Welcome to Day 7 of #RRBC’s October #SpotlightAuthor #PatGarcia @pat_garcia! @RRBC_Org @RRBC_RWISA @Tweets4RWISA #RRBCSA

Please allow me to introduce independently published author, Pat Garcia, member of Rave Reviews Book Club and Rave Writers International Society of Authors and author of the published short story, Turn the Light On. Read on as Pat shares some of her experiences with writing groups and how they have encouraged and inspired her!

WRITING ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT ME MENTALLY AND SPIRITUALLY

John Donne once said that “No man is an island.” I believe that. Therefore, I think that no writer can write a book alone. We need people on our side that are rooting for us; people who are willing to help us get to the next level.

In 2014, I received a big shock. The person who was pulling for me the most was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and the clock began to tick, with us not knowing how much time we had left. 

During these times, I learned how precious it was to open email messages from the organizations that I belong to. I wasn’t an active member of these organizations, but I always read the correspondence from them, and even read the books they would recommend. In other words, I kept my memberships alive. I also continued to write.

RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB, better known as the RRBC, the Romance Writers of America (RWA), the Insecure Writers Support Group, and WEP, kept my passion for writing alive.  When I was finally ready to add Author to my resume, it was natural for me to ask 4WillsPublishing if they could assist me in getting my first baby published. They were more than willing to put up with a new kid on the block. From the book cover to the blurb, to the final edit, and the book trailer, 4WillsPub was right there by my side every step of the way.

I was a happy, but tired trooper when Turn The Light On went live on Amazon. Birthing that first (book) baby was an experience that I will never forget. I firmly believe that the principles I believe in, brought that book into being, and I got the assistance I greatly needed from an organization that I trusted and relied upon.

For the last time, I turn back to Della and Alessio. Della accepts the change in her fate, and her parting feelings are shown.

A solemnness about the moment, and what she had just committed herself to, gripped her heart. One year of silent intimacy with Alessio Terracina, had shown her how to cherish the silent moments of love. The quest to know him in the chaotic darkness of a world he deemed necessary to protect at all costs, would be her challenge.

Every writer comes to the point where they make a commitment. Silence becomes a hindrance, and they step out into the publishing world. Whether via an Indie Publisher or a traditional Publisher, we all desire to see our books shine in the best light, because what we write represents our vision of how we see the world. I am very thankful that 4WillsPublishing gave me their best when they assisted with my first book. Turn The Light On has a beautiful warm glow, and that is exactly what I desired.  

AUTHOR BIO

Pat Garcia can’t remember a day when she didn’t desire to write. At the age of three, Pat wrote her first story. No one could understand it because she hadn’t learned to write. So, she read the scribble on her paper to whoever would listen. Born in Blythe, Georgia, (USA), she is also a musician, singer, and songwriter and has released five CDs.

BOOK BLURB

Would you ever accept a dinner invitation to meet a stranger who never spoke one word to you during your time together? Would you accept that you could not even sit at the same table with them? How about, you don’t even know their name and you continue this “game” for months?

Meet Della Cartwright. A superstar at what she does professionally, but when the tall, mysterious, Italian stranger, Alessio Terracina, enters her world, she begins to question her judgment and everything about her.

In this short story which takes place over the course of one day, this otherwise savvy businesswoman is led into making decisions that could jeopardize her professional life and maybe even cost her her freedom. But the greatest danger…just might be to her fragile heart.

CONTACTS

Author website – https://patgarciaauthor.com/

Facebook FanPage – https://www.facebook.com/patgarciaauthor

Twitter – @pat_garcia

Thanks for supporting the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB’S October Spotlight Author! To learn more about this author and all the wonderful perks she is receiving under this spotlight, please visit the RRBC SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR forum

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Weekend Coffee Share, 6/29/19

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at http://eclecticali.wordpress.com

Pull up a chair and grab your drink of choice. As you can see, Bixby prefers a puppicino! NO, I porbably didn’t spell it right; it’s a made up word anyway!  It has been a hot week. The heat and humidity together made it feel like 110 degrees at times. Yikes!

I was glad to be indoors for a while at the WordPress Wordcamp today. It was so interesting and at times, overwhelming.

Here are three takeaways:

1. The sessions are not long enough for you to actually set up everything that you might want to on your site, so take notes! I plan to ruminate on the information later.

2. There is sooo much covered, and if you are merely a fledgling techie like me, take note of sites recommended or bookmark them on your laptop to review when there is more time.

3. Make it a point to return the next time there is a Wordcamp in town! Next time, I’ll have a better idea which sessions would best pertain to me. The most helpful today was on planning content. There were many things in that session I plan to put to use!

Besides it being interesting, I met some nice folks, and the lunch was great!

What I’m going to remember most is the idea of having a content plan. Saturday is already a great time for networking and community, as we do with the Weekend Coffee Share.

Besides working a little more on my work-in-progress, Malachi, I joined the Friday Fictioneers prompt challenge and entered my own little flash-fiction.  Mny reders are interpreting it in different ways! Check it out:  Observations at the Theater, Friday Fictioneers

I thank you for stopping by and hate to cut it short, but I am a little tired after this day of learning so many new things and now there is dinner to consider.

I hope you all have a great week! I am planning a little bit of writing on my novel in progress next week, and I’ll be working up that content plan for my blog and social media. Then there is also Independence Day. Enjoy it! I don’t have firm plans yet, but I’ll definitely be comforting my dog from the neighborhood sounds of fireworks. Poor doggie can’t stand the noise. 😦

Watch RWISA Write! #RRBC, Gwen Plano, Author Discovered.

Join me in welcoming author Gwen Plano to my blog.  Gwen is a fellow member that I have met through Rave Reviews Book Club, a truly supportive community of authors and avid readers!  Today, you’ll get a sample of her writing skills and style, with a link at the end to more information on her writing and published books.

Love at First Sight

By Gwendolyn M Plano

 

“It doesn’t seem real. It just doesn’t seem real.” Mom muttered as she ran her hand over the curves of dad’s headstone. Sighing deeply, she stared blankly into the horizon.

After a few minutes, she turned and faced me. “I tell myself that it must be real.” She seemed to want my approval. “The stone says we were married 70 years. It must have happened; I must have been married. But, but…why can’t I remember?” She searched my face for answers.

Stooped from the burden of years now elusive and sometimes vacant, mom held my arm while she walked to either side of the monument.

“I saw him in a dream. Did I tell you that?”

“No, mom, I don’t think you did.”

“He was young, like when we first met.”

“Really? Could you tell me about how you met?”

“How?” Mom’s eyes darted to and fro as she struggled to answer. Then, as though the curtains lifted, she responded.

“Yes…yes, I can tell you how we met.”

“Let’s sit here, mom.” I led her to a cement bench under a tall oak tree near dad’s grave. “Now tell me how the two of you met.”

Mom took a deep breath and began. “It was during the war. I remember it now. It was 1944. There were posters in our high school which asked us to sign up to work at the Consolidated Aircraft factory in San Diego. They needed help building B-24 bombers. We called the bombers the Liberators. My sister and I and several of our girlfriends decided we wanted to help our country. Most of the boys in our class were enlisting in the army or navy. We wanted to do our part too.”

“Like Rosie the Riveter?”

“Oh, yes! We all wanted to be Rosie. Your grandparents didn’t much like the idea, but they knew the families of the other girls, and since we’d be living together and would watch out for one another, they finally agreed. After all, it was the patriotic thing to do.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of mom being Rosie and asked where she lived.

“We lived with Aunt Lena on India Street in San Diego. She put in bunk beds for us. At night, we’d wash out our clothes and tie the pieces to the bedsprings so that they could dry overnight.”

“When we arrived at Consolidated, they gave each of us a uniform – blue pants and jacket. And, we had classes for a week or two. Most of us were assigned the job of riveting. It’s hard to believe, but there were about 20,000 women working at the factory. The assembly line was a mile long, and believe it or not, we built about nine bombers a day. Isn’t that amazing?”

“That is amazing, mom.” Pride glowed from mom’s face, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of her as well.

“I was assigned to the wings. I hate heights, but I’d climb on top of those wings and pretend I was sitting on the hood of a car. I didn’t get afraid that way. One day, when I was sitting up there, holding a riveting gun, your dad came by.”

“Hey,” he said. “What’s your name?” I thought I might be in trouble, but he smiled, so I smiled back.

“It’s Lauretta.”

“Well, Lauretta, you’re doing a great job. If you need anything, let me know. My name’s Jim, and I’m the foreman for this area.”

I put my arm around mom’s shoulder. “My goodness, mom, you were on the wing of a bomber when you met dad?”

“Sounds funny, doesn’t it? But, yes, that’s the first time we talked. I didn’t pay much attention to him, but my sister would whisper to me, “There he is again. I think he likes you. He keeps looking this way.”

Mom lowered her eyes and giggled. “Of course, I didn’t believe her.”

After pausing a bit, she continued. “Your dad started walking home with us in the evening. He lived further up the hill from us, so it wasn’t out of his way. Mind you, I was wearing the company uniform and had my hair in a bandana, so I was hardly a beauty.”

“Anyway, one day he asked if I’d like to come up to his place. And, I was stupid and said okay. That’s when I learned about the facts of life. You know, sex.”

“You didn’t know before then, mom?”

“No, but he taught me that night.” Mom giggled and put her hand on her face. “He wanted to get married right then. But, I told him no, he had to talk to my parents. We needed to do it right. Besides, I hardly knew him. There were a lot of shot-gun marriages those days. We all thought the end of the world was coming, and well, young lovers didn’t hold back.”

“So, you and dad became lovers?”

“You know the answer to that, don’t you? When I didn’t have my cycle, I knew I was pregnant. Your dad was elated and didn’t hesitate to talk to your grandparents. Of course, I was ashamed. But, I want you to understand something. You might have been the reason we married, but you were not the reason we stayed together for 70 years.”

“Did you love him, mom?” The question came out before I could filter it.

“I did, I just didn’t know I did. Your dad would tell anyone who would listen, ‘When I saw Lauretta on the wing of a B-24 bomber, I knew that she was the one for me.’ He’d say it all the time, ‘She’s the one for me!’” Mom giggled as she thought about this story. “Your dad always said it was love at first sight. But it wasn’t that way for me.”

“What do you mean by that, mom?”

“Well, love is a strange word, isn’t it? Your dad seemed to know from the first time he saw me that he wanted to marry me. I didn’t feel that way. I think my focus was romance or dreams. And, your dad wasn’t the wooing type.”

“I believe I fell in love with him after you were born. He thought you were the most beautiful baby in the whole world. In fact, I think he was happiest when he was holding you. He’d sing to you and rock you to sleep every night.”

She dropped her head, and tears rolled down her cheeks. My tears fell as well.

“He was a good man, a faithful man. Did I tell you his promise?”

I shook my head, and said, “no.”

“You know that he grew up hungry, right? During the Dust Bowl, his family barely survived. In fact, two of his sisters died.  Well, your dad promised me that his children would never go hungry. He would make sure of it. And, he did. He worked two jobs most of our marriage, and you kids were never hungry.” She paused and looked into my eyes.

“Your dad kept his promises.”

Mom grew silent. Her face turned from animated to expressionless, and I did not know what to think. She whispered something that I had to ask her to repeat. She sighed and looked at me again.

“It just doesn’t seem real.”

**Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH “RWISA“ WRITE Showcase Tour today!  We ask that if you have enjoyed this member’s writing, to please visit their Author Page on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they’ve turned you into a fan.  WE ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA or RRBC catalogs.  Thanks, again for your support and we hope that you will follow each member along this amazing tour of talent!  Don’t forget to click the link below to learn more about this author:

Gwen Plano  Author RWISA page

 

#WeekendCoffeeShare, I’ll Keep Dancing ‘cuz I Love Dancing!

 

Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Emily at nerdinthebrain.com and soon to be hosted again by parttimemonsterblog.com.  As you can see in the photo, there are many days lately where my coffee of choice is ICED!  The heat here in Florida is amazing lately.  This coffee drink was iced mocha.  Yum!  I actually met with some friends and fellow writers Thursday for a fellow writers’ chat.  Hence, the above photo, which is perfect for summer!  If we were having coffee today, on the 9th of July, I would tell you:

*Book News:  Most days this week, I have sold one or two of the Detours in Time books at Amazon.  Some days, I think it’s because of the book postcard I gave to the cashier or customer service manager at the grocery store or the coffee shop.  This is one way I’m getting the word out.  I got a graphic designer to make this design, and then I ordered the postcards to be printed.  I hand them out in many places, and Wow!  They look very professional, and they make me look legitimate, so they make me talk to people about my writing!  Imagine that!  People don’t know I’m an author.  I need to tell them!  I should be proud!  I worked hard on this book.  I paid for editing, cover design, graphics, postcard, formatting, and there’s something I missed, but you get the drift.  I should be proud.  Plus, I really enjoyed the writing of this book.  I do this because I enjoy it, so I should be proud.  I’m working on this poem in my mind about it.  It’s like, I’m displaying my talent and hard work, so I don’t want people to ignore or to look away, even if I am only earning a few dollars on it.  Well, there are some days it seems no one sees my Facebook posts, and sometimes you’ll have some days without a sale.  Come on, you indie authors know what I’m talking about! Anyway, I’ll likely order more postcards.  It has been fun talking about my writing with strangers.  (It’s helping me develop my elevator pitch). 🙂  This is what it looks like, designed by Kat Mellon:

Also in book news, a big thanks to Jackie O. who, starting Monday, gave me a book/author feature on her blog this week!  See it at https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/2017/07/03/bring-your-books-5-author-zone/

Another round of thanks to Katrina Robinson, who hosted my “Interview with a Character” from Detours in Time this Weds., 7/05.  Please visit and give it a read at https://calliopewriting.com/2017/07/05/guest-blog-post-interview-with-a-character-from-pamela-schloesser-canepas-detours-in-time/   It is a different sort of post on the blog tour for my new sci-fi novel, Detours in Time.

This week I have also have a book spotlight at princessofthelight.wordpress.com.  They are pleasant to work with, and have a lot of Twitter followers who have retweeted my book spotlight!

*A big topic of discussion with my fellow writers at coffee was recent movies.  I had been bad about attending movies, but I have finally seen The Guardians of the Galaxy 2, (and then rented part 1 on Netflix) and more recently, Wonder Woman.  I loved both!  There has been a lot of talk about theology in Wonder Woman, and then, I saw another article that cited Buddhists principles in Wonder Woman!  The point is, people are seeing a moral or spiritual element in the movie, and I noticed a similarity of the god Ares’ fall to that of Lucifer.  I did not love it for the fight scenes, but for many of the other elements present.  Many people are seeing different things.  Go see it!  GOTG: it’s just awesome, full of action, great music, and characters you can easily fall for.  Enough said.  See them both, especially if you love sci-fi and superheroes.  Next up, War for the Planet of the Apes.  I am there!  I’ve seen people guffaw at it as racist.  Huh?  You can see it in many different ways.  What I see is that the apes are closer to nature than mankind, and therefore they would save it (and fight for it) as opposed to our destruction of the planet.  I know the original condemns mankind for blowing up the planet, and it made quite an impression on the young me.  I am curious and will certainly see this one too.  My next on Netflix is The Man From UNCLE.  Yes, I’ve seen it before, but it’s worth a revisit!  Spy intrigue, handsome lead, 60’s fashion, 60’s classic cars, exciting love story, and HENRY CAVILL.  I am a fan.  🙂  Worth revisiting!

*Writing?  Yes, I wrote a story this week!  Well, two, but one of them is still secret.  The other is a flash fiction that I wrote here on WordPress for the Flash fiction for Aspiring Writers Challenge.  It is in reaction to a photo prompt.  I love these and will likely try them with my English Language Arts students.  Someone should love writing like I do!  Here is my response:                                                        https://pamelascanepa.wordpress.com/2017/07/04/flashfictionforaspiringwriters-i-took-the-fall/

*So, beyond that, I got the dog groomed, spent some time with my son, went to Artwalk with my significant other, and read at least one book this week, and there were two yoga classes.  I also went to a fundraiser yoga class this morning that was different than my usual practice.  It was great, even though I modified a lot.  Yes, it is a common thread in my posts.  Yoga-dogs-books.  If I spend my time doing those things, it means I am loving my life!

Visit   Emily at http://www.nerdinthebrain.com/weekendcoffeeshare-the-one-where-i-pass-the-reigns-back/  for her week’s insights and for the coffee shares of some fellow bloggers.  You may add yours by clicking on the InLinks button.

Thank you for reading this far, especially if you haven’t tired of me “spitting out the butt-ends of my days and ways,” (From a T.S. Eliot poem) which amounts to:  Yoga, books, dogs.  Add Family.  Friends.  Coffee!  I shall have to add food next time.  🙂 Have a great week!

 

#WeekendCoffeeShare: Out of Chaos…

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Happy Saturday, fellow bloggers.  What a much needed Saturday it is!  Work has been hectic lately, life has been hectic, even my writing has felt hectic.  Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share!  If we were having coffee today, on the 13th of May, I’d tell you:

Somedays work is really a challenge as we move closer to the end of the year.  However, I did something with my students to end out the week:  Collaborative Discussion.  I am pleased to say that I enjoyed it!  Yes, they’re still antsy because of Spring and the impending end of the school year, yes, I had to remind some of them to stop being silly, but they even made me laugh at some points.  I got to see that some of them have really grown in their thinking about our texts and in their self-expression.  That was priceless.

Life is, well, life.  I miss the A to Z Blogging Challenge, but I wouldn’t have time to blog every day anyhow.  I’ve had a hard time with my son turning 21.  I had to set some rules in writing for the household, which took some thought.  Still, I’m glad I did it.  It’s not easy seeing your child make mistakes or bad choices, and it’s also not easy standing back to see them fall flat on their face just to learn their lesson.  I had many years to teach those lessons, but he had two different households and two totally different parents influencing him.  I’ll go no further so as not to make this a venting session about my ex.  🙂

Writing.  I said it was hectic.  I regret not having time to enter the short story challenges here on WordPress.  It’s easy to meet other inspired writers that way, and it’s so rewarding to create a little world within 100-250 worlds.  I guess I miss that, too.  I’ll have to miss it because I’m working on editing my full-length time travel novel in the hopes of publishing it this summer.  It’ll be self-published, of course, because that is the way I do things right now.  Over the last month or two, I’ve read two books about self-publishing and promotion, one by Derek Murphy, which was very helpful and packed with ideas.  I recommend it.  The title is Guerrilla Publishing.

In the Writing/Author world, I have published a short story on Smashwords about a stray dog’s life until meeting his forever home called From Lost to Loved, A Stray Dog’s Tale for free download.  I have two freebie programs going on in the effort to get my name out there a little further.  One is a limited time Instafreebie where people can get my first novella, Made for Me, in digital form free when they sign up for my newsletter.  See it and sign up at https://instafreebie.com/free/UsMtE . The other is an Amazon giveaway of the e-book, Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes, the darker, more dangerous progeny of Made for Me.  It only runs until about 9 p.m. tonight (May 13th), EST. This giveaway is aimed at getting more Amazon followers.  Plus, two more people will be reading my sci-fi, coming of age tale of a young woman whose dad wasn’t fully human.  Before tonight, you can enter at https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/35b50ae59e6ba24d

Why all of this at once?  I started the Amazon giveaway last night when I just had no energy for editing.  The brain must be in the right place, you know, and I was tired. When I am ready to release my full-length novel, I won’t have time for the rest of this.  These freebies can only help to get my name and my work out there.  I’ve had 74 entries for the Amazon giveaway since last night!  When I do the novel release, I may have to invest in a Twitter service for my other novels.  Plus, who knows if I may be editing and getting these last minute ideas for the novel right up until publishing?  I’ve never done so many stages of a novel for publication.  Some tell me this is how it’s really done.  I’m learning, though.  Now, I should stop talking about editing, and go back to actually editing!  I hope everyone has a great week!

The Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Emily at nerdinthebrain.com.  I urge you to write your own #weekendcoffeeshare.  Be sure to use the hashtag in your post, then visit Emily’s latest at http://www.nerdinthebrain.com/weekendcoffeeshare-the-one-where-im-off-exploring-wacky-stuff/  and add your own to her link-up.

*If you’re wondering about my “chaotic” title, it’s just something jumping around in my brain that hasn’t found a place to land.  I couldn’t hold it in, though.  It sort of needs to take root before becoming a full idea.  I hope it didn’t cause confusion or leave you disappointed in the details of my week.  🙂  Hectic/ Chaotic.  All different shades of meaning.

A is for Arthritis. #AtoZChallenge

4/01/17

A is for arthritis.

It will not stop me,

Only delay me

I will not bow to it,

Yet I know it’s there;

It sidetracked me long enough.

It won’t be easy,

But I have my Army,

And I won’t cave in.

 

• “Army” could also be read as “Advil.” 🙂

***Note:  I wasn’t going to do this.  Because of my arthritis.  Therefore, in rebellion, I’ll start my challenge by writing about arthritis.  Take that!  I also wasn’t going to do this because of my many other writing projects; because of my busy full-time job, my family requirements, volunteer commitments, blah, blah, blah.  Let’s face it.  I am a writer.  My students have been asking me about that a lot as the word seems to be going around.   I want to inspire them to do an alphabet journal and I will share some of my A-Z entries to inspire them.  Can anyone think of a better reason to rebel against my aches and my fatigue? I was sure I could not follow the rules and may not keep up with responding to others’ blogs.  We will see; one can only try, right?  I might as well let my mind take the helm!

The theme for my blog is “Who I am.” Yes, it’s wide open.  It will include little tidbits about me, poems I’ll share, and stories.  I hope you don’t think I’m a cheat.  I am a little bit of a rebel, though.  Just ask my yoga instructors. 🙂  As I said, one can only try, right?  Let’s do this!

Interested in doing the A-Z blog challenge?  Visit http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

#weekendcoffeeshare Ushering in Lent

 

Welcome to the #weekendcoffeeshare, created by parttimemonsterblog.com.  If we were having coffee this morning of February 25, I’d tell you:

It’s past noon and I’m still in my pajamas (t-shirt and sweatpant shorts).  If you do come over for coffee, don’t worry, I’ll quickly put on a robe before answering the door.   I’ve lately been obsessing over my writing in a new blogging community and sharing my posts everywhere!  Maybe, instead, I should have been obsessing over the state test and my teacher observation occurring in this next week.  Nah. I surpassed the 500 view mark on Niume today! Yay!    Since I am learning how to promote, promote, promote, I may as well do something with it that can help others.  In a conversation on a friend’s Facebook wall, I volunteered to set up a GoFundMe account for a friend, and it is a worthy cause.

You see, my high school friend, Wendy, has Lupus, Rheumatoid arthritis, MS, Osteoporosis.  She also has a 1-year-old grandbaby whom she loves spending time with, but she is frequently in pain and undergoing a lot of treatments. There is more detail in this link, and you may feel moved to donate or share it on your social media.  https://www.gofundme.com/sxfp7s-wendys-medical-fund   She skipped a needed treatment last month because of the cost.  😦

Yes, it was someone else who suggested I do this, as I was encouraging her to do so, but inside me, I do feel that I should use my talents not only to please myself or earn some money but to help others.  Wendy just had treatments a day ago and has been quite out of it, so I, in my good health, am able to do this for her.  Why wouldn’t I then?  What will I give up for Lent?  Lent officially starts March 1st.  It is such an important time of year.  I hate dietary restrictions, as I go without beef or sweets many times just to aid my digestion.  Now is a good time to choose a selfless act, and this one just appeared before me.  I hope it isn’t uncool to post about it here.  I have spent much of my morning wording the campaign description and getting details from Wendy about her illnesses.

As far as my writing, I am all over the place.  The Niume blog is my latest writing obsession and I suppose it is getting my name out there even more.  Feel free to visit any of my posts at https://niume.com/profile/111217#!/posts and read my WordPress post about it at https://pamelascanepa.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/use-niume-to-promote-your-writing/ (if you’re interested).  It includes a referral link if you want to sign up and start your own.  I also have a novel being edited by someone.  I am not writing with true regularity, just in spurts of creativity.  That’s okay, at least it is happening.  This is what I needed to write about today.

The Weekend Coffee Share was created by Part Time Monster .   The coffee share is now hosted by Nerd in the Brain).  Thank you Emily!  You can join this week’s Coffee Share on her blog or by clicking on the “Linkup Linky“.  In fact, I encourage you to click on the “linky” to see what’s been going on in the lives of other bloggers and even join us if you haven’t before. 

 

 

#weekendcoffeeshare Do the Hustle!

Welcome to the #weekendcoffeeshare, created by parttimemonsterblog.com.  If we were having coffee this morning of February 18, I’d tell you:

I’m really hustling to get my work and my name in the public “reader’s sphere.”  I recently joined a new website called Niume which is a blogging and social media site that will start paying when I reach a certain number of views.  See my post about it here:  https://pamelascanepa.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/use-niume-to-promote-your-writing/  It includes a referral link if you want to sign up there, publish some posts, and give me credit.  That’s how I got signed up, by reading about a fellow WordPress blogger’s experience!

You needed a visual interruption, right?  This is from back in the day when I took ballroom and contemporary dance lessons and was practicing at home.  One of the dances was the hustle, though I can’t guarantee that’s what I was doing here!  Alas, dance lessons are not as important these days as stretch and yoga to undo all the typing and stressing I do lately.

Speaking of social media and doing new things, I’ve been trying to share my work and even the work of others to Reddit.com.  Evidently, they are not too keen on sharing.  Is anyone here using Reddit to promote your work or just to write in general?  If so, please tell me what is working for you and I will give it a shot.  It just doesn’t work the way I’ve been using it lately.  They tell me I don’t have enough karma, so evidently, karma means more than just upvoting other people’s posts.  I do share their posts occasionally on Facebook, but do they have to all be from the subreddit where I want to post?  I mainly want to post short stories there, and I don’t want to re-write them on Reddit if I publish them in a blog already.  If you’re successful there, please let me know how!  I’d appreciate it.

I have been writing, of course, to tame my brain and to share and get my name “out there.”  I’ve been pretty reclusive and introverted lately, yet I’ll share my thoughts anywhere.  This is because I’ve grown comfortable with them.  I also like to stay close to home.  Too much has happened in my family, as I’ve posted previously.  I’ve had some dark thoughts and posted one story titled, “Her Beef with Death.”  Read it at  https://niume.com/post/256429. You don’t have to subscribe to read it.  I did post it on WordPress, but I don’t get the way a shared post shows words all scrunched together as if I don’t know how to type.  So, I shortened it and tidied up the sample you see on WordPress.  No big deal.  What shows on WordPress is about half of the story.  It is not dreadfully long but is longer than a flash fiction piece.

My last Flash fiction offering was on 2-11, “Upon Her Throne She Waits.”  It, too, was dark and mysterious.  Read it at https://pamelascanepa.wordpress.com/2017/02/11/fridayfictioneers-on-her-throne-she-waits/  I love participating in the Flash Fiction challenges, because sometimes I get the best ideas in quick spurts.  I may add to “A Date to Remember” (posted here over a week ago) on my other blog in installments.  I hear writers do it all the time.  Why not?

In the meantime, there are works in progress.  One is going through editing; much like a good steak should not be served raw, it will truly be done when I publish it.  I am also handwriting a story with an animal character.  Yes, that’s different for me, but I’m enjoying it and will start typing soon.

What else is new?  My family situation is about the same.  My work life is about the same.  I stress over them both.   There is not much drama in my family right now; the dust has settled since the accident on Jan. 1, however, it’s hard, when you want what is best for someone but can’t force them to go out and reclaim their life.  Work is hard because it is a constant pressure-cooker full of drama.  Pre-teens and middle-schoolers surround me all day, and they don’t always pay attention.  One of the first and foremost reasons I write is to escape these things.  Therefore, be glad if most of my post is centered around writing.  🙂

After perusing my post, one of my short-term goals is to learn how to create hyperlinks behind a title.  The post with instructions by a fellow blogger is saved to my desktop.  I’ll review it and practice, one of these days.

The Weekend Coffee Share was created by Part Time Monster .   This week for the first time it will be hosted by Nerd in the Brain).  Thank you Emily!  You can join this week’s Coffee Share on her blog or by clicking on the “Linkup Linky“.  In fact, I encourage you to click on the “linky” to see what’s been going on in the lives of other bloggers and even join us if you haven’t before. 

 

 

#weekendcoffeeshare Schemes, Dreams, and Fears

Bixby contemplates.

Good morning, and Happy Saturday!  Well, it’s sort of a gray one here.  Sorry, I can’t bring you the sunshine today.  If we were having coffee on this, the 4th day of February, I would tell you that….

There is violence and unrest all around me.  It’s rampant in my city (Jacksonville), and in the schools.  Students are much more riled up lately and more prone to arguments and fights.  A fellow teacher friend and I couldn’t put our finger on why.  I’m going to posit that the national climate is affecting everyone.  As I try to be non-partisan and not look at my fellow humans as Democrat or Republican, it’s hard to take the person who is always sharing something divisive or even outright supporting our president by deriding those who are standing up, speaking out, or peacefully protesting.

Sometimes I think I really need to think about where I stand.  I am a pacifist, but I feel like I am not standing for anything.  Is just loving my fellow man enough?  Perhaps.  We all have our place.  At any rate, it concerns me to see such things in our kids.  I was part of a wonderful event at the school called Challenge Day, where we listen to each other and focus on commonalities.  See challengeday.org for details.  The spirit of that day needs to follow us all year.  It takes work.

My spirit is at unrest, as I type while standing, due to an over-active sciatic nerve. (See, I never quit).  I have no time for friends right now, yet miss spending time with friends.  Work life and family life are taxing right now.  I escape it with my writing.  I’ve also started watching Black Mirror during downtime.  No one in the house likes it but me.  There is such terror, but sometimes it is so subtle, and I LOVE that!  There’s always a twist; yes, it is a modern day Twilight Zone.  I’ve been told some of my writing is very reminiscent of The Twilight Zone.  That makes me proud.  Yet, sometimes I’m realistic.  This week, I wrote a flash fiction called “Michael’s Fairies,” and despite the title, it is all too realistic.  Oh, just give it a read! https://pamelascanepa.wordpress.com/2017/02/01/flashfiction-fffaw-challenge-michaels-fairies/  Your comments are appreciated!

Somewhere between my hopes of exercising the demons and fantastic dreams in writing, and obtaining another source of income, I considered setting up a Patreon account.  Well, I started the process last night.  It could help to pay for future editing, book covers, and book promotion.  If any of you have done this, I would love to get your advice.  It seems to me I could appeal to my type of reader, rather than trying to get my friends and co-workers to read my writing, since I’m not sure how interested they might really be.  Well, I have one really enthusiastic friend, but she is a writer as well.  🙂  Now, if I set up and go live on Patreon, I’d like to do it right, so I may need to read up on it more.

Thank God for weekends.  I can plot my schemes, and I also get some downtime with my dog, my boyfriend,  my writing, and time with my church community.  Let’s not forget, Super Bowl Sunday!  While I am not concerned with who wins, I am glad to go and eat some really good chili at my boyfriend’s house, especially if it’s windy and cool like today. Since being online looking at WordPress this morning, an author friend already made me smile with a story of success.  Please do share.   I’ll do the same, one day.  To all of my friends, cohorts, or visitors, have a great week!

**The Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Diana of  Part-Time Monster.

Join us and be part of this great online community of coffee lovers.  Tell us about your week!

 

Cramming. #weekendcoffeeshare a.k.a, It’s time- to- sit back Saturday.

Photo courtesy of my phone and one of Instagram’s filters.  Thanks to Bixby for modeling!

Ah, Saturday.  This is great since I slept in until 9:16.  It is 47 degrees out, so I am indoors.  My dog posed for this photo which is from last week’s 70- degree weather.  I hope you don’t mind, but this may become a regular Coffee Share photo for me. 🙂  If we were having coffee on this 28th day of January, I would tell you:

1.  I feel overwhelmed, as work is getting test-driven and crazy with FSA (state test) coming up.
2. Sometimes I think I took on too much, as I am taking an online course that is required for re-certification.  The plus side is I am taking it along with a friend, and sometimes we stay after at work to get it done (mostly) in one afternoon.  We’ll order Chinese food and chow down in the classroom as we read the material and make our required responses.  It’s much easier that way.
3. It also seems there is so much more on my plate since my son’s accident.  It wasn’t too much of a hectic week in regards to paperwork, but he’s been laid off and seems a little listless.  He can’t drive right now, either.  I’ve been making sure to take him to his support group, which makes for another hectic day hurrying home from work and eating so I can get him there.  Although there is a group for parents (NAMI), I’m not ready to go back.  The last time I attended, it was almost taken over by a loud, vociferous, political squawker.  Sorry if that sounds nasty, but they are in abundance lately, and a family group is not the place for it.  At any rate, this crazy, busy few weeks has gotten in the way of writing.
4. Speaking of writing, I did write a short story.  Dark, mysterious, and slightly supernatural, it really pleased me to write it in light of all of the emotions I am dealing with lately.  Sometimes, I think we judge ourselves for feeling negative thoughts.  Would God want us to judge ourselves?  No.  I think he’d want us to love and accept ourselves if we are not hurting anyone.  Considering, this was my channel to let those thoughts out.  Heck, I even giggled once.  However, as I think on it, I know that I must edit and revise a few things.  And there is no time right now.  Nonetheless, I sent it to my boyfriend who is going to sketch me a wonderfully absurd picture that can accompany this story whenever I publish it here or wherever I decide.  It will be free, that part is for sure, so I’ll certainly share when it comes out an encourage everyone to read it!
5. On writing and living, you may have noticed my dislike and almost paranoia of hospitals in last week’s post.  Just writing about that gave me ideas.  It may appear in a publication of mine.  Sure, it may take a year, but it shall be there.  Why?  Because this fear of hospitals is pervasive amongst many of us.  It appears in Literature, movies, and even in the Seinfeld “Pigman” episode.  Bless Jerry for allowing us to laugh at our fears.  While I doubt I’ll be humorous about it, it is better to express them somehow, than to bottle them inside.
6. I forgot to mention, a reviewer’s blog has reviewed my book Made for Me!  Check it out at lilbooklovers.wordpress.com!
7. So now, I hope to spend some time with family, and maybe even my dog!

Well, here I am again, extolling the virtues of self-expression (writing being one of them) and how it helps us to hang on, to survive as a species.  Thank you for listening to mine!  Hang in there, friends, and keep letting it out.

*The Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Part Time Monster .  I kept it simple by just making a list.  That’s about my pace this weekend, keeping it simple.  You can join this week’s Coffee Share on her blog or by clicking on the “Linkup Linky.”  In fact, I encourage you to click on the “linky” to see what’s been going on in the lives of other bloggers and even join us if you haven’t yet to share about your week in writing or otherwise living in general.