Blogs and Books and Give-Aways

One of my favorite blogs is WOW! Women on Writing Blog - The Muffin. Today's post is about a new book (and interview with) Pesi Dinnerstein. I love the cover and title! A Cluttered Life: Searching for God, Serenity, and My Missing Keys. The interview is really interesting and Pesi seems like someone I'd like to have as my best friend!

The Muffin is having a give-away for Pesi's book and all you have to do is leave a comment, but be quick, because you must do it before Thursday, January 19th, at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time!

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Another new and innovative website & blog is: Celery Tree and Celery Tree Blog.  Also, check out: Coming Down the Mountain: A Writer's Blog, by Karen Gowen.

Here's what it says on the Celery Tree Blog: A website for authors to network, market, and sell your books. Leave the jungle. Join our village. Sounds awesome!

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I'm excited to announce that I'm finally buying a memoir I've been so curious about. It's written by one of my wonderful writer blog friends - Ann Best. The title is In The Mirror and has received rave reviews on Amazon. I'm sending the check directly to Ann, though, so I can get a signed copy!

** Announcement ** 

I'll be having a give-away later this week or first of next week. Stay tuned for all the info!

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“Sometimes people say to me, “I want to write, but I have five kids, a full-time job, a wife who beats me, a tremendous debt to my parents,” and so on.

I say to them, “There is no excuse. If you want to write, write. This is your life. You are responsible for it. You will not live forever. Don’t wait. Make the time now, even if it is ten minutes once a week.” -- Natalie Goldberg



Let's all go to the beach!

I'd never been a guest blogger before, until just a couple of days ago over at WOW - Women on Writing, The Muffin. And now, I have another guest post to announce.

(courtesy: Buzzle.com)

I'll be on Under The Tiki Hut tomorrow, Wednesday, August 31st beginning at 7:15am Central Time.

Carol has been hosting guest bloggers on Wednesdays, all summer long. Thanks again, Carol, for inviting me to visit your fabulous, "Blissful" paradise!

Please stop by and leave a comment, and see what happens as I sit on the beach and enjoy the view!

** Note added August 31st, 2:15pm Central Time: So far everyone who has commented on Under the Tiki Hut, either likes or loves my newest idea for my memoir title: Blame it on the Crowbar! **
I'm batting 1,000!!

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." ~Henry James

* Did I Mention Contests? *

It feels a bit strange posting something two days in a row. And I mean that in the nicest sense!Yesterday I mentioned Contests and Calls for Submissions. Here are a few I've seen.

*** Added Friday 8:40am:  I totally forgot to include a Give-Away. Shows what happens when I get sidetracked. Below is the information, taken directly from the newsletter I receive every week from Eliza Fayle at Silver and Grace:

"What are your hobbies? Send me pics of your creations or you engaging in your hobbies and I will post them to the Silver & Grace Women are REAL album. Simply send them to eliza@silverandgrace.com

Give-away

Everyone who sends me pics for the Silver & Grace Women are REAL this week will be entered to win the book The Message: A Guide To Being Human by L D Thompson. Give-away ends August 31."

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The Mona Schreiber Humorous Fiction & Non-Fiction Contest. All entries must be postmarked by December 1st, 2011. Entry fee: $5.00  1st Place - $500  (I love this part: Humor is subjective. Uniqueness is suggested. Weirdness is encouraged.) I can think of quite a few writer/blog friends who would be sensational at this! 


WOW - Women on Writing Contest Flash Fiction. Deadline: August 31, 2011. Entry fee: $10.00  1st Place - $300  *Please don't forget to read my Friday Speak Out *

Writers Digest Contests - Competitions  There are oodles of categories here. Various deadlines. From just skimming through them, it looks like the entry fees are all $20.00, which is pretty steep, but the first prizes are $1,000 - $3,000 plus other promotional goodies. If you are really confident in your writing, then I say, "Go for it!"

Funds for Writers Contests  C. Hope Clark is a writer's best friend, and walking encyclopedia! Check her website for all kinds of info.

Funds for Writers Calls for Submissions Hope also pays for submissions to her site.

Funds for Writers Annual Contest 10th Annual Funds For Writers Essay Contest. Theme for 2011: Diligence. Deadline: E-mail by Midnight (Eastern Time) October 31, 2011.

Winning Writers Contests This is one of those places that posts numerous contests, plus other important information, such as which contests to avoid.

Writers-Editors Contests  Another wealth of information sites.

First Writer Contests This particular link is for free contests, but their site has everything!

I think that's enough for tonight. I don't want to cause any headaches due to an overload of contest information!

(courtesy: google)

"A quotation is a handy thing to have about, saving one the trouble of thinking for oneself."
— A.A. Milne

* If I'm on my blog, I must be back! *

Hey Everyone! I'm happy to say that my Blog-a-Vacation has ended, at least for now. I wish I could report that I increased my word count in my memoir, by leaps and bounds, but that wouldn't be true. You know how sometimes you feel like you need to take a vacation to recuperate from your vacation?


I've been busier than ever with Saturday Writers, posting contest information, working on our October Workshop and First Annual Silent Auction. Thank goodness I have a fabulous person who volunteered to chair the auction for me. Thank you, Jennifer H.!! (Speaking of Saturday Writers, I've also just made the decision to not stay on as president next year. I've really enjoyed it, but it has taken up a lot more of my time (and energy) than I ever imagined.)

I'm very excited and honored to announce that I am the featured writer this Friday on WOW! Women on Writing Blog - The Muffin. So please stop by their blog on Friday, August 26th. You can also check out their guidelines for Friday Speak Out!

I've run across more Calls for Submissions and Contests, but I'll wait for another day to post them.

The Ronald and I have been talking about down-sizing for quite some time and have decided that NOW is pretty much the right time. So, I'll be more involved in what's been an on-going desire: De-cluttering my house! → Also, I have some beautiful office furniture For Sale. Those of you who live in my part of the world and are interested, please e-mail me for information and photos. ←

All of this, plus throw in a little more family drama, and as I wrote on August 1st: "Life always gets in the way of my plans and well intentions."

 ....but, I don't give up.


"Ain't nothin' gonna bring me down!" --  Music & Lyrics by Marvel/Mann

"Don't rain on my parade!" -- Music & Lyrics by Merrill/Styne