Whatevah Wednesday, Hmm

First, let me invite you to check out my interview on COTT today. April Gardner was kind enough to interview me and she did a great job making me not sound like a loon. :-P

Okay. Today for Whatevah Wednesday I'd love to hear your thoughts on something. What do you think of this story idea?

***

A woman shuffles out to the family minivan in her pajamas, herding the kids to school. In her rush, she almost doesn't notice that papers are protruding from the drawer beneath her teenage son's seat. The mug she'd left in the console the night before is rolling around on the floorboard. The bottle of lotion she's had in the door pocket since last Christmas is in the backseat.

She scrunches her brow and glances at the change dish. The pennies are gone. Had there been any quarters there? Her heart skips a beat. It dawns on her she hadn't needed to use the key to open the door this morning; the van had been left unlocked all night.

Home now from the school run, she investigates further and discovers something even more unbelievable than having her van broken into. A credit card that doesn't belong to her.

What?

Nothing seems to be missing other than perhaps a few pennies. Maybe this guy felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit as he lifted up her Bible and sifted through the church bulletins stuffed inside the glove box. More likely she just didn't have anything in there worth taking. But not only was this guy unlucky, he was stupid. She had his name, his debit card, evidence.

She comes up with an idea. Look him up on Facebook. Everyone's on FB these days, why not see what she can find?  She types in the name, wondering how many Mr. X's she'll have to look through. Suddenly, she sees the most shocking thing of all:

"Mr. X (2 friends in common)"

Her jaw drops. Is it possible? Which two friends do they  have in common? She gasps. Their mutual friends are from church!

What should she do? What would YOU do?

Well folks, strangely enough this actually happened, with a few minor details changed (it was my husband who found the credit cards this morning).

For the record, it turns out Mr. X had been a victim of this same punk earlier. His wife saw some kid in their driveway who took off running--but apparently continued looking for unlocked vehicles through the neighborhood and found mine. Why he left behind the cards I'm not sure. I'm guessing it was an accident. But what are the odds?? It is the strangest thing I've ever heard.

Two people who've never met, connected by Facebook friends and burglary.

Sounds like a book to me!

Whatevah Wednesday: What's in a name?

As I begin work on a new book, I've been sifting through baby name sites, making lists, saying names aloud... trying to find my characters. This isn't easy for me. I don't know about other authors, but I have the hardest time choosing "the" name for my characters. Usually it's for one of two reasons. Either I'm too close to them, or I don't know them well enough yet.

This week I've been on the hunt for a name for my heroine, one that isn't too drab nor too fancy. And for her husband, a name that is solid, strong, dependable, and slightly boring. Then they need a last name, too! One that rolls off the tongue and might be seen on the cover of a book, but not sound snooty or rich. And of course it has to flow well with both the couple's first names. See how hard this is?

So I thought I'd poll my visitors on some possible names.

(if you pick "other" make sure you leave a suggestion.)

For my heroine: a modern day wife, mother, and aspiring author. Middle class.

Female Lead:
	Amber
	Ashley
	Brooke
	Holly
	Dana
	Lindsay
	Meghan
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

For her husband: a solid, hard working, quiet kind of guy.

The Husband
	Robert/Rob
	Tom/Thomas
	Steve
	Dan
	Paul
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

Last names:

Last Names
	Townsend
	Fletcher
	Powers
	Stone
	Reynolds
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

BRB (Whatevah Wednesday)

I'd planned to post about our first day of school, but I didn't get my pictures offloaded before it was time for church. So I'll post that either tomorrow or Friday, and in the meantime, please enjoy this photo of a mouse playing the pan flute.

Whatevah Wednesday: Family Vacations



I didn't take this picture, but I'll post some soon.



As you read this, I am at Sea World San Diego. With a family of six, we've never had the typical vacation involving 7-day stays somewhere out-of-state, plane rides, etc. (My kids have never been on a plane.) Last year, we visited the Grand Canyon. This year, we decided to drive the 85 miles to San Diego. Yesterday we visited the Zoo, then we stayed in a hotel (two rooms were necessary) for one night, and today culminates with watery fun before we go home tonight. What always floors me is how expensive everything is. Even our overnight excursion is sure to cost us close to $1,000 and could easily surpass that figure if we did suvenires (sorry kids). Here's the breakdown: 

• $180- entrance for all of us to zoo (with no discounts, free parking)
• $250- entrance to Sea World after discount coupon ($20 off per ticket)
• $12 - Sea World parking
• $75- hotel (after using hotel points. Two rooms would have been a lot more)
• $75- gasoline
• $300- food (The way I figure it, with six people and high temps, we'll have several drink purchases both days in addition to meals. And treats. Maybe this is a little high but I'd rather be prepared.)  

This is already almost $900, and we'll probably get some sort of souvenir for each kid, even if it's just a keychain. And since my son missed his school registration day, we'll be paying higher rates for his yearbook and ASB card. Oh, and my husband needed a new pair of walking shoes before tackling this adventure. He stopped at Payless the night before we left but I'm counting it as a vaca expense.

It's hard to believe how quick the money goes. I dream of taking the family to Hawaii, but it might take a winning lottery ticket to get us there. Still, we have fun on these little trips. And hopefully they appreciate the time together and learn not to take life's pleasures for granted. One of my most cherished memories is from three years ago when we went to Sea World and were able to get in the water with a dolphin. It was amazing, but not cheap! Those kinds of things are few and far between for us but that's what makes them special.
 

Amy, Kaitlyn, me, Brandon, Mike 2008


What about you? What family trips are your favorite, or what great deals have you found for stretching those vacation dollars?

Whatevah Wednesday: Homeschool Planning!

First, a disclaimer: If your kids are in public school, don't let the above cartoon offend you. Two of my kids are still in public school, too. But even so, I agree with the statement above! LOL

Next month begins my second year as a homeschooling mom. My family is spread out all over the place actually. I've got a Junior in public high school, a 6th grader in public elementary, an 8th grader at home, and a 2 year old who is learning and growing all the time. It's challenging--to say the least--teaching one child, while driving the other kids to and from school, and entertaining a toddler. But it's also a blessing.

Since Kait might be going to public high school, this may be our last year together, so I want to make sure we do all the things I dreamed of doing when we started our adventure. In addition to the three R's, I want her to be well-prepared for the world spiritually speaking.This means more discipline, less breaks, and a tighter schedule. And it means picking curriculum! Fun! (but arduous.)

After hours (and I mean HOURS) of research. . .

. . .I'm still not done with my list. :-)  

But, here's what I've picked so far:

* Typing: Mavis Beacon (covered by state funds)
* Math U See Geometry (covered by state funds)
* Apologia Physical Science (FREE from a friend!)
* gym: Wii Fit or similar (haven't confirmed coverage yet, crossing fingers!)
* A Beka History of the World ($10 on Craigslist)
(I also want to get several TruthQuest guides and merge those with A Beka)

Life Skills reading:

* How To Win Friends And Influence People (already own)
*Thinking Like A Christian (about $15 on Amazon for book and journal)

I still need to choose a Bible curriculum and Language Arts but those decisions will likely come quickly. History was the toughest--the one that took the hours of research and review to settle on. That and math are the toughest choices to make. We have a lot of history to cover this year, and a lot of extras I want to squeeze in, so next on my list is come up with some sort of schedule--though it will likely get tweaked many times.

For those of you who homeschool, have you picked out your curriculum? Are you excited? If you don't homeschool, what are you looking forward to the most about sending the kids back to school?

Last, let me leave you with a little humor to carry into the rest of your Wednesday!

Whatevah Wednesday: I've been tagged!

A short while ago, my new friend Marji Laine "tagged" me on her blog. Always one to jump in to the online fun, today I am answering 5 questions and tagging 5 other bloggers. Here we go!

• Do you think you're hot?

Since our A/C seems to escape through our old insulation the moment it blasts forth from the vents, yes. Yes I would.

• Upload a picture of the wallpaper you are using.

• When was the last time you ate chicken?

Last night. Creamy chicken noodle Chicken Helper.

• What song or songs have you listened to recently?

That would have to be the theme song to Cars, as my 2 year-old wants it on constantly, as well as "You Remind Me Of The Babe" playing in my head (from Labrynth.) Don't ask why, I have no clue! Neither boost my writing, lol.

• Do you have any nicknames? If so what are they?

My husband and mom call me Shell. Sometimes it gets picked up by people who see it on Facebook or hear them use it, but it never feels right when anyone else calls me that. When I was a wee lass, my daddy called me Tweak and Baby Poo. Yeah, a little odd, right? lol. But a sacred memory.

Incidentally, a pastor at my church on Sunday made an excellent comment regarding labeling and name-calling: It's not what people call you, it's what you answer to. Love that!

• Tag 5 bloggers:

Alright, I've got my tagging gun sights set on...

A Writer's Journey- April Gardner
Another Year in Reviews- Jacki Newberry
Jennifer's Pen- Jen Aulthouse
Tea Cup Living- Carolyn K Knefely
Tammy's Book Parlor- Tammy G.

Check out the above bloggers and say "hello". =) Thanks for joining me today.

Now it's your turn: What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

Whatevah Wednesday

Here are the final results of last weekend's Story Improv:

Darren watched Lydia's delicate mouth curve upward when his hands encircled her tiny waist. They swayed on the dance floor, not caring that neither of them had any rhythm. The rhythm of their hearts beating together was all they needed.

Lydia closed her eyes. Finally, she was safe. When she opened them, her heart bucked into her throat. What was he doing here? Not now.

He knew her and all of her secrets. She tucked her chin into Darren's chest wishing she could telepathically explain their danger. The moment Ross recognized her, all of their work on this would be wasted.

At that moment Darren decided to try to twirl Lydia with his right hand, but his foot got in her way!

"Oh no!" Darren grabbed for Lydia but it was too late! She went sprawling across the floor, landing square on her former boyfriend's alligator cowboy boots!

Lydia has several options, cave in to fear, run away awash in embarrassment or do what she did. She hauled off and slapped Ross with all the force of a prize fighter. "You have no idea how long I've waited to do that." She made an about face, holding her head up and walked back to Darren.

The angry staccato of boots trailed her. Refusing to look back, she squared her shoulders, even as the cold sweat of fear tingled her upper lip. One step from the safety of Darren's embrace, a pinching grip seized her arm.

As nails dug into her arm, Lydia realized it wasn't Ross. Their contact had finally arrived.

"Sorry, I was late," the short brunette said as her leg angled up and around, landing across Ross's neck, taking down all six-foot two-inches of him. "Over here," she continued while straightening her earring.

Lydia jetted across the room, eyes pegged on her contact. It only took 1.5 seconds for terror to nail her feet to the wood floor as Ross gathered himself up out of the pile on the ground, threw his head back and let out an ear-popping howl. Lydia turned her wide eyes to the window--a full moon.

So it was true.

***

Story by: Jessica, Marji, Jerri, Jo, April, Gary, and Michelle

Thanks for playing! Come back Friday for a new Story Improv... see you then. =)

Whatevah Wednesday: Writer's Helps and COTT Bookclub

Hi guys (and gals)! June is here--school's almost out, the weather is warming up, (and Clash of the Titles is launching its summer bookclub. More below).

I've been wittling away at my redraft and am happy to say I am now about halfway through it. At this rate I should have no problem finishing it in time for the ACFW conference and for entering the OFN contest again in September. I am learning so so much. Last year at this time, I felt I was growing leaps and bounds but now? ... now I've come so far that it's hard to imagine I ever finished this novel without those skills. I've come across two awesome resources that every writer simply must check out and bookmark:

The Bookshelf Muse- (thesaurus for emotion descriptions, setting descriptions, and all kinds of insights for facial expressions and visceral responses)

Deanna Carlyle's 1000 Verbs to Write By- (an exhaustive list of descriptive ways to have your characters walk, sit, stand, put, etc)

Looking for some encouragement? Check out Jessica Patch's blog. Her current devotional series is insightful and uplifting.

Want to know how to navigate Twitter? Kristen Lamb's blog is just the place for you.

Need to find some good summer reads? COTT will show you what books readers are enjoying.

You can even participate in the COTT Summer Bookclub and connect with other lovers of Christian Fiction to read and discuss an award-winning title. I've never been part of a book club before, so this will be a new experience for me. It should be fun since our first book is by COTT champ Karen Witemeyer. I can't wait to dig in to A Tailor-Made Bride. Who out there is going to join me?

What are you doing today?

I love seeing my besties drop by and I love making new friends. If you are usually a lurker, I want to meet you! For 9 more days, when you comment on any post on my blog, you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card. If you mention me and link back here on your own blog, you'll be entered a second time. Have a great week!

Whatevah Wednesday: Childhood Attempts

Liz Curtis Higgs mentioned at the Writing For the Soul conference in February that she'd had dozens of notebooks filled with stories when she was a little girl. I've heard similar remarks from many of my writer friends. Somewhere along the way those dreams may get pushed aside and forgotten for many. It did for me. Until I rediscovered a passion for storytelling. I too wrote a story when I was young. It never got finished (much the way I feel about my current WIP, lol). It's typed out on small sheets of paper (book-size, you know), and I committed about a dozen cliches and no-no's. But ya know what? I was pretty good! If I say so myself.

So today I decided to show you Page One. Hope my crit partners still want me after reading this! (p.s. I'd forgotten all about this story when I named my daughter Amy. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found this years later.)

What about you? Tell me about one of your earliest stories.

I love seeing my besties drop by and I love making new friends. If you are usually a lurker, I want to meet you! For the next 28 days, when you comment on any post on my blog, you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card. If you mention me and link back here on your own blog, you'll be entered a second time. Have a great week!



Kristan and Mark's Weedkiller Sashay

(Written by Jessica Patch, Jerri Harrington, April Gardner, Gary L Wade, Jamie, Paulette Harris, Therese, and yours truly, Michelle Massaro)



"What the heck is this?"

"Coffee."

Kristan Gellar looked at the cup of mud and frowned. "Did you just go rake up some goo from under your truck and microwave it?"
Mark adjusted his Stetson and smirked. "What's a microwave, city girl?"

"Who you callin' a "city girl", Mark? You know I grew up here in Pampa, Texas just like you! You are just contributing to the misconception that anyone with a southern accent is 'dumber than dirt' by callin' this stuff coffee!"

Kristan slung the liquid onto the sidewalk then shook the mug until the last drop fell. "Thanks. You just saved me eight bucks."
Mark's lips quirked to the side in that endearingly familiar way. "How do you figure?"
She jutted her thumb toward the coffee-drenched cracks in the walk. "Won't be needing weed killer any more."

He chuckled. "You know what weed killer is?" He took her hands and rubbed her palms. She was thankful for the sun. It was easier to blame for the heat on her cheeks than his touch. "These aren't hands of someone who does manual labor, city girl."
She jerked them away, the thrilling heat replaced with flames of anger. "You have no idea what these hands are capable of. In fact, they're quite capable of strangling you!"

Catching her off guard, Mark pulled her into his arms and kissed her. And just as suddenly, he made a face and pulled away.
"Yeah, that really was some bad coffee!"

Mark threw back his head and laughed. The look on Kristan's face was priceless. He looked past her and his jaw dropped, "Get out of the way."

He picked her up and swung her body sideways behind him before he put her down. A coiled rattlesnake coiled near where Kristan stood seconds before. Disturbed by the ruckus,his rattlers sizzled in annoyance as he attempted to sun himself on the warm cement sidewalk.

"Those swing dance lessons you made me take finally came in handy!"

"Huh?"

When she looked at him that way, his heart stopped and time stood still. He felt her spell spinning its web through his veins as he stood speechless, lost in her eyes. She looked down and he noticed her hands. "Well, pretty lady, I would rather be dancing with you than watching you strangle that snake with your hands."

When Kristan's eyes panned to meet Mark's, she realized for the first time that he was wearing a sneaker on one foot and a cowboy boot on the other. In the bright sunlight, she saw a stream of red run down the side of his sneaker.

***

Thanks for playing everybody! It's always a blast!

3 Ways to Balance Writing and the Fam

Today for Whatevah Wednesday I thought I'd share a few ways I am seeking balance.  I don't want my first ministry--my husband and kids--to suffer for the sake of my ministry of writing. 

Our whole lives are the sum of our days, right? So my goal at the end of each day is to hear God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." How can we stay focused on His will for our role in our family while being a writer? Here are 3 practical things I am trying to be better at (I'd love to hear yours):

1) When the kids and/or hubby is home, tend to important emails quickly and then turn off the monitor.  That way you aren't tempted to keep checking all your social media sites every time you walk by the computer.

2) Even if it seems counter-productive, if you are awake before the rest of your family, use that time to pray and read your Bible.  Trying to get a jump on your day by attending to emails, blog posts, or editing that extra page never works to leave you more family time later in the day.  Inevitably, any extra time created will get sucked into the vortex of the web. But spending time with the Top Family Member, your Heavenly Father, will always benefit your efforts to keep your priorities in line and focus your heart where it needs to be.

3) Choose to give up TV time to write, rather than sacrifice time with your spouse and/or kids.  Are you often asking your kids to wait to talk to you until you are done writing that chapter/page/etc? Too much waiting and you'll find they are grown and your time having them in your lap is ending.  Likewise your spouse may have grown accustomed to playing second-fiddle and a chasm will have developed between you. Instead, give them their time and write when you'd normally watch Biggest Loser.  Catch the highlights or just watch the weigh-in on Tivo. ;-)

Of course there will be times when you do need to ask for support from your family and they will have to give you time and freedom to write, but by keeping things in perspective, limiting distractions, and giving them the best of you, those times will be of a more reasonable frequency.  You won't have guilt about the way you have structured your life, your family will be closer-knit, and you will be honoring God.

What practical ways do you keep family your sacred priority above your writing?  Let the rest of us hear your thoughts and experiences!