Heartbreak in the East: Hope in the Homeland

This last week has been a hard one for me. Living in the heart of hurricane land, I don't love when a storm comes along, but I don't worry too much.

Florida houses are typically built to withstand a category 3 hurricane (meaning winds as high as 130 mph and crazy rain for days), but the rest of the nation doesn't build to that standard.

As I watched the trajectory of Helene & listened to it being upgraded to a category 4, I knew the results wouldn't be pretty. Although grateful this storm missed us initially, my attitude changed when I heard about Tennessee and North Carolina. Georgia and South Carolina are dealing with the fallout too. I wished the hurricane had turned and hit us more fully because we have the response, the infrastructure, the attitude to face big scary storms and carry on.

Our governor put all the preemptive processes in place -- emergency workers, supply routes, road and electricity line repair -- but he couldn't do that for the other states. 

Especially the ones inland.

The stories... Oh the stories. I was drowning in heartache. (This is why I can't read WWII books, folks.) Two dams were oversaturated and burst, flooding whole towns. Family members lost. Livelihoods swept away. An inability to communicate with loved ones. I went to bed with tears in my eyes and prayers on my lips.

Answers come too. They didn't come from the federal government but from governors of neighboring states, from people whose hearts broke like mine who own helicopters, from good Samaritans who donated cash and goods. Desantis sent aid to the hardest hit areas FROM Florida and I cheered at every new development. Last I heard, he sent a brigade of road workers with bridge materials to help people trapped in the North Carolina mountains.

I still watch and worry and pray, and soon our family will trek out to assist with disaster clean up (as is our way), but it's incumbent on all of us to make the world better -- to find those who are suffering, to lift where we can, to BRING HOPE in place of devastation.

My prayers continue with those who have no electricity, no running water, who are scrambling for food and safety. At the same time, my heart is light knowing good people in the world are responding to the desperation. Lets be those good people, eh?

How is your heart holding up? How have you found peace despite the upheaval in the world? What are you doing to find/bring happiness each day?

Do You Like Where You Live?

I do. Most days. We've lived all over the US, and this is our favorite stop on the map, but every place has its quirks. Today the blog tour continues with...

Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless. 

Goodreads | Buy Now

Elise Fallson and Excerpt #7 in the Mystery Sentence Game: Unravel the mystery of the Moonless night! Gather all 8 hidden words from the excerpts and figure out the sentence to win a free copy of Moonless. Send your mystery sentence to crystal (AT) crystal-collier.com with the subject MYSTERY SENTENCE before December 10, 2013, and you will be entered to win one of 10 copies of MOONLESS—just in time for Christmas. Happy hunting!

Larissa Hardesty has me over for the top ten You Know You Live in Florida When...

So, what is the most interesting quirk about where you live?  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Awards Coming Out My Ears!

If you've ever questioned the generosity of the blogging community, stop. Stop now.

In the last month ALONE I've received 3 books--given away out of the goodness of people's hearts. Above and beyond that, I've been endowed several awards. You people rock! (I would say, "You people cheese," but I don't think most people would get that. Still, cheese can be a verb, right?)

So without burning more of your patience, a big thank you to Sania and the anonymous "Me" for the:

The rules:

1. Display logo in your blog to show you've been nominated!

2. Link back to your nominator.
3. Share 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate other bloggers for the award.
5. Notify your nominees.

I also received this one from Sania (who is super awesome sauce, btw): 

Best Moment Award rules: Winners re-post this completely with their acceptance speech. This could be written or video recorded. Winners have the privilege of awarding the next awardees! The re-post should include a NEW set of people/blogs worthy of the award with notification sent to them of the great news. Display the award’s badge on your blog/website.

Resources: What makes a good acceptance speech?

• Gratitude. Thank the people who helped you along the way.
• Humor. Keep us entertained and smiling.
• Inspiration. Make your story touch our lives.

So to keep from boring you, I'm attempting to lump both into one.

Acceptance speech/7 things about me: *clearing throat* *bursting into tears* *wiping tears away with a slice of cheddar*

I want to thank all of the amazing people in my life who have made this award possible: a critique partner who locks me in her basement and a glass cage on her roof (to make sure I get the appropriate amounts of Vitamin D--isn't she thoughtful?), my pet zombie who occasionally breaks out of his closet and keeps us on our toes, the team of scientists sealed in my Floridian basement who will one day finish both my teleportation device and time-stopper; you all make life so worth it! 

On a deeper note, the cheese. Thank you to cheese everywhere. Without your deliciousness I may have died of malnutrition/New Yorkerisms while living in the city, say nothing about all those years growing up. Lastly, a HUGE thanks to the man who still buys me flowers to be romantic, even if I am allergic to them, and the three littles who bury me in cards, love notes, and dirty laundry. You make life worth living!

And now to pass the awards on. (That's right--two at once. Eek!) I hereby nominate:

1. -g- Also known as Maggid--who accuses me of being inspiring. Ha! I aspire to your level.
2. Sandy -- Whom I LOVE interacting with on the blog-o-sphere every week. 
3. Theresa --Because seriously, she deserves it. Have you seen all the charity work? 
4. Sherry -- Who inspires me with her tales of mommy-hood. We can survive!
5. Robyn -- Makes me chuckle and is SUPER optimistic. I want to be like her when I grow up.
6. Madeline -- She's young, but man is she gung ho. You're inspiring, woman!
7. Sharon -- One of the amazing women who keeps me writing, even when I want to quit.
8. Rena -- Geeks of a feather... (And I don't care if you're on a blog holiday!)
9. DL Hammons -- Shaved his head to support his wife. You are awesome sauce!
10. Margo -- I don't know how you do the cold, woman, but that alone inspires me.

What has you inspired this week? Or who has inspired you and deserves an award?

The Season of What???

I'm struggling to get my "Christmas" on. How about you? When your back yard looks like this:

Rather than this:

It can be difficult to realize that magical season is upon us. You know, that time of year when the entire world  changes focus and is more joyful, a bit more selfless, and filled with wonder?

One thing we've been doing for years is our "gift to Christ." We sit down as a family and discuss the importance of service and love, aspects modeled perfectly by Jesus Christ, then write down one gift we can give Him this season. Each of us places our "gift" on the tree, and all season long, as we gaze upon that lit evergreen, we think about our commitment to be a little kinder, a little softer spoken, more honest, more considerate, or whatever our gift may entail.

What do you do to ring in the season? 

Hello. I'm Still Alive. Are You?

So apparently I'm allergic to mold. WHO'D HAVE GUESSED?

And do you know where mold grows especially well?

FLORIDA

Picture may be a slight exaggeration.

Or more particularly, our rental home. So while trying not to kill over, we began the home search process, and finally put down an offer. That's my excuse for disappearing off the blog-o-sphere. Yup. Finishing my last semester or serious revisions on my requested manuscript had nothing to do with it--or Christmas. That's right.  *shifty eyes*





So here's my future writing haven.
<---------- Isn't it perdy?

Now what dragged this lethargic, thoroughly unhealthy individual back to cyber space? Temptation--in the form of the third Choose Your Own Adventure bloghop. Yay! Participants are invited to contribute as we celebrate the year of the dragon with a whole new adventure. Sign up now, or stop back in March as we launch this fabulous experience upon the world. (Here's hoping it won't happen right in the middle of my move...)

And for those of you who missed our previous journeys, check out:

The Abominable Snowman Expedition
And
Ahoy Sea Serpent

Can't wait for some high flying, scaly, fire breathing fun! Will you be joining us?

Florida has PERSONALITY, do You?

This is my Top Ten of Florida list.

You know you live in Florida when...

10. You've got "Sunshine" when most people are dealing with rain, snow or other inclement weather.





9. "Eek it's a mouse!" You shriek and jump. "Oh, no, it's just a roach." You deflate.

8. You fear standing water.










7. You can casually say, "Oh yeah, it's hurricane season."









6. To go exotic bird watching all you have to do is pull up a lawn chair, sit in your front yard and wait until exotic birds start picking bugs out of your lawn.









5. You are tan 24/7.








4. You can drive an hour any direction and be at a different beach.







3. CRUISE PORT. Need I say more?












2. The question isn't "What should we do tonight?" It's "Which should we do tonight?"






1. Everything you say comes out in "Disney". You find yourself quoting Disney in every day euphemisms. You refer people to locations based on Disney. Example: (Imagine replacing every "swimming" with "writing".)



Quirks define us. They are what bring out the good and the bad. Setting can be as important as characters, and Florida has plenty of personality--which is why I've based a few scenes in my new book here.

What's your favorite and least favorite thing about where you live? And what about your local defines you?

I'M NOT LISTENING!!!

At my house we’re having NaNoWriMo in July (National Novel Writing Month). Why you ask? (Or maybe you don’t, but I’m going to tell you anyway.) We live in Florida. Who wants to be out in 90 to 100 degrees with 100% humidity? You in the back? Well you can have it! Above and beyond that, I lead a choir, and November (the actual NaNo month)/December are my busy season. Call us freakish if you want, but because we homeschool, we keep any schedule we like—which means December/November and most of January are our “summer” vacation.

Because we homeschool, my 9 yr old, 5 yr old, and 3 yr old are constant. Don’t get me wrong, I love them to DEATH,  but “he hit me”, “she took my toy”, and “he’s breathing my air”, are huge distractons to my coveted two hours of writing a day. Then again, are they?

After my oldest was born, I went back to work for a while. A short while. My baby was growing up, and I was missing it. My husband and I sat down and agreed, we could do without the second income. I would stay home with our children. (And write—of course!) That didn’t mean he was making bukoo bucks. In fact, he was part time, we were both in school, and we gave up a lot of comforts. No big screen TV. No house. No second car. No matching couches…

I’d like to say it got better, but we still limp by on one vehicle, my couches still don’t match, and I’ve pretty much given up on the idea of EVER owning a house—that is, until I make my millions from writing. Ha, ha. (Oh, and no big screen, unless you consider 27 inches big.) The point is, I’m here, with my “distractions”, because they won’t be around for long. They’re the ones that will last even after my five minutes of fame. When the hollowness of attainment and lip-service reviews consume my days, I imagine I’ll be anxious to find a few more “distractions” in my life: the kind that love unconditionally.

What are the true distractions in your life?

Crazy Uncle Henry: Getting to Know Your Characters

The debate goes on: which came first, the characters or the story? This of course depends on what kind of writer you are. Do you come across a stellar story idea and plot until Agatha Christie would be jealous, or do you meet someone (in reality, in a dream, etc) and suddenly realize, they have one heck of a story to tell?

I lean to the latter, or a combination, but have done both. Regardless of the method, one thing is obvious early on: there is no story without heartrending, bizarre, loveable, or otherwise stellar characters. In that vein I’m getting to know one of mine—one who is taking me by surprise, and I'd like to bring you along for the journey. Meet Crazy Uncle Henry.

Me: Say Hello Henry.

Henry: (stares squinty-eyed at me)

Me: I hear you are as diabolical as you are talented.

Henry: Who sent you here?

Me: (clearing throat) Says here you live in Lakeland, Florida, on an island, in the middle of a lake. How may I ask, did you come to own this particular piece of property? And why would you wish to live so far from civilization?

Henry: You don’t have any chocolate chip cookies, do you? The milk chocolate kind?

Me: No, Henry.

Henry: Oh good. Proceed then.

Me: You don’t like cookies?

Henry: Nasty things. Did you know on New Years Eve in 1984, the Toll House Inn—original birth place of the chocolate chip cookie, burned down? Mischievous things. And Massachusetts had the audacity to name the chocolate chip cookie its state cookie! Disaster, heart attacks, and coconuts thefts. All because of that *3$^ cookie!

Me: Interesting.

Henry: But I suppose they are no worse than the lizards.

Me: The lizards?

Henry: Well yes. That’s why I went into hiding. They never leave the coconuts alone!

Me: Wow. So, tell me, do you have any family?

Henry: (giving me a suspicious frown) Why?

Me: Because people have family…usually.

Henry: Posh. Electric charge, now that’s something everyone has. Static, I believe you call it. Build up enough of that and you could permanently damage your optic nerves. Quite unsafe I tell you, all this “static”.

Me: I’ll have to keep that in mind. I hear you made your fortune at a very young age. Would you like to tell us about that?

Henry: I am a scientist, madam. My work is for my-eyes-only.

Me: Sorry for prying.

Henry: Rightly so.

Me: Is there anything you would like to tell our readers, Henry?

Henry: Never wear rubber shoes.

Me: Okay. Thank you. That concludes our…one and a half minutes. Now um, security?