but it's hard to do alone. Fortunately, I have a dear friend visiting from Northern Virginia and we're seeing my local sites while she's here.<br />
<br />
Some of the fun and interesting things we've done so far are:<br />
<br />
1) <a href="http://bellemeadeplantation.com/" target="_blank">Belle Meade Plantation</a>. We really enjoyed our tour and the lunch afterward was divine If you're ever in the Nashville, TN area go visit and have the fried green tomatoes. You won't regret it!<br />
<br />
2) The traveling <a href="http://rocketcenter.com/davinci" target="_blank">DaVinci Exhibit</a> at the Huntsville Davidson Air & Space Center. This exhibit is amazing--4 exhibits are traveling throughout the world. I'm amazed by all that Leonardo DaVinci accomplished, the varied aspects of his creative mind, and the incredible talent he expressed in drawing, inventing, and more!<br />
<br />
Tomorrow we're hitting a local <a href="http://www.huntsvillegalleries.org/#Huntsville%20Museum%20of%20Art" target="_blank">art museum</a> and seeing the world's largest Silver Menagerie. And Thursday we're visiting and touring the Jack Daniels Distillery. There's so much to do in our area. What fun things are there to do in your area?<br />
<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.com0