In Remembrance of Sacrifice by Mackenzie Crowne

Please excuse me for veering from the usual book format post, but today is Memorial Day. A day to honor the brave soldiers who stood on the line so that we may sleep in peace at night and paid the ultimate price. While I am lucky enough not to have lost loved ones in battle, so many have. All around us are families who grieve for those who have given all for our freedom. Then there are the vets who forever mourn the loss of their brothers and sisters in arms, warriors who served our country with honor and distinction. As we gather along parade routes or at back yard BBQs surrounded by family, let us reflect on the immense sacrifices behind today’s celebrations.

This essay from a 3^rd grader says it perfectly.

As the flowers rest on the decorated graves and the sunlight shines on the beautiful sailboats, Uncle Sam whispers in my ear about how we should care for the soldiers and remember the ones that have died. Swimming pools open, BBQs fry. Today is the day to think of what they have done for us. There are blurs of red, white and blue marching down the street and flags are lowered at half-mast. But we should always remember and never forget what set us free, from this very day on.

© 2001 Ali M., 3rd Grader, Academy Elementary School, Madison, Connecticut.

Brave or Stupid? You Decide... by Jannine Gallant

So, I was out walking Ginger, trying to decide what to write for this month's post, when my (brave or stupid -- you decide) dog nearly gave me a heart attack. We were coming back through the meadow when Ginger took off like a bat out of hell. I was thinking squirrel, since she routinely chases them up the nearest tree. No, such luck. Good old Wile E. was high-tailing it toward the woods with my brainless mutt in hot pursuit. Of course I had to chase both of them even thought I couldn't possibly catch up, screaming my head off. Yeah, funny. I hope you at least got a smile out of the mental picture. Believe me, this isn't the first time we've enacted this scene. I doubt it'll be the last since coyotes are thick around here.

But, it gets better. A couple of days ago, my husband came back from a walk and said Ginger had chased a bear. Until the bear stopped. Apparently she had enough sense to stop, too...and have a stare-off...before Pat's yelling finally sunk into her thick head and she retreated. Probably the same bear we met on the field at the rec center across the street one morning about a month ago. The bear was minding it's own business when Ginger ran up to within five feet of it. No barking or growling from either party. They just stared at each other. I was the only one making any noise as I begged my mentally challenged mongrel to "Come here this minute!" (Are you seeing a trend here?) She ignored me, of course. When the bear moved another five feet away, I sucked up my (courage or stupidity -- you decide) and ran up to Ginger to drag her away. After I got home, my husband pointed out the bear could have killed me, too. Uh, you think?

So, I'm not sure who's a bigger idiot, me or Ginger. You decide. I know who's braver. LOL I was trying to relate these experiences to writing, and I recalled seeing a post on Facebook not long ago from an author who'd published her first book and had decided to quit her job so she could spend more time writing. All the comments were congratulations, but all I could think was, "You, poor, deluded fool. I hope you don't need the money." Is this woman's optimism an example of Ginger-chasing-a-coyote-or-bear stupidity? Or bravery? I think we all make choices in our writing careers that take (bravery or stupidity). Many of us left the safety of a small press where acceptance was pretty much a given after a few books to pursue either self-publishing or big presses. It took guts to break out of that safety zone. In some instances, the move worked out. Sometimes, not so much. I had an agent, and I fired her. Maybe a smart move. Maybe not. The jury's still out on that one. I was shaking a little when I sent her the email. Almost as much as when I grabbed Ginger's collar right next to the bear who kept his eyes on me the whole time...

So, have you made any questionable calls in life or in your writing career? Feel free to share.

By the way, Every Move She Makes is still on sale for 99 cents until the end of the month. For that price, you definitely aren't making a risky purchase. Buy it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Or, visit my Website for info on my other books.

Look in the Mirror by Betsy Ashton

Some days we need to look in the mirror and see what we want to see, not what is really there. We are all writers here, so we understand the ups and downs of the writing and publishing world.

We type until our finger tips are raw, pouring the perfect sentences into our computers, only the find the next morning we've written crap. What happened to our pearls of wisdom? Did they turn into turds overnight? Did an alchemist sneak into our hard drives and wave magic garbage dust over everything?

What do we do then? I don't know about you, but I curse, then rise from my writing ball, and assume the Wonder Woman pose. I really do. I learned about that at Roanoke Regional Writers Conference a couple of years ago when the wonderfully dynamic Sarah Beth Jones had all the women in the audience stand up, put our hands on our hips, and be sassy. Then she had the men rise and take the Rocky pose. You know the one. Top of the stairs, arms raised in triumph. I originally thought it was a bunch of hooey, but I know it works.

When I have just written a pile of useless words, I do strike The Pose. It's become my "F*** the World" statement seen only by my husband in the safety of my home office. I then remember that the Delete key is my best friend.

On second thought, maybe I should write more frequently in public and strike The Pose. Wonder what people would think. Probably that I'm delusional and just a hair's-breadth away from being institutionalized.

When the words flow, the sentences take shape, and the characters become three-dimensional, I know Sarah Beth was right. I can be anything I want as long as I'm willing to maintain a positive attitude and stay on course practicing my craft every day.

Look at that little kitten who sees a lion staring back at him. I want to see the lion. Strong. Brave. Confident. I don't want to see wrinkles, warts, stretch marks. Okay, I don't mind the silver hair, because it's my signature brand, but the rest of the growing old junk can just go away. Shoo. Scat. Get the gone. Out, out, damn spot.

I don't buy the nonsense that we have to face reality all day every day. I became a writer so I wouldn't have to face reality all day every day. If I want to see a lion, I will. If I want to be Wonder Woman, I will.

Do you have a super hero? Who is it? Why did you select that one?

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Betsy Ashton is the author of Mad Max, Unintended Consequences, and Uncharted Territory, A Mad Max Mystery, now available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 

I'm really excited that the trade paper edition of Uncharted Territory was released this week. Please follow me on my website, on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.