Musings of a Writing Wife

Moving to a New Blog!

2006-10-11T17:10:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but it's been a busy few months, and I've been figureing out how to use Wordpress on my own Web site. So, without further ado, here is my new location: http://www.temlynwriting.com/blog

Please change your bookmarks and visit me over there!!!

~ Julia

New issue of Writers Remember: Filling the Inkwell

2006-08-10T13:24:00.000-05:00

My, my -- it sure has been a while since I last posted! Things have been crazy-hectic, and there's no sign of that changing any time soon. So, I'll share a simple update.

Writers Remember is back with a new issue of our E-zine/newsletter: Filling the Inkwell! (We never really went anywhere -- I just wasn't able to keep up for a short while with other things taking precedence).

So without further ado, here it is!

http://www.writersremember.com/newsletter/2006/aug10.html

To subscribe click here, or here, or send an e-mail to: writersremember-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

We're planning on a book discussion, and will be having a vote in the next few weeks, so check back for more information, as I'll be posting more about it here, as well as in the Writers Remember Forums!

Have a great weekend! I've got family visiting (my grandma and cousin and cousin's kids -- all of whom I haven't seen in 3 and 1/2 years!), so I'll be keeping busy for the next 2 weeks!

And my birthday is in 10 days! :o)

Round One of the Blogosphere Project: AWChain

2006-06-08T22:36:00.000-05:00

So, Towerkel at AbsoluteWrite has started the first round of Blogosphere Project: AWChain, and I'm the second in line after Towerkel's post.

Let's see, what's new since my last post? Oh, that's right--AbsoluteWrite.com is back up, and so are the forums. Hooray!!!

And just when the forums are back up, and I'm getting back into the swing of things on the forums, I have to go out of town for a week. Our choir is going on a tour throughout several states. I've been stressed about it for a while, factoring in some personal details and health issues, but now I'm actually kind of looking forward to it! And even if I'm out-of-it now and then throughout the trip, once we get on stage and start singing things turn around, and I can't help but get excited! Especially since we're going to Chicago first. Maybe we can get to see Wicked (the musical (again!). (Reminder: I must record the Tony Awards!)

Thinking of Chicago reminds me of six summers ago when I spent a two weeks in Boston. There's just something about older, bigger cities. So much history. Chicago is where Shoeless Joe Jackson played, where the Black Sox scandal took place. New York City, Boston, Chicago. Love the old cities.

And maybe I can get some Dunkin Donuts while we're there. They're hard to find in Houston. It seems to be either Southern Maid donuts or nothing. Oh, and Shipley's Donuts, which are actually good. Mmm, donuts. Definitely need to get some of those.

You know what's kind of addicting? Amazon.com. They have all these new features. (I spent more time than I should have updating mine!) You can build your own profile, share multiple wishlists, even have recommended lists! The author plogs (yes, plogs, not blogs) are fun, too! Check out Jenna's and Ray's!

Sorry this post is so short and random, but I'm still packing and preparing. The one not-so-fun thing about this trip? No internet access. Blah. Oh well. It'll be fun. :o)

Okay Kira, you're next!

Technorati Tags: awchain, AbsoluteWrite, Absolute Write

The Absolute Write & Barbara Bauer Scam Agent Fiasco

2006-05-26T11:16:00.000-05:00

A Must-Read for you: Teresa Neilsen Hayden's post about the wrongful removal of Absolute Write and the Barbara Bauer situation.

(I don't foresee Barbara being removed from Writer Beware's 20 Worst Agencies List anytime soon unless she cleans up her act.)

Need more incentive? Even Neil Gaiman, John Scalzi, Holly Lisle, and Miss Snark have commented on that post.

Long story short: Barbara Bauer didn't like her name being listed on the 20 Worst Literary Agencies list, nor being exposed at Absolute Write's Bewares & Background Check board. She contacted Absolute Write's webhost (JC-Hosting), and threatened to file suit against them if they didn't have have Jenna Glatzer of AbsoluteWrite.com remove the negative information. AW refused. The hosting company, The hosting company, which apparently knew little about how scammy this scammer is and regarded her threats as extremely urgent, is owned by a (now former), and which is owned by a (now former) member of Absolute Write, gave Absolute Write one hour's notice, before taking down the entire site. Not just the forums, which is where the scam list information was, but Jenna's entire business! They have been withholding all of her files and information, and it is unknown if the forums will be able to be restored complete with all the old posts, or if we will have to start anew. However, we are a strong community, and things are being restored as we speak. Barbara is not much of a threat, and the hosting company really is to be shamed for taking such extreme actions considering the warnings they received about how bad a scammer Barbara is. If that wasn't enough, the owner of the hosting company (a former member of AW, remember?), has since decided to create her own writing website. Something smells quite fishy, if you ask me.

Thinking that she's some sort of worthwhile big-wig, Barbara Bauer has harassed such well-known people in the writing world as Teresa Neilsen Hayden of Making Light, Angela Hoy of Writer's Weekly, and now Jenna Glatzer of Absolute Write. What will it take to shut this scammer agent up?

For you AWers who are going through withdrawals at the lack of a superb writing community, Roger J. Carlson has set something up for the in-between time. Here's the link.

Jenna Glatzer, who is the owner and editor of Absolute Write, has written a bunch of excellent and helpful books, and just recently completed a Celine Dion biography, which was commissioned by Celine herself!

Hundreds of us are now campaigning to get the names of the worst scammers out there, and to warn other writers that "money flows toward the writer," and that writers should not pay to be published (vanity publishing).

So, on with the information...

Thinking that she's some sort of worthwhile big-wig, Barbara Bauer has harassed such well-known people in the writing world as Teresa Neilsen Hayden of Making Light, Angela Hoy of Writer's Weekly, and now Jenna Glatzer of Absolute Write. What will it take to shut this scammer agent up?

For you AWers who are going through withdrawals at the lack of a superb writing community, Roger J. Carlson has set something up for the in-between time. Here's the link.

Here are some various posts and blogs and news that can fill you in on what's going on:

Making Light's observations on the Absolute Write/Barbara Bauer/Stephanie Cordray/JC-Hosting situation

Making Light's threats from Barbara Bauer

Neil Gaiman's observations on the scammer work of Barbara Bauer and others, including a link to the 20 worst agents

Holly Lisle gets in on the action.

Barbara Bauer has been Wiki'ed!

A.C. Crispin and Victoria Strauss on an encounter with Barbara Bauer

Dawno has a bunch of posts on the subject:

AW Bloggers - and Anyone Who Hates a Scammer

Help Insure Barbara Bauer's Pyrrhic Victory

Dawno's example

Barbara Bauer Wants One Billion Dollars???

Barbara Bauer Technorati Tag in Hot Tags this Hour!!

Picture Is Worth A Thousand Posts...

The Heart and Soul of Absolute Write - Jenna Glatzer

Show Your Support - Add the AW Button to Your Site/Blog

Thank You Teresa Nielson Hayden and Patrick Nielson Hayden

Miss Snark doesn't like the situation much, either!

Miss Snark is Damn Mad

Hey Barbara Bauer! Put up or shut up!

20worstagents.com

the actual site

Kira Connelly has several posts regarding the incident as well, plus she's compiling a list of all the information and posts she can find on the Barbara Bauer/Absolute Write scandal!

MacAllister Stone has blogged several entries on the subject.

Frank Baron on Barbara Bauer, Pretend Agent

Jim C. Hines has a great post, and says this: As I understand it, Ms. Bauer has a habit of sending nasty and/or threatening letters to people who re-post that top-20 list or spread the information around. I see this as a good thing. By the time she starts writing to all of us who have shared that information, she won't have any time left for scamming new writers. Sounds like a win to me!

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books indulges in the Googlebombing!

Jenna Glatzer, Editor-in-Chief of Absolute Write shares her Thank Yous

Want to see who else is blogging on this subject? Click here!

In case you're wondering about that list of the 20 worst agencies, here it is:

Below is a list of the 20 literary agencies about which Writer Beware has received the greatest number of advisories/complaints over the past several years.

None of these agencies has a significant track record of sales to commercial (advance-paying) publishers, and most have virtually no documented and verified sales at all (book placements claimed by some of these agencies turn out to be "sales" to vanity publishers). All charge clients before a sale is made--whether directly, by levying fees such as reading or administrative fees, or indirectly, for editing or other adjunct services.

Writer Beware recommends that writers avoid questionable literary agencies, and instead query agencies that have verifiable track records of sales to commercial publishing houses.

Note that while the 20 agencies listed here account for the bulk of the complaints we receive, they're just the tip of the iceberg. Writer Beware has files on nearly 400 questionable agencies, and we learn about a new one every few weeks.

* The Abacus Group Literary Agency
* Allred and Allred Literary Agents (refers clients to "book doctor" Victor West of Pacific Literary Services)
* Barbara Bauer Literary Agency
* Benedict Associates (also d/b/a B.A. Literary Agency)
* Sherwood Broome, Inc.
* Capital Literary Agency (formerly American Literary Agents of Washington, Inc.)
* Desert Rose Literary Agency
* Arthur Fleming Associates
* Finesse Literary Agency (Karen Carr)
* Brock Gannon Literary Agency
* Harris Literary Agency
* The Literary Agency Group, which includes the following:

-Children's Literary Agency
-Christian Literary Agency
-New York Literary Agency
-Poets Literary Agency
-The Screenplay Agency
-Stylus Literary Agency (formerly ST Literary Agency, formerly Sydra-Techniques)
-Writers Literary & Publishing Services Company (the editing arm of the above-mentioned agencies)

* Martin-McLean Literary Associates
* Mocknick Productions Literary Agency, Inc.
* B.K. Nelson, Inc.
* The Robins Agency (Cris Robins)
* Michele Rooney Literary Agency (also d/b/a Creative Literary Agency, Simply Nonfiction, and Michele Glance Rooney Literary Agency)
* Southeast Literary Agency
* Mark Sullivan Associates
* West Coast Literary Associates (also d/b/a California Literary Services)

More updates likely.

Technorati Tags: BarbaraBauer, Barbara Bauer, JennaGlatzer, Jenna Glatzer, AbsoluteWrite, Absolute Write, Scam Agents, MissSnark, Miss Snark, NeilGaiman, Neil Gaiman

Dawno & The Roomba (Doesn't that sound like the title of a children's book?)

2006-02-04T14:28:00.000-06:00

I think Dawno and I are long-lost sisters. Her post on her Roomba sounds a lot like something I would write, IF I had a Roomba, which I don't (but I want one).

The Rule of Four Meme

2006-01-30T12:38:00.000-06:00

Dawno referred to us this meme, which she found at Making Light.

Four jobs you've had in your life:
1. Writer
2. Editor/Proofreader
3. Student
4. Bookstore Clerk

Four movies you could watch over and over:
1. Little Women
2. The Princess Bride
3. You've Got Mail
4. A Knight's Tale

Four Places you've lived:
1. Long Island, NY
2. Cleveland, TN
3. Central Florida
4. Houston, TX

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. LOST
2. Firefly (on DVD since it was cancelled)
3. Myth Busters (Unfortunately we don't have cable at the moment.)
4. Jeopardy

Four Places you've been on vacation:
1. Boston, MA
2. Orlando, FL
3. Ghana, West Africa
4. Ontario, Canada

Four websites you visit daily:
1. WritersRemember.com
2. AbsoluteWrite.com
3. All Info About Musicals
4. MySpace

Four of your favorite foods:
1. Oreos
2. Mashed Potatoes
3. Oranges
4. Kiwi fruit

Four places you'd rather be:
1. In Tennessee with my husband
2. Visiting my family in Florida with my husband
3. In a bookstore
4. In a library

Category tags: AWMondayMemes

AbsoluteWrite Monday Meme #6

2006-01-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

Recipe Meme

Open your refrigerator. What is the first item on the left at the front of the 'fridge on the top shelf.

Open the food cupboard closest to the stove. What is the first food item on the right on the bottom shelf (you may go up a shelf if your bottom shelf holds pet food or non-food stuff)

Find online or create for us from your imagination, a recipe using those two things as primary ingredients.

In my fridge and pantry:

fridge: Raspberry Dannon Fruit on the Bottom yogurt
cupboard: Betty Crocker Triple Chunk Brownie mix

Recipe: Yogurt brownies

Categories: None
Yield: 1 Servings

1	pk	Family size fudge brownie mix
⅓	c	Plain nonfat yogurt (Mine isn't plain, though)
2		Egg white; (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1	ts	Pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees if using glass pan). In large bowl mix egg white, vanilla, and yogurt. Stir in brownie mix and stir until just blended. Mixture will be very thick. Spray 9x13x2 pan with nonstick cooking spray and spread mixture in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes, watching carefully not to overbake. Let cool at least 2 hours before cutting in 24 brownies. Each brownie equals 100 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.

Link to recipe and information here!

There's my recipe.

What's yours?!

Category tags: AWMondayMemes

AbsoluteWrite Monday Meme #5

2006-01-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

Last Live Music Show Seen: Wow, I haven't been to a concert in several years. My husband and I saw the touring cast of the Broadway musical Wicked in November. I'm not sure if it counts, but it is a musical.

Last CD Purchased: Currently collecting DVDs, though I used to buy CDs all the time. Last one bought was probably Broadway's The Lion King.

Last Thing Cooked: A ground beef stew recipe I stumbled upon recently.

Last New Thing Eaten: Malt-o-Meal's version of Cheerios, called Scooters.

Last Thing Bought: A 5-book haul at Barnes and Noble's clearance tables!

Last Gift Received: I can't remember the last gift my mom gave us for Christmas, as we just visited within the last 2 weeks, so the last actual gifts I recember receiving specifically are 2 adorable pairs of soda bottle cap earrings made by my husband. :o)

Last Piece of Clothing Bought or Received as a Gift: Do purses count? LOL! Okay, an adorable black sweater with a mock green/blue/stripey shirt underneath, and French cuffs. From my mom. She has great taste. :o)

Last Embarrassing Experience: Jumbling my words when talking with a girl friend I haven't seen since high school.

Last Totally New Experience: Cast member in a musical premier January 10, 2006.

Last Foreign Country Visited, if any: Canada, though it doesn't seem so foreign. Before that, Mexico and Ghana, West Africa.

Last Big Achievement: Having the honor of my personal essay "A Walk in the Clouds" accepted in the Stories of Strength anthology.

Category tags: AWMondayMemes

AbsoluteWrite Monday Meme #4

2006-01-09T12:00:00.000-06:00

1. What is your most hated and dreaded household chore. Why?

I don't know about hated and dreaded, but I'm not too keen on mopping the floor. I'm a little OCD, so I have a tendency of trying to not leave any suds whatsoever behind, and overdoing the mopping in general. Hubby usually mops for me. :o) On the other hand, I enjoy cleaning the bathroom. Am I weird or what?

2. Do you ever drink out of the beverage container or always pour a glass?

I usually pour a glass, but sometimes I drink straight out of the container. It's just hubby and myself. We don't do this with stuff that might be shared with company, though. And I never did it until I got married, and caught hubby doing it.

3. Over the counter pain relief: Aspirin, acetominiphen or ibuprophen? (if those aren't your options, what are?)

Hmm. I can't remember the scientific names or if they correlate to any of these, but we prefer Tylenol and Aleve.

4. What was the first car (or motorcycle if that's the case) you bought for yourself?

I've never bought one for myself, but as a couple our first vehicle bought together was/is our Chevy Trailblazer.

5. It's a lovely, sunny weekend day. What would you go do if you could do whatever you wanted to do (within your usual means).

Pack a picnic in the park!

6. Name your favorite board game.

I love Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble!

7. How many blankets do you sleep under and how many pillows do you use?

2 and 1/2 blankets (1 sheet, 1 electric blanket [warm, though it's rarely on], and the comforter at our feet.) 2 pillows.

8. How many pets and of what type do you currently live with? You may name them if you wish.

We have one cat, with too many names to list here, though his "given" name is Cougar.

9. Biggest grammar peeve.

Anything related to "leet speak."

10. Favorite flower or other plant, should you not be into flowers.

Daisies!

Category tags: AWMondayMemes

New Stuff at Writers Remember

2006-01-07T21:08:00.000-06:00

Lots of new stuff at Writers Remember, with even more coming soon, on January 13! Our latest newsletter issue is available here.

Category tags: WritersRemember

Catching up on Memes

2005-12-06T11:57:00.000-06:00

Sorry it took me so long to do this meme, Ray, but thanks for tagging me, and please don't hesitate to tag me again. I enjoy these!

1. Take first five novels from your bookshelf.
2. Book 1 -- first sentence
3. Book 2 -- last sentence on page 50
4. Book 3 -- second sentence on page 100
5. Book 4 -- next to the last sentence on page 150
6. Book 5 -- final sentence of the book
7. Make the five sentences into a paragraph.
8. Feel free to "cheat" to make it a better paragraph.
9. Name your sources
10.Post to your blog.

Here are my results:

Imagine a ruin so strange it must never have happened. Then it was gone. He waited a moment, then pushed the door again more firmly. This time Fezzik did not give the man in black a chance to fiddle again. "'God's in His heaven, all's right with the world, '" whispered Anne softly.

Sources:

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

I can't stop giggling at the ending. I also liked how it went with George Orwell's 1984 as the final sentence ("He loved Big Brother"), but Anne's bit made me giggle. :o)

****************************************

Here's another meme--the first of the AWMondayMemes from Dawno, at AbsoluteWrite.com's blogging forum, specifically the AWMondayMeme thread.

This week's Meme: list 10 books I'd like to find under the Christmas tree this year. (Only 10?) I have a great variety of interests, so beware. ;o)

1. The Chronicles of Narnia (complete), preferably a box set of the seven books, but a single hardcover storybook-style including all of the books will work, too.

2. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West--specifically the copy that shows the illustrated cover from the Broadway musical, with Glinda whispering in Elphaba's ear (it looks like this). I have a copy of the book already, but it's the original cover, pre-musical.

3. Ray's book, The Pacific Between!

4. The complete Harry Potter set.

5. Son of a Witch, the sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire

6. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, preferably the copy that features Colin Firth & Jennifer Ehle on the cover, from the A&E/BBC television miniseries (it looks like this).

7. Li-Young Lee's poetry--virtually any of his books except for Book of My Nights, which I already have.

8. The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate (here)

9. The Highly Selective Dictionary For The Extraordinarily Literate (here)

10. The Word Lover's Dictionary: Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words (here)

Bonus: Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason, by Helen Fielding

I think those last three books look like a lot of fun! :o)

Category tags: AWMondayMemes

*******************************

Joanne--I'll catch up on your meme tag: 15 Things About Books this week, too! This will teach me to check in more often to the forum and members' blogs! ;o)

Time for a Retreat

2005-11-18T15:25:00.000-06:00

I'll be leaving in a few hours to go out of town this weekend on a ladies' retreat, so I won't have internet access (oh no!) until Monday, Nov. 21. I'll be sure to check in when I get back!

Then on Wednesday morning, Nov. 23, hubby and I are leaving to spend Thanksgiving with his family in Oklahoma, where our internet access will be very limited (they have slow dial-up), until we return on Monday, Nov. 28.

Don't forget to visit Writers Remember! Have a great weekend!

Writers Remember is LIVE!

2005-11-11T13:43:00.000-06:00

I know that quite a few of you asked about Writers Remember, and I wanted to let you know that the website is now live at http://www.writersremember.com! We bought the domain name, have been tweaking the site, and my husband just added a forum last night, which we will be tweaking this weekend. (Edited to add: Forum & Message Board are live! Come visit!) My hubby also worked on adding a wonderful drop-down menu for each section heading, and he deserves major kudos for that! :o)

For those of you wondering how this site will be any different from the dozens of other writing sites out there, here's what I shared with someone recently:

I really mulled over the thought of creating Writers Remember, because there are so many sites for writers out there, and I didn't want to be just another clone. I wanted this one to serve a different purpose, and not be in competition, as I'm a member of several writing sites that are pretty well-known, and I see no reason to try and copy them. However, the idea for Writers Remember just struck me as something that could be very helpful and inspiring to other writers, including myself, who may find themselves burnt out in the competitive world of writing.

I'm planning on adding at least one article per week, if possible, though this week has been busy. I've also been adding quotes, inspiring works from authors & poets, writing markets, and links. As for resources, we have encouraging books of nonfiction and fiction, writing utensils and journals, tea & coffee (coming soon), and films about writers.

The newsletter mailing list has been changed, too. It is now being hosted at Yahoo, so please sign up for updates and the informative newsletter! Send a blank e-mail to this address (writersremember-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) or join here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/writersremember/

Several people have shown interested in being on staff and writing columns for the site. If you're interested in adding your expertise, please contact me at editor@writersremember.com, and let me know how you would be interested in helping!

I hope that Writers Remember will be of great encouragement to many of you!

Ray--I haven't forgotten that you tagged me. I'll get that fun stuff ready for next week! :o)

P.S. Anyone like the new template? I'm a big fan of GREEN! :o)

Category tags: WritersRemember

"He's Mr. England, the English guy."

2005-10-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

::headdesk::

"He's Mr. England, the English guy."

He's not just an English guy. Would we go up to any American official and say "You're that American guy"? At least give honor where honor is due. I can't imagine someone meeting the Queen of England and saying "You're that English lady." Granted, not everyone might know his name, but "the English guy"? How about diplomat, foreign secretary, foreign minister, even the English man--anything but guy. It just sounds so unappealing and appalling to me. I don't claim to be extremely knowledgeable in international matters, but I would think this would be an issue of general etiquette. Or maybe I was just raised really old-fashioned.

This bothers me mainly because a close friend of mine in Canada grew up learning more about the U.S. than most Americans learn about Canada. In fact, most countries in the world are taught more about various nations and countries than we are in the U.S. Why are we so ethnocentric? We are so ignorant of the rest of the world around us. If countries were people, the U.S. would be a teenager (in an age comparison)--we are so young, have so much to learn, and it's not all about us. ::sigh::

In other quick news, I lay wide awake for most of last night. My stomach was hurting petty badly, and my eyes were wide open. Not sure if it was from the highly-caffeinated coffee high or something else. Could be the quick change in the weather, from hot to cool. Not cold, but chilly.

Addendum to last night's post:
I am preparing a response for those who have personally contacted me about Writers Remember. We've registered a domain name, and have an outline in the works with the plans for the site. I'll be contacting each of you shortly, and posting more about this in the near future. Thanks!

::yawn:: Now I'm finally feeling sleepy (I think?), so I think I'll see if I can't catch a few winks and Zs.

Just popping in!

2005-10-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

Oops! It wasn't until AGK (Angela Giles Klocke) left me a message that I realized how long it's been since I last posted! I really need to get the hang of short posts more often. ;o)

This is just a note to say that I will post again this week! And I will try to remember to post little things here and there from now on so that I don't have to prattle (I love the sound of the word "prattle") on for multiple paragraphs once a month.

Just got home from an awesome marriage class session. I'm kind of dealing with a caffeine high right now. Went to lunch earlier with some friends from church. Vietnamese food. Vietnamese coffee. Rumor has it that one serving is equal to three coffee pots full of caffeine. Super caffeinated. Super high. Giggly and silly and yawning high. Got treated to a Tazo Green Tea Frappuccino (YUM! no coffee--no caffeine, on hubby's orders--"No more caffeine for you!"). Typing and watching the Houston Astros play the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. I just noticed I'm typing like my lovely Cortney! Hee hee!

Aaaagh!!! If hubby keeps shouting out like that I'm going to hurt myself--I keep jumping out of my seat every time he lets out an "Aaagh!" about this game. *laughing*

Gotta go. More soon! I promise! :o)

Addendum:
I am preparing a response for those who have personally contacted me about Writers Remember. We've registered a domain name, and have an outline in the works with the plans for the site. I'll be contacting each of you shortly, and posting more about this in the near future. Thanks!

Stories of Strength

2005-09-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

Wow--sure has been a while! Let's see if we can't speed things up-to-date.

First, I want to thank everyone for their love, prayers, and condolences, especially Cortney, Ceci, Mridu, Joanne, Megan, and AGK. *hugs*

We attended Michael's granddad's funeral, which, though sad, was quite a lovely time with family. I adore the family I married into. Wonderful people, so incredibly loving, and so much like the family I was born into, as well.

When we returned we spent a somewhat quiet weekend trying to recuperate from the two weeks that were spent driving back and forth between Texas and Oklahoma, 7 hours each way. No sooner was that weekend over when we started to hear warnings of a certain Hurricane Rita. As the week drew closer to a close, we decided it would be best to evacuate, as it was highly recommended. We drove to Dallas throughout a period of 12 hours (should have been 4.5, but the traffic was horrendous! It took us literally 4 HOURS(!!!) to drive 20 miles during the first part of our trip!), and stayed with Michael's sister and her husband for a few days. We returned during the latter part of the weekend, and I am *still* unpacking and trying to catch up on relaxing and work. Thank God--our area experienced very little damage. Still, we're grieving with those who have lost so much, which brings me to what I want to share next.

I have happydancenews!

Stories of Strength: An Anthology Benefiting The Red Cross

My personal essay about strength, entitled "A Walk in the Clouds," has been selected to appear in the upcoming (October/November, 2005) anthology, Stories of Strength. The idea for S.O.S. came from Jenna Glatzer, proclaimed author and Editor-in-Chief of AbsoluteWrite.com. She approached the AbsoluteWrite community, and it became a community effort.

Some well-known names of those who have contributed stories include: science-fiction guru Orson Scott Card, famed actor/author Wil Wheaton, Christian romance novelist Robin Lee Hatcher, and, of course, our beloved Jenna Glatzer, along with many, many others. (Hee hee, Cortney--I think I hear you all the way over here--YES, THE Wil Wheaton! Love you, my Cort-ster.)

All proceeds from the sale of this anthology will go directly to the Red Cross for the hurricane relief effort. We authors and editors are donating our work for this worthy cause; none of us will receive a penny. Please be sure to buy a copy when it is released! You will not only receive a book fill of wonderful stories of strength, but you will be giving to those in need. This is a gift that truly keeps on giving. For more information, please visit: http://www.storiesofstrength.com. I'll be adding links to places where you can buy it when it is officially released!

Also, I am starting a website for writers, entitled Writers Remember, to help bring inspiration to those who often feel discouraged, burnt-out, and rundown in their writing goals and careers. It's not completely set up yet, but it will be, soon. Enjoy!

The only other news I can think of at the moment is that my website has been revamped. I decided to make it my everything-site, so it will include both things about myself as a writer, as well as Temlyn Writing (& Editing) Services.

Edited to add:

Almost forgot--I'm moving my blog to WordPress, but will update when I do. It may not be for a few days.

A Passing

2005-09-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

Michael's (my husband's) granddad passed away Tuesday night. (Thanks, Ceci, Cortney, & AGK, for your loving words. Ceci & Cortney, I hope we can talk sometime next week after we've returned. *hugs*)

All weekend things were touch-and-go; his granddad was off all of the medications and he actually seemed to be improving a bit, though we knew it probably wouldn't be for long. It was more of a swan song. We finally left his parents' house on Monday morning to drive back here, as his granddad was surviving indefinitely, and we couldn't continue taking vacation time when we weren't really doing anything but waiting.

We were notified Wednesday morning of his passing.

I'm sorry I haven't been around much online, but even though we've been back since late Monday night, we both knew we'd probably have to be traveling again soon, and things were so up in the air. I've been having to prepare and such, and put my work off until we return next week.

So, I've got a lot to do today with laundry and such, since we've leaving early tomorrow.

This time, to save on gas, we're driving up to Dallas (5 hour drive) tomorrow morning, where Michael's sister and her husband live. We're going to pile into their car and drive the extra 2.5 hours to Oklahoma. We'll stay overnight Friday night, and Saturday will be the funeral. I think we'll be driving back to Dallas Saturday night, stay over with sis-in-law, and then return to our house Sunday afternoon/evening. We have a marriage class at church that night, and Michael is taking an extra bereavement day on Monday, to rest up. I may be online a little on Monday, because of that, but from tomorrow morning, until Monday, I won't have internet access.

I look forward to returning and catching up with everything here soon! Thanks so much for your prayers and thoughts.

Out of Commission for a While

2005-09-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

My husband just called me; we'd been planning a weekend trip to his parents' house to visit with his grandparents, as his granddad hasn't been well for a long time, and is now getting worse. We were supposed to leave tomorrow morning, drive to his sister's house in Dallas, and then spend the night there, before driving to Oklahoma on Saturday morning. We were due to return on Sunday evening.

The leaving date of tomorrow morning is still the same.

However, his father just called and told him that Hospice has said it may not be long now, so we're not sure when we'll return. We're bringing enough clothes and such for a week, in case he passes during the weekend, since the funeral would only be a few days later.

*sigh* This is difficult for me, and I know it must be moreso for Michael. His granddad has not been coherent or responsive since before we met, so I've never known him any other way. It's difficult for me to sit there and not know what to say or do, and I don't really feel comfortable. I don't really feel like I have a place there in times of such stress.

Please pray and/or think happy thoughts for us. My in-laws have dial-up internet access, so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to log on and check in, but I will try to let you know whenabouts I might return.

Note: I have several websites (All Info About musicals, beauty, and marriage) that were going to be updated tomorrow and this weekend, but as these circumstances have come up, the updates will be completed at a later date.

Getting Over the Drama

2005-08-17T10:24:00.000-05:00

Long time, no post. Sorry folks.

It's been an unbelievably crazy time lately. Drama is so incredibly draining, and I've been dealing with a fair share of drama. Ugh. It was a bit of a struggle to rise above, and caused me to step away from some forums for a few days. The forums actually had nothing to do with the drama; I just felt the need to have a bit of solitude from people, I suppose. It's funny how drama can make me feel a lot less sociable. (Note: Although there have been multiple drama-filled situations as of late, this particular drama I'm referring to is based on a family issue.)

This drama came right on the heels of a fantastic time in Austin several weeks ago. While my husband was there for training I got a lot of writing done, and I got to see my soul sister, Ceci. Cortney and Ceci are my best friends, and neither of them lives close by, so when we see each other it's a huge deal. Ceci and I hadn't seen one another in over a year. Her little girl is growing up; she'll be 3 years old tomorrow! We all had a fantastic time. Good friends are one of the greatest gifts, ever!

Peek-a-boo! I just want to say "hiya" to Cortney. *waves* I see you peeking at my journal! ;o) Miss you!

My birthday is coming up! It's this Saturday, August 20.

One year older, and yet I don't feel it or look it (people tend to think I'm younger). And what's up with this feeling that birthdays aren't as magical as they were when I was younger? I knew most of my birthday gifts beforehand. Still, cards have always meant a bit more to me than gifts, so those are still surprises waiting for me. My friend Cortney has the same feeling about Christmas--somehow it seems more magical through the eyes of a child, so she hopes that it will feel that way once she and her husband start a family.

Thanks to Mridu for some very encouraging e-mails. It is SO good to have such an encouraging and talented friend, even across the world. Thanks for checking up on me when I seem scarce. :o)

In writing news, there are several projects that I'm working on. There are going to be some major updates at the AIA Musicals site in the next few days. I've got the possibility of a few editing/proofreading jobs; I'm thinking hopeful thoughts for them.

Oooh, for any Broadway musicals fans--I've found the funniest thing: "Forbidden Broadway." These songs have been cracking me up! They're parodies of actual Broadway songs, and the singers sound almost exactly like the casts of the particular Broadway shows! Absolutely hilarious stuff!

That's all for now--I'll update again soon. Now that I'm finally getting out of the drama-rut I don't mind being social again. ;o)

New Features at My Musicals Site

2005-07-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

I almost forgot to mention in my last post that there are a lot of new features at my All Info About Musicals website! Here's my latest post from my musicals blog:

In case you haven't visited the All Info About Musicals site lately, or you don't yet subscribe to the newsletter, you're missing out! Lots of news here at All Info About Musicals!

Check out the latest issue of the Musicals Newsletter! Read more...

New Features:

Ta-Da! The Musicals Message Board is finally here! Register and participate! If I find that there are many who want to participate, but who do not want to register, I will see what I can do to make everyone happy. I currently have registration required because without it, spammers like to hit message boards, and I'd like to keep them out. Read more...

Off-Broadway Musical information now at your fingertips. We now have:

Now Playing on Broadway

New to Broadway

Upcoming on Broadway

Now Playing Off-Broadway

New to Off-Broadway

Upcoming Off-Broadway

Now Playing in the UK

Coming Soon to the UK

*********

Yes, I'm still out of town at the moment. I'm getting a lot of writing done, and having a nice time. Hubby and I are having fun going out in the evenings after he's done with his work & studies. Fun, fun, fun! :o)

Out of Town

2005-07-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note --

I'm out of town on a business trip with my husband, and have limited internet access. I should be back at our house sometime this weekend. Take care, everyone! :o)

Thoughts on WordPress

2005-07-19T17:07:00.000-05:00

Wow -- I received some absolutely lovely comments from visitors on my kitty post below. My kitty and I want to thank each and every one of you, and kitty-boy thinks that he should have his own weekly picture day on my blog. What do you all think? ;o)

*****************************

A big "Thank you!" to a few more who have recently subscribed to my blog (Yay for AW friends!):

Kira Connally at Loving Twilight
Jen Nipps at Creatif

*****************************

My husband and I are in the process of creating a website for me to use to showcase my writing passion, and other random things about me. I mentioned in a previous post that I want to keep my TemlynWriting website as my actual writing business site, and not use it for my personal portfolio and other information. I'm looking forward to premiering my new site, and considering moving my blog to the new site as well.

I'm considering relocating my blog from Blogger in an effort to try WordPress. Does anyone reading here have any experience with it? Good, bad, indifferent? I love the various themes, and have already picked one that suits my personality. I also am a bit enchanted with all of the options, like having people who comment be able to leave their e-mail addresses, so I can reply directly to them, and know that they'll see my response, rather than posting a response in the original comment box on my blog, and wondering if the people will return to view it, or responding on their blogs with something that makes absolutely no sense on their blogs, meaning they'd have to refer back to my blog anyway.

I know that Haloscan has this e-mail option that can be added onto Blogger, but I don't really like my comments being on a completely separate "entity" of a site; I prefer them all being in one place. Plus, I can't quite figure out how to paste old comments onto Haloscan once it's in my template. I've tried. I just don't think it's for me.

So, WordPress.
Discuss.

My Kitty Muse

2005-07-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

Our cat likes to watch me work at my desk.
I guess you could say he's my muse.

Sometimes he likes to try his hand at writing, too. I'm not sure how effective his random pawing keystrokes will be in his effort to write a book, but I can always be his copy editor. He's inspiring, I tell ya! Does he look comfortable, or what?

(Click on the photo to see him in all of his full-size glory. He's adorable!)

I also want to say "Thank you" to the following people who have recently subcribed to my blog, or mentioned me in a post:

Angela Giles Klocke at The Life and Times of Me
MacAllister Stone at Stones in the Field
Joanne D. Kiggins at WritingAfterDark
Ben & Ann Wilson at Marriages Restored
Cindy Swan at Notes in the Key of Life
Barbara at Babies & Bylines
Patrick at A Stop at Willoughby
Waterfall at A Sort of Notebook
Megan at I Talk, You Listen

Going Out of Town

2005-07-01T21:07:00.000-05:00

We're going out of town for a few days to visit with our friends. Should be back sometime Monday. Since I can't read much while riding in the car, I'll be working on my WIPs (works-in-progress) with the help of my hubby's trusty Palm Pilot. (Writing while in the car looks more like scribbling.)

I came up with an idea for a children's/young adult book last evening; I'm very excited about the concept, so we'll see if this story writes itself. It has some potential. I also recently remembered a story I wrote back in high school, intended to be a short children's book. I'm considering rewriting it a bit, and see what happens. These fictional pieces are in addition to my non-fiction book I've been working on lately, adding bits and pieces here and there.

I'm just so glad to finally feel inspired; I hope this weekend turns up some creative ideas to keep the ball rolling. :o)

Happy 4th of July, a wee bit early! And Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends!

Quiet

2005-06-24T14:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been so quiet lately; I'm working on several different projects. In the meantime I've been fighting a cold, added allergies, and adjusting to reactions to some new medication which caused quite bout of insomnia for two weeks, which brought my writing progress to a halt.

Right now I'm working on my All Info About Marriage site, trying to get it ready to go live as soon as possible, but it's been on the back-burner because of everything I've been dealing with. This is now my high priority.

In addition to that, I'm creating a personal website to compliment my writing services site, as I want TemlynWriting.com to lean more towards the business I'm running, and my personal writings should be maintained on a personal site.

I'm also working on a site to serve as a network for the marriage groups that my husband and I run, to bring them together more, and define the purpose a little better.

I'm considering adopting Angela Giles Klocke's method of keeping track of her queries and such the way she does on her blog. It's a good way of keeping track, as well as keeping accountable because others are viewing them.

I'm working on some queries, and trying to find some good paying markets and writing jobs. When it rains, it pours, and my hubby and I are seeing it once again. We've finally gotten our pipe/plumbing problem fixed and paid off, as well as our windows, and now we're facing more medical bills, currently and in the near future. I feel as though I'm under a bit of pressure to get some well-paid writing done. Just when we thought we had a bit of a break from the money issues...well, if anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears!

Well, I need to get back to work! I'll try to update again soon!!!