* Contest Prizes! *

Hey Everyone. Don't forget to enter my contest! Do so before midnight tomorrow (Jan 25)

I realized I didn't make it clear when I announced the prizes. There will not be 4 winners. There will be just ONE WINNER. Winner takes all!!

Tomorrow at midnight CST, I'll do the random drawing for the winner of my Name My Book Contest. If you don't know about it and want to enter, or already entered and want to do so again, hop on over to this post and leave a comment. There are NO RULES! You DO NOT have to be a follower. Enter as many times as you want, but each time must have a title suggestion for my memoir. *As I mentioned on the originial post, the winner will be chosen by random drawing. The book title suggested is not guaranteed to be used, it is just a suggestion for the contest.*

Now, here's what everyone's been waiting for. The announcement of the PRIZE(S) to be awarded!

1) Three votive candles from Yankee Candle: Lilac Blossoms, Home Sweet Home, and Ocean Water.

2) Cheery pink & green note card set, complete with envelopes & matching pen.

3) A 7 x 7 hardcover book: Great Kisses...and Famous Lines Right Out of the Movies, compiled by Timothy Knight

4) A 8 x 10 hardcover book: Home Rules, Transform the Place You Live Into a Place You'll Love, by Nate Berkus

~~ Some fabulous prizes to help you get through another winter month! Plus, candles...and a romantic book of onscreen kisses, with comments and quotes....What could be better for next month's Valentine's Day? And I say...give them as gifts to yourself!! You don't need no steenking Valentine....Be your own valentine!! ~~

Hugs and happiness to you all today....wherever you are....Find and Follow your Bliss!!

"Always serve too much hot fudge sauce on hot fudge sundaes. It makes people overjoyed, and puts them in your debt." -- Judith Olney

* Freelance Opportunities *

Yesterday I attended the Patch Freelance Forum that was held in St. Louis County. What a fantastic and unique online news source. One of the things that makes it so unique is that it focuses on communities, small towns. For instance, there is no "Patch St. Louis City". Their belief is that the news media already covers events in large cities, but there is no depth of coverage in the smaller towns.

I was there to learn more about Patch, meet people I already communicated with through e-mail, and hopefully get hired as a freelancer. 2 out of 3 so far! I'll definitely post the news when I get an assignment!

(Click on the link and see if your state and town is currently up and running. If not, it will be sometime in the future. Patch is very new and has only been in my area a few short months.)

By the way....why the name "Patch"? I happened to ask that question yesterday and here's what I was told: Think of where you live as your little patch of land. (See the little clump of grass at the bottom of the "h" in their logo? See?)... Ahhhh, now I get it!

"To me, journalism is, ah, like a hangover. You can read about it for years, but until you've actually experienced it, you have no conception of what it's really like." -- Dr. Hugo Pine, in the 1958 comedy movie, Teacher's Pet, starring Clark Gable and Doris Day (two of my favorite actors!)

* This 'n That on a Friday Night *

I got a kick out of this comic strip. Click on it to make it larger to read.

More candle wax art. How about that smiley face?!

I received this amaryllis for a birthday gift from son Scott and his wife. It's been so much fun to watch. They're really amazing flowers!

Happy Weekend! Stay comfy cozy wherever you are!

"My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living." -- Anais Nin

* SNOW, SNOW, SNOW *

Wow! Look at our deck furniture! Isn't it funny? And the cones of snow on the poles?

I took this picture around 8 o'clock this morning.

This is a little blurry, but I thought it was pretty. I took this from inside (with no flash)

around 6 o'clock this morning. The bright light is the street light. We live at the bottom of a cul-de-sac and you can barely tell where the road is and where our front yard is. Can you see the "snow cones" on top of the 2 bird feeders?!

This was also from around 8 o'clock this morning. Another angle of the deck and neighbors' pretty trees.

The snowfall totals really vary around the St. Louis area. This looks like at least 8 inches of snow to me and we're supposed to get MORE! This is really unusual for us. The past few winters we might get snow five or six times, but only 2 or 3 inches at a time.

I plan to enjoy looking out, while I write and clean and maybe bake another apple pie! (Paul Joseph, did you read that last part?!)

*Also, Welcome to my Two Newest Followers: Jan and Darlene! Thank you so much!*

“Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together.” -- Vesta M. Kelly

The Times They Are a-Changin' ..with 2 add'l notes!

Changin'? Oh yeah! After discussing the sample of my cover today with Lou Turner, my publisher, she and I both envision a new direction....for both the cover....and the title! Instead of humorous...we're going to go with a nostalgic look.

I can't even remember how many years it's been since I chose the title for my memoir: That Crowbar Changed Everything! I was so sure IT was the one and only title I would ever want....Hmmm....just goes to show you (and me!) that sometimes what seems like THE only way to do something....ISN'T.

So, here's the fun part. I was thinking about what kind of contest I'd have for January....and now I know! Please help me with a new title for my memoir! I may not choose any of the suggested titles, but for each one, you'll be entered in the contest. The more titles, the more chances of winning. You don't even have to be a follower. Just leave a genuine possible title. The time frame of the book is from the 1950s til present, and it's both humorous and bittersweet.

I'll choose the winner a week from today, at midnight CST on January 25th, by random.org. The winner will win prizes yet to be determined! (My book title will not necessarily be the one suggested, either.)

Oh, and this little detour has not slowed down my determination or my happiness. In fact, I'm even more excited than I was yesterday! I just hope I can sleep tonight!

**Note: Added Wednesday, Jan 19th, morning. Thanks for all the suggestions already! This is so much fun! I wanted to mention that yesterday before I posted this, I looked on Amazon to check if there were any books already "out there" that had titles I was considering. And guess what?? There were some with the exact titles, and some with similar ones. I then looked just in the memoir section, and there were some that I thought had really strange or just plain bad titles! So, what did that teach me? I'm not really sure yet! But I think when THE title hits me.....I'll know it!!

**2nd Note: Added Wednesday, Jan 19th, afternoon:  It occurred to me that maybe I should provide a little more information about myself and my memoir, too! (I really didn't think that up myself. Someone e-mailed and asked!) So, here's a brief summary:

It will be short stories, in no particular order, about instances in my life....both childhood and adult. Some humorous, some sad...and maybe a little of both in the same story. Childhood vacations at grandma and grandpa's in Iowa. Schools. Jobs.Watching old TV shows in the 1950s & 60s. Parents. Siblings. First marriage "issues". Pet dog stories. My sons. The Ronald. Bus rides. Train rides. You know.....just life!! Oh, and my dad left us when I was about 8 years old. It was very devastating and it was honestly due to him that I became a writer...in my late forties!!

How's that?! I've had this all in my head and on paper for soooooo long, that I forget that not everyone knows all about it, or all about me, etc!

(image courtesy: boxshot3d.com)

"We don't know who we are until we see what we can do." -- Martha Grimes, Writer's Handbook

* Dreams - Real and Otherwise *

Dreams. That one word conjures up so many images. Those real dreams we have when we sleep. Those real dreams we have in our waking hours....those dreams of success and accomplishments and triumphs.

Anyone who's been reading my blog for awhile knows about my dream of being a best-selling author. I've been talking about, and writing, my memoir for way too long. This is my year. All I have to do is finish it. I've already got the publisher. In fact, she has a sample of my book cover that I get to see this Tuesday! I'm positive that by seeing it, I will catapult myself into "awesome writer mode" and complete it before the end of March! (my new deadline!)

That particular dream is so close to becoming true I can see it. I was at Barnes & Noble the other evening and grabbed another book by Cynthia Kaplan, which was located in the Biography & Memoir section. While I was there, it occurred to me to stroll down the aisle to the place where MY book would be shelved. Since they're placed in alphabetical order by the author's last name, I saw that in that particular store, my book would be right next to one of Colin Powell's. Not a bad place to be, I don't think!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Look out world! Here I come!"

"The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do." ~Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, 1996

* Various Thoughts on a Friday Night *

I've had a very productive week, in spite of negative things being thrown my way, testing my fortitude. My optimistic, bliss-following self disappeard for awhile, but I'm baaaccckkkk, stronger than ever! Look out world, I'm ready to kick some butt! (and I mean that in the nicest, kindest way possible!)

* I sat in my local Bread Co. for a while one day and got a lot of editing done on my book.
* I totally de-cluttered and cleaned up our spare bedroom.
* I cleaned out closets and drawers of clothing that hasn't fit me in at least 2 years, and I know never will again! I have a bagful to donate to Goodwill and a bagful to donate to a friend.
* I started the de-clutter and clean up of our loft, which had turned into a large junk room.
* I baked a homemade apple pie today.
* I worked quite a lot on some Saturday Writer stuff. (one of the local writing groups I belong to. I'm the president for 2011, so there's been a lot to do before our first meeting this month)
* I've been reading a memoir by Cynthia Kaplan called Leave the Building Quickly. This book has really helped me zone in on my own writing style and voice. Parts of it are truly "laugh out loud" funny! Just tonight I used up the last of a Barnes & Noble gift card I got for Christmas, by purchasing her first book, Why I'm Like This,  another memoir.

Oh, one more thing. I had a light-bulb moment the other day and decided that I will purchase one book a month, from my blog writer friends who have a book published! My first one, for January, is Katie Gates' The Somebody Who. Katie has posted chapters from it on her blog from time to time and I know it'll be a great book.

I have a note around here somewhere, with the names of two or three others whose books I want to buy, but I can't find it at the moment! Don't worry, I'm sure it will turn up before February rolls around.

Happy reading and writing everyone! What books are you reading now? What are you writing?
"I am not the only person who uses his computer mainly for the purpose of diddling with his computer."-- Dave Barry

* Writer Information & Candle Wax Art *

Hello and Happy Tuesday, January 11, 2011, otherwise known as 1/11/11, AND my sister's birthday!

I've got some writing information to share, so no time to waste. (Sorry guys...I didn't intend for this to be entirely for and about women writers, and memoir type essays at that, but it just kind of fell into place!)

1) If you're not familiar with Terri Spahr Nelson, you're missing out on knowing a generous and unique woman! She writes, edits, answers questions, mails out "loaner" books to writers contemplating submitting stories to her anthologies, etc. Click on any or all of the three links below and see what Terri needs for upcoming books.

Writer/Editor Terri Spahr Nelson,  

Reflections From Women website,

Reflections From Women Blogspace  


2) If you're a woman and writing your memoir, or interested in writing snippets of your memoir, then Womens Memoirs is a blog you'll want to follow. There's always great info posted and they're also hosting a monthly contest  (for eleven months. They're giving everyone a one-month break.) I don't remember if there's any payment involved, but check it out, because if a story is chosen, it at least gets published on their blog..


3) The National Association of Memoir Writers is having a Call for Submissions for a "How to write about family" anthology. The first thing you need to do is submit 2-3 possible topics you would like to contribute, each described in a few sentences and a 65-75 word bio. They want that information by January 31st. Check out the website for more info. A complimentary book is payment.

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Now for my Candle Wax Art! During the Christmas holidays, instead of having a fire in our fireplace, I had it decorated with greenery and white candles. Today, I took everything out so we can burn some logs during our very Brrrrr....cold spell! Here's the wax that had melted and I gently pulled up......

 The shape at the top right looks like a flying duck to me....like Daffy Duck! See his bill and head and body? I guess his legs are tucked out of sight!

Isn't that funny? I think the shape at the very left of this one looks like a kangaroo! See her feet(foot) at the bottom, her tummy with pouch, her face and her ear(s)??

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and I wish you much success with your writing! I am definitely making 2011 MY YEAR for publications....especially my memoir!