How To Sell Time (IWSG & an Announcement!)

If only you had a corner on that market, eh?

The IWSG question this month is a timely one (pun intended):

Did you ever say “I quit”? If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?

When I was in high school, I backed away from writing for a time. It was a wise decision as it made room for social aspects I would have otherwise missed--including meeting my husband. It wasn't an "I quit" per se, but I never expected to seriously return to writing.

Five years later, when I was married, a college student, and needing some sanity, I pulled out my old notebooks and FINALLY finished my first novel. All 140,000 words of it. (For non writerly types, that's about twice as long as your average book.) Next thing I knew, I'd written a novella that eventually became MOONLESS, then a musical with a full orchestral score, then six other books...

It was the right time for writing.

But, as is inevitable, I've cycled into a new season. All my writerly loves are sitting in their file folders, begging for my attention...and not getting it. There will come a time again when I write as prolifically as before, but right now, I'm consumed with 5 major projects: one in his sophomore year of college at age 16, two of them in 5th and 7th grade home school, one in home preschool, and the last one...

For those of you who may not have seen the announcement:

She even smiled for the picture!!!

The time for writing will come again. For now, I'm a full-time teacher, part time blogger, part time taxi, house keeper, and periodic book reviewer. That'll do, eh?

HUGE thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh

and his cohosts, JH Moncrieff, Madeline Mora-Summonte, 
Jen Chandler, Megan Morgan, and Heather Gardner!

Three weeks ago, Krystal Jane Ruin shared NO REST FOR THE WICKED along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed was entered to win an AWESOME prize pack.

The game:

1. I once got lost in England, alone, at night, by myself. I was coming back from seeing Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Opera House in London and went out a different exit than planned. I found by way back by following signs for the British Museum as my hotel was off an adjoining street. I only ran into three weirdos.

2. I once got lost in Spain coming back from Castle Alcazar in Segovia. I wandered around the mountains for a couple of hours looking at the pretty scenery before growing tired and taking a trolley to the cemetery across from the hotel, which was the closest he could get me on his route. 

3. I once got lost in Switzerland. I got distracted by the pretty buildings on the way to see the famous Lion Monument in Lucerne. I lost my tour group, and was found by the trip director on my way back to the prison hotel who took me on a walking tour of the city while he ran some errands.

The lie: #2. 

From Krystal: I've never been to Spain, but this exact thing happened to me in Edinburgh. I got turned around after exploring Edinburgh Castle, and the cemetery was across from the dorms we were staying in, not a hotel. I get lost a lot.

And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Suzanne Furness!

Congrats, Suzanne!

And now, about selling time:

With subtle wit, and poignant imagery, the unrelenting passage of time connects the vignettes in Theresa Milstein's Time and Circumstance. This reflective collection of real and imagined poetry and prose, speculates on an erratic childhood, the uncertainty of adolescence, and the reality of parenthood, through flashbacks of love lost and found.

"This everyday, why again, sometimes

ignored tune has measured time in notes, 

seconds, minutes, days, years, and so it goes. 

It's a measure of the man he will become."

Buy your copy on Amazon.

Ready to meet the author?

Theresa Milstein writes middle grade and YA, but poetry is her secret passion. Vine Leaves Press published her vignette collection, TIME & CIRCUMSTANCE on March 21, 2017. She lives near Boston Massachusetts with her husband, two children, a dog-like cat, and a cat-like dog. For her day job, she works as a special education teacher in a public school, which gives her ample opportunity to observe teens and tweens in their natural habitat.

For Theresa, picking a favorite cheese is like choosing a favorite child ... almost. You might stumble across her eating a soft blue cheese or a gouda with a little crunch, some fresh bread, olives, and wine while hanging out with friends or family who are visiting her home.

Theresa gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. If you guess the lie, right or wrong, you will be entered to win an ebook of TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCE, and if you guess correctly, you will win a SIGNED HARDCOPY! (Open internationally.) IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOGGER ACCOUNT WITH AN EMAIL ON THE PROFILE, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS OR EMAIL IT TO crystal@crystal-collier.com WITH YOUR SCREEN ALIAS.

You have until Tuesday, June 20th at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer on June 21, 8 a.m. EDT.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Right after college, I landed a job as a make a makeup artist at Macy's, Herald Square, New York City. This led to a year doing makeup for a few shows on The Food Network. 

2. During the summer, I worked as a carney in the game booths on Long Island. I hated working the fixed games, though I hated running the sticky cotton candy booth even more.

3. One semester, I interned with a U.S. Congressman in New York, which meant handling a lot of angry phone calls, looking up data, tracking potholes, and attending events.

So sleuths, which is the lie? What would you do with a spare bottle of time? Have you met Theresa? Do you read poetry? Have you ever quit something you LOVE?

5 Reasons You Need Fun TODAY

It's way too easy to get swept up in the seriousness of life. Don't you agree?

So here's a reminder to be a little lighter hearted, to do things that make you laugh, to take time to occasionally be a kid.

1. Because...Oooh! Bouncy!

It's way too easy to get paranoid about taking risks or looking silly.

2. Your inner child is DYING to come out.

No seriously! If you don't let it out occasionally, it will die.

(And who doesn't miss playing in the ball pit?)

3. Sometimes you just have to go for it. Let the consequences be what they are!

Dive!

(I wonder how many times he washed those pants and still found leaves hiding in them.)

4. Allow yourself to occasionally be silly on the job!

A little groove goes a long way.

5. We all want to be Superman. I mean, er, fly!

You can't fly with out the danger of falling/crashing.

AND NOW, don't forget that

Have a magical day, and win a book below!

Two weeks ago, Liz Long shared SUPERNOVA along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed was entered to win an eBook.

The game:

1. I've appeared as a Jeopardy contestant.
2. I have interviewed Kevin Costner and Bill Maher.
3. I was once involved in an FBI case.

The lie: #1. 

From Liz: My husband and I love Jeopardy; I've always loved it to be honest, watching it almost every night growing up. We're those people who shout the answers at the TV because we're so excited when we know it. Maybe one day I'll be on there, but it would have to be one of those specific ones, like College Jeopardy...Author Jeopardy? ;)

And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Tyrean Martinson!

Congrats, Tyrean!

Speaking of fun, you can win an AMAZING book from one of the funnest people I've had the pleasure of knowing online (and it has nothing to do with our matching first names):

Since her release from the psychiatric facility and into the smothering guardianship of her aunt, twenty-one-year-old psychic Tatum Torabi has been sneaking away to sell curses and plagues in the underground, a black market known for illegal and supernatural wares.

Tatum’s unique abilities catch the attention of a hella-creepy trash peddler who offers her a job tracking down people who owe his boss “a favor.” She couldn’t be less interested, but when she refuses, the company forces her compliance by threatening the lives of the only family she has left.

Because tracking barely scratches the surface of what they really want from her. There’s a reason Tatum is so good at making curses, and they want her to use those skills for a much darker purpose.

Buy your copy on Amazon.

Ready to meet the author?

Krystal Jane is the author of supernatural and paranormal fiction. She lives in the Tennessee Valley with a collection of swords and daggers. She hopes have a full fledged collection of medieval weapons one day. 

When she's not hoarding stuffed pandas, hourglasses, and Hello Kitty replicas, she can be found drinking chai tea, knee deep in Sudoku, in a YouTube hole, or blogging about books, writing, and random things at KrystalSquared.net.

Krystal loves cheese but can't eat it so much anymore so she saves it for special dishes like Panera's Fuji Apple Chicken Salad with Gouda. Otherwise she dives into her new vegan favorite: Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan Shreds - makes the best pizza for people who can't eat cheese!

Krystal gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. If you guess the lie, right or wrong, you will be entered to win an A bookmark, print copy of NO REST FOR THE WICKED, and dark fantasy coloring book. (Open internationally.) IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOGGER ACCOUNT WITH AN EMAIL ON THE PROFILE, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS OR EMAIL IT TO crystal@crystal-collier.com WITH YOUR SCREEN ALIAS.

You have until Tuesday, June 6th at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer on June 7, 8 a.m. EDT.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I once got lost in England, alone, at night, by myself. I was coming back from seeing Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Opera House in London and went out a different exit than planned. I found by way back by following signs for the British Museum as my hotel was off an adjoining street. I only ran into three weirdos.

2. I once got lost in Spain coming back from Castle Alcazar in Segovia. I wandered around the mountains for a couple of hours looking at the pretty scenery before growing tired and taking a trolley to the cemetery across from the hotel, which was the closest he could get me on his route. 

3. I once got lost in Switzerland. I got distracted by the pretty buildings on the way to see the famous Lion Monument in Lucerne. I lost my tour group, and was found by the trip director on my way back to the prison hotel who took me on a walking tour of the city while he ran some errands.

So sleuths, which is the lie? If you could abandon life today, what kid-like behavior would you engage in? Have you met Krystal Jane? Do you like paranormal books?