Fire Petal Bookstore Tour

Michelle Witte has opened a bookstore for children and teens in Centerville Utah and we would like to offer up our support. Please visit Fire Petal‘s site and offer your support of this great effort.

Good luck and best wishes to Fire Petal Books and Michelle!

Let us know, in the comments, what you’re doing to share your love of books.

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What is your idea of a perfect day? Is it sitting on the beach sipping a margarita? Is it going out for wine, dinner and a movie? Is it getting your house cleaned?
I had a perfect day recently and it included nothing on the above list. (But if hubby is reading this the last one is greatly needed and would be much appreciated.)
The morning started out fabulous. I woke up on time, worked out, had my hubby take the kids to school , and I enjoyed a peaceful breakfast while I planned out my day. By nine that morning I had the kitchen cleaned and was armed with a cup of green tea and a protein snack ready for my commute. A few steps and one flight of stairs later I was in my writing office complete with a door that shuts and ear buds for my Pandora. A productive morning ensued, a break for a good lunch and then a few more hours of writing until the kiddos came home from school.
It wasn’t until my daughter asked me how my day was that I stopped and thought about what I had accomplished. I realized how much I appreciated working as a “writer” even if it was for just one day. I had no overwhelming “to do” list or any great adventure, but all in all I couldn’t remember a time where I felt more at peace.
Only a writer or some other artist would be completely content to do nothing except work their craft all day. Not many people could understand that. Realizing this, I answered my daughter truthfully. It was perfect.

I've wanted to be a writer ever since I read my first book by Judy Blume, Super Fudge. Since then I've been writing bad poetry and even worse prose. I finally got serious when about two years ago, after a nervous breakdown in my kitchen, I cried to my husband "I'm not happy!" "Well, get happy," he said.Simple enough, and so I started writing and have completed my first novel. I'm now in the process of polishing and sending "my baby" out into the big bad world. :)

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I was ready to pull out my hair and throw my notebook out the window. But reality set in, told me I was being to dramatic. I took a deep breath and took a moment to look at the messages coming in on the BB (it had been beeping for the past 45 minutes but I was trying to ignore it to get in a creative zone), only to stumble across an email from a young follower of mine. It really touched me. As writers, it is easy to get ladled down in the hustle and bustle of creating. Crafting words, editing, linking thoughts together, wordplay, sweating over deadlines and striving to “one up” our writing styles that in the haze of trying to say something…we forget that we already say it. Our words become the insight or encouragement to other individuals that graze our blogs, books, essays and tweets…and I only became aware of this after I read the email. For me, I write to remove the cluster of images that clog the mind. Its not about being deep or attempting to claim the title of master griot; I write to later sort out who I could potentially become. Who knew, that while searching for the words to embody ones true essence, that I would have the words that someone else was in need of. Wow, it feels really good to help someone with my craft. Aiding someone with my words was always something I hoped would happen down the line in my writing career but it came sooner than expected. It is truly eye-opening. Any other writers have a similar experience? Please feel free to share!

Sunday is Valentine’s Day, and we want your love. Share with us your best love scene, or how you met your sweetheart.

Sarah is writer looking for an agent. She is currently working on novel # 4, editing novels 2 and 3, and querying novel # 1. For more insight to her work, visit: http://legendoftheprotectors.wordpress.com/ or http://legendoftheprotectors.blogspot.com/

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I have been browsing writer-friendly sites and articles, and I thought I could share some of them with the girls.

1. Useful links to terrific articles and pointers from agents etc.

2. An Agent’s Wish List

3. Fab Writing Tips

4. Checkpoints when writing scenes

5. Brainstorming Techniques

Some of the links contain links to more useful writer’s resources.

Happy Reading, Girls!

For an extended period of time, I have been influenced by Audre Lorde and her essays. Unsure if it is because of all the new writing deadlines that are emerging compiled with balancing “real world” demands but she has been circling my thought process. Will she ever land and assist me in sorting out all these thoughts? Its as though I have writers block with a tea kettle full of thoughts and nothing is taking true form. What a conundrum! As writers, is the ability to write/express be a luxury with the words and sounds we do not have yet?