I got the Versatile Blogger Award!

I was informed that I received the Versatile Blogger award the other day and have been procrastinating, in between writing, but have finally told myself, Karen you really need to post this" So here it is...

BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME! And I am very honored to have received it.

First The Rules

Everything in life has rules, and the Versatile Blogger award is no different. So here goes.
(Actually this is probably the easiest part!)

1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.
Thank you Debra. I am honored and surprised, because I wasn't expecting this. :-)
I love following Debra's Blog. She has been very supportive and helpful and always has a kind word and puts up with all my dumb questions. I hope you will follow her also and don't forget to follow her on twitter too!
http://debrakristi.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/reapers-and-dvrs-at-the-row80-check-in-1-29/

@DebraKristi

2. Share 7 things about yourself. Now this is hard! No Laughing!
* When I was little, I would make believe every day that I was sitting at my little table, having tea with Elvis.
* Even though I probably know all of the words to most of the songs, "I'm NOT a Beatles fan" Sorry...
* I'm a big fan of Ozzy and 80's hair bands and Matchbox 20
* I hate clutter
* I love everything vanilla and white chocolate
* I'm open minded and a positive person, who loves to help others
* I love creating things and I custom design gift baskets and party sets

3. Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs you enjoy reading. Okay...I knew this would be hard, but didn't expect it to be this hard. I love finding and following so many awesome blogs, how do I only pick 15, oh well here goes...

* This is Brian's Blog. He was the first person I did a guest blog post for. It is a health related blog about his book "Death: Living to talk about it."
http://brha99.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/this-weeks-journal-jan-20th-through-jan-26th/

* This is one of Cecilia's Blogs
http://thestupidappraiser.info/LaVitaNuova/

* Genreality Always has some great advice for writers
http://www.genreality.net/stranger-than-fiction

* And this one I just started following today!
http://amloki.blogspot.com/2012/01/sign-up-for-some-atozchallenge-blogging.html

*Looking for awesome, recipes, pictures and fun/ I highly recommend
http://www.theredheadriter.com/

* I've read and loved  Richard's book "Near Death" Even reviewed it here on my blog, check out his blog!
http://richardchaleauthor.com/

*This is Caddy's blog. She interviewed T.M. Souders today :-)
http://caddyrowlandblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/interview-with-fabulous-author-t-m.html

* This is Patti's
http://theangelsarehere.wordpress.com/readers-questions-answered/

* There's only one word to describe DC's AWESOME!
http://dcmcmillen.com/2012/01/31/2118/

* This is John? Paul? :-) I never know, but he is one of the most versatile bloggers on my list! Wonder where George and Ringo are? :-)
http://blog.pauldorset.com/

*Karen's Blog. I love Karen's blog because she's got an awesome name! :-))
http://kptoz.blogspot.com/

*And Charlie's is a must see!
http://curiousstories.blogspot.com/

*Mish Who is always an inspiration
http://writer-in-transit.co.za/drabble-challenge-relief/

*Peter's blog will leave you rolling on the floor in laughter! And I love his nemesis!
http://peterhobbs1.wordpress.com/

*Zen was one of my NaNoWriMo Buddies who kept me on track!
http://zencherry.wordpress.com/

I Love All my blogging friends that I follow and that follow me. Sometimes they make me laugh and sometimes they make me cry, but they are the best!






4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.

Live Life to Write Better

Someone posted this saying on facebook this morning and I thought,
"That should be every writer's motto." We need to take the time to enjoy our lives and the people around us. We all have memories, thoughts, feelings, and wonderful and not so wonderful people in our lives that should inspire us in our writing.
Stop for a moment, feel your heart beating? place your fingers on your wrist. Now you feel it, don't you. Think about how it would feel if you were happy, scared, or excited. Now go out and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. Close your eyes and hear the birds singing, a dog barking, or even a neighbor mowing the lawn. Revel in the joy of a child's first word, a lover's touch, or a kind word. Talk to people, no better yet, listen to people. Listen to their thoughts, their feelings. We have all felt happiness and sorrow it's part of life and the more we experience life, the better writers we become.

I went and visited my dad this morning. He's a character. I did use some
of his personality traits in one of my novels. He's someone I love and respect

very much. He will be 88 in April and still going strong and he's a big part of my life.

Well to sum this up, enjoy your day today and set aside your writing for just a little while and go live life. It holds some great inspirations for some great writing!

Dilemmas

Good morning! I think... Today I'm just thinking out loud, so bear with me and maybe you can relate.
I get up this morning and I feel...yuck. Not sick or anything like that, but just...
I've been sitting too much, and eating too much, and can't stand wearing my sweats or flannels for too long once I get up and yet my favorite jeans are dirty, so I put on my next faves. They don't fit like my favorite ones, but they have to do.And then to top it off, I cut my hair last week, not bad, but...It's too short to get up in the morning, run the brush threw it and put it in a ponytail and too long to get out of bed and run the brush threw, it has to washed and blow dried! UGH! And then to top it off...my dog is being annoying this morning every time I get up from the chair he's dogging me and attacking my shoes.  But these are just minor annoyances, what has got me feeling yuck? WRITING! Yes, writing.

I started a new story this week. In my head it was basically all cut and dried, BUT
I made the mistake at the very beginning of introducing a guy (not the intended hero, But he'll make your heart flutter) A crush that she has had since day one, that she grew up with. And then I have a part where she's thinking back to her past true love, and then I introduce the hero, but now I'm not sure which one should be victorious! Oh how the plot thickens...
I haven't even thought about the happily ever after, so I have no idea how the story will end, BUT
after pouring my heart and thoughts out to you, I just came up with a new plot twist! So I am off to write!
Thanks for listening and I hope all your plots go in all the right directions!
Have a great day!

How much is too much?

I love to read. I always have. But am finding now that I'm writing, that we tend to get caught up in word count.
Yes you need to describe your characters and set your scenes, but do you really need to describe the mole on the right hip of her third cousin? Unless there's a certain significance to it.  Do you have to have their agenda minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day? How much is too much? And how much is not enough?
When you pick up a book and it drones on and on, do you lose your interest, thinking to yourself, "They really didn't need all that" Can your story be told in 25,000 words compared to 50,000? How much is lost when you cut back, or add more? I guess the big question is, "How much do you put out there vs. how much you let your reader's imagination work?"
And once they read it will they remember it, or at least a part of it?

I used to read Romance novels when I was younger, now I write them and read other genres, but I can remember this one novel (I read it like 20 years ago) well the basic outline of it, as if I read it last week.
It was a Harlequin novel, I have no idea who wrote it (and that's the sad part, but I have always been terrible with names) but it has stuck in my head and I wanted to share just the basic plot of it with you and we will see if I can keep it short, I don't know I get kind of wordy sometimes.

This is what I remember;

There was a count, duke, whatever (See, what he was didn't make an impression on me) He lived in a big castle. (Where? I don't remember) He had been injured and had lost his sight temporarily or at least they hoped it was only temporarily. So a young, overweight, plain looking woman was hired to take care of him. All the mirrors had been removed and placed in the basement. (Still don't know why, because his eyes were bandaged and he couldn't look in them anyway) She had low self esteem and he was a cranky person with the attitude of "Why me?" Kind of like "Beauty and the Beast" Anyway, every night after he fell asleep she went down and went skinny dipping in the pool and over time she had to take in her clothes so they would fit. Now remember there are no mirrors to look into. Over the course of let's say six months, he was falling in love with her. She was kind and caring. Something he had never experienced before. So on the day the bandages were to be removed she didn't want him to see her, in her mind she was fat and ugly. So when they removed the bandages and he could see, she wasn't in the room and he went searching through the castle looking for her. Finding her, she told him he didn't want to see her, because she was ugly and not good enough for him and he took her down to the basement where the mirrors were and made her look in the mirror at her own reflection and she was beautiful. She was in great shape from the nightly swims, and her hair and skin glowed from eating right and on and on...

 I am looking at this from a reader's point of view and not the writer's point of view.
Put yourself in your reader's shoes for a minute...
How much is too much and what will they remember?
Hopefully they won't be like me and forget who wrote the book.

Just a last note check out http://www.genreality.net/its-all-about-the-details, I think their blog post works well with mine today!

Let's Skip the Rest of January!

Can we just fast forward to February? Please?

Wow January has had me on a roller coaster. My email account was hacked into, not once, but twice.
I have had to send out apology emails to everyone for the spam that my hackers have been sending them.
 Then I had to create a new email at a different server. What a mess!
And then there was the mix up with my paypal debit.
And to top everything off, My car has failed the smog test 3 times, even after I paid out the $168.00
to have the carburator rebuilt! So I'm stuck at home :-(
But then that's not too bad, I wrote a novelette and am working on another while being stuck at home,
But the worst thing for me is:
Being stuck on the second book in my series!
The words are there, in my head, some on paper, others on the computer, the whole story actually in one way or another,
But they are just words. I can't seem to express the emotions that those words should express.
The love/hate, deep down, I will be there for you forever, no matter where our paths lead us, type of emotions.
So can we just fast forward a couple of weeks and hope February is better?
And I'm not the only one who has been having a not so great week. Check Out Debra's blog here

http://debrakristi.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/launch-needed-row80-check-in-122/

At least she's got an awesome poem to help with the struggles.
Happy Sunday everyone, and here's to a better week! I hope!

Tuesday Blogs to Follow

I have a pending blog post, that I so do hope to share later today, but for now, I thought you might enjoy other's blogs that I follow and enjoy!

http://peterhobbs1.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/pet-peeves/

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/01/book-cover-design-and-the-problem-of-symbolism/

http://clairejdeboer.com/2012/01/author-tips-on-building-relationships-and-sharing-your-words-with-the-world

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/dont-eat-the-butt-lies-that-can-poison-our-writing-career-1/

http://mainstreetmusingsblog.com/2012/01/09/freshly-pressed/

http://wordservewatercooler.com/2012/01/16/i-have-a-dream-today/

I love Blogs!

Good morning! And Happy Tuesday!
Today I just want to share a few blogs that I have found and that I follow, since I really need to update my other blog today! Yikes! You can find it here...
http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/my-firsts/

This is J A Bennett's new blog http://j-a-bennett.blogspot.com/2012/01/fresh-start.html?spref=tw

Here is some advice on creating a good blog or web page.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2012/01/06/is-your-website-hurting-your-writing/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheCreativePenn+(The+Creative+Penn)&utm_content=Google+Reader

And here are a few of my faves I follow

http://www.theredheadriter.com/

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/

http://theballadofjoeyflowers.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/the-love-the-hate-regret-we-all-have-it/

http://debrakristi.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/immortal-monday-poseidon-not-the-hollywood-version/

There are so many more wonderful blogs that I follow not mentioned today, but I am thinking I should start sharing them on Tuesdays.
Have a wonderful day today everyone!
Karen

Writing Love

As some of you know, I have a fondness for reading and sharing my horoscope. I find it fascinating how they relate to my writing as well as my life. And today's is no different.
I am writing the second book in my series. And I am having trouble writing just how deep the main character's love is for each other. This is a love story that has been in my head for a long time and yet...I just can't seem to capture the essence, the soul, the...The bond that they share and will for the rest of their lives, even when they are apart. It's not a writer's block, it's a feeling that needs to be conveyed to the reader, that for some reason, I can't find the words for. A passion that they share, and I'm not talking about sex, but a deep passionate love that reaches to the very depths of their soul, that tattoos their love on each other's hearts for the rest of their lives, no matter where they go, or who they are with. Oh well here's my horoscope for today. It reminds me of my hero and heroine as they stumble towards a perfect love.

Aquarius (1/20-2/18)

Not every romance can start off as a sizzling affair, so don't get discouraged if you and someone else are experiencing a slow burn instead of a white hot and intense heat. It's a good sign -- it says this thing between the two of you is more about going the distance than it is about drama. Every time your heart connects with someone else, it's a different experience and should be respected as such. Do not compare this to anything you have ever experienced before

New Book Review for "Eleven"

I just finished reading "Eleven" By Carolyn Arnold last night and am here to share my review.
I am new to this thing called "review" And also new to reading books by authors other than Stephen King!

So here goes,
The first few pages didn't grab me quite like I had hoped, but I pushed on and once I was past the first few pages, Carolyn pulled me in and hooked me through to the end. I am a big fan of the crime shows on TV, but normally don't read that genre. Carolyn really did a great job on writing her story, forming the plot and gave it a great ending. There were some great descriptions and yet she left enough to the reader's imagination. The only complaint I really have, and this is just my personal opinion, was that I would have liked to see a little less of the descriptions and a little more dialogue between the characters. I would have liked to see the character's personalities emerge though their dialogue more than through their actions.

But overall I give "Eleven" a 5 star review.
And if it's ever made into a movie, Tommy Lee Jones has got to play Jack! Or my second choice would be Billy Bob Thorton! He was my favorite character in the story. You did a great job creating him!

If you would like to read "Eleven" By Carolyn Arnold you can find it here
http://www.amazon.com/Eleven-Carolyn-Arnold/dp/146643936X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1325613920&sr=8-6

You can find Carolyn on facebook https://www.facebook.com/carolynannarnold
And follow her on twitter Carolyn_Arnold
And don't forget to check out her site
http://sassy3421.blogspot.com/2011/12/tuck-and-roll-writers-highway-part.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CarolynArnold+%28Carolyn+Arnold+-+A+Writer%27s+Journey%29&utm_content=Yahoo%21+Mail

Love to Read!

Good Morning and Happy New Year! I was supposed to have posted this blog post 3 days ago, but... And it was supposed to be about New Year Resolutions and Goals, but...So I thought I'd combine them into one post today.
First, I don't make resolutions. To me they are like "Promises" and "Rules"
"Never make a promise you can't keep."
                  And
"Rules were made to be broken"
So no resolutions here! For me they are just a way to set myself up for failure. But I want to share some other blogger's posts with you this morning on their resolutions and goals.

http://nepheletempest.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/as-the-year-fades-to-memory/
http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/12/goals-resolutions-words/
http://www.ericaluckedean.com/the-daily-blog/2012/1/2/theres-nothing-like-a-good-book.html?lastPage=true#comment16431943


http://clairejdeboer.com/2012/01/the-difference-between-a-new-years-resolution-and-a-goal

But wait! I do have some goals for 2012!

1. I want to read more books by new authors. I'm a big Stephen King fan, but since I started writing in 2011, I decided to start reading books by new authors and giving them support. (And I'm doing good so far. I have read two books since Christmas by new authors. Richard C Hale and Carolyn Arnold.)
2. To get better at writing reviews. I tend to be short and to the point!
3. To improve my query writing. Here I also tend to be short and to the point. 
4. To keep learning new things.
5. Finish writing the middle two books for my series, "Chris' Journey Turning Different Corners"
6. And last, but not least, to reconnect with family and friends that I seem to have been neglecting since I started writing. I've heard being a writer is a lonely life and boy they weren't kidding!

And this is my tarot card this morning. Sounds good to me!

"The Knight of Pentacles card suggests that my power today lies in practicality. I plan ahead and consider my options to set priorities or define goals that serve my long-term purpose. My values lay in the potential that often remains unseen by others. I am cautious, steady, optimistic and reliable and have earned the new trust or position that empowers me. My asset is accepting responsibility."

So I wish each and everyone of you, "An awesome new year, filled with success for all your resolutions and goals!"