Friday Freebie: Just Right Resolutions

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Making resolutions today? They can be a challenge. Deciding what's important, selecting just the right ones, staying motivated. Most people don't make it past the end of January.

Fortunately in resolutions, as in many other things, we can benefit from the suggestions of others. In preparation for this post, I checked out a few articles on resolutions. Some were too serious, some too intimidating, but this piece from The Huffington Post was just right.

Regardless of what you decide, I wish you luck and a happy new year.

5 Questions from the Porch Swing for Demi Stevens

It seemed only fitting to end 2015 with author/author advocate 

Demi Stevens, who spearheaded The Year of the Book 

this year, as well as putting together the first York Book Expo.

What have you written? I am the author of two children's picture books, Write Away! and Roger, Roger, as well as a one-page, semi-autobiographical essay from the summer of eighth grade that was so poignantly written it landed me a prime spot in the guidance counselor's office after I shared it with my chemistry teacher who thought I'd gone mental.

What do you read? Last year, I helped publish around 50 books by local authors, so I chuckled twelve months ago when Mark Zuckerberg announced he was going to read a book a week for 2015. I said, "Me, too!" Lately, I"m in love with historical romance novels by Elizabeth Courtright, a new epic fantasy by D. C. McLaughlin, and a disturbingly good mystery-thriller by M. C. Hillegas called Payback that's set in Codorus State Park. (Disturbing because I wonder how the author's husband turns the bedroom lights off at night!)

Why do you write? I've lived a thousand lives through the journeys of my favorite authors' protagonists...so I guess karma demands I put some new stories together to pay it forward.

Fun writing factoid (not technically a question, I know): In 2013, I gave the word "that" up for Lent.

One more thing: I used to be a librarian, but now I find it so much more fun to help birth new books into the world instead of shelving and dusting old ones!

Regular posts resume tomorrow, but stay tuned for more 

"Questions from the Porch Swing" 

on Wednesdays through at least the end of January.

5 Questions from The Porch Swing for Loree Lough

What have you written? Fiction and nonfiction for adults and children (107 books in print; nearly 6M in circulation 7 book-to-movie options); more than 2,500 articles.

What do you read? Research manuals, mostly, so I'm sure to include authentic and accurate details in my books.

Why do you write? If I didn't, I'd get into trouble for repainting all the wood surfaces in our house. (Men! LOL)

This book is #2 in Heartwarming's
THOSE MARSHALL BOYS series.
Book #3 is due out in May.

Fun writing factoid (not technically a question, I know): I act out characters' mannerisms and facial expressions, and speak their lines of dialog aloud. (That weird truck with the men in white coats doesn't show up anymore, thankfully).

One more thing: My all-time favorite thing about the job is reading letters from people who've not only spent hard-earned money on the books, but took time from their busy schedules to tell me which scenes and/or characters most touched them.

5 Questions from The Porch Swing for Judy Wolfman

What have you written? My latest book is A Slave No More --  the true story of Henry "Box" Brown who escaped from slavery by having himself shipped from Virginia to Philadelphia in a box -- 3 ft. x 2.5 ft x 2 ft. -- under extreme discomfort!

What do you read? Right now I'm reading James Patterson's books - many of them!

Why do you write? I enjoy the opportunity to express my thoughts and information with others through my words!

Fun writing factoid (not technically a question, I know): The longer I write, the better I seem to become at the art --
and writing is an art! I also enjoy working with "new" writers -- critiquing their work. The best part is seeing them get published!

One more thing: Since I love to perform, I've formed a readers' theatre troupe (10 professional actors) through York Little Theatre and we entertain at a variety of venues in York County -- that's a lot of fun! We don't charge, but request a donation to YLT.

5 Questions from the Porch Swing for Laurie J. Edwards

What have you written? My writing�s pretty eclectic so I write under different pen names. I began by writing nonfiction for children and teens, so I have titles such as Pirates Through the Ages and Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes as well as more than 2200 articles in magazines and educational databases. I also write stories for anthologies (Love & Profanity is the latest), and I illustrate picture books. The Teeny Tiny Woman, a picture book I illustrated was chosen for the Billion EBook Gift initiative, so 200 million copies of the book will be given away to promote literacy.

As Erin Johnson, I write the WANTED series for teens. The series is set in the Wild West, and the first two books, Grace and the Guiltless and Her Cold Revenge, are out now. Two more books will follow.

Presently, I�m writing the Amish series SISTERS & FRIENDS for Charisma House. The first book, Change of Heart, debuts in May 2016. Buried Secrets releases in Fall 2016, and Gift from Above will be out in Spring 2017.

What do you read? My reading�s as eclectic as my writing. I�m a big fan of young adult novels because I like the fast pace and emphasis on emotion. I also pore over picture books, studying both the art and writing. As far as adult books, I read a lot of nonfiction and literary fiction. But when I want to relax, I pick up a mystery novel or a romance. I also love humorous books.

Why do you write? I began writing to keep my sanity when my 5 children were age 8 and under. Over time, it became a habit and was something I loved to do.

I once read that any time you write, you�re doing it to work out internal problems or deal with past issues and lay them to rest. Often when I begin a book, I don�t know that�s my intent. Yet later I can
look back and see how each particular book related to my life in some way.

Fun writing factoid (not technically a question, I know): I prefer to write in bed from midnight to 3 AM.

One more thing: I came to writing after being a reader, a teacher and then a librarian. I find that many voracious readers and people who gravitate to professions that involve learning and books often harbor a secret desire to write, but think they aren�t good enough. If that�s you, I challenge you to put pen to paper and try. Writing is skill that can be learned, like riding a bicycle, and if you're a reader, you have an innate sense of story.

Getting Ready for Christmas

When I saw the meme on the left on Facebook today, I had to laugh. Of course, it helps that I still have quite a bit of vacation ahead of me.

If you're already thinking that next year will be different -- less frazzled, more simple, less hectic -- then you'll enjoy Real Simple's Christmas Countdown checklist. Print it out now and make a copy. Then, pack one copy away with your Christmas decorations, and tuck the other copy into your fall calendar. Preparation is, after all, half the battle.

Enjoy the next 364 days :-)

5 Questions from the Porch Swing for Marsha Hubler

What have you written? I've written dozens of articles and short stories and 18 published books, 8 of them the best-selling Keystone Stables Series, tween fiction by Zondervan.

What do you read? I read the Bible faithfully, devotionals, and a variety of fiction and Christian informative and helps books. I recently finished a tween novel, In the Heart of a Mustang, by M.J. Evans, and now I'm reading a nonfiction entitled Through Jewish Eyes by Craig Hartman.

Why do you write? I feel God called me to write for his glory. In everything I write, I try to incorporate the gospel or include a challenge for Christians to live for God.

Fun writing factoid (not technically a question, I know): I enjoy my local critique group, which meets once a month to critique each other's work. However, a few of us gals are very good friends and often meet just for lunch and to sit and work on our laptops.

One more thing: Please check my latest release for tweens, Snow, Phantom Stallion of the Poconos, which deals with bullying and "horse-whispering."

 

5 Questions from the Porch Swing for Cerella Sechrist

What have you written? My debut novel was a contemporary romantic comedy entitled Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Since then, I've published three novels with Harlequin's Heartwarming line, including my most recent release, Harper's Wish, the first book in my Findlay Roads series. It centers around a fictional town in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland and the series features such characters as a disgraced food critic, failing restaurateur, Irish folk singer, country music superstar, bed and breakfast owner, soldier, doctor, and others.

What do you read? A little bit of almost everything in the realm of fiction - adventure, romance, historical, women's, mystery, fantasy, speculative, literary, etc. I also really enjoy a lot of young adult fiction - there's so much unique creativity in that genre!

www.harlequin.com

Why do you write? Because stories are the heart of who we are, and our stories - real and imagined - are the legacy we leave behind.

Fun writing factoid (not technically a question, I know): For years, I wrote only in historical fiction but couldn't get published. On a whim, I decided to change direction and try writing a modern-day romantic, foodie comedy. I titled it Just Desserts. Two-and-a-half years later, it was published by Summerside Press as Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania - my debut novel. 

One more thing: I have a new author blog debuting in January entitled: "A Story Life: Finding the Extraordinary in the Everyday." I'm really excited about the chance to share with my readers on a more personal level. I'd love for you to sign up  for the blog emails and come visit me at www.cerellasechrist.com!

New on the Porch Swing: 5 Questions

Photo: Ashley Schweitzer via minimography.com

Sometimes, a confluence of factors inspires an idea. Last week, inspired by my friend Cerella Sechrist's Heartwarming blog, the generosity of the folks at ir-on-ic in downtown York and my own Christmas shopping dilemmas, I came up with the idea of once again featuring authors here on my blog. I've done this before, but it's been a while, and, like me, many of these friends have released new books since their last visit.

So today, I'm launching my 5 Questions feature. Between now and the end of the year, you can expect to see a few of these a week, and, if I still have author interest in January, you'll see them once a week. The faces and the titles will change, but the questions will be the same, giving you a chance to find out a little about the people behind the books.

That's my goal, in fact. Sure, I'll post book covers, but this feature is less about selling books and more about letting you get to know the people who write them.

Since being the author of the blog should come with some perks, I'm launching the feature with my answers to the five questions.

What have you written? I have four published books: two nonfiction and two novels. The nonfiction books (Acting Assertively and Diverse Divorce) both grew out of my teaching experiences. The novels (Casting the First Stone and Chasing a Second Chance) are connected by the same cast of characters, and, while I'll readily call Chasing a Second Chance the sequel to Casting the First Stone, I haven't yet decided if the Marita-Angel-Charli story is finished, or if it will continue.

What do you read? Since I started teaching at the college level, most of what I read is nonfiction, and connected to psychology in some way. I look forward to breaks when I have the opportunity to pick up a novel or two.

Why do you write? I have loved to write ever since Miss Lee introduced me to creative writing when I was in seventh grade. She was my first encourager.

Fun writing factoid (not technically a question, I know): The protagonist's best friend in the novel I'm getting ready to revise is reacting very badly to the fact that I need to change her name. Although she doesn't love the first name I gave her, she has, so far, refused to accept any other moniker. She's turning out to be even feistier than I thought she was.

One more thing: Authors are awesome. They're generous, talented, funny and a great support network for one another. That's why it's so fun to invite them to my blog.

My favorite Starbucks 
is allowing me to host 
a book celebration at their store on 
December 27 from 4 - 6 pm. 

Stop by if you can.

Saturday Special: Gadgets to Make Even the Non-Cook Smile

Mana-tea, anyone?
(Photo: home-designing.com)

Okay, it's a stretch to call this an organizing-related post. But, I got such a kick out of these fun little kitchen gadgets that make life easier, and I thought you might enjoy them, too -- especially if you're looking for something fun for the cook on your list.

At the very least, a few of them should make you smile. Even if you're kitchen-avoidant like I am.

When Happy + Holidays Isn't Happening

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Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! How 'bout those Starbucks cups?

Wait -- don't go away. If there's no happy in your holiday, no merry in your Christmas and you couldn't care less what Starbucks puts on their cups, this post is for you.

What if you simply can't make the holidays happy?

Yesterday, when I got the bill to repair my daughter's water- damaged laptop, happy would not be the word I'd use to describe my Christmas countdown. In fact, as the person who knocked over the water that damaged the laptop, I had a pretty nice self-pity party.

And then I remembered. It's only money. Not that money doesn't matter -- especially now, as families attempt to deck halls and trim trees and light candles and purchase presents -- but it matters less than a lot of things. People, for example.

Sometimes, we can't just write a check and make everything all better. Even if money is no object, no matter how big the check, it won't bring back an estranged spouse, a lost child, a beloved parent. And while it can be tempting to just close our eyes and take a long winter's nap until the holidays pass, finding the bittersweet spot between what happy holidays has always meant and what it means this year might just be a better idea.

But don't take my word for it. Take it from someone who knows. In her Huffington Post blog, Dr. Gloria Horsley shares not only the slow thaw that is holiday grief (over a period of years), but her own experience as well. More than thirty years after the death of her son, she's still lighting candles in his memory, but now, it's more about remembering in love than wincing in pain.

If your idea of decking the halls requires these,
you're not alone.
(Photo: Pixabay)

This Christmas, I'm feeling blessed. Aside from the hole in my checking account to restore my daughter's damaged laptop, life is good.

But just because that's true for me -- this year -- that doesn't mean it's true for everyone. 'Tis the season to be kind, whether it means driving a little less aggressively or understanding when someone can't return our smile or well wishes. Go forth and spread joy!

But aim for compassion when others can't do the same.

Preserving Optimism in the Face of Reality

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Ah, the "yes, but." Nothing sucks the joy out of an optimistic thought faster. But days off, especially in December, are riddled with them.

Luckily, as an incurable optimist (most days), I have my own retort -- the "True, but...still." Here, for example, is how the conversation (admittedly, sometimes among me, myself and I) goes:

Woo hoo! A day off in the middle of the week!

I don't have to set the alarm!
Yes, but, you stayed up until after 1. You have to set it if you have any hope of getting up at a reasonable hour.
True. But I still can sleep in.

I can take care of the things around the house that have been driving me crazy!
Yes, but, you'll never get everything done.
True. But I still can make progress.

I have the whole house to myself! Peace, quiet and no interruptions!
Yes, but, the phone will ring. Leah will come home for lunch. You'll have to do something about dinner.
True. But I still can get some peaceful stretches of work time in.

I can put a dent in the papers I have to grade! Read the manuscripts for my meeting tonight! Do some Christmas shopping!
Yes, but, seriously? You'll never get all of that done.
True. But I still can get some of it done..

I can turn on all the indoor Christmas lights and have Christmas mood lighting!
Yes, but.....
No yes, but. Just yes.

Every once in a while, unfazed by the pessimist and the realist, the optimist wins.

A Sale is a Sale?

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If you took two years to create something, would you be willing to sell it for 99�? What if you'd spent a year on it? Six months? At what point would you feel it was reasonable to sell your work for 99�?

My book is 99� on Kindle today, a decision my publisher and I made in order to boost sales and garner attention for it beyond the friends and family members who make up the core group of my loyal readers. I'm not opposed to this decision, mind you -- quite the opposite. It's a business decision, and I'm in favor of almost anything if it sells books, but the choice to pursue this idea did get me thinking.

What does it say about us as a society of readers if we expect to get the fruits of someone's creative labors for 99�? Or free?

Please understand. This is not a rant post, a criticism of my publisher's decision or a pity party. It's a sincere question.

As a reader on a limited budget, I do it, too. I borrow books from the library (and I donate copies of my book to libraries). I buy books secondhand. I wait for my trusty e-coupons to arrive from Barnes & Noble, compare prices in several places and settle on the cheapest, and subscribe to emails whereby I can get other people's books for free.

A Happy Meal at McDonald's costs more than my book does today. And I'm not alone. Authors line up and actually pay to have their books featured on daily emails and tweets that offer books for free.

Again, I'm not complaining. If it gets people to read my book, that's a good thing. But there's something counterintuitive (to say the least) about paying someone to advertise your book so that people can scoop up copies for free.

Self-publishing is no longer the thing that authors do when they can't get accepted by a traditional publishers. Okay, some authors do this, but the rise of the hybrid author -- the author who chooses both self-publishing and traditional publishing paths -- has writers with recognizable names joining the ranks of the self-published for a variety of reasons. In addition, the relative ease with which someone can publish a book today creates a glut of reading material, the quality of which varies widely. I'm somewhere in the middle. I don't write books that are rife with misspellings and poor grammar, but I don't write books that future generations of English scholars will dissect in minute detail either.

In some ways, that's not a bad place to be. Not everyone can be Shakespeare, Arthur Miller or Harper Lee, but that doesn't mean our stories aren't worth telling. But, when you're an author in the middle of the pack, surrounded by other authors trying to make their mark and miles behind those who already have, the middle is a very crowded, undifferentiated place.

pixabay.com

The middle is the place where you sell your book for 99�.

And I'm not quite sure how I feel about that.

Wrapping and Reading

Photo from Magic 106.1 FM, Guelph, Canada
via Facebook

When my daughter was small, we started a book tradition at our house. I can't remember where I found the idea -- it might have been Family Fun magazine -- but I do seem to remember that it was just a front-of-book snippet by a parent. "Just" a snippet turned into a tradition that, at our house, lasted until my daughter was into her teens. And when a writer friend posted the photo at left on her Facebook page earlier this month, it had "Saturday Special" written all over it. As a bonus, it makes a marvelous extension to yesterday's post.

The process is a bit time consuming up front, but very simple. In November, gather all of your child's Christmas-themed books. Then, sometime before December 1, wrap each book individually. Beginning December 1, your child can open a book a day (or a book a week, or somewhere in between, depending upon the number of books you have available). Secretly purchasing new books I could add to the pile was fun, too, and less expensive than it would seem, as many old favorites endured for years.

My daughter loved coming downstairs each morning and opening a "new" book, and, as a bonus, it started each day with reading. Although mornings worked well for us, you could just as easily do this after dinner (or before dinner to procure some late afternoon peace and quiet), or at bedtime.

Once all of the books have been opened and the season has passed, gather them up again when you gather up the decorations and put them in a special box (labeled or unique so you can find them quickly in November). If you're feeling really industrious, you can wrap a few (or all of them) before you put them away, saving yourself some time at the outset, but choose carefully. You may find that your child deems some of this year's books too babyish next year.

Merry Christmas -- I've just given you an excuse to acquire more books. Then again, we authors do that.

Because there's no rule that says all the Christmas books have to be for your kids.

Thank you to Carole Brown, who posted this photo on her Facebook page, 

bringing back many lovely memories.

Friday Freebie: Gifting Books

Photo by George Hodan via publicdomainpictures.net

It occurred to me sometime last week that I really need to put Christmas shopping on my to-do list. It's not that I haven't started -- it's just that I haven't been to many -- okay any -- stores yet with the primary intention of doing specific Christmas shopping. I've taken advantage of Cyber Monday and picked up a few things here and there, but some things just require visits to the store.

Today's timely blog post by two of my author friends reminded me that Christmas shopping can be fun for me, too. Not only does the post talk about books and bargains, but it also talks about authors and writing. More than a few of my favorite things.

How about you? How's your Christmas shopping going? Let me know if you need a book for someone's stocking :-)

Kindness and Light

I enjoy my time on social media. I like seeing what my friends are up to, finding great pictures and funny stories and informative articles to read.

But lately, fear and negativity have crept into the feeds. Friendly comments have been replaced by politically charged arguments and verbal stone throwing. One friend commented yesterday that the cooking channel was the only one that didn't raise his blood pressure. Sad, but true -- and not just for him.

So I decided to purposefully seek out positive things to post on my news feed. When a friend posted Jackie DeShannon's What the World Needs Now (Is Love, Sweet Love), I shared it on my timeline. And when another friend posted the photo at the top of this blog, I shared that, too -- not only because it's Hanukkah, but because it's a wonderful idea.

Today, I'd like to continue that sentiment. I found the "gift suggestions" below three years ago on the desk in an office I shared with a colleague at Yorkshire Elementary School. I shared it here then,  too, when life was different in so many ways. I don't know where it came from or who wrote it (but if you do, please share it in the comments!), but I think it bears re-reading.

Wonderful Gifts to Give This Holiday Season:

Mend a quarrel.

Give a soft answer.

Encourage youth.

Keep a promise.

Be gentle.

Apologize if you're wrong.

Express your gratitude.

Welcome a stranger.

Gladden the heart of a child.

Speak your love.

Speak it again.

'Tis the season.

Deck The Halls

quinnipiac.edu

On Friday, my daughter got a college acceptance letter. This was actually her second, with the first coming from a local school of good repute where she's currently taking a class. That one was a good one, but this one was the key to freedom -- the one that meant she could go away to school.

On Saturday, she got another one.

On Sunday, I was digging in the crawlspace for Christmas decorations, aiming to divest myself of things we no longer use as well as pulling out the things we do use. In the process of doing this, I handed off a seasonal item or two to my daughter to see if she had any use for them before I put them in a pile to give away.

Somewhere in the process of doing all of this, it occurred to me rather forcefully that this is the last Christmas we'll prepare for as a family -- at least in quite this way. This time next year, most of the preparations will be done while she's at school, under the assumption that when she comes home, drained from finals and the semester's end, enforced Christmas decorating won't be high on her list. The traditions we've spent eighteen years refining as a family of three will be different next year.

As I said, this realization hit me rather forcefully And so I did what any good psychology instructor with nearly three decades of experience as a counselor would do.

I shoved that thought aside and powered through.

I'm not in denial, mind you, nor am I cold-blooded. As my daughter's senior year progresses, I'm just aware that there are lots of milestones, some big and some small, that mark rites of passage not only for her, but for our family as well. I can huddle in a puddle on the floor every time one of these realizations hits, or I can choose to enjoy this time, savoring it, and perhaps being a tad more patient (I wish!) and a lot more sentimental.

As it turns out, pausing and savoring seems to be the theme of this particular December, at least for me. I don't know how much I've been influenced by topics I'm discussing with my students, how much is my age and the stage of life I'm in and how much is the desire to tuck aside memories because I realize this December, more than perhaps any other, just how fast they dissipate, but the ratio doesn't really matter.

Life is good. And when life is good, it's foolish not to appreciate it.

Saturday Special: Marcia Ramsland's Simplify Your Holiday Season

organizingpro.com/holidays

As I've mentioned before, there are a few organizing experts whose work I particularly like. One of those is Marcia Ramsland, whose book I picked up almost by accident at a local discount store. It was love at first read, particularly when it came to time management concepts.

Though I like all of Marcia's information, one thing I especially remember about her books is that she  devoted chapters to the organizing projects and organizing for holidays. This month, her Facebook page is like the intersection of Christmas Avenue and Organization Street, complete with resources and lots of pretty pictures. And, since they're Facebook posts, it's easy to scroll through even if you have only a few minutes.

Just what I needed. Another excuse to hit Facebook.

Friday Freebie: Being in the Moment

Photo: Jamie Rodriguez via Morguefile

As my students and I move into the final chapters of our exploration of The Happiness Project, we've arrived at the section on mindfulness just in time for the deluge of end-of-semester obligations.

What perfect timing.

So, yesterday, I shared an article from the Mayo Clinic on easy mindfulness exercises that don't take much time. Not only does it afford us an opportunity to discuss the topic at hand, but it also gives us a chance to stop for a moment and appreciate where we are, rather than being in a rush to get to the next thing -- something much easier said than done.

Do you need to be more mindful? Spend more time in the moment? Think about meals instead of shoveling them in? Pat yourself on the back for what you've done instead of stressing out over what you haven't gotten to yet?

Whether you contemplate a raisin, take up yoga or simply sit down for a minute, I hope you find a moment of mindfulness each day.

Baby Stepping into December

Claudia Meyer via freepik.com

My husband is one of those people who thinks that Thanksgiving signals the beginning of the Christmas season, and, if you haven't hit the ground running by December 1, you're behind schedule.

I tend to approach the holiday season more slowly, due in no small part to the fact that the first two weeks in December are the end of the fall semester. As such, they're filled with assignments, papers and exams, all of which need to be graded. It's hard to get excited about giving up a whole Saturday -- or even an entire weeknight -- preparing for Christmas, when, all the while, everything else that needs to be completed before Christmas is calling out to me.

All that said, I do get excited about Christmas. I like decorating and getting ready for it. I just want it to be fun and not overwhelming.

And so I've promised myself that each day in December, I'll do one thing to get ready for Christmas. Some days, that one thing might be as small as setting out just one decoration. Other days, that one thing will be decorating the tree or tackling my Christmas cards.

Doing just one thing helps me feel as though I'm making progress. But better yet, the gradual influx of Christmas at our house helps me to create a balance. While "Christmas" is ubiquitous everywhere else, in our house, Christmas is tiptoeing in slowly, reaching its peak on the actual holiday itself. Instead of being overwhelmed, I can savor Christmas, piece by piece, aligning the spiritual aspect of Advent as a time of preparation with the material preparations for Christmas, and being more thoughtful about all of it in the first place.

This year, I'm asking for some sanity for Christmas. How about you?