Editing Bingo, Baby! Beginner's Luck

     Editing is daunting. I am struggling a bit with it. I wrote Bingo, Baby! In November, during Nanowrimo month (participant and winner, 51000+ words by Nov 30th, 2015). It was a fun and exciting experience. I was so happy to be making progress on the book, that I kept writing and writing without labeling and numbering paragraphs and chapters.
     Don't do this authors. Now, I have to take extra time to edit, label and everything else needed, to get the manuscript to my publisher (Xlibris)
     For the next book, yes, there will be a next, in the Bingo, Baby Series. I will make an outline and, at least number the chapters, even if I need to rearrange them later.
      I can hardly wait for the release of Bingo, Baby! I hope you will enjoy it.
    
     

It's a ......day.

     Hello everyone! Today is a...day! You feel in the blank space. Ha ha! This might be a challenge for some. I am sure at this moment what type of day it is for me.
     Just by waking up and tending to my own personal needs, having a bite to eat; able to write this quick blog. I am going to make a quick assessment and say, Today is a "blessed" day! There you go; I have proclaimed it.
      It does not matter what kind of day I think it is, or I feel it is...It's a great day because I awoke and got started.
      I choose to ignore the little aches and pains that whisper. Maybe you should stay in bed and do nothing. Do not hearken to it! Get up and at 'em and state your proclamation! 😄🎉🔊🌟👍
What word will you fill in the blank?

My take on the book, Waiting For Morning by Karen Kingsbury

My church book club called, The Book Gathering, read Karen Kingsbury's book, Waiting For Morning. It is book 1 in a 3 book series.

The book was about a Christian family of four, the Ryan's. The husband and father Tom, takes his two teenaged daughters, Alicia and Jenny on a annual summer camping trip. On their way home their truck was struck by a twenty-eight year old habitual drunk driver. Only the youngest daughter Jenny survived.

The wife/mother Hanna, waited at home anxiously for them to come home; instead officers came to the house to deliver the heartbreaking news that her husband and oldest daughter Alicia, were killed, pretty much instantly.

The first chapter really grabs you and pulls you in; even though people dying and the way in which they died was horrible.

The remainder of the book, Hanna, who lost her family, lost all sense of her Christianity. She did a complete 365 degree turn on her faith, as well as towards 13 year old Jenny. All hope was gone as the thought of her family that was stripped away from her. Hanna's main objective was to punish the drunk driver. She channeled all of her energy into him; ignoring more pressing issues between Jenny and herself.

The book was hard for me to read, being that someone's life can just be wiped out because of drinking and driving. The book gives you a lot to think about... alcoholism, abandonment, faith, etc.

Jenny had to deal with a lot of emotions. The fact that her mom let go of her own faith and compassion towards herself and others.

Towards the end of the book Hanna found some redemption when 28 year old Brian is sentenced for time in prison. And Hanna has a message and last words of her husband's delivered to her....

Most of our book club members agreed, that it was tough getting through the book, with a theme and emotions most of us have dealt with. The back stories of several other characters were just as interesting and real.

It is clearly a book that you should brace yourself before and while reading it to deal with its subject matter.

Dee

And The Winner is! Da da, da daaaa.....

Here is my list of 24 books that I read in 2015! Number one, I read first and number 25, I read last. The other books are not in any particular order. I kept my list on my NOOK HD Reader and they sort of got scrambled around through the year.  This year, I will write them all down in order.

I am only two books in so far, and it is getting close to the fourth week. Wow! pretty soon January will be over.  I have to get on my grind with reading and editing my debut book coming soon: Bingo Baby! "Beginner's Luck."

I hope you find my list interesting:

1.      If I Stay,   Gayle Forman

2.     100 Days of Right Believing,   Joel Osteen

3-6. Shopping for a Billionaire 1-4   Julia Kent

7.     The Kite Runner,    Khaled Hossieini

8.     Truth Stained Lies,   Terri Blackstock

9.     5 Love Languages,    Gary Chapman, M.D.

10.   Success Through Stillness,   Russell Simmons

11.   Destiny,   T.D. Jakes

12.   Gone Girl,   Gillian Flynn

13.   The Gingerbread Man,   Maggie Shayne

14.   The Covering,   Dana Portola

15.    Outliers,   Malcolm Gladwell

16.    Irresistible Forces,   Brenda Jackson

17.    Naked in Death,   J.D Robb

18.    How to Win,  Mark Cuban

19.    Through the Storm,   Vanessa Miller

20.    Deep in the Heart,  Staci Stallings

21.    To Kill a Mockingbird,   Harper Lee 

22.    When Sorry Isn't Enough,   Gary Chapman, M.D.

23.    The Girl on the Train,  Paula Hawkins 

24.    Instinct,  T.D. Jakes

Here are the 5 books I liked the best:

Outliers, Gladwell is awesome the way he gains statistics and makes them real to readers. 

The Kite Runner, absolutely beautiful and engaging. I thought I was in Afghanistan!

Girl On the Train, Four words...That girl was crazy!! But redeemed herself in the end. 

Success Through Stillness, I just love Simmons outlook on life and health.

Instinct, Thank you, Pastor...I must re-read.

So, there you have them. It was hard putting them in order from greatest to least. They are all awesome authors and books!

What do you think about my list and my personal favs??

Dee

Happy 2016!

First, I want to wish everyone a great year ahead. I pray all of your dreams and adventures are filled with love warmth and new learning experiences.

It has been a while. I am still here with you all! Let's do this! Well, at least I am telling myself that. Some of you are well ahead of the game of authorship....and that is good thing. Keep writing and forging on. Don't let anything stop you. Satisfy your appetite to write something great, or to just get something off of your chest.

That's sort of what I'm doing now. I started this journey in the middle...yards away from wince self publishing started. I'm still looking around trying to learn the rules. How do I get a book out there in cyber space, the clouds, in readers hands?

Just write! That's it! Plain and simple. There is no special system to follow, each person will have their own solution. If you already have something in place that works for you; keep up the good work(s). As for me, I have yet to find my rhythm. And I do realize the only way to get into a rhythm, is to keep writing about anything I desire. I can do this! Some pep talk, yuh? I have decided to keep my head tucked and write as much as I can...This blog helps.

Good luck and Happy New Year my friends.

Dee

A Forgotten Publication

Happy August to all!
From the blistering sunny state of California, I certainly know this is certainly the hottest day of the month 102 degrees...so far.  I live in the desert!

Today, I was looking for something in my bedroom closet and found an old book of poems! The book titled, A Space Between.  And it contains a poem that I'd written eons ago! Yes, I had forgotten about it! I have always loved the spoken, written and lyrical word. And years ago I decided to write a poem and enter it into a contest.

Normally, I had only written short poems for church events or loved ones.  I can officially say am a published author and have been since the Twentieth century!  Okay, that's laying it on.  But it is true!

I am encouraging all authors to gather up all their published or unpublished forgotten works and dust them off, embrace them, re-write them, ect...put them back into circulation!  So, check my poem out.  Thanks!

Music Warms the Heart

Music is a warming agent for hearts and souls of all ages.

Music comes in many different forms, just listen closely as

you travel along.

Oh how melodious it is to hear music each day and throughout 

the year, the sound of birds chirping outside your window to

let you know all is well and clear.

Notes played by a concert pianist who carefully recalls each 

note, the humming of an aged grandmother rocking a child on her lap  

while sitting on a porch; rhythmic strokes from the strings of a harpist

playing gracious tunes, these types of music are all use to help soothe.

Music warms the heart, without it we will be torn apart. For

the greatest music we shall hear is sweet spirit filled lyrics

of a Gospel Choir, always helping to bring us cheer.  When we

need total uplifting we turn to God in prayer and praise,

because we know He's just on prayer away.

So God placed music in different forms inside, and around us, 

because He knew right from the start that we need music, 

for music warms the heart.

 Published in: Music Warms the Heart, by:Dorothy C. Broughton  The Space Between Library of Congress ISBN 1-56167-252-1, pg. 419, 1994

The Teeter Totter Effect

I hope everyone is enjoying the month of June, and the first few days of Summer...Yay!  I was sitting in the local city park while writing this.  The wind is blowing and the sun is shining its beams on the grass through the trees.  Nice!
Wow! Can you believe how many days of June have already past?!  I have been off work for 28 days, including weekends. I slept most of the days.  I am not feeling down about it.  The rest was much needed.
Of course I got a few things done.
I made a few phone calls, helped family by driving them around for their errands and work.  I visited a shopping mall structure as well as shopped online and made purchases.  I attended my number one(only) grandson's promotion to high school. Enjoyed the company of my good buddy, got a new haircut and style, and I am reading "Their Eyes are Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. And, I got at least one chapter of Mama Dossey written. Whew!
Here goes the not enjoyable moments:I got into an argument over a misunderstanding with a sweet friend of mine.  But we have since reconciled.  I twisted my left ankle just enough that when I wear high heeled shoes I have a small limp.  I soaked my ankle.  I gained three pounds. Oh my goodness!  But, I have increased my daily exercise.
Okay, I went out on a limb to share these events with you, but I wanted to show you that the good and pleasurable events outweighs the difficult ones.  Although sometimes events are enjoyable, as always in life, you have the not so enjoyable moments.  I called it the "Teeter Totter Effect" TTE, I don't know if such and theory exist, but this is my version.
In the Teeter Totter Effect, first things are good, steadily flowing by until the heavy burdened issues start to weigh in.  You may become some overwhelm by the circumstances that surround you that I feel you are stuck in the mud...pun intended. But if you take a closer look at the pleasurable circumstances you will usually find that you are able to circumvent of correct them.  But the TTE, as you go along, up and down on both ends, eventually everything has to balance out.  Those negative issues will ease up causing the seated plank to become even, at first.  Meanwhile, slowly as you keep your focus on the good things, the plank will just about balance out.   You can slowly get off your seat, and take your great memories with you, leaving your troubles behind on the ground!
I hope you can apply this in any situation.  Enjoy the rest of your June!