Quote on Creativity

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” ~Scott Adams

On Sharing

My husband’s computer has died. Motherboard problem, so we are declaring it dead dead. At least he was using Mozy to backup important files. Like those for school. And since he has more school work to do… and research for a laptop to replace his desktop, I haven’t been able to use my computer much today. Hopefully my computer lasts at least a few more months!

Feedback on Lifelines

Now that Lifelines has been out for a week, starting to get some feedback. We got our first Amazon review today!

I also got my packages early, both of which I expected to arrive on Monday. I got my business cards from VistaPrint, and my copies of Lifelines.

My husband stopped by mid-day to bring me flowers, so I sent him back to work with some business cards and a copy of the book. His coworkers had a potluck today, so he shared it then. Got some nice comments. One coworker actually wanted to take the book over the weekend and read it! Hubby said no. She needs to get her own copy. He was, however, able to whip out my business card with all the book info on it so she wouldn’t have to write it down.

People were very impressed by the cover, and even more so to find out one of our group members created the picture (kudos to Lin!).

If you read Lifelines, do consider leaving reviews on Amazon and/or GoodReads. The more feedback the merrier.

Thursday’s Tale: The Minotaur’s Staff

My local writers group, Writers of the West, is using our weekly meetings as write-ins for NaNoWriMo this month. As I am not participating in NaNo, I have been using the meetings for reading through last year’s NaNo story (still incomplete) to refresh myself on it and do some editing.

We have another meeting tonight, so the story is on my mind. And since it is a Thursday, what better time to have a Thursday’s Tale.

Without further ado, here is the opening page of The Minotaur Staff:

"Hey, Weed, I found something!"

Wesley "Weed" Larkin squinted toward Ahmed's location. Fair enough, the sun glinted off something shiny in all that sand. He pulled the rim of his fedora down, and adjusted the scarf over his mouth. This better be good. Wes stepped into the roped enclosure. As he approached Ahmed, his foot hit something harder than sand. "A structure?"

"Na'am." Yes. Ahmed pointed to the cleared spot at his feet.

Wes knelt and brushed the sand away with his hand. Metal, not stone, glinted from beneath. "This could be it. Our city of gold. Clark!" The Irishman rushed over, red hair too bright, glaring in the sun. "Get a sample of this metal. I'll need it analyzed before I can inform Danvers."

While Clark extracted some metallic flakes and transferred them to his lab tent, the rest of the team moved in to start digging. Wes wanted to know what was in that building. It could be a temple, a throne room, a nobleman's house. Hopefully with something valuable preserved inside.

He grabbed a shovel and dug in with the rest of the team. His robes were covered in sand by the time Clark hollered. Wes took off his face scarf and used it to wipe the dirty sweat from his brow as he walked back to the tents.

Clark's brow was creased, making his glasses slide down his nose. He pushed them up as he looked up from the computer. "Not gold."

Reach for the Light

As I’ve been focusing on blogging and marketing, I haven’t felt like I have energy left for writing. The first month of a new book release is the most important in getting the word out. But I am not a publicist or a marketing guru. I am a writer. I found something I wrote years ago, back when I was struggling with finishing my first book. I found inspiration in a song. I’m hoping it will inspire me again, to not forget who I am.

Song lyrics in orange, interspersed with my own thoughts at the time:

Reach for the light

Deep in the night the winds blow cold,
And in a heartbeat, the fear takes hold.

The fear can freeze me—
fear of failure, rejection, even success.

Deep in the storm, there's a place that's soft and still,
Where the road waits to be taken, if you only will.

The potential is in me,
all I have to do is find the iron will within.

The voices inside you can lead you so astray,
Believe in what you dream,
don't turn away, don't you turn away.

I must overcome the doubts that haunt me;
I’ve wanted this my entire life, I won’t give it up.

Reach for the light,
you might touch the sky.
Stand on a mountain top, and see yourself flying.
Reach for the light,
To capture a star,
Come out of the darkness and find out who you are.

I know who I am—I am a writer.
So many dream but don’t follow through.
I can never be published if I don’t finish writing the book.

Somewhere in time the truth shines through,
And the spirit knows what it has to do.

This is my purpose in life; without it, I am not complete.
Time will show my dedication. Time will bring success.

Somewhere in you there's a power with no name,
It can rise to meet the moment and burn like a flame.

My muse will lead me if I give it the chance;
I simply need to set her free.

And you can be stronger than any fear you know,
Hold onto what you see don't let it go, don't you let it go.

I’ve made it this far. I have it in me.
Nothing will stop me.

<refrain>

There's no turning back.
Your destiny is calling.
Listen to the thunder roar,
And let your heart break free.

Whether I chose this path, or it chose me, it is the path I’m meant to be on.
The thunder of my accomplishments shall roar, and my heart shall break free from fear.

Oooh, Reach for the light!

<refrain x2>

Yeah! Yes reach for the light.

If I don’t reach for the light, for my dreams, then the light may as well go out.

I will finish my book. I will get published. I will reach for the light.

** Music: James Horner. Lyrics: Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil. Singer: Steve Winwood

Seeming Randomness ending with a Climax

My brain is fried from all the marketing stuff at the moment, so relying once again upon that strange, very long survey.

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

711. What is your favorite store that is open 24 hours?
WalMart. Convenience!

712. Do you find that sleep is just so much sleepier when you are supposed to be doing something else?
Absolutely. My body helping me to procrastinate. My brain retaliates though, as I tend to be thinking when I'm supposed to be sleeping.

713. Do you also find that the books you chose are so much more luscious when you have a stack of actual assignments that you Should be reading?
Indulgent reading for the win. Probably why I didn't do homework in high school. If it didn't get done during school hours, it tended to not get done.

714. If you have had the chance to compare the original 5000 Question Survey to this edited version, what is your opinion?

This is the only version I know. Taking me years to complete as it is!
715. What's the most creative answer you can think of for 'what is black and white and red all over'?
Your eyesight after I punch you for making one of those jokes! (Figuratively of course. I do not condone violence.)

716. Why do people slow down on the highway when they pass a cop car pulling someone else over?
People are innately curious. And a subconscious need to not be the ones caught speeding next.

717. Are they afraid that the cop will STOP pulling over whoever he is pulling over and pull them over instead?
Yup. Didn't I just say that?

718. It's daddy's birthday. What do you get him?
Chocolate and a book.

719. What's your 5,000 question survey nickname?
Look at the word [or phrase] next to the 2nd letter of your first name
A anything but
B bubalicious
C captivating
D deadly
E erotic
F funky
G greasy
H heaps of
I indie
J jelly
K kinetic
L lasher
M Mr. (or Mrs.)
N neglected
O ogre-like
P parading
Q quacking
R Rico
S stinky
T the one and only
U uber
V Velcro
W wishing for
X x-tra
Y yearning for
Z zoobalee
Now take the first letter of your last name.
A aardvarks
B baboo
C creme pie
D drag queen
E eggbert
F flex
G god
H hell
I Isabelle
J juice
K kisses
L lightning
M mannish boys
N nice
O octopi
P porcupines
Q q-bert
R rainbows
S suave
T tushy
U underwear
V valor
W weenie
X xtc
Y yohimbe
Z zipper

Put the two words together for your nickname.
“anything but juice”. (could be worse, but could certainly be better!) Can I pick my own? Funky Octopi.

720. You know that shaky feeling that you get when it's all coming to a climax, and everyone involved is breaking into the good kind of cold sweat, working as individuals and at the same time as a single force of energy, and it all meshes together, and for a brief moment, you're holding your breath and tingling all over, and after it's done you're on an explosive and dizzying high for the rest of the night?
What does that feeling come from?
creative endeavors ;)

My Expression Elsewhere

For today’s post, I direct you to Poetic Muselings. As a member of this talented poetry group, I’ll be posting regularly over there on alternating Mondays. Today I wrote about My Expression.