Almost Thanksgiving

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It’s almost Thanksgiving in the grand U.S. of A. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love getting together with family. I love eating food with them. I love drinking wine. I love recounting family stories, laughing, and just loving the people around me. Thanksgiving invariably has drama too, but what family would be complete without it? If you’re in the U.S. then Happy Thanksgiving to you too. Eat lots of turkey and enjoy your family.

Yesterday, my middle son Liam resurrected my iPod. Here he is, in a wonderful photo my friend Amanda Willis took of him for Christmas (cute guy, huh?)

DSC_0205

This morning, I was signing up for Yuku so I can be part of yet another writing community. Over-committers R Us! I put the iPod on and the music of my whole life filled my ears. Back in June, Rob located the iPod, found out it still worked, and put it in our bag so I could bring it to Punta Cana. I didn’t run in the Dominican Republic though, so I never used it. There was too much drinking to do.

Apparently, I went through most of my CD collection (for you younger folks those are the little round metallic-looking discs similar to records, only smaller. What’s a record?) and downloaded songs onto this iPod a few years back.

I have my happy days: Dave Matthews Band, a little bit of Phish, Big Head Todd, among others. These are mostly from high school. Then morose days of college, when I was mostly pining over someone I’d never be with and discovering myself: Tori Amos, Pavement, Elliott Smith. Then days after college: Keane, Beatles, Wilco, Beck, Coldplay, among others. Then days after kids were born: Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Mumford and Sons.

These songs have given me a ride back through my life this morning. It’s funny how much music can bring someone or something or some time back to the forefront of your mind. My friend from college, the one I pined for, inspired most of my musical taste. He told me to listen to Indie and low-fi, which I still love. He introduced me to Pavement, Wagon Christ, Apples and Stereo. I didn’t know then, but he shaped my music taste forever.

Of course now I’ve added hip hop to my repertoire of music. There’s nothing better than hip hop to Zumba or workout too, and now my music taste is about as eclectic as it comes. I even like some country, which was always on my no-no list.

What’s on your play list this morning?

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What If…

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What if I had written all weekend long? What if I chose a different career path? What if I hadn’t had children? What if I had married someone else? What if I didn’t live in Alabama?

“What if?” is the essential question in writing a story. Most stories start out with an author thinking “what if.” I spent most of my weekend on the couch, because my five year old was sick. While having my hot potato of a baby lay on me all day, I watched the whole season of The Man In The High Castle. I realize this makes me an extreme couch potato. But the story was so good I couldn’t tear myself away. I went to the bathroom a few times, and ate, and my daughter cuddled up against me and I provided her comfort, which is what one needs when they’re sick. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a weekend, minus the “sick.”

This show on Amazon is so well done, based on the book by Philip Dick, which I have yet to read (it’s on my list). And it asks the question “what if the Nazis and Japan won WWII?” What a question to explore. The characters are so believable, and the suspense kept me watching. Highly recommended!

I tout myself as a character writer. The Devil Within mostly was written because I felt a strong connection to Will’s character. But the “what if
questions were still there. I asked myself, “What if I were growing up with an oppressively religious father? What would I do? What are the emotions I would feel? What if fundamental religion hurts more than helps? What if the person I’m supposed to depend on most hurts me the most? What if my ally is not a saint?” These are just a few questions I asked myself as I wrote The Devil Within. I’m not sure I found the answers, but writing through it helped me explore thoughts on religion, family, and guilt that I’ve had for a long time.

The new story I’m writing I’m asking myself : “What if everything is not as it seems? What if your whole life is one big lie?”

I often wonder why I feel the need to write, but I think it’s because I’m always thinking about the “what if” questions. Life isn’t black and white. It’s filled with choices, different paths, and to me writing is a way to discover what might have happened if…

“What if” question are you trying to answer today?

 

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Paris and Beirut Attacks: My Thoughts on Terrorism and the Middle East

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It’s Monday today, which seems to be my new days to post. I’m sorry I haven’t been blogging more recently, but with NaNoWriMo and the #prefunk promotion I’ve been doing for The Devil Within, I haven’t had much time. Plus, last week was so busy again. I wanted to write my thoughts on Paris on Saturday, but I woke up and watched Netflix instead.

After watching what happened in Paris and Beirut, I felt sad. This time of year always makes me feel a little sad anyway. Another chapter ending, another one beginning. Thoughts drift to friends I’ve lost from growing apart or something more permanent like death. And then on Friday the 13th a section of Paris was bombed and a lot of young people lost their life. Before that, Beirut was targeted by fundamentalists terrorists. I’m at a loss for words. Peace in the Middle East is as elusive as it ever was. Still fighting a war that has gone on since the beginning of time. A war against the lifestyle of the Western World. A war set on keeping people in the dark instead of enlightening them through education, women’s rights, and progress.

The world is reeling from these brutal attacks, but also standing together. And everyone is talking about it, arguing about it, but bringing awareness back to the situation at hand. Innocent loss of life in both countries means more instability in our world and a greater chance for war.

Unfortunately, a people who has been escaping terrorism in their own country is taking blame for some of these acts: The Syrians. Syrians who have been fleeing this type of violence are now feeling the heat for what happened, since one of the Paris attackers claimed to be seeking asylum. In an article by the NY Times, Syrian refugee Hussam Al Roustam said of relocating to New Jersey, “It’s like taking someone from a very small, dark room to a very, very big world.” And this thought lingered in my head over the weekend as I worried about the implications of this attack on Syrian migration toward  peace and safety. In case you forgot, most Syrian refugees are women and children and they are risking their lives to find a safer place to live. (Bodies of Syrian Refugees Wash Ashore – This Link Contains Disturbing Images)

I don’t pretend to know what to do about ISIS or the whole situation in the Middle East. I want peace and stability as much as anyone. This war on terrorism isn’t just in other countries. But not all the people in the Middle East are to blame. There are a lot of terrorists, yes, but in Middle Eastern countries there are also a lot of level-headed people who want peace as much as any Westerner…maybe even more. It’s just finding out how to achieve that without resorting to more war and more loss of innocent life. It seems impossible to get there when you’re dealing with someone who would blow themselves up for their cause.

Lebanon Flag france-flag

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Manic Monday

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First and foremost, the important news:

The Devil Within ebook is available to purchase for free from November 9 – November 13th! Get it while it’s hot!

The Devil Within Cover

Who doesn’t like to curl up with a good book and read on a cold, rainy day. It’s cold and rainy here today. Yesterday was cold and rainy too. Instead of reading I binge-watched New Girl on Netflix and laughed my ass off. I got absolutely no writing done, because my hand was hurting. (Thanks rain) Also, because I attended an adult pajama party until 1 AM on Friday night and then my son had a spend-the-night party on Saturday night. Six eleven year old boys can be awfully loud, especially when their game of choice is Black Ops. Maybe by the time they’re 12 they’ll settle down and talk about girls? Or is that something that only girls do at spend-the-night parties–talk about boys?

Today, I have marketing to do and then I need to catch up by about 6,000 on NaNoWriMo. I’m figuring when I get my splint off my hand I’ll be able to make up for those words I missed, unless I have a productive Veteran’s Day. I’m not sure we have other plans this week besides the normal crazy shuffling around of three kids to various activities.

How was your weekend?

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Top 10 Tuesday Goals

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I’m in the full throes of NaNoWriMo this week. I meant to blog yesterday, but even waking up at 4:15 (thanks to Fall Back), it took me the whole morning before work to get in my 1649 words.

Excuse any typos. I’m going to try to re-read this to make sure I pluck them all out but it’s hard with this dang splint.

Broken metacarpal

I’m feeling behind the eight-ball this week, which could be due to how crazy my day job felt last week. Or the fact that I feel like I’ll never finish editing Little Birdhouses. Plus I’ve been binge-watching Scandal, which isn’t good for me. But, damn, that show is so good. I mean who doesn’t love the chemistry between Olivia and the President? And that’s some good writing, although some of the shows have become more predictable to me lately. No spoilers please. I’m watching it on Netflix.

So today, I thought I’d list some goals so I don’t get sucked into Netflix-land. These are goals just for today:

  1. Smile: Yep. I put this on mt goal list. Maybe I’m suffering from SAD, but my overbooked, overwhelming schedule is driving me nuts. I’m about ready to escape to anywhere but here (but preferably a place where there’s a beach and a cocktail in my hand). Smiling helps me feel better and it makes other people feel good too.
  2. Edit Chapter Four of Little Birdhouses: I’m on the 4th revision now, and for some reason whenever my schedule fills up, I forget I ought to be revising this. I need to edit it and send it onto my readers.
  3. Write 1650 words on The Cape: At least that’s what I think the story will be called. I shared the beginning of the story here last week. It’s taking off, and now I’m writing two novels at the same time. Tell me when I’ll fit all that in?
  4. Run: It’s 3 mile Tuesday. I’ll try to get in 3 miles this AM or 30 minutes. Running makes me feel sane. Plus, I can listen to All The Light We Cannot See while I’m hitting the pavement, which is more productive than watching Scandal.
  5. Clean Out My Desk: At work. I’m on an organizational kick, which only happens to me about once a year, so I need to take advantage of it while I can.
  6. Write a newsletter: For PTA. Due this week.
  7. Talk to a friend: Friends are so great to keep us motivated and grounded. Tonight is gymnastics/TKD night, which means I’ll be sitting on a bench for about four hours. I love the gym moms. It’s so nice to have friends who understand the craziness of gym life! I love all my friends. You guys rock!
  8. Breath: I can’t do yoga with my broken hand, but I can practice my deep breathing when I’m overwhelmed.
  9. Laugh: Laughter is the best antidote when I feel down. It feels us with endorphins. Sometimes laughing at the disaster of living makes you realize how small your problems are in the big scheme of things.
  10. Have Fun: I started writing because I enjoyed it. Writing’s my dream job, and so it’s important to me that I still have fun when I do it. Creating worlds, characters, analogies is amazing and makes me in awe of what the human brain is capable of.

What are your goals today?

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Finally Friday

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Earlier this week I promised I’d give you the beginning scene of my NaNoWriMo piece. All I can say, is thank goodness it’s Friday. I’ve had a heck of a week. I even broke my hand yesterday, which complicates matters as far as writing goes. Thank goodness I have use of my thumb and two fingers on my left hand. I can hunt and peck with them. All this to say, if I have more typos than usual, you know why. Plus, I might not be posting as frequently since it takes me forever to type now, and I’ll need to concentrate my efforts on my NaNoWriMo writing.

Here’s the beginning of my untitled and unedited piece.

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked.
I grabbed his hand as it brushed against my pants’ pocket. I squeezed until my fingernails dug into soft flesh, then I spun around to look at the culprit. He twisted his hand out of my grip and held it up in front of his chest in a position of surrender.
The wheels of the Metro train screeched as the conductor applied the brakes, approaching the next stop. Four stops to go, but I had half a mind to run off at this stop to get away from this creep.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” A laugh, or more of a scoff erupted from his mouth.

I couldn’t believe this guy. I backed away from him, bracing myself against the metal bar as the doors closed. The train jerked forward before gaining momentum.

“Eli Thomas,” he said.

Summers on the Cape. The familiar smell of suntan lotion. Eli Thomas trailing after me everywhere I went. My shadow for six summers in the sun. He’d swept into my life as the waves crashed down. I’d helped him dig a tunnel and then disappeared as quickly as the tide.

“I’m sorry—I didn’t know how to get your attention. I just—you were so absorbed in your book—and when I saw you, I couldn’t believe it. Twenty years?”

We’d been thirteen the last time I’d seen him. The last image framed in my mind was Eli as an acne-faced teenager waving goodbye before my dad’s beat-up station wagon flew around the corner.

And after that, everything changed. No more summers at the Cape. A crowded hospital where doctors probed me. Every bit of my personal space violated. Eli had snuck into my quiet world and brought back the roar of my childhood with him. There were so many days, after those last moments of sun and sand, I wished to forget.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I live here. Work at The Library of Congress. You?”

“FBI.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth. The train jerked forward and stopped.

Masses of people piled on—rush hour on the red line—and Eli Thomas pushed himself closer to me, our arms touching. I took a deep breath as sweat crept down my neck and an extreme urge to escape took over.

“My stop’s the next one.” I lied.

“Let me get your number.”

“Look, Eli,” I said. “Can’t we let bygones be bygones?”

A deep and determined frown drew across his lips.

“I’ve thought of you all these years. Haven’t you thought of me?”

On the way home, in the car, Dad’s foot had hit the gas instead of the brake. And my whole world had come crashing down. Some things were better kept in the past.
The familiar ring sounded, and the Metro doors opened accompanied by the garble of the conductor announcing the stop like some foreign language. Eli stared at me. I fled, feeling the tips of his fingers brushing my arm as I escaped into the lonely world I knew and loved.

So now it’s your turn. Share the beginning of a scene from your writing in the comments. I’d loved to see what everyone else is working on!

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Ten Easy Ways To Lose Weight

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Last week, I told you 10 Pitfalls to weight loss. I had so funny twitter comments. From the Writing Wenches: chocolate, wine, and beer. I agree! We all have our splurge items. But I’m going to tell you, splurge items aren’t that bad if you have them in moderation. And speaking of moderation, did anyone see the news the WHO came out with yesterday about processed meat being carcinogenic. I found a great article about how it’s still okay to eat meat in moderation. People have been saying for years that Americans eat too much meat. I’ve been a vegetarian and a meat-eater, and right now I’m a moderate meat-eater. We have meat at home maybe once or twice a week, and I order it when I go out to eat sometimes. I’m thinking about reducing it further.

But I digress, because I’m not supposed to be writing about the horrors of meat consumption. I’m giving you TEN ways to lose weight.

You might not like the first one, but it works for me:

  1. Weigh Every Day: Studies have been done, and people who weigh every day lose more weight and keep it off. Don’t stress over the number, but if you have a target weight, weighing every day can let you know if you backslid or help you pinpoint what foods you ate that may not be helping you lose weight. Once the weights off, weighing every day can help you stay at the weight you want to be. (Disclaimer: If you have body image issues or an eating disorder this is not the path for you)
  2. Buddy Up: Having someone to take the journey to weight loss with you is great. Accountability when you have a buddy in your journey helps. You can buddy up with someone you know IRL like your husband or your best friend. Or you can join a site like MyFitnessPal and participate in forums of people, just like you, who are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
  3. Add Foods to Your Diet: Say what?  Ever had an avocado? What about cherries, blueberries, kale? Add healthy foods to your diet. Find out what you like. Adding more fruits and veggies gives your body vitamins and minerals it needs, plus it naturally adds fiber. Fiber helps you to feel more full, is great for your intestinal system, and helps you lose weight.
  4. Make Small Changes: When I decided to do something about my weight four years ago, I was overwhelmed by all the changes I needed to make. Make one small change a week or every two weeks. Wait for it to kick in, and then make the next change. If you’re drinking five sodas a day, drop down to three, then to one, until eventually you’ve knocked sodas out of your diet. Small changes stick and add up to big changes which will help you lead a healthy lifestyle.
  5. Exercise: Can’t afford a gym membership? Walk your dog, 15 minutes a day. Next week up it to 20 minutes. Dance in front of MTV (do they even play music anymore?). Do chores. Run around the back yard kicking a ball with your kids. Do anything except sit on your bottom.
  6. Use Smaller Plates: I said this last week, but using smaller dinnerware helps you to reduce your portion size. Let those big dinner plates in your cabinet collect dust. Pull out your salad plates and cereal bowls, and eat out of them instead of the larger version. When the salad plate looks full, you’ll stop eating once the plate is clean, and you’ve naturally and easily reduced the amount you’re eating!
  7.   Drink Water: I can’t say this enough. People are constantly confusing thirst for hunger. If you’re hungry, drink a glass of water, wait ten minutes,
    By Derek Jensen (Tysto) (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

    By Derek Jensen (Tysto) (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

    and if you’re still hungry dig in!
  8. Plan Ahead: Plan ahead. Decide what meals you’re going to eat on Sunday. Grocery shop, do a meal calendar, and stick to it. If you’re going out to eat, pull up the menu on line, look at the nutritional information and pick a food you like that won’t blow your calories out of the water. Bring high protein or fiber snacks to work (i.e., nuts, fruits, roasted chickpeas).
  9. Go Whole Food Instead of Processed: Stick to the outside aisles of the grocery store to stock up on leafy greens, lean meats, and dairy. Stay away from the middle aisles and the boxed and processed food-like-products stuffed with salt, chemicals, and things your body doesn’t know how to process.
  10. Sleep: Sleep is so important to your body and mind. Get your 6-8 hours a day and you’ll reach for the right foods and make healthier choices the next morning.

The thing I learned most on my continuing weight loss journey, is you’re going for a sustainable lifestyle change. If you think about it that way, then you’ll make necessary changes you need and you’ll be able to keep them. The other thing to remember, is it’s okay to splurge! Eat a piece of chocolate cake every once in awhile. Let yourself have that candy bar. Just don’t do it every day.

What are some changes you’re making to your lifestyle to become healthier? What’s worked for you? What hasn’t?

 

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Nanowrimo Cometh

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It’s Monday morning, and I’m dreading going to work because my schedule today is fuller than full. If only every day could be a weekend. I’d get a lot more done (maybe?).

I signed up for Nanowrimo this year. What’s Nanowrimo, you may ask? It’s National Novel writing month. I don’t know what inspired me to do it. Maybe because my wonderful Writing Wenches are doing it, and I like the idea of us teaming up and writing several different novels. The support from the Wenches should be enough to push me through.

But I’m super busy. I’m still taking the MOOC, How Writer’s Write Fiction. I’m trying to edit Little Birdhouses. By next week, I need to write a newsletter for PTA and draft a letter to send out for an event. I’m trying to run more to prep for a 5K I haven’t signed up for yet. Plus, the oldest kid’s birthday is coming up. After that, gymnastics’ meet season will be upon us. Granted, that may free up some time for me in the hotel or at a four hour meet to write a little bit. I plan on bringing my laptop or maybe just plain old pencil and paper. I wonder if life will ever slow down, or if I’ll know what to do with myself if it does.

But back to Nanowrimo. I’m a little worried I’ll fail. I committed to do 365k (writing 1,000 words a day for a year) and I couldn’t stick to it. The thing is: I want writing to be my life. I have to stop making excuses NOT to do it. It’s sort of like running. I love the feeling I get afterwards, but starting out is always HARD. I hem and haw, and I don’t want to go and I make excuses, but in the end I’m so glad I did it.

So for Nanowrimo this year, I’m going to work on a story I wrote for the MOOC. I was inspired me to expand it, and in no time I had about 5,000 words. I did a basic outline of this story too (which is against my normal M.O.). I generally know where the story is going to go, and I’m in love with the characters. I’ll share the opening scene of the story with you later this week too and you can tell me what you think. I had great feedback on the MOOC.

Are you going to participate in Nanowrimo this month? If so, what are you working on?

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Top Ten Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight

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by Lulumon Athletica Wikicommons

by Lulumon Athletica Wikicommons

I promised you a few weeks ago I would start writing a post on weight loss, healthy living, and healthy eating. Well because I’m a slacker, or extremely busy, or both, I’m just now getting to that! And today, I thought it would be fun to start with a Top 10 list! So here are the Top Ten Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight.

  1. You’re Making Excuses: I put this as number one, because it’s true. Any time people say they’re too busy to exercise, or they can’t afford healthy food, they’re just thinking of an excuse to fail before they’ve even started trying. STOP MAKING EXCUSES! If I can fit exercise into my life five days a week, with three kids, a day job, writing as a secondary job, and taking an online class, then you certainly can.
  2. Portion Size: There’s a simple formula to losing weight (More calories out than in–with a few caveats). Portion size in the U.S. is out of control. When you go to a restaurant, immediately ask that half of your food be boxed up. Then you’ll be eating a more normal portion size. At home, eat off of smaller plates like salad plates. The plate will look full and you will eat less.
  3. You’re On A Fad Diet: Low Carbs, The Cabbage Soup Diet, Atkins diet. None of these will lead to long-term sustainable weight loss. Why? Because once you reintroduce the food you’re going to crave it so much you’ll overeat it again and be back where you started. Instead, replace unhealthy carbs with healthy carbs like multigrain bread instead of wheat. And reduce portion size to limit the amount you’re eating.
  4. You Don’t Eat Enough: Seems like not eating enough wouldn’t be the problem, right? Wrong. If you don’t eat enough you’re messing up your metabolism. Plus, if you don’t eat enough at meals then you’ll be more likely to snack and choose unhealthy snacks.
  5. You don’t know the difference between good fats and bad fats: Fat’s fat right? WRONG. The fat in an Oreo is not comparable to the fat in nuts or an avocado. While nuts and avocados tend to be higher in calories, they have good fats which help in weight loss and provide important nutrients for your body. Nuts are also protein-based and will help you stay full. Have a handful of nuts in between meals instead of reaching for that chocolate bar. Your waist line will thank you!
  6. You Don’t Drink Water: Anyone who knows me will tell you I drink three things: water, milk, and beer. Okay, maybe four, I occasionally have a glass of orange juice with a snack of popcorn. Drink a glass of water before a meal, and you’ll eat less. Plus, staying hydrated can reduce your urge to eat as sometimes when you’re thirsty your mind thinks you’re hungry. Get rid of sugary drinks like soda and juice, which provide no nutritional benefit and are a calorie bomb! Plus, sugar causes you to feel hungry. (Your body treats the chemicals in diet sodas the same as sugar in a regular soda, so don’t think you’re doing yourself favors by only drinking diet).
  7. You’re Only Doing Cardio: I am guilty of this one. I love cardio, and I dread weight training and strength training sessions. Strength training helps you build muscle and your body must burn more calories to maintain one pound of muscle vs. one pound of fat. Strength training can come in different forms: exercise machines at a gym, high-intensity interval trainings with weights, yoga, and you can even strength train at home by doing sit-ups, push-ups, and basic hand-weights. (Check out YouTube for some basic and quick strength-training exercises).
  8. You Don’t Sleep Enough: It’s a fact, when you don’t sleep enough you’re apt to reach for a bad food. Snooze 6-8 hours a night (for adults) and reach for the veggies!
  9. You Don’t Eat Your Veggies: Your Mom was right when she said to eat your veggies. Eat 5-7 servings of veggies a day (I like to get this in homemade smoothies or have a salad at work). Veggies offer vital nutrients to your body, and a plant-based diet full of fiber lets your body feel fuller longer.
  10. You’re Surrounded By Unhealthy People: It’s hard to lose weight if your husband is eating an ice cream sundae every night. You need your family and friends to be on the same page with you and to encourage your weight loss goals. If you’re married, turn it into a friendly competition even if it ticks you off that your husband can lose ten pounds by just giving up soda. Talk to your kids about healthy eating habits, so it’s easier for them to establish a healthy lifestyle as adults. They’ll thank you in the future.

What are some ways you’ve found to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle? What derails you from your weight-loss goals?

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Guest Post: The Dragon Child by Sherilyn Putnam

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DragonChildcover

Is it sad that I don’t remember where the idea for The Dragon Child came from? With most of my mid-grade or picture book ideas I can pinpoint the night I made up the story to tell my daughters before bed. Or that one time we sat in the water of the creek behind our house taking turns making up stories about the dragon flies landing by us. But with Dragon Child, it’s been a story I’ve been working on for so long I can’t pinpoint its origin. I hope that doesn’t take away from the feeling behind it for my readers (I really want to have readers). I hope not being able to remember the origin doesn’t make me less of a writer in their eyes.

I stand by the idea behind it though.. It’s all about choosing your own family. Not everyone will need to encounter that in their life. Some people are born into families that love and accept them. And that is fabulous. But others are not so lucky. Some people are born into families that will just never get them, and for those people it is important to choose a family. One that will support and love you just the way you are. And that’s the theme of the Dragon Child, and it will continue on to the second of the series as well. I hope this is what readers get from the story.

Because it’s important to me. And I really want people, especially kids, to hear that. That even if you feel unloved right now, later in your life you can go and find people who will love you. Who will accept you for who you are and won’t ask you to change to suit their needs.

As you can tell I’m passionate about the subject. With every bit of mid-grade and picture book writing I do, the general theme that prevails is to be yourself and not to let others dictate who you are. It is my hope that people who read my stories, be it a child or an adult, come away with that little bit of happiness in accepting who they are supposed to be.

About Sherilyn Putnam:

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Sherilyn Putnam is the pen name of an author who decided holding in the stories for younger people just wasn’t an option. Thus a whole new persona emerged, ready to share her love of fantastical beings and adventurous characters with the young readers of the world. Sherilyn is almost exactly like the ‘other’ author, being she lives in the deep South, has two daughters, a hero husband and lives in a tiny house ruled by two insane cats and a miniature dachshund with a Napoleon complex.

Her books for young readers almost always have the same message, one she feels very strongly about, “be who you are, not who others think you should be.”

Find Out More About Sherilyn Putnam:

https://www.facebook.com/sherilynputnam
https://twitter.com/SherilynPutnam
https://sherilynputnam.wordpress.com/