30 days of thanks: day 13

I'm thankful for my readers. I thank everyone that showed up at my Dissected launch party last night. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I know there were others that wanted to be there but had to work, or were sick, but I know they were there in spirit.

I was so nervous, there was so much I forgot that I wanted to say. I wanted to say, that writing what I write, the hard stuff, the people with flaws, with issues...I write it because I'm drawn to it, because it resonates with me. The people in my books - I know them. In many ways I am them.

I also wanted to tell them that if you read the book and if you like the book, consider taking the time to review it on Amazon. Not just my book, but any book of any author that maybe someone hasn't heard of, because it does help. If we get a number of reviews, Amazon might move us to a certain list, or section that might give us a little more promotion.

Also, if you like it, tell a friend.

Okay enough about that and back to my readers. I started writing because I love to do it. It's a form of therapy, a copying mechanism, not unlike my characters Sydney's decision to cut. But since getting published, I realize how important my readers are to me. To inspire them or to give them a story or character to connect with, that makes me feel good.

Here are just a couple tidbits of messages I've received from people who've read my work:

"...i felt like i had a sense of enlightenment and it made me want to be a better person..."

"My younger daughter died of osteosarcoma (a bone cancer) in Dec 2007; she was sixteen.  She would have had so much in common with Austin.  Her courage continues to inspire me and while I will never get over her loss, I have made it through.  Thank you for giving teens with cancer a voice."

"...Never Eighteen changed my entire outlook on life. Thank you so much for writing this wonderful book. ...Thank you again for this amazing contribution to the literature world!"

Just a few, but you get the point. Messages like these make me feel amazing and want me to keep doing what I'm doing.

So, thank you readers for inspiring me and motivating me to keep going.

Happy Wednesday!

30 days of thanks: Day 12

Today I'm thankful for books. Books that showed up at my door yesterday. Yep. So I could have a release party tonight.

Of course, not only those books, but books in general. I love reading books. My mother instilled the love of reading in me. I've been reading since I could, devouring Dr. Seuss, Donald J. Sobol, Judy Blume, then on to S.E. Hinton, then Stephen King, J.R.R. Tolkein, Ray Bradbury. I even enjoy some Shakespeare from time to time. Those are authors whose books (and plays)  I've read a lot. 

Some favorite books:

• Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• The Crucible by Arthur Miller
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
• The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
• Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice.

More contemporary novels I've liked have been:

•  The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich
• Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
• The World According to Garp John Irving
• She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
• Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (I also enjoyed his McKenzie series)
• Red Dragon & Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (never read Hannibal)
• Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

When it comes to Young Adult fiction, some of my favorites are:

• The Wicked and the Just by J Anderson Coats
• Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
• 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
• Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
• Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach
• Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
• Popular by Alissa Tregay
• XVI by Julia Karr
• Divergent by Veronica Roth (I can't wait to read the rest of the series)
• The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
• The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Truly, I could go on and on all day. And if you're looking for recommendations from me, note, that aside from a few of these books, I read very much like I write, books that tackle tough subject matters. The stories aren't always pretty and there aren't always happily ever afters.

Are there any books you are thankful are in the world?

If you're in the Tacoma area, don't forget about my book signing tonight at Garfield Book Company at 7 pm.

30 Days of Giving Thanks: Day 11

I just realized I'm not really giving 30 days of thanks because I'm not blogging on weekends. Oh well. I do digress...

Anyway, today I'm thankful for all those who have put their life on the lines for our freedom, those who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces.

Now, I'm in no way a staunch supporter of wars. I'm totally into peace, but I know there is a time and place to fight for our rights and the rights of those who cannot stand up for themselves, and I know that freedom comes at a cost and I appreciate those who are brave enough to stand up for those freedoms.

I would never have the balls to go into the military. I don't think I'd survive basic training let alone actually have what it takes to go to the front lines of a war torn country. I know people who have been and come back, those who have lost friends and family and even if they don't lose a life, some sacrifice has always been made, whether it be to mind, body, or spirit.

So, men and women of our armed forces, thank you. I'm grateful that you have the courage to stand up and fight for my freedoms.

To those who have served, happy Veterans Day.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 8

Today I'm finding it hard to be thankful. I know. Seriously, I'm a glass half empty kind of gal. I can't help it. Just when I thought my book problems were solved for my release party, um, they suddenly weren't. No idea what's happening now. If I'll have books or even a party. I'm a lot panicked and stressed and a little devastated.

So, thankful...hmmmm...

Going to have to put this on hold for a bit...

(5 hours later)
 
...okay, I had another book crisis. I thought I had books coming for my release party. Then I didn't. then I did. Then I didn't again. Now apparently I do again. Sheesh. Can you say ulcer?

So, I'm thankful for the people who really try to make things work for others. Like Jennifer at Lightning Source who I called in a panic on Monday because I was pretty sure there was something messed up on my order, which turned out to be right, and I wasn't getting my books on time. Then who fixed it so that I could upgrade to expedited shipping to get my books by Monday.

Then again with Sandra who I had to call today when I found out my books went out UPS ground and they weren't going to get here until Thursday, when my party is on Tuesday. She went back to talk to the people I'd already talked to to find out what happened.

And then for Ryan, who helped fix everything, and since my books had already gone out, put another rush, expedited order in at no charge so I would at least get two cases of books by Monday.

Yeah, I'm thankful for those kind of people. The people in customer service who have to deal with people like me who panic and cry. And those ones who have to deal with people that yell and scream and cuss at them. I used to have to do that when I worked at the licensing department. I didn't like that job. Nope, not one bit.

I feel for those people, anyone who works with the general public, they don't have it easy. It's why I always tip well, because I know for every 20% I give, there's going to be some asshole that tips 10%.

There it is, and here are the Friday Scribbles...

Pandora Queue Song: Pitter Pat by Erin McCarley

 















Book and Netflix of the Week: I'm going to let you tell me. I've been so busy I've neither read no watched ANYTHING for a couple weeks now aside from football and Walking Dead. What are you watching/reading?

Quote of the Week:

 

Have a great Friday and a better weekend. Even if it's hard, find something to be thankful for every single day.

Thirty days of thanks: Day 7

I'm thankful for the internet.

Scoff if you will, but the interwebs is truly a wonderful thing, I mean, after all, you wouldn't be able to read this, if not for the web, yes?

I also truly am thankful for the internet during the holiday season because I can avoid the mall and shop from my home. I loathe the mall.

Without the internet I would not have been able to enter the ABNA contest therefore would not have met all the wonderful writer I've become and stayed friends with the last five to six years.

There would never have been Facebook where I reconnected with friends from high school and junior high that I now see from time to time.

I can also stalk people without them knowing...check out their pictures, posts, try to find out where they live. Just kidding, but seriously, it's so easy to share photos and information with friends and family. No calling, no snail mail. I know some people think this detaches us from one another, but I still talk to people (sometimes, when I want and when they don't annoy the hell out of me), the internet just makes things more efficient.

So there you have it.  Without the internet I would be an inefficient, lonely recluse.