Month: April 2016

I admit it. I’m a hoarder. But only when it comes to office supplies. (And computer parts and pieces, but that’s another story.) A few days ago, someone asked to borrow a pen. I knew I had several in my purse, so that was easy. Then someone else needed one. That was easy too. But when someone asked how many pens I was carrying, I had to figure it out. After about the fifth pen, the giggles started. By the tenth pen, it was no longer funny. Yep, ten pens. In one purse. All neatly stashed in one pocket so they could be retrieved without a problem. The only problem was deciding which to use.

And these weren’t fancy pens. These were all your basic freebie giveaways. The kind you pick up from a hotel or a bank. I keep my “good” pens stashed away in their fancy boxes tucked away in a drawer.

On my writing desk at home, I have one large mug and one small pen holder filled to capacity with writing implements. Pens, pencils, markers, a paint brush or two. (I don’t have any watercolor paints anymore, but the paintbrushes are still here.) No telling how many of those pens still write.  I also have nine pens laying on the top of my desk.

Now, let’s move along to scratch pads. I do better there, because I actually use them and throw away the scribbled on pieces of paper when I’m done with them.  I only have two on my desk currently, but I carry two in my purse as well. I’m not entirely innocent when it comes to notepads however. Somewhere, I still have a small “memo book” from my college days with a list of books I wanted to read.

But let’s talk classic stationary. You know, those finely crafted pieces of paper that our ancestors used for communication. Back in the day when people wrote these things called “letters.” Companies sold stationary in a variety of sizes , shapes, colors and designs, with matching envelopes. You remember envelopes. Maybe you’ve even received a card or two in an envelope through snail mail.

I admit to being old enough to have written a letter or two in my time. I used to own stationary with matching envelopes. And in my best hoarding fashion, I still have an unopened package of stationary with a dragon design that was a gift from a dear friend. (Thanks, Kathleen!)

Of course, where would I be without organizational supplies? Folders and binders and paper clips and pushpins and binder clips and manila envelopes and highlighters? Oh, and labels and stickers and rubber bands and pads of lined paper? They all hold a place of honor in my system (or lack thereof.) They come in all sorts of colors and sizes and it’s hard to resist the lure of a unique color or pattern in the store when it calls to me. But I’ve learned to pick them up and admire them and then put them back into their place for someone else to fall in love with.

           
It all breaks down to the fact that I’ve never met an office supply gadget I didn’t like. I’m looking forward to finding out what everyone else on this hop thinks about office supplies. You can find out too, by following the links below!

“April 25, 2016 – Review your favorite office supplies.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code
“

#OpenBook #Pens #Writing

I admit it. I’m a hoarder. But only when it comes to office supplies. (And computer parts and pieces, but that’s another story.) A few days ago, someone asked to borrow a pen. I knew I had several in my purse, so that was easy. Then someone else needed one. That was easy too. But when someone asked how many pens I was carrying, I had to figure it out. After about the fifth pen, the giggles started. By the tenth pen, it was no longer funny. Yep, ten pens. In one purse. All neatly stashed in one pocket so they could be retrieved without a problem. The only problem was deciding which to use.

And these weren’t fancy pens. These were all your basic freebie giveaways. The kind you pick up from a hotel or a bank. I keep my “good” pens stashed away in their fancy boxes tucked away in a drawer.

On my writing desk at home, I have one large mug and one small pen holder filled to capacity with writing implements. Pens, pencils, markers, a paint brush or two. (I don’t have any watercolor paints anymore, but the paintbrushes are still here.) No telling how many of those pens still write.  I also have nine pens laying on the top of my desk.

Now, let’s move along to scratch pads. I do better there, because I actually use them and throw away the scribbled on pieces of paper when I’m done with them.  I only have two on my desk currently, but I carry two in my purse as well. I’m not entirely innocent when it comes to notepads however. Somewhere, I still have a small “memo book” from my college days with a list of books I wanted to read.

But let’s talk classic stationary. You know, those finely crafted pieces of paper that our ancestors used for communication. Back in the day when people wrote these things called “letters.” Companies sold stationary in a variety of sizes , shapes, colors and designs, with matching envelopes. You remember envelopes. Maybe you’ve even received a card or two in an envelope through snail mail.

I admit to being old enough to have written a letter or two in my time. I used to own stationary with matching envelopes. And in my best hoarding fashion, I still have an unopened package of stationary with a dragon design that was a gift from a dear friend. (Thanks, Kathleen!)

Of course, where would I be without organizational supplies? Folders and binders and paper clips and pushpins and binder clips and manila envelopes and highlighters? Oh, and labels and stickers and rubber bands and pads of lined paper? They all hold a place of honor in my system (or lack thereof.) They come in all sorts of colors and sizes and it’s hard to resist the lure of a unique color or pattern in the store when it calls to me. But I’ve learned to pick them up and admire them and then put them back into their place for someone else to fall in love with.

           
It all breaks down to the fact that I’ve never met an office supply gadget I didn’t like. I’m looking forward to finding out what everyone else on this hop thinks about office supplies. You can find out too, by following the links below!

“April 25, 2016 – Review your favorite office supplies.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code
“

#OpenBook #Pens #Writing

I don’t know that I ever truly thought about giving up writing, but there was a time frame when writing gave up on me.

As many of you know, my first love in writing was poetry. Although I never considered myself great, I did feel some of what I wrote was pretty darn good. Good enough that I’ve been published in literary magazines in both the U.S. and Canada, and won a few small awards.

For a long time, I couldn’t imagine ever not writing poetry. Snatches of poems came to me easily, and although they all didn’t get developed into a full-fledged poems, it was enough for me to develop the habit of always keeping a notepad and pen handy so I wouldn’t lose the bits and pieces. One of the first things I did when we bought a new truck was put a clipboard and tablet under the front seat so paper would always be handy. I have binders and boxes filled with my poems.

But somewhere along the way, and I can’t pinpoint the exact time, my muse left me. My scratchpads remained empty and the words disappeared. I believe it was partly tied to changes in my career, which demanded very logical thinking. The more time I spent focusing on my job and training to move to the job I wanted, the less time and energy I had for creative thinking. I might have written one poem every six months or so and I felt as if I’d never recapture the writing spark.

I’d lost an important part of who I was.

Three things happened in close proximity that changed that.

First, I was passed by when an opening came up for the job I wanted. Twice. I had a choice to make. Either stay with my current employer and pursue a different segment of the field or go elsewhere. I chose to stay, which ultimately turned out to be a good decision. It also opened up some spare time for me.

Second, I heard about NaNo. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it’s National Novel Writing Month. That’s right, it’s a challenge to write 50,000 words or more during the month of November, basically an entire novel. The concept intrigued me.

Third, I ran across some fan fiction in an old forum that drew my interest. I tracked down an entire story from old posts that spanned several years. It sparked the desire to try writing a book myself. So November rolled around and I did. Try, that is. I wrote 49,000 words and ran out of story and time. But I didn’t give up. I rewrote that book and expanded it so it was over 50,000 words. And by the time I was done with it, another story waited for me. (Which was good, because the first one wasn’t very good.) And I haven’t stopped writing since.

You can find links to my books HERE  (Oh come on, you didn’t think I wouldn’t sneak in a promo?)

So my muse really wasn’t gone. It was just transforming. I’ve now published four books and am working on the fifth. And a sixth is rolling around in my head. Now I have more story than I have time.

To find out what our other authors have to say, follow the thinks below.

“April 18, 2016 – Write about the time you almost gave up writing for good
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code
“

#OpenBook #Writing

I don’t know that I ever truly thought about giving up writing, but there was a time frame when writing gave up on me.

As many of you know, my first love in writing was poetry. Although I never considered myself great, I did feel some of what I wrote was pretty darn good. Good enough that I’ve been published in literary magazines in both the U.S. and Canada, and won a few small awards.

For a long time, I couldn’t imagine ever not writing poetry. Snatches of poems came to me easily, and although they all didn’t get developed into a full-fledged poems, it was enough for me to develop the habit of always keeping a notepad and pen handy so I wouldn’t lose the bits and pieces. One of the first things I did when we bought a new truck was put a clipboard and tablet under the front seat so paper would always be handy. I have binders and boxes filled with my poems.

But somewhere along the way, and I can’t pinpoint the exact time, my muse left me. My scratchpads remained empty and the words disappeared. I believe it was partly tied to changes in my career, which demanded very logical thinking. The more time I spent focusing on my job and training to move to the job I wanted, the less time and energy I had for creative thinking. I might have written one poem every six months or so and I felt as if I’d never recapture the writing spark.

I’d lost an important part of who I was.

Three things happened in close proximity that changed that.

First, I was passed by when an opening came up for the job I wanted. Twice. I had a choice to make. Either stay with my current employer and pursue a different segment of the field or go elsewhere. I chose to stay, which ultimately turned out to be a good decision. It also opened up some spare time for me.

Second, I heard about NaNo. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it’s National Novel Writing Month. That’s right, it’s a challenge to write 50,000 words or more during the month of November, basically an entire novel. The concept intrigued me.

Third, I ran across some fan fiction in an old forum that drew my interest. I tracked down an entire story from old posts that spanned several years. It sparked the desire to try writing a book myself. So November rolled around and I did. Try, that is. I wrote 49,000 words and ran out of story and time. But I didn’t give up. I rewrote that book and expanded it so it was over 50,000 words. And by the time I was done with it, another story waited for me. (Which was good, because the first one wasn’t very good.) And I haven’t stopped writing since.

You can find links to my books HERE  (Oh come on, you didn’t think I wouldn’t sneak in a promo?)

So my muse really wasn’t gone. It was just transforming. I’ve now published four books and am working on the fifth. And a sixth is rolling around in my head. Now I have more story than I have time.

To find out what our other authors have to say, follow the thinks below.

“April 18, 2016 – Write about the time you almost gave up writing for good
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code
“

#OpenBook #Writing

This week we’re talking about things we’ve learned since writing our first book. I’ve learned a lot, but two things immediately come to mind that I’d like to share.

The one that surprised me the most was the wide range of reactions from the on-line critique group I use. What one person loved, someone else thought needed changed or deleted. The  description I worked so hard to create? Someone would think it needed shortened and another wanted it expanded. The unique turn of phrase that came to me at midnight? There’d be at least one person who didn’t understand it. At all.

Which meant I had to learn to trust myself. Did I think the description needed fixed? Then I’d fix it. If I thought it was perfect as it stood, I wouldn’t touch it. It was my story and my writing: voice, The old line that says “you can’t please everyone?” Writing is like that. No matter how hard you try, someone is going to find a flaw. It takes a certain skill to learn to ignore them.

Of course, the flip side of that is that I had to know when to listen. What seems obvious to me as the writer, is not always obvious to the reader. I’ve learned that I have to be open to suggestions if I want to improve my writing.

The next lesson I learned was that no matter how many eyes have reviewed a piece, no matter how many programs you’ve run it through, no matter how many times you’ve looked it over, you’re going to miss something. Maybe a quotation mark at the end of a sentence, or a comma added where you don’t need one. Or you forget a “the” in a sentence. Then there’s always the dreaded “its” versus “it’s.” Easy mistakes to make and hard to catch, no matter how good your editor is.

One way I use to help find those missing words or words I’ve repeated to closely together is to listen to my book. I load the document on one of my devices that will read it to me. It’s not like listening to an audio boo, the voice reading it is monotone and expressionless. Which is perfect for catching mistakes that I’ve missed previously. So while my newer books are still not perfect, but there are fewer errors

I’m eager to see what some of the other authors have learned. You can to, by clicking on the links at the bottom of the page. And if there are any lessons that you’ve learned and would like to share, please leave a comment!

Just for fun- the first person who finds an error in this post (sentence fragments don’t count) and leaves it in the comments will receive a hot-off-the-presses Oak Grove postcard.

April 11, 2016 – Lessons Learned. If you have written a novel, you have done what millions aspire to but few ever accomplish. What have you learned along the way—about writing, about publishing, about marketing—about yourself. Tell us so we don’t have to learn the hard way.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:
get the InLinkz code

#OpenBook #Writing #Editing

This week we’re talking about things we’ve learned since writing our first book. I’ve learned a lot, but two things immediately come to mind that I’d like to share.

The one that surprised me the most was the wide range of reactions from the on-line critique group I use. What one person loved, someone else thought needed changed or deleted. The  description I worked so hard to create? Someone would think it needed shortened and another wanted it expanded. The unique turn of phrase that came to me at midnight? There’d be at least one person who didn’t understand it. At all.

Which meant I had to learn to trust myself. Did I think the description needed fixed? Then I’d fix it. If I thought it was perfect as it stood, I wouldn’t touch it. It was my story and my writing: voice, The old line that says “you can’t please everyone?” Writing is like that. No matter how hard you try, someone is going to find a flaw. It takes a certain skill to learn to ignore them.

Of course, the flip side of that is that I had to know when to listen. What seems obvious to me as the writer, is not always obvious to the reader. I’ve learned that I have to be open to suggestions if I want to improve my writing.

The next lesson I learned was that no matter how many eyes have reviewed a piece, no matter how many programs you’ve run it through, no matter how many times you’ve looked it over, you’re going to miss something. Maybe a quotation mark at the end of a sentence, or a comma added where you don’t need one. Or you forget a “the” in a sentence. Then there’s always the dreaded “its” versus “it’s.” Easy mistakes to make and hard to catch, no matter how good your editor is.

One way I use to help find those missing words or words I’ve repeated to closely together is to listen to my book. I load the document on one of my devices that will read it to me. It’s not like listening to an audio boo, the voice reading it is monotone and expressionless. Which is perfect for catching mistakes that I’ve missed previously. So while my newer books are still not perfect, but there are fewer errors

I’m eager to see what some of the other authors have learned. You can to, by clicking on the links at the bottom of the page. And if there are any lessons that you’ve learned and would like to share, please leave a comment!

Just for fun- the first person who finds an error in this post (sentence fragments don’t count) and leaves it in the comments will receive a hot-off-the-presses Oak Grove postcard.

April 11, 2016 – Lessons Learned. If you have written a novel, you have done what millions aspire to but few ever accomplish. What have you learned along the way—about writing, about publishing, about marketing—about yourself. Tell us so we don’t have to learn the hard way.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:


Custom Blog:

Code for Link:
get the InLinkz code

#OpenBook #Writing #Editing

     This week we’re talking about our first memory of books or reading. Spoiler alert: I can’t remember ever NOT being around books. Being the fourth child in a family of nine, and having a mother who loved to read, books were always present in the house.
     Even before I started school, I played “school” with my older sister. I would have been three or four at the time.  And I remember both my sister and my two older brothers  reading to my mother as part of their homework. Those sessions normally took place in the kitchen as my mother washed the supper dishes. Obviously, I stuck around and listened but I can’t tell you if I learned anything.

   
   I can tell you exactly when I started reading myself. First grade. I didn’t go to kindergarten, but started first grade when I was five. And we learned to read using the standard Dick and Jane books. See Dick run. Run, Dick, run. No kidding. And I can’t forget the dog, Spot, either,
     So soon those sessions in the kitchen included me practicing. And ever since, I’ve always had books around. During grade school, I helped the librarian with checking out and returning books. I was reading a book a day at that point, and not easy books either. If memory serves me correctly, I was reading at a tenth grade reading level when I was in sixth grade.
     I thought I’d get a degree in library science in college, and even majored in library science one semester, but life ended up sending me down another road. I did spend several years working at the library in the small town where I lived after getting married. In my spare time, I did what came naturally—read. I wasn’t always the first person to read new books when they came in, but I had an inside shot at it!

    I suppose it makes sense that eventually I started writing my own books. Although I didn’t expect that the first book I’d release would be a paranormal; romance—and the romance wouldn’t be the primary story line! My first attempts at writing were standard romances. Then I figured out I was better at writing action than romance.
   So thank you, Mom, for always having books in the house and encouraging us to read.  And thank you Dick, Jane, and Spot. And thanks to all the teachers along the way that recognized my love of reading and helped me develop it further. (Including teaching me how to open the school library without a key on the days the librarian was running late.)  My life has been fuller and richer because of all of you.

To find out what other authors remember about books, click the links below. And feel free to tell me your story in the comments.

#Books  #Reading

“April 4, 2016 – Your first memory of books or reading.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

     This week we’re talking about our first memory of books or reading. Spoiler alert: I can’t remember ever NOT being around books. Being the fourth child in a family of nine, and having a mother who loved to read, books were always present in the house.
     Even before I started school, I played “school” with my older sister. I would have been three or four at the time.  And I remember both my sister and my two older brothers  reading to my mother as part of their homework. Those sessions normally took place in the kitchen as my mother washed the supper dishes. Obviously, I stuck around and listened but I can’t tell you if I learned anything.

   
   I can tell you exactly when I started reading myself. First grade. I didn’t go to kindergarten, but started first grade when I was five. And we learned to read using the standard Dick and Jane books. See Dick run. Run, Dick, run. No kidding. And I can’t forget the dog, Spot, either,
     So soon those sessions in the kitchen included me practicing. And ever since, I’ve always had books around. During grade school, I helped the librarian with checking out and returning books. I was reading a book a day at that point, and not easy books either. If memory serves me correctly, I was reading at a tenth grade reading level when I was in sixth grade.
     I thought I’d get a degree in library science in college, and even majored in library science one semester, but life ended up sending me down another road. I did spend several years working at the library in the small town where I lived after getting married. In my spare time, I did what came naturally—read. I wasn’t always the first person to read new books when they came in, but I had an inside shot at it!

    I suppose it makes sense that eventually I started writing my own books. Although I didn’t expect that the first book I’d release would be a paranormal; romance—and the romance wouldn’t be the primary story line! My first attempts at writing were standard romances. Then I figured out I was better at writing action than romance.
   So thank you, Mom, for always having books in the house and encouraging us to read.  And thank you Dick, Jane, and Spot. And thanks to all the teachers along the way that recognized my love of reading and helped me develop it further. (Including teaching me how to open the school library without a key on the days the librarian was running late.)  My life has been fuller and richer because of all of you.

To find out what other authors remember about books, click the links below. And feel free to tell me your story in the comments.

#Books  #Reading

“April 4, 2016 – Your first memory of books or reading.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code