Friday Free-For-All!

Happy Spring Break!

And a not so happy Writer's Butt post for me. To tell the truth I haven't even weighed since I began packing for my move so this month we're going to take a rain check on the Writer's Butt (for me at least) I'd still love to know  if and how you all are continuing to be lean mean writing machines.

In other news....

-I'M IN MY NEW HOUSE! My family couldn't be happier. Now to finish getting out of the boxes:(

-I had a writing epiphany yesterday that I will share with you on Tuesday. Thanks Emily for that one:)

-My birthday is tomorrow! Thirty-three is the new twenty-three...or so I hear.

-The LDS StoryMakers Conference is in ONE MONTH! I can't wait to get there and meet so many of my blog buddies!

-I missed you all!

What about you? What new things are are popping up this spring that you're excited about?

Saying Goodbye....For Now

Not six months ago I did a blog post about moving. A year before that, I moved too. And now...I'm doing it again.

I must love to move.

I did it a ton when I was a kid and apparently I want my children to go through the same experience.  My oldest asked how many times she had moved in her loooong seven year life span. I told her a whopping SIX times. Poor thing.

This move should be it for awhile though, and it'll be a good one! So while we're packing during the day and at night, heading to Goodwill to do drop offs and paint, I am going to take a small blog break.

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I hate it when you all come visit my blog and I am so busy I can't return the favor, so I just wanted to let you know there is no love lost, just mucho packing.
Until I return (which will probably be for my end of the month Writer's Butt update) I hope your minds are flowing and your Writer's Butts are staying perky and motivated.

Adios...for now!

Conferences, Querying and Awards!!!

Today is a good day...This reference reminds me of a rap song from the late nineties. Anyone care to take a guess at which one?

Okay, focus Deana.

For those of you who don't know, I am flying out to Utah in May to attend the LDS StoryMakers conference. I'm pretty excited about this because I get to meet TONS of blogger buddies and I can't wait for that. On top of that, I found out yesterday that I'm going to be in Elana Johnson's Publication Primer group. This is a six hour session for people serious about getting published. I can't believe how luck I am to be placed in her group so she can slash our pages and help us to be better writers:)

Oh, but my day gets even better.

I have edited Ripple Effect multiple times on my own and have gone through three rounds of beta reads. I've read it out loud, switched whole chapters moved and deleted. Added and changed. I think it's come time that I dip my toes in the query trenches.

I do still have it out to a couple of beta buddies and I want one more round of reads before all is said and done, but I am going to send it out to ten agents and just see what happens. Get a feel for if I have legs to stand on...or if I don't. We shall see.

What about you? How do you know when you're ready to query?

To end this post on why today is so wonderful...I have been given some awards!

Cassie Mae has given me the...umm I was trying to find out but something loopy is going on with her blog this morning.
Sharon Bayliss, over at the Blue Word has given me the Sunshine Award and tagged me with the Lucky 7 Meme
And finally Tara Tyler, from Tara Tyler Talks gave me the Sunshine Award too!

You all are so sweet! It makes me want to get all sentimental on you...but I won't today. Instead I will pass on the awards and the rules.

 

I like this MEME! Here are the rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 authors.




Here is mine:
"...you to sit here and rest and I’m going to go get us something to drink.”
“What? Where do you think you’re going to do that?” I ask, skeptical.
“Just trust me.”
“Whatever.” I have no energy to care if I get a drink or not at this point, so I curl up into my same old useless ball-like position and try to sleep.

#

After tossing and turning on the hard ground, I grunt and mumble and finally figure...

That's it. Pretty enthralling 7 lines huh? HA!
Alrighty, now for the Sunshine Award:
Here are the questions. Here are my answers.

1. Favorite Color: Blue: Go Big Blue!

2. Favorite Animal: All of them:)

3. Favorite Number: 6

4. Favorite (non-alcoholic) drink: diet coke

5. Facebook or Twitter: Twitter

6. My passion: writing

7. Getting or Giving presents: can I say both?

8. Favorite Pattern: mismatched stuff. I just love it!

9. Favorite Day of the Week: Since I am a stay at home mom, I don't really dread the week. So I am going to say all the days are pretty cool!
10. Favorite Flower: I'm horrible with knowing the names of flowers, but my favorite is that one that blooms into big ball-like flowers. Oh they are BEAUTIFUL!
Passing on the love now....
Kim Van Sickler
Leslie Rose
The Red Angel
Reina Laaman
Chemist Ken
Kristin Creative
Angela Brown
That's it. Later dudes:)

You know my last post? Yeah. Scratch that.

I wanted to start off by thanking everyone who stopped by this week to get me out of my funky mood. Your words of encouragement helped immensely! And I was able to pinpoint where my blues have been coming from...

For starters I live in the south--a small city in the south to be exact. This basically means there are no yards and LOTS of rednecks.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good redneck. I'm sure, in my own way, I have a bit of bumpkin in me too. But I'm also an animal lover and recently we had some new redneck neighbors move in and tie their pit bull up to a tiny leash and leave him overnight outside when it snowed. Ugh, it was one heart-string pullin' night.

Needless to say I called animal control (who, I was told, are supposed to warn the people to take care of their pet, not take the dog away to its certain death) but animal control man said the dog had to have been abused (basically be emaciated and hurt) before they would visit the family. Whatever! It has literally killed me.

That on top of recent edit-block (it is real people) and finding out we are going to be moving after only six months in this house and I'm all kinds of frazzled.

I know you stronger people out there might be laughing at my minuscule stresses. And seriously, I'm laughing at myself too.

I have loads to be thankful for. After all, where the stresses are found, so are the blessings. The move is going to suuuuuuck. But, we're moving into a better place for our family (less rednecks for sure).

My edit-block has passed as it always seems to.

And the poor dog is still outside, but they have removed the leash and put it in a fence thing with a dog house.  So yes, it still whines all the time, but at least it can hunker in its tiny dog house when it's cold or rainy.

All in all, I feel pretty dang blessed.

What about you? Do your bummy moods usually pave a path to all the great things in your life?

The Funky Blues

I try to look on the bright side here on my blog, but I am not a liar and today I cannot hide my totally bummy mood. No doubt about it, I am feeling the blues.

Have you ever felt that way and can't actually pinpoint what it is...or maybe you can pinpoint it but you just don't want to? Well that's me today.

It could be my writing, it could be personal. Whatever it is, I'm over it already! I hate feeling this way. 

Have you ever been in a funk and don't really know why? What do you do to smack some happiness into your bummed out self?

Friday Free For All!

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I have dreams of the perfect writing day.

For me it would be waking up after 8AM to a roaring thunderstorm pounding on the roof, creating the only noise in an otherwise quiet house. The day has to be overcast and dark so I don't have any desire to head outside.The kids, hubs and dog have conveniently decided to go on an all day outing and would have already left. I don't have breakfast to make, a toddler to usher to the potty, a seven-year-old's hair to brush as she complains or a dog to walk. Just me, a Diet Pepsi, my computer and focus.

Ah, the perfect day. Maybe it will happen. One day.

What about you? What would your perfect writing day consist of?