Archive for May, 2010

May 31st, 2010

Mommy Monday- Memorial Day Fun!

by Holly Dodson
Happy Memorial Day, my lovelies!!!!

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Today we commemorate the many men and women who have died while in the military.


I’m spending the day home with Super-Spawn. (Yes, he wound up staying home for the holiday!! YAY!!!!)

Anyway, today is a day for swimming, barbecue, trips to the beach, and relaxation! I hope you all, whether in the US or abroad, have a wonderful day!

On a mommy note today, make sure to check the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Database to find out just how safe your sunscreen is. They rate ingredients in products from 0-10, 0 being the safest and 10 being the worst. They don’t only rate sunscreen, you can find everything from bubble bath to foundation in their extensive database.

Sometimes the things we use to protect ourselves turn out to be worse for us than we thought.

A favorite sunscreen of mine is Badger, which rates in at 0. We never get sunburns as long as it is used properly, and that says a lot since we live in sunny Florida!

Now, time for some watermelon!

Categorygreen living, holiday, moms, parenting, summer | Comment2 Comments »

May 29th, 2010

The importance of backing up your work…

by Holly Dodson

What a freaking day.

Super-Spawn was up at six this morning and I thought, “Hey, I could get some writing done.” Tralalala, right? Yeah, until I went to turn my computer on.

And it didn’t turn on.

Crap.

I called tech support and they told me to take it to Geek Squad. My computer is only a few months old…it really shouldn’t have died. Plus it was working fine last night. So I took it to the store, oh but they don’t open until ten.

Fine. We’ll go to the book store.

Aaaaaand, they’re having power problems and are closed.

ARGH!!!

We waste time in Target and return to the computer place, finally. Oh, but they can’t fix my computer without my receipt. No, they couldn’t look my receipt up either because I paid cash for the computer.

It gets better.

Super-Spawn was acting like he was the spawn of Arch Nemesis as he screamed and attempted to squirm his way out of the stroller. So we high tailed it to the car — I called the tech people back and have to ship my computer to them to be fixed. At my expense. Even though it is still under Warranty.

Yeah, not happy at all.

We went about our day, lunch and a movie with friends. When the movie was out I thought, “Oh, let’s go to the book store across town. I need another book to read and Super-Spawn want’s a Three Musketeers book. Cool. This day will get better.”

Sigh. If only.

On the way to the book store my tire blew out.

Luckily friends were following us and helped change the tire and get air in the spare.

Oh, and did I mention I’m losing ALL my files off my computer when they repair it? Yeah, ALL. Luckily my novels and most pictures are backed up. I will lose the work I did on editing last night, but that’s just a few hours and at least not months worth of sweat and tears.

Still. I cried my little eyes out. What a freaking day! The lesson?

ALWAYS BACK YOUR FILES UP!!!! And have great friends willing to help change a tire in the humid Florida heat.

Forgive me if I grumble about being computer-less for a while. It’s gonna suck.

Categorybad day, losing files, parenting, Writing | Comment5 Comments »

May 28th, 2010

Friday Fun

by Holly Dodson

So, my lovelies, what’s fun about this Friday? Lots of cool stuff to report!

I won a contest this week! Over on Eleana Johnson’s blog, and I’m totally excited!

AND I hit 30 followers this week! You guys are awesome, that’s the truth.

All of this excitement makes me want to have a contest of my own. Then I’ll have an excuse to use a bunch more of these – !!!!!

Tell ya what, I’ll start scheming, planning, begging, and whatever else it takes to come up with some cool prizes. And when I hit 50 followers, we’ll have that contest, oh yes we will!

For now, I’ll leave you with some of those inspirational quotes I mentioned in Tuesday’s post.


Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow

The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain

I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent re-writer. ~James Michener

Writing is physical work. It’s sweaty work. You just can’t will yourself to become a good writer. You really have to work at it. ~Will Haygood

A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing. ~Eugene Ionesco

Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position. ~Stephen King

We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to. ~Somerset Maugham

Being a good writer is 3% talent, 97% not being distracted by the Internet. ~Anonymous


Categorybloggers, contest, funny, inspiration, Writing | Comment4 Comments »

May 27th, 2010

Book Recommendation – If I Stay

by Holly Dodson
If I Stay
By Gayle Forman


The blurb: “In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck…

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.”

A book hasn’t affected me like this in a very long time. I was weary of reading it to be honest, I’m quite emotional when it comes to kids, and wasn’t sure I could handle the premise. The thing is, the story is written in such a way that,…more This is a novel that you devour in one sitting, and spend the next few days thinking back on. It is haunting and beautiful, heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. This is the kind of book that makes you question yourself, and really think twice.

A book hasn’t affected me like this in a very long time. I was weary of reading it to be honest. I’m quite emotional when it comes to kids, and I wasn’t sure I could handle the premise.

The thing is, the story is written in such a way that, while sad, I didn’t cry. I felt like an observer — not a part of Mia’s world. It really helped to have that distance, because while I was emotionally invested in the story, I didn’t feel like the author was making my heart break just to keep my attention. She didn’t have to. And the result was this phenomenal, life-changing novel about Mia’s choice to live or die.
It really will leave you wondering, “What would I do?”
This is probably one of the best books I have ever read. Honestly. And I feel like I could read it 100 more times and never get tired of it, always come away with a new lesson.

Read it.

Categoryauthors, books, Gayle Forman, READ IT NOW | Comment8 Comments »

May 26th, 2010

We LOVE Wednesday- Literary Crush Style

by Holly Dodson

The ladies over at YAHighway are taking a break from Road Trip Wednesday this week to offer some fabulous prizes! They are celebrating their one year blogiversary! Make sure to visit them!

So, I thought I’d throw my own question out there. Feel free to answer it on your blog or in the comments! If you post it on your blog, let me know and I’ll link you in my post.

Who is your literary crush? Can be fictional character, Author, Poet…anyone! (Or several if you’re like me and can’t choose just one.)

I could never choose just one, so here are the people I love and why (in no particular order):

  1. Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games, need I say more?
  2. JK Rowling- Yeah, Harry Potter, again- need I say more?
  3. David- From Aprilynne Pike’s Wings and Spells- He is the sweetest, most adorable fictional boyfriend, like, ever.
  4. Peeta- Because he’ll go to any end to save you should you ever wind up in, oh ya know — a situation where everyone is out to kill you.
  5. Juliette Marillier- Have you read her Sevenwaters books? Run-now-read. (The first is the best, but the others are great as well.) The way she writes is just…amazing…I really don’t know how else to put it. Her books wrap you in a spell and don’t let go. Ever.
  6. Po- From Graceling- He’s another really great good-guy love interest who would do anything to save you if you ever found yourself say — being chased by a psycho king bent on controlling you with his words.

What about you?

Blue Lipstick Samurai says, “A Sprig of Ginger”.

Categoryauthors, books, random, RTW, Wings, Writing, YAHighway | Comment4 Comments »

May 25th, 2010

Tipsy Tuesday- Keep it Up!

by Holly Dodson

For today’s Tipsy Tuesday post, I thought I’d give you bits of inspiration. Keeping up a writing life can be hard. Especially when you’re working full time, have kids to take care of, husbands to pay attention to, or any number of other major life involvements.
So, today, I will regale you with ways to keep yourself interested and NOT burnt out on your writing. (They work for me anyway.)

  1. Take a break if you need it- I list this first for a reason. Sometimes you just really do need a short break from your WIP to recharge your batteries. As long as you come back to it, it may do you a world of good.
  2. Post inspirational phrases near your writing space. I’m always seeing them posted on Twitter, and they really do help me keep my drive to achieve strong.
  3. This may sound weird, but– outline! I really love FreeMind, and I use it to make charts of my characters, chapters, scenes, whatever else I need to keep me focused and moving forward in my WIP.
  4. Talk to other writers! Huge, huge, huge one! On Twitter, on blogs, in person — wherever you can find a writer — talk to them. They understand what you’re going through, and may even be there themselves.
  5. If all else fails, take your mom, sister — someone who will tell you they love even your crappiest writing — your manuscript, and let them build you up. There is so much criticism (even if constructive) and rejection as a writer, sometimes all you need is someone to say, “Hey, this is really great.”And last, but certainly not least, you can always have one of these:

     

Red Apple Margarita (YUM!)

Sauza Gold tequila, DeKuyper Luscious Red Apple liqueur and margarita mix served over ice.

Categoryediting, inspiration, manuscript, publishing, revisions, Writing | Comment5 Comments »

May 24th, 2010

Mommy Monday- Fostering a love of reading.

by Holly Dodson

I’m a little sad this morning. Just realized the Super-Spawn will be spending the long weekend with his dad — that means three weekends in a row without him. :( See, I’m the sappy kind of mom that if I never had to leave him with a sitter or let him go with someone else, I wouldn’t.

Sure, it’s nice to get a break once in a while when he’s throwing tantrums non-stop. But to be honest, if it’s just me and him — there are no tantrums.

Okay, enough feeling sorry for myself. I get him all week long.

Today I want to talk about fostering reading in our kids. What do you do to get them to really love reading?

My whole parenting approach is to lead by example, and that doesn’t differ when it comes to reading. Every night when I lay down, I read. So, every night when Super-Spawn lays down, I read to him. Well, usually he tries to insist that he is going to read to me, but being not quite three-years-old he actually can’t. But he tells wonderful stories that all start with, “Once upon a time.” Makes his mommy proud.

He thinks it’s a game, to see how many books he can get me to read him in one night. That’s why I started reading to him from Harry Potter. First, he loves the movies so he’ll definitely love the books. Second, by the time I’ve read him two, or sometimes three, chapters he’s out.

I’d love to hear what you think can be done to foster a love of reading in a child. If you have kids, what do you do? If you don’t, how do you foster reading in the other children in your life (nieces, nephews, cousins, etc)?

Categorybooks, moms, reading | Comment4 Comments »

May 21st, 2010

Friday Fun

by Holly Dodson

First of all I just ran across this- Official 2010 Write Your A** Off Day. Looks like fun doesn’t it? It’s a challenge to write 3,000 words in a day. I bet I could do it — if I sat and stared at my WIP for hours. Ha. I’m a short bursts kind of writer, so it’d be interesting to see what I could pull off on a whole day devoted to nothing but writing.
I feel like I’m always linking to Nathan Bransford’s blog, but it’s for good reason — he’s a flippin’ genius. His blog post yesterday was on writing your one-line pitch.

According to him there are three basic elements in a good one sentence pitch:

- The opening conflict
- The obstacle
- The quest

So, in the spirit of good fun, here’s what I’ve come up with for Emerald’s Keeper.

Mandy may only be fourteen, but faced with a darkening world and a villain she loves, she must find the strength to do the right thing — or turn to the dark.

What do you think? Need some more work? I’m seriously struggling with this one sentence deal.

Share your one-liners in the comments!

Categoryagents, inspiration, manuscript, publishing, tips, Writing | Comment3 Comments »

May 20th, 2010

Book Recommendation – Spells

by Holly Dodson
Spells
By Aprilynne Pike


This is the second installment in the Wings trilogy.

Blurb: “Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger–and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever. When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?”

This is a light, fun-hearted story that really centers around Laurel, David, and Tamani. Much like its predecessor Wings the battle for Avalon is more of a secondary plot to the love triangle that Laurel struggles with.

I really loved that we got to experience Avalon and learn more about the faeries. The twists Aprilynne put on fae folklore were really interesting.

Laurel grows even more in this book than the last, finally coming into her own and not depending so much on others to set her life before her. Which is great. Maybe it gives teenagers that kick of, “Hey, this is my life, I need to do what I love.”

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, laughed out loud at several parts, and tried desperately to figure out where it would go next. Warning: It leaves you wanting more. ;)

Definitely something I’d recommend, and I look forward to book #3!

Which one should I read for next week? I’m trying to decide between If I Stay and Before I Fall.

CategoryAprilynne Pike, authors, books, Wings | Comment5 Comments »

May 19th, 2010

Road Trip Wednesday

by Holly Dodson

This week’s topic is epic, guys. Head on over to YAHighway to see everyone’s answers!

What tattoo would you get to celebrate your book’s success OR in honor of a favorite book?
I think this is so much fun. While I’d probably never get a tattoo in honor of a favorite book, I would certainly consider the idea if my own book came a big success.

But what would I get? That is the question. I’m a terribly indecisive person, and something so…permanent…well, that throws an extra bout of anxiety on the stockpile.

If it were Emerald’s Keeper that made it to successdom (Ha, yes, I know that’s not a word, but it’s fun!) maybe I’d get a stylized EK. Something like this…

What about you? What kind of tattoo would you consider in honor of a book- either your own or an all time favorite?

Categoryfunny, RTW, Writing, YAHighway | Comment14 Comments »

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