Celebrating Perserverance: Come Share Your Story!

Although you will find me mostly on my author's blog here, I wanted to share this post with all of you who have not yet subscribed to it (please check it out!)

Today I am happy to be part of Writers Persevere!, an event that
authors Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are running for the next few days to
celebrate their release of their newest book, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma.
This book looks at the difficult experiences embedded in our character’s
backstory which will shape their motivation and behavior afterward. 

Because Angela and Becca have spent the last year exploring painful human struggles, they wanted to highlight a very important aspect of overcoming difficult circumstances: it can make us stronger. I promised to let Angela hijack my blog
today, so please read on!

***

Hi everyone! When you set out to find examples of
inner strength, you don’t have to go very far. Right here in the writing
community we see it every day. Writers more than anyone understand the swirl of
emotions as we work toward publication. We dream of making it and seeing our books in the hands of readers…yet doubt and
frustration can be a constant companion. For us, there is a lot to learn, much
to steel our nerves for, and unfortunately, a host of real-world problems that
can try to derail us. And, even as we slowly move forward and grow, we
can sometimes feel like impostors. This is a tough road.

But the fact that writers face this battle,
day after day, and KEEP GOING…this should be celebrated! We need to be reminded
that we are much stronger than we sometimes believe. We dream, create, and
force ourselves to keep striving. Through the ups and downs, we persevere!

Have you encountered something on the
writing road that made you question yourself? Have you faced an obstacle that
required a force of will to get past?

If so, we want to hear about it! Join Becca and me at Writers
Helping Writers from October 25-27^th, where we are celebrating
writers and their stories of perseverance. Stop in, and tell us about a
challenge or struggle your faced, or if you like, join this event by writing a
post on your own blog and share it using the hashtag #writerspersevere.  Let’s
fill social media with your strength and let other writers know that it’s
okay to question and have doubts but we shouldn’t let that stop us. 

GIVEAWAY ALERT! 

We also have a prize vault filled with items
that can give your writing career a boost, so stop by Writers
Helping Writers. I would love for one of you to win something that will
help you get closer to your goal!

If you struggle, remember to reach out to others. We are in this together, and by supporting one another, we cross the finish line
together (and then keep going!). 

Happy writing!

Angela and Becca

The Kreativ Blogger Award

I've been awarded twice for the Kreativ Blogger Award...thank you ladies!

Chris at Kelworth Files who hosted the A to Z "Script Frenzy", and  KS Collier, author of "The Veil" (see her marvelous book trailers) passed it on to me...what a surprise!  Check out their blog links above, and read their answers to the Kreativ questions!


What is involved in receiving the honor?  Here is a rundown:

KREATIV RULES:

1. Thank and link back to the awarding blog.
2. Answer the seven questions
3. Provide ten random factoids about yourself.
4. Last but not at all least, hand this on to seven deserving others.

So, here are my questions (a melding of the two sets given to my predecessors) and Random thoughts:

THE QUESTIONS:

1. What’s your favorite song?

I am drawn to meaningful old hymns: "It is Well with My Soul", "Take My Life and Let It Be", and, "Be Still, My Soul". Here is an excerpt:

"Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain."

2. What’s your favorite dessert?

I have always loved ice cream, so, you can see how disappointed I was to discover I am intolerant to dairy!  But, my second choice is baked goods, and I've learned to make some delicious gluten-free versions. My current favorite is a lemon cake made with almond flour...very moist and flavorful.

3. What do you do when you’re upset?

Talk to God, sometimes shed a tear, and often keep it inside so I don't bother anyone.  It depends if it's a "sad" upset or an "angry" upset. I tend to show my feelings more if I am angry.


4. Which is your favorite pet?

We have had so many unusual pets...chameleons, hedgehog, mudskippers to name a few, so it's tough to choose.
Then, there is the dog/cat dilemma.  I've had both, but I must say, that I prefer cats because it's so easy to care for them, and they don't demand anything from you (other than your service to them!). Our two Ragdoll cats, Luciano and Cosette, are opposites, but they each have their virtues.
My childhood pets were two Chihuahuas, Scampy and Geronimo...both whom I loved dearly!

5. Which do you prefer? White or whole wheat?

Ask my children that question, and they will immediately say, "wheat, of course"!  No pasty white "enriched" (with chemicals) Wonder bread that you can roll into a tight spitball-sized orb.  Nope...I want all the natural vitamins that the bran provides (which makes it "whole" wheat), the way God intended it to be eaten.  (I can see my son cringing right about now...enough said!)

6. What is your biggest fear?

Heights, definitely...especially if I am on a mountain, or tall building where there are no protective railings.

7. What is your attitude mostly?

I'm generally even tempered (unless I am sharing a passion or pet peeve of mine, then, look out!), and want to please others.  Hurting other's feelings is a big concern of mine, so sometimes I compromise my standards which I am not proud of!

RANDOM FACTOIDS:

My father was born in The Czech Republic, and my Mother's parents, in Slovakia, so I am truly "Czechoslovakian"!

I took a few months of Japanese lessons when I was in upper elementary school.

I was 17 when I graduated from HS, and only 20 when I received my teaching degree...I went straight through college in three years!

I've travelled to six out of seven continents in my lifetime...some two to three times.

I am a morning person...if I am awakened by an alarm too early, I can't get back to sleep.  Very frustrating for me!

I was a nanny for a Chicago news anchor in the 80's.

My favorite high school subject was etymology...the study of Greek and Latin roots.  I became quite good at it, and was the winner of the "numbskulls" team in our class' "word root" bee!

I refuse to follow the crowd...I like to be unique in every way.  I choose what I like to wear regardless of trends, and don't let the world dictate who I am or what I do.  Only God has that place in my life. It comes, I think, from being an only child.

I am the ultimate in frugality...I refuse to pay full price at resale shops!

In HS, my Driver's Ed teacher called me a "lead foot"...I always engage the cruise control on the tollway, so I don't accidentally exceed the speed limit.

7 AWARDS FOR 7 KREATIV BLOGGERS:

So, I’m passing the Kreativ Blogger award to the following deserving writers:

Pam at 2Encourage
Mandy at Biblical Homemaking
Carrie at "The Slow-DrippedLife"
Brianna at "BibleBloggers"
BJ at "Joy2Journey"
Sue at "Kid Lit Reviews"
Arlee at "A Few Words"

Enjoy, and pass on the torch to others!

Random Acts of Kindness to Writers Award: And the Winner is...

These awards are spurring me on in my attempt to write and design readable posts which inform, instruct and inspire!

This one was begun by the ladies at the Bookshelf Muse, Angela and Becca, who have just released a powerful tool for developing characters in your story.  The best part is....they are giving away a sample PDF file of "The Emotion Thesaurus" for anyone who visits their site! Check it out, here.

This award serves to celebrate those who have supported writers in our craft via critiques, blog posts, reviews,  challenges, or, just as important, words of encouragement.

That brings me to my winner of the RAOK award:  

My good friend, DAISY of "Fresh as a Daisy Soaps"!!!

Although she is not a writer per se, she is gifted with editing skills, which she put to use a few months back on a story of mine.  Her son is a gifted young writer, which is not surprising.  But that is not the main reason for honoring her in this way.

During the A to Z Blogging Challenge in April, Daisy cheered me on with her uplifting comments on each of the 26 posts  (give or take one or two), even though she is a busy homeschool Mom and crafter. What a blessing that was to me, Daisy...I thank the Lord for you!



So, not only can she grab the badge above, and place it on her blog, but, as a thank you, I will be hosting an occasional contest (if you have any ideas, let me know), and will award the winner with their choice of one of Daisy's scrumptiously scented bath products.  She is a master at mixing just the right essence and color to mold many unique  soaps.  See her fragrant offerings here.

Do you know of a person who has helped you along the road to authorship?  Honor them today with the Random Act of Kindness To Writers Award!