When Your Summer Dies, IWSG, & Angels

It's that time of the year when many parents are shopping for school necessities, looking forward to shipping their energy-balls off to the institution, and getting back into a prolific routine.

Yet some of us are filled with dread.

Some parents are welcoming a season of ease, writing, freedom, and productivity.

For everyone else, students and teachers alike, these are for you:

I pretty much feel like this at the beginning to middle of every school day:

And this:

And this, of course:

But for me, it really looks like this:

And when the kids fight me about assignments, there's lots of this, along with self talk:

(Why oh why do I do this to myself? Home schooling is COMPLETE insanity. I'm insane.)

(Especially when teaching my kid who is ADD+.)

(Who eats up ALL my energy, by himself.)

(Which is every day.)

(All the time.)

(Plus the other three kids.)

(Is it too early for a cheese break?)

But then there are little moments that change everything, moments I would miss if we did things differently:

This is pretty much how I feel about the process of writing as well. We slave over something we love, and sometimes it turns out, and often we want to slam our heads into a desk, repeatedly. But it's the small moments that make it all worth it. It all boils down to loving what we do, and making the best of every moment.

For those of you who are really excited to shove your kids/self back into the cookie-maker, I mean shaper, I mean school...

Huge thanks for hosting
Alex Cavanaugh, Christine Rains,
Dolarah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor,
Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner!

Last month, Bethany Kaczmarek shared STRAINS OF SILENCE along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed which was the lie was entered to win an eBook.

The game:

1. I've been married for 19 years, and we've moved 15 times.
2. I once lived in the country and had a cat named Taxi, because it amused us all to call for her.
3. I collect place mats from all over the world, and I love mixing them up at the table.

The lie: #3.

From Bethany: I only have place mats from Lithuania. They're made of linen and lace, and I would never allow anyone to eat on them. I do collect pottery and nativities from all over though. I'm not attached to stuff, but a few things in my home make it home to me, representative of our lives--and those are the pieces of art I've collected on our travels. Each tells a story I don't want to forget.

And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Sandra Allen Lovelace!

Congrats, Sandra!

And now for a book I think sounds absolutely fascinating:

For a ghost there are only two choices. Heaven or Hell.

Life has returned to normal for Tamara and Dex after helping a horde of ghosts cross over. Their brush with the afterlife affirmed one thing: happily ever after is real.

When odd pranks around the farm escalate to destruction, Tamara fears mischievous teenagers are vandalizing the neighborhood. Then Dex starts to act out of character. Meanness slips into his usually playful disposition. One day he even ridicules a co-worker publicly. Tamara watches helplessly as he seems to lose the ability to control his own actions. When Dex’s abnormal anger turns violent—toward Tamara—their happily ever after is threatened. Desperate to help Dex and herself, she sends out a silent prayer for help.

She didn’t expect Cal, the cowboy ghost she fell in love with before helping to cross over, to come to her aid.

Buy your copy on Amazon.

Ready to meet the author?

LA Dragoni isn’t too particular about who falls in love or where they fall in love. Whether it’s paranormal, mythical, or time travel, LA simply considers it her job to divine their story and share it with you. No stranger to the supernatural, LA believes the house she grew up in was visited by the ghost of the previous owner who died of a heart attack while mowing the lawn. Now she lives in a ghost-free home in Central Oregon with her husband and children, but haunts ghost towns and cemeteries throughout the west, in search of the next adventure to sift through her storytelling brain. Learn more about LA and her work at www.ladragoni.com.

Originally from Wisconsin, cheese is a way of life for LA. She is always trying to find new ways to enjoy it. Her current favorite is homemade mac and cheese made with generous shreds of mozzarella and pepper jack cheeses. The gooier, the better.

LA 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 GUARDIAN'S TOUCH. If you are the randomly selected winner and guessed correctly, you will also receive GHOST TOUCH, the first book in the series. (Open internationally.) DON'T HAVE A BLOGGER ACCOUNT WITH AN EMAIL ON THE PROFILE? No problem. LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS OR EMAIL IT TO crystal@crystal-collier.com WITH YOUR SCREEN ALIAS.

You have until Tuesday, September 5th at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer on September 6th, 8 a.m. EDT.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Once when riding with a friend, LA grabbed the dashboard and cried, “Careful! Watch out for the dog.” Her friend thought she was nuts, but when she turned the corner had to break to avoid hitting a dog running across the road.
2. LA has accurately predicted two earthquakes.
3. As a young girl, LA wanted to go on a day trip with her dad, but it was raining too hard. She flung her hands into the air and yelled stop. It did! Instantly! Though her father was freaked out, they departed on their adventure.

So sleuths, which is the lie? Have you met LA Dragoni? Are you ready for/excited about the new school year? What pet peeves do you have about reading or writing?

How NOT to Accomplish Goals (in 5 Easy Steps)

Have you completely given up on your goals for 2016?

Several of my wonderful blogging buddies do a monthly check in about their goals for the month/year. I don't. I live off the "list." There's a master list of things I'd like to accomplish each day, and as I accomplish them, they get scratched off the list. Looking beyond that tends to overwhelm me...because you know, I'm home schooling 4 kids.

So enough about healthy habits. Let's talk about some not so healthy habits. (Because they're funner.)

At the beginning of the year, my 2016 writing goals included:

1. Finish TIMELESS (book 3 in the Maiden of Time trilogy). DONE!!!! First trilogy completed. You better bet I'm celebrating. 

2. Publish an anthology of my short stories. .....

3. Record the audiobook for MOONLESS. (Maybe after TIMELESS releases?)

4. Finish PROJECT ALASKA and start querying. 32K words, and holding...until (you guessed it) after TIMELESS releases.

5. Read 60 novels. Yeah, I knew it would be a small reading year. I'm at 34, unless you count the ones I'm critiquing and beta reading, but I don't count those--only the ones I review.

SO How Not to Accomplish Goals (in 5 Easy Steps):

#5: Get Netflix. (You'll probably spend an entire hour just trying to decide what to watch.)

(Credit: Shutterstock/Dave Clark Digital Photo)

#4: Develop a social media dependence.

Source

#3: Have kids. And home school them. Every day. All day.

Source

#2: My favorite, stay up all night every night reading EPIC books.

#1: Forget the goals because...OOHH!! Chocolate. (Or cheese.)

Source

Whether you're a list, calendar, or check in kind of goal keeper, I hope your goals are going swimmingly this year.

Time to give some away some book love, eh?

Last week Misha Gerrick shared two truths and one lie. The winners were entered to win an eBook: ENDLESS.

The game:

1. I'm currently wearing my hair the shortest I've ever worn it. 
2. Mashed potatoes is my ultimate comfort food.
3. I've recently resumed my classical vocal lessons.

The lie: #2. Misha hates mashed potatoes. If she wants comfort, she'd chow down on chocolate. She is actually back in voice lessons as a soprano.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Cherie Reich!

Congrats, Cherie!

And now for today's giveaway: 

In You. I. Us, Annalisa Crawford captures everyday people during poignant defining moments in their lives: An artist puts his heart into his latest sketch, an elderly couple endures scrutiny by a fellow diner, an ex-student attempts to make amends with a girl she bullied at school, a teenager holds vigil at his friend’s hospital bedside, long distance lovers promise complete devotion, a broken-hearted widow stares into the sea from the edge of a cliff where her husband died, a grieving son contacts the only person he can rely on in a moment of crisis, a group of middle-aged friends inspire each other to live remarkable lives. Day after day, we make the same choices. But after reading You. I. Us., you’ll ask yourself, “What if we didn’t?”

Get Your Copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

Annalisa Crawford lives in Cornwall UK, with a good supply of moorland and beaches to keep her inspired. She lives with her husband, two sons, a dog and a cat. Annalisa writes dark contemporary, character-driven stories. She has been winning competitions and publishing short stories in small press journals for many years, and is the author of Cat & The Dreamer and Our Beautiful Child.

You might run across Annalisa munching on cheddar with her feet paddling in the sea.

Annalisa gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an PRINT copy of You. I. Us. (Open internationally.)

You have until Tuesday, August 2 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on August 3, 8 a.m. EDT.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I sink when I try to swim, but float away when I'm upright.
2. Due to repeats in the UK, I have watched the complete series of Star Trek: TNG, Castle, Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother multiple times.
3. It took me 6 attempts to pass my driving test.

So sleuths, which is the lie? What are your goals for 2016? How are you doing with them? What's your favorite distraction? Have you met Annalisa?

Home School Parents are Smart

You may be looking at me with a cross-eyed "duh", or you might disagree 100%.

I understand both perspectives--after all, we home school. We're completely insane on one hand--taking all this on ourselves, dealing with the time stress, the headache of curriculum, and the constant battle for balance. In a given day I'm a psychologist, teacher, physical education specialist, principal, music instructor, historian, custodian, nutrition specialist, doctor, mediator, and scientist. On the other hand, I don't get paid, and I'm not entirely sure I fill any of those roles thoroughly enough. I don't have a degree in any of those areas, or credentials for my childhood development emphasis.

Does that make me unintelligent? --Going forward without any of that? Potentially. BUT, here's the flip side:

Home School parents are amazing at research.

What is the essence of true intelligence? Acknowledging you don't have all the answers, and being willing to seek them out.

People at work call my husband a genius. He's an IT/Systems Integration Specialist in upper management. What does that mean? He does all things "geek" and "business." He doesn't have all the answers, but his true genius shines through in seeking them out. Google knows. (Or as he says, Google knows where to find anything you need.) He doesn't stop until he has an answer. Not only that, he's always looking to streamline the best process for crunching information. Does that make him brilliant? I think so. (Of course, I might be slightly biased.)

And this is why I say home school parents are smart. They spend OODLES of time researching curriculum, educational approaches, and every aspect of individual subjects. Thankfully for me, much of this spills over to writing. *using super-hero voice* I'm not afraid of research.

Are you as smart as a home schooling parent? Are you?

It Takes Courage

...to be different. (And I'm not talking about something like, "Dude, bet you've never seen this before. Check it out, toenail ring!") I'm talking a lifestyle or set of morals that the world may label as "lame", or "outdated". Who are they to judge? And while we're talking about this mysterious "they", who is that anyway?

One of my favorite WIP's (Work In Progress) is about a teen who's grown up in the "projects", or slums of New York City. While living in the city, I was astonished by the culture of government dependence and generational poverty. It was almost impossible for these people to see beyond their Section 8 housing and Foodstamps, to realize there was a better world out there--one where they didn't have to live in cockroach infested/frequently-flooding apartments, one where they could obtain gainful employment, one where the value of life wasn't dictated by power companies who would turn off your power in the middle of a heatwave, but by your own determination to excel. The problem was, most people got stuck in the city because it was too expensive to get out. My heart ached for them. Didn't they understand there was a better world out there?

There were, however, a handful of individuals who caught a glimpse. These were the hope of the future, the ones who would break the cycle of poverty against formidable odds, the ones who would become something.

My main character, Alaska (aka Ally), is one such individual who has lived through the grime. She's a fighter whose sights are set on a better life--not just for herself, but for her mom and little brother. She lives a strict moral code that her friends don't understand, one she created because of the people around her--to avoid some of the pitfalls they succumbed to, things that would keep her from her ultimate goal. She's different, weird, and sticks out. I adore Ally because of her courage. She's my hero.

For years we've been home schooling. Some people understand our reasons, but others turn their noses up and scoff. How dare we flout societal expectation and do our own thing? Don't we realize we're handicapping our children by keeping them out of the "cookie-cutter" school system? Don't we realize how socially damaged our kids will be from learning in a loving environment with educators who's most important goal is their success? Don't we know that sheltering our children from damaging influences will ultimately make for morally-different and confident people? Don't we know that no kid should be mature enough or educated well enough to graduate High School by the age of 14? I mean, how dare we!

My point is this:

People will tell you your work isn't good enough. They'll say you're going about it the wrong way. They'll insist that you have to follow a formula and do things by a predetermined method. If you don't do things their way, they'll tell you you're strange, or stupid, or wrong. The truth is, as long as you get the result you want, does it matter how you got there?

Courage, friends. Don't be discouraged by the voices out there. Do your best, and don't be afraid to go against the "norm".

And You thought Your Vacation was Long

Yes, I admit it, I've been vacationing from the blog realm--but I haven't been sitting on some beach sipping a fruity (but non-alcoholic) drink. No, this has been a working vacation.


You know those times when (crazy as it might seem) LIFE becomes more important than blogging? Yup. Welcome to the last three months.

Things accomplished:

--Got my daughter through 6 months worth of school in 2 months
--Attended a writing conference
--Established & started teaching curriculum for 3 kids for a new school year
--Landed some PAID music writing work *happy dance*
--Started planning an updated website/blog
--Revamped a 3 year old manuscript
--AND RECEIVED A FULL MANUSCRIPT REQUEST FROM A PUBLISHER!!!!

So now it's official. I have to be a serious writer...as long as I can take my cheese with me. What have you been up to?

Tagged! (What are your powers of randomness?)

*doing a silly twirly dance* Someone tagged me. ME. =) --And that someone just happens to be the AWESOME Claire Hennessy. (Thank you Claire. I adore you Claire. I'm sending cheese in mass quantities Claire. Um btw, what's your address?)

So what does that mean? I have to extrapolate 10 random facts about myself. Whew! Ten?

1. I LOVE CHEESE!!!! (!!!!!!)


2. Speaking of Random, my son is named Random. Yes, it's partially after his Dad's sense of humor, but it's also partially after my special needs brother Randy who passed away a year before our son was born.


3. I wrote a musical. No, I'm not talking roadshow or stage play. I'm talking 2.5 hrs of PURE MUSIC AWESOMENESS. And one day (when we crack down on our producer) it's going to go somewhere. =)



4. My name is literally Chicken. Or was. C (first initial) + (maiden name) Hicken= C.Hicken.


5. I home school my 3 kids. Like, every day. Like, all day. Yup.

6. I'm a total . No, I'm not kidding. I have 4 living brothers who are all computer geeks, and I laugh at every one of their stupid jokes.


7. I used to believe I was one of Santa's elves. Even had a shirt with a rainbow heart on it I could press and open the gateway to the north pole--you know, like a Star Trek call button. (I said I was a geek.)



8. I love living in tourist towns/vacation sites: Spirit Lake (High Uintah's), West Yellowstone, New York City, Oswego NY (but it was only touristy 1 week of the year), and now KISSIMMEE FLORIDA--with Disney fireworks shaking our back yard every night.




9. I grew up in Utah and have STILL never been skiing. That's like a crime, right?

10. I'm more comfortable on a stage in front of thousands than with one or two people at a time.

And now, what you've all been waiting for, five incredible people I'm tagging. This WAS SO HARD, only picking 5. I have so many AWESOME blogging buddies.

1. Susan Kay Quinn--One of the nicest people I have ever met...digitally that is.
2. Wendy Swore--I love Wendy.
3. The Misadventures of Mub--Kim makes me laugh. Always has. Aw Kimmy, if only you didn't live so far away! *sigh*
4. Ali Cross--Because deep down I really want to be a ninja too.
5. Rachel --PERSONALITY+ Everyone needs an outlook on life like this. You inspire me Rachel. =)

Whew! Out of breath!

Okay, your turn. What's one random or quirky fact about you?

Super Short

I'm participating in the Second Summer in the City Blogfest, which is basically a "let's set some goals for June and all support each other" blogfest. =)

So, my current WIP's are Immortal the Musical, Dark Moon, and my kids, of course. (Goals as follows:)
         1. Revise Forever into a blow-your-mind piece of music (-with the help of our kick-trash producer).
         2. Finish revising Dark Moon to third person (as opposed to 1st).
         3. Smooth and submit The Kiss of Death to a writing contest.
         4. Create our home school plan for 2011-2012. (3 kids, 3 grades.)

Is that enough? What are your goals?

More Awards!!

Recently on facebook we held a poll for which song from Immortal the Musical should be made into a music video. Here's our winner! (Now go "like" it on facebook!)

On to the real business for today.

Continuing from last week... Thank you Lady Jai for this award! You rock.

The rules for the Stylish Blogger Award:

• Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award


Share things about yourself
Award recently discovered great bloggers
Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

I'm good with all but part 2 there. Things about me...

1. I LOVE CHEESE. That's an easy one. 

2. I have about fifteen nicknames, but the most common are Chicken and Crystal the Pistol. 

3. Unlike my hubby, I vividly remember about 60% of my childhood. (Thus the YA/MG writing angle.) 

4. I learned how to sing by mimicking Sarah Brightman, aided by 4 yrs of voice lessons, and hindered by one of my brothers. (I have 5.) I couldn't open my mouth without him storming, stomping, screaming, threatening. He's probably the reason I persisted--the whole "underdog will conquer" mentality. Incidentally, he's fine with it now.

5. I never had a "clique" or group. My collection of best friends come from very different backgrounds, ethnicities and even countries. (Russia, China, Columbia, and Haiti to name a few.) 

6. My favorite and least favorite place to live was New York City. 

7. Home schooling my 3 kids is the greatest challenge I have yet faced. I waiver on a daily basis, but it's what they need--especially in light of our propensity to move.

8. I quit piano lessons because I was sick of playing other people's music. Six months later (at 13) I wrote down my first composition. Who knew that quitting lessons would one day lead to a FULL BLOWN MUSICAL!!!

Enough about me. Now on to the deserving subjects of today's post!

1. The Lit Express 

2. Eternal Moonshine of a Daydreaming Mind 
3. Ghost Horses Gallop for the Earth!
4. A Writers Work is Never Done
5. Dunhaven Place
6. Girl Unpublished
7. Carole Anne Carr 
8. Freckle Head
9. Dark Angel Fiction
10. Clarissa Draper
11. Damsel in a Dirty Dress
12. Heather Justesen
13. Ink Spells
14. Fabulous Reads
15. Jenni James

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?