Marcia Mickelson

Win a 20 page critique

2010-03-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Go over to Moonrat's blog for a chance to win a 20 page critique. Moonrat is an editorial assistant and has a great blog with insights into the publishing industry.

Whitney Awards

2010-02-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

It is the night before the Whitney Awards are announced. I'm excited to check tomorrow to see who the finalists are. Looking back at my reading choices for the past year, I have realized that every book I read in 2009 was by an LDS author. I read close to 20 books in 2009 and all by LDS authors.

These are some of my favorites from 2009:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
Previously Engaged by Elodia Strain
Santa, Maybe by Aubrey Mace

I suspect that several of these will be finalists tomorrow. I highly reccomend them. I can't wait to find out. I'm also hoping that I've already read many of the nominated books because I have about 2 months to read the finalists so that I can vote for my favorites.

I love reading books by LDS authors and have been impressed with many of the books I read last year. However, in 2010 I think I need to expand my reading list a bit. I've joined a book group and am excited to read some different books. I'm currently reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger for book group. I need to finish it up this weekend so I can get started on reading Whitney finalists.

Review of Famous Family Nights

2010-01-04T20:36:00.000-08:00

It's Monday night, so what does that mean? It's time for family night. Every Monday evening, my family has family night. On the rare occasion that we do miss, Mom and Dad are in trouble. My ten year old son makes sure we have family night or gives us a pretty hefty guilt trip. I was in severe trouble from him when I had a PTA meeting go really long into the night, past bedtime and so we missed family night.

It's a very important event to our family. It doesn't always go perfectly without complaint or tears, but it almost always happens. Some evenings, we have a lesson or a game. There isn't a lot of planning that goes into them, but we are consistent in having them every week, and I think that's the important part.

Famous Family Nights is a compilation of stories written by LDS authors, musicians, professors, and performers and includes my story, "Family Home Evenings in the Car." The story tells of our experience several years ago when we were anticipating the construction of the temple in San Antonio. Many Monday evenings, we spent family night in the car on the way to the temple to check out the progress of the temple.

In reading this book, you find comfort and humor in knowing that many families suffer the same challenges. Many of us have antsy kids that won't sit still during the lesson or don't feel like singing the hymns or won't stop touching each other. This book has great ideas as well as accounts that are both funny and touching. I enjoyed reading the personal stories of so many who share my faith and who see the importance of this weekly event.

LDS Publisher Book Cover Award

2010-01-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

LDS Publisher presented book cover awards on her blog. She posted the finalists in different categories here. My cover for Pickup Games was a finalist in the Romance category and here is my award.

I have to say that I was a little surprised that it was nominated because I have heard some negative feedback about my cover and also it is not my favorite cover. There are some elements of the cover that I like. I like the basketball coming up behind the buildings and the sun rays behind it. I also like the outline of the buildings.

Thank you, LDS Publisher for the nice award and for including my cover in your contest.

A Writing Challenge

2009-12-30T23:02:00.000-08:00

So, I didn't do so well at Nano in November. I should probably take off the button at the side. I think I only wrote 1500 words the whole month. Not a good writing month. I think it had something to do with the fact that I wasn't passionate about what I was writing, and it was kind of forced.

However, in the last month, I've written 10,000 words-- a much better writing month. I've started a new project. I don't really have a title yet, but my idea is pretty solid and I am really getting into it.

So, I am joining Tristi Pinkston's writing challenge. I have had great success with her challenges in the past. My goal is to average 1000 words a day, five days a week for the month of January.

I hope to get about halfway done with the book, at least to the point where I can talk a little about my project. I find that if I talk about my story too early on, I lose the urgency to write and sometimes abandon the story altogether.

Why do you have a picture of Malcolm X in your house?

2009-12-29T22:58:00.000-08:00

Why do you have a picture of Malcolm X in your house?--This is a question that I've been asked several times by people visiting me. I have a framed 8x10 picture of Malcolm X on my writing desk. I guess I'm as curious about their question as they are about my picture. Is it that weird to have a picture of Malcolm X?

So, here's my answer in case you ever come to visit me and wonder why I have a picture of Malcolm X in my house. I read his autobiography (which I highly recommend) when I was in college and was greatly affected by it. It is a moving account and highly inspirational. I became somewhat obsessed with Malcolm X. You can ask my friends and roommates at the time how obsessed I was. That obsession has now tapered down to a deep admiration. I mostly admire his great courage.

He was attached to an important cause and because of his fierce loyalty to that cause, he lived in danger. He knew he was going to die, that he would be killed. Despite that knowledge that he was a marked man, he continued to defend that cause. The cause was greater than himself. So despite the danger to his life, the sacrifice to his family, he never stopped fighting for his people. To me, that is exceedingly brave and exemplifies a kind of courage I don't have. He said, "if you're not ready to die for it, put the word 'freedom' out of your vocabulary.' That level of bravery is beyond my comprehension. It is greater than me, and so I admire it.

But that is not all. We all know he said some harsh things. Of course I don't agree with everything he has said. Some may say he advocated violence, but he said: "We are nonviolent with people who are nonviolent with us." He wasn't talking about violence, he was talking about self-defense. As my kids would say, 'they started it.' We all know the history, we know who started it. The government participated in violence and turned their heads when violence and lynchings were being perpetrated.

I don't advocate violence, I'm a pacifist in every sense of the word. I don't even let my kids play with guns or watch violent movies. I wouldn't even buy my son that Nerf gun he wanted for Christmas. I know, I'm harsh. I rarely think that violence is the answer, but just ask the American Revolutionaries if their freedom could have been obtained without violence. They obtained their freedom 'by any means necessary.'

Lastly, the aspect of Malcolm X that I most admire is his ability to admit that he was wrong in making sweeping indictments of white people. He did say some quite terrible things, that of course, I don't agree with. But how difficult would it be to stand in front of everyone and acknowledge that your words were wrong that you were unfair. That's exactly what he did. After a spiritual experience, Malcolm realized that his hurtful words against whites were wrong, and he stood in front of the whole world and admitted it. He then said he was willing to work with anyone, black or white, who wanted to advance the cause. The cause, itself, was righteous, but the words he used to defend it were not always so. He attempted to make amends for those harsh words against whites. I believe it takes great courage to admit you're wrong, and his admission was huge and public. Unfortunately, he was killed shortly after that and was not given the adequate opportunity to put his words to work. That reminds me of an account in the Book of Mormon. A group of young men attempted to destroy the Church of God, to lead people astray from the Lord. Like Malcolm, they had a spiritual experience which moved them to make amends, and they spent the rest of their lives dedicated to the Lord's work. We now believe that these were great men, missionaries, and true heroes. What if they had been killed shortly after that spiritual experience? What if they hadn't had the rest of their lives to prove their new found beliefs? If they hadn't been given the opportunity to redeem themselves, to build up the Church of God, what would we think of them today? Would we consider them righteous heroes? Would we question those who put up pictures of them in their homes?

So, yes, I have a picture of Malcolm X in my house. To me, it serves as a reminder of bravery, of courage to face death for a righteous cause, of the incredible ability to say: yes, I did wrong, but now let me do right.

Book Signing in San Antonio

2009-12-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

I will be signing copies of my books at:

LDS Scripture Shoppe

15909 US Hwy 281 N

San Antonio, TX 78232

(it is across the street from the LDS temple)

on Saturday, December 5

from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Come by in you're in the area.

My son's Nintendo DS

2009-10-27T06:17:00.000-07:00

My 10 year old son doesn't have a Nintendo DS. Really, he doesn't want one. This GPS is like his Nintendo DS. It's his Asperger's that causes his near-obsession in maps and geography. He'll search the GPS, looking at different cities, learning streets. Right now, he's very interested in Utah and searches the streets, getting excited when he finds the locations of restaurants or stores that he knows.

He'll use the GPS in the car. Sometimes, he'll take the GPS into dentist or doctor appointments to use while we wait in the waiting room. Other kids are playing on the Nintendo DS, and he's playing with the GPS.

His amazing skills with maps has helped me out big time. He helps me get around and find streets when I have no idea where I'm going.

One little piece of paper

2009-10-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to me how important a little piece of paper can be. Yesterday, I went to fill out paperwork for a job, and they had asked me to bring my birth certificate. I don't even think I have my birth certificate; it's tucked away somewhere at my parents' house. My birth certificate doesn't matter so much here. It's my naturalization certificate that makes all the difference. I was born in Guatemala. My parents immigrated to the U.S. when they were in their early twenties, before I was born. They settled in New Jersey, had my sister, and then my mom's homesickness brought her back to Guatemala where I was born.

Eventually, they came back to the U.S. and I was raised here. When I was little, my father became naturalized. At 13, I went with my mother to become naturalized and raised my hand in a pledge to become a citizen of the United States. What a blessing that little piece of paper has made in my life. I will always be grateful for parents who left their home, their family and came to an unknown place in search of better lives for their family.

That little piece of paper is absolutely the difference between surviving and not surviving in this country. Last night, I watched Latinos in America, a documentary on CNN. It's a touching, powerful portrayal of Latinos in this country. We are a diverse group of people with so many different and interesting stories to tell.

There was a story that touched me the most because, in a way, I felt like they were telling my story. However, there is one huge difference-that little piece of paper. A young woman whose family immigrated to the U.S. when she was 7 years old is now in danger of being deported. All of her family is here; she doesn't know anyone in Mexico anymore. Her sister and uncle are citizens; her mother is a resident, her daughter is a citizen because she was born here, but this young woman is undocumented. To me, it's a heartbreaking story because that could easily be me if not for that little piece of paper. I can't imagine being in danger of being sent away from my family, from my children, from my home, the only home I've ever known.

I'm not really interested in starting a debate on immigration here. I'm just sharing a bit of my story. I know there are different opinions to this issue. Debates about immigration can be so divisive and angry. I understand that other people don't have my same beliefs. Those that believe differently don't understand and know my story; they haven't been in my shoes, haven't lived my life. In the same way, I don't understand people on the other side; I haven't been in their shoes or lived their life. I don't know what it's like to be born in the United States and not have to depend and worry about the possession of one little piece of paper.

Part 2 of Latinos in America airs tonight on CNN.

2009-09-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

When I wrote Reasonable Doubt and Pickup Games, these are the people I had in mind for the books. Cara and Mick are from Pickup Games. Reasonable Doubt is Pablo and Julia's story, but they have a cameo in Pickup Games.

Cara Jones- Emma Caulfield

She played Susan Keats on Beverly Hills 90210 years ago when I watched the show. Susan was a won't-take-crap kind of woman, and that's who I had in mind when I wrote Cara.

Mick Webber- Mark Madsen

He's not an actor. He played college basketball for Stanford and then went on to play in the NBA. I went to see him speak several years ago and was very impressed with him. He was my inspiration for Mick (minus the being arrested part). That was all made up; absolutely no truth to that. I think Mark Madsen is as clean as they come.

Julia Harris- Annie Parisse

She played Julia on As the World Turns, back in the day when I watched soap operas. She was the inspiration for my Julia.

Pablo Torres- Mark Consuelos
He is absolutely who I had in mind when I wrote Pablo.

It's fun coming up with who would play my characters in a movie. Throughout my entire writing process of Reasonable Doubt and Pickup Games, these are the people I had in mind. There is a cool website called Storycasting.com where you can cast your favorite books into movies. Check it out. Cast your favorite books!

Catching Up

2009-08-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

It feels like I haven't blogged all summer. The summer just flew by. Here are a few book things that have happened:

1. I received a great review from the Association for Mormon Letters. Click here to read the review for Pickup Games. Here's a small excerpt:

"In Pickup Games, Marcia Mickelson has managed to toss sports, love, and a whole pile of baggage into a perfect blend for pure reading enjoyment. This novel is an easy read. It has a smooth flow that sports lovers and haters alike can enjoy. The love story is an integral enough part of this book to satisfy the most sappy and lovesick among us. At the same time, it is subtle enough to appeal to those who prefer their love story to be served without a side of cheese."

2. My book, Pickup Games, was featured in the Deseret Book catalog. Many friends have told me they've seen it in there. Unfortunately, I still don't have a copy, so I haven't seen it for myself, but I'm just so happy that it was promoted in the catalog.

3. My friend, Anne Bradshaw, has a new release called Famous Family Nights. It is a collection of essays from many Mormon contributors who write about their experiences with family home evening. In the Mormon church, it is encouraged to set aside time every Monday evening for family time. I am one of the contributors to the book ,and you can read my essay entitled, Family Home Evening in the car. The book includes stories about family home evenings from 90 LDS writers; LDS radio, TV, and other artists of every kind; and well-known LDS leaders in sports, business, and the community across the world.

4. I dropped by my favorite independent bookstore in San Antonio and they have my books in stock. Even better, two of them were facing out. In the fiction shelves, there were only 3 books facing out and two of them were mine! I love that store; they're so good to me.

The Sister Pact by Cami Checketts

2009-08-24T19:41:00.001-07:00

The Sister Pact by Cami Checketts is a suspenseful romance. Savannah's sister, Allison, falls into a coma. The detective, Noah, suspects Savannah and she must prove to him that she is innocent. Right away, we see the chemistry between Noah and Savannah. The sparks between these two was my favorite part of the book. Another great theme of the book is the strong relationship the two sisters share. Savannah's devotion to her sister is evident as she helps to take care of Allison's little boy and stays by her side during the coma.

Savannah is a personal trainer and one of her clients, Wes, has something to hide. She is in danger as he attempts to get closer to her. It is a thrilling ride as Savannah and Noah figure out who is the person who hurt Allison. Despite Noah's belief that Savannah is responsible, he really wants to find that someone else is involved. He doesn't want it to be Savannah.

I really liked Noah. He was a strong and likeable character, and I liked his attempt to balance his head and his heart as he conducted the investigation. If you're looking for a suspenseful book with a great romance weaved throughout it, The Sister Pact is a great choice.

Interview with Cami Checketts

2009-07-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

I am happy to present this interview with author, Cami Checketts. Her new book, Sister Pact, will be out soon.

Q: Tell us about your new book.

The Sister Pact is an inspirational suspense novel. Here's a short blurb about it.

Savannah Compton is devastated when her sister and best friend, Allison, falls into a coma after a tragic accident. Or was it an accident? Even with a charming and handsome detective at her side, it seems Savannah may never discover the truth. But if she doesn?t her family could be in even more danger. And Savannah?s past holds its own secrets that could change everything.

Now she must prove her innocence to the one person who is beginning to matter most. Join Savannah as she struggles to summon faith and rely on hope, even in the darkest of circumstances, and learn how the bond between sisters can overcome anything.

Q: Tell us about your journey to publication.

Muddy. But I kept slipping and sliding along the path and eventually found a publisher I'm happy with and a book I'm excited to promote.

Q: Who have been your influences in your writing?
Every author I've ever read. I've devoured books since I was seven. I remember my mom telling me to, "Put down that book and go outside!" I think you carry a piece of all those wonderful stories and it builds your own voice. My favorite book on writing is Noah Lukeman's, "The First Five Pages."

Q: How do you get your inspiration for your books?
Nightmares. If I'm still terrified the next morning I know it'll make a good opening scene.

Q: What are you working on next?

A story about a mom who blogs against television and is rewarded with a visit from a hit man. Yes, it's a bit out there.

Thanks for telling us about yourself, Cami. I'm excited to check out your new book. For more information about Cami's books, check out her website and blog.

http://www.camichecketts.com/

http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com/

http://fitnessformom.blogspot.com/

Why my kids like going to the dentist...

2009-07-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

We haven't let our kids watch Spongebob Squarepants for a few years. The show is hilarious, but our kids just seem to act up more & get really crazy-acting after watching it. So, we just don't let them watch anymore.

Whenever we go to the dentist, it seems that Spongebob is on TV. My kids get excited and are happy they get to watch it. They kind of give me a look that says: there's nothing you can do about it. Then, they sit down and enjoy the forbidden show. I'm certainly not the obnoxious parent that would ask the receptionist to change the channel, so I just sit and laugh at how transfixed they are to the show. A rare, forbidden treat, I guess. Sure makes going to the dentist easier.

Adam--- the movie

2009-07-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Remember I blogged about all the movies I haven't watched? Well, let me tell you about a movie I am really excited to watch. I'm a romantic kind of gal and love romantic movies. The movie I'm really looking forward to is called Adam. It is about a man with Asperger's Syndrome who becomes interested in his next door neighbor.

It comes out July 29. Click here to watch the trailer. It looks like the sort of movie I love.

Reviews

2009-06-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some reviews for Pickup Games. I just included small excerpts. To read the entire review, click on the link.

Jennie Hansen from Meridian Magazine

"The story is a romance, but with a stronger appeal than to women only. It is a fascinating inside look at sports, sports broadcasting, and healing. It should appeal to a wide range of readers."

Sheila from blog: Why Not? Because I Said So

"I loved the way Marcia wrote the romance between Mick and Cara. It progressed at a real life pace, which was very refreshing for a novel. So many times, writers portray two people, that hate each other, falling in love quickly. You will not find that here. Mick and Cara adjust to each others personalities and grow to care about each other once they let go of their past. Everyone carries baggage in their lives, as did the main characters. As they learn to let go of their past disappointments and fears, the romance begins to blossom."

Danyelle from blog: Queen of the Clan

"All in all, I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who loves basketball, enjoys humor, and yearns for a good romantic read."

Amanda from blog: The Zen Leaf

"This is a very cute romance book. It's well written and well paced."

Holly from blog: 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews

"This one is perfect when you want to escape with something entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

I'll post more reviews later.

A Giveaway

2009-06-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Anne Bradshaw is giving away a copy of my book on her blog, Not Entirely British. Go check it out for a chance to win!

You have until June 24th.

Loads of Free Time

2009-06-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

So, I have a lot of free time lately. All of my shows are off for the summer. I faithfully watched Grey's Anatomy, American Idol, and The Office and didn't miss a single episode of any of these shows.

Now, they're all on reruns, and I have my Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights free. It's kind of nice, and you would think I could get a lot of writing done. But, that's not the case. My kids are out of school, so they have a later bedtime. They have been staying up until 10 pm almost every night and by that time, I'm too tired to write. So, since they've been out of school, I've done very little writing.

So, loads of free time, but too tired to write at nights. I've been reading a lot, watching The Office reruns, and trying to catch some Anderson Cooper on TV.

Now, if only my shows were on during the summer, I'd have something to do and if the reruns were on during the school year, I would have every night free to write.

A New Blog

2009-06-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

I am a contributor to a new blog. It is called Writing Fortress and is comprised of authors who are published by Cedar Fort. Come check out the blog, Writing Fortress, and read my first post.

My Book Signing

2009-06-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I had a book signing at Temple View Books in San Antonio. Here is a picture of me and my amazing and supportive husband, Nolan. He tells everyone he knows about my books. He even walked around the store a little to tell customers about my books. It's so great to see people who don't know me actually buy my books. There were two women who bought all three of them. That's so exciting!

Many great friends came to see me and buy my book. It was good to see all of you! Thanks for coming. I love this store. The manager is so nice and always sets up a lovely table for me. It was a terrific time.

Giveaway

2009-06-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Go to Shauna's Book Giveaway Blog and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of my book. You only have until June 4th. Good luck.

Young Adult Books

2009-06-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

So, I've been in a huge Young Adult kick the past two months, and that's all I've been reading. Here are the great YA books I've read recently. I highly recommend taking a fun ride into YA territory and read these books!

Savannah was dumped by her boyfriend who started dating her sister. She gets a fairy godmother who gives her three wishes. Chrissy is the not best godmother, just a fair one. She messes up Savannah's wishes and sends her back to the Middle Ages as Cinderella and then Snow White. I loved this book! I enjoyed how modern day was interweaved with the Middle Ages.

Rose and her eleven sisters must dance each night for the King Under Stone. Based on a Grimms fairy tale, Princess of the Midnight ball tells the story of 12 princesses who are under a curse. Worn slippers every night is a mystery to their father, the king. Galen is a young soldier turned gardener who falls for Rose and seeks to find a way to break the spell. I am not familiar with the original tale, but loved this story. Galen is a brave and kind man who knits. With his knitting and a unique source of magic, Galen sets off to fight King Under Stone. I enjoyed how each sister had a unique personality and despite being under a curse and unable to break it, they are feisty and spirited. I have enjoyed this author's novels and highly recommend them.
Annika's brother is very sick and she tells him that a genie gave her three wishes and she's giving him two of those wishes. He wishes to meet the actor who plays Teen Robin Hood. That wasn't the wish she was expecting him to say. In order to help make her brother's wish come true, Annika drives to California to seek out the actor and beg him to come meet her brother. Another wonderful book from Janette Rallison.

Laurel is a teenage girl who's been home-schooled and is now starting high school. David takes an immediate liking to her. As she starts high school, she feels very different than her peers and she soon finds out why. She's a faerie; she begins to sprout wings and little by little learns more of her past.

It was okay. I have no criticisms. I like Harry and his friends. For some reason, I just couldn't get into it. It didn't make me want to devour it. I like princesses, fairies, fairy godmothers, young maidens that bring down evil empires, frogs that have to be kissed, princes who fall in love with the lowly girls, and girls who break evil curses. I devour those books.

Book Signing in San Antonio

2009-05-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

I am doing a book signing on Saturday, June 6th, in San Antonio. Here's the info for anyone in the area who'd like to come:

Saturday June 6 from 11am to 2pm at

Temple View Books

20079 Stone Oak Parkway #104

San Antonio, TX

This is my favorite place to do book signings. Here's a picture of me last year signing copies of my first two books.

Summer Reading Thing

2009-05-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm doing the Summer Reading Thing on LDS Publisher's blog. Here's a list of books I'll be reading this summer:

1. Wings by Aprilynne Pike

2. Agent in Old Lace by Tristi Pinkston

3. Tower of Strength by Annette Lyon

4. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

5. Tribunal by Sandra Grey

6. Lockdown by Traci Hunter Abramson

7. Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack

Interestingly, these are all books that were released this year. I'm making a huge effort to read mostly only 2009 releases this year. It's kind of a fun challenge and great preparation for Whitney Awards reading.

The 3rd annual Whitney Awards will be held next spring. I did some heavy duty reading earlier this year to vote on the finalists. So, to cut down next year's reading, I'm trying to read as many as I can early on. I've already nominated a couple of awesome books.

2009-05-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

Go to Danyelle Ferguson's Queen of the Clan blog for awesome giveaways all summer long. On June 17, she will be giving away a copy of my book, Pickup Games.

Harry Potter and Other Movies I've Never Seen

2009-05-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

In light of my recent Harry Potter post, I decided to come clean and admit all the movies I've never seen. Let me preface this by saying, I'm weird, I know. Here's a list of movies I've never seen:

Harry Potter movies (soon to be rectified)
National Treasure
Lord of the Rings
Star Wars (the new ones. I watched the original 3 when I was a kid)
Bourne Identity series (It doesn't count when it's playing at your cousin's house and the adults are watching, but I'm chasing a one year old around to make sure he doesn't break anything.)
Chronicals of Narnia
Pirates of the Carribean
Star Trek
X Men
Fantastic Four
Matrix
Spiderman (only saw the first one and don't think I'll ever watch the rest)
Men In Black (even though I love Will Smith. It just looks so dumb)
Dark Knight
Shrek
Indiana Jones movies
Davinci Code (or that new one)
The Mummy movies

Chances are, if a movie makes big bucks, I probably won't be watching it. Yes I know, I'm weird.

Harry Potter. . . Finally Part 2

2009-05-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

So, my friend, Amanda, and I made a deal back in November. If she read Twilight, I would read Harry Potter. Amanda's read Twilight and New Moon months ago, and I've very slowly read Harry Potter. The last 30 pages have gone unread for almost a month. Tonight, I finally read those 30 pages and can finally say that I'm done. Sorry it took so long, Amanda. You'll probably never want to make a deal with me again.

Thanks Julie for lending me the book and sorry it took so long. So, the verdict? It was okay. I have no criticisms. I like Harry and his friends. For some reason, I just couldn't get into it. It didn't make me want to devour it. Many people have said that Book 1 is not the best and it gets better with Book 3 and so on. I believe them, but I don't think I'm in it for the long haul.

I've only recently started reading Young Adult. I love it. In the past 4 months, I've read almost only YA. But I like girly Young Adult books. I like princesses, fairies, fairy godmothers, young maidens that bring down evil empires, frogs that have to be kissed, princes who fall in love with the lowly girls, and girls who break evil curses. I devour those books. While I find no fault with Harry, I just couldn't get into it.

My friend, Kira, has lent me the first two movies. I for sure will watch them, and she said I could borrow the rest. So, I don't think I'll read the rest of the books, but I do think I will watch all the movies. Reading the books is just too much time to devote to something that doesn't grab me. I have too many other books I want to read. I know that I'll miss out on a lot of stuff that's in the books and not the movies.

After I watch all the movies, I'll just have to grab Erin, Julie, and Amanda and go to Cold Stone to let them fill me in on what I missed. And anyone else who wants to come. So, this weekend, I'll watch my very first Harry Potter movie. I know, it's weird that I've never even seen any of the movies.

My book is headed to libraries

2009-05-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

My husband was searching the Salt Lake county library system and found this:

http://ipac.slco.lib.ut.us/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12433X33A00T5.220131&profile=dial&uri=link=3100018~!1020637~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=subtab13&menu=search&ri=1&source=~!horizon&term=MICKELSON%2C+MARCIA&index=PAUTHOR#focus

My new book, Pickup Games, is on order for their libraries. It looks like they have ordered almost 40 copies for their libraries. That's exciting news.

I don't want to hear that

2009-05-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

If I'm in the children's section at Barnes & Noble with a good book to skim and a happy three year old playing with the Thomas trains, guess what I don't want to listen to. I do not want to listen to a personal cell phone call.

It's Barnes and Noble. People go there to look through books and what do you need to look through books? Some quiet. Sure, it's the children's section, but what's wrong with a little quiet. Yes, I expect to hear the clickety clack of Thomas and his friends on the wooden train tracks and an occasional child's shriek and the inevitable child crying when it's time to go home and they're not ready. I don't mind that.

I do mind listening to a full volume cell phone call. I'm sorry that this lady missed her phone hearing because she didn't realize that we're not on Michigan time and she called an hour after her court hearing. I do feel bad that her ex is demanding she go to Michigan two times a year to bring their son for visitation. And, it is harsh that he wants the kid to spend the whole summer in Michigan. And, no it's not her fault that she called an hour late because she wasn't aware of the time change and now the hearing's been adjourned and her side wasn't heard. That is all too bad, but I don't want to hear it. Why do people think it's okay to have full-volume personal phone calls in front of complete strangers? Take it outside or better yet take it home. That's where I have my personal phone calls. At home. At Barnes and Noble, I just want a teensy bit of quiet to look through a book while my toddler plays happily with the Thomas trains. Is that too much to ask?

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

2009-05-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

Next on my to-read list is: Wings by Aprilynne Pike. This book was just released a few days ago, and I can't wait to get my hands on it! I'm super excited to read it.

Now, if I could just finish reading that Harry Potter. Why is it taking me so long? I have only 40 pages to go. Must finish by the weekend.

Available for Pre-Order

2009-04-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

Pickup Games is now available for Pre-Order at Target.com and Amazon.

Here is a description of the book:

When Mick Webber gets a new job hosting a college basketball show, he is less than thrilled to learn he will be co-hosting with Cara Jones, a pretty brunette trying to get over her failed engagement. From the start it is clear the two will not be playing nice, and work soon turns into a battlefield. But as the season progresses and the two are forced to work together more closely, they begin to see that first impressions can often be deceiving. In this riveting story about the game of love, you ll find yourself holding your breath to see what the scoreboard says when the clock runs out.

At Target, it can be pre-ordered for $10.87 which is a savings of $5.12. I don't know how long that special will last.

It is also available for pre-order at Amazon for $15.99.

It should be available at other places sometime next month. As for me, I still haven't received my copies yet, but I'm super-excited to see it.

My Cover!!

2009-04-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the cover of my book, Pickup Games. It will be out in May. More info will follow!

2009-04-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a video for Anne Bradshaw's upcoming book, Famous Family Nights, which will be released in September 2009. It's a compilation of Family Home Evening ideas and stories and includes an excerpt that I wrote.

Go to Anne's Blog, Not Entirely British, to find out more about this book and for weekly giveaways. She's giving away great stuff!

Here is the link to the video. I will also be adding it to my sidebar.

Words I Hate

2009-04-22T11:41:00.001-07:00

The other day, I saw a show advertised on TV called The Cougar. I hate that word--a cougar. I don't actually hate the word, I just hate what it "means" now. From my understanding, cougar is a woman who likes to date younger men. Why do they have to call them cougars? They're women, not cougars. So what if they like younger men? Some older men have liked dating younger women for years and years, why isn't there some special, derogatory name picked out for them?

Leave those women alone! Don't call them cougars. Whoever came up with that term took a perfectly great word--cougar (cool animal and BYU mascot) and ruined it!

While we're on the subject of terms that I hate, here's another one. I hate the term reverse discrimination. I've always hated it. The term had its heyday in the 90's, and I don't think it's used as much anymore. Thank goodness. The reason I hate it? I think that using the word reverse with it implies that discrimination should go a certain way and if it goes the other way, then it's the opposite of how it should be. Make sense?

So, those are two terms that I hate. I'm sure there are more if I sit and think about it. Maybe I'll post a part 2 sometime. Don't even get me started on how much I hate the word 'alien' to refer to immigrants. Hate it!

Previously Engaged by Elodia Strain

2009-04-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

I've been so excited to read Previously Engaged by Elodia Strain. I read Strain's debut novel, The Icing on the Cake, and have been anticipating this sequel. I love Annabelle Pleasanton, the hilarious, quirky, always-getting-out of scrapes main character. She is dating Isaac Matthews, and she gets the feeling that he's going to propose. He asks her ring size and hints that she should get a short lease on an apartment, but Annabelle keeps waiting for it to happen. In the meantime, she wins a $50,000 "Dream Wedding." Although he hasn't technically proposed yet, Annabelle begins to plan her "Dream Wedding." There are a few obstacles keeping her from that dream wedding. First, there's Alex who dumped her at the prom, but seems to have had second thoughts. Then, there's Chloe, Isaac's agent, whom everyone seems to think is perfect for him. There's also the fact that Isaac is not into the high end designer suit and fancy food that her dream wedding require. To top it all off, an amazing job offer threatens to come between Annabelle and Isaac. This is a funny, laugh-out-loud story about a very endearing woman. Through this first-person account, I felt like I really knew Annabelle. Strain's comical and crisp writing style brings the reader into the story like you're listening to your best friend and rooting for her to get out of the awkward situations she manages to get into. Despite Annabelle's penchant for designer bargains, beneath that cashmere sweater, is a huge heart. She writes "Pink Notes" in a notebook which contains lists of people who inspire her. Amongst her "Pink Notes" are women who run a flower business and bakery whose proceeds go to charity. Inside, Annabelle knows what's important in life and it's a fun ride reading as she makes meaningful decisions with that $50,000 she won. I love a story that makes me laugh and inspires me at the same time. Elodia Strain's Previously Engaged is that story. You'll find a well-written book with fleshed-out characters who feel real. Funny dialogue and interior monologue accompany this gem. With her clever writing style, Strain has composed a charming book that makes me want to read the next book she has to offer.

Easter

2009-04-12T13:04:00.001-07:00

You know how some girls get a new Easter dress ever year? Those pretty, pastel, frilly dresses that overwhelm department stores every year? Well, I never got one of those special Easter dresses. I've always wanted one and still look longingly at the racks of pretty dresses each season.

My mom just didn't do Easter. I never got an Easter basket either, except for one year when my aunt gave us one. Don't get me wrong; my mom is great--really great. She's just not very traditional and doesn't give importance to customs she considers trivial. She does do Christmas every year just because my dad loves it so much, but if it was up to her, she wouldn't do Christmas either.

I think it all has to do with how these two holidays, based on the Savior, have been over-marketed to the point that they don't even resemble what they are supposed to symbolize. I understand that; but I still love holidays.

I don't go overboard though because I like my kids to not focus on Easter baskets and candy, but to remember why we celebrate Easter in the first place. So, they have an Easter basket that I reuse every year and put a few things in there for them. Simple things like candy, Matchbox cars, toothbrushes, pez dispensers, snacks. Nothing huge. They don't expect much and don't dwell on it. In fact, it's now 3:00 and they haven't even asked about them. I'll probably give out the baskets right before dinner or something.

Once, I celebrated Easter with some extended family and it was crazy. It felt like Christmas. Each adult gives each child an Easter basket so they end up with like 5 or 6 baskets filled with crazy stuff like clothes, electronics, purses for the girls, toys. I didn't like it. It's too much; way too much. I don't like my kids to have too much, just enough. Those kids tore through the baskets like it was Christmas (don't even get me started on Christmas with these folks), leaving behind baskets and trash in their wake. That was the last year we spent Easter with them. We like simple. So, we do a small Easter egg hung, small baskets, and some kind of lesson about the Resurrection.

People kept asking me what we're doing for Easter this year. Are we going to visit my parents who only live 2.5 hours away? I kept thinking, no we're just going to stay here--keep it simple. My mom just doesn't do Easter. As for Easter dresses? Well, I have 3 boys so I don't know if I'll ever get to buy one of those cute pastel-colored dresses after all. And me? Well, maybe my longing for a special Easter dress is perhaps long gone. I just wore a black dress today.

He Won!!!!

2009-04-09T12:11:00.001-07:00

My son, Omar, is in 3rd grade and he loves to write. In his spare time, he's on the computer typing up stories or drawing pictures in the Paint program to go with his stories. When he was four, he started writing stories on the computer. He's so creative.

I am so proud of him because he just won 1st place in the Reading Rainbow Young Authors & Illustrators local competition for third grade. His story is called Harry and the Messy Room.

On Monday, we went to the awards reception. There were 1st-3rd place winners in grades K-3. There were 3 high school students who read each winner's story as the illustrations were portrayed on a big screen. Here is a picture of Omar listening as his story is being read and the illustrations are being shared with the audience. I imagine it was a surreal moment for him as someone read the words that he wrote. I was so excited for him.

It was a lot of hard work for him to finish the story. He had to give up a lot of "free time" in order to get it done, but I'm sure he knows that it was worth it. This was his second time to enter. The first year, he was very disappointed that he didn't win. I'm glad he had the courage to try again.

It's a really great story. I loved it, and he came up with it all on his own. When the lady in charge of the contest called me to tell me he won, she said she fell in love with his story. I'll have to find some way to post his story if anyone is interested and if he's willing to share it.

Julie Wins

2009-04-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

Yay, Julie. Julie won the March Madness contest. She picked 3 out of the Final Four. She also picked the Final Game and the National Champ--UNC.

Great picks, Julie.

Julie wins a copy of my forthcoming book, Pick-Up Games. It should be out next month. So, as soon as I get my hands on some copies, I will mail out your book, Julie.

Congratulations.

Proofs

2009-04-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

I received my proofs yesterday. Proofs are a PDF file of exactly what my book will look like inside. I have to read through it carefully and catch any mistakes before it goes to press.That will keep me busy for the next few days. It's very exciting to see what the inside of my book will look like. I still haven't seen the cover, but I should see that by the end of this week or early next week. Can't wait.

I Voted

2009-04-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

I voted for the Whitney Awards late last night after several weeks of frenzy reading. I discovered so many great books and hope to get some of my reviews posted on the 5-Squared blog. I discovered so many great books that I might not have read otherwise.

Now, I have a busy month ahead of reading & writing related stuff.

First, I should be getting my proofs from my publisher soon so I can read through and proofread the final product before it goes to press.

Next, I need to finish Harry Potter, as per my agreement with Amanda.

And, I look forward to reading Elodia Strain's new book, Previously Engaged, which I told you about in this post.

And, I need to finish revising my current manuscript. It's 'finished' in a sense, but there are a few major problems that I need to fix before submitting.

Different Personalities

2009-03-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

Children have such different personalities from their siblings. I find that this is so true with my 3 boys. Omar, my 9 year old has always been interested in learning. From as young as 2, he's loved learning his letters and numbers. He learned to read by four. Diego, my 6 year old was not as interested, but did let me teach him numbers and ABC's by a reasonable age.

Ruben, my 3 year old, however, is so resistant. I've tried to teach him the ABC's with some flashcards. He's let me teach him about 6 letters, but hates reviewing them. When I ask him a letter, he says it wrong on purpose and laughs. He refuses to let me review the letters and walks away.

My two oldest boys would sit and do puzzles or play a game for long periods of time. Ruben can only sit still for a few minutes before becoming bored. We'll start a game or a puzzle and two minutes into it, he'll start scattering the pieces. He prefers to be active--running around. He won't sit still long enough to do much of anything. It's kind of frustrating because we have so many puzzles, games, books and he wants very little to do with that.

Ruben is so different than my oldest two; sometimes I'm not sure what to do with him. On the other hand, he enjoys other things that my youngest don't. He loves to watch train crashes on You Tube while Diego has to leave the room if Ruben is watching that. Ruben loves to crash things. He also is not easily frightened. The other day during a thunderstorm, he opened the door and watched the rain, not scared at all of the thunder. My other two at that age would scream at the sound of thunder. Ruben stood in line to pet a baby alligator while my other two would run the other way.

It's just so interesting how different children are even though they're raised in the same home. Omar and Diego are so good in school and church. They sit still and are so obedient. Ruben is all over the place and I wonder how he'll do in school. He's the first one to need stitches at age two. He picks up bugs and likes to look at snakes. It is really a lot of fun to have my boys be so different and have different personalities. I enjoy and love each one. I just hope one day, Ruben will let me teach him the ABC's.

Neighborhood Cats

2009-03-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

I don't really like cats. I never have. I just have a general phobia of animals and anytime I pet them, I have this overpowering sensation to wash my hands right away. I know I'm weird.

Anyway, there are so many cats that traipse around my neighborhood, and it kind of drives me crazy. I don't mind their presence in the neighborhood, it's what they leave behind in my yard. They poop in my mulch and even have the audacity to jump my fence and leave their stuff behind in my backyard. Yuck! I don't have pets for a reason--because I don't like pet poop. It makes me mad that I have to clean up their poop from my backyard. I went to mow the lawn in the back the other day and counted over a dozen little packages.

I don't even know who all these cats belong to because they just roam the streets. My 3 year-old likes to pet the cats. It's very cute, but I feel bad thinking he'll never have a cat of his own until he's an adult. There just will never be a cat in my house; it's bad enough they have the run of my yard.

March Madness

2009-03-16T19:43:00.001-07:00

It's March Madness .

I love filling out the brackets every year even though I always do really badly. If you like to fill out brackets for the NCAA Basketball Tournament too, then this is the contest for you.

My book, Pick Up Games, which will be released in May deals with college basketball and the NCAA tournament. Mick Webber and Cara Jones are the co-hosts of a college basketball news program and they follow their Utah teams around the country, covering the games. The story takes readers into March Madness. If you would like to win a copy of my forthcoming book, then play!

All you have to do is e-mail me your Final Four picks and overall winner. Whoever picks the winner of the NCAA tournament will win a copy of my book which will be sent to you in May when it comes out. If there are multiple entries with the same winning team, then your Final Four picks will be the tie-breaker. Any entries with the winning team and same amount of Final Four picks will be put into a hat and the winner will be drawn. E-mail me and win! marcia@marciamickelson.com

All entries must be received by noon Central on Thursday. The tournament starts on Thursday.

Haven't Blogged in a While

2009-03-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't blogged in a while and I haven't been present on Facebook much lately. What have I been doing, you ask?

1-Reading like a maniac. I'm trying to read about 8 more books before April 4th so I can vote for the Whitney Awards. I have never read so much in so little time in my life. I think I'm getting a little tired of reading. I'm ready for a break come April.

2- Not writing. I have been neglecting writing due to all the reading. It was a good time to have a break in writing, but I'm missing it. I've been waking up feeling a little aimless because I have no story running through my head right now. I need to get that story going soon.

3- Sleeping on the couch. My husband was out of town last week for training with his company. I get so scared at night that I don't like to sleep in my bed. So, I keep the lights and TV on and bring my blanket and pillow on the couch. It's the only way I can fall asleep when he's not here.

4-Trying to keep a 3 and a half year old busy. My Ruben is so different than my older boys. He doesn't like to sit still to play a game or do a puzzle or color. So, he goes from one activity to another. His favorite game is 'Get Me' in which I have to run around the house to grab him and kiss or tickle him. We play 'Get Me' at least once a day. He also loves to play Ruben Sandwich which is when I put him between 2 pillows to make a sandwich and nibble his ear. I just wish we could sit down and play a game of Memory or do a puzzle without him throwing everything in the air. Or, play some Legos without him demolishing what I build. He keeps me going with very little down time.

5-Trying to keep on top of my other 2 boys. My oldest has had so much homework lately as he's been preparing for a standardized test. With all their homework and appointments 3 days of the week, we've just been going, going. It will be nice to have Spring Break in 1 week. They need some down time.

6-Watching American Idol. Danny Gokey is still my favorite. I also like Kris Allen. Loved his rendition of 'Man in the Mirror.' I love that song, in my top ten all time favorites even though I don't like Michael Jackson, but what an awesome song. I also like Allison Iraheta. I do have to admit that I'll miss Tatiana.

Well, that's what I've been up to.

American Idol

2009-02-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit it. I love American Idol. So far, this season I've been a little disappointed that we've seen so little performances. We've seen too much of Seacrest recapping and a lot of drama. I prefer seeing the singing.

I have no clue when it comes to music. Often, I have to turn to my husband and ask him, "Was that bad?" He'll nod and say, 'yeah.' It would be obvious to most except for me. I just can't tell sometimes. A few times I've been thinking, 'oh that's pretty good' and then I'll turn to him and he'll be shaking his head, 'no.'

But, I still love American Idol. This is Danny Gokey. He's my favorite right now.

Guess you know what I'll be doing tonight-watching American Idol with my husband. His favorite is Tatiana Del Toro. Just kidding. She's so not his favorite, but she cracks me up. She's so funny.

Book Group Questions

2009-02-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

My friend, Erin, hosted a book group in San Antonio where I used to live. They discussed my book, Reasonable Doubt. What a honor to have my book selected. I'm so grateful. They had some questions, and I thought I would share the answers here on my blog if anyone else is interested.

How long did it take you to write the story?

The whole process took about two years, but I was writing the sequel at the same time.Did you have a plot in mind when you started writing, or did your story evolve as you were writing?When I sit down to start a story, I already have most of the story mapped out in my head. Before I start to write, I usually have 2-3 nights of laying in bed thinking up the whole story. I just lay there and think about the characters and the plot. Then I write down a small list of plot points, usually one small notebook page. Then, I take that page and start writing. As I write each scene, I cross it off. As I go, I usually add things to the list as I get ideas for other scenes or characters. I don't write in order. I usually start at the beginning, but then I jump to my favorite scenes and write those. My story usually stays the same as I initially imagined it. It doesn't change much from what I first came up with.

Do you have any fun stories while writing? (Like seeing the characters in people around town, etc) I don't have a lot of fun stories, but sometimes I do look around trying to find someone to match what my character in my head is like. I saw a lady at a parade once and she was perfect for one of the characters in my current manuscript. I'm also currently on the lookout for a Hispanic man, late 20's early 30's, for one of my current characters. I almost saw one at the park the other day, but he was shorter than I'd imagined.

Did you have anyone in mind while creating different characters? Sometimes, I do have someone in mind. In Reasonable Doubt, Pablo to me, for some reason, looks like Mark Consuelos (Kelly Ripa's husband) and Julia, to me, looked like actress Annie Parisse from a soap opera I used to watch, As the World Turns. And Mick, to me looked like Mark Madsen who is a Mormon basketball player that played for the Lakers. I don't always have someone specific in my mind, but for some reason, in this book, I did.

Did you struggle with any of the characters development? (I remember you had mentioned once while you were writing that you were worried that Julia wasn't likeable) Yes, I was worried about Julia because a few people said she wasn't likeable. A few people have told me that. I like her; I just think she's been through a lot, but that's who she is and I wanted to keep her that way. I struggled with Pablo a bit too because I wanted to find some flaws for him. I wondered if he was interesting enough.

How did you go about the editing process? Edits are so hard and take me a long time. I usually have 2-3 people read it and give me feedback. I listed to what they say a lot. I usually change at least 90 % of what they suggest. It seems they're almost always right. After I make the suggested changes that I agree with, I print it out and read the whole thing over to proofread it.

Do your characters lives come up in discussion with your friends and family? I don't talk about them with friends & family at all. I talk very little about my story with others until it's all done. I don't know why. I just keep them closely guarded to me, probably because my characters are so close to me that I don't want others to see them or evaluate them until they're all done and completely formed. I do, however, think about them a lot during the writing process. When I'm writing a particular story, I go to sleep thinking about them and wake up to think about them. They're in my head most of the day.

And the most important of all....do you have that chicken enchilada recipe! :) Ha, ha. No, I don't have a recipe. I'm actually a terrible cook and my enchiladas wouldn't be so good, certainly not 'second best in the whole world' or they'd be from canned enchilada sauce. I do like how some books have recipes at the end. That's a cute idea.

The restaurant in Provo, was it Los Hermanos?...It was not Los Hermanos. I had a more mom and pop place in mind, something on Center Street, a real authentic, small place. I once went to a Salvadorean restaurant on Center Street in Provo where 2 people worked--the girl who took the orders and her mom who cooked them. They would bring one item out at a time as it was ready. I loved that place, and that's kind of what I imagined. Mixmached silverware and dishes. I could just see Pablo & Julia at a place like that because I think they care more about the food than the atmosphere or presentation.

My Books So Far

2009-02-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of all the books I've written so far. Some of them will never be seen, but writing them helped me become a better writer, and so they served their purpose even though they'll just live on my hard drive forever with no place to go.

Higher Learning- I started this when I was 16 and had just bought my first computer. It was a bit autobiographical and really based on how I wanted my life to be. College, marriage, career, and babies prevented me from finishing this until more than 10 years later. When I finished it, I submitted it and then soon realized how awful it was. It's a good story, but the writing is so bad. So, I researched and learned how to write a novel.

As It Seems- I started writing this right after I realized that Higher Learning was no good. I knew I could do better. It is better. I still love the story, but the writing is not as good as it should be. One friend has read it and says she really likes it, but publishers didn't. It was rejected. It could take some major re-writes to make it publishable, but I don't know if I have it in me. I'd much rather write something new.

Star Shining Brightly- I wrote this one after As It Seems. My writing had improved, and I finally found a publisher. It was published in 2006

Reasonable Doubt- I wrote this at the same time I was writing the one below. They stories go together, and I kind of liked writing them together. I would take a break from one to write the other. I actually finished the one below first, but it actually takes place 5 years after this one. So, after I finished it, I had to put it aside to finish Reasonable Doubt which was published in 2007.

One On One (re-named Pick-Up Games)- I had a lot of fun writing this one. It's probably my favorite if I can really have one. There was a time in my life when I really loved and followed sports--before kids--and this one has such an emphasis on sports that I felt I was re-living that fun time.

Watching From the Sky (I'm re-naming this; I'm just not sure what)- I just finished this one this month. It's different from the others, and it's the most meaningful to me. I think my writing is so much better in this one than the others. (At least I hope.) It is still being edited and hopefully submitted soon.

As you can see, writing is a looong process. I started re-writing Higher Learning in 2002 and my first book didn't get published until 2006. If you're a writer and you're feeling discouraged about your manuscript, just keep writing. Your writing will get better. It's like anything, with practice, you improve.

Whitney Finalists Announced

2009-02-10T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Whitneys are an awards program for LDS authors and is named after Orson F. Whitney. This year is the second annual Whitney Awards and will be held on April 25th in Provo, Utah. I had the pleasure of attending the first annual awards ceremony last year, and it was so much fun. What a great awards program.

Yesterday, the Whitney Awards Finalists for 2008 were announced. I've only read 4 of the finalists, so I have a lot of reading to do the next few months. As a member of LDStorymakers, I am a member of the Whitney Academy and will get to cast my vote in April. I ordered a bunch of books today and need to start reading right away.

If you've read any book by an LDS author, published in 2009, you can start voting for next year's awards. Click here to nominate a book for next year.

Congratulations to all the finalists!

Valentine's Day Book Giveaway

2009-02-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

Want to win a book? My bloggy friend, Brittany, is doing a Valentine's Day Book Giveaway. Go to her blog for a chance to win one of several books. My book, Star Shining Brightly, is one of the possible prizes.

Plus, her blog is so funny. I crack up all the time when I read it. You will too!

I'm Finished

2009-01-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

Today, I finished my current manuscript. The final word count is 90,949 words. I've had a few people read through it and one friend edit most of it. So, I've already done some editing on it. I'm now printing it out, will read it through again for another edit. Then, I'm sending it to two more evaluators to get their input. And, then comes the final edit. I'm also re-thinking my title.

I'm so happy to be done with the initial manuscript. I started this in March 2008 and finished it in less than a year. I've never written anything so fast. It usually takes me almost 2 years to finish one. Needless to say, I'm very happy today.

Our Talents

2009-01-27T12:42:00.000-08:00

I've been in a cyber-discussion about whether or not moms should write books and run marathons. The person I was having the cyber-discussion wondered what women who do these things are trying to prove. I don't think we are trying to prove anything. I don't run marathons, but I'm truly impressed by those who do.

I do write books, but I'm not trying to prove anything. I love to write and I love being a mother. For me, one doesn't take away from the other. I find joy in writing; it makes me happy. Being a happy mom is important for my kids. It's important to make time in our lives for things that make us happy.

In this discussion, it was suggested that writing books should wait for a time when my kids are grown up. Now is not the time to write books, it was contended. There will be time for that later.
I know so many mothers who are writers. That kind of thinking--that we shouldn't write because our kids are small and we should put it off for later--is wrong. We all have been given talents. If we hide our talents or put them off for another time, then we're not showing our gratitude for those talents. Using our talents shows gratitude to Heavenly Father for giving us those talents.

I'll be honest. I don't have a lot of talents. I sing horribly. I can't play the piano. (I've tried, and I suck.) I'm really bad at cooking & baking. I'm not artistic. I'm not crafty. I'm not athletic.

My two talents are being a mom and writing. And, I see no reason why I can't demonstrate those two talents simultaneously.

We all have talents. I know people who sing beautifully and I love hearing them. I'm glad for mothers who use their talents to sing in choirs or do solos at church. You will never see me singing a solo in sacrament meeting. Not that I don't want to. I'd love to be able to sing, but people have told me not to. Once, even from the floor below I was told that I sing horribly. So, I won't sing, but I'm glad for those who do, who give me goose bumps when they sing solos in church.

I'm glad for moms who play the piano at church. I took a few years of piano and can do okay with my right hand, but my not my left hand. She just does not want to cooperate. So, I've tried, and I can't. I wish that I could.

When I was a teenager, one of my church teachers was a very talented singer. A few times, she participated in theatre productions. I once saw her do Annie Oakley in a local theatre's production of Annie, Get Your Gun. I cried watching her because I was so inspired by her talent. She was a mother of two at the time, and I was grateful for her supportive husband who encouraged her to display her beautiful talent.

I have a friend who sewed her daughter a coat with a matching hat! A coat. She made an actual coat! This same friend also sings amazing solos. Talents are wonderful. We all have them and we should pursue them, not hide them or put them away.

There are mothers all around us who use their talents, who don't hide them. They shouldn't hide them. I'm glad for mothers who make beautiful quilts, who make delicious desserts, who run 5K's, who take beautiful photographs, who do pottery, who cut hair, who teach piano and dance, who paint pictures, who decorate amazing cakes, who coach the girls basketball team at church, and who write books.

Can a mother write books and be a good mom? Just ask my friend, Rebecca Talley, who is a writer and has ten kids. Or, ask my friends, Tamra Norton or Tristi Pinkston, who home-school their kids and have published multiple books.

As for me and my one talent, I will continue to pursue it. It's the only I have. I'll never sing or play the piano. Yeast doesn't like to rise for me. My rice krispy treats don't stick together the way they should. The patches on my son's cub scout uniform are lop-sided. The photographs I take will continue to be off-center. I can't cut my kids' hair. But, I can write. I'm not the best writer in the world, but I do write. I'm grateful for my supportive husband who is my greatest cheerleader. He tells people he's just met about my books and carries my cards to hand out to people. He wishes I would do more book-signings. He's encouraging and supportive of my one talent.

What I'm Reading Right Now

2009-01-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

So, I started reading Harry Potter a few weeks ago. I read quickly, at first, but by Chapter 5 it slowed down for me. I'm still in the middle of Ch. 5 and will finish reading it. Everyone tells me it gets much better and I believe them. However, I think I'm putting it aside for a bit.

In church, I'm one of the leaders of the 12-13 year old girls and next month, we're doing a little book group. We're each picking any book to read and next month, we'll talk about our book with the others. I'm reading Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. I'm loving this book. It's Young Adult. I read Dragon Slippers by the same author last year and loved it! I guess it's because the main character is a girl that I've taken to this book more so than Harry Potter. I know that sounds awful every time I say that, but it's true.

So, these two books will keep me busy the rest of the month. On February 9th, the finalists for the Whitney Awards will be announced. The Whitney Awards is an award given to LDS authors. This is the second year for the awards. As a member of LDStorymakers, I get to vote for the awards. So, once the finalists are announced, then I have to get busy reading so I can vote for which books I think are the best. That's a lot of reading to do and not much time. The awards are announced in April.

I Love This Day

2009-01-20T11:51:00.000-08:00

I Love This Day!

Asperger's Syndrome

2009-01-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

In the past, I've written a little about Asperger's Syndrome, but I would like to expound on it a more. It's a form of autism, but also quite different. Children with Asperger's are more verbal than you would typically associate autistic kids to be. Here are some characteristics of kids who have Asperger's. Of course, they're all different, but many have these in common. They have challenges in a social setting, especially with peers. They may lack eye contact and have trouble reciprocating conversation. Sometimes, they talk to you, instead of with you. They may have a narrow range of interest and obsess over their favorite topics which many times are unusual for kids their age. They may have poor motor skills and low coordination. They also take things literally and have excellent rote memory.

I have 2 reasons for sharing all this. First, my 9 year old son, Omar, has Asperger's. Also, one of the characters in my current manuscript has Asperger's.

Omar is an amazing boy who surprised us with his intelligence at an early age. He read his first word at age 1. He memorized the pattern of letters: T-A-X-I from one of his toy cars and read the word once. I was astounded. By age 2, he had memorized the license plates from almost all 50 states. He also knew the makes of cars and could walk through a parking lot and recite all the makes. By age 4 or 5, he was obsessed with numbers and memorized the list of phone numbers for our church congregation. I could ask him almost anyone's phone number and he would tell me. His rote memory was amazing. He also learned to read by age 4. By age 6-7 his most prized possession was the book of maps of San Antonio. He knew his way around town better than most adults. When we moved to Corpus Christi, he had already memorized the map and could tell me how to get anywhere in the city. This was very handy because I didn't know my way around and I have a tendency to get lost. He loves maps and geography. Google Earth and the GPS are his favorite toys.

However, this extensive knowledge is not so handy when dealing with peers. They really don't want to hear how to get around town. He could, however, tell them how many minutes some of their favorite movies are. Hanging out and fitting in with peers is difficult for him, but he tries. He really wants to relate to them, but it does not come naturally for him. He has a social skills group he attends once a week with other kids like him. This has been helpful, but it still takes a lot of work. I have been pleased with the therapist who runs the group because he always seems to pick the exact topics they need help with.

I don't write about him very often because he hates when I talk about him, and this would be so much worse. However, I do think that Asperger's Syndrome needs to make its way more into the mainstream so people understand it and don't roll their eyes or judge these kids when they run into them. These kids are amazing, smart, and so much fun. They have so much to offer the world. They just think differently than their neurotypical peers.

For some great reading, check out Look Me In the Eye by John Elder Robinson. I hope to one day have my book alongside his and many other books that focus on Asperger's Syndrome and the incredible people that have it.

Almost There

2009-01-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

My word count is at 87,089 words. I am so close to finishing this manuscript. I think my final word count will hover around 90,000 words, so if you do the math, I'm really, really close. I have about 3 little scenes to finish. I cheated and already wrote 'The End.' Bad me. I couldn't help it. The scenes I still have to write are scattered in the last few chapters.

I still have the death scene to write, but I've been putting that off. I wrote around it, already wrote the funeral scene, but I just can't kill the guy. I've been communicating back and forth with a friend from high school who is a doctor now. I'm trying to find the exact cause of death. It has not been determined yet. I think I've narrowed it down, but I'm still not exactly sure if that's how I want him to die. I just need to kill the guy already.

If I can sit down and write for about two hours for about 3 more days, I can have this thing finished. It's already gone through some heavy editing. My friend Amanda has edited most of it. I have about 4 more chapters to send her. I have a few more people reading it. When I finish it, I have one more evaluator to send the whole thing to. After I hear back from her, then I can finish editing and it will be ready for submission. I'm hoping to have it completely edited and ready to submit by the end of February. The end is in sight. I'm so happy.

Now, if I could just find the perfect title for it. Right now the name is "Watching From the Sky," but I don't really love it. It sort of implies a different meaning than I want.

2009-01-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

In 2007, I read The Icing on the Cake by Elodia Strain. In this post, I wrote how much I loved it. It's a wonderful Chick-Lit LDS novel. I have been eagerly awaiting the sequel and it has just been released.

Previously Engaged is the sequel to the laugh-out-loud antics of Annabelle Pleasanton. I'm so excited to order this book and highly recommend that you check out The Icing on the Cake.

Go to Elodia's website- www.elodiastrain.com to find out more about the books and for a chance to win a copy of her new book.

A New Title

2009-01-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

I just heard from my publisher that they've chosen a new title for my book that will be released in May. I entitled the manuscript One On One. The story is about Cara Jones and Mick Webber who are co-hosts of a local college basketball news show entitled One on One with Webber and Jones. There is some internal rivalry between Cara and Mick, which quickly develops to an attraction they both are determined to deny. During the course of the book, they do engage in a game of one-on-one basketball. I won't tell you who wins. So, that is where my title came from.

The publisher thought the title was too common a term and wanted a more original title. I put my brain to work and sent them a list of other titles. From the list, they chose the title Pick-up Games which is now my new title. I like this title a lot as well because it has that double meaning-- a pick-up game of basketball and picking up dates.

I'm happy with this new title and am excited to see what they will come up with for the cover in a few months. I guess I've been pretty lucky with titles. I was allowed to keep my original titles for both Star Shining Brightly and Reasonable Doubt. There had been some talk about changing Reasonable Doubt, but in the end they let me keep the title, and I was so glad about that.

Now, I'm just looking forward to May when Pick-up Games will be released.

Foto Friday

2009-01-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

On Friday, we drove to Nuevo Laredo in Mexico. It was our kids' first time to Mexico. Omar was excited that he can finally say he's been to another country. Diego really wanted a sombrero, and Ruben wanted to find stuff to throw down in the water. Here we are after crossing back over the Rio Grande to Texas. I was just happy to have made it past Border Patrol. The few times I've gone to Mexico, I have this irrational fear that they won't let me back. I brought my Naturalization Certificate as proof that I'm a citizen, but there's always that little fear it won't be good enough. After all, I was in 8th grade when I became a citizen and the picture on my certificate is quite different than what I look like now. No worries, though. I got through just fine.

Harry Potter. . . Finally

2009-01-02T05:53:00.000-08:00

So, I've never read any of the Harry Potter books or seen any of the movies. At this point, I feel like the only person in the world who hasn't. I haven't ever been very interested in Young Adult books or fantasy. This last year, I finally gave YA a try and read several books. It all started with Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George which I reviewed in this post. I then read Book of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, and a few others. I found that I really liked YA and maybe a little fantasy too.

However, all the YA fantasy books I read and enjoyed involved female main characters. I just don't think I enjoy little boys as main characters. I have three sons and I absolutely love them and seeing their adventures, but I just don't want to read books about little boys. I know that sounds sexist or prejudice or whatever, but little boy books=no interest. I've tried a few, and I don't like them. Sorry.

My friend, Amanda, and I made a deal. If she reads Twilight, I'll read Harry Potter. When I first read Twilight, I didn't think I would like it. I was just reading it to see what the big deal was. Well, I really liked it and finished the series, so who knows maybe I'll like this whole Harry Potter thing after all.

My friend, Julie, lent me her copy and I'm going to read it this month. I'll let you know what I think about it. The rest of the series? We'll see. No promises there.

Dork Diaries

2008-12-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

My friend, Elodia Strain, recently blogged about her Dork Diaries. I loved her post, so I decided to copy her. Here is a list of why I'm such a dork, both then and now.

Then,
1. I used to wish I could get glasses even though I didn't need them. I started wearing glasses when I was 25 and I was so excited to finally get some. I just think they're cool.

2. My sister and I used to be obsessed with the soap opera, Santa Barbara. We used to tape every episode and make scrapbooks and newspapers of the soap. We used to write down dialogue and act out scenes from the soap. We especially liked throwing glasses of water at each other's faces.

3. I once turned down a date so I could stay home and write a research paper. In my defense, he called only an hour or two before the date. That's just lame. I'm not saying yes to that.

4. I took extra semesters of foreign language in high school after I had already met the requirement, just for fun.

5. I played with Barbies until I was 16.

6. I was so into Air Supply when I was in high school. I even went to one of their concerts. Don't get me started on New Kids on the Block.

Now,
1. I love my glasses. I've tried contacts, but I don't like them. I really, really like wearing glasses.

2. I still have 2 boxes of old Santa Barbara tapes, pictures, and scrapbooks in my attic. Of course I don't watch the tapes anymore (I'm not that big of a dork) but I did stay up late 1 night watching old episodes on YouTube.

3. I love libraries and so do my kids. We will drive 45 minutes out of our way just to go to check out new libraries.

4. Sometimes, I take trash home from parties or events. Not real trash, just stuff that can be recycled like cardboard or bottles or cans. I once snuck out a whole bag of wrapping paper from a Christmas party because I knew it was going to be thrown away. I know this admission will probably decrease future party invitations. I'm sorry; I'm just such a recycling dork. All I can say in defense is that I'm from New Jersey.

5. I still have my Barbies up in the attic. No, I don't play with them anymore. I'm just waiting for that girl to have an excuse to play with them.

When I think of some more, I'll do another post- Dork Diaries 2. Anyone care to leave a comment about why they're a dork?

Foto Friday

2008-12-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

I spent Christmas morning building this layout for my little ones. They got a new bridge, a station, and a few new trains for Christmas. I love giving my kids presents that they can use with their old toys so we don't accumulate a bunch of new stuff and so they continue utilizing their old toys. It sort of makes them new again.

The Santa Letters

2008-12-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

I just finished The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch-Anderson, a perfect read for this time of year. Emma Jensen and her four kids are approaching Christmas without William. William, Emma's husband, was killed by a hit-and-run driver the year before. While she tries to be brave for her children, Emma misses him greatly and is having a hard time with the approaching holiday.

Then, a mysterious letter and package arrive on their doorstep. It is signed from Santa Claus and each package has a letter with a message. The letters contain a message that expounds on important themes, such as family, forgiveness, and service. McKenna, the youngest daughter has faith that their father will be there for Christmas. With her faith, the Jensen family embraces the Santa letters with hope and enthusiasm. Each letter and package brings the family closer together and toward a path that will heal their hearts and leads them to forgiveness.

I enjoyed the messages that centered around the teachings of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness and service are major themes in the book and leave the reader with a greater desire to focus Christmas on His life and teachings.

On a side note, I met Stacy at the LDStorymakers Conference last year and realized that her cousin, Kim, is married to one of my husband's friends, Jim. Nolan knew Jim from when they served a mission in the Philippines. We used to hang out a lot with Jim and Kim when we lived in Ogden, UT. We used to go on motorcycle rides together and had a blast with them. It was fun to reconnect with them after all these years. What a small world.

My Resume (Sort Of)

2008-12-20T18:26:00.001-08:00

I am a stay-at-home mother and I love it. I haven't always been. It feels like it's been a long journey to get here. Let me tell you about it. I've been working since I was fifteen. I've always enjoyed working. In high school, I worked for a doctor's office. I loved having my own money and being able to buy whatever I wanted.

When I went to college, I stopped working because it was just too much. When I graduated, I got my dream job. I've always wanted to work in a social services field or a non-profit. I worked in Salt Lake City for a company called Centro De La Familia running a foster care program. I was in charge of recruiting & training foster parents, placing children in foster homes, and basically making sure everyone was happy-foster parents, kids (that didn't happen too often), case managers, the State. I loved that job. I loved working with kids who needed someone to advocate for them, to care about them. My job was basically my life. My husband was in school at the time and very busy with internships, so I threw myself into my job. I spent time with kids on evenings and some weekends taking them to recreational activities or visits with their natural parents. I only worked there for 3 years before we moved, but it was the most rewarding 3 years of my career-life. Sure, it was hard. Heart-breaking, sad, and totally consuming, emotionally and physically.

When we moved to New Jersey, I wanted to find a similar job, but I also wanted to have a baby. I was going on 4 years of marriage and I was ready to be a mom. I knew that if I found a similar job which I really wanted, that it would be too all-consuming and hard on a family. So, I decided to take my old boss on his offer to go back to the doctor's office. It was the ideal job for me at the time, even though it wasn't what I wanted, in my heart, to be doing. The office was 5 mins away from home and I could walk, which I did often. I was done by 4 every day and never on call. I didn't have to work evenings or take heart-wrenching thoughts home every night. It felt ironic to be doing the same thing I was doing before college, but it was right for me.

We had a baby soon after and I continued working there. My husband would drop the baby off at my parents when he went to work, usually after 10:00 am or so. It was nice that he had a late schedule. This worked out for everyone.

After I had my second baby, my boss let me cut back my hours. I worked every day until 1PM and picked up the kids at my parents where my husband had dropped them off. He continued having a later schedule which worked out great so the kids were only there a few hours. My boss also let me work from home, so I was making almost as much as before.

When we moved to Texas, I didn't want to work full-time anymore, so I started substitute teaching two days a week. My parents also moved to Texas and continued helping out with childcare those two days a week. I was usually home by 3:30 and had all school vacation days and summers off. It was perfect. My parents were so awesome throughout all this. Taking the kids to school and picking them up.

Recently, I stopped substitute teaching (after 5+ years). A few months ago, I toyed with the idea of going back to work full-time in my old field. For a moment, I was excited about working in the field I love. I sent out many resumes and even had a few interviews. In the end, I didn't get the jobs, but I'm so happy. I knew, deep in my heart, that I did not want to go back to work. I want to be home. For the first time ever, I am home full-time, and I love it! I am still writing, so I still work, but on my own schedule and my own terms. I'll be honest, I haven't been writing too much the last few months. I am just enjoying being home full-time. The writing will pick back up soon, I'm sure. I'll know when it's time to throw myself into writing again.

Right now, I just love my three bosses. The one on the right is the CEO. What he says goes!

A Winner!

2008-12-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

I drew a random name for the Pay It Forward Giveaway, and Amber won. Hooray, Amber. Hey, I can save on postage and just drop it off one of these days. Thanks all for playing. Amber won a copy of my book, Reasonable Doubt.

Foto Friday

2008-12-19T14:06:00.001-08:00

My kids had three friends come over to play yesterday. Some of the nicest kids ever. The older boy drew this chalk picture on our driveway. It's a heron, lest you think it's a crane.

Pay It Forward: A Giveaway

2008-12-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

Annette Lyon did a giveaway on her blog, and I won! She did this to encourage giving away books. You can go to her post to read more.

To play, there's only one rule. If you win, you have to be willing to pay it forward by giving something away on your blog.

So, make a comment by December 19th. On December 20th, I'll randomly pick a winner. The winner will get a copy of my book, Reasonable Doubt. I will mail it out after Christmas. No way am I braving the post office before Christmas.

So comment and maybe, you'll win.

Listen, Jim

2008-12-10T19:59:00.001-08:00

I bought my 9 year old an MP3 player for his birthday. He enjoys listening to it and brings it in the car sometimes to plug into the stereo. He and his brother take turns picking songs and they like to sing along to the songs. Today, he chose James Blunt's 'You're Beautiful' and sang along with it. He's a pretty good singer. I cringed when he sang right through the one bad word in that song. I had to pause the song and explain to him that it's a bad word because he had no idea; he's never heard this word before. He had to ask me what word. I told him it was the f-word right before the word 'high.' I told him it was okay since he didn't know it was a bad word, but that he should probably skip past that word next time he sings it. Then, he asked why they have bad words in songs. He said that the record company should say, "Listen, Jim. You shouldn't say that word in your song." That made me laugh. I told him I agreed with him. I told him that sometimes songs have bad words in it just like movies. Now, I kind of feel bad because I'm the one who put that song on his MP3 player in the first place. My bad. (Like my 6 year old would say). It's just such a great song. I hope that's the only song I put on there with a bad word.

Foto Friday

2008-12-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 pictures I took when we went to the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio. It is so windy up there. I love how the wind just blows their hair back. The second picture is of the Alamodome which I took from the top of the Tower of the Americas.

Her Good Name By Josi Kilpack

2008-12-04T19:27:00.000-08:00

I just finished Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack. First, let me just say how pleased I am to read about a Hispanic main character in an LDS novel. It is not something you see very often. Chrissy (short for Chressaidia) is a thirty-five year old single woman who is tired of the dating game, but agrees to a blind date with Micah. The date doesn't go well and gets worse when her identity is stolen. The woman who steals her identity is a Guatemalan woman who uses the money to fund a group in her home country who is working to overthrow the corrupt government. This part of the story was particularly interesting to me because I was born in Guatemala. (This is where I take off on a huge tangent.) Guatemala had been under a dictatorship until 1951 when a president was elected in a democratic fashion. He was a reformer who advocated for rights of workers and introduced a new constitution. Censorship was brought to an end, men and women were declared equal before the law, racial discrimination was declared a crime, higher education was free of governmental control. However, in 1954 the United States, led by the CIA, (due to pressure from business lobbyists) organized a group to overthrow the president. The new dictator disenfranchised three-quarters of Guatemala's voters by barring illiterates from the electoral rolls. He also outlawed all political parties, trade unions and peasant organizations. Opposition newspapers were closed down and "subversive" books were banned and existing copies were burnt in the streets. I believe that due to the overthrow of the president and the dictatorship that followed, Guatemala's people have suffered greatly. Great corruption was ushered in and still continues today. With a corrupt government that takes from the people, workers and the lower-classes cannot prosper and live in poverty. The government continues to be corrupt. There are groups that have tried unsuccessfully to overthrow the dictatorship and bring back a democracy. In Her Good Name, one such group is depicted. While this is only one part of the story, it was very fascinating to me. The woman who steals Chrissy's identity is part of one of these groups that hopes to bring democracy back to Guatemala. Obviously, with stealing identities and other illegal activities, this particular group is not all good. Their intentions are good, but they unfortunately justify bad acts to achieve their purpose. As Chrissy's life continues to fall apart. She's falsely arrested, can't get a job, has thousands of dollars stolen from her, and has huge amounts of credit used in her name. With Micah's help (whose identity was also stolen), Chrissy takes action and begins to seek out who has taken over her life and her good name. I enjoyed this book and the way Kilpack weaved the stories of both women together. I think, in a sense, they were both victims. Unfortunately one victimized the other, but the one who stole the identity has a story to tell as well. An important one. One we never really hear about. One we need to hear about more because Guatemala is also a victim. I haven't been back to Guatemala in over 25 years. Neither has my father, and my mother only went back a few years ago, and she never wants to go back. That's unfortunate. It's unfortunate that a country who had finally found democracy for only a few short years was forced back to a dictatorship because of the malicious actions of the CIA. And now they wonder why Guatemalans flee their country to come here. That's why.

Foto Friday

2008-11-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a new feature on my blog. Every Friday I will post a random photo from my camera just because I think I don't post enough pictures on here.

This is a picture I took when I went to Utah last March. It is at a Seagull Book Store. My books (Reasonable Doubt and the pink one next to it) are on the bottom left right under New Moon.

My books--right under Stephenie Meyer's books! Lucky both our last names start with the letter M. I only have a few things in common with Stephenie Meyer. We both graduated from BYU, we both have 3 sons, and are both writers. That's all. There are tens of millions of things we don't have in common.

Thanksgiving, Pt 3

2008-11-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

Everything I know about Thanksgiving, I learned from Peppermint Patty. Okay, not really, but she gives a pretty good speech regarding what kind of food is necessary for Thanksgiving.

One of my favorite shows of all time is A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. After Peppermint Patty invites herself & others to Charlie Brown's house for Thanksgiving, he does his best to throw together a feast for them. With the help of a friend, a dog, and a bird, they prepare a feast of ice cream, popcorn, pretzels, and toast.

In her now famous speech, Peppermint Patty rants about why that food sucks and tells them what they should be having. "What kind of Thanksgiving dinner is this? Where's the turkey? Where's the mashed potatoes? Where's the cranberry sauce? Where's the pumpkin pie?"

Check, Check, Check, and Check. In case you're wondering, my turkey turned out fine. Thanks to Danyelle Ferguson for her yummy recipe, thanks to Tina for the suggestion to use a bag, and thanks to Jason & Annette for their suggestion in cooking it upside down. I have to say that it took me a minute to figure out which side was upside down. That's how lame I am. And nasty for all those little packets inside. Putting my hand inside a turkey is not very pleasant. In the end, it was an okay experience except for all that creepy juice that leaked out of the aluminum pan and out of the oven, and consequently onto the kitchen floor.

Thanksgiving, Pt 2

2008-11-27T20:27:00.000-08:00

When I was a freshman in college, I went to a friend's house for Thanksgiving since I was away from home. One of her friends told me that her family was going to a movie on Thanksgiving. I thought, a movie? On Thanksgiving? I thought everything was closed on Thanksgiving. I had never heard of people going to movies on Thanksgiving. It was a very foreign concept. She explained that her family always went to a movie on Thanksgiving Day and on Christmas Day. On Christmas?

Well, since that day, I've thought it was a cool concept to go to a movie, together as a family, on Thanksgiving Day.

This Thanksgiving, we took the kids to see Bolt. It was a very fun time. It was quite action-packed for a kids movie, and it was also funny. It appealed to everyone in the family. That is a tradition that I'd like to continue with my family. Christmas? I don't know about that.

Hanging' In San Antonio

2008-11-26T05:30:00.000-08:00

Since the kids have the whole week off from school, I took them to San Antonio to hang with my parents. We stopped at a Red Box and rented Wall E for them to watch on the portable DVD player in the car while I listend to a book on tape--Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama.

They were so good on the trip there, not one complaint during the 2.5 hour trip. We drove straight through; thank goodness no one had to go to the bathroom. It was fun to just relax at my parents', and then we took them to the park. The weather is amazing in the 60s and 70s. They were so nice to watch the kids while I went to see Twilight with some friends. On Tuesday, we took the kids to Chuck E Cheese and then met up with some friends at the park. Another beautiful day.

My parents watched the kids again on Tuesday night when I met some friends for ice cream and again Wednesday morning when I went to the temple. They watched them a lot, and I kind of felt bad, but they haven't seen the kids in a few weeks and probably won't see them until Christmastime, so it was a good time for them to hang together.

It was fun to see friends and hang with my folks. The kids were so good on the trip home too. I can't complain about anything.

Thanksgiving & A Contest

2008-11-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

This year, we're having a nice, quiet Thanksgiving and I'm doing all the cooking. That's very different for me. I've never made a turkey before. This is my first attempt. Luckily, it will be just for my immediate family.

Thanksgiving in my life has been a transitional event. Keep in mind that both of my parents were born in Guatemala and didn't celebrate Thanksgiving until they moved to the U.S. in their twenties. It was a brand new event for them and through the years, it has evolved for my family as we try to get it "just right."

I remember when I was in fourth grade, a friend from school asked me what we had for Thanksgiving dinner and I told her we had turkey, rice, and salad. She was like, that's all? That's what you had. I said sure; I didn't know what "you were supposed to have." What is stuffing? Cranberries? What the heck is pumpkin pie? As the years passed, we began adopting more traditional food into our Thanksgiving dinners. I now love stuffing; it's my favorite Thanksgiving food. Little by little, our family has picked up on all those important facets of the holiday. (Minus the year when our huge, extended family rented out a hall to have a huge Thanksgiving dinner. Sure, we had all the traditional food, but also some tamales and rice. And, then there was the huge sound system they set up for dancing. It was a regular dance party with all kind of Latin music. That year was a little weird, especially for my husband and his friend who joined us that year.)

So, we'll see how it goes this year. Any good suggestions for my first turkey?

Also, on The Ink Ladies Blog to which I contribute once a week, Elodia Strain is doing a contest. You can win a $20 Barnes & Noble Gift Card for just commenting on some of your favorite things. Go check it out for a chance to win!

Grey's Anatomy & Asperger's

2008-11-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

On tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy, a new character was introduced. Actress Mary McDonnell will be playing Dr. Virginia Dixon who has Asperger's Syndrome. I had not heard about this new character prior to watching the show, and was surprised when she was introduced. I knew within a minute of her introduction that she had Asperger's. The portrayal was a little too obvious and a bit over the top, but not in a bad way. I think they were just trying to portray the character with stereotypical Asperger's traits so that she would be believable. The traits they are emphasizing are: lack of eye contact, spouting of factual, memorized information, underdeveloped social skills, inability to filter conversation, emphasis on rules. Some people with Asperger's have some of those traits, but not always. Although the portrayal of this character is a little stereotypical, I'm glad to see Grey's Anatomy's attempt at bringing someone with Asperger's on the show.

I think it's great that they are portraying a character with Asperger's Syndrome because you don't see that very often on television. Asperger's Syndrome is still somewhat unknown, and it needs to be depicted in mainstream so it can be understood better. I hope to see characters, such as Dr. Dixon, portrayed more frequently and in a little less stereotypical fashion. This is, however, a great beginning.

Here's a YouTube video of an interview with Mary McDonell and a few clips of Dr. Dixon.

Whitney Awards Auction

2008-11-07T20:57:00.000-08:00

Last year, I attended the first annual Whitney Awards, an awards program for LDS Fiction. It was a wonderful night and great to be present at the awards ceremony. The Whitney Awards Academy is sponsoring a benefit auction to promote excellence in literature by LDS authors. You can go here to browse the categories of items up for auction. There are signed books, services, and much more. I've already bid on one item and am waiting to see if I win. Also, if you've read an LDS/Mormon novel and would like to nominate a book, go to the Whitney Awards website.

Fool Me Twice

2008-11-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

Here is my first review for the Fall Reading Challenge I am doing.

Fool Me Twice by Stephanie Black was a suspenseful ride. Megan and Kristen are twin sisters. Megan is the nice, compassionate one, and Kristen is the greedy, self-centered one. Megan takes care of her needy widowed-mother, putting off college while working two jobs. Kristen stays as far away from them as she seeks the easy way out of things.

Megan, eager to please her sister, agrees to a scheme that Kristen arranged as a way to easy money. All Megan has to do is pretend to be Kristen and take care of a long-lost great-aunt that is on her dying bed. Kristen tells Megan that Aunt Evelyn will leave her money when she dies.

Reluctantly and uneasily, Megan agrees to Kristen's scheme. Soon, she finds that some of what Kristen told her is untrue, but maybe even Kristen doesn't know the whole truth. Many people are lying and their purposes are hidden.

I really liked this book, finding out new details at every turn of the page. It was suspenseful and interesting to find out who was doing what and why. I recommend this book if you want a fun, suspenseful read.

BIAM Recap

2008-11-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

BIAM (Book In A Month) started off well for me this month, but after October 10th, I didn't write for the rest of the month. It was awful. My total word count for October was a mere 6,227 words for a grand total of 70,745 words. How sad.

I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I just hit a wall in the middle of the month, and couldn't write anymore. I'm so close to finished. My goal was to finish writing by the end of October and spend the next 3 months editing. I'm hoping for another 10,000 words to finish it off.

The hard part for me this month was writing a scene in which one of my character dies. I've never killed anyone off in a book, so this was a challenge for me. I really feel like he has to die and I know how he's going to die, but it's not easy to write. I hope to pass this hurdle and finish writing this book. I really want to be done with it.

There is another BIAM in November, and I'm going to try again to write. I can't believe I haven't written in more than 20 days. I need to get back and start writing again, and kill this guy.

It's November

2008-11-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

It's November, and there's a lot for me to look forward to this month. Let me share:

Election Day. I just love staying up into the night watching election results come in. And, we have DirecTV this year, so there will be about 100 channels covering the election.

David Cook. David Cook (from American Idol) is releasing his first album this month. I watched him on Saturday Night Live and am so excited for his album.

Twilight. I've read all four books in the series and am excited about the movie coming out this month.

The Lexington. On Wednesday, my 3rd grader is taking a field trip to the USS Lexington, a WWII Aircraft carrier that has been turned into a museum. This will be my first time to go.

Pull Ups. By the end of this month, we will be all out of pull-ups (training diapers) and that means my 3 year old is officially potty trained. I won't have to buy diapers for a long time, at least not til the next baby. No, that's not an announcement.

Thanksgiving. It will be fun for my kids to have a whole week off and just relax.

Literature Parade

2008-10-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

Today at my children's school for Halloween, they had a Literature Parade. The children could dress up as a character from a book and bring the book to share with their class. Then, they lined up and paraded around the neighborhood. Mine are the Spiderman and Charlie Brown. It was fun to see the procession of kids and some of them were very creative.

Funny Video

2008-10-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

An old friend from New Jersey (and not an Obama supporter; in fact probably an Obama-hater) sent me this very funny video. It cracked me up.

Here's the link. It's about a minute and a half.

http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/index.html?nid=WT.Nbb48whvMjYMVxSNm8jUxNjAyMDc-&id=

By the way, I already voted.

Naming Your Baby Part 2

2008-10-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

Last year, I blogged about giving your book a title. At that time, I had named my book Reasonable Doubt. That title was too common and my publisher wanted me to think of some different ones. After coming up with several other titles (none of them very good), they decided to let me keep Reasonable Doubt. I was so happy. It always seemed like the perfect title for the book.

Now, I'm finding the same challenge. My next book comes out in May 2009 and I had named it One On One. It's actually been called One On One for almost 3 years when I first started writing it. It's so hard to imagine it being named something else because that's what I've known it as since it was born.

However, it is a very common term, so my publisher has once again asked me to think of additional titles. So, I'm thinking...

The book is about basketball. Basketball is a huge theme throughout the book, and the term one on one goes right along with it. This book is a spin-off of Reasonable Doubt, taking place 5 years later and tells the story of Mick Webber. He was the college basketball player who was arrested for the murder of his fiancee in Reasonable Doubt. In this new book, he is one of the anchors of a college basketball show called One On One, hence the name of the book. Also, he has some initial sparring with his co-anchor, Cara, and they eventually face off in a game of one-on-one.

Even though the title seems so perfect for this book, it's time to think of a new one. I really can't think of anything else right now. Still thinking...

8 Things About Me

2008-10-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

My friend and college roommate, Andrea, tagged me. Here's what to do:

Post rules on your blog.
Answer the six "8" items.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment.

8 Favorite TV Shows
The Office
Inside Edition
Grey's Anatomy
American Idol
Seinfeld
Friends
Late Show With David Letterman
Saturday Night Live

8 Things I did yesterday
Went to Church
Diego read me a story
Played a game with Omar using our Corpus Christi map
Grilled cicken for dinner
Read a few chapters of a book
Checked my e-mail
Talked to my parents on the phone
Made a wooden train layout

8 Things I look forward to
Halloween
Thanksgiving vacation
When Ruben is completely potty trained
The weather cooling off
My book being published
Thursday night shows
The movie Twilight
David Cook's album

8 Favorite Restaurants
Macaroni Grill
Red Lobster
McDonald's (Something to be said about a playplace and a few minutes of peace)
La Frontera (Salt Lake)
Olive Garden
Wendy's
Chinese
Chili's

8 Things on my wish list

Bookshelves
Books
New jeans
Curtains
Trip to Europe
Take my kids to New York City
Take my kids to California
New set of knives

8 People to tag

Nicole
Ericka
Tynel
Amber
Bethany
Alia
Cameron
Renaye

I'm Esme

2008-10-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

I saw this quiz on a friend's blog and thought it would be fun to take. Click on the picture to find out what Twilight character you are. I'm Esme, the mother vampire. Here's what it says about me:

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be
sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

I think that sounds like me. Pretty accurate.

2008-10-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pictures of my kids, just because I feel bad that I almost never post pictures of the kids. Diego just has some great smiles. In the middle one, Ruben is hugging his cousin. And in the last one, Omar is having fun at the beach.

Political Politeness

2008-10-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

I don't usually blog about politics, and I've thought very hard about posting this, but I feel a need to say this. Right now there is such a focus on politics and people feel very deeply about their political beliefs. I don't think there's anything wrong with nice, healthy debate about issues and candidates, but I've heard too many ugly judgements about people because of their beliefs.

I read on someone's blog that her child's friend from church was told she couldn't play with her anymore because of the parents' support of Barack Obama. Someone I know who is a member of my church once said that no one that is a Democrat could be a faithful member of the church. I don't know how someone who has not lived my life can decide for me what kind of voter I should be.

I think that our political beliefs are shaped by many factors such as our culture, background, upbringing, and life experiences. All of those things have shaped who I am--a Democrat. I can't argue with someone who says that voting Republican is right for them. I don't think they are wrong; that is who is right for them. Their decision to vote Republican was shaped by all of those factors-their culture, their background, their upbringing, and their life experiences. Those are not my mine; they're theirs, and that is why for them, it's right to vote Republican. For me, it's right to vote Democrat. I believe that that is the right vote for America, but I don't expect someone else to believe the same way.

We're all different, and we've all experienced life differently. How can I say how someone should vote when I haven't lived their life and I haven't seen the world through their eyes?

I'd like to see more political politeness. Sure, let's talk about the issues, the candidates, but let's be respectful about each other. Don't say I can't be a good member of the church because I'm a Democrat. Please let my kids still play with your kids even if I support Barack Obama. And, please, please don't accuse me of drinking the purple Kool-Aid. Obama supporters are accused of not being able to see past the charm. For me, it's not just about pretty words from a pretty man. It's so much more. It's all of those factors-my culture, upbringing, background, and life experiences that have shaped who I am and why I vote this way.

I don't even like purple Kool-Aid. Red, maybe.

Fall Into Reading Challenge

2008-10-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for a Fall Into Reading challenge hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. I've done her reading challenges before, and they're a lot of fun. The challenge officially started on September 22 and goes to December 20. I'm starting a little late, but it doesn't even feel like Fall here in Texas, so that's okay. If anyone wants to participate, it's not too late. There are also some prizes being awarded.

Here are the books I will be reading during the reading challenge.

Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh

A Modest Proposal by Michele Ashman Bell

Fool Me Twice by Stephanie Black

Practically Perfect by Katie Fforde

Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack

I may add more if time permits.

A Hurricane Ike Account

2008-10-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

Do you want to read an interesting account about surviving Hurricane Ike? My friend, Tami, posted her account on a blog I contribute to- The Ink Ladies. Tami lives in the Houston area and it was definitely an interesting experience.

Here's the link: I don't Like Ike

Omar's Birthday

2008-10-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Here is Omar as we celebrated his 9th birthday. I have to say that this was one of my favorite birthday parties. Usually, we have a big party with lots of kids, party games, and a pinata. This year, I talked him into doing it differently. Still recovering from last year when he had 23 kids, I just wanted something simpler. It was very hard to come up with party games for 8 year olds especially when there were 23 of them. Last year's party was fun, but there was so much work and it was very chaotic.

This year, I told him to invite only 3 friends and we would take them to a movie and come back home for pizza and cake. I really liked the 3 kids he chose. They're great kids. He chose to watch Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and it was pretty funny. My dad came with us, along with my husband and our two little ones. I think my dad enjoyed the movie more than anyone. He was cracking up.Then, we grabbed 2 pizzas. Two pizzas, that's it. Last year we had to buy so many. It was crazy. The kids had fun eating and when the time came for the cake, Ruben, my 3 year old kept saying, "it's my buthday." He kept trying to help Omar blow the candles out. Omar didn't mind. He was such a good sport.

Then, we opened the presents and the kids actually had time to play with them. In years past, the kids always want to play with the opened presents, but it's usually too crazy to do that. So, it was fun this year that they had about 30 minutes to just play and hang out. I liked this nice, simple birthday. Hopefully, the kids will like this and we can make it a trend. I'm a bit tired of the pinata and party games in the backyard.

BIAM Update

2008-10-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

So, now it's October 4th, and so far my progress on BIAM is really bad. Actually, there is no progress. I have an excuse for each day though.

Wednesday-My parents came and I spent time with them.

Thursday- I watched the debate during my writing time.

Friday- It was my son, Omar's, birthday and after his party, I let them stay up late, eating into my writing time. It was, after all, his birthday and he wanted to stay up and play with his new stuff. So, I think he stayed up past 11:00. He was in bed, but reading a magazine when I went to bed.

Saturday-The kids might be up late again tonight. Usually, on Saturday night I get them to bed early since they have to wake up early for church on Sunday, but since there is no church tomorrow, there won't be an excuse for me to get them to bed early. Plus, tonight I'll probably be watching Saturday Night Live. Thursday's debate had all the makings of a perfect SNL skit, so I have to tune in tonight to see that!

Okay, next week, I have to get to work. My goal is about 1,200 words a day. Let's see how I do.

October BIAM

2008-10-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Tristi Pinkston is sponsoring a BIAM-Book In A Month Challenge. It's a challenge in which you realistically could write an entire book in a month, but don't necessarily have to. The purpose is to set a goal and try to accomplish it. By participating with others, I feel like I am more accountable and tend to push myself harder to write.

I took part in a BIAM in March and wrote like crazy. I also did one in July and August and have been able to write a lot. I am now at 63,000 words. My goal is to finish writing my manuscript by the end of this month. I feel like I can have a good rough draft done by the end of this BIAM. And, then the editing can begin which I do not enjoy.

Well, I didn't do very well today on the first day of BIAM. My parents came to town for my son, Omar's, birthday, so I was busy today. I also spent part of the day downloading songs on the MP3 player we're giving Omar for his birthday.

So, here's hoping I will do better tomorrow, but it doesn't look well. I'll probably be watching the debate tomorrow during my usual writing time. Okay, Friday definitely Friday. Maybe. That's my Omar's birthday party.

Brillante Weblog

2008-09-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

My friend, Nicole, gave me this award- the Brillante Weblog Award.

Here are the rules: I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass it on to seven others!

This award comes with a list of questions:

1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Where is your significant other? couch

3. Your hair color? black

4. Your mother? Lidia

5. Your father? Jose

6. Your favorite thing? kids

7. Your dream last night? none

8. Your dream/goal? writing

9. The room you're in? living

10. Your hobby? reading

11. Your fear? violence

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Texas

13. Where were you last night? home

14. What you're not? cook

15. One of your wish-list items? bookshelves

16. Where you grew up? New Jersey

17. The last thing you did? breakfast

18. What are you wearing? red

19. Your TV? NBC

20. Your pet? none

21. Your computer? Compaq

22. Your mood? happy

23. Missing someone? yes

24. Your car? Villager

5. Something you're not wearing? socks

26. Favorite store? Borders

27. Your summer? humid

28.Love someone? yes

29. Your favorite color? red

30. When is the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? weeks

Those who I think are deserving of this Brillante WeBlog Award are:

Brittany Mangus
Julie
Rebecca Talley
Nancy Campbell Allen
Tami
Danyelle Ferguson
Don Carey

A Beach Weekend

2008-09-27T20:29:00.001-07:00

We spent some time at the beach this weekend. On Friday evening, we went to a church party. It was a lot of fun, and the kids had a great time playing in the sand. We went in the water a little, but mostly, they just love playing in the sand. We stayed until it got dark and the mosquitoes started attacking. We have had a lot of fun this summer at the beach.

On Saturday, the kids went to the beach a little more reluctantly. September 27th was designated as a Day of Action by Servicenation.org with over 2600 service opportunities around the country. I had signed us up to help clean the beach through the Adopt A Beach program.

According to their website, "Since the first cleanup in 1986, more than 371,000 Texas Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have picked up more than 7,000 tons of trash from the Texas coast.
Due to tide patterns in the Gulf of Mexico, trash dumped anywhere in the gulf is likely to end up on a Texas beach."

Due to the recent hurricane, so much trash has come on the shore and the beaches are littered. The kids complained a little about having to do work. It was about 50% complaining and 50% work. I knew it wouldn't be a popular idea with my kids, but I thought it was important.

They did work and helped clean up for about two hours. We found so much junk--shoes, broken toys, plastic lids, hypodermic needles, rope, toothbrushes. I think they eventually got the idea. Diego said at one point: "People should take their litter home with them."

They gave us gloves and garbage bags to put the trash in. They also wanted us to keep track of what we picked up and had to write it down for their records.

My 3 year old, Ruben, spent most of the time climbing large hills of sand. I wish I would have taken pictures. (I'm so bad at posting picture on my blog. I need to start taking more.) It was pretty funny. He didn't help very much, but he had a great time climbing the sand hills and trying to slide down.

After the clean-up, the organizers had hot dogs and chips for everyone. That was very nice of them, and I think overall it was a good time despite all the complaining. There was even a group from San Antonio (about 2.5 hours away) and I tried to tell the kids that they came from far away just to help clean up the beach.

I hope they got the idea and understood why it was important to spend their Saturday morning doing service even though it was "boring." They kept saying that word and I told them I didn't want to hear them say the b-word anymore. So, now they think that boring is the b-word.

New Fall Season

2008-09-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

Thursday night. Ah, finally. My favorite shows are The Office and Grey's Anatomy. I'm so glad that the new season has started. However, why do my two favorite shows, the only shows I even watch, have to be on the same night at the same time?

Luckily, you can watch both shows on-line. That is so nice, because I don't have TIVO or DVR just an old VCR and VHS tapes that record really badly. So, last night, I watched The Office and today online, I watched Grey's Anatomy. So glad to have you back Thursday night.

Recycling

2008-09-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

I went for a walk this morning and counted only 5-6 recycling bins out to be picked up among more than 40 houses. How sad. We pay for recycling in our utility bill anyway, so why not just take advantage of it? What a waste for a recycling truck to drive around and only pick up a handful of bins. That made me sad today.

Home Again

2008-09-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

So, we're home again now and found our house was just fine. In fact, I don't think we even got much rain.

We spent five days in San Antonio hanging out with my parents. The kids had a lot of fun. We don't have cable, so they got their fill of Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel. They had fun spending time with their grandparents.

We did have an illness during our time there which kept us from doing too much. My oldest had an ear infection and a ruptured eardrum which prompted a visit to the doctor. He's doing much better now.

I was able to catch up with a few friends for an evacuation party, as my friend, Erin, called it. We went to Cold Stone Creamery, and I had a yummy brownie, pecan, fudge concoction. I hung out with them for several hours catching up on girl talk.

We also were able to go to our old ward and see friends.

We were very fortunate that the hurricane did not hit our home, and I feel really bad for those people affected in Galveston and Houston. You hate hoping that it doesn't hit you when that means it has to hit someone else.

I am thankful that Corpus Christi officials prompted an early evacuation. School closed on Thursday and Friday, allowing for families to begin leaving on Wednesday. By Thursday, it seemed that the hurricane would bypass Corpus, but it is still better to be on the safe side. Leaving early, like on Wednesday, clears up the traffic so that everyone is not leaving at the same time. I believe it's best to leave than stay behind. Even though some are criticizing officials for acting too quickly, I'm glad that they were overly cautious.

We're fine, and everything is back to normal. The boards are down and in the garage. The kids are back in school. Thanks to all the phone calls, e-mails, and comments on the blog to find out how we were.

Getting Ready for Ike

2008-09-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Ike was headed right for us on Wednesday, so we spent the whole day preparing. First, we went shopping for a drill and screws to board up windows. There were a lot of people stocking up at Wal-Mart and The Home Depot. I was very interested in looking inside the carts of others to see what they were buying. I kept thinking, do I need that? This is our first hurricane preparation/evacuation. So, I wanted to make sure we did it right.

There were a lot of people buying generators. Those were the ones, I think, that were not going to evacuate and would stay at home and could possibly lose power. There were also a lot of people buying gas cans, water, batteries. There was a huge line of 20-30 people waiting for plywood to board up their windows. Many of them were in line for over 2 hours and could likely wait 2 more hours for the plywood to be delivered. There were trucks coming from other places (San Antonio, I assume) to stock the stores in Corpus Christi. We were so lucky that the previous owner of our house already had plywood for all our windows in the garage. She was very prepared even though she'd never had to use them. We saved ourselves a lot of trouble, and I'm so grateful for her foresight. We boarded up the windows of our house with our new drill and screws. What a pain to drill into brick. It took us several hours to do that. Here's a picture of the front of our house boarded up. I kind of looks like a condemned building with the windows all boarded up like that. And, it was very dark inside. Baby was a bit scared to take a nap in his ultra-dark room, so we had to put 2 night lights in there for him. He slept good despite the annoying noise of our drill outside. It's a bit of a weird feeling hearing the drills going up the street and seeing people around you boarding up their windows too.

Then, we had to pack up the car. The schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday, so we headed to San Antonio, where my parents live and where we used to live. I was a bit worried about traffic getting out of Corpus, but it was not bad at all and an additional lane was opened. Many people are staying put in Corpus to ride out the storm, but we figured with no school, we might as well take a mini-vacation and hang out at my parents'. After all, they have cable. And, my kids get worried about storms and loud wind.

I think many other people were going to evacuate on Thursday or Friday and TXDOT was going to institute contra-flow traffic on I-37. I was curious to see how the traffic looked going the wrong way on the freeway. However, now it looks like the path of Ike has changed a bit and Corpus is not in as much danger as was thought. So, the contra-flow was cancelled, and I imagine a lot more people are going to stay put.

We're just going to enjoy our time in San Antonio. We took the kids to the park today, but they were quickly bored since there weren't too many other kids there. They're all in school here in San Antonio. Now, we just have to decide when to head back home.

Car Issues

2008-09-07T20:10:00.001-07:00

On Friday, I went to McDonald’s to pick up some food. When I came out to the parking lot and tried to start my car, it wouldn’t start. I tried a few more times, and nothing. The battery of our car had given us similar problems in the past and I wondered if something were loose, so I opened up the hood to take a look. Like I know anything. I figured at the very least, someone would see and offer help.

I called my husband who was home with the kids. We only have the one car and a motorcycle, so he couldn’t strap our kids on the motorcycle and come help me. So, he called a friend of ours. We just moved here 2 months ago and don’t know people very well yet, but she was so nice and left her house right away to come give me a ride.

Meanwhile, a McDonald’s employee came out to take the garbage out and noticed I needed help. He was so kind to park his truck next to my car and offered to help jump-start it. We tried it several times for over twenty minutes, but it just wouldn’t take. I was very impressed with how kind he was to take time out of his work to help me. I worried that he would get in trouble, but he said he wouldn’t. Despite all his help, it didn’t work.

So, my friend, Misty, took me home. That was so nice of her. I called my dad who is an awesome mechanic and lives 2.5 hours away. At that point, we figured it was the alternator. He offered to come right away and fix it, but I told him we could wait until Monday because he has a busy weekend. We called a tow truck and my husband drove in his motorcycle to wait for it.

Then, my husband, who doesn’t know too much about fixing cars decided to take a look. My friend, Misty, and her husband came to our rescue again and let my husband borrow their car to take our battery in to get tested. He also bought a new clamp for it because it was very loose. When he came home, he got right to work. The battery was fine, and it turns out it was just a loose clamp, and he fixed it. I was so impressed. Now, the car is back to working beautifully.

So, hooray to our friends, Misty & Scott, for helping us out big-time. Hooray to Andy at McDonald’s for taking the time to help a complete stranger. Hooray to my husband for fixing the car! And, hooray to my dad for offering to come help. He and my mom decided to come on Monday anyway just to hang out. He doesn’t have to fix the car, but I’m sure he’ll find stuff around the house he might want to fix. He just loves to fix things. I’m just glad to have our car all fixed.

Talking to the Librarian

2008-09-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today, we went to the local library to pick up some books I had on reserve. When we went in, my husband hinted that I should talk to the librarian about my books to see if they could order them and have them available there.

I'm always very shy about doing that. I'm very fortunate that my husband has no problem talking up my books to just about anyone he meets. Sometimes, he gives me a hard time because I shy away from opportunities to tell others about my books. He encouraged me to talk to the librarian when I went up to check out my books. He even kept walking near me to make sure I was following through because he knows me well enough that I would chicken out.

After she checked out my books, the librarian had a phone call, so I waited for her to be finished, but it was taking her a while, so she asked me if there was anything else. I asked if there was a way to request a book. She told me to write the title down, gave me a piece of paper, and told me to write down the title of the book. I gave her a card with my book's picture on it. She then told me to write my name & phone number so they could contact me when the book was in. When she was done with her phone call, she came over and asked if I was the author since she saw that the name on the card matched the name I wrote down. She said the library manager liked to get books written by local authors and she would give my request to her.

After that, my husband asked if I had also given her the title of my first book. I told him, no; we'd just wait to see what happened with the book I requested. He said no, I should give it to her now. That was me being shy and him being encouraging again. So, I went up to her and gave her the title of my first book. She said she would give it to the library manager.

So, that wasn't so hard. Thanks to my dear husband, always the encouraging man, for persuading me to talk to the librarian, something I never would have done on my own.

Why I Haven't Blogged

2008-09-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

So, you're probably wondering why I haven't blogged for a while. Here is a list of reasons (excuses) why I haven't blogged.

My sister from California came to visit and my parents came down from San Antonio with her. We went bird watching, to the beach, and the the aquarium. My kids had a fun time with their cousin.

I participated in BIAM (Book in A Month) in August and have been writing & writing. In August, I wrote 12,599 words for a total of 49,230 words in my current work in progress.

I have been trying to potty train my 3 year old which requires visits to the bathroom every hour or so.

My kids started school. (Okay, that's not a very good reason because it actually gives me more time since they aren't here for a large part of the day. And, how lame am I for not posting pictures of their first day of school like so many of you have?)

I've been reading and researching novels to try to figure out what genre my current work in progress is. I'm still not quite sure yet.

I've been Facebooking a lot, connecting with people from high school and finally added some pictures of my kids on there. (How lame was I for not having a single picture of my kids on Facebook?)

I've been watching political stuff on TV on the two channels we get on our antenna. PBS and NBC, that's all.

I've been finding new blogs to read.

I found out the my novel, One on One, was accepted by my publisher, so I've been working on writing the back cover blurb for it and get a few other things to them that they've asked for. Writing back cover blurbs is so hard.

I feel completely justified by my excuses in not blogging very much lately. Hopefully, I'll be more diligent.