"Kenny Jackson" at Fiction365

"Kenny Jackson" is today's story over at Fiction365. 

If you'd like, you can check it out here. Hope you enjoy it!

(And thanks to pal Cathy C. Hall for introducing me to Fiction365. You can check out her story here.)

A Blogging Award? For Me?

Well, I guess I'm doing something right out here in the blogging world because pal Cathy C. Hall has awarded me The Stylish Blogger Award. (Apparently, Cathy has never actually seen me because stylish I am not.) But thank you, Cathy! Really! 

 

Now I have to link to the person who gave me the award. (See Ms. Cathy C above.) Next, I have to pass the award along to another deserving blogger or two (this is easy - Stacy and Arlene!) and congratulate them - I'll do that when I'm done here. And, lastly, I have to share seven things about myself. Here goes...

1) My two favorite books are A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and The Stand.

2) When I actually met Stephen King, I acted like a complete dork.

3) One of my favorite TV shows is Law & Order: SVU and when I found out the two main characters/actors were changing roles and leaving, I just about cried. (See above:  Dork. Big dork.)

4) I don't lend out books. (If I loved a book, I will give it to you as a gift or tell you about it so you can go get your own copy.)

5) One of my guilty pleasures is Hamburger Helper. (Yeah, I know.)

6) My husband proposed to me while we were riding in a horse drawn carriage.   

7) As a kid, I used to put on magic shows for my parents and grandparents, and I would make my sister hide under the table so she could lift it and make it look like it was levitating. (Of course, it barely left the ground and when it did, it was crooked but she tried. She tried.)

"Follow" Cathy C. Hall and Win!

Could you use a bookstore gift card and a dose of Southern charm and humor to start off your new year?  Then head on over to my writing pal Cathy C. Hall's blog for her "Big Bang B&N Followers Contest."  It's easy to enter - just "follow" her and let her know that I sent you.  (But hurry, the contest ends January 24th!)

Okay, and the fact that I could also win a gift card in no way invalidates my support and encouragement of one of the funniest writers I know.  Seriously, go check out her blog - you'll learn, you'll laugh, and you'll meet Cathy-on-a-Stick.

So, let's help Cathy reach her goal of getting 100 Followers.  (Me?  I'd be happy to break into the 20s but I'm more than happy to send my fellow writers and readers her way.)

Motivational Monday!

Well, here it is, the last Monday in August.  For most of the country, summer is just about over but here in Florida, let's just say, it's still summer - or as my husband calls it, "Melt Your Face" Season.  We also have "Hurricane" Season and "Snowbird" Season and what I call, "Walk On The Beach When Most Everyone Else Is Walking Through Snow" Season.       

Here are a few items from last week to get this week off to a positive, fun and funny start:

Pal Cathy C. Hall's humorous essay, "On Being Ugly," invokes something called "the last child rule."  Made me laugh and I don't even have kids!

Over at Adventure Salon, Arlene presents Warped Wednesday where she gives us a funky photo and we provide the caption.  I rather like mine, although it did remind me of all those years scrounging for quarters so we could do laundry.  Ugh.

Holli Moncrieff of A Life Less Ordinary has a guest post called "The Naysayers" over at WOW!'s The Muffin about how to handle some of the negative people in your life.  A good reminder for us all!

I know I'm not the only one looking forward to fall fiction.  The Book Case's post "The Hottest Novels for Fall" has me sweating (yes, I know I'm in Florida but this is different) about what to read first!  Sara Gruen's Ape House?  Emma Donoghue's Room?  Stephen King's story collection Full Dark, No Stars?  I'm going to have to pace myself.  Check out the list for yourself, then come back and let us know what you're looking forward to reading.

Happy Monday!

Motivational Monday and . . .

. . . happy 50th blog post to The Shellshank Redemption!  And its author - me.  And its inspiration - the tortoises, Larry and Mrs. Larry.  Hmm, I think a cupcake or some ice cream or some romaine lettuce is in order. 

Last week, my sister emailed a picture with the subject "I'm Reading My Book At The Library."  Now, I love my sister but do I really need to see a picture of her reading?  When I opened the email, my 3 yr old nephew grinned out at me from the screen.  He was reading his book at the library and he looked quite comfortable doing it.  He was stretched out in a green lounge type chair, picture book opened on his lap.  It made me smile the whole day.  It still does.   

If a child enjoying a book is not enough motivation for you, go ahead and congratulate Cathy C. Hall on her Blogger of Note Award.  The only problem is, if you read her post, you'll come away with a show tune stuck in your head for the rest of the day.  Trust me.

It's the first Monday of August - let's make it a great month of writing and reading!

Motivational Monday!

Well, here we are, the last Monday in July.  The summer is really moving along!  Although, here in Florida, summer lasts a LOT longer than it does in some places. But - and this is where some of the "motivation" comes in - I put up with the heat now so I can walk on the beach in January.  Everything's a trade-off.

People - other than me - do still read for pleasure!  Check out Stacy Post's Readers in Transit for proof.

Cathy C. Hall dishes up some southern hospitality in her essay about being polite in Deep South Magazine.

Another blurb has shown up for The Hint Fiction Anthology -

“The stories in Robert Swartwood’s Hint Fiction have some serious velocity.  Some explode, some needle, some bleed, and some give the reader room to dream. They’re fun and addictive, like puzzles or haiku or candy. I’ve finished mine but I want more.” — Stewart O’Nan, author of Last Night at the Lobster and Songs for the Missing

(The anthology, which includes my story, "The Empty Nest,"  is available this November but pre-order it from your favorite bookstore now - you don't want to be the only one who hasn't read it, do you?!)  

Motivational Monday!

Well, here it is, another Monday.  Are you ready to go get 'em (whoever or whatever "'em" is) this week?  I am!

As I continue work on my novel/novel revisions, I give you a wonderful guest post over at the BookEnds, LLC blog all about perseverance. 

Pal Gay Degani has two more stories up and ready for reading.  (I swear she doesn't sleep!)

Another reminder to check out Cathy C. Hall's excellent article about "voice."

Thank you to everyone who commented or emailed about my latest publication, Rooted in the Past, over at Referential Magazine.  I really do appreciate it!

Have a good week everyone!

If You Write Fiction, You'll Want to Read This

The July/August issue of WOW! Women on Writing is out, and let me just say, it's a good one!  The Fiction Writer's Toolkit is stuffed with all kinds of great articles about everything from scenes to setting to structure.  Oh, and did I mention the "Voice:  Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are" article?  Hmm, well it seems someone named Cathy C. Hall (yeah, I know she's my writing pal and yours!) wrote a fun and informative piece about voice.  I definitely recommend it...and not just because she quoted me in it. :)

Introducing . . . Motivational Monday!

I rarely watch/read the news anymore - too much doom and gloom for my tastes, especially early in the morning.  (Oil spill, anyone?)  Wouldn't it be nice to start the day on a positive note?  Or the "work week" with a smile, or at least not a scowl?  That's what I thought.

So, I thought I'd give "Motivational Monday" a try and see what happens.  I'll post a few reading/writing related good news items I picked up during the past week - maybe a writer pal got a story published or an encouraging rejection letter, maybe a new book by a favorite author is coming out or I've got a great book to recommend.  Nothing fancy.   Let me apologize ahead of time here because I know I won't be able to include everyone and everything all the time.  It's not a reflection on anyone or their news or their accomplishments; I just don't want to turn into a PR rep.  I just want to offer an occasional good news tidbit that might give someone else a quick smile or elicit a cheer for a fellow writer.

On this inaugural Motivational Monday, I offer...

Gay Degani has three - yes, three! - stories up and about all over the Internet.  They're all different, and yet it's definitely Gay's voice coming through loud and clear in every one of them. 

Cathy C. Hall has a story up at Smories.com.  She could use your votes through the month of July, so head on over to her blog for more information about clicking/voting.  The story is read aloud by a cute little British girl.  If this doesn't make you smile, I give up.

Happy Monday everyone!