Promises and Expectations

Last year, my husband and I browsed the real estate market in Virginia.  We were seeking a house to fit our family and our cars.  We moved into a house with a two car garage.  In our area this is a really nice luxury.  A lot of homes don't have garages, so a two garage garage is a blessing.    It has taken some time to get the boxes cleared out.  Yesterday, I put on my working clothes and headed into the disaster zone known as our garage.  I slayed spiders; I emptied boxes; I rocked that garage. 

With at least one half of the garage sparkling and ready for my car I hopped on in.  I had been waiting for this moment since we bought the house.  If you bought a house with a two car garage would you expect to be able to at least park one of your cars in it?  So what do you do when your car is too long for your garage?

You browse the bookstores.  You are seeking for that book that has it all: romance, thrills, excitement, maybe a touch of the paranormal.  You read the back, a few sample pages and you think you have found it.  The book you have been dreaming of all your life.  You cuddle up into your favorite reading spot and you rock that book.  With over half of the book read you begin to wonder; "When this thing is going to start living up to its promises?" 


You and I know that unfulfilled promises leave you feeling cheated whether they are from your house, your book, or your friends.

Have you checked your book for unfulfilled promises? 

MMW Blogger Wanted!!!

To all our wonderful readers, we have a question for you. Would you like to join our blog as a weekly writer? We would love to have you!! Unfortunately, our Monday writer, Mary, will no longer be able to write weekly for us. She is amazing and we will miss her inspirational pep talks that always touched our hearts and our minds. But you can still catch her on her blog, Crafter's Guru.
So how do you become a MMW blogger? It's simple, first be sure that you are willing to write a post, mostly about writing, once a week. The next step is to send us a blog post that we can use as a guest post. It could be something you wrote on your personal blog or you can write one just for us. Get your posts in by May 20th. We will then pray about the person that will benefit the most from being a part of our family. Send your posts to nickalodeon26@yahoo.com and be sure to include your name, email address, and phone number. We will announce our newest writer the first week of June.
I suppose I should tell you why you would want to be a MMW blogger. That's easy, because our readers are the BEST! When you go to conferences and other writerly activities people come up to you and say they saw you on MMW! How awesome is that? Besides the awesome networking possibilities, as a writer on our blog you get the chance to write for a large audience that gives you wonderful feedback. This is a huge boost and step in helping you to feel like a real writer. This blog is amazing, and so are our readers! Please join us!

No Regrets

I woke up today with the strongest feeling to write this. Lisa's post inspired me today. It was a powerful read that had me thinking about how shy I used to be at one time and how I can be even now.

How many of us are shy? There are times when I wonder if what I say/write offends anyone. Or if I sounded foolish.

As a writer, how much of our souls are we exposing? I know a huge part. We are revealing an inner piece of our hearts as we open up.

I posted this quote: "So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains And we never even know we have the key." Aubrie, from Flutey Words, said, "Powerful quote today. I'm wondering what my chains are...maybe my doubts?"

Wow . . .

When I started out in my writing journey, I was reluctant to share with anyone. Sure I was thrilled to tell the story by mouth, but I felt it too personal to let them read it. As time grew older, I got braver. I came out with a few wounds, but they scarred over and since then vanished. I was able to handle criticism the more I shared.

The last few years, I've faced a similar but different phase of writing. That was to let everyone know my love of writing. I would say, "I've written a book," sometime during the conversation. They would politely nod and change the subject. Then, I felt unworthy to 'own' the title of writer.

Now, it's oh so different. Writing is mine and I'm writing's. I can go up to someone and tell them that I'm writing a book and plan to it have published very soon. I don't feel shy about it anymore. It's mine. I've owned up to what I want to be without having to worry about what others may think of me.

How does your writing journey look like? How did you face your demons and finally claim that you are a writer--an aspiring author?

(photos found here)

Time to Write---Time to Think

In the early days of my young motherhood, I had lots of time to think. My toddlers required a lot of time and attention, but not much brain power. I could help them build block towers or else watch them run around at the park while secretly plotting out novels in my head. When washing dishes or folding laundry, my mind ran free, scheming up stories and visualizing scenes.

But I didn't have time to write. My eyes and my hands were constantly busy. It made me crazy, having all those stories pile up inside me. So eventually I found time, made time to write. When my youngest child reached his toddler years I started to write in earnest. I decided to make a career out of it, called it my part-time job I didn't get paid for yet.

Then everything changed. My oldest children entered the teenage years. Teenagers require a lot of time and attention, and some serious brain power. I've got schedules to coordinate and real-life dramas to untangle. Now my children help with the housework, but as we wash the dishes or sort laundry together we talk about the doings of the day. I love this. It's a stage of my life I've been looking forward to for many years.

But when do I have quiet time to think?

Too often lately, I sit down at the computer and realize I haven't taken any time to think about my story since the last time I wrote. So instead of pouring the words out like I used to, I just sit and wonder what to write next.

I made time to write when there wasn't any. Now I'm just going to have to make time to think.

Maybe next year when the youngest one starts Kindergarten.

Okay, busy moms of older children, how do you find time to think?

Seeing Double

Stolen from the archives of Seriously Amber Lynae

Sorry If this is a repeat for you.

Timmy and Tommy live in a small suburban home. If you did not notice they are twins. They share the same taste in almost everything - including girls. This was always a hardship between the two until they made a pact that they would only date twins. Problem Solved?

They dated Candy and Sandy who were too cute to boot. It did not take long to discover that they were both complete nuts (explains the squirrels don't you think).

They were hopeful when they met the flight attendants , Mia and Mya.

But they could never remember who was who?

Kelsey and Chelsea were fun, except for their constant obsession with cleaning.

And they had twin seals in the limo pool....with a TV. A little weird.

They were certain it was time to give up at their chances at love and scheduled a nice cruise. That is when they met Cat and Kate.

Tommy and Cat fell in love over a triple scoop sundae, (who wouldn't?)

They shared their first kiss by the end of the cruise.

Timmy and Kate spent their days in the sun discussing all kinds of intelligent topics, like the weight of coconuts, the center black holes, and where all the matches to socks go.

They danced together to the melody of the Beach Boys.

After months (or weeks, or minutes) of preparation, they stood waiting for their brides. Their clothes all mismatched, and their ex-girlfriends staring.

What you didn't have all your exes at your wedding? Oh well.

Cat and Kate knew this was their fate.

They gladly married the men they loved....

Took a few traditional wedding photos....

Threw their bouquets.....

And headed to their new suburban residence, with their animals and husbands.....

ALMOST THE END.



Back at the reception there was .... how do I explain... Well see for yourselves.

The preacher was taken out, I'm not certain if it was by the mob of angry single twin ladies... because we also stumbled upon the following crime scene.....

A wig, two dead squirrels, an unconscious woman, a noose of some sort, and a witness.

If you have any information regarding the crime please leave a comment. The happy couples are hoping to head to their honeymoon, but are unable to leave the area until all issues have been resolved. Your help would be much appreciated.

Gotta Keep Reading!!

Reading has always been very important to me. From the first moment I learned to read, books became my best friends. I remember going to the library in the first grade checking out a book that I would read by myself for the first time ever. I remember struggling through the words with my mom and committing them all to memory. My childhood was full of ups and downs that I didn't really understand, divorce, moves, emotional abuse. But one thing was always my solace, books. Whenever I moved to another new school and found myself without friends...again, I could go to the library and find my favorite author. I read about my favorite character and knew that they would always be there. They were constants in my life. Just a few of my best friends were Anne of Green Gables, she understood being new at school and not quite fitting in. The girls from the Babysitter's Club had such a tight friendship and it wasn't always roses, maybe it made me feel better about not having such tight friends at that age. The Sweet Valley High Twins captivated me from the beginning. I read them at a young age and was facinated by their stories of high school, which I soon found out wasn't how high school worked, even if you did live in California.

My point here is that reading means alot to me. The connections you make as a reader are precious and important. I now know that connection is just as important to the writer. As a writer, I want other children to feel that safety and connection that I felt. I want them to have books to turn to to escape the realities that face them. So when I went to the assembly at my kids' school the other day and watched a presentation in which 65 third graders held their favorite books in their hands, I was brought to tears.

Here is the youtube video that gave our school the idea to do this presentation.
BTW, love this middle school that took the time to promote reading in such a wonderful way!!!

P. S.

Before and After

This is what I'll do to you when you win my contest! ;)

(okay, I could've drawn my Avatar's eyes a touch bigger, oh well. *sigh*)

My Birthday Contest!

Hello everyone! I am running a contest over at my blog!

Check out the wonderful prizes!



I hope to see you there!

Elizabeth Mueller :)

It Is Good

On my way home from dropping off birthday cupcakes at the elementary school, I drove past a friend's house. She'd been on my mind lately, and when I saw her sitting outside enjoying the spring weather I thought I should stop and talk to her.

I slowed down and waved out my car window. She smiled and waved back. But then I put my foot to the gas pedal and drove on. My son's birthday party was in a few hours, and I still had to finish cleaning, decorate a cake, and get things ready for the party games.

As I pulled into my driveway a heavy sadness fell over me. Why hadn't I stopped? Am I so busy, so self-absorbed, that I can't take a few minutes to stop and chat with a friend? Had I failed some kind of test? I dragged myself into the house and started cleaning, but all my energy was gone. Were my priorities messed up? I had to get ready for this birthday party! I wanted my son to have a really fun time. But if I'd cleaned and prepared yesterday, I wouldn't have felt so busy today. Tears pricked my eyes, sorrow weighed me down until I collapsed on the floor in the middle of all the toys and crumpled papers. In confusion and utter misery, I prayed, what do you want me to do?

God said:

Stopping to talk to your friend is good. Coming home to get ready for your son's birthday party is good. 

THIS is not good.

I knew that "THIS" meant me having a fit of depression over it. I had made a choice between two good things, and I was making myself miserable because I was afraid I hadn't made the best choice. Laughing at myself, I got up again and got to work. My son and his friends were going to have a great time at the birthday party, and I could always call my friend later, or stop by another day.

So how does this apply to writing? Writing is good. Spending time with my husband and children is good. I should do both. But it is NOT GOOD to fling myself into depression because I'm afraid I spend too much time writing and neglect the beautiful family God has given me, or not enough time writing and neglect the wonderful gift God has given me. I need to seek balance joyfully.

Amen and hallelujah!

The Biggest Looser VS First Place Winner

This post was published on my personal blog on Wednesday. I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you. I apologize if you've already seen it, but I thought it might be helpful to those who may be struggling with their writing.

Two years ago I entered the First Chapter Contest at LDStorymakers Writers Conference with an LDS romance novel, Forever In My Heart. At the time I thought it a great story and felt my writing skills were advanced enough that I just might have a chance to place in the contest. Boy was I ever wrong. Not only did I not place, but the comments I received from one of the judges (forever known as Judge #10) were harsh and hurtful. I wanted to give up, even considered leaving the conference early, but instead sat in my room and cried my eyes out for an hour. Self pity is NOT a good thing.

When I got home from the conference I discovered that several other members of Author's Incognito had similar comments from the same judge so we decided to have a contest to see who had the worst comments. We thought it might take some of the sting away if we made something positive out of it and tried to laugh about it. Well, I won the contest with this comment:

The new complication at the end of the chapter might keep me reading, but only if I managed to get that far in the first place.

Another comment made by that judge on the same chapter was:

Plot: What plot? A sudden medical crisis does not a plot make. And I really doubt a policeman would be so insensitive as to suggest Sage had run away.

When I received these comments, I wanted to give up writing all together, but instead I started a new novel. It was less than a month later that I began writing Blood Bound (the book contracted by Valor and then later released).

While I was waiting for Blood Bound to be edited, I went back to my romance for the first time since being the "Biggest Looser" in the comments that year, and began rewrites and edits. I took what I'd learned over the past year or so and applied it to that book, still believing that it could become something others would enjoy reading.

This year I turned in three first chapters for the contest, Blood Bound, Aquatara and, at the last minute, Forever In My Heart. Even though I had great comments and got high scores on the first two, it was Forever In My Heart that took FIRST PLACE in the Women's Fiction/Romance Catagory of the contest. I was SHOCKED, to say the least.

All this has taught me two very important lessons.

ONE - Never give up. No matter what others may say about your writing, no matter how bad of a writer you may think you are, DO NOT GIVE UP on your dream. Seek help from others, listen, learn, and PRACTICE, but NEVER give up.

And TWO - People's comments, whether from a contest, a critique group or just a friend, are subjective. While one person may hate what you've written, another may love it. Yes, the chapter that won is in much better shape than it was when it lost, but it still has the same "plot" and the policeman still asks if she's a "runaway," but this time the writing is better and I've had help from writing friends and my critique group to iron out any problems. It's kind of like the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." It takes more than one author to write a book. So this win doesn't just reflect what I've learned, but what others have taught me, the biggest lesson being NEVER GIVE UP!!